After a journey where I was pampered with movies and every luxury imaginable in the back of a limousine, I finally set foot in Kyoto. That part was fine. The problem was... well, I had one. A fairly massive one, actually.
"This is a bit unexpected... wait, is this really Kyoto?"
The streetscape before me was, to put it simply, ancient Japan. It was like something straight out of a history book—the Heian period, maybe? It looked exactly like Wakuni, the nation I’d visited once in that other world.
It felt as if a slice of ancient Japan had been carved out and dropped here, or like I’d slipped through time. I stood there frozen... or more accurately, I was completely lost.
"Getting separated is... well, it’s not great, but it happens. But I don't know any of this."
This was a full-blown Japanese fantasy. I didn't recognize a single street. I remembered coming to Kyoto with Ayane and Shiki back in eighth grade, but the view before me defied common sense so thoroughly I began to doubt I was even in modern Japan.
Honestly, it was a bit of a thrill, but the fact remained that I didn't have Kuroha's contact info. More importantly, my destination was likely Tsubaki's house, but since I had no idea where that was, I couldn't afford to move aimlessly. Based on the villa I’d seen in Tokyo, the only intel I had was the vague assumption that her estate here would be massive and impossible to miss.
...There are way too many dungeons, I thought.
I couldn't just wander around, but even a cursory glance revealed several dungeons in the vicinity. As I’d suspected, this place was a far cry from the modern world I knew. Well, "far cry" probably didn't do it justice. This version of Kyoto was so fantastical that I wasn't even sure if that was the right phrase.
Adventurers were everywhere I looked, and all of them seemed fairly capable. Based on the magic levels I sensed, C-Rank seemed to be the average. People usually said B-ranks were rare, so Kyoto might be on a whole other level.
"Monster breakout! It's rare ones today—Tengu and Kamaitachi!"
A sudden shout made me spin around. There, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, monsters were out in the open, clashing with adventurers. There were red-skinned men in yamabushi outfits and a pack of weasels whose arms were literally scythes.
It was a sight you’d never see in Tokyo. While I was marvelling at how the adventurers seemed used to this as they moved to intercept them, a remarkably clear voice reached my ears.
"Get back! I will eliminate them!"
A girl with chestnut-colored hair appeared; she looked like she would’ve been around my age if I were in my original body. Dressed like an Onmyoji, complete with an eboshi hat and talismans in hand, she tossed the slips of paper, surrounding several of the Tengu.
"[Phosphorous Flame Destruction Array]."
Flames erupted, incinerating only the Tengu. I was impressed by the precision of her magic—or rather, her arts—but then the remaining Kamaitachi charged toward me, as if they'd made me their target.
I had the Kamaitachi Three Brothers among my own summons and I'd played with them often, so I was used to dealing with their kind, but being caught off guard like this slowed my reaction time.
"You look just like my guys, but sorry. [Weapon Summon]—Angrist."
The only way to deal with their speed was to attack with equal speed or sheer volume of strikes. I summoned my favorite dagger and cut them down in an instant.
After watching the Kamaitachi get sliced apart and revert into magic stones, I noticed a presence approaching me.
"What is a child doing in this sector?"
It was the girl in the eboshi from before. She looked genuinely puzzled, though there was a hint of worry in her expression.
It was a little late to be worrying about it, but thanks to that unreasonable duo, Shiten and Tamamo-no-Mae, I’d been shrunk into a child about 135 centimeters tall. According to the common knowledge Ayane had taught me before, the adventurer qualification required for fighting was only available from middle school onwards. In my current state, I was completely out of bounds.
"Besides, you seem quite strong... Are you a student from Tamazusa Academy?"
"I'm not, for starters. Is it bad for me to be here?"
"Yes. This is the Dungeon Sector, so children aren't allowed inside, you know?"
She spoke to me as if trying to teach me a lesson, then fell into deep thought. I didn't know what she was conflicted about, but she stared intently at my face before tilting her head and groaning, seemingly lost in thought again.
"Um, did you get separated from someone?"
"Eh? Oh, yeah."
"I knew it. You didn't seem to know your way around, and it's peak tourist season right now. In that case, leave it to me. I'll guide you."
"Uh, I appreciate it, but are you sure?"
It was sudden, and there was no benefit in it for her. I could tell she was a kind person, but I wasn't the type to just blindly trust someone I’d only just met. However, it was a fact that I didn't know the area, and a local would probably know the location of the Kanna family residence, so I found myself hesitating.
"Yes, you shouldn't abandon people in trouble. I was actually in the middle of searching for someone, but that can wait. But... wait. You look like the description I heard?"
"Excuse me?"
"Um, excuse me, I might be wrong about this... but are you Reima Kariya?"
"That's me. And you are?"
"Huh? Wait, wait. I was told you were a gentleman about my age... But the photo? It looks like you. Wait, why are you a child?"
"Sorry, I'd like to know the answer to that myself."
It wasn't strange for a complete stranger to know who I was, but what did she mean by searching for me? Even if I wanted to ask, she seemed so incredibly confused that it didn't look like I'd be getting any explanations out of her.
What do I even do here?
Thinking that, I found myself trying to calm the panicked girl down.