There were all kinds of wild speculations about the Master’s arrival in Japan.
– The Master is working with the U.S. President and Japanese politicians to establish a trilateral political alliance between Korea, the U.S., and Japan.
– LOL, the Master isn’t even a politician.
– Let’s not start political drama about an S-rank Hunter suddenly entering the political scene.
Some people said I came to solidify the Korea-U.S.-Japan political alliance.
– Maybe he likes Japan because his ancestors were pro-Japanese collaborators?
– Reported with screenshots.
– Ugh, can’t even say anything anymore.
– Your IP is showing up as from China…
– [Deleted comment]
Others claimed I went to America first and then came to Japan because I’m descended from collaborators.
– Master, ikeeeeeeee!
– What now?
– Master, kakkoiiii!
– Does the Master even have the face to be called ‘kakkoī’? (laughs)
– But to his aides, he must look handsome, right?
There were even people who said I roam around at night in some weird traditional mask like some vigilante beating people up.
– A Summoner who can summon characters from ad*lt videos!
– You were given your summoning abilities to clear Towers, not for that kind of nonsense, geez.
– He seems like a sweet old guy with those outdated emojis, but let’s be real—doesn’t he do all sorts of crazy stuff with the cute girls he summoned?
– Master would never do that!
– How do you know? Are you some kind of god?
Some crazy people even said, “He definitely brought a bunch of Japanese actresses for some kind of messed-up party.”
– So why did the Master come, again?
– A-ki-ha-ba-ra.
– wwwwwwwwwwwww
There were political and moral debates flying in every direction, but I shut them all down with just one word.
– Nod.
– Nod.
Akihabara.
“For Otakus, there are no borders.”
If you’re looking for an electronics market in Korea, you think of Yongsan. If it’s the biggest gaming event, then Busan BEXCO.
Likewise, Akihabara is the sacred land for otakus.
“I came here to geek out. So what.”
More precisely, it’s a place full of shops that sell tons of related merch.
“Did you really come here just for that?”
“Even if I didn’t, wouldn’t it be fine if the world believed that?”
No matter where you go in Japan, subculture characters are everywhere, but Akihabara is especially thick with that vibe.
Just look at the neko-maid cafés—it’s not even considered weird around here.
And so—
“Drei, how’s the reaction online?”
“As expected of the Master.”
“I see. No one misinterpreting it?”
“There are still some who refuse to give up, but the majority just hope you’ll get rid of the S-rank Tower floating above Akihabara’s sky.”
As Drei said, hardly anyone is spinning some strange narrative like I’m here to destroy a shrine.
“Japan suffered major damage last time an S-rank Tower broke, right? It caused more casualties and property damage than an earthquake.”
“True.”
“In the process, some meaningful sites were destroyed, but some places are still standing.”
“Well, I’m not here to wreck those.”
I’m here to destroy the Tower, not trample on something else.
Of course, if a monster emerges from the Tower and starts rampaging, and I’m forced to choose between saving people or protecting a shrine—I’ll save the people.
But just casually—
“Justice.”
[I understand how you feel, but wouldn’t it be strange to transform into a giant and crush something when there’s no giant beast around?]
“Right?”
Ah.
Isn’t there some beast I could crush?
One that wouldn’t hurt anyone but would conveniently collapse somewhere…
“You want to do it?”
“…Nah. No need to get caught up in all this talk. Leave the politics to the politicians. I just need to think like a Hunter.”
As a Hunter, all I need to do is conquer the Tower.
When God gave me these summoning abilities, I figured it was because humanity was too weak to tackle Towers alone.
“If I came here to clear a Tower, then I should clear the Tower. The problem is over there.”
Outside the hotel.
There’s no crowd of people near the hotel.
No noisy protests or mobs—just a dense wall of uniformed police forming a security perimeter like a fortress.
“How should I interpret that?”
They’re basically locking down the whole area.
The roads leading to the hotel are lined with multiple human barricades of police officers.
And in front of them are people in uniforms that signify Awakened—meaning even Hunters who should be clearing Towers are being deployed to surround H Hotel where I’m staying.
Peeking through the curtain, and seeing the pictures online, the expressions on those officers forming the human wall were anything but friendly.
“Looks like around a thousand cops showed up. Are they really going to keep them standing there 24/7?”
“Want the real answer?”
“Kiharu, just hearing that sarcastic tone of yours tells me everything I need to know.”
That biting tone filled with disillusionment and malice toward humanity.
It reflects the goddess’s disappointment—not in humanity as a whole, but in those who act out of spite rather than good.
“They’re clearly doing this to make me uncomfortable, right?”
“Exactly.”
A nuisance.
Ordinary citizens may welcome the Master if an S-rank Tower right in front of them will disappear.
But for the politicians of this country—it’s a different story.
Even if I say I’m just here for Akihabara, they’ll argue that I couldn’t possibly have come just for some otaku tour when there’s an S-rank Tower looming in the skies above it.
They’re reading too much into it.
And since some people are clearly bothered by my arrival, they’ve stationed all these people just hoping I’ll pack up and leave on my own.
“Let’s not call it a petty bullying tactic to pressure me into leaving.”
“Come on, who would do something like that? As if they’d really go so far as to wear everyone out just to make you uncomfortable.”
“Exactly. It’s not like they gathered a thousand people from Kyoto or something.”
Some might say this is racism or regional discrimination or whatever,
but really, it was just an inside joke among friends.
“Alright. Then… shall I show them what a true otaku looks like?”
I took out my smartphone and sent a rough outline of the plan to my friend.
Beep.
A reply came quickly.
[You’re not asking me to clean up the mess, are you?]
“Of course not.”
This isn’t America, after all.
* * *
[Three hours later, Tokyo. Prime Minister’s Office, Japan.]
“The U.S. President has contacted us, Prime Minister.”
“What did he say?”
“‘The Master did not travel there just for tourism. Where there is a Tower, there is a Hunter.’”
“Tsk.”
Prime Minister Shintaro Matsuda held his balding head in both hands.
“So he really is here to clear the Tower! All that otaku stuff was just a cover!”
“What shall we do? Should we release a statement—”
“Let me ask you something. Can our S-rank Hunters clear the Tower in Akihabara?”
“…While it’s true they’ve been unable to do so, simply leaving the Tower entirely to the Master would also be problematic.”
“Exactly. It’d be like a tourist solving a national crisis before leaving.”
“Yes. The issue is… we don’t know what he might demand as payment for conquering the Tower.”
“That.”
The Prime Minister carefully picked up the photos spread out on his desk.
“I just hope he doesn’t suddenly demand an official apology or something.”
“There is public sentiment in Korea pushing the Master to make such a demand, but based on our analysis, the Master has something of a rebellious streak.”
“Rebellious?”
“There’s a saying in Korea. ‘If you tell me not to, I won’t not do it.’”
“…What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It’s like… a contrarian mindset. The more people try to make him do something, the more likely he is to go, ‘Nah.’”
Beep Beep Beep.
The phone in the Prime Minister’s office rang.
“What is it?”
[Prime Minister! The Master has left the hotel!]
“!!”
A sudden development.
“Alert Akihabara! No sudden movements from civilians! If anything even resembling an egg flies through the air, that man is dead! Got it?!”
“Yes, Prime Minister!”
“Damn it, he was barely in that hotel for a few hours!”
Among the messages passed down by the U.S. President were warnings like “No one knows what might happen,” and “Only deploy those skilled in quick judgment.”
“Have the officers match the Master’s pace in real-time! Form a human barrier within 100 meters around him at all times!”
[Yes, sir!!]
The Prime Minister was now mobilizing even members of the National Assembly to lock down central Tokyo in real time.
“Status report—how’s Akihabara looking?!”
[All set, Prime Minister! Only pro-Korea, pro-U.S. merchandise is on display! We’ve removed all anti-Korean publications to other cities, and officers are running ID checks on anyone trying to protest or cause trouble!]
“Good. Whatever happens, do not provoke the Master. Let him enjoy his otaku tour in peace. Just like…”
The Prime Minister picked up a new photo.
“…Like that time Michael Jackson wanted to experience a normal shopping trip, so he rented out an entire supermarket and filled it with actors playing normal shoppers.”
It was… theoretically doable—but there were too many variables.
Among the intelligence reports, there were already radical politicians saying they’d shout at the Master just to gain media attention.
Look.
Thankfully, the human barrier—made up of over a thousand police—was shifting in real time with the Master’s movement.
With just one maid at his side, he was strolling peacefully while the officers kept the area around him completely cleared.
[P-Prime Minister!]
“What now?”
[The Master… he’s heading straight to—!]
In the middle of watching a live feed showing the thousand-officer human wall moving with military precision—
—Kirakira, moe-moe~
Beep.
—We interrupt this program to bring you breaking news. Currently…
TokyoTV abruptly cut off its anime broadcast and replaced it with an emergency news alert.
—He is heading toward the S-Rank Tower in Akihabara.
“What?”
—According to the live stream he just started…
Beep.
The aide beside the Prime Minister quickly switched the screen.
There, the familiar young man appeared, his face radiant with excitement.
[Everyone, do you see that Tower?]
Staring at the S-Rank Tower, the Master smiled.
[I’m here… to geek out over an S-Rank Tower.]
