Babel.
That mysterious new Tower floating in the sky.
Humanity had yet to grasp the true nature of the Towers, and now, with the sudden appearance of this new one, it only deepened despair and frustration across the globe.
–How do we enter Babel?
Countries like the United States and others wrestled with that question, pouring time and resources into figuring out a way to enter.
They tried putting Hunters on aircraft and sending them toward the entrance of Babel.
That would be the obvious move, right?
But it was impossible.
Not just the U.S.—even ambitious attempts by European nations failed to make it inside Babel.
Some couldn’t even locate the entrance at all.
Others found what they thought was the entrance, only for their Hunters to be unceremoniously rejected before setting foot inside.
[Those unworthy are forbidden entry.]
Babel denied access to ordinary Hunters.
Even an A-rank Hunter launched into orbit with a rocket failed. Though it flew straight toward Babel’s entrance, the rocket exploded helplessly mid-air and fell back to Earth.
Same for the S-ranks.
Not a single one recognized as S-rank by public consensus was able to enter Babel.
Many questioned how to gain entry, but no one had the answer.
And there was a reason for that.
The qualifications to enter the floating Babel were far more stringent than anyone had expected.
“Mungyeong, Ganghwa Island, Dokdo, Jeju Island. That’s four S-rank Towers cleared in Korea.”
“Golden Gate Bridge, Panama Canal, Crater Lake National Park, Statue of Liberty, Delicate Arch, Devil’s Tower. Six S-rank Towers cleared in America.”
The total number of S-rank Towers I’ve conquered: Ten.
If you count Akihabara, it would be eleven—but the one I confirmed before departing from the U.S. was the tenth.
And I succeeded in one particular experiment.
While in America, I confirmed that one of my summons successfully entered Babel, having been launched aboard a satellite into orbit.
Of course, I hadn’t begun conquering Babel itself yet.
Even after confirming the minimum entry requirements in America, I didn’t immediately rush in to attack Babel.
Why not?
– There are still too many S-rank Towers left on the surface. If others wish to challenge Babel as well, they should be given the opportunity to clear more S-rank Towers first.
That was the request from the U.S. government’s Department of Tower Affairs.
– We ask that Master leave the fifth summon on Earth—Justice—as a ‘guardian deity’ who can protect all of America, just in case. Please leave at least one summon behind and challenge Babel with the others.
For the sake of peace.
If monsters were to suddenly pour out of an S-rank Tower and devastate the continent while I was away conquering Babel… well, that would be a disaster.
So I had to leave one summon out of the party and challenge Babel with the remaining four.
Naturally, I wanted to gather as much power as possible before going in—
“Given the circumstances, the Babel conquest begins immediately.”
That’s when the S-rank Tower in Shibuya, Japan tried to deceive me.
It puffed itself up like an S-rank Tower, when in truth, it wasn’t S-rank at all.
Elaine handled the boss cleanly.
The boss gimmick involved a trio of demonic triplets rampaging at once, so Elaine made sure two of them were neatly sliced apart beyond resurrection. We left just one alive and retreated.
Just because there are three A-rank enemies doesn’t make the Tower S-rank.
The boss lacked the aura and firepower we’d come to expect from true S-rank enemies.
So, at Elaine’s call, I ordered the retreat, reduced the first floor of the Shibuya Tower to ashes, and left.
And now…
I had reached a point where a new decision had to be made.
“The sixth one, right? If I conquer Babel, I get to summon it immediately?”
[Yes! You’ll receive a summon token you can use right away!]
So I’ve heard.
“I’d rather not keep running into fake S-rank Towers like in Shibuya every time I go around clearing them.”
When someone’s conquered ten S-rank Towers, it’s probably time to start playing in a higher weight class.
“I need to contact President Luigi. Let him know—I’m going to conquer Babel.”
“Master, which Babel will you be targeting?”
“Obviously…”
I pointed upward.
“The closest one.”
* * *
[Meanwhile, on the first floor of the Tower that appeared at Shibuya Crossing]
“Huff, huff…!”
The Japanese Prime Minister, who had finally managed to enter the first floor, looked around, gasping for breath.
“P-Prime Minister! You’re not supposed to be in here!”
“I need to see it for myself! Whether this is truly an S-rank Tower or not!”
Brushing off the hands of the A-rank Hunters trying to hold him back, the Prime Minister pressed on, flustered and furious.
“Because Master so casually cleared the Tower in Akihabara, our Hunters are in a really bad spot! I even heard there are Hunters who turned into Ironblood inside the Akihabara Tower because of Master!”
“Those people weren’t really Hunters… more like villains, weren’t they?”
“Either way, we can’t let this slide any longer!”
The Prime Minister began stomping the ground in fury.
“Are we just going to sit back and let a Korean waltz into a Tower on our soil and conquer it?”
“Well, technically, Master is an American…”
“He switches between being Korean and American whenever it’s convenient! The moment I visit Korea, I’m sure the Korean President will greet me with a handshake and go on and on about ‘Master’ this and that!”
“Well, that’s…”
It couldn’t be helped.
That’s just the kind of person he was.
“They couldn’t manage their own country well enough to keep an EX-rank Hunter, so he went abroad of his own accord. And now they want to make diplomatic noise when that Hunter acts on his own will? I can’t accept that…!”
“Why are you acting like this?! Just please, go back already…!”
“Let him be. He’s only here to take pictures.”
One of the Hunters said with a sneer, making the Prime Minister’s face flush red.
“A Korean cleared the S-rank Tower in Akihabara, and now the Tower that appeared in Shibuya is in this half-conquered state, right?”
“W-What!?”
“He’s acting all proactive about this Tower because if he doesn’t, his party’s going to take a major hit in the next election. It’s all just political performance. A show, really.”
“I don’t care if it’s a show or not!”
The Prime Minister roared, his face red down to his neck.
“The public only believes what they see on the screen! And what other nation’s politician personally enters a Tower like this? I’ll be the first in human history!”
“Oh, that’s what this is about?”
“Looks like Master clearing the Tower messed with his head. He’s completely lost it.”
At the Prime Minister’s outburst, the other Hunters began mocking him one by one.
“Look, Prime Minister. Just quietly go back outside and do your job. Towers are the realm of Hunters, not politics.”
“Told you to let him be. He’s too blinded by his own thoughts to think clearly. He probably believes Master will see him and think, ‘Wow, what a righteous man,’ and come to like him or something.”
“You…!”
“Are you ready to face the boss? Do you really have that resolve?”
“Of course!”
The Prime Minister shouted, but the Hunters’ faces hardened in disbelief or twisted into grimaces.
“I—”
“Let’s drag him out.”
One of the older Hunters, dressed like a monk, grabbed the Prime Minister.
“Honestly, watching him run around like this just to snap a photo makes me want to leave him for dead. But we can’t have him actually die inside the Tower, so let’s make sure he at least dies outside.”
“W-What did you say?!”
“From the way you’re acting, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone did try to assassinate you. Did someone threaten you? Or maybe you’ve been brainwashed by a villain? If that’s the case, I’d understand this behavior, but if you’re sober and doing this… you’re insane.”
“Y-You…!”
“Enough. I’ll go tell Master.”
“W-WHAT?!”
Tell Master.
That one phrase drained all color from the Prime Minister’s face.
“No! Anything but that! Please!”
“What do you mean, ‘anything but that’? It’s not like I’m telling your wife about an affair.”
“Waaagh! T-That’s completely differe—AARGH!!”
The Prime Minister thrashed about, but the Hunters moved wordlessly, doing what needed to be done.
“Politics only help the world of Hunters if it’s truly to support those who risk everything to clear the Towers.”
“Like providing pensions for the families of the fallen?”
“Sure, things like that. But having some politician waltz in here like this definitely isn’t it.”
The first floor of the wrecked Shibuya Tower.
“Looks like in Korea, the Hunters are starting to organize politically.”
“They’ve got a presidential system, right?”
“Even so, they still have national votes, don’t they?”
“Man… never thought we’d end up talking politics inside a Tower.”
Instead of climbing, the Hunters turned to look silently at the portal leading back to Shibuya.
“I’ll try reaching out to some Korean Hunters.”
“You?”
“My sister married a Korean guy. If I go through a few connections, maybe I can get through to someone.”
“…Please do. I’m sure Master has his reasons for what he’s doing.”
One of the Hunters pulled out their smartphone and played a video.
[S-rank Tower, woohoooo!]
It wasn’t Master himself, but some guy doing a cosplay impression of him.
“Master must’ve had his reasons for acting this way. So while he continues down his path, we’ll start changing this country—just like Korea did.”
Nod.
“Just as Master sacrificed so much to bring about change here.”
* * *
And outside the Tower—
“Are you ready, Commander?”
“Of course.”
Illinois’s main cannon—
Loaded.
