Like Kiriha had expected, Sanae had detected a clay doll spiritual energy weapon. It was several times larger than Karama and Korama, and it had a sharper shape fitting of a weapon. With their superior numbers they could easily overcome it, but one on one it was a dangerous opponent.
Koutarou and the others avoided contact with the clay doll and detoured around it. With the help of Yurika's spell, they got past the clay doll undetected, and now Koutarou was in the lead again as they continued walking down the passage.
“Hey Kiriha, how far are we?”
“Just a little further up ahead there is an elevator. If we go down that we'll be able to reach quite deeply. Distance we are probably less than half ways, but we should be there shortly”
“Hmm, so it's a little longer. Hey Harumi, are you okay?”
“I'm okay. Thank you, Higashihongan-san”
“If anything happens you let me, the leader, know right away okay?”
“Okay. Fufufu...”
After passing by the clay doll the group had been able to progress to their next destination without running into any more threats. There, there was a transportation elevator that led to the underground world. Since the clay doll was using it to transport, there was light at the operating panel.
“So we're getting on this?”
Reaching the elevator, Yurika was about to casually push the elevator call button.
“Wait, stop!!”
Koutarou grabbed Yurika the moment before she could touch the button.
“Kyaa!? W-What is it!?”
Yurika was surprised by the sudden event and stared at Koutarou with eyes wide. After confirming that the button hadn't been pressed Koutarou let out a sigh of relief.
“Give me a break, Yurika. If the elevator moves they'll notice us”
“Ah, r-right, sorry”
Yurika realized the circumstances and blushed.
If the radical faction were to ambush them, just past this elevator would be the ideal. If they realized that Koutarou and the others were onboard the elevator, it was obvious that they would attack the moment the elevator reached its destination.
“We're already in enemy territory, be careful, Yurika”
”Y-Yes...”
Seeing Yurika nod, Koutarou let her go as he dropped his shoulders. Being set free, Yurika chased after Koutarou with her eyes with her cheeks still flushed.
Couldn't he have had more of a reaction... he just hugged a girl after all...
Yurika was well aware that now wasn't the time to think about stuff like that, but she felt sad that Koutarou wasn't giving her more consideration.
“Kiriha-san, we can do something about it, right?”
Unaware of Yurika's thoughts, Koutarou called out to Kiriha. After looking at Kiriha for a while, Yurika looked down on her own chest and sighed.
“Indeed. It does seem to have some security on it, but it's decades old. It's no match for our present technology”
”Ho-, leave it to us Ho-”
“HoHo-, now it's our time to shine Ho-”
Karama and Korama began messing around with the elevator's panel. It was troublesome that involved deceiving all kinds of surveillance systems, but as Kiriha had said, the haniwas didn't seem to struggle in the slightest.