《Ototsukai wa Shi to Odoru》 CH 1 Chapter 1: The Sound of the Beginning ¡°Sigh¡± I let out a sentimental sigh and continued walking with heavy steps on my way to school. It was only natural. Today was Monday after all. For some reason, I looked up at the sky and caught sight of another student who was flying towards school. I immediately turned away and looked at something else. Ah! It¡¯s such a good thing to have a floating ability. While thinking about these things, I quickened my pace a little bit. At that moment, I heard someone call my name from behind. ¡°Oi, Kazato!¡± Kamiya Kazato. 1 This is my name. And the one who called out to me is Midou Tsurugi 2. ¡°Tsurugi?¡­¡­¡± ¡°Today you look even worse than usual.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s Monday.¡± He¡¯s an old friend of mine. One of the reasons we got along was the fact that both of us were normals, a very small group of people who haven¡¯t manifested any ability. However, there was a fundamental difference between us. ¡°Tsu ¨C rugi ~!¡± A girl called out and started running towards us. Her name is Oohashi Hitomi 3. She is a beauty, to such a degree that she is believed to be able to make anyone fall for her at first sight. She¡¯s also the school¡¯s madonna. This girl is Tsurugi¡¯s childhood friend. He doesn¡¯t realize¡­¡­.or maybe he doesn¡¯t want to (at least that¡¯s what I¡¯d like to think), but she is in love with him. ¡°Morning.¡± ¡°Morning, Hitomi.¡± After she ran all the way here, Oohashi immediately started to cling onto Tsurugi¡¯s arm. Watching these flirty scenes so early in the morning was bitter, to be honest. ¡°Oh! Morning to you too, Kamiya-kun.¡± She said to me, like she just realized I was there as well. ¡°¡­¡­Morning.¡± I answered. Just after that, I heard someone calling out from behind us again. ¡°Morning, Tsurugi!¡± I turned around and, at the same time, I saw Furuya Rin 4, who was already clinging onto Tsurugi¡¯s free arm. ¡°Morning, Rin.¡± ¡°Meh, Hitomi¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­..Rin-chan, morning.¡± Instantly, the Tsurugi contest started to unfold right in front of my eyes. Rin is actually my childhood friend, but she is in love with Tsurugi. I¡¯d like to tell her that she should be more devoted to me, since I¡¯m her childhood friend, but unfortunately, Rin and I don¡¯t get along that well. It¡¯s like an undesirable but inseparable relationship. ¡°Hey Kazato, you were here?¡± Rin asked me as well, as if she just realized I was around. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Yes, this is the difference between me and him. The popular one and the unpopular one. Tsurugi is extremely popular. The two girls are in fact only a small fraction of Tsurugi¡¯s followers ¨C called the Tsurugi Harem. During these moments I really want him to rot away, but it actually can¡¯t be helped. Ah! Only if I was also blessed with good looks¡­ When I think about this, I always get the urge of punching some holes in my old friend¡¯s face. ¡°If we don¡¯t hurry, we¡¯ll be late.¡± ______ I was looking outside the far away window, from my lonely seat in the middle of the classroom. I caught sight of a Self-Defense Force soldier who was flying about in the sky; he was patrolling. The Self-Defense Force is the so-called supporter of justice. It¡¯s an organization mainly composed of ability users. From a normal¡¯s point of view like myself, their existence is much appreciated. They are the ones who always eliminate the demonic beasts that show up in our city from time to time. And, they also protect us from the evil organization ¡°Anonymous¡±, the SDF¡¯s main opposing force. Even though I called it an evil organization, I actually have no idea what their objective is. According to rumors, it¡¯s something about world domination. There are all sorts of groups that think about stupid things, but with the SDF around, everyone feels safe. ¡°Eh, abilities are divided into two major categories, namely the manipulation type and the enhancement type; however there are many abilities that don¡¯t fit in any of the two groups. The ones that don¡¯t match any type of categorization are¡­¡­¡­..¡± I ignored the lesson. It¡¯s no use to listen to stories about abilities I¡¯ll never be able to use anyway, and this common knowledge level story is annoying to begin with. That¡¯s because the possibility that I will manifest an ability now is already zero. Most people manifest their abilities until the age of 10; 15 at most, in case one has a late manifestation. I¡¯ll be 17 soon. I already surpassed the period when I thought about how cool it¡¯d be to control the wind or such. To be honest, I do have an inferiority complex. I will obediently aspire to become a government worker; that¡¯s what I¡¯ve decided. ¡°So, about Kazato¡¯s birthday party¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, we should leave it to Tsurugi. Uhihi, I¡¯m sure Kamiya-kun will be surprised.¡± ¡°However, throwing a party for that guy sure is annoying.¡± ¡°Rin, it was you who suggested it after all.¡± Despite their conversation was taking place during the lesson, I heard it as if they were talking right behind me, so I looked over my shoulder. Having done that, I caught sight of Tsurugi and his followers whispering in the back of the classroom. They even brought their desks together. However, they somehow realized I turned around and stopped talking. Come to think of it, tomorrow is my birthday. Are they throwing a party for me? If that¡¯s the case, isn¡¯t it bad for me to hear about it? Anyway, I¡¯ll just make sure to be free tomorrow after school. I decided and turned to look again outside the window. ______ The next morning, I left home earlier than usual. It didn¡¯t really mean anything, I just woke up early. I thought that the road leading to my school might have fewer people than usual, if it¡¯s this early in the morning. So I left the house and walked towards school, choosing the streets that had as low a pedestrian traffic as possible. Mornings are rather chilly. I was about to return home for my blazer, but it¡¯ll get warmer around noon, so I changed my mind. I left the shopping district and crossed the main road. And then, I chose another empty street and continued on my way. A detour isn¡¯t really that bad, right? I thought about it and turned the next corner only to find myself bumping into someone. I was pushed away. It was a man. ¡°¡­¡­.Sorry.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.. Be careful.¡± It was the only thing the tall man said to me, and I continued on my way. There was another person behind (her face was covered by food, but probably a woman), accompanying that man. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± This pair was giving off a very bizarre aura. I looked at their retreating figures for a moment, but the man turned around and glared back, so I panicked and averted my eyes. ¡°¡­¡­Just now?¡± ¡°It could be. However, it can also be wrong. The Observer doesn¡¯t always get it right, after all.¡± What? Why are they talking so loud? Was it about me¡­¡­? I don¡¯t really get it, but I shouldn¡¯t get involved in this. I started walking faster. I was planning to take a detour and arrive at school at the usual time, but in the end, after this incident I abandoned my initial plan and hurried straight to school, until I got inside the classroom. I placed my bag on my desk and sat down. ¡°Sight¡­..¡± I like it when it¡¯s quiet. The only present sound was the creaking of my chair. In a few dozen minutes, however, it will get pretty noisy. I looked up at the ceiling. I heard someone¡¯s steps down the corridor. And then the classroom door opened. I turned around, but the door was still closed. It seems that the sound came from the next classroom. Hmm. I really felt it like the sound was pretty close though. Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. I felt somewhat sleepy. I was not made for early mornings. So, I rested my head on the desk and closed my eyes. Before one knew, I fell asleep. OOOOOoooooo!! Some noise made me jump up to my feet. It was so sudden, my heart was beating violently. What is this? What kind of sound is this? It was far from loud. I felt I was at a concert or something. Sweating, I turned to look around me restlessly, but nothing was out of the ordinary. The same old classroom. Almost everyone was present now since the lesson was due to start any minute. Hmm? The noise started to settle down gradually. ¡°Morning, Kazato.¡± ¡°Ah, Tsurugi? Morning.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re drenched in sweat, you know?.¡± I wiped away the sweat on my forehead and told him it was nothing. It happened because I was half asleep, maybe? That or my ears behaved buggily. ¡°By the way, are you free today after school? Everyone is gathering at my place. Feel like joining us?¡± Such an awful way to invite someone over. ¡°Who¡¯s everyone? It¡¯s only Hitomi and Rin after all, am I right?¡± ¡°W¡­well, you are. Want to invite someone else?¡± ¡°Nope, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m coming since I¡¯m free anyway.¡± ¡°¡­¡­All right. Then, see you after school.¡± ¡°Right. Still, I wanna go back home for a moment first.¡± ¡°Yea. That¡¯s great for us too actually.¡± Tsurugi returned to his seat right when the door opened and the home room teacher entered. The classroom fell silent and everyone took their seats. ¡°Rise. Bow. Good morning!¡± With this, another peaceful day at school began. ______ I went straight home after the classes ended. For some reason, I was feeling more tired than usual today. I threw myself down on the sofa in the living room. Not a single member of my family was at home. They said something about being late today, if I remember correctly. Since I¡¯ll go to Tsurugi¡¯s place, my house will be empty. A ringtone. I checked the email I got on my phone. It was from Rin. ¡®Don¡¯t come until 7. Having said so, you would¡¯ve been late anyway.¡¯ That¡¯s what she said. I¡¯ll be there earlier. I thought, and after I drank a glass of water, I laid down on the sofa again. I fell asleep the next minute. The sound of a ringtone woke me up. ¡°Too damn noisy.¡± The sound of the ringtone was reverberating inside my head so much that it annoyed me. I grabbed my phone roughly and looked at its screen. I was too late to answer. However, I was startled to see I had 32 missed calls. ¡­¡­..What time is it? It was 8. I hurriedly changed my clothes. I grabbed my phone that started to ring again. It was Rin. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡®Hello? What the heck are you doing?¡¯ ¡°Sorry, I slept!¡± ¡®What? Come here already!¡¯ She let me hear her long sigh then hung up. I hurriedly changed my school uniform for some random plain clothes and rushed out of my house. It¡¯s been a long time since I was in such a hurry. I never imagined I would fall asleep. Precisely when they prepared a birthday party for me, how comes I did such a thing¡­ I stepped strongly on my bicycle¡¯s pedals. Tsurugi¡¯s house is at a 5 minute distance from mine. I¡¯ll be there soon. At that moment, I heard a loud buzzing in my ears. ¡°Wh¡­..!¡± I tumbled down vigorously. ¡°It hurts¡­¡­What the¡­.¡± I was used to ear buzzings, but this time was different. It was the first time they got this loud. ¡­¡­.Leaving this aside, I must hurry! I grabbed my bike and started pedaling again. _______ ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡± ¡°Really now, it¡¯s not normal for the main guest to be this late.¡± After Rin scolded me for an entire year¡¯s share, my birthday party was about to start, even though I was already feeling exhausted. ¡°The food got cold¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­Sorry.¡± Still, you both made this food for Tsurugi anyway. Why should I even bother? I put these thoughts away and lowered my head. ¡°Well, it¡¯s all right. I was worried he got himself in an accident or something. Now, let¡¯s eat.¡± You little bastard¡­¡­You chose to display your good guy abilities with such a nice timing¡­¡­ ¡°Yea, let¡¯s eat.¡± ¡°Itadakimasu. 5¡± As I looked at the three of them starting eating, I stretched my hand and grabbed something too. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s actually good.¡± ¡°How is it, Tsurugi?¡± ¡°It¡¯s tasty.¡± ¡°What about mine!?¡± ¡°Yea. A bit disappointing.¡± ¡°Huh? Disappointing?¡± It seems it¡¯d be okay for me not to express my thoughts. I was eating silently while trying to digest all these flirty scenes spreading around me. This is my birthday party, right? After a short time, we finished all the food and ate some cake together. ¡°So, what about presents?¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t any.¡± So it seems. Well, this is already good enough. After that, we played some TV games and, before one knew, the clock was pointing towards 11. ¡°It¡¯s already this late?¡± ¡°Seems so. We should probably go, Hitomi and Rin are here too, so¡­..¡± ¡°Should I stay for the night?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll stay too.¡± ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± Actually, it¡¯s the same as usual. ¡°After all, it¡¯s dangerous for normal girls to go out at such a late hour.¡± By the way, everyone here was a normal. We have no special abilities whatsoever. No, actually Rin is not a normal. However, she has such a useless ability that calling her a normal would not make for a big difference. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll send you both off.¡± ¡° ¡°Heee?¡± ¡° Just do it somewhere else. I restrained my feelings and put on my jacket. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be going home ahead then. Thanks for today. It made me happy.¡± I thanked them and quickly left Tsurugi¡¯s house behind. _______ On the way back home, I ended up dragging my bicycle along. Yes, I got a flat tire. Even though it was my birthday, I was pretty unlucky today. Inside my head, I was using all sorts of abusive words against the gods, but kept on dragging my bicycle along nonetheless. However, this evening was awfully noisy. And it happened right at that moment. Giiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin. A sound so loud, that made my head feel like breaking apart, was shaking my brains. ¡°Ha¡­¡­! Ugh¡­¡­.What¡­¡­the¡­..hell¡­¡­.is this?¡± I couldn¡¯t put up with it, so I cowered down on the grown pressing onto my ears with my both hands. I felt something dripping from my ears. What¡¯s this? Blood? ¡°Ughh¡­..!¡± A painful noise that didn¡¯t go away. My eyeballs felt like jumping out. ¡®That bakery looks rather tasty.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s right.¡¯ ¡®Yes, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­Yes¡­¡­Yes, I¡¯ll make sure to finish by tomorrow¡­¡­¡¯ ¡®I want another ramen!¡¯ ¡®Sure thing!¡¯ ¡®Ah, I don¡¯t wanna do my homework.¡¯ ¡®I wanna die.¡¯ ¡®Because you are here.¡¯ ¡®Listen to me.¡¯ ¡®Go to sleep!¡¯ ¡®The bath is ready.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t you wanna eat!?¡¯ Too loud. Too loud, TOO LOUD. What¡¯s going on? Shut up¡­¡­..! ¡°¡­¡­..Hey you, are you alright?¡± A middle-aged man poked my shoulder lightly. ¡°SHUT UP ALREADY!!¡± Giiiiiiiiiiiiiiin. An echoing sound. All the glass windows in the area broke apart in an instant. The guy touching my shoulder fell on the ground, blood oozing from his ears. Then, the sound of a siren echoed. ¡®Emergency manifestation warning. Emergency manifestation warning. The manifestation of an ability user is confirmed at point B-56. Danger level = Above the norm. Therefore, the target is to be eliminated. Self-Defense Force sub-lieutenants and above are requested to promptly exterminate the target and rescue the citizens. To the citizens living here, please don¡¯t go out of your houses no matter the reason. I repeat¡­¡­..¡¯ CH 2 Chapter 2: The Sound of Newly Born Evil The awful ringing in my ears didn¡¯t settle down. My vision was distorted, but I could still see people walking the streets moments ago, then collapsing towards the ground. I propped my body on a street light pole that was close to me, as I was trying to stand up. With all those terrific sounds, I could still barely hear and comprehend the contents of the warning announcement. It seems an ability user manifested their power. Most likely, this awful ringing is that ability user¡¯s fault. A subject of forceful elimination, above the norm¡­¡­It¡¯s the first time I¡¯m hearing this¡­¡­ I must leave this place fast¡­..! Staggering and covering my ears, I was walking towards my house. This buzzing in my ears started to loosen up a bit. However, at this point, I realized I could hear that someone was approaching me from the sky. It was the sound of flying. I looked up and saw a SDF soldier flying towards me. Did they come to save those citizens who couldn¡¯t find shelter yet? I thought and waved my hand in order to make my presence known. The ringing was completely gone now, but I didn¡¯t know when it¡¯d start again. Having done so, the soldier noticed me and flew down to stand in front of me. On his chest he had a second-lieutenant badge. ¡°Gr¡­..great¡­.. Please, save me¡­¡­.What is going on?¡­¡­¡± With staggering steps, I walked towards the second-lieutenant. Then, I got blown away by a mysterious shock wave. I hit my back on something and felt a sharp pain. It all happened too sudden. ¡°What!? !?¡± What? What just happened? Eh? It hurts. I realized that I was slapped into a wall and finally understood. I was attacked. Because I also hit my head, my vision was swaying. I started to cough. Despite my head being in a state of chaos, I desperately tried to think. Why? Why did he attack me? ¡°¡­¡­..Sorry kid, but your manifestation just now poses too much danger to us all. It¡¯s also because we don¡¯t want to inflict even more damage on the citizens. You have to be eliminated¡­..¡± The second-lieutenant really seemed to feel sorry about it. His words were pretty clear though. ¡°What are you saying¡­¡­.¡± I started to speak, but shut my mouth the next instant. I could clearly see the sign now. ¡®Point B-56¡¯ It was said in the warning. That at point B-56 the manifestation of an ability user was confirmed. That the danger level was above the norm. And that a forceful elimination is to take place. And then, I was attacked by the second-lieutenant in front of me. He also gave me the finishing blow with his words. The ear buzzing¡­¡­..When I think about it, it might have been a sign. The manifestation of an ability user¡­¡­Was it me? Becoming aware of this, the first thing that assaulted me was fear. The second-lieutenant in front of me was scary. Normally, they¡¯re the supporters of justice, the SDF that I deeply admired. But now they¡¯re frightening me. Thinking about it, for the SDF I simply got switched from a protection target to an elimination target. ¡°It¡­.can¡¯t¡­be¡­..¡± I looked around me and caught sight of the great number of collapsed people. ¡°This is all your doing, kid. When an above the norm ability manifests lately, like in your case, it can¡¯t be controlled anymore and things like this happen. It¡¯s a certainty that people will die. The SDF prefers to save the lives of the many against the life of a single individual. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­¡± The second-lieutenant was drawing near me. I let out a short scream. Then, I started running, trying to get away from him. The tears piled up in the corner of my eyes, started to pour out. I don¡¯t want this. I don¡¯t want to die¡­¡­ Why? Why do I have to pay for this¡­¡­..? Giiiiiiiiiin. I heard another ear buzzing and felt an excruciating pain in my head, like something was breaking my skull apart. I fell down on the ground. ¡°Argh¡­..¡± And yet, I started to crawl on the ground. I could hear the footsteps of the second-lieutenant, walking at a leisurely pace, steadily approaching me. There were sounds in the air too. When I tried to stand up and look above me, I could see the other SDF soldiers, who were flying towards me. What? You¡¯re all joining forces against me? No, I don¡¯t want to die¡­¡­ It¡¯s unreasonable¡­.. I gave up the idea of being an ability user a long time ago¡­¡­ If all it brings is death, no one would want such a power. The second-lieutenant¡¯s footsteps got closer. I don¡¯t want to die, stay away from me¡­¡­ ¡°STAY AWAY FROM ME!!¡± A thunderous sound shock. With me as the epicenter, all the concreted ground surrounding me had a great number of cracks in it. The buildings¡¯ walls were heavily impacted too, with huge cracks in them. The concrete fences were damaged as well, and started to crumble down. The second lieutenant in front of me fell down, blood spouting out of his ears. The other people of the Self-Defense Forces were falling head over heels into the ground, hitting it with a really nasty sound. ¡°¡­¡­.Eh?¡± Did I¡­..do this? I cautiously approached the second-lieutenant in order to check him out, but I couldn¡¯t hear his heart beating. He was dead. ¡°¡­¡­.Ah, ah¡­¡­.¡± This wasn¡¯t intentional. I thought I was about to get killed¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t do this¡­..! I didn¡¯t plan to¡­.. I didn¡¯t do¡­¡­anything wrong. It was legitimate self-defense. Wrong. I was saved. I am still alive¡­.. I haven¡¯t died yet. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Suddenly, I heard the sound of someone else approaching me. Such incredible speed. If they find me, I¡¯ll surely get killed this time¡­..! I have to hurry and run away! I stood up and forced my aching body to walk. My house is really close from here. I¡¯ll run home. No, it¡¯s no good. They¡¯ll find me¡­¡­ If it¡¯s the abandoned building close to my house, maybe¡­.. When I was pondering on where I should hide, I felt something grazing my cheek. This ¡®something¡¯ directly hit a private house¡¯s shutter; a pebble, which made a huge hole in that shutter. ¡°Found you.¡± It was a man¡¯s voice. I turned around, and saw a man wearing the SDF uniform, standing in the place where I fell down, moments ago. I can¡¯t see his face properly. The street lights were shining on this man and I could see that he was surrounded by countless little stones, or something like that, floating in the air around him. ¡°I¡¯m SDF¡¯s lieutenant-colonel Nakai. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ll have you dead. If you don¡¯t want to suffer, it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t struggle pointlessly. Reinforcements are coming anyway, and they¡¯ll be here soon.¡± The SDF man pointed at me. Then, the stones floating around him came flying towards me at a tremendous speed. No, if I were to be precise, I couldn¡¯t see them at all. I only heard the sound of them charging at me. ¡°Aaaargh!¡± I lied down on the ground, desperately trying to avoid the attack. Having done so, the stones flew right above my head. However, I heard another sound coming from behind me. They come from behind too¡­¡­! Right at this point, my worn-out body stopped listening to my command. Helpless to avoid it, I got my back hit by a stone. ¡°Gaah¡­..!¡± I felt an awful pain, like the skin on my back got split open. At the moment of the impact, I hit my head on the ground and my forehead was now shedding blood. I could barely maintain my consciousness, but I didn¡¯t have the power to stand up anymore. A violent pain was running all throughout my body. Lying with my face on the ground, I rested my head on its surface and listened to the footsteps of lieutenant-colonel Nakai. ¡°Even though I don¡¯t know your name nor your face, you were the one who manifested your powers moments back. You stole the lives of many citizens, even my comrades. In order to stop you from inflicting any more damage¡­¡­.in order to make you pay for your crimes, you have to die.¡± Pay for my crimes? I felt great absurdity towards these words. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve done all this because I wanted to. This is irrational. It¡­..it just can¡¯t be. You¡¯re too cruel to say such words¡­¡­You¡¯re terribly cruel! I realized that I was too worn-out; my tears fell on the ground. Ah, so this is the moment I die? Despite today being my birthday. My birthday became my death anniversary¡­..Such a ridiculous situation¡­¡­. Will my family¡­¡­feel sad, I wonder. My father, my mother¡­. After all, we¡¯ve never done anything family oriented¡­.. Is there anyone else? ¡­¡­..Did someone else ever died a death such as mine?¡­¡­ I resent them¡­¡­ I curse them all, I hate them all, I curse them all. How can you call yourselves the Self-Defense Forces¡­¡­? Protect me too¡­¡­! ¡°Even I¡­¡­.even I want to keep living!!¡± Right after I spoke that, lieutenant-colonel Nakai got blown away at great speed by a shockwave. ¡°Huh¡­¡­Ha¡­¡­..¡± I could still hear the sound of lieutenant-colonel Nakai¡¯s respiration. Why can I even hear the sound of his breathing¡­¡­..? My head hurt. And I felt sick. If I don¡¯t run away quickly, someone else will show up. ¡­. ¡°Gah, haa¡­¡­.huh¡­¡­.ha¡­¡­¡± I somehow managed to stand up, leaned on the buildings¡¯ walls, and walked out of the shopping street. My forehead and my back were leaving behind trails of blood. I have to run away. My head was filled with determination. Even so, I realized I had no place to hide. Still, I averted my eyes. Because that reality was irrational. I was desperate to escape with my life. The defenders of justice¡­.such a downright lie. They won¡¯t save just anyone¡­¡­ I just wanted them to think about me too! I ran the silent back alley. Once I came out, I would see my house. ¡°¡­¡­..!¡± However, it was all over. Once I got there, I¡¯ve been discovered. I could hear sounds in front of me. Not mentioning his face, I couldn¡¯t even see his shape. He couldn¡¯t see me either. Still, I was sure I heard the sound of someone¡¯s breathing. ¡°¡­..Haa, Haaa¡­..Haa¡­..¡± ¡°I am the SDF colonel Shikijima. Stay put. It¡¯s regrettable¡­..but you must die tonight.¡± I heard this death sentence coming from the dark. I can¡¯t escape. ¡°Haaa¡­.huh¡­..¡± At this point, all that was left for me was to desperately try to fight back. The enemy is a colonel. I have no chances of winning. But still¡­¡­.even though I don¡¯t know how to use my powers, it¡¯s better than quietly waiting to be done for. I might as well struggle with all my might¡­¡­! It was at that time. I could suddenly hear another sound. ¡°Wha?¡­¡­You are¡­¡­the Anonymous! Why are you he¡­¡­..Gaaaah!¡± And then, after I heard someone¡¯s shriek coming from the dark, one breathing sound and heartbeat disappeared. ¡°This is unexpected¡­¡­.It seems it got it right this time.¡± ¡°The Observer gets it right once in a while, it seems.¡± An Anonymous masks wearing pair showed up from the darkness, talking to themselves. The evil organization, Anonymous. The Anonymous masks are this organization¡¯s trademark. In short, these two people in front of me are Anonymous¡¯ members. They stopped before my eyes and I stood there not saying a word. I could not hear the colonel¡¯s breathing sound anymore. The mask of the man walking in the front was soaked in blood. He killed the colonel in an instant. I took a step back. A mysterious feeling of oppression made my heart pound. Still¡­..! Even if this guy tries to kill me, I¡¯ll resist him. I want to keep on living¡­¡­And for that¡­¡­ I glared at him, and I could see his eyes through the Anonymous mask, looking down at me. From behind that mask, his eyes entrapped me. ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡± The Anonymous woman, hidden in the man¡¯s shadow, let out that sound. ¡°I like those eyes, kid.¡± The man took a step towards me. I wanted to step back so badly, but I somehow managed to stay still. If I were to step back, I would give up my life. That¡¯s the feeling I got. I must fight. I could hear the loud beating of my heart. ¡°Huh¡­¡­Haa¡­¡­¡± My breathing was wild. I tried to endure the small ringing in my ears, manifesting at fixed intervals, while still glaring at the enemy in front of me. My feet were staggering¡­.. He could hit me any time. Suddenly, he stopped in place and thrust his hand inside his jacket¡¯s interior pocket and took something out. It was an Anonymous mask. I looked at him vigilantly. Doing so, the man held the Anonymous mask out to me. ¡°¡­¡­Sound kid, won¡¯t you become our comrade?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I¡¯m certain he asked me to become their comrade. ¡­¡­I see. Because my powers are strong, the Anonymous would pretty much want to use them. And if I turn them down, they¡¯ll abandon me. In that case, the SDF will surely dispose of me. ¡°They are getting closer. However, this is not a threat. Even if you turn us down, I still intend to save you this time. If you want to be our comrade, take that mask.¡± ¡­¡­.Comrade. Their comrade? An evil organization. What do I ¡­¡­¡­ ¡°Tell me¡­.. ¡­¡­.What are you lot fighting for?¡± The answer came immediately after I asked the question. ¡°The SDF will kill one man for the sake of the many. However, we will kill the many for the sake of one man. We¡¯re evil, there¡¯s no mistaking it.¡± I thought I saw the man smile behind his mask. Then, I took that mask in front of me. CH 3 Chapter 3: The Sound of a New Encounter Midou Tsurugi was dashing through the night sky. He was as late as he could¡¯ve been. And it wasn¡¯t because of his best friend¡¯s birthday party. If it were not for the fact that he had to go grab his uniform from the headquarters, he would¡¯ve been one of the first persons to arrive at the crime scene and exterminate the target. No matter whether it it¡¯s a state of emergency or not, the SDF has a general rule: the soldiers must only take action when wearing the SDF uniform. It could be said that it was his own misfortune that he had the day off and, therefore, left his uniform at the headquarters. Because he also had his student life, it was difficult for him to act quickly in case of emergencies during weekdays. Tsurugi approached the location where the manifestation took place and where the SDF personnel assembled. When he found Rin, who was writing down various things in some documents, he walked towards her. ¡°This is awful¡­¡­. For the time being, inform me about the damage the ¡®target¡¯ has done.¡± ¡°It¡¯s as you can see¡­¡­ Lieutenant colonel Nakai is unconscious and in a critical state. Second lieutenant Miyaki and colonel Shikijima are most likely¡­¡­.. The number of citizens who fell victims to this incident is unfathomable¡­¡­. The ¡®target¡¯ is currently missing. And there are no eye witnesses.¡± Rin said, her eyes cast down. However, she didn¡¯t let her emotions show on her face. ¡°I see¡­¡­.¡± There was a huge fissure in the ground right in front of his eyes. Although it was an above the norm manifestation, the damage it inflicted could not be compared to anything from the past. It was utterly huge. Suddenly, his phone started to vibrate. He took out his work phone from his pocket and answered. The name displayed on the screen was major Oohashi. ¡°Hello, Hitomi.¡± ¡®Tsurugi? After doing some investigations, it seems that Anonymous interfered. There¡¯s a high possibility that the ¡®target¡¯ is being protected by them, so the higher-ups ordered you to pull off for now.¡¯ ¡°Understood. Thanks.¡± He hung up and put his phone in one of his white uniform¡¯s pockets. He walked towards the huge fissure in the ground. In case Anonymous is really offering protection to the ¡®target¡¯, then chasing him further will only result in even more damage taken. With all the evidence collected and sent to the SDF headquarters, Hitomi¡¯s work load would only continue to grow. Still, is there even a meaning in protecting an ability user who had such a manifestation? Tsurugi questioned himself, as he touched the fissure in the ground. ¡°¡­¡­..I wonder what ability was it.¡± A research division staff, working close to Tsurugi, spoke out. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.Wave motion type¡­¡­.? No, I actually have no idea¡­¡­.¡± With no eye witnesses, finding out the precise ability of the ¡®target¡¯ was too difficult. First lieutenant Nakai, the only eye-witness still alive, was unconscious. However, it was very clear that this manifestation was indeed above the norm. As well as the fact that joining Anonymous and becoming the SDF¡¯s enemy would make this person a very troublesome individual. Suddenly, Tsurugi remembered his best friend, Kazato. He sent a message to Kazato from his private phone, and returned back to work. His lieutenant general 3-stared silver badge was shining suspiciously. __________________ __________________ The elevator was going down towards the basement, making a monotonous sound. I looked at the Boss, who was sitting next to me. I never expected that this man was in fact Anonymous¡¯ leader. I was thinking about that when I realized that my phone suddenly rang, so I looked at its screen. It was a message from Tsurugi. ¡®Are you all right? What just happened was terrible.¡¯ I answered his message with: ¡®I¡¯m ok. I¡¯m at home, sitting still.¡¯ At any rate, I was amazed that I could get a phone signal here. I was currently led by the Boss to where Anonymous¡¯ hideout was located. The place was the background of an outskirts caf¨¦. The SDF could never imagine that Anonymous¡¯ hideout would be located in such a place. There are several entrances that lead to the secret base, and they change at fixed intervals. My body was hurting. However, I received some first-aid treatment and my wounds were, for the time being, bearable. The Boss said that once we got to the hideout, a healing ability user would cure me. Therefore, I had to endure it a little longer. The other Anonymous woman who came here together with us, left some time ago. It seems that she left to make arrangements so that my identity won¡¯t be revealed. It mainly meant disposing of bloodstain trails and altering information. As for how will she do that, I have no idea. ¡°Kid, do you know what your ability is?¡± The Boss¡¯ voice suddenly resounded inside the elevator. I was surprised, but I answered him. ¡°¡­¡­..I do, sir, but only vaguely.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to humble yourself this much. I don¡¯t mind you talking casually.¡± Now that I was informed that this man was in fact Anonymous¡¯ leader, could I really do that? Nay, I couldn¡¯t. He¡¯s also the person who saved my life. ¡°I cannot do that.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­Well, never mind then. Leaving this aside, your ability¡­¡± I gently rubbed the ring I now had on my middle finger. Maybe because I wasn¡¯t used to this sensation of pressure on my finger, I was feeling uncomfortable. This ability restraining ring was a trial product developed in secrecy by Anonymous¡¯ researchers. I regained my composure considerably, but since we didn¡¯t know when my ability could run wild again, I was told I had to wear this ring until I would be able to control my own ability. But since this ring was classified as a trial product, its desired effect was rather weak. My ability. I understand it clearly now. ¡°My ability is¡­¡­.., maybe, the sound.¡± ¡°Yes. Your ability is the sound. You are the first person in the world to manifest a Dominant ability, Sound Control. This is a super high-class ability even among the natural types manipulators.¡± I, as well, have never heard of a person being able to control sounds. Is it really such a great ability? I was getting pretty excited. I wonder what ability the Boss has. I tried to ask him that, but he interrupted me. ¡°Now that I think of it, I still haven¡¯t heard your name, kid.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Kamiya, Kazato.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s a good name. However, Anonymous members are prohibited to use their real names. As a matter of fact, I am the only one who deals with members¡¯ personal information. In short, I will be the only person who knows your real name. Therefore, I shall give you a new code-name.¡± And then the Boss continued. ¡°From now on your name will be Shion.¡± Shion 1. Simultaneously with me hearing my new name, the elevator announced its arrival with a ding. The elevator door opened. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Shion.¡± ¡°Roger that, Boss.¡± I gave a rather cheeky answer and stepped forward. _____________ After I received medical treatment, I went to the Boss¡¯ room. Now that the Boss took off his mask, he looked like a man in his latter 20s, but in reality he was older than that. Obviously, he didn¡¯t inform me about his real age. ¡°Well, for the time being, welcome to Anonymous. It¡¯s good to have you here.¡± He said, sitting in an extravagant swivel chair. ¡°Now that you¡¯re a member of Anonymous, naturally, you¡¯ll have to work for us too, Shion. However, you must first learn to control your ability.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°So, I will appoint you a partner. Here, take this.¡± The Boss turned to face me and threw something at me. I caught that with one hand and immediately realized it was a key. ¡°It¡¯s the key to your room. You¡¯ll share a room with your partner. They¡¯re quite selfish, but strong. Their age is similar to yours, but they were longer in this world than you.¡± ¡°Please wait a second. Do I have to live here?¡± ¡°Oh! Did I confuse you? No, you don¡¯t. I¡¯ll have you go to school, Shion. But, certainly, you must hide your ability. ¡°Since you¡¯ll be working for us, you¡¯ll also receive a salary. For the time being, you¡¯ll get 450,000 a month. It actually won¡¯t stop at that, if you accept missions that offer individual rewards.¡± 450,000 a month¡­¡­.. This is much higher than my father¡¯s salary¡­¡­¡­. ¡°Do you have any questions? There are many questions I can¡¯t answer, but if I can, I will, so speak up.¡± I do have questions, and a lot of them. About the source of their founds or about their true goals. But it was actually enough for this occasion. I was already an Anonymous member. In order to keep on living, I decided that I will start fighting. Since I already killed a lot of people, I can¡¯t possibly wish for the same life style I had before. If it all comes to light, I will have to take the blame after all¡­¡­¡­ I don¡¯t want such an unreasonable death. I could feel a light buzzing in my ears again. Maybe my ability goes on a rampage more easily when I¡¯m excited or agitated. Calm down, me! ¡°I don¡¯t have any particular questions.¡± I said. The Boss lifted up the corners of his mouth a bit. ¡°I see. If there¡¯s something you don¡¯t understand, you should ask your partner.¡± ¡°Yes. Then, excuse me.¡± I said and left the Boss¡¯ room behind. ______________ The Anonymous hideout was quite big. At least, it was big enough for someone to get lost in it. It also contained various facilities and it really felt like a secret base of operations. And so, I was now standing in front of my room, holding the key that the Boss gave me. It seems I somehow made it here. I could hear sounds coming from inside. Most likely, my partner was inside the room. I gulped down my saliva. I wonder what kind of person my partner is?! I was a little nervous. Since there was no point in sitting there looking at the door, I used the key and entered the room. First, I was shocked by the scenery unfolding right in front of my eyes. Even though the room looked rather simple, it had too much a feeling of livelihood. And, similarly to Rin¡¯s room, a girlish scent was tickling my nostrils. ¡°Hey, who¡¯s that!?¡± I heard a voice coming from somewhere inside. The one who came running with rather heavy steps was a blond-haired girl. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡­¡­.. Why do you have a key to this room!?¡± The blond girl was glaring at me. Her hair is dyed?¡­¡­¡­.It sure doesn¡¯t look like that¡¯s the case. Is that her real hair then? At any rate, her face is rather cute. Even though she¡¯s short. She¡¯s supposed to be the same age as me. ¡°The Boss told me to come here¡­¡­. Aren¡¯t you my partner?¡± ¡°What? That guy, he did it his way again¡­¡­.. I don¡¯t need a partner.¡± The door closed with a thud. This is troublesome. What should I do? Moreover, my partner¡¯s a woman¡­..Will this turn out all right? And, honestly, I don¡¯t want a partner like her. It seems like she wasn¡¯t informed about becoming my partner anyway, so maybe the Boss made a mistake or something. While thinking about that, I heard the sound of a ringing phone from inside the room. And the sound of answering. Most likely she had a call. ¡°Hello. Will you please stop doing selfish things?¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible, I definitely can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°T¡­that¡¯s¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Ah! Understood. It can¡¯t be helped¡­¡­..¡± Nevertheless, my hearing got considerably better. Even though I was wearing this ring, if I were to concentrate, I could pick up various sounds. Isn¡¯t it really suited for doing espionage activities!? ¡°Yes, yes, I understand. I understand already!¡± The sound of hanging up. It appears that the Boss¡¯ phone call has ended. After a short time, the room¡¯s door opened. ¡°You can enter. Since I have no other choice, I¡¯ll become your partner.¡± It appears that a rather troublesome person is now my partner. CH 4 I got permission to enter the room then made a general self-introduction. It¡¯s true that her room was in a disorder, but it also had a somewhat girlish feeling. The blond girl sat down on her bed, constantly flapping her legs. She made me sit on a chair right in front of her. It appeared like we were truly facing each other. ¡°Hmmm, so you¡¯re Shion. How should I put it? That guy¡¯s naming sense is the same as always.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.Err, what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Roll¡± Roll? Since using your real name was prohibited, this was most likely a code name. But it also felt like it was her real name, since she was clearly a half 1. ¡°Nice meeting you. Roll is a code name, right?¡± ¡°Ha? Isn¡¯t it obvious!? Still, I don¡¯t have any other names but this one.¡± She doesn¡¯t have any other names? Does that mean she doesn¡¯t have a real name? Anyway, this wasn¡¯t the type of talk that you could get to the core of on the first meeting. Therefore, I changed the subject. ¡°Do you live here, Roll?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­..¡± Since she¡¯s living here, does that mean she doesn¡¯t have a¡­¡­.family? ¡°For the time being, we¡¯ll go to the training room. As you are now, you¡¯re like a bomb. And since I¡¯m in charge of you, my body is in danger too. If you go on a rampage here, at the very least I will most certainly die. That¡¯s why this is also a request from my part.¡± Roll stood up and said. I first thought that this was too sudden, but it appeared that she was willing to act like a real partner. As Roll said, we didn¡¯t know when I could lose control over my ability. I have to concentrate more. I wonder why the Boss picked up someone as dangerous as me¡­¡­¡­ I looked at my phone to verify the time; the clock hand pointed a little past 12. Are we gonna train at this time?¡­¡­. But I have school tomorrow. If we do this now, I won¡¯t be able to be at school in time. I wonder when can I go back home? I knew it wasn¡¯t the time to think about such things, but, in all honesty, I was really tired after going through all these events. And getting some rest was my real motive. ¡°Hey, what are you doing? Let¡¯s go already!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­Are we really doing it now?¡± In the end, I revealed my complaint. I thought she would get angry at me, but her words were in fact calm and steady. ¡°If you don¡¯t get accustomed to your ability right after your manifestation, it will take you a lot more time to learn to control it. I am doing this especially for you, so shut up and follow me. Or, how should I put it, you must become aware of the strength of your ability asap.¡± ¡°Yea, yeah¡­¡­¡± I gave a vague answer as I stood up as well. It was an unexpected realization that she might actually be an honest person. __________ ¡®How is it? Can you hear me?¡¯ ¡°Yes, I can. I think that even without you using the microphone I can still pick up your voice.¡± I was inside a completely white room that was locked from the outside. This was the training room; and it was enhanced with sturdy walls. I took off the control ring for this training. I also left my phone back in Roll¡¯s room. I could see Roll, holding the microphone, on the other side of the ultra-strong glass window. Her face looked a bit displeased. She put the microphone away then moved her lips. ¡°This good-for-nothing fool. So? This place is completely soundproofed. There¡¯s no way you can hear me, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­..I can hear you.¡± What¡¯s with that ¡®good-for-nothing fool¡¯? She has a nasty tongue, this girl. ¡®Then repeat what I just said.¡¯ ¡°Good-for-nothing fool. That¡¯s not really nice, you know?¡± ¡®Oh wow, that¡¯s amazing. But it feels out-of-place so I¡¯ll keep using the mic.¡¯ She said calmly. I answered with ¡°Roger¡±. ¡®Do you feel anything now?¡¯ Roll was operating the machines inside the observation room. ¡°At certain frequencies I get ear buzzings. Also, I can hear all sorts of sounds.¡± The noise and buzzing are really annoying. I hope that once I learn to control my ability I¡¯ll get rid of them. ¡®Hmmm. Well then, try doing something.¡¯ In case she would¡¯ve asked this earlier, I would¡¯ve most certainly thought that she was asking the impossible. I might¡¯ve told her to stop talking nonsense. However, as I feel now, I somehow understand. I can instinctively feel how my powers work; I can feel it flow into me. I manipulate¡­¡­.sounds. Yes, I use the sound. It¡¯s unrealistic, but I can picture it just fine. In an instant, the locked room shook with the sound of an explosion. Fine cracks appeared in the ultra-strong glass window. ¡®Power level A+¡­¡­..you¡¯re a monster, aren¡¯t you? Since this training room can¡¯t be used anymore, we¡¯ll go next door.¡¯ ¡°Are you serious¡­¡­.?¡± Did I really manifest such an unthinkable ability¡­¡­..? We exited that training room and entered the other one right next to it. This room appears even sturdier than the previous one, and seemingly it can¡¯t be broken easily. I entered once again the white room. This white room was two times larger than the other one. Once I entered it, the door closed and locked by itself. Why has it to be locked, I wonder? I had a bad feeling about it and looked towards Roll, who was sitting on the other side of the glass screen. ¡®Normally, if you have a trigger-type ability, you must at least learn to switch it on and off, otherwise you won¡¯t be able to live properly. When it comes to sound, you are always in contact with it, so I personally think that you¡¯ll get used to it rather fast¡­¡­. And after seeing you earlier, it seems that it¡¯s actually better for me not to instruct you. It¡¯s better to not let other people know too much about your ability in the first place. Things like what you can do and to what extent, you know? And also, when you have to inform others about your ability, if the situation allows you, you lie. You¡¯ll be underestimated. Then the other party will think ¡°He has this ability so he can¡¯t actually do that¡±; they will make light of you. Nothing good comes out of people knowing about your ability. In your case however, because of the possibility of you harming us, it is necessary for us to know your ability. ¡­¡­.And so you have it. For the time being, try spending an entire day here. While trying all sorts of uses for your ability, all right? If you press that button in the back of the room, food and the like will be delivered to you. Well then, good night.¡¯ She¡¯s the worst partner ever. She only said what she wanted to say and was about to leave the observation room when I hurried to stop her. ¡°Hey, an entire day? What about school!?¡± ¡®Skip it?¡¯ I don¡¯t know whether there are classes tomorrow or not, but on the surface Kamiya Kazato is missing. Also, they are still chasing the guy with the above the norm manifestation: me. If I end up exposed, it¡¯ll be awful¡­¡­ ¡®Ah, I know what you want to say. You fear being exposed and lose the right to live on the surface, am I right?¡¯ ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right¡­¡­.¡± ¡®If that really happens, you¡¯ll just have to cast away everything. School, friends, family included.¡¯ ¡°What are you¡­..¡± ¡®If your secret identity leaks out and the SDF comes after your life, I will risk my own life to come rescue you. Everyone here will do the same. Here, in Anonymous, we will risk our lives even for the lowliest underlings. Anyway, that guy or Shido-san 2 will do something about your circumstances on the surface, like school and everything.¡¯ What¡¯s wrong with this girl!? Isn¡¯t her way of thinking strange? She¡¯s actually serious. My first impression of her is not really that good, and she¡¯s short. ¡®Lastly, even though it might be a little too early for you, who lived in such a half-hearted world. For example, let¡¯s suppose I have a close friend for about 10 years. If I¡¯m told that I can only save either you or my friend, I will unmistakably choose you. What about you in this case? Can you still choose me, you partner, assuming you¡¯re in the same position? Impossible, right? Hurry up and come to where I¡¯m standing, buddy!¡¯ Roll declared, with an excessively oppressive attitude, and disappeared behind the automatic door. Someway or other, Roll seemed to actually think about me. Or maybe it was only my desire to see it like that. Still, I somehow felt motivated after our exchange. ____________ This happened about 12 hours since then. I was concentrating on my training, when a man entered the observation room. It was the Boss. He picked up the mic and sat on a chair inside the observation room. ¡®How are you feeling, Shion?¡¯ The Boss¡¯ low but steady voice resounded inside the white room. ¡°I got considerably used to it. I don¡¯t think I will lose control again if I¡¯m wearing the ring.¡± ¡®Oh! In such a short time? That¡¯s amazing.¡¯ ¡°However, I still can¡¯t control my ability. I mean, I can¡¯t seem to be able to go easy on my target¡­¡­..It just won¡¯t do the way I want it to.¡± ¡®That¡¯s inevitable. If you give yourself a little more time, you¡¯ll manage to handle it. I¡¯d rather say that it¡¯s already amazing you managed to get this far in such a short period of time.¡¯ Is that really true? Aren¡¯t you overrating me a little, Boss? As I am now, if I must fight alongside other members, I will only end up involving them too. ¡®Now, it seems that Roll abandoned you. However, we finished with your school and home arrangements.¡¯ ¡°Th¡­thank you.¡± I wonder what they did and how¡­¡­¡­ As my expression started to stiffen, Boss¡¯ voice resounded once again. ¡®Well then, let¡¯s get down to business. I¡¯d like to measure up your current fighting strength, so are you up to it, Shion?¡¯ ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t mind. But how do you intend to measure it?¡± If he says something like fighting against him, then I¡¯ll have to refuse. I can¡¯t possibly win against him, considering that he killed a colonel class fighter in an instant. However, I was already aware that my ability was fairly strong too. It¡¯s certain that I now have a little more self-confidence. ¡®You will fight this guy.¡¯ I heard something in the back of the room and turned around. Having done so, I saw a hole gradually opening in the back wall of the white room, and I could hear some sort of sound coming from inside. *roar¡­¡­* Was that a roar? And then, the owner of that roaring voice showed up from inside the hole. ¡®I shall make the introductions. This is my pet, Wolff.¡¯ What was unfolding in front of me now was a beast with silver fur that shined so brightly, illuminated by the lights coming from the observation room¡­¡­..it was a wolf, five times bigger than me. ¡°A magical beast¡­¡­..!¡± ¡®It¡¯s a Silver Wolf with a danger level of 5. A C Rank ability user should be able to somehow defeat it. Wolff is a little stronger than that though. But you can rest assured since he obeys my words.¡¯ I looked at Wolff, who seemed to want to attack me at any time, and I swallowed my saliva. ¡®If it gets dangerous, I¡¯ll stop him. So what do you say? Wanna give it a try?¡¯ ¡­¡­¡­.Honestly, I¡¯m scared. But the other party is an animal with ears. This will probably be a one hit match. If those fangs reach me, it¡¯ll be over, so I must attack first. If I manage to do that, I might have a chance. ¡°¡­¡­.I want to try.¡± The Boss grinned broadly. ¡®It¡¯s been a long time since a newcomer accepted to do this. Most of them get frozen in place when confronted with such an immediate huge threat, no matter how strong their powers actually are. I¡¯m looking forward to your growth, Shion.¡¯ The Boss continued. ¡® Wolff.¡¯ What am I, his treat¡­..!? ¡°Roooooar!!¡± In an instant, Wolff made an assault, his fangs incredibly sharp. And then, I snapped my finger. That pleasant sound transformed into an explosion. Wolff was shocked by that sound and ran back to the hole, yelping like a puppy. In short, the match finished in an instant. I could hear the applause coming from beyond the glass screen. ¡®This is more than I expected, Shion. Why did you limit the power of that explosion sound?¡¯ ¡°I thought that I shouldn¡¯t kill the Boss¡¯ pet.¡± ¡®What the heck!?¡¯ The Boss¡¯ laughter resounded in the white room. And then, he told me to get some rest, and released me from the training room. CH 5 The next day, I got out of bed. It was my own bed. Yesterday, after the Boss released me from that white room, I returned straight home and fell asleep the next instant. I got home at about 3. Like the Boss said, they pulled some strings and solved the problem of my parents and the school. They contacted my school and told them that I wasn¡¯t feeling well. Concerning my parents, they somehow made it look like I never left the house. I wondered how though¡­¡­I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little scared, but when they told me how they did it, it wasn¡¯t really as difficult as I imagined. Both my parents leave the house early in the morning, and we don¡¯t usually get much into contact by that time anyway. Because of the incident from two days ago one would expect something from my parents¡¯ part, but everything was pretty normal after they came back from work. My bicycle¡¯s flat tyre was also repaired, and when my parents saw it in the usual spot they didn¡¯t think of anything suspicious. Anyway, Anonymous cleaned up pretty well after that incident, that I had nothing to complain about. Rather, I felt gratitude towards them. Also, I got a message yesterday from my best friend Tsurugi, who was worried because of the so-called illness, but I replied to him that I was in fact skipping school out of laziness, and acted like my true self. With this, it was flawless. ¡­¡­..However, now that I¡¯m part of an evil organization, I must think more about my everyday life and how I spend it. I chewed some toasted bread while thinking about that. I always ate breakfast alone. I finished eating then took my bag. I have to leave any moment now, otherwise I¡¯d be late. I put back on the suppression ring. Thanks to this ring, I can live my life almost the same way as before. Still, if I manage to restrain my powers on my own and invoke them whenever I want, I wouldn¡¯t need this suppression ring anymore. Right now, with my own restraint and the ring it feels just right. I left the house and locked the door. Wait a second¡­If I start wearing a ring all of a sudden, everyone at school will think that I got carried away or something. The teachers will more likely get angry too. Could I wear this ring on my toe? Will it work then? ¡­¡­..For today, I¡¯ll try as much as possible to keep my hand in the pocket. I thought about a useless counter-plan as I walked towards the school. I saw an abandoned building on the right. There¡¯s an entrance to our secret base underneath it as well. However, unless it¡¯s an emergency, I was told to always enter the secret base from the outskirts caf¨¦. ¡°Ooi, Kazato!¡± Right then, someone called my name from behind and started running towards me. Of course, it was Tsurugi. I stopped in place and turned around. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°So you came today.¡± ¡°Well, yeah. I just couldn¡¯t wake up in time yesterday.¡± I actually couldn¡¯t return in time. ¡°Wake up next time! Oh yeah, by the way, there¡¯s a transfer student coming today. That¡¯s what the teacher said yesterday.¡± ¡°Eh? Really? In our class?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± A transfer student? That¡¯s quite unusual. I wonder if it¡¯s a girl. Or maybe it¡¯s a guy. I actually hope it¡¯s a guy. If it¡¯s a girl, she can¡¯t escape the Tsurugi harem. ¡°Tsu~rugi!¡± As always, Oohashi showed up suddenly and hugged Tsurugi from behind. And only after that, she realized I was around too and greeted me, at which I, as always, answered her, then we started walking again. We entered the classroom and everyone was already talking about the new transfer student. It was a hot topic. The words flying about in the classroom were something along this line. Blond hair. Foreigner. Slender figure. Cute. Slant-eyes. It appears that someone saw the transfer student inside the staff room. Honestly, at this point I tilted my head to the side. For a very short moment I had a d¨¦j¨¤ vu. ¡°Everyone, be quiet!¡± The classroom door burst open and the homeroom teacher entered. The class grew quiet instantly. ¡°Good. Then, I introduce you today your new colleague. Please come in.¡± Again, the door burst open. The one who entered was a lovely girl with blond hair that stretched to her chest area and smart looking, emerald eyes. But never mind that! As I thought, the transfer student was Roll. A slight cheer could be heard. ¡®This might be dangerous even for Oohashi Hitomi, the school¡¯s madonna¡¯ and similar voices could be heard too. Roll turned her back on us for a moment to write her name on the blackboard then she introduced herself. ¡°I¡¯m Shinjou 1 Roll. I¡¯m a half, born and raised in Japan. Please treat me well.¡± She made a quick bow and her golden hair hanged down. When she raised her head back up, she elegantly combed it upwards with her hand. Her extremely polite greeting astonished me. It seems she¡¯s really good when it comes to this. And her gestures are, somehow, refined¡­¡­¡­ ¡°Then, Shinjou, go sit in the back seat over there. Everyone, make sure to get along well with her.¡± I was still staring at her in mute amazement, and didn¡¯t even realize that the homeroom teacher had left the classroom. Even though the class was due to start soon, everyone gathered immediately around Roll. Why did she even come here? I glanced at her for a short moment, but I couldn¡¯t meet her eyes. Roll answered all the barrage of questions coming from her neighborhood with a smile on her face. Really now, why is she here¡­¡­¡­¡­? While I was thinking about that, Tsurugi started talking to me. ¡°She¡¯s cute, isn¡¯t she? It¡¯s really rare for you to be so captivated.¡± ¡°Oh, well¡­¡­¡± I¡¯m not captivated. And I also don¡¯t think it¡¯s that rare¡­¡­ ¡°So cute¡­¡­. She¡¯s my new rival¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yup¡­¡­.¡± Hitomi and Rin were talking too. ¡°I¡¯ll support you, Kazato, and your love.¡± You¡­¡­. Don¡¯t you even remember how many relationships you already destroyed¡­¡­.? Also, I¡¯m sorry to say, but I¡¯m not in love. It¡¯s true that I think that Roll is cute, but she doesn¡¯t make my heart flutter. Maybe it¡¯s because my first impression of her was a bad one. The homeroom teacher returned and everyone went to their seats. The lesson started. _______ Roll came into contact with me during lunch break. But her way of doing that was fairly wicked. Actually, it was extremely evil. As for what exactly happened, the answer is we knocked into each other. But that was still all right. We would¡¯ve drawn the attention of few others, but with an apology from my part, everything would¡¯ve been resolved. However, at that time, Roll intentionally left her lunch box fall on the floor. ¡®Ah!¡¯ Everyone turned to look towards me. ¡®He bumped into her and she dropped her lunch box¡¯¡­.I¡¯m sure you can imagine how I was abused by their cold looks. Furthermore, she was the new transfer student. ¡®What are you going to do about this?¡¯¡­..The classroom was filled with an oppressive atmosphere. At such times, it¡¯s a burden to be able to accurately hear all the whispered conversations around you. ¡°Ah! S¡­sorry¡­¡­..¡± Inside my mind I muttered ¡®You framed me¡¯¡­. However, I know that she intentionally bumped into me. And why is that? It¡¯s because I saw her smile right before it happened. The classroom fell silent, all the attention gathered on us. Roll stood dumbfounded for a moment (she was most likely acting), and when she seemed to realize the reactions of everyone around us, she started to pick up the scattered contents of her lunch. ¡°It¡¯s all right. I wasn¡¯t paying attention¡­¡­! It is I who should say sorry!¡± She said with a smile on her face. I see. She plans to go with this character while she¡¯s at school. I hurried to clean the floor too. I couldn¡¯t allow myself to stand upright at this moment. That¡¯s because I started to hear everyone around us talking about how ¡°Roll-chan seems such a good girl¡­¡­¡­¡± Anyway, because it¡¯s now my fault for bumping into Roll and ruining her lunch, I must apology to her in some way. Then I gradually started to see what Roll¡¯s aim was. Her plan was to create a chance for us to come in contact with each other in a natural manner. Because I was flustered, I didn¡¯t realize this earlier. In this case, I have to join her play. She was really evil, to harass me in such a manner. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Shinjou-san¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that! It was my carelessness! I wasn¡¯t look ahead¡­¡­¡± Because I knew the real Roll, the way she talked now was a little uncomfortable. Well, even though I said I knew the real Roll, in reality I only knew a little about her. ¡°No, it¡¯s my fault. I¡¯ll treat you to lunch in the cafeteria. Or maybe you want some bread or pastries.¡± ¡°This is too much¡­¡­! I can buy my own lunch anyway¡± We continued the farce for a little while, but in the end it was decided that I would treat Roll to lunch in the cafeteria. My male colleagues stared at me with envy looks. They will most likely tell me later that it wasn¡¯t fair to steal a march on them in such a way. We were now eating our lunch. Roll ordered a fried chicken set menu and I bought a bento box 2 from the convenience store. Since Roll was staying next to me, not on the opposite side, I could smell a slightly pleasant scent coming from her. I paid attention to my surroundings and continued the farce as I sat down. The first thing I said then was this. ¡°So you¡¯re still growing!¡± Nobody could hear what I said, for I gently whispered it. However, Roll¡¯s face stiffened for a moment. That¡¯s when two guys from my class approached us and sat down on the opposite side, in order to check on my attitude or something. The farce had to start again. ¡°I somehow feel bad¡­¡­. You ended up paying for my lunch¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± ¡°Errr¡­¡­Will you tell me your name¡­¡­.?¡± ¡°Kamiya Kazato¡± ¡°Kamiya-san. I look forward to working with you.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­Me too.¡± Roll¡¯s last sentence was referred to our partnership most likely. ___________ After school, Roll managed to skillfully avoid being trapped by the club joining invitations, and returned home very quickly. After I saw that, I too returned home for a moment. And now, I am going towards the hideout. I don¡¯t have the obligation to go to the hideout every day, but since Roll didn¡¯t explain me anything after all, I had to go see her. I showed the caf¨¦¡¯s shop manager the ¡®signal¡¯ and walked towards the elevator that went underground. After I arrived at the secret base, I walked straight to Roll¡¯s room. The Anonymous members who passed by me sent me strange looks. Most of the times I nodded, but in case they started talking to me, I made a short self-introduction. Some of them ignored me completely. I finally got to Roll¡¯s room. I unlocked the door and hurried inside the room. ¡°Roll!¡± ¡°Wha¡­¡­! Hey!¡± What I saw was Roll¡¯s transparent, white skin. And some pink silk cloth. She was changing clothes. I froze then uttered a short ¡°Sorry¡±. I closed the door after that. I heard her speaking from inside. ¡°Next time knock, okay? I¡¯ll forgive you this once.¡± ¡°You can come in now.¡± After a short time, I heard her voice again. I opened the door slowly. ¡°Here, catch this.¡± Right when I entered the room, Roll threw something at me. I caught it and realized it was a cell phone, and a latest model one. ¡°This is your work phone. The mail addresses of almost all Anonymous members are already registered in it.¡± ¡°Ah, thank you.¡± ¡°I have to give you my personal address too. You might need it from now on.¡± ¡°By the way, Roll¡­¡­!¡± I recalled my real goal and approached her. She stopped me with her hand. ¡°I know already. I¡¯ll explain you now.¡± Explain. As I thought, she came to my school for a reason. ¡°For now, consider this our first mission as a pair. We were assigned to a long term mission.¡± ¡°A long term mission¡­¡­What kind?¡± ¡°From now on, you will slowly start to manifest your ability, and after 1 year and a half you will enlist in the SDF. I will mainly act as your support.¡± ¡°Eh? What do you mean?¡± To begin with, I already manifested my ability. ¡°To make it easy to understand, you will make things look like your ability gradually bloomed in the last 1 year and a half. In short, you will deceive everyone. Your ability will not be sound, but something derived from it. It¡¯s up to you precisely what it¡¯ll be like. Your ability¡¯s scope is pretty vast so I¡¯m not sure what you can actually do, but we¡¯ll decide upon something little by little.¡± Oh, I see. And then, they want me to enter the SDF as a spy. My school¡­¡­.Or perhaps I should say pretty much all schools have a recommendation board for the SDF. Only the highest ranking ability users in the school ever manage to get a recommendation. I nodded to her in sign of understanding, and Roll continued. ¡°You get it now, right? For this long mission, your enlistment in the SDF is very meaningful. I know that 1 year and a half is a short period of time for all this, but with me by your side, things won¡¯t get too complicated. But¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Entering the SDF as a spy is a difficult job, right?¡± ¡°Right. Well, we still have 1 and a half year for you to manage to handle your ability fair and square. And I think that the job of a spy will not be too difficult for you with your ability.¡± Indeed. However, isn¡¯t this job dangerous for her? Wait? I don¡¯t even know her ability. ¡°By the way, Roll, what ability do you have?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see it eventually. Anyway, we must polish our team work too during this 1 year and a half. I¡¯m planning to take on a lot of normal and long term missions for us to complete, so make sure to not drag me down, all right?¡± ¡°Roger.¡± She didn¡¯t tell me about her powers. Well, it¡¯s true that I¡¯ll sooner or later see her use them anyway. Other than that, I really have to work hard not to drag her down. ¡°Still, when I think about it. Why didn¡¯t you tell me this beforehand? I was astonished to see you as a transfer student.¡± ¡°Ha? That¡¯s because I wanted to surprise you, ain¡¯t it obvious? But well, your ad lib was quite good. I praise you for that.¡± Roll smiled slightly and she looked like a little devil. ¡°It wasn¡¯t pleasant at all. When you dropped your lunch box my heart really started to jump up and down. For the time being, I asked what I wanted to ask, so I¡¯ll go back now.¡± The third day after my manifestation, my everyday life changed completely. Will I be able to make a living like this? No, I will have to. Thinking about that, I walked towards the room¡¯s entranceway, when Roll called out to me from behind. ¡°Shion!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Errr¡­¡­.Is it really obvious that I am still growing?¡± Ah! As I thought, she does care about her height. I answered with ¡°Pretty much¡± and left Roll¡¯s room. CH 6 Two days later after that, on Friday, I received an email on my Anonymous mobile phone. It was passed midnight. The sender was called ¡®Kuroinu¡¯ 1. Who¡¯s that? I thought while I opened the email. ¡®How about joining me for a job tonight? I understand that you don¡¯t know us yet, but Hakunetsu 2 will be there too.¡¯ This was the content of the email. In short, it was a job invitation. In Anonymous, you usually do missions together with a partner whom you¡¯re compatible with, and you polish your combos in order to raise the missions¡¯ success rate. That¡¯s the usual policy, but, like now, there are times when you do missions with other members apart from your partner. In Anonymous, these kinds of invitations are called ¡®shades¡¯. Roll said that I won¡¯t be shaded since I¡¯m a newcomer. As for the reason why, obviously it¡¯s because the mission¡¯s success rate would drop. And yet, what does this mean then? It¡¯s been only 5 days since I joined Anonymous. On every member¡¯s work phone a new contact address with the characters ¡®Shion¡¯ appeared, so I bet that everyone in the organization is aware of my existence. And there was also the incident on the surface too. Also, everyone should already know that my ability is beyond my control at this point. There¡¯s that too, but it might be actually normal to be shaded after 5 days. Who knows!? Even though I haven¡¯t done any one shot mission before¡­ At such a late time as well? I have many doubts. At any rate, I¡¯ll send Roll an email at once to ask her about this. She might be asleep though. ¡®I was shaded.¡¯ I sent her this email and took one breath. Since I was sweating, I thought about taking a shower. I considered whether or not to do it when my phone vibrated. Not even one minute passed since I¡¯ve sent that email. I thought it was an email, but, in fact, it was a phone call. Obviously from Roll. I answered the phone. ¡®Hello¡¯ Her cracked voice could be heard. As I thought, she was asleep. ¡°Hello. Sorry, did I wake you up?¡± ¡®Ain¡¯t that obvious!? What time do you think it is? It¡¯s 1, you know? ¡­¡­.Well, leaving that aside, who shaded you? I bet it was Kemuri 3 or someone of his level.¡¯ She had such a fast reaction even though she was asleep less than 1 minute ago? If I were to send that email on her private phone, not the work one, she probably wouldn¡¯t have responded that quickly. ¡°Nope, it¡¯s someone called Kuroinu.¡± ¡®Aah, that guy? Then Hakunetsu is there too. Decline them. Or better, ignore them completely.¡¯ I see. Well, even if I were to go, I would only be a hindrance to them, so it¡¯s only natural to refuse. My ability is the only thing strong about me. However, I really thought that she would say ¡°Why not give it a try?¡± or something. ¡°Understood. See yah.¡± I said, and was about to hang up when Roll continued talking. ¡®Since I thought it wouldn¡¯t happen, I haven¡¯t warned you yet, but you must not accept any shading. It¡¯s too early for you. And it¡¯s dangerous. You¡¯ll be free to accept shade missions only after we¡¯ve done a few regular missions together and you develop your skills to a certain extent. Until then, I prohibit you from doing that.¡¯ It seems this is the reason I can¡¯t join shade missions yet. Does she really think about my wellbeing? For the time being, it would be better not to go against her. I thought and answered. ¡°Roger that.¡± ¡®Good. Good night.¡¯ She hung up. Well now, since they went to the trouble to invite me, I would feel bad to ignore them as Roll suggested, so I¡¯ll just call Kuroinu-san and refuse him politely. I looked up for Kuroinu-san in my work phone¡¯s contacts and made the call. I feel a little nervous to be honest. I hope he won¡¯t get angry after I refuse him. After a short while, my call was answered. ¡®Yo. It¡¯s a great evening, above-the-norm boy! You coming!? You¡¯re coming, right!?¡¯ A loud voice resounded all of a sudden, so much so that I had to keep my cell phone away, at a considerable distance from my ear. It seems that when talking with this man on the phone it is better not to keep it close to your ear. Nevertheless, how will I refuse him¡­¡­. ¡°No, I will have to refuse for today. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± ¡®Whaaaa! Did you hear that, Hakunetsu? He dared to refuse us!¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­.¡± I heard the voice of the so-called Hakunetsu from the other side of the call. He said ¡®Give me the phone¡¯. ¡®Hey, this is Hakunetsu. Will you tell me the reason for turning us down¡­¡­.No, I will guess it. Roll told you to, am I right? She told you to decline.¡¯ ¡°Well, yeah¡­¡­..¡± ¡®Haha, ahahaha. AhahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! You are completely under her thumb! You¡¯ll do everything that woman says! Stuuupid, stuuupid!!¡¯ ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡­¡­¡­What¡¯s with this guy? ¡®I checked you up, you know! Virgin! No girlfriend! Even though your face isn¡¯t that bad, you¡¯ve never had anyone confess to you! Kuhahakahaha!! What are you living for!? Ahahahahaha!!¡¯ I could hear their laughter clearly. Kuroinu-san is laughing too, it seems. Their unpleasant laughter continued to resound. They were not making fun of me, rather, they were trying to make me angry. I understood that. I was about to hand up without saying anything. As Roll said, maybe it would¡¯ve been better to ignore them. ¡®Stoooooooooop! You were about to hang up just now, right!? Haha, AHAHA, to be honest, I haven¡¯t checked you up at all!! HAHAHA¡­¡­Fuhihi. Anyhow! You are lacking in passion! Just violate Roll¡¯s orders! What? Even if you make a mistake during the mission, we won¡¯t blame you! Besides, this time¡¯s mission is like a walk in the park at night!¡¯ What should I do? After these last words, I, just a little tiny bit, felt like wanting to go on mission with them. It kinda seemed like fun. And then, leaving their provocations aside, would it be really all right to stay like this, after what they said? To be honest, I didn¡¯t really feel much restraining force coming from Roll¡¯s order. Until this very day she hasn¡¯t told me about her ability, and perhaps she¡¯s even weaker than me. To put things bluntly, Roll is not too scary. ¡­¡­. ¡®Ooh! I can feel the waves of hesitation coming from your way! You¡¯re coming!? Are you coming!? How is it, my man, Shion! Come on! Come on, baby! You comin¡¯!?¡¯ And then I gave my answer. ¡°¡­¡­.I accept. Where should I go?¡± ¡®Yeeeeeeeeeah! He¡¯s comiiiiiing!! Caf¨¦, no. 10! The password is ! We¡¯ll be waiting! Good bye!¡¯ ________________ ¡°No. 10, please.¡± Currently, I am at the Caf¨¦ directly managed by Anonymous. Yes, it¡¯s the usual entrance. This is where you can trade for important information. No. 10 is used for information that is too sensitive and cannot be transmitted openly, so the caf¨¦ master manages it. ¡°The password?¡± ¡°¡­¡­A I U E O¡± I said the mysterious password. ¡°Point A-12. Knock 2 times the 5th shutter.¡± After I received this info, I left the caf¨¦ and went towards the indicated place. Of course, I walked. Everyone in Anonymous is very strict in handling information about their ¡®whereabouts¡¯. It¡¯s a little annoying, but this kind of thoroughness is somewhat cool. Point A-12 was a parking lot. I confirmed the 5th shutter two times then knocked twice. Having done so, the shutter opened vigorously. ¡°Thanks for coming, Shion! I¡¯m Kuroinu!¡± ¡°And my name is Hakunetsu!¡± The lights got switched on, illuminating the dark insides of the warehouse. The first thing that came into view was an extremely fast-looking car (I¡¯m not very knowledgeable when it comes to cars, so I don¡¯t know its brand). Its black body was illuminated and it started to shine bewitchingly. Hakunetsu-san sat down on the car¡¯s bonnet, bringing his hand to his bright red sun glasses. He was wearing a white suit, and was looking like a dangerous person. And, behind him was Kuroinu-san, standing with his arms crossed at his chest. He was wearing a black suit and black sun glasses. Kuroinu-san had a solid build. Hakunetsu-san had a tall and slender figure. ¡°¡­¡­.It¡¯s nice meeting you. I¡¯m Shion.¡± ¡°Yo! Yo! Thanks for coming, Shion-kun.¡± ¡°It¡¯s thanks to Hakunetsu!¡± ¡°Ah! It¡¯s thanks to me!¡± This is bad. These two are extremely noisy. ¡°Well now, there¡¯s something we must warn you about at once.¡± Hakunetsu-san ended his pose and started walking towards me. When he arrived next to me, he grasped my shoulder firmly. He raised his sun glasses a little and looked me in the eye. Then he started talking. ¡°You must definitely not tell Roll anything about this, all right!?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s also a request from my part.¡± Kuroinu-san agreed as well. ¡­¡­.In spite of everything, maybe it would¡¯ve been better to obey Roll¡¯s order. Looking at these guys¡¯ attitudes, Roll must really be dangerous¡­¡­. ¡°Well, if Roll finds out about this, it won¡¯t be easy for you either, so I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll tell her.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.As I thought, Roll is really amazing, right?¡± ¡°Well, yeah! Her overall evaluation is ¡®all S¡¯! She¡¯s a monster!¡± Are you for real?¡­¡­.Is she really that strong?! I don¡¯t actually understand what an overall evaluation means, but I¡¯m kinda scared now¡­¡­.. ¡°In terms of power, Roll is Anonymous¡¯ no. 6, you know! Anyhow! Roll must not find out about this! She must absolutely not find out!¡± I got cold feet and nodded vehemently. I regret not listening to her and coming here. ¡°If you knew that you¡¯ll be in trouble if she finds out, why did you shaded me?¡± Kuroinu grinned broadly. Hakunetsu smirked too, and put his sun glasses back in place. ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s for the thrill and enthusiasm! We wanted to go on a mission with you! C¡¯mon baby!¡± They said, then got into the car and started the engine. Kuroinu-san sat on the driver¡¯s seat, Hakunetsu-san on the passenger¡¯s seat. Before I noticed, the rear seat door got opened too. However, I was quickly and completely frozen in place, dumbfounded. ¡°Get up, noobie!¡± I was taken aback by those words and rushed inside the car. The car took off with great speed. I knocked my head against the window with all my might. ¡°It huuurts¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Weeeell, let¡¯s go!!¡± ¡°Wait, what kind of mission is this!?¡± We departed without even finding out about the details of the mission. I got in the car, so there was nothing I could do anymore. There was no turning back now. ¡°I¡¯ll only say it once, so listen closely! This mission requires driving to the neighboring town! There¡¯s an underground casino there, where a certain ¡®product¡¯ washed away! It appears that a comrade from a branch division made a mistake! He must retrieve that and BAAN! Destroy it! Most likely, the SDF will be there too! According to the situation, combat engaging is probable! The degree of difficulty for this mission is between C and A!¡± ¡°Oh! Approximately! However, well, for us, the degree of difficulty has no meaning-inu!!¡± I listened to them then put on the seat belt. I had my work phone inside the pocket. I hesitated whether to ask Roll for help or not, but, in the end, I decided not to. I sighed softly. The car ran at a speed that clearly violated the law, and the roar of the engine resounded as we hurried on the highway. The flowing landscape. My town was rapidly going further away. If I could send a message to the me from one hour ago, I would write something like ¡°You must listen to what Roll said¡±. ¡°When will we reach the neighboring town?¡± I asked, my voice drained of strength. ¡°We¡¯ll get there soon! In about one hour or so!?¡± ¡°I see.¡± I gave up and decided to do my best for this mission, then closed my eyes. Seemingly wanting to interfere with my determination, the roaring engine and the loud music resonated inside the car. CH 7 Will the mission go well with these people? I decided to stop worrying about it right away. Kuroinu-san used some connections to let us enter the town easily. After we walked the streets for a bit, we were now inside the underground casino. Once we entered the underground casino, the two men¡¯s aura changed completely. With a sharp expression they checked our surroundings, and there was nothing left from those foolish attitudes from before. Actually, they were like two different people. ¡°Kid, this is work.¡± They realized I was quite surprised by the pressure and tension they now gave off, so Kuroinu-san explained me. A white suit and a black suit. Compared to before, their huge backs looked rather cool now. Hakunetsu-san was eating 1 cigarettes. He held a largish attache case in one hand. What does he carry inside, I wonder. I thought about that, as we heard some noise coming from the casino. Kuroinu-san leaned on the handrail and started to talk. ¡°Well, according to the informant we passed by a moment ago, the goods are inside the VIP room, where a gamble is taking place. It seems the SDF is already here. Since they have to follow this place¡¯s rules, it means there¡¯s a reason they can¡¯t forcefully steal them. At any rate, we must hurry.¡± Hakunetsu-san let out the cigarette smoke and changed his attitude. Unlike Kuroinu-san, he rested his back against the handrail. ¡°For the time being, how will we destroy the goods? Should we be fast and violent or use some other quiet means? Since the SDF is here to collect the goods, they most likely sent men from the colonel class and above. It is extremely annoying to deal with this type of guys. As for the quiet means I was referring to, that would be to try to collect the goods by following this place¡¯s rules. With Shion-kun here, we can cheat as much as we want. However¡­¡­..¡± Hakunetsu-san grinned broadly. Kuroinu-san was most likely grinning as well. It felt like he was about to say something nihilistic. ¡°Right¡­ However, we are Anonymous. Even though they are gambling inside the VIP room, it¡¯s not like the goods are there too. Should we infiltrate without them finding out and destroy the goods right away?¡± Kuroinu-san took out an anonymous mask from his inner chest pocket. ¡°Ain¡¯t that thrilling!?¡± ____________ Our only source of light was the flashlight that Kuroinu-san carried. Anonymous¡¯ members. Me. Kuroinu-san. Hakunetsu-san. Inside the darkness, there were three anonymous masks. No one complained about how narrow this place was. It was inevitably so, since it was not a passage meant for humans. We concealed our breaths as we slowly crawled into the ventilation above the ceiling. ¡°How is it?¡± Kuroinu-san turned the flashlight towards us. Its light illuminated the map we had. Kuroinu-san paid a large amount of money to that informant in order to buy a map of this place. I looked at the map, as I listened to various sounds and tried to confirm their location and distance. The map included everything up to this floor. ¡°¡­¡­¡­I can hear some sort of dispute going on nearby the VIP room. Perhaps, between the casino people and the SDF. Something about cheating.¡± ¡°Hmm. Did you find the location of the goods?¡± ¡°Yes. They¡¯re on a lower floor. They are a lot of men gathered, strictly guarding something. We might have to use the elevator.¡± ¡°In that case, we have to get off this place.¡± ¡°There is no one around at this moment, so we can go down now. But there are about two men close to the elevator, so we might engage them in combat.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s get out of here. Nevertheless, it¡¯s not that thrilling anymore with Shion¡¯s all-purpose scouting skills.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­Sorry.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s all right. We¡¯re only getting started now.¡± We were now in a place where no ordinary people could enter. I searched for the enemy and avoided all possible battles up to this point, so Kuroinu-san and Hakunetsu-san were kind of bored. However, even so they didn¡¯t unnecessarily invite trouble. These guys were seeking the very best of thrills after all. Kuroinu-san, who was in the lead, removed the ventilation entrance and jumped down on the pathway below. It was quite high. I hesitated a bit, but Hakunetsu-san pushed me from behind. I landed on the pathway as well and Hakunetsu-san followed. Kuroinu-san winked at me and I placed one hand on the wall and listened closely. ¡°¡­¡­¡­..It¡¯s all right. They didn¡¯t notice us.¡± It would have been great if I could nullify sounds, but I couldn¡¯t do that at the moment. I didn¡¯t even know if that was possible in the first place. I figured that because it¡¯s about sound, there are surely a lot of things I could do, but I can¡¯t even control my ability properly at this time. I needed more practice. However, spying for enemies was quite tiring. I must restrict the sounds I¡¯m hearing after all. Since I couldn¡¯t lose control, I decided to wear the restraint ring just in case. It might get more or less comfortable if I take it off, but I¡¯ll keep it on just to be sure. I was now walking in the lead as I constantly listened to the enemies¡¯ movements. When we got close to the elevator, I made a sign and Hakunetsu-san took the lead instead. If we turn that corner, the elevator should be right in the front. As well as two men. Most likely guards. They were gossiping. Kuroinu-san raised two fingers and bend them towards that corner. Hakunetsu-san saw that sign and nodded. He then sneaked a look at what was waiting for us if we took that corner. The next instant, he retreated and looked towards us. Then he took the map I was carrying and crumpled it. The moment Hakunetsu-san opened his palm, the map turned into ash. The ashes fell down on the floor. ¡°Wonderful. We bought a fake map. There¡¯s no elevator.¡± I was startled by Hakunetsu-san¡¯s normal tone. The guards will find us¡­¡­.! ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Just as I thought, I could now hear the steps of those two guards getting closer. I hurried and took my stance, not knowing that their lives would come to an end right at the moment they turned around that corner. I could hear a sharp sound and looked at the two guards, who had knives stuck on their foreheads now. Most likely, Kuroinu-san threw them from behind us. Hakunetsu-san caught hold of those men¡¯s heads, as they were about to fall down, and he slowly and noiselessly placed them on the floor. I never imagined that knives get implanted so easily into people¡¯s heads¡­.. I looked on in mute amazement, but Kuroinu-san moved in front of me and stepped on the map that was now nothing more than ashes. ¡°Did they sneak up fake maps too? But it seems it wasn¡¯t completely fake after all.¡± ¡°What did those two guard then?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a safe that looks like a room. For the time being, Shion-kun, is anyone approaching us now?¡± I listened carefully. There was no one approaching us. ¡°Hm?¡± I noticed a sound from below that suddenly started to go far off. This was the sound of¡­¡­. ¡°¡­¡­¡­The elevator, I found it.¡± ¡°Good job.¡± ¡°Great. Take us there.¡± Kuroinu-san beat me on the shoulder. I went in front of Hakunetsu-san and was about to guide them to the elevator. However, it was then that I realized something. Before I knew it, I couldn¡¯t hear the quarrel anymore. I stopped in place and listened closely one more time. I concentrated my sensitivity towards the VIP room. Having done so, I was able to pick up these words. ¡®I made one of my subordinates go bring that thing.¡¯ ¡®The negotiations are complete. We will close our eyes for this time¡¯s incident.¡¯ ¡®What about the money?¡¯ ¡®They¡¯re inside here.¡¯ ¡­¡­¡­¡­I see. This is bad. ¡°¡­¡­.What¡¯s wrong Shion? Did something happen?¡± ¡°This is bad. The SDF will soon get their hands on our goods.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°They concluded their negotiations with the casino people.¡± Hakunetsu-san fixed his mask. ¡°We must hurry.¡± __________ We walked along the hoisted wall of the elevator, cautiously descending. Kuroinu-san and Hakunetsu-san were quite experienced at this and I couldn¡¯t keep up with them. We looked down but there was nothing but complete darkness. The elevator was not moving. Kuroinu-san helped me and I, somehow, managed to arrive just above the elevator. ¡°Well, this is where things should get interesting.¡± We concealed our breathing. I could hear the sound of footsteps. They were¡­¡­.three people? I raised three fingers and told them. ¡°Three people are coming.¡± ¡°Three guys? That¡¯s an easy victory.¡± The elevator¡¯s door opened. Then it closed. ¡­¡­¡­They¡¯re here. Then, the elevator started to move. ¡°Shion. I¡¯ll show you my ability. Hold this for a moment.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Kuroinu-san entrusted me with his anonymous mask. I thought it was a bit strange and looked over at his face, but all I could see now was a glossy, black fur. My eyes turned round. Is this Kuroinu-san¡¯s ability¡­¡­!? ¡°Enhancement type, the Assassination Hound. This is Kuroinu¡¯s ability.¡± Hakunetsu-san said. He was a pitch black werewolf. That was the impression he gave. However, I could not admire that appearance any longer. That¡¯s because Kuroinu-san started to move. Now that he changed into the Assassination Hound, Kuroinu-san ripped off the elevator¡¯s ceiling with his sharp claw. Then, he jumped down inside the elevator, and the next instant a splat could be heard as those three men inside stopped breathing. ¡°Finished. I also got the goods.¡± We heard Kuroinu-san¡¯s voice from beneath. I took a quick look inside and saw three dead bodies and Kuroinu-san, who returned to his normal appearance, standing next to them. He held in one hand a box the size of a fist. Hakunetsu-san saw that, then took the anonymous mask I was holding and threw it at Kuroinu-san. He caught it and put it back on his face. ¡°It was much easier than expected.¡± I looked up and saw that the elevator was reaching the top. Hakunetsu-san jumped down inside the elevator and I followed his example. ¡°Well now, I¡¯ll destroy this as we still have the time.¡± Kuroinu-san said and opened the box. Inside was a ring. I knew exactly what it was the moment I saw it. Yes, it was the restraint ring¡¯s first prototype. It had a different design than the one I was wearing, but its efficacy was mostly the same. If this was to fall into the SDF¡¯s hands, the ¡°ability restraining¡± technology that Anonymous developed would have been stolen. Kuroinu-san handed the first generation restraint ring to Hakunetsu-san. Then, Hakunetsu-san grasped that ring tightly. A short time later, Hakunetsu-san opened his palm in order to show me the result. What I saw on his palm was a completely melted former ring. Hakunetsu-san took out a transparent case from his pocket and inserted the muddled ring inside. Then, he said. ¡°Mission complete. Now, all that¡¯s left is to go back.¡± Right at that moment, the elevator arrived at the top. We got out of the elevator and started walking calmly towards the casino¡¯s exit. Leaving this place without anyone noticing was already something extremely easy to do. Everyone inside the VIP room was still foolishly waiting for ¡°the thing¡± to be brought to them. They will probably realize it was already destroyed by the time we left the town. They will find the anonymous mask that Hakunetsu-san left behind inside the elevator and lament about their defeat. Hakunetsu-san made sure to bring a spare anonymous musk just for the sake of making that happen. I concentrated all my nerves and picked up the sounds. ¡°There are two guards at the next corner.¡± I couldn¡¯t be negligent when scouting for enemies. I let my two companions know about the enemies¡¯ positions anytime there was a need for that, and so we got close to the exit. Since crawling inside the ventilation was most likely going to take some time, we decided to walk the normal pathway. These two guards as well are about to get killed by Kuroinu-san. I thought and left him in the lead. Kuroinu-san went ahead and turned around the corner. Hakunetsu-san and I stopped right before it. With a small shriek, the two guard¡¯s breathing started to fade¡­¡­.No, one was still alive? ¡°Hiii, please save me¡­¡­.! I, I will do anything¡­¡­.!¡± ¡°Shut up. Next time you speak, you¡¯re dead.¡± We could hear Kuroinu-san¡¯s yakuza-like voice from the other side of the corner. The other guard was already dead. I couldn¡¯t hear his breathing anymore. However, for some reason, one guard was still alive. Up until now Kuroinu-san killed them in the blink of an eye without any hint of hesitation¡­¡­¡­So why? I thought it was strange so I turned to look at Hakunetsu-san. Why? I asked him with a questioning look, but he answered me with silence. I could not see any emotion in his eyes. Then, a voice could be heard again. ¡°Shion. Come here.¡± Me? I didn¡¯t understand what was going on, but I turned around the corner and walked towards Kuroinu-san. He was standing up there. In front of him, the guard was sitting down, frozen in place. An expression of terror covered all his face and his nether region was completely wet. Next to him was the other guard who was nothing more than a piece of meat now. I stood up there without understand the situation, when Kuroinu-san threw a knife at my feet. ¡°To tell you the truth, we more or less had a reason for shading you tonight.¡± Kuroinu-san turned half of his body towards me and started to talk. ¡°It¡¯s about Roll. That girl always refused pairing up with anyone, so we were curious as to what turn of events made her team up with you.¡± What¡¯s this about all of a sudden? ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± On the other side of the anonymous mask Kuroinu-san had a serious expression. ¡°This guard. He¡¯s an ordinary person working at this casino. He¡¯s an innocent person. He¡¯s a normal man living a normal life. Shion, you¡¯ll be the one to kill him.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± I see. I understand what you¡¯re trying to say. ¡°What we fear the most is that an ordinary high schooler like you will make Roll go through some really unfortunate and stupid events that otherwise she¡¯d avoid. Roll is strong, but she¡¯s still a kid. And there are things that only adults can teach you about. We are part of an evil organization. We sacrifice many for the sake of one. And among those many people we sacrifice, they are also a lot of innocent, harmless people.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­I understand what you¡¯re trying to say.¡± I said, but Kuroinu-san continued nonetheless. ¡°We kill many for the sake of one. Now that you got tricked by this inviting sentence and ended up joining Anonymous, this is the road you must walk on. Even though it¡¯s not for anyone¡¯s sake. A kill that has no meaning at all, this is something you will have to do from now on. There¡¯s no need for a reason. Kill him.¡± I focused my eyes on the trembling guard. I could hear the sound of smoking cigarettes from the other side of the corner. ¡°Is it all right to have a reason though?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡± ¡°Killing people in order to survive, for my own sake. That¡¯s what I¡¯d like to think now.¡± I picked up the knife at my feet. ¡°You pass.¡± Kuroinu-san said. I strongly grasped the knife and stepped forward. Tears were overflowing from the guard¡¯s eyes as he started to desperately rub his head against the ground, trying to silently beg me for his life. Does my heart ache? Of course it does. However, I already killed a lot of innocent people during my manifestation. And I also knew about Anonymous¡¯ wrongdoings. Thus, I always thought about it since the moment I joined Anonymous. I didn¡¯t expect, however, to be demanded an answer this quickly, but I must find it right away. The answer is yes, no matter what twisted reasons I have. I¡¯m sorry but you will have to die for my sake. I approached the base of the guard¡¯s neck and cut through it without hesitation. That day, I got the first spurts of blood all over my anonymous mask. Hakunetsu-san let out a word that I will probably never forget: ¡°Congrats¡± Still, if I were to tell my thoughts. Killing a person was much easier than I expected. _________ ¡°Iyaaa, hwaaaaaaaaoooooo!!! Shiiiiiiiiiiiiion-kun! I never imagined we would finish up this mission so early!¡± The car was roaring. ¡°Aaah! I love this feeling of liberation after a completed mission!! Should we go drinking!?¡± ¡°Oooh! That¡¯s genius! Shion-kun will come too, right!?¡± After we completed the mission, these two had a sudden change. Even though I just killed someone, for some reason I too felt refreshed as I gazed at the night scenery. ¡°I can hear those SDF fools¡¯ angry roars!!¡± ¡°Ha ha! Go faster!! Woohooo!!¡± We could already see our town. We were driving way too fast. ¡°Oioioi! You should try shouting too, Shion-kun!!¡± I was about to decline this invitation when my phone started to vibrate. Of course, it was the work phone. I let my private phone at home. When I looked at its screen and saw who was calling me, my back froze completely. ¡®Roll¡¯ ¡°Wait! Roll is calling me! Please, be quiet!¡± ¡°Wha!?¡± ¡°You¡¯re joking, right!?¡± ¡°What should I do!?¡± Should I ignore her? Will I make the right call if I ignore this now? But she¡¯s calling on my work phone. ¡°Hakunetsu! Drop the speed!¡¯ ¡°I know that already!¡± The sound of a sudden break could be heard and the car¡¯s speed dropped considerably. Hakunetsu-san put an end to the roaring sound of the engine and immediately returned the interior of the car to silence. We were safe driving now. With a speed not exceeding 40km/h. ¡°¡­¡­¡­Good, you can answer now.¡± Kuroinu-san gave me the ok. My heart was thumping as I answered the phone. ¡°¡­¡­¡­Hello.¡± ¡®Hello, Shion. Where are you now?¡¯ ¡°¡­¡­..I was sleeping.¡± I imitated an annoyed tone as if I just got my sleep disturbed. However, her next words left me speechless. ¡®Hmmm. For the time being, I must punish you for not following my instructions. I checked up your mission log, you know. Even though you made it private.¡¯ I could hear the sound of my beating heart. This was bad. I somehow managed to regain my composure when Hakunetsu-san said those words. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s over.¡± What Hakunetsu-san was looking at was a street. That street was leading towards the town. Or¡­¡­..was it the shadow of a person? Roll was standing right there. ¡®At this range you can clearly hear me without using the phone, right, Shion?¡¯ She hung up. ¡°This is bad, this is bad, this is bad, this is bad, this is bad! What do we do now, Hakunetsu!?¡± ¡°This is over. Checkmate. Let¡¯s resign and receive our punishment. We are already inside the Stray Cat¡¯s range of attack.¡± Hakunetsu-san¡¯s voice was shivering. ¡°I see¡­¡­.It¡¯s hopeless.¡± We stopped the car close to Roll. Next to her, a motorcycle was parked. Did she ride it here? ¡°All of you, get off.¡± Roll¡¯s voice echoed and we got off the car. We were now standing in front of her. The two rather tall men tried to look down on Roll, who was releasing an intimidating aura, but they eventually ended up kneeling down on the ground. I was already kneeling. ¡°First of all, Hakunetsu and Kuroinu. Show me your hands.¡± They both looked downward. There was nothing left of that coolness that surrounded them during the mission. ¡°Hurry up and show me your hands.¡± Unwillingly, both of them raised one of their hands. I thought about what she was going to do to them and looked at Roll as she touched those two¡¯s hands. A painful sound could be heard as their hands got bent in a weird direction. ¡°!?¡± What the heck was that!? ¡°Gaaaaaaaaah!¡± ¡°Guuuuuuuuh!!¡± Their shrieks resounded on the main road. ¡°Once you return to the hideout, go ask Chiaku-san to fix you up.¡± Roll said, then she turned around to look at me. So this is what the frog feels like when the snake glares at it!? I couldn¡¯t move at all. After having seen that, there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t get cold feet. Those two were groaning in agony somewhere inside my field of vision. ¡°Shion¡± ¡°Y, yes!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so nervous. It¡¯s your first time so I¡¯ll forgive you with just this.¡± Roll held her hand aloft. I closed my eyes. Not knowing what was about to happen, I was quite scared, when my face got slapped. It was quite a strong slap in the face, but in the end it was only that. I rubbed my hurting face. The pain was sharp. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­.! Shiooon¡­..!¡± ¡°Damn it¡­..! We¡¯re guilty of the same crime, you knoooow!?¡± Kuroinu-san and Hakunetsu-san complained. However, when Roll sent them a short glance, they immediately held their hands and started to moan. It appears that I will be forgiven with only this. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to say? I was quite worried about you.¡± Roll said. I raised my head and looked her in the eye. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Sorry.¡± I lowered my head and apologized. It was clear to me that Roll was actually worried about me. I, too, felt honestly sorry. Instead of feeling relief that my punishment was light, the remorse I felt was slightly stronger. ¡°I was really looking forward to our first mission as partners, but you selfishly spoiled it for me.¡± When she told me that, my chest started to ache. ¡°¡­¡­..I¡¯m sorry, really.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.! ¡­¡­Let¡¯s go back. Get behind me.¡± Roll straddled the motorcycle then threw a helmet towards me. I caught it. Then, seemingly telling me to get on right away, Roll roared her motorcycle. I looked over at Hakunetsu-san and Kuroinu-san, and even though their hands were broken, Hakunetsu-san made a sign with two fingers. It was the sign for ¡°Go¡±. CH 8 The Annonymous¡¯ boss. His code name is Hyde. Still, only a few call him by that name. Because in Anonymous, his identity as the boss is just too strong. He clads himself in a black coat, so that when he slips into darkness he can spot the enemies easily. Even though he wears a mask, the boss¡¯ presence is hanging in the air. That SDF man that hid in the darkness believed that Hyde was the Anonymous¡¯ boss judging only by his ¡®aura¡¯. That was it. The two men didn¡¯t move, measuring their situations. ¡°Shido¡± Hyde murmured his partner¡¯s name, at which point the woman who stood next to him started to move, without saying a word. The other man who hid himself in darkness couldn¡¯t follow the woman with his eyes. At any rate, he decided he wouldn¡¯t chase her. Then, the man convinced himself that he could handle the situation by himself when he remembered a few things. Even among the major generals, he was one of the best in terms of true strength. Depending on the opponent and their affinity with their ability, he would overwhelm most of the other major generals during their practice fights. And, he captured and killed countless Anonymous members up to this point. No matter if he was to fight against the boss and his partner, he was still convinced he could kill them with his ability. That¡¯s what the man thought. However, it never turned into a two against one fight. That¡¯s because the Anonymous¡¯ boss didn¡¯t find any worth in doing that. If he¡¯s the Anonymous¡¯ boss, then he must at least be able to judge and understand his enemies¡¯ strength by the pressure they release. Having done so, he decided he alone would be more than enough. It¡¯s not like the SDF man was overconfident. He achieved a lot of things, got acknowledged and became a major general. He didn¡¯t remember how many times he vomited blood since he¡¯s joined the SDF. It was a categorical self-confidence from his part. After Shido¡¯s presence disappeared completely, Hyde started to move. He removed his mask and exposed his face. Then, he sent a nihilistic smile into the darkness and turned his coat around, facing his enemy with his back. The man saw this and grew very excited. However, he didn¡¯t take any step. It was clearly a provocation. At that point, as an important member of the SDF, what the man wanted was to retreat. He saw the face of the enemy¡¯s boss, after all. He grasped his features too. Still, maybe he could bring him down right there. The man had such confidence. The man instantly made his decision and stepped outside the darkness into the moonlight, exposing himself. He, then, declared. ¡°Count your sins, Anonymous.¡± The man already used his ability. But, Hyde was nowhere to be found. The man didn¡¯t become impatient. He sharpened his senses and was cautious of his surroundings. All there was to it was that he could not see the boss. There were guys like him in SDF too. ¡°Now, I have one more sin to count.¡± Suddenly, a voice could be heard behind the man¡¯s back. The man didn¡¯t turn around. The moment he heard the voice, his brain thought of a few patterns of what should be his next move. And the answer was defeat. The man gave up on his life on the spot. It was the first time he felt his life completely depended on another. He understood the boss¡¯ ability. And that he could¡¯ve never defeated him. Ah, it would¡¯ve been so much better if he retreated at that time. His regrets resounded in the empty space. But it was too late. At the end, the man wanted to say something, but he kept silent. On a street, at night, a man¡¯s life scattered silently. _____________ _____________ It was Sunday. I returned home from the morning jogging, and took a shower. I decided to temper myself staring today. I don¡¯t know for how long it would last, but if I¡¯m on the verge of giving up, Roll will force me to continue. Leaving that aside, I immediately started to walk towards the secret base. Since, before all this, I didn¡¯t use to do anything special on weekends, this unusualness was kind of a good change. I arrived at the secret base and walked straight toward Roll¡¯s room. However, before I could get there, I met with someone. ¡°Oh my, it¡¯s Shion-kun.¡± When I passed by someone on the corridor and nodded at her, she called out to me. She had black hair and was as tall as me. It was the first time I saw her¡­¡­.So who was she? ¡°Errr¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m Shido.¡± Ah, so this is the boss¡¯ partner, Shido-san? We only met like two times. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time.¡± ¡°How do you feel? Are you getting along well with Roll?¡± ¡°Yes, so-so.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. Then, I have to leave, I¡¯m in a hurry. Let¡¯s have some tea together sometime.¡± ¡°Yes. Goodbye.¡± Shido-san¡¯s verbal expressions were similar to Roll¡¯s. Or maybe Roll is similar to Shido-san? I have the feeling she told me that Shido-san taught her how to live or something. She passed on her talking style too, it seems. Thinking about that, I saw Shido-san off. Oops, I must hurry to Roll¡¯s room. She told me to be there until 10. When I got to her room, Roll greeted me in high spirits. There were some boxes in her room that were not here yesterday. Is this why Roll is in such a great mood? Before I asked her that, she explained me. ¡°The weapons arrived.¡± ¡°Weapons?¡± ¡°Yup, our weapons. Partners use the same type of weapons.¡± Come to think of it, Hakunetsu-san and Kuroinu-san carried many knives that looked the same. Weapons, huh? Honestly, I don¡¯t think I would need any, but they could also come in handy. At this point, I can¡¯t really attack using my ability. ¡°What will we use?¡± ¡°I ordered lots of them, so we¡¯ll decide now.¡± Roll took a knife from her desk¡¯s drawer and opened all the boxed. Inside them, a lot of weapons were wrapped in a thick sac. They were mostly small type edged tools. Roll¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°How about this one?¡± What Roll was holding in her hand was a thin, sharp blade with a handle that could be used as a claw. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a jamadhar 1. You stab with it.¡± Roll practiced with it in front of me and pushed the handle towards me. Yeah, it could be useful. ¡°But maybe it¡¯s a little inconvenient to carry around.¡± ¡°Maybe. But it¡¯s pretty cool. It was a joke, you know, but I didn¡¯t think you¡¯ll take it seriously. Stupid.¡± ¡°A joke?¡± Nevertheless, this was Roll when she was in high spirits. A girl who gets extremely excited by weapons is quite fiendish. ¡°By the way, it¡¯s not really a weapon, but, the truth is, I wanted to show you a tool that we will definitely use.¡± ¡°What?¡± I asked, and Roll opened her desk¡¯s drawer and took something out. ¡°This. I made an order to the Development Department to create this for me. It were quite expensive¡­¡­¡­ Of course, I have one for you too, Shion.¡± What Roll took out and showed me was a pair of something like black tubes. They were thin enough to be firmly held by Roll¡¯s hand, and when I looked closely I saw that the handle was especially made for a firm grip. ¡°What are those?¡± ¡°Carbon nanofiber wire emitters 2. They have 100 meters of wire stored inside them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s awesome¡­¡­.!¡± ¡°Right?¡± Roll handed me the other wire emitter. I observed it in detail. It was rather small, but it could do things. It was a really amazing tool. ¡°If you press this button hard with your thumb, it shoots the wire at great speed. It shoots for as long as you press the button. So, you adjust the shooting amount by pressing the thumb button.¡± ¡°What about the pinky finger button?¡± ¡°If you press that button, you can cut the already shot wire. But when you cut once, there¡¯s a lag of 1 minute in order for the wire¡¯s anchor-like tip to recharge.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Look at this too.¡± Roll took something else out of the drawer and handed over to me. It was a pair of black gloves. ¡°You¡¯ll get injured if you touch the wire directly.¡± ¡°Thanks. By the way, can you return the already shot wire?¡± ¡°Of course you can. By pressing the release button lightly. However, it doesn¡¯t have the strength to pull up a human being.¡± I see. I got it mostly. I thought that it might be useful for movement too, but in order to make it happen, we need training. I might want to use this thing as a weapon. Still, it has lots of other uses too, making it an extremely useful item. I really want to try this out now. Roll said something, and she seemed to have read my thoughts. ¡°Wanna go to the training room?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± _____________ I¡¯m practicing shooting with the wire emitter inside the training room, but it isn¡¯t working very well. When I press the release button with my thumb, the wire gets shot at great speed. And if I loosen my press just a tiny bit, the wire returns inside the emitter at great speed. Still, making it shoot the wire at an aimed spot is difficult. Roll can successfully shoot the wire and twine it around a crowbar that she set up 10 meters in the front. Roll¡¯s gloves, which were the same as mine, showed signs of sweat. ¡°I can¡¯t use this thing properly.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not used to the pressing modes. When the wire gets close to your target, you do¡­..like this and you loosen the button for an instant.¡± Even after I listened to Roll¡¯s explanation, I still couldn¡¯t really do it. Roll started her training with the wire emitter yesterday, but she can already use it this well. As expected from Roll-san; I wasn¡¯t indifferent though to the difference in our abilities. ¡°Hmm¡­..Why can¡¯t I do it?¡± ¡°Shion, let¡¯s return to my room. We should probably get something to eat.¡± The watch behind the enhanced glass pointed towards 1 p.m. It¡¯s already this late? Even though the shooting practice didn¡¯t go very well, it was still quite fun, which made me forget about the time. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± I decided to leave the training for later, and left the training room together. We returned to Roll¡¯s room, and she started preparing the food. ¡°I¡¯ll make something especially for you¡± So she said. Even though she said that, it¡¯s not like it was the first time. This was in fact the second time she cooked especially for me. I picked up a weapon among all the weapons scattered on Roll¡¯s bed. Even after I looked through all of them, I still felt that I didn¡¯t need a weapon. If I have the time to train with a weapon, I¡¯d rather use it in order to train my ability. But the wire emitter is a different matter. At any rate, according to Roll, there are not many people in Anonymous who have great mobility abilities. Having only a few ability users who could float is quite inconvenient for us. I¡¯m also one of those people who don¡¯t have much mobility and can¡¯t fly. Still, overall, Anonymous seems to have a lot of fire ability users. Well, even though they have a fire type ability, each of them has a different affinity to it. And that affinity makes for the difference in power not to count too much in an actual fight. The Anonymous ranks are given in the form of a tournament where you fight for your title. Roll is rank 6, so there are other people who are stronger than her. It seems that Anonymous even holds this type of tournaments. ¡°Look.¡± A short time later, Roll placed the food on the table. She made pork fried with ginger and rice, miso soup and a large cabbage salad. She also placed the leftovers from yesterday as side dishes. ¡°Oh, itadakimasu.¡± I said and started to eat. Roll¡¯s cooking was delicious in general. The seasoning was perfect for my taste. As expected from a partner. Anyway, I complimented her cooking lavishly. Still, it seemed like she was used to having her cooking skills praised and made an expression which said ¡®It¡¯s only natural¡¯. If Tsurugi was to compliment her, I wonder if she would blush and feel happy about it? ¡­¡­¡­No, she¡¯s not like that. ¡°So, did you find anything good?¡± I guess she was referring to weapons. ¡°Yeah. I think we could also use a knife, similarly to Kuroinu-san and his partner.¡± ¡°There are many types of knives. Those two use a large type of daggers for throwing, which have remodeled grips. Those types of knives aren¡¯t suited for us. Having said that, we also don¡¯t need a knife that is used in close combat. In my case, if I get to touch my target I can certainly kill it, and you don¡¯t even need to get close to your target. Besides, with your scouting skills no one will be able to approach us anyway.¡± ¡°Eh? Then, do we even need weapons?¡± ¡°When you¡¯ll be able to fully control your ability, you won¡¯t need them anymore. I won¡¯t use any either, when we get to that point. ¡­¡­.Well, it¡¯s gonna take a while because you had a delayed manifestation, so we do need weapons for now. Besides, it¡¯s rather uncool not to be able to use at least one type of weapon. There are some who got sent to a subdivision and got embarrassed because of this.¡± Sent to a subdivision? They have subdivisions too? ¡°Hmm¡± I started to eat again. Roll saw that and continued to eat too; she finished a short time after. ¡°What about a small type throwing knife? We won¡¯t be able to kill the target in one hit, but they could be useful for blinding them or slowing them down. We can carry a few of them too.¡± ¡°Throwing knives? Sounds difficult.¡± Throwing a knife. I heard that, depending on the distance, you must adjust the rotation speed of the knife as well. ¡°No weapon is easy to handle.¡± ¡°Thanks for the food. In this case, teach me how to throw knives.¡± I said to her, as I cleared the table and brought the tableware in the kitchen. ¡°All right. But I¡¯ll decide which knives we¡¯ll use, okay?¡± ¡°Good.¡± Roll will surely choose the most adequate ones. And anyway, I have no idea which are the perfect ones for us. In any case, we decided that our weapons will be the throwing knives and the wire emitter. CH 9 It was Monday morning. I rested my aching body on top of my desk. ¡°Morning, Kamiya-kun.¡± I raised my head and saw Ohashi standing next to me. I returned the greeting, then retook my position on the desk. Hm? Where¡¯s Tsurugi? Leaving Rin aside, Ohashi is always coming to school together with Tsurugi. It picked my interest and I raised my head again to ask Ohashi about it. ¡°Where¡¯s Tsurugi?¡± ¡°He said he was going to be late today.¡± ¡°Hmm, again?¡± For some reason, that guy often comes to school late. When he¡¯s not around, the people from Tsurugi Harem are quite docile. I looked at Roll in the corner of the classroom. Shinjou Roll-san was chatting with a newly made friend. When I looked at her, Roll noticed my glace and turned towards me with a smile. My heart skipped a beat. If she can smile as sweetly as that, I¡¯d like her to do it regularly. I turned away and, again, let my body rest on the desk. At any rate, yesterday was a terrible day. I never expected the throwing knives training to be so difficult. I closed my eyes. Maybe I¡¯ll just stay like this for the rest of the day. ¡°Oi, wake up, Kamiya.¡± I heard someone calling out to me, so I raised my head. Before I realized it, the teacher was already standing on the platform. The first class for the day was about to start. ¡°Starting today, you have one week left until the tests. I will stick the test schedule on the blackboard. You should seriously study for these tests, okay?¡± Is it already that time of the year? I always kept my test scores high, but this time, it doesn¡¯t seem like I would be able to get good marks. I sent Roll a glancing look, then let out an affected sigh. Once the homeroom class ended, the teachers changed and the lesson started. I sank deeper into my desk. ________ Tsurugi arrived at school before the third period started; it was now the lunch break. As a matter of fact, Tsurugi never carries a bento 1 with him. That¡¯s because Ohashi and Rin take turns to prepare him his lunch and bring it to school. I am envious. However, I don¡¯t really mind it that much. It¡¯s just that, I¡¯d like them to stop gathering at my desk every single lunch break. But thanks to that, I also have access to his lunch box, even though it feels a bit futile. ¡°What? You brought a bento today as well, Kazato? That¡¯s rare. Moreover, it¡¯s quite the healthy bento you got there.¡± Tsurugi looked at my lunch box. To tell you the truth, Roll was the one who prepared this for me. She was unable to be indifferent to my poor, daily eating habits, like convenience store lunch boxes or bread, which were bad for my body, so she decided to cook for me. She stealthily hands the bento over in the morning. However, unlike Ohashi and Rin¡¯s bentos, mine was not made with loving care. Roll is basically feeding me in order to strengthen my body. Well, I went a little too far. Honestly, I¡¯m kind of happy about this. Roll was eating her lunch in another group of girls. Her acting is so all-encompassing; even when no one is watching, as long as she¡¯s on school grounds, she¡¯s playing that character. As expected of her, she doesn¡¯t do mistakes. It¡¯s been only a few days since we first met, but I¡¯m witnessing more and more about Roll¡¯s greatness. I got a bad first impression of her, but it is starting to change. ¡°Does Roll-chan bother you this much?¡± ¡°As I thought, you¡¯re in love.¡± ¡°Kamiya-kun finally has a girl he likes now.¡± I let these guys selfishly assume whatever they wanted. ________ It happened after school. I went straight to the secret base. Tsurugi asked me to go have fun with them, but I refused him, since I wanted to prioritize my training. I knew that this was only ruining my friendship, but even so, sometimes you have to do other things than playing around. Now, I arrived in front of Roll¡¯s room. When I entered, Roll welcomed me in a bad mood. ¡°Sit down there for a second.¡± She said to me and I sat on the chair in front of the table. Why is she angry? I really have no clue. However, I already knew that Roll didn¡¯t usually get angry unreasonably. Maybe I made some sort of mistake. While I searched for a reason, Roll took out a sheet of loose-leaf paper from her student bag and wrote something on it. Then, she put it on the table, in front of me. ¡°This is what we¡¯ve learned today. Try to solve it.¡± What was written on that piece of loose-leaf paper was a math problem. Even though we learned about this today, it was only an application problem. Obviously, since I fell asleep during class, I can¡¯t solve it. All I could do was sink into silence. Roll¡¯s huge sigh was extremely audible. ¡°Why did you sleep during class?¡± Because I was tired due to yesterday¡¯s difficult training. Of course, that¡¯s not really an excuse. I cast my eyes down and Roll started to lecture me. ¡°If you want a recommendation, you need good grades, you know? In the first place, you don¡¯t understand the value of receiving teachings from people. And, what¡¯s more¡­¡­..¡± Roll¡¯s lecture continued for a little longer. Finally, after she made me promise that I would enter the school¡¯s top twenty with the results for the upcoming tests, the lecture ended. And now, she made me study. Roll seemed to be quite smart, so she explained me all the parts I didn¡¯t understand. Her hand-writing is pretty too; I really must find some sort of fault to her. I came to the secret base today, very much in the mood for training, but I never thought that I would get stuck with studying. The sound of the running pencil got mixed with the sound of my sigh. I sent Roll a glance, seemingly saying that I wanted to train, but she glared at me and I calmed down. She observed all my progress, so I couldn¡¯t skip anything. It was then when it happened. I heard someone knocking on the door. ¡°Roll, my angel! I came back! Please open the door!¡± It was a man¡¯s voice. Who¡¯s that? I thought and looked at Roll. She frowned, clearly unpleased with that voice. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Getsuri 2. A really annoying guy has returned home. I honestly hoped he would rot in that branch office¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t you open the door?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll enter anyway.¡± It happened the moment Roll said that. The door¡¯s lock opened with a clank. Does he have a key to this room? No, he doesn¡¯t; why would he ask Roll to open the door if he had the key? He did something. Roll let out a sigh. The one who entered the room was a blond man. He wasn¡¯t naturally blond like Roll, he clearly dyed his hair. He seemed a little older than us. He was also tall and looked exactly like a host. The man came inside the room and looked straight at Roll. He then took her hand and knelt down. ¡°Mademoiselle, have you been well? I spent my every night thinking about you!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­It¡¯s been a long time, Getsuri. I heard from the boss that it would take even longer.¡± ¡°For Roll¡¯s sake, I finished the mission with double speed!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for it. Anyway, it¡¯s good you¡¯re safe. Now, since you¡¯re in the way of Shion¡¯s study session, could you just leave?¡¯ In that instant, Getsuri-san fell silent. He sent me a glance, then hit the table. It was all too sudden and my heart jumped up and down. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you choose me!? I¡¯ve worked really hard in order for you to accept me as your partner! This time too, I easily handled a difficult mission all by myself! Yes, just like the sweet and beautiful you always do! However, your heart remained unlocked! On the contrary, when I came back this time, I found you opened it to some other guy! Didn¡¯t you say that you will never accept a partner!?¡± What¡¯s this all of a sudden¡­¡­. All I could do was change my look from Roll to Getsuri-san and back. ¡°Ah, I apologize for that. I ended up choosing a partner.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.Until now, no matter how much Hyde-san insisted, or how many other people invited you, you would always stubbornly say that you wouldn¡¯t accept any partner. However, this time you easily approved¡­¡­.! Why?¡± I was quite interested in hearing the answer too. I am being helped by Roll, but I don¡¯t know the reason why she chose me. Because the boss told her to? Yet, she refused all the other offers up until now¡­¡­I wonder why. I looked at Roll and our eyes met. However, she quickly averted her look. ¡°This has nothing to do with you, Getsuri. I¡¯m free to group with whoever I want.¡± Getsuri-san cast his eyes down. Maybe it was a bit cruel of her to say that it had nothing to do with him. Well, this was not a situation in which I could intervene. ¡°¡­¡­.Was it out of pity¡­¡­¡­? Maybe it reminded you of your past self¡­¡­..¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting angry, you know.¡± Roll spoke with a threatening voice making Getsuri-san to fall silent again. I don¡¯t really understand what¡¯s happening, but it seems that Getsuri-san said something he shouldn¡¯t have. Pity? Well, I am actually aware that I was found in a pitiable situation. Suddenly, Getsuri-san¡¯s look moved onto me. ¡°Shion, was it? Why did she choose a potato like you¡­¡­¡± It¡¯s not like I¡¯m here because I really wanted to be. If I hadn¡¯t manifested my ability, I was supposed to still continue living my happy daily life. And yet, saying this at such a late hour makes no sense. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m unhappy with my current situation anyway. I got a little insecure about my future now though. I didn¡¯t know what answer I was supposed to give to Getsuri-san. I couldn¡¯t bear his look so I turned away, when I heard Getsuri-san mutter. ¡°¡­¡­.I have no choice but to kill you. Yes, I¡¯ll just kill you.¡± His attack was too sudden. The knife that drew near to me was kicked aside by Roll; before I became aware of it, a battle unfolded right in front of my eyes. Getsuri-san danced in midair, releasing kicks aimed at Roll¡¯s face. Roll countered those kicks with her arms. She then twined her arms around his leg and invited him to meet the ground, as she knocked him down. But Roll¡¯s attack didn¡¯t end there. She silently ripped off both his arms and legs, leaving Getsuri-san unable to fight in the blink of an eye. I was dumbfounded by her bloodlust and energy. Getsuri-san¡¯s shrieks resounded in the room, as Roll collected his limbs and dragged him out, asking some nearby members to deal with him, then returned to the room, closed the door and walked towards me. ¡°That was dangerous. I never thought he would lose his head like that because I chose a partner.¡± ¡°It surprised me¡­¡­¡± It was mostly Roll¡¯s movements that surprised me however. Still, with that guy around, I can¡¯t let my guard down even inside the secret base. ¡°When he¡¯s calm, Getsuri can be quite decent. And he¡¯s fairly strong too. This can¡¯t happen again, so I¡¯ll have to inform the old man.¡± She¡¯s such a reliable partner. However, as long as I¡¯m standing in the range of her hands, it could be said that she has a grasp on my life. In a close-range fight, Roll¡¯s ability is too overpowered. ¡°Now, continue with your studying.¡± ¡°Roger.¡± The learning session restarted. She allowed me to train after I finished studying; it was already past eleven when I returned home. I told my parents that I was working part-time, but, even so, I should maybe avoid leaving the house every day. _________ The next day, after school. Today, as well, I came to the secret base. I was now walking the corridors together with Roll. I heard about Getsuri-san¡¯s ability from Roll. His ability is called ¡®Perfect Key¡¯. It seems that he can freely lock and unlock all sorts of things. His range of attack changes according to his mood. It¡¯s not like he can alter the range of his attack, it just changes by itself. Even though I said he can lock and unlock things, it¡¯s more like he can open and shut them freely, like making someone close their eyes or force them open their fist or such. However, because Getsuri-san doesn¡¯t want to use his ability on Roll, she always beats him. The reason why he doesn¡¯t want to use it on her is because he wants Roll to unlock her heart to him by herself. The best use of Getsuri-san¡¯s ability is the fact that he can temporarily lock his opponent¡¯s ability. Using this technique called ¡®Skill Lock¡¯ together with unlocking the restrictions in his own brain, he can basically bring down his opponent quite easily. In this case, how can I even defeat Getsuri-san? I have to finish him off before he gets near me. ¡°Listen. You have to finish him in one blow, all right? If he gets close to you, it¡¯s all over. Fight him with the intent to kill.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.Can I even win?¡± ¡°You can, if you seriously want to. Or, maybe I should say it more clearly. Go there and win!¡± Well now, as for why we had this kind of conversation, that¡¯s because I was challenged to a duel by Getsuri-san some time ago. Yes, Roll was the bet. Obviously, I refused. But Getsuri-san asked the boss to intermediate the duel, and the boss ordered me to fight. It seems that all the quarrels inside the organization are solved in this way. Not even Roll¡¯s opposing opinion changed anything this time. ¡°¡­¡­..I¡¯m nervous.¡± ¡°I should be the one who feels nervous. Is it really true that he won¡¯t kill me?¡± ¡°If he intends to kill you, I¡¯ll jump in right away to stop him.¡± We talked about it some more, as we arrived in front of the training room. Several people from the organization gathered inside the observation room, with Kuroinu-san and Hakunetsu-san among them. There were many people there I¡¯ve never met before. ¡°You came.¡± Getsuri-san said and showed up in front of me. ¡°¡­¡­Hello.¡± I felt overwhelmed by his aura, which announced an attack at any time. Getsuri-san enter the training room first and stopped in a predetermined position. He then turned his head and glared at me. ¡­¡­¡­To be honest, I was quite scared. ¡°¡­¡­Shion, I¡¯m relying on you.¡± Roll grabbed my hand and squeezed it tightly. Getsuri-san kept on starring at me, so this whole scene was a little troubling. I panicked and rejected her grasp. ¡°¡­¡­.I¡¯ll be going now.¡± I said, then entered the training room. CH 10 The audience inside the observation room was standing still. I could hear Kuroinu-san and Hakunetsu-san cheering for me from behind the enhanced glass. Getsuri-san stood 5 meters in front of me, and he was already prepared for battle. The boss¡¯s voice resounded in the training room. ¡®Shion, Getsuri. I¡¯ll explain now the rules for this duel with Roll at stake. The first to incapacitate his opponent wins. Neither of you is allowed to use weapons. Killing is prohibited. As a handicap, Getsuri is not allowed to use attacks stronger than C ranked ones. Nor is he allowed to unlock his restrictions.¡¯ Getsuri-san nodded. They gave him a handicap. Well, it has nothing to do with me. If I don¡¯t end this in one blow, I will surely lose. ¡®Roll will give you the start signal.¡¯ ¡®What? Me? ¡­¡­¡­All right.¡¯ The boss handed over the mic to Roll. I gulped down my saliva. Then stared at Getsuri-san. ¡®¡­¡­Start!¡¯ It was Roll¡¯s voice. I used her signal, and changed it into a roaring explosion sound. Still, the moment before that, Getsuri-san covered his ears. ¡°Wha¡­¡­.!¡± Getsuri-san kicked the ground and arrived before my eyes in an instant, then he seized my head. My vision got distorted as he slammed me to the ground on my back. In that moment, all the sounds I was hearing vanished. I couldn¡¯t hear Kuroinu-san¡¯s cheering anymore, nor the sounds outside the training room. All I could hear now was the sound of my breathing. ¡°Skill Lock. I took the liberty to lock your ability. You have no way of winning this.¡± Is this for real? He beat me this easily¡­¡­. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Roll¡¯s voice, my eardrums would¡¯ve been destroyed by now. You¡¯re too obsessed with speed, you know.¡± ¡°No way¡­¡­.¡± I stood up and stepped back. When will my ability come back¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t know. At any rate, all I can do now is running around¡­¡­. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say but I won¡¯t let you run away.¡± My vision turned dark. I actually closed my eyes. No, I was forced to close them. And I can¡¯t open them either. He locked my eyes¡­¡­! I could hear a heavy step. Immediately after, I felt an impact at the back of my head. Before I could realize, I was crawling on the ground. Something was dripping. I had a nosebleed. Did I hit my nose on the ground just now? All I can do is give in¡­¡­.. ¡°Why in the world is this guy Roll¡¯s partner!?¡± ¡°Guh!¡± He kicked me in the stomach. For a moment, I could not breathe, but I somehow staggered and managed to stand up. Normally, it¡¯s easy to stand up with your eyes closed. But now, for some reason, I felt it really difficult. Was standing up always this difficult? When I managed to finally stand, he punched me again and I fell on my buttocks. The attacks didn¡¯t stop. With my eyes closed, all I could do was groan as I continued to receive Getsuri-san¡¯s strikes. When I stood up, he kicked me to the ground again; when I crawled around, he trampled me down. ¡°Fuahahahahahahaha!! Be disillusioned by Roll!¡± I was panting. I can¡¯t open my eyes but I can feel that they¡¯re swollen. He punched me in the pit of my stomach and I tumbled down, unable to breathe. ¡°¡­¡­..You¡¯re such an uninteresting man. Why did Roll¡­¡­Why¡­¡­..¡± This is no good. On a second thought, I¡¯ll just kill you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­!¡± Kill me¡­¡­? I¡¯m sure that the boss said killing wasn¡¯t allowed¡­..! This is foul play!? ¡°Die now!¡± The moment I heard those last words, something like an electric shock ran through my body. I bent back my body as I dodged Getsuri-san¡¯s attack, then stood up again. Immediately after that I took off my restraint ring. Thump, thump. I could hear this sound. ¡­¡­.It was the sound of a heartbeat. I can hear now. My ability is back¡­¡­. My eyes were still locked. But I could hear things. I could hear everything around me. Even without my vision, I could see things. Calm down¡­¡­. Calm down, myself¡­¡­ ¡ª¡ª Calm down and kill. ¡°You dodged it well, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.I can hear sounds¡­¡­.coming from you. The sound of your heart, ¡­¡­.the sound of your breathing.¡± I detest death¡­¡­. To prevent it, all I can do is kill my opponent. ¡°You¡¯re bluffing. There¡¯s no way my Skill Lock would wear out this quickly.¡± I crouched down to dodge his mighty kick, as I got close to Getsuri-san. I couldn¡¯t see him, but I imagined that his expression was one of surprise, even shock. I held my left hand in front of Getsuri-san¡¯s face and snapped my fingers. ¡°Gaaaah!¡± I destroyed his eardrums¡­¡­.Did I leave him unconscious too? I grabbed Getsuri-san by his hair and pushed him down. He didn¡¯t fight back, so I knew that he lost his senses. He fainted. However, I could still hear his heartbeat. ¡­¡­.I must kill him. This person is dangerous. My vision was still dark. Even so, my senses were so sharp that I could clearly see everything. I removed a knife from my waist holder and grabbed Getsuri-san¡¯s hair again. I could hear the door to the training room opening from behind me. And then, the sound of people rushing towards me. This is bad, I gotta kill him fast ¡­¡­.! My knife was about to reach his neck, when my right hand was firmly seized by something. I dropped the knife. Without a moment¡¯s delay, I was about to take out another knife with my left hand but I couldn¡¯t move it either. ¡®That¡¯s enough, Shion. You won.¡¯ It was the boss¡¯s voice. I opened my eyes and saw that several people, Roll included, were restraining me. All of them were ready for battle, and if I were to move again, they would suppress me in an instant. ¡°¡­¡­Why are you stopping me? You didn¡¯t stop Getsuri-san when he was about to kill me.¡± ¡®That¡¯s because I believed you could handle it. From the very beginning I thought that you would win.¡¯ That¡¯s not it. ¡°Since he tried to kill me, I bet that this guy won¡¯t complain if I kill him instead¡­¡­.¡± ¡®I said no killing.¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡± All my joints were aching. He seriously beat me. ¡°Shion, you won, so it¡¯s all right. Control yourself. Because of this, Getsuri-san will be sent to a branch agency again.¡± Roll said. But I didn¡¯t turn my eyes away from Getsuri-san. ¡°Calm down, Shion. Why are you so furious?¡± ¡°¡­¡­..I am calm. And I¡¯m not furious at all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.I understand what you¡¯re feeling, but there will be many times when you¡¯ll be on the verge of dying from now on. You will kill many people too.¡± Roll said to me in a kind voice. But it¡¯s not really about that. ¡°I came to this place precisely because I didn¡¯t want to die!¡± I pressed my middle finger against my thumb and clicked them. A thunderous roar. I refrained from using my full power though. Those who restrained me faltered, and I took that moment to grab a knife and swung it down towards Getsuri-san¡¯s neck. However, before the edge could reach it, a felt a shock running through my body. Right after that, I got slammed onto the wall and lost consciousness. ____________ When I woke up, I found myself in Roll¡¯s bed. Her nice scent tickled my nostrils. My body wasn¡¯t hurting anymore. Most likely Chiyaku-san healed me. I then started to remember the incidents from some moments ago. Maybe it¡¯s something like a trauma for me. I am too obsessed with living. I can¡¯t forgive those who try to kill me. No¡­Actually, I don¡¯t understand it anymore. When he attacked me yesterday, it was nothing like this. Maybe because Roll was there too. ¡°Did you calm down?¡± ¡°Sorry. I kinda lost myself.¡± I stood up and looked at Roll, who was sitting on a chair. At that moment, I realized that the restraint ring was back on my finger. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped.¡± The mattress sheets got a little wet because of my sweat. The pillow as well. ¡°Sorry, your sheets are drenched with sweat. You should maybe wash them.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Do you want some water?¡± ¡°Yeah, thanks.¡± I got out of the bed and fetched my phone from inside my schoolbag. It was past eight. Was it already this late? ¡°Here¡± I drank up the glass of water she placed for me on the table, then thanked her and sat down on a chair. I took out my school stuff. ¡°Hey, will you help me study now?¡± Roll made a happy expression and brought her chair closer to mine. ___________ It seems that my partner is quite a nice person. She¡¯s sometimes wild and scary but, some way or another, she¡¯s kind. To be honesty, it¡¯s about time I fell for her. Leaving the jokes aside, four days passed since my duel with Getsuri-san; it was a Saturday now. Today, I went to the secret base again; I haven¡¯t gone there since the duel. During these four days that I haven¡¯t visited the hideout, I did nothing but study and train. Thanks to this, I am quite confident in the upcoming tests. And, because I declared this, Roll told me she will take me on a mission with her today. In truth, this was our first mission together. The mission¡¯s content is ¡®Suppressing a buried dragon¡¯. Even though it¡¯s a dragon suppression mission, the buried dragon is a magical beast, smaller and weaker than all the other dragons. The bones of a buried dragon don¡¯t burn out, so the Development Department requested some, since the ones they used until now broke off. And Roll accepted this mission. Almost all the magical beasts hunting requests come from the Development Department. There are times when the boss brings some in from underground routes. ¡°How far do we have to go?¡± ¡°To the Tsuhara Plateau.¡± The Tsuhara Plateau? That¡¯s quite far away. The elevator made a short ding as we arrived to the caf¨¦. Roll went to talk to the caf¨¦¡¯s owner and I walked towards the exit. ¡°Master, No. 8. Stray Arrow.¡± ¡°C-47. It¡¯s the third truck from left.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Roll finished her exchange with the caf¨¦ owner and walked towards the exit. There were many people inside the caf¨¦ today. Usually, there are mostly people who go to the hideout around here, but it seems that this place is often used as a normal caf¨¦ too. ¡°Well, let¡¯s go now.¡± We left the hideout. When we arrived at point C-47, we found out that it was a restaurant¡¯s parking lot. Roll did as she was told, and got into the third truck from the left. She started the engine. I got into the truck too and sat on the passenger¡¯s seat. ¡°Can you even drive this thing?¡± ¡°You might say so.¡± A short time later, the truck took off; we soon left the town. __________ Rolling Cat. That¡¯s the name of Roll¡¯s ability. Roll was a chosen human being. There were very few people in this world who had ¡®something like that¡¯. Yes, a Skill Repeat. Roll has two abilities. Together, they make the Rolling Cat. Her first ability is a manipulation type, called ¡®Only Roulette¡¯. Roll can ¡®one-time rotate¡¯ all the things she touches. She can freely control the speed of the rotation, but it has a upper limit. It doesn¡¯t have a lower limit though. The range for this ability is ¡®everything that Roll can touch¡¯. Roll can freely control the direction of the rotation as well. However, just by touching the ground, she can¡¯t rotate the people who stand on it. There are a few other restrictions to this ability, but it also has many practical uses; no wonder that Roll is the organization¡¯s no. 6. And then, she has another ability. An enhancement-type one, called ¡®Stray Cat¡¯. This is similar to Kuroinu-san¡¯s ability, a physical changing enhancing type. This ability has a unique use; all the people who enter its range will be pulled towards Roll by a strange psychological gravity. Roll is not really too willing to use this ability since it is stamina consuming, and, therefore, hard to maintain. Also, according to rumors, ¡­¡­.. she grows cat ears and changes her figure into something extremely charming. I haven¡¯t seen this form of hers yet, but, in all honesty, I¡¯m dying to see it. Anyway, this reconfirmed Roll¡¯s awesomeness. And yes, the mission finished without me being able to do anything. ¡°It was an easy victory.¡± Roll said, as she drove the truck. We were carrying the corpse of a buried dragon, with its twisted neck, on the roof rack. ¡°Was there even a meaning in me coming here?¡± ¡°Nope, there wasn¡¯t. Once we¡¯re back, you¡¯ll have to continue studying.¡± The truck roared noisily on the plateau. Roll was driving quite dangerously too. At that moment, I suddenly heard a noise coming from behind our back. A listened carefully. ¡­¡­..What sound is this? ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I opened the window and peeked behind us. ¡°!? What the hell is that!?¡± I looked at it and drew my head back inside the car. ¡°Roll! Something is flying towards us!¡± ¡°What?¡± That thing unexpectedly reflected in the rearview mirror. It was a huge dragon, that couldn¡¯t even be compared to the one we carried on the truck¡¯s roof rack. ¡°It¡¯s an edged dragon¡­¡­.! We sure are unlucky! I¡¯m gonna use the rocket engine! Shion, hold on tight!¡± ¡°Wait! Are you serious?¡± Right after I took an anti-shock position, I got held in the passenger seat with a thud. The truck was making a thunderous roar, as the scenery seemed like it was flowing. ¡°Shion! Check if it¡¯s still following us!¡± The edged dragon wasn¡¯t showing in the rearview mirror anymore. I could neither hear its roar because of the engine¡¯s noise. I looked again behind us. It wasn¡¯t there. ROOOOOOOOAAARRR!! A roar. I looked up at the sky and saw the edged dragon. ¡°This is bad! It¡¯s still chasing us!¡± ¡°Wha! I¡¯ll go out! Shion! Continue to drive!¡± ¡°Wait! Eh!?¡± Roll opened the window and got out. I hurried to move to the driver¡¯s seat and seized the steering wheel. ¡°Go full throttle!¡± I heard her voice coming from above, and I stepped on the pedal with all I got. CH 11 Roll is probably on top of the car. Just what in the world is she planning to do against that gigantic dragon? As I thought about that, I heard a ¡®baam¡¯ from above. Don¡¯t tell me she just jumped? Unbelievable! The only thing I can do, since I can¡¯t take my hands off the steering wheel, is to pay attention ahead with all I have. Because of the severe force feedback, I must hold the steering wheel strongly. The road was rough and the truck shock violently. However, I didn¡¯t slow down at all, instead, I pushed the acceleration even more recklessly. I didn¡¯t have time to listen to the sounds outside. It happened right then. The dragon descended from above, right in front of me. It was the same edged dragon. It made a terrible sound as it fell on the ground. It took me by surprise but I stepped on the break with all my strength and stopped the car before running over it. The windscreen was now obstructed by the huge body of the edged dragon. ¡°¡­¡­..You gotta be kidding me!¡± I got off the truck, muttering those words. The edged dragon died with its neck twisted, its tongue and eyes popped out. Its legs were still moving. Did Roll do this? ¡°At any rate, this thing sure is huge¡­¡­.¡± I approached the fierce dragon and touched its blade-like scales. Its scales were sharper than I thought and I ended up cutting my firger a little. But where did Roll go? I focused on my hearing and I heard Roll¡¯s heartbeat on the other side of the dragon¡¯s corpse. I walked to the other side of the corpse. At which point, I heard Roll¡¯s footsteps moving in the opposite direction, as to avoid me. ¡°¡­¡­..?¡± Is she in the mood for hide and seek or something!? As I chased after her, I circled the edged dragon¡¯s body once. This girl¡­¡­.What is she doing? ¡°Roll! What are you doing?¡± I faced Roll, who was separated from me by the dragon¡¯s corpse, and asked her. However, she didn¡¯t answer. With stealthy steps, I tried walking towards Roll again. But she escaped again. Was she always this playfull¡­¡­or better say, tiresome? ¡°Really now, what are you doing!? Cut it out!¡± I raised my voice, at which point a faint answer could be heard from the other side, her voice so weak that only I could hear it. ¡°I used the ¡®Stay Cat¡¯¡­¡­ It takes 10 minutes to change back¡­¡­.¡± I see. In short, Roll is supposed to have cat ears now. And the reason why she didn¡¯t show me this until now is because she¡¯s truly embarrassed. It seems that she can¡¯t change back instantly like Kuroinu-san. ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± I dashed off with all my might. I must see it no matter what! ¡°Why are you coming this way!?¡± Roll started to run too. ¡°Because I want to see!¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be decent!¡± I chased after her for a while but I couldn¡¯t catch her. I couldn¡¯t even see her shadow. I felt rather hummiliated because I couldn¡¯t keep up with a girl, but Roll was using an enhancing ability right now, so it was inevitable. She¡¯s just way too fast. I already circled around the edged dragon a couple of times. As I went out of breath, I thought of a great idea. All I have to do is create a chasing sound. The moment I thought of this idea, I began to put it in practice. I took cover behind the truck, as I created a sound that sounded like me chasing Roll. It¡¯s not like I neglected my ability training these past days. I silenced my breathing as much as I could, and I waited for Roll to be caught in my trap and run towards me. I leaped in front of her right when Roll got close to the truck. ¡°Wha! You¡­¡­..!¡± This time it was Roll who quickly took cover behind the truck. She looked just like a cat¡­¡­I mean, she WAS a cat. Yes, it was only for an instant but I saw her. Beside cat ears, I saw a tail too. ¡°¡­¡­.It¡¯s better not to see me.¡± ¡°I already did. Come out now.¡± To be honest, I didn¡¯t clearly see her. But since I already saw this much, there¡¯s no reason she wouldn¡¯t come out and show me herself. And so, Roll came out from the shadow of the truck, while holding down her ears and tail. But her hands couldn¡¯t hide them completely, and I managed to sneak a look at her. ¡°¡­¡­Haa¡± ¡°This is¡­¡­..¡± After a complete look at her from upfront, it was impossible not to feel a shock. How should I put it? She was just too cute¡­¡­ How comes cat ears and a tail change a person this much? No, it¡¯s not that. Most likely this is the Stray Cat¡¯s ability. So this is the so-called psychological gravity? In fact, my feet moved towards Roll, like she was sucking me in. She¡¯s too adorable. I truly felt like I couldn¡¯t abandon this stray cat. I want to pet her. I want to love her. I want to rub my cheeck against her. ¡°Roll¡­¡­, this is really bad¡­¡­.¡± ¡°See? I told you that it won¡¯t be decent! You are truly mean¡­¡­¡± Roll sighed. ¡°Take your hands away.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen. You want to pet me, right? Being petted is¡­..you know¡­.¡± Is what? Still, she¡¯s way too adorable. I can¡¯t endure it anymore. I¡¯ll forcibly hug her. ¡°This is really bad!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hit you if you get any closer. This is a bit too effective on you. It¡¯s abnormal.¡± ¡°Damn it! Let me hug you!!¡± I jumped at Roll, ready for a honourable defeat. She threw her fist into my stomach, sadly, and I crumbled down on the spot. _________ I regained a bit of composure, as I sat in the passenger¡¯s seat and pretended to look at the passing scenery. I was rather more concerned about the cat eared and tailed person beside me. The truck advanced uninterrupted. We reported to the secret base about the edged dragon and it was decided to retrieve its body as well. Since you could extract some rare materials from it, it would be wasteful to leave it there to rot. ¡°¡­¡­.Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°Because, you know¡­¡­I¡¯m curious.¡± 10 minutes is a long time. Still, the ability should wear off pretty soon. ¡°It would¡¯ve been much better if I brought my hat.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t you let me pet you at least once?¡± ¡°No.¡± That¡¯s when Roll¡¯s cat ears bounced a little. She was like a small animal. Roll normally keeps her cat ears low, it seems, but when she looks at me, her ears stand up, focused. ¡°¡­¡­That really is adorable, you know? I guess that since you¡¯re a cat, you¡¯re quite curious too.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. There are cases when enhancement type animal abilities come together with instincts and traits. But well, it¡¯s already time-out.¡± When Roll said that, her cat ears and tail drew back inside her body. It appears that 10 minutes have already passed. ¡°Nooo¡­¡­..! The tail! The cat ears!¡± I stretched my arm towards Roll but she repelled it. Now that Roll¡¯s ability wore off completely, I too began to gradually regain my composure. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m tired. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t really want to use the Stray Cat too often. It¡¯s tiring and it sexually excites you, Shion.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..It didn¡¯t sexually excite me! It¡¯s just that, you looked more adorable than I expected. That¡¯s foul play, you know? You were almost too adorable.¡± ¡°Will you¡­..stop calling me adorable now? It kind of annoys me¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you feel embarrassed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°You do feel a little embarrassed. Admit it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Well, it does make me happy when I¡¯m told to be adorable.¡± To be honest, even without her cat ears Roll was rather cute. The kindness and girliness she shows sometimes make my heart throb. It¡¯s just a matter of time until I fall in love with her. ¡°Shion, hurry up and show me your cool side too.¡± After receiving this counter blow, I kept silent. It will take some time for me to be able to stand next to Roll. However, I can feel that we are opening our hearts to each other little by little. A short time later the city finally came in sight. At the end of the highway, the evening sun illuminated the city. We entered the city and drove to the same restaurant¡¯s parking lot we used earlier today, where Roll stopped the car. She left the driver¡¯s seat and got off the truck. Piled up on the truck¡¯s roof rack, the buried dragon and the edged dragon were covered up with a cloth. If we parked the truck here, someone from the organization would come and collect it. That¡¯s why, our mission finished at this point. ¡°There¡¯s some time left.¡± She looked at her watch and said. The watch was pointing a little bit past 5. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re all right with the tests?¡± ¡°Well yeah. I did study long enough.¡± ¡°Hmm. Then, what about having some fun together? After we eat something over there.¡± Roll pointed at a restaurant and suggested, wearing a mischievous smile. I was planning to study after I got back home, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to refuse her. ¡°All right.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡± We didn¡¯t expect to meet the persons we did when we entered the restaurant. Tsurugi, Ohashi and Rin were there. Recently, the other members of Tsurugi¡¯s harem can¡¯t seem to keep up with Ohashi and Rin¡¯s fierce attacks, so the liveliness surrounding him grew dim, compared to before. Well, I didn¡¯t really care about that anyway. But we did stumble across these three¡¯s study meeting. When Roll noticed them inside, she looked quite unhappy about it. It¡¯s not like she hated Tsurugi and the others. What she found annoying was the fact that she had to act again. Besides, if they were to find out that Roll and I went to a restaurant together in the town¡¯s outskirts, things would probably get troublesome. Still, the question is why did they choose this remote place for a study meeting!? Well, anyway, we were planning to leave the restaurant before they became aware of our presence. However, before we could do that, Tsurugi and the others noticed us. We couldn¡¯t leave the restaurant anymore. And so. We took the seats right next to Tsurugi¡¯s group and Roll started to splendidly answer the barrage of questions. That¡¯s how the reason for me and her being here turned out to be a ¡®date¡¯. ¡°Kamiya-kun, you are not to be underestimated.¡± ¡°I¡¯m shocked¡­¡­I didn¡¯t believe that Kazato was a man of action.¡± ¡°Kazato, as I thought, you did fall in love. Congrats.¡± It seems that these three easily accepted the idea that Roll and I were going out. This will probably get troublesome at school. Miss Roll already boasts a lot of popularity inside our school. I wanted to insist on the fact that we were not going out, but Roll said to them before I could say anything. ¡°Urm¡­¡­.Will you please keep the fact that we¡¯re going out secret for now?¡± Since Roll said this, it was decided for us to go with the dating setup at school. This way, there would be no obstacles to us being together. Even though she said to keep it a secret, rumors will still spread. But this will certainly make things easier for us working together. I might have to endure the other male students¡¯ looks of envy and light harassment from now on. ¡°Of course. We won¡¯t tell anyone. Since we¡¯re in your way, we should probably leave now.¡± When Tsurugi said this, Ohashi and Rin stood up. It seems that they¡¯re considerate of us. We tried to stop them, but well, our real intention was for them to leave us alone already. The three of them saw right through us, so they paid their check and left the restaurant. ¡°My plan went astray.¡± A short time after Tsurugi¡¯s group left the restaurant, Roll said. ¡°How comes?¡± ¡°I wanted our getting together to proceed a little slower. It appears that we¡¯re already going out now.¡± She¡¯s talking about school. It seems that Roll had various plans. ¡°Is there a problem with that?¡± ¡°I wanted to proceed with caution and discretion. But well, it¡¯s all right anyway.¡± ¡°Hmmm. For now, let¡¯s just order something.¡± I opened the menu and said to her. ¡°I already know what I want. Omuraisu 1 and melon soda. What about you, Kazato?¡± ¡°Hm? Kazato?¡± ¡°This is a private meeting after all. But well, you can only call me Roll either way.¡± I see. There¡¯s no need to use code names during our private meetings. At any rate, she wants to order omuraisu and melon soda. She¡¯s normally cooking food that is good for the body so this choice is unbelievable. ¡°Then I¡¯ll also have an omuraisu and melon soda.¡± ¡°Why are you ordering the same thing?¡± ¡°In our private lives we¡¯re a couple, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Still, you need nutritious food so I¡¯ll order for you. This is more girlfriend-like anyway, right?¡± ___________ After we finished our food, we ended up chatting for a short while, then we left the restaurant. It was already past 7. At Roll¡¯s suggestion, we entered the nearby department store for a light shopping session, then we returned to the secret base. It was past 10 now. Roll bought a lot of clothes so both my hands were now full of shopping bags. ¡°This will look good on you.¡± She said, and ended up choosing some clothes for me too. No matter how much money Roll had, I still couldn¡¯t let her pay for me since it would¡¯ve hurt my dignity as a man. Thanks to the reward I received for the mission I did with Kuroinu-san and Hakunetsu-san, I already had a surplus of money. I was troubled about how I should use it but now was just the right chance for it. Still, at the end of the month I¡¯ll received a huge load of money; 450000 yen. My money sense is getting confused. ¡°Good night then.¡± ¡°Good night.¡± I escorted Roll back to her room and left her luggage there, then informed her of my leave. I decided to leave the clothes Roll chose for me in her room. ¡°Ah, wait a second.¡± I was on my way down the corridor when Roll detained me. I looked over my shoulder and saw her standing in front of her door. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Come back for a second.¡± She told me and I walked towards her. Roll started to quickly measure my back and arms with a tailoring meter. ¡°¡­¡­.What are you doing?¡± ¡°I must place an order for your tuxedo. You wear it during infiltration missions or suppression missions since it¡¯s easy to move in it.¡± ¡°Ehh? There¡¯s such a thing too¡­¡± A tuxedo, huh? It¡¯s kind of embarrassing. After a while, Roll finished her measuring and said. ¡°Good, I¡¯m done. Good night then. Be sure to study, all right?¡± ¡°Yeah yeah¡­¡­¡± I gave her an inarticulate answer, and so, our day together finished. Translation: Nana Other stuff: Mockii CH 12 The test results were tolerable. For now, let me just say that entering the top 20 was not as easy as I thought. But still, I managed to get the 27th place. Even the teachers were astonished by the sudden rise in my results. It is now the period when we must think about our future careers, so my classmates started to feel a little pressed by my sudden improvement in grades. But well, when I realized that I got the 27th place instead of entering the top 20, I received quite a shock. I thought that Roll would get angry at me. However, she didn¡¯t get angry; she, instead, congratulated me. It seems that Roll considered my entering the top 20 to be a little too extreme. This made me want to enter the top 20 even more, just in spite of Roll, but well, truth be told, it was a bit extreme. And by the way, Roll took the 3rd place. As one would expect of her. Anyway, a month and a half passed since I entered the Anonymous. It¡¯s the summer vacation now. My most recent activities include lots of field training. My skills with the wire emitter are getting better and better, but I am far beyond Roll. There¡¯s a difference in our abilities. Since she can use rotations, she can control the wire emitter half freely. It was a bit unfair, but well, it¡¯s the privilege of her abilities. Now, what the two of us were doing at the moment was the summer vacation homework. In Roll¡¯s air-conditioned room, all you could hear was the crisp sound of pencils running on top of paper. However, my pencil stopped unexpectedly. Roll noticed this and looked at me. Our eyes met naturally. ¡°Huh, another problem you can¡¯t solve? Which one?¡± Roll was sitting on the opposite side of the desk, but now she moved next to me. Her nice scent tickled my nostrils. ¡°This one¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Ah, this one. Here, you do like this and then¡­¡­.¡± Roll explained me the problem that I couldn¡¯t solve in an easy to understand manner. My eyes moved from Roll¡¯s fingertip to her arm, then, before one knows, I was looking at the side of her face. Roll¡¯s pure white skin was a little sunburnt, making it look darker. During these midsummer field trainings, no matter how much sunblock lotion you use, your skin still gets sunburnt anyway. I moved my eyes on my arm. I am quite roasted too. And since my muscles are already starting to show, I¡¯m turning into quite a handsome young man, am I not? As I thought about this, my vision caught sight of Roll¡¯s hand, and she pinched my arm rather strongly. ¡°Ouch! Hey, that hurt!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t listen at all, right?¡± Damn it, I didn¡¯t listen at all. ¡°I¡­.I was charmed by you¡­¡­..¡± I uttered an excuse that was in part true. The fault lies in the difficulty of the summer vacation homework in the first place. ¡°Stop saying stuff like that. I¡¯ll explain again so you better pay attention, all right? We have to finish this today by all means. We¡¯re going on a mission tomorrow.¡± Roll sighed and told me. ¡°Ro¡­.roger that.¡± We worked on our homework until 3 in the morning and managed to finish half of it. _________ The sunlight blazed down on us and the breeze coming from the sea was comfortable. A boat was floating on the horizon, fishing boats were lined up in the harbor and seagulls were crying all around us. ¡°It¡¯s hot!¡± Roll said as she walked along the coast, feeling refreshed. She wore a pair of sweltering jeans and a rough shirt that exposed her shoulder. The straw hat looked good on her. We were in Dealbell, a city facing the sea. Roll drove for about 3 and a half hours to get here from our town. Since it was the summer vacation, I predicted that the road would be more crowded, but we arrived unexpectedly early and we had too much free time now. So why did we come here in the first place, you ask? To put it in one word, it¡¯s a date. That¡¯s just my wishful thinking. In fact, we came to this town for a mission. It¡¯s an easy one. In terms of difficulty, this is a D rank mission. All we had to do was to take a certain ¡®luggage¡¯ from our branch office here and transport it to our headquarters. Tonight at 9, the luggage will be moved to a specified location. The SDF¡¯s net is already untied, so the transfer is supposed to be safe. That¡¯s why the degree of difficulty for this mission is so low. Anyway, all we got to do is take that luggage and go back home, but it¡¯s only 1 in the afternoon. I haven¡¯t even had my lunch. We planned to eat the lunch inside the car, but since we had enough time, we walked along the coast in order to search for a great spot to have our lunch outside. By the way, when I say lunch I refer to the sandwiches that Roll prepared for today. The basket was rather heavy as I held it in one hand. Just how many did you make, Roll? I thought about this right when we arrived at our destination, near the lighthouse. The lighthouse was standing on a breakwater structure. The scenery up there was as wonderful as expected. The cloudless sky, the south wind. Still, it¡¯s too damn hot¡­¡­. Honestly, I actually preferred to have our lunch inside the car where we had air conditioning. Even my appetite is boiling inside this scorching heat. Roll sat down on the side of the breakwater and stretched her legs towards the sea. The lighthouse provided us with its shade, and I sat down next to Roll. ¡°Let¡¯s eat now.¡± ¡°Yeah¡± We opened the basket and started eating the sandwiches. The taste was as delicious as always. If I am to force myself to say something, they were a bit too healthy for my taste. ¡°The wind feels really good¡­¡­*yawn* It makes me sleepy¡­¡­.¡± After we ate all the sandwiches, Roll said this and stretched her body. ¡°Really? Even when it¡¯s this hot?¡± ¡°I wish you could feel what my body feels like after the long drive¡­¡­..¡± Roll pressed her fingers against her forehead as she said. Come to think of it, I slept in the passenger¡¯s seat the entire road trip. I¡¯m sorry, kind of. Because of the homework, we almost pulled an all-nighter yesterday. I looked beside me and saw Roll desperately trying to fight the sleepiness, as she dozed off repeatedly. ¡°Wanna go back to the car and sleep? We do have time.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡­..Let¡¯s do that then.¡± She said, but she was rather reluctant to stand up, so I stretched out my hand. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll carry you on my back.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can walk by myself.¡± Because of the drowsiness, Roll had a low tension. I half-forcibly made Roll stand up and was about to carry her on my back. However, I realized too late that a sluggish person is unexpectedly heavier than usual, so I lost my balance and fell off the breakwater, together with Roll. The sound of a splash could be heard accompanied by the roar of waves. __________ ¡°Really now, what the heck are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry.¡± ¡°Haa, my hair is all sticky.¡± ¡°Sorry, really.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± We brought a change of clothes just in case, so we changed into them, and were now sitting inside the car, cooling ourselves. The air conditioning was a bit too effective as I got a little chilly. ¡°Now, I¡¯ll be sleeping until 7. You should sleep too, Shion.¡± ¡°I might do just that.¡± Just in case, I set my phone alarm to go off at 7. I¡¯m so grateful that today¡¯s mission is a quiet one. I looked at Roll and she wasn¡¯t tense at all. It appears like it really is an easy mission. Anonymous¡¯ private car no. 162. The Sadinta model 1. Since we ended up using this car, which has a spacious interior, it means that the luggage is quite large too. What is this luggage, I wonder? Since the mission¡¯s difficulty grade doesn¡¯t reflect the importance of the luggage, perhaps we¡¯ll transport some terrible thing. They didn¡¯t tell us anything about the contents and I probably won¡¯t find out about it anyway¡­¡­ Maybe Roll knows. I moved my eyes on Roll. She was sleeping on the side, with her back facing me. I listened to her quiet breathing. She was covered with a blanket up to her lower back. She fell asleep so fast. Because we stopped the car at the beach¡¯s parking lot, playful voices could be heard coming from the seashore. Listening to them, I gradually started to doze off as well; before one knows, my consciousness got interrupted. CH 13 Roll and I woke up before the alarm rang at 7 o¡¯clock. We both woke up in good spirits. It was a great afternoon nap. I looked outside the window and realized that the sun was about to set soon from the dim light surrounding us. The voices coming from the beach were clearly fewer now. As soon as we woke up, we silently returned the seats to their original positions and waited quietly. ¡°Want some? It¡¯s gum.¡± Roll took out some chewing gum from somewhere and held it out for me. ¡°Thanks.¡± I took one, then started to make fine arrangements to the passenger¡¯s seat. I changed the position of my seat so that the rear seat would have enough space for the luggage we had to carry. Roll got out of the car in order to supply it with gasoline, which was loaded in the car from the start. ¡°Good. Let¡¯s go now.¡± She returned to the driver¡¯s seat and said. ¡°Yeah¡± She waited for my answer then took off. ____________ A little away from the beach, a megalopolis townscape formed by countless skyscrapers could be seen. One of these skyscrapers, the Dealbell Building, boosted an outstanding height. We were currently eating lunch in a family restaurant situated on this building¡¯s 32nd floor. The clock hand indicated towards 8. I kept on looking at the already dark sea as I enjoyed my meal. By looking through the big glass window, we could see the Sadinta we parked in the parking lot. At 9 o¡¯clock, someone from the organization will place the ¡®luggage¡¯ in the car. Once we confirmed it, we will leave this place and get into the car, then drive straight to the headquarters. This was the normal flow of the current mission. It was a very easy mission, so much so that it made you yawn, but still, we could not show negligence. ¡°The food here isn¡¯t that good.¡± ¡°It¡¯s cheap, so it¡¯s inevitable.¡± This restaurant had cheap prices but offered a great view, therefore it was a popular family restaurant among common people. Many people come this restaurant, together with their families or their loved ones, and almost all the seats are occupied most of the times. Roll would have preferred to go to the high-class restaurant at the 48th floor, but, as one would expect, there was no way for the two of us, this young and dressed like we were, to go there. During missions we are supposed to hide ourselves and strictly observe, so we can¡¯t do anything that stands out too much. ¡°Hey Roll, this mission¡¯s degree of difficulty is D, right?¡± ¡°Right. Frankly, it¡¯s like doing an errand. There¡¯s no info indicating the SDF¡¯s presence either.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡± ¡°What? Did you want a harder mission?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that.¡± ¡°I see. Well, anyway, we mustn¡¯t be careless. It has no meaning if we can¡¯t complete it flawlessly.¡± ¡°I already know this. Anyway, Roll, do you know what¡¯s in the package we have to transport?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been told a little about it. It seems that this missions occurs at fixed intervals. This is the first time I took it though. Still, they said something about being careful while carrying the package since it¡¯s ¡®fragile¡¯ or something.¡± ¡°Fragile? Like tableware or the sort?¡± ¡°Obviously not. You¡¯ll figure it out anyway, once you see it, right? It appears that this package is rather big, so you can listen to the sounds inside it, can¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Is it all right to listen to it?¡± ¡°If it wasn¡¯t, they wouldn¡¯t have accepted you for this mission, Shion.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­It does make sense.¡± At any rate, fragile items? Well, it¡¯s safe as long as we don¡¯t drop it, but even so, it still bothers me. We chatted for a while longer and finished our meals, when we saw a car parking next to the Sadinta. Two men dressed in black got off the car and opened the Sadinta¡¯s trunk. ¡°Is that it?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it. Let¡¯s go.¡± We paid our bill at the cash register, then used the elevator to descend on ground level. __________ Once we arrived at the parking lot, a huge package was already placed on the back seat of the Sadinta. The two men vanished by the time we got here. The package had the form of a cube. Its size was rather big, but perfect for occupying the entire surface of the back seat. At any rate, this cube was made of somewhat sturdy materials so I couldn¡¯t hear any sound coming from it at this distance. The cube had a pretty tough appearance as well. It seems that it is made of some very strong materials, so much that if you throw a punch at it you will break your fist. Anyway, I stuck my ear to this black cubic box and listened to the sounds coming from its inside. I swallowed my saliva and closed my eyes. And then, I could capture that sound. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.!¡± ¡°Did you hear anything?¡± Roll asked and I moved my eyes on her. ¡°¡­¡­.I heard the sound of breathing and a heartbeat¡­¡­. I also heard groans.¡± ¡°I see now. Well, let¡¯s go.¡± To put it simply, Roll started the engine. I caught hold of Roll¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Wait. How can you consent to this so easily? It¡¯s obvious that there¡¯s a human inside this box¡­¡­.¡± There was a human being inside this solid box, which had no visible openings. It was a hermetically sealed box that didn¡¯t even have air holes. I felt strangely frightened by this fact. Therefore, I couldn¡¯t believe Roll who easily consented to it. ¡°Well, I more or less understood what it was about. This is a broken ¡®thing¡¯ 1, right?¡± ¡°A broken thing¡­¡­. What does it even mean?¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better you don¡¯t know about this for now.¡± ¡°No. Please tell me.¡± ¡°Hmmm. I¡¯ll tell you if you promise you won¡¯t peep too much.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± I said and Roll approached her face to mine, double checking on me. ¡°You sure?¡± ¡°Uh huh¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you then. What¡¯s inside this box is most likely human ¡®scraps¡¯. Since someone does this mission at fixed intervals, it means that a request is made whenever there¡¯re scraps to dispose of.¡± As one would expect, I was lost for words. Scraps? Is there even such a thing for humans? ¡°Human scraps?¡­¡­.. How can you even make that happen?¡± ¡°Ain¡¯t this because they do ability experiments on living humans at our branch offices? And most of the times the headquarters is responsible for cleaning up.¡± ¡°¡­¡­For real?¡± Is something like this allowed¡­¡­.. No, it¡¯s not like that. What am I even talking about at this point¡­¡­ I am part of an evil organization that easily kills SDF soldiers and civilians alike. It isn¡¯t strange at all that they also do something like human experiments. This was the image I had about Anonymous in the first place anyway. Did I already forget the mission I¡¯ve done with Kuroinu-san and Hakunetsu-san? Or what? Did I get mentally slow because of the recent peaceful days? I almost got killed by the SDF. I also killed SDF¡¯s soldiers and ordinary people myself. I have no right to say anything about this, since I decided I will continue to live even if I have to kill other people. Anyway, this was an ordinary event. It was normal. ¡°I thought you¡¯d say something more about this, but it seems you won¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.Well¡± I forced myself to calm down, and, after I thought about it, I consented as well. I put on the seatbelt and looked in the front. ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to worry about this, Shion. I believe that they don¡¯t use ordinary people for human experiments after all.¡± ¡°Yeah, I figured.¡± ¡°Anyhow, let¡¯s hurry and go back.¡± ¡°Roger that.¡± The car took off as soon as I returned my answer. After that, we drove for a while inside the megalopolis townscape, as we faced towards the town¡¯s gates. However, that¡¯s when a problem arose. The SDF sealed the gates. The white uniforms were visible from far away, and we realized that the SDF soldiers took positions in front of the town¡¯s gates. If we were to continue on our way, we would definitely make contact with them, so we stopped the Sadinta somewhere near the main road. ¡°What¡¯s this all about?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe something happened. Let me check.¡± Roll said and stretched her arm to get the phone that was attached to the car. But the phone started to ring before Roll could touch it. Roll then pressed the answering button. ¡®Headquarters to mission number 567. Please confirm.¡¯ A mechanical voice came out from the car¡¯s speakers, and Roll replied to it. ¡°You got it right.¡± Together with Roll¡¯s confirmation, the call linked to the headquarters. ¡®Roll, can you hear me?¡¯ This time, the boss¡¯s voice came out of the speakers. ¡°Yeah, I hear you. What?¡± ¡®Most likely the SDF locked down Dealbell.¡¯ ¡°I was about to call and inquire about this. Did something happen?¡± ¡®Yeah. A comrade from that branch office from over there was captured by one SDF guy. Because of this, information about your mission¡¯s contents leaked out.¡¯ ¡°What? The branch offices are full of useless people.¡± With these words, Roll gripped the steering wheel and made a U-turn. Behind us, the gates that looked far away were getting even further away. ¡®Don¡¯t say that. Precisely for times like this, I made the branch offices¡¯ configuration superficial. The one who got caught this time was nothing but a bottom chain person. There¡¯s no problem with it.¡¯ ¡°But there is a problem after all! What do we do with the package!?¡± ¡®About that. Will you dispose of it in my place?¡¯ ¡°Dispose of it? What are you talking about?¡± ¡®Inside that box is a human being, exhausted and broken from all the ability exploitation and ability strengthening experiments. And, as a matter of course, he can¡¯t be controlled.¡¯ I see. That¡¯s why he¡¯s locked up inside such a sturdy box. ¡®Therefore, anytime the branch office collects experiments¡¯ scraps, they send them to the headquarters, so that me or Tameiki 2 could personally get rid of them inside the training room. But this time we can¡¯t do that, now can we? However, in case you can break through the SDF¡¯s siege together with the package, that¡¯s a different story.¡¯ That¡¯s obviously impossible. We didn¡¯t know how much the SDF¡¯s net expanded, but judging from the boss¡¯s voice, it spread far enough for us not to be able to escape by car. ¡°In short, the two of us must dispose of the contents of this package, then returns to the base, right?¡± ¡®Well, since you¡¯re already there, you can take the opportunity to finish off some SDFs as well. Anyway, there shouldn¡¯t be higher ranks than colonels around. You can do it without problems.¡¯ ¡°What about additional payment?¡± ¡®You¡¯ll get an A remuneration.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s too few!¡± ¡®What are you talking about? It¡¯s more than enough. Then, I pray for your safety.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll come later to get my additional payment!¡± ¡®Oops. I almost forgot. That Sadinta was already modified, so you have to be careful. You should also change your clothes quickly so that your faces aren¡¯t exposed.¡¯ ¡°What!?¡± The call already ended by the time Roll said that. ¡°Errr¡­¡­ Did this just become an extermination mission?¡± ¡°Indeed. As always, this is just too crazy. I assume this mission has an A+ difficulty degree now. Besides, the package behind us is more troublesome than the annihilation order.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± I thought that getting rid of this box was an easy victory for someone like Roll. I made a dubious expression, at which point Roll said. ¡°They¡¯re going to great lengths to send this package to the headquarters so that the boss or Tameiki-san could dispose of it, you know? Whatever the circumstances, this is not something to be transported with a D rank mission.¡± Tameiki-san. As the rumors say, this person is Anonymous¡¯ no. 2. I heard that they have more or less the same power level as the boss. They seem like a dangerous person in various ways. ¡°For now, we must call for reinforcements. What the hell was that boss thinking when he decided that the two of us could handle this situation¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Call for reinforcements?¡± ¡°When you conclude that a mission is too difficult to complete, you can call the headquarters for reinforcements. But in this case, you must pay for the expenses yourself.¡± I see. However, there are not many people present there at this time. Because everyone seemed to be busy, we ended up accepting this mission. Besides, for the reinforcements to get from the headquarters to Dealbell would take at least 1 hour, and that¡¯s only if they hurry. Before my doubts could surface, Roll already picked up the phone, as she continued to drive. The call connected rather quickly and Roll started to talk. ¡°Mission number 567 to Missions Office.¡± ¡®Confirming. Mission number 567 to Missions Office. Please wait.¡¯ The same mechanical voice from before resounded inside the car. The surrounding scenery was flowing. Roll handled the steering wheel with vivid gestures, smoothly driving the car around the tall buildings. We probably had no destination whatsoever. A short time later, the mechanical voice could be heard again. ¡®The call can be linked to the Missions Office in 5 seconds.¡¯ ¡°Do it.¡± ¡®This is the head manager of the Missions Office. Code name ¡¯ Instead of the mechanical voice, this time, the clear voice of a woman came out of the speakers. ¡°This is Roll.¡± ¡®Roll? You¡¯re calling again because you have too much free time during a mission? That¡¯s good. I have some free time now too so I can keep you company! Ah, by the way, you¡¯re with your partner now, aren¡¯t you? Shion-kun, was it? Are you there?¡¯ ¡°Sorry Shugyou. I didn¡¯t call you for this. Now, do your job properly. We have 40 minutes to kill. The difficulty degree changed from D to A+¡± ¡®Understood. I more or less heard about your circumstances. The boss is pretty much crazy. Hmm, Dealbell. There are only three people within a 20km radius from point H-33. Two of them are during a mission, so it¡¯s impossible for them to reach you. The other one is on vacation.¡¯ ¡°The one that¡¯s on vacation is Tameiki-san, right?¡­¡­¡± ¡®It might get quite expensive, but I could dispatch a helicopter for you. There are now about five people inside the headquarters who are free. You¡¯ve got 50 minutes to kill though.¡¯ ¡°Do it then. Put the helicopter¡¯s charge on the boss¡¯s name.¡± ¡®Roger that.¡¯ ¡°Laters then.¡± After Roll said that, the call with the headquarters ended. Roll stopped the car in the shadow of a building, let the driver¡¯s seat down and stretched her hand towards the back seat. She then took out two attache cases. She handed one over to me. ¡°Change your clothes.¡± Our first extermination mission just started. CH 14 Let¡¯s reconfirm this mission¡¯s details. There are two big tasks we got to handle. The first one is to destroy the huge box sitting on the Sadinta¡¯s back seat. Inside this solid box there¡¯s a ¡®broken thing¡¯ imprisoned, the result of human experimentations. Moreover, this is a ¡®broken thing¡¯ that normally the boss or Tameiki-san would dispose of in person. For us to destroy this thing is rather difficult. And the other task is to exterminate the SDF troops dispatched here, in this town. The boss said that no higher ranks than colonels are coming here, but even so we can¡¯t let our guard down. Or, how should I put it, for the boss these colonels are nothing but small fry. However, for me they¡¯re more than formidable enemies. Well, depending on the battle circumstances, I am confident that I can kill my opponent with my ability. Our strategy meeting was fairly simple. Roll and I both told our plans then we searched for flaws. We gave up the plan to throw the box into the sea for the SDF might find and retrieve it. We also thought about forming two groups, with Roll getting rid of the box and me getting rid of the SDFs, but because it was too dangerous and our team coordination was not yet complete, we abandoned this plan too. Our strategy meeting ended in less than 5 minutes. And the conclusion was that we had to continue escaping in this modified Sadinta. With this flight, we had to buy time, about 50 minutes, until the reinforcements arrived. We also gave up changing cars because transferring the box would take too much time and effort. And because the SDF might have gained control of the branch office here, we could not hide in one of the bases spread in various parts of the town. Since we didn¡¯t know how much of an end chain was the guy who got captured, we also didn¡¯t know how much information the SDF had. The boss said not to worry about it since an end chain guy got captured, but I wonder how much of the organization¡¯s functions in this town has been lost already. In case the locations of the bases were really compromised, this would be a substantial blow to us. ¡­¡­¡­But well, these are just my thoughts. At any rate, we chose the escape plan since it was the safest one. Completing the mission was our utmost priority. We were yet incomplete as partners in order to stick to quality. That¡¯s why Roll made the appropriate decision and opted for running away until the reinforcements arrived. ¡°Next, turn left.¡± ¡°Roger that.¡± The jet black Sadinta. The Anonymous masks. Both of us wore identical garments as we drove the Sadinta on the night streets. An evacuation order was already officially announced so there were not many people on the streets at this point. Abandoned cars obstructed our way. The SDF¡¯s net was slowly chasing after us, but we managed to somehow evade them and hold on thanks to my sound mapping. Because I managed to pin down where and how the SDF was moving, even in this trapped state, we avoided contact and, therefore, combat. However, the SDF was getting faster at blocking the roads. I wonder if they found out about my ability. In order to prevent being led outside the city area, Roll occasionally scattered the SDF troops with a rotation. It was just a matter of time until the battle started. If they come at us, we can¡¯t avoid combat. Still, they want to attack us in the perfect circumstances. We also want to hold back as much as possible from damaging civilians. A little bit over 30 minutes were left. It would be great if we could buy all this time¡­¡­. It happened right at that moment. Roll¡¯s ears bounced up in an instant. I also turned my head to look behind us. A sound. The sound of cutting through the wind. Something is approaching us at great speed. ¡°They¡¯re coming at us.¡± Roll said and gripped the steering wheel. She stepped on the acceleration even more. My body started to suddenly shake. ¡°We¡¯ll blow them off like this! Shion, listen to the sounds!¡± ¡°Roger!¡± My reply stuttered a bit. These circumstances and the high speed made my heart pound violently. ¡°Combat is our last resort! 30 more minutes! We¡¯ll hold on!¡± If we engaged in battle now, we had to stop the Sadinta. And if we stopped it, we would get trapped before long and they will open fire at us. We would not resist the battle until the reinforcements arrive. Besides, 50 minutes of buying time is a general estimation. The reinforcements might be delayed for all I know. I guided Roll through the enemies¡¯ movements. When the intersection with the main road came into sight something was shot at the Sadinta. The car shook violently. ¡°What the!¡± The sound of tires screeching. Roll stepped on the break. The Sadinta stopped very close to bumping into a skyscraper. ¡°Shion! Get off!¡± I was shocked by the suddenness but Roll¡¯s voice woke me up. I unfastened the seat belt and quickly got off from the opposite side of the car. As soon as I stepped on the ground, I listened closely to the sounds in our surrounding. Two sounds were approaching us. The floating ability user who chased after us was approaching from behind. And the other one was coming from the opposite direction. He¡¯s most likely the one who attacked the Sadinta. At this short distance, even Roll could hear them. Furthermore, I could also hear the SDF troops assembling in groups somewhere in the distance. ¡°The worst case scenario. We have a bit over 20 minutes left. We can¡¯t fight and protect the box during this time. These guys are so unmindful, attacking in the town area. This means they¡¯re serious.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..That¡­ that¡¯s right.¡± My shivering reply made Roll turn over. ¡°What, Shion? Are you nervous by any chance?¡± That¡¯s obvious. We might die after all. To begin with, my ability is not suited for one to one close range combat, and in case of a non-ability close range fight, I¡¯m inferior even to a private. However, I can¡¯t admit being nervous for I would be embarrassed. But I¡¯m also worried about disillusioning Roll. That I don¡¯t have the confidence I could fight against an excited, wild assault from a colonel class. Without answering Roll¡¯s question, I alternatingly glared at the directions these guys were coming from. ¡°You¡¯re not too honest. It¡¯s all right for you to stand aside, Shion. I¡¯ll take on the two of them in the vanguard.¡± ¡°I¡¯m good. I can fight.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a good plan for you to stand out here, Shion. I want you to use that when the troops are closing in on us.¡± Roll said and stepped in the front. All I could do was keep quiet and step back. It¡¯s not like Roll was considerate of me, but I still could not be pleased with her protecting me like this. However, if someone lacking skill like me would butt in, it would mean more trouble for Roll. Kuroinu-san and the others would get mad at me. For now, I¡¯ll hide behind Roll¡¯s shadow. Still, I want to get strong enough to be able to protect her one day. But I can¡¯t even imagine getting stronger than Roll. As my thoughts quickly floated inside my head, the two assassins coming from two opposing directions got close enough for us to see them with the naked eye. Both of them were dashing through the sky, flying towards us. Two SDF white uniforms. Roll took her stance, waiting for the two. Her golden cat ears bounced up, her position was low. Roll stood right between them, alert, preparing herself to counter. These two attackers had a shiny silver badge of a hawk on their chests. They were colonels. Both of them were wary of me as they approached Roll. The battle that seemed to start with the encounter was quietly waiting for the curtain to rise. Tension ran through all my body when one of the colonels opened his mouth quietly. ¡°Surrender¡­¡­..¡± Roll didn¡¯t wait for him to continue. Quickly, her nails scratched the colonel¡¯s throat open and petals of blood bloomed in the air. Before his body could collapse, she turned around. Roll moved her target to the other colonel and seized his face, moving with such a speed that the sound could barely pick it up. The next instant, the colonel¡¯s head got removed from his body. Instant death. Roll threw away the twisted head of the colonel. Then she finished off the first colonel, who was bathing in a sea of blood at her feet, with a knife. After that, Roll took out a handkerchief from her pocket and started to wipe away the blood from her mask and hands. When she finished, she slowly returned to where I was standing. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Because the battle finished in an instant, all I could do was gap, my mouth wide open. Roll didn¡¯t even break a sweat. ¡°It¡¯s good they were newbies. The SDF¡¯s ranks are as unreliable as ever.¡± Roll said this with a cheerful voice when she came back. ¡°Weren¡¯t you just too strong for them¡­¡­.?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. The SDF rank examination is solely dependent on the strength of the ability, so training and combat experience are not really taken into consideration. That¡¯s why people like these are born. Especially the wind ability users, the floaters, there are many easy marks among colonels.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I¡¯ll remember this, for the future battles with the SDF. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s not too good to make decisions based on their ranks. There are many strong fighters who are lower in rank than those colonels. This is nothing but reference for us. There are various exceptions, so you can¡¯t fit them all in one category.¡± ¡°Understood, master.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Roll said this and opened the Sadinta¡¯s bonnet. The approaching sounds were still far enough. ¡°Roll, don¡¯t we have enough time to take off again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible. They damaged the tires. All we can do is wait for them here in an ambush. For now, Shion, can you give me the water flask that¡¯s inside the car?¡± She told me and I brought it to her. ¡°Will you help me?¡± I see. She wants to wash the blood off. I did as she told me and slowly poured some water from the flask on her hands. Roll washed her hands then she snatched the flask from me and brought it at her mouth. ¡°Thanks. Want some too, Shion?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°You can drink it all.¡± I drank all the water that was left and threw the empty flask inside the car. ¡°Well, it¡¯s about time. Now it¡¯s your turn, Shion.¡± A short time later Roll said this and stopped leaning on the Sadinta. I strode past the dead body and through the sea of blood and slowly walked to the middle of the main street. The SDF was going to be here any moment. They were approaching from behind a tall building, from four directions on the main road and from the air. I can already confirm those in the air by sight. I guess I am a nice target. However, I attracted them enough to enter my range. Victory goes to the one who makes the first move. I glanced at Roll. She noticed my signal, covered her ears and opened her mouth widely. Then, I used my ability. 140 decibels. If you hear this volume directly, you¡¯ll faint. Naturally, it was a huge roar. I can not produce this volume alone, but I can probably amplify the sound even more than this. The greatest output that I managed to produce was a sound so violent that it released a shock wave. I didn¡¯t give my all, but it was a huge sound in itself. The skyscraper¡¯s windows broke and started to fall down. Roll already took shelter inside the Sadinta. The floating ability users in the air fell on the ground, making an unpleasant sound. The SDF was almost¡­¡­..annihilated. I can¡¯t kill people with this level of power. At the least, they¡¯ll die from shock. However, if almost all of them are knocked out, they shouldn¡¯t continue to attack us. This way, if we wait for the reinforcements and bring the box back to the headquarters our mission will be complete. Must we destroy the box here by ourselves? Not necessarily. The boss said that if we can bring the box back, then it¡¯s the same. What!? Now that we¡¯re doing it, this mission is easier than expected. I smiled behind the mask as I walked towards Roll. ¡­¡­¡­No, wait. Almost annihilated? Doesn¡¯t this mean that some of them are still alive and conscious? This wasn¡¯t a sound that they could resist because of luck or physical constitution. This means¡­¡­. ¡°You¡¯re the rumored above the norm boy, right? So, Anonymous collected you after all.¡± My heart jumped up and down. Without any warning, a man appeared behind my back. I took out a knife from the holder at my waist right away and was about to turn around to thrust it into this man. However, before I could do it, he griped my wrist and I was down on the ground before I knew it. A late shock ran through my body. I don¡¯t know what he did to me. All I know is that he threw me to the ground. ¡°Gaah¡­¡­..¡± I had trouble breathing. With a passive attitude, he slapped me onto the concrete ground. I somehow span my neck to see that man¡¯s appearance. What I saw there was the smile of a rather old man and the silver badge with three stars, shining on his chest. ¡°It is my style to name myself even to villains. I am lieutenant general Shiranui 1 from the SDF.¡± CH 15 The one who moved next was Roll. She shortened the distance between her and Shiranui in several seconds. However, when she was on the verge of touching his face, Shiranui ¡®disappeared¡¯. Then, his voice materialized somewhere behind our backs. ¡°The Rolling Cat, huh? If I¡¯m not mistaken, if you get to touch someone it¡¯s over. You have such a dreadful ability.¡± As I thought, it¡¯s not the sound that moves. It¡¯s some sort of ability. Teleportation or something? It¡¯s impossible for me not to follow a sound. ¡°Well, well, I came to help and found such an unthinkable harvest. The Rolling Cat and the above-the-norm boy. Two blessings at once, isn¡¯t it?¡± Damn it. So, the SDF called for reinforcements as well¡­¡­! There¡¯s won¡¯t be higher classes than colonels, how much of a bullshit could you utter, Boss¡­¡­! ¡°Shion, can you stand?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah¡­¡­¡± I somehow managed to raise my hurting body and I stood up. ¡°¡­¡­Trouble arrived. I don¡¯t know if I can win.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re joking, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. Lieutenant general Shiranui is an outstanding Teleporter, famous in the entire world. Don¡¯t look away. You only listen to the sound.¡± Roll didn¡¯t afford to look away either. As I thought, he¡¯s a Teleporter. I have no idea how to deal with a Teleporter, and I guess there is no way to deal with it in the first place. At any rate, it was the worst situation possible. Shiranui didn¡¯t move and looked at us as he let out a faint laugh. I couldn¡¯t move carelessly either. If I were to distance myself even a tiny bit from Roll, who is invincible in close range combat, he would hunt me down. The reason why he isn¡¯t attacking me right now is thanks to Roll¡¯s presence. And because Roll knows that, she¡¯s intentionally creating a space between us and him. ¡°Shion. If it gets extremely dangerous, don¡¯t mind me and use your full power.¡± Roll didn¡¯t take her eyes off Shiranui. She¡¯s checking him out. ¡°Un¡­understood.¡± The moment I answered this, Shiranui opened his mouth. ¡°Hmm. If you don¡¯t come at me¡­¡­. For the time being, let me collect that box of yours.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± Shiranui¡¯s laughter disappeared into the night sky. I hurriedly turned around towards the Sadinta, where the box was stacked. ¡°Roll!¡± The box is in danger. ¡°Shion, hold on tight!¡± However, Roll said this and grabbed me. Then, she started running in the exact opposite direction of the Sadinta. ¡°Where are you going!? The box!¡± ¡°The mission is a failure! For the time being, think only about getting away from this guy!¡± Roll entered a back alley from the main road, running through a dim street. She was sprinting at full speed. She ran in zig-zag through the back alleys. A full power dash. I was shaking violently, holding on Roll¡¯s shoulder. After we ran through the back alleys for a while, we finally stopped and she let me down on the ground. ¡°Haa¡­¡­haaa¡­¡­ for now, we must blow up the Sadinta¡­¡­ Shion, you pay attention to our surroundings.¡± As Roll tried to steady her breathing, she took out the car phone from her pocket and touched its screen. Instantly, the sound of an explosion echoed from far away. She blew up the Sadinta. That¡¯s because there was various info about our organization left in there. But, leaving that aside¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­Roll, did we fail our mission?¡± I timidly asked her, as she stared at the terminal phone. ¡°Yeah. Since that guy came, all we can do is run. What mustn¡¯t happen now is us getting caught by them.¡± These words shocked me. ¡°Missions failed¡­..?¡± I bet they¡¯ll get angry. How should I put it¡­¡­. I didn¡¯t really have any feelings towards doing missions¡­¡­. but, experiencing failure and knowing the current situation was quite shocking. More than shocking, I was afraid we did something that cannot be undone. Which reminds me that the box contained a ¡®broken thing¡¯, the Anonymous¡¯ Development Department¡¯s secret clump. Now that this thing is in the SDF¡¯s hands, they¡¯ll be more than pissed off. We did it. ¡°There¡¯s nothing for you to worry about, Shion. This time, it was the Boss¡¯ judgement error, or, better say, it was the fault of the branch office guy who got caught. From now on we have to be able to cover for ourselves. At any rate, don¡¯t think about this now. We better concentrate on running away.¡± Roll gripped the terminal phone as she spoke. Her voice was clear but I wondered what her innermost thoughts were. I can¡¯t grasp her facial expression behind the mask. ¡°¡­¡­.Yeah.¡± ¡°I conveyed the current situation to the reinforcement team. Since we can¡¯t escape this town on ourselves, I requested a rescue team. They said they¡¯ll arrive in about 10 minutes.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± After I replied, I noticed a sound that seemed to be getting close to us. It was him¡­..! ¡°Roll, he¡¯s approaching us¡­¡­.!¡± The sound was irregular and scattered, but without any doubt it was getting closer to us. Our location was exposed. I guess they have an ability user with scouting powers in their logistical support team. ¡°That was fast. Let¡¯s run away.¡± Roll grabbed me quickly and started running again. She cut the wind, running through the alleys. She jumped over a blue garbage box, kicked the wall and changed directions. Her speed was tremendous. The enhancement type Stray Cat. This kind of terrain was Roll¡¯s playground. Now, the sounds coming from that guy were going far off¡­¡­ Or so was supposed to be. ¡°Yo!¡± ¡°Wha!?¡± All of a sudden, Shiranui appeared in front of us and Roll immediately turned around. However, at that speed she couldn¡¯t turn around fast enough and Shiranui closed the distance between us in an instant. ¡°Kuh!¡± Roll couldn¡¯t fight with me in her arms. She kicked the ground with great power and jumped over Shiranui¡¯s head. She changed directions again. Then, she continued to run uninterruptedly. We passed through an alley and got out on the illuminated main street. At the exact same moment, Roll let out a shriek. ¡°Gaah!¡± Roll tumbled down and dropped me. ¡°Roll!¡± I stood up instantly and rushed over to Roll. Having done so, I saw a knife stuck into her back. Her delicate back started to pour out blood. ¡°Hey! Roll! Are you okay? Hey!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Guh¡­ This isn¡¯t much for me, so I¡¯m all right¡­¡­! Run away first!¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± I somehow managed to grab the injured Roll and started to run, while carrying her along. Still, Shiranui immediately blocked my way. ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought that the Rolling Kitten will be brought down so easily. It¡¯s thanks to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..!¡± I thought about turning around and running away again. But it was no good. Even Roll got caught by him. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m getting away. Damn it¡­¡­ What should I do!? ¡°Shion¡­.. Don¡¯t mind me and use your power!¡± Roll said, her breathing rough. Yet, that was truly our last resort. Because that would end up killing Roll. And that is¡­¡­no good. Damn, what should I do¡­¡­!? I know, I have to buy some time. I decided to buy time. When the comrades from the headquarters arrive, we still have a chance of winning. However, how do I buy time? As I thought about that, Shiranui¡¯s body blurred. He disappeared. The next moment, the scenery I was looking at changed completely. Roll¡¯s weight vanished. And I felt a strange floating sensation. I discovered Roll about 10 meters ahead, laying on the ground. Down was the ground. And a sound behind my back. I understood in an instant. My position was changed. ¡°Well now, above-the-norm boy. Let¡¯s talk a bit.¡± Coincident with the beginning of our fall, I heard this coming from Shiranui, from behind my back. When we were close to the ground, the scenery changed again. This time, we went higher than before. ¡°As a result of our analysis, we found out that you manifested a dominant ability. It¡¯s a magnificent ability you have there.¡± After the fall, we changed places again. He was rising higher and higher. ¡°Offensive ability, spying ability, high perception. No matter how you look at it, you have a top-class ability. If you train it, you¡¯ll become an unbelievable ability user. It¡¯s rather dreadful, since you¡¯re an enemy.¡± The scenery was changing, changing, changing. He moved places repeatedly, and I ascending rapidly together with Shiranui. Before one knows, I saw Roll standing up and starting to chase after us, climbing a skyscraper¡¯s wall. However, she couldn¡¯t catch up with Shiranui¡¯s teleportation speed. ¡°Now. I¡¯m thinking about giving you the chance to atone for your sins. You must take the extenuating circumstances into consideration. After taking your situation into account, I understand that you didn¡¯t have anything else to do but join the Anonymous. The SDF must¡¯ve dealt with you differently too, maybe try to protect you by any means.¡± I saw the skyscraper¡¯s rooftop. An unthinkable altitude. If I fall down from this height, I¡¯ll certainly die. ¡°Do you want to join the SDF? Depending on your answer, I¡¯ll decide whether your life ends or starts anew.¡± The annoying noise coming from Shiranui from a while ago. A very convenient mumbo jumbo. The reason why I¡¯m alive right now is thanks to the Boss. You tried to kill me, remember!? I guess I can survive if I switch sides to the SDF. Speaking of my real intention, I would¡¯ve liked to do so if possible. But that was before that incident. Being able to live is enough for me. This manner of thinking hasn¡¯t changed, but I still have my pride. I could also lie in order to continue living. But, instead of living because of that, I¡¯d rather break myself down in this situation. ¡°Let me hear your answer.¡± I answered Shiranui¡¯s question. ¡°Bite me.¡± ¡°I see. Then, you¡¯ll have to die.¡± He trampled down my back strongly and I started to fall at great speed. Roll was running up the skyscraper when she entered my view. However, Shiranui teleported right next to her. I see. Because there was nothing I could do right now, he went to hold her down. The end, huh? Impossible. I¡¯ll do something myself. I took out the wire emitter from a side holder and held it firmly. I took a deep breath. Then, I shot the wire. The shot wire got stuck in a fence on the skyscraper¡¯s rooftop. Good. I can do it! I pressed the emitter¡¯s button lightly and stopped the reeling wire. All that¡¯s left for me now is to somehow stick to the building¡¯s wall. However, without warning, a knife was thrown and hit me directly in the hand. Together with a small blood splash, I was separated from my wire emitter. ¡°Damn it¡­¡­..!¡± I turned my head around. I saw Shiranui fighting Roll. He most likely threw a knife towards me during their fight. ¡°Fuck!¡± It¡¯s useless. I¡¯m falling down¡­¡­.! I closed my eyes, halfway to giving up. My life¡­. I spent it while living in vain¡­¡­ As I thought about this, I took a small breath and heard Roll¡¯s voice. ¡°Shion! Shion!¡± I turned around and saw her running up the skyscraper¡¯s wall, while dodging all the knives coming at her. She¡¯s already up there. Roll kicked the wall powerfully and jumped towards my falling self. She then splendidly caught me. However, the ground was getting closer. It¡¯s great that she caught me, but how does she intend to get over this critical situation!? She dodged the oncoming knives by twisting her body. ¡°Shion! Get ready for the impact!¡± Roll¡¯s shout made me realize how close the ground was now. Roll fixed me in her embrace, and prepared for landing. Don¡¯t tell she¡¯s trying to¡­¡­..! ¡°Oi!! Stop¡­¡­! Don¡¯t do it!!¡± My cry came late, because we already landed. Still, calling that a landing was doubtful. It felt like I landed on one cushion as I stroke the ground. But the sound I heard at that moment wasn¡¯t the sound of my own body receiving the impact. The detestable creaking sound came from Roll¡¯s legs. She vomited blood and collapsed to the ground. Because of the impact, I couldn¡¯t find my voice, but I dragged my body and crawled to where Roll fell senseless. ¡°¡­¡­¡­..O¡­i,¡­¡­Ro¡­¡­ll¡­¡­..!¡± Roll held me in her arms and undertook all the impact of our fall. There¡¯s no way she¡¯s all right. However, I can still hear her heartbeat. She¡¯s unconscious. The bones all throughout her body are most likely shattered. ¡°Futile struggle. You¡¯re going to die anyway.¡± ¡°Da¡­.mn¡­..it¡­¡­¡± Shiranui looked down on us, and I barely managed to voice those words. I realized that more of the SDF¡¯s reinforcements arrived there. There was nothing more that could be done. Our best chance was for me to use my ability. But that would kill Roll. Roll would die and I would survive. This was the best strategy as partners as well. But there¡¯s no meaning to it if I can¡¯t save Roll. I can still stand, right? ¡°Oh. That¡¯s amazing. You still want to continue, huh? You¡¯re such a regrettable man of talent. Yet, you don¡¯t get a second chance. Be quiet and die now.¡± Shiranui gripped the knife lightly. It happened the next instant. ¡°Haaa¡­¡­.¡± A person appeared together with that sigh. A black suit. Their frank face exposed, and an Anonymous mask in one of their black gloved hands. At any rate, with a listless expression that person approached us. Perhaps¡­¡­That person is the aforementioned Tameiki-san. They coincide with the description I heard from Roll. That presence, walking slowly but imposingly right in the middle of the main street, was approaching us. ¡°¡­¡­It seems that your comrades arrived. And in addition to that, it¡¯s ¡®Gravity¡¯ 1¡± Tameiki-san was releasing an overwhelming intimidating air, making even lieutenant general Shiranui become extremely vigilant. The battle was bound to start immediately. One SDF soldier concealed himself behind a building. I didn¡¯t know his rank, but he was someone who managed to survive my previous attack, so he was rather skilled. He was about to attack Tameiki-san. However, the battle didn¡¯t start. Or, more accurately, it already ended. In an instant. He couldn¡¯t even touch Tameiki-san because he turned into a cherry tomato crushed underfoot before he could realize it. He decorated the ground in a beautiful shade of red. He was crushed flat. ¡°It seems that if I don¡¯t get serious right now it might get rather dangerous¡­¡­¡± After Shiranui¡¯s muttering, I heard another sigh. ¡°Haaa¡­¡­.¡± The next instant. The sound of a splat! Blood splashed on my Anonymous mask. Timidly, I turned around to look next to me. Having done so, I saw a bloodbath spreading far away. ¡°Eh?¡± If I¡¯m not mistaken, that¡¯s where Shiranui was standing a moment ago. I was in a state of confusion when I heard another long sigh. I looked up and Tameiki-san turned around. It¡¯s¡­..it¡¯s over¡­¡­¡­¡­? Flabbergasted, I couldn¡¯t comprehend what just happened, when one woman appeared right next to me all of a sudden. This woman was Shidou-san. ¡°Shion-kun, you did great.¡± I was astonished by her sudden appearance, but then I remembered Shidou-san¡¯s ability. ¡®Distancer¡¯ Shidou-san can temporarily put under her control the very notion of distance. Shidou-san brushed my head gently. ¡°Shidou¡­.san¡­¡­..Ro, Roll¡­¡­¡± ¡°I know that. Poor thing. This is awful¡­¡­. But we can still save her. Chiyaku is in the helicopter, so let¡¯s return there as quickly as possible.¡± We can still save her. Those words brought me relief, and I lost consciousness the next instant. And so, our missions ended with the word ¡®failure¡¯. Translation: Nana CH 16 I woke up in a bed inside the headquarter¡¯s medical facility. The room was filled with the smell of drugs. I stood there absent-minded for a few moments, then I raised my body. What first came into my mind was questions about Roll¡¯s well-being. What happened to Roll after that? I quickly got out of bed and left the room. The corridors of the medical facility were pure white. Since the air conditioning was used everywhere in the organization, it felt pretty refreshing. I listened carefully, searching for Roll¡¯s presence. I heard two sounds in the next room on the right. All the other rooms were empty. I stood in front of that room. Is it all right to simply enter, I wonder¡­¡­? When I thought about that, the door in front of me opened and Chiyaku-san showed up. Chiyaku-san is a tall woman with brown hair. She¡¯s always clad in a white rob. Her glasses are always slightly off, and she has a terrible bed hair today as well. ¡°Oh, Shion-kun. You woke up. Do you feel any pain?¡± I just realized that all my wounds were healed. Did Chiyaku-san heal me? My clothes were changed too and I was wearing now something that looked like white pajamas. ¡°Thanks to you, Chiyaku-san, I don¡¯t feel any pain.¡± ¡°Because there was an emergency with Roll, I only treated you lightly. If there are places I didn¡¯t heal properly, please tell me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. Nothing hurts now anymore. Thank you. ¡­¡­Leaving this aside, is Roll inside?¡± Chiyaku-san looked at me as I tried to peek inside the room, she smiled and repositioned her glasses. ¡°Yeah, she is inside. I somehow managed to save her life. It was a truly dangerous situation. She¡¯s already awake so you can go see her. All she did was worry about you too. Then, I¡¯ll be off since I got work to do. Tell Roll to earnestly rest her body.¡± Chiyaku-san only said this much, then turned her back at me and started walking. Without seeing her off, I quickly opened the door in front of me. ¡°Roll!¡± There was a bed in a corner of the room. Roll was sitting in it, reading a book. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, Shion. Is your body all right now?¡± Roll closed the book and said this, as I approached her with unsteady feet. ¡°What about you, Roll, are you all right¡­¡­.?¡± ¡°All my external wounds are healed. I¡¯m quite lively now. But my spinal cord was damaged and the lower half of my body is currently paralyzed. Even with Chiyaku-san¡¯s powers, it will take a month to completely recover.¡± Then, this means her life is not in danger anymore¡­¡­ The paralysis will heal too in a month. ¡°Tha-that¡¯s great¡­¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not. This way our summer vacation will come to nothing. *sigh* And there were so many things I wanted to do with you, Shion¡­¡­.¡± As I watched the lively Roll in front of me, I almost started crying because of relief. I somehow managed to stop the tears, which accumulated in the corner of my eyes, from overflowing. ¡°Why are you about to cry now!? Geez. Someday, you¡¯ll receive this sort of injury too, so this overreaction is kind of bothering me.¡± Roll said this, trying to pretend to be tough, but I reflexively embraced her. I couldn¡¯t hold back, no matter how deplorable this looked. Because all she did was to save me, Roll ended up in this awful situation. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­, I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡­Because of me¡­¡­¡± Roll gently brushed my hair. Her hands showed kindness. And she smelled really good. ¡°¡­¡­It was inevitable. It wasn¡¯t your fault, Shion.¡± I had the impression that Roll¡¯s heart was beating faster than usual. Did I surprise her with my sudden embrace? Because not letting her go for such a long time was kind of embarrassing, a short time later I separated from her. Since I did it reflexively, now that I thought about this embrace, I felt a little embarrassed and my face became hot. Roll too, maybe in a lack of prudence, showed a slightly red face. ¡°A-ahem.¡± Roll coughed once, then started to talk again. ¡°For the time being, while I¡¯m not around, we can¡¯t have you do nothing as well, so, if you receive any shade requests, you can take them. Also, you can¡¯t ignore your training just because I can¡¯t see you. As foe me, I¡¯ll devote myself to getting better.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Also, I¡¯ll have a lot of free time, so come visit me once in a while.¡± Roll joked a little with her last words, but I answered her with a serious expression. ¡°I¡¯ll visit you every day.¡± ¡°Still, you don¡¯t have to visit every single day.¡± She laughed as she replied to me, but I, nonetheless, decided to visit her on a daily basis. I was also hospitalized in the past, so I know that staying in a hospital is really boring. All you can do is watch TV or read books. Anyway, I have a debt to Roll that is impossible to pay back. ___________ After that, I chatted a little longer with Roll, and she also told me about our mission¡¯s report. The mission ended in failure, but the Boss didn¡¯t blame us. Moreover, he personally came to Roll to apologize. It seems that he completely miscalculated the SDF¡¯s reinforcements. The box was collected by the SDF, but because we reduced their battle potential quite a bit, the Boss said we were even. I don¡¯t really know whether we were even or not though. I must become stronger. This time, I was nothing but a burden. Supposing that Roll did this mission alone, she would¡¯ve finished it successfully as always. Now this Roll can¡¯t move for an entire month. There are many challenges I must pass. For now, since I got permission for shade missions, I will do as many of them as I can. I looked at my Anonymous phone terminal. There were more than 100 mails in my inbox, inviting me for shade missions. Until now, I refused all of them because Roll ordered me to, but I¡¯ll accept as many of them as I can from now on. I must gather actual combat experience. As Roll told me, I won¡¯t neglect my training, but I also want to get used to actual fighting. Also, this user-unfriendly ability of mine. I must learn to properly control it. I left Roll¡¯s hospital room, and I started to walk towards the training quarters. The time indicated on my phone terminal was 9pm. I decided to go train for a while. My motivation pierced through the ceiling. I must at least become strong enough not to hold Roll back, I won¡¯t even consider otherwise. I thought about this, as I walked towards the training room. That¡¯s when my phone terminal¡¯s ringtone resounded. A message. I thought about who could¡¯ve sent it, and I looked at the sender¡¯s name. Doing so, the screen showed the characters for ¡®Tameiki¡¯ next to the sender. The subject box was left empty. A message from Tameiki-san? I was first surprised by this, but, then, I opened it. All that was written in the body of the message was the word ¡®Come¡¯. CH 17 ¡°I¡¯ll visit you every day!¡± That¡¯s what I declared to Roll, but it appears that I won¡¯t be able to keep my promise. I felt a strong need to apologize to Roll, as I read an illustrated encyclopedia with the title of ¡®The magical beasts inhabiting the Basara Woodland¡¯. There is a desert area in the far west of our city, called the Basara Desert. It would take about two days straight to get there by car. Right in the middle of the Basara Desert, there¡¯s a luxuriant woodland surrounded by the huge sea of sand. It is an oasis where vegetation grew in abundance. I am currently looking down at this scenery from 1000 meters in the sky. The noise coming from the helicopter¡¯s propeller is nothing but loud. The incredibly hot sunrays blazed down on me. It was so hot I thought I would melt. One thought has uninterruptedly bothered me the whole day. It¡¯s about me not being able to visit Roll in the hospital. I felt really, really sorry for Roll. I repeat. It appears that I won¡¯t be able to visit Roll at all. That¡¯s because, starting today, it was decided that I would have to survive for an entire month inside the woodlands spreading under my eyes. Yes, together with Tameiki-san. In order to tell you how it came to this, I¡¯ll have to go back in time a little bit. It all happened the day before yesterday, in the evening, after I received an email from Tameiki-san. ____________ I didn¡¯t conceal my confusion when I received that mysterious email from Tameiki-san. The email only said ¡®Come¡¯, and I didn¡¯t know what that meant. Where? Why? All the important information was cut out. Wait a second. If I think about it, this might be a mistake. Maybe Tameiki-san sent it to me by mistake. This kind of simple message can only be sent to someone who understands what that ¡®Come¡¯ means. It has to be this. I then pressed the reply button. I only wanted to write ¡®You mistook the receiver¡¯s address¡¯, but I looked over my reply message again. It kind of left unfriendly. Tameiki-san saved us yesterday, so I¡¯ll add a few words of thanks as well. It¡¯s not quite great to thank people via emails, but I¡¯ll properly express my gratitude when I meet with Tameiki-san again. But the thing is I never met Tameiki-san inside the organization before. ¡®You mistook the receiver¡¯s address. And also, I feel a bit ashamed for saying this in an email, but I want to thank you for saving us yesterday.¡¯ I looked over my reply message again. Good. This should be all right. I pressed the send button, then entered the training room. Immediately after, my phone¡¯s ringtone resounded again. The sender was Tameiki-san. It was a surprisingly fast reply. Astonished, I opened the email in order to check its text. It, again, only contained the word ¡®Come¡¯. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± It appears that I must to go Tameiki-san¡¯s place. Seeing this a second time, it meant that it wasn¡¯t the wrong address. The organization¡¯s no. 2 is calling for me. I was a little scared, but I had to go. Because it only said to come, it also meant that all the necessary information can be deduced some way or another. I don¡¯t know the reason behind this, but if I was to ask about the place, it has to be Tameiki-san¡¯s room. But where is Tameiki-san¡¯s room? Unlike the members¡¯ email addresses, our room numbers are not shared among us, so I don¡¯t know where Tameiki-san¡¯s room is. I might have to go ask Roll about this. I thought about it as I left the training room, but that¡¯s when I came across the Boss. ¡°Shion? I¡¯m sorry about what happened yesterday.¡± The first thing he said was an apology, so I kind of panicked. He was talking about our mission. ¡°No, I must also apologize for failing the mission. It all happened because I stood in Roll¡¯s way.¡± ¡°That¡¯s, well, let¡¯s not talk about past things.¡± ¡°Right¡­..¡± ¡°So, Shion, you¡¯re training even without Roll being around? That¡¯s the spirit.¡± I haven¡¯t started yet though. Tameiki-san¡¯s email hindered my training. I know. The Boss might know where Tameiki-san is. I¡¯ll ask him. ¡°I was just about to start my training. ¡­¡­.Can I ask you something?¡± ¡°Yeah, sure. Ask me anything.¡± ¡°Do you know where Tameiki-san is right now?¡± ¡°Tameiki? Don¡¯t tell me that person already summoned you!?¡± ¡°Eh? That¡¯s what happened though. What do you mean by already?¡± Guessing by his way of speaking, it seems like the Boss understands something that I don¡¯t. Anyway, I told the Boss about Tameiki-san email, which only said ¡®Come¡¯. Listening to my story, he stifled his smile and answered me. ¡°Tameiki is in the cafeteria. We just finished talking. That person¡­Ain¡¯t Tameiki hasty now for a change!?¡± ¡°Why am I being summoned?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know once you get there. Good luck, then.¡± The Boss only said this, then he turned around and walked away. What do you mean by good luck¡­¡­!? At any rate, I¡¯ll just have to go meet with Tameiki-san. I¡¯m a bit nervous, to be honest. ______________ The Anonymous headquarters even has a facility used as a cafeteria. This place is just uselessly big. They remodeled it again, or so it seems. I came here a few times before together with Roll, but it¡¯s the first time I came here alone. There are a lot of people around. The Anonymous headquarters doesn¡¯t only have fighters, but also spies, cooks, cleaners, researchers and so on. That¡¯s why the cafeteria is always bustling with energy. I surveyed the cafeteria with my eyes, looking for Tameiki-san. Having done so, I immediately found what I was looking for. Tameiki-san was sitting loosely on a sofa somewhere in the back of the cafeteria. With an incredibly sluggish expression, she half opened her eyes and was looking at me now. ¡­¡­.At any rate, I¡¯ll just go there. I had a feeling that I needed to hurry, so I walked towards Tameiki-san with a fast pace. I stopped in front of her and decided to first greet her. ¡°Good-good evening. I¡¯m Shion.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I gulped down my saliva. What¡¯s with this sense of intimidation! I was completely overwhelmed by this superior existence in front of me. Tameiki-san sat there, wearing the same clothes she did yesterday. Is it all right to call this sitting though? Her posture is so shallow, she¡¯s already close to lying down. Her long black hair is spread around the back of the sofa. When I look closer at her, she¡¯s incredibly beautiful, this person¡­¡­ It¡¯s the first time we met like this, so I didn¡¯t know it. I have a feeling that her beauty is sometimes ruined by her personality, and in addition to that, her beauty is not at all seductive. This is bad. She paused the conversation and didn¡¯t continue. I¡¯ll first thank her for saving us yesterday. ¡°Tameiki-san, thank you for coming to our rescue yesterday.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± No reaction. Tameiki-san¡¯s pulse was slow and restful. This silence lasted a while longer. ¡°¡­¡­..So, what do you want to talk to me about?¡± Since we couldn¡¯t stay silent forever, I broke the ice and asked about my main concern. Thereupon, Tameiki-san stood up slowly. Without thinking, I put myself on guard. She let out a long yawn, rubbed her eyes and combed her hair upwards with one hand. Then, that hand she used for combing her hair became blurred. ¡°Gaah¡­..!?¡± Before I could notice, Tameiki-san¡¯s fist hit me in my stomach. That¡¯s when I lost my senses. ______________ My body was shaking. When I opened my eyes, I realized that I was sitting in a car¡¯s passenger¡¯s seat. With the lights on, the car was running on a highway. I looked through the window, but everything was dark, so I couldn¡¯t see anything. I didn¡¯t comprehend my situation so I was kind of confused, when I realized that Tameiki-san was sitting in the driver¡¯s seat. She was driving with her eyes barely opened; she seemed rather sleepy. When I saw her, my memories from right before losing consciousness came back to me vividly. ¡°Did you wake up?¡± ¡°What! What are you doing??¡± ¡°Haa, you¡¯re too loud.¡± I unintentionally yelled, but Tameiki-san¡¯s words made my spirit wither instantly. ¡°Forgive me. What is going on?¡± ¡°One month starting now. In short, while Roll is under medical care, I will be looking after you.¡± ¡°Eh!?¡± It¡¯s a joke, right? Tameiki-san is going to look after me? Who decided this¡­¡­!? The Boss¡­¡­.! He did have a knowing look on his face, precisely because they talked about this¡­¡­! ¡°If you have complaints, talk to Heid. He only told me to look after you, so I¡¯ll do just that, in my own way.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.Is this for real?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, you can scurry home. Although, we are about 300 km away from the city.¡± I am lost for words. I was dragged into something unthinkable without any kind of warning. Tameiki-san is going to look after me? What is she gonna do to me? Besides, where are we going? ¡°Where are we going then?¡± ¡°To Basara Woodland.¡± ¡°Basara Woodland!?¡± ¡°You¡¯re too loud.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Sorry.¡± No way! That Basara Woodland is ridiculously far away, and it¡¯s inhabited by swarms of dangerous magical beasts. Why are we going there for? Also, the restraint ring on my finger is gone¡­¡­ ¡°We¡¯ll stop by a few branch offices on our way to Basara Woodland. We¡¯re going to use a helicopter midway. Also, I threw away your restraint ring. Don¡¯t rely on that thing.¡± ¡°You threw it away!?¡± What is this woman doing! ¡°Too loud.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Until we get there, learn everything in this book.¡± She said, then tossed me an illustrated encyclopedia with a title of ¡®The magical beasts inhabiting the Basara Woodland¡¯. It was a pretty thick book. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± I was lost for words once again. ¡°¡­¡­.Why are we going as far as Basara Woodland for? Is this a raw materials supply mission or something?¡± I asked this, and Tameiki-san shook her head lazily before she answered. ¡°During this whole month, I¡¯ll make you as strong as possible. In other words, this is your training.¡± And so, 38 hours from now I¡¯ll be in a helicopter above the Basara Woodland. CH 18 My training started with something that was meant to test my resistance to air pressure, which was a free fall. I could never possibly have imagined that I would be forced to drop down from 1000 meters in the sky, so right now I am screaming with all my might. ¡°AAAAARRGHHHHH!!!¡± This height doesn¡¯t even compare to that of a sky scraper. The ground is too far away. The one who tricked me into this was obviously that person. Tameiki-san. Tameiki-san is falling-down next to me, a composed expression on her face. I coooompletely let my guard down. These past two days, I could barely sleep. And on the way here, because of the piled up fatigue, the sleep assaulted me. Even though the destination was right above the corner. Before I became aware of it, I started to fall in a doze and I was immediately in the land of dreams. Then, I felt a strange feeling of falling down and opened my eyes, only to find myself bathing in the sky¡­¡­.I was sky diving. Naturally, I was quite shocked. So much so that I almost wet myself. Rather, it was impossible not to be shocked by this. When I opened my eyes, I was sky diving; I¡¯m afraid I am the only one who ever experienced something like this. I got treated this way even after being left with a trauma for ¡°falling¡± due to my last mission. I¡¯ve long since realized it, but Tameiki-san is an outrageous person. But now isn¡¯t the time for this. The ground is already getting close. ¡­¡­..Well, as one would expect, Tameiki-san will most likely do something about the landing. I have no means to properly land and if she doesn¡¯t help me I¡¯ll definitely die. I embraced this hope and looked at Tameiki-san. That¡¯s when she opened her mouth. The words that came out next frightened me even more. She said, in a very quiet voice that no one could¡¯ve picked up but me. That I was responsible for my own landing. ¡°You gotta be kidding, Tameiki-san!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be passive. Take action.¡± What action can I possibly take in mid-air!? It has no shit to do with being passive. Damn it¡­¡­! What should I do? There¡¯s nothing I can do! I have no way of softening the landing impact. If I slam into the ground from this height, I¡¯ll certainly die. Think. I can¡¯t believe the fact that Tameiki-san would demand something that was impossible to achieve, no matter how unbelievable she was. There must be something to help me break out of this deadlock. It¡¯s useless. The ground is getting closer and closer. I can¡¯t think of anything. ¡°I can¡¯t do it! Please save me!!¡± I shouted, amplifying the sound of my voice. In such circumstances, if I didn¡¯t do that Tameiki-san wouldn¡¯t have heard me. I could still understand her even if she talked in a quiet voice, but Tameiki-san couldn¡¯t possibly do the same. ¡°Sigh¡­¡­Don¡¯t behave like a spoiled child.¡± What¡¯s wrong with this person! Well, if this is how it is¡­¡­. ¡°Excuse me!!¡± I stretched my arms and got a hold of Tameiki-san¡¯s wrist, then I pulled her towards me. After that, I embraced Tameiki-san with all my strength. Unlike me, Tameiki-san surely has the means for a safe landing. If I hug her like this, she will be forced to land together with me. In short, I won¡¯t have to land by myself. If she forcibly separates herself from me I¡¯ll be done for, but in order to not let this happen, I held her very tightly. ¡°¡­¡­..!¡± I know that I shouldn¡¯t really be thinking about this right now, but Tameiki-san smelled extremely good. Besides, her body felt quite thin. Nevertheless, a pair of well-rounded mounds were firmly putting an emphasis on their existence. Since I was hugging Tameiki-san from up front, I naturally ended up burying my face in that pair of mounds. I was in a position that if Tameiki-san were to move up her knee, I would be instantly knocked down. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! I¡¯m not doing it on purpose! It¡¯s the air pressure! The force is irresistible!¡± I raised my voice, my face still buried in Tameiki-san¡¯s chest. ¡°Stop it. Don¡¯t talk. It tickles.¡± I desperately prayed that she wouldn¡¯t shake me off. I closed my eyes. We¡¯ll very soon be landing. The dark feeling of falling down. However, it suddenly ended. A strange floating sensation enveloped me. Once I opened my eyes, I realized that the ground wasn¡¯t approaching as quickly as before. We were now surrounded by huge trees, while the smell and the air seemed different. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Tameiki-san said and the strange floating sensation vanished, as we landed. I believe that this was Tameiki-san¡¯s ability. If I remember correctly, Tameiki-san is an ability user who can control gravity. If she controls gravity, then what she just did had something to do with it. Anyway, it seems that my avoidance method was the passing mark. Whether there was some other way in those circumstances, apart from clinging to Tameiki-san or not, I decided to set it aside. ¡°How much longer will you stick to me? Get off.¡± I was told and I hurriedly let go of Tameiki-san. ¡°Sorry¡­¡­!¡± Tameiki-san didn¡¯t seem to have an interest in my apology and, for some reason, she looked up to the sky and started to wander aimlessly. I looked up as well, wondering what she was looking at, and I saw a small spot in the sky from an opening through the tree leaves. It was getting bigger and bigger. A wind-cutting sound. Something was falling towards us. That falling object was dropping at an incredible speed and, before long, it started to be sucked up towards Tameiki-san¡¯s hand. Even though it fell at such an incredible speed, it didn¡¯t even have any impact. The falling object came out to be a large backpack. Tameiki-san¡¯s luggage that she kept in the helicopter. Come to think of it, I didn¡¯t bring any luggage with me. Since I was basically kidnapped, it couldn¡¯t have been helped. She even confiscated my work phone, saying something about severing communication with the outside world. Thanks to this, I can¡¯t even send one message to Roll. It was quite a troubling situation. I really wanted her to at least let me send one message to apologize to Roll. ¡°First of all, we¡¯ll walk towards the camp house close to the lake.¡± She said and held the backpack she just caught out for me to hold it. Anyway, is there really a camp house here? I thought that she would force me to camp outside, but I¡¯m glad it won¡¯t happen. ¡°Understood.¡± I took the backpack. The backpack seemed light when Tameiki-san held it, but it actually had an unusual weight; I somehow managed to put it on my back though. Then, I followed Tameiki-san who started to walk right away. We advanced in this sea of trees, both of us dressed in our tuxedos. It was amazing how out-of-place we seemed. Other than that, there were these astonishing ¡®sounds¡¯. From all over the place, from every possible direction, the howls, roars and shrieks of magical beasts could be heard. Only by listening to these sounds, you could picture the vast numbers of magical beasts inhabiting this sea of trees. ¡­¡­..What if we encounter a dangerous magical beast all of a sudden!? I decided to stay alert to the surrounding sounds. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± After we walked for a while, we arrived at the camp house Tameiki-san talked about. It was more or less covered in ivy and moss, but the camp house looked prettier than I expected. The area surrounding the camp house was mostly deforested, so the place looked rather opened. I see. Even though the weeds are overgrown, this space here is good for movement. I watched as Tameiki-san opened the door to the camp house and entered it, then I followed her. However, the moment I entered the house, she kicked me out. I fell on my buttocks just outside the door. The spot where my hand landed on the ground was filled with crawling insects. Honestly, this didn¡¯t really surprise me. I thought about the reason why Tameiki-san just kicked me out. Was it because I entered with my shoes on? No, Tameiki-san did the same. I thought about various things for a while, but in the end I didn¡¯t understand why she kicked me out, so I looked up at Tameiki-san, who was now looking down at me, in order to find my answer. Our eyes met and immediately after she began to speak. ¡°You¡¯re camping. For the whole month.¡± So, this is how it¡¯ll be? Well, I was actually fine with it, since I came here prepared for camping outside. But I wanted her to wait. Did Tameiki-san plan to sleep on the bed I just saw through the brief opening of the door? ¡°Only me?¡± I asked, discontent showing on my entire face. ¡°It¡¯s your training.¡± ¡°Please wait. As one would expect, being here alone through the night is scary and disheartening.¡± ¡°It¡¯s training.¡± ¡°Please. At least the first two nights, camp outside together with me.¡± It was an earnest request. ¡°You want to make a woman sleep outside?¡± ¡°A woman? I don¡¯t think that you¡¯re the type of person who would bring that up as an excuse.¡± I only realized it after I said it. ¡­¡­.Damn it! ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± Tameiki-san was silent. Did I just¡­¡­hurt her feelings? No, it¡¯s unimaginable that something like this could possibly hurt her. Anyway, I need a followup. ¡°What I wanted to say is not that I don¡¯t consider you a woman. What I was referring to was your character, you know? I do think that you are a very beautiful woman, so please don¡¯t misunderstand me!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Just what are you talking about? Sigh. Heid did press upon me a weird guy.¡± Tameiki-san said, then she closed the door of the camp house with a thud. ¡­¡­.Just now, did Tameiki-san feel awkward? I have the impression she talked a little faster than usual. After a short while, the door of the camp house opened again, and a sleeping bag came out tumbling from that crack. Perhaps, Tameiki-san is a much more interesting person than I previously thought. Thus, my training began. ____________ Tameiki-san is probably a more interesting person than I thought. It was a moment when I really meant this. Now, I take it back. Tameiki-san is, as I thought, a very dangerous person. ¡°Just please, please don¡¯t do this. I¡¯ll do anything, even sleep outside by myself.¡± I desperately begged Tameiki-san. Right now, she is stuffing my both ears with two small rubber-like earplugs. At first sight, they appeared like normal earplugs. However, these earplugs were made of a material that would firmly stick to the ear¡¯s mucous membrane, and they can only come off by using a special lotion. Because of these unbelievable gum-like earplugs, my sense of hearing went down about 90%. Tameiki-san said that I had to wear these weird earplugs for the entire month. To put things bluntly, I¡¯ll die. At this point, my sense of hearing was barely functional for making conversation. This way it¡¯ll be difficult for me to sense any sort of threat. Moreover, I was inside the Basara Woodlands, which is basically a nest of magical beasts. I¡¯ll die. ¡°But it¡¯ll be troublesome if earwax accumulates¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Once your training¡¯s over, I¡¯ll clean them up for you.¡± For real!? I was about to ask this but I stopped. What¡¯s with this person? She¡¯s using temptation? But I won¡¯t be lured by this. First of all, if Tameiki-san ends up cleaning my ears, she¡¯ll most likely thrust in so deep that she¡¯ll reach the ossicles and it¡¯ll be all over. I definitely can¡¯t entrust my ears to her. ¡°I¡¯ll refrain.¡± ¡°I see. Then, let¡¯s have a serious talk now.¡± Because Tameiki-san¡¯s air suddenly changed, I instinctively corrected my posture. ¡°¡­¡­What is it?¡± Tameiki-san¡¯s eyelids, which usually were only half opened, lifted up a bit and she started to speak. ¡°I intend to train you as seriously as I can. Normally, this would¡¯ve never happened. It is very rare for me to feel motivated and I¡¯m quite shocked myself because of it. And I don¡¯t even feel like sighing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°First, we have to do something about your annoying attack. An ability user who can only attack in all directions indiscriminately. That¡¯s meaningless. It¡¯s not worth going on missions with you. You¡¯ll end up doing extermination missions your whole life all by yourself.¡± That¡¯s my trashy reputation. But I can¡¯t say anything to defend myself, since precisely because of this Roll ended up in such a sorry state. More than that, it was actually the truth. ¡°If your power is sound, then, first, you¡¯ll have to be able to control the strength and directionality of your sound. You need the power to only attack the enemy you aim at. ¡­¡­But, there¡¯s something you need to do before that. You must learn to sense the sound with every piece of your body. If you¡¯re a sound ability user, you must become able to feel the sound with all your other four senses, apart from hearing.¡± I see. So these earplugs are precisely for this. Reduce my hearing sense in order to sharpen all my other senses. ¡°Like watching the sound with my eyes, feeling the sound with my skin, smelling the sound with my nose and tasting the sound with my tongue?¡± ¡°Right. I as well, when I manifested my ¡®gravity control¡¯ ability, which is quite a difficult one to handle, I walked the same path as you. During my manifestation, I killed about double the amount of people than you did.¡± For real? How should I put it? I kind of¡­¡­.feel an affinity to her now. ¡°That¡¯s why I can give you accurate advice. Well, in short, this is it. Listen to what I say.¡± At the end, Tameiki-san muttered. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I talked this much.¡± It appears that Tameiki-san truly intends to make me stronger. This determination of hers reached me. I felt a little happy. After she told me this much I have no choice but to properly listen to her. ¡°Understood, master. I¡¯ll do everything you say.¡± I can¡¯t possibly lose in a battle of motivation against Tameiki-san, since it was me who decided that I needed to get stronger. ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡± ¡°Please let me call you master.¡± ¡°No. Listen to what I say.¡± ¡°Then, what about senpai?¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡­¡± CH 19 ¡°In the process of getting stronger, there is something that everyone can easily do. That is to not talk during battle. Don¡¯t open your mouth. Those guys who talk continuously during battle are not strong enough and they¡¯ll die a useless death. However, Roll talks a lot, doesn¡¯t she? Why do you think she does that?¡± That¡¯s true. During the last mission, while in battle, Roll talked to me quite a bit. I wonder why. ¡°¡­¡­.I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°If she doesn¡¯t talk, she can¡¯t convey the things she wants to convey to you. What does my partner want to do, how will she move next? Feel these things without the need for words.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The first day of my training started with a lecture. Tameiki-san was a great teacher. She talked in a manner that was easy to follow and understand. I frantically took notes of everything Tameiki-san said. Because it¡¯ll be troublesome if I forget these things later on. Tameiki-san said that it wasn¡¯t necessary to take notes since she¡¯ll talk to me again whenever she notices something, but in order to always be able to remember her words, taking notes was essential. It seems that she felt a bit embarrassed because of me taking notes of her words, so she kept on glancing at my notes sheet for a while now. It appears that she has a shy side as well. The heartless and cruel image I had of Tameiki-san was already cleared away. She¡¯s difficult to understand but she has quite a lot of emotional ups and downs. Tameiki-san¡¯s lecture finished after a short while then we took our luggage and walked towards the lake. The lake was in about a five minutes reach if we walked. Timewise, it was now close to sunset. The sun was gradually setting and we were walking towards the horizon. But we obviously couldn¡¯t see the horizon. When we came close to the lake, Tameiki-san lowered her stance as she continued to advance. She then turned her head to me and made a gesture for me to carefully walk next to her. Is there something around here? I couldn¡¯t know since my hearing sense was now below that of a normal human. I felt like my eyes were covered. I moved next to Tameiki-san and, in the same manner as her, I peeked ahead through the thicket. Having done so, a huge lake spread as far as I could see with the naked eye. It was so huge that I couldn¡¯t see from one shore to the other. This lake was beautiful, with the rays of the setting sun shining on its surface though the dense forest. Tameiki-san poked me with her elbow and I change the direction of my look. Thereupon, I saw a magical beast drinking water on the lake¡¯s shore. That is, if I¡¯m not mistaken¡­¡­.a Crimson Puma¡­¡­..! It isn¡¯t a massive magical beast but it is extremely dangerous. The Crimson Puma is a carnivorous magical beast, one that has a superior position in the Basara Woodlands¡¯ ecosystem. Perhaps because this thing is here that the lake is actually peaceful. Since it is a waterfront, this place should¡¯ve been flooded with magical beasts. ¡°What is important is that you see through what means danger and what not. There are many things that are not as dangerous as you think they are.¡± Tameiki-san saw how I stared at the Crimson Puma and said this to me in a low voice. In this case, the Crimson Puma is certainly a dangerous being. ¡°¡­¡­.Look crosswise behind the Crimson Puma. Can you see it?¡± I moved my eyes towards where she pointed. However, there was nothing but thicket¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­..!¡± No, there¡¯s something there. There was something behind that thicket which surveyed the area with glittering eyes¡­¡­And they were more than one magical beast. Those were higher ranked magical beasts in this ecosystem which aimed at the Crimson Puma¡­¡­! The Crimson Puma was drinking water as it stayed alert at its surroundings. However, the next time it bent to drink water the Crimson Puma¡¯s life ended. Four Basara Wolves jumped out of the thicket. The Crimson Puma reacted agilely but it was outnumbered. It died immediately accompanied by a loud shriek. The Basara Wolves dragged along the corpse of the Crimson Puma and disappeared behind the thicket. That¡¯s when Tameiki-san stood up. I was overwhelmed by the scene from moments ago, so I couldn¡¯t stand for a short while. ¡°Now that I saw this spectacle, I really think that this woodland is the most suitable place to improve oneself. In a battle between high ranking ability users, one¡¯s life can basically end with only one killing blow. This is a world in which the first one to find the enemy is the one who wins. Don¡¯t give way the lead in battle. You mustn¡¯t hesitate. You attack with a serious blow from the absolute beginning.¡± ¡°Un-understood.¡± Then, Tameiki-san continued. She got out of the thicket and put down the small backpack she carried in one hand. ¡°Take out all the contents inside this backpack.¡± ¡°Eh? Why?¡± ¡°Just do it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..All right.¡± As I¡¯ve been told, I took out the contents of the backpack in order. The first which came out were three survival knives and one wide blade knife, similar to a machete. Among the survival knives there were small ones and a large one. They all had leather holders. The next which came out were tin cans. Food. An amount that would last for about two days. The next was a small box. I opened it and inside was a sewing kit. The rest of the contents were the illustrated encyclopedia that I read inside the helicopter, another illustrated encyclopedia for Basara Woodlands plants and vegetation, a lighter, salt and a compass. All of these were casually thrown into the backpack. And, after I investigated the backpack thoroughly, I found another book in a small side pocket; ¡°Survival life starting from scratch¡±. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± I already came to understand what she¡¯s going to do to me. ¡°Good, now put them back.¡± As Tameiki-san said, I put all the things back inside the backpack. ¡°Put the backpack on your back.¡± I, again, did as I was told. ¡°¡­¡­.Tameiki-san. I have an extremely bad feeling about this.¡± ¡°Shion. To be honest, I am worried that you might actually die. However, please understand. I want to make you stronger. I suppose you didn¡¯t think you could become strong without taking any risks, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but what are you talking about¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Ideally would be four days, but I¡¯ll even wait for an entire month. I wish you good luck. Then, see you later.¡± Tameiki-san kicked me in the buttocks. It¡¯s not like she kicked me hard or something. Still, my body took off right away. Yes, I was flying. ¡°Wooooaaaaah!!¡± I was flying above the lake at a tremendous speed. Four huge fish jumped up from the lake, aiming at me. I barely passed through them and continued to fly. I saw splashes in various places on the lake. ¡°AAaaaah!! Don¡¯t come!! I¡¯ll die! I¡¯ll die!¡° A flew for a while and I crossed the entire lake, but my flight didn¡¯t stop. I covered my face. I was assaulted by vegetation and was cut on various places on my exposed skin. That woman, she actually did it. She did say she¡¯ll do everything possible to make me stronger. Her motivation was high as well. But this is wrong whatever the circumstances may be!? There¡¯s no point in training to get stronger if I end up dead! As I shot through the sea of trees, I dispersed the sound of my amplified screams all around me. For now, if magical beasts attack me in this situation I¡¯ll be certainly done for. I continued to disperse my shouts filled with anger and threat. Most likely even Tameiki-san, who was already at a long distance away, could hear these shouts as well. The tuxedo that Roll proudly gave me was already in tatters. I felt like crying. After I advanced for another short while, the strong force that sent me flying finally lessened. I was approaching the ground now. Once I touched the ground with my feet, I landed quite cleanly. ¡°Haaa¡­¡­., haaa¡­¡­¡± I got tired from all the screaming, so I placed my hands on my knees and tried to catch my breath. This is terrible. My feet are trembling. I hit my thighs several times with all my strength and I somehow managed to stop the trembling. For now, I took out the compass from my backpack. I came flying from that direction. From east. I did fly for a long distance. Just how far am I? I don¡¯t know. Damn it, can I even go back? The sun will set very soon. This is bad, this is very bad. During nighttime, in this state, I¡¯ll be fully under the attack of magical beasts. It¡¯s impossible to keep shouting all day, and I¡¯m already fairly tired from using my ability. My throat is dried-up too. For the time being I¡¯ll just drink some water. I have to calm down. Thinking about this, I searched through the backpack, but I realized there was no water inside. ¡°Damn you Tameiki-saaaaaan¡­¡­.!!¡± Tameiki, that bitch, she didn¡¯t think water was necessary! WHY!? Before considering putting salt in the backpack, she should¡¯ve thought about water first! Damn it! Damn you Tameiki-san¡­¡­ Aaaaaabsolutely! I will aaaaabsolutely pay her back. I will absolutely peek at her while she baths or something! In order to not let despair overwhelm me in these awful circumstances, I burned with tenacity. If I motivate myself with the thought of going back to the camp house and peek at Tameiki-san as she baths, I can persevere through all challenges. ¡°Fuu.¡± I took a huge breath. Calm down for now¡­¡­.I have to calm down. I must regain my composure. I don¡¯t want to use up my physical strength pointlessly. Think about how to survive in this place. For the time being, since I continuously shouted a few moments ago, I¡¯d like to believe that the magical beasts in this area were driven away to some degree. I took out the ¡°Survival life starting from scratch¡± book from the backpack¡¯s side pocket. I¡¯ll call it the survival book for now. First, I wonder what I¡¯m supposed to do in case of disaster or accident. As I looked through the survival book¡¯s table of contents, I felt my surrounding getting darker and darker. I thought it was strange, so I looked up at the sky. Having done so, there was a five-meters long, crappy huge spider building its nest. That is a¡­¡­.Jim King Spider. That is the only spider type magical beast inside the Basara Woodlands which builds itself a nest. It is a rowdy magical beast which, apart from the ones already caught in its nest, it can easily chase its prey on the ground as well. This is a magical beast regarded as very dangerous. I saw a few magical beasts inside the spider¡¯s nest, all of them rolled up in thin thread. Four pairs of cold eyes seized me. This is very bad. Before I could think about it, I put the backpack on my back and started running. CH 20 _______ ____ _ Ten days have passed, but I managed to return to the camp house. My clothes looked like those of a vagabond. My entire body was covered in mud, and I looked completely changed. Finally. FINALLY. I finally returned. Thank goodness¡­¡­. These past ten days I felt like I was in hell. With tears in my eyes, I remembered the things that happened during these ten days. It all started when a Jim King Spider chased me and I dropped my compass, but then, when I thought that I somehow managed to escape, I found myself almost dragged into the nest of a Sand Worm, which normally only lives in the desert. Afterwards, I was lured by a sweet smell and I very nearly became food for a Devil Plant, a Flash Monkey stole my backpack and when I finally got it back, I ended up inhaling the scales of a Poison Butterfly, so I was forced to search for and make myself an antidote, a Cutter Bird tore my entire body to pieces, so I had to endure the intense pain and stich up all my open wounds, I fell into a swamp and almost drowned, and I mostly slept in a cave full of White Blood Bats, while concealing my breath¡­¡­¡­.I ate magic beast dead flesh, I experienced a threatening battle with roaring Thousand Gorillas, a Cannibal Kangaroo licked my face, I almost ended up electrocuted by a Thunder Fish, and I very nearly got swallowed whole by a Basara Snake¡­¡­¡­ There is an endless number of occasions when I was very close to death. If I were to talk about everything that happened during these do-or-die ten days, just how many books would that fill¡­¡­!? I truly did my best to return here alive. Someone please praise me. ¡­¡­..Now, don¡¯t you think that I need some kind of reward for accomplishing such a great deed? I believe I do need one. It wasn¡¯t just because of luck that I managed to return here in one piece. It was in my mind. I had a clear objective. My objective, right from the beginning of this survival challenge, was to return safely and peek at Tameiki-san while she takes her bath. However, before long, I realized that this didn¡¯t even begin to compare with what I was going through, so my objective continued to be adjusted upwards. And so, in the end, my objective changed and was now to return safely and rub Tameiki-san¡¯s voluptuous breasts. I was already more than prepared for her beating. At this point, if I don¡¯t at least get my revenge with this, my heart won¡¯t resist and I will break. Burning with this fierce stubbornness, I rapidly approached the camp house. Timewise, it was toward morning. It was the time when birds start their cries. Maybe Tameiki-san is asleep. I know. In this case I¡¯ll just have to attack her in her sleep. I¡¯ll rub her breasts while she sleeps. Currently, my mind was filled with polluting thoughts. This wish of mine was the only thing that kept me alive in this hellish survival training. I erased any sounds I was making and I began to twist the doorknob to the camp house. However, the moment I touched the doorknob, I became aware of the presence behind the closed door. Then, at almost the same time, the door opened violently aiming at hitting me. I quickly took a step back and dodged the attack. Then I put myself on guard. Tameiki-san stood in the opened door. Her hair was ruffled and she looked like she just woke up. She then looked at me and opened her mouth to speak. ¡°¡­¡­.Ten days? You sure took your time. Where did you wander about?¡± Where did I wander about, you say? This is all your fault! Rage bubbled out inside of me, filling my entire existence. Because she dropped me in hell. ¡°¡­¡­Do you want to know? All the cruel things I endured!?¡± ¡°No. I will check it myself.¡± Tameiki-san said and then threw a knife at me slowly. I easily dodged it by moving my body to the side a little, then I rapidly charged at Tameiki-san. ¡°Hoo!¡± I don¡¯t intend to play right now. I¡¯ve been through some outrageous moments. I need at least one pay-back! My eyes became bloodshot as I rapidly advanced. Tameiki-san took out another knife and threw it at me again. I immediately drew out my pal, the survival knife, from my waist and I blocked the incoming knife, repelling it. I blocked all the other knives, which came at me flying in succession and I advanced even more. However, the next knife which she threw at me had a strange weight and it repelled my survival knife. I fell back at the same time. Approaching someone without any weapon is too dangerous. I put some distance between us, but the knives continued to be thrown at me. Spinning rapidly, they were precisely aimed at my vitals. However, I weaved my way through the space between the knives, dodging them very closely. That¡¯s when I finally realized it. Hm? How comes I can dodge this well? Are the knives too slow? No, it¡¯s an optical illusion. The flying knives are absurdly fast. I know. I know it now¡­¡­ What I need to do in order to avoid the incoming attacks. The moment I realized this, Tameiki-san¡¯s attack stopped. It seems like she ran out of ammo. Tameiki-san kicked the ground and quickly approached me. Then she rushed towards my right side and unleashed a punch from outside my field of vision. ¡°Fu!¡± I bent my body and avoided the impact, then I backflipped and distanced myself from Tameiki-san. Then I glared at her. ¡°¡­¡­¡­..!¡± That¡¯s when I felt a shock running through me. The reason why was because of Tameiki-san¡¯s delightful smile. Yes, she was smiling. What¡¯s with that innocent smile on her face¡­¡­.. For the me who only knew Tameiki-san¡¯s sour and sluggish expressions, this sweet smile of hers confused me so much that I couldn¡¯t hide it. Besides¡­¡­.., this Tameiki-san is way too adorable when she smiles¡­¡­.! However, it wasn¡¯t the time to think about this. Tameiki-san kicked the ground again and the knives scattered around began to float about gently. There were about twelve knives. All the knives were sucked in towards Tameiki-san and, before long, they aligned themselves neatly in both her hands. Will she throw them at me again? Thinking about this, I put myself on guard, but Tameiki-san put the knives away and started to slowly walk towards me. Then, she was soon in front of me raising her right hand¡­¡­¡­¡­and she gently stroke my head. ¡°Eh?¡± Involuntarily, I let out a strange voice. ¡°That¡¯s amazing, Shion. It is a tremendous growth. I never imaged you would improve this much upon your return. These are some wonderful results.¡± I was bewildered by Tameiki-san¡¯s unexpected behavior. Eh? Eeh? What¡¯s this¡­¡­ I somehow¡­¡­.felt incredibly happy. If I were a dog, I would wave my tail and run around Tameiki-san. Why am I this happy? ¡°¡­¡­.Right? I recklessly tried my best, after all.¡± I suppressed the effeminate expression that was about to show on my face as I said those words. I wanted her to praise me more. I wanted her to caress me more. What is this charm of hers!? I lost sight of my previous goal and didn¡¯t know what else to do, so I looked around restlessly. Having done so, Tameiki-san gently embraced me. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.!?¡± I felt another shock. Just what is going on? ¡°Wh-what are?¡± ¡°I know it was tough. You did great, Shion. I was worried that you might have died.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± I remembered the harsh things that happened to me during the last ten days. Damn it! If she speaks such gentle words now, my tears will¡­¡­ ¡°Today you should take your time and rest your body.¡± She gently brushed my hair and I gradually dozed off at Tameiki-san¡¯s chest. It felt so comfortable¡­¡­. Ah, how should I put it¡­¡­.I¡¯m glad I did my very best. And so, my carrot-and-stick strategy got used for a different purpose, and afterwards I thoroughly became Tameiki-san¡¯s obedient apprentice. CH 21 ________________________________________________________________________________ My objective changed. And now it is to make Tameiki-san praise me more and to make her smile. I still do have a sub-objective I want to achieve before the training ends and that is to slip into Tameiki-san¡¯s bed. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m messing around. That is also part of the process of getting stronger. In short, I have set more goals for the same original purpose. After I returned, I rested for an entire day, then I restarted the training. Even though I said that she let me rest, it¡¯s not like she let me inside the camp house; I had to spend the night outside, sleeping in a sleeping bag, but Tameiki-san released a ¡®gravity field¡¯ around me, so I was finally able to get some real sleep. However, I was still very tired and my body felt endlessly heavy. Later, I even took a shower. Tameiki-san boiled some water for me. Even though it was a hellish hot bath and I had to endure the piercing pain caused by all the wounds on my body, I felt rather refreshed afterwards for my body was finally clean. I threw away the tattered tuxedo I was wearing and changed into some same size clothes that Tameiki-san kept for me inside the camp house. And so, my training entered a new stage. The second stage started with Tameiki-san¡¯s questions. About my ability. Like how far can I hear, how strong a sound can I release, what are the things I learned during these ten days and so on. Since I didn¡¯t really know yet what was the range of my hearing and the power of the sounds I could release, I gave her a broad answer to the first two questions. I really could hear any kind of sounds. About how strong a sound I could release, I actually didn¡¯t quite know. All I could answer was that I could release a powerful shockwave. And about what I learned during the past ten days. As I answered this question, I couldn¡¯t suppress the smug expression on my face. Yes, it is unbelievable, but, before I became aware of it, I learned how to sense the sounds through my skin. Since my sense of hearing was now sealed, if I didn¡¯t achieve something like this I couldn¡¯t have possibly survived the survival challenge. Anyway, Tameiki-san praised me for developing the ability to sense the sounds through my skin. With this, it has become quite easy to sense the presence of others. After I answered a few other questions, Tameiki-san told me the purpose of the second stage of my training, and that was ¡°To become able to turn on / off my ability¡±. The abilities such as mine which have a deformed type of invocation, are called permanent abilities. A permanent ability is a burden on the body, even though you wouldn¡¯t normally realize it, and not learning to turn it on and off would shorten your life span or so it seems. But if you train hard enough you should be able to turn it on and off at will. When you turn it off, you become exactly like a person who doesn¡¯t have any ability. Also, when you become able to turn it on and off, the cost performance and the quality of the ability become better and higher. ¡°So, what concrete things must I do in order to turn my ability on and off at will?¡± ¡°Practice. Give it some time and you¡¯ll gradually learn how to switch the state of your ability. However, in your case, you¡¯ll have to master the on ¨C off switching with a slightly different method. Within three days.¡± A slightly different method. Judging by Tameiki-san¡¯s words, she¡¯ll make do something absurd yet again. I¡¯m sure of it since she demands me to master it within three days. As I kept vigilant, Tameiki-san fetched a mat from inside the camp house and placed it on the ground, then she sat there in a seiza position. ¡°Take off your shoes and come here.¡± What does she plan to do? What is she going to do to me? I continued to stay vigilant, but since Tameiki-san¡¯s command was absolute, I obeyed her. ¡°Lie down here.¡± I moved towards the mat and Tameiki-san pointed at her lap. I was shocked. ¡°A lap pillow!?¡± ¡°Shut up. Do it already.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Eh? Eh? Why? Why a lap pillow? I was in a state of confusion but I, nonetheless, placed my head on her thighs and I stretched my body on the mat. I felt a violent throbbing in my chest. Just what the heck is she going to do to me? I stared at Tameiki-san¡¯s stomach region when I felt something like a syrup poured into my ear. Then, the foreign feeling in my ear was removed. That¡¯s right, she took off the earplug. ¡°Ooh!¡± Since my sense of hearing suddenly returned completely, I raised my voice in spite of myself. Amazing. I can now hear the sounds so clearly. ¡°While we¡¯re at it, I might as well clean your ears.¡± ¡°Eh!? For real!?¡± ¡°Quiet.¡± Just what is your goal, Tameiki-san!? My tension went up because of the sudden ears clearing situation. Moreover, it felt really good. ¡­¡­. Hmm? This is bad¡­¡­ I¡¯m getting sleepy¡­¡­ ¡°Wake up.¡± She rather harshly slapped me on my cheek and I woke up. Drool crusted one corner of my mouth. I then realized that I ended up drooling on Tameiki-san¡¯s trousers too. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I drooled¡­¡­¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡­. Don¡¯t worry about it and turn the other way.¡± I did as she told me to. Then, she took off the other earplug and started to clear my other ear; after that, the one hour of supreme bliss ended. I reluctantly parted with Tameiki-san¡¯s thighs and stood up. Amazing. I can hear every single sound. Tameiki-san¡¯s heartbeat. The rustle of trees. The flap of a bird¡¯s wings, flying high in the sky. The roars of magical beasts. The earth¡¯s pulsations. ¡°The truth is I wanted to make you wear these earplugs for an entire month, but you don¡¯t seem to need them anymore.¡± ¡°And what are we going to do now?¡± To be honest, there wasn¡¯t really necessary to take them off even though they weren¡¯t needed anymore. There must be a reason behind taking those earplugs off. ¡°For now, you¡¯ll use your ability up to its limit.¡± ¡°I see. I will forcibly enter the off state of my ability. I can¡¯t do it.¡± I turned around and started to run, but Tameiki-san stopped the chase in a moment with a single swift attack. ¡°Don¡¯t run.¡± ¡°I tell you, I will really die this time. Roll taught me that if I use my ability up to its limit, there¡¯s a high chance that I would actually die.¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with it. Just do it.¡± ¡°What will you do if I die? Everything will be lost, right? Let¡¯s clear the second stage with the take-my-time-to-learn-it strategy.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be troubled if you die. Therefore, don¡¯t.¡± This person is saying some unreasonable things! ¡°I have faith in your ability to do this.¡± ¡­¡­. Damn it¡­¡­If she looks at me like that, I¡¯ll be troubled. It makes it hard for me to betray her expectations now. ¡°Ah, I get it¡­¡­I just have to do it, right?¡± ¡°Good boy. That¡¯s the spirit.¡± Tameiki-san said and smiled slightly as she brushed my hair. I really wanted her to stop these gestures and facial expressions since they always startle me. This was the second time I saw Tameiki-san¡¯s smile. I already got accustomed to her sour look and her gentle side, but, in spite of all this, I really wanted her to smile more. If you praise someone¡¯s smile, that person will smile more for you. My good-looking best friend once said this. Though, this might only work for good-looking guys¡­¡­ Good, I should just try and see how it goes. Nothing bad should happen when praising people. ¡°Tameiki-san, you are extremely charming when you smile. Although, you almost never smile.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­, ¡­¡­¡­. Is that so?¡± ¡­¡­.. Hmm? Is she actually acting shy? Even though it was for a mere instant, but I didn¡¯t overlook the strange light in Tameiki-san¡¯s eyes. ¡°Since you are a very beautiful woman, I think that you should smile a bit more. You¡¯re such a beautiful person after all¡­¡­. Besides, I thought about this for a long time, but your hair looks very silky.¡± I saw that it was working so I pushed it even further. I then listened carefully to Tameiki-san¡¯s heartbeat and I realized that it was pulsing a little faster. I looked at her face and saw that her ears had turned a little red. As I thought¡­¡­She¡¯s feeling shy¡­¡­! Moreover¡­¡­.It appears that she¡¯s the type of person who becomes weak against praise! However. The fact that Tameiki-san is quite a kind person is not actually known inside the Anonymous, and it seems that she doesn¡¯t even speak that much with other members. Even Roll commented once that Tameiki-san keeps a bit of a distance from them. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t¡­¡­.mock me too much¡­¡­¡± Tameiki-san turned away from me, looking like she couldn¡¯t endure it any longer. This is an unexpected side of her. I imagined that she would ward off my praise words with her cool beauty attitude, but she actually turned out to be truly adorable. I found Tameiki-san¡¯s unforeseen weakness, and my training motivation spiked up. I¡¯ll give my best. CH 22 The second stage of my training started with me courting death. Tameiki-san took refuge high in the sky and I practiced somewhere away from the camp house; I had to use my ability up to its limit. The sound of an explosion echoed and the shock wave made the sea of trees rustle. I let the magical beasts and birds escape beforehand with a light threatening sound, so that I am not killing the animals pointlessly. However, as the explosive sound resounded further away in the sea of trees, the birds in those areas all flapped their wings simultaneously. At first, it was rather fun using my ability at its maximum, but it gradually became tough on me. After several times of doing it over again, I lose consciousness without even realizing it. This phase is actually quite painful. This is also when Tameiki-san comes to my help. Then, she waits for my physical strength to return even a little and then wakes me up forcefully. I wake up in the worst possible mood being tortured by nausea, dizziness and headaches, but these sensations lessen after a short while. After that, Tameiki-san forces me to eat the food she prepared in order to somehow recover enough strength to move around (half of the recovery is done through pure fighting spirit from my part though). This is not at all funny. What Roll told me about dying if I use my ability up to its limit was in fact true. My body felt so eroded that I really thought I would end up dead if I continued with this. ¡°How is it?¡± Tameiki-san sneaked a look at my super groggy face. I fell prostrate on the table placed in the open space right in front of the camp house. It was only natural since she forced me to eat while in this groggy condition. ¡°How is it¡­¡­you ask? I feel so terrible that I can¡¯t even move¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Can you hear my heartbeat?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°This is the off state. Your physical strength will gradually recover. However, even when your physical strength returns completely you must preserve the off state.¡± ¡°Preserve it? How even?¡± ¡°You grow accustomed to the sensation when you don¡¯t use your ability. When your strength returns and you naturally start to hear things again, you challenge yourself not to hear them. You deny your ability.¡± I see. At this point I really don¡¯t know what I¡¯m supposed to do, but well my ability itself is used through senses and sensations, so I¡¯ll figure something out through the same senses and sensations. As I thought about these things, I continued with my training. Still, reality wasn¡¯t that generous. Right after my body recovers a little, I naturally start to hear sounds no matter what I do. While my body is weak I can somehow restrain my ability completely, but once I¡¯m recovered I can¡¯t restrain the permanent state of my ability. If I can¡¯t maintain the off state, I¡¯m forced to continue with the training. I have to use up my ability and drive myself into a corner over and over again. This training is taking quite some time. Because it takes time until my physical strength recovers, I can¡¯t practice many times over in one day. Since this training is supposed to last for three days and nights, in one day-night cycle I can enter the forced off state only three times. Tameiki-san also advised me not to enter that state more than three times a day. It appears that she thinks about me a little. Well, still, it is a hellish experience. ___________ _______ ____ The fourth time I repeated the process I got a hang of what I had to do. The fourth time I tried it I managed to preserve the off state exceptionally longer than the third time. I immediately informed Tameiki-san. ¡°That¡¯s the way. Do your best as you continue with the training. Think about why it did the trick this time.¡± So she said. I¡¯ll do my best as I continue with the training then. Why did it go well? Maybe because I did something else this time. Up to the third time I only waited for my physical strength to return as I fell prostrate on the table, but the fourth time I forced myself to pace around. My goal was to make myself lose consciousness and have Tameiki-san nurse me. This wicked heart of mine helped me take a step ahead. If I only think about my ability it has an opposite effect and I thoughtlessly enter the on state. Instead of concentrating only on my hearing, perhaps it is more important to grasp the sensation of naturally not using it. I continued with my training. I had no problems with my sleeping hours since every time I used up my ability and fainted I had to sleep for a while as my body recovered. Well, when I think about those ten days, here in this safe place even if I don¡¯t sleep at all for three days I can still be unconcerned. At any rate, with the fifth and sixth sessions my training started to show favorable results. It was during the seventh challenge that something happened. I managed to once enter the on state from the off state and then switch back to the off state. It only lasted for an instant though. I wanted to immediately inform Tameiki-san, but at that time she was sleeping. She is sound asleep in the camp house¡¯s bed even though I can¡¯t do anything else but try my utmost best to complete this training. And yet, if I stealthily approach the camp house she instantly wakes up and prevents me from doing so. Despite me hiding my presence and the sounds I make, just how can she even notice me!? Well, that¡¯s all right. In any case I can¡¯t wake Tameiki-san up. However, this achievement of mine shouldn¡¯t be wasted. At great pains I finally got a grip of this but I now don¡¯t have Tameiki-san¡¯s advice. What I thought about next was to challenge myself once again and see what happens when I fully release my ability this time. My physical strength isn¡¯t fully restored though. Tameiki-san told me that even after I recovered enough for my ability to switch to the on state, I had to rest my body for a short while. Taking this into consideration she limited my attempts to three times per day. The reason was the real danger I would face if I continued to reach my limit in succession. Still, I now want to recall that sensation I just felt. If I¡¯m able to grasp that feeling again¡­¡­I have a hunch that I¡¯ll soon achieve my goal. Just one more time. I¡¯ll try it just one more time. Thinking about this I walked further away from the camp house and advanced inside the sea of trees. Walking helps me recover to a certain extent, but the fact that I got used to this tiresome condition is somewhat of a strange story. During this early eighth challenge, since Tameiki-san is not around to help me, I can¡¯t use my ability up to the point I lose consciousness. I must only reduce my physical strength enough to enter the off state. I arrived at the place where Tameiki-san gravity barrier ended and, without leaving it, I released my ability. I can¡¯t release loud sounds for this would wake Tameiki-san up¡­¡­.or this is what my previous self would have thought. However, every time I used my ability to its limit, it¡¯s not like I blindly released sounds all around me. The sound¡¯s directionality. Yes, I more or less became able to control the directionality of my sounds to some extent. I still can¡¯t pinpoint something like the explosion of my sounds, but I can now sort of control the direction of the sounds I produce. Right. By doing this I can reduce my physical strength without Tameiki-san realizing it! This is¡­..quite a masochistic method of training¡­¡­ I kind of feel sad that I¡¯m starting to enthusiastically enjoy this kind of training. But I¡¯m doing this in order to get stronger. And so, I began my masochistic training. I pointed my sounds towards the sky. I continued to release sounds that were not actually that powerful. I occasionally released different sounds and played with their frequencies. This was rather fun. Also, it appears that my sounds are not obstructed by the gravity barrier. I thought about this while I listened to my sounds passing right through Tameiki-san¡¯s gravity barrier and spreading far away in the distance. After that I continued to release sound after sound for a little while, and right when it became painful to continue doing so, something happened. That thing came, easily breaking through the gravity barrier up in the sky. CH 23 On a large scale, magical beasts are separated into two types. One is the ¡®normal type¡¯. These are magical beasts that even normal humans can easily bring down, and for this reason many of them group up in order to move around. The normal type magical beasts are further divided into species. This sea of trees is mostly inhabited by normal type magical beasts. And the other one is the ¡®dragon type¡¯. As the name suggests, these are magical beasts which embody a dragon. Their danger level varies, but usually most of them are brutal and harmful. The Buried Dragon and the Edged Dragon that Roll and I defeated previously were dragon type magical beasts. ¡­¡­.And now, there are also exceptions which don¡¯t fall into any of these categories. These are ¡®legendary type¡¯ magical beasts. Their power level varies as well. There are many legendary type magical beasts which don¡¯t inflict damage to people. However, they¡¯re all extremely dangerous magical beasts that went down in history with the name legendary. They don¡¯t even begin to compare to the average normal type and dragon type magical beasts. But naturally, their population is scarce. I was quietly trembling in fear. This overwhelmingly superior existence which suddenly appeared in front of me was a legendary type magical beast; I read about it once in a book. The lower half of its body was that of a lion, the upper half was that of an eagle; its sharp eyeballs were seizing my entire being. It had a pair of black wings on its back, almost indistinguishable in the darkness of the night. Its body was five times bigger than mine. It was a Griffon. The Griffon waved its tail, looking into me from every possible angle. It had an overwhelmingly intimidating aura. I stood stock still. From the moment it easily broke through Tameiki-san¡¯s gravity barrier, I knew that I was no match for it. My physical strength was close to the limit in the first place, so there¡¯s nothing I can do against it. The decision I came to in an instant was to seek help from Tameiki-san. ¡°Ta¡­¡­a¡­¡­.!¡± I realized it when I opened my mouth, that my words wouldn¡¯t come out. Was it because my physical strength was close to the limit? No. It was the pressure. I was completely overwhelmed just by the fact that a Griffon was standing right in front of me. Before I could realize it, I was plunged into silence. I¡¯m sure that one of the causes was also the lack of physical strength I was experiencing now. The intimidating aura was only the trigger. I had no power left in my body. The Griffon slowly walked towards me. I must escape¡­¡­.! Contrary to my thoughts, my body wouldn¡¯t move. Move¡­¡­! Move! But this intimidating feeling was also the key to my problem. I made a sharp sound and something popped inside me; the same instant I started to run. However, before I realized it, I was already shooting through the gravity barrier and ended up pinned down on the trunk of a big tree. I felt the shock on my back and my head slapped onto the tree trunk. My back was hurting from the attack just now. My vision was swaying. ¡®Gyaaaaaaaaa!!¡¯ The Griffon let out a roar and I could see far back inside its throat through its opened beak. The huge eagle head was right I front of my eyes. The Griffon¡¯s claws were eating through the tree trunk, pressing my body harder. ¡°Gu, gah¡­¡­..¡± During those ten days of fierce survival, I managed to evade all the critical situations I fell into. However, this time was different. It was impossible to escape. I have no means to survive a legendary type magical beast, not even by accident. ¡­¡­.Wait, don¡¯t give up! This time is the same. There is no difference whatsoever between this and the critical situations I got over during those survival days. I took out a knife from my holder with the only hand I had free and thrust it with all my strength into the Griffon¡¯s arm. However, the knife only pierced through it superficially. The Griffon didn¡¯t even quiver and kept pressing me down. It hurts. I feel I¡¯m being crushed. I can just barely use my ability. At most, I can produce a sound to drive this thing away. Still, I was now outside the gravity barrier. If I were to use up all my strength here I would definitely end up dead. But I have nothing else to do but risk it and muster my strength¡­..! As I was continuously crushed onto the tree trunk, I somehow sucked in the air¡­¡­.and then I shouted, amplifying the sound. ¡°Sa-save me, Tameiki-san!!!¡± My voice echoed through the sea of trees. Apart from a little flinch, my sound attack just now didn¡¯t have any effect on the Griffon. I¡¯m dead. That¡¯s what I thought, but the Griffon let go of the hand which pinned me down and slowly turned around. I fell down on the ground, stretching out my powerless body. It happened the next instant. First, I saw the Griffon being blown off outside of my field of vision. Next, I saw Tameiki-san with her black hair fluttering, landing on the ground not too far from me. She looked at my collapsed self and rushed over. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± ¡°¡­..Ta-Tameiki-san, you came¡­¡­As expected from my master¡­¡­¡± ¡°Answer me simply. Where do you feel pain?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any major¡­..injury. I think¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s good to hear¡­¡­¡± She took a breath then stood up. Then, she glared at the darkness which was the sea of trees. ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll come back soon.¡± Tameiki-san only said this, then started to run towards the darkness. No way! Does she plan to fight that thing? After Tameiki-san slipped into the darkness of the night, chasing after the Griffon, thunderous roars resounded here and there in the sea of trees. When I thought I heard sounds coming from the front, the next instant they came from somewhere behind, and the next from somewhere above. I could not even imagine what kind of an intense fight was unfolding between Tameiki-san and that Griffon. A few big trees collapsed with creaking sounds. Soon the thunderous roars stopped echoing about, and Tameiki-san returned from the depth of the sea of trees, looking not even one bit disturbed. ¡°The Griffon¡¯s meat has an awful taste so I haven¡¯t left any of it behind. However, its claws are a valuable raw material. I¡¯ll go pick them up tomorrow.¡± As I thought, she went to defeat it. My master is amazing. I¡¯m almost losing my heart to her. ¡°That Griffon played with you. I¡¯m glad you survived.¡± That thing played with me!? Such a troublesome being. Tameiki-san lifted me up and started to walk slowly towards the camp house. Completely exhausted, I placed my head on Tameiki-san¡¯s shoulder and closed my eyes. Our bodies were glued together and it felt warm. I opened my eyes just a tiny bit and saw her hair; I couldn¡¯t stop the urge to sniff it. Yeah, it smelled really good. _____________ With wounds all over my body I was forced to continue my training. All my injuries were covered with medicines, and after one night of rest my training restarted. My body felt heavy as always, but as soon as I recovered a tiny bit of physical strength I continued with the training. After two days have past, I became able to more or less switch my ability on and off; all that was left to do now was to get used to it, so we entered the next stage of my training. ¡°The third stage will forge your dynamic vision and your reflexes to their limit.¡± Or so it appears. It seems that the third stage will train my dynamic vision and my reflex to their limit. ¡°You can sense all the sounds around you, but you¡¯re too slow to act after you sense them. The power to think, judge and quickly act accordingly. This is what¡¯s you¡¯re missing. It has no meaning whatsoever if you can hear the sounds quicker than anybody but you can¡¯t react in accordance to that.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I thought that I fairly trained these reflexes during those ten days of survival, but it seems it was not sufficient. But how does she plan to forge these reflexes? In order to train someone¡¯s dynamic vision, I heard that you¡¯re usually asked to remember the number plate of passing cars in an instant. Will she make me look at moving things? ¡°I¡¯ll be very happy with training my dynamic vision by gazing at Tameiki-san¡¯s movements. If this is the case, since Tameiki-san is adorable, I¡¯m also highly motivated to do it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­We¡¯re not gonna do that.¡± She felt a little shy again. She¡¯s too cute. From the moment I realized this, I occasionally poked at Tameiki-san in this manner. Somehow, it looks that Tameiki-san is happier with being called cute or adorable than beautiful or pretty. During this training, I¡¯m always confronting with harsh situations, so doing this much should be forgivable, right? ¡°Then, how am I going to train?¡± ¡°You will go for another survival.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..You¡¯re joking, right?¡± I felt hopelessness. ¡°However, this time I¡¯m coming along.¡± ¡°Eh!?¡± For real!? Awesome! ¡°The western region of the sea of trees you flew towards last time is inhabited by comparatively weak magical beasts. This time we¡¯ll go to the northern region where we can find many magical beasts with a backbone.¡± ¡°Eeh¡­¡­.¡± Fifteen days until my training is over. There¡¯s still a long time until then. CH 24 The third stage of my training appears to be something difficult to clear again. A survival challenge together with Tameiki-san. I was rather happy about this at first, but somehow, for this stage of the training, Tameiki-san will only act as a burden to me. That¡¯s because my task for the third stage of the training is to protect Tameiki-san during the survival. During this, Tameiki-san won¡¯t use her ability at all; she offed her ability completely. And I have to protect this Tameiki-san who is now reduced to a frail young woman. Won¡¯t this actually be quite difficult to complete? When Tameiki-san feels sluggish, that¡¯s when she normally sustains the gravity of the Earth. But now she already offed her ability and she feels kind of listless. I looked at her and, without thinking, I let out a sigh. My body felt tired due to the daily training, and another survival during which I¡¯ll have to protect Tameiki-san is just too much for me. I was actually certain that she would be the one to protect me, but I was such a fool. As expected, this is something Tameiki-san devised. It is definitely not decent. ¡°The survival will last for nine days. I will be nothing but a burden to you, so make sure you protect me.¡± ¡°A burden you say? Just how much of a burden do you plan to become?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t provide me with food, I¡¯ll make sure to die of starvation and if a magical beast attacks me, I¡¯ll let it eat me without resisting at all. I¡¯ll do everything in my power to become a hindrance to you.¡± Errr¡­¡­What the hell is she thinking!? Is she a baby or something? Tameiki-san ignored my dumbfounded expression and continued. ¡°During this survival, you¡¯ll also have to think about me and not only about yourself. Because of the increased scope of the weight on your mind, your powers of concentration, your reflexes and your dynamic vision should improve.¡± ¡°Eeh¡­..Isn¡¯t there a different way of doing this?¡± In this case, I¡¯d rather have Tameiki-san continue to do nothing but torment me. This is in itself quite harsh, but if Tameiki-san said she¡¯ll be a burden to me, she¡¯ll definitely act accordingly¡­¡­. I¡¯m not confident I can overcome this. ¡°Because you¡¯re risking your life, I will also risk my own life and accompany you on your training; it is the only logical thing to do, right?¡± What logical thing? I originally started this training in order not to die, and I feel like this dangerous training that might end up with me dead is mistaking the insignificant for the essential¡­¡­. Is there even a meaning to it? ¡­¡­.Anyway, Tameiki-san would never listen to such a complaint; and so, we already arrived at the northern part of the sea of trees. According to my illustrated encyclopedia, ferocious magical beasts gather close to the banks of the northern lake. That¡¯s why I installed the tent a little bit away from the lake¡¯s shore. It was a four person, rather big tent. It was the only tent I found in the camp house. I was afraid that Tameiki-san wouldn¡¯t allow me to take a tent for it would be too much of a luxury, but in exchange for me carrying all the luggage, she let me take anything I wanted. I took everything that I had with me the last time, lots of canned food, an empty pet bottle, a tent and a sleeping bag. On the way to the northern sea of trees, I had to carry a bulky luggage weighting about twenty kilograms, but it couldn¡¯t have been helped. Maybe it was luck or maybe I evaded them too well, but we haven¡¯t encountered any magical beasts along the way. I won¡¯t have to be bothered about food for a while. With this much canned food, we should be fine for about five days. I have a few ideas as well about the survival this time. The food is all right. I can get water from a spring not too far away from our tent. And with my scouting abilities, I can easily sense any approaching magical beasts. In short, we can confine ourselves inside the tent for five days. And so, I left Tameiki-san inside the tent and went to get water from the nearby spring. I left the tent holding my worn-out backpack in one hand, the same backpack that aided me during the first ten days of survival. I found the water spring on our way here, so I could easily reach it. Because I know all the locations of magical beasts, I didn¡¯t run into any of them. After I filled the empty pet bottle with fresh water, I returned to the tent. All that¡¯s left for us now is to stay inside for five days. I¡¯ll spend five carefree days, chatting with Tameiki-san inside the tent and eating the canned food. I am not that foolishly earnest to risk my life at every step of this training. This is a survival in the first place. Survive. Yes, continue living. It¡¯s not like Tameiki-san gave me any other specific tasks, so I¡¯ll scheme as much as it¡¯s necessary in order to complete this training with ease. I want to get stronger. I still feel this way. However, this time Tameiki-san made a mistake. It was a failure to let me carry a tent. It appeared like a highly difficult and hellish training at first, but this time I managed to clear it quite easily. Thinking about these things, I returned to the tent only to find Tameiki-san eating the canned food. ¡°What are you doing!?¡± ¡°I was hungry so I started eating.¡± Tameiki-san said, and I saw about five or six empty cans scattered around her. You¡¯re kidding, right? If she continues to eat like this, they won¡¯t even last for three days. I glared at Tameiki-san. She raised an eyebrow and brought the contents of another can to her mouth. This person¡­¡­.she¡¯s forcing herself to eat¡­¡­. Damn it, she¡¯s doing this in order to inconvenience me. It seems that she won¡¯t let this training become too easy for me. ¡°Please stop, you¡¯ll grow fat!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t compare me with your average woman. I move a lot.¡± Tameiki-san¡¯s hand didn¡¯t stop. This woman¡­..! She¡¯s eating all the food that I brought with me at great pains! I¡¯ll tell her¡­¡­.! It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t fire back at her¡­¡­.! I can still say to her spiteful things. ¡°Go ahead and grow chubby, you good-for-nothing fatty!¡± Tameiki-san reacted quick-wittedly to my reckless remark. I immediately tried to escape, but, sadly, I was caught. She caught one of my legs and I tumbled down inside the tent; she then stood on top of me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, forgive me, I got carried away.¡± When it came to this, I had nothing else to do but apologize to her. I completely forgot that even without her ability, Tameiki-san is normally quite strong. ¡°I am not a fatty.¡± A bang resounded inside my head. She¡¯s quite strong. __________ Well, I decided to think that we were already out of food. That¡¯s because Tameiki-san will definitely eat everything I brought with me. Also, it appears that Tameiki-san won¡¯t wait patiently inside the tent either. Using various reasons like wanting to breathe in the outside air or wanting to drink fresh water or wanting to bathe in the sunlight, she constantly slips out of the tent. Some way or another, she¡¯s planning to earnestly be a huge pain in the ass for me. Whenever Tameiki-san goes outside the tent, I must be extremely vigilant. A little while ago we encountered one magical beast, and at that time Tameiki-san really didn¡¯t do anything. If I didn¡¯t panic and drove it away with sounds, about this time Tameiki-san would be digested inside the stomach of that magical beast. Seeing that, I finally understood that she was seriously trying to be a burden to me. I thought that she would at least do the minimum to preserve her own life, but without doing even that, she¡¯s putting her life on the line in order to hinder me. During this survival, the enemy is not the magical beats baring their fangs in the darkness of the forest, but Tameiki-san herself. How much longer can I protect myself while keeping vigilant of Tameiki-san? It seems that this is my task. Only a little bit of time passed since I¡¯ve started this stage of my training, and I realized how much of a burden I was to Roll. Even though the training was designed this way, I finally understood the position of the protector. Keeping awareness of someone other the myself is something quite difficult to do. At present, the training isn¡¯t posing any problems. I properly pay attention to my surroundings and I promptly drive away any magical beast that might be getting close to us, so that Tameiki-san isn¡¯t put in any danger. I have to brace myself and do this for nine days straight, but this much is still within the scope of my abilities. As long as Tameiki-san won¡¯t try something herself, I can handle this. But I was too na?ve to think this way. Tameiki-san collapsed. There¡¯s an insect called Poisoned Butterfly. If you breathe in its poisonous scales, you¡¯ll develop a fever at once and you¡¯ll die in about one day; it is a very troublesome insect. This thing got me once too. And Tameiki-san inhaled the poisonous scales of such a Poisoned Butterfly. CH 25 If you don¡¯t quickly deal with the fever caused by the Poisoned Butterfly¡¯s poison, there¡¯s a high probability it will bring about your death. Watching Tameiki-san stretched out on the ground with a flushed face, after sucking in all the scales of the Poisoned Butterfly, I was fairly panicking. Her facial expression was still composed, but I actually knew. That the poison of a Poisoned Butterfly is extremely painful. I can also hear her fast pulse. Because I only inhaled a small dose of poisoned scales, I could deal with it by myself, but by looking at Tameiki-san¡¯s condition, she most likely inhaled a considerable amount. ¡°Tameiki-san, please drink some water!¡± When you inhale the scales of a Poisoned Butterfly, you deal with it by drinking a large quantity of water. This is what¡¯s written in the encyclopedia. That¡¯s also what I did. ¡°¡­¡­.I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Please, drink!¡± I lifted Tameiki-san¡¯s upper body in my arms and forced her to drink the water. Some of the water dripped from her mouth. ¡°Please wait here. I¡¯ll go find the ingredients for mixing an antidote!¡± After I covered Tameiki-san with both sleeping bags, I rushed out of the tent. The Poisoned Butterfly¡¯s poison is an unpleasant one for it takes advantage of your own antibodies. It penetrates your body like a parasite and generates a high fever that leads to your death. What is therefore important is the antidote mixture. You need holly olive grass which is effective for stopping the fever, and great sweater grass which causes your body to sweat considerably. You mash these with water until the mix becomes a muddled liquid and you have to drink an entire cup for it to be effective. Since holly olive grass and great sweater grass grow almost everywhere, I was able to find them quickly and picked up a considerable amount of both. Holding the two types of grass under my arms, I returned to the tent, washed an empty tin can and stuffed in the leaves of holly olive grass and great sweater grass. I pierced the top of the plastic bottle and poured in some water, then I grabbed the rum that somehow slipped into my food luggage and mixed it in as well. ¡°Ha¡­¡­¡­ha¡­¡­¡­¡± When I heard Tameiki-san¡¯s rough breathing I started to panic. She definitely inhaled those poisoned scales on purpose. I took a deep breath then continued to stir the mixture. I can¡¯t loosen my vigilance outside the tent either. After a while, the contents inside the tin can become muddled. An offensive grass-smelling scent hanged in the air. However, she can drink it now. I helped Tameiki-san sit up and brought the can to her mouth. ¡°¡­¡­.I can¡¯t do it anymore.¡± ¡°What are you saying! This will most likely help you if you drink it, so please hold on!¡± ¡°My body feels powerless¡­¡­I already exceeded my limit¡­¡­.¡± As I thought, she¡¯s doing this on purpose! Moreover, if she can afford to talk, she can definitely drink! I continuously pressed Tameiki-san to drink the antidote. However, she kept her mouth sealed, not wanting to open it. Don¡¯t tell me that¡­¡­she just doesn¡¯t want to drink it¡­ ¡°Why don¡¯t you drink it!? Please don¡¯t say because it looks disgusting!¡± ¡°It looks disgusting. I can¡¯t drink something like that.¡± Damn it! Precisely as I thought! Besides, frankly, she¡¯s still rather composed, isn¡¯t she? But that can¡¯t be. I was very close to dying after I inhaled only a small amount of poisoned scales. The truth is Tameiki-san¡¯s breathing is still rough and her pulse is still fast. And yet, why does she act so composed? Is there another way of saving her without forcing her to drink the antidote? Nope, there isn¡¯t. It¡¯s definitely better to make her drink it. Then what the hell is she doing when she¡¯s so close to dying!? ¡°Please, do me a favor and drink this!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t drink that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­ Is that so? In this case¡­¡­.¡± I also have an idea, you know? I took a mouthful of the muddy antidote and held it in my mouth, then I pressed my mouth onto Tameiki-san¡¯s. Yes, it was mouth-to-mouth feeding. This way, I can force her to drink it. If she gets mad afterwards it can¡¯t be helped. Ah, my first kiss¡­¡­. Why does it have to be like this!?¡­¡­.I wonder if this is Tameiki-san¡¯s first kiss as well? Sigh¡­¡­ I¡¯m quite a romanticist. ¡°Ugh¡­..fu¡­¡­!¡± Her eyes closed and her mouth sealed, when I started to feed her the antidote, Tameiki-san opened her eyes in astonishment. Her body trembled slightly because of the shock and her pulse accelerated even more. Tameiki-san¡¯s lips were warm and soft. However, the nauseously bitterness of the liquid present in my mouth was ruining everything. ¡°Ugh¡­¡­.ngh¡­¡­¡± Tameiki-san¡¯s nasal breathing tickled my face. Although she didn¡¯t resist, there was no sign of accepting the antidote either. Well, if she continues to act like this, I will thoroughly go along with it as well. Excepting the bitterness of the antidote, the rest is nothing but rewarding. After a while, seeing that I wouldn¡¯t give up no matter how much time passed, Tameiki-san gave in. She accepted the bitter antidote and started to swallow it. Even though ¡®injected¡¯ is quite an unpleasant way of describing it¡­¡­.for the time being, I injected all the antidote inside my mouth into hers, then released her. ¡°¡­¡­.Ha¡­¡­.ha¡­¡­¡­You¡± ¡°There are two mouthfuls left! Excuse me!¡± ¡°Ngh¡­¡­.!¡± I was already in despair. I, once again, fed Tameiki-san the antidote. She closed her eyes, inclined her face to the side and drank it up. ¡°Ha¡­¡­, haa¡­¡­. All right, it was my fault¡­¡­So, please do it slower¡­¡­¡­, let me drink it slowly¡­¡­..¡± Because of the fever, Tameiki-san¡¯s face was bright-red. Her heart was pounding violently as well. She¡¯s seriously ill. I must hurry and make her drink all the antidote. I drew near in order to mouth-to-mouth feed her again. ¡°¡­¡­Wait, Shion. Please wait¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­..It¡¯s too embarrassing, so you should close your eyes too¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± I lied. Most likely this is the first and last time I am able to see Tameiki-san¡¯s cute face from this close. There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll miss the chance. I held in my mouth the last mouthful of antidote and kissed Tameiki-san, keeping my eyes slightly opened. Her eyes closed, she received the liquid. Since she told me to do it slowly, I slowly poured the antidote into Tameiki-san¡¯s mouth. As Tameiki-san slowly swallowed the antidote, I don¡¯t know what she was thinking about but she placed one hand on my back, surrounding it. Maybe she just couldn¡¯t support her body anymore. Because of this situation, the gesture was not even romantic. Before long, I transferred all the liquid in my mouth into Tameiki-san¡¯s, then I parted from her. Likely because she used up all her strength, she threw down her body with a flop. ¡°Shion¡­¡­.you little¡­¡­.You did it this time¡­¡­.¡± Staring dimly at the tent roof, Tameiki-san said to me. Her face was still red and her pulse still fast. It¡¯s not like the antidote works immediately. ¡°Forgive me. But all that¡¯s left now is to warm up your body and rest. Because you will most likely sweat a lot, I¡¯ll hurry to bring you some water.¡± ¡°Understood¡­¡­.¡± ____________ After she drank the antidote, Tameiki-san¡¯s fever started to go down. She sweat so abundantly that I had to constantly wipe her dry. I only wiped the nape of her neck and her face, since she would probably get mad if I were to wipe the rest of her body too. After about two hours, she stopped sweating and, looking a bit better, I asked her to changed her clothes. Of course, I didn¡¯t watch her doing it. I waited outside the tent. Next, as a reaction to the holly olive grass, Tameiki-san developed intense shivers, so I helped her getting inside the sleeping bag. I gave her even my spare clothes to wear, so she was perfectly equipped. It was already night. A period of time when magical beasts become rather active. Inside the tent, I kept being vigilant. I camouflaged the tent with all sorts of dry leaves, so even if magical beasts get close to it, they probably won¡¯t attack. I didn¡¯t use any light either. Still, it is best to be cautious. ¡°I¡¯m cold. I¡¯m way too cold.¡± I shrunk my body in one corner of the tent as I stayed alert of the outside situation when I heard Tameiki-san murmur. She wears so many extra clothes and she¡¯s still cold? We¡¯re in a desert area so it is colder during night time, but it appears that the side effects of the holly olive grass are greater than I expected. Maybe I used too many leaves. Anyway, the shivers should disappear soon too. ¡°Shion¡± ¡°Yes¡± ¡°I¡¯m cold, so come here.¡± ¡°Okay?¡± ¡°Get inside here.¡± ¡°Inside the sleeping bag? It¡¯s too tight for us both.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll fit. Come.¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡­¡± I¡¯m not really that eager right now. Still, my ultimate goal was to secretly sneak into Tameiki-san¡¯s bed when she sleeps. Because it was pitch dark, I couldn¡¯t see Tameiki-san¡¯s face. ¡°Hurry up.¡± ¡°All right, all right.¡± I stooped to where Tameiki-san lay. ¡°Come inside. Can you see?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± ¡°Ah, understood. Wait, I can¡¯t fit in there. Two bodies inside a single person sleeping bag is overdoing it.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll fit. Hurry up, I¡¯m cold.¡± I somehow managed to get inside the sleeping bag, but it was extremely crowded; Tameiki-san and I were now glued to each other. There¡¯s no way I can turn over, or even move. Tameiki-san¡¯s soft body twined itself around me and it felt good. It was extremely warm as well. A little wet too because of all the sweating. ¡°You¡¯re warm. You¡¯re a great human pillow.¡± ¡°This is a normal body temperature though.¡± Tameiki-san hugged me tightly, and I desperately tried to hold back my seething erection. I¡¯ll gladly become Tameiki-san¡¯s human pillow. ¡°¡­¡­.Shion, you easily fed me that antidote mouth-to-mouth. Do you have such experience?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t. It was my first kiss.¡± Though, I¡¯d rather not count it as a kiss. ¡°I see. Mine too. Well, I¡¯ve done artificial respiration a few times before. But only to women.¡± It appears that Tameiki-san didn¡¯t have any men in her life until now. Well, she¡¯s too scary, this Tameiki-san. For some reason, I managed to rather quickly open her heart; she¡¯s still scary but not like before. ¡°And you offered your first kiss to me, huh?¡± ¡°You were in a state of emergency. If it weren¡¯t for that, everything would¡¯ve been like a perfect reward.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..Don¡¯t tell me you like me!¡± ¡°Eh? Well, I like you very much, of course.¡± She¡¯s teaching me all sorts of things and she¡¯s kind sometimes; and she¡¯s beautiful as well. She forces you to play with death, but she¡¯s truly a great master. ¡°I see. You like me¡­¡­.¡± Somehow, Tameiki-san¡¯s embrace got stronger. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep now.¡± ¡°All right. Good night.¡± I can¡¯t fall asleep. That¡¯s because I have to stay alert to what happens outside. Despite being in a warm and comfortable place, not being able to fall asleep is like torture. A short time later, I heard Tameiki-san¡¯s sleeper¡¯s breathing. She fell asleep while embracing me. I somehow managed to turn over and was now lying on my back, face up. Then, I took the liberty to rub Tameiki-san¡¯s breasts to some extent. Today¡¯s nursing charge and annoyance fee. CH 26 My training continued. During the last seven days, Tameiki-san kept interfering with me without fail, but I protected her nonetheless. The most difficult situation was with the Poisoned Butterfly¡¯s scales. Because Tameiki-san went by herself to inhale the poisonous scales, there was no way to avoid it. During these seven days, I had to intervene with an antidote three times. About the third time, maybe she developed antibodies or something, but Tameiki-san wasn¡¯t in such pain anymore. Her symptoms softened instantly. That¡¯s why I declared to her that I will absolutely not treat her the next time she does this on purpose. There are two more days left of this training which only messed with my sleeping time. I find it rather difficult to continue now. Besides, since that mouth-to-mouth antidote feeding, I have the feeling that Tameiki-san had been awfully clingy¡­¡­ Having said that, when our eyes meet, she turns away, and she enters weird moods without any clear explanation. This feeling¡­¡­.Did she perhaps fall in love with me? ¡­¡­..Well, as one would expect, that is not the case. Tameiki-san would never fall for a kid like me, and there was nothing to fall in love with in the first place. Not much time passed since we actually met each other. And it¡¯s not like we have a strong relationship either. Tameiki-san, did you perhaps fall in love with me? If I were to ask her such an arrogant thing, she would definitely knock me off my feet. On the other hand, I only need another push and she¡¯ll snatch my heart away. Tameiki-san¡¯s mature charm is too harsh on an unpopular guy like me. It¡¯s a menace. It makes me misunderstand stuff. However, through our relationship as master and apprentice, I can perfectly feel the love she pours into me as my master. I am confident that, having to survive for this long, I have certainly become stronger. I managed to increase the scope of things I can do with my ability and, above all, I boosted my endurance and my mental strength. Maybe it¡¯s only natural to become like this when forced to play with death all the time. Anyway, my body is thoroughly worn-out. Because Tameiki-san won¡¯t let me rest, I can¡¯t recover my strength at all. My body feels so heavy that I find it difficult even to walk; in any case, my strength now is very low. Anyway, I have two more days of the third stage, then, after one day of rest, the fourth stage will start where she¡¯ll make me do something again, but after that we¡¯ll return home. In short, my training will be over soon! I did it¡­¡­ Still, there are many things to feel anxious about once I go back. First, I neglected all the promises to go out with Tsurugi and the others, I left my home without saying anything for an entire month¡­¡­¡­and I didn¡¯t finish most of the homework I had to do this summer. I hope the Boss did the proper arrangements in this area though. Also, what I mustn¡¯t forget about is Roll¡¯s existence. Roll is dangerous. After I promised her that I¡¯ll go visit every day, I left without saying a single word to her. Even I would get angry in that situation. I tried to steal Tameiki-san¡¯s phone several times in order to send a message to Roll, but it didn¡¯t work. But I will return stronger, so Roll will probably be pleased about it too. And maybe she¡¯s already been told that someone selfishly tool me along to train me. Anyway, I decided to think about my apology to her while I still had the time. Roll will surely forgive me. Well, this training damaged me in all such aspects. I have to try my best a little more! Right when I started to feel enthusiastic about it, it happened that my training stopped two days before ending the third stage. I thought that we would halfway finish with the third stage and enter the fourth one right away, but it wasn¡¯t like that. The training itself was over. ¡°No, no, I will stay here and continue with my training. I hate doing things half-heartedly. I want to decisively complete it!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t. The training is over.¡± At this time, I clang to a large tree and didn¡¯t let it go. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, this is unreasonable! Why don¡¯t you go back by yourself, Tameiki-san!¡± ¡°Then, I won¡¯t have to come back and pick you up once you finished, right?¡± ¡°Damn¡­¡­.That¡¯s mean!¡± ¡°Be quiet and follow me.¡± This was the situation. In the middle of the third stage, Tameiki-san¡¯s phone¡¯s unsuitable ringtone resounded inside the sea of trees. It was a call from the Boss. It was about a mission request. A unit, from one of our branch offices, accompanying a car which transported some goods was attacked by the SDF. If the goods which were supposed to arrive at one of our development bases were to be destroyed now, it would mean a hard blow for Anonymous and on top of that, depending on the situation, there¡¯s a high change that our development base would be discovered as well. Therefore, Tameiki-san must give urgent reinforcements and she has to go escort the car and the goods. The difficulty degree is S+. Tameiki-san is a fundamentally free person, so she only takes on missions upon request. She herself said that she never goes to pick missions by herself. Also, she never does missions lower than A. I obviously believed that I would be nothing but a burden to her during this mission, so I invited her to go do it by herself as I continued with my training, but Tameiki-san shaded me; I actually don¡¯t understand what she was thinking about. Still, it was less a shading and more of a forceful taking along. ¡°Really now, please give me a break. I actually want to finish with my training, you know? I don¡¯t like being half-hearted.¡± ¡°Then the last stage will be ¡®Come with me on my mission¡¯. What do you say now? There¡¯s no problem this way.¡± Ah, she¡¯ll take me with her no matter what. Sigh, it¡¯s futile to oppose Tameiki-san. ¡°¡­¡­..All right. I¡¯ll just come along then.¡± ¡°Good. We¡¯ll go back to the camp house first.¡± ___________ Once we returned to the camp house, both Tameiki-san and I took a quick shower, then we changed into new tuxedos. Tameiki-san immediately finished her preparations and collected all the stuff into one big attache case. ¡°The battle front where the branch office unit was apprehended is the mountain trail on Mt. Jesa. It¡¯s right after we cross the desert. It¡¯s probably a guerrilla warfare situation. We¡¯re the closest to the branch office, so we will be their reinforcement. There are others coming to the rescue as well, and I believe they¡¯ll be arriving soon, but we should also expect that they¡¯ll be completely under suppression by the time we get there. We complete the mission by either securing the goods before reaching the tunnel at the end of the mountain trail, or by completely exterminating the SDFs.¡± ¡°Right. I¡¯ll leave those things to you.¡± ¡°Are you stupid? You¡¯re the one who¡¯ll do everything. In a guerrilla warfare situation, there¡¯s no one better than you. It¡¯s more efficient than my way.¡± ¡°Wait¡­¡­.!¡± She grasped my arm firmly and we took a great leap in the sky. I could see far ahead, and I immediately discovered Mt. Jesa. Nevertheless, we¡¯re falling now. Did she point the gravity vector in that direction? But this doesn¡¯t even shock me anymore. It¡¯s just Tameiki-san¡¯s acrobatic floating ability. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If it gets extremely dangerous, I¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°Please help me before it gets extremely dangerous!!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll start moving if any obstacles in completing the mission show up.¡± ¡°As I said¡­¡­..!¡± Tameiki-san increased the speed. Taken by surprise, I clang to Tameiki-san¡¯s waist. Damn it! As always, it¡¯s like she doesn¡¯t even hear me! Besides, the wind is awful! But Tameiki-san is wearing goggles; What the hell, give me a pair too! Shit, I can¡¯t keep my eyes opened. All I can do now is to bury my face in Tameiki-san¡¯s abdomen. I¡¯ll sniff her just to show her. ¡°After taking that shower, you smell really good, Tameiki-san!¡± Covering my face, I breathed in and out into Tameiki-san¡¯s abdomen. She shivered a little. ¡°Stop it. It tickles.¡± I didn¡¯t. Moreover, I increased my sniffing speed. As one would expect, she hit me because of that. CH 27 Mt. Jesa. A mountain 4,600 m high. The spiraling mountain road which started at the base of Mt. Jesa pierced through the mountain and reached the city of Sentoseria. Sentoseria is a metropolis where the SDF have their headquarters. Almost no one uses this road to reach Sentoseria though. That¡¯s because a beautiful highway across the valley was built. This road crossing the mountain was long since it became abandoned, so its current condition was not too great. That¡¯s why most of the people now use the beautiful road across the valley, but using this road to transport our goods was a little bit problematic. It led to Sentoseria too. Therefore, many SDF vans passed this road on a regular basis. So it¡¯ll be problematic to transport Anonymous¡¯ goods using this road. We could use smugglers or transportation services provided by other underground organisations, but precisely because we operate in the shadows in the first place, no one wants to use that royal road. If they found us there, we would be dead in an instant. Currently, Tameiki-san and I found a car, actually stole it, and were driving it on the mountain road. We advanced for a while and saw that the SDF were blocking the road somewhere in the distance. Tameiki-san stopped the car in front of the SDF patrol car, then the SDF soldier knocked on the driver side¡¯s window. Will this be all right, I wondered, since we both wore our tuxedos. ¡°Shion, let¡¯s get off.¡± Tameiki-san resolutely ignored the SDF guy as she opened the door. Then she got off the car. I hurried to get off as well and followed after Tameiki-san. ¡°A brutal magical beast showed up in this area so this road is currently closed.¡± The SDF guy stood in front of sand said this, but Tameiki-san ignored him again and walked passed him. ¡°Hey you¡­¡­¡± The SDF man grabbed Tameiki-san shoulder after she purposely disregarded him and walked ahead. He unfortunately grabbed her shoulder. The SDF guy became one with the earth¡¯s surface. His blood splashed at her feet and it even reached mine. The other SDF personnel who saw this happen, prepared for battle right away, but they, one by one, were smashed to the ground. ¡°Uwaa¡­¡­¡± In a mere instant their bodies become nothing but lumps of meat, but I averted my eyes and followed after Tameiki-san. She doesn¡¯t show any mercy¡­¡­ ¡°Shion, it¡¯s about time you put on your mask. I¡¯m not worried if my face is seen, but this doesn¡¯t apply to you.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Tameiki-san waited for me to put my mask on, then she put on those cool black groves of hers and got on the SDF¡¯s patrol car. I also got on the passenger¡¯s seat. The car started running. ¡°Do you understand the situation?¡± Tameiki-san asked me, as she displayed a skilful driving technique, continuously rotating the steering wheel. She drove the car with an insanely high speed, despite the rough road. ¡°¡­¡­It is a bit strange. I can¡¯t hear any battle sounds nor running cars sounds. I can hear voices of people, but at this distance I can¡¯t make up the contents¡­¡­¡± ¡°Then, they might already be suppressed.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Maybe you¡¯re right.¡± Am I the one responsible for doing something about this¡­¡­? But it¡¯s impossible for me. Thinking about this, I looked through the window half in despair. Because the speed was too great, the scenery passed quickly as well. However, my eyes stopped on one particular scenery. ¡°Ta-Tameiki-san, look!¡± I pointed outside the window and said this, and Tameiki-san urgently pressed the brake and stopped the SDF¡¯s patrol car. Her eyes already followed the direction of my pointed finger. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Is that a¡­..corpse?¡± Yes. An SDF man wearing camouflaged clothes was impaled on a long, standing tree branch. Looking around, we caught sight of other corpses here and there. ¡°Aside from SDFs, there are corpses of our people as well.¡± On the road, trees and guardrail, marks of a recent battle still remained. ¡°It was quite the flashy battle.¡± ¡°Not really. Look carefully at the corpses.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I did what I was told and looked at the dead bodies. Apart from being utterly grotesque, I thought they looked like normal corpses; was there something else about them? ¡°Our people and the SDF guys alike died of the same kind of wounds. Magical beasts?¡­¡­No. There¡¯s a high probability that a third party intervened here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Eh, for real?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s quite the trouble, so I should probably take care of this mission by myself after all. This is too big a responsibility for you.¡± Tameiki-san only said this, then she got on the car again and took off. Lucky me. If Tameiki-san takes care of things here, there¡¯s nothing to worry about. I don¡¯t know who did this, but I felt gratitude towards the third party which intervened. Perhaps I should show more concern or nervousness for this mission. It¡¯s not too good to rely on Tameiki-san. We advanced for a while, and the Anonymous¡¯ cars column transporting the goods came in sight. The cars were lined up in front of the tunnel, engines not running. There was no one inside them. However, the luggage was still piled up on the cars¡¯ roof racks. ¡°What is this?¡± I asked and Tameiki-san silently covered her ears. ¡°¡­¡­..!¡± A bit slowly, but I understood Tameiki-san¡¯s intention and I released a huge roaring sound. The sound echoed inside the forest. I concentrated my mind. Two people on a tree and one above in the sky. The sudden explosive sound disturbed their breathing and heartbeats. They were so honed that without concentrating my senses I couldn¡¯t hear them at all. Tameiki-san paid attention to my eyes. Up, left, left. I conveyed to her the location of the enemy with my eyes, then a sound reverberated with a ¡®thud¡¯. I watched as the trees to my left side got crushed to the ground and the birds flying up in the sky got smashed dead on the ground as well. ¡°Ah. Quite the troublesome ones intervened this time.¡± Tameiki-san said and sighed deeply. However, I understood from the pressure she gave of now that she sharpened her senses. She couldn¡¯t bring down the three enemies with her first attack. Right, they evaded it just now. They sensed that their location was discovered, and had the discernment and reflexes to immediately avoid Tameiki-san¡¯s attack. They¡¯re skilled. Then, three voices showed up above our heads and their possessors landed in order, surrounding us. ¡°Waaaaao! An amazing big-shot in such a place! And here I thought that some more SDF weak reinforcements arrived, but isn¡¯t this Taaameiki-san!¡± ¡°Eh!? It¡¯s a lie, right!? ¡®Gravity¡¯ 1!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true! Amazing, it¡¯s the real deal! I¡¯m a big fan of yours!¡± A trio with quite the showy appearances showed up. Their faces were hidden behind Venetian masks, and counting from the right, they were a man, a woman and another man. Since I couldn¡¯t see their faces, I didn¡¯t know their ages. What¡¯s with these guys¡­¡­ Thinking about this, I took a vigilant attitude. From the moment they avoided Tameiki-san¡¯s attack I knew that these enemies were stronger than me. I immediately got closer to Tameiki-san. Tameiki-san moved faster than anyone. The terrain under the trio¡¯s feet changed. The three sensed the upcoming attack beforehand, so they evaded it, and were now fluttering about in the sky. Tameiki-san then launched a knife attack. They evaded knife after knife after knife; their battle was a defensive one. Still, their voices sounded rather cheerful. ¡°This! Isn¡¯t it that the likes of us can¡¯t actually win this!?¡± ¡°Ahaha! That¡¯s true!¡± ¡°Gyahaha! How do we run away! Do something!¡± ¡°Let just the two of us get away with your ability!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll die then, won¡¯t I!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right! Die for me!¡± ¡°You¡¯re horrible!? Wait, a knife stuck my arm! Wait! Help!¡± ¡°Yup, you¡¯ve been hit!¡± ¡°That knife came from you! Because you¡¯re extremely clumsy at this!¡± ¡°Formation C!¡± ¡° ¡°Roger!¡± ¡° The trio moved around carefreely, evading the knives with cheery voices, then they suddenly stopped. They stopped, but when it looked like Tameiki-san was about to catch the whole herd with one last throw, contrary to expectations, the trio disappeared. What was left behind was Tameiki-san¡¯s pressing and the thrown knives. Those guys disappeared in a mere instant. ¡°They ran away.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.I can¡¯t believe you couldn¡¯t finish them off.¡± ¡°My normal self would¡¯ve killed them with the first strike. Maybe because I repeatedly inhaled the Poisoned Butterfly¡¯s scales, my physical strength is not completely restored. I couldn¡¯t use my full power.¡± You reap what you sow, sister. ¡°Besides, who the heck were those guys?¡± ¡°They were members of the Nursery Rhymes. They¡¯re not as big as Anonymous, but they¡¯re also an organisation opposing the SDF. We¡¯re in the same business, so to speak. They have few members, but most of them are powerful. Their trademark is the Venetian mask and the showy clothes.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­There are such things too.¡± The underground world sure is vast. When it came to evil organisations, I only knew about Anonymous, but when I asked the others, I found out that there were various other ones too. Ours is so popular, probably because we sometimes act in the open as well. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll report to Heid.¡± Tameiki-san took out her work phone from a pocket and called the Boss. ¡®Tameiki?¡¯ The Boss¡¯ voice resounded through the phone. Due to my ability, I could clearly hear phone conversations too. ¡°Yeah. We completed the mission, but the transportation unit was wiped out. It was the Nursery Rhymes.¡± ¡®Those guys again? How many did you kill?¡¯ ¡°Zero. I felt a little sick.¡± That¡¯s an awful pretext. ¡®I see. Recently, those guys have started to fool around way too much. It might be the time to strike them.¡¯ ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± ¡®I¡¯ll send some reinforcements from the branch office to escort the goods. Please stay there for a little bit.¡¯ ¡°Understood.¡± She hung up. Tameiki-san placed her work phone in the pocket again, she unfastened two buttons from her shirt and got in the patrol car. She then let her seat down, linked her hands at her back and closed her eyes. ¡°Shion, I leave the lookout to you. I¡¯m tired, so I¡¯ll sleep. Wake me up if anything happens.¡± I couldn¡¯t answer her something like I¡¯ll attack her if she intended to sleep so defencelessly, so I said ¡®Yes¡¯ instead. It appears that my master was a bit irritated by the fact that she couldn¡¯t finish those guys off. Maybe I should¡¯ve attacked too. My reactions were fast enough, but I couldn¡¯t move for I would¡¯ve gotten in Tameiki-san¡¯s way. Anyway, we more or less completed the mission. I didn¡¯t do anything though. _______________ Thus, my training finished with an incomplete feeling. ¡°This, is this for real?¡± We rested our bodies for two days in that branch office, and were now on the road leading to the city of Slayseid where the branch office was located, when Tameiki-san made a very serious announcement. I did think it was strange. Even though all my wounds healed during the time we stayed here, the sluggishness didn¡¯t go away. It was a suffocating feeling. I thought it was because of muscle pain or fatigue due to the training, but it wasn¡¯t anything like that. ¡°Didn¡¯t you realise it? You¡¯re a fool.¡± ¡°No, no. You normally don¡¯t realise these things!¡± ¡°Normally you do realise. When your own body becomes heavier.¡± Right. It appears that Tameiki-san increased the gravity affecting me during the whole period of my training. She slowly increased the load without me realising it, until the burden on my body finally reached 1.5 times the normal amount. Without me noticing it, she restricted me. ¡°Well, anyway, I¡¯ll withdraw it now.¡± Tameiki-san said and my body instantly became lighter. ¡°Uoo!? Amazing! My body feels incredibly light!¡± ¡°Fufu, right?¡± ¡°Somehow, I feel like I¡¯ve become much, much stronger!¡± ¡°You did become fairly stronger.¡± ¡°Really!?¡± ¡°Yeah. Anyway, with this, your training has ended for the time being.¡± My ears moved with a twitch. For the time being? What did she mean, for the time being? ¡°Well, I shall refrain. I don¡¯t want to go through a second similar training ever again.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t do that kind of training again. What you¡¯re lacking now is actual fighting experience. Send me your schedule. I¡¯ll shade you when you¡¯re free.¡± ¡°Eh, Ehh¡­.. I would warmly welcome a date though¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s not such a bad idea either.¡± Dumbfounded by her reply, I turned around to face her. ¡°Eh!? Is that all right!?¡± ¡°Shut up. It was a joke.¡± CH 28 Once we arrived at our town, Tameiki-san returned my work phone and my private phone. The moment we arrived, Tameiki-san disappeared somewhere and I was left alone in the organization¡¯s parking lot. For the time being, I decided to start reading the e-mails gathered in my phone. The e-mails on my work phone were mostly from Roll. ¡®Where are you?¡¯ ¡®Aren¡¯t you coming?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m hungry.¡¯ ¡®I finished homework. Shall I help you finish yours?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m bored.¡¯ ¡®Are you ignoring me?¡¯ ¡®The old man told me. You¡¯re training with Tameiki-san, aren¡¯t you?¡¯ ¡®Did she take your phone?¡¯ The e-mails I got from Roll were these eight. They all came in the first three days; she didn¡¯t send any after that. There were also shade invitations from Kuroinu-san and Kemuri-san, but these too came only in the first week. It appears that the news of me being kidnaped by Tameiki-san took about a week to spread. I had a lot of messages on my private phone as well. Most of them were going out invitations from Tsurugi, Oohashi, Rin and other friends. There were also messages from my worried parents. There was also an e-mail from Roll, who was registered under the name Shinjou, asking me ¡®Did she also take this phone?¡¯ However, the messages from my friends and parents stopped coming after a certain day. I then checked the sent messages on my private phone and I realized that a message was sent to everyone who was worried about me, saying ¡®During the summer holidays, I am going on a trip to polish myself. Please don¡¯t look for me.¡¯ This is big sis Tameiki¡¯s doing, right? That woman, she selfishly used my cell phone¡­¡­ Still, maybe it was better than neglecting everyone. Besides, the message that came from my parents afterwards was fairly cruel. ¡®Understood. So you¡¯re already at that age, huh?¡¯ What the heck? Don¡¯t consent to something like this so easily. Well, anyway. For the time being, I was relieved that nothing too important came out of it. But this in itself was a bit strange. Now, the maximum priority matter is Roll. I have to go and apologize to her. It seems that she already knows that my phones were confiscated and probably she¡¯s not angry about it. Still, an apology is necessary. The problem is I didn¡¯t go see her in the hospital, not even once. Also, the summer holidays end in three days. If Roll doesn¡¯t help me with my homework, I¡¯ll be in trouble. I wonder if her wounds healed. Anyway, I¡¯ll just go see her. _____________ I first went to Roll¡¯s hospital room but she wasn¡¯t there. I happened to meet Chiyaku-san and she told me that Roll left the sick room three days ago for she made a complete recovery. Once I heard this, I started walking towards Roll¡¯s room. My ability was in the off state. Since this state was extremely pleasant, I was happy that I learned how to do it. Now that I know how to switch it on and off, I clearly feel the difference. I also completely understood that the ability users who didn¡¯t learn the ON-OFF switching of their abilities would die young. I arrived to Roll¡¯s room and I knocked first. I knocked twice on the door and waited for Roll¡¯s answer. ¡°Who¡¯s that? Is it you, Shion?¡± Her voice could soon be heard from the other side of the door. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m back.¡± ¡°It¡¯s opened. You can come in.¡± I opened the door as I was told and entered the room. The room was a little bit rearranged, and the room that had a girly atmosphere before now looked a bit robotic. Roll sat down on a chair, reading a book. ¡°Long time no see, buddy.¡± Roll said, not even looking at me. The word buddy contained an emphasis and cynicism. A strange intimidating air made me stand stock still. I immediately guessed. Roll was in a bad mood. ¡°¡­¡­Your wounds healed.¡± I opened my mouth. My voice was a little stiff. In order to prepare the ground for an apology, I reorganized the conversation. ¡°Yeah, three days ago I made a complete recovery.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not coming to see you¡­¡­.¡± I apologized from the bottom of my heart, but the words Roll returned were a bit uncharacteristic. ¡°It¡¯s not like you did anything wrong, right, Shion? You were only taken away. I don¡¯t even mind it in the first place.¡± She¡¯s lying. She does mind it. How should I put it? I feel some sort of distance between us now. With only a few exchanged words I understood it. The situation was more serious than I thought. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°As I said, I don¡¯t mind it.¡± A moment of silence. I became strangely uncomfortable so I opened my mouth again. ¡°¡­¡­.I will compensate for this one day.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, I don¡¯t mind it!¡± Roll stood up and raised her voice. That¡¯s when we first made eye contact. Anger was reflected in her pupils. I then reconfirmed it. The situation was far more serious than I thought. I never imagined that Roll would be this angry. It was also the first time I saw her this way. But why? Was it such a bit mistake to neglect Roll for the entire month? ¡­¡­.I also thought about this for a bit, but for Roll, this might have been quite the shock. I stood there, taking in her glare, not running away from that intense look in her eyes. Before long, Roll sat down on the chair again. ¡°¡­¡­Sorry. I was distracted. At any rate, Tameiki-san worked you really hard, didn¡¯t she? Your expressions and the air you¡¯re giving off are different. You¡¯re like a changed man¡­¡­¡± Roll said, looking downwards and hiding her face. This is not good. I hurried to smooth things over and I scratched my head. ¡°That¡¯s not quite true. But I am confident I became a little bit stronger.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I understood it once I looked at you. Sorry, Shion. Please go back for now. My mood is not that excellent.¡± ¡°Roll, what can I do for you to forgive me?¡± I hesitated for an instant, but I said this line nonetheless, and Roll¡¯s anger caught fire again. ¡°I am NOT¡­¡­.angry! Good then, Shion. Let¡¯s go to the training room. Show me how strong you¡¯ve gotten.¡± ____________ Roll and I faced each other in the training room. Roll changed in an easy to move jersey and was now doing some light warming-up excercises. ¡°I¡¯ll explain the rules.¡± ¡°All right.¡± ¡°No weapons, no abilities. No attacks aimed at vitals. The first one to go down is the looser.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± We were about to start a sham battle. Roll wanted to see how strong I have become. She might have other intensions too, but if she wants to observe my growth, then I¡¯m happy about it. Her anger might subside as well. Once I gave my answer, I bent slightly. ¡°Then, come at me any time.¡± I did what I was told and closed in the distance between us in an instant. I was aiming at Roll¡¯s forehead. There were five vital spots we decided upon. The eyes, the tip of the nose, the chin, the pit of the stomach and the male crotch. Apart from these spots, attacks were allowed anywhere. This wasn¡¯t the first time Roll and I did practice battles. We did this a lot of times before I went to train. Back then, I hesitated to attack Roll, but I soon realized that I couldn¡¯t even touch her and I understood that my hesitation was useless. However, what about now? I stepped into Roll¡¯s left side and released a punch from outside her field of vision. However, with explosive power she nimbly passed over me and she dodged simultaneous with my strike. She then released a punch and I parried with my right hand. I countered Roll¡¯s pursuit with a back step while defending myself with a kick. I then put a little space between us, and as I was in a battle stance, I invited Roll to attack me. Roll dealt with my attack with such certainty and went on the counteroffensive. Maybe it¡¯ll be better to let her attack first now. ¡°¡­¡­.Just what kind of training did she make you do?¡± In the middle of this tension covering us over, Roll opened her mouth to talk. I wanted to answer her, but I kept silent. Despite this being a practice battle, it was a battle nonetheless. If you have the leisure to talk, then seize the opportunity. That¡¯s what Tameiki-san taught me. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°¡­¡­..She even taught you this.¡± Roll said, casting her eyes down. What? She¡¯s full of openings. I was about to shorten the distance between us, but, suddenly, the atmosphere surrounding Roll changed. Cat ears appeared on her head and a tail showed up through a gap in the jersey. ¡°¡­¡­..!?¡± Didn¡¯t you say that we weren¡¯t allowed to use our abilities!? I immediately switched my ability on. This is bad. However, my decision was apparently a little bit slow as Roll already came to attack me. Such incredible explosiveness. She¡¯s way too fast. Yet, I can still see everything¡­¡­..! I rolled down to evade her attack, then stood up immediately, but as Roll kicked the wall and turned around with unbelievable speed, she overtook me, grasped my neck and slapped me into the training room¡¯s wall. ¡°Kaha¡­..!¡± Her nails pierced through my skin. She rapidly constricted me, lifting me up. I placed both my hands on Roll¡¯s hands, trying to sustain my body weight in order to be able to breathe somehow. Ain¡¯t she graceful? This Roll. I looked down at Roll with distorted pupils, and she bit down her lips as she glared at me. ¡°You¡­¡­..! You¡­¡­..! You are MY partner, but you¡­¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­..!¡± She pressed even harder on my neck and my consciousness was drifting away. I closed my eyes. ¡­¡­..Why in the world is she this angry? I also have my complaints now that it came to this. My anger rose up as I one-sidedly took damage. I felt sorry for Roll, but in this case she should complain to Tameiki-san or the boss. It¡¯s not like I left Roll behind on my own decision, it was the boss who ordered Tameiki-san to take me away. Having said that, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m blaming the boss or Tameiki-san or something. That¡¯s because I really needed that training with Tameiki-san. Is this my fault then? Since I felt I was the only one to blame for Roll¡¯s injuries, I was prepared for an outburst of anger, a little bit of obstinate playing around or some sort of a punishment, but, as one would expect, this was too much. She had absolutely no reason to be this angry. Even though I was the cause, I didn¡¯t have any responsibility for this matter. I am not able to silently accept Roll¡¯s recklessness right now. I bit down on my lips in order to awake my drifting consciousness, and I kicked Roll as hard as I could on her side. However, Roll saw through everything and parried my kick with her left hand. Right now, Roll was pinning me down with only her right hand. I somehow managed to pull apart from her hand and bit at it. ¡°Iiii¡­¡­..!¡± She hurriedly pulled back her hand and took a step back. I dropped down on the floor, and as I was out of breath, I rubbed my neck. I had a few scratch wounds on my neck, causing a prickling pain. I heard that the scratch wounds of a cat leave behind marks. You did it, Roll, scratching me in such a conspicuous spot. ¡°Ha, ha¡­¡­Hey¡­¡­.!¡± As my breathing calmed down, I sharply glared at Roll. Perhaps, she just came back to herself a moment ago, as my utterance made her quiver. Her cat ears hanged down as well. ¡°¡­¡­I too! I got stronger for your sake!¡± I wanted to press down on her all sort of arguments, but without realizing it, it came out like this. My training with Tameiki-san was all sorts of things, and because of that I messed around a bit, but I always kept thinking and worrying about the fact that I inflicted those wounds to Roll. That was also the trigger that made me decide on getting stronger no matter what. There is no lie here. ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­¡­It¡¯s different, Shion¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Different!? Didn¡¯t I sincerely apologize to you! If that isn¡¯t enough for you to forgive me, then say so! I don¡¯t want to listen to your lies, like you don¡¯t mind what happened!¡± ¡°But you¡­¡­.!¡± ¡°I thought that you, Roll, was someone who understood various things¡­¡­! What happened to this you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­.¡± ¡°This is enough!¡± I dropped on my knees in front of Roll and I vigorously prostrated myself. ¡°I am sorry! Please forgive me! I was in the wrong for not understanding your feelings! Let¡¯s reconcile now!¡± I thought about it and came to the conclusion that only by me apologizing again the situation will return to normal. I have the feeling that responding to Roll¡¯s anger with anger was useless anyway. Besides, once I saw that Roll returned to herself, my instant explosion of anger cooled down rapidly. ¡°Eh? Wai¡­¡­¡± I silently waited for Roll¡¯s words, as I kept my head down. It happened at that moment. ¡®Fu, kuku. Fuhahahahhaha! Ahahahahaha! What¡¯s that, Shion-kun!¡¯ I heard a voice coming from the observation room. I turned around and saw a brown-haired woman inside the observation room. She probably has a similar age to Tameiki-san. Since I focused all my attention on Roll, I didn¡¯t even notice her. The training room is also soundproofed. ¡°Shugyou¡­..! 1 How comes you¡¯re here!¡± So this is Shugyou-san? Since Roll and her seemed on very good terms, I thought that she was younger. ¡®Master key. Did you forget who has full control of the mission office observation tower and monitor room? But, oh dear! At any rate, you two were doing something very amusing! What happened? A fight? Well, I was here from the beginning so I more or less understand what happened! But still, you two! Fighting is not good, you know!? Come here for now! I, Shugyou, will judge the situation!¡¯ _____________ ¡°Judging! Roll! Guilty! Shion! Guilty! Therefore, I order you to reconcile!¡± We returned to the observation room, and were facing each other as we went along with Shugyou-san on this farce. Roll had a stern expression and I turned my face in a different direction than where Roll stood and kept silent. ¡°Hey, hey! Give me your hands, you two. Do a reconciliation handshake.¡± Shugyou-san took my hand forcefully and made Roll and I shake our hands. Roll¡¯s hand was warm. Her cat ears twitched, and despite the current situation, she still looked as lovely as ever. As I watched her cat ears in fascination, Shugyou-san pushed our backs all of a sudden. ¡°A reconciliation hug!¡± ¡°Uwaa¡± ¡°Wait¡­..!¡± We really looked like we were embracing each other. I immediately tried to separate myself from Roll, but Shugyou-san was pushing us with more power than I thought, so I couldn¡¯t do it. Contrary to my expectations, Roll was motionless. Her heart started to beat a little faster. I heard Roll take a deep breath and swallow her saliva only once. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± After a short while, Shugyou-san nodded in satisfaction and left the observation room, letting go of us. The door closed with a bang and this sound lingered in my ears. For some reason, even after Shugyou-san left, we still kept close to each other. It was indeed for some reason. We lost the right timing to do so probably. As we kept close to each other, Roll was the one to speak first. ¡°¡­¡­.Sorry, Shion. It was my fault. I knew that you did nothing wrong, but I still hated it. Despite us two being partners, training only with Tameiki-san was not fair¡­..¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you feel this way.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.No. I¡¯m sorry for being selfish.¡± This was when we finally separated our bodies. We both turned our embarrassed faces away. Roll¡¯s heartbeat resounded quite loudly inside my ears, so I switched my ability off. Since Roll was a very proud person, her apology¡­¡­.or maybe this kind of confession that exposed herself needed a lot of courage. ¡°¡­¡­.Then, this means we made peace, right?¡± ¡°Right¡­¡­For now, let¡¯s go back to my room and sterilize those wounds.¡± _____________ Once we returned to Roll¡¯s room, I took off my upper clothes and sat on the bed, as she looked at my scratches. Roll had in one hand a disinfectant and a gauze she took out of a first aid kit. She stood on her knees looking at my wounds. ¡°This wound is quite awful¡­¡­¡± She muttered and gazed at those scratches for a while. Thinking that she should hurry and treat those wounds, I kept staring at Roll, but I had no idea what she was thinking when¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..she licked my wounds. ¡°Wh-wh-what the heck are you doing¡­¡­¡­!¡± She was probably startled by my words, so she immediately drew back. ¡°Wa-wait, it¡¯s different! I did it unconsciously!¡± ¡°Unconsciously! What do you mean by that!?¡± ¡°I have a bad habit of licking wounds!¡± Because she¡¯s a cat? Is it really because she¡¯s a cat? After our fight, I feel that I can understand Roll a little bit better now. CH 29 Despite me returning home after one month, my parent¡¯s reaction was somewhat indifferent. They said something like ¡®You¡¯re already back?¡¯ Well, my parents were like this since forever, so it doesn¡¯t really affect me. However, they seemed to have been more or less worried, for they kept asking me about my solitary journey. I evaded my parents with any made-up story that seemed suitable, then I started working on my mountain-like amount of homework. I called Tsurugi the first time in a long time. I called to ask him to let me copy his homework since I was really in trouble with mine. Unfortunately, my last ray of hope was useless. He was currently traveling, so he wasn¡¯t in town. Apparently, he returns the day after tomorrow. In this case, I had to rely on Rin who lived close to me, but she didn¡¯t work on her homework either. In the last day of summer vacation, which is the day after tomorrow, it seems that a homework final stage meeting will take place at Tsurugi¡¯s house. I was also invited, but I don¡¯t feel like going. I must spend the day after tomorrow with Roll. It¡¯s not like I made a promise or anything. I simply decided to do so. It may be the work of my feelings of atonement. If I spend the remaining two days doing things with Roll, I bet she¡¯ll help me with my homework. This was also my original goal, so it¡¯s perfect. However, the reason why I tried to rely on someone other than Roll was because I wanted to be sneaky. Roll will surely explain things patiently to me. But what I want is the answers. If I am to seriously challenge absolutely everything in the text book and reference book, it will take a considerable amount of time. Simply put, I wanted to be set free from this anxiety generator by quickly copying everything I needed. Roll will definitely help me, but she won¡¯t let me copy. Aah, summer vacation ends in two days. 95% of my summer vacation was spent in the Basara Desert. When thinking that the second year of high school summer vacation comes only once in a student¡¯s life, I really used my time on sad things. Thinking about these things, I decided that I will do my homework casually, since this is nothing but something that eats up my time. My work continued until late in the night; it was already two in the morning when I stopped. ___________ The next morning, when I woke up, I had a message on my private phone. It was from Roll. ¡®Shall I help you with your homework?¡¯ This was the content. I saw it and groaned. If she lets me copy her homework, I can finish everything in about half a day, but I don¡¯t know whether she¡¯ll agree or not. Well, since Tsurugi is not around to help me with this, I have no other choice. In case it looks like I won¡¯t be finishing on time, Roll will have to ultimately let me copy hers. Still, I will try asking her first. And so, I sent Roll a message saying ¡®Please do.¡¯ Roll¡¯s answer was quick. It said ¡®Then, let¡¯s meet in my room.¡¯; after I checked it, I prepared my stuff and left the house. On my way to the secret base, I encountered a certain person. Ohashi Hitomi. She¡¯s Tsurugi¡¯s childhood friend and the school¡¯s madonna. By the way, she¡¯s not my type. ¡°Kamiya-kun, it¡¯s been a while. We last saw each other at the closing ceremony. Are you going somewhere?¡± ¡°Ohashi? Yeah, it¡¯s been a long time. I¡¯m going somewhere to finish my homework. Aside from this, I heard that Tsurugi is traveling. Didn¡¯t you and your family go together with them?¡± ¡°This year, our families traveled separately.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± I was quite sure that she was traveling together with Tsurugi, but it seems that it wasn¡¯t the case. Tsurugi and Ohashi¡¯s families have a very close relationship, and they sometimes travel together. Every year, because of this, Rin feels left aside and complains about it but, apparently, this established practice didn¡¯t take place this year. Kazato won¡¯t have to listen to his childhood friend¡¯s unreasonable insults this year. That¡¯s helpful. ¡°By the way, during the summer vacation, you traveled alone, right, Kamiya-kun? Where did you go?¡± I thought that I could avoid this question until school started, but it, in fact, assailed me at this time. I wanted to prepare a proper horror story for them, but I haven¡¯t made it up yet so I opened my mouth in order to evade the question. ¡°I haven¡¯t traveled that far. It¡¯s such a close place that if I were to tell you you¡¯ll feel disappointment.¡± ¡°Eeh, I see. When the school starts you¡¯ll have to tell us! Sorry, I have an appointment with a friend, so I have to go. See you and good luck with your homework!¡± Ohashi said and waved to me. ¡°All right. See you.¡± I returned the wave then Ohashi turned her head, her black pony-tail swinging, and left towards somewhere. I didn¡¯t wait to see her off and I immediately started walking towards the secret base once again. Still, Ohashi is quite impressive. She is kind towards everyone and this makes her very popular, but her only fault is that she¡¯s helplessly in love with Tsurugi. Yeah, excepting the fact that she thoroughly breaks the hearts of all sorts of guys, she has nothing but good points. Tsurugi, Ohashi, Rin. When these three get together, for me, they become an unawarely harmful and troublesome group. But still, it¡¯s true that these three helped me a lot. Since our class¡¯ central figures Tsurugi, Ohashi and Rin were normals, they also accepted me in their circle and I didn¡¯t feel persecuted at all inside the school. To be more precise, Rin is not a normal, but her ability is so useless that it doesn¡¯t make much of a difference. You often heard from other grades and classes that normal people get bullied a lot, but now that Tsurugi, Ohashi and Rin are famous across the entire school for varied reasons, because stories about them being normals have spread, the bullying also stopped. It seems that no one wants to make an enemy of these three. Now that I¡¯ve developed an ability, leaving Ohashi and Rin aside, I do feel somewhat sorry for Tsurugi. It¡¯s not about my guilty conscience for killing people or the fact that I am now a member of the Anonymous, but for some reason I feel that I¡¯ve betrayed him. At this point, I can¡¯t even go to him for advice anymore¡­¡­.. As I thought about these things, I arrived at the caf¨¦ which was the entrance to the secret base. I passed the usual password to the master, then I went to the basement. Comparing to the first time I came here, I can now go directly to Roll¡¯s room without losing my way. Once I got to her front door, I knocked. ¡°You can come in.¡± Her voice could be heard from inside, and I opened the door. Because of the air conditioning, the inside of the room was cooler than the outside, and Roll wore long sleeves. She lay down on top of the bed, watching TV. ¡°Morning.¡± ¡°Morning. You¡¯re using too much air conditioning in this room.¡± Once I stepped inside the room, I placed my stuff of the table and sat down on a chair. ¡°I kind of feel lazy.¡± Roll said and turned off the TV, then she stood up. She then sat down on a chair on the opposite side of me, and rested her elbows on the table. ¡°So, I¡¯ll help you with your homework. You¡¯re in trouble, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in very much trouble.¡± Saying this, I took out the text book in which I had homework left. ¡°Only that?¡± ¡°Yeah. I worked a lot yesterday.¡± ¡°Humph. Still, you¡¯ve got left the most tiresome ones.¡± Roll frowned a little. Since Roll says that these problems are tiresome, maybe she¡¯ll let me copy them if I ask her. I¡¯m betting on this possibility. ¡°So, I have a favor to ask¡­¡­.¡± I timidly opened my mouth. ¡°What? I won¡¯t let you copy my answers. It won¡¯t do you any good after all, Shion.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you overlook it this time¡­¡­..¡± ¡°No.¡± She clearly declined my request, and I clicked my tongue inside my head. There¡¯s no way she¡¯ll let me copy. But since I betrayed Roll this whole summer vacation, I should probably just follow her rules obediently¡­¡­. At least during the last day, I really wanted to go out with Roll, even if only for a mission. ¡°Sigh, understood. I¡¯ll do it then. But I really wanted to go out with you¡­¡­ Maybe make some summer vacation memories or something¡­¡­ After all, I haven¡¯t done even one mission with you during this whole time.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..Eh?¡± But it can¡¯t be helped. I can¡¯t blame Tameiki-san either. Well, I¡¯ll have many chances to go out with Roll from now on anyway, so I¡¯ll just give up for now. ¡°¡­¡­.I¡¯ll work on it seriously. Please explain me the problems I don¡¯t understand.¡± I opened the text book at the first page and immediately started to solve the problems. However, Roll placed her hand with a boom right on top of that text book. ¡°Wait a second.¡± I looked up at Roll. Doing so, I saw a conflicted expression on her face as she rubbed her chin with her other hand. ¡°Wh-what happened?¡± I asked, and Roll took out her text book from her school bag and placed it on the table. ¡°¡­¡­.Since it can¡¯t be helped, I¡¯ll let you copy this time.¡± ¡°For real!? Eh? Why?¡± ¡°You trained continuously, Shion, so I thought that you should have fun at least during the last vacation day. Besides, I wanted to apologize for that wound¡­¡­..¡± I touched the wound on my neck. It still gives me a stinging pain from time to time. It¡¯s the scratch wound that Roll gave me. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t worry about this. I was also in the wrong. I¡¯d rather say that we should let that matter go.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡­¡± ¡°But I¡¯ll gladly accept your offer. As I thought, it¡¯s really great to have a partner.¡± I said and laughed. ¡°Is-is that so?¡± Without delay, I opened the text book and started copying Roll¡¯s answers. ¡°How should I put it, you¡¯re somewhat kind, you know that, Roll?¡± Still, she becomes quite scary if you provoke her¡­¡­. ¡°It does you no good to compliment me.¡± Even though she said that, her laughter felt a little awkward. Since this Roll was adorable, my motivation for finishing this homework went up. Well, I¡¯m only copying answers though. After that, I completed my homework as I chatted with Roll. Time passed rather fast, and because I combined work with chatting, I only finished my homework at about 8 in the evening. CH 30 For the last summer vacation day, since I finished my homework yesterday, Roll and I promised to go for shopping (have a date) in the shopping district. The meeting place is the usual caf¨¦. I was dressed in better clothes than normally, as I walked towards this place. These clothes are my favorite. Rin always said that they looked out of fashion, but you can¡¯t really trust her taste. ¡®Sorry. Come to my room please. A troublesome person is here.¡¯ A troublesome person is here? What does she mean? Don¡¯t tell me Getsuri-san came back or something!? 1 If that¡¯s the case, then it truly is troublesome¡­¡­.Well, I¡¯ll know once I get there. I put my phone back in my pocket, then I descended to the basement and walked towards Roll¡¯s room. Once I arrived at her room, I saw that, excepting Roll, there was another girl there. Roll¡¯s room was terribly disordered, and you could see traces of a battle. The table fell to the side, the bed was upside-down, and there were now a few holes in the wall. I moved my eyes to look down at the unknown girl who seemed to have battled Roll. She has brown hair kept in two pony tails and¡­¡­.Roll pinned her down to the floor and keeps her there by the arm. ¡°I¡¯ll introduce her to you, Shion. She¡¯s Destroy-chan.¡± Roll pressed down the girl¡¯s head as she said this. ¡°Destroy¡­¡­.chan?¡± ¡°Right. Everyone calls her Desuko 2 though.¡± She has such a striking name, and I bet she got it from the Boss. Which reminds me that I actually saw a ¡®Destroy-chan¡¯ in my contact addresses when I first checked my work phone. Since she was registered as ¡®Destroy-chan¡¯ and not simply ¡®Destroy¡¯, I remember it catching my attention. Even though I joined the organization more than two months ago, there are still many, many people I haven¡¯t met yet. Most of these people don¡¯t match their names at all. ¡°And so, what are you two¡¯s circumstances?¡± ¡°Look at us and you¡¯ll get it. I am pinning her down.¡± Destroy-chan was held down by Roll and she was letting out some painful moans. ¡°No, no, no, I definitely can¡¯t take in the situation.¡± I said, and suddenly, Destroy-chan escaped Roll¡¯s grip rather smoothly and jumped in my direction. ¡°Shion-kun, save me! Roll is bullying me!¡± However, before I could touch her, Roll caught her again and bent her down on the floor. ¡°You don¡¯t move.¡± ¡°It hurts!¡± With her small physique and her childish face, Destroy-chan was definitely younger than us. And since Roll doesn¡¯t show any sign of mercy towards this little girl, I can guess that she¡¯s quite the problem child. ¡°Urrrm, and why is Destroy-chan in your room then, Roll?¡± ¡°She selfishly entered my room then started acting violently. Besides, she just returned to the headquarters this morning.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Does that mean she came back from a branch office? Or maybe she returned from a long-time mission? ¡°Even though I said she came back, Desuko was actually taken captive by the mafia, so she didn¡¯t actually work.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Due to the fact that Desuko picks fights at many levels, she¡¯s often abducted. Her life is often targeted as well.¡± Roll bound both of Destroy-chan¡¯s hands at her back as she said this. ¡°Well, she always comes back, and because she kind of has something like an insurance, no one goes to rescue her.¡± ¡°This is rather cruel.¡± With both hands and feet bound, and rope rolled around her entire body, Destroy-chan looked really funny. She was like a caterpillar with her twin tails looking like antennas. I asked myself whether it was really necessary to restrain her to such an extent, but Roll didn¡¯t seem satisfied enough and attached a piece of tape on Destroy-chan¡¯s mouth as well. ¡°Mugu¡­..!¡± ¡°Wai, Roll¡­¡­.You¡¯re overdoing it¡­¡­¡± ¡°I am not. I¡¯ll let you know beforehand. Desko¡¯s ability is called ¡®Mind Read¡¯, and if I am to put it in simple terms, she can read the minds of the people around her. She has many conditions to fulfill first, but her ability is way too depressing. Letting her speak would never amount to anything good.¡± As she explained, Roll placed Destroy-chan in a push car she picked out from one corner of the room. ¡°Humph¡± A mind reading ability¡­¡­Are there people with such strong abilities too? It truly is a troublesome ability. Besides, if she can read minds, this means that she knows all the important information about the organization. Is it really all right for such a girl to be abducted? Her existence itself is kind of troublesome. ¡°Even thought she looks like this, she¡¯s one of the organization¡¯s executive staffs. Besides, she¡¯s Tameiki-san¡¯s partner. Also, as for her age¡­¡­.¡± When Roll was about to say this, Destroy-chan suddenly rolled out of the push car so fast that eyes couldn¡¯t follow her. She rolled towards a wall and slammed into it, and the rope binding her loosened quickly as if it had a mind of its own. Roll already started to move in order to catch Destroy-chan, but the girl quickly took off the tape on her mouth and stopped Roll right away. ¡°Stop!¡± ¡°Da-damn it¡­¡­!¡± Roll immediately stopped in place, like her body was suddenly paralyzed. Destroy-chan approached Roll slowly and crawled her hand on Roll¡¯s hip. Then, with a truly satisfied expression on her face, Destroy-chan moved her fingers excitedly. What¡¯s that¡­¡­.Wasn¡¯t her ability about reading people¡¯s minds? Can she also interfere with people¡¯s hearts and control their sensations¡­¡­? That¡¯s terrible. ¡°For letting your guard down, you still have many openings in your heart, Roll. Besides, my age is a secret, isn¡¯t it? Do you want to repeat the peeing incident?¡± ¡°Hey, that story is¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Shion-kun, listen to this! It¡¯s a past story about Roll¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Aaaaaaaaaah! Forgive me, forgive me! It was my fault, all right!¡± I could only watch their exchange in blank amazement. Leaving this aside, Destroy-chan¡­¡­..urm, Destroy-san is really Tameiki-san¡¯s partner? She actually had one! ¡­¡­..They don¡¯t go well together though. Moreover, Destroy-san is an executive member. I didn¡¯t think she was such an impressive person since Roll¡¯s attitude towards Destroy-san wasn¡¯t quite respectful. But looking at Roll¡¯s docility right now, Destroy-san does have the abilities of an executive. ¡°Non non. You¡¯re wrong, Roll. When you apologize, you must say ¡®Forgive me-nyan¡¯. I taught you this time and time again.¡± ¡°Ku, this is¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Come now, hurry. Where¡¯s my ¡®Forgive me-nyan¡¯?¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s¡­¡­.¡± This exchange caught my attention. What¡¯s with this advantageous development for me!? Roll¡¯s ¡®Forgive me-nyan¡¯¡­¡­.I really, really want to see it happen. ¡°Shion-kun wants to see it too, right?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°See?¡± ¡°Shion, you¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t say it quickly, I¡¯ll tell Shion all sorts of things, a mixture of facts and fiction, you know?¡± Hey, a mixture of facts and fiction?¡­¡­ ¡°For-forgive me-nyan¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ooh¡­¡­!¡± Feeling extremely shy, Roll said it nonetheless, and I unintentionally let out a surprised cry. Still, Destroy-san frowned. Was she unhappy about something? ¡°Where are your ears and tail? Do it again.¡± ¡°Leave me the hell a¡­¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Shion-kun, you know, Roll truly did¡­¡­.¡± Before Destroy-san could finish her sentence, cat ears bounced up on Roll¡¯s head. ¡°Fufufu, good girl, Roll.¡± Destroy-san said and stretched herself to pet Roll¡¯s cat ears. Roll tried averting her red face, but since she couldn¡¯t move, she bit her lip. ¡°Shion-kun, do you want to touch her too?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± This is bad. I really want to touch her ears. But if I do it now, she¡¯ll definitely get mad at me later. Hold back. Hold back, me. ¡°¡­¡­..I¡¯ll pass.¡± ¡°Eeh, it¡¯s such a waste. They feel incredibly good at touch. Good. Now Roll, try saying ¡®Forgive me-nyan¡¯ once again.¡± Destroy-san turn around to face Roll and said. I gulped and looked at Roll attentively. Roll hesitated for a bit, but, before long, she murmured it as if to ready herself. ¡°For-forgive me-nyan¡­¡­.¡± Hearing this, Destroy-san¡¯s face broke into a large smile, she embraced Roll and rubbed her face against Roll¡¯s. ¡°Roll truly is the cutest! Shion-kun, you think so as well, right?¡± ¡°She really is cute.¡± ¡°Shion¡­¡­.!¡± Damn it. She¡¯s angry. Roll glared at me and, as I got cold feet, I shut my mouth in an instant. ¡°Shion-kun, Roll is just pretending to be angry, but, the truth is, she¡¯s extremely happy about what you said! She¡¯s just hiding her embarrassment.¡± Destroy-san grinned as she peeked into Roll¡¯s face. ¡°Desuko, this is enough¡­¡­..I give up, all right? I give up¡­¡­ Release your restriction already¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Nope. After all, if I release you now, you¡¯ll definitely hit me. Besides, you¡¯ll soon be able to break off by yourself, so I have to run before you break my arm or something.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± Roll glared at Destroy-san with a sharp look, and clenched her teeth. She was forced to taste humiliation, but for me it was a lucky incident. Leaving this aside, being able to restrain Roll for such a long time, Destroy-san¡¯s ability is way too terrible¡­¡­. Still, it feels kind of reassuring knowing that this person is an ally. ¡°I¡¯d really like to enjoy Roll a little longer, but I should take my leave. Then, Shion-kun, see you later¡­¡­.Hm?¡± Destroy-san looked at my face and waved her hand. It seems that something caught her attention, since she approached me and peeked into my eyes. ¡°¡­¡­.I see.¡± What is it? Don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s reading my mind¡­¡­.It¡¯s quite impolite to just go around and read people¡¯s minds all of a sudden. It doesn¡¯t feel too pleasant. ¡°Good, I can¡¯t see anything. You don¡¯t open your heart to people you meet for the first time. This is good, very good.¡± Destroy-san said, petted my head and then left Roll¡¯s room. I gapped as I looked at the opened door. Roll, who started to move again, rushed out of the room without saying a word and started pursuing Destroy-san. I was left behind in Roll¡¯s room. What about our shopping time (date)¡­¡­.? CH 31 Since we can¡¯t go shopping until Roll gets back, after I cleaned the room, I went to grab my lunch. Truth be told, I wanted to eat together with Roll, but I¡¯m hungry so it can¡¯t be helped. After I sent Roll a message, just in case, saying that I went to eat, I started walking towards the cafeteria. The cafeteria was rather crowded. This place and the caf¨¦ at the entrance are the gathering spots for members with free time. I heard this from Roll that the noisiest guys usually come to the cafeteria. Come to think of it, this was the place from where Tameiki-san abducted me too. Thinking about such things, I walked to the cafeteria¡¯s reception desk and, for some reason, I heard a high-pitched shout coming from somewhere in the back. Thinking about what it was, I turned around and, just as I thought, there was Destroy-san. That person¡­¡­Wasn¡¯t she supposed to run away from Roll? No, she¡¯s here precisely because Roll gave up or something. ¡°Soo! The mafia guy who abducted me persuaded me gently, you know, and he even pressed me with marriage!¡± The person she was talking to was Tameiki-san. Tameiki-san, probably not having any interest in Destroy-san¡¯s story, sat on the sofa, looking dead tired. ¡°Neee, Tameiki, are you listening? What do you think I did next?¡± Destroy-san shook both Tameiki-san¡¯s shoulders and Tameiki-san closed her eyes looking extremely annoyed. ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± ¡°You should care!¡± Demanding something impossible, Destroy-san grabbed hold of Tameiki-san¡¯s chest. Immediately following, Tameiki-san hit Destroy-san and sent her flying, only stopping in one of the cafeteria¡¯s walls. ¡°Ka¡­¡­.ha¡­¡­.!¡± I looked at Destroy-san as she slammed into the wall and dropped to the floor, then I turned back towards the cafeteria¡¯s reception. I felt that nothing good will come out of getting involved with that person. I want to greet Tameiki-san but, since Destroy-san is there as well, I have the feeling that something unpleasant will happen. Mainly having to do with Roll. That¡¯s because Roll was unhappy with my summer vacation training and I felt kind of guilty too. Anyway, because of what happened, Roll probably doesn¡¯t think too well of Tameiki-san, so I thought that maybe I should keep my distance from Tameiki-san for the time being. And I also think that, while Destroy-san is there with Tameiki-san, some weird trouble will spring forth. Also, I don¡¯t want to interrupt a discussion between partners. I rubbed the scratch on my neck. I then sent Tameiki-san a fleeting glance. Having done so, our eyes met. Tameiki-san, with a collapsed posture, watched me intensely. She was wearing a suit, and in front of her eyes, on the table, was an empty bowl of rice. I hesitated whether to pretend I didn¡¯t notice her or not, but, as one would expect, I felt bad about it, so made a light bow. She had no reaction whatsoever and kept on fixing me with her eyes. Was this perhaps a calling order? I felt like she was signalizing me to go to her. ¡°Sigh¡± I left out a sigh and walked towards Tameiki-san. ¡°Good day, Tameiki-san.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡­., how do you feel?¡± ¡°I feel great.¡± I rotated my arm a few times in order to show her. ¡°¡­¡­.What¡¯s with that neck scratch?¡± ¡°A cat scratched me.¡± Such a trivial wound was nothing when compared to the ones I received while training with Tameiki-san. If I were to add in the mental damage, nothing would beat that. ¡°I see. Did you eat?¡± Tameiki-san said, after she looked like she thought about something for a very short while. ¡°No, I was about to do just that.¡± ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m going to work in a bit, so do you want to come too?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.Eh?¡± My voice was in disarray when someone jumped at Tameiki-san from behind. Naturally, it was Destroy-san. ¡°Wait a minute! I am your partner! I have all the reason to come with you, so why!? Kiiiiiiii, I can¡¯t forgive you!!¡± What¡¯s with this person? She¡¯s in so high spirits even with Tameiki-san¡­¡­. I was dumbfounded when Destroy-san turned around to smile at me coldly. ¡°Shion-kun, what do you say? Is this amusing? Something like this? I¡¯m only imitating Roll though.¡± This is awful. ¡°Sigh¡­¡­.¡± Tameiki-san let out a sigh reflexively. Still, when Destroy-san saw Tameiki-san sigh, she approached her with a jerk. ¡°You know, Tameiki, I am like your family. Still, you shaded Shion-kun before even inviting me. I am not Roll, but I do want to question your self-awareness concerning our partnership.¡± ¡°You dare telling me this?¡± Tameiki-san asked with a shocked expression, but Destroy-san¡¯s mouth didn¡¯t stop moving. ¡°Also, there¡¯s that too! Did you perhaps fall in love with Shion-kun? Well, if that¡¯s the case, then it can¡¯t be helped! I¡¯ll forgive you! At any rate, I envy you, Shion-kun! Even this adorable Tameiki likes you!¡± ¡°Please stop joking, Destroy-san. It¡¯s true that Tameiki-san is incredibly charming, but I¡¯d never rise to her level.¡± ¡°Oh, Shion-kun, you have a way with words, don¡¯t you? This is good. Only Shido and I knew about Tameiki¡¯s true adorableness, but there¡¯s one more of us now. As you know, Tameiki is quite hard to communicate with, so there aren¡¯t many people who can shade her either. Ain¡¯t this pitiful!?¡± ¡°Is that so? I actually thought that no one approached her because they¡¯re afraid¡­¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong. The truth is, Tameiki really wants to get involved with everyone. She looks like she hates noisy guys, but the reality is she wants to meddle in. That¡¯s why she often comes to this cafeteria.¡± I see. If Destroy-san is saying this, since she can read minds and everything, it must be the truth. I can¡¯t say this was¡­¡­unexpected. Besides, I have the feeling that this discussion shouldn¡¯t take place in front of the person in question. ¡°Hee? If you know these things, then you can really read minds, can¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Right. That¡¯s why, I know everything there is to know about Tameiki. If you want, I can tell you what she¡¯s thinking about right now. Hmm, let me see¡­¡­.Oh, this, again, is¡­¡­¡± Destroy-san peeked into Tameiki-san¡¯s eyes, drawing air circles with her finger. Tameiki-san turned away, not interested even in the slightest. Destroy-san murmured something and looked into Tameiki-san through that circle she created with her finger. ¡°Shion-kun. Do you respect Tamiki?¡± ¡°Of course I do.¡± ¡°I see, but that¡¯s unfortunate¡­¡­.. Because your master¡¯s mind is full of polluting thoughts.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°Shion is so cuuuuuuuuute! I want to hug him! I want to kiss him! I want to caress him, I want to sleep with him, I want to always be with him!! Ah, Shion is way too cute! Things like these, you know, Shion-kun.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re lying, right?¡± I said as I looked at Tameiki-san. Having done so, Tameiki-san raised her dead tired body, stood up and said. ¡°Shion. Don¡¯t believe anything this woman tells you. Desko can read minds, but she often tells lies too about what she sees. Besides, it¡¯s not like Desko¡¯s mind reading ability works at any time and in any conditions. She also has restrictions. That¡¯s why, she couldn¡¯t possibly read my mind right now.¡± ¡°Aaah! Tameiki, you¡¯re too impatient! Is that because your true feelings got exposed!? Moreover, your face looks a little red! Your face is red!¡± Skipping, Destroy-san was making fun of Tameiki-san. If you turn this person into an enemy, she won¡¯t even amount to being annoying. But apart from that, was it all right to talk about Destroy-san¡¯s ability so selfishly¡­¡­..? As I thought about this, Tameiki-san¡¯s hand stretched with remarkable speed and grabbed ahold of Destroy-san¡¯s forehead. I was able to see that Destroy-san tried to run away, but she was too slow. ¡°It huuuuuuuuurts! I¡¯ll die! It hurts! Sorry, sorry, sorry! I won¡¯t do it again! I said I won¡¯t do it again!¡± Destroy-san struggled violently. Tameiki-san punished Destroy-san for a while longer, then let go of her forehead and sat down on the sofa again. ¡°Hey, go easy on me! Can¡¯t you do that!?¡± Destroy-san sat down on her buttocks and rubbed her temples, as she shouted. Tameiki-san was in a completely exhausted mood again. ¡°So, Shion. Are you coming?¡± ¡°A mission? I would like to come, but I kind of made other plans for today¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate, Tameiki! Today, Shion-kun has a date with Roll!¡± ¡°I see. In this case it can¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°Wooow! Tameiki feels extremely disappointed¡­¡­.! What are you doing, Shion-kun!?¡± Bang. A thick sound could be heard and I saw Destroy-san being forced to prostrate herself on the floor. It was Tameiki-san¡¯s ability. ¡°Tameiki¡­¡­.I give up¡­¡­.I give up¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Shion, come to think of it, I told you to send me your schedule. Did you forget?¡± Tameiki-san asked, her voice being a little rough. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°So you did forget?¡± I forgot. Still, it¡¯s only been two days since then, and it¡¯s kind of impossible to make up a schedule this quickly. Besides, for some reason, Tameiki-san seems to be in a bad mood all of a sudden. Is this because I declined her shade invitation? ¡°Forgive me¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­Well, it¡¯s all right. Come to think of it you will start school soon, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Tomorrow.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s harsh.¡± ¡°Yeah. But when I think about that training, this is really nothing¡­¡­¡± ¡°Was the training really that intense?¡± ¡°Of course it was. But well, I did get my reward and I am satisfied with the end results too.¡± I don¡¯t want to do it again though. ¡°Reward?¡± ¡°You know, during that Poisoned Butterfly incident¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Aah¡­¡­Don¡¯t ever talk about that.¡± Tameiki-san averted her eyes, looking embarrassed as she said this. Since her reaction was adorable, I wanted to press this matter longer onto her, but I managed to endure this urge. ¡°What¡¯s that¡­¡­!? I want to know! I want to know about it too!¡± Destroy-san, who was still restrained to the floor, suddenly got her teeth into our conversation. However, right at that moment, Tameiki-san stood up and moved her eyes from me to Destroy-san. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go to work now.¡± ¡°All right. Please be careful.¡± ¡°Yeah, see you.¡± Tameiki-san said, showing me a faint smile, then she vanished from the cafeteria. Finally liberated from the gravity power holding her down, Destroy-san stood up and seized both my shoulders. ¡°¡­¡­What was that? What did you do, Shion-kun, to make Tameiki behave that way? It¡¯s the first time I saw such a lovestruck Tameiki!¡± She didn¡¯t really look lovestruck to me, but since her partner says this, it might be true, or not? Also, everyone treats this person coldly precisely because she only says and does unnecessary things. ¡°Are you perhaps envious?¡± ¡°I am! It¡¯s not fair! So, what did you do? Since Tameiki doesn¡¯t have any immunity against men, if you praise her looks or kiss her, I have the feeling that she¡¯ll unexpectedly become very obedient. Did you perhaps bring her to that state, Shion-kun?¡± ¡°No. I actually think this is different. If I am to put it in words,¡­¡­.this is master and apprentice love! The master and apprentice bond has already been tied between me and Tameiki-san. That¡¯s why, this isn¡¯t what you¡¯re thinking about, Destroy-san.¡± I said and Destroy-san looked at me with moist eyes. ¡°Humph. Tameiki really looked that way, so I wonder if you¡¯re telling me the truth¡­¡­ Ah, you can call me Desko-chan.¡± ¡°Understood. Desko-san.¡± ¡°For the time being, Roll must know about this. See you.¡± ¡°Eh, heey¡­¡­¡± Desko-san left the cafeteria so quickly that I didn¡¯t even have the time to stop her. CH 32 I finished eating lunch at the cafeteria, I was returning to the room after receiving a text saying ¡°return home¡± from Roll. On the way, I was involved in some familiar faces, so I took more time than I thought before I got back. Because it was delayed on my way back with that, as soon as I returned to the room, Roll was sleeping on the bed. ¡°I¡¯m sleeping ¡­¡­¡± After all it seems that child could not be caught. No, I guess Roll and I are not going to date anymore. I¡¯d like to go. But I feel bad about it. Why are you asleep in the first place? Were you lacking sleep? I wonder if I could not sleep thinking about the date with me last night. ¡­¡­ That is not it. Oh well. Let¡¯s try waking her up only once. I thought so and rocked the body of Roll. ¡°Roll¡± When I called her, Roll rolled out from the bed and landed on the floor with low posture. ¡°¡­ ¡­ where is the enemy?¡± And the first time I told you so, I will unexpectedly spit out. I wonder if it was a battle field in her dreams. ¡°Roll, this is your room, there are no enemies¡± ¡°¡­¡­sorry ¡­ I was sleeping¡± As a result, Roll stuck her cheek to the floor. Then started to sleep again. Did you sleep twice ¡­ ?. ¡°Fuu¡± For the time being, I picked up the roll and carried her to the bed. Because the floor is chilly, she may catch a cold if he did not put her on a futon. I thought so, so I put a blanket around Roll. I smelled her blanket because I was a little concerned, it smelled like Roll. Anyway, I wonder if Roll didn¡¯t sleep enough. I woke her up and she did not get up so I do not need to force it. I can¡¯t be shocked too far just because the date has been canceled. Since I can do it again in the future with Roll ¡­ ¡­ or there are many people who act with two people regardless of it being a date, I guess I do not have to worry. It is a pity that I could not spend the last day with Roll properly. I was thinking variously while looking at the sleeping face of Roll, but I rise to switch my thinking. It seems like I¡¯m a girl in love with this. Wrong. It may be a matter of time that I will fall in love with a Roll, but it is a matter of how much a man can fall in love with. ¡­ ¡­ Well, what shall I do now? I have nothing to do because my schedule was suddenly empty. In this case it might have been to follow the task of Tameiki-san. For the time being I left Roll¡¯s room, and headed to the training room. I had nothing to do and thus I thought of adjusting my ability. However, on my way to the training institute, I encountered a certain person. ¡°Shion, it¡¯s been a while,¡± Codename: Hyde. The head of Anonymous. It¡¯s boss. He¡¯s wearing a black coat in this fucking hot season and is looking like he¡¯s going out now. It is the first time in a month I¡¯ve seen the boss. ¡°Long time no see, boss¡± ¡°How was Tameiki-san¡¯s training?¡± ¡°It was already awful, how many times did I almost die?¡± ¡°I wonder, are you going to train now?¡± ¡°Yes¡± ¡°Then you should come over to my job¡± ¡°Yes, yes?¡± Am I shaded now? ¡°There is a self-defense military base at about 200 km north-west from this town. Right now, there are only small fish of major general class, it is an easy hit with Utado-san*.¡± (Utado-san is called Shido in the previous translation. I¡¯m not sure why it was used, but I¡¯m gonna stick with Utado-san or Miss/Mrs. Poetry unless someone wants to explain it. So to reiterate, Hyde¡¯s partner is Utado-san/Miss or Mrs. Poetry based upon what I mtled, but I¡¯m open to change it if someone can give me a reason to do so.) For Boss, Major General class is a small fish. Even though I couldn¡¯t even touch the likes of a Lieutenant previously, I probably still could not win with just a little training. It is next to impossible that I can win against a Major. I guess there is also a compatibility of abilities. ¡°No, no matter how I go, it will only be a part of my feet.¡± ¡°Even so, you can follow me so you can gain experience, but if you do not want to come by any means, that¡¯s fine too.¡± Well. What should I do¡­¡­. I am scared, but I also want to go a little. Unlike Tameiki-san, the boss seems to be struggling with strange impossibility ¡­ ¡­. No, if you think carefully this person asked Tameiki-san to take my training. But I wonder if the place 200 km away will be in time for school tomorrow. Let¡¯s ask. ¡°200km from here is a school from tomorrow, will I come back in time?¡± ¡°You can afford it if you use the ability of Utado-san¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± ¡°Using Fictional Distortion (Distance)¡± (Not sure if this is completely accurate, but I think this is pretty close to the correct meaning as far as her ability goes based upon the description later in this chapter.) I recalled Utado-san¡¯s ability and said it. There is no grief if I¡¯m in time for school tomorrow. ¡°Well, may I follow you?¡± ¡°Oh, follow me up¡± The boss turned a black coat with a grin and a nihilistic smile. ©` ©` ©` ©` Driving a car for about two hours with Utado-san driving, we were arriving at a hill that overlooked a self-defense army base. The time is 3:30. The sun glares down on the tuxedo, I feel the inside of the clothes getting hot. Utado-san and the boss wore a similar ice black coat and let it blow. ¡°Tameiki-san seems to be successful¡± The boss said so with a mask. I wore a mask first so that I do not realize the tense feeling. Utado-san who saw it smiled as ¡°Huhu¡± and attached a mask as well, so my idea seems to be understood. ¡°This mission is to destroy the enemy and destroy the base. So Shion, you job is to guide us. We do not grasp the internal structure of that base and we do not know where the enemies are. In order to effectively control the enemy, you must move us. ¡° ¡°¡­¡­I understand¡± ¡°Do not be nervous. You can do it comfortably. It is me or Utado-san that annihilates an enemy. Besides, no big enemies come out. ¡° Do not get nervous ¡­. That is impossible. But the boss and Utado-san are together, and it would be true that them being there makes it more comfortable. ¡°Yes¡± When I answered powerfully, the boss started walking with a mask attached. Utado-san also follows. After all it is because the partners are together, their breathing is in tune. I feel like a foreign body next to them. Now I can see the boss fight at the top in the organization. I have to learn a lot. ¡°There are 4 guards in the vicinity of the entrance, leave it to Utado-san.¡± ¡°Understood¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave the path after invasion to Shion.¡± ¡°I understand¡± When I reply, Utado-san jumped off the cliff of the hill. As she moved to the entrance of the base and knocked down as if four guards near the entrance were flowing, we came back to the height where we are. I admire Utado-san¡¯s work without waste. The ability to move instantly to a base that is far away is too much. ¡°Using Fictional Distortion (Distance)¡± Ability to temporarily control the concept of distance. Concept A kind of dominant system. It is different from ¡°instantaneous mobile teleport¡±, but it is completely upward compatible if you think about it with applicability. Roll said that Utado-san is surprisingly undefeated, but this seems true. ¡°Shall we go¡± ¡°Oh¡± When I saw Boss and Utado-san stepping out, I also walked to follow them, converged with a distorted view. If I notice it, I am not the hill above, instead the base entrance in front of me. The dead bodies of the four people who fell nearby were all slit throat and were dead. I saw it and turn on my ability. The mission has already begun. I sharpen the nerve and handle the sound that I hear accurately. There seems to be plenty of people inside the base. This base, as you looked at it, is pretty wide. It will take some time for this extinction. ¡°Let¡¯s enter from that door in there, three in the room right in, and five in the room next to it.¡± ¡°OK.¡± As I said so, Boss and Utado-san stepped into the base without feeling any tension. I will watch out around as I follow. If I show perfection here, my evaluation will be improved and I may be able to destroy my previous mission failures. I can do it, I can. When I was thinking about such a thing, Utado-san suddenly called my name. ¡°By the way, Shion¡± ¡°what is it?¡± ¡°Is it possible for you to cut off our sounds with Shion¡¯s ability?¡± ¡°I can do it ¡­ ¡­ I am already doing it.¡± I always have to adjust the range to hear, so I use it sparingly and nervously. It is still evidence that I am not used to handling my abilities. ¡°Why, then talking is OK as well¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s useful.¡± ¡°If this is the case, it seems likely that Shion could surpass thousands* in the next ranking¡± (Not sure about this, it mentions thousands of drugs in the mtl, I figured it was either a person or referring to the common people in the organization, may have to come back and change it later.) ¡°That ranking?¡± ¡°Yes, the jobs with Shion seem to rise in survival rate. Ah, but surely Roll doesn¡¯t want people shading Shion? ¡° ¡°Lamentably that is so.¡± ¡°I do not know then¡± Two people who talked to the fellows as soon as they said that I was shutting off the sound. I was stunned by the sudden disappearance of tension in front of me. I wonder what is called ranking. I decided to ask if I got interest. ¡°What is ranking?¡± It seems not to fight within the organization. ¡°There is a member ranking that wants to shade you. The ability of Shion¡¯s is good for support and you are quite the popular discussion topic.¡± ¡°Shading can earn a good proportion of reward, especially if you can get on top of the rankings you can earn a lot.¡± ¡­¡­ It¡¯s a rank that I do not want to ride too much. In my case I do not want money. I am a student so I do not have much time to spend anything. Although it is necessary to become strong to survive, if you died in a side mission, it is totally overwhelmingly stupid. That¡¯s why Roll is really a great partner. I¡¯m thinking about myself somehow and I am cautious. While walking and thinking, the boss who arrived at the door first opened the door of the base without any hesitation. After that Utado-san continued, I also hurriedly go inside. When I got inside, I could not hear the sound from the two rooms I reported. The boss in a little advanced place has a knife with blood on one hand. I passed two people and confirmed the room in front. Then there were already three stagnant pools of blood. Perhaps the next room is doing the same thing. ¡°It was not Utado-san that did this, right? Is it the ability of Boss?¡± I looked back to the boss and heard it. ¡°Oh¡± ¡°What kind of ability is like this?¡± Eight people were stabbed before I entered the base. Is such a thing is possible with no sound? ¡°My bad, my ability is confidential so I can not tell you¡± ¡°It is only me and Tameiki-san that knows Hyde¡¯s ability in the organization¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­¡± Is it that powerful of an ability? It is a powerful ability to stab the eight people in an instant. Anonymous The boss who boasts the power of the first place. I was concerned about that ability before, but was it confidential information? ¡°Only the one who is killed by me is able to notice my ability. But you can fight me if you win in the organization tournament. ¡° ¡°It is only Tameiki-san that has fought Hyde yet in the organization, but she was losing to Hyde and seeing his ability.¡± Ability that that Tameiki-san is losing to¡­ ¡­. I do not want to fight against it. ¡°Well, if you have the ability of Shion, you may be able to understand after observing me for several fights. If you can figure it out during this mission I will make you an executive.¡± The boss smirked and said it. Looking at it I will bitterly smile. I do not want to become a senior executive, so let¡¯s not see it ¡­ ¡­. CH 33 While the emergency bell did not stop ringing, the boss and Utado-san were steadily walking in the base. Utado-san, who controls the self-defense army like poetry-in-motion and the boss who is walking like going through his house, but my tension has not yet been solved. I see a watch. The time is 15:55. Twenty minutes have passed since the invasion of the self-defense army base. The sensing ability person in the management room was crushed before moving. And it was early for our intrusion to fall. It is inevitable because it is annihilating from one end. The staff in the base is running around in the base trying to find us. I guided boss and Utado-san away from the enemies so that they could not be found, I was nervously searching about for an enemy. Pioneering me stood at the head, Utado-san walking next to the boss. Honestly these two people will get caught up in and will be able to take it back even if the enemy becomes incessant. But my role is support. How much to make these two people have an easy time. I heard the sound of air passing through, I fully understand the internal structure of the base. I have already come inside, but have not been found in the enemy. This is the first time I¡¯ve taken the lead, and we are steadily taking over. For the moment my sense is perfect. The enemy does not grasp the position of this place at all and runs around sparsely in the base. It is easy to move but it was good to crush the management room first. ¡°Five enemies are coming from the front, please.¡± As I said so, Utado-san moved. She first brings enemies close by ability and slices their throats from behind one by one. She moves easily with no waste at all. As she flutters one after another, she scatters the blood and eventually slashes the throat of the fifth person, then sharply flicks the blood off the knife. While avoiding the pool of blood on the floor, I move on. Enemies in the base are about 1,000 strong. It is likely to close by 18 o¡¯clock if you knock it down in this condition. When I was thinking about such things, I noticed the sounds approaching here. That¡¯s also quite fast. This speed is certainly aware of our existence. ¡°The enemies are approaching ¡­ ¡­. fast ¡­¡­!¡± Looking at the direction I¡¯m watching, the boss came out to cover me. Shortly afterwards he appeared vigorously from the back corner. The figure is a beast wearing white hair. Probably it is an enhanced person. ¡°Gaaa !!!¡± And as soon as he saw us, he came headed with tremendous momentum while raising a storm. To the momentum or to murder, I feel nonplussed. That enemy never got to our place. Although he was heading towards terrible momentum, the distance does not shrink. This is ¡­ the ability of Utado-san. I see. If I sense it firmly, can I do this before it is found but before you approach it? ¡°Reinforcement system, (K)Night dog. Already good, Utado-San¡± ¡°Roger that¡± When Utado-san replied, that enemy who ran at full speed and could not shorten the distance quickly approached. But suddenly blood splashes rise from his neck. ¡°Ahh ¡­ ¡­!¡± I heard something like a small scream, he rolled with the momentum, ran and hit the wall. And it will not move. Heart sound will eventually become weaker and disappear. Due to death, his ability expired, revealing a small man wearing a uniform of self-defense army. A batch of stars shining on it¡¯s chest. ¡°It was a Brigadier General. But it seemed like I could have beaten him. ¡° ¡°It is still impossible for fluffy ¡­ ¡­.¡± I wish I could take enemies down before they approach, but my ¡°limited sound¡± is still too inaccurate. If I do not have any allies around I think I will manage somehow. ¡°It seems that stronger system personnel has begun to perceive us¡± ¡°Yes, the enemy¡¯s movement has changed, people are gathering here and there. I wonder if they are forming teams with reinforced systems that can perceive our smells? ¡° ¡°Now it¡¯ll be easier to hunt¡± ¡°Yeah¡± ¡°Let¡¯s annihilate from one end, please guide me towards the soldiers as much as possible, Shion¡± When trying to reply to the boss¡¯ s word, the cell phone that I put in my pocket vibrated. It¡¯s a phone call. ¡°Who is it?¡± When asked by Utado-san, I take out a cell phone. Then the characters of the incoming call were projected there. ¡°It¡¯s Roll¡± ¡°You can answer¡± ¡°I understand¡± I press the reception button to pick up the phone. ¡°Hello, Roll?¡± ¡°Sorry I¡¯m really sorry. I got up now¡± ¡°Good morning. Have you been sleeping until now?¡± ¡°Why did not you wake me up?¡± ¡°I woke you up but you did not get up.¡± ¡°Where are you now? ¡° ¡°It is hard to say, but at a self-defense military base¡± ¡°What!?¡± Who are you with? ¡° I found the tone of the voice of the Roll changed. I sigh inside my heart. ¡°Boss and Utado-san¡± ¡°Oh, those two people are safe. So, you mean you¡¯re having fun and enjoying by yourself without me? ¡° ¡°No, it is bad I couldn¡¯t go with Roll, I wanted to go shopping too.¡± There is no chance of enjoying. ¡°It was promised so I was forced to wake you up! ¡° ¡°Roll once awoke and went to bed twice.¡± ¡°Hey. Why do not you wake me up like a man with a kiss?¡± ¡°Yes, I understand, then I will do so next time, so do not regret it!¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess forget it for now. (There was some sort of saying involving a pear, and I think this is sort of what it means, but feel free to correct me.) Well come back soon. We can still make it dinner at least. ¡° ¡°It¡¯s impossible, it¡¯s in the midst of a mission now and it won¡¯t be over for a while yet.¡± Then I noticed Utado-san and the boss¡¯s eyes. I do not know the expression of the two people because we are wearing masks, but it feels like they¡¯re seeing something amazing/amusing. ¡°Well, I will hang up now.¡± I am ashamed to say so and try to hang up. But the voice of Roll is echoing from the cell phone. If you cut it off on your own, she will get angry later ¡­ As I thought, Utado-san took my cell phone from me and put it to her ear. ¡°Hello Roll?¡± ¡°Utado-san?¡± ¡° ¡°Even though it¡¯s only been two months you two sure are on good terms.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ That¡¯s not the case¡± ¡°Shion and Roll are talking too much and I am tired of it¡± (Not sure about this, but I went with what sounded like it made sense.) Do it. ¡°Huh? Well, is that so? ¡° ¡°Yes. ¡°Anyway, now I¡¯m getting irate, so I¡¯m hanging up. I will try to return Shion as soon as possible. ¡° ¡°I understand¡± ¡°Okay¡± Utado-san switched off the phone and handed the cell phone to me. Roll does not seem to be able to talk back to her teacher. ¡°I showed an ugly sight.¡± ¡°No, do not worry, I feel relieved things are going well.¡± I wonder if we are doing well. with this. No, thanks to useless time taken during that, enemy movement began to settle. It should be broken down before cooperation starts. If I think about it carefully, do I have to advance and guide them at the same time? ¡°¡­ ¡­ I have a little suggestion, is it okay?¡± ¡°Huh, please say¡± ¡°With my ability, you can talk without fear, even if you are far away, if I concentrate, the inside of this base is entirely known to me. So, if I hid somewhere, can¡¯t boss and Utado-san exterminate enemies under my guidance? It will be even more efficient if I¡¯m separate from Boss and Utado-san. ¡° ¡°¡­¡­ I see, not bad. But what will you do if your enemies come to you? ¡° ¡°Boss and Utado-san will be guided so that won¡¯t be possible ¡­ but if you can¡¯t come ¡­ ¡­ I will handle it by myself.¡± ¡°Well, OK. Well then shall we go?¡± ¡°Okay, I can hide in a room where there is no enemy properly. Does the boss go that way, Does Utado-san go the other? I think that if you go straight afterwards, you will both encounter enemies at the end. ¡° When I said that, they both went in the direction I pointed promptly. I run a different path from Boss and Poetry. Once I found a room without people, I got inside of it. Thanks to this emergency bell, noncombatants have already evacuated. There seems to be no person remaining in most rooms. The room where I entered was large. Is it a meeting room here? It is a room not very suitable for hiding, but is it okay here? I thought so, I sat down in the shadow of the central table. ¡°Boss, can you hear me?¡± First of all, I check on the boss¡¯s battle. I confirmed that I heard a reply saying ¡°Oh,¡± and then I dropped a voice to Utado-san. ¡°Utado-san, can you hear me?¡± ¡°Yeah¡± The sound that was supposed to encounter Utado-san is already gone. Have you already killed him? ¡°Can you return Utado-san once? The enemy is heading to the T-junction we got separated, five people.¡± ¡°Roger that¡± Listen to the reply and switch to the boss next time. The boss seems to be stopping after finishing the battle. ¡°Please go on to the boss as it is, enemies will come from the left and right at the crossroads after that, each of them has six people.¡± ¡°Roger that¡± It was my suggestion, but I¡¯m also pretty nervous. To tell the truth, the main purpose of this strategy is to make it easier for me to return. I did not think that it would be adopted so easily. ¡°Oh, boss, they will come from the front, from the left also with reinforcements, a total of 20 people. ¡°Who are you talking to¡± Oh, they¡¯ve already been killed. But I really do not have a clue about the boss¡¯s ability. He does not instantaneously kill. But Even if he does not move the other person comes to be stabbed by a knife of boss himself. I have no idea about Boss. Perhaps the ability to mislead your perception? It could also be two abilities like a Roll. Well. I do not understand. ¡°Oh, Utado-san, it has increased to 11 people.¡± ¡°No problem¡± If I repeat this work for a while, the number of the enemies coming in has decreased considerably. We have also confirmed those who fled out of the base. The guidance was no longer fairly concise and it was no longer a reply from Boss and Utado-san returning only ¡°minimal information and path¡± such as ¡°the previous ten people¡± or ¡°the sudden right¡± . The time is 17:15. Following the battle of the base, the blast/bomb group of the organization will blow it up. A thing happened at that time when the mission was about to finish earlier than planned. ¡°Do you hear that Shion?¡± ¡°I can hear, but what¡¯s wrong?¡± A decent conversation for the first time in tens of minutes. I wonder what happened. ¡°I was mistaken. The class is Lieutenant General, not a member of this place. It is possible. I¡¯ll ask for Shion to support. ¡° I will immediately sharpen my nerves and feel the sound accurately. But I can not hear a sound. If the boss was missing them in the first place, I should have noticed before being told. ¡°I can not hear the sound ¡­¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There is nobody in the vicinity of the boss any more ¡­. When did they escape?¡± ¡°Now if it is impossible for Shion to sense, I guess it must be an ability of the transition system?¡± It seems that he will withdraw once and attack again. Would you like to connect up with Utado-san for the time being? ¡° As I was told, I connected the sound between Mr. poet and Mr. Boss. You can have a conversation with three people that way. And so I explained the situation to Utado-san. While talking, I thought that the information from the boss can not be trusted much. It was the same as last time, but where he was saying that there are only major general classes, there is a lieutenant general. Moreover, he is an ability person of the transition system. I want you to stop it because it is completely traumatic since that battle with Gen. Shiranui. ¡°Shall we join?¡± Utado-san made such a proposal when she noticed that I was scared. With that remark, we decided to gather at the original T-junction once. They seemed to grasp all the paths that they both went through, and said that they do not need guidance. While making sure no one is around and I also plan to go out of the room. At that time. There was a guy passing by in front of me. There had been no one without a doubt. I spread my eyes wide and set a knife right away. He noticed me and turned it over and stopped moving with a low position. ¡°Anonymous ¡­¡­!¡± Three stars shining in the chest. A Lieutenant General of the SDF. I gulped. He must be the one who escaped boss earlier. And I will move my eyes to his face. At the same time I was amazed. ¡°¡­ ¡­!!¡± The Lieutenant General of the SDF was an incredible surprise. It was Midou, my best friend. CH 34 Mido Tsurugi. He is my best friend for ten years. I do not have the same hobbies as him. It does not mean that I feel bad about that. Even with human nature, I will not tell you to the contrary, but I can not say that we are never similar. Still, he was a close friend. I close my open mouth and touch the face mask once. Why is he here? The question which can also be called surreal was emerging in my head. A number of other questions are swirling in my mind. Is it not Mido Tsurugi in front of me? He should have gone on a trip with his family to the coast. Ohashi also said that. That¡¯s why even if he looks similar, he¡¯s a different person right? Wrong. I am in front of my eyes. I can not make a mistake. I have been hanging with him for years. But what is that patch? Lieutenant General Impossible. I have never heard of such a thing. Strong self-defense troops ¡­ ¡­ there is no reason not to talk to my best friend about them. Besides, he has no ability. Lieutenant general with no ability? Is it possible? He is wearing a uniform of self-defense forces. Self-defense army trying to kill me ¡­ ¡­. ¡­ ¡­ were you deceiving me? The thing that confuses me is the strong killing intent. This stabbing thirst is directed to me from the very beginning. Trembling with rage. Some doppleganger* of yours is looking towards murder. (It kept referring to him as a choreographer, but it sounds more like he¡¯s referring to him as a person that looks exactly the same as his friend, but an enemy, i.e. a doppleganger, so any time it said choreographer, I swapped in doppleganger.) You seemed to have made such a scary face, everything that was delayed by that moment all changed, instantly I recognized the presence in front of you as an enemy. This situation. It is not the case where we can spend a lot of time organizing the issue. Do not think. At least the doppleganger recognizes me as Anonymous¡¯ s Shion ¡­. Yes, as an ¡°enemy¡±. I do not have to think. That¡¯s all I need to know. ¡°Boss, Utado-san, I encountered him, it is the T-junction of the previous time¡± I muttered to myself and sent a voice to those two people. It is about 10 seconds from seeing the doppleganger, the Lieutenant General that looks like Mido. It was good that I could make this judgment in 10 seconds. In other words, it was helped that the battle did not start for 10 seconds from the encounter. The line of sight does not deviate from the enemy in front of me. Saliva gathers in my mouth. The opponent is upgraded. Lieutenant General of Self ¨C Defense Forces I can understand that from the killing intent. The position of Boss and Utado-san is still far away. If it is Lieutenant class, is it possible to kill me before the arrival of two people? It would be possible. I remember the fight against Shiranui. Speaking of Lieutenant class is that ability. Although I became stronger somewhat, that was not an area I was stepping into yet. However, depending on the compatibility of abilities, he may not be hands and feet above me. ¡­¡­ First of all, what is this doppleganger¡¯s ability? Oddly enough, I can not hear any sound from Mido in front of my eyes. Heart sounds and breathing. Mido is certainly breathing, and since the heart is alive, the heart should also be moving. But, I can not hear that sound. No, can you not ask how that is? Even when he ran away from the boss, I could not perceive him. From here to the place of the boss. Even if I ran at full power it was too fast. But, in front of me, with my ability, I can not explain how I can not hear the sound. What on earth are you capable of? what will you do. Do you want to attack? ¡­ ¡­ I know I can not run away. It is also not an opponent with whom I can fight and win. He is a Lt. General. It is too bossy to miss the waste. Experience and ability are not enough to challenge without knowing the ability. However, if the chance is wary of me in the present situation, is it better to take one or more leads than pulling backwards? If it¡¯s my ability I have the power to kill with a single blow. The chance for me to win should not be zero. If he is killed? I am happy. Do not think differently. It is an enemy. It is the enemy who is in front of you. I am not happy. Do not think about anything ¡­ !.! Contrary to thinking, the one who moved first was considered chivalrous. It is only a breath to say that it moved. Fuu, and he just heard a breath that sounds even without ability. But that was enough action to let me take the lead. In this space that felt also silence, I was convinced that it is now to the sound of chatter that I could hear. I spread my eyes wide, I hold my hand prepared to snap. My maximum firepower technique ¡°sound hammer¡± has become able to go in a chosen direction by training with Tameiki-san. If this positional relationship, boss and Utado-san do not suffer. Delivering a ¡°sound hammer¡± A shock wave is generated together with the explosive sound, and numerous cracks run on the concrete wall. Although he received a ¡°sound hit¡±, he did not tremble. On the contrary, he was closing the distance aiming at the gap behind me who delivered a ¡°sound hit¡±. Ignoring my surprise, the Doppleganger steadily stepped into me, and threw his whole fist into my belly. I managed to take it with my left hand and retreat back. He stepped forward to pursue and stuck his finger out toward my face. If I avoid it by diverting the upper body, I will kick it towards Mido¡¯s abdomen. However, the kick that I released to take a distance once was caught by him. The Doppleganger pushes my right leg, which has become the axis foot, and I will be thrown over to the ground. I swayed the knife at that time, so I turned my hand off from me. And I snapped my finger to deliver ¡°sound hammer¡± of full strength that is pretending to be the gap. Boss and Utado-san are still far away. If this distance, it should not be damaged seriously. ¡°Sonic hit¡± ¡­ ¡­! Cracks spread again, centering on me rolling on the ground. Reflecting explosion. In the shaking base. Dust falling from the ceiling with flap and cracks. The surrounding walls and floor are struck and start to crumble. However, there was no damage to Mido. He will not be blown off with shockwaves nor does it break his eardrum. Completely no damage. He starts to move as if to say that I hadn¡¯t done an attack. Doppleganger kicked me quite hard. ¡°Hang on ¡­ ¡­!!¡± Due to the kicks added as I dropped, I unintentionally let go of the knife. I can not breathe. Somehow in the way ¡­¡­ No, I tried to take a defensive posture I crouched to hold my knees. ¡°Ah ¡­ ¡­ huh!¡± ¡°Ability of sound ¡­ ¡­. Out of standard at that time ¡­ ¡­.¡± I adjust my breathing. It¡¯s okay, I am not hurt. I¡¯m alive. Why is the attack not working? Funny. Is that the ability ¡­? I managed to get up and looked at the doppleganger again in front of me. My stance still unsteady, but somehow I was standing. What are you ¡­ ¡­ this guy. Are you going easy on me because I¡¯m weak? Thinking that way, when I grasped my fist, my mouth caught open. ¡°I must apologize to you, the previous manifestation, a mistake on making such a unilateral decision. Even though you had killed a person with your ability, you should have been given a chance to compensate. The damage was too big to make a mistake in judgment, but there were other measures. Please let me apologize on behalf of the Self-Defense Forces. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± He said that with a bowed my head cheerfully. There are lots of gaps. And he has transmitted an apology in good faith. I reconfirm that this guy is cheeky. He was such a guy. Mido. A smile that never seems to run out. But what is this guy saying? Even now ¡­. It is a story from the past. I have not sought an apology any more, I am a member of Anonymous. I even killed people with my own will. I am already evil. To me like that, how do you apologize just because you want to apologize?. Are you selfish? I¡¯m sorry, I do not need a self-defense army ¡­! I thrust knee kicks exactly on the chattering face losing my head. Knee kick his chattering face again, and he falls behind. Blood was coming from the crooked nose. He seems to have cut his mouth, and blood is peeping at the end of his lip. ¡°¡­ ¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s right. But, for example, whatever the reason, if you went down the path to evil ¡­ ¡­ I have to kill. ¡° Doppleganger stood up slowly and said CH 35 ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s right. But, for example, whatever the reason, if you went down the path to evil ¡­ ¡­ I have to kill you. ¡° I got up and said that, wiping my nosebleed and release my full energy to the enemy in front of me. The apology seems to have made him angry. I knew it was a foolish act, but it was still better to apologize. However, it was not a false apology. It was an apology from my heart. However, like a moron I received his knee kick and took a lot of damage. ¡°¡­ ¡­.¡± I will observe the enemy in front of me again. Because I can not see his face with such a taste-less mask, I do not know what kind of face it is. Everyone who confronted him at the time of his awakening had been killed, so there is no one who has seen his face so far. It is another of Anonymous who does not show face. Height is roughly the same as mine. The physique is similar. With this atmosphere, he would be the same age as I am. That is why I could not hide my surprise. About two months ago the enemiy in front of me awakened their abilities. Until then he should have been an ordinary person. But he has become this strong in this short period? Maybe it¡¯s in all in my mind, but I endure as it races. Even though I can not believe that is the case with this alone, there are other things I need to do, I must quiet and calm my breathing. And, above all, the fact that he can already control the ability so outside of standard. If you want to control the ability that has been developed late, there needs to be a reasonable amount of time and sacrifice. Yet it is possible to make an attack of that power freely ¡­ within only two months, I think that he must have been tortuously trained by Anonymous. And, it can be inferred that having come from a meeting room where there was no one was must be due to his ability. This efficient and easy annihilation can only be done if he has grasped the position of everyone except me. It is toppled. (Not sure if he¡¯s referring to balance of ability users/the base/something else.) And that man who confronted him ¡­ ¡­. Probably the head of Anonymous, Hyde. If there is Hyde, then Utado-san should also be around. Practically speaking, this newbie is being brought on a mission with the Anonymous¡¯ Top 1 and 2 ¡­ ¡­. It¡¯s amazing. While organizing that information, one question came to me. Was the person in front of me really a normal person? It is momentous that he will be able to arrive in the same area where I took 10 years to get. This will be quite a heinous being for the self-defense army. No, I cannot leave it alone. Before that happens, I have to kill him here. So I felt ¡°interference¡± from behind when I took out my knife from it¡¯s holder. Immediately throw the knife behind me. However, looking at the enemy who appeared suddenly in sight, they realize that the knife was thrown. ¡°You are ¡­ ¡­. Utado-san?¡± Utado-san of ¡°Fictional Usage¡±. Ability to temporarily control the concept of distance. It is said that you can not escape if you confront her, but I can deal with her with my ability. It¡¯s still okay while Hyde is not coming. ¡°Your name. Shion, sorry for the wait. Is there any injury? ¡° ¡°Utado-san ¡­. I am okay.¡± Shion. Is his name Shion? I feel like I¡¯ve heard his voice before, but is it my imagination? ¡°Shion, please get down¡± ¡°Utado-san, please be careful, my ability did not work¡± ¡°I know,¡± Utado-san stood in front of the Shion and drew a knife slightly smaller than my knife. Immediately after that, Utado-san was behind me. I see. It is almost the same ability as someone with a teleport ability. I¡¯ll crouch to avoid at the thrust aimed at my neck, turning my hand to the base of Utado-san¡¯s foot. But it ends up in a swing and a miss. Utado-san has already retreated and threw a knife from a distance. I will change my eyes from Utado-san to Shion when I block it. As long as Hyde comes while Utado-san is here, my defeat is almost certain. Then, it makes sense to leave Utado-san¡¯s and go after Shion first! I turned on my ability towards Utado-san shrinking the distance to the Shion at once. However, if I thought that Shion was close, that distance gradually expanded this time. It is a troublesome ability of Utado-san. Utado-san was standing next to Shion and they were watching me from a distance. ¡°Time is running out¡­¡­¡± If I used my ability on Utado-san¡¯s paths, then I can not keep up with hers. What will he do. Whether to retreat or not. I may wish to bet my life on it. Shion is a bud that I have to pinch right now. If I plan to deeply fight Hyde, I will have to prepare for death, but I think that Shion should be eliminated in light of the danger he posed. I cannot hesitate. When I looked at then and opened my eyes. ¡°Will you withdraw Utado-san, are you not glad¡± Somewhat. I was caught by surprise, as I jumped up reflexively. ¡°Hyde ¡­ ¡­!¡± Shit, are you coming at this timing? If this happens Shion can not be killed. I instantly erased the previous plan from my brain. Probably, Utado-san sent this guy behind me. It is quite a distance from the point I confronted Hyde a while ago. I thought it would take some more time, but it was much faster than I expected. I wonder whether this also involved the ability of Utado-san. And there is my second ¡°interference¡± After all, the interference value of Hyde¡¯s ability is too high. Twice the ability of Hyde, twice the shock wave of Shion, once the ability of Utado-san¡¯s. Only five times, I see that limits are approaching. There was not a chance of that until now. Utado-san¡¯s ability is still tolerable. But Hyde, that is tight. I do not know what ability is, but I wonder if I can endure three more times. The shock wave of Shion was high compared to the amount of my interference ability, but it will not shoot anymore. But in this situation, I can see there is no chance to win. Let¡¯s withdraw. When I thought so, I felt dizzy. He just. Hyde used his ability. That is, the third ¡°interference¡± ¡°Hmm, it seems my ability does not to work¡± He said slowly approaching me. ¡°If the ability of Utado-san and Shion also does not work, is it the type of ability to automatically cancel the targeted ability or attack?¡± ¡­¡­ it is strictly different. My ability is ¡°Interference Refusal¡± and I am a Cancel Master It interferes with everything, the ability to refuse before something exert its effect. Even physical phenomena can be rejected if it comes to that. There is a level also in ¡°interference¡±, I can not refuse ¡°unwanted¡± interference ¡°. And ¡°rejection¡± also has its limit. As long as you can hit the ability of high interference value like Hyde the limit will come and my ability will not be able to refuse it. However, it is three times. He confirmed that the ability does not work three times. Every enemy makes a different attack if he knows that his ability does not work. Many people realize that their ability does not work at once like Utado-san, and many people do not use it after that. Therefore my ability boasts the strongest in the interpersonal combat arena. ¡°That ability, I cannot leave it¡± That is originally his line of words to me. While praying that I will not have to use the ability anymore, I slowly exhaled. As Hyde came, unexpectedly Shion and Utado-san came nearby. I don¡¯t want to take on a three-to-one formation before they figure out my unknown ability. ¡°Utado-san, I will give you a little¡± ¡°Yeah¡± ¡°Sorry¡± what? When I thought of listening to the conversation of two people, Hyde was already in front of me. ¡°!?¡± It was not a teleport. It is because the trajectory of movement can barely be seen. However, it is purely too fast movement. Hyde spreads out greatly, and I release the fist I released with paper. A knife that aims there and attacks from below. I refuse the approaching knife using my ability and divert it sideways. Hyde had a surprised face for a moment, but he was already moving on to the next attack. The empty knife flips over my head and it is swung down from my top towards my neck. I refused it again. If it is this degree of interference value, I have just enough of a margin. Where the knife cuts the sky again, I got kicked by Hyde. I do not have to refuse this with my ability. Only attacks that can be fatal are refused. I will be blown away by the kick that I received with arrogance and beat into the wall. ¡°But ¡­ ¡­!¡± Speeding up, Hyde¡¯s kicks gave me a lot of damage without becoming fatal. I do not understand his abilities more and more. There seems to be a hint in the conversation just before, but it seems to be only a simple body strengthening like this. ¡°It seems that there is a person that apparently has the ability to counteract other abilities, is the capability to dodge or something else?¡± Keep sharp. This person. But in the current attacks of Hyde are chaotic. You can not dodge all attacks. The damage eventually passes. You would think so. Wrong. If it is this level of attack with low interference value, I can refuse attacks any number of times. Without using your ability I will not be defeated at least in a one-on-one melee fight. By occasionally seeing the situation and getting attacked, I can grasp victory. However, in this situation it is impossible. As long as Utado-san is behind, even if Hyde falls into a pinch, he can be saved immediately. My ability can not refuse or interfere with others unless it targets me. The problem is the timing to escape. I was hoping that I can uncover Hyde¡¯s ability at least, but I can not do that. It is who I am not able to afford sticking around. ¡°¡­ ¡­.¡± I lean on the wall and gently breathe. I try putting power into my feet and see if I can run. It seems to be good. I will look up at Hyde that came in front of me. ¡°It is regrettable, but let¡¯s suppose you are going to die.¡± Looking at the raised knife, I opened my eyes wide now. Activate ability. I reject the wall of my back. Application method which I am using mainly for ¡°interference refusal¡±. Object permeation. If I refuse to touch it, I can slip through everything. The interference value is reasonably high, but the wall is no exception. ¡°what¡­¡­!¡± I ran into the concrete wall. Of course, I ran at full power because I could not breathe while I was passing through it. And when I get near the base exit, I will kneel down. ¡°Huh ¡­¡­! Huh ¡­ ¡­!¡± Unpalatable. The limit is coming. Long time permeation sharply reduces my physical strength. I¡¯m at my limit already. I took out the cell phone in my pocket and opened the mail. ¡°Withdrawal is completed¡± It seems that the withdrawal of humans in the base was completed while I was attracting Hyde¡¯s attention. ¡­¡­Was good. In the first place, as Maj. Fujimura said he would pick me up, the damage has increased so far. Probably he would have been kicked out, but thanks to that, my withdrawal plan passed. It was really nice being able to suppress the damage ¡­ ¡­. ¡°Huh ¡­¡­, Huh ¡­ ¡­.¡± I keep my breath and remember the previous battle. Hyde, Utado-san, ¡­ and Shion. I barely exposed my abilities, but I managed to survive well against those three people ¡­ ¡­. Often I often report it. ¡°Huh ¡­ ¡­.¡± Sighs caught deeply, I went outside the base. CH 36 Mido Tsurugi. Although we missed him, I had accomplished my duties and returned to the hideout. The time is 18:30. With the withdrawal of the enemy, I was able to come back quite early. On the way home, Utado-san¡¯s ability returned us quickly. I am in the boss¡¯s room now. Utado-san is also with us. I informed Roll that I came back by e-mail, but also that I can not return to the room yet because there is a meeting with the bosses. It was a mission debriefing ¡­ ¡­ No, should I say that information is being organized against Mido? The boss sat on his usual chair, he placed his elbow on his office desk and looked over the document. Utado-san quietly stands next to him. Meanwhile, I was sitting on the sofa and listening to them. ¡°Name unknown, origin unknown, rank is Lieutenant General. There are several battle histories, but everyone was killed that went against him. ¡­ There is little data ¡° ¡°That skill is strange, is it because he is new?¡± ¡°There may be that, but it is possible that the Self-Defense Forces had hidden him. Anyway, our members must be aware of him. That ability ¡­ ¡­, I do not know the details yet but the danger is high. ¡° ¡°Well ¡­ Finally he slipped through the wall ¡­ with that, I knew the identity of the ability. Permeability ¡­¡­ It is extremely troublesome not to be limited to objects, but also having abilities pass through. ¡° ¡°No, it is impossible to decide that so quickly, there are many points that can not be explained with permeability. For example, it is impossible to that permeability explains the trajectory of the knife being distorted. Besides, there were many times that he dared to be attacked. ¡° ¡°Oh, I could not confirm it. Well that withdrawal means he does not have an unbeatable ability. ¡° ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± I think while listening to the conversation between them. That Mido was strong. At least, in my eyes, he seemed to be while in battle with the boss. And I was thinking. Whether or not to talk to the bosses about Mido. Unlike the way we were when we actually trying to kill each other, I can think slowly and calmly now. If I tell the bosses that Mido is at the same school as me, we will be able to surprise him. Information collection using Roll and I may be possible. However, I am at a loss as to whether I should talk. If I¡¯m thinking for the good of Anonymous, I should talk. But before I entered Anonymous I got along well with him. There are parts that I do not like, and where we have fought or quarreled. Sometimes I wanted you to disappear honestly, but he is still my best friend. He did a variety of things for me. I know I¡¯m not talking about selling him out. But I wonder if I can say something that would be disadvantageous for Mido, my mind is stopped/broken. It will not be easy for him to hide his identity, and after all, he could not talk to his best friend about it? To me, who knew nothing, he could not confidently tell me he was a lieutenant general of the self-defense army. I mean what kind of reaction would I have had if he had done so? He probably thought I would be disappointed to lose the common point of not having abilities. Originally I had a lot of differences from Mido. There is no inferiority complex at the moment and there is absolutely nothing to be disliked by this surprise. But if it is Mido, he may think that I feel bad. Since he is kind, he probably can not help but think so. Well I guess I do not feel bad at all. Since I¡¯m supposed to join the self-defense army in that year, there may be a problem if we both ¡°develop¡± abilities. (Taking about features being balanced between them, i.e. both having abilities is my guess.) I have something to hide. Everyone has secret affairs. It¡¯s the same for both of us. ¡°¡­ ¡­.¡± But whatever ¡­¡­ This feeling of being betrayed ¡­ ¡­. Even if you know with your head, that kind of feeling will spring up somehow. I can say that I¡¯m betraying him too. ¡°Shion, what¡¯s wrong?¡± With the voice of the boss I raised my uneasy face. ¡°No ¡­ ¡­ nothing,¡± I was pretending to be a calm and said so. ¡°Really¡± ¡°I just was working hard today and am a bit tired. It¡¯s bad, but I would like to leave the reflection session early.¡± ¡°Yes. Shion, you can return home. ¡° Boss and Utado-san said so, I got up after thinking a little. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to be so rude and leave.¡± ©` ©` ©` ©` I left the room of the boss and headed to Roll¡¯s room with a quick pace. Physical fatigue is not that much, but spiritual fatigue has been flooding me. I was deciding to talk to Roll before speaking to the bosses. It seems a bit difficult to think about alone. My partner is there for me at such a time. If it¡¯s Roll, she should be kind. I quickly opened the door of Roll¡¯s room and went in. Roll lined up the knife on the desk and was working on something, but stopped moving and looked up as I was entering the room. ¡°Welcome back, what¡¯s wrong ¡­ ¡­.¡± Sensing my uneasiness, Roll said with a slightly impatient look. ¡°Roll, listen¡± ¡°Did something happen?¡± I told the role about the incident on the previous mission. It was that he was a Lieutenant General of the Self-Defense Army, his capability, that he was strong, and that he had escaped after interacting with the bosses. I talked it all over as much as possible. ¡°¡­. It¡¯s true, you didn¡¯t tell the bosses, did you?¡± When listening to my story, Roll said so. I answer with a very serious face. ¡°I did not tell the boss, I thought that I should consult Roll before the bosses.¡± ¡°Sure, that¡¯s nice, but it¡¯s a severe problem, is not it?¡± Roll said with a hand against her chin. ¡°Oh¡­¡­¡± ¡°Or rather, If Mido is part of the enemy self-defense forces, isn¡¯t it possible that Oohashi and Rin are part of them too?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it the case, that those three people always act together and sometimes they are absent from school at the same time. There is a synchronicity there that can not be explained with excessive affection.¡± I see. Might be so. ¡°It¡¯s got endless possibilities,¡± ¡°Then I was completely outrageous ¡­ ¡­.¡± What was the incompetence alliance. It¡¯s like I was there to hide them like this ¡­. Wrong. That¡¯s not it. It seems unlikely that they have such a way of thinking. I know well that they are not guys who are pleased with looking down on people. Therefore, it is not so ¡­ ¡­. When I tried to enter the infinite mind spiral again, Roll softly took my hand. ¡°It¡¯s all right, I¡¯m with you Shion¡± Listening to her, I raise my head in spite of myself. Oh yeah, Roll looks like a goddess ¡­ ¡­. ¡°What is that face, are you dissatisfied?¡± ¡°No, can I hug you?¡± ¡°Yes, why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a trust hug¡± ¡°You just said an execution worthy phrase ¡­ ¡­. Fine, just a little bit.¡± I listened to her reply, and embraced Roll. It does not mean that I¡¯m mindless. It is safe to do this. There is a nice odor from Roll coming from her neck as I rest my head on her shoulder. When I have hugged Roll and cuddled for a while, I forget everything else. I always wanted to do this. ¡°Well, that¡¯s enough, right?¡± ¡°A bit more¡± ¡°¡­ It can not be helped¡± I close my eyes and think. Tsurugi is an enemy, but he is a close friend. I have something else to think about. He is not aware of my true identity. I wonder what will happen if Mido were to know my true identity. No, he was saying to kill me whatever the reason ¡­ ¡­. ¡°Well, what if Roll was me and in the same situation?¡± I broke the silence and I asked Roll. Her voice came back after a while. ¡°Well ¡­ ¡­. For me, maybe I will not talk to the boss. I would let it be like it usually is.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­¡± ¡°But as Mido is in the self-defense forces, I think that I will kill without hesitation when I came around as Anonymous again.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­.¡± Because Roll has been at this for a while, she can think that way? I still can not do it ¡­ ¡­. ¡°Roll, Thank you¡± I¡¯m sorry but said that as I left Roll. ¡°It¡¯s because your my partner. Because it is the summer season, the face of the roll was red. ¡°Your face is red ¡­ I¡¯m sorry, it was hot,¡± ¡°This, that ¡­ ¡­. Yes, it was hot. ¡­¡­ I did not dislike it. ¡° Roll turned her face, patting it. Because I was too shy, I could not see the face of Roll directly. ¡°Well, why not you think about it little by little by yourself? I gave a consultation, but I do not know what to do. ¡° ¡°Roll, thank you. But after all I, I will tell the boss. ¡° ¡°¡­¡­why?¡± ¡°If there is damage caused by the absence of this information, then it may be that I will feel bad again. Also, the boss is supposed to think about my circumstances. So I will tell him and leave it in his care. If so, maybe then he can respond when something happens? ¡° ¡°That might be the best. But Mido might be beaten to death in secret? Because that old man is unrelenting.¡± ¡°Talk to him after considering that.¡± ¡°Well, if Shion is fine I will not complain. For the time being, I¡¯m hungry, do you want some dinner? ¡° ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± CH 37 After having dinner with Roll, I was in the boss¡¯s room. I stretch out my spine while standing in front of boss as he leans on his desk. ¡°Well ¡­ I wondered if it was something like that¡± I told the boss about Mido. The reaction of the boss was never a lot, but it seemed he was not too surprised. I¡¯m glad he wasn¡¯t angry. ¡°¡­ ¡­. Yes, I am sorry I did not say it at once.¡± I still lower my head in my apology. I properly told him that I was wondering whether I should say it. After all I thought that it would be better to tell the boss because I was alive now with the help of the boss. If I did not tell firmly the information useful for Anonymous, it is also true that I do not know what will happen later. No matter how close someone is to you, the enemy is your enemy. I¡¯m trying to protect myself until I can kill a lot of people. It is impossible to survive without a prepared mindset. ¡°You talked a lot, it¡¯s fine though¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­!¡± To the boss who told me, I was relieved. ¡°But you have to watch your back¡± ¡°What do you mean¡­¡­?¡± ¡°That guy is pretty dangerous. You can get killed right now. ¡° ¡°¡­¡­Yes¡± That¡¯s what the boss says. My ¡°sound attack¡± did no damage. Able to withdraw even from Utado-san. Ability to escape even the boss ¡­ ¡­. Even monkeys understand that they will be crushed by larger foes. ¡°But I think I will leave him to be your rival Shion. This might be stupid of me ¡­. But I¡¯m guessing he might be able to encourage your growth. In other words, it¡¯s an investment. ¡° ¡°¡­ ¡­ How will it help if I¡¯m rivaling Mido?¡± ¡°Oh but do not get me wrong, the command I give is that he is ¡°killed ¡°to the last, regardless of whether it is your best friend or not. ¡­¡­ Still I am leaving it to you because it is difficult to execute orders against your will. Experience and skill are not enough for Shion, you need to be able to do hard things too. ¡° ¡°I see¡­¡­¡± ¡°If it is is your fate for you to kill each other, so be it, but it is your freedom to decide otherwise. However, as long as Shion is in Anonymous, please remember that it is necessary to kill him, it is his only fate. ¡° ¡°¡­¡­I understand¡± That is useless. I am thankful for him giving me time. If I do not want to be hostile to Mido, I can go through Anonymous instead, and the boss may have suggested such an option. ¡°Once in a while, if you encounter it during the mission or if the situation changes ¡­¡± ¡°I will be killing him, I am seriously aware.¡± ¡°Oh¡± I did not come to talk about getting myself killed. Aside from whether or not I can kill him effectively if I encounter him during my duty, I will fight with murder in mind. I could do it even today ¡®s mission. ¡°Well, that¡¯s about it. ¡°Thank you, Boss,¡± I bowed and left the boss¡¯s room. ©` ©` ©` ©` I came home. I entrusted my body to the bed and was closing my eyes. I feel it was a very long day. Destroy-san messing up, Rolls sleeping, being shaded by the boss, being aware that Mido is self-defense army ¡­ ¡­. But I will go to bed now. It will be school tomorrow. The bath ¡­ ¡­, it is already troublesome, will I wake up early in the morning tomorrow? I somehow set the alarm clock, and dropped off into deep sleep. The next morning. I woke up before the alarm went off, and took a shower after running in the morning. School begins again today. Everyone may be surprised because I was sunburned during summer vacation. I was thinking about such a thing while skillfully checking my uniform after a long absence. If there are concerns, it is about Mido. I wonder if I can get in contact with him as usual? After finishing breakfast, I leave home with a bag. It is around 15 minutes on foot to school. Because it is a distance that is prohibited to go to school by a bicycle, I sweat a lot. Looking up at the sky, the floating ability person will fly towards our school. Before when I saw that, I envied them but now it is not so. My ability is not too bad ¡­ ¡­. ¡°Hello, Kazato!¡± A cheerful voice came out from behind, I turned around while making a dorky face. ¡°Good morning.¡± ¡°Wow, Kazato is sunburned ¡­ I was somewhere in the summer vacation. Where did you end up going?¡± ¡°I went to the neighboring town. Stop listening because I am ashamed to admit I did not do such a big deal.¡± ¡°Listen, please!¡± ¡°I hate it, I did pretty much nothing during summer vacation.¡± ¡°I, I was basically playing, but, oh, I was confessed to by Hitomi¡¯s sister¡± ¡°Seriously!?¡± ¡°Yeah, I refused it, but since I was confessed to in front of Hitomi, I was in a lot of sister fights.¡± ¡°It was a disaster ¡­ ¡­.¡± When I was younger Ohashi¡¯s sister was truly an opposite in character from Ohashi, it was famous when I was junior high school. It seems that next year she will come into our school. I do not want her to come over. Or rather, I¡¯m not talking to her as usual. By the way, yesterday I could not hear the sounds from this guy, but what about now? I suddenly felt I had to know and turned on my ability and listened to Mido¡¯s sound. Then, his eyes changed and he looked around all around. I hurriedly turn off the ability. Now ¡­ ¡­. It was a bit of a strange look apparently yesterday. ¡°What are you doing, what are you doing?¡± ¡°No, I felt that someone is watching me ¡­¡± When I turned it on now I was able to hear Mido¡¯s heatbeat. I did not listen yesterday. That means that the ability of Mido is invoked all the time and is on-off? No, if it seems that the current ability has detected that I switched mine on, it should not be turning on and off by his will. The boss said it was probably Mido¡¯s pass through ability. The ability to Pass through, especially one that Boss¡¯s doesn¡¯t work on, has the possibility of being able to sense whether your ability was used or not. In other words, he had realized that I was using the ability to hear his sound now. But, he did not know where I was listening, so he looked around. Is it such a thing? Well then what was he doing when I could not switch my ability on-off? No, at that time I was wearing a control ring and I was never conscious of Mido. So it may not have been a concern for Mido. Anyway, it seems better not to do extra things. ¡°Kazuto, please be careful as it seems to be noisy these days. According to rumors, Anonymous movement seems to be active.¡± Mido had a serious face as he told me so. ¡°¡­ It seems like¡± ¡°Here, we are non-ability users. I think that you should add extra precautions as there is no way to protect yourself. ¡° ¡°Sure.¡± Neither are non-ability users though ¡­. I felt guilty this time. Although he does not know, he is worried about me as an enemy. That¡¯s why I cannot mix up the identity. Better yet I should remember this is not a good friend, how easy it would be if he was just a nice guy in class. ¡°The story changes, but Kazuto, have you finished your homework?¡± ¡°It has been done for a while.¡± ¡°I also ended it yesterday, I guess rather than saying it¡¯s over, t I¡¯m not finished yet.¡± While we were speaking, we arrived at the classroom. A classmate has already come to the classroom pretty well, and I got a seat while greeting them, having met them for the first time in a month. Roll has already come to school. We still have time until the morning assembly, so the usual members gathered around my desk. So school began. CH 38 A roof of a skyscraper. A strange looking couple were sitting on a dead body. (I think it¡¯s two girls, but it¡¯s vague enough that it could be a man and woman.) Besides that, two Venetian masks are rolling, both lying in sticky blood. They were whispering. ¡°This guy ¡­ it was fun, Sadie¡± ¡°Yeah ¡­ it was fun, but because it¡¯s a self-defense army, it¡¯s natural, Yui¡± ¡°Yeah ¡­ I want to have even more fun ¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­Me too¡± Smiling, they kiss. Between the two people, a knife was thrown from somewhere. The two keep on locking lips. ¡°Disgusting! What kind of movement is that?¡± A man newly emerged from the darkness said that and stood before them. ¡°¡­¡­Haru¡± The girl who was called Yui earlier raises her face and calls on the name of that man. ¡°Do you understand the instructions of your leader properly? I won¡¯t kill you without permission, but I will do it if you don¡¯t get it.¡± ¡°¡­ Of course¡± ¡°Haru is the one who should act with us, selfish ¡­¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ you lack coordination,¡± There is no rule of banning fellows in their organization. However, it was ineffective for Haru to kill these two people here. So he suppressed his frustration. ¡°You guys I¡¯m busy alone because you guys do not help me. That¡¯s why I wanted to do it as usual members. ¡° ¡°Lida¡¯s(Leader¡¯s?) order, it can not be helped ¡­¡± ¡°I understand. Please help from tomorrow seriously. It¡¯s tough to do as a single person. If you do not help, I will kill you with a slice, so stop avoiding it okay? ¡° Haru said with anger. ¡°¡­¡­Understood¡± ¡°From tomorrow ¡­ ¡­ will help¡± ©` ©` ©` ©` Three months have passed since I found out about Mido. Early December. It is natural, but there is not much heat so it is time to wear long sleeves and a blazer. There is nothing special about that. I worked on studying, but I did not train on weekdays. Holidays and weekends are Roll¡¯s; going to the mission and being shaded ¡­¡­, every day it¡¯s hard, but I¡¯m getting used to it. But well, 3 months ¡­ ¡­ No, if you continue to live like this for five months, the body will also change. The cutter shirt is much harder than last year. (Brand name shirt? Or maybe he¡¯s talking about more defined muscles or just tighter clothing. Not sure about it so I left it alone, but I¡¯ll edit it if someone has a better idea.) I can not help it because my muscles have arrived. I can not hide this. Everyone in the school, including Mido, is misunderstanding that I am addicted to muscle training, but what about the wounds increasing on my body? I have to think about that. ¡°The in-campus tournament is approaching.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Rolls and I looked back on the schedule. About the campus tournament. The campus tournament is an annual event held in late December. Tournaments are organized by grade, but it is not compulsory participation. Therefore, non-ability users and absentee holders have holidays during the grade tournament period. On the contrary, a powerful person who is likely to injure the other party is not eligible to participate. The qualifications for participation are decided by the ability test conducted in December. I said that it was not compulsory, but this event has parts that seem to be half-forced because of it¡¯s involvement in employment. Self-defense forces and the presidents of each company come to see, so everyone desperately desires a chance for their own career. Last year I felt like I was going to play with Mido during the holidays with the campus tournament. ¡°I think that this tournament in the campus you should start revealing yourself, but what do you think about it Shion?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to Roll, I guess that¡¯s it? I¡¯m still setting myself as a non-ability user. ¡° ¡°That¡¯s right?¡± Speaking of which, our schedule was getting crazy as we understood the true identity. The plan to gradually blossom my ability was enlarged. It was a policy of Roll that because the self-defense force lieutenant Mido is in the same class, we should go with caution. ¡°I still have the next year, so I do not think we need to be impatient. I think that I should focus on the basics ¡° ¡°That said, another year has passed. Mido is quite keen at school so it is a bit scary ¡­ ¡° ¡°You say that, but Roll was named.¡± ¡°How many times have I talked about that story¡± ¡°I do not understand¡± ¡°I am not famous so far, so it¡¯s okay because it will not actually happen. I was doing my assignments solo, so my name was not discovered. ¡° I do not know about the name, but she was known to General Shiranui. It is somewhat optimistic or naive for Roll ¡­ ¡­. Well it is OK so far because it is not revealed at the moment. If it seems to be the worst happens, it will be fine if we only leave school and run away. I¡¯m in trouble because I called out Roll during my mission. Although I¡¯m talking about refraining from calling names for the time being, I think that it is okay to give her a nick name instead. ¡°¡­ ¡­ because there is no evidence even if suspected, it should be fine.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it really serious and a mistake?¡± ¡°It was caused by various things that I could not make a pseudonym. I never thought there was a self-defense army in the class. ¡° ¡°Hmm,¡± ¡°Aside from that, you can increase what you can do with your ability, can¡¯t you?¡± Roll diverted the topic to escape. ¡°Yeah, I can.¡± I nod and answer. In the past three months, I was taken around everywhere by various people, so I can say that my skill has risen well. No, I guess it¡¯s still a bit cheeky, but I should have grown somewhat better ¡­ ¡­ should be. Of course, it goes without saying that the accuracy of the ability has increased in the process. Training also carried out an improvement program organized by Tameiki-san. ¡°You ought to decide what kind of ability you decide to reveal, so please write what you can do on this paper by tomorrow, as much as possible.¡± I got a paper from Roll and a pen with it. ¡°Write everything you can do, in bullets.¡± ¡°I understand¡± ¡°Today is too late, Shall we break it up?¡± Roll stood up and said. I checked the time and it is already past 21 o¡¯clock. ¡°Okay, good night¡± ¡°Good night¡± When I heard the reply from the role, I left the room and came home. I arrived home, I was doing my homework from Roll right away. For the time being I wrote it, but it looks like this: ¡¤ It is possible to listen to the sound of the maximum radius 1 km accurately. And can listen to the sounds that can not be heard. ¡¤ Space grasp by echo of sound can be done. Sonar. ¡¤ Make sound. It is also possible to change my voice. The size of the sound to be generated like ¡°sound hit¡± is flexible. There is a limit. You can use it if you have the original sound. ¡¤ I can block sound. ¡¤ It is possible to send sound to people who are far away. ¡¤ I can make two people talk even if far apart by applying the top two. ¡¤ I can listen to heart sounds, respiration, muscle stretching sounds. By this, it is possible to predict to some extent the opponent¡¯s previous movements. ¡¤ I can vibrate objects by sound. ¡¤ I can hurt Rolls (rolling cat condition) with ultrasonic waves. There seems to be something else you can do, but is it about this at the moment? There are also some unfinished skills. Let¡¯s show it to Roll tomorrow. I thought so as I went to bed. CH 39 The next day. When school was over I was gathering in Roll¡¯s room as usual. After school there are times to play, but basically we usually go to Roll¡¯s room to hang out. I am sitting in the air conditioned room in a chair with my feet up. Roll groaned when she saw the paper listing ¡®What I can do¡¯ written yesterday. ¡°Well, well ¡­ ¡­.¡± I was looking at the profile of the groaning Roll, her elbow on the table. I feel my hair grew quite a bit longer than when we had first met. Roll basically does not tie her hair up except when going to the mission. So it¡¯s still straight. Well that¡¯s my favorite thing. By the way, there are many times that Tameiki-san are tied by mission. It seems that the Tameiki-san¡¯s hairstyle will change depending on her child-like mood, but I have never seen a ponytail or a straight style for now. I would like to see another hair style. Would she show it if I asked? When thinking about such a thing, Roll glared me with half opened eyes and said it. ¡°How about telling me what you meant about harassing Roll¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s playful¡± ¡°I do not need that kind of playfulness, because that makes me feel awfully bad¡± ¡°I did not do it on purpose. But you can use it for cats. When I said so, after Roll looked disgusted, I returned my eyes to the paper again. ¡°So, can the sound of ¡°sound hit¡± be erased?¡± ¡°I think I can do it if I try ¡­. It¡¯s like generating shock waves only, right?¡± It is more accurate to say that you do not hear in the surroundings rather than extinguish it. I can do it. Although it is somewhat troublesome. ¡°Yeah, if it is ¡°ability to generate shockwaves¡± there will be no problem. If you can prove you have a high power you can skip the campus tournament as well.¡± The campus tournament skip is very attractive. It is the case that you do not want to fight so much, so you do not have to bother to stand out. Rather it should not be conspicuous. But ¡­ ¡°There is no problem, there is a possibility that the sound hits were used twice against Mido, so no matter how much I say I am turning off the sound, As I said, Roll kept saying ¡°It is not that¡±. ¡°You certainly did not think Tsurugi was self-defense army, did you? It is the same as that, and he should not doubt his best friend just because you used a slightly similar technique. Even thinking from his personality ¡° ¡°¡­ Well, that¡¯s right.¡± I do not think that he suspects me as Anonymous but I am a little worried. No, can we say it? It is subtle when it is ¡°the helplessness of the self-defense army¡± ¡­. ¡°If you¡¯re worried it may be better to pick another one,¡± I should try raising other candidates once. I¡¯m not worried about being messed up, but I still want to choose the best from a number of candidates. When I tried to tell her, I talked as Roll remembered. ¡°I tried to find it, but there seems to be a ¡°privatization system¡± as a system to support students aiming to enlist self-defense forces in our schools. People who are under this system seem to be carefully thought of from the school side. ¡° ¡°Well, I have never heard of that,¡± ¡°Oh yeah, it¡¯s a system that does not make any sense when publicly known¡± In terms of what Roll was talking about I understood the real intent of the system. To be informed means that you can set up countermeasures. It is convenient and easy to move if the ability is not known by those around us. Does anyone who seems to be useful in the future need to hide the ability from now? ¡°I tried to investigate enforcement, and the Tsurugi also received this system. If you use it, you may not need to do a weak performance.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Can we seem less skilled if we receive this system? The guy who is receiving that system isn¡¯t just Midou alone, there must be a few self ¨C defense forces that mimic students. It is horrible. ¡°So, I¡¯m going to ask a strange question from the content I talked about now ¡­.¡± The voice of Roll changed, so I uncrossed my legs. ¡°Yup¡± ¡°This long-term mission, are you troubled?¡± When Roll said such a thing, I got confused for a moment. Of course it would be troublesome, if asked if it was a hassle I would say yes. But, why does Roll ask this? It¡¯s rather a role that I like troublesome things. (I think he¡¯s referring to his own role and not Roll, but I could be wrong.) Although I was talking about how to perform in reality, the words to deny that fundamental. ¡­¡­ I do not feel like that is Roll¡¯s real intention. ¡°What?¡± Some expectation is attached as to what something will be said, but I ask back for confirmation. ¡°Self-defense forces are always looking for skillful persons who are skilled. If you take a test once in two months, if you pass it you can enlist.¡± As expected. ¡°I know that, but ¡­ are you going to let me do that? Or rather it¡¯s boss¡¯s proposal anyway ¡° Considering my growth in a year and a half, enlistment from the front should have been judged as dangerous. And those who enlisted in this exam are naturally starting from the bottom and have a long restraint time. Activities at Anonymous will also be limited. In the first place, the problem is that we must submit quite personal information to prevent invasion of spies by this enlistment method, and that it will be monitored irregularly from accepting the exam to enlisting. According to the rumor there are many colleagues who were caught by this. Disguising will be difficult. ¡­¡­ No, in my case is it unnecessary to disguise? Just convert ability only to lower level, just break the relationship with Anonymous for a while. Indeed I¡¯m also qualified for that ability. ¡°I am glad that you noticed that. ¡­¡­ I honestly do not want to let you go, ¡° I thought that would be such a thing. After all it is a person who asks for unreasonableness, that person. ¡°It¡¯s up to you to go on schedule with the long term plan, but your growth speed is pretty great. Even if you misrepresent your ability you have enough power to join the Self-Defense Forces ¡­ I suppose¡­.¡± ¡°The words of the boss?¡± ¡°Yes, what are you going to do?¡± As for this story, conclusions came out within me at once. If you think about ease, break through the front. Competition rate is lower than getting the recommendation form for the self-defense army in high school. It also has a lot of chances. If you do not get it the first time, you have the following time. I feel that the proposition is better than the way I act at school and deceive others. Or, I guess I want to do it like boss would. ¡°Let¡¯s go with boss¡¯s plan in that case¡± As I said, Roll¡¯s arm slipped and she fell face-first on the desk. ¡°Er¡± I got out. Roll ¡°Eh¡± Even though my judgment is wrong, it is an attitude to take when Roll is disgusted. To put it briefly, selfishness. ¡°In this way it will mean that it¡¯s meaningless for you to enter with me, and support as a partner will be unnecessary¡± ¡°It can not be helped if the boss judged that we can go even this way. There is no meaning to it. I enjoyed having Roll coming to school and managed to manage it thanks to Roll. ¡° To be honest, I would like to discontinue support of Roll in this mission as soon as possible. If I do that, I do not have to worry about troubling Roll. I understand that Roll is not inconvenienced, but if by any chance it makes Roll stumble, I am in trouble. It feels cocky for me to worry about such though. If I say this to Roll, it will be final ¡°¡­ but ¡­¡± ¡°Because it seems that it is not likely for me to take the exam soon, so if I do this, you will be able to enjoy being an ordinary high school student. Actually I can work in self-defense army after graduation. I hope the enlistment can be done so far, don¡¯t you? ¡° ¡°I think that it is better to be as early as possible though ¡­. It is because of the existence of Mido and the plan of that old man who saw our current situation and presented it.¡± ¡°Oh really¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go with that ¡­ huh ¡­¡­¡± Roll stood up from the chair and settled down on her bed. Although we were emphasizing on a long term mission since five months ago, is it that shocking to change it? I think that I am insane because it is only the obligation as a partner, but when she feels so disappointed, I feel responsible. ¡°You can leave today, okay?¡± The lifeless voice of Roll sounded in the room. I searched for something nice to say, but now I feel that it is counterproductive so I quietly left the room. ©` ©` ©` ©` After that, the date changed unexpectedly when I was having a bit of a practical battle in the training room. Today¡¯s training was exchanged between Hakunetsu-san and Kuroinu-san as each took part as my opponent. Recently these two people often are my opponent. I am asking for them to help train me. Why I don¡¯t ask Rolls and Tameiki-san, Tameiki-san is gently restrained for the day, and Roll was badly hurt. So I am avoiding practical battle with these two people. There are others he could ask, but if you were to go with who is easiest to ask, it is the two of them. Well, if he did not properly determine the timing to ask for, he will have a problem as they will be dating until they have duty. ¡°Ao ¡­ ¡­! Today it was a much more practical experience! I¡¯m going to have a good bath, Shion-kun!¡± Ah, this is another problem. Two people are inviting me to take a bath. I forgot, but this is pretty annoying. ¡°I will withdraw, because I will take one at home. Thank you for training with me today. ¡° I try to leave the heated training room while wiping the sweat with a towel. But as soon as I try Kuroinu-san grabs my arm. ¡°¡­ Please let me go, I do not feel like that today.¡± I glanced at Kuroinu-san and said it. I have decided that I will never enter the bath with these people. ¡°Ooooi! It can¡¯t be! After training you have to have a bath. Isn¡¯t it natural?¡± ¡°Even if you do not get out of the sauna again until you have fainted again, do not hesitate to persevere!¡± ¡°Not going to do it, I absolutely don¡¯t think so this time¡± ¡°My heart has not stopped at all in the second half! I rage to shake off Kuroinu-san¡¯s hand. But, I was knocked down by Kuroinu-san , and then he got on top of me. ¡°Have you heard him? This guy is getting quite mouthy !!¡± ¡°I heard it !! I can not forgive you! It can not be forgiven! Alright, lets make him faint and take him to the bath! ¡° ¡°Cha ¡­ ¡­ Stop ¡­ ¡­!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± I cried when I saw Kuroinu-san winding up a fist. This is the last resort. ¡°Tameiki-san! Please save me!¡± I asked my teacher for help. ¡°Hey! Stop it! Because we do not get involved with Tameiki-san, it will be awkward!¡± ¡°Even so noisy we are disliked ¡­ ¡­!¡± ¡°Well then please release me! I¡¯m concerned for my life when going in the bath with Kuroinu-san!¡± ¡°Kuroinu-san! Do not ask questions! Do it!¡± With guts. Several stars danced, my consciousness ceased. ©` ©` ©` ©` ¡°It was terrible ¡­ ¡­.¡± After all, the regular ¡°all fainted ¡î durable sauna¡± was killed and we were indebted to Mr. Chihiro. (Not sure if this is referring to an actual person or medicine.) As I was supposed to wake up sleeping Mr. Chiaki, everyone was supposed to have a rough treatment ¡­¡­ (Same as above, might be medicine, might be an actual person.) In any case the time is past 2:30 AM. Since it is a bad time unless I go back to train, I was on the way back. Even if I return at such a time, my parents never say anything. Although there is a certain freddom ¡­ ¡­, but recently my grades are steadily increasing and I am not getting any problems in particular, so my parents have no complaints. It used to be incompetent, so I was often worried that I was not loved, but now I am thankful for my parent¡¯s laissez-faire attitude. While thinking about such a thing while walking home I heard people¡¯s voice from a scrapped building a bit ahead. A voice from such a place ¡­ ¡­? Is it a mistake in my hearing? It is a condemned building that is supposed to be demolished and barred from entry, but it seems it will remain that way forever. There is almost no traffic and I often use this road to go to the hideout. Since the atmosphere is uncanny and scary around here, I often turn my ability on and go, but it is the first time I heard a voice from there. Even though it is not a place to hang out at. I felt sorry and picked up the sound there. Then, there are three heart sounds heard from it. Three people on the rooftop. They were talking. ¡­¡­ Do I want to eavesdrop on it for a moment? I thought I should do so and I listened to the conversation of the three people. ¡°How much have you gathered ¡­?¡± ¡°About 1 / 3. It¡¯s only 100 of my capacity, it¡¯s not enough yet. Do you girls think you will have enough water three days later? ¡° ¡°Wow, mind you, the bait ¡­ ¡­.?¡± ¡°I can not secure such a large amount of food¡± ¡°A human here ¡­ ¡­, if you let him eat ¡­?¡± ¡°Huh, are you understanding the instructions of the leader?¡± ¡°I am doing ¡­ ¡­.¡± ¡°Talking to Anonymous, it hurts ¡­ ¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, if you stand out now, did you think about it properly?¡± This is ¡­ reported to the boss. As soon as I heard their conversation, I decided so, I took out the organization terminal and called the boss. ¡°What?¡± The boss immediately answers the phone. I told the contents of their conversation. But the boss hung up after saying ¡°Please keep away.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­.¡± Is he serious? CH 40 Evil Escapes After receiving the order to dispose them, I moved to infiltrate the abandoned building. There are three sounds that could be heard from the rooftop of this abandoned building. Well, in these three months I¡¯ve accumulated more experience. I¡¯ve been doing missions alone, and I¡¯ve followed various people in their missions(or rather, I was forced to go with them). That¡¯s why I got some confidence. No, rather than being confident, it¡¯s more like I¡¯m getting used to it. The guys on the rooftop of this building, maybe¡­ No, definitely the kind of people that won¡¯t hesitate to kill. In other words, it¡¯s kill or be killed. When faced with life or death situation you shouldn¡¯t show any hesitation. The guys above are probably skilled. At least they¡¯re not an opponent I can win against in a direct fight. Somehow I can to understand something about them. These guys are unusual¡­ However, it is foolish to have a direct fight with my ability. Sound Control (Dominant). You don¡¯t have to fight directly with this kind of ability. No matter how strong you are, you cannot perfectly react to an unexpected attack, that is, a surprise attack. Of course, there are opponents you can¡¯t win against only with a surprise attack, even so, it¡¯s certain that the battle will start in an advantageous position. My ability is good at it. I silenced the sound that I made and went upstairs. Naturally, the elevator is not working, so there is no choice but to climb the stairs. How many floors does this building have? I¡¯ve already came about halfway through, but it¡¯s tough. I watch out for hidden traps while I went up the stairs lightly. Their conversation has ended, but they¡¯re still on the roof. As you can see from how many new trash were lying around inside the building, you can think this abandoned building as their base. What are they trying to do here? I¡¯m curious about this place, but I¡¯ll have to put an ¡°End¡± to their life. Whatever they were intending to do from now on is not a problem, because I¡¯ll kill them. Eventually, I reached the rooftop¡¯s entrance. Taking a deep breath, I calm my breathing. I silenced the sounds of my footsteps, heartbeat, breathing, and all the sounds that I made. If the enemy has a nose strengthening system among them, I may be discovered due to the smell, but I¡¯ve arrived until this point and haven¡¯t been discovered, so there is no need to worry. My ability is not good against mice and dog strengthening system. They came to the place where I was hiding while I was trying to sneak attack them. That was the danger I face at the mission I took a little while ago. The countermeasure here is to firmly grasp their transformation. When the ability is not used, their status doesn¡¯t change. In other words, their sense of smell doesn¡¯t change as well. The strengthening system ability is increasing your heart rate by a certain amount in transformed state. By listening to that, you¡¯ll know if they has transformed or not, and that¡¯s how I confirm the possibility of myself being discovered. But there is nothing I can do if they¡¯ve already transformed. Even if there is someone with a strengthening system among the three of them, I prayed that he hasn¡¯t transformed while I peek through the gap on the rooftop¡¯s door to confirm their appearance. Firstly, a man was reflected in my eyes. He is tall and flashy with long black hair. He was leaning against the pillar of the water tank. I can take a guess from his appearance. These guys are from Nursery Rhyme. When I moved my eyes to the right, a boy and a girl were sitting close to each other. Their legs were stretched out and they sat there like a doll. The blowing wind made their hair fluttered. There is a strange presence about them. However, I can definitely surprise attack them now. The two of them or the lone man. Which one should should I attack first? No, I shouldn¡¯t think about my power consumption. I must not let my guard down. Let¡¯s attack the three of them simultaneously. With my strongest attack. Tameiki-san said that if I¡¯m going to do a surprise attack, I must do it seriously. I¡¯ll have to get the timing right. Shooting a Soundshoot out of the building. This is my aim. My ¡°Soundshoot¡± is relatively good to blow things away. Because this is the rooftop, I¡¯ll blow and drop them. If you fall from this height, death will be inevitable. There is no fence even though it¡¯s the rooftop of the building. I wonder if it¡¯s removed. Anyway, it¡¯s convenient. Let¡¯s do it. Before that, let¡¯s simulate it. First, generate a sound at the opposite direction from those guys and me, then the man would head there. At this point, I hope those duo would follow him. Then at that chance I¡¯ll shot a Soundshoot from behind them. Alright. I exhaled, then I generate a sound at the opposite side of my position. *pashutto* the man reacted when the strange sound resounded. He uncrossed his arms and shifted his gaze in the direction of the sound. Opposite to him, the duo also stood up at the same time and walked to the direction of the sound. As planned. ¡°What¡¯s that sound?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡± Now. I thought so, then I shot Soundshoot at the three people. Controllable ¡°Soundshoot¡±. I limit the range so that it could blow them together. ¨CSoundshoot Roaring sounds resounded. But something astonishing happened. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Wha-?¡± The tall man among the three¡­, The guy dodge the Soundshoot, then it completely struck the girl among the duo, and the boy manage escape because she thrust him away. The girl was blown away and fell from the building. She eventually hit ground and made a nasty *gucyari* noise. At that point I did a follow up move. However, the second Soundshoot was blocked by a mysterious wall created by the man. At this point I jumped down the stairs and run down the building to regain my posture. Then I got off the 2nd floor and I held my breath to hide there. ¡°Ah-!! My eardrums are gone!! Die, die, die! Who¡¯s that shit!¡± ¡°Noooooo!!¡± I can hear such wail from above. Damn, I failed to kill both of them¡­! If it was a Soundshoot with a wider range¡­ No, it¡¯s not. It¡¯s more uncertain. I had sensed a leaked killing intent, then I immediately ran to avoid the attack. I was careless. To think the only one I could dealt with was the girl. I was fortunate to have killed her. But from the wail I heard from above, even though I had failed to killed the other party, they have been seriously wounded. It is likely that they¡¯ll do anything to kill me. Calm down. I can completely grasp their movement. Then there is this darkness. It is an overwhelmingly advantageous terrain for me. ¡°Where are youuu!!! Come ooout!!!¡± It¡¯s the boy¡¯s scream. It¡¯s bad. Even though he looks mature, to suddenly change like this. Well, it¡¯s obvious if someone saw their companion died right in front of their eyes, right? It¡¯s unfortunate, but it can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s boss¡¯ order. Now what? They don¡¯t know my position. Inside this spacious building, it¡¯s unlikely for them to search for me till the first floor. And it¡¯s unlikely that they¡¯ll just retreat¡­ I keep my ears open and listened to the sound from above while contemplating. ¡°Calm down Sady. Being angry will only make you fall to the enemy¡¯s trap.¡± ¡°How can I be calm?! Yui is?! Yui¡¯s dead you know?! Even though we were always together?!¡± ¡°Even though I can¡¯t hear what you said because my eardrums got torned, I can understand what your saying. But, listen to what I said.¡± ¡°Shut up! Release me!¡± ¡°Listen to me kid!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Okay? It¡¯s all our fault not noticing the enemy¡¯s approach. And that attack¡­¡­ It must the Sound User that leader talked about. It¡¯s certain that man will take advantage of the darkness to kill us. He should be able to completely grasp our movement. That¡¯s why, I¡¯ll lend you my pets. Follow him. I will go below to retrieve Yui. Maybe she could still be saved.¡± ¡°I¡­¡­ Understand.¡± ¡°All right, go.¡± After that conversation, the sounds of heartbeat increased by two. Growls sounded at same time. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± What? What kind of pets makes sounds like that? Is it a demon beast or something like that? It¡¯s bad. Can it follow the smell to search here? But, I more or less understood that man¡¯s ability. Some time ago, my Soundshoot was blocked by some kind of wall, maybe it¡¯s an ability that pull things out from somewhere. First of all, I wondered about the capacity, and is it his own independent space? ¡ª The demon beasts were also taken out of it. Rather than that, did that man already regain his composure in this short period of time? And the killing intent that suppress that boy¡¯s anger¡­¡­. That¡¯s not a master-subordinate relationship. For the time being, it would be convenient if they would split up. I could kill them one by one. I lean on the back of the door in preparation for the demon beasts and the boy called Sady that came down the stairs. I pull out a knife from holder, and prepare myself. Attacking with Soundshoot is not a good option. The durability of this abandoned building is unknown. It¡¯s fine if it¡¯s on the rooftop, but the ceiling might collapse here. Also, because of my training, I could use 3 more Soundshoots. Strictly speaking it¡¯s 2. Because the third Soundshoot is only used in emergency. Let¡¯s save it for the last resort. ¡°Kill¡­¡­ I¡¯ll absolutely kill you, kill, kill¡­¡­! While muttering dangerous things, Sady¡¯s footsteps and the demon beasts growls were getting closer. Sady¡¯s ability is unknown. And the species of demon beasts he brought are also unknown. But, a knife is enough. First, I¡¯ll kill the demon beasts. Then him. No, it doesn¡¯t matter which one I chose first. Because they are all easy to kill. From it¡¯s footsteps, it is probably a small demon beast. In this case, a knife is enough. If I kill Sady, the only thing left to kill are the demon beasts. After I kill the demon beasts, the only thing left to do is hide. Sady can¡¯t figure out my position on his own. I can do it. ¡°Is it here¡­¡­?¡± Sady, who came down to the floor where I was, is approaching the large room I was in. He¡¯s already at the other side of the door. I gulped my saliva. When he opens the door, I¡¯ll slit his throat. Certainly. I tightly gripped my knife with such image, and a shock ran through my back. I was blown away and hit the wall. ¡°Found you-!¡± This guy, he blow up the door¡­! Does that mean he has some kinda fire control ability? Troublesome. In addition, those demon beasts. Bloody Dog(Blood-Dog)¡­! They are sensitive to the smell of blood, and just from their speed, they could be classified as A-class demon beasts. I wiped the blood trickling down my cheek and stood up slowly, and the Bloody Dogs rushed towards me. However, Sady kicked the Bloody Dogs with all his strength till they fly and hit the wall, then he threw the Bloody Dogs which has stopped moving out of the window. ¡°No¡­¡­ You can¡¯t. Because¡­¡­, he is my prey!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.!¡± ¡°Nooow, how do you want to be killed?¡± Bloodshot eyes. How did it come to this? Even if I fought back, the situation is still somewhat disadvantageous. I only had one chance. I glanced at the window next to me. This building has 19 floors. I counted it when I climbed the stairs. And since I got off the 2nd floor from top, this must be the 17th floor¡­¡­ I will definitely die if I jump out. The enemy is slowly approaching from the front. There is no time to think. I put strength in my legs and jump through the window. ¡°What¡­!¡± I jumped out of the building and while I still in midair I took out a grappling hook from holder. When I took out the grappling hook midair, I fired it at the protrusion on the roof. The hook at the tip of the ejected wire made a rustling noise and entangled the rooftop protrusion. Tightly grabbing the grappling hook, I hanged from the roof of the building. However, I¡¯m defenseless in this state. ¡°You want to escape?!¡± I shot a Soundshoot to Sady who came in pursuit just as I expected. Sady who is some distances away from me, were blown away to the corner of the room. I¡¯m still breathing. However, constant pursuit here is dangerous. I thought so as I climbed the wire of the grappling hook, kicked the window that was above the window I came out from and entered the new room. ¡°Huu¡­¡­¡± The blood flowing from my head has already soaked my shirt. My wound is quite deep. It hurts. Sady who is below doesn¡¯t move, but still breathing. I think I managed to escape. Should I check the situation? I get out of the room and climbed the stairs to head towards the roof again. The other guy got down to the ground before I know it. I can¡¯t stay here either. If he¡¯s still not moving, should I go to Sady to keep him stayed like that? When I thought so, Sady started to move. He started climbing the stairs towards the roof, while making a rattling noise. It sounded like he stood up while dragging his feet, and started to climbing the stairs towards the rooftop. Looks like he¡¯s still injured. Well, it¡¯s natural if he took Soundshoot head on. He didn¡¯t die because I was afraid the building will collapse if I didn¡¯t hold back. Well, it would be easy to kill him in this state. I took out a new knife and waited for him to appear. Then a hand holds the door on the roof. The one who appeared is the tall guy. ¡°Wha-?!¡± They change places¡­!? ¡°Kuku, you fell for it! Idiot! Because of you, I can¡¯t hear anything now, though that also revealed your tricks!¡± I prepare myself to make a Soundshoot. But the man in front of me put out his hand. ¡°Stop it. Do you want to die? Stop doing that trick because it¡¯s a hassle to deal with¡± Certainly. The fact that the wall wasn¡¯t on the roof anymore means he has put them back. It would be over if he could block two more Soundshoot. It¡¯s dangerous¡­¡­ I¡¯m in a pinch, right¡­¡­. ¡°Now, how should I kill you, even if leave you to the demon beasts, they¡¯ll just be swept away by your technique, and if I approached you, I won¡¯t have sufficient time to guard against your technique¡­¡­. That¡¯s why you haven¡¯t blow up this building right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± *gokkuri* I gulped. Looks like I won¡¯t be able to fulfill boss¡¯s order. Or rather, it¡¯s impossible from the start. Clearly, it¡¯s an enemy that I couldn¡¯t handle. ¡°So, do you have any last words? I can¡¯t hear anything because of you, but let¡¯s hear it.¡± The man said while laughing loudly. ¡°Last words¡­? There¡¯s someone I want to talk to in the end, can I call her?¡± ¡°Alright!¡± You can¡¯t hear me, right? No, lip reading? Well fine, I¡¯m saved. Thank you for letting me make a call. I called Tameiki-san with the shortcut number. ¡°It¡¯s me¡± As usual Tameiki-san pick up the call in just one call. ¡°I¡¯m in a dangerous situation now, so I¡¯ll use that. In about 10 seconds. The point is around H-7. Can you make it in time?¡± ¡°Just barely.¡± ¡°Then please do the follow-up for me. I don¡¯t want to die yet.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± After hearing Tameiki-san¡¯s reply, I ended the call. By the way, because I cover my mouth during the conversation, the guy in front of me shouldn¡¯t be able to understand it. He won¡¯t be vigilant if he didn¡¯t know it¡¯s content. I started counting 10 seconds in my mind while thinking such things. ¡°Are you done?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Yes¡± 5, 4,¡­¡­ ¡°Then, it¡¯s time to die©`¡± 3, 2, 1, ¡­¡­ Alright. ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll die, you idiot!¡± ¨D¨D Spitting such curse, I shot a Soundshoot at myself. This is a drastic move that I¡¯ve been forced to practice by Tameiki-san. The weakness of my ability, mobility, it¡¯s a technique to supplement it. It¡¯s called [Emergency Escape Soundshoot]. Only used when faced against an ability user with bad compatibility and when in absolute pinch, that kind of technique. ¡°Ga¡­ha¡­!!¡± It felt like my eyeballs are about to pop out. The ground seems so far away and blood spurted out of my mouth into the air. The bones in my body were making cracking noise. ¡°You¨D! A piece of shit like you is¨D!¡± I can hear the man¡¯s surprised voice. I still don¡¯t have enough momentum. Once again, I aimed a Soundshoot at myself. My body that was blown away accelerated. It looks like my consciousness were about to cut off. The building is moving away in my fading field of view. Alright, he can¡¯t catch up. Well¡­¡­, if Tameiki-san didn¡¯t do a follow-up in time, I¡¯ll definitely die on landing. Please, master. Hoping so, I let go of my consciousness. CH 41 Evil Back CH 42 [Evil Lurks] CH 43 [Evil Before Dawn] New Road City. The surroundings had darkened, night was about to come, and we finally arrived at this city. The time is before 7 o¡¯clock. It seems that there is eyewitness report about Yoiyami-san at an izakaya[1] located on the outskirts of the city, away from the city center where skyscrapers lined up. However we are now eating at a ramen shop in downtown area. Desuko-san said she can¡¯t fight on an empty stomach. ¡°What kind of person was Yoiyami-san?¡± As I finished eating first, I asked Desuko-san such a question. By the way, because it¡¯s about Desuko-san¡¯s mission, I silenced our conversation from the surroundings. Therefore, there is no problem even if we talked about the organization in a loud voice. ¡°A~, un. He¡¯s peculiar. He has a troublesome personality.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± I felt that was something that shouldn¡¯t be said by Desuko-san though. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not willing to do this mission. It¡¯s impossible for Yoiyami-san to return at anyone¡¯s request. Well. I¡¯ll just do it.¡± Desuko-san leaned against the backrest as much as possible, and said it while rattling the chair. ¡°This mission, it¡¯s always been put up after Yoiyami-san retired, right?¡± Roll said after having finished eating her ramen. Since Yoiyami-san retired, so it¡¯s been 5 years, hasn¡¯t it? If he had refused for that long, then there is no hope this time as well. ¡°Un, this time Hyde told me to go. Honestly it¡¯s hopeless, right~.¡± ¡°Rather, what is the reason Yoiyami-san retired?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s because a huge fight he had with Hyde. Though I don¡¯t know the cause of that fight.¡± A huge fight with Boss, he¡¯s a terrifying person. ¡°That fight was really dangerous¡­¡­¡± ¡°A~, if I¡¯m not mistaken, Roll was one of the few witnesses. How nice~, I wanted to see it too~¡± ¡°So Roll had seen it. What was the fight like?¡± ¡°There are 3 witness including me. Hiya, Shido-san, and me. If Shido-san didn¡¯t help us escape, we would all be dead.¡± ¡­¡­ Is it such a fierce battle? ¡°One branch was erased after all.¡± Immediately, Yoiyami-san¡¯s dangerous guy image solidified. Are we going to the place of such a person now? I want to go home. ¡°Then, now that Roll has finished eating, it¡¯s about time we go.¡± ©`©`©` After we left the ramen shop, then we came to the izakaya on the outskirts of the city. The witness reported that Yoiyami-san was here, that¡¯s why we are collecting information here but¡­¡­ ¡°Aa, he came here everyday. Our oden seems to be his favorite food. He¡¯s already a regular now. It¡¯s about time he shows up, isn¡¯t it?¡± The information about Yoiyami-san was surprisingly easy to obtain. Desuko-san just tried to ask the owner of the izakaya, but she got it in one try. Anyway if Yoiyami-san is coming soon, then there is no choice but to wait. So, we are now sitting at the very end of the izakaya. There are moderate amount of customers, and the shop is prospering in it¡¯s own way. It¡¯s reasonably large, and there¡¯s plenty of space, it¡¯s not bad. While I¡¯m thinking such things, Desuko-san stopped the hall staff who was wandering around. ¡°Hey, can I order? 3 beers, edamame, and 6 yakitori sets! Also karaage and sashimi~!¡± I stopped Desuko-san who suddenly started ordering. ¡°Wait a second Desuko-san. I can¡¯t drink alcohol. And Roll will be intoxicated to drive.¡± Moreover, you just ate ramen a while ago, and you still planning to eat? ¡°It¡¯s okay! Everything¡¯s OK if we persuade Yoiyami and bring him back!¡± Oh, right? If Yoiyami-san is driving, then it¡¯s fine? No, it¡¯s not. ¡°So you are a type who like to fights with their back against the wall. It¡¯s good. In the worst case, Shido-san can come to pick you up.¡± For some reason Roll became enthusiastic, and I had no choice but to stay silent. But well, talking to Yoiyami-san is scary, rather than meeting him while sober, maybe it¡¯s better to take in alcohol to stop being fearful. I decided to accept it. ¡°That¡¯s all~.¡± ¡°Certainly, ma¡¯am.¡± After Desuko-san finished ordering, the hall staff woman passed the order to the kitchen. Beer mugs were immediately brought to our table. ¡°Well first of all, should we have a toast?¡± Desuko-san lifted her mug and said that. ¡°Right.¡± ¡°It¡¯s before the mission, isn¡¯t it¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the details! For Yoiyami-san¡¯s return, toast!¡± ¡°It¡¯s too soon to celebrate. But, toast!¡± ¡°To, toast!¡± *clang* mugs collided, and I took a sip of the beer inside the mug. Then when I put my mug on the table, Desuko-san who sat diagonally to me and Roll who sat beside me, put down their emptied mugs with a *bang*. ¡°!?¡± ¡°Buha-!¡± ¡°Fuu¡± ¡°¡®Are~, Shion-kun¡­¡­?¡± Desuko-san looked at the beer left in my mug, and turned her eyes. Please spare me¡­¡­. ¡°Desuko-san. Even if you said so earlier, I¡¯ll still regret it if I get drunk.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It seems like I¡¯ll become very excited.¡± When I was in junior high school, I accidentally get drunk at Rin¡¯s house, then I made a really big mess. I broke a vase, swooped down on Rin, and vomit, which seems to have been terrible. Since then, I¡¯ve never tried to drink alcohol, but to happen across such crisis in a place like this. ¡°Shion-kun! If you said such things, then you must get drunk!¡± ¡°I want to see it, too.¡± ¡­¡­.apparently it seems difficult to avoid. ¡°¡­¡­I won¡¯t be responsible for what will happen you know.¡± I said so, and gulped the beer vigorously. Then I placed the emptied mug on the table. ¡°Bitter¡­¡­¡± ¡°As expected! You can order for more and more, Shion-kun!¡± As usual, I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s so good about beer. I feel like I¡¯m going to spit it out when the bitterness reached my throat. Will I be able to drink it as I get older? ¡°For now, let¡¯s have a drink to our heart¡¯s content until Yoiyami-san comes. Then, when he comes drink it slowly, and we¡¯ll chase him when he leaves the shop!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t talk here, right.¡± ¡°Because, wouldn¡¯t it be a problem if a fight broke here? That¡¯s why we¡¯ll chase Yoiyami when he leaves the shop. Let¡¯s enjoy drinking until then!¡± ¡°Won¡¯t you get drunk like that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay! I¡¯m strong with alcohol. Oh, excuse me, one bottle of beer please! And glasses for each of us.¡± I wonder if it¡¯s alright. While I looked at Desuko-san with concern, Roll said. ¡°We¡¯re not fooling around, it¡¯s necessary to distract ourselves by drinking alcohol, so it won¡¯t be that difficult when it¡¯s time to face Yoiyami-san. That person¡¯s killing intent is extraordinary, so you can¡¯t stand it if you¡¯re sober.¡± The tension when you received killing intent, I¡¯ve heard from Tameiki-san that you can alleviate it by borrowing alcohol¡¯s power. Of course drinking too much is not good, but this time it seems we need to do it. ¡°Hee~¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s Desuko-san¡¯s mission, so let¡¯s take it easy.¡± Even so, I don¡¯t feel any tension. ©`©`©` 1 hour later ¡°Hahaha-! Bring in more sakee-!!¡± ¡°Ahaha. Nice, Shion-kun!¡± It¡¯s really fun. I didn¡¯t think that drinking alcohol was this fun. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m drunk. I can still think clearly. 1+1=2 Yoiyami-san still hasn¡¯t come yet. Even though I wanted to bring him back quickly because there is school tomorrow. ¡°U-mu. Yoiyami-san didn¡¯t come~. And Shion-kun has completely drunk.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not drunk at all, look!¡± I put my hand on the table with a *pah!*, and used a knife I took from the bag to stabs the space between my fingers to show off. It¡¯s a trick I learned from Kuroinu-san. You shouldn¡¯t be able to do this if you are drunk. ¡°Look, look! It¡¯s fast, right!? How is it Roll!¡± ¡°Wai-, you¡¯re too drunk. You¡¯re too conspicuous with that knife. Or rather it¡¯s dangerous.¡± ¡°Even though you said that, isn¡¯t your face also red, Roll?¡± ¡°My face just reddened a bit, but I¡¯m not that drunk.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so cute like an apple. It makes me want to hug you.¡± I put my hands on Roll¡¯s cheeks and bring my face closer to hers. Her blue eyes are beautiful. Her skins are clear, and somehow, seeing it makes me dizzy. No, as expected it¡¯s the effect of the sake, isn¡¯t it? ¡°Wha, what are you doing¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s so pretty, that I felt like being sucked in. You¡¯re so cute that even an angel will be jealous, Roll.¡± ¡°What are you talking about¡­¡­¡± ¡°Just do iit!¡± Desuko-san pushed me from behind, and I got closer to Roll. We can kiss at this rate. I thought so, and moved my lips closer, but we head-butted and I fell on my back. ¡°It hurts¡­¡­!¡± My head is throbbing. Wait, this is dangerous. ¡°You¡¯re too carried away.¡± ¡°Oouoe¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s bad, Shion-kun is about to vomits¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Eh, you¡¯re lying, right¡­¡­?¡± I thought it¡¯s bad, so I hold my mouth and dashed to the exit of the izakaya. I wonder if I should blow the door with a Soundshoot, but as expected it¡¯s not good and I open it with a kick. Then when I rushed out of the izakaya, I bumped into someone. I¡¯m about to fall over there, so I had no choice but to hold on to that person. However, it¡¯s unlikely I can make it on time. I immediately vomits under my feet. ¡°Oeeee!¡± ¡°Are you okay!? Shion-kun!¡± Roll and Desuko-san who came out later rushed up to me. And it¡¯s bad, I vomit on a stranger¡¯s shoes. CH 44 [Evil Lost] When I raised my face, my eyes met with Yoiyami-san¡¯s eyes.[1] His features is exactly as I¡¯ve heard, dark circles under his eyes were more terrible than Chiyaku-san, and his eyes looked really evil. His whitening black hair hid one of his eyes, and he has a characteristic thin lips and white skin. He is a bit taller than me, and he is thin. He looks one or two years older than Boss. And to be honest, he didn¡¯t look very strong. However, this person is dangerous. His aura makes me feel so. ¡°Desuko and Roll? And who is this kid?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a newcomer Shion-kun, y¡¯know. Rather than that Yoiyami, you become old.¡± ¡°Why do you come here?¡± ¡°Of course, we come to bring you back.¡± Desuko-san has an unusually serious expression. Aren¡¯t you doing this mission unwillingly? ¡°So three small fry came to persuade me? Don¡¯t make me say it again. I won¡¯t go back to the organization.¡± The moment Yoiyami-san said that, Roll holds me and jumped back. My body is swaying, and I felt like vomiting again. Coupled with the pain of my injury makes it worse. ¡°¡­¡­you got a good reaction, Roll.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Because this person¡¯s killing intent is abnormal, even though I thought that using alcohol¡¯s power to alleviate nervousness is incomprehensible, now I appreciated it. I separated from Roll, and somehow stood on my staggering feet. I drank too much. Isn¡¯t it good that I¡¯m only slightly tipsy? ¡°Yoiyami has bad temper as usuaal~. We didn¡¯t come to fight y¡¯know.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then go back. If you can¡¯t beat me with your strength, I won¡¯t go back to the organization.¡± ¡°Then, I won¡¯t be reserved.¡± *Dan*. The sound of Desuko-san kicking the ground was heard. And suddenly she¡¯s already before Yoiyami-san. When Desuko-san thrust her arm like a sword, I expected it to make a clean hit at Yoiyami-san. But, there is no hit sound. ¡°¡­¡­did you forget my ability, Desuko?¡± Desuko-san¡¯s arm was swallowed by the mysterious black ¡®haze¡¯ on the abdomen of Yoiyami-san. ¡°So you didn¡¯t got weakened at all.¡± Desuko-san was stopped in thrusting posture. No, she was caught. Yoiyami-san grabbed Desuko-san¡¯s thrusted arm. ¡°It¡¯s bad¡­¡­!¡± Roll moved. Roll immediately goes into stray cat mode, and released a dropkick at Yoiyami-san. When Roll flew like an arrow, Yoiyami-san only looked at her for a bit, then dodge her by turning slightly. In that gap, Desuko-san escaped from Yoiyami-san¡¯s restraint, and distanced herself. Then Desuko-san glared at Yoiyami-san for a while, but suddenly released her posture. After landing behind Yoiyami-san, Roll who had been maintaining low posture also gave up. ¡°Now you understand.¡± Yoiyami-san¡¯s voice resounded. ¡°Roll 5 times, and me 9 times, if you wanted it, that¡¯s how many times we could die~. Though if you¡¯re serious, you could kill us anytime. I knew it, but you¡¯re really strong~.¡± ¡°Tell Hyde to come directly if he wasn¡¯t afraid.¡± ¡°Okay. But I think the current you can¡¯t beat Hyde.¡± ¡°¡­¡­what?¡± ¡°I know we only fought for a bit, but as expected you had gotten weak. Since leaving the organization, have you always been totally immersed in comfort? You must be glad, right? Though I can understand why you became weak. As well as the heart of Yoiyami who was feared as ¡®Demon¡¯.¡± ¡­¡­why are you provoking him? Roll who can be seen behind Yoiyami-san looked at Desuko-san doubtfully with her cat ears standing upright. ¡°As always, you said things like you can see through me.¡± ¡°I can see through you y¡¯know. Yoiyami, I can read your current heart even without my ability. A-a~. I wanna go baack~. To the old cool Yoiyami.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really annoying. Should I kill you?¡± When Yoiyami-san took a step towards Desuko-san, Roll readied her stance once again. But when Yoiyami-san glared at her, she stopped moving. There is no other way. I thought so, and when I aimed at Yoiyami-san to fire Soundshot, Desuko-san with her usual cheerful voice said, That voice resounded loudly. ¡°By the way Yoiyami, looks like you¡¯ve been living here for a long time. Have you found someone you love?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°That izakaya¡¯s hall staff girl is really cute~. Is she the owner¡¯s daughter? Looks like she often serves you. Even though you have killed a lot of people and was drenched with their blood, seems like even some trash like Yoiyami could become kind. Have you feel people¡¯s warmth?¡± ¡°Seems like you wanted to be killed.¡± *pachin* Desuko-san snapped her fingers. Then izakaya¡¯s door opened, and the owner came out with empty eyes. Looking at the inside of the opened door, all the people inside the shop seemed to be lying down unconscious. This is¡­¡­ Desuko-san¡¯s ability. ¡®Reading and Manipulating Subconsciousness, Mind Read¡¯ Although it is conditional, it¡¯s an ability that can read and manipulate the people¡¯s heart. However, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s really such an ability. Because I don¡¯t know how much truth in what she said and teach about her ability. It¡¯s the strongest ability amongst communication type. A person who doesn¡¯t take precautions against her would be playing into her palm. Because she looked like a child, ordinary person is even more powerless against her. ¡°I wonder if I kill each and everyone of these people Yoiyami will give up¡­¡­, But should I test this murderer?¡± ¡°¡­¡­try it.¡± ¡°Ah, so it¡¯s fine. Okaay~.¡± The moment Desuko-san said that, the owner who came out of the izakaya dropped to his knees and then collapsed there. ¡°Ah¡­¡­!¡± I screamed unintentionally, but immediately noticed. Not dead. He¡¯s still breathing, and his heart still beating. But looking from Yoiyami-san¡¯s position, it must looked like he is really dead. I¡¯m moved by Desuko-san¡¯s leniency. Is this the reason she could become Anonymous¡¯s executive? Tameiki-san¡¯s partner, Desuko-san¡¯s true strength. ¡°Then, next.¡± As soon as Desuko-san said that, the previous female hall staff comes out of the izakaya. Same as the owner who came out earlier, her eyes also empty. This person is also being manipulated by Desuko-san. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yoiyami-san closed his mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll kill her, y¡¯know? Is it okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yoiyami-san remains silent. ¡°¡­¡­I see.¡± After a while, Desuko-san muttered and snapped her finger again. With that as a signal, light returned to the eyes of the female hall staff. ¡°Huh, I¡­¡­?¡± The owner of the izakaya that had fallen nearby also stood up. ¡°Huh? What am I doing?¡± They wore strange expression as they were returning inside the izakaya without worrying about us. Without understanding anything, I turned my eyes to Roll. But Roll also seems like she didn¡¯t understand the situation, as she shake her head from side to side. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Desuko-san¡¯s gaze was not as sharp as before. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yoiyami-san retract his killing intent and stood with a face that looked like he gave up. That figure looked powerless, and gives out the feeling of someone who had lost his will to live. Desuko-san slowly approached that Yoiyami-san. I and Roll still can¡¯t understand. Eventually, Desuko-san stopped in front of Yoiyami-san, and said with the same tone as before. ¡°Yoiyami, you don¡¯t want to kill people anymore, right?¡± After a long silence, Yoiyami-san answered with a voice that sounds miserable. ¡°¡­¡­ yeah.¡± CH 45 [Evil¡¯s Mistake] ¡°After breaking up with Hyde and leaving the organization, I went through various cities.¡± A faint voice echoed in a quiet room. Yoiyami-san¡¯s room in an apartment on the outskirts of the city was a dreary room with only a set of table and chairs and an old wooden bed. Also, the three arranged chairs couldn¡¯t be sat on without removing the dust that covered it. It unsurprisingly didn¡¯t gave off the feeling of being lived in. In such a room, we listened to Yoiyami-san who began talking. The reason we decided to listened to Yoiyami-san¡¯s talk was because Desuko-san asked us to listen. We expressly listening to the story to judge wether or not Yoiyami-san should return to Anonymous. But, maybe Desuko-san wanted me and Roll to listen to the story of ¡°A person who doesn¡¯t want to kill people anymore¡±. Or did I wanted to listen to it myself? In any case, I¡¯m also interested in why Yoiyami-san who had power to compete with Boss and as a matter of fact had killed a lot of people, didn¡¯t want to kill them anymore. ¡°¡­¡­ The city I first headed to was Saint Celia.¡± Saint Celia. It¡¯s a large city where the headquarters of the SDF are located. It¡¯s a city that we had to passed through to get to Mt. Jiize where Tameiki-san brought me to finish up my training. ¡°If it¡¯s at Saint Celia, ¡­¡­the people of the organization wouldn¡¯t easily approach. I decided to live quietly there. Fortunately¡­¡­, I had more money than I can possibly use.¡± Is it the money earned from Anonymous¡¯s mission? I also regularly received an amount of money that I won¡¯t be able to used up. Even now, it¡¯s already pretty well accumulated, so it¡¯s not unusual for Yoiyami-san to saved enough more money than he could possibly used. Or rather, it accumulated on its own. ¡°For a while, I lived in Saint Celia. Saint Celia was a peaceful city because the SDF¡¯s headquarters were located there.¡± ¡°Un.¡± Desuko-san nodded. ¡°I who used to ¡®killing¡¯ everyday¡­¡­, was overwhelmed by the gap. So I turned to drink. From the light of the outside world. I lived in the dark side of the world because the other side is too bright for me.¡± Gap¡­¡­ the gap between peace and ¡®killing¡¯. I also know that. No, I was supposed to know. When I came to this world, I couldn¡¯t feel a clear gap. Because I couldn¡¯t afford it. That¡¯s why I was like shortcutting something, unlike Yoiyami-san who should have naturally feel it. To live, I had to cling to it. For myself, who stopped all my consideration, might not be able to get that something back. When I thought so, I felt a little sad. ¡°I regrets. For me who had killed too many people, can I stop from keep killing people? ¡­¡­even though I only did it to survive?¡± ¡°Yoiyami-san, what is your reason for killing people?¡± I unintentionally asked such a question. Roll line of sight turned towards me. While Desuko-san keep looking at Yoiyami-san¡¯s eyes. ¡°My reason to kill people¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°There must be a lot of people who kill because they belong to Anonymous. The people of the organization¡­¡­, had to kill people during mission.¡± ¡­¡­Certainly. Being a part of an organization like Anonymous, you are forced to kill people. But I don¡¯t want to hear the ¡®reason¡¯ to kill people is because it is a mission. It¡¯s a more underlying story. I might be asking a wrong question. Why you entered Anonymous? It was better to ask that. ¡°It¡¯s not only because it¡¯s a mission. That¡¯s only part of the story.¡± Desuko-san added. ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s right. Silence descended. ¡°I was also like that.¡± Roll muttered so. Me too. Seems like Tameiki-san was also like that, and I heard Kuroinu-san might also like that. ¡°Anonymous was in that sense. There are many people who can¡¯t live without the organization. That alone was sufficient reason for it to exists. Therefore, for me, who was in the organization since the time of it¡¯s founding, ¡°killing¡± was a job to protect the value of myself (Anonymous), and no other meaning was necessary.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I see.¡± Yoiyami-san was not good at speaking, and the words are choppy. The timing of cutting a word is also strange, and the interval until the next word might be unusually long. However, I had a hunch that it was to gave us time to think, and I felt the weight of those words. ¡°If you need to kill so you can live, it¡¯s not evil. It¡¯s just an instinct. ¡­¡­The same as killing and eating a pig.¡± Those words seemed to affirm me. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the killing part. But why compare it to pig?¡± Saying that, Desuko-san puts her elbow on the table. ¡°¡­¡­Comparing it with livestock that were born to be killed is too much. But, they are similar.¡± Silence descended. Only Desuko-san that had a face that she couldn¡¯t accept the words of Yoiyami-san. ¡°Yoiyami-san, do you have a life purpose?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Is that question like, why I lived?¡± I thought that he would answered the question in a roundabout way, but he return it directly. ¡°¡­¡­In a nutshell, yes.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­ What am I living for?¡± So it¡¯s like that. Yoiyami-san wasn¡¯t alive because he had a purpose that he ultimately wanted to achieve. I also don¡¯t have a purpose to live and achieve. I just don¡¯t want to die. Despite that, he lives by killing people who may have dreams. I¡¯m thinking about such things at this late hour. However, Yoiyami-san¡¯s words were too heavy for me. It makes think about it, didn¡¯t it? ¡°Roll? Do you have a dream?¡± ¡°¡­¡­No, I don¡¯t.¡± The way I worded it is bad, but Roll also just lived. People still lives even without a purpose. But, I wonder what is the meaning to live if you have to kill? Even though it¡¯s too late now, what is the meaning that I have kill because I was afraid to die? Sense of guilt? Wrong. I felt that it was better to live with a purpose. ¡°¡­¡­How about Desuko-san?¡± ¡°I have y¡¯know.¡± So Desuko-san had one. Even though she usually played around like that? ¡°¡­¡­In the first place, is there good or bad in killing? If so, who decide it?¡± Suddenly, Roll said that. Roll seems to have lived in this organization since childhood. Roll is the same as Yoiyami-san. She can¡¯t understand that killing people is clearly evil because she had always lives by killing people. It¡¯s common sense that killing is not acceptable by law and moral. However, It might not be understood in deeper places. Or rather, understanding it leads to self denial. ¡°Everyone decides. Because they don¡¯t want to be killed, it¡¯s fine even though killing is evil.¡± ¡°There¡¯s also some cases where killing is fine. Or rather, let¡¯s get back to the main topic. I want to know why Yoiyami won¡¯t kill people anymore.¡± ¡°Aa, the talk has diverted.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I apologized for having interrupted the talk. ¡°How far did we talk?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about your regret.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I regretted leaving the organization. I was stopped by various people but I can¡¯t reconsider it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You guys seems to misunderstand me, I don¡¯t hate Hyde. Rather, I still consider myself as his partner.¡± ¡°Then you should come back and make up with him. Why did you fought anyway?¡± ¡°Why we fought? ¡­¡­I forgot it.¡± You forgot? It was only 5 years ago, how could you forgot that you had a big fight? ¡°So you really won¡¯t tell me. Neither Hyde nor Yoiyami.¡± Aa, so it¡¯s actually he doesn¡¯t want to? ¡°Then you just have to read my heart.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. Hyde and Yoiyami, you guys hid it deep inside your heart.¡± There must be something happened between Yoiyami-san and Boss. That was the reason they fought. If Desuko-san can¡¯t read them because they hid it deeply inside their heart, it must be something that they can¡¯t let out to other people. ¡°Anyway, after leaving the organization, as you said, I spent my time comfortably for a while.¡± Yoiyami-san looked at Desuko-san as he said that. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill people even once. But one day, one request came to me. It¡¯s a killing request. Was it 4 years ago?¡ª¡± CH 46 [Frozen Evil] There are many people in Saint Celia who knows about me. Yoiyami. This name, which popularized by the organization, was not easily forgotten even after retirement. Therefore, a guy who had been snooping around came to me with a killing request. I hated working with mask on, so people who were familiar with underworld should recognized my face. That makes life inside Saint Celia suffocating. But that¡¯s only the beginning. The SDF found out that I had retired and I didn¡¯t showed any suspicious movement, so it seems they decided to leave me alone. They must thought that dealing with me will only make their side suffer more damages. Those guys aren¡¯t so free to deal with every single person who left Anonymous like me. Of course, I wouldn¡¯t kill people without purpose. I also know some people inside SDF, and there are a lot of troublesome guys there. I¡¯ve been left alone, but of course I wouldn¡¯t be free if I caused a problem in Saint Celia. The chance of winning alone is 0. Now, it¡¯s the story about a request that visit me. The request came about a year after I left Anonymous. The name of the client is Hitsugiya Banri. A famous hitman in the underworld. There are hitman who passed their request to their trusted colleague. Those who can¡¯t kill women and children will pass their request to those who can, and if their ability compatibility with the target is poor, they will pass the job to those who have good compatibility. There are quite a few organization that specialize in killing people. Hitsugiya is a solo hitman. I had been opposing him and I¡¯ve also been working together with him. That Hitsugiya had accidentally took a double booked request, and approached me. The request was the assassination of a girl protected by SDF. Difficulty level is SS. The girl¡¯s escort was a man named Midou Ryuusui. And that man was troublesome. There¡¯s almost no one who didn¡¯t know about Midou Ryuusui. The figure of him talking about justice could be often seen on tv. One of the seven generals of the SDF, Midou Ryuusui. The man who is said to be the strongest wind ability user in history¡­¡­ We have been squaring of against each other for several times, but we had never reached a conclusion. Ò»Ò»Even if you look at the reward, it wasn¡¯t a profitable request. Probably Hitsugiya also thought so and sent it to me. Double booking is probably a lie. Originally I wouldn¡¯t accept such request, but because I owe Hitsugiya a favor, I decided to accept it. My compatibility with wind ability user is not bad. Besides, assassination is my specialty. Just right, the messenger from organization (Anonymous) is about to come. After completing this request, let¡¯s leave Saint Celia. I thought so, after a year I decided to take a killing job. In the end, I couldn¡¯t kill the girl who was escorted by Midou Ryuusui. There were several times when I was able to get rid of Midou Ryuusui and surely kill the girl. However, I couldn¡¯t kill her. There is no particular reason. It¡¯s just, I couldn¡¯t swung down my raised hand anymore. Until now, I was able to kill women, children, babies, and the elderly without hesitation if necessary. Without any hesitation. However, I couldn¡¯t kill that girl. I immediately thought. I can¡¯t kill people. The fact is that killing is no longer necessary. At that time, the thing that came to my mind was sympathy for a strange girl who had nothing to do with me. No, I used to have sympathy for the person I killed. I¡¯m not sympathetic. At that time, I was thinking about the girl. Because there is a request to assassinate her, she shouldn¡¯t be an ordinary girl. But, I wonder if there are people who will be sad if she dies? There must be someone who will be angry and comes to kill me. Until now, the guys who came to me for revenge are rotten. But I thought that¡¯s just how it is. I looked at the scared girl and thought. If this girl has no relative and live only to die, what was she born for? Ò»Ò» The blank space of only one year weakened my heart. A weak life without killing changed me. It doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t kill people from the start. At that time, I just realized I couldn¡¯t kill. I didn¡¯t know what people called peace, but now I knew it. With that alone, my heart, which I thought was strong, was so weak it was about to collapse. I can¡¯t kill people anymore. But I won¡¯t atone. I killed many people, but I don¡¯t think that atonement is necessary. I don¡¯t regret the past or want to start over. Yes, never. I won¡¯t kill people anymore¡­¡­, that¡¯s it. Ò»Ò»Ò» Yoiyami-san said that there was no clear reason why he won¡¯t kill people anymore. It made me think. After all, I thought that Yoiyami-san had experienced something tragic. That¡¯s why he won¡¯t kill people anymore. But actually it was different. I wonder if people who constantly killing people, like Yoiyami-san, who had killed a lot of people, could become unwilling to kill people because they lived the same life as ordinary people for only one year. Or it¡¯s only Yoiyami-san who was like that. I can¡¯t understand. It¡¯s just, sometimes we may have to reconsider the significance of killing. Yoiyami-san said that killing is only a job. Yoiyami-san is in a sense broken. I thought it felt likes Yoiyami-san suggest us to not follow the same road, but in my case, the rail was different from the start. From the window, I gazed at the passing night view. Roll is driving. Desuko-san is playing with her mobile terminal in the passenger seat. It seems that everyone has their own thoughts about Yoiyami-san¡¯s story. In Desuko-san¡¯s case, it looks like she isn¡¯t very convinced. Yoiyami-san¡¯s story is difficult to understand after all, and unlike usual, she had a sullen look all the time. ¡°So mission failed?¡± Suddenly closing the terminal and opened a bag of potato chips bought at the convenience store, Desuko-san said that. ¡°This mission wouldn¡¯t be issued anymore, right.¡± ¡°Hmm, maybe it¡¯s because it¡¯ll be meaningless if Yoiyami comes back like that. For now, we have to report to Hyde.¡± ¡°Boss may be shocked.¡± ¡°I may have been a little disillusioned about Yoiyami. No, it¡¯s not disillusionment. It¡¯s a sense of loneliness I felt when I see a bad fellow suddenly change their minds and live seriously. I wonder if I feel betrayed. Totally off the shelf emotion.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a concrete example.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s because Desuko knew the old Yoiyami-san, so it can¡¯t be helped that you feel that way. Yoiyami-san was really scary after all.¡± ¡°Oh really?¡± Certainly, I was scared at first, but after Desuko-san¡¯s revelation, I didn¡¯t get scared at all. So that was Yoiyami-san? How will that person live from now on? I wanted to see him again. ¡°Aaah, mission failed anyway, how about we have a drink when we returned to hideout? In Roll¡¯s room.¡± Desuko-san said from the passenger seat while looking back. ¡°There¡¯s school tomorrow y¡¯know.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Impossible.¡± ¡°Eeeh, it¡¯s okay to skip for a day! You both have good grades, right? Hey! Hey!¡± Desuko-san pulled Roll¡¯s arm who was driving. She has returned to the usual annoying Desuko-san, rather than the serious Desuko-san from before. ¡°It¡¯s impossible. Anyway you¡¯re nuisance!¡± Roll holds Desuko-san¡¯s head and push it away. ¡°Eeeh¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± You wouldn¡¯t think the two who were having such exchange are murderers. Even though they looked like ordinary people¡­¡­ No, that includes me. I feel that the number of my worries has increased again. CH 47 [Crossing Evil] It¡¯s been about a week after the day we met Yoiyami-san. My injury was almost completely healed, and the training resumed from yesterday. Ability measurement will be conducted at school today. The SDF¡¯s strengthened patrol week is still ongoing, but there is no movement from Nursery Rhyme. That¡¯s why it seems that there¡¯s a talk that they would send as many staff as possible to do ability measurement of each school. It¡¯s the information that I heard from Boss. If the school tournament is postponed, it will also affect the winter break, which is shortly afterwards. The period from the ability measurement to the school tournament is imminent, so the atmosphere of the surrounding students was quite tense. There are also many students who are dissatisfied. However, it didn¡¯t concern me as I didn¡¯t participate in the school tournament. As a person without ability, I can of course decline the ability measurement. So, at the moment, I as well as other people without ability was gathered and told to do self study assignments in a classroom. Well, there¡¯s no serious guy who really does self studying, but most people are talking to their surroundings. I¡¯m one of them, and I was having a friendly chat with Tsurugi and Ohashi. It seems that it¡¯s the first time that Roll took an ability measurement. I wanted to see how the test like, because I wanted to use it as a reference for my ability measurement next year. Though there¡¯s a chance that Roll¡¯s hidden ability to be found out, will it be okay? ¡°Haa©`, it¡¯s over.¡± Suddenly, Rin who was seriously doing the self study assignments, looked up and said that. She hand over a few prints to Tsurugi. ¡°Oh, thank you. After copying this, let¡¯s go to play.¡± Tsurugi then shares the prints to me and Ohashi. Those who finished this self study assignments can go back home. Rin, who lost the rock-paper-scissors, was doing the assignments. It was always me who lost, but I managed to win today. Now, all we have to do is copy this and return. I¡¯ve told Roll that after finishing the self study, I will go to play with Tsurugi and the others. Because Roll will take a long time anyway, I don¡¯t have to report things like that, but just in case. Wherever and with whom, this report must not be neglected. It seems that it is important for partners to know each other¡¯s location information. ¡°Rin, your handwriting is messy.¡± ¡°I did it in a hurry, so it can¡¯t be helped. If you don¡¯t like it, then don¡¯t look.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I tried to interact with Tsurugi and the others with the same sense of distance as before. Because it¡¯s also bad if I suddenly try to keep subtle distance. Personally, I wanted to get along as usual. When my position changes, then I can¡¯t help it, but right now I¡¯m ¡°Kamiya Kazato¡±. Roll also understand that. After a while, I finished copying the assignments, and it seems that Ohashi and Tsurugi also finished copying at the same time, then I started to put my writing tools inside my bag. ¡°Then I¡¯ll submit it for everyone. Wait for me at the school gate, okay?¡± Tsurugi said so, then we handed over our self study assignments to him. After saying goodbye to Tsurugi, we head towards the school gate. ¡°Kazato, how are you and Roll?¡± On the way to the school gate, Rin asked such question. So it started, while thinking that, I answer. ¡°Nothing in particular, it¡¯s the usual.¡± ¡°That answer come out. What do you think, Hitomi?¡± ¡°Kamiya-kun has changed somewhat since he started dating Roll-chan.¡± Changed? In what meaning? ¡°How?¡± I moved my eyes to Ohashi and asked back. ¡°Hmm. First of all, you started to workout, right? You seem to have become a lot more muscular than before.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s because Roll told me to workout.¡± ¡°Eeh, so you really do workout.¡± Or rather, did I really changed that much? I think that my muscles are pretty developed, but I don¡¯t think you can see them through my clothes. ¡°And your grades improved as well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because we¡¯re already in 2nd year. It¡¯s inevitable.¡± ¡°You also taught me, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­well.¡± ¡°The effect of Roll is big, right?¡± Rin shrugged her shoulder and said that. ¡°I admit that.¡± ¡°So, how far have you progressed with Roll?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t answer that¡­¡­¡± ¡°Tell us!¡± ¡°I also want to know!¡± As we were having that talk, Tsurugi caught up from behind. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°We¡¯re talking about where to go to play.¡± ¡°N? It¡¯s the department store, right? Shopping for Rin and Hitomi. We are luggage holders.¡± ¡°You do that alone.¡± ©`©`©` If you take a bus from the bus stop in front of the school, it will take about 15 minutes to arrived at the large department store in the center of the city. The department store has become a regular place for the students from our school to drop by after school, we also often came there to play. I¡¯ve also came here with Roll before. The time was before noon and we were hungry, so we decided to have a lunch first after arriving at the department store. Each of us bought our favorite food, then we sit around the food court table. Usually, this food court is full of students after school, but they¡¯re currently measuring their abilities, so we were the only ones in uniform. ¡°Kazato, what do you want to be in the future?¡± Tsurugi gave such topic to me. ¡°I think I will study and go to college.¡± ¡°Do you want to be a civil servant? Is that why you want to go to college?¡± ¡°Yeah. Well, if you don¡¯t have an ability, your options will be narrowed as well.¡± When I said that, the faces of Tsurugi and the others become complicated. Maybe they are worried about me. But there¡¯s no need to worry. Unless Anonymous is crushed by the SDF, I can continue to live there. Ohashi and Rin might also lied about their inability. I wonder if deep down they are feeling pity for my inability. If so, they might be happy to know that I have manifested my ability. It would be convenient if it were like that. I hope so in my heart. I know their secrets, but they don¡¯t know my secrets. I have no choice but to hide it, and there must be a reason why they can¡¯t talk about it as well. Therefore, because I have the upper hand, now I feel like I¡¯m fooling them for some reason. ¡°What will you do in the future, Tsurugi?¡± I suppose he will continue to work in the Self Defense Force. In the future, he may become famous as an ally of justice. Even now he¡¯s already a lieutenant general, but the SDF seems to hide the existence of Tsurugi, so few people know him. ¡°I, that¡¯s right¡­¡­, I wonder if I can be a traveler. I want to freely travel around various cities.¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re a handsome guy, I think it¡¯s possible for you to enter the entertainment world.¡± When I said so, the two girls refute me. ¡°What are you talking about? If he does that, there will be more obstructive women gathering around Tsurugi.¡± ¡°I want you to stop that~.¡± After finishing the meal while chatting. Rin and Ohashi brought us to the floor that specially for men¡¯s fashion shop. In the course of the talk, we decided to look over men¡¯s clothes first. However that is only a front, you guys only wanted to make Tsurugi as a dress up doll, right. I can see through their real feelings, but as usual, I just go along with them. Ohashi and Rin walked at the front, and were carefully selecting which shop to enter. I and Tsurugi were chatting while following them from behind. At that time, I suddenly felt a familiar feeling from a tall man who passed by. I stop and look back. However, I can¡¯t tell his appearance from behind. But he looked like the man from Nursery Rhyme. There¡¯s no way¡­¡­, He shouldn¡¯t be. But if I¡¯m not wrong, he¡¯s the man called Hal¡­¡­ Why is he in a place like this? ¡°What happened?¡± Tsurugi asked me when he sees that I had stopped. ¡°Sorry, can I go to the toilet?¡± ¡°Oh, I see. I¡¯ll email you which shop we enter.¡± ¡°Please.¡± I walked away from Tsurugi and the others and chased that tall man. CH 48 [Unleashed Evil] I call Boss while chasing the man. The distance with him is about 20 meters, huh? At this distance he won¡¯t notice anything. Since I turned on my ability, I wouldn¡¯t lose sight of him. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± I heard Boss¡¯ voice from the device, then I stopped at once. Meanwhile, the man goes down the escalator. While I followed the sound, I replied to Boss. ¡°It¡¯s Shion.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I found a guy from Nursery Rhyme.¡± ¡°What? Where is it?¡± ¡°Central shopping mall.¡± ¡°Is that man the only enemy?¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s alone for now.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll send reinforcement right away. Keep following and don¡¯t lose sight of him. Make sure that you can answer the call at anytime.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± After confirming that the call was hung up, I proceeded again. When I used the escalator to get down to the first floor, the man was just around the corner. Is he going to the exit? I thought so while chasing him, then the man went into the toilet. The man is alone in the toilet. I went into the clothing shop diagonally across the toilet entrance so I can still get a clear view. Then, the man came out while holding a phone. ¡°The preparation is done.¡± After he said that, the man started walking in the direction in which he hung up the phone. Preparation, he said. That means, he set something in the toilet. First, I have to confirm it. For following him, sound alone is enough. After the man is out of sight, I ran into the toilet. I surveyed the inside of the toilet. At first glance, it didn¡¯t look strange, but when I opened the toilet cleaning bag, there was a black bag in it. When the man entered the toilet, he didn¡¯t brought a bag, but his ability is to pull out something out of nowhere, and he can also store things in it. It¡¯s very likely that it belongs to him. I opened the bag without hesitation and there was a mysterious black lump inside. It¡¯s about the size of two fists. What¡¯s this¡­¡­ I hesitate to touch it. It won¡¯t be a joke if it explodes. What should I do about this? I have to chase that man after all, but it feels bad to leave this thing alone. No, what about using the SDF? If it¡¯s the SDF who are stationed in the department store, they should be able to handle it if I tell them that there is a suspicious thing inside the toilet. I don¡¯t think the black bag was put only in this toilet. First of all, should I report it to Boss? I picked up the device again and called Boss. ¡°What happened?¡± Boss immediately picked it up. I explained the situation to Boss and ask for a decision. I also proposed the idea of using the SDF. ¡°I¡¯ve sent Kemuri and the others there. And I¡¯ll leave it Kemuri to make the decision there as he¡¯ll be the one on site.¡± ¡°Roger.¡± ¡°And, you can¡¯t move as Anonymous right now. When Kemuri comes, pass the baton to him and withdraw.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Then the call was hung up. I have to keep an eye on that guy until Kemuri and the others come. Boss said I couldn¡¯t act as Anonymous, it should be because I¡¯m in school uniform now, and if I showed strange movements, I might get caught. Well, I don¡¯t want to fight a guy like that, so it¡¯s convenient. I followed the man and went up the escalator. The man¡¯s sound stopped at the food court I was at before. Apparently he joined up with other member. From his voice, it¡¯s probably him. The boy who I failed to kill at that time. His name is¡­¡­ if I remember correctly it¡¯s Sady. Because I wore a mask at the time we fought before, he shouldn¡¯t be able to recognize me even if he saw my face. When I arrived at the food court on the 3rd floor, the ringtone of the email rang from my private cell phone. I picked up my cell phone and open the email. It was from Tsurugi. The content was ¡°We are in the clothes shop opposite to the food court we were in just before¡±. When I turned around, there were Tsurugi as well as Ohashi and Rin who were holding some clothes. Those guys¡­¡­, So you go back and enter that store? Even though I thought that since I walked to opposite way from them, this side will be fine. This makes it a little difficult to move. I frowned, then the device from the organization vibrates this time. There¡¯s a call. When I looked at the screen, it was Kemuri-san. I got on the down escalator and picked up the call. ¡°Hello, it¡¯s Shion.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve arrived. Please explain the situation.¡± I explained the situation to Kemuri-san who asked that as soon as he speaks. Kemuri-san seems to have brought Hiya-san and Face Punch-san(î†Ãæ¥Ñ¥ó¥Á¤µ¤ó). Why is it those two? Well, from here on, it¡¯s the work of Kemuri-san and the others, so it¡¯s unrelated to me. Thinking so, I went back to Tsurugi and the others. ¡°You took so long in the toilet.¡± ¡°Aah, because it¡¯s a big one.¡± ¡°Filthy.¡± I don¡¯t know what the two from Nursery Rhyme are trying to do, but I know they are up to something. In other words, there is nothing good by being near them. I saw Sady eating ice cream at the table in the food court, and the man sitting while in thought. There is no sign of movement. Though I would like to evacuate from here now¡­¡­ How can I get these guys to leave the department store? Ohashi and Rin are crazy about choosing clothes that suits Tsurugi. In the worst case, I can get out by myself. To begin with, I think it¡¯s wrong to worry about Tsurugi who is stronger than me. Without me, it might be easier for them to move when something happens. ¡°Kyaaaaaa!!¡± A sudden scream stopped my thoughts. Tsurugi who is in front of me looked behind me, then his eyes widened. Ohashi and Rin are also frozen while still holding clothes. When I looked back in fear, the scream subsided for a moment, then it quickly spread to the surroundings. The situation was like this. The two at the food court killed a couple sitting next to them. Then the tall man spread his arms and raised his voice. There is a katana in of his hands which I don¡¯t know from where he takes it out. ¡°From now on, we¡¯ll kill every person in this building!! You guys should do your best to escape©`!!¡± ¡°Hahahahahaha!!¡± The people at the food court screamed and rushed out like an avalanche. But, an explosion occurred inside the crowd. The crowd scattered as lumps of meat. A lot of blood adhered to the wall, and a piece of meat flew towards us. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Until now¡­¡­, how many people have died¡­¡­? They proceeded to end those injured people who survived the explosion, and ran after the people who escaped. It¡¯s like they were hunting, and their expression showed that they are enjoying it. Nursery Rhyme¡­¡­, I often heard that killing itself is their purpose to act, but is this also the case? ¡°Let¡¯s escape Kazuto! Rin! Hitomi!¡± With such words from Tsurugi, I became relieved. The distance between those guys and us is not that far. Because they are targeting the surrounding people, it¡¯s only a matter of time before the target moves to us. Tsurugi started to run with Ohashi and Rin in the lead. Tsurugi is in the rear. If those guys¡¯ attack flies here, I think they are going to defend against it using their ability. Thank you. If Tsurugi who is the lieutenant general of the SDF watch our back, I think we can safely escape. I pretend that I don¡¯t know about Tsurugi¡¯s ability and just run away. When I thought so and tried to get on the escalator, explosion sounded from the opposite side. Thinking about what it was, I focused on the sound from there. Then, I heard a cry ¡°The escalator exploded!¡±. Surprised, I pulled Rin and Ohashi¡¯s hands who are trying to get on the escalator, and says ¡°Let¡¯s escape from there!¡±. Their faces looked as if asking ¡®what are you saying¡¯ in confusion, but they changed their direction after seeing the approaching disastrous scene behind them. Immediately after we left, the escalator we were about to get on exploded. The faces of Rin and Ohashi who looks back while running were pale. ¡°Hahaha!! There are bombs planted on the way out y¡¯know©`!!¡± The man shouted so in the back. So it was a bomb after all? The bombs are also planted at the exit. The exit may have been blocked by the explosion. Rather, it may be calculated that way. I turned around while running. Although there were some ordinary people who recklessly challenged those guys, their courage ended in vain. The Self Defense Force, who rushed to them, are also killed. ¡°Don¡¯t turn around!¡± Tsurugi said that, so I face forward and continue to run. However, there is no way to escape. Escalator, elevator, and stairs were all destroyed. The people who has floating ability and the people of strengthening system can jump off, but it¡¯s impossible for us. It may be possible for Tsurugi. But it is impossible for me. I didn¡¯t bring a grappling gun either, and even if I jumped off, the 3rd floor is too high. What are Kemuri-san and the others doing? Even though it would be much easier to evacuate if they could keep those guys under control. ¡°Dangerous! Come over here!¡± At the same time as Tsurugi shouted, someone jumped up from the lower floor to the front of me. Wearing a jet black suit and a mask that symbolizes Anonymous. It¡¯s Kemuri-san. And the ones who were following him jumping up from the lower floor are Face Punch-san and Hiya-san. ¡°Anonymous¡­¡­!¡± Tsurugi muttered from behind. Ohashi and Rin instantly slowed their running speed and seemed about to stop, but I shouted ¡°Don¡¯t stop!¡± from behind, then they ignored Kemuri-san and the others and went through them. Passing by, I didn¡¯t miss the words that whispered by Kemuri-san. ¡°Exit 23¡± I see. It means, we have to escape from there. Perhaps he had dealt with the bomb in advance to secure a way out. I ran while glancing back at Kemuri-san and the others. At that time, the man shouted in the back again. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting! Anonymous! Demon beasts! Feeding time!¡± Then, a large number of demon beasts were unleashed from him. CH 49 [Unstoppable Evil] A large amount of unleashed demon beasts scattered and ran in all directions all at once. Although some demon beasts flocking to corpses that were lying around, there are more demon beasts chasing preys that escapes. ¡°What¡¯re those?!¡± Tsurugi said so from behind. The number of demon beasts are probably over 100. Moreover, there are ferocious demon beasts mixed in among the ordinary species. And dragon species could also be spotted occasionally. The department store has an atrium structure that divides into four levels. Those demon beasts took advantage of it and jumped up or down to hunt humans. If we don¡¯t escape quickly, we will be targeted. Such impatience undermines my thoughts. Maybe Tsurugi had the same thought, as he rushed us from behind. However, there is still room for Tsurugi and I. When we are really in danger, we can use our abilities. The difference is that the risk is higher for me than for Tsurugi. To use my ability, I must be prepared to leave my family and never go to school again. I¡¯m not sure about Tsurugi, but it shouldn¡¯t be that risky for him. It should be just he minds me about using it. Tens of seconds after the demon beasts were unleashed, I noticed something. The battle between Nursery Rhyme and Kemuri-san and the others had already started. The shockwave of their battle, and their roars could be heard. Meanwhile, Kemuri-san and the others are taking care not to let the demon beasts go to us as best as they could. They¡¯re fighting while securing our path of retreat. It¡¯s no wonder there¡¯s no demon beast coming our way. However, Kemuri-san and the others can¡¯t handle the demon beasts completely. More so while in battle. The demon beasts unleashed by that man are all dangerous. It is only a matter of time before the demon beasts slip through the restraints of Kemuri-san and the others, and come to us. We have to escape as soon as possible. ¡°Haa¡­haa¡­¡± The two running on the front were out of breath. Both of them should have good physical ability, but they can¡¯t manage their stamina in this situation. I¡¯m the calmest of these members right now. Tsurugi seems desperately thinking about how to protect us, and it can¡¯t be said that he looks calm. Maybe Rin and Ohashi ahead are also flustered. The best thing to do here is to separate from these guys. Tsurugi should be able to move easily, and I can use my ablity if I¡¯m alone. But at what timing should I leave? Tsurugi won¡¯t allow me to move alone. I ran while thinking, then I saw a crowd of people ahead. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Rin raised her voice. That¡¯s¡­¡­, probably a dead end. Escalators and stairs were all destroyed, so we can¡¯t go any further. I look back. There is no demon beast chasing us. It seems they¡¯re in the middle of catching their prey and eating them. The chewing sounds of the demon beasts are coming from over there. I¡¯m sorry for those who are eaten, but they bought us more time. However, if we stop here, when those demon beasts start moving again, we will be like trapped rats. We arrived at the crowd and stopped at once. These people stopped here means they can¡¯t go any further. That means, it¡¯s a gathering of people without ability and people with weak ability. It¡¯s like a collection of food for the demon beasts. ¡°Now what¡­¡­?¡± For now, I asked such question to Tsurugi. Perhaps because the two girls are tired from running, their hands are on their knees while they are adjusting their breath. ¡°It would be bad to stay here¡­¡­ Even if we run away, we can¡¯t leave these people behind.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± This is his Self Defense Force¡¯s way of thinking came out. He must be thinking it unconsciously. I understood Tsurugi¡¯s wish of not wanting to leave them, but there¡¯s nothing we can do. Tsurugi is looking down with a frown. Perhaps he is desperately searching for a way out. ¡°¡­¡­do we have such leeway?¡± I¡¯m afraid to say it. It might be possible if he is willing to show his lieutenant general status to me, if not, the people here can¡¯t be saved. I don¡¯t know why Tsurugi is hiding his identity. But, can it be compared to the lives of so many people? Tsurugi¡¯s replied quickly. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ I¡¯ll find another way to escape.¡± I¡¯m surprised at his answer. Tsurugi himself, did he conclude that no one else could help? Well, there are many people. Because we can¡¯t make a way out, the only way left is to kill every demon beasts on our way. However, Tsurugi¡¯s ability may not be the type that produce destructive power. In other words, we can¡¯t expect him to repel that number of demon beasts. ¡°First of all, we have to think about how to get downstairs.¡± If only there are ropes or something, but shops selling such things are on the second floor, there are none on the third floor. Is there any good idea? While I was thinking about it, I noticed the sound of the approaching demon beasts. The interior of the department store has a structure that gently curves, so it¡¯s not possible to see the direction in which we fled from. There¡¯s no time. ¡°Clothes¡­.., if we drop a lot of clothes to the second floor, I wonder if we can use them as a cushion to jump off.¡± Ohashi said while looking around. We are surrounded by clothing stores. ¡°I see, that¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go¡­!¡± At the same time as Tsurugi said that, we began to work. While we were working on indiscriminately dropping the clothes in stock, the people around us who saw it also started to do the same work, perhaps because they understood our intention. Thanks to that, a mountain of clothes was immediately formed on the second floor. This is the farthest distance from the place where the demon beasts were released. There is no demon beast that can be seen on the second floor, so it seems okay to jump down. ¡°Let¡¯s go in order. I¡¯ll go first.¡± Exactly at the moment Tsurugi said that, a figure of a demon beast appeared from the shadow of the corner, and roared from behind the crowd. ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± It¡¯s a demon beast that also inhabits the Basara Great Forest¡­, I didn¡¯t encounter it, but it is one of the demon beasts that I hoped not to encounter. Death Basara Gorilla. It has ferocious nature and will not allow any foreign enemies entered it¡¯s territory. It¡¯s a herbivore demon beast that possess high intelligence, but loves to fight and enjoys hunting. It¡¯s length is about 2,5m, and there is no chance for people without ability to win. I reflexively turned my eyes away from the gorilla. Because it¡¯s written in the book that Death Basara Gorilla will start to attack those that met it¡¯s eyes. I closed my eyes and called out to the other three. ¡°¡­¡­ Let¡¯s jump on my mark.¡± The three nodded, then I took a deep breath. ¡°Ready, go!¡± The Death Basara Gorilla started moving at the same time we jumped off the third floor. And, maybe because we moved first, we splendidly became a f*cking bait that attracted the Death Basara Gorilla. When I landed on the clothes cushion on the second floor, I rolled once to lessen the impact and stand up. However, the next moment, we were split in two by the Death Basara Gorilla that landed between us. Ohashi and Tsurugi, Rin and I, sandwiched the Death Basara Gorilla. The people above didn¡¯t jump down because the Death Basara Gorilla chased us. Death Basara Gorilla slowly looked around at us as if evaluating us, and snorted. Rin took a step back and I exhaled a small breath. Someone must become a decoy so we can get through this situation. Should I do it¡­? ¡°Let¡¯s split up in two!¡± It was Tsurugi who shouted that. The Death Basara Gorilla decided to target Tsurugi who let out a voice and rushed at him. Tsurugi rolled to avoid it, then took Ohashi and ran in the opposite direction from us. ¡°Tsurugi!¡± He purposely let out a voice to attract the Death Basara Gorilla¡­¡­! No, is he go away from me so he can use his ability? I see. Purposely leading the demon beast to where he escape, is to stop the demon beast there and let me and Rin escape, right? He takes Ohashi with him, did it mean that Ohashi can fight too? ¡°Let¡¯s escape, Kazato!¡± ¡°But Tsurugi is¡­!¡± I¡¯ll act for now. Normally, I should be worried. But I¡¯m not, because I knew that he is a lieutenant general. ¡°Tsurugi will be fine!¡± Rin said so baselessly and pulled my hand. ¡°Hey¡­!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Rin started running while holding my hand amd entered a tailor¡¯s shop at the end of the second floor. The place is pretty wide and there are already people hiding there when we arrived. They must thought that it was better to hide than to escape. ¡°How can we get down to the 1st floor?¡± I pulled my hand and ask Rin who is running in front of me. ¡°Maybe we can get there through the vent.¡± ¡°Vent? Can we go through a place like that?¡± ¡°Maybe. It should¡¯ve been designed that way.¡± Rin proceeded ahead and eventually came to the vent. The ventilation hole is installed on the ceiling, and it seems we need a stepladder or something to enter it. ¡°What now?¡± ¡°Hmm. We should be able to reach it by stacking chairs.¡± Rin released her hand from me and said that. ¡°Let¡¯s try it.¡± When I and Rin split up to search for chairs, I felt a new unusual phenomenon in the direction where Kemuri-san and the others were fighting. It is the sound of footsteps that surges forward like a wave. But, the sound appeared suddenly. I immediately grasped the situation. That tall man launced the second wave of the demon beasts army. That means the number of demon beasts has increased. CH 50 [Evil¡¯s Counterattack] The demon beasts has increased. Probably as much as the number released earlier, they are also released all at once. I was thinking while looking in the direction of the sound. Doubled. If it¡¯s like this, even Kemuri-san and the others won¡¯t be able to handle it, and there¡¯s a chance that Tsurugi and the others might be in danger. Damn, it¡¯s the worst situation. The sounds of battle of Kemuri-san and the others are still intense. Maybe, because Kemuri-san and the others has the upper hand, that guy was put in a situation where he had to release more demon beasts. Speaking of which, he said that 100 demon beasts only took 1/3 of his capacity before¡­[1] Now that he has released 200 demon beasts, there is a high possibility that he only has 100 demon beasts left. Moreover, the only demon beasts that he had gathered are dangerous species that will attack human on sight. It is almost certain that the man¡¯s ability is the ability take out ¡°things¡± including living beings from somewhere. He also take out a damn wall before, right. As for capacity, is there a space where he can manage the things that he put away? If humans can also be taken in, we must not let our guard down. I don¡¯t know what kind of conditions it has and how to use it, but it¡¯s a very troublesome ability. I hope Kemuri-san and the others can beat him. I held two chairs that I found in the shoes corner, and hurried back to the place before. Then, coincidentally, Rin also brought chairs to the place, she got 3 chairs in good timing. I stack them, and climb on them. The ventilation hole is just within reach. With her height, Rin won¡¯t reach it, so I have to go up and pull her up. I managed to remove the ventilation grill somehow, and I put it on the floor. ¡°Can we make it?¡± ¡°Seems like I can if I jump up. I think it¡¯s better for me to go up first and pull Rin up. ¡°Can you climb it? Because you¡¯re clumsy, you are likely to fall.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too stupid, right.¡± I looked down and replied Rin. It was then that I noticed the sounds of approaching footsteps. Probably a horde type demon beasts. I didn¡¯t notice until they got so close because the increased number of demon beasts increased the number of sounds I had to hear. The sounds of their footsteps are small as well. I said ¡°Tie up your shoelaces¡± and got off the chair. Then I look around. ¡°Gyaaaaaaa!!¡± Somewhere, such death throes arose. Rin was surprised and turned to the direction of the sound. Did they get a human in this shop? There are 4 of them. There is a high possibility that they will strike from the blind spots of the lined clothes. I already figured out their position. They are not big demon beasts. I guess it based on their small squeals and small sounds of footsteps. There are chewing sounds. I exhaled, while blocking the unpleasant sounds and supressed my feeling. ¡°Just now¡­¡± ¡°¡­demon beasts, right.¡± I picked up an umbrella, opened it, disassembled the skeleton and pulled out only the shaft rod. Although it¡¯s hopeless, it¡¯ll do as a weapon for the time being. Rin stood in front of me. ¡°It¡¯s useless¡­! That thing won¡¯t work against demon beasts. It¡¯s better to go up to the vent earlier.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a bad move. Climbing up the chairs would catch their attention, so there¡¯s a chance that we¡¯ll be targeted. Even if we entered the vent, what if they chased inside?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s possible.¡± Now, how to breakthrough this place? We¡¯re getting checkmated at every turn. We¡¯re also against time. There are still few demon beasts coming here. Their territories they covered are getting closer and closer, but the vent is not the only escape route left. Speaking of which, there is a large amount of clothes in the place we separated from Tsurugi. There is no demon beast there now, and if we drop those clothes to the first floor, we can get down to the first floor in the same way. Exit 23 should not have been blocked, and if rescues from the Self Defense Force come together immediately, we can expect them to intrude from there. After telling Rin the gist of it, Rin nodded and ran with me. I cut off all the sounds that Rin and I make so that the demon beasts can¡¯t notice us. Shortly after arriving at the place, I and Rin started working. We grabbed the clothes and drop them on the first floor without stopping. ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly calm. Even though I had an image that you¡¯ll be panicking at such times.¡± Rin suddenly said such things, so my heart skipped a beat. ¡°Aren¡¯t you also calm? Even though I imagine that you¡¯ll be making a ruckus like *kyakya* at such times.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± As we were working desperately while talking, a mountain of clothes immediately formed on the first floor. However, it seems that dropping clothes from the second floor to the first floor is too eye-catching, the clothes that fell fluttering were catching the demon beast¡¯s attention, a demon beast who looked at the situation here from far away was drawn here. I was aware of it¡¯s existence, but I left it because it¡¯s still too far from here. There is no way it can fly here. It¡¯s my mistake to not ascertain the kind of the demon beast from a distance. Fly Trollcat. A demon beast that hides the wings on its back and hunt it¡¯s prey by instantly approaching from afar. I shouted while watching it approaching in high speed. ¡°It¡¯s bad! Rin! Jump!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Listening to my voice, Rin immediately moved her body and jumped down to the first floor. At that moment, I immediately release an explosion sound towards the Fly Trollcat. The explosion sound heard only by the Fly Trollcat cat seemed to be very effective, and the demon beast bounced in the air and ran away. When I saw it off, I followed Rin and jumped down to the first floor. Rin who was hiding in the first floor, saw the Fly Trollcat turned back and said. ¡°What did you do¡­?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t do anything. It turned back on its own.¡± ¡°Really, we are saved then. Anyway, why you didn¡¯t jump together with me. Were you trying to be a decoy?¡± Rin said that with a tone mixed with anger. ¡°That was¡­ I was just afraid to jump down¡­¡± ¡°¡­ What if you die?¡± Rin said before I finished. ¡°Sorry¡± I apologized, Rin grabbed my hand firmly and proceeded toward the exit again. Rin doesn¡¯t know that we can escape from Exit 23, so I have to guide her. However, we are heading in that direction so far, so there should be no problem. The demon beasts behind us doesn¡¯t seem to be approaching either, so we can escape if we go as it is. Then, we arrived at Exit 23. But, what was there was an exit blocked by the same rubbles as the others. ¡°Not here¡­¡± Why¡­ Kemuri-san said Exit 23, right? Did he made a mistake? No, that¡¯s not the case with Kemuri-san. There must be some reason. Looking closely, there are no people on the first floor. People who have been killed by the bombs at the exit are all lying around, but it¡¯s strange that there¡¯s no survivor. So, was there any other escape route? ¡°Maybe we should wait for rescue here¡­¡± Rin muttered weakly. I also felt that way is better. Rescue should come soon, and it will only increase the chance to encounter demon beasts if we move around. I though so while turning my attention to the situation of Kemuri-san and the others. Then, the sound of battle is still spreading while moving, but when I listened to the sound properly, the number of people has decreased. There are only 3 people, so that means one of them has dropped out?[2] ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± For now, I replied to Rin¡¯s words, and leaned against the wall near the exit and sat down. ¡°I wonder if Tsurugi and Ohashi is fine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. They¡¯ll find their way here somehow.¡± ¡°Anyway, what on earth is happening? What on earth are those people¡­¡± I try to say things that I would normally say. ¡°Maybe, terrorist.¡± ¡°¡­ Terrorist?¡± ¡°Scared?¡± ¡°Well, of course.¡± It¡¯s unnatural. Reciprocally. Normally, this is a situation where it wouldn¡¯t be strange if you go crazy seeing the corpses lying around. Rin as well, maybe her senses gone numb. While thinking about such things, I heard a loud explosion from the upper floor. After the explosion, the figure of two people fall down along with rubbles. On the spur of the moment, I and Rin hid in the shadow of the rubbles. The identity of the figures are the aforementioned man and Hiya-san. The two landed, and stared at each other. The man was the one who had the upper hand. ¡°We won! In addition to Kemuri we also caught Face Punch¡­! Sady died, but there¡¯s no other way! It was a necessary sacrifice! You are the only one left, Hiyaa¡­!!¡± ¡°You think you can win against me in one-on-one, you small fry!¡± Hiya-san said so, but when the man slowly step forward, he was unintentionally stepping back. The man who saw it raised the corner of his mouth further. ¡°Hahaha! I¡¯m sorry that you guys have bad compatibility with my ability! You guys are defeated because you made a mistake in choosing the person to put against me!¡± Hiya-san condensed flames on his hand, and shoots the flames at the man. When the man put his hand on it, the flames disappeared once, and when I thought that it appeared again, it flew toward Hiya-san. ¡°It¡¯s useless!¡± ¡°Shit!¡± Hiya-san scattered the flames with his hands and shouted as he ran. ¡°Shioooooooon!! You done yeeet?!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I unintentionally let out such voice. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Rin who was beside leaned her head and said that. I said, ¡°Nothing¡±, and thought about why Hiya-san called me. Why¡­? Did you only asked me for help? Did you trying to ascertain whether I have escaped? ¡­wrong. I see the mark written as number 23. In the first place, Kemuri-san¡¯s words, Exit 23, was not keyword to let me escape. I thought I should leave it to Kemuri-san and the others and quickly escape, but that was a mistake. Then at that time, I see something in the corner of my vision. There is my suitcase there. CH 51 [Wavering Evil] The suitcase that stick out a bit from the rubble¡¯s shadow is just a few steps away. The contents are of course tuxedo and mask, and I guess, weapons such as grappling gun. I¡¯m frozen in front of it. I know Hiya-san is asking for help. However, there is Rin next to me. Changing clothes and go to help in this situation? Impossible. No, it¡¯s possible if I make Rin unconscious. Should I hit the back of her head? Hit her stomach with all my strength? Or strike her neck with a handsword? No good. I don¡¯t have such technique. I will only make Rin injured. In the first place, I think it¡¯s wrong to ask me for help. If you¡¯re counting me as fighting force, I¡¯d be glad if you told me from the start. Then I could took different actions, and I could support Kemuri-san and the others while acting with Tsurugi and the others. It should be impossible to guess that, right? I didn¡¯t have a long enough relationship with Kemuri-san to immediately guess what he think about on the spot. You expect too much from me, right? If this will reveal my true identity, I¡¯d rather choose the option of letting Hiya-san die. ¡­as expected, that¡¯s not good. I have to think up a plan. Haa, how easy it would be if Roll was here. But Roll is not here. I have to do something by myself. I observe the battle between Hiya-san and the man from behind. Rin also poke her head out a bit from the corner, and was watching the two people skipping around while destroying the area. And when she saw them moved a short distance away from us, Rin looked back. ¡°It seems like we should stay here until the two go away.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± I agree from the bottom of my heart. However, reality is unlikely to go that way. ¡°Anyway, why Anonymous fighting against the terrorists?¡± ¡°Even if you ask me, I wouldn¡¯t know, right.¡± They are simply hostile. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± I will try to see Hiya-san¡¯s situation again. She is out of breath and just warding off the man¡¯s attack. Her ability is [Bow of Fire(Ante Arrow)]. Ability to manifest bow and arrows of fire, and shoot enemies. Actually, it¡¯s just an ability to generate flames, but Hiya-san used it in such way. From the start, contrary to her tough personality, Hiya-san¡¯s main role is support. It didn¡¯t mean the she was weak, but as expected, in close combat, she would lose her advantage. Actually, she has been cornered. And she is at her limit. If she don¡¯t take a distance, it is the same as having her hands and feet tied. I gulped. If this goes on, Hiya-san will surely be killed. That man said he had ¡°caught¡± Kemuri-san and Face Punch-san. Looking at Hiya-san¡¯s caution, it is clear that ¡°Human¡± is included in that guy¡¯s ability range. Probably, you¡¯ll be ¡®out¡¯ if you get touched. Hiya-san also understand that and that¡¯s why she is moving around. And for that reason, that guy is letting his last prey to tired out to caught it. The man¡¯s attacks are various. Launching innumerable knives, instantly drawing near and swinging katana, making obstacles appear in Hiya-san¡¯s path, and slowing down her movement. He is a troublesome type to fight. Face Punch-san is really incompatible against him. But I don¡¯t know how he caught Kemuri-san. Even though Kemuri-san is the best choice to fight against him among the three of them. Rather, there should be a factor that makes Kemuri-san defeated. Maybe, the battle royal against the demon beasts was tough. Is it possible to rescue them after being captured? What will happen to those he holds if we kill him? Stay as it is? Or will it pour out? As I was thinking about that, there was a change in the battle situation between Hiya-san and the man. Hiya-san received a fatal blow. A thrown knife stabbed her thigh, then the man followed it with a knee kick. Hiya-san was thrown a few meters and dropped there. ¡°Hahahaha! It¡¯s a checkmate Hiya! Whaat, Anonymous is nothing biig!¡± It¡¯s bad¡­ It¡¯s no time to hesitate. Hiya-san will be killed. Sweat trickled down my cheek. Rin who is next to me was also watching Hiya-san and the man. There¡¯s no other choice. Even though my identity will be revealed, it is not good to only watch while my comrade is about to be killed. Farewell Rin. When I affirmed my will and was about to jump out, a child jumped out in front of the man. ¡°Uooooooo!¡± The boy who jumped out rushed towards the man while rising such scream. ¡°You are in the way, brat!¡± Sure enough, the boy was kicked away by the man, bounced once and rolled on the ground. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The man walks up to the child with a katana in his hand. This may be the chance to save Hiya-san. It is his weak point to neglect dealing the finishing blow and give priority to other things. It was the same as that time with me. ¡°Kazato.¡± Suddenly, Rin tap my shoulder and said that. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going. I can¡¯t just stay still and watch while that kid getting killed. Kazato stay here.¡± After saying that, Rin jumped out of the corner. ¡°¡­wha©`! For a moment, I was confused. Rin jumped out¡­? To save that child? I follow Rin¡¯s figure from the shadow. She was fast. It was a trained movements. Rin who rushed to the man from behind, grabbed the child who had fallen on the floor and took a distance from the man, and confronted him. ¡°Gooood! I don¡¯t hate that!¡± That Rin¡­ She¡¯s going to fight him. Reckless. There¡¯s no way she can win. Rin lay the child down behind her and stand up. The next moment. A knife was thrown at Rin. *Clang*, metallic sound resonate. It was the sound of Rin knocking off the thrown knife. Looking at it, part of her hand has turned into silver color. Is that Rin¡¯s ability¡­? Rin¡¯s ability that I knew is the ability to harden any part of her body just a little bit¡­ However, there is no mistake that the thrown knife was knocked off, she wouldn¡¯t be able to do it by just hardening her hand a little bit. ¡°Ooh! A civilian! The man rejoiced. Rin knocks off the thrown knives one after another. However, it wasn¡¯t perfect. Sometimes she missed the knives, and get damage. So that¡¯s it. She can¡¯t harden her whole body. As expected, there is a clear difference in ability. The man throws the knives while closing the distance. Meanwhile Rin is on the defensive. As the distance gets closer, the times she missed the knives increases. While looking as Rin becoming more and more tattered, I took a deep breath. Rin is about to be killed. I have to save her. However, it is bad to jump out as it is. If I jump out without a plan, I¡¯ll just become like Rin. ¡­¡­no, wait? In first place, is there any need to go and help her? Suppose that Rin is killed. If so, wouldn¡¯t it be easier for me to move? There is also another option which is changing clothes right now and save Rin, but by doing so, there is a possibility that my identity will be revealed to Rin. And if my identity is revealed, I have to kill her eventually. Then, I have to think about how to defeat that man without going to help myself. In the first place, wouldn¡¯t it be convenient for [Shion] if Tsurugi, Rin and Ohashi died? Blood spurted out from Rin¡¯s hand. Is her hardening can¡¯t make it in time, or was it the limit of her ability? However, she soon recovered. She grabbed one of the thrown knives and used it to intercept a stray knife. The target of that knife has changed. No, I can¡¯t say it¡¯s changed. Only one of the knives, that one originally flying toward the boy who was laying behind Rin. Rin didn¡¯t have a choice because the knife was thrown at him. She dealt with the released knives with her best effort, even not letting that knife pass. When I made that conjecture, Rin can¡¯t help but to take the knife in front of her with her body, and received the knife with her leg. Blood spurted out again. It seems that her hardening can¡¯t make it in time. She managed to control her thighs, dealt with the flying knives with swordhand, but her precision became bad and she received damage here and there. When Rin was kneeled on the spot, the man stopped throwing the knives. ¡°Hahaha! Oyuzuri-chan, those moves weren¡¯t bad.¡± The man carried his katana on his shoulder and slowly shorten the remaining distance. Rin looked up with a stern expression. I looked away from Rin, reached for the suitcase in the rubble¡¯s shadow, then my movement stopped there. Is it really okay to give up¡­? ¡°Dieee!¡± ¡°Tsurugi¡­save me¡­¡± Listening to such voice, I suddenly jumped out of the corner. Silencing the sound, and from behind, I rush over to the man¡¯s side instantly. Then while running, I picked up a fallen knife and lunge at the man. ¡°Aa!?¡± ¡°Kazato¡­!¡± The knife was received by the man¡¯s katana. This reaction. It is as quick as I expected. I wanted to attack with a Soundshoot if possible, but in this position, Rin and Hiya-san will be dragged into it. No. Why did I helped her! The situation will definitely improve if Rin died. Staying away from that suitcase¡­ Damn it, what am I doing¡­! No, I¡¯m not wrong. Right now, I¡¯m Kamiya Kazato. If Rin died, wouldn¡¯t I be sad¡­!? ¡°Another mob again!¡± At the same time I was pushed back by the katana, I launch a kick. Then, using the fact that the man retreated and hesitated, I jumped back to Rin. ¡°Kazato¡­, why did you come out¡­!¡± ¡°You too, why did you came out, you idiot!¡± I hold Rin and start running. ¡°I won¡¯t let you escaaape!!¡± Hiya-san obstructed the man who followed us from behind. Hiya-san managed to distanced herself by dragging her injured body so that she would not be noticed by the man. Fire arrows pours down on the man from all sides. The man had to pull out walls to block it. ¡°Hiya-san! Thank you very much!¡± I sent a voice that only Hiya-san can hear while running. In the meantime, I entered a shop that looks suitable, and let Rin lie on the ground. Rin has knife cuts all over her body. There are also deep ones. However, it seems that it will be fine even if the treatment is delayed. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°Then stay here.¡± ¡°Where are you going¡­?¡± Replying to this, I silently stood up. Rin grabbed my sleeves to hold me back. ¡°I¡¯ll go looking for something to treat you.¡± ¡°¡­don¡¯t. You should stay here. This much is enough¡­¡± That¡¯s true. However, actually, I¡¯m going not to look for such thing. I¡¯m going to kill that guy. It¡¯s more efficient than calling for help. First, we have to eliminate that risk factor. Rin will not be able to move again in this situation. Or rather, she shouldn¡¯t be able to move with that injury. Therefore, I can leave Rin with a suitable excuse, so this time I can change my clothes without getting revealed. It¡¯s indeed a nice camouflage for wandering around by using such amateurish reason. ¡°Kazato¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, you¡­ has that kind of ability. I didn¡¯t know.¡± I thought back to Rin¡¯s battle from before, and said that. ¡°That is¡­¡± Rin¡¯s hand that was grabbing my sleeves loosen. I released that hand and stand up. Then I leave that place. The wall is still standing, preventing Hiya-san¡¯s fierce attacks from reaching the man. The wall he pulled out seems to be quite sturdy. ¡°Hiya-san! How long can you hold out!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t hold out anymore!¡± ¡°A little longer, please hold out a little longer!¡± ¡°Tsk! Then, hurry!¡± I rush to Exit 23 and open the suitcase. Then I took out the tuxedo. I forcibly remove my uniform, and shove it into the suitcase. I wear the tuxedo, and put on a tie. Even so, things went well unintentionally. ¡­the problem starts from here, huh. I don¡¯t know if I can beat that guy. I have the upper hand. But I can¡¯t expect to cooperate with Hiya-san. I¡¯m required to crush him alone. Will reinforcement come? When will SDF rush in? I put the grappling gun on my waist and put the familiar knife into the holder. Then I covered my face with a mask. From now on, I¡¯m Shion. CH 52 [Dancing Evil] I was standing in front of the wall the man deployed when Hiya-san¡¯s attack was interrupted. I sent a sound to Hiya-san, but there was no reply. It seems that she has fainted. If you use your ability to the limit, it¡¯s natural. As I was thinking about such a thing, the wall that had been deployed in front of me disappeared. It¡¯s more like a box than a wall. Apparently, it seems that box was built with a high durability and can completely guard from all directions. The box disappeared and the man who appeared in front of me looked at me and put fearless smile on his face. ¡°Please entertain me¡­ Anonymous. Don¡¯t you run away this time, okay?¡± *cyaki* his katana rub against the floor. Then, as soon as he took a step, I released a Soundshoot. Roaring sound. Clothes store¡¯s display were blown away, and glass showcases were shattered. That guy¡­, he was defending by pulling out the wall. Box¡­ no. It¡¯s a wall. In the case when he deployed the box, I thought that I would approach him instantly and cut his neck off from the back. To guard in all directions means that there will be no escape temporarily. I think it¡¯s not a good defense method for him either. And as expected he can guard against my Soundshoot in no time. It¡¯s a trick that instantly reads the killing intent and roughly predicts the next attack of the next. He is not an average ability user. ¡°Your spirit is good. I don¡¯t hate it.¡± I released another Soundshoot to block his words. As expected, it is the wall that appears with the explosion sound. I jumped back a few times to get away from him. The distance was just too short. The Soundshoot is excellent. It becomes a barrage and he had no choice but to make a wall appear and defend. The fireball that Hiya-san released before was collected by him touching it. It seems that sound is truly uncollectible because he is defending my attack with a wall. Hiya-san continuous shooting was prevented with a box because it was difficult to collect that amount of fire arrows in a row. Throwing knives¡­ I think even a single hit by it is dangerous. I¡¯ll hit it with Soundshoot if possible. ¡­Other than that, my only option left is close quarters combat. However, in the close quarters combat, Face Punch-san and Kemuri-san lost. Then this too. I have to avoid it. ¡°It¡¯s useless. Well, I think I¡¯ll know if I can prevent it three times.¡± A man reappears from the other side of the wall. Useless¡­huh? No, it¡¯s not useless. It might succeed with enough shots, and it¡¯ll be hard for him to guard instantly every time. Well, the Soundshoot from the front certainly sounds like a waste. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Are you afraid? Why are you keeping the distance?¡± I wondered if the voice of the man should be cut off. ¡­Is it better not to cut it off? I stepped back when the man stepped forward. There is no reason to fight head on. The fighting while retreating is good. In addition, here, Rin and Hiya-san are close, and the range of Soundshoot is limited. I want to leave this place somehow. Speaking of which, there are few demon beasts on the first floor. For some reason, most of the people on the first floor can evacuate, so their prey are scarce. The number of demon beasts on the 2nd and 3rd floors is much higher than on the 1st floor. It¡¯s also because the demon beasts were released on the third floor. The screams and chewing sounds that could be here even now are painful. However, it is helpful that there are few demom beasts on the first floor. There are Rin and Hiya who can¡¯t fight, so I was planning to kick off the demon beasts while fighting, but it¡¯s unnecessary. Besides, the number of demon beasts is decreasing. Is it because Tsurugi starts to make his moves? However, there is a possibility that the third wave is ahead. I also have to be careful. Shit, the more I think about it, the more I think I won¡¯t win. However, there is no choice but to do it. ¡°Oi oi, somehow your reaction is boring!¡± The man said that and threw a knife. Unlike the previous ones, he¡¯s throwing it using his whole body. Fast¡­! When I saw it, I immediately avoid it by dodging. ¡°Huh¡­¡± I remove my knife from the holder. It seems that it is better to guard with a knife rather than to hesitate when it come flying like that. ¡°My name is Hal. You?¡± Hal. Come to think of it, he was called that way. I forgot, he has such a name. However, he talks a lot during battle. Well¡­ Then~, let¡¯s try provoking him a little¡­ ¡°My name, huh?¡± I wish I could get him with a cheap provocation. ¡°My name is Shion¡­ The name of the man who kills you. Remember that, puppy.¡± For a moment, I felt that the area was quiet. ¡°Ha ha!¡± The man¡­, Hal looks up at once, opens his hands and laughs. I swallowed my saliva and gripped my knife. ¡°Interesting! Don¡¯t regret it, you trash!¡± I opened my eyes to Hal who approached me instantly. Pure speed. The distance I took was closed at once, and his katana slashed at me from the side. I jump back to avoid it. No, it¡¯s close¡­! The tip slashed my tuxedo slightly and the edge return to me like the blade bounced back. I was prepared to give up one of my arms, so I thrust my hand out and prepare to shot a Soundshoot. Then Hal stopped his katana and made a few steps away from me. What appears there is as expected, a wall. I did not release the Soundshoot, I took a little distance from the wall. Dangerous¡­! Just now, Hal could cut off my arm and pull the wall out before I released the Soundshoot. I¡¯m saved because he pulled back. No, he is just wary of sound attack, huh. ¡°Annoying, annoying, annoying©`!!¡± Hal jumped down from the top without putting back the wall. I knew the surprise attack from the sound, so his attack did not reach. Looking at it, Hal¡¯s attack has switched to throwing a knife. I tumbled over, heaved the knife, and immediately stood up, I turned my back to Hal and started running. First, I have to leave this place to talk. ¡°Don¡¯t run, you small fry!¡± Naturally he follows from behind. It is difficult to avoided a thrown knife while running. I run as low as possible and place obstacles on the line with him. The speed of the guy running while throwing the knife was naturally slower than me. The distance gradually increases. ¡°Come on, you want to kill me, right! Face me fair and square!¡± What did you said? I¡¯m not going. If I¡¯m touched, it¡¯s the end and Soundshoot is not effective. How do I deal with such a person properly? Thinking about such a thing, I jumped over an object¡¯s potted plant and I turned a corner. However, when I turned, I braked suddenly and I stuck my back to the blind spot at the corner. Then, I make sounds footsteps that make a sharp turn around the corner and run through. That guy is moving fast. When he jumped out of the corner, I shot a Soundshoot from the side. ¡°Wha-!¡± The wall is in time. He could even guard against this, what¡¯s with this guy? It¡¯s already in disgusting level. However, I can¡¯t complain. I cut off the sound, appeared from the right side of the wall, and shot the man again. The wall appeared again. ¡°Hah¡­! Hah¡­!¡± Damn, it won¡¯t hit. Also, I¡¯m shot too many Soundshoot. I can still afford it, but I can only shot it 10 more times. I turned my back to the wall and started running. When he smashed the wall, there was a big distance between me and Hal. I cut off all the sounds that I make. Footsteps, breathing sounds, rubbing sounds, and the sound of flipping a knife. Everything. I pick up the grappling gun on my waist and aim it to the second floor. Then, I pressed the button of my thumb hard and fired a wire. The ejected wire wraps around the handrail that surrounds the stairwell on the second floor, as intended. I run as it is, roll up the excess wire, and thrust it into a pillar. Then, I pulled the wire as it was, and I rush up the pillar. The power of the grappling gun alone cannot lift me upstairs. However, if I¡¯m kicking the wall, I can somehow go upstairs. I go upstairs because I need to throw him off once. A knife thrown by him scratched my mask. ¡°Wait, stop!!¡± I hurried up to the second floor and started running again. He summoned obstacles between the first floor and the second floor to create a step and climbed up as it was. However, at that time I had already hidden myself and listened to him from behind. Hal who went upstairs and lost sight of me stopped there. ¡°Tsk.¡± After a clicking his tongue one, he slowly walks. He is completely wary of my surprise attack. However. ¡°Behind.¡± Humans are Relying on sound is, impossible. The moment when Hal looked back with ¡°my voice heard from behind¡±. I jumped to that behind and shot a Soundshoot. ¡°¡­!¡± But this too¡­was blocked by the wall. Well, as expected. I approached as it was and turned to the back of the wall. The man¡¯s knife attack me. The knife graze my shoulder and flew away. I point the grappling gun at him and shoot it. However, Hal caught the wire ejected at high speed by hand. ¡°What¡­!¡± I cut the wire in a hurry and shoot a Soundshoot. Naturally the wall protect him. The wall disappeared immediately, and Hal approached me rapidly. It¡¯s bad¡­! There is no escape. Should I jump to the first floor¡­? But¡­! ¡°Ha ha!¡± While I was hesitating, he grabbed my neck, trip my foot and pushed me down. ¡°Tsu¡­!¡± I was touched¡­! However, he did not use his ability, and pressed the newly taken knife to my neck. ¡°I gooot yooouuu!¡± Damn! ¡°Kuhihi, don¡¯t move¡­ Enjoy the feeling of a knife slowly sticking in your neck.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The sound attack won¡¯t make it in time¡­! Then¡­! I shot the grappling gun in my hand to the sky behind the man, and when I grabbed the released wire with my opposite hand, I hooked it on Hal¡¯s neck and turned sideways. The knife that was being pushed with that momentum moved, and my neck was deeply torn. ¡°Tsuu¡­¡± I let out a voice involuntarily. ¡­it¡¯s around my collarbone. It¡¯s great that I managed to diverted it somehow. That guy, why didn¡¯t he use his ability to collect me? No, Hal¡¯s ability is just to collect things. And to kill me, he doesn¡¯t need to use it? I squeeze the wire that tightens the man¡¯s neck and slowly moves back. Blood bleeds on my hand holding the wire. ¡°Guu¡­e¡­!¡± Hal grabbed the wire with a trembling hand. He¡¯s going to collect me by touching the wire, tte there¡¯s no way, right. With that in mind, I cut the wire and shot a Soundshoot. The roaring sound reverbrate. The objects around him were caught up in the Soundshoot and blown away. No wall appears¡­! Is it a direct hit? At the moment I thought so, his sound appeared behind me. ¡°Die, oraaa!!¡± A clear teleportation. The same thing happened in an abandoned building. I can¡¯t react¡­! The sword stabbed from behind hit my shoulder directly. The blade penetrated with an unpleasant noise, and I opened my eyes wide. I was confused by the pain, but managed to release a Soundshoot behind me. Hal pulled out his sword and made the wall appear to guard against the Soundshoot. I make a distance between us. ¡°Huh, huh¡­ huh¡­¡± I received fatal damage. Damn it. ¡°Huu, huu, you certainly can entertain me¡­¡± Said Hal, who had pulled back the wall and appeared in it¡¯s place. ¡°The blow I received just now was painful¡­ Then I can¡¯t fight anymore. I¡¯m bleeding so well¡± That¡¯s right. The ability is overused. It¡¯s bad. This situation. And what¡¯s with that teleportation. Another ability¡­? Or, he collect himself and appear in a different place. There was a slight time lag, so possibility is high. He didn¡¯t used it often because it has some disadvantages? Shit, I don¡¯t understand. ¡°But, I¡¯m not done playing, y¡¯know?¡± Hal slowly approached me. What to do¡­ Should I release a serious Soundshoot¡­? However, I don¡¯t think I can break through that wall. I don¡¯t know what material it is made of, but it is quite strong. If I shoot it continuously till it reached it¡¯s limit¡­? No, it¡¯s impossible. It also endured continuous fire attacks by Hiya-san and is durable. At that time, I came up with a plan. If it¡¯s this¡­ Will it work¡­? It¡¯s worth trying. I put both hands forward and prepare to shoot a Soundshoot. My left shoulder that was stabbed hurts a lot. ¡°That again, huh. It doesn¡¯t work well, so stop it. I¡¯m tired.¡± It has been proven that the power of Soundshoot becomes lower as the range is narrowed down. I had narrowed down the range until now, and I was shooting more carefully. The reason for doing so is that it still has sufficient killing ability and that serious Soundshoot has poor stamina efficiency. I understood that the wall won¡¯t be destroyed with only one shot of my serious Soundshoot. However, the Soundshoot that I shoot from now on will be in widened range. Almost Serious Soundshoot. The civilians may be injured. However, there is only this¡­! ¡°It¡¯s okay to shoot, but don¡¯t overuse it till you kill yourself, okay?¡± I released a Soundshoot to block his chattering. Clearly different firepower than before. *Bishibishi* and cracks entered the floor, and the explosion sound continued. He is guarding with the wall as planned. My head shook. Am I gradually reaching my limit? But another shot¡­! ¡°Haa!¡± The wall that he summoned does not make a slight movement. Another shot¡­! ¡°Fall dooown!¡± I raise my voice and release a Soundshoot. *bakibaki*(cracking sounds) I erased that sound. Don¡¯t let him know. I was unable to endure the Soundshoot, and when I saw the ¡°that¡± that was falling, my mouth suddenly loosened. I lowered my hands and breathed out. Seeing the Soundshoot stopped, Hal remove the wall. ¡°Are you satisfied?¡± Hal said so with a proud face, I thrust my thumb up and turn it upside down. Then, ¡°Ah?¡± , He made that kind of voice while making a bizarre face. Immediately after that. Hal became underlay of the ¡°ceiling that fell from above.¡± CH 53 [End of Evil] The impact of the ceiling causes the ground to shake and dust flutters. I was worried that the second floor would collapse, but it¡¯s not. He is¡­dead. I saw he was hit directly with my own eyes. ¡­¡­But I can¡¯t be careless. I tense up and *gokkuri* gulped my saliva. Then, after the sounds disappeared, I listened carefully. Then, a faint breathing sound could be heard. ¡­alive. I saw the rubbles hit him directly, but did he avoid it¡­? His breathing became quiet inside the rubbles. This maybe¡­, maybe he lost his consciousness. No, it may be a strategy to lure me in by pretending to be hit directly. Either way, the battle is not over yet. Let¡¯s see the situation from here for a while. It is dangerous to approach him thoughtlessly. The moment I thought so. A sound appears from behind me. A cold blade was pressed to my neck. My eyes opened widely. Teleportation, huh¡­! ¡°Hah, hah, I don¡¯t want you to use this again though¡­ Huu, but, surely, this is a checkmate.¡± Hal said while raising and lowering his shoulders. His hands is sticky with blood, and I can hear the sound of blood dripping. I tried to stab the knife into the Hal¡¯s thighs, but he twisted my wrist and it was lightly prevented. Soundshoot is impossible. In front of his evasion ability, it will only consumes his stamina. However, he is injured¡­ Could his injured body avoid the Soundshoot in this distance? No. When I tried to release a Soundshoot, Hal quickly hooked my foot and struck me on the ground. My hair is caught as it is, and the knife is pressed to my neck again. Severe pain in run through my shoulder. ¡°Guh¡­¡± I¡¯ll be killed. When I thought so and closed my eyes, Hal opened his mouth. ¡°Youu, even though your ability just manifested recently, but you already could use it well. Who is your master?¡± ¡°¡­¡± As I remained silent, Hal slowly moved the knife and pressed it to the original cut. ¡°Let¡¯s have a chat. Who is your master?¡± What the hell does that mean? Is he looking down on me? However, if I don¡¯t answer, I will be killed. ¡°¡­¡­Tameiki-san.¡± ¡°Oh! Tameiki-san! She¡¯s an enemy, but I respects her as a fellow killer!¡± So what¡­? What does this guy want to do¡­ ¡°And what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Shion.¡± ¡°It should¡¯ve been ¡®Shion, sir¡¯ right.¡±(TN : He means Shion should be polite) He cut the wound on my neck with the knife. I scream reflexively. ¡°Guaa!¡± ¡°Well, I have to make clear who is stronger in the hierarchy. Then. Shion. I have a proposal for you. Won¡¯t you leave Anonymous? Our leader is also interested in you, and it is better than being killed now, right?¡± ¡°What¡­ are you saying?¡± ¡°I¡¯m soliciting you because I like you. Because I have fun so far.¡± This person¡­ seriously? I wonder if I can fool him and run away later. Or rather, I want to do so if I can. ¡°Or rather, you don¡¯t have a choice, right? If you refuse, you¡¯ll die. How about it?¡± There is no way to live without agreeing. When I thought so and nodded, Hal smiled crazily. ¡°Haha! It¡¯s a lie! Die kid!¡± ¡°Wha-¡­!¡± A sound of clenching the grip of a knife. It was when I was convinced of my death. ¡°Hakunetsu punch!!!¡± A person from above flew toward Hal. Haru releases his hands from me and jumps away. The person flying from above stood in front of me and posed. ¡°Damn youu!¡± ¡°My name is Hakunetsu!! I¡¯m here to help you, Shion-kun!¡± [1] Standing in front of me was a person wearing white tuxedo and bright red sunglasses¡­ Yes, it was Hakunetsu-san. ¡°Hakunetsu-san!¡± I stood up with a cheerful voice. Hakunetsu-san throws away his sunglasses and puts on a mask from somewhere on his face. ¡°A new guy, huh!¡± ¡°Hakunetsu-san, why are you here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because Kemuri¡¯s request for reinforcement. Shion-kun, you¡¯re injured.¡± Kemuri-san request for reinforcement? Kemuri-san must have been caught¡­ Did he request reinforcement in advance in anticipation of this situation? Or since he was caught? As I was thinking about that, Hakunetsu-san touched my wound. ¡°Here, hemostasis.¡± When Hakunetsu-san said so, there was a sound of meat burning from my shoulder. ¡°Hot!¡± ¡°Burning!¡± What is burning¡­! However, Hakunetsu-san¡¯s ability. Can it be used for hemostasis? (Overheat). I haven¡¯t heard in detail what kind of ability it is, but it is the name of Hakunetsu-san¡¯s ability. ¡°It¡¯s finally time to show off my abilities! Shion-kun! I was afraid that Shion-kun would win! Iyaa I¡¯m glad I get a turn!¡± ¡°Wait a minute. Are you watching the whole time?¡± ¡°Of course! Since it¡¯s hotter entering when it¡¯s just barely in time to save you! It was a lie, I just wanted to see how far Shion-kun could do! Hahaha! Shion-kun, you have became strong! Is it thanks to me!?¡± Well, I can¡¯t deny that point, but save me sooner¡­ I really thought I was gonna die. Since when did he started watching. ¡°How many Anonymous¡¯s members will be defeated by me? Kemuri, Face Punch, Hiya, and you two. I wonder if this is the difference in the quality of the members¡­!¡± He said so¡­ But it¡¯s true that this guy is giving a tough fight. When I thought so, Hakunetsu-san took off his mask and says. ¡°Ha ha ha! You seem to think that you have crushed Kemuri, but that¡¯s not the case!¡± ¡°Aa? What do you mean¡­?¡± ¡°Let me tell you Kemuri¡¯s ability! The name of his power is (Avatars)!¡± It¡¯s an ability to create your own clone! So now you understand, right!?¡± ¡°¡­I see. Kemuri that I captured was a clone!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! You idiot!¡± Is that so. Certainly, I thought it was strange that Kemuri-san lost with that kind of ability. So that¡¯s it. So that¡¯s why he has time request reinforcement to Hakunetsu-san? No, but¡­ ¡°If the clone is captured, what is the real Kemuri-san doing now?¡± ¡°Good, listen to me! Villain! Listen well!¡± Hakunetsu-san opened his arms and told Hal. We¡¯re villains too though, but I won¡¯t retort it. I was wary that Haru would come in, but he didn¡¯t attack. It can be said that Hal was fitted to Hakunetsu-san¡¯s pace. He took the flow completely. Hal himself is wary of Hakunetsu-san. Certainly, Hakunetsu-san is hard to attack. Somehow, the aura he¡¯s clad in, or the composure, alerts the other person. I was taught by Tameiki-san not to speak at all during the battle, but this means that there are enemies with which this goes well. Maybe that¡¯s why Kemuri-san called Hakunetsu-san. I¡¯m thinking about such a thing while waiting for Hakunetsu-san¡¯s word. ¡°Kemuri was here for a different mission in the first place! It seems that the daughter of an organization was at this department store. It was to rescue that girl and if possible, evacuate as much civilians as possible. That was Kemuri¡¯s real objective!!!¡± Seriously? By the way, the reason why there was no one on the first floor was because Kemuri-san evacuated all of them¡­? Or rather, why is this person keeps chattering and spoiling the plan. That¡­ might be a provocation, but it is not necessary to talk about it. ¡°Shion-kun! ¡®You¡¯re letting out too much information!?¡¯ Your face is saying that! However, no problem! Because he, who is standing there will die here now!¡±[2] Hakunetsu-san pointed at Hal so hard that I could hear the sound effects. ¡°You said it yourself, huh! Then the talk show is over, right? Let¡¯s start.¡± Hal brandish his sword and slowly took a step. Hal and Hakunetsu-san. What about the ability compatibility? Hiya-san, who has the ability of the same system, could not reach his hands or legs. I don¡¯t know what kind of fight Hakunetsu-san will show using his ability, but it seems it¡¯ll be tough. This is¡­, cooperation is important. After I thought that, Hakunetsu-san put his hand in front of me and stopped me. ¡°Shion-kun, leave this to me.¡± ¡°Why? It would be better if two people took him on¡­¡± ¡°Why?! That¡¯s because I am alone is enough! And I¡¯ve decided not to engage in collaborative combat with anyone other than my partner, Kuroinu! How¡¯s this belief!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the time to say that kind of things¡­!¡± ¡°Shut up! If you give me a hand, I¡¯ll break off our relationship!¡± ¡°Wha-!¡± If you fight alone, the situation will be almost the same! Damn, it was a failure that Kemuri-san called Hakunetsu-san! ¡°Hahaha! Looks like I¡¯m being looked down upon, how dare youuu!¡± Hal said that and jumped out. I shout at once. ¡°Hakunetsu-san! Please be careful! His ability is¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard it from Kemuri! I must not get touched, right?¡± Hal was coming this way, but Hakunetsu-san still giving me extra look and answered me. This person¡­! I thought so, and when I tried to release a Soundshoot at Hal, Hakunetsu-san emitted heat. The heat was so hot that I took few steps back to avoid it. Hal is taking a distance as well. Looking at it, a bright red flame was on his body. ¡°How about it? You can¡¯t touch me because I¡¯m too hot, right?¡± Amazing¡­ ¡°Ah, yeah. This tuxedo is a custom-made item made of a Burial Dragon¡¯s hide, and it won¡¯t burned with just this much. Now, let¡¯s get started.¡± Hakunetsu-san cracks his fingers and headed for Hal. Hal took a step back, but throws one probing knife. Hakunetsu-san put one hand in front and ignited the flames. Then, the knife turned into charcoal with a rustling noise. ¡°Tsk, what a power¡­!¡± ¡°Ha ha ha, I¡¯ve been able to adjust it a lot now. My problem is that my ability has too much firepower. I can¡¯t use dexterous techniques. So it¡¯s actually an impractical ability. It¡¯s too flashy, right.¡± Hakunetsu-san is closing in the distance with Hal. For Hal, the compatibility was the worst. The difference between Hakunetsu-san and Hiya-san is first, the flames they wield and Hakunetsu-san is good at close combat. There is also difference in the firepower in the first place. It was an unexpected development. As a result, Hal chose to retreat. I would have also done so if I¡¯m in his position. When Hal turned his back and started running, Hakunetsu-san let loose retribution flames. Hal responds to the flames that make a rustling noise and goes straight on, with the wall from before. It came out. That¡¯s it. That wall suppress firepower and extinguish it. However, the flame released by Hakunetsu-san did not hit the wall directly. It avoid it. The wall. ¡°Ha ha! I can do this kind of trick!¡± ¡°Bastaard!¡± There is no way for Hal to avoid¡­! But it is too quick to be confident. There is a *bashan* sound. Then water spreads all over, and Hakunetsu-san¡¯s flames disappeared. As he can store all things, there are many things he can use to retaliate. ¡°Hahaha! Interesting!¡± Hakunetsu-san extinguished the flame that was emitting from his hand and walked toward the wall. Hal is sticking to the other side of the wall and listening to him. This situation. He has no means of attack. An opportunity. I picked up a knife that had fallen on the ground, cut off the sounds, and started running. ¡°Shion!?¡± I erase that voice of Hakunetsu-san. Kick the flooded ground. Head towards Hal. He sticks to the wall. What will happen to him if I release a Soundshoot at this wall in a close distance? If there is no distance, it might be less powerful, but it still has attack power. He shouldn¡¯t be able to expect my attack here! Eat this! Ò»Ò»Soundshoot ¡°Guoo¡­a!?¡± The corner of my mouth goes up. Certainly I can hear his scream. Direct hit. Completely. I heard the sound of Hal falling over the wall. I turn around to the other side of the wall and get on top of the fallen Hal. Should I end him with a Soundshoot? No, I¡¯m almost at my limit. Hal is losing his consciousness¡­! I will end him with this knife! I brought the knife toward Hal¡¯s neck and swung down vigorously. At that time, I heard the voice of Hakunetsu-san, who came while spreading heat. ¡°Wait!¡± When it almost reach Hal¡¯s neck, I stopped the knife. ¡°Why!¡± ¡°How dare you steal him! No, that wasn¡¯t it! What will happen to the captured Face Punch if you kill him!?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Ah, that¡¯s right? I completely forgot. ¡°You should wake him up and ask.¡± Hakunetsu-san look at my crazed face and said so. ¡°No, please wait. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll know what will happen to his possession when he has never even died.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. But if he¡¯s alive, he can take out the things he possess, right? It is certain to rescue Face Punch-kun.¡± Certainly¡­ ¡°OK. I¡¯ll wake him up.¡± ¡°Umu.¡± I grasped the knife tightly and pierced Hal¡¯s wrist. ¡°A-!¡± Hal regained consciousness in an instant, and he screamed without voice. I continued to pierce both thighs and the other hand with a knife, then took a distance from him. Hal¡¯s screams were cut off so that I could not hear them. Well with this, he shouldn¡¯t be able to move anymore. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Ahhh¡­! Damn iit!¡± ¡°What will happen to the things in your possession when you die?¡± ¡°Hah¡­, hah¡­ I¡­ it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t kill me¡­ If I die¡­ the things I possess, like¡­, demon beasts¡­, everything¡­ will come out¡­¡± Hal said in a weak voice. Is this true? No, this is not a lie. If he tell a lie, he should tell the lie that if I kill him, what he possess will disappear. That way he can use Face Punch-san as a hostage and the chance of being killed immediately will be low. Can¡¯t his mind think up that far? Anyway, there is a demerit that if I kill him, demon beasts will come out. If so, I feels it¡¯s better to move him somewhere and then kill him rather than kill him now. I don¡¯t think I can handle the demon beasts that came out only with Hakunetsu-san and I, who is almost my limit. Let¡¯s keep him alive for now¡­ No, let¡¯s kill him. This guy is more harmful than the 100 demon beasts. It may give him time to heal and it¡¯ll be a certainty if I kill him now. ¡°Even so, I¡¯ll kill him. Be prepared for the demon beasts that will come out.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Listening to Hakunetsu-san¡¯s reply, I pierced Hal¡¯s throat with a knife. Hal seemed to try to resist, but his battered body was weak and could not resist. ¡°Kagh¡­hu-!¡± Tears overflowed from Hal¡¯s eyes. Is it because of pain or the fear of death? I do not understand. Hal stopped moving after a while. After confirming that Hal¡¯s breath and heart stopped, I stood up and put up my guard. ¡°They don¡¯t come out¡­¡± A large number of demon beasts¡¯ carcasses came down from above at the same time I said so. Hakunetsu-san and I avoided it at once and caught the sight of it. A mountain was created. Demon beasts¡¯ carcasses, rocks, water, walls, weapons, and many other things came down to create mountains. When I was looking at it, someone came out of the mountain. ¡°Huu¡± That is¡­ ¡°Face Punch-kun!¡± Hakunetsu-san was the first to speak out. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re terribly slimy, aren¡¯t you! It¡¯s good! Is all these demon beasts your doing?¡± Face Punch-san came down from the mountain and stood in front of Hakunetsu-san. The blood of the demon beasts smells awful. ¡°Yeah. All of his inside were connected, the demon beasts were let loose. Rather, where is Kemuri? That bastard screw me again. I didn¡¯t hear anything about this. Did you defeat the ability user?¡± I wonder if Face Punch-san was used as a decoy. Certainly, it is something that Kemuri-san would do. To be able to make such a move, did Kemuri-san knew Hal¡¯s ability? There is a possibility that he moved after seeing it. Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. For the time being, I¡¯ll just have to complain about Exit 23. Even so, to beat this amount of demon beasts alone? Face Punch-san¡­amazing. ¡°The one who killed that guy is Shion-kun. He¡¯s great, right? Kemuri seems to be moving outside now. He is also always received troublesome mission, terrible riight! Moreover, Kemuri will do the clean up for this matter y¡¯know. We are ordered to defeat Nursery Rhyme and return to the hideout. Oops, don¡¯t forget about Hiya-chan! For the time being, I will tell Kemuri that the man is dead.¡± That said, Hakunetsu-san took out the mobile device from his pocket. Huh? I wonder if it¡¯s broken. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s broken. Face Punch-kun, please contact him for me.¡± As expected, it¡¯s broken. ¡°You broke it again, didn¡¯t you? It can¡¯t be helped.¡± By the way, should I return to the hideout? What should I do? Rin and Tsurugi and co are still in this department store. Tsurugi and co are fine, but I can¡¯t leave the injured Rin. If I disappear like this, there is a possibility that the remaining demon beast will be killed by Rin and she may be suspicious of me. If I got back, then the talks leads to why did I got these wounds¡­, it¡¯ll be troublesome to gloss over it. Hmm. I don¡¯t think there is a demon beast near Rin, and I think she can hold on until the Self-Defense Forces rush in, but I¡¯m worried. But I can¡¯t go back. And my phone is in the suitcase¡­ It can¡¯t be helped. Let¡¯s return to the hideout quietly. I think it¡¯s better not to do strange things. I should think about the excuse later. Let¡¯s ask Kemuri-san for the clean up of the suitcase. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get out of here¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Replying to Face Punch-san¡¯s words, I followed Hakunetsu-san who started walking. At that time, I suddenly noticed a pulsating sound. Dokun, Dokun. Something is pulsating. This is¡­what is this? The sound was heard from the mountain made by Hal¡¯s possession. I stop and look back. ¡°What happened?¡± Face Punch-san also stopped and asked me. ¡°Somehow, there is a sound¡­¡± I walk towards the mountain. Where is this sound came from? When I thought so, I searched and found a big rock on the other side of the mountain I was looking at. It is a rock that is about the size of a container and larger than the Death Basara Gorilla. ¡°From this rock¡­¡± What is this rock? There is a sound¡­ ¡°Shion-kun, what¡¯s wrong with the rock?¡± ¡°Somehow, sounds came out. From this rock.¡± I said to the two people standing behind me. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just your imagination? Let¡¯s go.¡± Face Punch-san said so and turned on his heels. While Hakunetsu-san looks at the rock with great interest. It¡¯s not just my imagination. I still hear it. I listened to the rock and hit it with a fist. Then¡­ The rock cracked sharply. ¡°Eh.¡± The crack on the rock spreads out. I took a step back. Hakunetsu-san is looking up at it with a stunned look. The crack that started running stopped, and the momentary silence dominated the area. And. The rock¡­ No, it broke through the egg shell and a ferocious dragon head appeared. Jet black eyes and dark green skin. It is a Dragon-type demon beast that I have never seen before. But I¡¯m not impatient. Dragon-type demon beasts are ferocious, but there are also Hakunetsu-san and Face Punch-san here. Also, it¡¯s a newborn baby. If I preempt with a Soundshoot, the two people behind me will back me up properly. I silently held my hand in front of me to shoot a Soundshoot, then Hakunetsu-san pulled my hand and started running. My neck sways with a *gakun*. Face Punch-san was also running. ¡°Escape with all the strength you have!¡± ¡°Wha-, what happened?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t heard any of this, Kemuriii!¡± ¡°W-, why!¡± ¡°That¡¯s! Myth-class demon beast! Fafnir¡¯s baby!¡± CH 54 [Jet Black Evil] A high-pitched, terrifying roar echoed around. We are running at full speed. ¡°Run awaaaay!¡± Fafnir. I¡¯ve never seen it, but I had heard of its name. A demon beast that ranks higher even among the myth class. Maybe because it was a newborn baby, I didn¡¯t feel that it was a dangerous demon beast, but from the reaction of the Hakunetsu-san and co, even I won¡¯t be able to make a dent to it. Looking back while running, Fafnir got out from it¡¯s egg shell and was following us. ¡°Oi, what¡¯s with that, it¡¯s following us! Do something Hakunetsu!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say something crazy! Even though it¡¯s a baby, it is still the myth class Fafnir! We can¡¯t do anything to it with just us!¡± ¡°Then what are we going to do with this?¡± ¡°Should we split apart!?¡± Face Punch-san turns his eyes at the same time as he said so. I was wondering if there was something behind us, so I look back. Then there was Fafnir, who was running with it¡¯s big mouth open. ¡°It¡¯ bad! Breath is coming! Hakunetsu!¡± ¡°I know!¡± Suddenly, Hakunetsu-san turned around and scattered the hell fire that was released from Fafnir¡¯s mouth. ¡°What a flame!¡± ¡°Are you okay? Hakunetsu-san!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine! Run!¡± When I was told to run, Face Punch-san©`who was running in front©`says. ¡°Oh yeah, how about Hiya!¡± ¡°She can¡¯t fight in her condition!¡± ¡°Tsk! Useless!¡± ¡°She is in a critical condition! If we escape, we have to retrieve her!¡± Hakunetsu-san catches up from behind. Fafnir is flapping it¡¯s wet wings and running towards us with a tottering gait. It seems that it can¡¯t just run as soon as it get out of it¡¯s egg. ¡°Then I¡¯m going to retrieve her! Hakunetsu and Shion escape through other route! And tell me where Hiya is!¡± ¡°Near Exit 23 on the first floor!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that in the opposite direction!?¡± ¡°By the way, which of us will attracts Fafnir?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s-!¡± Face Punch-san suddenly brakes and heads for Fafnir. Then screamed. ¡°Whoever it will follows!¡± Face Punch-san slides down through Fafnir¡¯s feet, then keeps running to the opposite direction from here. However, Fafnir doesn¡¯t pay attention to Face Punch-san and keep coming straight here. It¡¯s tottering feet gradually stepped on the ground firmly, and it seemed that it¡¯s wings gradually dried as well. ¡°F*ck! It¡¯s a miss! We¡¯ll escape, Shion-kun!¡± You¡¯re kidding¡­! We increase our running speed. However, Fafnir¡¯s speed is also increasing steadily, and our distance eventually became closer. ¡°Shion-kun! Hold on!¡± ¡°O-, okay!¡± I firmly grasped Hakunetsu-san¡¯s outstretched arm, and replied. Then, Hakunetsu-san puts his foot on the handrail of the atrium and jumps down to the first floor. When I landed with a flame cushion softly, I started running again after Hakunetsu-san. Fafnir also followed us and jumped down to the first floor. We turn on corner leading to the exit and continue running. In front, I can see the exit blocked by rubble. ¡°Let¡¯s destroy the rubble at the exit and go out!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± When I answered, Hakunetsu-san clad his body in flames and rushed to the rubble. The rubble was scattered by Hakunetsu-san, and although the foothold is bad, we can make our way somehow. I and Hakunetsu-san slip into it and escaped outside the shopping mall. Fresh outside air. I haven¡¯t been in the shopping mall for such a long time, but the air feels very good. However, we had no time to stop and take a deep breath. Because, we are running into the Self Defense Forces¡¯ squad who came to the department store as rescue. The man in front is the corporal who is wearing an eagle badge. ¡°Anonymous¡­! As expected, it was your doing!¡± ¡°Tsk! It¡¯s too late rush in now, useless!¡± Hakunetsu-san stopped and pointed at the Self Defense Forces¡¯ squad and said so. Fafnir is still chasing us. Yeah, if we use the Self Defense Forces as decoy, we can throw off Fafnir, right? Or rather, it is better to let the Self Defense Force take care of that. Hal was defeated anyway, and it is not necessary for Anonymous to deal with Fafnir. I wondered if Hakunetsu-san thought the same thing, our eyes met. ¡°Fafnir is still coming here, right?¡± Hakunetsu-san said, looking back a little. ¡°Yes, it is still coming.¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s rub the target on the SDF¡±. At the same time as I nodded for the expected proposal, the Colonel in front of the squad issued an attack order. ¡°Attack! The medic squad should rush into the department store!¡± Self-Defense Forces are attacking all at once. I thought©`Should I wipe them out with a Soundshoot?©`, but it would be bad if they are wiped out. ¡°Shion-kun! Hold on to me!¡± Immediately after I was told so, I clung to Hakunetsu-san¡¯s waist. Then, flames gushes from Hakunetsu-san¡¯s legs. ¡°Hot-¡­!¡± The heat of the flames that erupted like a burner is also transmitted to me. ¡°We¡¯re flyiing!¡± Then, Hakunetsu-san soared into the sky with the momentum of the erupting flames. We immediately flew over the SDF, and landed on the other side with a *bon*. Looking back, the figure of Fafnir appeared at the exit. It¡¯s mouth is dirty with blood. Perhaps the invading Self Defense Forces medic squad was killed. Fafnir roared again after kicking the pile of rubble and stepping outside. ¡°Gaooooooooo!!¡± The people of the Self-Defense Force who were trying to change direction to pursue us noticed the existence of Fafnir by the roar. ¡°What is that¡­!¡± ¡°Shion-kun! Run!¡± Without replying I immediately move my feet with all my might. I ran for a while and entered the back alley of the lined up buildings, Hakunetsu-san grabbed my shoulder and says. ¡°Hah, hah, I¡¯ll pick up the car. Shion-kun, wait here.¡± His hot breath is ragged. ¡°I-, understand.¡± I replied with my hands on my knees and raising and lowering my shoulders. Hakunetsu-san gets away from me and runs to somewhere. ¡°Fuu.¡± I put my back on the wall and slipped down as it was. Finally free. So tired. Even though it stopped bleeding, my shoulders still hurt, and the joints of my body are screaming. From there, there is a fierce sound of battle. However, it is some distance away. And no one is approaching here. I want to turn off my ability, but let¡¯s leave it on just in case. Nevertheless, I was really tired. I tried to hold my breath again, then I stopped breathing. Danger is approaching. Fast¡­! I cut off the sound. Stand up, put my back on the wall and swallowed my breath. I tried to look into the road from the shadow of the back alley. ¡°Gyaaaooooo!!¡± A roar. Before my eyes¡­Fafnir glides past. I follow it with my eyes. Fafnir spread it¡¯s wings, dig it¡¯s claws into the road, then braked and stopped suddenly. It then flipped around and turned in my direction. Obviously, our eyes met. This is strange¡­ I-I¡¯m being aimed at!? ¡°Gyaoooo!!¡± Fafnir is coming and attacks. I reflexively jumped back and leaned backward. The scraped off building wall. There was Fafnir¡¯s face in front of my eyes. The narrowness of the back alley prevented it¡¯s advance, and the fangs of Fafnir couldn¡¯t reach me. ¡°Gyau¡­¡± The moaning of Fafnir. I stood up slowly and went back. I can see that Fafnir is trying to get close to me as big cracks enters the concrete wall. Dangerous, at this rate the building will collapse¡­! What¡¯s with that power! Moreover, if it release a Breath here, I¡¯ll be done¡­! I watched Fafnir, and retreated a few steps, and after a certain distance, I turned my back and started running at once. Fafnir, looking at it, gave up on entering the back alley, put out his face and went out to the road side. I managed to escape from Fafnir by running in the back alley, but he followed me from above. The flying sound that is always following about, resounded from tens of meters above. Are the wings dry already and ready to fly? But how can it find my position? The sounds is turned off properly. Is it smell? Certainly I was bleeding. With this, it is unavoidable that my position was found out¡­ Hearing the sounds around, it seems that the evacuation of the residents has been completed and no one is out. Can¡¯t I change it¡¯s target? I can¡¯t hang out in the back alley forever. But if I comes out now, I¡¯ll probably be Fafnir¡¯s prey. If I knew it would be like this, I should have just let it taste my Soundshoot at the beginning¡­ Should I wait for Hakunetsu-san to return? There is no device to send a rescue request. I wonder if Kemuri-san does the clean up properly. Since I put my school uniform in my suitcase, there is a possibility that I will be revealed if someone find that. He should have taken that into account, right¡­ No, rather than that, how to throw off the Fafnir now. For some reason it¡¯s not attacking now, but I don¡¯t know when it will. Maybe it¡¯s waiting for me to get out of the back alley. Surely. It can¡¯t eat me if I was burnt from it¡¯s Breath after all¡­ Shit, do it wants to eat me that much? What to do¡­, me. ¡°Shion, can you hear me?¡± Suddenly, I heard such voice from the back alley. ¡°T-, that voice is, Tameiki-san¡­?¡± I send back my voice. ¡°Yes. Keep running as you are now.¡± Tameiki-san, you came to help me, huh¡­! ¡°I understand!¡± I happily break into a run to where I heard her voice from. When I ran through the back alley, there was Tameiki-san who rode on a black motorcycle. ¡°Tameiki-san!¡± ¡°Get on quickly. That guy is coming.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I rode behind Tameiki-san, then hold on to her. ¡°Gyaoooooooooo!!!¡± I turn around, and see Fafnir flying here. ¡°Tameiki-san! It¡¯s coming!¡± ¡°Stuck more tightly and hold on to me. You¡¯ll be thrown off y¡¯know.¡± ¡°I-, I understand.¡± When I hold her tightly as I was told, a booming engine sound rang and the bike take off vigorously. Tameiki-san immediately turns around the building in front of her and leads Fafnir by it¡¯s nose. It makes a curve to the ground, but it doesn¡¯t fall down, probably because it can controls gravity. And the motorcycle blasted through the city at abnormal speed. Fast. Even so, Fafnir was faster. Appearing everywhere we goes, it chase after the motorcycle. Fafnir was swung around because we made tight turns. ¡°Tameiki-san! Can¡¯t you beat that?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible, but it¡¯s going to cause a lot of damage to the city. I don¡¯t want to lose the function of this town as our hideout. It¡¯s better to throw it off and let the Self Defense Force clean it up.¡± So that¡¯s it. ¡°Or rather, Tameiki-san! If you were at the headquarters, why didn¡¯t you join this mission from the beginning!¡± ¡°I was holding down the SDF¡¯s mid ranks so they couldn¡¯t get into the department store. So I couldn¡¯t go there.¡± In this mission, Tameiki-san was also moving, huh¡­! I see, this is the reason why the Self Defense Force arrived so late. Certainly, if the Self Defense Force intervenes and it becomes a three-way battle, the mission of Kemuri-san and co will be difficult. So Boss thought that far, huh. ¡°¡­hold on more strongly. You will fall.¡± As I was told, I clung to Tameiki-san even more strongly. Of course, I couldn¡¯t afford to sniff Tameiki-san¡¯s scent. Immediately after that, my body shook suddenly, and my view shifted to the side. I was wondering what was happening and looking at the passing scenery, and the motorcycle was running on the wall of the building somehow. However, Fafnir is still following. Breaths that it occasionally were aimed at the motorcycle, but Tameiki-san also dodge those. ¡°Shion, what did you do to that Fafnir? No matter how you look at it, it¡¯s too persistent.¡± ¡°No, nothing¡­¡± ¡°In the first place, where did that come from?¡± ¡°When I killed the guy named Hal, a huge rock appeared and I thought©`what is it?©`and it¡¯s actually an egg of Fafnir, and when I approached it, it hatched.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s it.¡± Replying to this, Tameiki-san suddenly stopped the bike with a brake turn. ¡°W-what are you doing! It¡¯s coming!¡± ¡°Imprinting.¡± ¡°eh¡­¡± Imprinting¡­ When birds hatch, they identify the first thing they saw as their parents, like that? ¡°Maybe that baby Fafnir thought that Shion is it¡¯s parent, so it is following you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°There is no hostility from it.¡± But there is no definite proof. I feel like I should run away. However, Tameiki-san don¡¯t want to ran away, it¡¯s bad, it¡¯s already coming close¡­! ¡°Gyaoooo!¡± Fafnir, who came in with great force, stopped in front of me while roaring. The wind pressure made me closed my eyes and took a few steps backs. ¡°¡­!¡± When I opened my eyes, there was a Fafnir with a body that was several times as large as me, although it was a baby. It¡¯s black eyes are staring at me. ¡°Gyau!¡± Fafnir tilted it¡¯s head and squealed. Then, it lowered it¡¯s neck to me and licked my body. I unintentionally dropped on my butts and looked up at Fafnir with a stunned look. My body is slimy and sticky. ¡°Really¡­, does it thought of you as it¡¯s parent¡­?¡± ¡°It looks like it.¡± Relief, confusion, and various emotions mixed together, but for the time being, I let out a long sigh. ¡°You got a good pet in your hand. Shion, it¡¯s a big achievement.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha¡­¡± I thought that Tameiki-san¡¯s words are said out of the spur of the moment, then I laughed while powerlessly fell on the spot. CH 55 [The Wind¡¯s Judgement] Let¡¯s talk about the difficult to deal with aftermath. For the time being, Fafnir was sent to a branch near the Tsuhara Plateau, and a few days later there was a meeting on what to do about it. Then, the boss decided to let Anonymous raise it. At the meeting, there were some opinions that it should be killed. The pros and cons of whether or not to keep it were separated very well. The supporters argue that if we can improve it to the myth level, it will be a terrifying force. The opposition¡¯s claim was that it might harm the organization. This opinion is natural. By the way, I was an opposition. The reason why I oppose it was fixed. Of course, it¡¯s because I¡¯ll be in charge to raise it. I might die just because it got frustrated. Like I might be bitten to death just by playing bite, spare me from such things. Also, the point of binding Fafnir does not cross my mind. It is big. Well, since the decision has been made at the meeting, I have no choice but to take care of it. Honestly, I wanted to look after it myself, so I¡¯m not hateful. The reason why I oppose to raise it is certainly because it is big, but it seems comfortable if I fly on my back, and if I manage to raise it, it will also eliminate my weakness, Anonymous¡¯ weakness that is mobility. Aside from whether or not Fafnir is good for me. Well, of course, we can¡¯t keep it (or rather, put it) in the hideout, so we¡¯ll have to keep it in the Tsuhara branch, which has plenty of food. The problem that occurred here was that Fafnir started rampaging unless I was nearby. When Fafnir starts rampaging, it is unstoppable. It destroys the cage and easily comes to my place. I almost died, so I need a more sturdy cage, but I can¡¯t prepare for it so quickly. When it was sent to the Tsuhara branch, Shimichi-san and I were able to bring it along smoothly, but I can¡¯t stay there all the time, so I have to train Fafnir so that it¡¯ll be fine if I leave. What helped me here was Desuko-san¡¯s ability. Desuko-san¡¯s ability is related to mind. Although our race is different, I can communicate with it using her ability. By doing this, we were able to communicate to a certain extent, then I made it understand that it would be fine without me. This was also helped by Fafnir¡¯s high intelligence. Well, it took it some time to understand though. However, it didn¡¯t change the fact that it still come and see me frequently. It come to my place on it¡¯s own right now, so I¡¯m putting it in a cage, but I¡¯d like to train it properly and be able to leave it somewhere. Fafnir¡¯s ecology is still a mystery, so I don¡¯t know how to raise it. However, someone other than me can feed it and give it water. Therefore, I decided to leave that area to the people of the Tsuhara branch. The name given to such a Fafnir is ¡°Renga(brick)¡±. The godparent is Desuko-san. The scales at the base of it¡¯s foot are like bricks, so it seems that¡¯s how she named it. Desuko-san has a very unique naming sense, right. For some reason, Desuko-san likes Renga a lot. According to Desuko-san, Renga is a female. I really would like to go see Renga every day, but without Shimichi-san, it takes a lot of time to go back and forth. And there is school. So, considering that, I decided to go to see it once every two or three days. Aside from that, Tsurugi, Ohashi, and Rin were safe. After that, it seems that Rin had call Tsurugi and co to ask for help, then she was brought to the hospital. Thanks to Kemuri-san¡¯s maneuvering, I was supposed to have been discovered at the shopping mall and taken to the hospital. I had a deep shoulder injury, but I had Chiyaku-san treat me in advance, so I only needed a light treatment at the medical center. Then, when I went to visit Rin, she was angry. She was worried, and I couldn¡¯t say anything because I was preached with half teary eyes. But, I was able to gloss over it somehow, so it seems that there is no hindrance in my relationship with Tsurugi and co. Or rather, the one who I can¡¯t fool is Tsurugi. Tsurugi and co¡­, rather Rin huh. Rin showed me her ability. However, our relationship will not change just because her ability was revealed to me. I wouldn¡¯t mention it if she doesn¡¯t want to say anything. Since it will be troublesome, I will not touch the subject. Speaking of which, it seems that the ability measurement of Roll was completed successfully. However, the inter school tournament seems to have been postponed again. School is also closed for a while. This should be unavoidable. The case at the shopping mall was widely reported. The content was very unfriendly to the SDF. Anonymous rescued most civilians in the shopping mall, and the Self-Defense Force was completely useless. Due to this, the SDF is now busy dealing with that. ¡­That¡¯s about it huh. ¡°Ah©`, the wound hurts¡­¡± I hold my shoulder and said. Then, I fell down on Roll¡¯s bed. A little pain struck my body again. ¡°Even though it should fine if Chiyaku-san healed you.¡± Roll said while maintaining a knife. I want to do that, but unfortunately I can¡¯t. It would be strange if my injury healed completely. Roll said it wouldn¡¯t be found out, but I have no acting ability to play a wounded person. Well, it would be scary if Tsurugi see through it. ¡°How long are you going take a break from school?¡± ¡°Until this week.¡± Until this week huh. Both of us got a vacation from Boss, so we are free until then. Speaking of things to do, taking care of Renga. Also, the day after tomorrow, I promise to play with Tsurugi and co. I wonder if they have time to play with me. The reason I¡¯m in the hideout even though I¡¯m on break is that I¡¯m going to Renga¡¯s place with Roll. Even if it isn¡¯t so, maybe we¡¯ll still hang out together. The place where Renga is¡­, it takes a 2 to 3 hours to get to the Tsuhara Plateau, it¡¯s quite a long way. So, along the way, I¡¯ll have Roll teach me how to drive a car. ¡°Are you ready to go?¡± Roll looked at the clock and said. The time is before 12:00. It¡¯s lunch time. ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s eat on the way.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, there are stores I would like to visit.¡± ©`©`©` Great city, Saint Celia. It approximately has 2 million residents. Approximately 50,000 of them are members of the Self-Defense Force, and the main forces of defense organizations are concentrated here. The towering outer walls protect the city as a fortress, and the main headquarters of the Self-Defense Forces is located in the center of the city, At a total of 24 gates, one or more platoons are always deployed to firmly prevent the invasion of foreign enemies. For the past 30 years, the city gates have never been breached. The city is largely divided into two by the Rozurins River that flows from Mt. Jiza, and is divided into an eastern residential area and a western residential area. Naturally, the security is almost perfectly protected by the Self-Defense Forces, so the amount of crimes per year is small. In the center of such a great city of Saint Celia, a man was screaming. ¡°Don¡¯t let those guys do whatever they want!¡± This is the central second meeting room of the SDF headquarters. The one who hit the desk and said that is one of the seven generals of the Self-Defense Forces, General Kisaragi. He is acting as the chairman here. General Kisaragi is a giant with a grayish shaved head. The secretary who was sitting next to him was trembling. The faces of the higher-ups who sit on the conference table are lined up in a row, creating a heavy atmosphere. ¡°Who are you referring to by ¡®those guys¡¯? Is it Anonymous? Or Nursery Rhyme?¡± General Kisaragi¡¯s eyes moved to a man. The man¡¯s name is Ichinose Sora. A man who attain the position of general when he was 29 years old. He is 32 years old now, but he is still the youngest of the seven generals. His body was different from that of General Kisaragi, he is lean. ¡°Both!¡± When General Kisaragi screams, the secretary is startled and writes the progress in his notebook. ¡°I see. However, in the case this time, the media coverage is not wrong. We were useless. Rather, I thought that Anonymous have reduced the number of victims by responding more swiftly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because they held our branch down!¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re wrong. The Anonymous executive called Kemuri was excellent. He seems to have evacuated most of the civilians. If our personnel went to rescue, there would have been a conflict and the casualties would have increased. Despite your biased opinion, the great efforts they did were undeniable y¡¯know.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t let that be! We have honor, right! If the confidence on the Self-Defense Forces is compromised, we cannot protect the lives we have to protect! It doesn¡¯t matter if the sacrifice is big or small! We had to save the civilians!¡± General Ichinose was about to refute, but shut his mouth. As the Self-Defense Forces, both were correct opinions, so he realized that the dispute was meaningless. It¡¯s a difference between ideals and it never ends. Temporary silence dominated the room. ¡°I feel¡­that there are too many mainstays here in Saint Celia.¡± It was the voice of a woman who broke the silence. The gazes turned toward her all at once. The facial expression of the woman is hardened a little. ¡°Four of the seven generals are assigned to the headquarters¡­the lieutenant general is also close to 40%. Although it is limited to Anonymous, they are always acting while avoiding our main powers, and there are many cases where personnel in various places cannot deal with them.¡± ¡°Did you mean to disperse our strength? Or the expense? It¡¯s impossible. It will affect the expansion plan.¡± ¡°But not many people are migrating. After all, I don¡¯t think everyone willing to move to a tough town. According to the expansion plan for Saint Celia, the subsidies for migrants are bulky¡­¡± *cough* A big cough could be heard from someone. The woman had a change of expression, and said ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡±, and lower her face down. ¡°Distributing our strength does not solve the problem. Anonymous has ¡®observer¡¯ with high-performance sensing ability. This guy is troublesome, and our main movement will be leaked. To crush them, either catch this guy or find their hideout.¡± ¡°Should we attack Nursery Rhyme before Anonymous? Anonymous is our obstacle, but the damage to the general public is not that high. However, Nursery Rhyme tends to do whatever they want and kills people.¡± ¡°If the general public is harmed even a little, that is the problem. Anonymous is gaining strength. If we don¡¯t deal with them with all of our strength soon, they¡¯ll get stronger and stronger. It¡¯s better to crush them along with Nursery Rhyme.¡± ¡°Soon? I¡¯ve been saying that since a long time ago.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same in every department that no decent measures have been taken, right.¡± The inside of the conference room gradually becomes noisy. The guys who were heated up stood up and spit at each other. At that time, a strong wind blew from the back of the conference table. The papers on the desk were blown away with a rustling sound, and the heat of the men who were heating up lowered. A heavy voice echoed in the meeting room that was gradually quieting. ¡°Quiet.¡± This time, their line of sight turned over there. Beyond that line of sight was a man who sat down with an unusual aura. The man¡¯s name is Midou Ryuusui. The strongest wind ability user in history¡­, a man who is commonly known as ¡°Wind God¡±. ¡°I¡¯ll take responsibility for this incident in Slaceid. Then, I¡¯ll have the full authority of the Anonymous countermeasure section transferred from Lieutenant General Sakai to me. I will be in charge of everything related to Anonymous in the future.¡± When General Midou said that, the inside of the meeting room was a little stirred. ¡°But Ryuusui-dono, then what about your work in Saint Celia?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you get it? I leave my general position. It¡¯s just right for demotion excuse, right. Just fill in the empty seat appropriately.¡± ¡°Ryuusui!¡± It was General Kisaragi who stopped General Midou who was trying to get up. ¡°What.¡± ¡°It¡¯s inexcusable for you to do such whatever you like. The seat that you leave empty is big. I don¡¯t think others are fit for it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about that.¡± General Midou said flatly. General Kisaragi¡¯s words got stuck. ¡°Certainly, it¡¯ll be a big change if General Midou can move easily. It may be a good measure.¡± Filling that gap, General Ichinose said. General Kisaragi stares at General Ichinose. ¡°Do you have any concrete measure¡­?¡± Returning his line of sight to General Midou, General Kisaragi asked. He¡¯s clenching his teeth. ¡°My son is getting more and more capable. I want to start using him in earnest.¡± General Midou saw the young man sitting diagonally to him and said. General Kisaragi also sees him. ¡°¡­OK. I¡¯ll report it.¡± After a moment of silence, General Kisaragi sits down and gives some instructions to the secretary next to him. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Tsurugi.¡± General Midou instructed his son, Midou Tsurugi, to stand up and leave the room this time. CH 56 [The Heart¡¯s Judgement] At feeding time, Renga is released to the Tsuhara Plateau Then, the released Renga¡¯s roar echoes through the plains, and the demon beasts inhabiting the area begin to escape. By repeating this, the Tsuhara Plateau became Renga¡¯s territory, and the number of demon beasts has decreased. Even if the number decreases, it does not affect Renga¡¯s hunting, but it is bad if the demon beasts completely disappears from the Tsuhara Plateau. Therefore, I decided to divide Renga¡¯s hunting ground in consideration of it. I thought that turning the hunting ground in rotation might prevent the demon beasts from decreasing. I don¡¯t plan to keep it in the cage all the time, so I think that this will give me some time. Because Renga can¡¯t be released when I¡¯m not around, the branch staff is feeding it in the cage. It seems that the guy who lost the rock-paper-scissors will feeds Renga, everyone seems quite scared. Well, I¡¯m scared too. ¡°WOOAAAA!!! STOP! STOP RENGA!!¡± That¡¯s why I and Roll are currently flying on Renga¡¯s back in the sky. I¡¯m screaming while hitting Renga¡¯s scale repeatedly. Renga is being playful, and we were swinging on it¡¯s back. Roll clings to my back and I cling to Renga¡¯s neck. I have to be careful because if I put my finger between it¡¯s scales, it will be cut and the meat will be cut off. The burden on me is high. ¡°Look, Shion! The scenery is amazing!¡± ¡°IT¡¯S NOT THE TIME TO THINK ABOUT THAT!¡± Roll seems to be enjoying this thrill ride. It was because of Roll¡¯s suggestion that I decided to fly on Renga¡¯s back. I¡¯ve been doing it since yesterday, but it¡¯s scary after all. ¡°RENGA! I TOLD YOU TO STOP!!¡± ¡°Gau!¡± The voice that I made louder using my ability seemed to finally reach the Renga¡¯s ears, then Renga lowered its altitude and landed on the plain on the ground. I jump down from Renga¡¯s back and sink into the ground. Renga rubbed it¡¯s nose against me. It hurts. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to handle it like that.¡± Then Roll that came down from the back of Renga told me. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to handle like this right©`¡± ¡°How pathetic.¡± It would be convenient if I could ride it and use it for movement, but it might be better to wait for Renga to become bigger. Because it is at the age where it wants to play the most now, so it¡¯s almost impossible to handle it. I take a breath and check the time on my watch. The time is 9:00 am. ¡°It¡¯s already 9 o¡¯clock?¡± ¡°Come to think of it, you made a promise with Tsurugi and co to meet up at noon.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s return soon. I think Renga already had a good exercise.¡± I stayed at the Tsuhara branch for two days and played with it. I¡¯ve also inconvenienced the people in the branch, so the only thing I could do was taking care of Renga as much as possible. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Then we returned Renga to the Tsuhara branch and go back to the city. Ò»Ò»Ò» ¡°Actually, we belong to the Self Defense Forces.¡± It was a sudden confession. In the regular coffee shop. It was the time when I have finished eating with the usual members, such as Tsurugi, I, Rin, and Ohashi, and was wondering if I should order a dessert. ¡°Sorry, that we¡¯ve been keeping silent all this time.¡± While I was troubled on how to react, the expression of the other party happened to be the same as well. Roll isn¡¯t here. At school, the five of us often hang out together, but outside of school, we rarely hang out with five people. Since Tsurugi and co think that I¡¯m dating Roll, when I made promise to play with them, they always told me to take Roll along, but in the end, Roll always declined. The reason they didn¡¯t ask me to take Roll along this time is because they were going to confess to me, huh. Rin and Ohashi are looking down, and Tsurugi is looking straight at my eyes with a serious expression. However, there is also a somewhat uneasy atmosphere about him. The time is late afternoon. I can¡¯t say that our regular coffee shop is popular, so there are no customers around us. The only thing that can be heard is the background music played by the master and the sound of the car running on the opposite road. First of all, why was this confession the first question that came up? However, to answer that question first, I was too calm. Since I should know this fact for the first time, I have to react differently. ¡°¡­seriously?¡± For the time being, I asked him so. I mean, it¡¯s troubling if I¡¯m told that they¡¯re actually Self Defense Force. There should more. Like a detailed explanation as to why they hide it. ¡­Is it that they didn¡¯t do it, or is it a sign of their sincerity? Well, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m angry. I¡¯m just confused by the sudden confession. However, if I didn¡¯t know in advance that they were ability user and they were part of Self Defense Force, this might not have been the case. ¡°Truly¡­I can¡¯t say my rank, but I belong to the Self Defense Force in a special way. And we are all ability user.¡± Special way, huh. Well, it seems that he wasn¡¯t on the list that the boss had, it feels like ¡®as expected¡¯. ¡°¡­Why did you guys hide it¡­?¡± ¡°Because, Kazuto don¡¯t have ability¡­I didn¡¯t want to make you feel inferior. And about the SDF, I can¡¯t say it because of circumstances.¡± ¡°So why did you decided to say it now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Tsurugi¡¯s words got stuck. Then Rin started talking. ¡°That is, Kazato, you saw my ability right¡­? So¡­¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Indeed, so they think that they can¡¯t hide it anymore huh. I intended to pretend that I didn¡¯t notice it, but it seems impossible. But that¡¯s not all. ¡°That reaction, you have an inkling of it after all¡­¡± Ohashi said. Somehow, she interprets it in a good way. Actually, it was troublesome to solve this problem, so I just ignore it. ¡°¡­Kazato, are you angry?¡± Rin, sitting next to me, asked me timidly. ¡°No, I¡¯m not angry.¡± I replied. Then, Tsurugi and co looked surprised. ¡°Really? I was prepared to be hit y¡¯know?¡± ¡°That is exaggerated. After all, even if you guys were at the Self Defense Force, it wouldn¡¯t affect our relationship, right? Well, as Ohashi said, I have noticed that you guys were hiding something.¡± I thought that was a good guy¡¯s line even if I say so myself. However, that was because I had arranged it in advance. Also, it¡¯s because I hide something as well. Yes, Anonymous. In my case, I can¡¯t confide it like this. Being revealed means breaking up our relationship. And it¡¯s not limited to these guys. With my family. With everyone at school. I will definitely have to go to the other side. I think that such a day will come someday. Do I have the resolution for such time? ¡°But Kazato is¡­¡± Rin shut her mouth. ¡°What is it, Rin? Is it because I¡¯m the only one who has no ability? Certainly, I admit that it¡¯s a little shocking, but it can¡¯t be helped, right.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong, it wasn¡¯t¡­no, it was.¡± A strange silence is born. What? What do you want to say. ¡°Kazato, what do you want to be in the future?¡± Tsurugi suddenly opened his mouth. I look at Tsurugi¡¯s eyes. The talks suddenly changed. Come to think of it, this guy had asked that before. Rather than ¡°before¡±, he often asks me about my future. What do you want to be? What are you going to do in the future? Every time I answer with various textbook answers such as being a civil servant, I wonder why he ask me so many times. Because I don¡¯t have ability, so he is worried about my future? ¡­If so, then that¡¯s an unnecessary concern. As expected that kind of sympathy makes me uncomfortable. Or rather it¡¯s sad. For a person without ability, it is one of their many bitterness. Is that so. From the start they didn¡¯t need to sympathize with me. We have talked various things about people without ability, but I didn¡¯t understand the feelings of people without ability. However, he just being kind and worried about me. ¡°Future huh. What do I want to be? Or rather, what will I be?¡± I tried a different way of answering than usual. Then, Tsurugi drank the water in the cup in his hand and said, ¡°Kazato, do you still remember your childhood dreams?¡± When I was a child. The heck is he talking about. It was around the first year of elementary school that I met Tsurugi. Around that time? ¡°Hmm.¡± I usually remember it, but I can¡¯t really remember it now. What was it? I was quite a little rascal then, right. Was it Dr. Mushi? I think there were various things, but¡­ ¡°What was it? I don¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Tsurugi said plainly. I am curious to have received such response. ¡°What was my dream as a kid?¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying, right. You¡¯ve always said you¡¯d like to join the Self Defense Force since you were in kindergarten.¡± Rin leaned forward and said. ¡°Ah. Now that you mention it, I said something like that. Although it became an absurd story now. ¡°It¡¯s not absurd at all¡­!¡± At Tsurugi¡¯s slightly strong words, I unintentionally fell into silence. Silence spreads again. ¡°Kazato, to be honest, it is hard for someone without ability to enter the Self Defense Force.¡± Tsurugi said. ¡°What are you saying?¡± I can¡¯t see where the talks is going. What¡¯s wrong with these guys? ¡°¡­The Self Defense Force has a department that studies the ability development of people without ability.¡± ¡°Yup.¡± It seems that such research is being done even by Anonymous. It is not strange for the Self Defense Force to do it. ¡°The study is in the process of experimenting with the human body and is now recruiting inability subjects. ¡­If you succeed, you may be able to develop your ability. You can also make money.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If Kazato wants¡­, if you haven¡¯t forgotten your dream¡­¡± Tsurugi stopped his words there. Looking into my eyes with a terrifying appearance. Somehow I was standing up. So that¡¯s it. The reason they revealed their identity to me is to make this proposal. Do you want me to be a ability user? Why? ¡­as expected, it¡¯s sympathy. The handicap of people without ability. This is also that, but a person without without ability is close to handicapped person. Why should I be angry? There¡¯s nothing to get angry about after all. I am an ability user. Sympathy for such me is meaningless. Actually, I have an ability y¡¯know, so I should be able to laugh in my heart, right? No, I can¡¯t laugh. Since this ability wasn¡¯t really necessary. I didn¡¯t need it. If so, it seems I hate ¡°ability¡±, huh. I remember longing for ability all this time. But I gave up. ¡°Kazato, if you have abilityÒ»¡± I cut off the words that Tsurugi wanted to say. ¡°Ability, ability¡­is ability really that important? Tsurugi, you told me someday that even if we don¡¯t have ability, let¡¯s do our best. What was that¡­¡± ¡°¡­!¡± I didn¡¯t want to say it. Since they thought about me, I didn¡¯t want to say things that can¡¯t be said to Tsurugi and co. But I ended up saying it. ¡°I don¡¯t need ability. I¡¯m fine just as is. I don¡¯t even want to join the Self Defense Force.¡± Saying that, I put the money on the desk and left the shop. I quickly walked away from the shop. ¡°Shit.¡± I¡¯m the worst. Although I actually understand their feelings. I shelved things about being a murderer myself, I¡¯m really a trash, huh. In addition, this is likely to affect the long-term mission with Roll. I¡¯ve done it¡­ ¡°Kazato!¡± When I was called and turned around, there was Rin there. She¡¯s chasing me, huh. I stop and look at Rin. Rin¡¯s breathing was ragged. ¡°Sorry. I knew we might hurt Kazato. But we didn¡¯t mean that¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± Even without being told that. For a while, we were silent. I also wanted to apologize, but I couldn¡¯t put it into words because I didn¡¯t know what this anger was. When I looked down, Rin said. ¡°¡­Hey, why don¡¯t we take a little walk?¡± CH 57 [The Flow¡¯s Judgement] ¡°Thank you for saving me last time.¡± I and Rin were walking along the river bank opposite the elementary school we used to go to. Sunlight is pouring from above. ¡°Yup.¡± I continued walking silently for a while. A nostalgic landscape, I often ran along this river bank with Rin and Tsurugi. ¡°When I was saved by Kazato, I remembered our childhood somehow.¡± ¡°¡­why?¡± ¡°Do you remember that Tsurugi was bullied?¡± Rin kicked a rock under her feet and said. ¡°¡­Oh.¡± Speaking of which, that was the case. ¡°It was you who always protect the bullied Tsurugi.¡± I can¡¯t think of him being bullied now though. ¡°When I became the target of bullying too, it was you who protected me. That¡¯s why at that time, the little Kazato was injured.¡± ¡°Was there such a thing?¡± ¡°There was. But Kazato has changed. In the past, you were more energetic, and how do I say it¡­you were amazing.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s how everyone was like when they were little right. Or rather, I was like that huh.¡± ¡°Yup. ¡­After all, the reason that Kazato changed was because your ability did not manifested right. You might get angry if I say it like this though.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Certainly I¡¯m angry. ©`He wasn¡¯t even aware that he changed that much©`she selfishly thought like that after all. ¡°Kazato, have a strong sense of justice, and wasn¡¯t you longing for the Self-Defense Forces all this time.¡± It¡¯s normal for a child to longed for various things right. Moreover, if I really don¡¯t have ability, I wouldn¡¯t have wanted to join the Self-Defense Forces now after such a long time. No, I¡¯m not sure. The only feeling I have for the Self Defense Force right now is ¡°hostility,¡± so it may seem like that. ¡°Tsurugi has been waiting the whole time.¡± Rin continues. I ask back. ¡°For whom?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obviously for you, Kazato.¡± Rin¡¯s tone got a little stronger. ¡°Leaving you who have have a strong admiration for ability, I and Tsurugi manifested ahead.¡± Catching up with the rock she kicked, Rin kicks it again. ¡°But, when we were children, we hid our ability because we knew that Kazato would be shocked. Then, it just continues on since then¡­¡± ¡°Is that so.¡± ¡°A long time ago, Tsurugi had said it right. ¡°I want to join the Self Defense Force with Kazato. I want us to protect the city together.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± ¡°Even now, he still thinks like that the whole time.¡± ¡°¡­so what?¡± What do you mean to say after telling me that at this point of time. You want me to know Tsurugi¡¯s feeling? That kind of thing¡­won¡¯t come true anymore right¡­ ¡°¡­Did Rin come to persuade me? To make me take that skill development.¡± I said something unnecessary again. ¡°No¡­! It¡¯s not like that, I¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ You just don¡¯t want me to think badly of Tsurugi right. I know. I also didn¡¯t mean to say that.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I don¡¯t want Kazato and Tsurugi to break up their friendship¡­¡± It became silent again for a while. Rin seems desperately looking for something to say. I was staring at the end of the road along the river bank Some long bangs come into my view. Going straight after climbing the stairs, then we¡¯ll arrive at my house. I saw Rin walking a little behind and said, ¡°I¡¯m going home. Well, yours is this way too, but you¡¯re going back to where Tsurugi is, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± ¡°Well then.¡± When I tried to climb the stairs on the bank, I was stopped by Rin. ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Sorry¡­it¡¯s nothing after all.¡± ¡°What is it¡­¡± I was curious, but without continuing to listen, I started climbing the stairs. Then, I suddenly remembered something and stopped my legs again. Rin was looking up at me from below. ¡°By the way, I was hiding something from you too.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I, used to love you until middle school y¡¯know.¡± Since Rin liked Tsurugi, so I quickly gave up. ¡°Then, see you at school. And please tell Tsurugi and co that I¡¯m sorry.¡± I climb the stairs again. Rin stood stunned. Why did I bother telling her that I liked her huh? I don¡¯t know, but maybe I was just getting a little payback. ©`©`©` Anonymous headquarters. I was heading to Roll¡¯s room. First, I wanted to report to Roll about what happened before. Thinking carefully, I was moving emotionally a while ago, but that was a chance to infiltrate the Self Defense Force. However, I don¡¯t want to participate in that skill development and it is too dangerous to infiltrate the Self Defense Force. ¡­Yeah. Since Boss may tell me to just go, so maybe it¡¯ll better if I keep it quiet from Roll as well. Even if it¡¯s for mission, my pride won¡¯t allow me to ask them to let me accept that ability development at this late after all. My legs were stopped. ¡°Should I return after all?¡± I have no plans with Roll anymore today. It¡¯s better to go home and relax. When I thought so, ¡°Ah©`! It¡¯s Shion-kun!¡± In the corridor, I was suddenly called from behind, then I looked back. It was Shikkou-san[1] who was there. ¡°Shikkou-san. It¡¯s been a while.¡± When Shikkou-san walked here, he taps on my shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s been a while! I heard from Roll that Shion-kun is going out to play, but what are you doing here?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a bit of change to our plan, so my appointment with my friend was cancelled.¡± ¡°Ah©`, I see! That means you are free now, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Hmm. Well, that¡¯s right.¡± I said so, then Shikkou-san flipped through the documents he had in his hand, stopped his eyes at a certain place, and then returned his gaze to me again. ¡°Then¡­, can you help me a bit? A lot of work was accumulated in the previous case see~. I want to process it, but there are not enough help~.¡± ¡°Eh~¡± I¡¯m on vacation right now. Even though it was called a vacation, I was so busy taking care of Renga that I couldn¡¯t rest properly, so I was thinking of going home and relaxing. I haven¡¯t even healed my shoulder injury. ¡°Mm. It seems you don¡¯t want to. Come to think of it, Shion-kun is on vacation now huh. Ah~, I¡¯m in trouble~. This is Boss¡¯ fault for giving the vacation arbitrarily. I really want him to process the mission himself. It¡¯ll easy if Kemuri is here, but he¡¯s also on vacation riight~. I don¡¯t really want to depend on the people at the branch as much as possible, haa~¡­¡± Shikkou-san sighed again and again. Every time he sigh, his bitter face approaches me. ¡°Aah~, it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Let¡¯s ask Roll. If she said yes, there¡¯ll be one less mission for me to handle, right. ¡°I¡¯m going to Roll¡¯s place for a sec.¡± ¡°Ah, sorry. Roll was dragged by Desuko to do another mission. That¡¯s why Shion-kun will partner up with other people in this mission. Let¡¯s see who is available now¡­¡± ¡°Eeh¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to if it¡¯s not with Roll? Then, I¡¯ll increase the reward. How about plus B?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not about money¡­¡± No matter how much reward I get, I can¡¯t use it anyway. If I have to go, then it¡¯ll better if it¡¯s with Roll. Tameiki-san isn¡¯t available. Shikkou-san. It¡¯ll be impossible if I decline now, right. He¡¯s already eager to give me a mission. ¡°Haa~, who¡¯s available now?¡± ¡°Riight~. Only the members on vacation are here now, so umm~, wait a minute, okaay~.¡± Shikkou-san takes out his mobile device and scrolls the screen. ¡°Hikisaki, Inshi, Muhannou, Lily¡­ Hmm, I don¡¯t think there is a person who seems to fit with Shion-kun. Well, the people who were left are the people who I can¡¯t ask though.¡± Only people who don¡¯t really want to work together, huh. I met them only once or twice, but everyone left a bad first impression. ¡°How about Hakunetsu-san and Kuroinu-san?¡± ¡°The white and black combination, huh. Those people are probably already going on a mission¡­hm? But now that you mention it, I haven¡¯t seen them¡­¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Please wait a moment¡­¡± Shikkou-san operates his device for a while, then flipped over the documents in his hand, and quickly read it. Wrinkles gradually formed between his eyebrows, and after reading all the documents, he shouted, ¡°Ahh©`©`©`!¡± ¡°What happened¡­?¡± ¡°T-H-O-S-E G-U-Y-S! They switched the mission log and skipping again! Shion-kun, let¡¯s go!¡± Shikkou-san grab my hand and pull it strongly. Turning down the hallway and moving up two levels through the elevator, I was taken to a certain room. ¡°Here¡­¡± It¡¯s the room of Hakunetsu-san and Kuroinu-san. Shikkou-san leaned on the door and tried to hear the sound inside. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t think Shikkou-san can hear the sound from this room. Since the Hakunetsu-san and co did the interior work on their own, this room is soundproof. I turned on my ability for a moment and listened to the sound inside. From the inside, I can hear some noisy sounds¡­ I wonder if they¡¯re playing music with a roaring sound. ¡°I can¡¯t hear anything. Shion-kun, how about you?¡± Excuse me, Hakunetsu-san and Kuroinu-san. This is not a betrayal. ¡°¡­I do.¡± Listening to my words, Shikkou-san twisted the doorknob without hesitation. However, it does not open. ¡°Looks like the door is locked, right.¡± ¡°Fufufu, Shion-kun. What do you think this is?¡± Saying that, the thing that Shikkou-san took out of his pocket was the one that he showed off when he quarreled with Roll before. Yes, it is a master key. I see, it can be opened with this, huh. Shikkou-san inserted the master key into the lock and opened the door. ¡°Yes!¡± I also followed Shikkou-san who was barging into the room. Shikkou-san then opened the heavy-looking door in the living room. At that moment, the roaring sounds was released. In the room, there were Hakunetsu-san who strummed the guitar connected to the amplifier and Kuroinu-san, the bass player. Dripping sweat, fervently. They are completely in their own world. I looked at Shikkou-san who stood still, then I silently erased the music of Hakunetsu-san and co. The sound doesn¡¯t resonate due to my ability. Finally, Hakunetsu-san and co became taken aback. They stopped and looked at Shikkou-san next to me. ¡°Ge©`, Shikkou!¡± Kuroinu-san took a step back after seeing Shikkou-san. ¡°You guys¡­, I wonder what are you doing?¡± Shikkou-san said. ¡°S-Shikkou-kun. No, this is¡­ That¡¯s right, this is like something to raise our morale before mission, right?¡± ¡°Then, what¡¯s with the switched mission log?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°Guilty. You are going to work on a mission with Shion-kun from now on, so be prepared. Your limit 5 minutes.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡±(TN : They said it in english here, like Oh) ©`©`©` This is the room of Hakunetsu-san and co. I, Hakunetsu-san, and Kuroinu-san are sitting around the round table in the middle of the room. ¡°The mission this time is a transaction. We will go to Moon Road to sell equipments to our frequent customer, the Mafia. Apparently the appointment was at 11:00 pm. Honestly, I don¡¯t feel like driving, but I¡¯ll just hold on. Even though they are frequent customer, they have a strong temper. They are hard. They¡¯ve been through enough fighting after all.¡± Kuroinu-san said, looking over the documents. Hakunetsu-san exhaled smoke of cigarette. Kuroinu-san is wearing a suit, but Hakunetsu-san is only wearing a plain clothes. I was told that I don¡¯t need to change clothes as well. ¡°Now I understand how thankful we should to Kemuri for always doing this kind of work.¡± Hakunetsu-san said earnestly. ¡°Do we have to carry the equipment in this mission?¡± I ask Kuroinu-san a question. ¡°No, that¡¯s not our job. Our job is to make the transaction. I think the Shimichi¡¯s side will do the delivery of money and goods.¡± ¡°Is that so.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s end the meeting. Let¡¯s gather at 5 pm. The secret word is ¡°Live¡±.¡± Saying that, Kuroinu-san stood up. I watch the time on the device. It¡¯s still 2 pm, but if it¡¯s Moon Road, won¡¯t we barely be able to make it even if we leave at 5 pm? ¡°Why don¡¯t we go now?¡± I asked Hakunetsu-san who is next to me. ¡°I would like to go now if I can, but it¡¯s time for me to study.¡± ¡°What about studying?¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t have knowledge of what we sell, we wouldn¡¯t be able to make the transaction successful, right?¡± ¡°Aah, I see.¡± ¡°During that time, Kuroinu will organize the information. Shion-kun¡­well, you can just hang around.¡± I can just hang around, huh. Somehow, I¡¯m sorry. Having said that, there is no work I can do anyway, right¡­ Huh? Then why am I going? ¡°¡­am I necessary for this mission?¡± I asked frankly. Then, Hakunetsu-san said with good grace. ¡°Of course! You can¡¯t be slacking alone y¡¯know.¡± Well said. CH 58 [The Ruler¡¯s Judgement] According to the information drawn out by the secret word, it seems that the meeting place is a family restaurant in front of Gate 5. I was waiting in front of the family restaurant. Looking at the wristwatch, the second hand pointed to 12, so it was exactly 5 pm. Thereupon, a black car appeared vigorously from the street corner, and roughly stopped in front of me. Then, the passenger window opens and Kuroinu-san¡¯s face peeked from the driver seat. ¡°This car is not bad. That Shikkou, he¡¯s getting better and better at currying my favor.¡± ¡°Is the car provided for today?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s cool, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Ha! Get on the back.¡± Being told so, I opened the back seat door and got on. There is my suitcase that I left behind near my feet. There¡¯s also Hakunetsu-san¡¯s. ¡°Is Hakunetsu-san not here yet?¡± Listening to me, Kuroinu-san turned his sight to the family restaurant. When I turned around, I saw Hakunetsu-san, who was paying his tabs at the cashier. Hakunetsu-san came out of the family restaurant and leisurely came to the car. Crimson jacket, white pants, and bluish lens sunglasses. It Hakunetsu-san-like style. ¡°Shion-kun, how¡¯s this jacket? Cool, right?¡± While saying such things, Hakunetsu-san got in the passenger seat. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s too flashy though.¡± ¡°Ha ha! A man should be flashy, Shion-kun!¡± Hakunetsu-san who was able to show off his jacket is in a good mood. ¡°Hakunetsu, have you done studying yet? Just in case, I have gathered the materials to study.¡± ¡°No problem. I have done it excellently.¡± ¡°Reallyy?¡± ¡°I used my head, which I don¡¯t normally used, till my head heats up.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that just how you normally iis!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Now, let¡¯s go!¡± When Hakunetsu-san pressed the button, pop music poured out with a roaring sound. At the same time, the car starts. A noisy long journey has begun. Ò»Ò»Ò» Moon Road at night. There were casinos in the city where I went to on my first mission, but it seems that the casinos in this town are bigger. The one who was in control of this city is this time¡¯s transaction partner, the Doltorcia Family. Illegal trade of drugs and slaves is widespread, and it seems due to the influence of the Family, the Self Defense Force can¡¯t easily reached out their hand here. ¡°This is a nice city y¡¯know. Sometimes, I even come here in private. That¡¯s right, do you want me to take you to a good place after the work is done, Shion?¡± The music that was played with roaring sounds has been lowered, and the car slowly runs in the glittering city. The time is past 10:30 pm. I and Hakunetsu-san have already changed into tuxedo. We changed our clothes inside the car. I put on the mask in my hand and I sat on the deep seat. ¡°No, I¡¯ll pass.¡± I said. I can¡¯t underestimate Roll¡¯s sense of smell. She¡¯ll seriously get angry if I go to such a store. No, there¡¯s no reason for her to get angry, but I know that it¡¯ll put her in a bad mood, so I better not going. We are partner after all, I also don¡¯t want to be disliked by Roll. ¡°Kukuku, where do you think you¡¯ll be taken to, Shion-kuuun~? If we¡¯re talking about a good place, it must be there right, Kuroinu!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Let¡¯s go there!¡± Annoying. Somehow, these people¡¯s tension were raised more and more. ¡°Haa, where is it?¡± I hung my elbow on the window and asked so. ¡°Karaoke! It¡¯s karaoke! It must be a karaoke after a mission, right!¡± Karaoke huh. It seems that these people really like it. ¡°That¡¯s¡­, not bad, isn¡¯t it.¡± ¡°Riight? Let¡¯s finish this mission quickly.¡± The inside of the car become silent. After entering the city, the two¡¯s atmosphere changed. It seems like Hakunetsu-san wasn¡¯t in his work mode when he helped me at the department store the other day, but he became serious when he¡¯s together with his partner, Kuroinu-san. Pointlessly light-decorated signboards pass above the car. Eventually, we made a left turn and our car entered the back alley. There are no more people outside. The bright atmosphere also quickly disappeared. There aren¡¯t many street lights along the road. ¡°We barely made it in time though, is it okay?¡± I look at my wristwatch again. The time is 10:40. A bit more then we¡¯d in trouble I guess. ¡°Don¡¯t be impatient. If you move too quickly, your feet will be seen y¡¯know.[1] It¡¯s just right to barely arrived at the last minute¡± ¡°The other party is mafia. But we are Anonymous. We can¡¯t be compared to some hooligans.¡± Is that so? I¡¯m new to this kind of mission, so I don¡¯t know. Let¡¯s just leave it to the two. The car runs in the dark alley. After a while, the car stopped in a parking lot. ¡°Shion, check the sounds.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± I recheck the surrounding sounds with my ability that I have already turned on. No one is in the vicinity. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± After I said so, Hakunetsu-san and Kuroinu-san got off the car with their mask on. I also followed them and get out of the car. The parking lot on the back alley is quiet. The only car parked here is the car we rode on. As I continued to move forward while adjusting the position of my mask, I heard the sound that the car was locked behind me. ¡°The base of the Dortorsia Family is about 10 minutes walks from here. Just in case, Shion-kun, please pay attention to the surrounding sounds.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± About 10 minutes, huh. We really arrived at the last minute, right. Hakunetsu-san and co doesn¡¯t talk. Eventually we came out to a slightly large road. It¡¯s a somewhat dreary road. ¡°It¡¯s this way.¡± Kuroinu-san took the lead. I and Hakunetsu-san follow after him. When we climbed up the slope on the road, there was a mansion there. The buildings that were lined up disappear, and the sky becomes wide at first glance. Walls surrounds the mansion. A gate can be seen in the front, and there are 4 guards standing there. Inside the walls, trees are growing as if surrounding the mansion, so it¡¯s whole appearance can¡¯t be seen. ¡°It¡¯s amazing.¡± I said and gulped. It¡¯s not the time to be awed. Kuroinu-san and Hakunetsu-san walk forward, and I follow behind them. At such times, the backs of the two looks big. We went to the front of the gate, and the guard in black clothes approached us and said. ¡°People from Anonymous, right.¡± ¡°You can tell just by a glance, right.¡± Even though we¡¯re going to do transaction, Kuroinu-san takes on an extremely oppressive attitude. ¡°¡­can you show me ¡®that¡¯?¡± Kuroinu-san took out something from his pocket. It¡¯s something that looks like a ring. Is it something like a mark to identify you as a transaction partner? When the man in black received it and confirmed it, he said, ¡°Follow me¡± and went into the gate. We follow after him. After passing the gate and walking through the lot, the man stopped before the door of the mansion. Security checkpoint, huh. ¡°For the time being, we will keep your weapons.¡± ¡°Everyone is without weapons.¡± I was told in advance, so I have left my knife and grappling gun. Hakunetsu-san and co also left their weapons in the car. I and Kuroinu-san are empty-handed. Only Hakunetsu-san brought a bag containing materials and so on. ¡°Show me the inside of the bag¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have any trust huuh.¡± ¡°Oh dear!¡±Hakunetsu-san said, then he opened his bag and showed it¡¯s content. The man puts his hand in it and checks for the presence of a weapon. I feel that there is no big difference even if an ability user is unarmed, but it may be meaningful to reduce the attack power as much as possible. We may need different weapons depending on the ability of the opponent after all. ¡°¡­Alright. Speaking of which, it¡¯s not the usual man today huh.¡± ¡°Kemuri huh. He¡¯s on another job right now.¡± ¡°I see.¡± He¡¯s on vacation though. I wonder if Kemuri-san was always doing this kind of work alone. If so, he is amazing. Well, since that person can make a clone, so he might not felt pressured. After a body check, we were guided into the mansion. The inside is luxurious and gorgeous. Chandelier on the ceiling, paintings on the wall that are evenly spaced, and stonework decoration that seems to be difficult to clean. However, it seems that the floor plan is wider than I expected. I don¡¯t want to embarrass myself by looking around restlessly, so I walk while facing forward as much as possible. ¡°This is the Boss¡¯ room.¡± We stand in front of the room we were brought to. When the man knocked on the door, ¡°Enter¡±, a voice can be heard from inside. The man in black slowly opened the door, and in the back of the room, I saw an old man with white hair sitting on the president chair. Hakunetsu-san take the lead to enter the room this time. Finally, when I entered, the door was closed. Then, the man stands right next to the door. There are 5 escorts of Doltorcia in the room. They are too cautious, right. ¡°It¡¯s our first time meeting. Don Doltorcia. My name is Hakunetsu.¡± Hakunetsu-san bowed lightly and said so. ¡°So it¡¯s not Kemuri today, huh¡­ Well sit down.¡± Doltorcia said so, Hakunetsu-san sat on a prepared chair and crossed his legs. ¡°Excuse me.¡± The man standing next to Doltorcia moved forward a bit, but Doltorcia stop him. The chairs for me and Kuroinu-san were also prepared, but I couldn¡¯t sit because Kuroinu-san didn¡¯t sit. ¡°I always think about it, but what can the mask do?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a trademark. It¡¯s also hard to smoke because of this.¡± ¡°Is there an ashtray?¡± ¡°No, please don¡¯t fuss over me. I didn¡¯t come to smoke.¡± ¡°I see. If it was Kemuri, he would accompany me into a small talk.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t like that. It¡¯s something I¡¯m not used to.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s get into the main subject right away. What did you come to sell today?¡± As if he was waiting, Hakunetsu-san got up and took out the materials inside the bag. ¡°There are two. The first is the leaf of Bewitching Flower. As far as I know, the leaves of the Bewitching Flower, which have a strong hallucinating effect during flowering, are good narcotic drugs. It can¡¯t be transacted as a drug, but we were able to get quite a lot of the raw materials, so I think you would buy it. It¡¯s pretty hard to get y¡¯know?¡± ¡°The goods?¡± ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± Mr. Hikaru took out a small plastic case from his bag. Then hand it over to Doltorcia. Dortorsia opened it for a moment and sniffed the content, then returned the plastic case to Hakunetsu-san. ¡°I¡¯ll buy it.¡± ¡°Thank you. I will give you this as a sample. If it seems that it can not be treated as a raw material, you can cancel it in a later trade.¡± That said, Hakunetsu-san handed over the plastic case again. ¡°Okay, the other one?¡± ¡°Torque Wave Reception Ability Detector. It is abbreviated to TAD. There is no actual item.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± I¡¯ve never heard of it. Hakunetsu-san put the newly retrieved paper material on the desk of Doltorcia. Doltorcia picks it up and looks through it. ¡°Torque waves are electrical activities of the brain when humans activate their ability, that is, the names of their frequency components. TAD can detect the activation of ability user.¡± Doltorcia¡¯s followers become a bit noisy. It seems that they can¡¯t believe it. I can¡¯t believe it either. However, this is not impossible. It is said that the ¡°Observer¡±, who is responsible for the central functions of Anonymous, can do it himself. If the research was based on the ¡°Observer¡±, then it¡¯s not weird if they manage to realize it. I¡¯ve only ever heard the name ¡°Observer¡±, but I¡¯ve never seen the person myself. It seems like Roll, he has been in Anonymous for many years. Or rather, isn¡¯t this a technology that should not be leaked elsewhere? Why don¡¯t Anonymous monopolize it? It is a technology that can easily break the state of affairs and the power relationship. ¡°¡­Why are you selling such a thing to the Mafia?¡± ¡°It makes sense to sell it to criminal organization y¡¯know. Even so, TAD at this stage is not in a practical stage. In other words, trade also comes first¡­¡± Hakunetsu-san closed his mouth there. Doltorcia hits the desk with a *ton* and taps it with his finger. ¡°¡­I see, you mean I should make an investment.¡± ¡°I¡¯m saved that the talk can proceed quickly. Don Doltorcia¡± ¡°When it reached practical stage, TAD will also become a technology of the Doltorcia family.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good, if it¡¯s not a lie. But, I can¡¯t believe it.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t bring it even if I want to. You can ask as many questions as you want, but if you can¡¯t believe it, then I have no choice but offer it to others.¡± ¡°Hou.¡± Doltorcia puts his hand on his beard. Then hums. ¡°Where else are you going to bring this talk to? Depending on that, I might not invest.¡± ¡°¡­I can¡¯t answer that.¡± When Hakunetsu-san said so, a knocking sounded and a man entered the room. ¡°Excuse me.¡± The man walked to the side of Doltorcia and brought his mouth closer to Doltorcia¡¯s ear. ¡°He has moved.¡± He¡¯s whispering, but of course I can hear it. Doltorcia waved his hand, then the man left the room. ¡°What was he saying?¡± Kuroinu-san muttered so softly, I slightly moved my mouth, and send the man¡¯s words to Hakunetsu-san and Kuroinu-san. ¡°Sorry. Let¡¯s get back to the talk.¡± Doltorcia reseated himself again. His atmosphere changes slightly. Who is ¡®he¡¯¡­? It may be a story unrelated to us, but I¡¯m curious. At that time, out-of-place music rang from the mobile devices of Kuroinu-san and Hakunetsu-san. Hakunetsu-san turns his eyes to Doltorcia. When Doltorcia nodded, Hakunetsu-san said ¡°Excuse me¡± and picked up the call. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Hakunetsu.¡± I heard a panicking voice from the other side of the phone. ¡°Hakunetsu!? This is Shikkou! Run away from there immediately! There is a transmission from ¡°Observer¡±, General Midou is heading to that place! The Doltorcia family sold us out!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± CH 59 [The Justice¡¯s Judgment] With my ability, I also let Kuroinu-san hear the content of the call. I, who was startled by the content, almost unintentionally react, but managed to restrained it. ¡°I see, understood.¡± Hakunetsu-san hung up the call with a normal tone. However, I can sense that he is slightly tense. ¡°I have an urgent matter.¡± Hakunetsu-san said and he stood up. Walking slowly to the front of Doltorcia, then he grabbed the materials. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, but the transaction is temporarily suspended. Let¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t do that.¡± Doltorcia grabbed the materials that Hakunetsu-san had grabbed. For a moment, I turned my eyes to Kuroinu-san, but I can¡¯t read his expression because he is wearing a mask. However, I know that he is prepared to battle. ¡°Do you know what you are doing?¡± Hakunetsu-san said. Doltorcia¡¯s followers are few but the distance is too short. ¡°The talks about TAD was extremely fascinating. But you were too late to bring it here. If only you were a bit earlier, the current situation would have changed.¡± ¡°The negotiation is broken. You trash.¡± The materials that Doltorcia grabbed ignited. At that moment, Kuroinu-san moved. Strengthening type, Assassination Hound. Kuroinu-san, who turned into a black wolf, bites the man standing next to the door to death, and knocks out one man in black suit that has launched an attack. His Anonymous mask falls to the ground due to transformation. ¡°We¡¯re escaping! You guys, hold on to me!¡± Kuroinu-san screams. Immediately, Hakunetsu-san turned around and clung to Kuroinu-san who became a black wolf. I also responded immediately and clung to Kuroinu-san¡¯s big body. Kuroinu-san breaks through the wall and goes out of the room. Then he started running. ¡°The mafia is backed by the SDF! What is happening?¡± ¡°I also want to know it!¡± In the corridor of the Doltorcia mansion, men in black suit are everywhere. Kuroinu-san jumped up, ran through the wall and slipped through the enemy¡¯s attack. Breaking through a wall again, we go out to the yard of the Doltorcia mansion. We were surrounded there. At the same time, Doltorcia appeared from the wall we broke through. ¡°Don¡¯t kill them okay. Capture them alive.¡± According to Doltorcia¡¯s words, the men in black suit moved all at once. At that moment, Kuroinu-san jumps up. ¡°Shion! Please!¡± I let go of Kuroinu-san¡¯s furs and fall down. Then, I released a Soundshoot toward the people on the ground, hitting them all in one shot. However, Doltorcia avoided it because he was outside the range. ¡°That old man! Let¡¯s go!¡± Kuroinu-san caught me, who was free falling, and landed on the ground. ¡°I won¡¯t let you!¡± The ground explodes. Kuroinu-san evaded in an instant, but we were still blown away by the blast. ¡°His ability is explosion!¡± ¡°No need to face him! Let¡¯s escape!¡± We got up and started running. Kuroinu-san returned to his original form. We run through the garden of the Doltorcia mansion, which explodes like the action scene in a movie. The heat of the explosion is suppressed by Hakunetsu-san, but the blast is still there. We managed to reach the wall somehow and jump over it. ¡°Run to the car!¡± Kuroinu-san said to me when I look over my shoulder. We run on the road we originally came from. When we arrived at the back alley parking lot, Kuroinu-san tried to get in the car first. At that time, Hakunetsu-san jumped at Kuroinu-san and evaded. ¡°Dangerous!¡± Immediately after that, the car exploded. ¡°Tsk!¡± ¡°Wha¡­!¡± It¡¯s a lie right¡­ When I turned around, Doltorcia appeared from the dark alley. His followers appeared from behind him in succession. ¡°Hah, hah, don¡¯t think bad of me. I need to survive as well.¡± Probably because he was running, Doltorcia is out of breath. I glanced at Hakunetsu-san, maybe he was hit by a splinter from the exploded car, he is bleeding from his shoulder. His white suit is stained with fresh blood. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t move. Please be captured obediently. That is the way for you guys to live.¡± Battle is inevitable. Doltorcia said he¡¯ll catch us alive. If so, we have the advantage. Ability user who have the power of almost mutual insta kill. We¡¯ll win if I can do it. When I thought so, scream rose from behind Doltorcia¡¯s encirclement. ¡°Aghhhhhhh!!¡± ¡°What¡­¡­!?¡± Doltorcia turns around. I can¡¯t move. I feel something from the other side of the dark alley, ominous killing intent. Doltorcia changed his expression to horror, shook and stepped back. ¡°Oi¡­! It¡¯s a lie right¡­! Oi you, it¡¯s different from what you promised!¡± Along with a strong wind, the neck of Doltorcia fell. Then, a man appeared from the dark alley. ¡°Why should I keep my promise with villains?¡± The flickering streetlights that flicker and blink repeatedly illuminated the man. White uniform. Black military shoes and white military cap. I knew the man. Tsurugi¡¯s father, a man whom I once had a yearning for. Wind God, General Wind, Wind Dragon¡­and many other titles and nickname, the strongest wind user who continues to achieve the best results in the Self Defense Force. I cried out loudly. ¡°Midou, Ryuusui¡­!¡± The three-star badge on his chest pocket shines ominously. I felt a sense of incongruity at that time. ¡­3 stars? Wasn¡¯t the general has 4 stars? No, that¡¯s not the case right now. ¡°It¡¯s time for atonement. Anonymous¡± General Midou takes a step forward. I stepped back unintentionally. We can¡¯t win. He¡¯s on a whole different level. He¡¯s at a level that even Yoiyami-san can¡¯t compete with¡­ It¡¯s impossible from the start, right¡­ Even so, I fired a Soundshoot. However, the Soundshoot that I fired didn¡¯t affect General Midou. A vacuum-like wall and wind that offsets shockwaves. ¡°¡­!¡± I was speechless. Instant responsiveness. I took another step back. Then I hit into something. Looking at it, there were Hakunetsu-san and Kuroinu-san standing side by side. ¡°A time of atonement huh.¡± ¡°Perhaps it is so.¡± Hakunetsu-san, who walked to in front of me, said that as he throw away his mask. Pulling out a cigarette from his chest pocket, he lit it with a fire from his fingers. ¡°Hakunetsu, fire for me too.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Kuroinu-san also stood in front of me in the same way. ¡°If possible, I don¡¯t want to kill you. I have a lot of things to ask to you bastards.¡± General Midou said so as he take another step forward. The streetlights suddenly died out, and only cigarettes fire was noticeable. They¡¯re keeping each other in check. ¡°Shion, I¡¯m sorry, but it looks like I won¡¯t be able to go to the karaoke.¡± ¡°I would be able to hear my burning voice tough.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t¡­, want that¡­¡± When I tried to step out, a hot air blew up as if to hold me back. ¡°At times like this, I¡¯d like to talk about cool old tales, but General-san doesn¡¯t seem to be able to wait. The guy is the type who can¡¯t read the mood.¡± ¡°Shion-kun, you should escape. We will buy you some time.¡± When I was told that, I was relieved somewhere in my heart. I want to run away from this place right now. I want to be released from this pressure. I don¡¯t want to die. However, if Hakunetsu-san and co attracted the enemy, I might be able to survive. I was thinking about such a thing while the two standing in front trying to throw their lives for me. (In Anonymous, sometimes there are people who bet their life for their junior.) I remember the words that Roll once said. I don¡¯t know. Why¡­ why can you bet your life for someone so easily? ¡°Go quickly!¡± Kuroinu-san said, and I started running. At that moment, a gust struck me. ¡°Ga¡­ha-!!¡± I hit into the fence in the parking lot, slipped and collapsed. Then, I heard a sharp sound coming toward me. I closed my eyes unintentionally. Immediately after, blood splashed to my mask. This time, my eyes opened wide. Because what was there was Kuroinu-san who had lost both of his arms. And ahead General Midou and Hakunetsu-san are still facing each other. Kuroinu-san collapsed forward as he was. ¡°Kuroinu-san!!¡± I run up to the fallen Kuroinu-san. Why¡­! For what! Why? My tears welled up. ¡°Don¡¯t get, me wrong, Shion¡­ We thought that, you¡¯re worth¡­living the most¡­, so we¡¯ll make sure you live.¡± ¡°Why¡­! You don¡¯t even know anything about the real me¡­! It¡¯s only been less than a year since we met you know¡­!¡± ¡°Ooi¡­oi, don¡¯t say such sad things. We¡¯re friends, right¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­!¡± Damn! Damn it¡­! ¡°Someday, the day will come when you will have to change your way of life¡­ Now, just live¡­however you want¡± Kuroinu-san, who has blood coming out from his mouth, took a breath and screamed. ¡°Hakunetsu!! I¡¯ll leave the rest to you!! It was fun to work with you!! Thank you!!¡± When Kuroinu-san finished saying that, his body ignited. I move away from Kuroinu-san. The fire gradually got bigger and wrapped up Kuroinu-san¡¯s body. ¡°Ugh¡­! Ahahaha! Your flames, is pretty good¡­! Hakunetsu¡­¡± It¡¯s Hakunetsu-san¡¯s ability. Kuroinu-san who can¡¯t move¡­now, only don¡¯t want to leave information. It¡¯s being destroyed¡­ Due to the flame of Hakunetsu-san, Kuroinu-san immediately burnt down to ash. ¡°He was my best partner.¡± Hoo and the smoke of the exhaled cigarette flew into the sky. ¡°That¡¯s a problem.¡± General Midou said. I ran away. A vacuum wave hits me. Some parts of my body were cut deep and I fell down. I turned around with difficulty. The battle that can¡¯t be called a battle has begun. Already, Hakunetsu-san lost one of his arm. It happened in a flash. ¡°Kuhahahaha! Haaahahahaha!¡± Despite the one-sided attack, Hakunetsu-san was laughing loudly. General Midou¡¯s attack is precise. Providing appropriate damage to prevent death. Even so, Hakunetsu-san is laughing. ¡°Buuuuurning!!!!¡± Suddenly, hot air spreads from Hakunetsu-san. Looking at him, Hakunetsu-san is clad in bright red flames and is burning. Due to the heat, General Midou was also keeping a distance. ¡°Haa haa hahaha!! Do you see it, Shiooooooon!! I can¡¯t stand the firepower of this technique myself! How is it! It¡¯s a hot, right!!! But don¡¯t watch it and run away from here quickly!!¡± The heat of Hakunetsu-san swallowed the entire parking lot before I knew it. No, it is even swallowing the outside the parking lot. I dragged my feet away from the scene. I knew that General Midou is approaching. ¡°Ga¡­aaahahahah! I won¡¯t let you go!¡± General Midou finally stop when Hakunetsu-san restraint him. The vacuum wave of General Midou stopped. Did he decide that any more attacks would kill me? Certainly, if I continue this way, I will die of losing too much blood. Either way, it¡¯s possible that he¡¯ll kill Hakunetsu-san and then chase me. There are many choices for General Midou. I left the parking lot and ran into the alley. I can no longer see Hakunetsu-san. However, I can hear his voice. ¡°It¡¯s hot! It¡¯s hot y¡¯know! I really wanted to use my ability to the fullest once! I can do it if it¡¯s now! More! More, mooooore!¡± The heat spreads further. My dripping blood drops and dries immediately. Even though I lost a massive amount of blood and my body didn¡¯t get cold. This heat is comfortable. ¡°Shioooooooon!! You¡¯ll be dry if you don¡¯t escape quickly y¡¯knooooow! Guaaaaaa my aaaaaaaarms!!¡± Hakunetsu-san screams. I close my eyes tightly. I can¡¯t escape if I keep walking like this. But I keep escaping. ¡°My aaaaaarms!! I don¡¯t have both arms y¡¯knooooow! Kuroinu, look! My arms are goooone!!¡± Hakunetsu-san¡¯s heat still continue to spread. ¡°Aaaahahahahahaha!!! At last, my eyes were also burned! There¡¯s nothing I can do about it riiight!!¡± It seems that General Midou is still trying to incapacitate him without killing him, but he seems unable to stop Hakunetsu-san. While I¡¯m holding onto the wall, I keep moving forward. Then I remove the mask that I was wearing and drop it there. ¡°Shioooooooon!! Avoid troublesome things! Always choose the very best and enjoy it!!¡± I went to the red light district. The people who walked around the city at night were making a fuss wondering what was happening due to the heat released by Hakunetsu-san. Even so far away, it¡¯s hot like midsummer. No, it surpassed that. Perhaps because of that, people do not notice me bleeding here and there. ¡°Living sneaky sneakily, are you satisfied with such a thrill, Shiooon!¡± Men are self-destructing creature! Live for the thrill! Shion!¡± My view became poor. Why? Kuroinu-san, Hakunetsu-san¡­ ¡°Hahahaha! That¡¯s how it is riiight¡­!? Kuroinu¡­!¡± Hakunetsu-san¡¯s words stopped there. The heat subsided. Literally, Hakunetsu-san has burnt out. I fell down on the spot. General Midou is coming this way. There is no way to escape. Kuroinu-san is dead. Hakunetsu-san too¡­ Tears dried on my cheeks before they fell to the ground. ¡°Ugh¡­ku¡­¡± It¡¯s over now. ¡°Stand up, we¡¯re escaping.¡± There was a person who grabbed my arm while I was on my knees. I look up. ¡°Be quick. If we don¡¯t hurry, he will come.¡± The one who was there was Tsuki Hanare-san(Lit. Moon Separation). CH 60 [The Moon¡¯s Judgment] ¡°Tsuki Hanare¡­-san? Why are you here¡­?¡± ¡°Just stand up now.¡± I was grabbed by the neck, and I was made to stand half forcibly. And while confused, I was dragged away. ¡°Turn off your ability. Don¡¯t hear his sound now.¡± ¡°Why¡­¡± When I asked why, my abilitiy was already became unusable. Skill Lock. This is one of Tsuki Hanare-san¡¯s techniques. Tsukuri Hanare-san¡¯s ability is to lock and unlock everything. Tsuki Hanare-san recklessly crossed the street while pulling me by my collar. ¡°Turn right at the next corner. Walk faster.¡± He said, I managed to rouse my injured body somehow. I wonder if General Midou is coming from behind, but I don¡¯t turn around. I was scared and can¡¯t turn around. The faces of Hakunetsu-san and Kuroinu-san are floating in my mind and tears are about to come out. They protected me and died. If asked if I was angry at General Midou, then the answer is yes. However, more than that, I feel fear. Fear that I may die. So I can¡¯t be emotional and face General Midou. I was ashamed of myself. Turning right at the corner, Tsuki Hanare-san opened the door there and bring me inside. I was thrown out on a sofa covered with dust. My torned body felt severe pain, and my blood adhered to the sofa. My consciousness is also a little blurry. I don¡¯t have enough blood. ¡°This place is¡­? Is it a safe place?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not. You are bleeding a lot, so I just search for an abandoned building.¡± Tsuki Hanare-san throw off the upper coat he wore and reached for the suitcase in the room that he was not proud of. Long-sleeved clothes, red women¡¯s coat and white pants came out of it. And a wig. Tsuki Hanare-san approached me and cut the tuxedo I wore with a knife. My clothes are removed, and the wounds that inflicted by General Midou are exposed. Watching it, Tsuki Hanare-san patted me lightly. ¡°I¡¯ll lock the wound temporarily. It¡¯ll hurts y¡¯know.¡± Severe pain struck throughout my body. ¡°Gu, aaaa¡­!¡± I let out a small scream. When I looked at my arm, the deep cut wound slowly closed. ¡°With this, the blood has stopped.¡± Tsuki Hanare-san¡¯s ability, can also do things like this huh¡­ Eventually, the pain subsided a bit, and Tsuki Hanare-san says. ¡°Wipe the blood and change into this. Also, take off your shoes.¡± He handed over the women¡¯s clothes he took out of the suitcase earlier. Together with a towel. Disguise, huh. Certainly, the mask that I¡¯ve been wearing has lost its purpose, and wearing this tattered tuxedo would only make it easier for General Midou to find me. As I was told, I changed into that. After changing clothes, Tsuki Hanare-san put a wig on me and applied red lipstick on my lips. The foundation was also applied, and I was left as it is. ¡°Okay, not bad.¡± When my crossdress completed, Tsuki Hanare-san-san lifted me up. I, who was carried in a princess carry, was about to resist for a moment, then give up after thinking about the circumstance. ¡°Put your hand around my neck.¡± I also do this as I was told. He is trying to save me. There is no reason to disobey. Tsuki Hanare-san left the abandoned house through the front entrance instead of the back entrance that we entered before, while holding me. Once again, the glittering scenery of the red light district comes into my eyes. The perspective is different. I¡¯m being held by Tsuki Hanare-san. ¡°I think you¡¯ve known it, but this city is already besieged. Doltorcia died and the city gathering started. Don¡¯t make eye contact with anyone. Or you can just close your eyes.¡± ¡°¡­I understand.¡± Tsuki Hanare-san starts to walk. Before I knew it my ability has returned, but I already lost General Midou position. ¡°How¡­are we going to escape from here?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll leave the city somehow and joined with Shimichi-san. Shimichi-san will arrive about 30 minutes later.¡± Shimichi-san is coming here, huh. If we join up with her, we can escape¡­ Tsuki Hanare-san walked openly while holding me in the middle of the red light district. I was told not to make eye contact with anyone, but as expected, I was still curious about the street we pass through. I can see the appearance of the Self-Defense Force who were glancing here and there. Looks like they¡¯re looking for me. After passing the red light district, the bright atmosphere disappeared and it became a normal townscape. However, at that time, I saw the figure of General Midou at the end of the road. He is looking this way. My eyes opened wide unintentionally. Then Tsuki Hanare-san clicks his tongue and turned to the alley. Naturally, I hear the sound. General Midou was coming this way. Did he notice¡­? How? ¡°Hold it for a moment.¡± Sometime after going into the alley, Tsuki Hanare-san said so and made me stand on the ground. Then, he put his lips on top of mine with all his strength. ¡°Nn¡­!?¡± Of course I resist it. However, Tsuki Hanare-san silenced me who resisted with his eyes. ¡°¡­¡± The sounds of military boots are approaching. General Midou stopped at the end of the alley we entered. Streetlights illuminate him. He shouldn¡¯t be able to see our appearance here from there. Tsuki Hanare-san stirred, then he separated his face away from me. Then he stared at General Midou. I thought©`what are you doing©`, but this is also acting huh. When someone being seen kissing in a place like this, they usually glare back at the one who was seeing. Then, General Midou go past the alley. Waiting for General Midou to leave completely, I breathed out. Tsuki Hanare-san carry me, who was about to sink down to the floor, in a princess carry again. ¡°Track his sound from now.¡± ¡°¡­I understand.¡± I followed the sound of General Midou. If we know his position with this, we will not be found and we can avoid encounter with him. I don¡¯t know why my ability was turned off before, but this is a relief for the time being. It¡¯s great to be able to listening to the sound. Tsuki Hanare-san goes straight behind the alley. ¡°Is it okay if I¡¯m the only one saved¡­¡± While being held by Tsuki Hanare-san, I suddenly said something like that. I didn¡¯t mean it as a conversation. However, it came out of mouth. I want to be saved. That feeling is strong. However besides that, I also feel that it¡¯s wrong. Suddenly I was thrown to the ground. ¡°Wha¡­!¡± I fell on my back and barely be able to roll, but it still hurts. Tsuki Hanare-san kicks me on my belly. ¡°Guu!¡± ¡°¡®Is it okay if you¡¯re the only one saved?¡¯ There¡¯s no way that¡¯s okay, right! Only you were left to be saved now! Even though they can just abandon you¡­!¡± Tsuki Hanare-san¡¯s voice was shaking. I looked up at Tsuki Hanare-san from the ground. Tsuki Hanare-san was crying. ¡°They are annoying, but they were good people¡­ Hakunetsu-san, Kuroinu-san¡­¡± Tsuki Hanare-san picked me, who was lying down on the ground, up again and started walking. ¡°Is this the first time your friends die¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°¡­This is a daily occurrence in this world. More people die in the branch. Only those who can be cruel will survive.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You are the type that survives. Type that accepts the feelings of others and survive alone¡­¡± I can¡¯t refute. I thought that might be the case, too. ¡°¡®Is it okay if I¡¯m the only one saved?¡¯, insincere words just makes me disgusted.¡± I can only keep silent. I said improper things. In regard to Hakunetsu-san and co. We reached the vicinity of the gate through the back alley. ¡°If we pass through this point, we¡¯ll reach the gate. From here, walk by yourself.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I walked for a while and came to the place where I could see the gate. The gate management in this town is loose. The Self-Defense Forces weren¡¯t deployed here after all, people could just pass through. However, the surrounding was different now. Several SDF patrol cars are parked near the gate. The number of enemies is more than ten. Tsukuri Hanare-san was observing it from behind the alley. The gate closest to the red light district was chosen because it¡¯s short on hands so it¡¯s defense is thin. After checking the gate, Tsukuri Hanare-san and I turned back again. ¡°If it¡¯s just those, it¡¯ll be easy to break through.¡± Saying that, Tsuki Hanare-san unlocked the car that was parked on the street with his ability, and easily got into it. ¡°Get in next to me.¡± I nodded and get in the passenger seat. The engine key was turned by Tsukuri Hanare-san¡¯s ability and the engine started. The car started and headed for the gate. As we proceeded to the area around the gate, people from the Self Defense Force gathered around the car. I looked down and hung the hair of the wig so they couldn¡¯t see my face. ¡°Can¡¯t we pass here?¡± Opening the car window and showing his face, Tsuki Hanare-san asked. Pretending to be an ordinary person. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then, die.¡± ¡°Ha¡­?¡± Tsukuri Hanare-san moved the car back at once and accelerated right away. My body shakes greatly due to the recoil. The car ran over several people of the Self-Defense Force, pushed away the patrol car, and broke through the gate. ¡°OK.¡± The patrol car¡¯s siren rang and they followed us from behind. I opened the car door and fired a Soundshoot through the gap. Due to the shockwave, the three police cars that were chasing us toppled sideways. At the same time, the sound of General Midou moved. These guys reported us through the radio. ¡°Tsuki Hanare-san¡­! That guy moved!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be flustered. We¡¯re about to arrive at the gathering spot.¡± Tsuki Hanare-san further increased the speed. However, the speed of the approaching guy is much faster than that. When I opened the car window and turned around, I saw him in the sky above. ¡°Dangerous¡­!¡± *pashun* I heard the sound of the car¡¯s tire bursting. The vacuum wave of General Midou. The car wobbled, but still proceeded forward. However, the speed has dropped significantly. ¡°Tsk¡­!¡± A stream of sweat flows on Tsuki Hanare-san¡¯s cheek. General Midou who was approaching suddenly came down and stood in front of the car. Then, he stopped the car¡¯s advance with strong wind, and slowly approached the car. It¡¯s the end. The moment I thought so, the sound of General Midou moved far behind. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°This is¡­¡­!¡± Then from beside me¡­ ¡°Sorry for the wait Shion-kun, Tsuki Hanare.¡± Shimichi-san was there. ¡°¡±Shimichi-san¡­!¡±¡± I and Tsukuri-san said at the same time. ¡°There¡¯s no time to chat. He will come again. Get out of the car.¡± When I got off the car as I was told, I noticed General Midou approaching again at a tremendous speed. Seemingly able to sense the killing intent, Shimichi-san pulled my hand and I took one step forward. Then, the scenery changed in an instant. ¡°¡­!¡± The sound of General Midou is moving further away, and he lost sight of us. Shimichi-san¡¯s ability¡­, ¡°(Disdancer)¡± Ability to temporarily put the concept of distance under control. And with that, enlarging the distance of one step. ¡°With this, he has been thrown off.¡± Shimichi-san said. We lost him¡­ Finally. ¡°Well done, Tsuki Hanare.¡± Shimichi-san said, and Tsuki Hanare-san happily bowed his head. ¡°I am honored to receive your compliment.¡± ¡°Shion-kun too, has done his best.¡± ¡°¡­¡± No, I did nothing. I just ran away. Moreover, it¡¯s not with my own power. I am¡­nothing. ¡°It¡¯s also an experience y¡¯know. You don¡¯t need to mind it. You were just unlucky this time.¡± ¡°Shimichi-san, you don¡¯t need to console this guy y¡¯know. This guy¡­¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Tsuki Hanare, different people have different things they¡¯re good at. You are so too, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Shimichi-san took the wig I was wearing and looked at my face seriously. ¡°Fufu, what a terrible face.¡± Saying that, Shimichi-san hugs me. ¡°¡­ Use all the steps as a stepping stone and overcome them. There will be many things like this in the future.¡± Shimichi-san only said so, then left me. Even after Shimichi-san left, I stood still for a while. My wounds hurts. CH 61 [The Sound¡¯s Judgment] Even if a person of Anonymous dies, the funeral will not be held. The grave will not be built. The deaths of Hakunetsu-san and Kuroinu-san made a big hole in my heart. Next day, I woke up at the hideout¡¯s treatment facility. It seems that Tsuki Hanare-san and Shimichi-san brought me here. There is no pain from my body. When I uncovered the blue patient gown that I had changed into since who knows when, I found that most of my wounds had healed. The wound on my shoulder also healed and only leaving a mark. ¡°Be grateful. I have to worked hard overnight to heal your wounds. Well, I¡¯m just following Hyde¡¯s order though.¡± Chiyaku-san said while entering the room. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± ¡°¡®Visit me when you woke up¡¯, is the message Hyde left behind. Roll is also worried y¡¯know.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± I got off the bed and put on the slippers that were there. Then I went to Boss¡¯ room. I unsteadily walk along the corridor. I feel sick. The deaths of Kuroinu-san and Hakunetsu-san are repeated many times in my head. Once again, I actually feel the death of the two. I wonder if those two people would be able to escape if they weren¡¯t trying to let me escape. Maybe if I fight together with them¡­ If I don¡¯t involve Hakunetsu-san and co in the mission¡­ Such meaningless thoughts are swirling in my mind. *bam*, something hit my forehead and I stopped. When I looked up, Tameiki-san was there. ¡°Look ahead when you¡¯re walking. Or you¡¯ll bump into something.¡± ¡°Tameiki-san¡­¡± ¡°What a terrible face.¡± Tameiki-san put her finger on my cheek and gently wiped the tears there. I was crying, huh. ¡°Why are you crying, Shion.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry if you don¡¯t know.¡± After saying that, Tameiki-san walked past me. I turn around at once and look at Tameiki-san. Her hair that was tied at the back of her head was swaying. ¡°Tameiki-san¡­¡± When I called her, Tameiki-san stopped without looking back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s nothing.¡± I turned around and walked towards Boss¡¯ room. When I arrived in front of Boss¡¯ room, I knocked on the door twice. ¡°Enter¡±, I heard Boss¡¯ voice from inside, so I opened the door. ¡°Excuse me.¡± In the room, there were Shimichi-san who sat on the sofa and Boss who sat on his usual chair. ¡°Have you finished your treatment from Chiyaku?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯m sorry, about the mission.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped right. How are you feeling?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I don¡¯t have anything good to reply with. ¡°I see. It was a disaster, huh.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± I denied. Then Boss had a sip of coffee and put the cup back on the desk. ¡°Well then, there is one thing I want to hear from you, Shion.¡± ¡°What about?¡± ¡°Midou Ryuusui¡­, about that guy. He was originally assigned in Saint Celia and shouldn¡¯t be able to move in that scene. Shion, did you see his rank badge?¡± ¡°¡­I saw it.¡± ¡°Did he wear a general badge?¡± ¡°No. Midou Ryuusui wore the badge of lieutenant general, even though he was a general.¡± Tsuki Hanare-san and Shimichi-san must have seen it too, right¡­? ¡°I see. As expected, huh. Shimichi, hold a meeting tomorrow. Call the executives.¡± Boss stood up and said so. Shimichi-san left the room without answering. ¡°Shion, good job. It¡¯s fine now.¡± ¡°Err, what does that mean?¡± Why did Midou Ryuusui wear lieutenant general¡¯s badge? I¡¯m curious too. ¡°It¡¯s a relegation. There are a lot of restrictions in the rank of general, so he can¡¯t be free. So maybe he demoted himself to be in a position to chase us.¡± I see. What a nuisance. Does he have a grudge against us¡­? No, that¡¯s a foolish thought. It is the job of the Self Defense Force to catch us even without any grudge. In addition, we are doing things that made us can¡¯t complain if our friends are killed. ¡°Why did he does that¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably because the previous case made the Self Defense Force¡¯s higher ups upset.¡± If I kill a person, surely someone would feel the same as I am now. It¡¯s wrong to hate him. We are evil, they are justice. Unless this fact turns over, I have no right to get angry. No, that is also wrong. That is also a strange way of thinking. I¡¯m already a complete murderer. Not only at the time of manifestation. I¡¯ve also killed a person by my own will. Right does not have to do with such evil. Then, it¡¯s fine even if I¡¯m angry. Actually, what came over me is the feeling of wanting to be able to kill him¡­ ¡­but, I can¡¯t. If we meet each other, I will have to run away again. ¡°I see. Thank you. Excuse me.¡± I said so and left the room. After leaving the room, my destination is Roll¡¯s room. It seems that she was worried. I have to show my face. When I arrived in front of Roll¡¯s room, I heard the Desuko-san¡¯s voice from inside. That person is also inside. The door wasn¡¯t locked. When I opened it and entered, the eyes of the two people turned to me. ¡°Shion¡­! Are you okay¡­?¡± Roll said so and came up to me. ¡°Chiyaku-san has healed my wounds.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about that.¡± Roll said with a troubled look. I says after understanding what she meant. ¡°¡­Well, I¡¯m fine y¡¯know.¡± I act casually. I don¡¯t want to make her worried. ¡°I see¡­hey, you want to eat?¡± ¡°Ah, please. I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°OK.¡± Saying that, Roll moved to the kitchen. I turn and give a greeting to Desuko-san. ¡°Hello, Desuko-san.¡± ¡°Yaho~¡± She waved her hand, and then pat the sofa next to her. Perhaps she¡¯s telling me to sit down. I moved there and gently sat down on the sofa. Desuko-san poured tea from the teapot on the table and handed it to me. ¡°Well, have a drink. It¡¯s Roll¡¯s leftover though.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± My throat was also dry, so I¡¯ll drink it gratefully. Because it¡¯s mixed with leftover of the drink, it was not so hot. I drank the tea and put the cup on the table. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Desuko-san also asked the same thing as Boss, so I felt that this question had some meaning, so I thought a little. I thought about it for a while, but I can¡¯t tell the true meaning of the question. I decided to answer the question honestly. ¡°Not good.¡± ¡°You should be, right.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± *ton ton ton*, the sound of cutting vegetables with a kitchen knife sounded. It¡¯s a pleasant sound. Suddenly, a ventilation fan turned on. ¡°Hakunetsu and Kuroinu were funny guys. Well, it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Desuko-san said. How can you be so carefree about it, is it because you have become used to this world? Perhaps, Roll is as carefree as Desuko-san. ¡­No, I can¡¯t be so carefree. ¡°It has been quite a while since a member of the headquarters died right~, Roll.¡± Desuko-san gave the topic to Roll with the same tone as usual. Although her friends died, it seems she didn¡¯t feel anything. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°It was unusual that no one died for more than half a year, so I thought it would be about time for someone to die, but it¡¯s unthinkable that it¡¯s those two who will be killed, right~.¡± Desuko-san¡¯s laughter echoes in the room. If only I could laugh like that, I thought. ¡°Hey~, Shion-kun.¡± When I was absentminded, Desuko-san suddenly changed the tone of her voice. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Shion-kun, have you prepared to die?¡± ¡°Desuko.¡± The sound of Roll¡¯s knife stops. ¡°If you die in this world tomorrow, have you prepared to die tomorrow without regrets?¡± Such preparedness¡­is it necessary here? I don¡¯t want to die. Why do I need to be prepared to die? ¡°I haven¡¯t.¡± I said so, and Desuko-san stared at my eyes for a while. Her eyes that felt like it can see through me is scary. ¡°Ahaha, that¡¯s right~. I am the same. Nobody wants to die y¡¯know. I was joking just now, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± She stood up and said so. Then she started walking. ¡°¡­You¡¯re, fine as you are Shion-kun.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°When you are in trouble, relying on your partner is one of the ways, Shion-kun. Good luck.¡± Desuko-san pats my shoulder and heads toward the exit of the room. ¡°Desuko, are you going back?¡± ¡°Actually, we have a meeting of executives. Well, it¡¯s not now though.¡± Is it the meeting that Boss said earlier? I¡¯m sure it¡¯s about Midou Ryuusui. ¡°Ah, okay.¡± Roll said, and Desuko-san left the room saying ¡°Adieu¡±. After Desuko-san left, the room becomes quiet. That person, leaving strange atmosphere again. ¡°Okay, It¡¯s done.¡± On the table was colorful fried rice. I moved from the sofa to the chair in front of the table and picked up the spoon. ¡°Itadakimasu.¡±(TLN : Well, you know what it means) After eating a bite, I can¡¯t stop. Delicious. The fried rice made by Roll is delicious. Roll is staring at me who eats vigorously. ¡°Speaking of which, it seems that Tsuki Hanare has returned to headquarters. Well, the two¡¯s position became vacant after all, so it can¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± I¡¯ll apologize again to Tsuki Hanare-san. It¡¯s thanks to him that I can live like this. He was a much more decent person than I expected. He¡¯s decent when he¡¯s calm, which reminds me, Roll is also like that. After I stuffed my mouth with fried rice and said ¡®Thank you for the meal¡¯, I brought the tablewares to the kitchen and washed them. ¡°Roll.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m scared.¡± ¡°¡­ it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°No¡­!¡± That¡¯s not it. I¡¯m¡­ ¡°I¡¯m more afraid of myself dying rather than my companions dying. Hakunetsu-san and Kuroinu-san died¡­ That¡¯s sorrowful. I also want to take revenge¡­ But more than that¡­I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t die¡­ I was glad that I was the only one saved¡­ Tsuki Hanare-san also saw through me¡­¡± ¡®Is it okay if I¡¯m the only one saved? really, insincere words just makes me disgusted¡¯ he said. I just pretended that I felt guilty. I just pretended to be sad¡­ ¡°Even this feeling¡­ I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s real¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± I was hugged gently from behind. I tried to shake her off, but stopped. ¡°The more you think about it, the deeper you¡¯ll fall into it. Everyone is the same that they are thinking their own life is the most important to them.¡± ¡°But Roll is¡­¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Roll have tried to throw her life away for me¡­ We hadn¡¯t met yet, but she risked her life trying to save me¡­ If our own life is the most important, Hakunetsu-san and Kuroinu-san would have escaped. I¡¯m not asking for such a lie. ¡°¡­nothing.¡± ¡°I see.¡± For a while I was hugged by Roll. CH 62 [The Lord¡¯s Judgment] The refrigerator was empty, so Roll and I were heading to the delicatessen of the hideout. The school will start the day after tomorrow. Although I said that it will start, those that finish the school tournament early will be on winter vacation immediately. Furthermore, since I have nothing to do with the school tournament, I¡¯m already on winter vacation. It seems that Roll will participate though. A man walked from the front as I was walking along the corridor together with Roll on the way to the delicatessen. His face can¡¯t be seen. He¡¯s a middle-aged man with unshaven face and shabby appearance. For some reason, his suit is tattered, and his hair that has been dyed a little brown is ruffled. Roll looked at the man and shouted. ¡°You¡¯re back, Byakurei!¡±(Lit. 100 zero) Byakurei¡­-san? This person? One of the 7 Anonymous executives. I heard from Roll that he was uselessly wandering around to various places, so he has come back huh. ¡°Hm? Oh~, isn¡¯t it Roll? It¡¯s been a while. Is the one next to you is your rumoured partner?¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Shion. Please take care of me.¡± ¡°Ahh, nice to meet you. I¡¯m Byakurei.¡± ¡°Rather than that, return my money! You¡¯re also borrowing from everyone else, right!¡± ¡°Eh? Did I borrow money?¡± ¡°So you want to avoid paying it again¡­! I won¡¯t let you!¡± Roll rushed towards Byakurei-san, but she she stopped immediately. ¡°Ugh¡­! It¡¯s the smell of demon beast¡¯s dried blood¡­!¡± ¡°Hahaha. With this no one will come near me. It¡¯s a nice idea even if I say so myself.¡± Roll¡¯s face twitches and she pulls back. When Byakurei-san approaches, his stench also began to drift toward me. I frown involuntarily. ¡°Oops, I didn¡¯t have time to play with Roll. There will be a meeting soon y¡¯know.¡± Byakurei looked at his watch. ¡°¡­Are you going like that? At least take a shower.¡± ¡°If I do that, I won¡¯t be able to see everyone grimaces, right? Even though we haven¡¯t met in a long time.¡± ¡°¡­you still have a good personality as usual, aren¡¯t you.¡± ¡°Hahaha. Well, that¡¯s how I am.¡± Byakurei-san said so and passed by. ¡°Shion, don¡¯t lend him money. He won¡¯t return it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Executive meeting huh¡­ It makes me curious. They must be talking about Midou Ryuusui. ¡°Hey, Roll. Does all the 7 executives always gather in the executive meeting?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s rare that all 7 people gather together. I think it¡¯s once in a year. In the first place, the executive meeting itself doesn¡¯t held that much. Usually, there are four people. Today, since there are also Desuko and Byakurei, there are 6 people attending the meeting.¡± Tameiki-san, Kemuri-san, Chiyaku-san, Desuko-san, Shimichi-san, and Byakurei-san. With this, there are 6 executives. The other one is Utsusemi-san(Man of this world/cast-off cicada shell). I heard that this person is like Desuko-san dan Byakurei-san, the type that didn¡¯t fit in. It seems that he was visiting the branches in the name of work, but in fact, he was half skipping the works, and just wandering around various places like Byakurei-san. ¡°¡­¡± I wonder what Boss think about the death of Hakunetsu-san and Kuroinu-san. He didn¡¯t say anything when I visited him before, but I wonder if deep down, he felt anger at the death of his subordinates. Or maybe he¡¯s used to this kind of thing and he¡¯s not that sad. Perhaps at least he¡¯s feeling a sense of crisis for Midou Ryuusui, huh. When we arrived at the delicatessen, I hold my stomach and says. ¡°Sorry, Roll. I¡¯m going to the toilet for a minute. When you¡¯re done shopping, just head back to your room first, okay?¡± ¡°Eh? Okay.¡± After listening Roll¡¯s reply, I ran after the sound of Byakurei-san. Ò»Ò»Ò» The meeting seems to be held in the first meeting room. There are already 7 people inside, including Boss. I listened from outside the room and waited for the meeting to start. What I¡¯m doing now is eavesdropping. I can¡¯t peek inside because I must not be noticed after all. Normally, I don¡¯t have to be so close to eavesdrop, but the first meeting room has strict soundproof specifications, and I can¡¯t hear the voice unless I get close to it. ¡°Now, let¡¯s start the meeting. ¡­Looks like Utsusemi didn¡¯t come.¡± The inside of the meeting room was quiet, but suddenly Boss¡¯ voice sounded. ¡°There¡¯s no way he would come right, that guy.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want to hear that from you.¡± ¡°What? I¡¯m a good attendee, right? Or rather Tameiki, aren¡¯t your boobs became bigger again? ¡°¡­I¡¯ll crush you.¡± ¡°No no, rather than that Byakurei, aren¡¯t you too smelly!? What are you thinking?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know if you read my mind right, Desuko.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t fight, okay. My work will increase.¡± ¡°It suddenly become noisy here, you guys.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It seems like it¡¯s going to be a lively meeting today.¡± I was surprised because the moment Boss said that the meeting started, all of them spoke in unison. I wonder if there was a rule that they shouldn¡¯t talk until ordered. They were mute all the time, so I thought serious mood was drifting inside. ¡°The reason for gathering this time is¡± With Boss¡¯ words, the hustle and bustle of the meeting room subsided. I can tell that everyone is paying attention to Boss. ¡°None other than about the matter that Hakunetsu and Kuroinu being killed by Midou Ryuusui.¡± There was no reaction to that word. Perhaps yesterday¡¯s case had already been sent to everyone. They are executives after all. ¡°What I viewed as a problem about in this matter is that Midou Ryuusui had already been demoted from general to lieutenant general.¡± ¡°What?¡± It¡¯s Kemuri-san¡¯s voice. ¡°He took the responsibility for the previous case, and demoted himself. And now he had left from his post at Saint Celia.¡± ¡°¡­So that¡¯s why he moved yesterday?¡± The communication from the Observer was barely in time. No, that is to say Midou Ryuusui¡¯s movement was too fast? ¡°That¡¯s right. And according to investigation, it seems that he¡¯s investigating the organizations that connected to us one after another. Among them, many organizations are betraying us due to acquisition or threat. Doltorcia family from yesterday was also like that.¡± I recall the death throe of Doltorcia. He said something like it was different from what was promised. So that means the Doltorcia family was also fooled, and set us up? ¡°We have to pick up the organization that betrayed us. I will go.¡± *clattering* I heard someone stands up from their seat. And then Tameiki-san¡¯s voice sounded out. ¡°Wait Tameiki. This time is not about that.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Yaaay, Tameiki is jumping to a wrong conclusion!¡± ¡°Shut up, Desuko.¡± I concentrate on Boss¡¯ voice. What does he mean? ¡°I¡¯ve always been avoiding much bigger obstacles. Even if I have to fight, it was only against a lieutenant general. The main force of the enemy has been observed by Observers, and I have always been behind the scenes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of course that was my intention. I was afraid of a definite sacrifice. ¡­However, their movements are getting more aggressive. If we have to make a big move, then this is the time. This is a gamble we need to take without considering the risk.¡± ¡°That is?¡± Kemuri-san said. ¡°Erase Midou Ryuusui.¡± The silence dominated the meeting room. It was Desuko-san who opened her mouth because she could not stand the air. ¡°I¡¯ll pass. It¡¯s insane to kill such a monster y¡¯know. We¡¯re talking about someone at Yoiyami¡¯s class, right? I¡¯m good at assassination, but I don¡¯t feel like I can kill him. The ones who has the possibility to challenge and beat him in a frontal fight, even in this room there are only Tameiki and Hyde, right. And Byakurei.¡± ¡°So I¡¯m just barely make it?¡± ¡°Yeah, the vanguard is me, Tameiki, Byakurei, and Shimichi. And let¡¯s have Desuko and Kemuri as the back-up support. And let¡¯s have Chiyaku come as a medical personnel.¡± ¡°Eh¡­?¡± Like Desuko-san, I also let out a voice. ¡°All the executives will go?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. At first I thought of going alone, but as expected, I still want to do it carefully. That¡¯s why, I¡¯ll attack him with everyone. Either way, Midou Ryuusui can¡¯t be left alone.¡± Seriously? However, if the other party is that Midou Ryuusui, it would not be weird to be so careful. Even Yoiyami-san is only on par with him. On par means that there is a possibility of being done in. ¡°It¡¯s about ambush and killing right. If it¡¯s just that, I, Hyde, Shimichi, and Tameiki are enough to kill him.¡± It was Byakurei-san¡¯s voice. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to bring it to that situation right. Because the enemy can escape. That¡¯s how it is. Byakurei is really an idiot. And stinks.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? We can just use Shimichi¡¯s ¡°Infinite Corridor¡± right.¡± ¡°Shimichi¡¯s ability can only be only be handled by Shimichi herself. If everyone can move perfectly according to the image of Shimichi, then it will not be difficult. To not even think about the burden of Shimichi, Byakurei is an idiot after all.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t say that.¡± ¡°Obviously, even if we limits that guy¡¯s movements with Shimichi¡¯s ability, if we can¡¯t coordinate, our movements will also be limited¡­¡± ¡°A half-baked coordination might be back firing and shackle us right. But you don¡¯t have to take my burden into account.¡± It has become a high level discussion. ¡°In addition, we don¡¯t often act together, so even though we have individual strength, we are lacking team coordination.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem that team coordination has much effect on this. The problem is how far we can incorporate a pattern that seals him.¡± ¡°Rather, even though this meeting room has been spied on, you guys haven¡¯t realized it? I noticed it just now though.¡± At the end of Byakurei-san¡¯s words, the conversation stopped as if the time stopped. I opened my eyes wide. Right now, it¡¯s about me. I have cut off the sound properly, and besides, since the inside is soundproofed, they shouldn¡¯t be able to notice my presence¡­why am I revealed. ¡°Byakurei¡­you really can¡¯t read the air.¡± When I was trying to escape, Desuko-san said so. I stop moving. What does that mean¡­? ¡°Haa¡± Tameiki-san exhaled as if she was amazed. ¡°Even though everyone pretended not to notice it.¡± ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s the case. I hesitated on whether if I should say that y¡¯know.¡± My eavesdropping¡­was found out huh. It seems like with these people as the opponents, at this distance, I would still be noticed even without sound. Everyone was pretending not to notice. ¡°Shion, come in.¡± Listening to Boss¡¯ voice, I stood up. Then I open the meeting room door. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I was eavesdropping.¡± ¡°It was good until half way through, but you focused too much on listening. You let out too much presence.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± I nodded at Tameiki-san words. ¡°Why did you want to eavesdrop?¡± Boss said. ¡°That is¡­ I want to know what kind of measure will be taken against Midou Ryuusui.¡± ¡°I see.¡± It¡¯s a lie. Actually, I didn¡¯t get to hear what I want to hear. I was curious on how much Hakunetsu-san and co¡¯s death would be touched at the meeting. However, the meeting was leaning more on strategy rather than what I expected. That¡¯s also true. What is important now is not to mourn the deaths of Hakunetsu-san and Kuroinu-san. Everyone was able to move on immediately. Only I¡¯m still dragging. Still¡­? That was just yesterday y¡¯know. Aren¡¯t they moving on too quickly. ¡°There are empty seats right, sit there.¡± Boss said and pointed to the empty seat next to Tameiki-san. ¡°Eh?¡± Is that mean I can attend the meeting¡­? ¡°Quickly get in your seat, Shion-kun.¡± Desuko-san banged the desk. ¡°¡­Is it ok?¡± ¡°Hyde said it¡¯s okay after all.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I said my thanks to Boss, then I took the seat. The desk is a large round table with eight chairs arranged side by side surrounding it, and Tameiki-san and Kemuri-san sat besides me. And, across from me is, Byakurei-san. On both sides of him, there are Desuko-san and Chiyaku-san, but there is a wide space between Desuko-san and Byakurei-san. I think she is distancing away because of the smell. Chiyaku-san doesn¡¯t seem to care. Even so, I¡¯m feeling out of place here¡­ ¡°Just in time to change the air right.¡± Boss grinned and said so. Tameiki-san next to me laughs softly. ¡°Now, in continuation of the discussion, I came up with a good idea.¡± Boss says with a nihil smile. ¡°Let¡¯s add Shion to this operation.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± What are you talking about¡­? ¡°Actually, there was a problem, among all of us, the only one whose face wasn¡¯t revealed yet was me. However, I can¡¯t just expose my face. But what about Shion? It¡¯s only been some time since he join, and the scent of an ordinary person still remains on him.¡± ¡°Are you planning to make a decoy strategy based on Shion¡­?¡± Kemuri-san said. I nervously look at Boss. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± Desuko-san said. And Boss silently affirms. I didn¡¯t have the courage to say that it was impossible with this air. Boss continues. ¡°¡­And there¡¯s one more useful information. This is an information that was indirectly obtained from Shion.¡± Information indirectly obtained from me¡­ What is that? ¡°Midou Ryuusui¡­has a son.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± It was an information that I didn¡¯t gave to Boss¡­ Tsurugi is part of the Self Defense Force. However, I didn¡¯t tell him that his father was a general of the Self Defense Force. It is one thing when it¡¯s about Tsurugi himself is part of the Self Defense Force, but it was impossible for me, who is his best friend though imperfect, to even reveal that his father is a member of the Self Defense Force. Even if his father is a general. Because I knew, for whatever reason, Tsurugi will be targeted. Did Boss investigate Tsurugi? If I think about it, it¡¯s an information that he will definitely get. I told him about Tsurugi about three months ago. That means, while Boss knew the information, he didn¡¯t touch Tsurugi huh. I don¡¯t know if was if he was taking me in consideration though¡­ However, this timing means that¡¯s not the case anymore. I can¡¯t say anything in complain. ¡°His name is Midou Tsurugi. He is also Shion¡¯s classmate. I¡¯m thinking of using that guy.¡± CH 63 [The Day¡¯s Judgment] Today is the day when the postponed school tournament will finally take place. However, I don¡¯t want to go to school just to watch the school tournament. I want to watch only Roll¡¯s battle, but she wasn¡¯t fighting seriously, so I just watched that and return. Therefore, I¡¯ve decided to skip as planned. Even if I say skipping, as someone without ability, being absent from this tournament wouldn¡¯t affect my grades, so it¡¯s really a holiday for me. I slept at my home after a long while. However, I don¡¯t have enough sleep. I had a lot to think about and couldn¡¯t fall asleep. The same as the day before yesterday. Perhaps, now I¡¯m used to sleep at the sofa in Roll¡¯s room rather than in my own room. I lay on my bed and stared at the ceiling. Unlike before, I rarely stay in this room these days. Since my parents didn¡¯t spend much time at home, I started not to come back, so this house felt desolate. Since my parents aren¡¯t saying anything, my degradation just keeps continues on. It is becoming commonplace for me to go late at night, going out for a few days without contacting them, and even not returning on weekends lately. I haven¡¯t had meal together with my family for a long time. 2 days since that, I was spending my time at home. I thought a lot. At that meeting, the direction of the operation has been decided, but the details were not discussed yet. It seems that Boss will hold another executive meeting after arranging some things. What I know is that Tsurugi will be used. And that I will participate in the operation. I wonder how Tsurugi will be used. And how can I be useful in the operation. They wouldn¡¯t just touch Tsurugi and kill only his father. That is to say, Tsurugi will be used and killed in this operation. ¡°¡­¡± And I also take part in that operation. I¡¯m confused. I¡¯m confused that I can¡¯t swallow the situation, but at the same time I¡¯m also calm. Tsurugi will die. I hate it. Not particularly. I¡¯m not sure. How do I think about it? How do I want to think about? How should I think about? There are 2 way of thinking inside me. It is the way of thinking as Kamiya Kazato and the way of thinking as Shion. For some reason, the way of thinking as Shion is a bit more dominant in me¡­ Is it because Hakunetsu-san and Kuroinu-san died? No. My priority is changing. The quality of life as Kamiya Kazato is inferior to that of life as Anonymous. Therefore, somewhere in my heart, I want to part from this annoying daily life. No. That should not be. Family is important. A family who seems to have abandoned you who don¡¯t have ability? No. It¡¯s fun to be with Tsurugi and co. Fun? What is. I wonder what is fun about it. I wonder what was fun about it. I was just ¡°in¡± that group. Isn¡¯t it fine for Tsurugi to die? It¡¯s not like that. He¡¯s my best friend. If he dies, both Rin and Ohashi will be sad. Then the talk shouldn¡¯t be limited to Tsurugi, right. Then, Rin and Ohashi can die as well. ¡°¡­¡± What am I thinking about¡­! I raised my body and looked at the clock. The time is 10:00 am. My head hurts. I can¡¯t ask Boss to not kill Tsurugi. It¡¯s not just my own problem. Boss took my affairs into consideration as much as possible. That¡¯s why here¡­ ¡­I think it¡¯s okay. Meaningless. Nothing would change even if I think about it. There is nothing I can change. I¡¯ll just have to follow the instructions. I¡¯m not fighting Tsurugi, I¡¯m not fighting Midou Ryuusui. I put my body in the bed again. I slept all day that day. Next morning, I wake up in my room. Yesterday¡¯s school tournament continues today. When I opened my phone, there was one new email. It was from Rin. [Won¡¯t you come and see the school tournament?] [I¡¯m not going.] I sent the email that I wrote, put my phone at the bedside and stood up. After changing clothes, I go downstairs to wash my face and brush my teeth. Then I left home. My destination is the hideout. Today, I will take care of Renga. Roll isn¡¯t around, so I¡¯m thinking of inviting Tameiki-san. Tameiki-san has no plans. Because right now, half of the functions of Anonymous headquarters have suspended. Because of Midou Ryuusui¡¯s influence, our activities became temporarily restricted. The current situation is we can¡¯t move thoughtlessly because we don¡¯t know which of our sponsors has been seized. I tried sending an email to Tameiki-san on the organization device. [Where are you now?] I put the phone in my pocket. Then, the phone vibrated after a few seconds. It¡¯s a call. When I took out the phone again, it was a call from Tameiki-san as I expected. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Tameiki-san¡¯s voice came from the other side of the phone. ¡°Can you accompany me to the Tsuhara branch? I want to go to take care of Renga.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Eh? Why?¡± ¡°There¡¯s an order to standby. With the situation as it is. Shion, you should also stay and wait.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I can¡¯t go even for something other than mission huh. Tsuhara branch is at the exact opposite if Saint Celia, so I feel it¡¯s safe, but it seems better to do as she says. Then, let¡¯s not go to the hideout. ¡°I understand. Thank you.¡± ¡°Perhaps another conference will be held later today. Will you come to the hideout?¡± ¡°Hmm. I was thinking of going, but I changed my mind.¡± So there¡¯s a meeting again today huh. Then I should wait at the hideout¡­wait, there¡¯s nothing I can do there anyway. ¡°¡­then, do you want to have a meal together?¡± I look at the time. It¡¯s still 8 am. ¡°For breakfast?¡± ¡°No, for lunch. I already had breakfast.¡± I have nothing to do and I want to talk to Tameiki-san. I haven¡¯t talk much with Tameiki-san recently after all. There are many reasons to go. Or rather I want to go. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Then come to my room.¡± ¡°Eh? Now?¡± There¡¯s still time until noon. Does she need me for something? ¡°Yes.¡± Speaking of which, I have never been in Tameiki-san¡¯s room. I know the location though. I have no reason to decline. ¡°Then, can I go there now?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Ò»Ò»Ò» I arrived in Tameiki-san¡¯s room. When I knocked on the room, I was silently invited inside. Tameiki-san is in a suit as usual even though she is in her room. I enter the room. In the large room, the first impression that came to mind was ¡°Arms Storage¡±. ¡°¡­¡± All sorts of swords are leaning against the wall of the room, and various kinds of knives and whatnot are decorating the wall. There are chains and ropes piled up at corner of the room, and there are several suits scattered on the ground. Other than that, there were many things that make me want to ask ¡°Why is there such a thing here?¡± However, the room smells good. At first I thought the room would smell of gunpowder, but it actually gave off woman¡¯s scent. Tameiki-san sat deep on a plain sofa. By seeing a blanket on the sofa and the fact that there is no bed in the room, I can tell that she¡¯s always sleeping there. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t usually come back to this room.¡± It must be her excuse for this mess huh. Even so, to think that she just leave these suits scattered on the floor. Maybe there are some underwears too¡­ ¡°Are you not tidying up?¡± I looked at the scattered suits and said so. ¡°I¡¯ll throw them away all at once. I¡¯ll get new ones anyway.¡± That¡¯s such a waste¡­ It¡¯s allowed because she is Tameiki-san. In the first place, if she send the suits to hideout¡¯s cleaning service, they will clean it for free though. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, sit down.¡± Tameiki-san told me, then I sat next to her. It¡¯s a very elastic sofa. Tameiki-san lay down on the sofa and put her feet on my knee. ¡°So, what do you want?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Since I was called to her room, I thought Tameiki-san needs me for something. ¡°What? You asked me to go along with you to Tsuhara because you need me for something, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Roll isn¡¯t around today, so I¡¯m thinking of going together with you.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Tameiki-san said with a slight drop in the tone of her voice. ¡°Moreover, I haven¡¯t talk with Tameiki-san at all lately.¡± ¡°¡­I was busy after all.¡± Tameiki-san is kind of serious. No, I wonder if ¡°serious¡± is the right way to say it. It¡¯s just, despite such a personality, unlike Byakurei-san or Desuko-san, she is doing a great amount of work. When we first met, she was on vacation and I thought she was the type of person who couldn¡¯t be tied up, but that seems not to be the case. Of course, I don¡¯t think she is a restrained person though. However, she is true to the command of Boss. ¡°Well but, I have something to talk about with you.¡± ¡°Really? What is it?¡± Tameiki-san rearranges her feet that was on top of mine. ¡°It¡¯s almost winter vacation, so can you train me again? After the matter of Midou Ryuusui was over.¡± My school¡¯s winter vacation is long. Since the school tournament takes up the time of winter vacation, it seems that the amount of processing is getting longer. ¡°¡­I think you are already at the stage where you can become stronger alone. I can help as much as you want if we have similar ability, but our abilities are different.¡± I have a way of growing myself. Especially since I¡¯m the only one who has the ability, Sound Control (Dominant), so there is no need for Tameiki-san to help me at the application stage. I know that. ¡°But, it¡¯s not enough¡­ I want to be stronger. Somehow, I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m getting stronger at all¡­ I¡¯m doing training every day, and I¡¯ve sparred against various people. I¡¯m satisfied with that. However, my ability is not catching up. And the firepower if Soundshoot keep falling behind¡­¡± Battle strength is dependent on ability. ¡°That¡¯s just because your control of ability is still unstable. Don¡¯t rush. You still have room to grow. Rather, you are growing at a great speed. There is no need to rush.¡± ¡°Even so, it¡¯s still slow!¡± Tameiki-san put her hands behind her head and slowly closed her eyes. Then she sigh deeply. I have no choice but to get stronger to survive. I want to live. If I don¡¯t get stronger, I can¡¯t survive. To protect myself, I have to become stronger¡­ The others must have misunderstood. Because Hakunetsu-san and Kuroinu-san died, I¡¯m trying to get stronger. Certainly it was the trigger. However, the reason is ¡°sense of danger¡±. It¡¯s neither about vengeance nor is it about not letting someone else die again. I don¡¯t want to be killed like those two, so I want to become strong. Perhaps it¡¯s embarrassing to think this way. Perhaps it¡¯s rude to the two who died to protect me. But, that¡¯s the conclusion that I reached. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll think about it. After erasing Midou Ryuusui.¡± ¡°Really¡­!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t expect anything. I¡¯ll just think about it.¡± Tameiki-san said. Tameiki-san, is it because you can¡¯t afford it now? No, that¡¯s not limited to Tameiki-san. Ah, I feel like doing some mischief. ¡°You!¡± I tickled the sole of Tameiki-san¡¯s feet with all my might. ¡°Uh¡­huu¡­!¡± I was kicked off the sofa with those feet. Then, I was mounted as it is, but I didn¡¯t miss Tameiki-san¡¯s strange voice. ¡°Tameiki-san is pretty ticklish, right?¡± After that, I was tickled to death. CH 64 [Heavy Judgment] Tameiki-san is a gourmet. Even in this city, Slaceid, there are several shops that she visits regularly, and today, I was brought to one of them, a shop where you can eat the delicacy of demon beast. Tameiki-san¡¯s face was known by Self Defense Force, so she needs to be vigilant even just by walking around the city. Members whose face was already exposed can¡¯t walk the streets openly. After all, if the sighting information increases, the location of the hideout may be identified. As a countermeasure, Anonymous has prepared a number of routes where the SDF¡¯s eyes can¡¯t reach. Today we went to this shop through it. When we entered the store, Tameiki-san and the owner seemed to know each other and we were guided to a private room. Such connections are essential for ordinary covert activities. ¡°Order for whatever you want.¡± Tameiki-san said, then she handed me the menu. I briefly read the menu, but everything is ridiculously expensive. Although she told me to order for whatever I want, with these prices, I will be reserved after all. But well, Tameiki-san has a great amount of money, I guess. Even if I¡¯m not really reserved to order, she isn¡¯t a person who cares about such things, so I will take her upon her words here. Thinking so, I handed the menu back to Tameiki-san and ask her to order various suitable dishes. I rarely eat demon beasts, so I don¡¯t really have a preference. Therefore, no matter what was ordered, it will be the same. ¡°Tameiki-san, do you not have anything else to wear beside suits?¡± After the waiter left, I asked so. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are you not thinking of wearing anything else?¡± Roll is somehow pretty fashionable. Tameiki-san and Roll. They should have been living a similar life, but why are they so different? They have some similarities, though. ¡°I don¡¯t. There¡¯s no need after all.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a waste. Tameiki-san is very beautiful. Your body is good, so you would look good in various clothes.¡± ¡°¡­your flattering is good.¡± Tameiki-san turned her sight away and said. Tameiki-san who is shy is very cute. ¡°No no, it¡¯s not flattery. It¡¯s true.¡± ¡°¡­Stop¡± It¡¯s really a waste. If Tameiki-san return to normal life, there would be many men who would woo her. Since her face has been exposed, it¡¯s impossible for her to return to normal life. That¡¯s why she must live in hiding. However, Yoiyami-san had a relatively ordinary life. ¡°Come to think of it, since when were you in Anonymous?¡± Suddenly, I got curious, so I asked. At that time, the door of the private room was knocked and opened. The waiter brought in the drink that had been ordered. Tameiki-san took a sip of it and placed it on the table. The waiter left the room, and Tameiki-san said. ¡°It¡¯s about when I was 6 years old.¡± 6 years old¡­that¡¯s the age where you would enter elementary school, right. Tameiki-san was about 25 years old now, so that¡¯s about 20 years ago. ¡°Why¡­ why did you enter Anonymous¡­?¡± ¡­this question, might have conveyed wrongly. That¡¯s a part everyone avoids, I was really not delicate. For some reason, I always says what I thought to Tameiki-san. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± I apologized for asking such insensitive question. Then, Tameiki-san laughed and spoke. ¡°I¡¯m the same as you. I caused a manifestation disaster.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°The manifestation disaster will not occur if the ability is strong. Nevertheless, it still occured, because it was deeply related with the mental state at that time and the compatibility with the ability.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I¡¯ve learned in class. If the compatibility with the ability is too good, it may rampage without control. There are many patterns in which strong abilities are gradually manifest and bloom, but it seems that such cases can occur if the mental state is unstable. That was the case with me. If I was asked if my mental state was unstable, I had to tilt my head though. Maybe I just didn¡¯t realize it. ¡°¡­With my manifestation, I made my whole surroundings became a plain. It was a small village. A lot of people died. Of course, my whole family died as well.¡± I was speechless. That experience should be too painful for a 6-year-old¡­ Tameiki-san speaks calmly. ¡°Everyone who approaches me dies¡­ I became alone.¡± ¡°¡­What happened after that?¡± It was similar to me. However, it must had been harder for Tameiki-san. ¡°Hyde and Yoiyami appeared there.¡± Boss and Yoiyami-san¡­ Right, Yoiyami-san was already a part of Anonymous since the time it was formed. So Anonymous was already around since that time huh. ¡°Then, I entered Anonymous. It was still a small organization at that time.¡± ¡°Hee, it¡¯s already around since that long¡­, Anonymous I mean.¡± ¡°Ahh. ¡­I¡¯m grateful to Hyde. It¡¯s thanks to him that I could live like this now.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Then, the reason why Tameiki-san silently obeying the unreasonable orders of Boss is because she feels that she has a debt of gratitude to him? She grew up that way. Perhaps by doing so, she reaffirmed the significance of her own existence. It¡¯s something that only Tameiki-san can understand. I wonder if Tameiki-san enjoyed her life now. As expected, I couldn¡¯t ask such a question. ¡°Now that I think about it, the only ones who are still alive since the time of founding were Hyde, Yoiyami, and Kemuri. At the time I entered, people are dying every day. Since I was still a kid, so I was only protected at that time. That¡¯s why¡­I also understand your feelings well.¡± Tameiki-san narrowed her eyes. Kuroinu-san¡­ Hakunetsu-san¡­ Perhaps there were also existences like those two for Tameiki-san. I¡¯m sure that she had experienced this sadness, fear, and anger dozens of times more than I do, to be the Tameiki-san of now. ¡°¡­¡± Boss picked up many different people. However, those people eventually died. If they would eventually die, I wonder why they were saved. What was Boss thinking about when he created this organization. Sacrifice many people for one person. Boss said so. However, that one person would also die. Currently, they are collected as an organization, but there were many times more people who died than those who were saved, right? How does Boss accept this fact. ¡°I wonder why Boss made Anonymous.¡± With Boss¡¯ ability, he should be able to join the Self Defense Force and work to save those kinds of people. I think he could help more people by doing so. Is it can¡¯t be done unless it¡¯s Anonymous? ¡°The reason, huh¡­ He has various responsibilities, so should have his own consideration. It¡¯s been about 20 years since I met him, but I don¡¯t know anything about him. No, there¡¯s no meaning in knowing it. There are considerable numbers of people who can live thanks to him. That¡¯s enough.¡± I thought deeply about the meaning of those words. Then, after a brief silence, the door of the private room opened and the food was delivered. Even though we deliberately came here to eat, the talk had become quite unenjoyable somehow. It¡¯s because I heard something weird. However, I can¡¯t think of a story that can be enjoyed with Tameiki-san. Not that it¡¯s unenjoyable to be together with her. ¡°Here, let¡¯s eat.¡± ¡°Itadakimasu.¡± The demon beast¡¯s dishes were delicious ©`©`©` An executive meeting was held that night. I¡¯m sitting in Utsusemi-san¡¯s seat. It¡¯s a space that can¡¯t be said to be comfortable. ¡°Let¡¯s start the meeting.¡± Boss¡¯s words shook the atmosphere in the meeting room. ¡°First, status report. In the last 3 days, I ordered the branch members to make exaggerated movements, and 5 out of 7 cases was taken care of by Midou Ryuusui. From this, the organization can¡¯t move poorly.¡± ¡°Five cases huh, that¡¯s troubling.¡± Byakurei-san put his feet on the table, and said so. ¡°Looks like they got a Teleporter ability user. This is their measure against Shimichi, and the situation became troublesome.¡± ¡°Hee, the enemy doesn¡¯t seem to be stupid.¡± ¡°Byakurei is an idiot though.¡± I turn my sight to the two. Seems like they have no sense of tension. By the way, Desuko-san and Byakurei-san are somehow on good terms, right. ¡°He specially step down from his general rank to crush us in earnest. He seems to manage the department that mainly dealt with Anonymous. Perhaps he inherited the department of Lieutenant General Sakai, who had hardly functioned.¡± ¡°There was such a thing too, right.¡± ¡°Then, his range of action. Midou Ryuusui acts only within the range of the seven major cities that made a big encirclement around Saint Celia. It¡¯s been confirmed by Observer. That¡¯s probably because he¡¯s putting all his effort to battle us and try not to leave Saint Celia if possible.¡± ¡°Moreover, that¡¯s the limit distance of the Teleporter ability user.¡± ¡°Ah, if we make a conspicuous move within this range, that guy will certainly come. Well, even so, it could be an advantage for us. However, it¡¯s necessary to separate the Teleporter ability user from Midou.¡± Boss looked at Kemuri-san. Kemuri-san sighed and raise his hand. ¡°Certainly, that¡¯s my role, which would make it least risky. But they shouldn¡¯t be alone, right? The Teleporter ability user I mean.¡± ¡°True. You¡¯re right. The exact number is unknown though.¡± ¡°To summarize, this is an assassination, right. The difficulty of assassinating people with teleportation ability is high though.¡± ¡°It seems easier than to deal with Midou Ryuusui. I¡¯ll help you, Kemuri. Battle isn¡¯t my business anyway.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll count on you, Desuko.¡± ¡°Yes~.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave that side to you two. Well then, I, Tameiki, Byakurei, Shimichi, the minimum conditions to attack him with these four people are that he is acting alone and that we can take it to a battle where civilians are damaged. And if possible¡­I want to capture him alive.¡± ¡°Ha?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°What are you thinking Boss.¡± ¡°¡­The conditions have suddenly become more difficult at the end. Why do you need him alive?¡± Everyone asked one after another. ¡°There is information that I want to retrieve. Of course, I will kill him after I retrieve the information.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no use. He¡¯s not a man who would open his mouth even when tortured.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine to let Desuko try it.¡± ¡°Eh~, me¡­?¡± ¡°¡­As expected, it¡¯s too hard right? To capture him alive, four people is just barely enough. It¡¯s different from killing him.¡± Barely enough with four people¡­ Those four are barely enough huh. ¡°That¡¯s why I said, if possible. The level of difficulty jumps up after all. I¡¯ll see the situation and gives the instruction.¡± Boss seems to be aiming to capture him alive since the beginning. Tameiki-san also said that four people was more than enough if it¡¯s just to kill him. So, he wants the information so badly that he would even go to that extent. ¡°Do you have a plan or something?¡± Byakurei-san said. ¡°We¡¯ll use Shion.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes moved to me. So, my role is here huh. ¡°We¡¯ll make Shion be our hostage.¡± CH 65 [The Zero¡¯s Judgment] Boss and co move quickly. The operation was carried out the following evening. Let¡¯s review the plans. First, Byakurei-san takes the civilians (including me) in a specific place hostage. I have to be on-site as all conversations will be done with my ability. I will pretend to be a hostage and ask Tsurugi for help. At that time, I¡¯ll send the information about the number of enemies, the number of hostages, the situation, etc. to Tsurugi, so that Midou Ryuusui would move. I don¡¯t think he wouldn¡¯t, but if Midou Ryuusui doesn¡¯t move here, we¡¯ll annihilate the enemy and try again at a later date. Naturally, the strategy will also be changed. However, Midou Ryuusui will probably move with teleportation. When Midou Ryuusui arrives, Byakurei-san will start to escape using the determined route. If Byakurei-san escapes with all his might, Midou Ryuusui should follow after him. If he doesn¡¯t seem to be able to escape here, Shimichi-san will enter as support. In that gap, Kemuri-san and Desuko-san will kill the teleportation ability user and co, and erased the escape route of Midou Ryuusui. At this point, my role is over, so I will evacuate so that I will not be involved in battle. When Byakurei-san escapes, the hostages will also be released. Byakurei-san will lure Midou Ryuusui to a place in the vicinity of where Boss and co lying in wait, and then escape. At this point, Shimichi-san will activate her ¡°Infinite Corridor¡±, then a certain killing combo of Midou Ryuusui will be established. However, there are three uncertainties. The first is the unknown ability of the irregular, Midou Tsurugi. Development may change depending on whether or not Tsurugi intervenes. I¡¯m sure Tsurugi will come. If we do it poorly, there is a possibility that Tsurugi will come before Midou Ryuusui. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t foolishly charge-in alone. Honestly, my heart aches thinking that I will deceive him. But I won¡¯t hesitate. Since I¡¯m living as Anonymous, I¡¯ll do what I must do. As a result, even if Tsurugi would die, I would kill my heart. Kemuri-san will be the measure against Tsurugi. Tsurugi has an incomprehensible ability, but Boss conclude that his ability isn¡¯t one that can draw out high firepower. So, Kemuri-san is in charge of dealing with Tsurugi when he appears. The second uncertain factor is the possibility that Midou Ryuusui will kill all civilians in no time. I denied this point. The reason I can deny it is because I know Midou Ryuusui and he¡¯s not the person who does such a thing. I used to play with Tsurugi since I was little, so I had a family-like relationship with Midou family. Everyone¡¯s seems to have a different impression of him, but Midou Ryuusui is a gentle man. He¡¯s not such a ruthless man. In the first place, if he killed all the civilians, he would be fired. However, it seems that Boss thinks it as an uncertain factor. It seems that Byakurei-san will take care of this. The last uncertain factor is the pattern in which Midou Ryuusui find out about the trap when Byakurei-san escapes. This depends on Byakurei-san¡¯s capability, but if he was found out, Shimichi-san will use her ¡°Infinite Corridor¡± then. And at the same time, Desuko-san and Kemuri-san will kill the teleport ability user and co. If this happens, the usefulness of the civilians, including myself, as hostages will be restored, and no small numbers of civilians will be sacrificed. Even if they couldn¡¯t kill the teleportation ability user and co, this would prevent them from leaving. Although the strategy is somewhat rough, it seems that area will be covered while adapting to the circumstances. Well, except me, everyone is a veteran, I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t fail unless something happens. ¡°I¡¯m already in positition.¡± I sent a signal to Boss and co who were already prepared. I¡¯m inside the theater of the Public Meeting Hall. In this theater, the play of a troupe called FJ Group is scheduled to start. In accordance to the information, there are few visitors. There aren¡¯t even 100 people. ¡°The number of visitors is a little less than 100 people. They are gathered around the front-row seats, but there are three people, including myself, sitting on the middle-back seats. And¡­I think it¡¯s better to infiltrate through the second door.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± When I reported the situation, I heard a reply from Byakurei-san. I¡¯m nervous. Probably, Midou Ryuusui will come here about ten minutes later. The Public Meeting Hall is located in a wide-open space, slightly away from the city center. There is an industrial area a little further from here, and we plan to lure Midou Ryuusui to a warehouse there during the operation. The stage curtain rises with the sound of the opening buzzer. On the lightly illuminated stage, men and women who are going to start the play are standing still facing each other while looking down. ¡°Then, let¡¯s start.¡± Byakurei-san said. Then I gulped. Each reply came from each designated position. The curtain is completely raised. Then, when I gave a signal, the 2nd door on the right side of the front opened wide with a *gakon*. A gray suit and an evil-looking mask that I¡¯m used to seeing. With a large sword on his back. It¡¯s Byakurei-san. I made the sound of door opening louder with my ability, so the eyes of the people in the theater naturally turned to that point. The area is buzzing. ¡°Don¡¯t move. I¡¯ll kill you if you move. This Public Meeting Hall is now occupied by Anonymous.¡± The voice of Byakurei-san sounded frightening because of my ability. A female visitor in the front row screamed and jumped to the opposite door first. However, the door doesn¡¯t open. It won¡¯t even budge. It doesn¡¯t even move by 1mm. This is Byakurei-san¡¯s ability. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯m seeing it, but I¡¯ve been told at the strategy meeting. Fixed space (Room Impair). As its name suggests, the ability to temporarily fix a designated space. Byakurei-san was assigned to occupy this place alone is because of this ability. ¡°¡­Oi oi, I¡¯ve already said that I¡¯ll kill anyone who moves, right?¡± Byakurei-san¡¯s voice echoes loudly due to me. Then he went to the woman who clings to the door. No one moves. That¡¯s a matter of course. If I was aimed at with this level of killing intent, I won¡¯t move either. ¡°Hiii¡­!¡± The lady had no choice but to escape. However, she suddenly stopped moving. No, she was stopped. The space is fixed. ¡°Ah¡­ah¡­! Someone! Someone saves me!¡± The woman cried. At that time, a courageous man plunges to Byakurei-san with a loud roar. ¡°Uoooooooo!!¡± However, his movement also stops just before Byakurei-san¡¯s eyes. ¡°This ability is amazing, right? Actually, you can also use this as a ruler you see¡­¡± Byakurei-san pull the sword on his back and cut the man diagonally from his shoulder. Blood splattered to Byakurei-san. I unintentionally closed my eyes. ¡°It can also cut pretty cleanly like this you know.¡± Although I keep my eyes closed, I still play the role of amplifier properly. ¡°Kyaaaaaa!!¡± Scream raised. I open my eyes. Then this time, Byakurei-san went to the woman who couldn¡¯t move, and he also split the woman into two. There is no need to kill¡­ There¡¯s no need, but we¡¯ll be troubled if the visitors here struggles. Therefore, it¡¯s effective to kill one or two people as an example to make them obedient. This is so the trap for Midou Ryuusui won¡¯t be sensed as well. ¡°¡­¡± Here, I attach a photo to a prepared email and send it to Tsurugi. The photo was taken just now. Since it was taken from behind the chair, half of the information was cut off and there wasn¡¯t much information in the image. The two corpses and Byakurei-san. And about the number of hostages. ¡®The theater in the Public Meeting Hall was occupied by Anonymous, save me.¡¯ The contents are like this. Please give this information to Midou Ryuusui. Byakurei-san carried his sword and slowly climbed up on the stage while the sounds of his footsteps resounded. ¡°From now on, you guys are hostages. You won¡¯t die if you are obedient.¡± After this, Byakurei-san will gather the hostages on the stage. I will not reply even if Tsurugi reply arrives. I have given enough information. The rest is to see how it progress. ¡°Then, everyone should come up the stage. Get up from the front-right.¡± According to Byakurei-san, the hostages move from the seats to the stage one by one. Byakurei-san descended from the stage and watched the situation carefully. Eventually, my turn arrived. I also proceed to the stage like the other hostages. I wonder if Tsurugi had read the email. If there is no movement over there, Byakurei-san must contact the Self-Defense Force. In this case, if the Self-Defense Force didn¡¯t take the first move, there would be no meaning for me being here. And if we lose the initiative here, it won¡¯t proceed according to the strategy. However, there is still room until that happens. We don¡¯t have to rush. After a while I walked, the duo sitting who was sitting behind me started moving at the same time. What¡¯s with these guys¡­ I thought it was suspicious, but I continued walking without reacting to it. ¡°¡­Oi, why are you moving as you like.¡± While saying so, Byakurei-san walked. Then, the two people in the back shouted. ¡°No way, he really appears! Just as the leader said!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get revenge for Hal, Anonymous!¡± I turned around without thinking. Who were there are a woman with bright red hair wearing a red dress and a man with a swept-back blond hair in a white coat. They weren¡¯t so flashy until now. And they put on a Venetian mask taken from somewhere. ¡°¡­Why are the Nursery Rhyme here?¡± I heard Tameiki-san¡¯s voice. This situation is bad. Did these guys know that we would appear here¡­? ¡°Get rid of them. Byakurei.¡± I heard Boss¡¯ calm voice. Since the relay of sound continues as before, the situation is well communicated to everyone. While lifting the corner of her mouth, the red-haired woman gets out to the side of the seat-row. However, her movement stopped there. ¡°Mu, isn¡¯t that ability too much?¡± It¡¯s Byakurei-san¡¯s Room Impair. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to reduce the hostages too much though.¡± Byakurei-san said as he proceeded without change. I avoided the coming Byakurei-san, and stuck my back to the wall. I don¡¯t know how I should move. Should I proceed to the stage? Or should I not make any unnecessary moves? I glanced at the man. He shows no indication that he will moves. However, he¡¯s looking at Byakurei-san with a grin. The red-haired woman said to the approaching Byakurei-san. ¡°My name is Sen. Anonymous, let¡¯s have fun killing each other.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity, goodbye.¡± Byakurei-san pulls out the sword on his back. Blood splattered. The woman who called herself Sen didn¡¯t put up any resistance and became split in two. ¡°¡­¡± Her heart stopped beating. She¡¯s dead. ¡­What was with her. Byakurei-san then shifts his eyes to the man. The man was still grinning even though his companion died. Then I noticed something unusual. From Sen who became split in two. Sen¡¯s corpse ignited. ¡°Tsk, what is it?¡± Byakurei-san takes a one-step distance from there. I also walked along the wall and gradually separated from the three people. The corpse that ignited burns vigorously and emits a dazzling light. Then, a naked Sen appeared from the ash. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­What!?¡± ¡°Amazing, right? My ability is strengthening type ¡®Phoenix¡¯. I¡¯m an ability user who possesses the power of the rare myth class.¡± Myth class ability user¡­!? She is such an existence¡­! Moreover, the phoenix is immortal¡­! Damn it, what to do. ¡°For the time being, should I kill all the hostages?¡± The one who said that and started to move is the blond man. Matching him, Byakurei-san also moves. However, Byakurei-san was stopped by Sen. ¡°Let¡¯s play, sexy guy.¡± I have to move¡­! ¡°Don¡¯t move, Shion. There are two of Kemuri¡¯s clone among the hostages as an insurance. It¡¯s fine.¡± I hear Boss¡¯ voice and stop. I didn¡¯t hear anything about that. Byakurei-san fixed Sen and chased the blonde who kicked the seat and moved. However, at that time, sound was generated at a total of 4 points. I immediately shift my eyes. What was reflected in my eyes are white uniforms. It¡¯s the Self-Defense Force. All of them are teleported in front of the door. I look for Midou Ryuusui. He looked over this situation from the front of the 2nd door. It¡¯s the worst timing. CH 66 [The Thousand¡¯s Judgment] The situation has unfolded. The Self Defense Force who appeared at the four points began to move swiftly. First of all, because of the situation Byakurei-san was in, the hostages were easily retaken. ¡°B and D unit, secure the hostages and teleport! Evacuate the isolated hostage as well! A and C are to eliminate the enemies! Attack them all, all hands are to support me!¡± The voice of Midou Ryuusui echoes sharply in the theater. The Self Defense Force were immediately responding to the unexpected appearance of Nursery Rhyme. ¡°Byakurei, withdraw as planned. There is no change in the strategy. Kemuri, kill the target before they managed to teleport. Shion, keep relaying the situation without participating in the teleport,¡± said Boss. When I shift my eyes, Byakurei-san was already shaking Sen off and was moving. Kemuri-san seems to have slip in among the hostages, but I don¡¯t know which one he is. Moreover, an unreasonable order was given only to me. In this situation, my position is very insecure. For the time being, I was also in position of a hostage, but with the appearance of Nursery Rhyme, the plan went haywire. No, perhaps that¡¯s why Boss issued such an order. ¡°B and D unit! Teleporting!¡± Someone from the Self Defense Force called out. And the hostages that Byakurei-san had gathered was teleported out. Byakurei-san was heading for door 4 in the opposite direction to the position of Midou Ryuusui. And, Sen and the blonde chased after him, furthermore, Midou Ryuusui was pursuing behind them. It took less than a few seconds for him to arrive behind them. However, Midou Ryuusui stopped in the middle of the theater. Nursery Rhyme also stopped moving. Room Impair, Byakurei-san¡¯s ability. They can¡¯t go any further. ¡°Hazuki! Chase him! But don¡¯t get too close! Just chase him!¡± ¡°Roger!¡± At the command of Midou Ryuusui, a woman crossed the fixed space wall. Midou Ryuusui shift his gaze to Nursery Rhyme, and fire a wind blade. ¡°Wha-!¡± ¡°Dangerous!¡± Using Sen as a shield, the blonde man began to escape. At that time, he caught me in his eyes. He runs towards me. Perhaps he judged that he can escape from Midou Ryuusui, and decides to take me as a hostage. This is an opportunity. ¡°U-uwaaa!!¡± I screamed, and turned around to the 3rd door and started running. If it¡¯s in this situation, it is safe to run away. They must think that my act was real. ¡°Wai-, dammit, wait!¡± I heard the blonde¡¯s voice from behind. When I opened the door vigorously, I jumped down the stairs in front of me, silenced the sounds and left the Public Meeting Hall. Then immediately follow the sound of Byakurei-san. Byakurei-san has pick up the planned route. In the back, the blonde and Sen seems to have started fighting against the Self Defense Force. They can¡¯t chase me. I can hear sounds accurately in a radius of about 1km. I have to put Byakurei-san and co in this range, so I need to move to the right point. In addition to me, there was one sound that was following Byakurei-san. It was the person called Hazuki, the teleportation ability user. She doesn¡¯t get too close to Byakurei-san and keeps a proper distance to pursue him. It doesn¡¯t matter if a teleportation ability user was fixed in space, they can just teleport ahead. I naturally followed Byakurei-san from behind. The battle in the back sounds intense. It seems that the Nursery Rhyme was holding out well against the Self Defense Force. Suddenly, there was an explosion sound behind me. Looking back, there is a fire coming up from the Public Meeting Hall. ¡­No, that¡¯s not fire. That is a pair of wings that was clad in deep red burning flames. Right above the Public Meeting Hall is a Phoenix. That¡¯s most likely, Sen. Since she is a strengthening type, she can also transform, huh. While revolving, Sen ascend to the sky, stopped there, and adjust her direction to my way. Then, she glides this way while scattering sparks from her burning wings. ¡°Wha-¡­!¡± Why am I being targeted? I thought so for a moment, but her target wasn¡¯t me. Yes, her target was not me, but Byakurei-san, who is on my straight line. ¡°Shion, shoot her from below. She will be a trouble. The one who is close to that place is, Chiyaku. Go to Shion¡¯s support. Shion, I¡¯ll count on you to delay her for a while.¡± I heard such a voice from Boss. Apparently, the phoenix is visible from Boss¡¯ position. ¡°I understand.¡± I replied reflexively. Is it possible to destroy that with Soundshoot? ¡­I have no choice but to do it because I have answered. ¡°Shion, where is Midou Ryuusui?¡± ¡°He¡¯s still in the Public Meeting Hall. Maybe he¡¯s fighting against the other Nursery Rhyme member,¡± I answered, looking at the flying Sen. She is fast, but slower than Renga. In other words, it is not a speed that cannot be cope with. The sound of the flame wings cutting through the sky is approaching. I held my hand up to the sky and waited for Sen to pass overhead. And when she appeared right over the sky, I fired a full-powered Soundshoot from the ground. Roaring sound echoes in the sky. The Soundshoot hit Sen right on the mark. The corners of my mouth are lifted. ¡°Screeeeech!!¡± Sen cries while crashing into the factory ahead. I ran to the direction where Sen fell. I climb over the fence of the factory and go inside. There is no sign of people around. Today, all the factories around here are closed. It seems that Boss arranged so to reduce the damage. Fire was rising from the place where Sen fell. When I went there, Sen, who was completely naked, appeared from the rubble. Her expression is full of anger, and even now, she seems about to plunge to me. ¡°Bastard¡­ you are from before. I see. You¡¯re Anonymous too. What is your name?¡± ¡°Shion.¡± ¡°Shion¡­ Shion?¡± ¡°¡­Ahh.¡± ¡°¡­I see~. So, you are Shion, huh~. The one who killed Hal¡­¡± Sen¡¯s killing intent-mixed anger increased. ¡°¡­¡± Is it better not to say my name¡­? No, I¡¯m not scared. In this place, I can use my abilities without hesitation. I have enough chance of winning¡­ What am I thinking? It¡¯s impossible. The other person is immortal. There is no chance of winning. I mean, I just have to stop until her until Chiyaku-san arrives, right? If I just need to stop her, I don¡¯t have to fight. That said, it is a good idea to ask some questions to buy some time. Aside from whether Sen would have a decent conversation with me, Hal¡¯s killer. I thought so and opened my mouth. ¡°What is your purpose? Why did you disturb us?¡± I swallowed my saliva. ¡°Purpose, huh~¡­ We don¡¯t have any particular purpose. If I have to say one, then to avenge Hal. And, because it¡¯s fun,¡± said Sen, as she stepped forward. I suppress the feeling that want to step back and ask more questions. ¡°¡­Did you guys know that we would attack the Public Meeting Hall?¡± ¡°You want to know?¡± It¡¯s impossible that the information leaks today or yesterday. Is there a spy in the organization? Or does the enemy have an ability user who are good at collecting information? ¡°Ahh.¡± I nodded, and Sen said. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know if you can beat me!¡± As expected, conversation is impossible, huh. Flames blows out from her whole body, and she transforms into a phoenix. A burning myth class giant rushed towards me. I can already feel the coming heat. I fire a full-powered Soundshoot. The phoenix was pushed back with one Soundshoot. Without a moment¡¯s delay, I follow up with another Soundshoot. Despite being able to endure once, she seemed to be unable to endure the second Soundshoot, as she was blown into the depths of the rubble. ¡°Not baaad! Once more, Shion!¡± Sen¡¯s comeback was quick. I started running immediately. If I keep fighting against an immortal enemy, I¡¯d only be exhausted, and eventually I will be killed. Just buy some time¡­ I just need to buy some time. Therefore, I won¡¯t give her a chance to attack. I thought so and approached Sen, and when I tried to fire a Soundshoot, Chiyaku-san who walked in from the opposite direction came into my eyes. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I last fought.¡± ¡°Chiyaku-san!¡± While her white coat fluttering, she stood on the opposite side of me, sandwiching Sen between us. Both of her hands are in her pocket. She looks down at Sen, who was buried in the rubbles. ¡°Who are you?¡± said Sen. ¡°You don¡¯t need to know.¡± I was surprised at Chiyaku-san¡¯s arrogance. Or rather, I wonder if she can fight. Midou Ryuusui is still engaged in battle. But I don¡¯t know when he will come over here. He¡¯s still in battle means that the blonde was also an amazing ability user, huh. ¡°Since you said that, you should be able to entertain me, riiight?¡± said Sen, crawling up from the rubble. ¡°Be careful, Chiyaku-san! She¡¯s immortal!¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± At Chiyaku-san¡¯s half-hearted reply, I get a little bit nervous. Immortal¡­ I wonder what kind of strategy Chiyaku-san will use against such an opponent. When I thought so, Chiyaku-san had already appeared behind Sen. ¡°¡­!¡± Sen responds quickly, but cannot make it in time. She received Chiyaku-san¡¯s all out strike on the back of her head, and fell on the place. Chiyaku-san, so strong¡­! ¡°Guu¡­!¡± Chiyaku-san grabbed the hair of Sen, who was lying on the ground, and lifted her up, then she pierced Sen¡¯s eyes with something like a pick that she took out from who knows where. ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!! IT HUUUUUUUUUUURTS!!¡± Sen holds her eyes and screams. Letting go of Sen¡¯s hair, Chiyaku-san says. ¡°If she¡¯s immortal, then you don¡¯t have go out of your way to kill her. Shion-kun, give me that iron pipe over there.¡± Chiyaku-san asked me, so I picked up the iron pipe and handed it to her. Chiyaku-san took the iron pipe, and hit Sen¡¯s head with it repeatedly. Before long, Sen lost her consciousness due the beating. ¡°Amazing¡­¡± ¡°Seems like, although she¡¯s immortal, she still receives damage after all.¡± ¡­I thought there¡¯s no way to do it though. Even so, could Chiyaku-san can fight, huh. Moreover, she was very strong. ¡°Hyde, I want to bring this girl back. It seems like she can be a good material.¡± I convey the Chiyaku-san¡¯s voice to Boss. ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but do that later. Shion, how¡¯s Midou Ryuusui doing?¡± ¡°He¡¯s still in the Public Meeting Hall¡­ No, he just came out. He¡¯s heading this way with great momentum.¡± ¡°That sounds like a trouble. Hide yourself.¡± Being told so, Chiyaku-san and I quickly hid in the shadows. Immediately after that, Midou Ryuusui landed near the fainted Sen. I silenced the sounds and listened to the situation of Midou Ryuusui from behind him. At that time, wind blew around him. Blown by the wind, his hairs swayed. ¡°We were found out, huh.¡± Suddenly, Chiyaku-san murmured and stood up. ¡°Eh¡± When I made such a stupid voice, a piercing killing intent struck me. When I turned toward him, Midou Ryuusui is coming our way. CH 67 [The Shadow¡¯s Judgment] A prefabricated house in the factory square was turned into rubble. Above it is Sen, a member of the Nursery Rhyme. With that rubble as the background, Midou Ryuusui is heading towards the place we are hiding behind of. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± The one who said that and moved was Chiyaku-san. Before I could stop her, she appeared in front of Midou Ryusuui. Chiyaku-san threw a glance at me for a moment. Her gaze made me stop. I feel that she¡¯s telling me not to come. Chiyaku-san, who stood in front of Midou Ryuusui, put a mask in front of him. Then, she put her hand inside the pocket of her white coat and looked at the enemy in front of her casually. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Ryuusui.¡± ¡°You are¡­ Senjiya Kusuri¡­!¡± I was surprised at the words that came out of their mouth. Chiyaku-san and Midou Ryuusui. They are an acquaintance huh. Senjiya Kusuri¡­that is probably Chiyaku-san¡¯s real name. ¡°¡­as I thought, you are in Anonymous huh.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Why did you betray the Self-Defense Force¡­¡± I frown. Betrayed the Self-Defense Force¡­? Was Chiyaku-san originally a part of the Self-Defense Force¡­? Then, why is she in Anonymous¡­ No, but if it¡¯s Boss, it¡¯s likely for him to headhunt member from the Self-Defense Force. I turned my eyes to Chiyaku-san. I couldn¡¯t see her expression, but Chiyaku-san was silent. ¡°Answer me! Senjiya!¡± The Midou Ryuusui¡¯s bellow echoed. That Midou Ryuusui is angry with his emotions bared. The surrounding wind went astir, and cloud of dust fluttered. ¡°The way you speak to me has become like that huh, Ryuusui?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for me, all the higher-ups today would already be in the other world, right.¡± Chiyaku-san smiled and shrugged. Then Chiyaku-san pulls out her hand from her pocket. A scalper was in her hand. ¡­She¡¯s serious. Midou Ryuusui quickly got into stance. Even though he didn¡¯t get into stance like that when he faced us, it seems that he¡¯s quite wary of Chiyaku-san. ¡­Perhaps that¡¯s how strong Chiyaku-san is. Despite being a medical specialist, Chiyaku-san is an Anonymous executive. I didn¡¯t think she was weak, but I didn¡¯t think she could fight. Chiyaku-san¡¯s ability is accelerated healing ¡®Accelerator Heal¡¯. It is literally an ability to accelerate healing. It is an ability that is not suitable for battle at all, but why is Midou Ryuusui so vigilant? I can¡¯t predict what will happen in this situation. When I was thinking about such a thing, I heard a voice from Boss. ¡°Chiyaku, just holds Midou Ryuusui for a bit. Byakurei will kill the teleportation ability user who was behind him and we will join you. It¡¯s a change of plan. We will kill Midou Ryuusui there. Shion, keep relaying the situation.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± The sound is transmitted to Chiyaku-san through me. They will do it here, huh¡­ No sound is approaching. What happened to the other Nursery Rhyme guy? Did he die fighting Midou Ryuusui? ¡°Well fine, it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t tell you why I left the Self-Defense Force.¡± Chiyaku-san put her hand in her pocket again and said. Because there was a command from Boss, I think she decided to buy time by talking. ¡°¡­¡± Midou Ryuusui didn¡¯t put down his stance. I gulped. ¡°What, don¡¯t you want to hear it?¡± ¡°¡­about the occupation a while ago, you guys are planning something, right?¡± ¡­This, perhaps he had noticed something. It is strange that Chiyaku-san is here in the first place. He didn¡¯t conclude it only based on his feeling. But, even Midou Ryuusui wouldn¡¯t think that it is a plan to kill himself. Despite being vigilant, he is one step behind. ¡°It seems you can¡¯t answer that.¡± Midou Ryuusui slowly approached Chiyaku-san without putting down his stance. Chiyaku-san slowly put her hand out of her pocket. Still, there is a silver scalpel in her hand. ¡°Now that I think about it, you don¡¯t have to listen now. Let¡¯s talk slowly at the base.¡± She said, and the one who moved first was Midou Ryuusui. With a *gon* winds are blown to Chiyaku-san. Chiyaku-san was flown into the air like a paper. What I saw in the air was fresh blood. Blood was dancing. Chiyaku-san¡¯s scalpel is dyed red. I certainly saw it. Chiyaku-san cut her wrist with the scalpel. Midou Ryuusui, who was approaching Chiyaku-san in order to pursue her, saw it and retreated quickly to the back, landing softly on the ground. Chiyaku-san who flew off also landed on the ground after a delay. The blood that she shed previously floated around her. What is that¡­ ¡°¡­what a troublesome ability.¡± Midou Ryuusui muttered. I¡¯m certain. That is obviously not Accelerator Heal. That¡¯s a different ability. Chiyaku-san, is a duplicate ability user ¡®Skill Repeater¡¯¡­! But what kind of ability is that? From how it looks, it seems to be a blood controlling ability. However, I wonder why Midou Ryuusui be that wary of that? ¡°I haven¡¯t used this ability for a long time. It¡¯s very tiring.¡± ¡°Well said¡­¡± Suddenly, wind blew from behind Midou Ryuusui. As a result, the rubbles are fired to Chiyaku-san like a bullet. The rubble bullets released along with the dust cloud became an inescapable barrage. At that time, a red membrane spreads in front of Chiyaku-san. A blood shield. I thought how she could block them with such a thing, but all the rubbles that hit the blood membrane smashed and fell to the ground. How strong. However, in the meantime, Midou Ryuusui is going around behind Chiyaku-san. It seems that the rubble attack was just a feint. He swung his hand up strongly, and swung it back down. I noticed late that Midou Ryuusui was shooting a wind slash at that moment, but Chiyaku-san was already showing evasive action at that time. The slashing attack cuts through the ground while heading for Chiyaku-san. Chiyaku-san jumps up and dodge the slash. Midou Ryuusui continues to shoot slashes from a long distance. Chiyaku-san who floated in the air nimbly dodged the slashes like cotton. A slashing attack that seemed to be unavoidable grazed Chiyaku-san¡¯s cheek. The blood droplets split in the air, changed their shape, and eventually became scalpels. Bloody scalpels pour down from the sky to Midou Ryuusui. Midou Ryuusui danced in the air and dodge them. When Chiyaku-san lands, once again, she throws countless scalpels at Midou Ryuusui, who floats in the sky. The thrown scalpels can¡¯t reach Midou Ryuusui. Midou Ryuusui evaded the scalpels trajectory by using the wind and managed to avoided them. Midou Ryuusui shoots a wind slash from the sky. Chiyaku-san received the slash on her arm. Chiyaku-san¡¯s severed arm dances in the air. Along with a lot of blood. Chiyaku-san grabbed the severed arm and crouched. A follow up slashes flies right there without a moment¡¯s delay. This time from all directions. Chiyaku-san made a sphere of blood membrane while crouching and blocked everything. The number of slashes does not cause the sphere to budge. Is it because the amount of blood has increased? When the slashing attacks stopped after a while, the sphere crumble down like a gooey and the figure of Chiyaku-san appeared there. Chiyaku-san swung the severed arm in her hand toward Midou Ryuusui. *zan* and the spilled blood became a slash and flew away. ¡°¡­!!¡± Midou Ryuusui is already prepared in place and dodge it. The factory at the back was vertically divided. That flying blood slash flew from the ground to Midou Ryuusui. The blood that flew like a slash is scattered by the gusts of wind released by Midou Ryuusui. Chiyaku-san attaches her severed right arm to her shoulder. Then, after a while, she released it, and her right arm was attached. ¡°It¡¯s impossible even after using this much blood, huh. It seems like I can¡¯t beat you.¡± She said scooping the blood left on her cheeks. And even the scar on her cheek is already gone. The blood adhered to her finger separate from her hand as if oozing to the air, and floats in the air. The scattered blood of the slashing attack also gathers at her. Midou Ryuusui looks down on her figure from above. ¡°Be serious and come kill me, Ryuusui.¡± ¡­I see, Midou Ryuusui is planning to capture Chiyaku-san alive, huh. That means that he has a handicap. ¡°I am serious.¡± At Midou Ryuusui¡¯s words, Chiyaku-san shrugs. Her expression seems to indicate that she still has a leeway, but she already lost a considerable amount of blood. That ability seems to put a considerable burden on herself. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± Midou Ryuusui continued. ¡°About what?¡± Chiyaku-san smiled a little. Probably because Midou Ryuusui was continuing the conversation himself. ¡°Why did you use such power for Anonymous. You were said to be the strongest military doctor, so why did you betray the Self-Defense Force?¡± The strongest military doctor. It is certainly convincing even if she is called that way when you watch the current battle. ¡°It¡¯s the opposite. I was skeptical about using this power for the Self-Defense Force.¡± ¡°Why. What do you gain by being in Anonymous?¡± ¡°Surely, there are many people who can be saved with this power. In fact, I have saved many lives. But that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°What do you mean by ¡®that¡¯s it¡¯? Besides surely, there must be a meaning, right.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of gain or loss, Ryuusui. And it doesn¡¯t matter whether it¡¯s good or evil.¡± The area is getting darker and darker. The light from the broken factory didn¡¯t lit up. ¡°Because I am me, I do what I want to do.¡± Silence dominated the place. Midou Ryuusui slowly landed on the ground. ¡°In order for humans to live, at a minimum, they must obey the established order and rules. By no means that I judge that is something that needs to be forced. Nevertheless, the guys who can¡¯t do that are trash who deserves death all together.¡± said Midou Ryuusui. I can tell that his killing intent is gradually increasing. *gokkuri* I gulped. ¡°Will you bastards (Anonymous) continue to kill a lot of people in that way?¡± ¡°Please ask that to Hyde directly.¡± I saw Chiyaku-san put her hand in her pocket. I concentrate on the surrounding sounds. I can hear 6 heartbeats. They were gathering in the evening factory district. Anonymous¡¯s executives. The 6 people excluding Utsusemi-san, and Boss who is their leader. ¡­Code name, Hyde. On the collapsed fence, on the roof of the factory that was cut off, on the prefabricated house rubbles¡­they stood around Midou Ryuusui. ¡°The rules and order in this rotten world are laughable after all.¡± Desuko-san¡¯s voice resounded. ¡°¡­I see, your aim is.¡± Next, Midou Ryuusui¡¯s voice resounded. The voice was slightly faint. ¡°If you have any last question, ask it. Midou Ryuusui.¡± Then, Boss¡¯ voice resounded. CH 68 [The Evil¡¯s Judgment] Midou Ryuusui didn¡¯t answer Boss¡¯ question and was silent. During that silence, Midou Ryuusui sought a number of ways to breakthrough the encirclement, and should have realized that all of them were blocked. First of all, Byakurei-san¡¯s ability, Room Impair. This ability does not allow any intruders. The only ones who can intrude in are teleportation ability users as well as Byakurei-san and Kemuri-san. Moreover, it seems that Shimichi-san¡¯s Infinite Corridor have already been activated. We are now in the middle of a vast desert. Overlapping this with Byakurei-san¡¯s Room Impair has cut off all path of retreat. Furthermore, the Infinite Corridor also cuts off radio waves. Now, Midou Ryuusui has no means of communication with the outside world. ¡°Checkmated, huh¡­¡± He himself muttered what everyone thought. However, contrary to his words, Midou Ryuusui¡¯s killing intent is increasing more than before. His seething killing intent was about to swallow the area. Everyone is ready for battle. ¡°I wanted to capture him alive, but it seems impossible,¡± said Boss. Midou Ryuusui is still burning with fighting spirit even in this situation. He should have known that he has no chance of winning. However, he still does not give up. Midou Ryuusui would never yields in the face of evil. Because he is righteous. I mustn¡¯t misunderstand. We are evil and he is justice. ¡°Those sure are good faces. Am I really that scary?¡± provoked Midou Ryuusui, looking over his surroundings. With his mask removed, Boss said, ¡°Can I ask you one question?¡± ¡°¡­ I have nothing to talk to you bastard.¡± ¡°Where is Yumesaki Aika?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I felt Midou Ryuusui¡¯s heart beat harder for a moment. He kept silent. Yumesaki Aika. It¡¯s a name I¡¯ve never heard of. ¡°Desuko, can you read him?¡± said Boss. ¡°Etto~, Yumesaki Aika seems to be isolated in the center of Saint Celia. Ah, this is the only thing that I can read. And he seems to be aiming me first, so protect me, okay~.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. I want to know a little more, but it can¡¯t be helped.¡± It seems that Desuko-san¡¯s mind reading ability is not perfect. How much she can read mind depends on the psychological condition of the subject and her condition. And there seems to be some restrictions, so it seems that she can¡¯t read mind recklessly. With regards to Desuko-san, her ability is the dangerous type where we don¡¯t know how much it can do, so she might not be telling us the full extent of her ability. Even so, mind reading is an ability that you are helpless against. There is no way to counter it. It¡¯s not suitable for battle though. ¡°¡­Well then, it¡¯s a goodbye. Midou Ryuusui.¡± Boss¡¯ words was the signal. Boss puts on the mask again. The attack started with Tameiki-san¡¯s Press. The surrounding area collapsed in a circle, and water erupted from the crushed pipe. Midou Ryuusui is dodging to the side. The wind slash that he released while dodging was offset by Chiyaku-san¡¯s blood. And Byakurei-san was waiting at the place where he was dodging to. Room Impair captures his right arm. Midou Ryuusui immediately cut off his arm and fled to the sky. However, there is no escape even in the sky. He is pulled back by Shimichi-san¡¯s Infinite Corridor. Followed by Tameiki-san¡¯s Press, Midou Ryuusui was slammed to the ground. ¡°Gah¡­!¡± *cracks* Painful cracking sound could be heard from all over his body. Boss slowly walks to Midou Ryuusui. Miduo Ryuusui launched a wind slash while looked almost being completely crushed. But, as if slipping through it, unnoticedly, Boss is already standing in front of him. ¡°G-guuOOOOOOO!!!¡± Perhaps by mustering his last power, Midou Ryuusui stood up and tried to hit Boss. However, before the fist reaches Boss, he collapses. A knife was stuck in his chest just before I knew it. With a *thud*, Midou Ryuusui fell down. His heart beat disappear before long. He doesn¡¯t even breathe. Midou Ryuusui is dead. ¡°¡­¡­¡± This feeling is not a sense of accomplishment. Hakunetsu-san and Kuroino-san were killed by Midou Ryuusui, and even though he died now, I felt uncomfortable for some reason. Is it because in the past, I longed for Midou Ryuusui? Is it because my best friend¡¯s father died? I don¡¯t understand. I couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°Huu-¡± With a complicated heart, for the time being, I feel relieved that the operation was completed. It was unexpectedly easy. The strongest wind user in history. It seems that even the man who was feared as the wind god can¡¯t do a thing when surrounded by such powerful people. I thought it was an excessive force, but Boss did not underestimate Midou Ryuusui. Boss looked down on Midou Ryuusui¡¯s corpse for a while, turned on his heels and proceeded a few steps. ¡°We sure have left traces in this city. It may be time to move the hideout.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Kemuri-san, who had been a spectator from the beginning to the end from above the rubbles, nodded. ¡°Although Byakurei will forget the city where the hideout is again.¡± Desuko-san make fun of Byakurei-san. ¡°Aren¡¯t you too much?¡± ¡°Hyde, there is a woman called Sen lying over there, is it okay to take her back? She is a Myth class strengthening type. She will be an interesting material.¡± said Chiyaku-san, pointing at the nude body on the rubble. ¡°No problem.¡± ¡°Hyde, it¡¯s okay to dissolve right?¡± After a while of silence, Tameiki-san said. And when I tried to stand up from my hiding¡­ That man appeared. ¨D¨DAt that time, this space was supposed to still be an absolutely inviolable area. Shimichi-san¡¯s Infinite Corridor and Byakurei-san¡¯s Room Impair were not unraveled yet. However, that man appeared. Everyone turned to that tremendous killing intent. Nay, no one here noticed him until he appeared. Indeed, he appeared without a sound. Now, I can hear his rough breathing. ¡°You all are unmistakable evil.¡± His voice could be heard. His face couldn¡¯t be seen well in the dark, but a bit weeping could be heard. He was crying. And his SDF uniform is barely visible. A 3-star badge is lightly illuminated on the moonlit night. I immediately knew who it was. He walks slowly. Strongly stepping on the ground, he stood in front of the remains of Midou Ryuusui. His name is Midou Tsurugi. My best friend. ¡°You guys are trash¡­! Rubbish, dung, dirt! Scum!¡± Tsurugi thrown all abuse he can think of to Boss who is in front of him. ¡°Oioi, you sure said some terrible things. Or rather, how did you come in?¡± Byakurei-san takes a step forward. But Boss stopped him with one hand. ¡°It¡¯s you, huh. Midou Tsurugi.¡± ¡°You guys are killing innocent people and threatening peace. Killing a great number of people for one person? Bullshit. You guys are just doing whatever you want, aren¡¯t you?¡± Tsurugi ignores Boss¡¯ voice and continues speaking. ¡°You guys¡­what the hell do you want to do¡­ For what purpose, are you doing this¡­!?¡± Voice trembling with anger is transmitted to here. I was watching Tsurugi¡¯s state from my hiding spot. ¡°Good eyes.¡± Boss looked at Tsurugi and said. ¡°I will never forgive you all.¡± ¡°Just won¡¯t forgive, huh?¡± ¡°¡­No, I¡¯ll kill you¡­! I will kill every last one of you¡­! I¡¯LL KILL EVERYONE!!!¡± ¡°Midou Tsurugi. That hatred itself is the truth of this world. And you didn¡¯t have enough composure.¡± Boss put on his jet-black coat again. ¡°Can I kill him?¡± Byakurei-san appears in front of him again. ¡°No, wait. Let¡¯s let him says his farewell.¡± When Boss said so, Tsurugi crouched in front of his father¡¯s body. Boss¡¯ words just now weren¡¯t meant for Tsurugi. It was for me. I don¡¯t think I have anything to say to Tsurugi for the last time. I answered with a silence. I have nothing to say. It is not the time for that now. I feel a bit uncomfortable that Boss cares about me like this. In this situation, Tsurugi and I are stranger. I had decided so. ¡°sob¡­sob¡­Dad¡­¡± Tsurugi only holds his father hand for a little while, and before long, he stands up. Despite shedding tears, his eyes are full of killing intent. Tsurugi tear off some of his chest buttons, throwing his SDF uniforms out of order. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen Tsurugi being like that. ¡°¡­have you settled your farewell?¡± Once again, I responded Boss¡¯ reminder with silence. Tsurugi didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Then, die. Byakurei, Tameiki, support me.¡± ¡°Ha? Support?¡± When Byakurei-san¡¯s bewildered voice raised up, Tsurugi moved. Boss pulls out a knife from his breast pocket and throws it to Tsurugi. However, as before, the knife deviates. Tsurugi entered Boss¡¯ bosom, removed the holder¡¯s knife, and cut up from below. Naturally, Boss dodge it. ¡°Hyde, get away.¡± came Tameiki-san¡¯s voice. Boss instantly jump sideways. Then, there was a thumping noise, and a vibration ran around. The Press directly hits Tsurugi. Everyone must have imagined that Tsurugi were crushed on the ground and turned into blooming red flower. For a moment, I was relieved of the tension. But, when they saw Tsurugi who was intact in the center of collapsed circle, everyone entered battle stance again. ¡°Oioi, what¡¯s going on¡­!?¡± said Byakurei-san. Tsurugi is still staring at Boss with bloodshot eyes. ¡°Hah, hah, I¡¯ll definitely¡­kill you all someday¡­¡± said Tsurugi, and he took a step back. Blood was dripping from his mouth. ¡°I¡¯LL DEFINITELY CLEAR AWAY MY FATHER¡¯S REGRET!!¡± Tsurugi clasped his fist and shouted while his shoulders went up and down. *thump* Tameiki-san¡¯s Press was poured on Tsurugi again. Again, there is no damage done to Tsurugi. Tsurugi is screaming without minding it. ¡°I¡¯ll weed out all evil like you all¡­! ABSOLUTELY¡­!! Remember! I¡¯ll definitely¡­!¡± At the same time as his voice was cut off, Tsurugi disappeared. ¡°He disappeared¡­?¡± murmured Kemuri-san. ¡°He should have escape into the ground. He was able to slip through walls previously. It seems he was calm because he had the option to escape.¡± ¡°Should I follow him?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s meaningless to chase him more than this. We don¡¯t even know his ability after all. Let¡¯s withdraw.¡± CH 69 [Cold Darkness] The school entered winter vacation. Due to the postponement of school tournament, this year¡¯s winter vacation is somewhat short. That said, the winter vacation of this school is quite long compared to other schools. It¡¯s a little less than a month. And when school starts and we take classes for about two months, we¡¯ll immediately enter spring break. ¡°Ha~, this kind of program again.¡± said Roll, and she changed the channel. Variety program is shown on the screen that has been switched. The previous channel was a news program that studied the death of Midou Ryuusui. It¡¯s a big lie program that critics about Anonymous¡¯s purpose and SDF¡¯s future response, and about SDF¡¯s higher-ups talks to reassure the citizens. After that, I didn¡¯t get any contact from Tsurugi. There¡¯s just an email from Rin saying ¡°Let¡¯s go meet Tsurugi¡± This email came this morning. I haven¡¯t replied yet. Even though she invites me to meet Tsurugi, I wonder what should I do there. What kind of face should I make if I meet with Tsurugi? What on earth should I say? It¡¯s no exaggeration to say that his father died because of me. ¡°Shion, in the end, what would you do?¡± I groan at being asked so by Roll. I tilted the knife I had polished for no reason, and aim it at the light of the room. ¡°I wonder what should I do©`¡± In the first place, Tsurugi is an enemy. Until now, Boss had left him alone, but now that Tsurugi had even made a declaration to defeat Anonymous, I think he wouldn¡¯t left him alone. I wonder if it¡¯s okay to meet such an enemy as I pleased. When I was thinking about such a thing, my phone vibrated. The private one. It was an incoming call from the Tsurugi. My eyes met with Roll¡¯s for a moment and then I picked up the call. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Hello, Kazato?¡± ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Want to go out to eat now?¡± ©`©`©` I decided to go out to have a meal with Tsurugi. The time is 1:00 pm. To be honest, I had already had lunch, but since I want to have a talk with Tsurugi, I accept his invitation. The meeting place is about 10 minutes walks away from my house. I am cycling to that location. When I arrived at the appointed cafe, Tsurugi was already seated. When Tsurugi saw me entering the store, he waved his hand to notify me where he was. ¡°Long time no see.¡± ¡°That sure is right.¡± I said, and sat down across Tsurugi. ¡°First of all, let¡¯s make our order.¡± said Tsurugi, so we each asked the employee for the usual menu. Then we were silent until the drinks we ordered were brought to the table. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about before. I unreasonably brought up the talks about the ability development without thinking about Kazato¡¯s feelings.¡± After taking a sip of the drink and taking a deep breath, he said so. ¡°Ahh, it¡¯s fine¡­ Rather than that, are you okay?¡± I ask timidly. It¡¯s not a good thing to ask. However, to connect the conversation, and to direct Kamiya Kazato, I asked. ¡°Ahh, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m sad, but it¡¯s common to be killed in action in the SDF. It¡¯s just, it was my dad this time.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± Tsurugi seem to be the same as usual. However, I¡¯ve seen Tsurugi of that day. The Tsurugi whose heart burns with hatred, and shows his emotion that was filled with murderous intent. Therefore, I was aware of Tsurugi¡¯s real feelings. There is no change. He¡¯s still filled with hatred. And I think that¡¯s is something that can¡¯t be helped. ¡°Well, I have something to tell you.¡± said Tsurugi. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I will quit school.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°With the dead of my dad, I was thinking of working in the SDF in earnest. I want to continue my dad¡¯s will. As part of the Self-Defense Force, I want to help many people.¡± Revenge, huh. Certainly, it may not make much sense for Tsurugi to go to school. He already has a status as a lieutenant general of the SDF. ¡°I felt bad to Kazato, but I¡¯ll quit after the winter vacation.¡± ¡°What about Rin and Ohashi?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t had a talk with the two of them. They might say ¡®let¡¯s quit together¡¯, but I want them to continue to school.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Well, I can¡¯t stop you, and if Tsurugi has decided so.¡± ¡°Ahh. But it¡¯s not a separation. I won¡¯t be able to play much, though.¡± ¡°I know that much.¡± When I laughed and said so, the conversation stopped there. After a while, the menu we ordered for is brought to the table. I¡¯m not hungry, but since Tsurugi seems to want to eat a lot, so I ordered for a reasonable amount. ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± When I said that, Tsurugi hung his head for some reason. When I thought it was weird and tried to peek at his face, Tsurugi put his hand on the table and said, ¡°It was lie.¡± ¡°Eh? What?¡± ¡°It was a lie¡­¡± *drip* something fell down the cheeks of Tsurugi. It was tear. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I said I want to help people, it was a lie. Actually.¡± ¡°Un.¡± ¡°I want revenge. I can¡¯t forgive them. Anonymous who killed my dad, those evils¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I want to help people. Certainly, I have that feeling. That¡¯s not a lie, but, more than that, I want to get revenge. I want to quit school is also because I want revenge. I didn¡¯t think I would feel like this just because my parent was killed. I can¡¯t help but hate those guys who killed my dad. I won¡¯t be satisfied until I killed them¡­!¡± ¡°Tsurugi¡­¡± ¡°¡­Sorry, Kazato.¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± At that time, for some reason, I become certain. ¨D¨DI¡¯m sure that one day, we¡¯ll definitely face against each other. As evil and justice. ©`©`©` When I was thinking about how to spend the winter vacation, the answer came out naturally. Training. For about a month, I can undergo hell-like training. At any rate, I wanted to be strong. ¡°Do you want to train again?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I was standing in front of Tameiki-san. This place is the dining hall. It¡¯s actually the place where Tameiki-san and I first met. ¡°What about Roll?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve talked to her.¡± About how I wanted to be strong. It was nice to train with Roll, but I wanted to be seen as a strong person after all. It does not mean that Roll is weak. What I meant is that Tameiki-san is stronger than Roll. Roll seems to have misunderstood. She thought that I was hurt because of the deaths of Kuroinu-san and Hyakunetsu-san. Wrong. It¡¯s just, when I saw the previous battle, I thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to survive as I am now. I don¡¯t want to die like Hyakunetsu-san and Kuroinu-san. I also think that I¡¯m the worst. But I wanted to be strong just to survive. That¡¯s why I¡¯m trying to rely on Tameiki-san again. Actively this time. ¡°I want to oversee you, but I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°The situation has changed. From now on, I will be busy. As I said before, you are too impatient.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I hang my head down. Am I too impatient? In this world, you will die unless you get stronger early. It¡¯s not like someone will definitely protect you. ¡°¡­No, I came up with a good idea.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± When I raised my face, Tameiki-san¡¯s fist came suddenly. I reflexively dodge it. However, perhaps she read my dodging destination, Tameiki-san¡¯s side kick hit my flank. ¡°Gufu¡­!¡± Direct hit, this time I was hit in the abdomen. My view fluctuates. And I felt severe pain. I sense a pressure in my internal organs. Before I kneeled there, Tameiki-san launched another hit on my abdomen. ¡°Go look for Yoiyami. He¡¯s my master.¡± Finally, I heard such words from Tameiki-san, and my consciousness was cut off. CH 70 [Darkness of the Eyes] *goton goton* My body jolted. When I woke up, I was sitting in the passenger seat of a car. The car lights up the night and runs on the highway. I felt a deja vu at this situation. When I looked beside me, Tameiki-san is driving with sleepy eyes. ¡°You woke up.¡± I wonder why she made me fainted this time. Even though I didn¡¯t want to resist. ¡°¡­If I remember correctly, we¡¯re going to Yoiyami-san¡¯s place, right?¡± I traced my memory to when I was on the verge of fainting. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Yoiyami-san, huh¡­ It¡¯s the first time I heard of that person was Tameiki-san¡¯s master. ¡°You do know that Yoiyami-san can no longer kill people, right?¡± ¡°Ahh, I¡¯ve heard of it.¡± ¡°Will such a person oversee my training?¡± ¡°That¡¯s up to you. If he¡¯s interested in you, he should be willing to oversee your training. Just in case, I¡¯ll also ask him, but if I failed, you have to do it yourself somehow.¡± ¡°Eeh¡­¡± ¡°You better prepare yourself. Yoiyami¡¯s training is quite difficult.¡± A training that even made Tameiki-san said it is difficult¡­, what kind of training it actually is, I wonder. Then, Tameiki-san dealt a final blow to me who was already getting cold feet, ¡°Rather than training, that sure is more like a torture.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Even the worst tempered person may have their personality changed.¡± ¡°¡­¡± If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s already a different story though. ¡°As I thought, I should stop¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t. We¡¯ll be there soon¡± I could see a city ahead of the highway. That is the city where Yoiyami-san lives, New Road. ©`©`©` The rundown apartment where Yoiyami-san lives is on the outskirts of the city. Since I¡¯ve been here before, I guided Tameiki-san there. ¡°Here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± When we arrived in front of Yoiyami-san¡¯s room, Tameiki-san suddenly twisted the door knob and tried to get inside. However, the door is locked. ¡°It¡¯s locked.¡± ¡°That¡¯s natural, right.¡± There was no bell in the room, so I knocked on the door instead of Tameiki-san. I waited for a while and did not receive a reply, so I knocked again, and *gachari* the door opened a little. A face with a terrible dark circles under the eyes looks into the gap. I took a step back unintentionally. However, Tameiki-san, who was behind me, pushes me forward again. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Yoiyami.¡± said Tameiki-san. ¡°So, it¡¯s you, Tameiki. And¡­Shion, right.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Yoiyami-san seems to not really welcome us. Even now, he seems to about to close the door. ¡°What do you want by coming here?¡± With a sharp gaze, Yoiyami-san looks at Tameiki-san. The look in his eyes are as bad as usual. I feel that he has more gray hair than before. His complexion is also worse than before. Looking at such Yoiyami-san, Tameiki-san said, ¡°Master, I want to have a bout with you after such a long time.¡± ¡®What are you saying¡¯, thinking so, I looked at Tameiki-san¡¯s face. However, her face is very serious. Next, I look at Yoiyami-san¡¯s face. Then, Yoiyami-san slowly closed the door. Tameiki-san moves me back and stands in front of the door. When I was looking at Tameiki-san, wondering what she was going to do, she kicked the door with all her might. Kicked by Tameiki-san, the door blows into the room. But immediately after that, the blown door bounced back. I took evasive action. Tameiki-san avoids the door that had blown away by ¡®landing¡¯ on the ceiling. A terrible killing intent was leaking out from the other side of the doorless room. Tameiki-san, who was affixed to the ceiling, is looking in that direction with a happy face. I have seen that smile before. It was when I came back alive from survival. How should I put it, a really excited kind of face¡­? ¡°What time do you think it is now.¡± Yoiyami-san¡¯s voice came from inside the room. Tameiki-san came down from the ceiling and answered, ¡°It¡¯s 10:30 pm.¡± ¡°Do you understand¡­? Now¡­¡± ¡°Ahh. It¡¯s Yoiyami¡¯s domain.¡± Tameiki-san interrupted Yoiyami-san¡¯s words. *zowari* I felt that I could hear such a sound and I saw something wriggling in the back of Yoiyami-san¡¯s room. I step back one step at a time. Eventually, Yoiyami-san appeared from the room. Then he drops the toe of his shoe on the ground with a *tap*. At that moment, the light bulbs that was illuminating the area disappeared. ¡­They do not disappear. They were swallowed in darkness. Yes, it is the ability of Yoiyami-san. When all the lights were cut off, the building shook due to a vibration. At the same time, light was shining into this pitch-black space. Looking at it, there is a hole in the wall. It seems that Tameiki-san broke through the wall of the apartment and went out. The darkness faded and the light returned to the corridor of the rundown apartment. I turn my eyes to Yoiyami-san. Yoiyami-san was trying to return to his room, but suddenly turned around and muttered. ¡°¡­Should I play for a bit?¡± And Yoiyami-san jumped out into the night of the city through the hole opened by Tameiki-san. I was left behind, so I followed after those two as well. The sounds of battle were echoing in the night of the city. I silenced the sounds of Tameiki-san and Yoiyami-san¡¯s battle as much as possible so that the SDF will not come. It is possible to completely cut off the sounds of their battle if I go near them, but it was difficult because I couldn¡¯t catch up to them and I would be caught up in their battle if I was too close. The battle ended quickly. The two¡¯s sounds stopped in a place. The conclusion must have been out. Thinking so, I hurried to the place of the two. The two were in a park. Tameiki-san is lying sprawled on the ground, and Yoiyami-san stands a little ahead of her. The two are talking about something. ¡°Hyde said¡­I already surpass Yoiyami.¡± Tameiki-san raised her body and said. She put her hands on the ground behind her and raise one of her knees. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But I still can¡¯t see the vision where win against Yoiyami.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not true, you say? You¡¯re getting softer, Yoiyami.¡± It¡¯s Tameiki-san¡¯s lost, huh. Yoiyami-san didn¡¯t say anything. Tameiki-san continues looking at Yoiyami-san. Silence continued for a while. It wasn¡¯t an uncomfortable silence. ¡°¡­It¡¯s been a long time since we were having such fun, Yoiyami,¡± said Tameiki-san. ¡°Ahh.¡± When he nodded at those words, Yoiyami-san turned on his heels. However, Tameiki-san said to Yoiyami-san, ¡°Wait.¡± Yoiyami-san stops his legs. ¡°I came today not only because I wanted to have a fight with Yoiyami for the first time in a long time, but I have one more reason.¡± ¡°What is it.¡± With that, Tameiki-san pointed at me at the entrance of the park. ¡°I want you to oversee him for about a month.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s my disciple.¡± ¡°Then why¡­don¡¯t you oversee him yourself?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m busy. And he¡¯ll become stronger if Yoiyami is the one who oversee him.¡± I don¡¯t know if Yoiyami-san was thinking about something, but he stayed silent for a while. However ¡°Out of the question. Sorry, but I¡¯m busy too,¡± said Yoiyami-san in rejection, and left the park from the opposite exit from where I was. I run to Tameiki-san¡¯s side. ¡°Are you okay¡­!¡± ¡°Do something about the rest by yourself,¡± said Tameiki-san and she stood up. And she patted down the dust on her ass. ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Clear out the dust on my back, Shion.¡± Being told so, I brushed the soil on Tameiki-san¡¯s back with my hand. ¡°Yoiyami said so, but he¡¯s not being honest. You might be able to get him to train you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Ahh. So, I¡¯m going back.¡± ¡°No, please wait for a moment.¡± ¡°What.¡± ¡°What should I do if he seriously refuse?¡± ¡°You just have to wait in front of his room. Until Yoiyami bends.¡± ¡°Ehh, do I really have to do that¡­.?¡± ¡°When I was 7 years old, I endured for 10 days you know.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, if it¡¯s the Yoiyami now, he will bend quickly.¡± ¡°Ehh¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you can do it.¡± In the end, she said so and patted my head, then Tameiki-san went somewhere. Left behind, I stood still in that place for a while. CH 71 [The Darkness of the Resolution] Tameiki-san really went back, so I was left behind in the city. I head towards the direction Yoiyami-san left while walking unsteadily. In other words, his apartment. I was complaining to Tameiki-san, but to tell the truth, I¡¯m curious about Yoiyami-san. What kind of life does Yoiyami-san have now, what does he think, and what does he live on? I wanted to know more about his circumstances in detail. Yoiyami-san used to devote his best killing people as Anonymous, but now he¡¯s left in a state where he can¡¯t kill people. I feel a sense of intimacy with such Yoiyami-san. But why do I feel intimacy? We have nothing similar. Nothing. Yes, nothing. However. I want Yoiyami-san, who continue to live even with such tired looking eyes, to teach me how to live. Roll, Tameiki-san, Shimichi-san, Boss. They probably don¡¯t understand what kind person I am. At the same time, I may not be trying to understand them. It doesn¡¯t mean that I don¡¯t trust them all. I hate¡­my own ugliness, but I¡¯m trapped in a dilemma that I can¡¯t live without, so I¡­ I felt that if it was Yoiyami-san, he would definitely understand me. ©`©`©` ¡°Please train me, Yoiyami-san.¡± I said to Yoiyami-san who was repairing his broken apartment door. Yoiyami-san didn¡¯t answer. He quickly fixed the door and entered the room, so in the end, I couldn¡¯t do anything in that day. Morning greets the corridor of the apartment. It was cold last night because of the wall destroyed by Tameiki-san. Crouching and holding my knees, I didn¡¯t get a good sleep. My belongings were only the few small coins in my pocket. I didn¡¯t bring any clothes for change too, so it would be bad if this situation continues. I didn¡¯t have my phone with me. However, the phone wasn¡¯t taken by Tameiki-san, I left it to Roll in advance. Because I took the possibility of being abducted in the same pattern as before into consideration, it is a countermeasure. I noticed the sound in the room and stood up. Apparently, Yoiyami-san has woken up. Yoiyami-san went straight to the front door, opened the door with a *gachari*, ignored me and headed for the stairs. ¡°Err, Yoiyami-san!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t follow me.¡± Yoiyami-san said without stopping. *biri* the air solidified. I couldn¡¯t move at the certain killing intent. However, I felt that Yoiyami-san¡¯s killing intent was not that much. Yoiyami-san¡¯s killing intent, which I could only alleviate by drinking alcohol before, is now only effective enough to restrain me. It hasn¡¯t been so long since that time, but perhaps Yoiyami-san is shedding away his techniques, faculties, and instincts for killing people. Including himself. It¡¯s possible that Boss found something in such Yoiyami-san, and made the mission of that time available until now. Or rather, Boss knew from the beginning that Yoiyami-san was like this, and that¡¯s why he issued that mission. It seems that Tameiki-san was told by Boss that she had surpassed Yoiyami-san, and I think that¡¯s true. In killing people, Tameiki-san has already surpassed Yoiyami-san. It¡¯s not about fighting ability. It¡¯s about things such as, can she kill on a daily basis? Can she kill people like breathing? Can she integrate with killing? Tameiki-san who has been immersed in this world since she was 6 years old. She should already in a state in which she can¡¯t ¡®separate¡¯ like Yoiyami-san. Anyway, I was seeing off Yoiyami-san¡¯s back while thinking about various things in front of the room. Yoiyami-san returned to the apartment when the surroundings began to darken. I noticed his footsteps and stood up. Yoiyami-san naturally ignored me, entered the room, closed the door and locked it. I already realized that it was useless to say anything, so I just stood silently in front of his room. Because I don¡¯t know how long this will continue, I can¡¯t make pointless expenditure. That¡¯s why I still have the few small coins in my pocket. That said, I won¡¯t use it till I really reach my limit. I¡¯m confident that Yoiyami-san will help me if I drive myself to the point of starvation and freezing without eating or drinking anything. After all, he can¡¯t kill people. When I heard the sound of Yoiyami-san lying down on the bed, I sat down. Even so, it seems that there are no residents here other than Yoiyami-san. But from today¡¯s Yoiyami-san, I can tell that he only uses this place to go back and sleep, and you must be doing something else during the day. Even so, I¡¯m hungry. I feel a pain as if my stomach was tightened. The morning has arrived. I couldn¡¯t sleep because of the cold and hunger. My saliva doesn¡¯t even come out. My chin doesn¡¯t stop clattering. But I managed to get up when I sensed that Yoiyami-san woke up. *guchari* the door opens. It¡¯s raining today. I used to like rain, but I¡¯m starting to hate it because it made it hard to hear sounds. The same as yesterday, Yoiyami-san passed me and went down the stairs. Seeing him completely away from the apartment, I sat down again. I can¡¯t sleep because it¡¯s cold at night, so I have no choice but to sleep during the day when the cold is still bearable. Thinking so, I closed my eyes. However, I could only sleep for a little while. Yoiyami-san came back earlier than yesterday. I stand up at the sound of climbing the stairs. Tameiki-san said Yoiyami-san would bend quickly, but he shows no sign of bending. While I was thinking so, Yoiyami-san stopped in the middle of the corridor. ¡°¡­Do you intend to die like that?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡°Why do you want to be stronger?¡± ¡°To not die. Just to survive.¡± I was surprised at myself who asserted that so clearly. Is the reason I was able to make such a statement was because Yoiyami-san was the other party? ¡°¡­I see. Then there is one action you should take.¡± ¡°¡­What is that?¡± ¡°Leave Anonymous, hide in a distant place, and live alone. That way, the probability of you dying is much lower than in your current situation.¡± Now that I think about it, that¡¯s true. Just survive. If that¡¯s all, it¡¯s better to do so in the first place. But why am I in this situation? If I¡¯m in Anonymous, I will fight the Self-Defense Force, and no matter how strong I become, inevitable death would come. Like that Midou Ryuusui. He died prematurely because he became too strong. Putting myself in battle is like whittling my own life. That is also another contradiction in me. No, I know. I am¡­ ¡°I¡­, miss everyday life. It¡¯s fun to interact with people. I¡¯m just thinking about how to live without letting go of them. That¡¯s why I want to get stronger¡­, and I want to live while clinging to it¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s the reason of your weakness.¡± The answer was immediate, then I dropped on my knees with a jerk. I look away from Yoiyami-san and stare at the ground. It felt like I was powerfully hit in the pit of my stomach. I was so struck to the core. It was me who broke¡­? ¡°Do you have money to return?¡± Asked by Mr. Yoyami, I shook my head. Then, Yoiyami-san thrust his hand into his pocket and dropped some crumpled bills in front of me. And Yoiyami-san passed me and entered the room. The next morning. I was sitting in front of Yaoyami-san¡¯s door, holding my knees. My sight is blurred. I have a stomachache. I¡¯m thirsty. I can¡¯t even clench my hands. However, sensing that Yoiyami-san has woken up, I stand up. The room¡¯s door opened a little, and Yoiyami-san¡¯s face peeked a bit from there. And Yoiyami-san said. ¡°Get in.¡± CH 72 [Indelible Darkness] I was given a meal and drink. Immediately after that, I fell asleep, and that¡¯s how I welcome my 4th night since I came to this city. ¡°You didn¡¯t return.¡± Yoiyami-san sat down on a chair and said. There is no lamp in this room. There is only a candle fire. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± It was a long silence. The candle fire sways greatly once in a while. The light barely illuminates each of our faces. ¡°Why do people live?¡± I look at Yoiyami-san who muttered so. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°There is no definite answer to this difficult question. It¡¯s an eternal proposition.¡± Is that so? It¡¯s not difficult. At least I can answer immediately if asked by Yoiyami-san. I don¡¯t want to die, so I live. ¡°I¡¯ll train you.¡± That being said, I seriously looked at Yoiyami-san. ¡°¡­Is that ok?¡± I couldn¡¯t reply right away, but I said so. The words from yesterday still stuck in my heart. ¡°It would be troublesome if you die in front of the room after all.¡± I didn¡¯t think of dying. Perhaps Yoiyami-san also understand it, but it was he himself who yield to me who didn¡¯t return even after receiving those words. ¡­No, let¡¯s correct it. Didn¡¯t return is a faulty expression. Strictly speaking, I couldn¡¯t go home. Receiving Yoiyami-san¡¯s point, I was strucked to the core and temporarily lost my spirit. That was all, but it seems Yoiyami-san was misunderstanding it. It seems he misunderstood and yield. Or perhaps it¡¯s not a misunderstanding, but he decided to accept me after understanding my feelings. Anyway, I was the one who broke first, and honestly, I¡¯m not glad with it. However, regardless of that, I would like to receive training from Yoiyami-san. Regardless of the process, the result was all right because in this way, I managed to get Yoiyami-san to train me. ¡°However, if I decide that you have no hope in these 5 days, I¡¯ll have you go back. Alright?¡± said Yoiyami-san. It seems that I have to make him admit that I have a hope in these 5 days. ¡°I understand.¡± I replied, and Yoiyami-san stood up. I look up at him. ¡°Then, follow me.¡± I also stand up. It seems we¡¯re starting now. To be honest, I¡¯m not in the mood for training right now. I want to have a conversation with Yoiyami-san. I want to listen to various stories and think upon it. But I kept silent and followed after Yoiyami-san. Leaving the room, Yoiyami-san opened the door of the next room. I looked inside from behind him, but it was pitch black and I couldn¡¯t see anything. There is no sign of people. It¡¯s natural. No one lives in this apartment except for Yoiyami-san. ¡°Shion.¡± Yoiyami-san turned toward me and said. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Think slowly. About your weaknesses. About your enemies.¡± That said, Yoiyami-san grabbed my collar and threw me into the room. I dropped on my butt at the entrance. On the other side of the door, Yoiyami-san looked down at me. ¡°What you need to train is your heart.¡± *bang* the door was closed, and I was closed in the dark. I didn¡¯t really understand what Yoiyami-san wanted to do, so I stood up at once and¡­ There was no doorknob. I reach out my hand, and go straight to the front. But I can¡¯t even touch the door. Looking back, there was a window in the room. A faint light was leaking from there. However, the light was eventually swallowed by ¡®black¡¯, and I was enveloped in complete darkness. What does it mean? I reach out my hand again. I can¡¯t touch the doorknob. I took a step forward, but for some reason I couldn¡¯t proceed forward. It felt like a was being pushed back. What is this¡­ When I notice, I can¡¯t even hear a sound from the other side of the door. No, there is no sound in the room too. ¡°Ah.¡± I can hear my own voice. What is this? What the hell is going on? I was¡­locked up? I take a deep breath once. The fact that I couldn¡¯t touch the doorknob was probably due to Yoiyami-san¡¯s ability. Yoiyami-san locked me in this room. Is it okay to think so? But for what? Didn¡¯t he say it? To think. In other words, this can be considered as training. Something to make me stronger. But is thinking, a training? Can I become stronger by doing that? In such an empty pitch-black room. While wondering about that, I took off my shoes and proceeded to the back of the room. However, I stumbled upon something and fell. I don¡¯t know what I stumbled upon, but now that I¡¯ve fallen, I can¡¯t even tell which direction the door was. Complete darkness. With nothing that can be seen. No matter how long I waited, my eyes never got used to it. I look around again. I¡¯m surrounded by darkness. I felt suffocated. I can hardly hear any sound. And my field of view is all black. My view is the same whether I open or close my eyes. How long has it passed since then? Few minutes? A few hours? I don¡¯t know, but it probably hasn¡¯t been that long. I didn¡¯t think that darkness was this scary. I was full of desire to get out of this room right now. I tried to kick the wall, but my kick did not reach the wall, and the full-powered Soundshoot that I released was useless. This space is sealed by Yoiyami-san¡¯s ability, and it is impossible to escape from the inside. And there is neither light nor food nor drink. What should I do? What should I do to get out of here? How long will I be trapped here? Remembering Yoiyami-san¡¯s words, I try to put it into words, ¡°Think slowly. About your weaknesses. About your enemies.¡± He also said this, ¡°What you need to train is your heart.¡± What did he mean? Even Tameiki-san can give a better explanation y¡¯know. I wouldn¡¯t know what to do if you only told me that much. This situation is one where I can¡¯t even see a little ahead. He really is a really bleak person. However, I have hope. 5 days. If I can endure for 5 days, I¡¯ll be released from this darkness. In other words, this darkness is not infinite. I had enough. I lost my purpose. This kind of training is useless. I want to go home. I want to go home¡­ In the first place, why do I have to think like this? Why do I have to be strong? Most people in this world can live without becoming stronger. They can live without improving their skills to kill people. I should have been on that side, but now I¡¯m placed in such an incomprehensible situation. Now, after such a long time? Is it something inevitable? Did I think about it many times? Did I start complaining again? I just wanted to live normally. I didn¡¯t need ability, nor this circumstance of Anonymous, nor Roll, nor Tameiki-san, nor everyone¡­ ¡°I didn¡¯t need them!!¡± I know that I was being eroded. My heart is, in the darkness. Even though I knew, I screamed. ¡°I didn¡¯t need them all!¡± Is this my true feelings? I don¡¯t know, this situation is one where I can¡¯t see anything and I can¡¯t hear any sound. As my heart was filled with anxiety and darkness, I felt that they would be gone when I spoke out. Only my voice. My sound clears the darkness. But at the same time, it rots me. ¡°It¡¯s enough right! I understand! Please get me out of here!¡± As Yoiyami-san says. I don¡¯t know my true feelings. I don¡¯t know what I want to do. Whether I really want to cling to my daily life, or whether I want to interact with people. I don¡¯t understand. Then I should choose the best choice. Leave Anonymous and lives quietly somewhere, as Yoiyami-san taught. That¡¯s enough. Perhaps that¡¯s what he wants me to think about. This space is probably to remind me that it¡¯s meaningless to be strong. Is this the answer? He also lied about wanting to train me. He just wanted to torment me like this. He just wanted show me reality. ¡°Get me out! Get me out of here!¡± I called out. I release full-powered Soundshoot in all directions. ¡°You damn bastard! Do you hear me!? Get me out of here, Yoiyami!!¡± I kept screaming. CH 73 [The Darkness That Dwelled] Of the information obtained from all five senses, vision occupies about 80% of the amount of information. In the case of Shion, his ratio of hearing also high due to the utilization circumstance of his ability, but even so, the situation where his vision is shut off still gives him unimaginable stress. In that space, he wouldn¡¯t even hear the sounds of the outside world. Therefore, Shion went mad quickly. Yoiyami is observing his state through the darkness. Yoiyami keeps his eyes on Shion who rampages and shouts in the darkness. He is also trying to share his suffering. Since Shion had chose to take this kind of training, he has responsibility to keep an eye on him. It¡¯s been about 8 hours since he was thrown into the dark room. Yoiyami himself never thought that he would go mad this fast. It is because of Shion¡¯s pattern of thinking which could also be said as overcomplicating things. He rushed to come to various conclusion and was caught in the illusion of urgency both physically and mentally, and he exploded. Usually, Shion isn¡¯t so hasty. It can be seen how agonizing this situation is for him. Yoiyami recall the time when Tameiki did the same training. In her case, this training ended in failure. Perhaps it is because of a difference in personality, rather than a difference in experience, but Tameiki was calm in the darkness and nothing in particular changed in herself, so the training was abandoned. Yoiyami had already discovered Shion¡¯s potential. However, this training method can turn him in a good way or a bad way. In the first place, rather than training it is more apt to call this as dubious harsh treatment. Therefore, he was cautious. For the time being, I wouldn¡¯t stop the 5 days training¡ª so what he muttered in his heart. At least for the current Shion, that would make him in despair. There is no way he would knows such thoughts of Yoiyami inside the darkness, though. Yoiyami had seen through Shion¡¯s fragility since the first time they met. However, that fragility can also become strength. The darkness hidden in Shion¡¯s eyes unknowingly fascinated Yoiyami. Aside from whether Yoiyami was aware of that, he was afraid of Shion at the same time. He realized this. Shion persisted on living, and produces an amazing growth speed from his fear of death. The distortion created at that time fostering his darkness and made it swell more and more. Whether he will make that darkness his, or he will be dyed in that darkness. In any case, Shion becomes stronger. Yoiyami thought so. However, if possible, he wishes for Shion to make that darkness his. If he is dyed in the darkness, he will lose his important things one after another. If that happened, it had nothing to do with Yoiyami, but if possible, he naturally wanted him to change in the good way because he was the one who watched over him. The act of removing the shackles of the heart. A typical like Shion¡­though it is doubtful whether it can be called so, but those types basically unknowingly binds themselves. The words that Yoiyami stabbed into Shion were the ones that saw through him. However, that is a fair argument. Shion is seeking for too many things. Yoiyami once sought for too many things too. He tried to get them all and lost everything. If you try to grab something that you can¡¯t grasp, all that remains in your hand is a little self-esteem and emptiness. A person must get something that fits their height. And in order to keep it forever, people continue to throw something away. In the wilderness, in the darkness. Carefully sorting and choose what to throw away. Shion must have something he had to throw away too. Anonymous, his daily life, of if he has other option, that one is also fine. Anyway, that is Shion¡¯s decision. ¡°Bastard! You trash! What¡¯s so great about killing people! Don¡¯t pretend to be a wise! Get me out! Get me out!¡± He sure is saying some harsh things. Yoiyami¡¯s expression loosened unintentionally too. While thinking that what Shion said was true, he tightened his expression once again. It seems going to be a long battle, or so he muttered. ©`©`©` Three days later, the confinement, which could be called a torture for Shion, continued. There was dirty water in the sink inside the room, and that was the only thing that Shion had in these three days. On the other hand, Yoiyami is watching Shion without sleeping. He didn¡¯t drink and eat either. However, his expression and complexion didn¡¯t change. In the first place, he had terrible dark circles under his eyes and sullen face, the 3 days fasting didn¡¯t seem to affect him. In fact, it had no effect. It¡¯s true that he¡¯s thirsty and hungry, but he has the mental power to overcome it. However, of course, it was different for Shion. He stopped screaming and moving. Only when he goes to drink the dirty water in the sink, he would stand up quietly, wander around for a while, find the sink, drink the water there, and then fall down somewhere again. In this situation where he doesn¡¯t know how long it will last, Shion¡¯s head worked wisely. He only screamed at the beginning, and as soon as he realized it was futile, he stopped moving. He began to wonder if he would be died just like that, but then he thought it was useless to even wear out his heart, so he stopped thinking. He turned into a state in which he stopped thinking and only do what needs to done to survive in just one day. Yoiyami was also watching over with wonder. This is progressing in a bad direction. Yoiyami wanted Shion to think. If he remains on the verge of dying as he is, the meaning of this harsh treatment will be lost. Yoiyami was afraid of that, but he had no choice but to watch over it. Shion and Yoiyami. Although Yoiyami didn¡¯t drink any water, the one who was being cornered is as expected, Shion. The decisive difference is the sense of time. When the eyesight was shut, there was no other way than to sleep to fast-forward the sense. The other way, ¡®thinking¡¯, is closed by him. Although Shion closed his thoughts as much as possible, he still has something he¡¯s thinking about after all. Like, how long has it passed since then? Actually, it was 3 days, but his sense was over 5 days, and then it feels that another week has passed. However, he himself understood that his sense of time was distorted, so he occasionally told himself that it was not. Then he closes his thoughts and looks forward for Yoiyami to stop or gave up. 4th day. When Shion pressed the center of his eye strongly, he could perceive light in an artificial manner, and he did it repeatedly. To distract his mind. And it was the only way to kill time for Shion. Yoiyami stares at him expressionlessly. It seems that he is resuming his thoughts little by little, but perhaps, his physical strength is already at the limit. However, Yoiyami didn¡¯t give up. He hasn¡¯t reached the limit of human yet. Until the last minute, Yoiyami will wait for the change that appear in Shion. What will change? What is Yoiyami trying to change in Shion? Yoiyami thinks that the part of Shion that should be changed will be decided by Shion himself in the end. Therefore, it is necessary for him to think about it after all. People are trapped in something and eventually, don¡¯t think about it. Many people will change if they can think about it 24 hours a day, so Yoiyami thinks. He thought that the process of thinking was indispensable in order to become stronger. Now, how will you conclude it, what will you cast away, Shion. An unexplainable trust in Shion was being born in Yoiyami. It¡¯s one-sided, but no matter how Shion changes, Yoiyami will accept it. That is the right path, that is what needs to be done. Day 5. Shion began to mutter to himself. Yoiyami is convinced that he completely resumes to think. The plan was to release him after 5 days, but he decided to extend the time for a while. CH 74 [Darkness of the Heart] I was hungry, I lost the sense of direction, and the world was spinning while I was lying down. I understand that both my mind and body are already at their limits. I started to get used to this darkness and was a little calm, but it gave rise to even deeper despair and I was going crazy again. In the meantime, when did I start hearing hallucinations? There is a guy who talks to me from the other side of the darkness. He talks from various directions. The voice is sometimes close and sometimes far. At first, I ignored it. When I thought, I suffocated and it became painful, so I closed my thoughts. However, gradually I couldn¡¯t ignore the voice. I listen to the words of the guy in the dark. When I do so, the painful breathing, the terrible hunger, and the feeling of the surrounding darkness disappear. ¡°However, Kazato sure don¡¯t get tired of it. How long do you intend to do that?¡± The guy in the dark knows my name. He calls me Kazato. This time I heard it from behind, so I managed to move my head somehow and look back. When I cast my gaze in the darkness, I felt that our eyes met. ¡°Silence again, huh. I¡¯m glad that you are able to listen to my voice, but I¡¯m just talking one-sidedly here, am I?¡± The guy in the dark was amused by my situation and just made fun of me. I will not answer. I¡¯ll just listen. I thought so, but unnoticedly, I got used to the coming words. ¡°But it was off the mark with Yoiyami¡¯s treatment, huh. It seems that you won¡¯t change at this rate, after all.¡± What is this guy saying? What is this guy in the first place? I ponder. I thought it was a hallucination, but it was real. Maybe it is really there? I crawl toward the voice. I reached out toward the voice, but grabbed empty air. There was no one there. Of course, there was no sound of someone moving. In the first place, I can only hear the voice, but I can¡¯t hear the heartbeat or breathing. As expected, it is an auditory hallucination. I bury my face on the spot. ¡°I wonder how long I¡¯ll actually be trapped here.¡± The voice resounded again. ¡°Perhaps you won¡¯t be let out until you die. If Kazato gets stronger and kills more people, it¡¯s synonymous as Yoiyami killing them himself after all. Yoiyami is trying to get rid of you here, you know.¡± In that case, it would be better if I didn¡¯t do something like strengthening myself. ¡°At least say ¡®that¡¯s enough¡¯ or something.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± I unintentionally spoke out. Damn it! ¨C I thought, but it¡¯s too late. A laughter resounded from the other side of the darkness. I sighed. ¡°You finally talked to me. But I won¡¯t shut up~. Talking with a hallucination(me) is not bad, y¡¯know.¡± ¡°What are you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re joking, right? Kazato, do you not know me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Who are you? Wait, the other party is a hallucination. What are you thinking about, me? What am I thinking about? I don¡¯t have to think about anything. This is a hallucination created by this extreme condition. ¡°I¡¯m Shion.¡± When I tried to close my thoughts, he said so. ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°And you are Kamiya Kazato.¡± What is this guy talking about? ¡°I¡¯m your ability, so to speak. The one who always use ability is Shion¡­in other words, me.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t understand what that means.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the other side of you y¡¯know. The one who wears that creepy mask.¡± ¡°I¡¯m me, right.¡± ¡°Ahh, I¡¯m you, y¡¯know.¡± Silence. I didn¡¯t feel like saying anything. However, he continues. ¡°Then, Kamiya Kazato. The you now are a burden for me. You understand that, right?¡± If it meant that I wasn¡¯t making the most of my ability, that¡¯s right. However, I don¡¯t have a reason to reply to a hallucination. ¡°I want to live, I don¡¯t want to die. Everyone is the same in that regards. You sincerely wish for something natural.¡± Is there anything else that you want?¡± ¡°What kind of thing?¡± ¡°Ambition, y¡¯know. Women or money, things like that.¡± ¡°I¡­don¡¯t want such a thing¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s not what you really need to live.¡± ¡°What are you saying? Money, women, and ambitions are necessary, right? I didn¡¯t want to say this, but you¡¯re weiiird, y¡¯know.¡± ¡°Noisy. Even though you¡¯re just a hallucination.¡± ¡°Certainly, I may be a hallucination, but the one who creates me is Kazato, right? In other words, I¡¯m inside you. You have this way of thinking, you know. You¡¯re concealing it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about such a thing. Shut up or I¡¯ll crush you to death.¡± ¡°That¡¯s irresponsible of you. Even though I¡¯m talking to you because I haven¡¯t been crushed to death now.¡± ¡®In the first place,¡¯ the voice continues. I closed my mouth and waited for the voice. ¡°We are the front and the back, like two sides of the same coin. But why the weak you are on the front and the strong me on the back?¡± ¡°Why did you say that you are the stronger one?¡± ¡°Well, because if it¡¯s me, I can throw everything away.¡± ¡°Throw away?¡± ¡°You¡¯re soft. Too soft. I know you are trying to have someone protect you during this time. Be aware of it already.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have any ally. You neither have a life to cling to nor people to rely on. It¡¯s fun to interact with people? You sure said that kind of things many times. Can you continue to kill people with that kind of thing from now on? Don¡¯t you wanna live? Tell me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong.¡± ¡°Wrong, huh~.¡± Standing up, I glared at the darkness. I was surprised that I was still able to stand, but more than that, I was angry. ¡°Shut up, you. Cut it out! Why do you act so high and mighty?¡± There is only silence from the darkness for a while. ¡°Ahh~, I know, I know. I was in the wrong just now, so don¡¯t get angry, okay? Okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But, are you fine staying as you are now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to change.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ahh.¡± ¡°Then first, you need a goal. ¡®Living¡¯ is too abstract. Try to aim for something that leads to it.¡± ¡°For example¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. For example,¡± At this point, his voice was paused once. For some reason, my consciousness is clear. I waited for his words. ¡°Right, like, try to be the strongest.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not realistic.¡± ¡°In any case, if you want to get stronger, why don¡¯t just try to be strongest. In that case¡­ there will be no one who can kill you. But this is certainly not realistic.¡± ¡®Hahaha,¡¯ Laughter resounded. ¡°Is there nothing else? Or rather, if you said you¡¯re a part of me that I concealed, won¡¯t you know about such a thing too?¡± ¡°There is one, but this one is not realistic.¡± ¡°¡­¡­what is it?¡± ¡°Do you want to hear it?¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± ¡°I want to be a hero. You are.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­I see.¡± Rin also said that, right¡­ That¡¯s my childhood dream. Contrary to my thoughts, I felt that my heart was deeply struck. He who was in the dark must have noticed it. ¡°Un. Well, it is not possible anymore, so you had to have other goal, right?¡± He said so in a light tone. ¡°¡­It doesn¡¯t make sense to set a goal if you don¡¯t feel like achieving it, right.¡± ¡°Have some motivation.¡± It¡¯s not something you can have just by saying so though. ¡°Impossible. If you say so, then you should do it.¡± ¡°What? Should I?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°But if you pull me out to the front, the weak you will be crushed. Are you fine with that?¡± ¡°I¡­don¡¯t want that¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. In short, you just said whatever you want to say, right. Let¡¯s think about the current state of things.¡± ¡°Current state of things?¡± ¡°Right. In a nutshell, which one of use that is not needed? That kind of talk. So, the one who wasn¡¯t needed now is you, Kazato. However, it is inconvenient for me if you disappear, so in the end you have to change, y¡¯know.¡± ¡°¡­How simple. In the first place, if one of us was not needed, even if I change, there won¡¯t be any meaning to it, right?¡± ¡°If you change, I¡¯ll disappear. I¡¯m fine with that. Because that¡¯s the barrier between you and me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°You should be, right. Moreover, you¡¯re a softie who can¡¯t change by himself after all. That¡¯s why, I¡¯ll give you another option.¡± ¡°¡­Tell me.¡± ¡°Coexistence¡­is not it, but isn¡¯t it okay to try to mix temporarily. Over time, I will settle down, you will change and the barrier will disappear. ¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it in such a strange manner. Say it in an easy-to-understand manner. I don¡¯t have power to think about it anymore.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. In short, I¡¯ll help you with your changes. Like a first aid.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Is it okay for me to accept this guy? This incomprehensible darkness. I kneel down and look at both of my hands. I can¡¯t see anything. But I know that my hands are trembling. ¡°Shion, huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a really stylish name, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yeah, if compared to ¡®Kazato¡¯.¡± ¡°You sure say something interesting.¡± A dry laughter resounded. Did he really find it interesting? I close my eyes and entrust my body to the floor. I know that I lost my physical strength at once. What are you doing trusting a hallucination, me? ¡°Then, I¡¯ll leave the rest to you. For a while, that is.¡± It was silence that came back. Inside my vague consciousness, I waited for a reply. ¡°Let¡¯s live while shouldering karma, me.¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± Then I let go of my consciousness. CH 75 [Twinkling Darkness] ¡°This is the last treatment, okay. It would be bad if I got exposed that I got in touch with you, after all.¡± ¡°Ahh, thanks.¡± ¡°Rather, who is this child?¡± ¡°A member of Anonymous.¡± ¡°Branch? Headquarters?¡± ¡°Headquarters.¡± ¡°Haa, it¡¯s the worst. You missed Anonymous, didn¡¯t you? Rather~, do you understand my position? I¡¯m sort of a doctor of the SDF. If this is exposed, I wouldn¡¯t end with just getting fired.¡± ¡°You are always crossing a dangerous bridge like that.¡± ¡°¡­enough. Send the money with the usual method.¡± ¡°Ahh. And, tell Hitsugiya that I¡¯m calling for him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an extra charge, okay.¡± I woke up at such a conversation. The light is dazzling. In the corner of my blurred view, I saw a woman in a white coat leaving the room. And I was lying in bed in a patient clothes. An IV needle is stuck in my left arm. ¡°She is?¡± ¡°¡­doctor and informant.¡± When I asked Yoiyami-san who was standing beside me, he replied so. I look around. This place looks like a hospital, but did Yoiyami-san carry me here? ¡°How long has it been since then?¡± ¡°Half a day.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I got up and pulled out the intrusive needle. The joints of my body hurt, but not by that much, even though I hadn¡¯t eaten for a few days. Probably, I was injected with a nutritional infusion or something. My body can move. ¡°How was I? Do I have a hope?¡± I asked about what I was most interested in while checking my physical condition. ¡°Ahh, not bad. Let¡¯s continue the training.¡± ¡°¡­Is it that room again?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s enough.¡± I feel relieved to hear that. ¡°Then next¡­¡± While saying so, I put on the shoes that were under the bed and got off the bed. The moment I stood up, I got dizzy and stopped for a bit. ¡°Don¡¯t rush.¡± ¡°My clothes¡­¡± While holding my forehead, I look a around and search for my clothes. ¡°If it¡¯s your clothes, I¡¯ve thrown them away.¡± You threw them away? Those were the ones that was picked by Roll, though. Well¡­ I should just ask her to pick some again, huh. ¡°I brought my clothes instead, though they are a little bigger.¡± Yoiyami-san threw a bag on the bed. When I opened it and looked inside, I found jeans, a shirt and a black hoodie. ¡°Change your clothes. First, we¡¯re going to eat.¡± ©`©`©` I wonder what is this refreshing feeling in my chest. I thought that when I got out of the room, I would definitely kill Yoiyami-san, but now I feel grateful toward him. It feels like the mud stuck in my throat has been removed. Yoiyami-san and I sat across from each other and were crudely eating meals at a high-class restaurant in the town. Empty rice bowls are piled up, and the dishes that are brought in are eaten up one after another. I forcibly stuff my withered stomach with meat. Yoiyami-san, who is across me, was also eating as if he hadn¡¯t had a meal for a long time. ¡°In the end, how long have I been trapped in there?¡± When the meal was over, I asked. Yoiyami-san is dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, and the jumper he wore earlier is hung on a hanger. ¡°It was less than a week.¡± I see. I think it was that space that made me feel that I was trapped longer in there. ¡°What are we going to do from now on?¡± There¡¯s no way it would end with this. Another hard training should be waiting for me. Thinking so made me dejected, but I also want to face anything that would be thrown at me. ¡®That¡¯s right,¡¯ Yoiyami-san groans. Meanwhile, the waiter was cleaning up the empty dishes on the desk. ¡°Getting real battle experience.¡± ¡°Real battle¡­huh¡± I was wondering what kind of hellish training I would be subjected to, but it wasn¡¯t what I expected. It¡¯s time for real battle, huh. ¡°Tameiki had sent your data, but you have too few experiences. Although your basic ability is somewhat unacceptable, it is already sufficient.¡± I am aware that I have little experience in real battle. I was only doing low-difficulty missions with Roll. That¡¯s because I hated risk. So, I have very little experience in combat missions and almost no solo experience. If it¡¯s mock battle, I was doing well in training though. ¡°But even if you say actual battle, we can¡¯t easily find opponent to fight to the death.¡± ¡°There is an organization in this city where killers have formed a faction.¡± I¡¯ve heard of that before. ¡°It should be easy to find an opponent there. You¡¯ll have to be a killer for a while.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Yoiyami-san frowned a little at me who answered without hesitation. I was also surprised at myself being able to answer that immediately. ¡°I¡¯ll follow you inside at the beginning, but in the end, you will have to do it alone.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Yoiyami-san payed the bill, and we returned to his apartment. Because of my physical strength, I will have to take a rest today and tomorrow. ©`©`©` Hitsugiya Banri. A well-known killer in the underworld, I¡¯ve also heard his names several times. He seems to have an ability that specialize in assassination, and he seems to be someone who would kill anyone from a baby to an old woman as long as he was given money. Such a guy visited Yoiyami-san¡¯s apartment. It was the next morning after my rest day. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, isn¡¯t it, Yoiyami. You sure are getting old again. Why did you call me?¡± Hitsugiya is about the same height as me and has grayish hair. He has flashy silver earrings on his ears and wore a rugged navy-blue jacket. His age should be at about the late 30s. He is surprisingly a flashy dressed middle-aged man. Although he had an eye contact with me for a moment, he walked to the front of Yoiyami-san. ¡°I want to work in the ¡®Association¡¯,¡± Yoiyami-san said while sitting on the bed. Hitsugiya stands in front of him. Suddenly he took out a knife from his breast pocket and played it in his hand. I was wary, but it seems that Yoiyami-san didn¡¯t care. ¡°Hmm~, Yoiyami wants to work in the ¡®Association¡¯, huh?¡± ¡°No.¡± Yoiyami-san threw his gaze at me sitting on a chair in the corner of the room. ¡°That brat, huh. Don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯re raising him?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Hee, it looks interesting. Alright, I¡¯ll help you. You owe me one y¡¯know.¡± ¡°He¡¯s the one who will return the favor,¡± Yoiyami-san pointed at me and said. Hitsugiya shrugs his shoulder, took out a wallet from his pocket, and pulled out a card from it. ¡°It is a member¡¯s card of the ¡®Association¡¯. I¡¯m just a member and have never worked there, but I¡¯m a bit known there. I¡¯ll also talk for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll count on you.¡± ¡°Rather, if it¡¯s you, it will be easy to enter the ¡®Association¡¯ even without something like this.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no meaning in waving the name of someone who has retired.¡± ¡°Ah~, but certainly, there should be no one who can tell that it¡¯s you with your current face, right? And if you standing out suspiciously, the pursuit will be annoying. To worry about such things, even Yoiyami-sama of the Darkness Death has fallen. Well, it¡¯s fine though. Then, I¡¯m going to work from now on, so¡­¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°You do know the location of the ¡®Association¡¯, right?¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± ¡°OK.¡± Hitsugiya turns on his heel and heads for the entrance of the room. However, I don¡¯t know what is in his mind, Hitsugiya suddenly threw a knife at me. I twisted my body to avoid it and instantly pulled out the knife stuck in the wall. And when I tried to throw it at Hitsugiya, I stopped. It was because I noticed Yoiyami-san telling me to stop from his gaze. ¡°Hee~.¡± Hitsugiya laughed happily and left the room. After seeing him off, I dropped the knife on the ground and saw Yoiyami-san put on his jacket. ¡°Are you going to the ¡®Association¡¯?¡± ¡°Ahh, follow me.¡± ©`©`©` A killer group where killers gathered and had the power as an organization. Known as ¡®Association¡¯. Originally, its purpose was to gather people to cooperate in the work(killing) that they have accepted, but it seems that it eventually became an organization as many people gathered. Yoiyami-san says that the ¡®Association¡¯ has offices in the 12th to 14th floors of the central building in the center of New Road, the building itself is run by the ¡®Association¡¯. Unlike Anonymous, the ¡®Association¡¯ runs by the system that allows you to subcontract the work accepted by the organization once you become a member. Anonymous is like a corporation, so the member sorta like doing assignments. And now, Yoiyami-san and I are on the elevator of that building. Yoiyami-san is relaxed, but I wear a hood to hide my face. I also covered my mouth with a muffler, so I feel uncomfortable. The elevator stopped on the 12th floor with a *ching* sound. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡± What came into view after the elevator¡¯s door opened was a beautiful reception counter. There is a door at the end of the passage, there is a reception in front of it, and two receptionists sitting at the counter are smiling. Looking to the right, the view of the city center spreads out, and several people are sitting on the sofa, drinking coffee and smoking. ¡°It¡¯s normal, isn¡¯t it?¡± I said while chasing after Yoiyami-san, who was proceeding toward the counter. Yoiyami-san doesn¡¯t answer. When we got to the front of the counter, the receptionists stood up and bowed. The receptionist who deal with us is the one on the left. ¡°Thank you for visiting us. What kind of business do you have today?¡± ¡°I want to do a member registration.¡± ¡°I¡¯m very sorry. Our company¡¯s member registration is not done at the reception. If you want to do a member registration¡­¡± Yoiyami-san took out the member¡¯s card from his pocket while interrupting the words of the receptionist. ¡°This should do it. Check it.¡± ¡°Pardon me. I will confirm it, so please wait for a while.¡± When the receptionist received the member¡¯s card from Yoiyami-san, she picked up the phone on the side while looking at it and spoke a few words. ¡°Yes, understood,¡± she said and hung up the phone, then she turned to us again. ¡°Here is the membership card. I¡¯ve confirmed it, I take it that you are introduced by Hitsugiya-sama?¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± ¡°I understand. Well then, I¡¯ll show you around.¡± CH 76 [Circular Darkness] In the room we were brought to, we were given the ¡®Association¡¯ membership card. Since there¡¯ll be various problems if we register our name with the same code name of Anonymous, we registered with the name Shin and Yomi respectively. Since we were introduced by Hitsugiya, it seems that we were given a preferential treatment. Thus, Yoiyami-san and I were able to complete the membership registration very smoothly. According to what I¡¯ve heard, Hitsugiya is one of the founders of the ¡®Association¡¯. I have some doubts about Hitsugiya, who was a founder but only active as a freelancer, but I understand that we were able to join smoothly like this was thanks to him. Then, after receiving an explanation about the Association¡¯s system from the receptionist, Yoiyami-san and I were guided to another reception room. When we entered the room we were guided to, seemingly have finished her role, the receptionist bowed out of the room. Afterward, a man enters the room the through the door opposite of the entrance of the room. The man who came in looked like a hawk. The man sat down in the sofa around a table. I thought he is like a hawk because his swept back brown hair and the outline of his protruding eyebrows are impressive. His body build is also good. He wore a black jacket with a raised collar and tight brown jeans. Perhaps he is just over 40 years old. He looks younger than Yoiyami-san. After looking over me and Yoiyami-san alternatively with his sharp eyes that seemed could pierce through a wall, the man said, ¡°Well, sit down.¡± While leaning deeply on the sofa, he pointed at the sofa across the wooden table with one hand. ¡°Your acquaintance?¡± I utter a voice that only Yoiyami-san can hear. That guy won¡¯t notice that I was speaking because my mouth was hidden with a muffler. Without replying to my question, Yoiyami-san sat on the sofa. Seeing that, I also sit next to him. Then, the man who sat in front of us spoke. ¡°I¡¯m Sakasegawa, the chairman here.¡± The chairman, huh. Does he have a business with us? Or is it because we were introduced by Hitsugiya, he wants to have a little talk with us? Sakasegawa continues, ¡°Being a chairman, I have to understand the members to some extent. Even if you were introduced by Hitsugiya, I can¡¯t let completely unknown people freely come in and out of here.¡± Hitsugiya didn¡¯t tell us anything about this situation. And he doesn¡¯t seem to recognize Yoiyami-san. People who have lived in the underworld for a long time should usually know the face of Yoiyami-san, whose infamy once spread in the underworld. So, Sakasegawa probably knows about Yoiyami-san, but the reason he doesn¡¯t realize that the man sitting in front of him is Yoiyami-san is probably because Yoiyami-san has gotten old and his appearance has changed considerably. Hitsugiya and Desuko-san both said that Yoiyami-san has gotten old when they saw him. I was also surprised the first time I met him because he looks older than I expected. He doesn¡¯t have that many wrinkles on his face. But his skin is bad and he got dark circles under his eyes. His black eyes are always half-closed. His whiting black hair has completely lost its luster, and I feel bad to say this but I didn¡¯t get the feeling of living person from him. Should I say he looked lifeless? However, I also got the feeling that he was originally has a well-ordered face. ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard from Hitsugiya?¡± Yoiyami-san said with his usual tone. ¡°I have, but I want to confirm with my own eyes what kind of people you guys are. First of all, you there, show your face,¡± Sakasegawa pointed at me and said. It¡¯s bad. I want to avoid exposing my bare face, but what should I do? When I was thinking, Yoiyami-san said, ¡°Sorry but, please let this guy off.¡± ¡°¡­Ha? What rights do you bastard has to deci¡ª¡± ¡°My name is Yoiyami.¡± When Yoiyami-san interrupted Sakasegawa¡¯s words and said so, Sakasegawa closed his mouth and stared at Yoiyami-san¡¯s face seriously. In order to prevent my bare face from getting exposed, Yoiyami-san deliberately give his name, huh. Even though he said he didn¡¯t want to use his name. I turned my gaze to Yoiyami-san, but he was still looking straight at Sakasegawa. Sakasegawa opened his mouth after a while, ¡°Don¡¯t you know that there are names in this industry that you can¡¯t use to impersonate?¡± I put on my guard at the words that was mixed with killing intent. From the killing intent, he seems to be considerably skilled. ¡°I can¡¯t count how many people have been erased by impersonating to be the retired Yoiyami.¡± I haven¡¯t heard of that from Yoiyami-san himself. Sakasegawa¡¯s words continue, ¡°I¡¯ve seen him a few times a long time ago, and he was a like a killing machine. He imposingly walked around the downtown without hiding his killing intent, y¡¯know.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I admit your disguising skill, but Yoiyami is not a lifeless old man¡­like you!¡± Sakasegawa suddenly stab a knife into the hand of Yoiyami-san that was on the table. The knife stabs Yoiyami-san¡¯s hand and pierces into the wooden table. Seeing that, I reflexively stood up and tried to take out my pocket knife, but I was once again stopped by Yoiyami-san¡¯s gaze. When I looked at him, although he was stabbed with a knife, Yoiyami-san didn¡¯t quiver. He didn¡¯t even raise his eyebrow. The blood of Yoiyami-san spread on the table. Doesn¡¯t that hurt¡­? While holding the grip of the knife, Sakasegawa stared at Yoiyami-san. I felt that the surrounding ¡®black¡¯ was wriggling. ¡°It sure is a rough welcome.¡± Saying that, Yoiyami-san turned his eyes to Sakasegawa. After Sakasegawa slowly pulled out the knife, ¡®black¡¯ gathered at Yoiyami-san¡¯s wound and stopped the blood from flowing out. Sakasegawa widened his eyes a little and said, ¡°¡­Pardon me.¡± ¡°Shin, take off your hood and muffler.¡± Shin, it¡¯s my current name. Being told so, I take off my hood and muffler obediently. I wanted to avoid exposing my bare face, but I followed Yoiyami-san¡¯s instructions. ¡°So, can you pretend not to know? We have some circumstances, see.¡± ¡°A-ahh¡­¡± Sakasegawa nodded, so I wrapped the muffler and put on the hood again. ¡°Do you need anything else?¡± Yoiyami-san stands up and said so. While sitting, Sakasegawa pointed at Yoiyami-san¡¯s hand. ¡°I want to treat your wound.¡± ¡°No, please stop. It may not be enough, but let¡¯s regard it as a proof of trust.¡± Sakasegawa nodded greatly to the words that seemed to be half-threatening. When he saw that, Yoiyami-san turned on his heels and headed for the exit. I followed afterwards. I left the room and chased after Yoiyami-san who was walking ahead. Apart from the elevator we used earlier, there is an elevator on this floor to go to the meeting place on the upper floor, and we are heading there. If we went upstairs with the elevator we used earlier, we wouldn¡¯t be able to enter the meeting place. ¡°If this was the case, wouldn¡¯t we still be able to join without Hitsugiya¡¯s introduction?¡± I said while following Yoiyami-san¡¯s quick steps. In the end, we used Yoiyami-san¡¯s name, so I felt that we would be able to join the ¡®Association¡¯ even without Hitsugiya¡¯s help. ¡°¡­That¡¯s the case if it were only me. In order get you in, we need the recommendation of Hitsugiya. We also have to proof our ability.¡± ¡°I see. But he had seen my face.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like he took a picture of you. He only had to look at your face¡­ Moreover, he¡¯s the only one who saw it, so there¡¯s no problem.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, but¡­ Is that wound okay?¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± While talking, we get into the elevator and then I press the button to the next floor upstairs. The elevator started to move and stopped immediately. Then the door opened, and a slightly stylish sight jumped into my view. It is a dim lounge-like space that is completely different from the bright lower floor. The windows are closed with black curtains, and only a few overhead lightings illuminate the room. Piano jazz was playing as the BGM. Those who drink alcohol at the counter, those who make a fool of themselves around the bar table, those who get excited at poker, each of their attention were concentrated on the elevator that opened for a moment. Yoiyami-san stepped out of the elevator and proceeded proudly without minding them. I followed after him and looked around with just my eyes. There are various people. A serious office worker in a suit, a child of elementary school age, a hungry middle-aged man, an old man dressed like a vagrant, and a delinquent in school uniform with his head dyed blond. It¡¯s a little amusing to think that everyone here is a killer. The killers seemed to know that Yoiyami-san and I were newcomer, and I heard them talking in whispers. I think this ability which can accurately distinguish sounds even in such a space where the voices of various people are mixed in is really amazing. Yoiyami-san is heading to a large display with a list of requests. As explained by the receptionist, after leaving the elevator, we can see the display on the right. The target¡¯s name, difficulty level, and reward are briefly displayed on the list, and they are lined up in a row on the display. The killers are making money by completing these requests. The difficulty setting was almost the same as Anonymous. The details of the request can be confirmed from the computers lined up on both sides of the display. You cannot log into the computer unless you used a member¡¯s card. After selecting the request you want to receive, click the ¡®Accept Order¡¯ button. You can receive the request just like that. Most of the rewards are paid in advance, but if the request is not completed, it must be refunded. And, of course, if you take the money and run away¡­needless to say, huh. Requests may be duplicated, but in that case, the ¡®Association¡¯ is supposed to discuss in advance whether the reward will be evenly distributed or whether the person who killed the target will take the total reward. Except for comrades, there is no much merit in doing it with a stranger, and it seems that it is a breach of manner to duplicate it later. Well, I don¡¯t care about such details. I watched Yoiyami-san staring at the display from behind. When I was doing so, someone approached me from behind and grabbed my shoulder. Looking back, there stood an about 30 years old fat man. ¡°Are you a newcomer? I¡¯m Zunguri.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± I swept away the hand of the man who called himself Zunguri and turned toward Yoiyami-san. There is a reason why I took such an attitude. According to what I understood from listening to the conversations of the surrounding people, it seems that it is a custom to pick on newcomers when they come in. That¡¯s why this fat man came. But unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have time to play along with that. ¡°You sure have a bad attitude. Or rather, I know that you¡¯re trying to accept a request, but when you come here, you have to say hello to Gotou-san first, you know?¡± If killers gathered, they would be such a group of thugs, huh. While thinking about such a thing, I look around once. There sure are some people who don¡¯t seem to be interested at all. I hope that there are only a few such minions. ¡°Go say hello to Gotou-san.¡± Zunguri went around in front of Yoiyami-san this time and said so. ¡°Okay. Where is he?¡± Yoiyami-san asks Zunguri. I thought it was fine to ignore it though, but it seems that Yoiyami-san has an idea. ¡°Over there.¡± There was a bar counter at the place where Zunguri pointed at. Using that counter as his backrest, a man is looking this way. It was a bald middle-aged man with a good body build. ¡°Is that Gotou?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°In other words, he is the strongest and most powerful person here, right?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± Zunguri faltered. Seeing that, Yoiyami-san immediately said, ¡°He¡¯s not? Then there¡¯s no need for me to say hello to him.¡± That meant that he will only say hello to the strongest guy, huh. While thinking about such a thing, I watched Zunguri, who can¡¯t answer back, and smirked. However, looking at the scene, Gotou, who was completely still, stood up and headed for us. When Gotou arrived here, he kicked Zunguri away and stared at Yoiyami-san. ¡°You sure are a cheeky newcomer.¡± ¡°¡­You better stop doing this kind of thing. It makes people think that this is a low-level organization.¡± I actually thought so. Even though the equipments and system are good, but if the members are bad, it is futile. ¡°I¡¯m watching out for foolish newcomers y¡¯know. In order to make sure the quality of the ¡®Association¡¯ isn¡¯t compromised.¡± You¡¯re just picking on the newcomers, right? ¨C so I thought, but I wouldn¡¯t say it. ¡°You guys seems capable, so I¡¯ll let this slide. I¡¯ll not forgive you if you do the job poorly though.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Yoiyami-san closes his eyes, get around Gotou, and walks to the computer. I glanced at Gotou¡¯s face and then walked after Yoiyami-san. CH 77 [Darkness in the Mirror] Metropolis, New Road. The influence of evil organizations such as ¡®Association¡¯ is strong in this city, and the hands of the SDF are tied here. Although this city is prosperous, killings and conflicts between organizations occur relatively openly. It seems that the reason why Yoiyami-san settled in this city was because of the ease of living here. The fact that there is no branch of Anonymous here perhaps played a big factor as well. ¡°How far are we from the 33rd floor?¡± I put on a pair of gloves. Then, after checking the grip of the grappling gun, I looked back at Yoiyami-san standing behind me. ¡°About 20m.¡± I look down from the 40-story building again. The ground is so far away. The lights of the cars passing by flickers back and forth. The night view from this skyscraper is the best. ¡°Are you sure?¡± I said over the fence. Yoiyami-san doesn¡¯t answer. ¡°It¡¯s pretty important y¡¯know. I wish I had investigated it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s your expertise. Still, it¡¯s enough if you know the number of the floors, right?¡± Request normally involves the process of gathering information over time before killing the target. However, I didn¡¯t have time to do such a thing in this short period of winter vacation. That¡¯s why Yoiyami-san hires some skilled informants to handle the tasks in a short period of time. Yoiyami-san takes care of the information gathering part, and I just hunt the target. Because most of the rewards are used for information gathering and the like, I don¡¯t have that much share. In the first place, I don¡¯t need the left-over money, so Yoiyami-san and I would occasionally go out for a luxurious meal. ¡°That is the case, right?¡± I was just complaining for the sake of it. At first, I couldn¡¯t think of it, but now we¡¯re close enough to have a banter. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve become friend or such, but I think we are getting used to each other. Sometimes, I stepped on a landmine and got hit though. In short, the last two weeks of working earnestly with Yoiyami-san on the request made our bond thicker. I grab the fence on the roof and shake it a little. It seems okay, so I took a step forward. But I heard a voice saying ¡®Wait¡¯, and I looked back again. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Give me a rundown of the target.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I let out a sigh. I wanted to follow the ¡®yes¡¯ I just said with another ¡®yes¡¯, but I endured it. (TN : Yes, yes ¨C can be interpreted as ¡®yeah whatever¡¯) ¡°The target is Seg Carter, an executive of the Mara family. His characteristics are; he has a chain piercing that connected from his ears to his lips. Green hair. Height 177 cm, weight 66 kg. His ability is of the manipulation system; he can control electricity to some extent, but don¡¯t looked down on it, he can stun the person who he touched. His relationship with the client is¡­¡± ¡°Okay. That¡¯s enough.¡± Yoiyami-san interrupted my words and gave me a sign to go. Seeing that, I jumped off the roof of the 40-story building. I made a big jump forward and started falling immediately. I turned my body, open my hands and feet and take full advantage of the air resistance. While falling, I check the number of the floors, aimed the grappling gun toward the fence on the roof and pushed the button of the grappling gun. The vigorously fired wire wrapped around the rooftop fence, and the weight at its tip fixed the wire. I hold on to the grappling gun and proceeded toward the wall of the building with the fence as the fulcrum. After drawing a short reverse arch in the air, I kicked the window glass of the building and got inside. I naturally silenced the sound and landed silently. I immediately looked at the surrounding and found that I was at the aisle by the window. No one noticed my infiltration. I stood up and listened to the sounds. Currently, there are only three people on this floor. It is natural because I deliberately infiltrate at the time when there are no people. And one of the three is the target. My current outfit is hooded black jacket and slacks that Yoiyami-san used to wear in the past. And a muffler that hides the lower part of my face. The hood and muffler are less reliable than the mask. I can only hide half of my face. Well, the person who saw my face basically dies, so it¡¯s okay to say that there is no problem. That said, I shouldn¡¯t kill someone other than the target to avoid incurring someone¡¯s enmity if possible. Therefore, I try to hide my face as I possibly could. I walked down the corridor and looked over the rooms. The three people each seemed to be in different rooms, so it was convenient. I take out a phone from my pocket and call Seg Carter. His phone number was procured by Yoiyami-san. This phone is also something newly prepared by Yoiyami-san. I stop at once. I didn¡¯t hold the phone to my ears, but listen to the surrounding sound. Then, a light ringtone flowed out of one room. He¡¯s there, huh. I hung up before he picked up and quickly headed to the room where I heard the ringtone. Then I gently opened the door of the room and entered. Seg Carter noticed me as I entered the room and said, ¡°Who are you?¡± I answered that question by locking the door. Seg Carter¡¯s expression froze. ¡°P-please wait¡­! I have a daughter¡­¡± Before he finished saying what he wanted to say, I fired a Soundshoot. The fired Soundshoot directly hits him and he is slammed against the wall behind him. Of course, it happened silently. I walked up to Seg Carter, who still had some breath left, and stabbed a knife into his throat and ended him. ¡°A life that worth 5 million, huh.¡± I muttered. For a killer, the value of human life is about 3 to 6 million. ¡°It sure is not cheap.¡± I think the frequency I speak to myself has increased. No one can hear it; they can¡¯t hear it. In fact, the voice is only for me to hear. I used to think that monologue was something you do so that others can hear it, but in fact, when you don¡¯t have to worry about anyone hears it, it¡¯s not bad to try to grumble as you please. Still, I seemed to be addicted to this environment. A Mafia executive, a hoodlum, or a millionaire who incur a civilian¡¯s grudge. People who usually use their influence are helplessly killed by me. I am strong. This kind of environment is the best. I gaze at the palm of my hand and curved the corner of my mouth. ¡°I¡¯m finished.¡± I left the room and reported to Yoiyami-san that the request was completed. ©`©`©` ¡°60 point.¡± Even though I thought that I was able to do it perfectly, hearing that I got a lower score that I expected, I frowned. It¡¯s as usual though. Yoiyami-san and I, who completed the requests I took today in one day, were currently waiting for the menu we ordered at the family restaurant near the ¡®Association¡¯. ¡°Why?¡± Today¡¯s day score is 60 point. I asked the reason for that. ¡°First of all, you were slow.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Slow? He said that I was still slow? Even though I done it that quickly. Isn¡¯t it just that Yoiyami-san asks for too much? ¡°Thus, minus 10 point.¡± ¡°That just reduce the points by 10, huh. Then, what about the remaining 30 point?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a sense of tension.¡± ¡°Sense of tension¡­?¡± ¡°No, in your case, it should be called cowardice, huh.¡± ¡°Cowardice?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You are losing it.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that good? I think that cowardice is unnecessary for battle.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the case. Before you came here, cowardice should have been your only strength.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that also the thing that shackle me at the same time?¡± ¡°Ahh, that¡¯s why you¡¯re too extreme. Balance is important.¡± This person sure says unreasonable things. He meant that this time, I have to regain my cowardice, right? That¡¯s already impossible now, isn¡¯t it? ¡°Be moderately scared.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a little late for that? It¡¯s unreasonable to be moderately scared in the first place. The not scary thing is not scary.¡± On the contrary, the scary thing is scary. But now that I think about it, I think that the things that I¡¯m not afraid of has increased. Did I feel confident just because I was hunting only weak targets? I don¡¯t know what Yoiyami-san wants me to do. ¡°The reason I leave you to your own devices is to remind you of fear.¡± ¡°Lies. Yoiyami-san just wanted me to be beaten half-dead right?¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t afraid of me after all. At any rate don¡¯t make light of killing. Well, that¡¯s the case though.¡± Yoiyami-san laughed a little self-deprecatingly, so I laughed too. However, the words that followed made me stiffened. ¡°That¡¯s why I called a helper.¡± ¡°¡­Who is it?¡± ¡°Look behind you.¡± At same time Yoiyami-san said that, there was a sound of the family restaurant door opening. ¡°Welcome,¡± said the employee. Looking back, the face I saw two weeks ago was heading this way. His name is Hitsugiya Banri. He came to our table with his hands in his pocket. ¡°Seems like you guys are being flashy. The guys at the ¡®Association¡¯ were angry were because you two took the job one after another.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°You also get a little stronger, aren¡¯t you?¡± Hitsugiya turned to me this time and said so. Really? I didn¡¯t answer because I wasn¡¯t confident that I became stronger. Another thing, I was overwhelmed by the fact that Yoiyami-san called Hitsugiya. Hitsugiya Banri, I wonder if this person is ridiculously strong too. ¡°So, what do you want to ask, Yoiyami?¡± ¡°I want you to spar with this guy for a little bit.¡± Yoiyami-san pointed to me and said. I involuntarily shouted ¡°Haa¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, call somebody else. He¡¯ll die y¡¯know? I don¡¯t know what you are thinking, but I¡¯m not fit to be a training partner, I¡¯m not good at holding back.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± When Yoiyami-san said so, Hitsugiya made a complicated face. My face distorted. ¡°Hmm. Don¡¯t tell me, you think that this brat can be my match?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the case. Please give him a good beating as much as you like.¡± ¡°I wonder~.¡± Hitsugiya bent his hips and brought his face closer to me. He looked at my whole body as if licking it, then he sat next to me because the food was brought in from behind him. ¡°Well, alright.¡± Hitsugiya points his index finger at Yoiyami-san and said. ¡°You sure looked very dissasstified.¡± ¡®I¡¯ll pay you¡¯ added Yoiyami-san. ¡°I don¡¯t like being belittled by the world famous Yoiyami-sama, you know.¡± Hitsugiya said that jokingly but, I felt that it was somewhat true. In the first place, when he said ¨C to be my match-, is that mean that we¡¯re going to fight? ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re the one who are belittling y¡¯know. This guy will eventually surpass you in the field of assassination. If it¡¯s guerilla warfare, there is no one can beat Shion.¡± Then, Hitsugiya looked at my face at once. He has a surprised face. Then a brief silence. ¡°Yoiyami, are you serious?¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± ¡°Oi oi, you sure really rate him highly. If you¡¯re only being an idiot master, it won¡¯t be something that can be laughed at y¡¯know?¡± Yoiyami-san¡¯s expression was very serious. No, it¡¯s his usual expression, but he doesn¡¯t seem to be joking. I also didn¡¯t think that he rates me that highly, so I became a little shy and decided to look out the window. ¡°You should understand if you do it. I know that Shion can¡¯t beat you. But Hitsugiya, you will surely be interested in Shion.¡± Yoiyami-san said so and started eating. CH 78 [Darkness in Front of You] Everybody sure like knife. While thinking about that, I parried a knife that was suddenly thrown from an empty space. Blood spilled from my cut cheek, and Yoiyami-san¡¯s jacket that I wore was torn to pieces. The mock battle of Hitsugiya and I will be held using the rule of not using ability¡­It was supposed to be, but that that rule was broken 5 seconds after the start of the battle. That rule was decided by Yoiyami-san, but with the mutual understanding of Hitsugiya and I, we decided to overwrite the rule. Yoiyami-san himself perhaps knew that it would come to this, but I think he suggested it regardless because he was hinting that we shouldn¡¯t overdo it. Or did it mean ¡¯fight to your heart content¡¯? In any case, the fact that the supposed mock battle turning into normal fight to the death is inevitable. I glanced at the time on my watch. It¡¯s almost an hour since this mock combat started. ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­¡± The battle is taking place in the desolate old town area outside the walls, away from the city center. This is an area that was abandoned due to a large-scale conflict between the mafia. It is now separated by a gate and is no longer under the jurisdiction of the SDF. And it seems that demon beasts sometimes appear. In other words, this is a place where I can fire Soundshoot without reservation. However, there was no feedback to the total of 5 Soundshoot that I¡¯ve released so far. I take a guess on his ability. Ability specialized in assassination¡­The mobility to move out of the range of Soundshoot in an instant. And his figure that appears and disappears. However, he didn¡¯t approach me in more than a certain amount of range means that he is wary of Soundshoot. And the fact that he didn¡¯t get too close to me means that he had seen through the range where he can¡¯t avoid it. And the most troublesome this is that the sound he made sounded intermittent. Sometimes I can¡¯t hear his sound during the battle. Judging from these, I guess that Hitsugiya¡¯s ability is probably of the strengthening system like Roll¡¯s ¡®Stray Cat¡¯ which enhance physical ability and another unknown ability. And that means that he is a dual-ability user, huh. It was my blunder to show the firepower of the Soundshoot at the beginning. But for some reason, Hitsugya seems to already know my ability. Yoiyami-san called me Shion, so I wonder if that was reason. If he knew just from that, it means my name has gotten quite well-known. Well, it¡¯s inevitable because I, who caused such a disaster when my ability manifested, entered Anonymous just like that. I managed to steady my breathing and looked at my surrounding at once. I feel a gaze. The problem is that he has never showed a gap even once. The situation is also work against me as we started the battle by facing each other. In the first place, my ability is not suitable for such a head-on one-on-one battle. Therefore, it is natural that I don¡¯t have a chance to win the current situation where I¡¯ve been pushed back from the start and have not been able to counter-attack even once. The field sure is not bad though. When I thought so, his sound appeared at a point about 100m behind me. A straight road surrounded by lined up abandoned buildings. If I extended its range, Soundshoot can probably reach it, but I can¡¯t expect anything from its power. It¡¯s probably useless. Looking back, there stood Hitsugiya. ¡°I¡¯m tired. Let¡¯s stop. Even for me, keeping this up is tiring and it¡¯s troublesome. Our abilities aren¡¯t compatible with each other.¡± He said so from 100m away without raising his voice. He knows that I can hear him. While completely putting his guard down, Hitsugiya walked this way, I turned my body towards him. I don¡¯t let my guard down. This is because he probably aiming for a surprise attack. I reached for the phone in my pocket to ask Yoiyam-san for judgment. At that time, the sun peeked out from the clouds behind the abandoned buildings. The glare makes me close my eyes for a moment. ¡°¡­!¡± At the next moment, Hitsugiya was behind me. A knife was pushed to my neck. But I was not killed, so I immediately gave up firing the Soundshoot. I raise both hands and surrender. I don¡¯t know how he got here, but it seemed to be by a teleport ability. If you can do something like that, then do it from the start! ¨C so I thought, but perhaps there was a reason why he couldn¡¯t do it until now. ¡°You, since when did you set foot in this side of the world?¡± Hitsugiya said with a calm expression, but I can tell that his heart rate has risen a little, it seems that the move he did just now was a little tasking to him. There is a condition to use it, huh. Dammit, I was careless. Even though I knew he is a man who hides one or two trump cards. ¡°¡­It was a little over half a year ago that my ability manifested.¡± ¡°So, you entered Anonymous since then?¡± ¡°Sort of.¡± I wondered if it¡¯s okay to answer that, but I replied anyway. Winter vacation is about to end and school will start, but I tried to be better at anything by all means. ¡°It feels like you came to the right world. It is understandable that Yoiyami-san was interested in you.¡± Hitsugiya said while putting the knife back in his pocket. I don¡¯t really like this person. I don¡¯t have a particular reason, but if I had to say it, then perhaps it is because he attacked me when we first met. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already passed my golden age, but it took me about thirty years to get to this area. Well, that¡¯s about it.¡± ¡°I see. But if you get serious like just now, I can¡¯t even be your match, right?¡± I was being modest, but I don¡¯t think that I can beat Hitsugiya. ¡°¡¯If you get serious¡¯ is the problem y¡¯know.¡± ¡®Oh boy¡¯ he said and laughed while walking ahead of me. Is he going to return to the city? Suddenly, my phone vibrates. It was a call from Yoiyami-san. ¡°Yes.¡± [Looks like it¡¯s over. Give the phone to Hitsugiya.] Being told so, I handed the phone to Hitsugiya. ¡°Yoiyami? We¡¯re done.¡± Hitsugiya said. I can hear Yoiyami-san¡¯s voice from the phone. [You sure are still uncooperative. That won¡¯t be enough for Shion¡¯s training.] Did Yoiyami-san watch the fight? It seems that Yoiyami-san¡¯s ¡®Night Vision¡¯ can be used even in this fine weather. ¡°You already expected it though.¡± [It¡¯s too early from the plan.] ¡°It¡¯s your fault to pick me after all. But it was fun in its own way.¡± [Really¡­ Well fine, I¡¯ll give you my thanks at least. Give the phone back to Shion.] ¡°Catch.¡± I sullenly catch the phone thrown by Hitsugiya, but I put it on my ear. There is no need put it on my ear, but it feels strange, so I still did it when calling. [Are you tired?] ¡°No, not really.¡± Hitsugiya gradually getting farther from my sight. Maybe he noticed my gaze, he looked back and smiled. Then he turned around the corner and disappeared. [I see. Then I¡¯ll give it to Desuko] ¡°Eh?¡± Desuko-san? I couldn¡¯t hide my confusion at the name that suddenly came out. Immediately, I heard that innocent or energetic voice from the phone. [Yahhoo~, Shion-kun. How are you?] ¡°Why are you there, Desuko-san¡­¡± [Why? Because of work y¡¯know.] Desuko-san is working¡­? ¡°That sure is rare of you.¡± [How rude of you! You¡¯ve come to this city to work with me the other day, right!?] ¡°I understand that you¡¯re on a job, but why are you at Yoiyami-san¡¯s place? Don¡¯t tell me, are you taking the mission to bring Yoiyami-san back?¡± [No, no, I¡¯m not. I took another job, but Shion-kun was here anyway, so I thought I should visit you. Or rather I think I should make you do it! Yeah~, I got more than one mission you see.] ¡°Ehh¡­¡± I¡¯m sure Desuko-san know that I¡¯m in the middle of training now. What an annoying person. [In any case, get back to Yoiyami¡¯s room quickly. See ya] Leaving those words, she hung up the call. CH 79 [Tearing Darkness] When I returned to Yoiyami-san¡¯s room, Desuko-san was there as if it was natural. She sits in a chair and is sipping tea. I entered the room with a sigh, and took off my worn-out jacket. ¡°Haa.¡± I move my eyes to Yoiyami-san. Why didn¡¯t he chase her out? I asked with my eyes, but I wasn¡¯t answered. I wonder if Desuko-san intruded in on her own accord. While thinking about that, I moved my eyes to Desuko-san and said, ¡°I¡¯m in the middle of training. Tameiki-san should have reported it too.¡± I don¡¯t have time to deal with your work. I conveyed that to her with my eyes. Desuko-san always has her long brown hair tied in a twin tail, but today she let it fall down and her atmosphere felt different. I thought she was a little cute. ¡°Long time no see, Shion-kun. Moreover, seems like your vacation hasn¡¯t been reported, y¡¯know.¡± ¡°You¡¯re kidding right¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± If you became an executive, you can do whatever you want, but I, who was still an underling, still have to send report in a document to the hideout when I¡¯m not in a mission. Tameiki-san seems to have brought me here without reporting it. You¡¯re kidding right? ¨C so I thought. I should have asked Tameiki-san to do it by email. Then, I would get a proper confirmation. In that case, I wonder if Roll take over all the missions that should have been assigned to me. Or did Shikkou-san give me a leeway? If it is the latter, I appreciated it. ¡°¡­Please tell me the detail of your missions.?¡± I thought and said. It¡¯s troublesome, but it can¡¯t be helped. Because this person is the type who will do whatever she has decided to do. ¡°Ohh, you will take over it!?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t said that yet.¡± There¡¯s no way I will take over her mission without asking its content. If the mission is unreasonable, I will certainly have to refuse it. ¡°The mission is simple. It is to destroy the important facilities of the SDF military base located between Slaceid and New Road. It is okay to annihilate them all.¡± ¡°Am I going to do it alone?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right~. You can¡¯t?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± I sink into silence. I think that it is as expected impossible. I heard that the base there is pretty well guarded. People of the lieutenant general class would be scattered about the place, and since I¡¯m not Boss or Shimichi-san, I can¡¯t destroy the place alone. It is different from assassination which only one has one target. ¡°Do you think I can do it? Yoyami-san.¡± I threw it to Yoiyami-san. If Yoiyami-san says I can, I¡¯ll do it. ¡°It is impossible for you to annihilate everything no matter how I think about it. Even if you only destroy the facilities, the difficulty is still high. The general class people were often seen coming in and out of that branch.¡± ¡°Eh~, then go help him, Yoiyami.¡± ¡°Desuko-san, no matter how many times you asked, that is¡­¡± I spoke and noticed. I see, this is her aim, huh. From the beginning, she was aiming for the help of Yoiyami-san. Obviously, it¡¯s not a mission I can do alone. However, still, I can only laugh bitterly at Desuko-san¡¯s insensibility. After all, Yoiyami-san can¡¯t kill people. That¡¯s why he escaped from Anonymous. Desuko-san should have known it too from the previous case. Or rather, Desuko-san was the one who saw through him. ¡°Yoiyami, you are Shion¡¯s master now, aren¡¯t you? In that case, I think it¡¯s okay for you to follow him. Treat it as a part of his training. Just having the support of Yoiyami will makes the efficiency and success rate widely different.¡± That is certainly the case. I was able to assassinate with confidence because I was under the supervision of Yoiyami-san. Even though he said that I was lacking cowardice, but I think that was due to the sense of security I felt at the fact that Yoiyami-san was watching me. Yoiyami-san didn¡¯t say anything. After all, I feel guilty to involve Yoiyami-san. I¡¯ve already involved him by the fact that I got him to take care of me though. I asked Desuko-san, ¡°What are the facilities?¡± ¡°Communication antennas, highway radar, etc. I want you to reduce the functions of the base as much as possible.¡± ¡°Both are key and important facilities. Even if it is you, battle will be inevitable to destroy them all,¡± Yoiyami-san said. Desuko-san looked at him while grinning. ¡°Are you worried? Then tag along with him. If Yoiyami act as a diversion, it should be an easy victory, y¡¯know.¡± Desuko-san sipped the tea once and rattled the chair. Yoiyami-san moved his gaze from such Desuko-san to me. If possible, I would have liked to decline it, but no matter what my excuses is, Desuko-san seems going to refute it. Desuko-san is such an ability user, she specializes in moving people¡¯s hearts. It is already certain that I should obey, but the problem is Yoiyami-san. This mission, I don¡¯t think I would be told to do it unless Yoiyami-san comes. Rather, it is a mission that Yoiyami-san can easily complete alone. But it is not necessary for Yoiyami-san to help in ¡®my mission¡¯. ¡°Shion-kun seems to be OK with the mission, but what about you, Yoiyami?¡± Desuko-san urges Yoiyami-san. ¡°The reward?¡± ¡°S++ for two people. Not enough?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s enough. I¡¯ll take it.¡± Yoiyami-san closed his eyes and said. ¡°As expected. The I¡¯ll leave it to you, kay? This is the details of the mission.¡± That said, Desuko-san left a document on the bed and leave out of the room. ©`©`©` The single highway connecting Slaceid and New Road extends across the wilderness. If you drive a car for an hour and a half from New Road, you¡¯ll see a Self Defense Force military base along the road. The Self-Defense Forces branch on the highway also functioned as a resting place and a gas station, and ordinary people who were traveling often stop by there. ¡°There it is.¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± Yoiyami-san and I were proceeding along an unpaved road off the highway. A grey wilderness spread all over. An SDF military base with its distinctive color erected along the highway. Once the car parked on a hill, I looked down at the base, and found how big it was. Since the base and service area are practically separated, it will be difficult to invade from the highway side. ¡°It seems good to enter the communication antenna area from the back and destroy it. There is a total of four.¡± ¡°The number of guards seems to be not that large. Or rather, there are only four of them.¡± ¡°I will enter from the west entrance and act as a diversion. I will destroy the highway radar on the other side and attract their attention. In the meantime, you go destroy the communication antenna tower.¡± Yoiyami-san explained to me while unfolding the map of the base. The map does not show the internal structure in detail, but it indicated the rough location of the facilities. ¡°The list said that we should also destroy the barrack though.¡± I take out the documents left by Desuko-san and point to the place where the target entries are written. ¡°Ignore that. It doesn¡¯t make much sense unless we¡¯re aiming to annihilate them all.¡± In the first place, is there any meaning in reducing the function of this base? Anonymous does not use this road to reach New Road. Maybe they want to temporarily use this road in order to create a branch on New Road. Destroying the highway radar will make it easier to transport supplies. Or will there be another separate team for annihilation afterward? ¡°Got it. So, how do we get inside?¡± When I asked, Yoiyami-san looked up at the sky. The sky was clear with no clouds. ¡°For the time being¡­ let¡¯s wait for the night.¡± When I checked the time, it was still 4 pm. It is necessary to wait for the night so that Yoiyami-san can go all out. ¡°Right.¡± Night. It was completely dark behind the parked car, and as I moved my sight, there was the light of the lightings that illuminates the highway, and the dazzle of the Self Defense Force military base that shines in the dark wilderness. I said dazzle not in the meaning that it is shining brightly. It just stands out because it¡¯s in the dark. I changed into a tuxedo that Desuko-san brought from the hideout. There is the mask too. Yoiyami-san wore his usual clothes. He doesn¡¯t seem going to hide his face. If he does that, I think he will be watched by the SDF again and it will be difficult for him to live in the city though, I wonder if he is fine with that. That¡¯s not something I should say though. Yoiyami-san drives the car without turning on the lights. No light is needed for his ¡®Night Vision¡¯. The real strength of Yoiyami-san can only be fully displayed in the darkness. We got close to the base, and got out of the car. The place where we got off was near the south exit from where I will infiltrate. It¡¯s far from the west gate where Yoyami will infiltrate, but this distance is irrelevant to the current Yoiyami-san. ¡°I¡¯ll go first. If the west alarm goes off, you should break in. We¡¯ll finish it in less than 10 minutes.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°After you destroy the fourth antenna, wait there. I¡¯ll pick you up.¡± That said, Yoiyami-san¡¯s figure melted into the darkness. I moved my eyes to the base and waited for Yoiyami-san¡¯s signal. Immediately, the loud noise of the alarm went off. The base become rowdy all at once. I started running from the car and headed for the south exit. There are two guards. I generate a sound behind the two people. When I saw them looking back, I approached them in an instant; I slit the neck of the first one, and fire a Soundshoot to the second one who was a little further away. The one who was struck by the Soundshoot was blown away and slammed into the wall ahead. After confirming the death of the two, I infiltrated the base. I send out sound waves to get a rough idea of the space. There are no people nearby. However, if I go to the communication antenna, it seems inevitable that I would encounter people even if I don¡¯t want to. And I can¡¯t avoid the surveillance cameras anyway. The west exit of the base has a wide parking lot. The location of the communication antenna is as I¡¯ve confirmed earlier. Two of them are visible from here. The lights inside the base are faintly illuminating the antenna. It sure is huge. Can I destroy it? Moreover, there are four of them. The inside of the base basically has an open space layout, so the view is good. It is a field that is not suitable for me. However, I can¡¯t complain. I proceeded with caution toward the first antenna. I can see that the personnel are running about due to Yoiyami-san¡¯s diversion. If I destroy the first antenna, they should be alert and head here as well. No matter how much I silenced the sound, there¡¯s no way it wouldn¡¯t be noticed. It is important how quick I can destroy the four antennas. I avoid encountering the Self-Defense Force and reach the first antenna. Yoiyami-san¡¯s act as a diversion was perfect. I can see that most of the combatants are moving there. Now then, I also have to destroy this antenna for good. There is a control room or something next to the communication antenna, but I wonder if I can ignore that. Ignore it. I decided on my own and looked up at the antenna. Then, I fired a Soundshoot. *zun* I feel such vibrations. The direct hit of the Soundshoot distorts the pillars that support the antenna, and it gradually tilts. The antenna tilted as it was, fell to the ground and shook the ground. Cloud of dust rose grandly. There was no sound, but the vibration just now should have been noticed. I immediately headed for the second antenna. The second antenna required two Soundshoots. Even so, when I managed to destroy it like the first one, a squad of SDF rushed to me. At the forefront is a lieutenant general wearing a three-star badge. I involuntarily clicked my tongue. It¡¯s a little early for a lieutenant general class to arrive. Why do you not go to where Yoiyami-san is!? I stepped back a few steps and slipped into the dust cloud generated by the aftermath of the fallen antenna. If I have to fight, it would be nice to be near the third antenna at least. Jumping out of the smoke, I ran towards the third antenna. The guys who saw it naturally chased me. I fire a Soundshoot behind me. The shock wave hit me and the number of self-defense forces chasing me decreased to five. Then, the remaining four people, excluding the lieutenant general, spread out. ¡°¡­!¡± Each one changed their form. It is a squad composed of strengthening system ability users, huh. Facing their sudden increase in speed, I fired Soundshoots in all directions. The four people who were approaching me from the front, back, left and right at an unstoppable speed were struck by it and slammed against the wall. The remaining lieutenant general was in the sky. He has gray wings on his back. He is a flight type strengthening system, huh. His figure is larger than before. He descended in front of me. I stopped and took a stance. ¡°Haa¡­ haa¡­¡± I take a breath. He spread his wings and approached me in an instant. The talons are approaching. I dodge it while pretending to stumble to the back. The guy who passed me kicked the wall, turned over, and flew toward me again. I fired a Soundshoot at the flying lieutenant general. It hit him directly and he was blown away. However, he regained his posture in the air and rushed this way just like that. ¡°Wha¡­!¡± The talons of the lieutenant general, who closed the distance in an instant, tore my tuxedo along with my skin. The wound is not deep due to my quick evasive movements. However, a certain pain ran in my chest. I can see that my inside shirt is gradually dyed red. ¡°Ku¡­!¡± ¡°Tsk!¡± After clicking his tongue, he turned around again. Strengthening system that can withstand the direct hit of Soundshoot. It¡¯s not good to deal with that endurance head-on. I took out the knife and prepared for the approaching lieutenant general. I have to kill him at the moment we crossed, but I¡¯m in a disadvantage against his strengthened body and reflexes. Besides, the weight of our blow is different. It would be nice if I could his momentum to stab this(knife) into his vital point. While I was thinking so, the lieutenant general appeared in front of me. I bend my body and leave the knife on the spot. The tip of the knife grazed his cheek, and his talons cut my arm from the front to the back. Blood splashes. ¡°¡­!? Dammit!¡± Screaming so, I chose to retreat. There is no choice but to detour and approach the third antenna. ¡°I won¡¯t let you!¡± I heard the voice of the lieutenant general from behind. As I thought, this wide-open space becomes my bottleneck. I decided to head for the building on the left for the time being. He can¡¯t make use of his mobility inside the building. However, this is the enemy¡¯s territory. Naturally there are enemies in the building. I wonder if it is okay to enter just like this. ¡­whatever. I don¡¯t have spare time to mull over it. There is no choice but to turn aggressive here. I hold my ground, changed my stance there, and started running toward him. The lieutenant general and I collided head on again. However, on the verge of that, I slid to avoid the lieutenant general¡¯s attack. I immediately got up and ran to the antenna. When I turned around, the lieutenant general was turning around and accelerated, and chased after me. I proceeded in a zigzag and irregular movement to slow him. I grasped the approach of the lieutenant general by sound. Then I jumped to the left at the same time as I arrived at the next intersection. However, I can¡¯t avoid his talons. This time my back is torn deeply, and I bit my lips to hold my scream. While enduring the pain, I reached for the grappling gun at my waist. I grabbed it and shot the device at the lieutenant general who was slowing down and trying to turn around. The spouted wire wrapped around the lieutenant general¡¯s neck well, and I pulled on the wire strongly. ¡°Geh¡­!¡± The lieutenant general grabs his neck and falls to the ground, but the wire that digs deeply cannot be removed unless his flesh is torn. I went around a nearby pillar and tied the wire and grappling gun together. The lieutenant general might have given up on the wire around his neck, he takes to the sky again and flies toward me. The wire is certainly wrapped around his neck, but if it comes down to pulling each other, the one who¡¯s going to lose is me. And the wire still gave him room to fly. Given the length of the ejected wire and the pillar, it is too late to get out of his range. I was naturally prepared for the guy who was flying at high speed. My torn body hurts. I¡¯m not one to talk, but he only relies on his ability to push forward with brute force. However, it would be bad if I was grazed little by little in this condition. If I calm down, I should be able to dodge the next one too. Calm down. On the verge of crossing. The lieutenant general kicked the pillar next to me and changed the direction of his attack. ¡°Tsk!¡± I immediately change my dodging direction and fell sideways as if twisting my body. His talons cut through my mask and cheeks. Enduring the sharp pain, I twisted my body and tried to get away from the passing talons even a little. He passed by where I was torn from the side of my nose to the point where he barely touches my eyes. I fire a Soundshoot at his back before my body touches the ground. My Soundshoot added on his own acceleration. The lieutenant general was blown away. The taut wire squeezed the pillar for a moment, but it soon loosened. At the same time as I rolled on the ground, *thud* something fell to the ground. It was the head of the lieutenant general. I muttered ¡°Serves you right¡± The wire made of carbon nanofiber sometimes easily cuts through human body. If he was blown away with that momentum, it wouldn¡¯t be strange that his head was cut off. ¡°Haa¡­ haa¡­¡± I sure took some damage. I have to hurry. I stood up and dusted off the soil on my tuxedo. And when I pressed my cheeks, the cracks in the torn mask spread and the mask cracked into a distorted shape. The broken pieces fell to the ground and made a strange and uneasy clacking noise. The wind blows on my half-exposed face. Due to that, the wound on my cheeks hurts severely. Blood runs down my cheeks and smears the ground. At that time, I found that a new sound was approaching me. The approaching sound stopped some distance away behind me as if the owner was on guard against me. When I clicked my tongue in my mind and looked back, I opened my eyes wide there. ¡°Eh¡­ Kaza¡­to?¡± The woman who was dressed in the uniform of the Self-Defense Force was also looking back at me with a startled expression. The one who was there was Rin. CH 80 [Shouldering Darkness] The mask broke and I covered the exposed part of my face with my right hand, but it was too late. Rin is standing in my view. ¡°Kaza¡­to?¡± I couldn¡¯t answer the words she barely squeezed out. I just thought, ¡®I have no choice but to kill her¡¯ I knew that one day this would happen, but still, I may not have been prepared enough. I had decided to kill her if it come down to this. However, she being here now makes my heart throbbing violently. Resolving my heart, I silently aimed my palm toward Rin. However, the Soundshoot that I tried to release ends in misfire. I can¡¯t fire. I couldn¡¯t fire the Soundshoot. Why? Dammit. I cursed myself, but I knew the answer. Because the other person is Rin. If you have a decent nerve, you can¡¯t kill your childhood friend. I don¡¯t hold a grudge against Rin. Despite this, to kill her because of my position¡­ is crazy. Really, I¡­ ¡°Kazato¡­ what does this¡­mean?¡± Rin reached out her hand to me and took one step ahead. When I saw it, I unintentionally stepped back. ¡°Kill her,¡± but I felt that such a voice echoed in my head, and I was stuck in place. Shut up. I¡¯ll do that even without you telling me to. I clenched my knife and slowly took a step forward. And I close the distance with Rin in an instant. ¡°¡­!¡± I slashed up from below. Rin responded to the knife with her left hand. I don¡¯t know the name of Rin¡¯s ¡®ability to harden a part of the body¡¯ ability. Thanks to that ability, the knife doesn¡¯t cut through Rin¡¯s palm. It was easily blocked and I realized that my attack was soft. Hesitation, huh? Is that why my attack became dull However, it is natural that I hesitate to do such a thing. I understand it now by facing the situation directly. If you just think about it, you can do it as much as you want. It is also easy to come to that decision. However, when the ¡®moment¡¯ arrives, whether or not you can act is a completely different matter. Still, I have to kill her. In order for me to live. She firmly caught my knife in the palm of her hand and did not let go. Our eyes¡­ met. I tried to pull the knife out from Rin¡¯s hand, but my thoughts stopped for a moment when I met her eyes. She also stared at my eyes and didn¡¯t move. As if time had stopped. Still, some time did pass. ¡°Are you really¡­ Kazato?¡± Rin¡¯s shaking¡­ confused, unbelieving gaze pierces me. It¡¯s natural. I, who was supposed to be someone who doesn¡¯t have an ability, is wearing a tuxedo, is wearing Anonymous¡¯ mask, and covered in blood. It is wrong if you think that I¡¯m Kazato. I¡¯m a different person ¡®right now¡¯. ¡°You¡¯re wrong.¡± I¡¯m not Kazato. I¡¯m warning you. ¡°Why¡­ how¡­?¡± I¡¯m not Kamiya Kazato. I repeat in my heart. I¡¯m not Kazato. ¡°Anonymous¡­ codename Shion.¡± Don¡¯t think about it. I¡¯m Shion. Kill the enemy ahead. What did I come here for? It is for a mission, isn¡¯t it? Do I have time to spend time playing like this? No. I don¡¯t. It¡¯s personal feeling. It¡¯s dependence. It¡¯s my weakness. Shion. I haven¡¯t completely turn into you. I can¡¯t be ruthless. Even though I come here, resolving that I don¡¯t need to live in isolation anymore. Even though I had to be stronger. I have to become stronger than anyone to protect myself. So, something similar to the sense of accomplishment you get by killing enemy¡­ that¡¯s the thing that the current me wished for. I started to understand myself by training with Yoiyami-san. The moment of killing an enemy that threatens my life is a repose for me. Only that moment will reassure me. Muttering ¡®serves you right¡¯ is to prove my strength. Be aware of my strength, and confirm the absoluteness of my life in that journey. It doesn¡¯t matter who the obstacle is. Whether they are my childhood friend, or my best friend¡­ Even so, I¡­! The light in my eyes is dimmed. I stop thinking. I have to quickly destroy a total of 4 antennas. There are two more left. I glanced at the third antenna. I breathe out. I pulled the knife out of Rin¡¯s hand, and kick Rin away with a front kick just like that. Then I kick the ground, drawing closer to her for the second time, and stab the knife into Rin¡¯s hand. *giin* it produces a strange sound even though it hits her skin. Rin is not calm. At least, she is not showing any sign of counterattack even though I attack her like this. I once again swing the knife from above. Rin reacts to it and barely blocks it. I launched a kick on her opened flank. ¡°Guu!¡± Rin loses her posture. I stepped into Rin¡¯s bosom with a kick and fired a Soundshoot at close range. Rin¡¯s eyes are wide open at the shock wave. ¨D¨DRoaring sound. Rin, who was hit by the Soundshoot up close, was blown away and slammed against the wall. A crack ran on the wall and it partially collapsed. The building behind shook greatly. ¡°¡­¡± There was a response, Rin was still breathing. Apparently, she used her hardening ability in time. However, it was certain that she was fatally injured as she coughs out blood from her mouth. In order to finish her, I quickly walked up to Rin. Buried in the rubble, Rin opened one of her eyes and looked at me as I approached her. Tears are accumulated in that eye. The half-baked damage must have pained her, I guess. I have to ease her right away. Holding the grip of the knife in one hand, I thrust the blade into her chest. It seems that Rin¡¯s hardening power was no longer left, and the knife pierced deeply into her chest. The spurt of blood is spattered on my mask. ¡°¡­¡± I quietly close my eyes. Something warm flows down my cheeks. It flowed down my cheeks without stopping. I bit my lips strongly. Dammit, I¡¯m too soft. I spit out a curse in my heart. And when I tried to pull out the knife, ¡°Ka¡­ zato¡­ I¡¯m¡­ sorry¡­¡± Along with such a voice, Rin holds on to my hand holding the knife that was still stabbed in her chest. I was surprised and opened my eyes. My view was blurred, but Rin was certainly looking at me with her eyes half opened. Tears mixed with blood flow down those eyes in large drops. The knife is certainly stabbed in her vital. She shouldn¡¯t have ability to speak. Still, Rin speaks with all her might. ¡°I¡¯m¡­sorry.¡± ¡°¡­Why?¡± Why do you apologize? Why? I kill you y¡¯know. I also killed the lieutenant general who was dead there. You have no reason to apologize. Rin is not wrong at all. The one who was wrong is me. I did it because I like it. I¡¯m evil. You are the hero who bravely confronted the evil(me). Even though you can die while cursing me. Even so, why do you apologize? At least die while hating me. Don¡¯t let me think. I don¡¯t want to¡­ think about it anymore¡­ I can¡¯t do it without making reasons and excuses to kill you. ¡°It must be¡­ hard¡­ right¡­¡± *cough* A large amount of blood gush out of Rin¡¯s mouth. I shook my head unintentionally. I wanted to take my hand off the knife and draw back, but Rin was holding my hand firmly. ¡°Sorry¡­ I¡¯m¡­ sorry¡­ Kazato¡­ that I¡­ didn¡¯t¡­ notice¡­¡± Rin spoke as if she was squeezing air out of her lungs. Rin continue her words with a frowning, crying, messy, and pained face. ¡°Please stop¡­ I don¡¯t want to hear it¡­!¡± It seems that my voice did not reach Rin. Tears spilled from my eyes in large drops. The drops drip onto the ground through the gaps in my broken mask. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ really¡­ sorry¡­ I¡¯m¡­ the¡­ worst¡­¡± Don¡¯t say that¡­ Like you understand it. Don¡¯t say it like you understand¡­ What is with you being the worst? The one who is the worst is me, isn¡¯t it? ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ do¡­ anything¡­¡± At last I got on my knees. ¡°It¡¯s natural¡­ that you can¡¯t do anything¡­!¡± I didn¡¯t rely on you. You all. I didn¡¯t want to hear it. But I couldn¡¯t even close my ears. Even though I should have that power. ¡°Rin¡­!¡± By the time I said so, Rin had already died. Contrary to Rin¡¯s stopped heart, my heart was throbbing. With a little dizziness, I stood up. I pull out the knife stabbed in Rin¡¯s chest and swipe it to shake off the blood. The blood spills on the dry rubble. I stood for a while, holding my exposed face in the broken mask with my bloody hands. My heads hurt as if it was split. When I lowered my hands, Rin¡¯s blood stuck to my exposed face. I breathe in and out deeply several times. Rin is dead. I killed her. I am the worst. I¡¯m a trash. However, this is fine. I don¡¯t need to sit on the fence anymore. Even if I hesitate, I had to persist. To drown out the growing hesitation in me, I stabbed the knife in the hand that Rin was holding. The knife pierces the glove and I felt a sharp pain runs through my hand. And I opened my eyes wide. I can¡¯t be like this. This means¡­ that I¡¯m too weak. Just because of this I¡­ ¡­No, let¡¯s drop it. Anyway, I have to destroy the antenna now. Remembering my original purpose, I tried to move away from Rin¡¯s corpse. At that time, feeling a killing intent from behind, I looked back vigorously. ¡°¡­!¡± The guy who was approaching without sound, approach me in a step and added an upper kick from the side. I use both arms to block it and jumped behind. And I took a distance just like that. ¡°Dammit! Rin¡­! It¡¯s a lie right? ¡­Oi! Rin!¡± As soon as he made me retreat, he knelt beside Rin and held her body. Tsurugi. I almost called out his name, but I swallowed it. Blood drips from my hand that I stabbed. ¡°Rin! Why? Rin¡­! No, Rin¡­! In such a place¡­ you¡¯re joking, right? ¡­please stoop¡­¡± Tsurugi shout out Rin¡¯s name again and again while crying. Rin does not answer. Because she¡¯s already dead. ¡°Aahh¡­! AaaAAhh!¡± For some reason, I was standing still and watching Tsurugi¡¯s wails. It was a chance to attack, but I didn¡¯t do it. Although his ability is unknown, there is a high possibility that it doesn¡¯t purely affect his attack power. Rin might have been saved if Tsurugi rushed a little earlier. Thinking about such a thing irresponsibly, I ridiculed myself. This is the breakpoint. I glared at Tsurugi who eventually stood up staggeringly. Tsurugi was staring at the empty space diagonally below him. ¡°Are you the one who did it¡­?¡± Sunken voice. The voice was so quiet that only I could hear it. ¡°Ahh.¡± I answer clearly. Our relationship as best friends also ends here. Anything and everything were already broken. ¡°You are¡­ Shion, right?¡± I felt uncomfortable hearing Tsurugi said that. Did Tsurugi not realize that it was me¡­? I finally noticed. Half of my exposed face was covered with blood. I see, he hasn¡¯t realized it because of this, huh. I can just wipe it, but¡­ In that case, it is fine. ¡°Ahh.¡± Tsurugi turned his body this way and released a dreadful killing intent while looking down. Of course, that killing intent was directed at me. Because his childhood friend Rin was killed, his anger was immeasurable. Possibly¡­ his anger and killing intent was darker than at the time when he saw his father¡¯s death. ¡°I see¡­ Then, die.¡± ¡°You sure are.¡± Is it because I was half in despair that I replied? Is it to assert that I was evil? I don¡¯t even know. At least I didn¡¯t think that the exchange, which would be called ¡®useless¡¯ if I ask Tameiki-san, was useless for my emotion. At that moment, Tsurugi¡¯s body shook. Tsurugi instantly disappeared out of my sight. I turn my body to the right and try to keep Tsurugi in my sight. I still can¡¯t hear his sound. However, it is possible to determine his position by grasping the space with sound waves. All of the sound waves proceed as if avoiding Tsurugi. That is doubtful in itself, but I can grasp Tsurugi¡¯s position by that. That¡¯s enough. As long as he doesn¡¯t move above the speed of sound, I can cope with him. While thinking so, I fire a Soundshot at the running Tsurugi. It hit and cracked open the ground as if avoiding Tsurugi. Soundshot doesn¡¯t work too after all. The shock wave doesn¡¯t hit only Tsurugi. It is neither countered nor blocked. It is probably that kind of ability. I try to catch the fist of Tsurugi who is approaching vigorously with my palm. However, his fist slipped through my palm and struck into my belly. ¡°Haagh!¡± ¡°Gugh¡­!¡± Although I retreated far behind, Tsurugi¡¯s attack continued. My body was struck by Tsurugi¡¯s fist many times. The damage I got accumulated in combination with the damage from the previous battle. However, Tsurugi is not calm. He¡¯s just attacking in anger. He must be trying to tormenting before killing me. Otherwise, he would use a weapon. ¡°Aaaaahhhhhhhh!!¡± I scream and fire Soundshot in all directions. Even if he was hit by it, Tsurugi¡¯s attack wouldn¡¯t stop. Once again, Soundshoot. Soundshoot. While receiving Tsurugi¡¯s onslaught, I repeat the Soundshoot. Cracks run around me and Tsurugi, and the ground made of concrete collapses in a crater shape. ¡°Guoooooooooo!!¡± Tsurugi roared. Then he stepped back and took a distance from me. ¡°Haa¡­ haa¡­¡± ¡°Haa¡­! Haa¡­!¡± Both of us are heaving our shoulders up and down. However, the one who took damage is me and Tsurugi was virtually intact. However, backing down now is equal with showing me a chance. There is no need to draw back if he was fine. He drew back because my Soundshoot worked. He seems to have not receive any damage, but I can conclude that his ability can nullify attack. The reason he can slip through wall because he has a penetration ability as well as another ability, meaning that he is a dual ability user. This guess can be wrong. I understand what he can do one by one. That alone will give me a clue to defeat him. Anyway, what I¡¯ve learned now is that he can¡¯t nullify attacks indefinitely. There is no one who can continuously use their ability forever. It may be inefficient, but I knew how to win. I just have to make him keep using his ability to the limit. I also can¡¯t fire Soundshoot endlessly, but let¡¯s compete on our endurance. My best friend. Now that I think about it, even though we are a best friend, I have never had a fight with you. Somewhere in my heart I might have hoped that we would clash like this. Tsurugi took a deep breath once again and exhaled it. Then he took out a dagger from the holder and took a stance. It seems that he has regained his composure. This is troublesome. Should I fight from a long distance? While adjusting my breath, I measure the distance with Tsurugi. *gokkuri* When I gulped, a hand was placed on my shoulder from behind. I reflexively swing my fist, but it was stopped. The one who was there was Yoiyami-san. ¡°Haa¡­ haa¡­¡± ¡°Time is running out. Leave it at that, Shion.¡± I glared at Yoiyami-san. Don¡¯t get in my way. ¡°Did you forget your mission?¡± That word returned me to myself. That¡¯s right, the antenna¡­! ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Enough. I have destroyed the remaining antennas.¡± Since when¡­? Did I forget the surroundings that much? ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± I apologize again. ¡°We¡¯re going back.¡± Yoiyami-san said. I glanced at Tsurugi. As expected, even Tsurugi is restrained by Yoiyami-san¡¯s killing intent, and can¡¯t move. Yoiyami-san turned his back on me and walked ahead. After that, my view ¡®darkened¡¯ in black haze. Until the end, both of Tsurugi¡¯s eyes pierced me. CH 81 [Creeping Darkness] One night since then, I was told by Yoiyami-san that the training was over. I said that I want to continue, but Yoiyami-san stubbornly refused my request. There were two reasons. The first one is because the wound I suffered in the battle yesterday was unexpectedly deep, and I needed to be treated by Chiyaku-san. Although it is actually not a life-threatening wound, and I thought it was just some scratches. Just, I was considerably injured to the extent that it would affect my training. My both hands and chest are wrapped in bandages. And a big gauze is sticked on my cheek. In the first place, Yoiyami-san had said that he would stop if I received an injury that would affect my training even a little, so this is unavoidable. The other reason is that the promised one month will soon pass. From the beginning, it was decided that I would practice with Yoiyami-san only during winter vacation. This can¡¯t be helped either. However, I have no intention of going to school anymore even if the school starts after the winter vacation. Therefore, I want to continue to train. Although I said so, Yoiyami-san didn¡¯t agree. Yoiyami-san is probably trying to end my training with these two reasons as excuses. I want to become stronger. But I¡¯m sure Yoiyami-san feels guilty about making me stronger. I, who was being on the wrong path, I, who got on the evil path, I wonder how do I look like from the perspective of the current Yoiyami-san. To the current Yoiyami-san who can¡¯t kill people, how do I, who had killed my own best friend with my own hands, look like? I wonder how did he think of me. If Yoiyami-san regrets his own past, though I don¡¯t know anything about Yoiyami-san¡¯s past at all, but he shouldn¡¯t be thinking well of the path that I trodden on. Therefore, maybe he himself can¡¯t put up with me anymore. Maybe he don¡¯t want to see me anymore. The things that happened yesterday must have been seen by Yoiyami-san. ¡°Although it was only for a short time, but thank you.¡± I put the one-way transportation cost in my pocket and bowed deeply. I have no luggage. I was standing in front of Yoiyami-san¡¯s room in the same appearance as when I came. The time is past 1:00 pm. After this, I will take the bus back to Slaceid. ¡°Ahh.¡± Although we spent only one month together, and although I spent the beginning in captivity, I felt sad saying goodbye to Yoiyami-san. His casual reply, his words that sounded emotionless, and his hidden, clumsy kindness is similar to Tameiki-san. No, it should be that Tameiki-san is the one who resembled Yoiyami-san. ¡°Sorry that I ended it halfway.¡± If you think so, isn¡¯t it fine to continue? I didn¡¯t say that out loud. That would be boorish. Instead, I joke a bit. ¡°Yoiyami-san. When I¡¯m gone, you¡¯ll be lonely again, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Please say something there.¡± ¡°Certainly, I¡¯ll be lonely. It¡¯s been a long time since I had a good time too.¡± Yoiyami-san lifted the corner of his mouth a little. Seeing that, I became a little surprised. ¡°It¡¯s surprising. Wasn¡¯t I a nuisance?¡± ¡°Do you think that you¡¯re not a nuisance?¡± ¡°Riight.¡± ¡°Now go. You¡¯ll be late for the bus.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯m going.¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± Seeing Yoiyami-san nodded, I turned around. I walked to the front of the stairs just like that. There, I suddenly stopped my feet and thought about it. I wonder if Yoiyami-san will live alone again. I wonder if he will spend every day drinking alcohol. ¡­I wonder if, he will absolutely never going to return to Anonymous anymore. I look back. There I saw Yoiyami-san left his room and saw me off. ¡°¡­Yoiyami-san.¡± ¡°Ahh. Come again.¡± He said so expressionlessly. I kept silent for a while, then replied, ¡°I will come again.¡± I go down the stairs. When I looked back once again, the apartment was already far away. ¨D¨DThus, I finished my training with Yoiyami-san. ©`©`©` This is a mansion built in a certain forest. Many years have passed since the owner of the mansion died, and it was weathered and abandoned. A room inside of such an abandoned building was now colored deep crimson. Blood and flesh are smeared on the wall, on the floor, and on the round table. Groans of several people that had become prey were resounding in the room as BGM. This is a party venue prepared only for ¡®Them¡¯ to gather. Surrounding the huge round table are people in flashy disguise. They, men and women of all ages, clad in various atmospheres, were covering their faces with gold or silver masks. Some people have a full mask that covers their entire face. Some have an eye mask that covers only the upper half of their face; from their eyes to their nose. The metallic luster shines slightly in the dimly lit room. The large abandoned room had a layout that could accommodate more than a dozen people. They don¡¯t speak a word. They were just waiting. For ¡®Her¡¯. *step, step* The sound of someone going down the stairs began to mix with the groaning. As the footsteps approached, the tension filled with fresh blood increased. Originally a splendid mansion, this abandoned building has a spiral staircase leading to the central guest room. From the end of the spiral staircase, ¡®She¡¯ soon appeared. ¡®She¡¯ also covered her face with a golden mask. The white of ¡®Her¡¯ dress got wet with blood in some parts, complemented the gold of ¡®Her¡¯ mask. ¡®She¡¯ slowly came down the spiral staircase, sat down on the chair that had been prepared, and snap ¡®Her¡¯ fingers once. ¡°Ahaha. You don¡¯t have to be so reserved anymore. Relax.¡± When ¡®She¡¯ said so, the tension in the room was released in an instant. Those who take a breath, those who start talking immediately. Each one sits on a chair, and the beautiful circle that surrounds the round table collapses. ¡°First of all, it¡¯s been a long time. Everyone. There are many things I want to talk about, but I will talk about the main subject first.¡± Nursery Rhymes, an organization that repeats bizarre murders. The members nodded to ¡®Her¡¯ words respectively. ¡°I got you to gather today, see. Is because the preparations are ready.¡± The room becomes noisy. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®the preparations are ready¡¯? Leader.¡± ¡°She¡± turned her eyes to one of the members who spoke. ¡°We can finally take the first great step towards our ambition ¨C is what I meant. Sorry that I¡¯ve made you all wait for so long.¡± ¡®She¡¯ scooped the blood sticking to the railing of the chair with ¡®Her¡¯ finger and stared at it. Then ¡®She¡¯ continues her words, ¡°But the reason I haven¡¯t been able to move everyone properly is that I was cautious. I¡¯m also sorry that some people were used like sacrificial pawns.¡± I¡¯m sorry. Although ¡®She¡¯ said that, her voice was so monotonous that you can¡¯t feel any shred of reflection from it. However, the members do not care about it. They are all ready to be sacrificial pawns for ¡®Her¡¯ cause. ¡°You mean, that you didn¡¯t get us to gather today for the usual ¡®instuctions¡¯?¡± ¡°Uun. This time, unlike usual, the instruction is just a little stimulating y¡¯know.¡± ¡°I see. Then, for whom are the instruction?¡± The mouth of ¡®Her¡¯ was warped. Expecting eyes are concentrated on ¡®Her¡¯. Everyone hoped to be nominated. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you all where Anonymous¡¯s hideout is. Let¡¯s all go together this time.¡± Although usually, only a few people are called here, it was different today. Let¡¯s all go together. ¡®She¡¯ said so. A crazy cheer erupted in the abandoned building. ¡®She¡¯ conveys this instruction to everyone. And in the end, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s kill a lot together, okay? Everyone.¡± CH 82 Disturbing Lullaby] When I returned to the hideout, I first went to Roll¡¯s room, but she wasn¡¯t in the room. So, I only collected my phone that was in the room and came to the first aid room. Then I got my injuries treated by Chiyaku-san. ¡°Somehow, there aren¡¯t many people today.¡± Although the first aid room was usually full of injured people, there were few people today. Therefore, I got constant treatment by Chiyaku-san. Chiyaku can easily heal this amount of injuries. However, usually, she is too busy to devote a lot of time to one person, so the treatment often takes much time. As she showed me the other day, it seems that she can heal her own injuries even faster. I wonder if it was an application technique that combined it with that blood ability. ¡°We suddenly got busy since a week ago. Most of the hideout members are out.¡± Chiyaku-san said while wrapping a bandage from my shoulder to my chest. ¡°Roll too?¡± ¡°If I remember correctly, that is the case. The mission seems to be quite important as Shikkou gave it to her personally. It is probably the first time since the organization was founded that we¡¯ve been this busy in a short period of time.¡± ¡°Hee~.¡± Then I can¡¯t stay like this either. Should I go to Shikkou-san¡¯s place and get a job? But if most people are out, I may not be able to team up with a decent person. I don¡¯t feel like going solo on mission after all. It might be better to wait for Roll to return here. ¡­There is something I have to say to Roll. About quitting school. The long-term mission of infiltrating the SDF too¡­ I had to tell Boss that I¡¯m withdrawing from it. ¡°By the way, what happened to Sen? The one from Nursery Rhymes.¡± I asked about the thing that suddenly came to my mind. What happened to her after Chiyaku-san took her back? ¡°Ahh, Sen? She became a part of Anonymous. She¡¯s also added to the phone¡¯s codename list.¡± I take out the phone from my pocket and open the codename list. Then, there was certainly Sen¡¯s name there. Several other codenames have been added too. The contact list did not have Sen¡¯s name, so she was probably not given a phone. ¡°What does it mean?¡± I thought that Sen would surely become Chiyaku-san¡¯s toy. Since I watched that battle, I have such an image of Chiyaku-san. ¡°It is what it is. Sen, come.¡± That said, Chiyaku-san clapped her hand. Then, the door of the first aid room opens immediately and a red-haired woman comes in. The woman was Sen. A pink cardigan on a white cutter shirt. And wearing a white skirt up to her knees, she dressed like a nurse. ¡°Did you call? Chiyaku.¡± A clear voice. Standing in front of the open door, Sen is looking this way. She had changed completely. Her warlike eyes and mad smile were impressive, but I can¡¯t see them in her expression now. Her atmosphere changed, and for some reason she even looked young. ¡°What kind of torture did you do to her?¡± Just in case, I keep my guard up against her, and asked Chiyaku-san. Did she torture her so much that her personality changed completely? She has the ability of phoenix. She wouldn¡¯t leak out a voice with just half-hearted torture. Chiyaku-san. What did you do? ¡°I also originally wanted to use her body and do various experiments on her, but¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Sen lost her memory when she woke up. The current her only has enough knowledge to live her daily life. Even I am reluctant to use her as a research material.¡± ¡°Ahh, I see. It is the trick of the enemy, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. They should have done something to her brain in case she got caught. Especially since Sen cannot commit suicide. Otherwise, they can¡¯t prevent information leakage.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why it was decided to shelter her in Anonymous, right?¡± ¡°Ahh. She¡¯s a powerful ability user in the first place. It a waste to throw her away. I¡¯m responsible because I was the one who picked her up, but I¡¯m sick of taking care of her though.¡± Since she lost her memory, it is better to put her to use. But what if her memory returns? When I think about it, I think I should dispose her. No, I can¡¯t dispose her because she is an immortal, huh. Well, if Chiyaku-san is monitoring her properly then it is fine¡­ or so what I want to believe. I turned my eyes to Sen. Then with a troubled smile, she tilted her head. While remembering her appearance fighting while laughing and naked, I continued the conversation with Chiyaku-san. ¡°So, she became Chiyaku-san¡¯s assistant?¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± After the treatment was over, Chiyaku-san tapped my back. I stood up with that as a sign and put on my jacket. Although my injuries were not completely healed, the pain was reduced thanks to her ¡®Accelerate Heal¡¯. This much is enough. I can move without minding my wounds. I only got cuts in the first place, so it would have been easy for Chiyaku-san to heal. ¡°But about Sen. Is she not pretending losing her memory?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because she showed some definitive symptoms of memory loss.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Chiyaku-san is a doctor. That area is the first thing she should doubt, and she already confirmed it, huh. ¡°Thank you for the treatment.¡± That said, I left the first aid room. After leaving the first aid room, I headed to the observation tower-cum-monitor room. The room, which is the central part of the hideout, is the center of the organization managed by Shikkou-san. The members mobilized here are about 30% of the population in the hideout. Most of them are non-combatants. When I arrived at the monitor room, I found that there were fewer people here than usual. The dimly lit room was busy with personnel holding documents heading back and forth. Dozens of monitors are displaying an unclear screen in front of the room. The room is lower in the inner part like a movie theater, and thanks to the difference in steps, the monitor in front can be seen from any position. I stood behind Shikkou-san, who was busy operating multiple keyboards. Seeing that Shikkou-san continued to work without noticing me even though I stood behind her[2], I decided to stay silent. Finding a suitable computer, I sit in front of it and open the mission history screen. You can check who is on standby here. A login pass that changes every day is required to see the individual mission history, but if you just want to check who is on standby, you do not need to log in. I read the codenames that was listed in the order of a to z from the top. It seems that most of the members are really on mission, and there were only 6, 7 people waiting. Boss, Shidou-san[1](previously Shimichi), and Tameiki-san are not there. Furthermore, the fact that Desuko-san and Byakurei-san are also on mission means that they are quite busy. Come to think of it, when I met Desuko-san on New Road, she said she had several missions. If she was so busy, she should have told me. Should I help too, I wonder? This situation is one where I can¡¯t complain even if I don¡¯t like going solo. Right at the time when I thought so, Shikkou-san noticed my existence and stood up, ¡°Hm? Shion-kun¡­!?¡± Roughly getting the obstructive in front of her out of the way, Shikkou-san walked this this way. Shikkou-san¡¯s hair was always unkempt, and there were dark circles under her eyes. It embodies her severe work. ¡°Long time no see.¡± ¡°Mou-, you should have let me know if you¡¯re back!¡± ¡°I just came back. Still, it looks like you¡¯re very busy.¡± ¡°No no, this isn¡¯t at the level of just busy anymore. This is undoubtedly a work terror already. Work terror!¡± Shikkou-san, who was too busy and had a strange tension, spoke in a grand and strong tone. ¡°By the way, my vacation notice wasn¡¯t submitted, right?¡± ¡°Ahh, I got the situation so it¡¯s fine. Instead, I had Roll work twice as much as usual.¡± Uwaa, I¡¯m sorry. ¡°Then, please give me work.¡± ¡°No, most of the missions are already undertaken, and we only need to wait for the result, so I don¡¯t have any more work to give to Shion-kun alone. I¡¯m thinking of leaving the rest to the branches. I¡¯m very busy arranging it though.¡± ¡°Then I-¡° ¡°It¡¯s okay for you to rest~.¡± ¡°Somehow, it made me feel complicated.¡± Even though everyone was busy working. Well, if I can take a rest, I will do so. ¡°Then, can you give this to the master of the cafe?¡± When I turned around and tried to return to Roll¡¯s room, Shikkou-san pushed me the thick documents that were scattered about the area. Because it wasn¡¯t organized, some of them fluttered down to the floor. ¡°Okay.¡± I replied, and headed to the exit of the monitor room. Then, at that time, the door right in front of my eyes opened vigorously. And the one who entered the monitor room just like that is Byakurei-san. ¡°Shikkou!¡± His voice echoed in the room. ¡°Eh, Byakurei is back too.¡± Interrupting Shikkou-san¡¯s words, Byakurei-san strongly swipes away the documents piled up on the desk in front of him to the ground. ¡°Eh? Hey, what are you doing!?¡± For some reason, Byakurei-san seemed to be irritated. While swiping all the documents, he walked up this way. ¡°Shion huh. It is a relief that at least you are here.¡± With that said, he swipes down the bunch of documents from my hand as well. Then Byakurei-san stood face to face with Shikkou-san and says, ¡°Connect to the ¡®Observer¡¯ now.¡± ¡®Observer¡¯ is one of Anonymous¡¯s secrets. I¡¯ve heard that it is the pinnacle of sensing ability, but I don¡¯t know the details either. ¡°You know, right? The ¡®Observer¡¯ can¡¯t be used without Boss¡¯ permission even with my authority. What happened? To make Byakurei this agitated.¡± Shikkou-san responded with a frown. I was also puzzled at Byakurei-san who was different from usual. I wonder if something happened. ¡°I know you can connect without permission. Just do it quickly. I¡¯ll take the responsibility.¡± Byakurei-san grabbed Shikkou-san¡¯s shoulders and said. He¡¯s not in his usual laidback atmosphere. Breaking off him, Shikkou-san faced the computer in front of her. Shikkou-san probably felt that something was off seeing Byakurei-san totally serious expression. ¡°So, why do you want to use ¡®Observer¡¯?¡± ¡°I want to know how much time we have.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± All the screens on the front display of the monitor room are switched, and 3D graphics like brain are displayed for a while. After the ¡®brain¡¯ made several rotations, the screen switched again. What was displayed was a countless number of red character strings. ¡°Save the talk for later. Please display the areas from SN-315 to 320.¡± ¡°No wait. Those areas are near the SDF military base, aren¡¯t they? If we infiltrate such a place, there¡¯s a possibility that we¡¯ll be reverse sensed.¡± ¡°No, the mission to destroy the highway radar and communication antennas over there has already been completed. There are less than half of the facilities left there now. They don¡¯t have personnel that can devoted to reverse sensing.¡± ¡°Hmm? I haven¡¯t received that report though. Or rather, that mission, isn¡¯t it the one Desuko took?¡± Shikkou-san looked at me and said. I explained it, ¡°Ah, when I met Desuko-san on New Road, she gave me that mission. Come to think of it, I forgot to submit the result. I¡¯m sorry. But that was yesterday you know?¡± In the first place, I didn¡¯t have the organization-use phone, so I couldn¡¯t submit the result. ¡°No way. Then it may be possible to infiltrate it.¡± When Shikkou-san quickly typed on the keyboard, the character strings in the screen was switched and different characters were displayed. It was a list of numbers, and I don¡¯t know what it was, but Shikkou-san was staring at it. ¡°It looks like a good number of people are moving in the direction of Slaceid, but this is a large-scale migration¡­ or not, that¡¯s impossible. They¡¯re pretty fast after all.¡± ¡°How soon will they get to this city?¡± ¡°I think in about an hour.¡± ¡°Dammit, they sure are fast.¡± ¡°Heey Byakurei, what does this mean? What¡¯s coming?¡± ¡°Nursery Rhymes. Shikkou, hurry call back the combatants.¡± ¡°Ha? No no¡­ Eh?¡± Such a reaction from Shikkou-san was inevitable. My expression didn¡¯t show it, but I was really surprised by Byakurei-san¡¯s words. ¡°Calling back the combatants¡­ those guys aren¡¯t coming to attack, right?¡± ¡°They are coming to attack. They knew we were going to destroy the highway radar and communications at that base.¡± You¡¯re kidding, right? Nursery Rhymes is attacking at this timing when there are almost no people in the hideout? ¡°No no, still, isn¡¯t it strange? The enemy shouldn¡¯t even know the location of the hideout. Even if the information was leaked, they don¡¯t need to secure the shortest route between New Road and Slaceid. In that case, it is more efficient if they erect a base in Slaceid and make a surprise attack after all.¡± ¡°Nursery Rhymes isn¡¯t the only one coming. They¡¯re hiring the ¡®Association¡¯ itself to increase their strength. That is to say, that is the route for the people of the ¡®Association¡¯ to come here.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re kidding me. Isn¡¯t it quite dangerous?¡± That said, Shikkou-san puts the mug she had in her hand roughly on the desk and faces the computer again. Then she quickly started typing something on the keyboard. The ¡®Association¡¯ was hired by Nursery Rhymes ¨C What the heck does that mean? Besides, why did Byakurei-san know something like this? ¡°Where is that information from, Byakurei-san?¡± I who was standing up opened my mouth unintentionally. At that question, Shikkou-san answers, ¡°He belongs to Anonymous now, but Byakurei was one of the founders of the ¡®Association¡¯ y¡¯know. So Byakurei got the latest information related to the ¡®Association¡¯ early.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Byakurei-san sure has a great past too. But isn¡¯t it strange that the information didn¡¯t come to me who was in the ¡®Association¡¯ until yesterday and the day before yesterday? I wonder if the talk brought only to the veterans and scorers of mid-level and above. Certainly, Yoiyami-san and I, who became members forcibly, can¡¯t be trusted. ¡°Shikkou, how many people can return within an hour?¡± Seeing the screen of the monitor changed to another character strings, Byakurei-san asked. ¡°This time, there many who were going afar, and the main force is in a location where can hardly even contact. And it is almost impossible for boss to return in time.¡± ¡°Seriously? Isn¡¯t Hyde acting with Shidou?¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re too busy, so the two went on different missions. And we probably can¡¯t expect for the return of Shidou-san. Because it is very likely that she can¡¯t be contacted.¡± ¡°It sure is hard not having Shidou around¡­¡± ¡°For the time being, I will issue a return order for those who were close by. I think it will take some time though. Or rather, this situation means that we have a traitor inside.¡± Traitor. The first person that came to my mind when I heard that word was Desuko-san. It was Desuko-san who offered me that mission. Desuko-san was on a mission at New Road, so if it was her, she could move the ¡®Association¡¯ at this timing. Therefore, I instinctively muttered her name. ¡°Desuko-san.¡± Byakurei-san¡¯s eyes are directed at me. ¡°It¡¯s not her.¡± He said in certainty, cutting my words. Shikkou-san also agrees with Byakurei-san, ¡°I can¡¯t think that Desuko-san would betray us. I think that Desuko was used in this situation. For the time being, I¡¯ll contact her too.¡± If these two people say so, the probability that it was Desuko-san should be low. Well, it is okay to think about who the traitor is later. Now, we have to think about what to do in this situation. For a while, Byakurei-san was silent as if he was thinking. Shikkou-san types on the keyboard rapidly. It seems that the situation was conveyed to the people in the monitor room through the computer and the monitor, and they completely changed their work even while making a ruckus. ¡°Anyway, Shikkou, gather all the people in the hideout in the second meeting room.¡± ¡°¡­got it.¡± ¡°One¡­ no, two hours, call back as many people who can fight as you can in that time. I will somehow buy time with the remaining members.¡± CH 83 [Asserting Lullaby] The members who gathered in the second meeting room seemed to be only the uncooperative bunch. Perhaps these bunch will make this situation more dangerous. While thinking so inwardly, once again, I looked over the gathered faces from the right. First of all, Getsuri-san*. He was sitting farthest from the entrance and was staring at me for some reason. (TN: previously Tsuki Hanare. See the note at the end of the previous chapter.) Getsuri-san is pretty decent as long as Roll isn¡¯t involved, I don¡¯t have to worry that much about him. I don¡¯t have a bad image of Getsuri-san anymore, partly because he helped me the other day. The problem is the person sitting next to him. I shift my gaze to the right along the large round table that draws an ellipse. Hikisaki-san. At the end of my gaze, he was putting his foot on the round table and chewing gum messily. If he and Getsuri-san paired up, a hooligan combination would be completed. Hikisaki-san is a man with an androgynous looks and brown permed hair that extends to his neck, but his ears, nose, and lips are pierced, ruining his neat face. If I remember correctly, he is two years older than me. Perhaps noticing my gaze, he met my eyes. I then turned my gaze to the right accordingly. After a large interval, my gaze stopped at Face Punch-san. He has an obedient look on his face and is waiting for Byakurei-san to speak. He also seems to be one of the ¡®untouchable human beings¡¯ in Anonymous, but he maybe the type who rises up in the pinch of the organization unexpectedly. I move my gaze in a flowing manner. There are several people who I have never seen before. If I was asked for their codename, I might say ¡®is it that person?¡¯; I still can¡¯t match the faces and names of all members of Anonymous. While thinking about such things, I moved my gaze, and I noticed that Kaya-san* was there.(TN: Previously Hiya) If I remember correctly, Kaya-san and Face Punch-san were partners. Our gazes met, so I gave her a light bow, and she raised her middle finger toward me. ¡°¡­¡± I can¡¯t say anything. As I¡¯ve heard, I seem to be resented by Kaya-san. She seems to have deeply worshiped Hakunetsu-san, and she turned her sadness and anger for his death toward me. That kind of thing doesn¡¯t really matter to the current me though. The death of those two was not something that I decided. Neither Hakunetsu-san nor Kuroinu-san want me to be dragged by their death forever. When I regained my mind and looked around, I found some acquaintances here and there, such as Inshi-san and Lily-san. However, it really seemed as if all the uncooperative members were gathered here. Even with just a brief look around, the number of people is ten-odd people. The number of all the forcibly gathered combatants in the hideout are quite small. To be honest, I don¡¯t think there is a chance considering the number of the enemies. However, I think our individual force is not bad. I can¡¯t expect for cooperation though. In the tense air, Byakurei-san, who sits opposite me, finally opened his mouth, ¡°The situation is as was conveyed by Shikkou. All the members here will face Nursery Rhymes. They will arrive in about 30 minutes. I want us to buy time somehow. Thanks to the ¡®Observer¡¯, we¡¯ve determined that the number of the enemies is a little less than 50. Facing the enemies with the number of people here is quite disheartening, but we have to do it¡ª¡± The members here¡­huh. Eh, come to think of it, Chiyaku-san hasn¡¯t come. ¡°Is Chiyaku-san not coming?¡± I asked Byakurei-san. If that person is around, it seems that the front line can be taken care of easily. Because she has the strength to cope with that Midou Ryuusui almost evenly. ¡°Of course, Chiyaku will fight too. Seems like she is preparing various things currently.¡± ¡°Eh, Chiyaku can fight?¡± The one who opens their mouth is Face Punch-san. ¡°Chiyaku is stronger than me y¡¯know. Hm? Am I allowed to say that?¡± The conference room buzzes at those words. Byakurei-san who answered that puts his hand on his chin and raises his eyebrow. Come to think of it, the fact that Chiyaku-san is strong is not well known. Perhaps, it was hidden. If they knew that she is a former SDF, there would be some people who couldn¡¯t trust her; it is possible. ¡°Well, anyway¡­ the SDF will join the fight and make this a free for all battle. But their strength is indispensable to overcome this difference in strength.¡± Free for all battle with the SDF, huh. In that case, I wonder if Anonymous, which numbered few, will be defeated first. Our strength is not cohesive. If we were to be deployed, one person should be placed at each entrance of the hideout and someone will give command according to the movement of the enemies. ¡°They will break through the southwest gate in the direction of New Road and infiltrate the city. Assuming they also know the entrance to the hideout, they will bring it into a free for all fight with the SDF. It can¡¯t be helped if the SDF entered the hideout.¡± Some people nodded to Byakurei-san¡¯s strategy, but I frowned. If it¡¯s these members, it should be easier for them to move alone because they don¡¯t have to think about cooperation. There was a total of 5 entrances to the hideout, including the cafe. In that case, after placing someone at each entrance, the remaining people can turn to attack. Furthermore, if we lock the entrance of the hideout firmly, we should be able to earn enough time. ¡°Byakurei-san.¡± I lightly raise my hand and speak. ¡°What is it, Shion?¡± ¡°Can you leave the command to me?¡± I felt like the air was frozen, but I¡¯ve expected it. What is he saying ¨C such gazes gathered at me, meanwhile, I looked over each person¡¯s eyes once. I¡¯m not joking ¨C I conveyed such intention through my gaze. What I can¡¯t stomach right now is that Byakurei-san is assuming that there will be casualties. Certainly, there will be casualties. However, I don¡¯t want to fight and risking my life on the premise that I will be a casualty. Even I almost laughed myself, but even in this situation, I don¡¯t want to die, unlike the others. I¡¯m different from the people here who can easily prepare to die. Having said that, I don¡¯t want to avoid the fight so much that I will abandon Anonymous. It should be possible to fight more properly without acting suicidal. If Kemuri-san was around, I wouldn¡¯t have to say this. In the end, I stare at Byakurei-san¡¯s eyes. He laughed and said, ¡°Okay, then you take command, Shion. I knew I wasn¡¯t suited to it in the first place. We don¡¯t have time. You have a plan, right?¡± ¡°No no, wait a sec. In this room, the only one who can unify us all is Byakurei-san. No one¡¯s going to obey a nobody like you, Shion.¡± *thud* the one who slammed his foot on the round table was Hikisaki-san. He was staring at me with his mouth half-opened. I clicked my tounge. This is why I hate this person. You don¡¯t have to flare up at everyone y¡¯know. I sighed and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think this is the time to say something like that. Given the travel time, we have to act within 10 minutes.¡± ¡°Ha? That doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Not good. I can¡¯t have a talk with him. Byakurei-san, please say something. I shifted my gaze to Byakurei-san with that meaning, but he didn¡¯t look at me. Unify them somehow ¨C I wonder if he wants me to do something along that line. Even when I looked around, everyone kept their silence. It can¡¯t be helped. ¡°Hikisaki-san. You know my ability, right?¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± ¡°Then what about Byakurei-san¡¯s ability?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way I don¡¯t know about it.¡± ¡°In that case, do you understand the phrase ¡®the right person in the right place¡¯?¡± ¡°Are you making fun of me, you bastard?¡± Getting his feet off the round table, Hikisaki-san stands up. This person seems to be quite belligerent. I have to silence him head-on. ¡°My ability is sound control ¡®Dominant¡¯. I can pick up sounds and send them pinpoint up to 1.5km¡­ no 2km. I¡¯m confident in my perception. And if I command, I can give all the instructions without lag. Since I can send sounds directly, we don¡¯t need a receiver or a phone. I can also know the position of the enemy as long as they are within range. Therefore, I¡¯ll get in the range of the enemies¡¯ infiltration point and grasp their position. In that case, I can precisely guide everyone to the enemy. If I keep in touch with Shikkou-san, I will be able to detect more precisely. I think these advantages are great, so I thought I should take command.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Even the enemy won¡¯t just swaggering into the city, right? With the members here, I think we can expect more results if we fight individually rather than cooperatively. For Hikisaki-san too, it is easier to fight alone, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± After clicking his tongue, Hikisaki-san sat back in the chair deeply. I was surprised because he backed down more easily that I expected. ¡°Are there any other people who are dissatisfied with me taking command?¡± I look over the round table. There were some people who looked a little dissatisfied, but no one said anything. ¡°Okay, then it¡¯s decided, right? Shion, what should we do?¡± ¡°Alright. The plan I thought about is¡ª¡± ©`©`©` I wonder what is their purpose of attacking Anonymous in its current state where there are only a few people around. The hideout certainly has importance as a base, but if the members survive, the activities can be continued with the branches scattered all over the place as a base again. Furthermore, it is possible for us to pack up some luggage and escape without intercepting them here. Perhaps the purpose of Nursery Rhymes is to destroy Anonymous itself. Or rather, why is Byakurei-san sticking to intercepting them even though it is a clearly disadvantageous battle? Is there anything here that he wants to protect that much? What comes to my mind is ¡®Observer¡¯, but it seems that only the executives have been told about it in detail, and I¡¯m not sure what the ¡®Observer¡¯ is. To begin with, I thought that the ¡®Observer¡¯ was a person, but having seen the situation in the monitor room earlier, I became unable to understand what the ¡®Obersver¡¯ was. I wonder if that thing was communicating with someone somewhere other than here? ¨D¨DCurrently, I was looking on the road leading to the southwest gate with binoculars from the roof of a high-rise condominium outside the center of the city. The enemies are already visible. They were driving a number of cars at a tremendous speed while making dust cloud and heading for the city. On the other hand, the ones who is standing at the southwest gate is the SDF. Thanks to Shikkou-san disseminating the information, they(SDF) have been able to respond this swiftly. However, in addition to Nursery Rhymes, there is also the troops of the ¡®Association¡¯. The SDF of this city alone would be easily broken through. Honestly speaking, the SDF of Slaceid is just like an ornament. That¡¯s why Anonymous was able to set up a hideout in underground of the city. However, they should know that too and call for reinforcements. Will the main force return in time before the Self-Defense Forces reinforcements arrive? Probably they wouldn¡¯t be in time¡­ When the three troops come together, the city will fall into chaos. I guess there wasn¡¯t enough time to evacuate the residents. Tsurugi was at the Self-Defense Forces base yesterday, so I guess he wasn¡¯t here. If he is still there, it is likely that he will be sent to Slaceid as reinforcements. I turned around and looked towards the center of the city. The Neo Slaceid Building, which rises almost right in the center, is the tallest skyscraper in the city. I can see all the gates from the rooftop over there. I can also make the most of my ability from there, it is a great spot. After I deployed people to the southwest gate, I guide them to those invaders and move to the rooftop of that building. When I got to that position, the operation started. I¡¯m glad that the SDF is sticking to the southwest gate. Since they will suppress the enemy¡¯s movement a little, I can act calmly. I look at my watch and check the time. It¡¯s about time. Thinking so, I took out my phone and called the Anonymous Tsuhara branch. While calling, I turn around and leave the roof. The phone was connected after about 5 calls. [Hello.] ¡°It¡¯s Shion.¡± [Oh, Shion-kun! It was hard while you weren¡¯t around! Taking care of Renga I mean! Or rather, it seems to be dangerous over there.] The person who answered the phone was a woman named Cuffs-san, who is in charge of managing the Tsuhara branch. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. About Renga, can you release it?¡± While going down the stairs, I tell her my objective. I¡¯d like to have a talk with her, but I¡¯ve got no time. [Haa!? No no, now it is obedient since it is following Shion-kun and Desuko-chan¡¯s order, but I don¡¯t know what will happen if it was released. I think it will probably go there though. Considering the situation there, wouldn¡¯t it be bad¡­] ¡°No, that¡¯s fine.¡± That is my intention. Because it was an overwhelmingly disadvantageous situation in the first place, even if an uncertain factor like Renga was introduced, it would not change. And Renga is smart. I¡¯m sure it will listen to me. [Ah~, well, yeah. Got it.] Perhaps she guessed my thought to some extent, Cuffs-san agrees. ¡°I¡¯m counting on you.¡± [¡®kay~.] I hang up the call and put the phone back in my pocket. With its speed, it would take Renga around 20 minutes to arrive here from Tsuhara Plateau. The timing is just right for the reveal of my weapon(Renga). Now, it¡¯s your turn, Renga. CH 84 [Approaching Lullaby] Neo Slaceid Building. On the roof of the building, which is well over 200m high, I look at the unfolding war front with a binocular. Together with Nursery Rhymes, the members of the ¡®Association¡¯ broke through the southwest gate easily, and the SDF chased after them. As expected, they seem to know the entrance to the hideout. About half of the 50 people deal with the Self-Defense Force, and the other half divide their course into four, each heading in the direction of the entrances. While doing their best to make destruction. The ripples of chaos spread from the southwest gate. Anonymous relies heavily on the functions of this city. Are they rampaging because they knew it, or are they just crazy? Either way, it¡¯s bad. We can¡¯t stay in this city anymore. ¡°The enemy has divided apart.¡± [Roger. The blockade of the entrances has just been completed too.] ¡°Alright.¡± I replied to the voice emitted from the income attached to my necktie. While following the map of city hanged on the rooftop fence with my eyes, I compared it with their position. Red markers are placed where the members are on standby. Nothing is written at the 5 entrances of the hideout, but Hikisaki-san is placed at the entrance of District B, Lily-san is at C, Daruma-san is at F, Kaya-san and Rashin-san are at H, and Byakurei-san is at J. These people basically do not move. They have to protect the entrance to the end. The point of J-32 where Byakurei-san is, is at the caf¨¦, it is the easiest place for a large number of people to infiltrate. When we enter the hideout, we mostly enter through there. The one who decided who protect which place is Shikkou-san. The only thing I think about is how to move everyone. The one who suited to decide the position of the members is Shikkou-san, who knows everyone¡¯s ability. ¡°Everybody, can you hear me?¡± I send sounds to each and every one to confirm whether the sound reach them, and each of them replied back. I also confirmed that I could hear everyone¡¯s voice properly. ¡°The enemies are heading toward the respective entrances at district B, C, F, and H. I don¡¯t see anyone heading toward J, but Byakurei-san shouldn¡¯t leave. The rearguard of the SDF is likely to rush there.¡± [Roger that.] The ¡®Observer¡¯ can sense a specific object and its sensing range doesn¡¯t need to be questioned, but it seems that it lacks precision when the population density increases accordingly. At first, I was thinking of synchronizing what I constantly grasp with the ¡®Observer¡¯ and coordinating with it, but due to that problem, I gave up I look at my wrist watch. I took about 10 minutes to reach the roof of this building, so there is still about 10 minutes until Renga arrived. The detection of the enemies at a vast range makes me quite nervous, and exhausting my stamina. And I have to give command on top of that. But if I don¡¯t do it, only annihilation wait for us. At least one hour from now. We¡¯ll have to buy that much time somehow. Thinking so, I took a deep breath. ¡°Face Punch-san, please strike the enemies who are currently heading toward the entrance from point B-16. The number of the enemies is four. Since it is a residential area, I think you can preemptively attack them with a move with high firepower from the start. I¡¯ll give you a signal when the time comes.¡± ¡°Getsuri-san and Logos-san, please don¡¯t move from C-68. The enemies are coming shortly. There are 5 people. You¡¯ll be able to see them from the corner in front of you, so if you ambush them, I think you two can take the initiative with Getsuri-san¡¯s ability ¡®Skill Lock¡¯.¡± ¡°Inshi-san. There are 10 enemies. It is a little far from the marker, so hurry up to F-44. If you climb someplace high, you should see the group of enemies. Please make the first move and stop the enemies¡¯ movement with your ¡®Versus Territory¡¯ ¡°Chiyaku-san, please head to F-44. Please cooperate with Inshi-san. Please be careful because that is the place with the greatest number of enemies. In case you finish up early, it would be great if you could break into the fight at District D and stir up disturbance as you see fit.¡± ¡°Hajin-san, please head toward H-18 and wait for further orders. Let the enemies pass until the entrance and after they start fighting Kaya-san and co, please attack them from behind. There are four enemies heading to the entrance at District H.¡± Finished saying that, I took a deep breath. I hear replies from each of them, and confirm that they have started to move. I can sense that some of them were dissatisfied with my instructions from their replies, but still, in this situation, they can¡¯t help but obey. Just now is the technique that Yoiyami-san told me to practice. I call it ¡®Sound Sequence¡¯. In short, it is a technique to speak different words at the same time. Therefore, I only deliver the sounds to each people I want to tell to so it is delivered clearly. All of it was heard by Shikkou-san who connected to me through the income of the necktie, but maybe she couldn¡¯t hear them well. No, that¡¯s not the case, huh. Shikkou-san¡¯s ability is ¡®Rapid Process¡¯. She can think several times faster than a normal person. That is also the reason why Anonymous¡¯s central management is entrusted to her. I don¡¯t know the details, but there are many high-performance devices in the center that can only be handled by Shikkou-san. There is no way that Shikkou-san would be confused by my simultaneous conversation with five people. Still, it is easy to use Sound Sequence if it¡¯s just a word or two, but as expected, when it comes to conversation, it sure is though. Even though it was a one-sided conversation, it was with five people. It takes a lot of my stamina and mind. I wish I have Shikkou-san¡¯s ability. If I get used to it, I may be able to increase the number of the receiver. Technically, it¡¯s not that difficult because it only makes different sounds at the same time. I trace the tracks of the enemies with the markers on the map. I thought that the enemy¡¯s forces would move more spread apart considering their nature, but they were unexpectedly firm and tricky. ¡°Getsuri-san, Logos-san, the enemies have changed course, so please go ahead to C-78 from the opposite direction. The enemies will appear from the corner of the crossroads where a bakery is located.¡± At worst, the five enemy can work together, so it is overwhelmingly disadvantageous to go alone. If they have high firepower type ability like Face Punch-san, they can take them out by surprise, but there are only few of the current members who can do it. That¡¯s why I would like to have a few more people to go there too, but since there are only a few people who can cooperate, it is necessary to rotate according the situation. Therefore, there are many members currently on standby. In the opening of the war front, the ease of movement will change depending on to how much Chiyaku-san disperses the people in the back. I also want Chiyaku-san to handle medical treatment, but currently, she is an important combatant. What this means is that injured people who are incapacitated are to be cast away. I have already brought up this subject at the meeting previously, so everyone should understand it. Well, however, seeing how organized they are so far, I can¡¯t think of it as just a collaboration between Nursery Rhymes and ¡®Association¡¯. I wonder if their leader has that much charisma(power). My nerves were gradually tightened because of the field of sound collection over a radius of 2km. I reduce my exhaustion by separating the sounds I want to hear and the sounds I don¡¯t need. I can intuitively mark sounds. Not just the ears. I can sense sound even with the five senses other than hearing. I grasp the field with all my senses. I guess the first one who will make contact is Face Punch-san. Is it five minutes until the time to give the sign? The damage to the residents is not taken into account. Anonymous will be withdrawn from the city once the battle is over, Shikkou-san said so too. [Shion-kun, the reinforcements of the SDF have just left Saint Celia. Two generals and in addition a great number of people are coming to this city.] When I heard Shikkou-san¡¯s voice from the income, I unintentionally said ¡°Haa?¡±. Confused voices echoed from behind her, and I can hear the uproar in the monitor room. You¡¯re kidding, right? No, it is not strange. In case of this time, they can round up Anonymous and Nursery Rhymes simultaneously. And in the pinch of Anonymous, there is no worry that the headquarters of the SDF will be targeted. ¡°When will they arrive?¡± [About 30 minutes from now. They are repeatedly using long-distance transitions.] Dammit, even though they are coming from Saint Celia, they are too fast, right? ¡°What about our reinforcement?¡± [No good. The only executive I could got in contact with is Kemuri. Even the other combatants will definitely take 30 minutes from now, they will not be in time. So at my own discretion, important equipment and data around the center will be deleted appropriately. Even if we are wiped out, I want to keep only the management function of the ¡®Observer¡¯ somehow, so¡­] I interrupted Shikkou-san who started to prattled on. ¡°I¡¯ll leave that area to you.¡± Even if we who are fighting in this city die, almost all of our main forces are outside. If they use the branches, they can recover. Even though it will take time. However, I don¡¯t give a damn about that kind of thing. Shikkou-san seems to be calm at first glance and she seems to be fine with this situation. Her processing is not catching up. Seems like I can¡¯t just rely on Shikkou-san¡­ ¡°¡­I understand. Please leave this place to me. I¡¯ll do something about it.¡± I read Shikkou-san¡¯s emotions and said so. [¡­Well then, please do. Sorry. For the time being, I¡¯ll keep the income connected.] Hearing Shikkou-san answered so easily, I nodded inwardly that I was correct. As I thought, she is at her wits¡¯ end. Now, only she can do one thing or another in the hideout. ¡°Understood.¡± I check the time on the phone. The time is past 6pm. It¡¯s already getting dark, and the scenery in front of me is gradually being colored. The ignorant splendor that does not know the hustle and bustle is proof that the evacuation warning has not been given to the residents. At least in the radius of 2 km of this city center, I turned off the warning sound that was supposed to ring. It was in order to increase the work of the SDF. This is because we, who are inferior in number, will take advantage of even more chaos. It still takes more time for Renga to arrive. I trace the markers of the enemy¡¯s forces in order and grasp the position of the ally in my brain. I feel like I¡¯m in each of their position three-dimensionally. I closed my eyes and shut down the information coming in from my sight. ¡°Face Punch-san. Please stop there. The enemies will appear directly to your right in about 10 seconds. Please prepare to attack.¡± ¡°OK.¡± ©`©`©` ©`©` ©` Face Punch. This codename was given by Destroy(Desuko), who is an executive of the secret society Anonymous. Speaking of its origin, it was because Destroy witnessed him threw a punch on Hyde¡¯s face in their first meeting. A codename that had become attached to him before he realizes it. It is often abbreviated as Face Pan(KaoPan). The fact that he accepted that out of character codename was also a proof of his confidence in himself. And the fact that he himself had a difference in sensibility also plays a big a part in it. [Now.] A signal was sent to him from Shion who is currently commanding the battle. Lowering his posture, Face Punch, who was waiting for the signal, released his ability ¡®One Time Impact¡¯. The fist that was thrusted from low posture couldn¡¯t be seen by eyes, it surpassed the speed of sound and the empty space ¡®shifted¡¯ as if the space was distorted for a moment. And the shock wave that came late blasted away the private house ahead. No, it wasn¡¯t just the private house ahead. It passed through beyond that to the distant and blasted away the residential area. If seen from the sky, it seemed as if a pile of dust was strongly blown upon. ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­¡± Exhausted of his stamina, his breath became ragged. This ability of him was a little special. It fell under either the strengthening system or the operating system, but if it had to be said then it is rather close to the strengthening system. The strengthening system was the abilities that is able to carry the ability of all living beings in oneself. However, since the ability to harden the body surface also belonged to the strengthening system, it was widely recognized that the abilities that is able to grant some sort of power to the body is of the strengthening system. However, it may be different in the strict sense. Thus, it is easy for one to be mistaken about Face Punch¡¯s ¡®One Time Impact¡¯. As could be imagined from the name of his ability, it was a one-shot ability. The number it could be shot per day is fixed. This One Time Impact, which had absolute power from the time of its manifestation, was an excessive ability enough to throw the life of Face Punch, who was 7 years old at that time, into disorder. ¡®One Time Impact¡¯ had various applications created and refined by Face Punch, but this time, he was purely demonstrating its power. In the rising dust cloud, he overlooked the area that had become a mountain of rubble. It had been a long time since he released this ability, which can¡¯t be finely adjusted, without worrying about anything. Some feelings like exhilaration and a little irritation swirled in him. Face Punch glared at the end of the dust cloud. ¡°Man! I didn¡¯t think that two people would suddenly get killed! If I didn¡¯t cover him, even Boss Sakasegawa would have died too.¡± What emerged from the cleared dust cloud was a man with blond hair in a white coat and a man with swept back hair in a leather jacket. Looking at the colorful mask in one hand of the blonde man, this man surely is someone from Nursery Rhymes ¨C so Face Punch thought. The man with hawk-like eyes and swept back hair looked familiar to Face Punch too. The current chairman of the ¡®Association¡¯. Sakasegawa. I surely got a hit. So was Face Punch¡¯s thought. ¡°Boss Sakasegawa, go ahead. I¡¯ll deal with that guy.¡± ¡°Ahh, I¡¯ll do that. My compatibility with him seems bad. I¡¯ll head toward District J. Somehow, no one seems to be heading there.¡± Sakasegawa turned on his heels, grew wings on his back, and flew in the opposite direction through the rubble. Seeing that, Face Punch took a step forward, but hearing Shion¡¯s voice in his ears, he stopped in place. At the same time, the blonde man also took a step toward Face Punch, restraining him. ¡°My name is Setsuna. I ask of you, O¡¯ Face Punch. Please make my blood seething.¡± -Face punch VS Setsuna- ©`©`©` A cafe on the outskirts of the city at point 32 in J district. The table and chairs were taken out of the cafe, and Byakurei was slurping coffee there. He was also flustered at the beginning, but when the battle started, he regained his calm. He hated the word responsibility. In fact, he was relieved to be able to shift the command to Shion. Byakurei could demonstrate his maximum potential only when the shackles of consideration and responsibility are removed. In that sense, he settled in the best position. The position of an executive is convenient for him to do whatever he wants, but sometimes he misses the lower position where he only has to do what he is told. ¡°This may be the last time I drink coffee here, Master.¡± ¡°When the base is moved, you can drink again.¡± The taciturn master also kept Byakurei company. [Byakurei-san, the enemy is coming from the sky. Standing at the entrance of the cafe, the direction is 10 o¡¯clock in front.] With the words of Shion, Byakurei got up from the chair. ¡°Thanks for the company. You should back down, Master.¡± That said, he pulls out the sword on his back. He looked at whoever flying down from the sky. The figure that gradually grew larger was familiar to Byakurei. ¡°O~i oi¡­ Isn¡¯t it Sakasegawa?¡± A companion who once founded the ¡®Association¡¯ together with him. Now we stood on the opposite side though. That was the thought of Byakurei. ¨DByakurei VS Sakasegawa¨D CH 85 [Lullaby of Fierce Battle] Face Punch didn¡¯t hesitate to punch. Approximately five minutes after the battle with Setsuna began, he fired his third ¡®One Time Impact¡¯. The city was scraped off with such a momentum that made it look like a mound of sand that was kicked. Besides, Setsuna, who was caught in it, slipped into the dust cloud generated by the impact. The residential area was pushed away by the shock wave emitted in 60 degrees angle in front of Face Punch. It¡¯s a power that sets it apart. If one were hit directly, one won¡¯t be able to escape death. However, this was the first time that Face Punch faced an opponent who was unscathed after receiving that ¡®One Time Impact¡¯. Like the second time, he emerged from the side of the dust cloud, and approached Face Punch while making his way around it. ¡°Haha-! It¡¯s no use!¡± Another ¡®One Time Impact¡¯. With this, Face Punch used his ability for the fourth time. A power that had no concern about harming allies. It is correct to say that it was unreasonable. If it wasn¡¯t in District B, which was the closest to the enemy¡¯s invasion point, the damage would have been even greater. Shion, who was the quickest to evacuate, deployed only Face Punch at the point so that he can rampage unbridled. However, the result of the battlefront did not turn for the better. The man called Setsuna. This situation, in which he stops Face Punch alone, was not favorable to Shion. Setsuna retreated far away again at the release timing of ¡®One Time Impact¡¯. Face Punch¡¯s One Time Impact, which exerted high firepower in a single shot, had the property of being easily seen through. Most of the ability user had no way of dealing with it even if they saw through it, but Setsuna had one. His ability is ¡®Moment Guard¡¯. It was the ability to momentarily create a strong barrier around him. The barrier that spring forth from inside him when deployed could also be used to attack as it pushes away the surroundings. And it was possible to draw others into that barrier. Face Punch saw through Setsuna¡¯s ability with the fourth ¡®One Time Impact¡¯. He comprehended what kind of ability it was with the second attack, reconfirmed it with the third attack, and investigated it further with the fourth attack. Seeing as he retreated when attacked, Face Punch judged that it is dangerous for him to be hit directly at a close distance even though he has a barrier. Or perhaps he took a distance because he will produce a small gap after using his ability, just like Face Punch. Whichever it is, is fine ¨C Face Punch thought, coming to a conclusion. Battling with ability is no use. If this continues, Face Punch who had several limitations will be at disadvantage. The dust cloud cleared up again, and Setsuna emerged from it. Face Punch distorted the corner of his mouth and said, ¡°This is boring.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s stop using ability. Let¡¯s fight with only bare hands, Setsuna.¡± Face Punch was a bold man. Having pulled out all the knives in his holder and leaving them on the spot, Face Punch took one step forward. He made a provoking gesture and took a fighting pose. He was a man who would do such a thing even if he¡¯s going to fight to the death. Setsuna grinned. He was also confident in brawling. Originally a member of Nursery Rhymes, Setsuna came here to enjoy the fight. At the beginning, Setsuna also thought that endurance battle with Face Punch would be boring. Therefore, he was delighted with the proposal. Setsuna didn¡¯t hate this kind of fight to the death. He threw off his white coat and sweatsuit, exposing his trained upper body. Similarly, Face Punch also threw off his jumper, showing the physical beauty of his upper body. ¡°I¡¯m glad you are the enemy I faced, Setsuna.¡± ¡°Haha! Me too!!¡± Setsuna used light footwork to close the distance with Face Punch. Face Punch set up both of his hands in front of his face and step forward. And immediately after, Setsuna jumped in front of Face Punch. ¡®One Time Impact¡¯ Particles quickly converged on top of the fist that Face Punch launched. Setsuna eyes opened wide, surprised seeing the particles. His barrier was, of course, not in time. Along with Setsuna, the landscape was blown away. The impact sound that sounded like a lightning strike is accompanied by earth tremor. A breeze blows through the B district, which looked as if just being hit by catastrophes. Face Punch stood on the piled-up rubbles and stared at the empty sky. ¡°Sorry. I wanted to fight it out with you though.¡± ©`©`©` Sakasegawa, Byakurei, and Hitsugiya. These three were old friends. They who used to live on killing, got to know each other by triple-booking at a certain job. It became the first time that they were working together. They hit it off well and formed a team. Feared individually to begin with, each was a well-known killer, so their team quickly became famous in the underworld. However, after a while, having noticed that their direction of killing didn¡¯t match, the team was disbanded. After the disbandment, they founded the ¡®Association¡¯ in order to improve the work environment of the industry and to get a better job. Eventually, Sakasegawa became the manager of the ¡®Association¡¯. Hitsugiya rarely went in and out of the ¡®Association¡¯, but sometimes, he took work there. And Byakurei, as a matter of fact, worked in the ¡®Association¡¯. In the course of it, Byakurei became the member of Anonymous because he accepted a request to assassinate Hyde, the leader of Anonymous. Being defeated by Hyde after challenging him, Byakurei was invited to become the member of Anonymous. Thus Sakasegawa, Byakurei, and Hitsugiya walked their respective paths. And now, fortunately or unfortunately, the two men met again. As enemies. ¡°It seems that you¡¯ve been sitting in your position all these times, Sakasegawa. Are your skills not getting rusty?¡± ¡°Maybe your strength has been deteriorated, Byakurei.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. I¡¯ve always been stronger than you since the olden days.¡± ¡°My bad, but it¡¯s been a long time since I last fight. Sorry if I can¡¯t kill you easily.¡± There was no conversation after that. Sakasegawa kicked the rock at his feet toward Byakurei and flew high to the sky. The rock did not reach Byakurei. The rock fell to the ground in front of him, blocked by an invisible wall. The appearance of Sakasegawa changed as he climbs into the sky. Strengthening abilities could be divided into forms by training. For the strengthening system, which had various troublesome aspects such as tearing clothes, it was a standard practice to train to stop the transformation change while still in the humanoid state during transformation. Now, Sakasegawa was transforming into an eagle. Feathers grew from all over his body, his originally sharp eyes became sharper, and a beak extended from the tip of his nose. Abilities of the strengthening system that made huge changes like his have a disadvantage, that is to be mistaken for a demon beast sometimes. Strengthening system ¡®Black Eagle¡¯. The jet-black twin wings were unfolded, and Sakasegawa, which became a huge eagle, stopped in the air and looked down at Byakurei. The height is approximately 300m. The eyes of the current him could even clearly see the texture of the concrete on the gound. Having targeted Byakurei with his sharp eyes, he began to descend in order to hunt his prey. Twice and thrice he flapped his wings. Having reached his maximum speed in an instant, Sakasegawa sensed that there is an invisible wall in front of him and then he made a big detour around the sky. Byakurei¡¯s ability. ¡®Room Impair¡¯. Sakasegawa sensed the invisible wall by a slight change in the airflow. In order not to be caught by the ability of Byakurei, he had to move at a speed at which Byakurei cannot react. The space where Sakesagawa headed earlier is fixed. Byakurei predicted Sakasegawa¡¯s movement and used his ability. He couldn¡¯t fix many spaces at the same time. Though it could be deployed at the same time, his ability could at most fix five ¡®surfaces¡¯ of a certain size. Therefore, it was incompatible with Sakasegawa¡¯s strengthening system¡¯s ability that allowed him to move freely in the sky. A normal human¡¯s dynamic visual acuity could not keep up with the reaction speed of ability user of the strengthening system. However, Byakurei knew that Sakasegawa had to take a distance for acceleration and transformation. The reason why Sakasegawa landed first was because Byakurei was wearing a mask and he didn¡¯t know it was him until he got closer. However, Sakasegawa didn¡¯t regret the delay in development. There is no such thing as a head on bout for killers, but it exists between Sakasegawa and Byakurei, between friends. Byakurei was aiming at Sakasegawa¡¯s lack of stamina. He continued to fix the space at Sakasegawa¡¯s destination again and again. He predicted Sakasegawa¡¯s trajectory and used his ability while forming an image of an invisible maze in his mind. Sakasegawa gradually narrowed the distance to Byakurei with a reaction that exceeded that prediction. From the side, it looked like Sakasegawa is dancing strangely in the sky, but the reality was that they¡¯re having a fierce battle. Byakurei didn¡¯t make a mistake in making an instant judgment too. His eyes that were opened wide to the limit are slightly congested with blood. Experts always anticipated the movement of their opponent. Sixth sense, cultivated intuition, and talent. People who had these factors showed a response that is close to a precognition. Byakurei crushed the ¡®shortest¡¯ of Sakasegawa. Sakasegawa ¡®reconstructed¡¯ the ¡°shortest¡±. And they were imminent. Byakurei reached for the sword on his back. The talons of Sakasegawa were approaching. Byakurei fixed the space on all direction as if to confine himself. However, he didn¡¯t make it to set it up above him. Sakasegawa¡¯s talons approached from above his head. The next moment. Sword draw(Battou). Byakurei released the fixed space and made it possible to draw out the sword. The fixed space was released, and Sakasegawa opened his eyes wide to the attack from an unexpected position. Hesitation arose. If he swung it down without hesitation, Sakasegawa¡¯s claws would definitely crushed Byakurei¡¯s head. And Sakasegawa took a single stroke of Byakurei¡¯s sword. With a splash of blood, Sakasegawa rolled vigorously behind Byakurei. ¡°Haa¡­haa¡­ See, aren¡¯t you getting rusty?¡± When Byakurei turned around, Sakasegawa, who had been cut through the vital spot, had already died. ©`©`©` The first person who came into contact with the enemy was Face Punch-san. I confirmed the death of two enemies to the first hit of Face Punch-san. One of the survivors headed for Byakurei-san. Listening to the conversation, I found out that the person who went was Sakasegawa, the chairman of the ¡®Association¡¯. The fact that he will face Byakurei-san is a good miscalculation. I heard that Byakurei-san was one of the founders of the ¡®Association¡¯; he must have some sort of relation with Sakasegawa. In that case, he will know his way of fighting to some extent. Almost at the same time as the battle of Face Punch-san started, the battle of Getsuri and co started. Getsuri-san and co seem to have done well, they have succeeded in annihilating the enemy. As I thought, Getsuri-san¡¯s ¡®Skill Lock¡¯ is strong. If he has a suitable partner, there¡¯s no way he would lose. ¡°Inshi-san, the enemies were splitting into 7:3, but just keep going to F-44. Their number reduced to seven.¡± [Roger that.] ¡°Chiyaku-san, please head to F-66. Please annihilate the three enemies as soon as possible and then go to Inshi-san¡¯s location at F-44.¡± [Got it.] I check the time. It¡¯s about time for Renga to arrive. I want to put the battle situation in order to some extent by the time the two generals arrive. It also depends on the reinforcements though. The battle in H district has not started yet. Is it because the distance is quite far? There are several people who are idle anyway, should I told them to head there from here. I think while tracing the map with a marker. At that time, a sound suddenly appeared behind me. I look back vigorously. ¡°I thought something was wrong, and it turns out you are in command, huh. That means that Yoiyami¡¯s intuition was right on the mark after all.¡± At the end of my gaze, a man with a white mask on his face stood. Grayish hair and silver earrings. And when I saw the navy-blue jacket, I immediately knew who it was. When I realized it, he took off the white mask and jokingly bowed ¡°Hitsugiya¡­ Banri¡­!¡± ¡°Ha, how impolite of you.¡± (TN : For calling him without an honorific) Hitsugiya Banri. The one in front of me was one of the strongest killers. ¡°You¡­ are a member of Nursery Rhymes, huh.¡± I shift my eyes to the white mask and said. ¡°That kind of thing doesn¡¯t matter, right?¡± Dammit, with this guy in such a place. It is the worst. If I left, the battle front would be messed up. ¡°Let¡¯s dance, sound user.¡± -Shion VS Hitsugiya Banri- CH 86 [Lullaby of Fierce Battle] ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m going to engage, so I won¡¯t be able to give command for a while.¡± Having delivered those words to the members, I hopped over the fence and jumped from the skyscraper that was well over 200m high. I¡¯m free falling while facing the air resistance. Taking out the grappling gun from the holder, I rotate my body. ¡°I won¡¯t let you escape!¡± Hitsugiya¡¯s reaction was quick. Without hesitation, he chased me, jumping down the building. The wire fired from the grappling gun passes right beside Hitsugiya and gets entwined with the fence on the roof. I put my foot on the wall of the building, and while killing the momentum of the fall, I fired a Soundshot at Hitsugiya. However, Hitsugiya reached for the wire right next to him, pulled it, and flew to the side. My posture collapses because the wire is pulled. When I was regaining my posture and moved my gaze to Hitsugiya, his figure had already gone. Again. I just take my eyes off him for a moment, but like when we fought before, his figure suddenly disappeared. Without leaving any sound. Thus, he avoided the Soundshot just now. I released a Soundshot at the window of the building, and infiltrate the inside of the Neo Slaceid Building from the broken window. The inside seems to be an office of a company or something; screams rises from various places after the people inside saw me infiltrating wearing Anonymous¡¯ mask. Without minding it, I quickly made my way through the room that has become disordered, put the grappling gun in the holder, and took out the knife in its stead. Then, the people in the office ran away all at once. I think about whether I should cancel the sound collection with a radius of 2 km. When it comes to fighting against Hitsugiya, it is not a situation where I can divert my attention to search for enemies. Fighting while listening to other sounds is a bad idea. However, once I miss the sounds, I won¡¯t be able to reform the formation when I return to command. Dammit, what to do. Even if I stopped searching for the enemies now and concentrated on Hitsugiya, it is unlikely that I will have time to spend time grasping the position of the enemies again. There are two generals heading this way. And there is still quite some time until the reinforcements arrive¡­ But once I got found, it is impossible to escape from Hitsugiya. I knew it from the last fight. I want to call someone over here, but I can¡¯t afford to wait for them. After all, there is no choice but to fight. ¡°The last time we fought, we both hadn¡¯t going all out, right?¡± Hearing a voice from behind, I turned around. Hitusgiya stood there as if it was natural. He stood near the window I broke. Again, he appeared without sound. I gritted my teeth unintentionally. ¡°Hahaha, why the long face, Shion? The other guys are already starting, right? I got a late start, you see.¡± I found that as he spun the words, Hitsugiya¡¯s feelings is getting high. With a crazy smile on his face, he looks at me. ¡°¡­It¡¯s seriously annoying.¡± I muttered, staring at the Hitsugiya¡¯s bloodshot eyes. ¡°How cold.¡± ¡°After all, you all just want to kill anyone regardless whoever it is, right?¡± I don¡¯t want to hang out with such a madman. ¡°That is not the case. I¡¯m not picky when it comes to work, but when I wear this face, I properly make sure of who I want to kill.¡± ¡°So, you picked me, huh¡­?¡± ¡°Hmm~. How should I put it¡­ I kinda want to torment you.¡± Something runs on my spine due to the killing intent of Hitsugiya. But at the same time, anger springs up in me. He wants to torment me he said; don¡¯t get carried away. *gun* I kicked the desk in front of me flying. From behind it, I approached Hitsugiya and stretched the knife. But at that moment, Hitsugiya disappeared and he suddenly appeared behind me. ¡°¡­!¡± Before looking back, I immediately fire a Soundshot. But he disappears again. At the edge of my view, the figure of Hitsugiya disappeared as if melting into the wall was reflected. That was Hitsugiya¡¯s ability. But I don¡¯t know. What kind of ability is it? Rather than melting into the wall, it was as if he went into the wall without any resistance¡­ ¡°!?¡± *zun* A sharp pain ran on my flank. When I looked at it, HItsugiya stood next to me, stabbing a knife into my flank. Along with a severe pain, blood oozes on my clothes. I couldn¡¯t react at all. Dammit, the gap of our skill is too wide. ¡°Guh¡­! Kuh¡­!¡± ¡°Usually I would end it with this. But I missed your vitals. Today is a good day to have fun.¡± Having said that, Hitsugiya forcefully pushed the knife. I stepped back, and back, and eventually I was cornered to the wall. I grabbed Hitsugiya¡¯s hand to pull out the knife, but I couldn¡¯t make it budge due to the difference in strength. ¡°You insane¡­!¡± ¡°Insane? That is perhaps yourself. Ordinary humans won¡¯t be able to have that kind of eyes after being driven to such a desperate situation.¡± Frowning, I endure the severe pain. If I shoot a Soundshot, this floor may collapse. If that happens, I, who was injured, won¡¯t be able to cope with it. No, it¡¯s the same if I can¡¯t overcome this situation. ¡°Haaa!¡± I shoot a Soundshot toward the wall behind me. Receiving a shockwave at a close distance, a huge hole was opened in the wall, connecting the room to the next one. At the same time, I retreated far behind and pulled out the knife. While gritting my teeth in pain, I held down my flank. ¡°Haa, haa¡­¡± ¡°As I thought, it is better to torment you before killing you. Killing you in an instant is boring after all.¡± Hitsugiya said as he walked toward me. I kept my flank in check and spun my brain fully. How can I survive from this situation? When I was staring at Hitsugiya, he completely got into the floor. Seeing that, my eyes opened widely. Eventually, Hitsugiya, who completely disappeared into the floor, emerged from the floor behind me. A kick was added to my back, and I rolled on the ground while spurting blood. While holding back the pain in my flank, I immediately stood up. ¡°Shadow¡­¡± ¡°It was a good hint, right?¡± Hitsugiya shrugged his shoulders. So he deliberately showed me the moment he used his ability, huh. He looked down on me. ¡°Yeah. My ability is ¡®Shadow Passage(Kagerou)¡¯. The ability to move freely in the shadows.¡± As I thought, huh. In that case, the Soundshot will not hit if he escapes into the shadow. Being able to freely approach and retreat, an ability that is perfectly suited to a killer. Taking a breath, I opened my mouth. ¡°Chiyaku-san. Please head toward E-22.¡± Having told her that much, I cut the sound collection field. Now that it has come to this, I have to give priority to my life. ¡®Silence World¡¯. Around 100m. I silenced all audible sounds in that range. Silence. In a soundless world, I take a deep breath. As ths sounds disappeared, Hitsugiya looked around for a moment. The biggest thing I got from training with Yoiyami-san. That is this technique. Seeing me having a painful expression, Hitsugiya laughed grinningly. Since this technique is a technique to silence all sounds, it consumes considerable concentration and stamina. It is impossible to activate it in rapid succession. It¡¯s a once in a day deciding technique. For a professional like Hitsugiya, the disappeared sounds didn¡¯t affect him by that much. But I know that too. This is not a technique to prevent the other party from hearing sounds. The ¡®Silent World¡¯ is a space for me to hear sounds more accurately¡­ A space where only I can deal with sound. Hitsugiya, let¡¯s see how long can you laugh like that. Regret not having killed me immediately. Hitsugiya flapped his mouth and said something, but I couldn¡¯t hear it. I was concentrating on one sound. *thump, thump* I hear beating sounds. That sound gradually became louder. During that time, I just stared at Hitsugiya¡¯s eyes. Hitsugiya still walks slowly this way with a relaxed attitude. He might think that this silent space is my last-ditch resistance. While running out of breath, I concentrated. Meanwhile, Hitsugiya suddenly approaches as if to make the first move. At that moment, I exploded the heartbeat of Hitsugiya. ¨D¨D Heartbeatshot What I created is an unavoidable certain-kill technique. Hitsugiya burst due to the sound emitted from the inside of his body, and then his blood and flesh dispersed and scattered. CH 87 [Lullaby of Pursuit] Having defeated Hitsugiya, I got off the building and headed for point E-22. E-22 is the point I told Chiyaku-san earlier. I¡¯m planning to join her there and have her heal me. The wound on my flank is deep. If left alone, I will bleed a lot and die. Even if I don¡¯t, at this rate, I¡¯ll be out of commission. Inshi-san seemed to have been killed right before the battle between me and Hitsugiya ended. That¡¯s why I sent Chiyaku-san to E-22.(TN : Here, the author actually wrote that Inshi died right after Shion¡¯s battle ended, but perhaps it was a typo) Inshi-san¡¯s ability can restrain a large number of people, in exchange, he cannot move. So I tried to get Chiyaku-san to go to him, but due to her late arrival, he couldn¡¯t be saved and was killed. However, it is definitely better for me to survive than Inshi-san to survive. Even when I think about the future development, I should heal my wound and return to command. I strengthen my steps. I didn¡¯t really feel the guilt of letting a companion die in exchange for my own life. Blood stains was left as I moved forward. And blood was also left on the wall I was leaning on. I was thinking of stopping the bleeding by strongly suppressing my flank, but it is going to be dangerous. Seeing the unstoppable blood, I decided to have Chiyaku-san head to me. ¡°Chiyaku-san, can you come here? It would be great if you can immediately come here from the main street.¡± [Roger that.] Hearing the reply, I nodded to myself. Although I can hardly grasp the current battle situation, I can feel the atmosphere thanks to the re-deployed sound collection field. It seems that Anonymous is not in that bad of a position. For the time being, those who were guarding the entrance of the hideout are safe, so I can conclude that the progress of Nursery Rhymes is not that fast. The enemy army, which was supposed to be dealt with by Inshi-san and Chiyaku-san, is now being dealt with by other members who weren¡¯t restricted to the hideout. Perhaps Shikkou-san temporarily took the command. For some reason, there was no reply from her who should have been to me through the income. ¡°Dammit!¡± Frustrated by the pain in my flank, I slammed my fist against the wall. Doing that only worsen the pain of my wound, but I¡¯m really irritated by this situation. It made me want to escape. But that is not possible. I wonder if I can live alone after leaving Anonymous. It¡¯s impossible. Concern such as betraying my comrade never crossed my mind. As I was mocking myself while walking, I suddenly noticed an approaching sound. It¡¯s quite fast. It¡¯s almost here. However, I realized that I got plenty of room. I was avoiding the enemy and heading to Chiyaku-san¡¯s side, but if I keep shedding blood like this, my location would be found out by an ability user of strengthening system, huh. Dammit, it would be good if I could use 2 or 3 more Soundshots in this situation. I lured the enemy to the last minute, then turned around vigorously and fired a Soundshot. Receiving the fired Soundshot, the strengthening system ability user who seems to be of a canine family was blown backward and is struck against the wall. Someone from Nursery Rhymes, huh. I don¡¯t know the position of the enemies anymore. I should be able to detect them after the evacuation of the ordinary people is completed, but by that time the generals should have arrive. I won¡¯t make it in time. ¡°Haa, haa¡­¡± I knew that I had reached the limit of my stamina. ¡®Silence World¡¯ and Heartbeatshot used up too much of m stamina. Besides, I got this wound. It was good that I was able to erase Hitsugiya early, but it was just pure luck. Is Renga not here yet? Just when I thought so. ¡°Gyaoooooooooooo!!!¡± I heard a bursting roar from the sky. I looked up at the sky immediately, but I couldn¡¯t see Renga from the alley. I forgot the pain in my flank and hurried to the main street. When I went out to the main street, I saw Renga circling around high in the sky through the gap between the buildings. Renga shook his head from side to side, looking for me. I raised my voice toward such Renga. ¡°Renga! Here!¡± Hearing my voice, Renga stopped in the air and turned to me. The corner of my mouth curled up unintentionally. If Renga come, the war situation will change drastically. Although still a child, Renga is a mythical beast. It is not a species that humans can deal with. Besides, it got bigger again while I wasn¡¯t looking after it for a while. This looks promising. I wave my hand widely, trying to summon Renga. Then, in the distance, Renga¡¯s huge jaws opened widely toward me. I can also see the luster of the sharp fangs, that seems would turn a human into a lump of meat once bitten, from this distance. ¡°¡­?¡± Something is wrong. When I looked at Renga suspiciously, Renga roared again. ¡°Gyaaaaoooooooo!!!¡± And a huge fireball was spit out from Renga¡¯s jaws alongside its roar. ¡°Wha¡­!?¡± A tremendous amount of heat hit me first. The fireball released by Renga scrapes the building and heads for me. ¡°You¡¯re joking¡­right oi!¡± No matter how I think about it, it is impossible to avoid it from here. The fireball before my eyes is getting bigger and closer. My body doesn¡¯t move. I¡¯m dead. When I thought so, suddenly my vision turned red. ¡°It looks like your pet isn¡¯t disciplined, Shion-kun.¡± A calm voice was mixed with the evaporating burning sound. Before my eyes¡­no, the thing that surrounded me is a darkish blood membrane. Looking back, there was Chiyaku-san. Apparently, this membrane that covers me and Senyaku-san seems to be a strong barrier made of her blood. Chiyaku-san was carrying something like a huge beer server for mobile sales on her shoulder and dropped it on the ground. The server that Chiyaku-san carried easily seemed to be heavier than I expected, when it was lowered to the ground, it gives me a feel of its unexpected weight and thickness. Renga¡¯s roar can be heard from outside the blood membrane. It continues it fireball attack, and the temperature inside the membrane is gradually rising. While I couldn¡¯t make sense of things, for the time being, I decided to say my gratitude to Chiyaku-san. ¡°¡­Chiyaku-san, thank you for saving me.¡± ¡°Ahh, show me your wound.¡± In order to show the wound to Chiyaku-san, I removed my hand from the wound I was holding. Then slowly crouch down on the spot. Kneeling on one knee beside me, Chiyaku-san put her hand on my wound. Her ability, Accel Heal, was activated, and my wound was filled with heat. ¡°Let¡¯s have you recover until you can run. I can¡¯t make this barrier anymore. Do you want a blood transfusion?¡± ¡°Please.¡± A roaring sound that echoes outside. Another ability of Chiyaku-san is the ability to freely manipulate blood. Seeing as it can create a barrier that can withstand Renga¡¯s fireballs, it is a fairly powerful ability. The attack of Midou Ryuusui was also defended with this; its defensive capability is excellent. However, at that time, she bent over to narrow the area to defend, but this time she¡¯s boldly making a large wall. The amount of blood used should be large. ¡°Leaving that aside, isn¡¯t that the mythical beast that Shion-kun has tamed? Why is attacking you?¡± Chiyaku-san said. ¡°That is the case, but¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± What happened to Renga? To think that it would attack me. Is it angry because I didn¡¯t meet it for a long while¡­? No, Renga is smart. No matter how angry it is, it wouldn¡¯t attack me. What happened while I was away? I asked Roll and Desuko-san to take care of it, and Cuff-san should have been watching it. Wait¡­ It¡¯s Desuko-san. With her ability, I think she could brainwash Renga. Renga looks strange. Usually, Renga would play attack me, but this is clearly a ¡®hostile¡¯ attack. After all, even though it is still a child, it is impossible that it would attack me, its parent, like this. However, if it is brainwashed ¡­ Have not yet understood human language, the only one who can communicate with Renga is Desuko-san. Desuko-san often went to Renga¡¯s place. It is also Desuko-san who named it Renga. It is not strange that it was brainwashed. Byakurei-san and Shikkou-san said that there¡¯s no way that Desuko-san was the traitor, but she is suspicious after all. ¡°Chiyaku-san. How long will this barrier last?¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to collapse if it takes a few more shots. That thing has a ridiculous firepower. Even though I used 2 liters of blood.¡± Chiyaku-san answered while continuing to heal me. I wonder if she wants to heal me until the last minute. Although we shouldn¡¯t have enough time, Chiyaku-san was quite relaxed. For some reason, thanks to that, I also became relieved, but I wonder if it¡¯s okay. ¡°Are you okay using so much blood? Are you not¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. There is a server there anyway.¡± Chiyaku-san pointed to the server she was carrying a while ago. I turn my eyes to that. ¡°My blood is stored in it. My blood is preserved in the hideout, but it took a long time to thaw it, so I was late.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± So that¡¯s why Chiyaku-san didn¡¯t attend the meeting. But she sure is amazing. She can manipulate blood previously extracted blood, huh. ¡°I think I can run now. Let¡¯s shake off Renga at once. This situation is unsettling.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± When Chiyaku-san said so, the surrounding blood wall liquefied and fell to the ground. Burning scenery unfolded before my eyes, and a new fireball approached. I hurriedly stood up and started running. Carrying the server, Chiyaku-san also ran out. At the same time, a large amount of blood spouts from the spout of the server carried by Chiyaku-san, creating a huge wall to protect me and herself. It hid Renga¡¯s figure, but prevented the fireball. ¡°Let¡¯s keep going like this and escape.¡± I wonder if we can shake off Renga. I remembered that it couldn¡¯t be shaken off with Tameiki-san¡¯s motorcycle. Renga also has a sharp sense of smell. I thought while running. Anyway, the existence of Renga works against us. We can¡¯t avoid Renga¡¯s attack all the time, and if there¡¯s no indication that it will return to its original state¡­ ¡°Chiyaku-san can you win if you fight against Renga¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Even though it¡¯s a mythical class, it is still a child, I think I can put out enough firepower if it¡¯s only to kill it. I also got the blood server.¡± Having a conversation while running, I decided. ¡°I will be the decoy. Chiyaku-san, please take the chance to exterminate Renga.¡± To begin with, I almost have no bond with Renga. I just happened to be there when it was born, and I don¡¯t hold much feelings for it. Therefore, it is better to kill it if it gets in the way now. The story would be different if I could make Renga target other people, but seeing the situation, it doesn¡¯t seem to be possible. ¡°Although you said you¡¯re going to be the decoy, the attack range of that fireball is wide. Can you escape? You can impose it on me without being reserved you know. Shion is the commander, right?¡± ¡°¡­Then, I¡¯m counting on you.¡± Immediately after I said that, a sound appeared in the skies diagonally behind me. Looking back, there are several people in white military uniforms just above the formed blood wall. I understood from the atmosphere. They are the reinforcements of the SDF including the two generals. And I saw Tsurugi among them. ¡°Ahh¡­¡± I stopped involuntarily. Ahh, it¡¯s hopeless. In this situation, I think it¡¯s better to withdraw. We have no chance to win. At this rate, we will be annihilated. CH 88 [Lullaby of Separation] Approximately 300m above the sky, 7 lieutenant generals and 10 major generals appeared, circling the two four-stars (General). Seven Generals of the Self-Defense Force. Even though the seat of Midou Ryuusui was vacant, the prestige was still alive. With their appearance, the atmosphere of the place changed at once. ¡°Is that the rumored Fafnir? Even though it¡¯s still a child, its rampage lives up to the name of the mythical beast, isn¡¯t it?¡± One of the Seven Generals of the Self-Defense Force, Ichinose Soraha(¤¤¤Á¤Î¤»¤½¤é¤Ï), raised his slightly misaligned glasses with his middle finger and looked down at the battlefront on the ground. There was the figure of a mythical demon beast that was firing hellfire to the ground. Ichinose was the youngest man in history to attain the position of general at the age of 29 three years ago. The white military uniform of the Self-Defense Force was well fitted to his slender frame. ¡°Anonymous and Nursery Rhymes. This is the best chance to get rid of both organizations.¡± Another general. Tenjoumine Kuugen(¤Æ¤ó¤¸¤ç¤¦¤ß¤Í¤¯¤¦¤²¤ó), an old man with four stars shining on his chest, said so and turned his eyes to Inchinose. Tenjoumine Kuugen. Like Ichinose, he was assigned to Saint Celia, the headquarters of the Self-Defense Force, and was the oldest of the six generals currently in existence. Compared to Ichinose next to him, his physique was almost twice as large, his head was mostly covered in white hair and his beard was trimmed, and his deeply chiseled old features reminded one of his long military services. ¡°Ichinose, I¡¯ll leave that mythical class to you.¡± ¡°Yes. Well then, Tenjoumine-san, please take care of the ground command.¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± ¡°Tsurugi-kun too, don¡¯t push yourself.¡± Ichinose said so to Mido Genki, who was in a bad mood and had an uncontrollable killing intent behind him, and then flew to Fafnir, who was rampaging in the city. Along with that, the white shadows of a total of 18 people staying in the sky descended to the ground, with Tenjoumine at the lead. ©`©`©` The battle situation changes one after another. I had something similar to nausea accumulated in my throat. The Self-Defense Forces reinforcements that appeared in the sky stayed there for a while, but when one of them flew toward Renga, the other guys also came down to the ground at once. One of the generals who flew to Renga attacked it just like that, and the target of Renga moved from me and Chiyaku-san to that. And a fierce battle in the sky began. The Self-Defense Force that landed on the ground spread out and started rescue the citizens who were late for evacuation. I thought that it was convenient that he became Renga¡¯s target, so I tried to return to the Neo Slaceid Building to rebuild the battle front. However, at that time, Chiyaku-san and I encounter a troublesome enemy. Tenjoumine Kuugen stood in our way. One of the Seven Generals of the Self-Defense Force. A man also known as Tendou(the laws governing heaven and earth). I was thinking of avoiding at least encountering him, but I couldn¡¯t avoid it since they were spread out after landing on the ground. Even if I notice the sound, I don¡¯t know who it is. We stopped. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, isn¡¯t it, Senjiya? To think that you would stick to Anonymous.¡± Tenjoumine slowly walks this way. Naturally, Chiyaku-san also walked ahead. Originally, Chiyaku-san was a doctor in the Self-Defense Force. She seems to be acquainted with Tenjoumine. ¡°Fumu, Shion-kun, you better go back to command. Go ahead.¡± Chiyaku-san said. That¡¯s right. Currently, only Chiyaku-san or Byakurei-san can suppress Tenjoumine, the general of the Self-Defense Force. The situation as it is, Chiyaku-san has to deal with Tenjoumine. I nodded and stepped back a few steps. Because I cannot pass next to Tenjoumine, I¡¯ll take a detour. After taking a few steps back, I started running in the opposite way. ¡°Tenjou, you sure have gotten old.¡± ¡°Senjiya, you terrifyingly didn¡¯t change.¡± After such a conversation, there was a popping sound. When I looked back while running, a large amount of blood emerged there. The red liquid swirls around Chiyaku-san. Apparently, Chiyaku-san spilled all the blood inside the server. She¡¯s getting serious. If I don¡¯t leave early, I may get caught up, so I increase my running speed. Then I grabbed the mic of my tie and called Shikkou-san. In order to check what the current battle situation is like. ¡°Shikkou-san!¡± It is connected, but there is no reply from the income. It¡¯s strange, Shikkou-san hasn¡¯t reply since some time ago. I found it strange, but if there is none, then it can¡¯t be helped. Shikkou-san must be busy. I made a detour and changed my direction, then ran straight to the Neo Slaceid Building. ¨D¨DHowever, I met a certain person there. I stop my legs and catch my breath. It feels like the worst scenario piles up on top of the worst scenario. Lieutenant General of the Self-Defense Forces, Midou Tsurugi. Just like the last time, he stabbed me with sharp eyes. ¡°Shion¡­¡± Even though we just fought yesterday, to think that we will fight again like this today. Tsurugi. I can¡¯t¡­ call you my best friend anymore, huh. Now¡­ you are just an obstacle. The severed bond is now only a past. ¡°Shion¡­!¡± *za* Tsurugi takes one strong step. I close my eyes and cut off the sound collection. I only got fragments of the battle situation anyway. I have nothing to do with it now after such long time. Rather than that, I¡¯ll prioritize killing the enemy before me. Actually, I don¡¯t have time to engage him¡­ but seeing his atmosphere, it¡¯s unlikely that I will be able to pass through smoothly. ¡°Shiiiooooooooooon!!!¡± He shouted in anger. At the same time, Tsurugi burst forward. When I noticed it, our distance is closed in an instant. Soundshot¡­ will not work as usual, I guess. Thinking so, I immediately twisted my body to retreat, but my arm was caught and I was drawn to him. Then his fist struck my belly just like that. ¡°Guha¡­!¡± I couldn¡¯t react. Obviously, his speed is not something that I can outrun. After Tsurugi struck his fist into my belly many times, he let go of me and launch a high kick. I guarded at the last minute, but I staggered. Then I could see Tsurugi¡¯s follow up attack. Roundhouse kick. ¡°Tsk!¡± While crouching, dodging on the spot, I fired a Soundshot, but as I expected, it had no effect. As I was, I threw a knife and jumped behind. The thrown knife deviates from its trajectory just before it hits Tsurugi and flies behind him. Tsurugi rushed into me who was trying to keep a distance. As I thought, all kinds of attack such as ability and the others don¡¯t work on Tsurugi. It¡¯s a relief that he doesn¡¯t have many means of attack, huh. However, I also have no means of attack. ¡°Haaa!!¡± While dodging the attacks and retreating, I was cornered on a wall. Because I overused my ability, my movement was slow. I gritted my teeth and stared at Tsurugi from under the mask. Tsurugi has bloodshot eyes and doesn¡¯t loosen his attack. Having cornered to the wall, I became a sand bag, like a boxer who was cornered by the corner of the ring. I did my best to barely prevent attacks on my vitals. In order to escape from this situation, I fired Soundshot at the wall behind. But at the same time, I allow an attack on my face. My mask blew off, and I rolled over the concrete wall that was blown off by the power of the Soundshot. Cloud of dust rose. There is no follow up attack from Tsurugi. I stood up and pressed my face with my right hand. My struck cheek hurt slightly. ¡°Haa¡­ haa¡­¡± The cloud of dust cleared, and I caught sight of Tsurugi who was heaving his shoulders up and down. I lower the right hand holding my face. Our gazes meet. While adjusting my breathing, I tried to calm my heart that was pounding noisily. Tsurugi was stunned with his arms hang loose. His mouth is open a little and his bloodshot eyes are wide open. ¡°¡­Kazato?¡± A barely squeezed out voice. ¡°¡­Ahh.¡± Silence dominates the area. After being silent for a while, with bulging eyes Tsurugi opened his mouth. ¡°¡­Did you¡­ kill Rin?¡± I closed my eyes once, release my breath, and then said clearly. ¡°Ahh, I did.¡± Tsurugi¡¯s body shook slightly. He held himself for a moment, but then Tsurugi fell to the ground on his knees. ¡°Ahh¡­ You are joking¡­ right? ¡­Why¡­¡± Finally, with both hands on the ground, Tsurugi spit out while his shoulders quivering. In the meantime, I was wondering if I should attack. However, all attacks don¡¯t work on Tsurugi. It should still be the same even now. Besides, this is also a chance to escape from this guy. Thinking so, I slowly retreated and then started running to Neo Slaceid Building again. On the way, one motorcycle suddenly stopped, drifting in front of me. The woman on the motorcycle took off her black helmet on the spot, making her long blond hair dance. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. Have you been well? Buddy.¡± CH 89 [Lullaby of Insanity] ¡°For now, can you tell me the situation?¡± Being asked, briefly explained the situation to Roll. We held back the invasion of the Nursery Rhymes and the ¡®Association¡¯ with a small number of people, two generals are coming as the reinforcements of the SDF, and Renga going out of control¡­ Seems like Roll was doing a mission at a relatively close place, so she was able to come back quickly. ¡°Why is Renga going out of control?¡± Roll looked up at Renga fighting General Ichinose in the sky and asked. ¡°¡­Perhaps, it was brainwashed. It doesn¡¯t listen to me. And its state was completely strange.¡± ¡°Brainwashed? Does that mean that the enemy has an ability user with that type of ability?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s Desuko-san.¡± When I said that, Roll frowned. ¡°Desuko? Why would Desuko do something like that?¡± ¡°Now, we concluded that someone betrayed us, and I bet that person is Desuko-san. After all this kind of situation should be impossible, right? But if Desuko-san betrayed us, a lot of things will make sense. Like Renga¡¯s brainwashing.¡± Byakurei-san and Shikkou-san said it wasn¡¯t her, but I think that Desuko-san is suspicious after all. ¡°I think that doesn¡¯t prove that Desuko betrayed us though¡­¡± Roll also had the same reaction as the two, denying that Desuko-san was the traitor. ¡°How can you be sure of that?¡± ¡°After all, Desuko is Anonymous¡¯ executive, and although she is usually messing around, she had done a lot of works for the organization so far, you know? Desuko-san wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± Roll said with befuddled expression, but that doesn¡¯t explain that Desuko-san doesn¡¯t betray us. That was an emotional theory. But if everyone thinks that it wasn¡¯t her, was it really not her I wonder. I have only known her for short time, and honestly, I don¡¯t know her very well, but that¡¯s not the case for Shikkou-san, Byakurei-san and Roll. Perhaps everyone couldn¡¯t believe that Desuko-san had betray us since they¡¯ve known her for a long time. That is why they trusted her even though she has such a personality, I guess. ¡°¡­Well, anyway. For now, I have to go to the rooftop of the Neo Slaceid Building and get back to my post. It¡¯s easy to pick up sounds from there, and conversely, if I don¡¯t go there, I can¡¯t connect the sound connection with everyone.¡± I¡¯m not convinced, but even if I think about it now, the enemy we¡¯re fighting against is still the same, so I said so. Because I stopped gathering sounds in the middle of the battle against Hitsugiya, I don¡¯t know what the other members are doing now. From the atmosphere, they should be fighting against the and the Self-Defense Force and Nursery Rhymes that are invading, but¡­ I can¡¯t grasp the details. ¡°I see. I got the gist of it. I¡¯m surprised that Shion is in command, but anyway, I should be on the frontline, right?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Originally, I would like her to do so, but¡­ ¡°I want Roll to be close to me.¡± This is my selfishness. Because I¡¯ve overused my ability, I¡¯m not in a condition to fight anymore. It¡¯s even uncertain whether I¡¯ll be able to rebuild the sound collection field. Therefore, it is dangerous for me if I encounter an enemy alone. ¡°Got it.¡± I thought she would refuse, but Roll nodded without asking why. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Un. Get on the back quickly.¡± Being told so, I straddle the back of the motorcycle and grabbed on to Roll. And when Roll was about to depart, ¡°Wait!¡± we were called out. Looking back, there was Kemuri-san. ¡°This is Kemuri D, joins up with Shion and Roll.¡± When Kemuri-san come until here, he said so to the transceiver he had in his hand. From the other side of the transceiver, multiple ¡°Roger¡± was returned with the same voice. ¡°Kemuri-san¡­!¡± ¡°Kemuri, you¡¯re back too.¡± ¡°Yeah, sorry to made you wait, Shion. I know it¡¯s sudden, but give the command to me.¡± Being told to do so, before I reply, I sighed in relief. After that, I answered ¡°Yes¡±, then strength left my body and I almost fell of the motorcycle. It¡¯s fine now that Kemuri-san has come. This feeling of liberation. I was about to be crushed by the pressure. ¡°My clones are joining up with other members one after another. The invasion of Nursery Rhymes and the ¡®Association¡¯ sure is slower than I expected. I was sure that everything would be completely destroyed when I arrived, but that wasn¡¯t the case at all. Well anyway, from now on, leave it to me.¡± I can have a peace of mind now that Kemuri-san will take the command. If he¡¯s joining with the members, he may already know the situation better than I do. ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°Withdraw first. You don¡¯t need to buy any more time than this. We have enough people as well.¡± ¡°Withdraw¡­? Time? What do you mean? Do you mean that more than this will be though?¡± ¡°No, the people in the hideout should have completed the preparation to withdraw after all, right? The base was planned to be moved to begin with, now the only thing left is the pillar of the essential facility, the Observer, and even that, the main body has already been transferred?¡± Eh¡­ what do you mean by that? Wasn¡¯t this the battle to defend the various facilities of the organization such as the Observer? ¡°Is it okay to withdraw?¡± I also wanted to withdraw if possible, and I thought I should do so. ¡°Ha? Aren¡¯t you all buying time to let the non-combatants in the hideout escape? It¡¯s enough, right?¡± ¡°Eh, I haven¡¯t heard anything about that though¡­ Byakurei-san seems to want to fight to the death, so I¡­ Shikkou-san too.¡± ¡°Wait, putting aside Byakurei, Shikkou said so too?¡± ¡°Rather than saying, she gave off that kind of feeling.¡± Roll told me to be clear, but I can¡¯t but to be helped to be ambiguous. This situation was sudden for me, and I didn¡¯t know what to do. I was desperate in the changing situation. It was me who was commanding, but I was not the one who decided the situation. ¡°¡­I think it was Byakurei-san who was particular about interception.¡± ¡°Did Shikkou not stop him¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible, is that mean that it was possible that the traitor was Shikkou¡­?¡± ¡°Ahh¡­¡± Kemuri-san nods at Roll¡¯s words. ¡°It¡¯s a lie, right¡­.?¡± Kemuri-san takes out another phone from his pocket and operates it. Then he put it on his ear. ¡°Are you trying to connect with Shikkou-san?¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± ¡°Perhaps it won¡¯t connect. My income should have been connected to Shikkou-san, but she hasn¡¯t reply from a while ago.¡± ¡°Seriously, dammit! The enemies haven¡¯t entered the hideout, right?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± The sound collection was cut off after all, and if there was an infiltrator, Shikkou-san would have contacted me, but that Shikkou-san can¡¯t be contacted now. ¡°What is Byakurei doing now!?¡± ¡°Perhaps¡­ protecting the caf¨¦.¡± ¡°J district, huh¡­! Then you guys pick up Byakurei there and hurry to the monitor room!¡± Immediately, Roll started the motorcycle. My mind became jumbled up behind Roll. Who in the world is the enemy? Was Shikkou-san on the Nursery Rhymes¡¯ side? But if Shikkou-san is the traitor, I don¡¯t think she can mess up the inside of the hideout alone. I wonder if others already infiltrated in. Dammit, I can¡¯t keep up with Kemuri-san¡¯s thinking speed. ¡°Shion, hold on tight!¡± Roll rush through the downtown. Because abandoned cars were in the way, we were running on the sidewalk. With roaring sounds, it took only a few minutes for us to reach J district. When we arrived at the cafe, Byakurei-san was still guarding it. Roll and I jumped off the motorcycle and ran to Byakurei-san. ¡°Byakurei!¡± ¡°Ohh, isn¡¯t it Roll and Shion? What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Byakurei-san, no one was passing through here, right?¡± There were several corpses rolling around Byakurei-san, it seems that he was defending properly. It was a foolish question to ask Byakurei-san, huh. When I thought so, terrifying words came out of Byakurei-san¡¯s mouth. ¡°No, there was only Desuko passed here a quite some time ago.¡± ¡°¡­Wha-!?¡± Desuko-san¡­? ¡°Hm? Something wrong?¡± Roll and Byakurei-san doubtfully looked at me whose eyes were wide-opened. ¡°Are you perhaps still suspicious of Desuko? The one who is suspicious right now is Shikkou isn¡¯t it?¡± Why. Isn¡¯t it strange that she entered the hideout at this timing? Besides, Desuko-san was supposed to be in New Road and couldn¡¯t be called But perhaps, Desuko-san came to this city mixed with the forces of the Nursery Rhymes and the ¡®Association¡¯¡­ Now that I think about it, isn¡¯t it strange that Sen¡¯s memory disappeared? If it¡¯s Desuko-san, she might be able to erase memory¡­ There wasn¡¯t only one traitor. ¡°¡­No, anyway, let¡¯s go inside. Byakurei-san too, please come with us. I¡¯ll explain later.¡± ©`©`©` When we entered the hideout from the cafe, we witnessed a terrible disaster there. Passageway stained with fresh blood everywhere. The corpses of the members are rolling all over the place. ¡°What¡¯s this¡­¡± ¡°Who the heck did this¡­¡± I was creeped out by Roll and Byakurei-san who did not connect Desuko-san to this situation. I admit that I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but obviously this is the work of Desuko-san. I said ¡°Let¡¯s move on¡± to the two and took the lead. Then we arrive at the monitor room. There seems to be no one inside because no sound can be heard. I looked up at the plate of the observation tower-cum-monitor room, checking it just in case, and opened the door. What jumped into my view is a sea of blood. I unintentionally step back. Roll and Byakurei-san are also lost for words. All the people who were supposed to be working here were miserably killed. Some corpses were so messed up that they I couldn¡¯t see them directly. We crossed the corpses and went inside. I looked up overhead, the lights were weak for some reason and the originally dim monitor room was even darker. ¡°This is, the main power was turned off and switched to backup power¡­¡± I see, so that¡¯s the case. The intention is simple. It is in order to deactivate the facilities of Anonymous. When we proceeded into the center of the monitor room, Byakurei-san noticed something there. ¡°Hey, that¡­¡± Roll and I looked at the place Byakurei-san pointed. There was a woman who was crucified on a pillar next to the large display on the front. ¡°Shikkou¡­!?¡± I didn¡¯t immediately know that it was Shikkou-san. I finally notice it from Roll¡¯s call. It is no wonder I didn¡¯t notice it right away. The reason was that the upper body and lower body of Shikkou-san were separated, her body and clothes were dyed with blood and turned deep red. Of course, she was dead. Roll staggered a little. Byakurei-san also has his eyes wide open. I was also suppressing nausea. At that time, a new sound appeared from behind. ¡°¡­I can read people¡¯s minds. I know the lies of many people.¡± I didn¡¯t turn around to that voice. No one does. ¡°I can read people¡¯s minds. I¡­ know the true feelings of many people.¡± Even with that voice. ¡°I can read people¡¯s minds. I¡­ know the ugliness of people¡¯s hearts.¡± The two on both of my sides were stiff, I barely turned my head around. ¡°Hey, Shion-kun, do you know?¡± I¡¯m looking back at her standing at the top row of the monitor room. My heart was throbbing at the question that was thrown. ¡°The moment when a person¡¯s heart becomes the most beautiful. It is the moment their hearts become clear, like the moment when a baby was taken out of their mother¡¯s womb, born into this world¡­¡± There stood a short-statured, childish looking, and chestnut-color haired woman, Desuko-san. She was splattered with so much blood that it seems that she had bathed in it. Her dress messed up, and one little hand of hers was holding a golden mask. As I thought, Desuko-san was of the Nursery Rhymes. And rather than that fact, I was thinking about the answer to Desuko-san¡¯s question. No, perhaps, to be exact, she made me think about it. Did she already use her ability? I don¡¯t know. Anyway, Roll and Byakurei-san on my both sides are still stiffened. After a while of silence, Desuko-san¡¯s voice continued. ¡°That is, you see. The time I want and wish to live in from the bottom of my heart. To be more precise, just before death, see.¡± Her voice came into my ears smoothly. The voice of Desuko-san echoing in the monitor room was insanity itself. ¡°The time when you want and wish to live, just before you die. No matter how rotten people¡¯s heart is, it became so beautiful at that time, you know. It¡¯s great when they can only despair, the deeper the despair the better it is¡­ It¡¯s especially great when they have no hope left¡­! For me, the heart of a person who faced a certain death itself is a beauty to be pursued, you know!¡± ¡°Desuko-san¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Her cries were beautiful, you know.¡± Desuko-san smiled innocently and said so. CH 90 [Lullaby of the Heart] ¡°Desuko, you were¡­the leader of the Nursery Rhymes¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, but Byakurei should shut up for the moment, kay.¡± Having said that, Desuko-san threw two knives in a row, both piercing the back of Byakurei-san. Byakurei-san groans collapses on the spot. Meanwhile, I was stuck in place. I hesitated to move in this situation. Even though I could have knocked away the knives thrown at Byakurei-san, but I just stood still, looking at it. Just like that, it was a helpless situation. ¡°But it was worth the many years of effort. Shion-kun, who only had a short relationship with me, was the only uncertain factor for me, but the unfolding situation didn¡¯t turn out badly. Rather, the fact that Shion-kun is here means that Yoiyami noticed it after all.¡± Roll, Byakurei-san, and many other members should already have their thinking induced by Desuko-san. That¡¯s why they didn¡¯t doubt her. The fact that I was the only who could doubt her was, as she said, because I didn¡¯t have that much relationship with her, huh. And the fact that I was made to train under Yoiyami-san, was perhaps because of Desuko-san, to rid of the uncertain factor. At least she should have taken a considerable amount of time and effort to prepare for this situation. Perhaps, Kemuri-san was also not suspicious of Desuko-san. That was why he only ordered for three people to rush into the hideout. Thinking that it would be fine since Byakurei-san was there. We were completely isolated. Dammit, even though I was the only who could predict this situation¡­! ¡°Now, Shion-kun, what are you going to do? Roll and Byakurei can¡¯t move anymore. Shion-kun is also in a state where he can hardly fight, right?¡± Desuko-san said with a smile filled with insanity. Although I was turning my eyes to the two people on both of my sides, my heart was already completely seized by Desuko-san. Byakurei-san was struck by knives and collapsed on the spot, and Roll just stood still, not moving even by a tiny amount. It is one of Desuko-san¡¯s abilities. The power to deprive the freedom of your body. If she feels like it, she should be able to make you to lose consciousness. However, now that it has come to this, it won¡¯t matter even if I know anything about Desuko-san¡¯ ability. I don¡¯t know since when Desuko-san become a part of Nursery Rhymes, but if she was originally an enemy, it¡¯s highly likely that she hadn¡¯t told the truth about her ability. And it is better to think that this thought of mine is also being read. She also knows that I¡¯m already at my limit. I can¡¯t beat someone who can read my mind in such a state. Roll and Byakurei-san can¡¯t move. Is there something that I can do? The more I thought I about it, the more I felt like I was dancing in her hands. I see how much psychological advantage can be gained by being able to read mind. It¡¯s a desperate situation. I lay out my consciousness, thinking of a way to overcome this situation, but I was too powerless before Desuko-san. If she figures out what I¡¯m thinking about, isn¡¯t that mean that she has all the initiatives? ¡°¡­That is Desuko-san¡¯s real nature, isn¡¯t it?¡± As a result, I make the most wasteful choice. Dialogue. I know. Having a dialogue with Desuko-san is meaningless. I can see it from the surroundings. At this disastrous scene. The best choice is to silence the sounds emitted by Desuko-san and fight her in that state. Words are Desuko-san¡¯s greatest weapon, so if I seal them, I may still have a small chance of winning. Desuko-san probably read such inner thoughts of mine, she lifted the corner of her mouth to a grin. ¡°That¡¯s right. We have a similarity, right, Shion-kun.¡± Similarity, huh. That¡¯s an unpleasant way of saying it. And then, Desuko-san got into a dialogue with me. No, now that Desuko-san is in control, it won¡¯t be a dialogue. It¡¯ll be a conversation. ¡°Still, powerlessness is wonderful, right, Shion-kun.¡± ¡°Powerlessness¡­ is it?¡± ¡°Look, Byakurei who is lying there and Roll who can¡¯t move are powerless. When people who originally had power is turned powerless, they will become beautiful like this, you know. I think that Shion-kun perhaps understands this feeling. Shion-kun has experienced it for himself after all. ¡®I don¡¯t need ability¡¯, that¡¯s what you thought, right? Well, Shion-kun who entered Anonymous had to become stronger though.¡± ¡°Shion, don¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯t listen to Desuko¡¯s words¡­ That is Desuko¡¯s¡­¡± Roll said, barely able to squeeze out her voice. I know that. I was just following along with the conversation. ¡°Roll, you have to stay silent. I¡¯m talking to Shion-kun right now, you know?¡± ¡°Desuko¡­ You, why¡­!¡± ¡°Moreover, Roll doubted her partner, Shion-kun, more than me; to open her mouth now after such a long time, is kinda distasteful, right? Generally, Roll lives quite carefreely after all.¡± ¡°Desuko¡­!¡± ¡°Even though she killed all her family. If it¡¯s me, I would have committed suicide.¡± I glanced with my eyes. Roll is silent. Then seeing Desuko-san took out a new knife, I hurriedly say, ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know about the second half, but Roll doubted me because Desuko-san induced her thoughts, right?¡± I found that my forehead was sweating. ¡°There¡¯s that too, but still, that¡¯s terrible. I think she would realize it if you tell her normally. I just erased myself as the option from everyone. That¡¯s why I think that this wouldn¡¯t have happened if Shion-kun made more logic and insisted that I was suspicious at the beginning.¡± No, I¡¯m sure Desuko-san had calculated so far. Even thought she said that I¡¯m an uncertain factor, I don¡¯t know whether she really thought so. Certainly, it might have changed if I insisted more strongly, but Desuko-san made us prioritizing the matters at hand over identifying the traitor. The reason why the Nursery Rhymes and the ¡®Association¡¯ didn¡¯t come and invade this place immediately is because they were Desuko-san¡¯s diversion. ¡°Desuko-san, did you want to crush Anonymous since the beginning?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the case, y¡¯know. Don¡¯t misunderstand me; I don¡¯t hate everyone in the organization. I just wanted to kill a lot of people. To me, killing people is something like a cleansing shower. If that¡¯s not the case, I don¡¯t have to this roundabout thing, right?¡± It¡¯s useless. I can¡¯t talk to her. This person is completely insane. ¡°In this rotten world, you can¡¯t live if you¡¯re not one, you know.¡± ¡°Desuko-san¡­ Perhaps Desuko-san touched people¡¯s hearts too much. Because she looked too much at the ugly part of people¡­¡± After I said that, Desuko-san had a blank look for a moment, and suddenly began to laugh while holding her belly. ¡°Fufu, Fufufufu! Ahaha! Ahahahahaha!¡± ¡°Is there something funny¡­?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just I don¡¯t think that Shion-kun would say such things. There¡¯s a limit even in giving empty gesture, you know. Ahaha¡­!¡± Empty gesture, huh. Certainly, my line was noncommittal. Desuko-san probably laughed because I said something she didn¡¯t expect. But even thought I don¡¯t think so, there must be some truths to it. I think that Desuko-san lost track of what¡¯s what while using her ability to touch people¡¯s hearts. ¡°Or rather, insane you thought, I don¡¯t to want to hear that from Shion-kun. Even though Shion-kun himself is insane enough. No, it is more correct to say that Shion-kun is broken, isn¡¯t it? You also followed a no less sorrowful fate than me, right?¡± ¡°Such a thing.¡± ¡°You know without even have to be told, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I lost for words to the line she said earlier. ¡°You don¡¯t know? Shion-kun.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°Shion-kun is misunderstanding it, you know. You don¡¯t understand about yourself. You thought that you had changed. But, that¡¯s wrong. Shion-kun didn¡¯t change at all. That¡¯s how you suggest yourself, trick yourself, with that you survive the situation and live.¡± ¡°That may be the case, but¡­¡± Desuko-san¡¯s expression is distorted happily. It made me stepped back. From there I could see Roll¡¯s expression. Roll seems to be desperately appealing for something with teary eyes, but her body still doesn¡¯t seem able to move. ¡°You don¡¯t have to deny it, Shion-kun. You are beautiful. You don¡¯t want to die even if you have to sacrifice everyone. Even if Roll is dead, even if Tameiki is dead, even if everyone, eeeeveryone is dead, you don¡¯t care as long as you are alive, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± True. ¡°That¡¯s not wrong, you know. That¡¯s Shion-kun¡¯s real nature. ¡­Well certainly, if your loved ones die, Shion-kun will be sad, but that¡¯s it. That¡¯s the end of it. In other words, Shion-kun can reaffirm the importance of his precious preeecious life, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. You don¡¯t have to deny it, that¡¯s okay, Shion-kun. I said it before, right? Shion-kun is correct.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t deny it!!¡± The moment I shouted, my body became heavy. Crap, I thought so, but it¡¯s too late. I completely fell into Desuko-san¡¯s trick. She already entered and tied my heart. ¡°Okay, checkmate.¡± Desuko-san closed one of her eyes and said, making a deliberate footstep and slowly walking to this way. ¡°Death, is too close, too ephemeral, too abrupt.¡± I can¡¯t even swallow my saliva. All I¡¯m allowed to do is breathe and move my eyes. ¡°But what does ¡®death¡¯ mean? Is it mean your heart stopped beating?¡± When Desuko-san finally came right in front of me, she touched my cheek lightly. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I think death means your heart lost the place to go. I irresistibly love the death of a person who shines in that moment.¡± ¡°Desuko¡­-san¡­!¡± ¡°Now who will die first? I¡¯m the one to choose though.¡± ¡°Desuko, the one who choose is me.¡± That man suddenly appeared. Sitting on the front row desk board in the monitor room, unknown since when did he enter the room. Looking at the corpse of Shikkou-san, overlooking this tragedy, with eyes that didn¡¯t gave out his thoughts, he had his usual smile on his face. ¡°Hyde¡­!? Why are you here¡­!¡± Desuko-san looked back vigorously. ¡°Because the main body moved, I came back in a hurry.¡± ¡°Main body¡­? No way ¡®Observer¡¯s¡¯¡­?¡± Desuko-san put her hand on her forehead, making a thinking gesture. Then as if having thought of something, she opens her eyes wide and looked at Shikkou-san¡¯s body. ¡°That means¡­¡± ¡°Correct. I wouldn¡¯t have rushed here if she hadn¡¯t activated the master code at the end.¡± Desuko-san distorted her face greatly and bit her lips. ¡°Shikkooooooou!! How did she did it without me noticing¡­!¡± ¡°Did you forget Shikkou¡¯s ability?¡± ¡°¡¯Rapid Process¡¯¡­! Don¡¯t tell me, she was thinking so fast that I couldn¡¯t notice¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Now, do you have any last words? Desuko.¡± CH 91 [Lullaby of Death] Desuko-san and Boss were glaring at each other. No, Boss¡¯s expression isn¡¯t that hard to the extent of scowling. However, he is restraining Desuko-san with a faint killing intent. Desuko-san had her face distorted in anger, but after a while of silence, she sighed and shrugged her shoulders. Her expression returned to the same as usual. Did she give up on this situation, or did she still have some measures hidden? I don¡¯t know, but Desuko-san sighed and said, ¡°Last words¡­ hm.¡± ¡°Ahh, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then I want to talk to Hyde for the last time. It¡¯s okay, right? Look, we¡¯ve been through various things so far.¡± When Desuko-san said so, Boss looked at the surroundings again. The corpses of members familiar to Boss are rolling around. If I was in Boss¡¯s position, I wonder if I could stay sane? ¡°You have destroyed that accumulated past though. Well, okay.¡± You¡¯re kidding, right, Boss¡­ Having a conversation with Desuko-san is dangerous even if it¡¯s Boss. You should kill her quickly¡­! I appealed with my eyes, but I couldn¡¯t reach Boss. Boss is still smiling with a relaxed attitude. Even though he should know that conversation with Desuko-san is dangerous. ¡°Thanks, Hyde.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mind it.¡± ¡°¡­The first time we met, when was it I wonder? Was it about 15 years ago?¡± ¡°It was earlier, right?¡± ¡°Is that so? Well anyway, you gave me the code name Destroy-chan. I¡¯ve always wondering about this, but did Hyde realize my true nature?¡± ¡°You can just read my mind without asking me that, right, Desuko.¡± ¡°¡­You sure are mean.¡± Desuko-san smiled with a troubled face. Boss and Desuko-san continued the conversation in such long time comrade-like atmosphere. ¡°Honestly, I couldn¡¯t have predicted that you would betray at this kind of timing. To think that you were the leader of the Nursery Rhymes. However, was Anonymous couldn¡¯t satisfy your fetish? You should have taken many missions to kill people though.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call it fetish. But it¡¯s true that Anonymous didn¡¯t satisfy me. That¡¯s why I found Nursery Rhymes.¡± ¡°What made you dissatisfied?¡± ¡°Look, my ability isn¡¯t very suitable for killing people, right? It¡¯s very good for assassination, but it¡¯s not an ability that can kill a lot of people at once.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s though even when dealing with civilians when I can only read mind. Not to mention the SDF, I can¡¯t face them head-on. That¡¯s why I thought I had no choice but to kill my comrades. To let everyone recognize my existence, I drive out all those who can fight by using various people, creating a stage where I can become the ruler. Nursery Rhymes too, everything is just a tool for this moment.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°After that, the scenario was to kill the returning members in order, but seems like I failed.¡± ¡°Are you still not satisfied even with this much killing?¡± ¡°I am satisfied¡­ a bit, that is.¡± I wonder how Roll and Byakurei-san felt listening to the two¡¯s conversation. At least Roll¡¯s expression was complicated. Byakurei-san has collapsed, so I don¡¯t know. It was only a short time since I joined Anonymous, so I felt nothing hearing the two¡¯s conversation. Desuko-san is trying to get into Boss¡¯s heart; I don¡¯t understand why Boss is going along with the conversation. Don¡¯t tell me they¡¯re just having a normal conversation, no that¡¯s impossible, right. ¡°A bit, huh. It feels complicated for me.¡± ¡°Ahaha¡­ With this, is Hyde¡¯s true purpose became distant I wonder?¡± ¡°No, this is not an obstacle.¡± ¡°Is that soo~. Well, you can just collect more people again, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The conversation was paused there. I¡¯m surprised that the conversation that didn¡¯t last longer than I expected. Wasn¡¯t Desuko-san trying to get into Boss¡¯s heart¡­? The indescribable atmosphere dominates the place. Boss suddenly took out a knife and flipped it with his hand. Is he going to kill Desuko-san? *gokkuri* I heard the sound of Roll gulping. However, Desuko-san stops Boss with one hand. ¡°Wait, Hyde.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°In that case, let¡¯s die together with everyone. It¡¯s lonely to die alone you know.¡± That said, Desuko-san tries to take something out of her pocket. However, her movement stopped while her hand in her pocket. ¡°Looking for this?¡± Boss said so and took out a business card-sized device from his pocket and showed it. Seeing that, Desuko-san wrinkled her eyebrows. ¡°To think that you even installed bombs in the hideout.¡± ¡°That ability is reaaaaaally unfair you know.¡± So, you even installed bombs, Desuko-san? You are prepared for the worst case scenario, huh. Boss who prevented it was amazing, but Desuko-san is thorough as well. I was also surprised that Boss¡¯s ability was activated. On top of being incomprehensible, the ability was too mysterious. What in the world is Boss¡¯ ability? ¡°Now that I think about it, your heart was ugly and distorted since the time I first met you. But still, Desuko, I thought it was worth getting you into the organization. More than the risk, I think that you were giving good influence in the organization. That¡¯s why I made you an executive, so that you can do whatever you wanted.¡± ¡°¡­That shouldn¡¯t be the case.¡± ¡°What is?¡± ¡°My heart was ugly, you said.¡± Desuko-san¡¯s face gradually distorted in anger. Apparently the words just now have bought her anger. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? It¡¯s ugly, right?¡± ¡°On the contrary, why did you say that? My heart is not ugly you know. You can say that I¡¯m crazy or the like. I¡¯m aware that my values are very different from most people. But what did you mean by saying that my heart is ugly?¡± ¡°So, you don¡¯t even know that?¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong. The true nature of the heart is decided by the person themselves. Rules, order, and morality are not something that you can¡¯t decide by yourself.¡± Desuko-san¡¯s vocabulary became rough. Boss who occasionally flipped his knife, unnoticedly replaced his smiling face with a pitying expression. ¡°In that case, can you see your own heart?¡± ¡°¡­I can¡¯t. But my heart is beautiful. I can tell that much.¡± ¡°If you say so, then it¡¯s fine for you to think so. But I think your heart is ugly. Just like me, you¡¯ve killed a lot of people. Too many that it¡¯s uncountable. Our hearts that grew up feeding on people¡¯s hatred, must be ugly, gave off stench, and unbearable to see. That¡¯s why Desuko, it¡¯s okay for you to keep misunderstanding your rotten heart as beautiful until the moment you die.¡± ¡°But Hyde, I think yours is beautiful. Living for a single purpose until it became that that distorted. But if you say so, then it must be ugly. Hyde¡¯s heart is ugly and my heart is beautiful. It¡¯s fine like that, right? Don¡¯t lump me together with you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know what beautiful is anymore. You sure are ugly.¡± ¡°Ugly, ugly¡­ stop saying that.¡± ¡°Then, why don¡¯t you ask Shion, Roll, or Byakurei?¡± ¡°Shut up!! My heart is the most beautiful¡­ My most beautiful heart¡­ can¡¯t be ugly!¡± A knife stabbed into her chest at the same time she shouted. ¡°Ah¡­! Aaahhh¡­¡­!¡± Seeing the knife stabbed in her chest, Desuko-san stepped back a few steps. Then fell on her butt on the spot. The restraint on me was released. It seems that the restraint on Roll and Byakurei was released too, as Roll immediately ran to Desuko-san. ¡°Ah~, I can¡¯t move because my thighs hurt.¡± It was the first words of Byakurei-san who was released from the restraint. I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s really thinking. I shouldn¡¯t have felt anything, hearing the conversation between the two. But it got me thinking. I take a few steps and stand behind Roll. Roll was about to fall supporting Desuko-san¡¯s body, trembling. Although she got hit in the vital directly, I thought it was dangerous because she was still breathing, but Boss took out the cigarette from his pocket without saying anything and lit it. ¡°Ahh Desuko¡­! Why did you do such stupid things¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Stupid things, huh¡­ Were you even listening¡­ Roll. Or rather, you cried¡­ for me, hm.¡± Even though she said terrible things, while spitting blood, Desuko-san forcibly spoke. Even so, it¡¯s frightfully easy to hear the words of Desuko-san. ¡°Isn¡¯t it natural¡­! I¡¯ve been together with you since I was aware of my surroundings¡­!¡± It may be painful for Roll. It¡¯s not because she was induced to think like that; it was because of something more than that. While being held by Roll, Desuko-san turned her gaze to me standing in the back. ¡°¡­Ahh, I sure don¡¯t want to, die¡­¡± Desuko-san intentionally smile. I can¡¯t laugh it off. ¡°Why did you say that to me¡­¡± ¡°¡­Shion¡­kun, you have to¡­ love people more you know¡­ If not¡­¡± Desuko-san¡¯s words ended there. Nay, she stopped breathing. She detested anything and everything, like me. Her last words echoed in my head. She seemed to have spouted something unnecessary to me at the very end. CH 92 [Lullaby of Flame] Approximately 100m above the sky. A Self-Defense Force General and a mythical class demon beast fought a fierce aerial battle, smearing cracks over the surrounding high-rise buildings. The exchange of high fire power attacks that occasionally shave a corner of the buildings had caused damage that surpassed those of the battlefront on the ground. The ability of Ichinose Soraha, ¡®Last Stop ¨C Sky High¡¯ was a psychokinesis type of the manipulation system ability that could freely manipulate objects, taking them from the ground and rising them to the air. It was said that with this ability, only a few that could stand on par with Ichinose in aerial battle. He took the position of a general of the Self-Defense Force, and now his ability had become well-known, but before then, his ability was wielded in rage, burying countless evils. Thus, Ichinose Soraha was eventually called, The King of the Sky. However, even with that ability, the battle with the mythical class Fafnir, Renga was prolonged. The higher his altitude was from the ground, the higher the effectiveness of his ability. But Renga didn¡¯t follow Ichinose who tried to fly higher into the sky. Even for Renga, fighting at a higher place would allow it to fully demonstrate its speed and attack power, but the fact that it avoided it perhaps due to the battle sense of the mythical class demon beast. Anyway, at about 100m above the sky, it was impossible to handle the driving force of the mythical class even though it was still am infant. Thus, Ichinose was struggling. He also occasionally failed to ward off the fireballs fired by Renga to the sky, causing damages to the ground. However, the battle that had been going on for a while was about to end in an unexpected way. Renga¡¯s distinct intent to kill Ichinose disappeared. Seeing Renga that suddenly stopped attacking and act weirdly, Ichinose also stopped attacking reflexively. The rubbles of the buildings, cars, telephone poles and the others that was manipulated by Ichinose also stopped in the air. ¡°Kyurururururu!! Kyuuurururu!!¡± Renga raised such a cry, unlike the bursting roar that it had been raised earlier. Then Renga ignored Ichinose and began to turn around and descend to the city. (Why was it change suddenly¡­?) Ichinose thought about pursuing, but as long as Renga are no longer harmful, pursuing it too far will only cause further damage. At this altitude, he couldn¡¯t get the firepower to kill Renga in a single blow. It¡¯s better if he doesn¡¯t have to fight it. He decided to watch the situation while chasing after Renga. At that time, a radio entered the income attached to Ichinose¡¯s ear. [Nursery Rhymes are retreating¡­!] Ichinose doubted its content. He believed that Anonymous was in disadvantageous position. They even sent this Fafnir that might not have been tamed to the battlefield, so he surmised that they were at their wit¡¯s end. Seeing the number of Anonymous executives, this is a surprise attack of the Nursery Rhymes side. Therefore, his priority was the rescue of the civilians, followed by the annihilation of Anonymous, and finally the annihilation of Nursery Rhymes. Ichinose was entrusted to deal with the mythical class Fafnir due to the damages it caused to the city, but he was believed that Tenjoumine who was commanding on the ground would make the same judgement as himself. However, the battle situation seems to be complicated. At that time, a woman was reflected in Ichinose¡¯s field of view. The woman slowly let out a big sigh while looking at Ichinose from the roof of a building with dull eyes. (She is¡­ Anonymous¡¯ executive, Tameiki¡­!) ©`©`©` On the other hand, on the ground, in the E district, the battle between Chiyaku and Tenjoumine continued. Both were uninjured. But Tenjoumine was breathing violently, out of breath, and for Chiyaku, her blood that was floating in air had been reduced to 1 liter. And her white coat was also tattered. ¡°Hah¡­! Hah¡­!¡± ¡°You really have gotten old, Tenjou.¡± ¡°You too¡­! Senjiya¡­! Hah hah¡­! You can¡¯t defeat an old man even after using that much blood!¡± Innumerable blood spears flew to Tenjoumine. Tenjoumine leapt far and high; although he avoided them, the blood spears pursued him. ¡°Hah!!¡± Tenjoumine waved his hand greatly, scraping away the blood spear that was approaching in front of him to the sky. And he landed. ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­¡± Chiyaku divided the blood she used for attack and defense into multiple parts and wrapped them around her body. Although he was old, Tenjoumine was a general of the Self-Defense Force. He wasn¡¯t an opponent who could be looked down upon by Chiyaku who had been away from the battlefield for a while. If Chiyaku had been able to exert her power at her peak, the match would have been settled quickly. No, perhaps that was also true for Tenjoumine. Because of the range, Chiyaku was currently pushing. Tenjoumine¡¯s ability was not as sharp as it used to be. ¡®Spatial Create¡¯. That ability had become something that the old Tenjoumine could no longer use. [The forces of Nursery Rhymes are retreating¡­!] Suddenly, such a comm of a radio came from Tenjoumine¡¯s chest. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence descent between the two. Both sides went back and took a distance for thinking. (¡­Why is Nursery Rhymes retreating now?) (Is it because of Shion and the others? No, even so, it is strange that they are retreating now.) After glaring at each other for tens of seconds, their respective thoughts overlapped. (¡­In any case, I have to defeat this woman first) (It seems better to get rid of this guy earlier.) ©`©`©` ¡°Strange.¡± Roll, Byakurei-san, Boss and I, the four of us are currently walking down the hideout¡¯s corridor toward the ground. I¡¯m carrying Byakurei-san whose thighs have been injured on my back. ¡°What is?¡± I asked Boss who muttered that, and the eyes of the three people gathered on Boss¡¯ mask. ¡°Look at the dead bodies. I don¡¯t think that Desuko killed them all. The scars on the dead bodies are strange too. Most are stabs, but there are also corpses that seem to have been beaten to death.¡± Matching Boss who stopped, Roll and I also stopped. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it because everyone was off guard because they didn¡¯t think that Desuko-san was an enemy?¡± Isn¡¯t there enough time if that¡¯s the case? ¡°That¡¯s not the case. I don¡¯t think Desuko had enough time to kill this number of people.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± In the first place, it is unlikely that everyone was killed without any resistance until the end when this number of people was killed. Roll crouched and touched some corpses. ¡°If you look closely, there are only dead bodies that have been killed for quite some time around here¡­¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t Desuko, huh.¡± In other words, there was someone who had infiltrated the hideout other than Desuko-san. They were also faster than Desuko-san, and without being noticed by anyone. I don¡¯t how many they are though. ¡°Well, one or two small fries meant nothing.¡± Boss said. Certainly, with these members¡­ rather, as long as Boss is around, I¡¯m not afraid of anyone coming, but I¡¯m getting a sense of discomfort¡­ Come to think of it, the communication with Shikkou-san was cut off immediately after I killed Hitsugiya. Since I just noticed it by that point, there is a possibility that Shikkou-san was killed earlier. However, in that case, I don¡¯t know the timing of the enemy¡¯s infiltration. Desuko-san probably infiltrated after I cut off the field of sound collection to fight Hitsugiya. In that case, it means that there was an enemy infiltrating while I still collecting sounds. That is impossible. ¡°Please wait a minute.¡± Saying that, I try to expand the field of sound collection to the entire hideout. The structure of the hideout is complicated so the accuracy is considerably reduced, but if I take my time, I should find if there are people or not. After a while, the detection inside the hideout ends. ¡°There¡¯s no one. Even a single person.¡± Strange. Did she kill all the people in this hideout that spans many underground layers¡­? How? ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it okaaay? We no longer need this hideout anyway, so if we quickly disperse the enemies above and withdraw¡ª¡± Right as Byakurei-san was saying that, my device vibrated. It was an incoming call from Kemuri-san. I picked up the call on speaker mode. ¡°Yes.¡± [Shion? What happened there?] ¡°We somehow did it after Boss join us. There were various things, but I will leave the explanation for later¡­¡± [Is that so. So that¡¯s why the forces of Nursery Rhymes and the ¡®Assocations¡¯ began to withdraw. Now is the right time for us to withdraw as well.] ¡°Eh?¡± Nursery Rhymes and the ¡®Association¡¯ withdrew? [What¡¯s wrong?] That is¡­ on whose command was it? Desuko-san shouldn¡¯t have time to issue such a command. Suddenly, an explosion sounded from the other side of the phone. The vibration was transmitted to the hideout, and sands fell from the ceiling. ¡°What happened there?¡± [¡­The second evacuation shelter was blown up. There should be a considerable number of people died.] You¡¯re kidding, right? What the heck is going on? ¡°Kemuri, tell the personnel on the ground to withdrew. We¡¯ll meet up at the Derrida branch.¡± Boss said so and started walking. Following him, we also started walking. [Roger that.] ¡°We no longer have any business in this city. Whatever they do now is futile.¡± Immediately after, an explosion sounded behind Kemuri-san, and the inside of the hideout shook. The explosion sound resounded continuously. [This time the Second Central Building was blown up. The hell, the buildings in the center of the city are being blown up one after another.] ¡°¡­Desuko.¡± ¡°Is it another scenario prepared by Desuko? It seems that she wanted to kill people even if she died.¡± We got on the elevator and headed to the surface. The elevator made a rattling noise and eventually reached the surface, stopping at the usual cafe. Separated far away from the center of the city, the caf¨¦ is not affected by the explosions. We looked at the rising smoke and the continuous explosions from a distance. ¡°Aren¡¯t the members in that area in danger¡­?¡± Immediately after Roll said so, the rising smoke scattered in all directions, and flames swirled in it. It¡¯s a little different from an explosion. I squint and take a closer look at it. The flame spreads spirally to the sky, and eventually it forms a twin wing shape. What emerged from the smoke was a giant phoenix. ¡°Piiiiiiiii!!!¡± A high-pitched cry echoes around the city. I immediately understand that it is Sen. At the same time, the haze that was stuck in my head cleared up. Sen was in the hideout since the beginning. I don¡¯t know when, but she has regained her memory and worked with Desuko-san, huh. ¡°It¡¯s much bigger than when I saw it before¡­¡± ¡°It grew up upon death, huh. This is troublesome.¡± CH 93 [Lullaby of Sky] Renga landed on the road in front of us just after the phoenix (Sen) appeared. Renga passed in front us and scraped off the road with his claws due to his momentum. But he immediately killed his speed and turned to me. ¡°Gyau!¡± It seems that with the death of Desuko-san, the brainwashing was undone too, and he is no longer showing the hostility that he had before. It seems that he sniffed my scent and flew all the way here. ¡°Renga, are you okay?¡± Then what happened to General Ichinose? Did he lose in the battle against Renga? Renga ran toward me and pushed me, making me fell on my back and facing up on the ground. The length of Renga who seems to have grown further in a month now exceeds 10m. Renga puts his chin on the ground and the height of his gaze was finally below me. When I reach out to Renga¡¯s head and touch his scales, it was slightly warm. The exhales of the excited Renga are rough and hot enough to scald people. ¡°That is Renga, hm. I saw him rampaging in the sky, but looking at it closely, he sure is scary. Is it going to be fine?¡± Byakurei-san has already descended from my back. He already got emergency treatment for his legs, so it still takes time until he can walk, but it seems that he can at least stand while holding onto my shoulder. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s fine now.¡± ¡°Rather than that, that is dangerous, isn¡¯t it?¡± Roll said, so Byakurei and I who had been glued to Renga for a while turned our eyes to the Phoenix Sen. When Sen flew high in the sky and flapped her wings, glittering flame dust flew toward the ground. Eventually, the center of the city was surrounded by flames. ¡°Kemuri, how¡¯s there?¡± My device is still connected to Kemuri-san. Boss turned to the Phoenix and put his hand on his chin. [Tameiki and Ichinose, Chiyaku and Tenjoumine are in the middle of battle. Other than them, everyone has already started to withdraw. However, because of the movement of the Phoenix, it has become difficult to withdraw. That is Sen, right?] Tameiki-san already came back as well, huh. ¡°That¡¯s right. It can¡¯t be helped. The members here will be heading to support the withdrawal. Shido should also be back soon.¡± [Roger that.] Kemuri-san hung up. I put the device in my pocket and look at Boss to demand for instruction. ¡°Shion, how many people can Renga carry while flying?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know because I haven¡¯t tested it. I think if it¡¯s only the four people here, he can do afford it, but¡­ are you planning to ride him?¡± ¡°Ahh. We¡¯re going to pick up Tameiki and Chiyaku.¡± I see. It is difficult for Tameiki-san and Chiyaku-san who were being restrained by the two generals to withdraw. Especially since Sen is there. However, if there are 6 or more people, Renga¡¯s strength is insufficient and there won¡¯t be enough space for everyone. Although it has grown up, 6 people could barely fit to get on the bottom of his neck. If you ride on the lower part of his back, you will be hit by his wing and be seriously injured. Renga himself has the potential to carry any number of people. ¡°Can you do it? Renga.¡± ¡°Gyau!¡± ¡°Good reply.¡± Hearing Renga¡¯s reply, Boss said so. ¡°Then let¡¯s get on in order.¡± ¡°No, wait. I¡¯ll take the cafe master and run away first through another route. I¡¯ll likely be shaken off even if I got on him with these legs. I¡¯ll see you at the Derrida branch, Hyde.¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± ¡°Well then, later.¡± Byakurei-san said so, and walked toward the cafe while dragging his legs. Certainly, in that state, Byakurei-san is a burden. He would be a great force if he could have Chiyaku-san to heal him after meeting with her, but Chiyaku-san might not necessarily have such leeway. Anyway, leaving behind Byakurei-san, Roll, Boss, and I got on Renga¡¯s back and flew. ¡°Renga! Over there!¡± When I pointed at the central district and shouted, Renga speeded up. The phoenix (Sen) seemed to notice our existence immediately, she turned to us and let out a high-pitched roar. ¡°Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!¡± ¡°Gyaoooooooooo!!¡± Renga also roared to counter the roar of the Phoenix. ¡°Renga, don¡¯t mind it!¡± Sen is larger than Renga in body length. One size¡­ no, it may be more than that. But even though we were riding him, Renga¡¯s speed seemed to be faster. ¡°Renga! Turn and lower the altitude!¡± Renga¡¯s body tilting down sharply. I put my hand around Renga¡¯s body and grabbed it firmly. I know the position of Tameiki-san and Chiyaku-san from the location information sent from Kemuri-san. The central district is burning and I can¡¯t confirm by sight, but it seems they are still fighting on the ground. The fact that they are fighting regardless of the phoenix means that the SDF don¡¯t have leeway either. If the urgent situation continued, they may not have the time to shift the target to the phoenix. Renga slips vertically through the gap between buildings. Sen who was approaching from behind is forcing through the gap between buildings. Then, the buildings on both sides exploded and crumbled down as if they were smashed from above. I cling to Renga to withstand the blast waves. ¡°What¡¯s that¡­ did they set up bombs in the building¡­?¡± ¡°Shion, over there.¡± Looking at the place where Boss pointed at, I found Tameiki-san and General Ichinose on the burning ground. Maybe because General Ichinose is the opponent, Tameiki-san who is supposedly good at aerial battle is fighting with her feet on the ground. There were many craters in the surroundings. ¡°Tameiki-san!¡± The moment I called, a rubble 1m away flew. It¡¯s Ichinose¡¯s attack. Renga hesitated and plunged to Tameiki-san. ¡°Please jump on.¡± And when we rushed to Tameiki-san as is, she crouched, avoiding Renga¡¯s rush. I got impatient and looked back. Then, I saw Tameiki-san was hanging on Renga¡¯s tail. She had a sullen face, probably because her battle was interrupted in the middle. And there is no pursuing of Ichinose. It¡¯s difficult for Ichinose to keep up with us even with his ability; I tell Renga to speed up. ¡°Next is Chiyaku, right!¡± ¡°Renga, proceed as is!¡± We proceed for a while, this time searching for Chiyaku-san. Sen is no longer following us. Renga was fast and made many small turns, so we managed to pull apart from her. It is possible that Ichinose is fighting Sen after seeing our withdrawal. Chiyaku-san and Tenjoumine were each lying down with a gap of about 10m. Tenjoumine has a blood pool under his body. But both of them were still breathing. ¡°Slow down!¡± ¡°Gyau!¡± After I patted Renga¡¯s neck and shouted, Renga slowed down and approached the ground. ¡°Roll! Please!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Roll wrapped the wire of the grappling gun around Renga¡¯s neck and jumped off. Renga¡¯s scales are so hard that they won¡¯t be damaged because of the wire. After she landed on the ground, she carried Chiyaku-san on her shoulder. And to match it, Renga flew, increasing the altitude. Pulled up by the wire, Roll kicked the wall of the building several times while carrying Chiyaku-san, and return to Renga¡¯s back. ¡°What about General Tenjoumine? He¡¯s still breathing.¡± ¡°Leave him.¡± Boss said so, so I had Renga get higher. However, I wonder if it¡¯s not necessary to end Tenjoumine. No matter how hurried we are, we should have enough room for that. I wonder if he had something in his mind. ¡°Cough¡­! Cough¡­!¡± Chiyaku-san who was carried by Roll woke up while coughing. There is no noticeable external wound on Chiyaku-san. Or rather, she was unharmed and only had her lab coat dirty. ¡°Chiyaku, are you okay?¡± ¡°¡­Is that¡­ Sen?¡± There was a phoenix in front of Chiyaku-san¡¯s gaze. When the altitude was raised until the top of the buildings, the figure of Sen moving to shake off something can be seen. As I thought, Ichinose is engaging Sen. This makes retreat easier. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Boss answered Chiyaku-san¡¯s question. ¡°Hyde, I want to collect Sen.¡± At Chiyaku-san¡¯s words, everyone¡¯s eyes gathered on her. What is this person thinking about? ¡°What are you thinking about, Chiyaku? Such a thing is impossible.¡± Roll said. Then, Chiyaku-san stood up on the back of Renga and took out a scalpel from her bosom. Then she cut her wrist with the scalpel. Blood spilled from the open cut. ¡°She is my assistant.¡± Leaving behind those words, Chiyaku-san jumped off the back of Renga just like that. Chiyaku-san rides on a thin plate made of her own blood and flies to the phoenix. Her eyes that were looking at Sen were completely like the eyes of a child looking at their toy; does she really think of her as her assistant¡­? ¡°Good grief. Chiyaku being selfish again.¡± ¡°What are we going to do?¡± ¡°There is no choice but to collect Sen. When Chiyaku became like that, there¡¯s no stopping her.¡± Hearing Boss¡¯ words, I have Renga change his course. Chiyaku-san has already reached Sen¡¯s immediate vicinity. Renga is gliding through the air. Heading toward Sen at once. ¡°But how do we collect her!?¡± While cutting through the wind, I screamed. ¡°We have no choice but to return her to the human form!¡± ¡°Howa!?¡± ¡°We should just kill her once. Then she should return to human form.¡± The one who jumped out was Tameiki-san. She releases her hand from Renga¡¯s tail and head towards Sen like a bullet. Chiyaku-san was putting up a fight by pouring on blood slashes at Sen many times over. Ichinose who had been engaging Sen from earlier hit Sen with rubbles and other things repeatedly, but all of them slipped through Sen¡¯s flame body. Although Ichinose was wary of us who were nearby for a while, he never attacked us. Does he mean to fight together temporarily? ¡°Piiiiii!!¡± Sen made her phoenix¡¯s body do a full rotation, releasing intense, hot wind to the surroundings. I have Renga move and Roll catch Tameiki-san who was blown away. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± ¡°Are you okay! Tameiki-san!¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m fine. Rather than that, stay away from here.¡± Tameiki-san said so and flew toward Sen again. As told, I have Renga take some distance, and meanwhile, Tameiki-san sneaked under Sen¡¯s body. What is she going to do? When I thought so, the body of the phoenix rose unnaturally into the sky. No, it fell into the sky. ¡°¡­!¡± That is one of Tameiki-san¡¯s techniques, ¡®Weightlessness¡¯. A technique that can be said to be a secret technique that takes away the weight of the person she touches and invite them to sky. I see. Even though she is an immortal, if she was thrown to the outer space, she will not be able to live. And she will continue to die forever and will continue to wander in the universe. ¡°Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.¡± The phoenix Sen made a shriek-like roar, flapped her wings and tried to descend. Tameiki-san is following after Sen, pusher her out. The one who rose there was Ichinose. Ichinose manipulates Sen¡¯s body to raise her further. Moreover Chiyaku-san was chasing Sen from below. Ichinose¡¯s ability is now well-known. ¡®Last Stop ¨C Sky High¡¯ The ability becomes stronger as the altitude increases. If they push the phoenix out of the atmosphere, Tameiki-san and Chiyaku-san may be killed after that. ¡°Shion, after them.¡± Was Boss saying that because he thought the same thing as me? However, if we chase them, we may be the prey of that ability too. Is it going to be fine¡­? ¡°Renga, chase!¡± I put my hand on Renga¡¯s neck and ordered him. ¡°Gyao!!¡± Immediately, Renga rose and flew to chase after Tameiki-san and the others. Sen is keep getting pushed into the sky by Ichinose¡¯s ability and Tameiki-san¡¯s ability. The sorrowful roar became weaker as the air became thinner. Renga circles around the phoenix. It was our duty to be on the lookout for Ichinose. The flames covering the phoenix Sen are torn up once in a while, her figure is getting smaller and smaller. And soon. From the small flame, a naked Sen who returned to the human form appeared. ¡°AHHHHH¡ª!! I give up, I give up! I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry!! Please spare me!!¡± I was stunned when Sen cancelled her phoenix transformation at the unexpected timing. She was afraid that she would be thrown into outer space, so she chose the option of begging for her life. The one who immediately jumped at that time was Chiyaku-san. She jumps and carries Sen¡¯s body from the side, and descends on a thin film of blood. However. ¡°Can you wait for a moment?¡± Ichinose stopped them. As if the voice controls the space itself; even Renga stopped in place. Here is about 5000m above the sky¡­ No, more? I don¡¯t know. The still burning city was far away, and when I look around, I can vaguely see the faintly transparent cotton candy-like clouds. In other words, a territory where Ichinose is unrivaled. ¡°At this altitude, even if it¡¯s against a mythical class Fafnir child, against the top executive of Anonymous Tameiki¡­, even if it¡¯s against former Self-Defense Force General Senjiya Kusuri¡­¡± *gulp* I heard Roll behind me swallowing her saliva. ¡°I think I alone will be enough.¡± *flap, flap* Flapping his wings, Renga stopped in place. While swaying up and down, I looked at Ichinose diagonally below me. Ichinose raised his glasses with his middle finger and glanced this way. After all, it was as I expected. If Sen is incapacitated, there will be no merit for him to fight together. ¡°Well, I wonder about that.¡± With his jet-black coat fluttering, Boss stood up on the back of Renga. ¡°Anonymous Leader¡­ Hyde¡­¡± Ichinose looks surprised when he saw Boss stood up. Did Ichinose not notice Boss¡¯ existence? Certainly, I don¡¯t think he could afford to care about the humans on Renga. ¡°General Ichinose, it would be great if you could withdraw here.¡± Those who know about Boss¡¯ ability is limited even within the organization. I think Ichinose wouldn¡¯t want to deal with the unknown boss either. However, there is the possibility that Boss¡¯ words just now are bluff. If he can beat him, there is no reason for him to avoid fighting Ichinose. It is also possible that he is afraid of getting injured though. The masked Boss and Ichinose glared at each other for a while. Eventually, Ichinose exhaled, looked around and said, ¡°It seems wise to withdraw here. I¡¯m worried about the damage to the city. Situation like this won¡¯t come twice, but¡­ it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Then he chose to withdraw. Ichinose shrugged and *hyun* fell toward the ground. ©`©`©` ¡°Ahh. This city is over.¡± Chiyaku-san who casually carried the fainted Sen said so, so I looked at the scenery below. We¡¯re currently in the sky above the city. I couldn¡¯t help but have a mixed feeling at the view of the flames that I could see from here. The city where I was born and raised is on fire. Neo Slaceid Building, a symbol of the collapsing city. After the retreat of Ichinose, we also lowered our altitude and looked down at the city from the back of Renga. This is to check the withdrawal status of the members. According to Kemuri-san, the withdrawal of all members has been completed. Renga is slowly moving away from the city. Roll, Tameiki-san, Chiyaku-san, Sen, Boss, and I. As expected, the number of people on Renga¡¯s back was over his capacity. Suddenly, Boss casually took out a notebook-sized device from his pocket. ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°It would be just the right time to delete information, right?¡± Boss did something with the device and threw it towards the city. ¡°Somehow, I feel a little lonely.¡± The rumbling of the city remained in my ears forever. CH 94 [Dream of the Beginning] SDF, Slaceid mid-highway branch. Midou Tsurugi got out of the first aid room with an unsteady gait. The groaning of injured troops could be heard through the gap of the closing door. There were few medical teams left in the branch, so the treatment couldn¡¯t make it in time. He stayed and leaned against the wall as if he was about to collapse. Two days have passed since the case of Slaceid. In Slaceid, most of the center of the city was burned out, causing countless casualties. Reconstruction and rescue personnel were dispatched from various places to Slaceid, and Tsurugi was forcibly repatriated to the mid-highway branch. He was given another task. A woman rushed to Tsurugi leaning against the wall while holding his forehead. It was Ohashi Hitomi, his classmate and fellow member of the special force. ¡°Tsurugi¡­ are you okay¡­?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± Tsurugi said before Hitomi¡¯s extended hand touched his shoulder. Hitomi¡¯s hand trembled and stopped, then she slowly pulled her hand. ¡°Tsurugi¡­¡± Hitomi¡¯s dejected voice made Tsurugi came back to himself suddenly. ¡°Sorry¡­ That¡¯s not what I meant, Hitomi. I just want to be alone for now¡­¡± ¡°Uun. I understand¡­ I understand, but¡­¡± The tears that had been held back in her eyes ran down her cheeks. She turned on her heels and left in the opposite direction of Tsurugi. Following the death of his father, Midou Ryuusui, was the death of an irreplaceable existence called Furuya Rin. And the fact that Shion who killed Rin was his best friend, Kazato. The conflict in Slaceid. The collapse of the city. They overlapped, and Tsurugi¡¯s heart was already tattered. Hitomi who left while wiping her tears was also holding herself back. However, Hitomi knew that Tsurugi who witnessed the death of his father, the death of Rin, and the emotionless gaze of that Kazato was more hurt than herself. The hatred of losing his place to go was swelling inside Tsurugi. ¡°Kazato¡­ why¡­¡± With the wall as a support, he carried his heavy body to the room arranged for him. He greeted back the people who he passed by curtly. The room arranged for Tsurugi was on the first floor of the women¡¯s barracks. Having entered the room, Tsurugi sank into the bed. Regardless of his psychological situation, another job will start tomorrow. Now, the SDF was by no means in a situation where they have leeway either. ¡°Tsurugi-san.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Tsurugi suddenly turned around in response to the voice that abruptly appeared. There stood a girl, about 15 years old. She had straight, glossy black hair that stretched to her waist, and her height was about one head shorter than Tsurugi. She was wearing something like an inspection garment, and countless gauze was sticked on her both arms. She was a girl who had a fair face and gave off a sense of translucence. ¡°Who¡­ are you¡­?¡± Tsurugi stared at the girl with suspicion. (Where did she come from? No, was she already here since the beginning?) ¡°My name is Yumesaki Aika.¡± Hearing the name, Tsurugi opened his eyes widely. Yumesaki Aika. A girl who was once escorted by his father, Midou Ryuusui, at the center of Saint Celia. And¡­ Tsurugi also knew that she was an important existence called ¡®Singularity¡¯. Tsurugi didn¡¯t know what ¡®Singularity¡¯ actually meant, but he understood that since she even had his father who was a general at that time as an escort in Saint Celia, a city that could be called a stronghold, she, Yumesaki Aika, must had some sort of special ability. ¡°Yumesaki Aika you said¡­? Why are you here¡­? Your escort?¡± ¡°You are the escort. Your fa-¡­ Tsurugi-san, you were chosen as the successor of Midou Ryuusui. I will be living together with you from today.¡± Tsurugi remembered about the special important mission that was mentioned from above not long ago. He hadn¡¯t heard the detail, but he never thought that the mission was to escort Yumesaki Aika. Tsurugi frowned. Being Yumesaki Aika¡¯s escort was like a shackle for the current him. If the escort made him unable to move, he wouldn¡¯t be able to pay back the grudge of his father, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to get involved with Kazato who he hadn¡¯t come to terms with inside him either. In the past, when his father was escorting Yumesaki Aika, his father only came back home once a month. In other words, as Yumesaki Aika¡¯s escort, he had to constantly attending her. He was practically stuck indoor and became her playmate. Tsurugi remembered that he had some jealousy for Yumesaki Aika at that time. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard about that¡­ Did you get here alone? This branch has just been attacked. There aren¡¯t many people left here now.¡± ¡°The reason I am here is because it has been decided that the surrounding vicinity here is safe since the Anonymous has just withdrawn from Slaceid. I didn¡¯t come here alone you know.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so. But I haven¡¯t been given the direct mission yet. Even though you came now, I have no obligation to escort you. I¡¯ll bring you back. Where did you come from? Control ward? Research building?¡± I want to be alone now. With that in mind, Tsurugi tried to push Aika away. In fact, he approached her, roughly grabbed her hand, and tried to take her outside. ¡°Kisaragi-san has already told me to act with Tsurugi-san.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Tsurugi¡¯s movement stopped suddenly. ¡°But it¡¯s already night. I haven¡¯t heard the details yet, so come back for now. Or do you want to sleep and eat together with me in this small single room? And our age is not even that far apart either.¡± ¡°I heard you are used to it. I don¡¯t mind either.¡± The girl¡¯s stubborn attitude made Tsurugi irritated and he took a breath. ¡°¡­Okay. Suit yourself¡­¡± Tsurugi let go of her hand and sat down on the bed again. Then he put both of his elbows on both of his knees to prop up his head. ¡°Yes. Please take care of me.¡± CH 95 [Dream of One Day] The day after Yumesaki Aika intruded on Tsurugi¡¯s place. ¡°What does this mean, General Kisaragi!¡± The headquarters of the SDF, the center of Saint Celia. Midou Tsurugi¡¯s fist struck the office desk. A girl in inspection clothes, Yumesaki Aikia, stood still near the entrance of the room, waiting for Tsurugi. However, about her, Tsurugi was¡­ in short, Tsurugi went all the way to the central to protest about her, his own restraint. ¡°Do you have a problem with it? You are no longer a student, right?¡± After that said, Tsurugi had no choice but to keep quiet. Quitting school was his lack of prudence. In the first place, Tsurugi who held the position of student special forces was able to act freely by taking advantage of his academic duty. However, since he quitted being a student, it was natural that he was restrained by the SDF. ¡°Still¡­ wasn¡¯t I assigned to the Anonymous Countermeasures Department?¡± ¡°With Ryuusui¡¯s death, the full authority of the Anonymous Countermeasures Department was certainly returned to Lieutenant General Sakai. So, I have talked with Lieutenant General Sakai properly. If you want the official documents, I¡¯ll prepare them, Tsurugi.¡± Tsurugi frowned at the sharp glint in the eyes of General Kisaragi. Being removed from the Anonymous Countermeasures Department, and served as an escort for Yumesaki Aika, he wouldn¡¯t be able to achieve his purpose. Nothing was going well. ¡°While it may be true but this is no it, right¡­? In addition to father, even my assistant, Furuya, was killed by Anonymous¡­ isn¡¯t it fine for you to sympathize with my feeling a little bit¡­?¡± ¡°This must be what they called student mood. Revenge and condemnation are different, Tsurugi. Don¡¯t misinterpret justice.¡± Which one of use is misinterpreting it. Attempting to say so, Tsurugi swallowed the words. And looked down. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Anyone can consider the possibility of his son will think about getting revenge with the death of Midou Ryuusui. The reason General Kisaragi repressed him at this timing was because he saw through his instability. ¡°¡­Excuse me.¡± After a bow, Tsurugi went to the entrance of the room. ¡°That girl is a memento of Ryuusui¡­ Take care of her. This is a request from someone who was a friend of Ryuusui, not General Kisaragi.¡± General Kisaragi threw such words to Tsurugi who strongly resounding the sound of his military boots. Tsurugi stopped at once, and raised his face. Then, his eyes met with Yumesaki Aika standing near the entrance. He felt a strange irritation at her expressionless eyes, and a little bit of force entered his toes. ¡°¡­Understood.¡± Leaving behind only those words, he left the office. ©`©`©` Tsurugi decided to move to Saint Celia. The people who lost their homes due to the Slaceid incident and those who were worried about their safety were completing the immigration procedure one after another. With the benefit of subsidiary aid, the Saint Celia expansion plan accelerated unexpectedly. Tsurugi moved not for that reason, but in order to protect Yumesaki Aika, he had to live in a safe place in Saint Celia. ¡°Is it okay, Tsurugi-san?¡± Seeing Tsurugi finished carried the luggage to the new home, Aika said. ¡°What is?¡± ¡°You are forced to move to Saint Celia.¡± ¡°I have confirmed the limitations placed on your actions in the details of the official documents sent to me, but it¡¯s like it was telling that we have to live in Saint Celia.¡± Blood examination, blood pressure examination, electrocardiogram examination, neuro ultrasound examination, electroencephalogram examination¡­ the number of examinations she has undergo in the facility in a day is 28 to 30 on average. In addition to that, she has dietary restrictions and tasks that she has to do every day. Due to the GPS function of the microchip embedded in her body, it is not possible for her to go out freely without permission. In regards to a lot of conditions attached to her, the only city that cleared all the requirements was Saint Celia; as if they were telling him to live in Saint Celia, escorting her. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you refuse to be my escort?¡± ¡°Ahh, I couldn¡¯t.¡± Looking around at the cardboard boxes piled up in the room, Tsurugi found the cardboard box containing the futon. After peeling off the packing tape and taking out the futon, he threw it on the bed that was brought to the room. Seeing Tsurugi began to unbox the cardboard boxes and put away the luggage, Aika reached out to a cardboard box. Tsurugi brushed away that hand of Aika. ¡°You don¡¯t need to. Sit on the bed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Because of me you were inconvenienced.¡± Tsurugi closed his eyes to the totally emotionless voice. It sounded like a doll. Creepy. Tsurugi cursed inwardly. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. Even without you, General Kisaragi intended to remove me from the department using some random excuses, see.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± Tsurugi hesitated to say. Aika tilted her head slightly. ¡°Is it something you don¡¯t really want to say?¡± ¡°No¡± Tsurugi said in a dull voice, and there was a silence. He really didn¡¯t want to talk about himself, but he felt a little bad. If he talked about the situation he¡¯s in now, he wondered if this expressionless girl will feel a little sorry. ¡°Someone precious to me died. And two of them. The first one is my father; you also know him¡­ Midou Ryuusui.¡± ¡°I heard that too.¡± Seeing Aika said that without even changing her countenance, Tsurugi was shocked. Even though it was temporary, she was taken care of by his father; he wondered if she can¡¯t make a sad face at all. ¡°¡­Is that so. And the other one is my childhood friend¡­ no, the other one was my childhood friend.¡± ¡°They were precious people to you, is it.¡± Emotionless voice. That might be the reason why he didn¡¯t have a good feeling for Aika. As for Aika, she spun the words with the utmost consideration for Tsurugi. ¡°That¡¯s right. And the one who killed that childhood friend of mine was my best friend¡­¡± ¡°¡­Your best friend, is it.¡± Aika changed the tempo of her affirmation by matching the strength of the tone of Tsurugi. ¡°Ahh, it¡¯s unbelievable, right? He was my best friend, and I got along well with him.¡± ¡°It is unbelievable.¡± ¡°That best friend entered Anonymous, and we didn¡¯t know about it all this time.¡± Although he was thinking of troubling Yumesaki Aika, Tsurugi was talking while being in tears unnoticedly. ¡°But why is that becoming the reason as to why Tsurugi-san is removed from the department?¡± Because it returned to the first question, Tsurugi dried the tears in his eyes. ¡°¡­Because I extremely hate them, Anonymous¡­ and that best friend of mine¡­ General Kisaragi knew that my purpose is revenge.¡± ¡°Revenge, is it. What does revenge means?¡± ¡°¡­It means to kill. Just like how they killed my dad and Rin.¡± ¡°Including that best friend?¡± ¡°¡­Ahh. That¡¯s right.¡± If you talk to this girl, I wonder if your thoughts will be induced. Having felt that way, Tsurugi corrected his words unintentionally, ¡°No, wrong.¡± ¡°What is?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know anything and everything. I didn¡¯t know what to do. I just want to kill Kazato at any cost, I want to do it somehow. So¡­¡± ¡°So¡­?¡± (This feeling of being forced to answer. It felt as if blood rushed into my head. What is with this girl?) Tsurugi also felt fear at the same time. To the the unfamiliarity of the character of this girl. ¡°¡­This kind of thing is not something I should tell you. I¡¯m going to tidy up, so go over there. That¡¯s your room.¡± Tsurugi pointed to the other side of the sliding screen and said. The two western-style rooms were divided by a sliding screen. ¡°I understand.¡± After she replied, Aika went to that room and sat down on the bed. ¡°¡­I¡¯m not thinking about privacy or that you¡¯re annoying.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You don¡¯t have to worry too much about me.¡± What¡¯s with that. After mumbling such words, Tsurugi got back to tidy up the place. CH 96 [Glittering Dream] ¡°By the way, do you not have a comforter?¡± At the place where the luggage was cleared up, Tsurugi faced Aika and said. Aika who had been indifferently watching Tsurugi working from the other side of the open sliding screen nodded, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s go buy it. And it seems you don¡¯t have casual clothes as well, right? Other than those inspection clothes.¡± ¡°Yes. However, in case I¡¯m going out, Tsurugi-san is obliged to get permission from the Monitoring Department, but¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± Tsurugi interrupted Aika¡¯s words and said. Each time she goes out, she has to get permission and submit the official documents. It was such a hassle for Tsurugi, but it was normal for Aika. ¡°Tsurugi-san, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be allowed to go out with the reason of going to buy a comforter.¡± ¡°Why¡­?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s been like that until now. I¡¯m basically only allowed to go out once a month for outdoor activities, and when I go to the facility.¡± ¡°Then what about the comforter?¡± ¡°If you report it to the facility, it will be prepared. You can order it online, but in that case, it will take some time to reach here because the goods will be inspected.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that.¡± Tsurugi took out his own phone from his chest pocket and called the registered number of the monitoring department. [Yes, this is Saint Celia Central Monitoring Department.] ¡°I¡¯m Midou Tsurugi. Please give me permission to go out with Yumesaki Aika.¡± [Please state your purpose for going out] ¡°To purchase clothes and comforters.¡± [I understand. Please wait a moment.] ¡°Yes.¡± [¡­I¡¯m sorry I made you wait. Forgive me, but we can¡¯t give you the permission to go out. We will prepare the clothes and comforter, so I ask for your understanding.] ¡°Is that so? I understand.¡± Having said that, Tsurugi hung up the call casually and put the phone back into his chest pocket. Then he put on the jacket that was hung on the hanger, took out a coat from his clothes that he had put away, and threw it to Aika. ¡°You can¡¯t go out with that kind of clothes, so put that on.¡± ¡°Did you get the permission?¡± ¡°As you said, I didn¡¯t get the permission.¡± Tsurugi was going to lie, but he stopped, thinking that it was meaningless. ¡°Then I can¡¯t go out.¡± ¡°No, let¡¯s go. You don¡¯t need permission. If we have to ask for one every single time, I don¡¯t see the need of having me to become your escort.¡± ¡°But it breaks the rules.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so fussy.¡± Tsurugi was frustrated. It was true that he didn¡¯t get the permission to go out, but he didn¡¯t like Yumesaki Aika being like that after all. ¡°The city of Saint Celia itself is like the headquarters of the Self Defense Force. There is no danger when you just going out for a bit.¡± He was also a disciplined type, but now that he was emotionally out of touch, he wasn¡¯t able to maintain the sensitivity to worry about trivial matters. And he wanted to vent. Therefore, breaking the rules was easy for the current Tsurugi. ¡°But.¡± ¡°But what? Aren¡¯t you stifled? Staying in the room all the time and examined every day. And even having a strange escort; if it¡¯s me, I won¡¯t be able to stand it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not stifled.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because it has been like this since I was little.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you wonder why you have to put up with all this? All the other girls around your age go to school and play freely outside you know.¡± ¡°Because I am different from other people.¡± ¡°Why can you consent with that?¡± ¡°I think that too, because I¡¯m different from other people.¡± Tsurugi took a step toward Aika and stopped moving there. He had not yet received a detailed explanation of what kind of existence Yumesaki Aika was. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t know the girl¡¯s ability, importance, birth, anything. However, he understood that she was different from the others. With that in mind, he had an unpleasant feeling about her. A bit lost, Tsurugi opened his mouth, ¡°Honestly, I¡­ had an unpleasant feeling about you.¡± At that time, just for a bit, Aika¡¯s eyes shook; Tsurugi immediately regretted after saying so. What the heck did I say to a younger girl? ¨C so he thought. ¡°¡­Ahh, no. Just now¡­ I¡¯m sorry, that was improper of me.¡± ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°¡­Let¡¯s just order the comforter.¡± The calmed Tsurugi sat on the bed and said. ¡°Yes.¡± Afterward, silence continued for a while. The time is 9 o¡¯clock. Tsurugi had some paperwork that he had to clean up, but he will postpone it to tomorrow. Drowsiness hit him. ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you hungry?¡± Tsurugi threw at Aika. It wasn¡¯t just drowsiness that hit him. ¡°I¡¯m hungry, but I can¡¯t eat something other than the food arranged for me.¡± The reply cut off the appetite of Tsurugi. ¡°¡­That¡¯s right. Then let¡¯s sleep. You can use my comforter.¡± ¡°I understand, but Tsurugi-san¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine if it¡¯s only for a day. I¡¯ll use a bath towel to cover myself.¡± ¡°You may catch a cold.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Here.¡± Tsurugi grabbed his comforter, carried it to Aika and threw it over her. Aika who was covered with a futon couldn¡¯t bear the weight and fell down on the bed. After turning off the lights in the room, Tsurugi returned to his room and closed the sliding screen. Then he collapsed on his bed. When he closed his eyes, he felt like the world was spinning around. Various things oppressed the inside of his head. ¡°Ahh¡­ I¡­¡± CH 97 [A Distant Dream] He was watching a dream. He, Tsurugi was having a dream of when he was a child. ¡°What is it, Tsurugi? Did you get bullied again?¡± The one who ran up to him crying in the park was a boy. Tsurugi raised his face. The body of the boy standing before him was muddy with dirt. His knees were scraped and his face was dirty with soil here and there. However, his eyes, which were wide open powerfully, were shining sparklingly in the sunset. Tsurugi turned around and looked up at the face while crouching. Tears dried on his cheeks. ¡°Kazato-kun¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the kun? Sounds gross.¡± He, the boy called Kazato ran to the swing and jumped on it. ¡°I¡¯ve always said it, right! Call me Kazato! Tsurugi!¡± The boy started swinging the swing, and the swing quickly climbed to a high place. Tsurugi stood up and stared at him. Then, Kazato jumped from the swing, over the fence in front of him, and landed before Tsurugi. ¡°If they did bad things to you, you just have to pay them back though. Like me.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t have an ability¡­¡± ¡°I also don¡¯t have an ability. Such a thing doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°But Kazato is strong at fighting¡­ I¡¯m not strong¡­ And I¡¯m slow.¡± ¡°Then Tsurugi just have to be as strong as I am.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t become like you.¡± ¡°You can.¡± Tsurugi fell into silence unintentionally to Kazato who made that statement without hesitation. He kept his eyes on Tsurugi¡¯s eyes. ¡°¡­Even though Kazato don¡¯t have an ability, how can you stand up to everyone?¡± ¡°I dream of joining the SDF, so I have to be strong. I¡¯ll join the SDF and become a hero who protects everyone.¡± ¡°Kazato¡¯s dream is to join the Self-Defense Force¡­?¡± ¡°Yup. I want to be like your dad.¡± ¡°But people who don¡¯t have ability can¡¯t enter the Self-Defense Force, you know? My dad said so.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Teacher also said that we don¡¯t have an ability yet just because we¡¯re still kids, right? You and I will soon be able to use ability too.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yup, absolutely. Rather than that, tell me more about your dad! Your dad is seriously awesome, right!¡± Tsurugi¡¯s face became brighter. Unlike the others, only the boy didn¡¯t compare the ability-less him to his father. Unlike other boys of the same age who got their ability manifested one after another, only the boy did not make fun of Tsurugi. The cowardly and crybaby Tsurugi who despite being the son of that Midou Ryuusui, had not got his ability manifested. Therefore, Tsurugi was able to brag about his father without hesitation only to the boy. ¡°Alright. You see¡ª¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°¡­A dream?¡± After opening his eyes with a snap, a round electric lamp was reflected in Tsurugi¡¯s view. He raised his body, and then noticed the existence of Aika sitting on a chair. ¡°Good morning.¡± ¡°¡­Morning.¡± The hands of the clock were pointing at 9 am. Tsurugi felt the dullness in his body. He apparently slept too much. ¡°You sure are early.¡± ¡°Because my wake-up time is fixed.¡± ¡°I see. What about breakfast?¡± ¡°I have eaten first. Shall I prepare Tsurugi-san¡¯s portion?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m good. I don¡¯t have much appetite.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°What time should you go to the facility?¡± ¡°It is 10 o¡¯clock.¡± ¡°Then, one hour later?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± For a moment, Tsurugi was worried if they would make it in time, but there was no need to hurry. The place where Tsurugi and co were in now was close to the Saint Celia base, and the facility was just a few minutes¡¯ walk away. Though it was said that they had moved, they were like living in a real base. ¡°Come to think of it, Tsurugi-san, you sounded like you were having a nightmare, did you have a nightmare today?¡± Aika asked so, making Tsurugi frowned. ¡°I sounded like I was having a nightmare?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Tsurugi recalled the dream. The content shouldn¡¯t be a nightmare. What he saw was a dream of his childhood. A dream about the Kazato who he longed for in his childhood. Thinking about it, perhaps it is kind of a nightmare. Tsurugi mused inwardly. Tsurugi gazed at the empty space and reminded of the past. [Dammit, dammit¡­] [Hey-! Don¡¯t you guys gang up on one person and bully him!] [It¡¯s Kazato again!] [This show off!] [Shadduuup!] He hated the weak being bullied. He said his dream was to help the weak. For the weak Tsurugi, Kazato was a hero. [Kazato-kun, looks like you made everyone cry again.] [You got it wroong-! They were bullying Rin and Tsurugi, so I!] [But Kazato-kun, you shouldn¡¯t hit other people you know.] [It¡¯s natural to hit back when you were hit, right! Why are you only scolding me, Teacher!] He never cried even when he was scolded by the teacher. Tsurugi was staring at the angry Kazato from behind. [Rin, I want to keep secret about my ability manifestation from Kazato.] [Why¡­?] [Because Kazato still doesn¡¯t have an ability¡­ If he found out that mine manifested¡­] [¡­Right. Got it.] Tsurugi recalled the time he came to kept a secret from Kazato. While he felt guilty to Kazato, he couldn¡¯t deny that he had a slight sense of superiority. [Kazato, let¡¯s go to play!] [No, I¡¯ll pass today. I¡¯m tired. You, Ohashi, and Rin should go together.] [¡­Kazato has become kinda gloom, isn¡¯t he, Tsurugi?] [Un¡­] [I wonder if it¡¯s because his ability didn¡¯t manifest¡­] [¡­¡­¡­¡­] Even in junior high school, Kazato¡¯s ability didn¡¯t manifest. At his age, the manifestation of one¡¯s ability was hopeless. It was around this time that Kazato stopped talking about his longing for the SDF. [It was lie.] [Eh? What?] [It was a lie¡­] [¡­] [I said I wanted to help people, that was a lie. Actually.] [Un.] [I want to take revenge. I can¡¯t forgive them. Anonymous who killed my father, those evils¡­!] [¡­] [I want to help people. Certainly, I have that feeling. That¡¯s not a lie, but, more than that, I want to get revenge. I want to quit school is also because I want revenge. I didn¡¯t think I would feel like this just because my parent was killed. I can¡¯t help but hate those guys who killed my dad. I won¡¯t be satisfied until I killed them¡­!] [Tsurugi¡­] [¡­Sorry, Kazato.] At that time, how was Kazato¡¯s feelings listening to his talk? [¡­Kazato?] [Ahh] [¡­Did you¡­ kill Rin?] [Ahh, I did.] ¡°Tsurugi-san.¡± Being called by Aika, Tsurugi came back to himself. ¡°Are you not feeling well? Your complexion is not good.¡± ¡°Ahh¡­ no, that¡¯s not the case. I was thinking about something.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll go take a shower.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª Tsurugi and Aika were walking on the road to the facility. The stronghold city of Saint Celia was a city that stretch out as if surrounding the SDF base, with outer walls surrounding it in addition to it. Since the base spreads around the top of a gentle hill, one could see corner of the city from its end. The distance of the place where Tsurugi and Aika currently lives from the development facility located at the end of the base, which was a vast area, is about 300m. If one walked normally, it would take about 3 minutes; Tsurugi was slowly walking ahead of Aika; they took their time heading to the facility. And when they arrived at the facility, a fat man in a white coat welcomed Tsurugi and Aika. ¡°Good day. I¡¯m the newly appointed escort of Yumesaki Aika, Midou Tsurugi. I brought Yumesaki Aika.¡± Tsurugi took a step forward, and said his greetings. ¡°Good day, Lieutenant General Midou. Good work. You can call me Kamei.¡± ¡°Kamei-san, is it? Pleased to be your acquaintance.¡± ¡°No, no, the pleasure is mine. Well then, I¡¯ll look after Aika-chan.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Hearing the two¡¯s conversation, Aika went to Kamei¡¯s side. ¡°Well, Aika-chan, let¡¯s do our best in your examination today, shall we?¡± Kamei put his hand on Aika¡¯s shoulder and said. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Well then, Lieutenant General Midou. The inspection will be over in about two hours, so please come back here again later.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Kamei¡¯s breath was stinky, so Tsurugi seemed to frown for a moment, but he managed to reply somehow. Kamei bowed and walked with Aika toward the door at the end. After seeing them off, Tsurugi left the facility. CH 98 [Dream of Rage] Having changed into plain clothes, Tsurugi walked around the city for about an hour, but in the end, he realized that he had nothing to do, so he changed into his uniform and returned to the facility again. Because of his position, Tsurugi was often dispatched to Saint Celia, so he didn¡¯t find looking around the city to be enjoyable anymore. Perhaps it was also because he had emotional problems. Tsurugi was sitting on a chair in the waiting room and reading a newspaper. The article that was extensively reported was, as expected, about the recent incident at Slaceid. A large-scale conflict between Anonymous and Nursery Rhymes. The city center was almost destroyed. It was a major incident in which the death toll of civilians and the Self-Defense Forces exceeded 50,000. This incident was reported worldwide, and the public perception that the Self-Defense Forces were incompetent and the public¡¯s dislike of evil organizations such as Anonymous and Nursery Rhymes became more widespread. ¡°Tsk.¡± After reading the bland apology comments of the famous generals, a sound of clicking tongue came out of Tsurugi¡¯s mouth. Certainly, there was no room for excuse for the fact that Anonymous¡¯ hideout was located in the underground of Slaceid. However, there was no doubt that private companies were involved in maintaining Anonymous¡¯ organizational function. Tsurugi hit the wall in anger. ¡°Dammit! We are also risking our lives on the fronts¡­!¡± Having thrown the newspaper onto the table where it was placed, he sat deep in the chair. His eyes stopped at a coffee maker, so he stood up and headed there. Then, at that time, a woman scream echoed in the facility. Rather than a scream, it sounded more like a cry. Is this the voice of that girl¡­? Something must have happened. Having thought so, Tsurugi left the waiting room, and faced toward the direction of the scream. The scream came from the back of the door where Aika and Kamei had disappeared earlier. Tsurugi rushed out and immediately twisted the doorknob. But it¡¯s locked. Why is it locked? Tsurugi wondered, but he had no time to think about it. Using his ability, he ¡®rejected¡¯ the door. With a *su*, Tsurugi¡¯s body slipped through the door, and he came out into a corridor leading to several rooms. He stopped in place for a moment, looking for the direction of where the scream came from. He didn¡¯t know where the horrific scream came from because it echoed throughout the corridor. He decided to search for the room one by one. After opening one door after another, Tsurugi finally found the room where Kamei and Aika was in. Sure enough, the scream was that of Aika, she was naked and restrained in bed; while shedding tears, she tried to move her flesh-colored limbs that were tied with bands. Seeing Tsurugi who came into the room, Kamei looked surprised. ¡°What are you doing!¡± Being grabbed by the scruff by Tsurugi who raised a bellow, Kamei screamed *Eek*. However, his scream was drowned out by Aika¡¯s cry that still continues. ¡°L-Lieutenant General Midou¡­ T-this is an examination of the maximum reach of the brain waves and of each nervous system¡­!¡± ¡°¡­This is an examination, you say?¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­ This is an everyday thing.¡± Tsurugi frowned. When he turned his eyes to Aika, she was screaming and breathing intermittently while shedding tears from her wide-open eyes. She went through this kind of torture every day? Tsurugi looked around at the men in white coats who gathered from the other rooms after getting wind of the disturbance, and then returned to Kamei. ¡°Why does she need to be naked?¡± ¡°It¡¯s for drug administration and to attach the electrical pads¡­¡± Looking at her body, a number of electrical pads were attached. And there was an IV drip stuck in her arm. When Tsurugi turned his gaze to the IV bag, there was the word ¡®HSC¡¯ written there. Tsurugi¡¯s eyes opened widely. ¡°HSC¡­ Don¡¯t tell me, is it that emotion-suppressing drug¡­?¡± HSC. Tsurugi remembered the name of that illegal drug. HSC is a psychotropic drug that can almost definitely suppress emotional waves. He heard that it was mainly used by professional killers. ¡°Y-yes. That¡¯s right¡­ Haven¡¯t you been informed about it?¡± ¡°No way¡­ That¡¯s illegal¡­!¡± ¡°However, we received a special permission¡­¡± ¡°Release Yumesaki Aika right now.¡± ¡°W-what are you talking about!? Aika-chan is still in the middle of examination¡­¡± ¡°How can you call this an examination! Ridiculous!¡± Tsurugi pushed Kamei away and proceeded to Aika. Then he removed the bands that held her body in place and the electrical pads that were attached to her. When the electrical pads were peeled off, her scream gradually subsided, and eventually she fainted. Tsurugi covered such Aika with an inspection garment that was folded nearby and then carried her on his shoulder. ¡°Lieutenant General Midou, without Aika-chan, we cannot make a leap forward in ability development!¡± Tsurugi frowned at the words ¨C ability development. He hadn¡¯t figured out what kind of existence Aika was, but he was convinced that she was sacrificed under the advancement of ability development. This was not something that he could overlook, no matter how much of an annoying existence Aika was to him. ¡°So what? Supressing her emotions and doing such torture-like things to her¡­ It¡¯s too inhumane!¡± ¡°Enough! Tsurugi!¡± Tsurugi was familiar with that intimidating air. When he looked back, there stood someone with a four-star badge as he expected. ¡°¡­General Kisaragi.¡± Tsurugi speculated that he came in through the door on the other side. Someone in this room must have contacted the center, so General Kisaragi rushed to this place. ¡°Did you know about this?¡± ¡°Of course. I was the one who gave you the instruction after all.¡± ¡°¡­Such a thing is unforgivable.¡± ¡°With the pain of one person, we can save a lot of people. Do you not understand that?¡± ¡°Even so¡­ That¡¯s just following orders without thinking, right?¡± Saving the majority with the sacrifice of the minority. Tsurugi didn¡¯t like this principle of the Self-Defense Forces. ¡°Following orders without thinking you say? You knew what the girl was in the first place, right!?¡± *Crack* A flash of lightning ran around General Kisaragi. Tsurugi didn¡¯t withdraw. He replied while staring at General Kisaragi, ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then, let me tell you¡­ That girl is a human formed by the collection of blood and flesh of ability users¡­ a hybrid born from Anonymous¡¯ extremely foul human experimentation! And she holds a powerful power!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Tsurugi was speechless. He turned his eyes to Aika who he was carrying on his shoulder, but the fair-skinned girl looked like a normal human being. A Hybrid ¨C in other words, she is an artificially created human, huh. However, the fact they need to restrict her emotion means that she also has a will. And if she was just made, this girl is not guilty. Tsurugi immediately formed his decision. ¡°Is that the reason why this girl has to go through such a thing?¡± ¡°It became the reason for us to make her a research subject.¡± Hearing that, Tsurugi kept silent for a while. He didn¡¯t feel like saying anything. But he didn¡¯t want to end the talk here. ¡°General Kisaragi, didn¡¯t you hide it because you knew I wouldn¡¯t consent to this? And because you knew that the current me have no concern to anything related to this girl, you entrust her escort to me with the excuse of to be my shackle, right?¡± General Kisaragi¡¯s eyebrows moved with a twitch. ¡°It¡¯s right on the mark, huh.¡± ¡°Then, Tsurugi, do you know why this girl is here? Not in the Anonymous, but in the Self-Defense Forces.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°It was because five years ago, your father, Ryuusui, rescued her from them. Do you understand what this means?¡± ¡°Rescued¡­? It doesn¡¯t matter what it means! And if we¡¯re doing such a thing, aren¡¯t we the same as the Anonymous!?¡± ¡°We are the same as Anonymous you say? We are different, Tsurugi!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference!?¡± ¡°They are doing it for evil purpose, while we are doing it for justice¡­ Our purpose is different! In the first place, if we are talking about this research, we have obtained the consent of the person herself.¡± ¡°Do you made her agree by suppressing her emotion? Don¡¯t joke around!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± General Kisaragi shifts his gaze to the bed where Aika was lying earlier. Seeing the letters on the IV bag that had been thrown there, he clicked his tongue. ¡°I don¡¯t know where is the justice in this!¡± ¡°For sure¡­ You who are thinking of revenge can¡¯t understand what justice is! You are someone who are blind to his own shortcoming and can only talk self-righteously!¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°Tsurugi, you don¡¯t seem to have the power to discern things like your father does.¡± *Crack, Crack* The flash of light bursting around General Kisaragi gradually increased. ¡°Aika Yumesaki must continue the examination. Hand her to Kamei.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Then¡± *Crack* The bed next to the Tsurugi burst open. ¡°I will use force but, you don¡¯t mind, right?¡± CH 99 Accelerating Dream] A thin lightning bolt that stretched out like root, expanding as if encircling General Kisaragi, flashing repeatedly. Due to the electric discharge phenomenon, he instantly dominated the place. At the same time, the nickname given to General Kisaragi floated in Tsurugi¡¯s head. ¡ª¡ª Thunder God If Midou Ryuusui was the Wind God, Kisaragi Mongai was the Thunder God. One of the best pair ever formed. The man with the highest authority among the Seven Generals of the Self-Defense Forces. Tsurugi was, of course, knew his strength well. Right now, he was about to have a fight with such a man, so Tsurugi was feeling unreasonable at the situation. However, he had no fear. He didn¡¯t self-reflect, and he had no regret either. There was only anger. Protecting this girl shouldn¡¯t be a wrong thing. If protecting a lone girl is a sin, this world itself is wrong. Spitting so inside himself, Tsurugi glared at General Kisaragi who was wrapped in flashes of lightning. ¡°With force ¨C so you said, right?¡± ¡°Ahh, that¡¯s right.¡± The atmosphere was different from the mock battle they had several times before. There was a distinct killing intent. The battle was probably unavoidable. While checking the men in white coat who were lingering around, Tsurugi once again looked at Aika on his shoulder. Her rough breathing had returned to normal, but there seemed to be no sign of her awakening. He thought about it. It will be difficult to fight while carrying Aika. However, if this girl is an important research subject for the Self-Defense Forces, she herself wouldn¡¯t be attacked. Having concluded so, Tsurugi immediately changed his thought. The opponent is the Thunder God, Kisaragi Mongui. I wonder if it isn¡¯t possible for him to skillfully handle his ability to attack only his target. No, there¡¯s no way he can¡¯t. And no matter how strong my ability is, if I received direct hit repeatedly, I won¡¯t be able to stand it. There is no choice but to escape here. Having decided so, Tsurugi said, ¡°Please do it if you can!¡± He rejected the contact between the ground and his feet in a recoiling manner. At the same time, he rejected the gravity on himself and moved to the door at once as he was bursting out. Immediately after, a flash of lightning fell on the place where Tsurugi was standing, crushing the ground. The thunder that fell on the ground headed for Tsurugi from the crushed floor as if it was bouncing. And just before it hit the back of his head, he changed his his trajectory, and then it hit the wall. Tsurugi ran while carrying Aika. As long as he was carrying her, he couldn¡¯t get pass obstacle. He couldn¡¯t reject the interference at other people. He kicked open the half-open door and headed for the exit. However, General Kisaragi who appeared after crushing the wall with a bang, blocked Tsurugi¡¯s path. ¡°Tsk!¡± Tsurugi promptly changed course. He hugged Aika with both arms, kicked the ground with a bang, and threw his body with his back to the windowpane. The other side of the windowpane was a shrubbery. After landing there, Tsurugi began running immediately. ¡°This is Kisaragi, send support right now! Midou Tsurugi kidnapped Yumesaki Aika and escaped!¡± Hearing such voice from behind, Tsurugi realized that he couldn¡¯t go back. In this case, perhaps I will be dismissed if I¡¯m caught, huh. Or else will I receive a heavier punishment? Or I might just be removed from the escort duty and sent to a rural area. Regardless, I had no intention to get caught at all. At least, I have to get this girl to a safe place. Tsurugi continued to dash with such enthusiasm. But where should I escape to? Tsurugi spun his brain at full speed, thinking. Now that he had turned General Kisaragi into an enemy, he had no ally to rely on. Even under normal circumstances, Saint Celia was an away city for Tsurugi. (TN : As in home-and-away) Even if he wanted to go out of the city, the distance was too far. He would probably get caught in the meantime. ¡®The city of Saint Celia itself is like the headquarters of the Self-Defense Forces.¡¯ Tsurugi remembered the words he said. Then, turning it around, on the contrary, it might be better to go to the city center. If it¡¯s in the city center, General Kisaragi wouldn¡¯t be able to use his flashy power. If the citizens suffered damage due to the internal trouble, there will be a fuss about them losing credibility. The support that would come directly will also be forced to be discreet in the city center. Because they can¡¯t let civilians be aware of this. In Saint Celia, which advocates safety and peace, they wanted to avoid the commotion that made civilians uneasy. ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­¡± Tsurugi ran. He checked behind, but General Kisaragi wasn¡¯t following him. However, Tsurugi knew that General Kisaragi could move at high speed using electric conductors. What was not visible by sight was not the advantage for Tsurugi, but the advantage for General Kisaragi. If he wanted to, he would be able to close this distance in an instant. Having thought about it, Tsurugi avoided going straight ahead, and slipped into the alley of the residential area near the base. His speed was several times faster due to him rejecting the gravity. It extended his steps distance, making him like springing up in the narrow road, toward the city center. He didn¡¯t cancel the sensing ability hanging around himself. There were different types of sensing ability, but if he rejects the interference, it will be traced backwards from that point and his position will be determined. This was the weak point of Tsurugi¡¯s interference rejection ¡®Master Cancel¡¯. However, even if he was detected, there was no problem as long as he wasn¡¯t caught. The relay of the sensing ability user is late by one tempo from the movement of Tsurugi even if he is actually followed. Taking advantage of that, Tsurugi chose a complicated path. But, after passing through the alley, Tsurugi was surrounded by white military uniforms. They had already anticipating him. ¡°Wha-¡­! Dammit!¡± Tsurugi suddenly stopped in place by rejecting propulsion, inertia, and friction. And when he tried to turn around and retrace his steps, he realized it. A microchip was embedded in Aika¡¯s body. As long as it exists, Aika¡¯s position would always be leaked by GPS. In other words, escape was meaningless. Tsurugi¡¯s thought stopped for a moment. The SDF behind him, the most suitable platoon for suppressing the Lieutenant General Tsurugi moved. *Grit* Clenching his teeth, he moved his gaze. At that time, a voice echoed from the end of the alley where he came out. ¡°Do you understand what you are doing? Midou Tsurugi.¡± The owner of the voice was Kisarage Mengai. He appeared from the inside of the alley and slowly narrowed his distance with Tsurugi. Tsurugi backed off while carrying Aika in his arms. Then, Tsurugi was driven to a completely surrounded main road with no escape. ¡°You are the one who abandoned the discussion, General Kisaragi!¡± ¡°Discussion you say? It¡¯s already a problem even before that.¡± *Grit* Clenching his teeth, Tsurugi glared at General Kisaragi who was now completely out of the alley. The situation was overwhelmingly disadvantageous. In addition to General Kisaragi, there were over 40 white military uniforms that could be seen just by looking around once. However, even in this situation where there was not a tiny chance of winning, Tsurugi¡¯s willpower, or rather his anger was further fostered. ¡°The reason there are many evil organization forces hostiles to Self-Defense Forces are probably because there are problems with such aspect of it¡­ Unreasonableness in the name of justice, inequality in the name of order¡­!¡± General Kisaragi frowned at Tsurugi¡¯s monologue. ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°General Kisaragi¡­ Certainly, I want to take revenge. Considering all that, there are many things such as this that I can¡¯t forgive, I can¡¯t agree with a justice that stand atop of sacrifices. Is that because I¡¯m still young?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Both Ryuusui and I¡­ Had to give up on justice that protects everything. It¡¯s the path that everyone goes through. Therefore, justice that protects the majority is realized! There is no such thing as a world where no one suffers!¡± ¡°I understand that. But¡­ if it results in one just acting without thinking¡­ I don¡¯t want to be like that. What I wanted to be¡­ is a selfish hero who rejects all reality and fetters, and stands there.¡± I still long for Kazuto of those days. Tsurugi closed his eyes, and thought to himself. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t that just a fantasy?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ It¡¯s as you said.¡± Tsurugi laid Aika on the ground and removed the badge of the military uniform he wore. Then he folded the military uniform he took off and put it before him, and gently put the badge on it. His white shirt fluttered in the wind, Tsurugi stood up. ¡°Tsurugi, you¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I¡¯ll force my way through here. Back away, Kisaragi Mongui.¡± CH 100 Dream within a Dream] Everyone was lost for words at Tsurugi¡¯s words. Then, General Kisaragi¡¯s fist shook as he stared at Tsurugi. Frowns formed between his eyebrows; all of the a little more than 40 troops prepared themselves, wondering when General Kisaragi would explode. In respond to General Kisaragi who took one step forward, Tsurugi step over the military uniform, closing the same amount of distance. He paid close attention to Aika in the back and intimidate the surroundings with killing intent. Then, General Kisaragi made the first move. ¡°You are¡­ a preposterous unfilial bastard! Midou Tsurugi!!¡± Crack! A remarkably large lightning strike came to Tsurugi. Tsurugi warded off that interference, scattering the lightning strike to the surroundings. The scattered lightning strike scraped off the roads and houses, raising smoke everywhere. ¡°How in the world should I know that¡­!!¡± Tsurugi lifted his palm in front of his chest as if to grab the space, and put strength into it. Then, the space itself was rejected. *Rip* A tearing sound was emitted out from the hand of Tsurugi. With him at the center, a small whirlwind arose. ¡°Guh! All members! Obstruct that!¡± At General Kisaragi¡¯s command, the troops jumped at Tsurugi at once. ¡°Guh¡­ uu, gu, whooaaaaah!!!¡± While screaming, Tsurugi waved his hand in a grand manner. Then, the space was distorted along the trajectory of the waved hand while emitting sounds that could tear one¡¯s ears. Immediately after, a shockwave was generated; the troops who jumped to Tsurugi were blown off like plastic bags thrown to the roadway. ¡°Hah¡­! Hah¡­! Fighting against the current me means that it will be a battle of such a scale¡­!¡± While out of breath, Tsurugi shouted. ¡°Tsk! Don¡¯t be afraid! Capture him!¡± Tsurugi dealt with the attacks of the members who leapt at him one after another. He, who had absolutely inviolable ability, was not so wary of each of their ability. In any case, when his stamina ran out, it meant defeat. General Kisaragi also tried to hit Tsurugi with lightning strike, but because he fought centering around Yumesaki Aika, he couldn¡¯t attack aggressively. He certainly had a technique that can hit only Tsurugi. However, it was a fact that he still had to attack carefully. *Crack* Every time that sound was heard, a dent was created in the concrete ground. Tsurugi evaded General Kisaragi¡¯s lightning strike by a paper-thin margin. The instantaneous lightning was not at an avoidable speed in the first place, but he, who was able to detect the interference of being ¡®aimed at¡¯, was able to plan the timing. At the same time, he was convinced that the existence of Aika certainly slowed down General Kisaragi¡¯s attack. Ability to reject any interference. Tsurugi¡¯s ability that is able to affect even concept is absolutely inviolable. General Kisaragi reaffirmed the threat. *Grit* a gritting sound that seemed to be able to break one¡¯s teeth came out of General Kisaragi¡¯s mouth. ¡°Prioritize the protection of Yumesaki Aika!¡± At the moment when General Kisaragi ordered that, Tsurugi carried Aika, and started running. Because he had cut the platoon by almost half, a thin part was formed in their formation. As a result, Tsurugi broke through the siege. Tsurugi carried Aika on his shoulder, and distorted the space behind him by rejecting it in the same way as before. The power of restoring the twisted space to its original state was tremendous. The compressed air was released at once, and *zun* a shockwave was generated. He accelerated in the air using the momentum of the shockwave. Rejecting interference that would cause direct damage, he gained propulsion. ¡°Haagh¡­! Ha¡­ agh!¡± Tsurugi¡¯s heart was beating violently, and he himself felt a bursting pain. Rejecting a space meant rejecting the existence of himself there, due to this, the burden on Tsurugi was of course immeasurable. In the first place, it was a big move that cause his stamina to run out in one shot, but the current him had a reason to absolutely not fall down. At the same time, he felt the unfathomable power inside him. He landed on the roof of a private house while carrying Aika. At that time, General Kisaragi appeared on top of a telephone pole with a cracking sound. Although he was able to break through the platoon, he couldn¡¯t shake off General Kisaragi. Tsurugi glared at General Kisaragi from above the private house. ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t escape.¡± The wind was blowing all over, swaying Tsurugi¡¯s hair. Clouds were beginning to hang in the sky, which had been clear until earlier. ¡°This is¡­¡± When the suspicious Tsurugi looked around, on the roof of a building at a distance away, there were ability users using their ability toward the sky. ¡°Even though you¡¯re going all out, you can only gather this many people ¨C seems like you got no aid¡­¡± The provocation was a bluff. Tsurugi was impatient. To think that he will form the ¡®Thunderstorm¡¯ to catch him. If General Kisaragi got the medium of rain clouds, it will be the end of the road for him. There will be no escape in the entire area of Saint Celia, and he will have no means of turning the battle around. Then, there is no choice but to defeat General Kisaragi here. With that in mind, Tsurugi laid Aika on the roof and pulled out a dagger out of his holder. Crack. Tsurugi dodged the lightning strike that was stretching out toward him. However, the remnants of the lightning strike tore Tsurugi¡¯s shirt and slightly cut his arm. Blood oozed onto his shirt. General Kisaragi was convinced that the stamina of Tsurugi was about to run out. If he still had room to use his ability, he could reject such amount remnants. But not doing so meant that he couldn¡¯t afford to reject trivial damage anymore. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Tsurugi frowned. ¡°What happened to your earlier might! Tsurugi!¡± Tsurugi thought. It is not good to approach General Kisaragi. As long as he stands on a telephone pole, he can move at high speeds using electric wires as a medium. If he keeps a distance and continue to attack, I will die. Besides, I have no time. ¡°What¡¯s wrong!! Try forcing your way through!! Midou Tsurugi!!¡± Crack. Tsurugi avoided the lightning strike that attacks him again. However, General Kisaragi¡¯s aim was at the feet of Tsurugi. A series of lightning strikes hit the foothold of Tsurugi. ¡°Crap¡­!¡± The roof partially collapsed and he lost his balance. There came the follow up attack of General Kisaragi. Tsurugi who fell from the roof rejected all the lightning strikes that came one after another. Then he hit the ground. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Tsurugi got his body up somehow, he stood up while holding down his arm. The right arm he held was dangling. The impact of the fall broke his bones. And, having rejected the lightning strikes more than a dozen times just now, Tsurugi had reached the limit in terms of stamina. ¡°Hah¡­! Hah¡­!¡± Tsurugi glared frustratedly at General Kisaragi standing on the telephone pole. ¡°Enough! Tsurugi!¡± Is this the end? Tsurugi desperately spun his brain, but he couldn¡¯t think of a way to breakthrough. ¡°Hah¡­! Hah¡­!¡± ¡°If you surrender obediently, I won¡¯t take your life. Tsurugi.¡± He couldn¡¯t win in the first place. The opponent is Kisaragi Mongui, one of the seven generals of the Self-Defense Forces. His experience and everything else were extraordinary. Tsurugi¡¯s lip trembled and he clenched his fist. No matter how much he hatefully glared at General Kisaragi, it was useless. He was about to collapse to his knees. Dammit. In the end, I¡¯m just all talk, huh. When Tsurugi was about to give up, he saw a figure standing up at the edge of his field of vision. It was on the roof where Tsurugi had fallen from. Naturally, the one there was Yumesaki Aika. She was being blown by a strong wind and stood with one hand holding down the inspection clothes that was draped casually over her body so that it wouldn¡¯t be blown away. Aika looked around, seemingly not understanding the situation. ¡°Yumesaki Aika. You have to go back to the facility. You were in the middle of examination.¡± Same as Tsurugi, General Kisaragi noticed Aika had awakened. ¡°Yes, but why am I here?¡± Aika tilted her head slightly. Tsurugi was suddenly reflected in her eyes. ¡°Tsurugi-san, what are you doing in such a place?¡± Tsurugi opened his eyes wide. If he gave up here, she would be forced to suffer in that facility again. I wouldn¡¯t let that happen. The light of his eyes shone. ¡°Jump here! We¡¯re going to escape!¡± ¡°¡­? But I¡¯m in the middle of examination¡­¡± ¡°Aika!! Come!!¡± ¡°¡­! Yes¡­!¡± Aika replied, and then jumped off the roof. Tsurugi was rushing out and catching her with only one arm. ¡°Wha-! Tsurugi, you bastard! You¡¯re still¡­!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ whooaaaaaah!!¡± He lost his balance; when he was about to fall, Tsurugi stood back up. He used his ability beyond the limit. Rejecting gravity, air resistance, everything, he started sprinting. If he heads to the city center, he would still have a chance. The rain clouds in the sky were already hiding the sun and were spreading throughout Saint Celia. Seeing the crackling rain clouds, he re-entered the alley. There, Tsurugi encountered an unexpected person. ¡°Tsurugi! Here!¡± The woman who was waiting there was once an assistant of Midou Ryuusui, and was also famous as an excellent teleportation ability user. Hazuki. Because she was an assistant of his father, Tsurugi had a past where he was being taken care of by her during his childhood. ¡°Hazuki-san!? Why are you here!¡± Tsurugi was confused. However, Hazuki didn¡¯t seem to be wanting to stop Tsurugi. Hazuki led Tsurugi, turning at the end of the alley, and then turned back to him. ¡°Tsurugi, I¡¯m going to teleport you now. Because of this situation, I don¡¯t have time to calculate the exact transfer point. Come, grab my hand.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Hazuki-san! If you do that, you will¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s more regrettable for me if Tsurugi get caught as is. Please understand.¡± Having said that, Hazuki took the hands of Aika and Tsurugi. ¡°Hazuki-san¡­ I¡¯ll definetly return this favor someday¡­!¡± ¡°No, Tsurugi. You have to seek your own justice.¡± Tsurugi wasn¡¯t able to answer in time. The next moment, the scenery changed, he was standing in the wilderness with Aika. The outer wall of Saint Celia was visible in the distance. Above it was rain clouds. The artificially generated black cumulonimbus clouds were slightly visible. After gently lowering Aika on the ground, Tsurugi collapsed on the spot. ¡°I¡¯m discovered.¡± At Aika¡¯s words, *hah* Tsurugi jolted. ¡°GPS¡­! Dammit¡­ Aika, do you know where the chip is embedded?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not by that.¡± Tsurugi managed to get up and ask back. ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± ¡°I was discovered by that person.¡± ¡°That person¡­? Who do you mean by that person?¡± ¡°Observer. She was always looking for me.¡± ¡°Observer¡­? That¡¯s impossible. It hasn¡¯t been a minute since we left the city¡­¡± ¡°It is possible for her, who transcends human intelligence in perception. He will be here soon.¡± It was right after Aika said so. Two big presences appeared behind him. Aika didn¡¯t look back and stood there with her usual expressionless expression, but Tsurugi couldn¡¯t help but to look back. ¡°You have my gratitude. Midou Tsurugi.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Two distasteful masks were reflected in Tsurugi¡¯s eyes. Anonymous leader, Hyde. And his partner, Shido. ¡°Anonymous ¡­!¡± Biting the inside of his mouth, Tsurugi grabbed the soil on the ground and forced his body to stand up. ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself.¡± ¡°What did you come for!¡± He threw the soil in his hand. However, Hyde¡¯s figure was gone from there. At the same time, he noticed that Aika who was standing beside him disappeared. ¡°¡­!¡± A hand was placed on his shoulder from behind, Tsurugi turned around and shook off that hand. ¡°Of course, I came to collect Yumesaki Aika.¡± When Tsurugi looked back, Aika was standing next to Shido before he knew it. ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­ return¡­ Aika¡­¡± ¡°Return, huh. This is what people said ¨C the guilty are audacious. ¡­Midou Tsurugi. Looking at your appearance, you seem to have left Self-Defense Forces.¡± ¡°What about it¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Are you willing to join Anonymous? After all, you don¡¯t have a destination to go to anyway, right?¡± ¡°This brute¡­! After killing my dad¡­! How dare you say that!¡± Tsurugi screamed and rejected the space again. However, he no longer had the strength to use his ability. The rejection of space ended up in misfire, and then Tsurugi fell down on his knees on the spot. ¡°Is that so? Then, it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Hyde turned on his heels and walked toward Shido. Tsurugi cried with one hand thrusted to the ground. ¡°Am I¡­! Not worthy to kill!?¡± Hyde stopped and looked back. His jet-black coat was fluttering. ¡°That¡¯s not the case. Since I was turned down, I just don¡¯t want to end it with killing you.¡± ¡°Shit¡­! Shiit¡­!¡± ¡°You¡¯re done with the question, huh.¡± Hyde took his eyes off Tsurugi and walked again. Tsurugi¡¯s tears fell on the ground. He lamented his powerlessness of not being able to protect a lone girl. At the same time, he realized that he had a stronger desire to save the girl rather than to kill the one who killed his father before him. He was more indignant at her misfortune rather than his own misfortune. Aika¡¯s voice echoed in his ears. Tsurugi looked up at Aika. ¡°Tsurugi-san.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll definitely go to save you¡­ definitelyyy¡­!¡± Tsurugi stretched his voice as if to assure her. Seeing such Tsurugi, Aika shook her head. ¡°I was happy when you called me by my name.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Then Aika left to the wilderness, setting a cloud of dust fluttering. Along with evil. CH 101 [The Collapse That was Seen One Day] There is a small village called Derrida at the opposite side of Saint Celia and Mt. Jiize. Originally, Derrida was an independent village that was not protected by the Self-Defense Forces, so it seems that they lived in a primitive and poor life. Anonymous and this village made a deal, that is for Anonymous to provide supplies and financial assistance regularly in exchange for building a branch in the village. However, as the villagers joined Anonymous one after another, the village became completely occupied by the organization. Therefore, the Derrida branch, which is a village only on the surface, functioned as an excellent branch. Although the village is surrounded by forest, since Derrida is close to Saint Celia, it enables us to perform guerilla activities. Boss decided this place as the new hideout because of such advantages. There were various sections that it lacked in order to have it to function as a hideout, but it¡¯s not a big problem because the members belonging to the headquarters were completely wiped out because of the incident last time. Boss announced a policy to integrate each branch into Derrida. It has been half a year since then. ¡°Haah, it sure is humid here.¡± With tuxedo on her shoulder, Roll in short short-sleeved shirt walks ahead of me. I was walking after Roll. The floor of the underground passage is muddy; when combined with the humidity, it releases a strange smell. It was raining yesterday, so when everyone walked through this place with muddy soles, it will become like this. We were on our way back to the hideout after completing our mission. The distance from the hidden underground parking lot to the current hideout, Derrida, is quite far. So, we had to go through this underground passage to get back to the village. ¡°However, in just half a year, Derrida sure has become a great place as a hideout.¡± With the matter last time, I thought Anonymous was over, but I didn¡¯t think it had such a strong root. Although there are some inconveniences, there is almost no problem in daily life now. The shelled underground hideout in Derrida Village had already has its construction completed down to the 4th basement floor; it is already as big as the previous hideout. And its population has mostly restored due to the integration of the Tsuhara branch and the Limbragal branch. However, the fact that the residing personnel were restricted in the hideout was a bit of a problem. This is because it wasn¡¯t easy to get in and out of the hideout due to its location. Because it is close to Saint Celia, the possibility of being noticed by the Self-Defense Forces increase as well. Therefore, we are no longer allowed to go out to the city without permission. This is the reason why the number of members who choose to live in each city and perform works that can be completed from there has increased. However, as a kind of reform, the turnover rate of Anonymous is increasing. It seems that Boss wants to gather the members in one place for some reason. Perhaps he is wary of attack like last time. ¡°Well, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s not as comfortable as Slaceid though.¡± ¡°I really want to be excused from the lots of bugs.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine with the bugs, but there¡¯s no entertainment here. And we have to get permission even if we¡¯re just going to eat out and shopping.¡± Certainly, you can get them if you ask the supplies group, but there¡¯s no fun in that. ¡°We¡¯re still better off because we can go out often on missions.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± As we walked while talking, we passed through the underground passage and came out to the underground hideout. When we entered the hideout, it immediately became cool thanks to the air conditioner. Though it seems that the most difficult problem here is to pull electricity and water down here. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll return to the room after reporting the mission. Shion should go back ahead and prepare for the next mission.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± With that said, Roll head for the mission office, and then I go down the stairs to the room. The one who filled the hole of the dead Shikkou-san was Cuffs-san who was in charge of the management of the Tsuhara branch. Unlike Shikkou-san, she seems to be unable to connect with the Observer, but she is an excellent administrator. In the new hideout, the monitor room and the mission office are separated. It seems that it was because there¡¯s no one who could manage them at the same time like Shikkou-san. The hole opened by the death of Desuko-san was not filled yet. There seems to be no candidate so far. Byakurei-san stopped wandering because he was berated by other executive members, and now he is settling down in this hideout. ¡°Ah.¡± On the way to the room, I saw Tameiki-san in the cafeteria. Tameiki-san is eating a meal alone in the corner of the cafeteria. I wonder if Tameiki-san also just returned from her mission, her suit is tattered and her hair is a little unkempt. It is undeniable that the current Anonymous is shorthanded during its rebuilding period. It is inevitable that the executives who are strong and has a high mission success rate would be exploited. However, we are expected to work more than twice as much to appeal that Anonymous is alive and well. Therefore, Tameiki-san looks like she is tired. No, she always looks tired, but these days, she looks extra tired. Besides, I often see Tameiki-san looks lonely since the matter of Desuko-san. They said that during such a busy time, Desuko-san used to help Tameiki-san. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I go to the cafeteria and stood in front of Tameiki-san. Tameiki-san only moves her eyes to catch sight of me. ¡°Shion, huh.¡± ¡°Hello, Tameiki-san. Seems like you¡¯re busy.¡± ¡°Ahh. Seems like you are doing your best too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just doing some chores.¡± ¡°I see. Then, I¡¯ll complain to Hyde to make up for it.¡± ¡°No, please spare me.¡± After I said that, the conversation is paused for a while. I sit in the chair opposite to Tameiki-san and check the time with the phone I took out of my pocket. The time is 5 pm. It¡¯s still two hours before I have to leave for my next mission. ¡°So, do you need something, Shion?¡± ¡°No, I just came to talk because I saw you.¡± ¡°What. I thought you would like to get more training.¡± ¡°I have no time to train in the current state of Anonymous, you know.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°By the way, Tameiki-san, what kind of mission did you go to today?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an extermination of a large number of demon beasts near the Basara branch. I had quite a hard time.¡± Uwa. I definitely don¡¯t want to do such a mission. ¡°Hee~. As expected of Tameiki-san. Do you also have a mission after this?¡± ¡°Ahh, though it¡¯s not a big deal¡­¡± Suddenly, I feel someone standing behind me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for interrupting such a fun conversation. Tameiki, can you give me a minute?¡± The one who interrupted our conversation was Shido-san. When I turned around, I saw Shido-san still wearing hot-looking clothes even though it¡¯s already summer. ¡°Shido, huh.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Shido-san.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Shion-kun.¡± ¡°Shall I leave my seat?¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t need to.¡± Being told so, I continue to sit in front of Tameiki-san. Tameiki-san is looking at Shido-san with a slight frown. ¡°You bring a troublesome matter right, Shido?¡± ¡°Fufu, you know me well.¡± ¡°You have such a face after all.¡± ¡°Though it is troublesome, it is a good news for the organization. Just a while ago, there was an information on the sighting of Utsusemi.¡± Utsusemi-san. One of the current six Anonymous executives. A man whose wandering habit surpassing Byakurei-san and rarely returns to the hideout. He didn¡¯t even come back while the hideout was being rebuilt, so he became a kind of wanted target recently. That Utsusemi-san was found? ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯ll refuse.¡± Tameiki-san stood up and said so. I frown. ¡°Wait, I¡¯m just saying that there was a sighting information of him.¡± ¡°You want to tell me to bring him back, right? Utsusemi I mean.¡± ¡°Yes, as you¡¯ve said. I wonder if I can ask Tameiki ¨C or so I thought.¡± ¡°I¡¯m willing to take on most works, but I refuse only this.¡± ¡°Eh, is Utsusemi-san such a dangerous person?¡± Seeing Tameiki-san complete refusal, I couldn¡¯t help but open my mouth. Tameiki-san is a person who tends to find most things troublesome, but even so, as long as it is a work, she will handle any kind of mission properly. It is unusual for such Tameiki-san to say she hates it that much. ¡°That¡¯s not the case. However, he has a difficult personality, or rather, he kinda has a dual personality¡­ In certain situations, it will be a mission that uses a lot of physical strength.¡± ¡°I see. So that¡¯s the case.¡± ¡°Can you go Shion-kun?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. Shion has never met him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I want to ask Tameiki to do it.¡± ¡°That kind of job should be left to Byakurei.¡± ¡°Byakurei is currently out you know.¡± With that said, Tameiki-san sits in the chair again and folds her arms. She raises her head a little and turns to Shido-san as she if she has decided. ¡°¡­¡­Okay. Then I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°Really¡­? As expected of Tameiki.¡± ¡°But.¡± ¡°¡­But?¡± ¡°I¡¯m taking Shion.¡± ¡°Wai-, I have a mission with Roll after¡ª¡± ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll reassign the mission.¡± Shido-san said, interrupting my words. And following that, a new person appeared from behind Shido-san, adding a circle to this situation. ¡°Wait, Shido-san. It¡¯s okay for me to tag along in that mission, right?¡± Looking at Roll saying so while brushing up her golden hair, I think to myself, It seems that it became a troublesome matter. CH 102 Collapse of Cognition] Currently, there is only silence in the car where Roll, Tameiki-san, and I ride on. Roll is driving, I¡¯m in the passenger seat, and Tameiki-san is in the back seat. It is very uncomfortable. In this situation where I hesitate even to relax, I take a deep breath once¡­ and sigh. When I went on a mission together with Roll, our conversation had never interrupted nor turned awkward, and when I went on a mission together with Tameiki-san, even though we had no conversation, I felt comfortable for some reason. Honestly, I thought that Tameiki-san and Roll wouldn¡¯t get along very well, but if I knew the mood would be this terrible, I might have refused the mission. There was the matter with my training too; I wonder if that caused a discord between the two. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Silence. All I can hear is the sound of the car running. Is it better to break the silence, or is it better to keep the silence as it is? I repeated such thoughts several times, but in the end, I didn¡¯t break the silence. All I can do is pray for us to arrive at the destination as soon as possible. However, I know that the destination is still far away. The place where Utsusemi-san was sighted was in Shan-ria, a city west of Derrida. It seems that it will still take 7 hours to reach the city. And we will probably need a break in the middle of the way. If such silence continues until then, I will get tired before the mission begins. I have to start the conversation somehow. When I thought so, Roll suddenly opened her mouth. ¡°However, it sure has been a long time since I went on a mission with Tameiki-san.¡± In the broken silence, I swallow my breath. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen Roll and Sigh having a conversation. I¡¯m extremely nervous. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Tameiki-san returned the same kind of reply as usual. However, regarding Tameiki-san, it is possible to judge whether she is in a good mood or not by the subtle change in the tone of her voice. This is¡­ the voice she has when she is in a good mood. ¡°I wonder how many years it has been.¡± I glance at Roll, and she also has her usual face which I can¡¯t tell whether she is smiling or not. This is probably mean that Roll is in a good mood too. ¡°Isn¡¯t it since that mission three years ago?¡± ¡°Oh, was it when we were attacking the West Tatsumi base?¡± ¡°Ahh, it was the mission where Desuko left us and went back earlier.¡± ¡°How nostalgic. That did happen, right? So, it is since then, huh.¡± Eh, what¡¯s with this mood. Aren¡¯t these two don¡¯t get along well with each other¡­? Certainly, the two had a common linkage, that was Desuko-san. Roll was on good terms with Desuko-san, and Tameiki-san was Desuko-san¡¯s partner. So, is that mean that there was some contact between the two? Thinking about it, Roll is in Anonymous since she became aware of her surroundings, and Tameiki-san has been in the organization for almost 20 years. As such, it would be weird if they never had a contact before. ¡°It was around that time Utsusemi disappeared.¡± ¡°To be honest, there¡¯s no meaning in him joining Anonymous, right? He doesn¡¯t work either.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the case. In this way, isn¡¯t he properly increasing our work?¡± Tameiki-san reflected in the rear-view mirror curled up her lips a little. Perhaps she sees that, as Roll smiles too. ¡°Fufu, I¡¯ve never heard such a joke.¡± Ehh? These two are actually good friends, aren¡¯t they? Then, what the heck was the long silence earlier? ¡°Even so, why is Utsusemi in Shan-ria of all places?¡± One of the seven generals of the Self-Defense Forces, Enjoji Yachiyo is assigned in the city of Shan-ria. Roll said so because there is such a troublesome person there. If we cause a problem, she is probably the one who will rush in first. ¡°There should be no reason for her to act. Even if there is one, there¡¯s no knowing which side will lose.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°Utsusemi-san ¨C what kind of person is he, Roll?¡± Getting curious about Utsusemi-san, I decided to join in the conversation. What I know about Utsusemi-san is only what I heard from Shido-san earlier ¨C that he has a difficult personality and that has a slight dual personality. And, that he¡¯s an executive of Anonymous. Those alone are a little lacking as an information. ¡°¡­Utsusemi has a special constitution in which his personality reverses every time he uses his ability. No, rather than him having a special constitution, it¡¯s more like the side effect of his ability.¡± The one who answered my question wasn¡¯t Roll, but Tameiki-san. ¡°Uwaah, that sure sounds troublesome¡­ So, Utsusemi-san¡¯s ability ¨C what kind of ability is it?¡± I asked such, and the one who answered this time was Roll, ¡°The ability of Utsusemi is the ability to stock up to two abilities of the of the opponent who he touched. It is the so-called copy ability.¡± Copy ability, huh. That sounds like a versatile ability. ¡°Well, he can¡¯t use the ability better than the person who he copied it from.¡± ¡°But the advantage of being able to use two abilities is big. For one, the opponent wouldn¡¯t know what abilities he had stocked up, that in itself is a strong point.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I have two abilities in the first place, though.¡± *Hmph* Roll said with a smug face. ¡°Thinking it that way, Skill Repeaters sure are foul.¡± The conversation stopped there. The car that was going through the wilderness is approaching the forest road before I knew it. Trees outside the car window pass by one after another. The time is before 7:00 pm. The sun was gradually setting and the area began to darken. After a while of silence, I hear a small sigh from behind. I turn around and find that Tameiki-san is sleeping while leaning against the car window. ¡°Tameiki-san seems to be quite tired.¡± ¡°Right. It looks like she did quite a lot of missions. I¡¯m getting sleepy too somehow. Can I sleep?¡± I said while setting down the seat and preparing to sleep. ¡°Okay. Instead, you have to change with me later, okay?¡± ¡°Roger.¡± CH 103 [Collapse of Harmony] Shan-ria is a city with a beautiful landscape. Stone paved roads, wooden buildings and tiled roofs leading to the center of the city. Add the illuminated streets, each one looked beautiful. This city, which has preserved its own culture for a long time, has many tourists and problems often occur. Therefore, a Self-Defense Forces¡¯ base that does not fit the landscape is set up in the southwestern part of the city. Now then, we arrived at Shan-ria at 3:00 am. Due to the eyes of the Self-Defense Forces, we couldn¡¯t wander around at this time, so we took a break in the car until morning. And when came morning, we set out to look for Utsusemi-san¡­ But first, we headed to the clothing store. It¡¯s because unlike Roll and I who were wearing casual clothes, Tameiki-san was in her usual outfit. So, as we walked around the city, we got a lot of attention. Roll is so too, but Tameiki-san¡¯s appearance stands out even under normal circumstances. That¡¯s why we decided to get a change of clothes for Tameiki-san. Honestly, even if a person whose face is already exposed walks in the open, the possibility that the Self-Defense Forces will come rushing is not that high. However, this mission requires us to avoid fighting with Self-Defense Forces as much as possible as there is a possibility that we have to move around to find Utsusemi-san, so I want us to be as low profile as possible. When I said that, Tameiki-san accepted it while giving off the feeling that it can¡¯t be helped. ¡°Idiot. You don¡¯t have a sense. What suits Tameiki-san is something like this.¡± Saying that, Roll shows off a gray baggy hoodie. She herself is dressed in hot pants and a white double meaning shirt on top. With a large-sized marine cap on her head, she looks lascivious. I¡¯ve been conscious of her exposed thighs and the shape of her bra that sticks out since a while ago. ¡°That¡¯s hot, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s for summer, so that¡¯s not the case. Here, touch it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s thinner than I expected.¡± ¡°Besides, Tameiki-san has been wearing that suit all year long.¡± ¡°Come to think of it, that¡¯s right.¡± With a glance, I move my gaze to the suited Tameiki-san. Tameiki-san is waiting for us, standing with her back on the pillar at the entrance of the store. She is probably shy to choose her own clothes. Although it¡¯s still quite hot now, she is still looking at the passers-by with a cool-looking face. ¡°She would look great if she wears this shirt underneath it. Can you call Tameiki-san here?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I send out a sound and calls Tameiki-san. ¡°Have you decided?¡± Saying that, Tameiki-san walks till here. ¡°Yes, how about this?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go with that.¡± Tameiki-san take away the complete set of clothes in Roll¡¯s hands and goes straight to the cash register. ¡°Wai-, Tameiki-san, are you not going to try it first? We don¡¯t know if the size fits yet.¡± When I ask in a hurry, Tamiki-san replies, ¡°We don¡¯t need to¡±. Looking helpless, Roll doesn¡¯t persuade Tameiki-san. Even though I thought we could finally have Tameiki-san to dress-up, what a shame. After finishing the payment, Tameiki-san changes her clothes at the fitting corner and comes out after a while. I, who is embarrassed to immediately wear the clothes I just bought and go out as is, can¡¯t do it, but I don¡¯t need to point that out. The clothes that Roll coordinated looks great on Tameiki-san. A loose, light gray hoodie on top of a white T-shirt that emphasizes the body line. Below are tight black three-quarter length jeans. With a big belt that makes her frightfully cute. The clothes don¡¯t go well with formal-looking high heels, but that can¡¯t be helped, huh. ¡°Thank you for your patronage.¡± After leaving and walk away from the store with the clerk seeing us off, Roll and I look up and down at Tameiki-san, and then she says as if to admonish us, ¡°You guys, do you forget the mission? We don¡¯t have time for this.¡± ¡°This is also a part of the mission, you know.¡± ¡°Tameiki-san, you look really great.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± Tameiki-san who is walking briskly in the front glances at me. ¡°Shion, you rarely say such things to me, don¡¯t you?¡± When Roll says that, there is an explosion sound in the distance. Roll and Tameiki-san turn to that direction at once, and I focus my ears. ¡°It comes from the base.¡± ¡°The base? I wonder if there is an accident.¡± The pedestrians on the streets turn into curious onlookers and start heading toward that direction all at once. And people who have floating ability fly, heading in the direction of the explosion sound. What¡¯s with this city. Even though the residents of Slaceid will try their best to get away if they hear an explosion sound¡­ Aren¡¯t their curiosity too strong? I get their feeling though. ¡°Should we go see the situation?¡± ¡°Right.¡± Saying that, Tameiki-san carries Roll and me on both sides and fly up with a *tan*. I smell the scent of new clothes from Tameiki-san. ¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°HAAA HA HA HA HA HA!! ENJOJI YACHIYOOOOOO!! COME OOOOOOOOOUT!!!!¡± We, who are further behind the curious onlookers crowding outside the fence of the Self-Defense Forces base, see the man who let out such stupidly loud voice in the sky and react one after another. ¡°Ahh, that¡¯s the no good Utsusemi¡­¡± ¡°¡­He¡¯s dumb, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Eh? Eh? You two know that man?¡± Seeing the reaction of the two, that person is most likely Utsusemi-san. Wearing a bamboo hat, a hakama and a haori on top of it, Utsusemi-san is still screaming something in the sky. ¡°COME OUT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!¡± *Bang* the facility inside the base explodes again, and the rising smoke increases by one. ¡°Eh, seriously, what is he doing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s as you see. He¡¯s calling out the general.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Why?¡± ¡°I forgot to say that Utsusemi is a battle maniac. Maybe he¡¯s aiming for the ability of Enjoji Yachiyo.¡± ¡°Is that so? But why is he wearing the traditional clothing of this city?¡± ¡°Perhaps because he likes it. I¡¯m going.¡± I hurriedly stop Tameiki-san who tries to fly up after saying so. ¡°Where are you going? Tameiki-san!¡± ¡°Of course, to bring back Utsusemi.¡± ¡°No, no, it¡¯s not good to go now, you know!?¡± ¡°Haah¡­ This kind of battle is inevitable if you get involved with that Utsusemi. It can¡¯t be helped.¡± Tameiki-san says that with a helpless expression. I try to see Roll¡¯s reaction, but it seems she is not against Tameiki-san going. ¡°Wait here, you two. If he uses his ability, his personality will turn a little better.¡± ¡°We leave him to you, Tameiki-san,¡± Roll says. Certainly, if it turns into a general and executive class battle, there¡¯s no meaning for us going out. Then, when the casual-clothed Tameiki-san tries to fly up, this time, an impact sound can be heard from the opposite direction where Utsusemi-san is. Thinking ¨C what? ¨C I turn toward that direction, and a person who apparently broke through the ceiling of the building is floating lightly in the sky. Donning the military uniform of the Self-Defense Forces. With the long black hair that is on par with that of Tameiki-san¡¯s spills out of the official hat, and overhead, the rubbles that resulted from her breaking through the ceiling still flitting, continuing to rise up. ¡°That¡¯s¡­?¡± Although I know who it is, I ask Roll such a question for confirmation. ¡°You know, right? Enjoji Yachiyo.¡± Enjoji Yachiyo. The strongest woman in history¡­ One of the seven generals of the Self-Defense Forces, who is sometimes teased as the strongest old hag in history. ¡°You again, Utsusemiii¡­.¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯ll get it today. That ability.¡± Reaching for the sword on his waist, Utsusemi-san says. Cheers are raised from the curious onlookers on the ground, and a betting has begun for some reason. What¡¯s wrong with this city? CH 104 [Collapse of the Circle] The ability of Enjoji Yachiyo (50) might have been more famous than that of Midou Ryuusui. Strengthening system, superhuman(Braver). Unusual physical ability and strengthening ability to exert extraordinary offensive and defensive power. It is an insane ability that enables incomprehensible acts such as flying in the sky with aura, and of course it is the top class in the strengthening system. How amazing is it? ¡°¡­If she is the opponent, honestly I will be disadvantaged. Let¡¯s wait and see for a while.¡± Tameiki-san recalls her participation in the battle and decides to watch the bout for a while. ¡°That¡¯s for the better¡­¡± However, Enjoji Yachiyo is actually a general who left a favorable impression to the public. Although being in such a remote place¡­ well, it¡¯s actually not that remote of a place, but despite being in such a city far away from Saint Celia, her popularity amongst the civilians is only second to that of Midou Ryuusui. Her popularity amongst the people of this city is particularly high, as can be seen from the enthusiasm of the curious onlookers. Why she is so popular? That¡¯s easy. First of all, she doesn¡¯t kill people. She hates killing people, no matter how much of a villain they are. Enjoji Yachiyo only throws the opponent she fought into prison. That¡¯s all she does. On top of that, it seems she never participate in an annihilation operation, and I heard that she is active mostly only within her jurisdiction. ¡°Hah, what kind of abilities did you come to offer today? Nonetheless, you sure are a perfunctory and persistent guy. I¡¯ll definitely send you to prison today.¡± ¡°I would stop if only you let me touch you for a bit you know. Now, eat this, old hag!¡± Utsusemi-san in the sky shouts, and a huge rubble emerges from behind him. ¡°Hou, I see that one of it is psychokinesis.¡± ¡°OORAAAAAHHH!!¡± When I realize that the rubble that Utsusemi had summoned heads for General Enjoji at high speed, it stops just before her, and this time, it falls toward us. ¡°HA HA!! Be crushed, you ants!!¡± Utsusemi-san puts both of his hands in the shape of a rifle, turns it in the opposite direction and shouts. However, General Enjoji moves faster than the falling rubble and is already standing diagonally above the fence standing in the onlookers¡¯ way. The speed that enables her to catch up to the rubble at the last minute. It doesn¡¯t exceed the speed of sound. But, it¡¯s not a speed that I can react to. Her beautiful, shiny hair that is not suitable for her age dances. ¡°Yachiyo-san, do your best!¡± ¡°General-!¡± ¡°Enjoji-san you can do it!¡± She responds to the cheering voice by pushing her thumb up without turning around. And she pushes her fist up towards the huge rubble. Then, the fist smashes the rubble into pieces, and she kicks the flying debris with one foot. The wind pressure blew away the finely rubbles in the direction where there¡¯s no one around. Cheers arise. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°Amazing, don¡¯t you think?¡± This is also one of the reasons why she is so popular. The attitude to protect civilians. The onlookers are showing further excitement as if it is intended as a small attraction. If the rubble had fallen as it was, we would have been crushed. No, if General Enjoji didn¡¯t come to protect us, Tameiki-san would have move instead, but even so, such trust in the general is amazing. ¡°HAHAHA! You sure an entertainer! Grandma!¡± ¡°Utsusemii¡­! Each and every time, you¡¯re playing around too much!¡± Saying that, she jumps up, and a strong wind strikes us. Roll reaches for her hat that is about to fly away and catches it. Tameiki-san loose hoodie is fluttering like a mantle. I returns my eyes to General Enjoji who jumped up, and it seems that the battle had already begun in the sky, as I hear the sound of the two¡¯s offence and defence. However, the two have reached a considerable altitude in an instant; from the ground they look like moving dots. ¡°We can¡¯t see anything from here. Shion, do you know what¡¯s going on?¡± Roll asks me next to her. ¡°¡­For some reason, they¡¯re fighting while hurling curses at each other. Utsusemi-san is in the inferior position, though.¡± Utsusemi-san is flying around, making the sound of cutting through the wind while yelling, ¡°Crazy old hag!¡± General Enjoji has a handicap that she couldn¡¯t get close to Utsusemi-san, but she overwhelms Utsusemi-san with a series of fist pressures like a while ago. ¡°What I¡¯m curious about is Utsusemi¡¯s abilities.¡± Tameiki-san says while looking up at the dazzling sky. Utsusemi-san¡¯s abilities. One seems to be related to psychokinesis, but the other has not been confirmed yet. The psychokinesis he¡¯s using now seems to be high spec, but I don¡¯t think he would challenge General Enjoji with that alone. While I¡¯m thinking about that, the battle continues, and the shadows of the two are gradually lowering in altitude. Utsusemi is on the defensive. General Enjoji launches punches and kicks so that she wouldn¡¯t be touched by Utsusemi-san. ¡°In the old days, Utsusemi always stocked a transfer ability for movement,¡± Roll says as if she remembered. ¡°I see. If it¡¯s transfer ability, he might be able to touch General Enjoji,¡± I wonder if Utsusemi is waiting for that opportunity. ¡°No, he won¡¯t be able to, even with a transfer ability. It won¡¯t work to that woman,¡± Tameiki-san says so, so I change my mind. Certainly, if you have astounding reflexes, you can see through the lag of transfer. I¡¯ve also faced transfer abilities several times, and they¡¯re not insurmountable abilities. ¡°Ah¡± When Roll makes such a voice, Utsusemi-san receive a clean hit from General Enjoji¡¯s ax kick. Although I say a clean hit, it was just a wind pressure of the heel that was swung down from above. Utsusemi-san makes a whooshing sound, falling behind us like a meteor. *Bang* His fall causes the cobblestone ground to cave in, and after a delay, the wind pressure from the heel drop strikes us. Although I say it strikes us, it is only at the level of strong wind, but to exert such power from that distance, I¡¯m struck with fear. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it bad?¡± While everyone looks back at Utsusemi-san, General Enjoji descends over him and looks down at him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, is it over? You¡¯re not very chewy today, Utsusemi.¡± The onlookers are now quite to watch over the progress. ¡°Hey, Tameiki-san, shouldn¡¯t you go over to help him?¡± Roll whispers, but Tameiki-san slowly shakes her head. Utsusemi-san is not dead yet. He¡¯s half-buried, but I can hear his heartbeat. Not dying from that probably means that he mitigated the damage by scraping off the ground first with psychokinesis, alleviating the force at once. However, does Tameiki-san not intend to help Utsusemi-san? When I think so, Utsusemi-san makes a move. Utsusemi-san languidly lifts his sunken head, and stares at General Enjoji. ¡°You sure did it, old hag,¡± saying that, the saliva mixed with blood he spat out goes straight on with psychokinesis and sticks to General Enjoji¡¯s military boot. ¡°I have no intention of killing you, but seeing your appearance, it seems that you can withstand one more round.¡± General Enjoji brandish her fist and swings it down toward Utsusemi-san. At the same time, there is a change in Utsusemi-san¡¯s body. His body swells with a conspicuous noise. And when the haori he is wearing is torn, the fist pressure of General Enjoji hits Utsusemi-san. *Bakon*, accompanied with such a sound, the back of his head against the stone pavement. As a result, Utsusemi-san seems to have lost consciousness, and his swelled body suddenly withers and then with a twitch, stops moving. Just now¡­ his ability misfired¡­ right? ¡°Haah¡ª¡­¡­¡± Rather than not being able to watch, Roll looks away from Utsusemi-san as if she is amazed. ¡°¡­As usual, this Utsusemi is weak,¡± Tameiki-san says with a sigh. This Utsusemi is weak ¨C I wonder if that means that the other personality Utsusemi-san is strong. With such a thought, I say, ¡°What should we do?¡±, urging an instruction from Tameiki-san. ¡°This is Enjoji. It¡¯s about the collection of the villain. Please send a support,¡± General Enjoji stands in front of Utsusemi-san, takes out a device from her chest pocket, and contacts the base. There are both cheers and regrettable voices from the onlookers. It seems that she has no intention of touching Utsusemi-san even after defeating him; I can only say that carefulness is as expected of her. ¡°Shion, Roll, collect Utsusemi when I give the signal,¡± Tameiki-san who had been silent for a while suddenly said such a thing, so I instinctively ask back. Roll also looks at Tameiki-san with a frown. ¡°Eh¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stop Enjoji. In that opportunity, you should collect Utsusemi and leave the city first if possible.¡± ¡°¡­I see, you sure have thought it through, Tameiki-san. It¡¯s easier to handle Utsusemi if he¡¯s unconscious.¡± Is that so? ¡°That¡¯s right. Shion should connect the sound with me.¡± ¡°¡­I understand.¡± CH 105 [Collapse of Inspiration] Enjoji Yachiyo. The female Self-Defense Forces general is slowly circling around Utsusemi-san after contacting for support. Seeing the fight is over, the curious onlookers gradually disband, and the number of people decreases. I take a small breath. ¡°Go,¡± the moment Tameiki-san says that, Roll and I jump out at the same time. Due to the activation of the strengthening system Stray Cat, Roll¡¯s cap swells out. Roll is to carry Utsusemi-san, and I¡¯m to support her and giving the directions. We can understand each other¡¯s role without being told. The distance to Utsusemi-san is about 10m. Noticing us jumping out, Admiral Enjoji reacts. The distance of 10m is getting shorter. However, because General Enjoji stand in the way, Roll and I abruptly spread out to the left and right and stop there. But at that moment, General Enjoji fall crashing to the ground. *Zun* a crater with a radius of nearly 2m is created around General Enjoji who fell on the ground. This is Tameiki-san¡¯s Press. Roll, Utsusemi-san and I are barely out of its range. As expected of Tameiki-san ¨C or so I wanted to say, but what surprise me more is General Enjoji. She is alive. Normally, if you receive it with your human body, you would be crushed like a trampled tomato, but the strangest thing happens, she is moving her body inside Tameiki-san¡¯s Press and even trying to stand up. ¡°Tameiki, so it¡¯s you¡­!¡± General Enjoji touches the stone pavement outside the crater and stares at Tameiki-san. I ¨C and perhaps Roll too ¨C am worried, wondering whether it¡¯s okay to leave Enjoji Yachiyo to Tameiki-san alone. ¡°What are you doing? Go quickly.¡± Hearing such words from Tameiki-san, Roll and I look at each other once. Our wills are re-ignited. I go to the end of the road. Roll hurries to Utsusemi, avoiding the crater, and carries up his body. And then follows after me. Roll immediately overtake me and goes ahead. Anyway, in order to gain distance, we go straight to the city. Behind us, the battle between General Enjoji who had escaped the Press and Tameiki-san has begun. Unlike the previous battle that took place in the sky, the battle that take place on the ground destroys the surrounding objects one after another, and the curious onlookers that remained after the fierce battle also take a considerable distance. Roll and I hurry to the parking lot. By choosing a road with as few people as possible, we carry the battered Utsusemi-san. When we arrive at the parking lot, Roll throws Utsusemi-san into the back seat and boarded the driver¡¯s seat as it is. As soon as I get in the passenger seat, the car starts. I open the car window a little to connect the sound with Tameiki-san. At that time¡ª¡ª ¡°Don¡¯t kiddin¡¯ me, you old hag!! ¡­ah? Where is this?¡± A scream echoes from the back seat, then Roll and I are convinced that Utsusemi-san has awoken. ¡°Haah~¡­ it would be better if he stays unconscious¡­¡± Roll holds her head and says so. She re-parks the car that has started. When I look back at Utsusemi-san, he is painfully pressing the back of his head with his left hand while wiping the blood flowing from his forehead with the torn haori of his right hand. This person is quite tough. ¡°Who the heck are you?¡± Utsusemi-san looks at my face and says so. ¡°I¡¯m Shion.¡± ¡°Shion¡­?¡± He mutters and turns his gaze toward Roll in the driver¡¯s seat and makes a realizing face. ¡°Isn¡¯t it Roll? Meaning you are Anonymous, huh!¡± It seems that he understands the situation. ¡°You¡¯re also Anonymous, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°HAHA, you found me at last!¡± Of course, we would find you if you did something like that. I thought so, but didn¡¯t speak it out. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you come back to the hideout?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s because it¡¯s not interesting to be in the hideout. Even Hyde approves my freedom, right?¡± While saying such a thing, Utsusemi-san opens the door lock. Roll locks it again with the centralized door lock in the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°But you were told to comply if you are called to assemble, right? How many times have you ignore it?¡± ¡°Now that you mention it, I should have participated in that operation to kill Midou Ryuusui.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t dodge the issue. Anyway, we¡¯re here this time to bring you back. Utsusemi, come back to the hideout obediently.¡± When Roll says so, Utsusemi-san sighs loudly. I can sense a tense air pervading the car. This is¡­ Utsusemi-san¡¯s killing intent. ¡°Hey, Roll. Since when did you start talking conceitedly to me like that?¡± *Thud*Utsusemi kicks the driver¡¯s seat from behind. Roll is silent in spite of Utsusemi-san¡¯s sudden change in atmosphere. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Heeey¡­ let¡¯s get out for a moment. If you¡¯re stronger than me, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± ¡°¡­Okay. I see you still keep asking to fight for whatever reason, just like usual, Utsusemi.¡± Roll unlocks the door and goes out. Utsusemi-san also curls the corner of his mouth and goes outside. It¡¯s bad. The abilities that Utsusemi-san has in stock are psychokinesis and another one, perhaps something of strengthening system. In other words, Roll is in disadvantageous position. Besides, we don¡¯t have time for this. At Tameiki-san¡¯s side, she must want to quickly get away from General Enjoji. I can know that she¡¯s at her limit from the sounds alone. It doesn¡¯t seem to be a good time for fooling around. Dammit, even thought we should have escape from the city by now. Anyway, it seems that I have to do something about it. Thinking so, I get out of the car and cut in between the two. ¡°Please wait a minute, Utsusemi-san.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with you?¡± ¡°Hey, Shion. You¡­¡± I hold out my hand to Roll and interrupt her words. ¡°Utsusemi-san knows Roll¡¯s ability, right? On the other hand, you still have one ability hidden, and you have an ability that seems to works well against Roll.¡± ¡°¡­Bastard, what do you want to say?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not very manly, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Hmm, then what? Should I fight with a handicap?¡± ¡°No. I want you to fight me instead.¡± This is a rescue boat for Roll. Roll is unlikely to beat Utsusemi-san. Utsusemi-san looks surprised for a moment, but he immediately replied with a happy face. ¡°I see. Alright.¡± ¡°So, if you lose, we¡¯ll have you to come back. Since that is our mission.¡± ¡°In that case¡­ don¡¯t complain even if you die, boy.¡± With a happy face, Utsusemi-san stretched out his hands to the side. Then, the cars parked in the parking lot float to the air all at once. Don¡¯t complain even if I die, huh. In other words, he¡¯s saying that we should do it with the intent to kill, huh? This person sure is crazy¡­ If such a person returns to the hideout, I¡¯m sure he will cause various troubles. He is clearly a person who can¡¯t work cooperatively. Wouldn¡¯t he be better off wandering around? Why is it necessary to forcibly get such a person back? Suddenly, a good idea came to me. I wonder if I can have this person to die accidently during mission. ¡ª Silent World. CH 106 [Collapse of Judgement] In the circumference of around 100 meters. All sounds disappear, and I concentrate on the only sound I can hear. The sounds of Utsusemi-san¡¯s heartbeat. Utsusemi-san is looking around, wondering what¡¯s happening. Perhaps he doesn¡¯t know about my ability. Because his concentration is interrupted for a moment, the cars in the parking lot that is floating gently have their altitude lowered suddenly. I look at Roll to have her to get away from this place. Silent World. This is a useful technique for limiting and separating sounds. I use this when I want to make a small sound such as the sound of a heartbeat into a sound at a level where it generates a shock wave. And there is one more. There is a new application of the ability that I haven¡¯t told to anyone. It is a technique that has a more immediate effect than the Heartbeat-Shot. To be honest, if I use this, I can neutralize Utsusemi-san without killing him. ¡­Though, I¡¯m not going to use it now. If they find out I can do such a thing, I will be considered as a risk factor even by the worst organization, and I might be disposed. If I have to use that to prioritize the mission, I¡¯d better off killing Utsusemi-san here. That technique is insurance for when I¡¯m really in danger. It is fine that I¡¯m not going to use that, but if Utsusemi-san is killed, will my credibility be damaged? After all, Boss was demanding for Utsusemi-san¡¯s return. ¡­In that case, at the very least, it may be better to make an effort to bring him back. With that in mind, I step closer to Utsusemi-san. Seeing Utsusemi-san stirred, I immediately say, ¡°Please don¡¯t move. If you move even a little¡­ the consequence will be terrible you know.¡± *Thump* I hear Utsusemi-san¡¯s heartbeat gets louder. Only that heartbeat and my voice echo in this space. Utsusemi-san moves his mouth and seems to be screaming something, but I can¡¯t hear it. He himself contorts his face because he can¡¯t make a voice. Then Utsusemi-san didn¡¯t make a rash move. Did he realize that my previous words were not a bluff? I¡¯m wary of the cars floating around. However, the Silent World cancels out the generation of sound, and at the same time allows me to have the fastest reaction within this 100-meter circumference. In other words, even if the cars floating around is released toward me, by offsetting a slight sound, I can react without delay. I can avoid it, or I can counter it with a Sound-Shot. In other words, I¡¯ve already won when the Silent World was activated. Even if Utsusemi-san can get out of this 100m range in an instant, I can extend the range. The problem is from here. ¡°Please release your ability and raise both of your hands to surrender.¡± Yes, whether Utsusemi-san will surrender. This will determine if I have to kill Utsusemi-san. If possible¡­ I want to kill him. If Utsusemi-san attacks and wouldn¡¯t surrender, I will be forced to activate a Heartbeat-Shot. If it turns out like that, such a result as accidentally killing him is not strange. I feel bad for Tameiki-san who is somehow buying time now though. This person feels somewhat off. He seems to be similar with Hakunetsu and Kuroinu-san but different. If asked what was, I couldn¡¯t say it well. Utsusemi-san¡¯s expression is dark. However, very quickly, it soon turns into a giving up expression, and before long he slowly lowers the car floating around him to the ground and raises his hands. Seeing that, I¡¯m surprised. You¡¯re kidding, right? He shouldn¡¯t be the kind of person to surrender just because something like this. I desperately holding myself from clicking my tongue. The Silent World is still unraveled. Utsusemi-san raises both of his hands, and seeing that my killing intent doesn¡¯t subside, he lay down on the ground and fold his hands behind his head. I sense Roll, who realized that the result was out, approaching from behind. I cancel the Silent World. ¡°I give up, I give up. I give uuup¡ª¡± Utsusemi-san says while lying down on the ground. ¡°¡­Well then, we¡¯ll have you return obediently, okay?¡± ¡°Arright. Man, it¡¯s a bit too foul, isn¡¯t it? That ability.¡± ¡­I see. Since Utsusemi-san has used all kinds of abilities so far, he understands the absoluteness of compatibility. Therefore, his ability to discern is not ordinary. Perhaps the reason why he didn¡¯t use his other ability, the one of strengthening system that he stocked up, was because he knew couldn¡¯t beat me even if he used it, so he surrendered. Normally, you wouldn¡¯t be able to figure out what I was doing with that alone though. That being the case, what was with his stupidity to challenge General Enjoji without any strategy? Even if he had insurance that General Enjoji will not kill him, did he really have a chance to win? The type of ability that can oppose General Enjoji is the ability of a concept manipulation system like that of Shido-san. As she can endure the Press of Tameiki-san, there is a possibility that she can even cope with my Heartbeat-Shot, although I wish otherwise. Anyway, with the ability of physics manipulation, it should be difficult for that person to take the initiative. No, well, it doesn¡¯t matter anymore. If we bring Utsusemi-san back, our mission will be completed. I open the backseat door of the car and guide Utsusemi-san. ¡°Then, please get in the car.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± Utsusemi-san stands up and gets into the car with his hands folded behind his head. ¡°Roll, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± After Roll and I get in, the car starts. If we don¡¯t withdraw soon, Tameiki-san will perhaps be in danger. The car runs and leaves the parking lot. ¡°Hey, is anyone holding down the old hag Enjoji?¡± Utsusemi-san, who sits in the back seat, suddenly asks that. Roll asnwers the question, ¡°It¡¯s Tameiki-san.¡± ¡°Tameiki? Tameiki came, huh?¡± ¡°Yes, the strategy is that Tameiki-san will attract Yachiyo Enjoji until we leave this city.¡± Utsusemi-san is really wasting time. I try to find out about the situation, but the battle still continues. The battlefront is unfolding inside the base, and there seems to be no damage to the civilians. ¡°Heee, Tameiki, huh¡­¡± Utsusemi-san¡¯s mouth reflected in the mirror curl up grinningly. Then he opens the car window and puts his arm out. ¡°You won¡¯t run away, right?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t do that because I¡¯ve lost the match,¡± Utsusemi-san says, but can we honestly believe him? Roll seems uneasy, or rather, she is driving with a face she had on when she was a little irritated. ¡°Hey, do you have a cigarette?¡± Kicking the passanger seat with *ton, ton*, Utsusemi-san asks. ¡°Cigarette, huh? Neither Roll and I are a smoker, so¡­¡± ¡°No, if I remember correctly it should be in the underbox there.¡± ¡°Oh, there it is.¡± ¡°Then Shion, sorry for bothering you, but can you get it for me?¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Being told so, I reach for the underbox, grab a cigarette inside, and present it to Utsusemi-san. For some reason, Utsusemi-san touches the back of my hand instead of the cigarette I presented. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°My bad. I¡¯m taking it.¡± It took me a few seconds to understand the situation. Within that few seconds, Utsusemi-san leaned over the car window and took off outside. Crumpling the cigarette, I remember Utsusemi¡¯s ability. Copying the ability of the person he touched. ¡°Tsk, that person¡­!¡± ¡°Dammit!¡± The sounds of tongue clicking of Roll and I echo in the ca CH 107 [Collapse of Demon] ¡°Sorry, Tameiki-san. We let Utsusemi-san escape. He¡¯s heading there,¡± I tell Tameiki-san about the situation, and she replies with a sigh. Currently, we are chasing the Utsusemi-san who is heading to General Enjoji at a tremendous speed. Roll¡¯s driving is wild. Utsusemi-san seemed to want to acquire the ability of General Enjoji no matter what. But did he need to copy my ability? Sound Control (Dominant). Although I can¡¯t compare it to other abilities, I think my ability is quite hard to use. At least it is not an ability that you can just copy and suddenly use at will. And I heard that Utsusemi-san¡¯s ability is a deteriorated copy. As General Enjoji could endure Press which has a higher attack power than Sound-Shot, Sound Control should be completely useless on the attack side. The car goes through the residential area toward the base. After the car arrived near the base by different route than before, we get of the car. Looking up at the sky, the battle between Tameiki-san and Utsusemi-san against General Enjoji has already unfolded. ¡°Utsusemi¡­ you are so obstinate!¡± ¡°Enjoji-san herself is the obstinate one; I really wish you just give up.¡± ¡°Tsk¡­! You¡¯re in the way Utsusemi¡­ go away¡­!¡± Due to Utsusemi-san joins the fray, conversations are created in the silent battle; even while they fly over the base at high speed, they are occasionally swearing at each other, and sometimes there are thundering sounds appears here and there. It seems that Utsusemi-san¡¯s personality was reversed by the use of his ability. It¡¯s different from the domineering personality he showed earlier; the way he moves his body, his speech and conduct, and even the way he speaks out has changed. I pay attention to Utsusemi-san¡¯s movement. His flowing-like movement is very easy to read. I quickly realized the reason why my image overlapped with his trajectory is because my understanding of the space of sound. ¡­I see. That¡¯s the reason he snatches away my ability, huh. Understanding of the space. No matter how hard you train, human reflexes are limited. Perhaps sensing-based ability is much faster in sensing than Sound Control (Dominant). However, at short distances, that difference in speed doesn¡¯t change your reaction speed. In other words, with Sound Control that works well in sensing the various changes in sounds, he almost has no blind spots in grasping the space in close combat. That person realized that he could do that in an instant even though he didn¡¯t know my ability a while ago. Honestly, I looked down on him, but he does have the ability to be an executive. I turn my eyes to Roll next to me and say, ¡°What should we do¡­?¡± *Boom* At the edge of my vision, Utsusemi-san is knocked down to the ground in an instant and then he climbs up again. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that terrible, Tameiki?¡± That is no longer a two-on-one battle, but a three-way battle. Roll groans, ¡°We can¡¯t do anything in aerial combat.¡± ¡°Or rather, our purpose is already unclear. Tameiki-san have also turned violent and keep fighting.¡± Our purpose is not to beat General Enjoji. Does Tameiki-san have fun fighting her? It is undeniable, since she became like that once in a while. ¡°On the other hand, if he can bring down General Enjoji and copy her ability, Utsusemi will be satisfied and will return.¡± It wouldn¡¯t be a joke it there¡¯s going to be a victim. ¡°I think it¡¯s faster to half-kill Utsusemi-san and take him back.¡± Besides, General Enjoji is a relatively harmless general to Anonymous. As long as we don¡¯t go into her jurisdiction and do stupid things, it won¡¯t turn into a battle. The area around Shan-ria is outside the area where Anonymous is active, and above all, it is a big deal that she does not kill people. ¡°To begin with, are we going to join in that battle¡­?¡± When I return my eyes to the sky, there is still a fierce battle there. Their battle gradually heats up and grows in scale. Dozens of knives that Tameiki-san released and the rubbles that floats with the psychokinesis of Utsusemi-san are freely flying around in the sky, General Enjoji avoids them and releases punches and kicks that chases Utsusemi-san and Tameiki-san respectively. Utsusemi-san knocks down Tameiki-san¡¯s knives with the sword he had pulled out, and when he sees an opening, he would try to approach General Enjoji, and each time he would be restrained, he could not get closer than a certain distance. The rubbles launched by Utsusemi-san are dropped by Tameiki-san¡¯s Press; those the rubbles moved back and forth between the ground and the sky, causing the ground to constantly vibrate. They use that opening and fly around skillfully, repeating fierce offense and defense many times. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t feel like to participate in that.¡± Putting Roll aside, I have no mobility. Even if they switch from aerial combat to ground combat, I will only be a baggage. And there is no attack power they can expect from me. ¡­If I knew it would turn out this way, I would have brought Renga. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to contact Tameiki-san when she¡¯s in such a state.¡± ¡°We sure are in a bind¡­ I wish there is a way to restrain Enjoji Yachiyo even for a moment.¡± ¡°¡­¡± What should we do? I feel that we can only silently watch the progression of the battle though. At least I definitely don¡¯t want to enter a battle of that scale. I would definitely die. I lower my eyes and vaguely look at the curious onlookers gathering about 100 meters ahead. It should be a good spectacle for them. ¡°¡­That¡¯s it,¡± Suddenly, one idea come to my mind, and I spontaneously hit my hand with a *pon*. ¡°Did you come up with a good idea?¡± ¡°Ahh,¡± I run to the car parked nearby and take out two brief cases from the trunk. I throw one of them to Roll. ¡°Roll, change your clothes,¡± After I said that to Roll, I take off my clothes and hurriedly change into a black tuxedo. I throw the clothes I changed from on the ground into the car and wear the Anonymous¡¯ mask. ¡°Quickly,¡± I hurry Roll staring at me with a little suspicious eyes. ¡°There¡¯s no way I can change clothes outside, right? Face that way.¡± ¡°Ahh¡­ sorry.¡± She gets into the car with a slightly sullen face and starts changing clothes. After waiting for a while, Roll that have changed into a black tuxedo comes out of the car. ¡°So what are we going to do?¡± ¡°Since we¡¯ve dressed like this, we¡¯ll of course do what Anonymous do.¡± ¡°What Anonymous do you say¡­ It doesn¡¯t seems going to be peaceful. Specifically?¡± ¡°First, take hostages and stop the movement of General Enjoji. After all, even with Superhuman(Braver), she shouldn¡¯t have a leeway to care about us in that situation. In the meantime, negotiate with Utsusemi-san. If he copy the ability of General Enjoji, he will have to return to the hideout obediently,¡± After I say that strategy, Roll frowns. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t really like taking hostages.¡± ¡°Then you don¡¯t have to push yourself, Roll. They are just curious onlookers; I can do it alone.¡± ¡°To begin with, I don¡¯t think that Utsusemi will come back to the hideout obediently if he gets the strengthening system Superhuman ability. If Utsusemi uses his ability again, his personality will reverse and he will return to the messed up Utsusemi from earlier you know?¡± ¡°If he doesn¡¯t come back after that, then it¡¯s already out of our responsibility. I wish he will keep the promise, but if he is turns out to be such an untrustworthy person, then he will not be needed in the organization anymore, right?¡± ¡°¡­perhaps that¡¯s right,¡± Saying so, Roll immediately turns silent. And after making a gesture of thinking for a while, she opens her mouth again. ¡°Then I¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°I appreciate it. Then I¡¯ll get close to the onlookers by going along the fence of the base, so Roll go around from the direction of the downtown area. I want to incapacitate about two people and take them hostages. Preferably children. After I get the hostages, disperse the onlookers and the operation starts from there.¡± ¡°¡­Okay. Leave the signal to me. CH 108 [Collapse of Belief] Roll and I nod to each other and immediately take action. The battlefront in the sky is fierce and turning bad, and I feel that General Enjoji, who shows overwhelming potential, still in advantageous position after all. I remove my mask and walk along the fence. I hold the mask so that the back of my hand face outside and gently wave my both hands as I approach the onlookers. I concentrate on the sound of Roll crossing the residential area and approaching the curious onlookers from the downtown side. I adjust my pace so that we can be in place at the same time. ¡°I¡¯ve arrived at the back.¡± ¡°Me too. I¡¯ll do the count, so please match it.¡± ¡°OK.¡± After hearing the reply, I start counting, ¡°3¡­ 2¡­¡± In the meantime, I put an eye on a suitable child. Everyone, from adults to children, have their eyes sparkling looking at the battle in the sky, and no one notices the mask I have in my hand. ¡°¡­1,¡± After finishing the count, I put on the mask and kick the ground. First of all, I grab the arm of the boy who is wearing a cap from the family in front of me, and I yank the boy as if to tear him off, dropping him to the ground. ¡°Ouch¡­!¡± ¡°What are you¡­ Anonymous¡­!?¡± Looking at my mask, the man who seems to be the boy¡¯s father steps back. Immediately after I think that the attention has moved to this place, there is a scream in the back. In an instant, that scream spreads, and swallows the curious onlookers. Then, the onlookers who are surprised by us who suddenly appeared in the vicinity escape in all directions in confusion and scatter. I step on the back of the boy who had fallen, and then grab the arm of a girl who tries to escape through my side. And after I drop her to the ground in the same way, I get confirmation from Roll. ¡°Roll.¡± ¡°I got two people as planned. There¡¯s no problem.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± I look up at the sky. And at the same time, there is a man who come to hit me. He is the boy¡¯s father. I dodge his fist and throw a kick to his back. ¡°Gah¡­!¡± Then I have the caught children to stand up half forcibly, and while holding them in my arms, I press a knife to the necks of the two. I make my voice to echo, amplifying it. ¡°If you value the hostages¡¯ life, please stay away.¡± At this point, 80% of the curious onlookers have already scattered in all directions and are away from this place. No matter how curious the people in this city are, if we appear at this close of a distance, they will run away. On the other side, I see Roll holding two fainted children. Eventually, the curious onlookers have completely escaped, and all that remained were the parents of the children caught by us and 5-6 young men who are probably hunted by a sense of justice. I look up at the sky. From the beginning, I tried to keep the sounds out of the three fighting in the sky so that they wouldn¡¯t notice the noise on the ground, but when the curious onlookers were scattered, they seemed to notice the situation here. However, the three-way battle continues. General Enjoji seems to be push into a disadvantageous position. ¡°I¡¯m not clear about him being a member of Anonymous, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that he¡¯s the same kind of person as us.¡± While saying such a thing, I fire a Sound-Shot to the approaching young man. He is blown away, and his head hit the wall of a private house and died. When I send killing intent to the remaining few ¡®knights in shining armor¡¯, their faces turn ashen and run away immediately without screaming. ¡°Please, she is my only daughter¡­ Just take me as a hostage instead¡­¡± A woman is kneeling at a distance. When I look at her, she shed tears and look at me with begging eyes. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be killed, please quietly go somewhere else.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°Shion, your method is a little rough, you know,¡± Roll bringing the hostages says so, and stand next to me. My method is rough? That shouldn¡¯t be the case. It is useless to think about the good and bad means to take hostages. This mask is a symbol of evil nowadays. Telling myself inside my mind, I take a deep breath. ¡°If we don¡¯t do at least this much, there¡¯s no point in taking hostages. Please watch my back,¡± I glance at the back and say so. The parents of the children remained here, staring at the children with anxiety while maintaining a delicate sense of distance from us. Only these people are anxious, but the situation is set. I send a sound to the sky. ¡°Tameiki-san, can you take a distance from the battle for a moment?¡± Tameiki-san immediately takes a distance from General Enjoji and pulls her knives to herself. Perhaps Utsusemi-san also read the air, as he takes a distance from General Enjoji. At that moment, General Enjoji rush to Roll and me with a frightful expression. I can barely follow her speed with my eyes. ¡°ng¡­!¡± Roll let go of the two fainted hostages, and in an instant, she is ready for battle. And without a moment¡¯s notice, I cut the neck of the girl on my right side with the knife. ¡°Eek¡­!¡± The movement of General Enjoji is stopped on the spot. Her distance to us is about 20 meters. ¡°Ahhh! Misaki! Misaki! Ahhhhhhhhh!!¡± A woman¡¯s scream echoes from behind, perhaps because she saw the blood spattered from the knife. She bursts into tears on the spot. ¡°Shion, you¡¯re overdoing it.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t kill her,¡± Yes, the girl is not dead. I just thinly cut the skin on her neck to restraint the General. She was surprised and fainted. Anyway, I won the bet. If General Enjoji hadn¡¯t stopped there, I wouldn¡¯t have been safe. It was difficult to decide whether to kill her or not, but it seems that the correct answer was indeed not to kill her. ¡°You¡­¡­¡± She says furiously. General Enjoji, who is in such a state, is staring at me sharply. I warn such her, ¡°General Enjoji. If you don¡¯t want me to kill the hostages, please don¡¯t move. At all,¡± Seeing General Enjoji with a grim face even stopped moving slightly, I spill a thin smile in the mask. I stop supporting the fainted girl, and then I press a knife against the trembling boy¡¯s neck. ¡°Utsusemi-san, you can hear me, right?¡± ¡°You. You¡¯re doing something quite terrible, aren¡¯t you?¡± The words returned from him are such. I think Utsusemi-san¡¯s refreshing smile does not filled with feelings that despise me. Something terrible, huh. Killing in itself is a terrible act. We, Anonymous, have various excuses to justify ourselves, but in the end, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that we are killing people. Killing is killing, whether it is a massacre or an instant kill. As I told Roll earlier, it doesn¡¯t matter how you do it. It¡¯s just a matter of conscience, and it doesn¡¯t make sense to think about it. It is strangely frustrating. I wonder if someone can splash cold water on my head. I was silent for a few seconds, but I continue the conversation. ¡°If you copy the ability of General Enjoji, will you come back to Anonymous?¡± ¡°I originally intended to do that,¡± He answers immediately. ¡°Can you promise that?¡± ¡°I can.¡± ¡°What if you break your promise?¡± ¡°Rest assured. I won¡¯t break my promise.¡± While being wary of General Enjoji, I look at Roll to ask her. Roll answer my question, ¡°I don¡¯t think that Utsusemi will break his promise, but I can¡¯t guarantee it if he returns to the troublesome Utsusemi.¡± ¡°As you¡¯ve heard.¡± Utsusemi-san who copied my Sound Control should be able to hear my voice. Looking back at him, Utsusemi-san is shrugging his shoulders. ¡°Sure, I can¡¯t guarantee that part, but the current me just want to use Enjoji-san¡¯s ability, I only have such a purpose. If that purpose is achieved, I will have no priority. If that happens, I don¡¯t think that me will be reluctant to listen to you guys.¡± I wonder if that¡¯s true. It was said by this questionable person after all. Didn¡¯t he escape brilliantly just now? ¡°Before that, I lost to you once. It¡¯s his principle to keep silent and listen to the winner. I¡¯m in this situation now because I have a regret that is Enjoji-san¡¯s ability.¡± And that regret will disappear soon. He laughs with a grin. ¡°¡­I understand. I¡¯ll trust you,¡± I shift my gaze to General Enjoji. ¡°From now Utsusemi-san will be heading there, but please don¡¯t move.¡± I press the knife against the boy¡¯s neck a little bit stronger. ¡°Eeek¡­¡±, so his little scream leaks. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I apologize in a basic way to him, but it only makes him even more scared. I don¡¯t want to kill if possible. It is unavoidable that I have to kill him depending on the response of General Enjoji. ¡°Dammit¡­¡± In front of Utsusemi-san who comes before her, General Enjoji can only mutters so. ¡°It ended up in a too quick manner isn¡¯t it, Enjoji-san? We were worn out many times, but it looks like this is a goodbye.¡± ¡°¡­I came out on top most of the time though, right?¡± ¡°Even if you say that, I will use your ability, though,¡± With that said, Utsusemi-san put his hand on the shoulder of General Enjoji. ¡°Tsk,¡± Immediately, a tongue clicking comes out of his mouth. I understand that it is due to the reversal of his personality. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a boring end, but I¡¯ve achieved my goal. I won¡¯t complain.¡± ¡°¡­I see,¡± General Enjoji seems exhausted. Tameiki-san is looking down at the situation from a distance. ¡°If the current me get angry and go on a rampage, I think it will be easy for the four of you to beat me.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you try it?¡± ¡°No, instead of not doing that, I want you to release the hostages.¡± ¡°You heard her,¡± Looking back, Utsusemi-san send the request to me. Instead of doing that, huh. It sure is a painful negotiation material. ¡°You can kill me. However, don¡¯t scare everyone in the city more than this. This place is a much more peaceful city even when compared to Saint Celia. I don¡¯t want it to break.¡± I think. It¡¯s unproductive to kill her. Even if we remove the shackles of General Enjoji without thinking about anything, she will not bend her belief that is not to kill anyone. So, I¡¯m not afraid of her rampage. However, if she takes this case as a basis and puts effort into countermeasures against Anonymous, it will cause considerable damage to the organization. In that case, should I kill her here¡­? The no-kill general¡­? Should I ask Tameiki-san to make the decision? In the first place, why is the atmosphere turn into one that it¡¯s up to me to make the decision? Ah, is it because I¡¯m taking hostages? ¡°OK. We¡¯ll release the hostages. Shion, release the hostages,¡± When I was at a loss, Utsusemi-san says such a thing as he pleases. ¡°Haah? What the heck are you¡­¡± ¡°Release them.¡± I¡¯m hit by his will. I¡¯m not pressured, but I feel that it is a bad idea to resist here, so I release the hostages. The boy immediately runs to the parents in the back. As for the collapsed girl, her mother approach her cautiously, carry her and escape. It is the same for Roll, she drops the fainted hostages to the ground. ¡°Utsusemi, I owe you this favor.¡± ¡°That¡¯s disgusting, old hag.¡± ¡°Well then, kill me,¡± After slowly descending to the ground, General Enjoji releases her ability and says so. Similarly, Utsusemi-san and Tameiki-san also land on the ground. I¡¯m surprised at the words and actions of General Enjoji. This person, she¡¯s giving her life even though the hostage was released? Utter idiocy. Even though she could just flip over her attitude. What is she thinking? I move my eyes to Roll, Tameiki-san, and Utsusemi-san. Each is thinking deeply. Then, Utsusemi-san breaks the silence. ¡°Live long, old hag,¡± Saying that, he turns on his heels and try to go ahead. General Enjoji opens her eyes slightly and exhales deeply. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t use that ability to do bad things.¡± ¡°Hah, don¡¯t be stupid. Else I¡¯ll kill you.¡± As if she is chasing Utsusemi-san who said so without looking back, Tameiki-san starts walking, and Roll follows. Finally, I face General Enjoji, who have completely lost her fighting spirit. ¡°Are you going to kill me?¡± ¡°What are you saying¡­ On the contrary, it¡¯s terribly easy for you to kill me in this situation. Even if you don¡¯t kill me, you can easily beat me up¡­¡± Intercepting my words, General Enjoji says, ¡°That¡¯s right. However, that¡¯s not it.¡± She looks at the young man who died to my Sound-Shot. He is dead, leaning against the wall of a private house. ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about.¡± What¡¯s with that. I don¡¯t understand what she means. Is she just putting on air of a good person? Because she was spared, she intends to save Utsusemi-san¡¯s face? If I say ¨C I will kill you here ¨C will she accept it? It¡¯s too funny. If General Enjoji dies, the possibility of further sacrifice increases, and it is definitely not the best solution for this situation. ¡°Human beings, can find something more important than life. That includes their own policies, pride, and so on.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Something more important than your own life she said, there¡¯s no way that exist. ¡°What I want to say is, you will definitely won¡¯t have a peaceful way to die, so at least remember that.¡± Only at the end of her words her voice was mixed with hateful anger, and even now, it feels like she is holding herself back from coming to attack me. Way to die ¨C I also don¡¯t need to think about such a thing. I chase after Roll and the others as if to escape from General Enjoji. Thus, the mission of taking back Utsusemi-san came to an end. CH 109 Collapse of Green Caterpillar] Two months have passed since Utsusemi-san returned to the hideout. After he came back, he worked harder than I expected, and the busy hideout began to regain its calm. Only the executive members seem to be busy as usual. That is why the tag of Roll and I got a two-week vacation for the first time in a long while. Honestly, we have nothing to do for two weeks in Derrida, so Roll and I decided to go somewhere. Therefore, at present, Roll is going to get permission to go out, while I am exploring the hideout alone. Because we were busy with missions every day until we got the vacation, I could only grasp the structure inside the hideout thanks to the map. In addition to that, the interior work on the 5th basement floor was just finished the day before yesterday. And thus, access to the 5th basement floor has just been permitted today. The hideout has already regained sufficient functionality. There seems to be no further construction planned so far, and Derrida has become more excellent as a base than before. After I take the elevator down to the 5th basement floor, there appear a beautiful floor. The interior work is just finished, so it is sparkling no matter where I look. The floors from the 1st basement floor to the 4th basement floor are quite muddy because the members go in and out of the base. Even if you try to remove the muds, this area is a wetland, so you cannot completely remove the muds. Therefore, the cleaners always seem to be busy. I proceed on to the new floor. The place I arrive at after getting off the elevator is a little hall, and from there the passages are divided into front, back, left, and right. According to the map, all the passages seem to be connected, so for the time being, I go to the corridor in front of me. ¡°Where are you going, Shion!¡± Because a loud voice suddenly echoes from behind me, where there is no sound before, I¡¯m shocked. And then I¡¯m irritated. ¡°Utsusemi-san, can you stop silence the sounds and approach me? I might attack you reflexively, you know,¡± Looking back, there is Utsusemi-san wearing a traditional haori and hakama costume. Utsusemi-san seems to really like this outfit, as I have never seen him wear any other outfit. ¡°Hah? Try it if you can.¡± I sigh at his random belligerent attitude. Utsusemi-san has been getting in touch with me at every opportunity since then. I think he probably wants to fight me. However, I don¡¯t feel like I can beat Utsusemi-san, who has acquired the abilities of Sound Control and strengthening system Superhuman, in a head-to-head combat. Although they are deteriorated copy, if the abilities are the same, the Silent World might be offset after all. ¡°¡­Utsusemi-san, don¡¯t you have a mission today?¡± For now, let¡¯s ignore his words. If I do this, it will not turn into a battle with Utsusemi-san. For the time being, Utsusemi-san is an ally after all. I think I really should have killed him at that time. ¡°Ahh, there is an executive meeting today. So, I¡¯m on standby. What are you sneaking around for?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m sneaking in particular. I¡¯m just confirming the map. Utsusemi-san yourself, what are you doing in such a place? The meeting room is in two floors above, right?¡± I heard that the particularly important equipment was brought into the B5F yesterday, and the systems related to central management are already in operation. This was what Roll heard from Shido-san, but Observer will also deploy directly to this floor from now on. There aren¡¯t many rooms that you can use on your own conveniences, and there isn¡¯t anything interesting. In fact, even though it is a newly opened floor, there is no one here. Utsusemi-san should have no reason to enter here. ¡°Haha, do you want to hear it?¡± I don¡¯t. ¡°Well, whatever.¡± I don¡¯t want to get entangled with Utsusemi-san anymore, so I try to move on. Then Utsusemi-san grabs my shoulder. ¡°I came to get the ability of Observer.¡± ¡°You will be killed by Boss you know.¡± ¡°Idiooot. Hyde won¡¯t touch anyone other than a traitorous subordinate~. Such a magnanimous man wouldn¡¯t care about such a thing. He will allow this bit of mischief, see.¡± Certainly, even though Boss finds fault in guilty members, he never kills them. It seems at that time with Desuko-san was an exception after all. Speaking of which, he has a history of fighting to the death with Yoiyami-san. I feel like I knew quite a lot about Yoiyami-san, but I still can¡¯t think of the reason why they fought even until now. Well, putting that aside, I think that copying Observer¡¯s ability is enough to be called as an act of betrayal. ¡°Well, have it your way.¡± Thinking that it is better not to get involved, I shake off Utsusemi-san¡¯s hand. However, Utsusemi-san grabs my shoulder again. ¡°You are going with me, you know?¡± ¡°Haah?¡± What the heck are you saying ¨C with such a face, I glare back at Utsusemi-san. Utsusemi-san keeps his hand while a grin floats on his face. ¡°Shion, you haven¡¯t seen Observer¡¯s real body, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen it, but I definitely won¡¯t follow you.¡± ¡°Honestly, I haven¡¯t seen it either. It was decided that only Kemuri, Shikkou, Hyde, and Shido were allowed to deal with it directly.¡± Utsusemi-san doesn¡¯t seem to be willing to response at all, but then he tells a little interesting story, so I shut my mouth unintentionally ¡°It makes you curious, right?¡± I can¡¯t deny it. However, if only the members mentioned by Utsusemi-san are allowed to deal with it directly, it is all the more reason I cannot get involved. ¡°By the way~, Observer is in the room on the left at the end of this corridor.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you can enter such a room without permission though.¡± ¡°Well, obviously. That¡¯s why I went out of my way to pick this from Kemuri¡¯s new room before coming here.¡± Having said that, Utsusemi-san shows me a white card key. I¡¯m familiar with it; it is similar to the previous hideout master key. ¡°It seems to be a master key of this floor.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really going to be killed by Boss, you know.¡± ¡°With this, you become my accomplice.¡± ¡°Please stop joking.¡± ¡°Oi, oi, are you planning to tell someone what I¡¯m about to do? You can¡¯t get out of this.¡± ¡°Why are you dragging me into this?¡± I ask a genuine question. He should have no reason to involve me. ¡°Well, that¡¯s because you¡¯re a witness. Even though I¡¯ve cleared the people out of here with great trouble.¡± What witness. Utsusemi-san was the one who appeared on his own. No, but certainly. If Utsusemi-san kept moving silently, I would have noticed it. However, it¡¯s no wonder that there is no one here. ¡°¡­To begin with, you don¡¯t need Observer¡¯s ability, right? You have my Sound Control after all.¡± ¡°Sure, your ability is useful, but when asked if it fit my personality, it is not. You have to be very precise in using it.¡± ¡°The ability of Observer is the same, you know.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t know it unless I use it, right? It seems that Observer can detect a range of several thousand kilometers if they want to. It¡¯s too amazing, isn¡¯t it? I want to experience that feeling.¡± It¡¯s for pure curiosity, huh. However, this person sure is really determined to get me involved. At such times, I really regret my lack of mobility. I can¡¯t even forcefully shake off Utsusemi-san. ¡°¡­I understand. I¡¯ll follow you, but I won¡¯t help you okay?¡± ¡°Alright, alright, then let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll trust you with the surrounding lookout.¡± CH 110 [Collapse of Flower] The room where the Observer was deployed was at the left side of the end of the passage, as Utsusemi-san said. Its security is only a card reader. I wonder if the protection is only this much because we are trusted. No, perhaps it¡¯s because there¡¯s no meaning in using most kinds of security. There are various ability users in the organization. Since there are ability users with absurd ability like Getsuri-san who can open and close anything, they might consider it meaningless to have pointlessly large amount of security. ¡°Ah~, I¡¯m looking forward to it~.¡± I look sideways at Utsusemi-san, whose eyes are shining. As he slowly swipes through the card reader, the door makes a pushing sound and slides sideways. What unfolds before us is a pitch-black space. However, the lights of the lamps and electrical powers are blinking in here and there. And an unusually cold air leaks out of the room. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be waiting here,¡± Feeling the somewhat dangerous air, I say so and lean back on the wall. However, Utsusemi-san grabs my collar and I¡¯m dragged into the room just like that. After I¡¯m dragged in, the door of the room closes automatically and is locked again with a pushing sound, ¡°What are you doing¡­!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m an executive, y¡¯know?¡± Why was such a person appointed as an executive? While grabbing my collar, Utsusemi-san steps forward. Then, the lights in the room turns on automatically. For the time being, what enter my eyes is a large monitor in front of the entrance. Then the many equipment that surrounds us. ¡°It sure is unusual.¡± ¡°Is Observer really here? Did you mistake the room?¡± At least it doesn¡¯t feel like there are people here. Heartbeat sound, breathing sound, and those sounds that you should be able to hear from a human can¡¯t be heard from inside this room. Utsusemi-san, who currently stocks Sound Control, seems to get that, as he lifts one of his eyebrows and looks around. Meanwhile, I find a protruding acrylic glass shaped like a capsule among the equipment that completely cover the walls except the part where the monitor is. A strange object connected to dozens of electrodes is in it, and it is gently moving up and down in a mysterious liquid. ¡°Utsusemi-san, what is this?¡± After approaching it, I look back at Utsusemi-san and ask. Utsusemi-san stands behind me, sticks his hand and face on the acrylic glass and looks at it seriously. ¡°This is, a brain, isn¡¯t it? Its shape is veeery distorted though.¡± Now that he said it, it does seem like a brain. But it¡¯s too distorted and it feels like it¡¯s very incoherent. However, this is certainly a brain. After I concentrate on listening to the sound inside the acrylic glass, I¡¯m immediately convinced. ¡°Why is a brain in such a place?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s try break the glass and touch it.¡± ¡°H-hey¡­!¡± I move up and stop Utsusemi-san who is raising his hand. Seriously, what the heck is this guy thinking? ¡°What do you think of doing? This is obviously something important.¡± ¡°Haha. ¡®course, I know that. I just tried to scare you.¡± ¡­This person sure is annoying. ¡°But this is quite interesting. This brain, it is alive.¡± I¡¯m aware of that too. Or rather, I¡¯m surprised that Utsusemi-san noticed that. But this person, does he already become able to hear the faint brain waves? Moreover, it¡¯s through acrylic glass. This is bad. ¡°Maybe this brain is the Observer, hahaha.¡± Utsusemi-san laughs and says that, but he seems to be rather convinced of it. Perhaps he wasn¡¯t joking when he said that. Until now, I thought that Observer was a person, but because it was spoken of like it was an object, I felt a little doubtful. I somehow felt that my doubt about Observer had cleared up. ¡°Isn¡¯t this thing dangerous?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. Instead, it¡¯s not dangerous at all. The truly dangerous thing isn¡¯t this easily noticeable after all, right?¡± No, I think that¡¯s not the case. This brain, is it a human brain? Or is it artificially created? In any case, this brain is alive and active. I¡¯m feeling a little scared now. I think this is the part of Anonymous that I don¡¯t really want to get involved with. This information is too much for an ordinary member like me. ¡°But, what a disappointment,¡± He says so and straddle the deliberately protruded acrylic glass. Then suddenly, the monitor lit. ¡°Hm?¡± Raising his head Utsusemi-san turns his gaze toward the monitor. I also look at the monitor. To be honest, I want to get away from this place, but for some reason I get stuck there. On the lit monitor, the eye beam cursor is blinking quietly at the left edge. In the silence, I look at it for a while, then mysterious character strings are listed from the cursor at the left edge. When the characters spread to fill the screen, the listing stop there. I¡¯m familiar with this scene. I had seen it in the monitor room during the attack on Nursery Rhymes. It looks exactly like the character strings at that time. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the Observer¡¯s communication? Oi Shion, read it.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way I can read it, right?¡± The only ones who are able to decipher this should be Boss, Shikkou-san, and Kemuri-san. At that time, I hear a pushing sound and the door of the room open. It¡¯s bad. With that in mind, I try to hide myself, but there is no place to hide. It is Utsusemi-san who carries me such me. He jumps to the ceiling while holding me and clings to it. ¡°Be grateful, okay?¡± Utsusemi-san send a voice only to me. Now that I think about it, I shouldn¡¯t have to hide. I was just dragged by this person. Well, I¡¯m aware that I did something wrong, that was why I tried to hide in a hurry. ¡°Let¡¯s guess who will come in. There are three choices,¡± There is a sound of the door sliding. And Utsusemi-san says such a thing leisurely. We, who are clinging to the ceiling with a height of about 5 to 6m, are just in a place where we can¡¯t see the entrance area because the pillars and equipment are in the way. The people who can enter here are Boss, Kemuri-san, and Shido-san. It is safe if anyone other than Boss comes in. If it¡¯s Boss, even if the sound is silenced, I feel like we will be found by our presences, so it¡¯s out. Since there are traces of us, that is the character strings displayed on the screen of the monitor, either way, we have to escape from here somehow though. When I thought so, hiding was a correct answer. If it is exposed that I got strange information, I¡¯m sure my position will also be jeopardized. I don¡¯t think I will be executed, but it will probably be difficult to maintain the status quo. ¡°I think it¡¯s Kemuri-san,¡± the key card was stolen from Kemuri-san after all. ¡°It would be interesting if Hyde is the one coming in.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you stop joking.¡± *Push* There is a sound of the room door closing. The footsteps coming straight from the entrance slowly. The person who is emerging from behind a pillar is a person that is not among the options. It is a girl with pure white hair wearing robe-like clothes. She goes to the middle of the room, then she turns this way and says, ¡°Ur¡­ gent. There is no¡­ time.¡± Then she collapses on the spot. Seeing that, Utsusemi-san who is holding me takes his hand off the ceiling and lands on the floor. ¡°¡­What¡¯s with this girl?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ve never seen her before.¡± Is she a member of the organization? Utsusemi-san also seems confused as expected, and he remains silent for a while. Eventually he takes out a phone of his pocket and stares at it, then he says, ¡°Crap.¡± I glance at him. He doesn¡¯t seem to be troubled at all. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about time for the executive meeting. Shion, sorry, but please to clean up after this¡­¡± You wanna die? He leaves the room while I¡¯m wondering whether to say those words. This has become troublesome. CH 111 [Collapse of the Encounter] Utsusemi-san immediately decided to impose this trouble on me and left the room. His judgment at such times ais top notch. Or rather, executive meeting? He¡¯s the type who doesn¡¯t care about such a thing at all. I should have stopped him with all my might. Looking back on the current troublesome situation, I decide to sort out the situation. For the time being, what¡¯s with this girl¡­? She suddenly appeared, fainted here, and left behind mysterious words. I try to turn the fallen white-haired girl back on her back. She is quite light. She wears a white robe¡­ or rather a piece of patient gown on her bare body; it is buttoned messily, leaving the pit of her stomach open. She seems to have fainted, but the sounds of her heartbeat and breathing are normal. She is younger than me as far as she looks. Even though I look at her closely, I don¡¯t recall ever seeing her in the hideout. As expected, I should report this. To Boss or Shido-san, or someone around their status. However, if I do that, they will find out that I was here. ¡­But I feel like they will find out about it eventually. In that case, my punishment would probably be as heavy as Utsusemi-san¡¯s. If possible, I would like to hide it somehow¡­ While I¡¯m thinking about it, I notice something. This girl, she doesn¡¯t have a key card¡­ I try to search the pocket and the inside of her patient gown. However, I don¡¯t find a key card anywhere. ¡­How did she come in? Was it ability? *Put* Come the sound of the monitor behind me turning off. The listing of characters that was projected is painted black now. I feel like getting out of this quiet room quickly. This girl is also creepy anyway, and I feel like I¡¯m being watched by the brain floating up and down behind me. ¡°¡­¡­¡± After thinking in the quiet room for a while, I decide to leave everything alone. I will not report it, nor will I care for this strange girl. I was just dragged in by Utsusemi-san. Besides, they must know which one to be trusted between Utsusemi-san who has such a personality and me who have faithfully carried out the missions of the organization. Then, I just need to wash my hands off this matter. With a mix of suitable lies, I can lay all the blames on Utsusemi-san. I was just dragged in forcibly in the first place, so I¡¯m not at fault. Just that, I feel a little guilty for my self-centered thought. Thinking that far, I leave the girl alone and leave Observer¡¯s room. After leaving the room while being cautious of the area so that no one could see me, I return to the floor where my room is. Then, I walk in the crowded corridor toward my room(although it is a shared room with Roll). Compared to the 5th basement floor, there are a lot of people on this 2nd basement floor. It seems that the number of members on duty today is quite small, as Roll said it would take some time to get permission to go out. That¡¯s right. I completely forgot, but I wonder if Roll has already returned to the room. It¡¯s just right. With this, if I immediately set out on a vacation for two weeks, the matter just now will be settled properly. While feeling good after coming up with a good idea, I finally reach my room, and when I open the door, Roll welcomes me. ¡°Listen to this, Shion.¡± When she starts with such words, it means she will complain. There must be something making her angry when she was getting the permission to go out. I reply while making such a prediction, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°For some reason, I couldn¡¯t get permission to go out.¡± Hearing something unexpected from Roll, I reflexively stiffen. But, I recover immediately. ¡°Eh? For real? Why?¡± ¡°It seems that due to the traffic condition of the surface, they don¡¯t give out permission to go out today. That¡¯s why there are only small number of people going out on mission today.¡± Dammit, why today. I ask so that Roll doesn¡¯t notice my inner feeling, ¡°How long is it?¡± ¡°It seems that we can get the permission tomorrow, but I think the office work will be crowded. There are many members who want to take vacation too after all.¡± ¡°I see. Let¡¯s get permission in the morning.¡± I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be safe today though. I want to get rid of this anxiety as soon as possible. ¡°¡­? Well, that¡¯s fine, but you seem quite eager.¡± While saying that, Roll go to the inner part of the room. I also follow after her and sit on the sofa. ¡°Well, that¡¯s because I want to go on a trip with Roll as soon as possible. It¡¯s been a long time since we have days off after all.¡± ¡°Mou,¡± Roll laughs shyly. It seems that she was packing travel luggage, as the room is littered with her various personal belongings. ¡°So where are we going?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have somewhere you want to go, Shion?¡± I want to go somewhere far away not here. A place where I can safely relax. I didn¡¯t dare to voice out such a request. ¡°Nothing comes to my mind.¡± ¡°Then¡­ right. How about Deal-Bell?¡± Deal-Bell, huh. It sure is not a city that left me with many good memories. Was it exactly a year ago? The city where we failed our mission for the first time. At that time, Roll, who was protecting me, was seriously injured, and after that, we managed to survive with the help of Tameiki-san. However, Deal Bell is a good city. Facing the sea, it is a famous tourist destination. And this season should be the opening of the beachgoing season. It¡¯s a quite long way from here; going to Deal Bell may be a good idea. ¡°That might be good. But we¡¯re not going to stay at Deal Bell all the time, right?¡± ¡°Obviously. It would be fun to decide the next destination at wherever we go.¡± Suddenly, my phone vibrates. I take it out and check the sender, it is from Utsusemi-san. [What happened to ¡®that¡¯?] I frown. If we talk about it in email, it would leave trace, right¡­ No, it doesn¡¯t matter for Utsusemi-san, huh. Everyone knows that Utsusemi-san is such a person, and he was often let off due to his nature. He even challenged General Enjoji without any plan, it¡¯s like he doesn¡¯t know what fear is in the first place. When I think about it, it may be encouraging in a sense. His unquestionable persistence is suitable to make him as a target to lay blame on. ¡°From whom?¡± Roll asks, so I answer, ¡°It¡¯s from Utsusemi-san.¡± ¡°Utsusemi? If I¡¯m not mistaken, there is an executive meeting today, right?¡± It seems that he didn¡¯t lie when he said there is an executive meeting. ¡°If it¡¯s that person, he would probably play with his phone even during a meeting.¡± ¡°Ah~¡­¡± The use of phone and the likes is prohibited during the meeting, and at worst, it may be confiscated before it starts, but Utsusemi-san does not care about such a thing. He is the man who entered Observer¡¯s room without permission. The ringtone of the phone rings. It is also an email from Utsusemi-san. ¡°Shion, since when did you get along with him?¡± ¡°You got it wrong. It¡¯s just that he one-sidedly getting into contact with me.¡± I say with an emphasizing tone, then I reluctantly open the email. [It seems that there will be a talk about you in today¡¯s meeting too, so come here.] ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Roll says when she sees me frowning again. ¡°Well, he told me to come to the conference room.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Or rather, I¡¯m on vacation right now. Why do I have to attend the meeting? However, now that it has come to this, I have no choice but to go. There is a possibility that Utsusemi-san is lying, but I have to go to confirm it. ¡°I¡¯ll go out for a while.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± After I leave the room with Roll¡¯s consent, I head to the conference room downstairs. CH 112 [Collapse of Fade] The B3F, where the conference room is located, is also crowded with people, and it took me some time to reach it. I use the inside call button in front of the room to notify my arrival in the room. Then the door that is locked from inside is unlocked and the door opens. It is Tameiki-san who opened the door. ¡°You¡¯ve come.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± From the way she spoke, it seems true that I was called. If possible, I wished it was just Utsusemi-san¡¯s prank though. When I look into the conference room, executive members are sitting around the round table at irregular space. ¡°Get inside.¡± Being told so, I go inside. And after I look around the round table again, I notice that Boss and Shido-san isn¡¯t there. Utsusemi-san and Byakurei-san are sitting on the round table facing each other, and Kemuri-san and Chiyaku-san are both sitting near the entrance. An indescribable atmosphere floats in the room. ¡°Yo, Shion.¡± I ignore Utsusemi¡¯s who seems to be intentionally raising his hand. ¡°Tameiki-san, where is Boss and Shido-san?¡± ¡°They haven¡¯t come yet, so the meeting is delayed.¡± ¡°Hee.¡± ¡°Well, sit down.¡± After giving a bow to each executive except Utsusemi-san, I take a seat in the back. Tameiki-san sits next to me, so Utsusemi, who is at the edge of my line of sight, disappears from my view. After that, the conference room becomes quiet. It must be the silence before the meeting starts. Even before, I think it was like this until Boss talked. Why was I called, I wonder? I want to ask Tameiki-san who is sitting next to me but I hesitate to open my mouth because everyone is silent. However. ¡°Oi Shion, what happened to ¡®that¡¯?¡± Because Utsusemi-san said such words, I blank out. I notice that everyone¡¯s eyes moved this way. I decide to ignore it, but Utsusemi-san launch a sound so that only I can hear it. [Come to think of it, we can talk like this, huh.] If this is the case, even if we are having a conversation, we will not get caught. Honestly, I don¡¯t want to talk, but I decide to reply to Utsusemi-san. Looking at me who don¡¯t say anything, all executives pull back their gazes. Seeing that, I send a sound to Utsusemi-san. [What are you thinking? Kemuri-san might find out you stole his key card, you know.] Maybe he already knew? Is that why he trying to get me involved? No, if that is the case, he won¡¯t have to speak in this way. [That kind of thing will be found out eventually, so it¡¯s okay. So, what happened to that woman?] The hell it¡¯s okay, you bastard. You were trying to tattle on me earlier, aren¡¯t you? No, this guy is so messed up that I don¡¯t know he¡¯s thinking about. [I don¡¯t want to get involved, so I left her as she was. I didn¡¯t see anything, nor did I hear anything. I mean, I wasn¡¯t there. So, please leave me out of it, okay?] [Oi, oi, you left her as she was? Then it would put me on the spot, y¡¯know that, right?] [It was your responsibility in the first place.] [Haa? Are you looking down on me?] [You¡¯re the one who is looking down on me. Anyway, I¡¯ll feign ignorance, okay?] [OK, OK. Let¡¯s do it this way. Luckily, thanks to the meeting, our mischief hasn¡¯t been exposed yet. So, when this is over, let¡¯s go handle ¡®that¡¯ together, else we¡¯ll be in trouble. Even if they find out about the trespass, it¡¯s okay, but that woman must be rid of.¡± [Utsusemi-san should be able to take care of it somehow, right? You¡¯re an executive, so there should nothing you need to be afraid of.] [Tsk, what a hassle. Aight, I just have to do it alone, right?] Obviously. I didn¡¯t convey that word to Utsusemi-san. About 10 minutes have passed since the true silence came to the conference room again. ¡°No matter how you think about it, isn¡¯t this too long? There¡¯s nooo way they would be late for nearly 30 minutes.¡± Getting tired of waiting, Byakurei-san opens his mouth. ¡°Byakurei, huh. Wait a little longer.¡± Kemuri-san rebukes at Byakurei-san, but I also think they are too late. There¡¯s no way Boss and Shido-san would be this late, right? ¡°Well, they¡¯re certainly late. Can I go to the restroom?¡± With that said, Utsusemi stands up and leaves the room before anyone gives permission. The silence returned to the room again. Byakurei starts fidgeting. Kemuri-san is sitting deep in the chair and waiting, and Chiyaku-san is putting her elbow on the desk and staring at the air dazedly. When I turn my gaze to Tameiki-san next to her, she is hanging her hands down languidly, resting her head on the chair and turning her face to the ceiling. The tension at the beginning has disappear, and the atmosphere turns into one where you can talk. I lightly nudge Tameiki-san¡¯s arm and call her, ¡°Tameiki-san.¡± ¡°what¡­?¡± ¡°Why was I called?¡± ¡°At today¡¯s meeting, there is also the topic of whether to make you an executive.¡± ¡°You¡¯re joking, right¡­?¡± I don¡¯t want to be an executiveee¡­ No matter how you think about it, I¡¯m not suited to be one, right? ¡­Or rather, such a topic isn¡¯t something you decide in front of the person himself, isn¡¯t it? ¡°It¡¯s true. It¡¯s great, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not great at all, you know,¡± After I said that, Tameiki-san laughs a little and returns to her previous position. No, I wasn¡¯t being humble. However, it sure has become troublesome¡­ I appreciate it that they consider promoting me to become an executive, but I have to turn it down this time. When I think so, a *pon* sound of a call appears in the room. According to the position, I should be the one going huh. After I stand up and unlock the automatic door, the door of the room opens. ¡°Oi, she¡¯s gone,¡± Utsusemi-san, who appears from the other side of the door, whispers to me. ¡°What are you talking about¡­?¡± ¡°That woman.¡± [You¡¯re kidding, right?] Understanding the meaning of the talk, I limit the destination of the sound. I return to my seat with a nonchalant look. I see, Utsusemi-san didn¡¯t go to the restroom. [You, have you actually dealt with it?] Utsusemi-san, who is also seated, asks. [No, I haven¡¯t.] [She was unconscious, isn¡¯t she?] [Yes. It¡¯s bad, isn¡¯t it?] That means she woke up in the last few tens of minutes and disappeared somewhere. In other words, she is the only witness who knows that Utsusemi-san and I were in that room. [So, it¡¯s to erase or to forbid her from speaking, huh.] [But I think that girl is probably not someone of the organization.] [Why do you think so? Perhaps you just never seen her before, right?] [Because I remember almost all the faces of the members who go in and out of the hideout. She had such a conspicuous appearance; if she¡¯s a member, there¡¯s no way I could forget her.] [You sure did well, leaving her alone.] That is certainly my fault. No, it¡¯s not. I wasn¡¯t there, right? In that case, the one who left her alone was Utsusemi-san. Nominally, that¡¯s how it was. [I think this is Utsusemi-san¡¯s responsibility no matter how you think about it.] [No, don¡¯t blame me. Well, thanks to that, it has become a little more interesting.] What is this guy talking about? [Come to think of it, that girl didn¡¯t have a key card.] Even though she opened the lock and came in. [You¡¯re kiddin¡¯ me, right? Was she using an ability?] It sure is bad. Even though it¡¯s nominally Utsusemi-san¡¯s fault, why did I leave such a suspicious person alone? However, as long as the current situation where you can¡¯t go out without permission to go out stands, it is certain that she is still in the hideout. There will be no problem if we find her by tomorrow. [Anyway, let¡¯s spread out to search for her when the meeting is over. Since no one can get out now, she should still be in the hideout.] *Pon* Another call of the room. Boss and co should be able to unlock the room lock without having to press the internal call button, so it should be someone else. Like earlier, I, who have the lowest position among them, go to unlock the room. I wish they make a button that can unlock the lock remotely. The door is knocked with *bang, bang*, it seems that the visitor is in a hurry. I walk a little faster to the front of the door and unlock the room. Then. ¡°Pardon my intrusion!! On the surface, the Self-Defense Forces is rushing to the village of Derrida¡­! They are from the countermeasures department¡­!¡± The member who came as a messenger shout so desperately. CH 113 [Collapse of Convex] What is this person saying? I thought so for a moment, but he probably ran so hard, as he is sweating buckets, and he doesn¡¯t seem to be fooling around. I look back at the executives. While each have a grim face, only Utsusemi-san looks very happy. ¡°Please give us a more detailed explanation of the situation,¡± Kemuri-san says. ¡°Y-yes. The people from the Anonymous Countermeasures Department came to round up Derrida Village, led by Lieutenant General Sakai¡­ No, that wasn¡¯t to round up or the likes. A fully armed Self-Defense Forces broke into the village, they probably have identified that the hideout is here¡­ The collapse of the first defense line is imminent.¡± ¡°What, so it¡¯s that incompetent lieutenant general, huh? Don¡¯t scare me like that,¡± Byakurei-san shrugs his shoulders and says so. They¡¯re not enemies that have that much threat, but I think the problem here is that this place is exposed though. If we have to move the base again, the endurances of the members won¡¯t be able to handle it. ¡°So how many enemies are there?¡± ¡°Probably over 2,000¡­¡± Byakurei-san¡¯s expression is stiffened. No, probably everyone is shocked by the numbers. 2,000¡­? What the heck are they planning to do by coming here? Even Tameiki-san stands up a little roughly this time. ¡°Didn¡¯t you get early warning from the automatic detection of Observer?¡± ¡°¡­It seems it didn¡¯t make it in time.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s put that off. Everyone, get in your seat. We have to put up a countermeasure immediately.¡± White smoke rolls up from Kemuri-san¡¯s body, and a clone is formed beside him. It¡¯s his ability, Avatars. ¡°For the time being, I will check the situation on the ground with my clone. You, inform the people on ground to start the battle if the first defense line is breached. Hold them back from invading the underground,¡± Kemuri-san¡¯s clone says so, and the man who came as a messenger responds and leaves the conference room with the clone. Each person who stood up took a seat, and I also returned to my original seat. ¡°I propose to fight back,¡± Kemuri-san says. I frown. No matter how you think about it, we should evacuate. I wanted to say so, but I didn¡¯t because the other party is Kemuri-san. He is a specialist in commanding and always chooses the best option. I thought that Kemuri-san would give a suggestion to evacuate, so I was surprised that he chose to fight back. ¡°It sure is getting interesting.¡± I¡¯m irritated by Utsusemi-san¡¯s easygoing attitude. What¡¯s interesting? A lot of people will die. After receiving various responses, Kemuri-san continues, ¡°It¡¯s safe to say that this has something to do with the lateness of Boss and Shido. What we have to do is earn time until then. The hideout is currently in full power. Unlike the previous withdrawal battle, our forces are sufficient.¡± Certainly, it is difficult to evacuate due to the terrain, so I understand that we have to make that decision. However, we should not have enough forces. Even if the ground and underground are combined, the number of our troops is less than 1,000. Furthermore, if you subtract the ones who can fight from there, we are overwhelmingly disadvantaged compared to the Self-Defense Forces. All of the currently available executives are strong, but the difference in numbers cannot be filled by any means. Moreover, this is a surprise attack. Naturally, there should be reinforcements from Saint Celia. Wouldn¡¯t it be easier to rebuild if we withdraw before the battle? ¡­No, let¡¯s believe in Kemuri-san. No one in the organization can understand the situation faster than him except the dead Shikkou-san. In fact, he made a decision without panic and started to act in just over a dozen seconds. Kemuri-san might have said that after considering various factors. Without him, we would waste more time in discussion. After all, the executive members are all stubborn. After seeing no one commented, Kemuri-san continues, ¡°Now then, gather the main combatants with codenames in the large conference room.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª Ten minutes after that, all combatants, including executives, are gathering in the large conference room. Kemuri-san made two more clones. There is an upper limit to his ability, but his clones could make clones too, so more clones should be moving now. The clones diffuse the situation all at once, displaying an amazing performance. It seems that the battle has already begun on the ground, as the rumblings have been transmitted to here. Under the command of Kemuri-san¡¯s clones, the surface should hold up for a while, but he is probably using the low-rank members as cannon fodders to buy time. The desks in the large conference room were roughly removed, and at present, about 50 members carefully selected by Kemuri-san have changed into uniform (although some didn¡¯t get changed) and are looking at the map displayed on the front monitor. Kemuri-san is standing next to the monitor explains the strategy, ¡°As you know, there are only three entrances to this underground hideout. There are a total of nine entrances if we include the ones for evacuation, but there is no risk of invasion from those ones. I will omit this explanation.¡± Each doorway is enlarged and displayed on the monitor. First of all, the passage leading to the hidden underground parking lot. Then, the entrance in the center of the above-ground Derrida Village. And a simple entrance right by the center of the line connecting that entrance and the emergency exit of the underground passage. Each allows invasion of the hideout via the stairs or passages. The exits for evacuation are not established yet, but would be opened by explosives buried in various places. The reason Kemuri-san said there¡¯s no need to worry about those is because they¡¯re not currently established as exits. ¡°The number of enemies is about 2,000. If we fight head on, we can hardly win. In addition, their reinforcements will come from Saint Celia one after another. However, if it comes to siege battles, they are not a threat. If we can call reinforcements from all branches, defend only these three points and attract the enemies, we can launch a pincer attack.¡± I see. If we only protect the passages, even this small number of people can hold up until reinforcements arrive. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the people on the ground, but I have them become sacrificial pieces. Originally, they were the people from the far away branches. It isn¡¯t a big damage. While they are buying time, let¡¯s allocate the positioning.¡± After glancing at his wristwatch, Kemuri-san operates the tablet in his hand and change the screen of the monitor. What is projected is the allocation of members assigned to each point. Kemuri-san explains verbally, ¡°First of all, the entrance at the center; Byakurei and Tameiki will be positioned here. This is the final defense line. Defend it properly.¡± ¡°Okke.¡± ¡°¡­Leave it to me.¡± Byakurei-san and Tameiki-san are in the center, huh. Certainly, if it¡¯s the two of them, it will not be broken through. With just Byakurei-san¡¯s Room Impair, the enemies won¡¯t be able to invade. ¡°The defense of the underground passage leading to the parking lot is as you can see. If the parking lot is found, this will be the widest and most fierce battlefield. Depending on the battle situation, we will increase the number of personnel.¡± 21 members were assigned. Getsuri-san, Hikisaki-san, Utsusemi-san, Roll, I, and etc. Dammit, I¡¯m placed here, huh. No, it¡¯s better than the simple entrance that is likely to be the front line, huh. However, the members are pretty terrible. Would these people be able to cooperate¡­? ¡°The remaining members are at the simple entrance. Currently, this is the front line, and the guys on the ground are guarding here. Don¡¯t let even one of them in.¡± The names of ability users with wide-range influence such as Face Punch-san are not shown on the monitor. Apparently, they are assigned as the rearguards. All member nods and reply to Kemuri-san with a quiet fighting spirit. I¡¯m nervous, or rather, I feel like running away. This depends on when the reinforcements arrive, but I see more than half will be casualty. The members in the rear guard are fine, but I feel that the 50 of us will become expendables. ¡°If someone is injured, take them to the rear guard immediately. The medical team on the second basement floor will treat them. The hideout is not designed to withstand combat, but the material it is built of make the hideout durable. Ability users that have influence on physics, you can all go wild. Is there any question?¡± I raise my hand. Gazes are gathered on me. ¡°What is it, Shion?¡± ¡°What about Renga? Should I go out to the surface and call him?¡± Brick is usually keeping away from Derrida, but when I call him, he will always come. He will be a great force in this battle. I thought so, but Kemuri-san shakes his head, ¡°No¡­ you don¡¯t have to call Renga.¡± ¡°¡­Can I ask why?¡± ¡°Renga will disperse the enemies and allies on the ground. He¡¯s not suitable for this battle with the aim of pincer attack.¡± ¡°But Renga¡­ no, I understand.¡± I rebutted, but agreed against my own will. The smart Renga should be able to move according to my instruction, but if Kemuri-san decided so, it can¡¯t be helped. ¡°Any other questions?¡± Not particularly. The silence that said so continues for a few seconds. Kemuri-san raises one of his hand to indicate the end of the question time. Then, taking a deep breath of him, he says, ¡°Probably, this will be the biggest battle in Anonymous history, and a full-scale war that is pitting the survival of the organization and the authority of the Self-Defense Forces.¡± Roll standing next to me glances at me. It has become outrageous, isn¡¯t it? ¨C so I read from Roll¡¯s glance. ¡°The enemy is 2,000. We are elite who have passed through many nearly certain death experiences against those carefully trained people. Killing 40 people by yourself is just a small thing for you guys, right?¡± Kemuri-san shrugs his shoulders and says so. There are small laughs and each of them have an expression that says ¡®of course¡¯. They have enough morale, huh. It¡¯s been dozens of minutes since the information came in, I think we did well, preparing this much. ¡°I repeat, they are not enemies. Let¡¯s teach them the true absurdity. Disperse!¡± Yeah!!! ¨C such a reply echoes in the large conference room. I louden the sounds to raise their moral even further. Then every one starts running toward their assigned location. CH 114 [Collapse of the Earth] The underground passage leading to the parking lot. A space of about 5 meters in width and height that continues until 200 meters away to where the parking lot is. Twenty-one people, including myself, who were placed there, are gathered with their respective weapons. The light in the passage illuminates the eerie masks. It has been 30 minutes since we were ordered to be in position. The entrance to the underground parking lot has not been breached yet, rather it seems that it has not been found, and our group is waiting. The order from Kemuri-san is to guard this place, which is the second defense line, to the last breath. We have to wait until the enemies come. Of course, the 21 people are not lined up side by side; we are lined up in order from the strongest to the weakest, with the strongest, which is Utsusemi-san, being closest to the parking lot. The order depends on self-assessment. Roll and I are around the middle. Roll wanted to be in the front, but this suits me. Anyhow, when the enemies come, the battle would spill out to the large parking lot, so the order is meaningless, I think. At the border of the underground passage leading to the inside of the hideout, Kemuri-san¡¯s clone is waiting as a commander. And I am the one who will listen to his orders and conveys them with my ability. At the simple entrance, a fierce battlefront had already been unfolded. What I hear is screams, sounds of crashes, and so on. If that entrance, which is also the second defense line, is destroyed, the operating range of the hideout would be cut by half, and we would have to withdraw to the final defense line. Therefore, it would be easier for our forces to have the enemies dispersed here as well. ¡°Haaah, I have picked the wrong one, huh,¡± Utsusemi-san murmurs. His voice echoes well in the underground passage. He seems to be dissatisfied with the fact that the enemy hasn¡¯t come yet. For me, I pray that the enemies would not come. ¡­I wonder how is the situation on the surface. ¡°Hey, you guys, can I go over there?¡± Utsusemi-san¡¯s voice echoes again. No one answer his words. Crap, he will take the silence as an affirmative. When I try to stop him with that in mind, Roll opens her mouth first, ¡°Of course you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Tsk¡­¡± His tongue clicking echoes in the passage. When I peer at the front, Utsusemi-san is squatting on the spot. After a moment, he rubs his back against the wall of the passage, then lays sprawling on the ground and puts his bamboo hat on his face. Don¡¯t tell me, that person, he¡¯s not going to sleep, right? There are many people sighing at Utsusemi-san, who is demonstrating his lack of coordination. But there are also people who react in a different way. Like Getsuri-san who is kicking away the bamboo hat on Utsusemi-san¡¯s face. ¡°Hah? What the hell are you doing, bastard?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I want to ask,¡± A staredown between Getsuri-san and Utsusemi-san who stood up begins. A commotion appears in the underground passage. ¡°Getsuri, stop.¡± Just that, in Getsuri-san¡¯s case, he will settle down with just a single word from Roll. Getsuri-san hasn¡¯t gotten rid of his complicated bad habit in regard to Roll, but I feel he was quiet these days. ¡°Looks like you are saved, trash,¡± the staredown continues for a while, but eventually, Getsuri-san leaves Utsusemi-san after saying so. But Getsuri-san, my image of him is that he is docile to the executives, but is Utsusemi-san an exception? Well, Utsusemi-san doesn¡¯t feel like an executive. He¡¯s just strong. If his personality is reversed, he will be more or less bearable though. ¡­Even so, there are only uncooperative members here. Including me. From the enemy¡¯s point of view, this must be a hole. What is Kemuri-san thinking? ¡°Boriiing¡­¡± Utsusemi-san lays down on the spot again while looking as if his enjoyment has been spoiled. Right at that time, there is a crashing sound *bang* at the end of the passage. It¡¯s from the parking lot. A bursting sound passes through the underground passage. At the same time, there is a whoosh and wind blow through the passage. ¡°At last!¡± Utsusemi-san immediately stands up and enter battle stance. We, who are also entering battle stance behind him, look beyond the passage too. It¡¯s the enemies. It seems that the entrance to the underground parking lot has been found. They blow it up to widen the entrance, huh. I can hear the soldiers of the Self-Defense Forces rushing into the parking lot. *schwing*. I draw my knife. ¡°They¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± ¡°Are you nervous?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± I have the confidence to survive. ¡°Is that so? Then, Shion, how about a contest on who will kill more?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be disadvantaged here, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you a handicap. How about a twice difference?¡± ¡°You sure are confident. Okay. What happen if you lose?¡± ¡°Nn~, let¡¯s think about that later.¡± ¡°OK.¡± ¡°That sounds interesting~. Let me in that contest too,¡± Utsusemi-san enter the conversation from the front. ¡°Look forward!¡± He¡¯s rebuked by Kemuri-san at the back. It seems that I won¡¯t even have the leeway to talk before long¡­ Or rather, I don¡¯t intend to have a contest against Utsusemi-san, so neither Roll nor I reply to him. ¡°I¡¯m okay with a triple difference,¡± Utsusemi-san seems intending to participate in the contest without permission. The soldiers who came down to the underground parking lot stay there for a while, being wary of moving forward. The light in the 200 meters long passage is dim, so the visibility isn¡¯t that good. The enemies should be aware that we are ambushing here, but they shouldn¡¯t be able to confirm it by sight. We cannot see the enemy from our position too. ¡°Lure them into the passage and strike them in order. If you go out to the parking lot now, it will turn into a free-for-all. Let¡¯s get rid of them little by little,¡± Kemuri-san says. I adjust the sound so that his words reach everyone. No reply echoes in the passage. Everyone just nods. At that time, I suddenly hear a whooshing sound. ¡°Get down!¡± Utsusemi-san at the lead shouts. While I¡¯m surprised by Utsusemi-san who showed a faster response than me, I drop my body as low as possible. A dozen people, including myself, are able to respond to Utsusemi-san¡¯s words within 5 seconds. The heads of the people whose reaction was late are fluttering in the air. I don¡¯t have time to confirm who died. I open my eyes to the limit to get more information. I feel the motions are very slow. I gaze at the end of the passage. We have lost the head start. ¡°Kemuri-san! The instruction!¡± Someone who was able to react screams. Utsusemi-san and I start moving without waiting for the instruction. Roll kicks the ground to match me. Such a long-distance attack with such a speed in a straight line. If we don¡¯t close the distance immediately, we will be wiped out in an instant. ¡°Run to the parking lot!¡± Kemuri-san¡¯s voice echoes. I wonder if we would be ganged up when we arrived at the parking lot. ¡­That¡¯s up to Utsusemi-san who is at the lead, huh. Would he be able to break the enemies¡¯ formation? Currently, there are about 100 enemies who have entered the underground parking lot, and they have assembled a formation so as to surround the entrance of the passage. The parking lot itself has a space of about 100m on all sides, and there are many obstacles such as pillars and cars; it is a terrain that would make it quite easy for me to fight. Because they have the strengthening system¡¯s ability, Utsusemi-san and the roll are already far ahead. However, a gust of wind blows in the passage, and the progress of the two people in front is stopped. Behind them, I¡¯m also blown away. Hikisaki-san, who is in the back, grab my collar, stopping me. Whoosh, whoosh. The previous attack strikes again. ¡°Stick to the wall!¡± In the strong wind, I scream and stick my body to the wall. This time, I grabbed Hikisaki-san¡¯s clothes and led him to the wall. The incoming slash takes the lives of 3 or 4 people. Dammit, their strategy is to use this strong wind to keep us away, and reducing our number with the slash in the meantime, huh. In the last few seconds, the 21 of us has decreased by half. Kemuri-san¡¯s clone is¡­ still alive. He doesn¡¯t seem to have decided to withdraw yet. ¡°You bastards!!¡± Whoosh. The strong wind that was released for the purpose of pushing us away is sent back and is offset. Origami (Stream). Hikisaki-san¡¯s ability. If there is a flow that continues in the same direction, he can turn it back to offset it, or use that power to counter attack. The headwind became the tailwind. CH 115 [Collapse of War] We don¡¯t miss the opportunity. The surviving members run through the passageway at once and go out to the parking lot. Thanks to Utsusemi-san and Roll at the lead cut down the enemies, the formation collapses in no time. The number of enemies slightly exceeds 100. Perhaps 150¡­ no, maybe more? Having rushed into the parking lot, I immediately leap to the side and hide behind the cars and pillars. However, long-term defense would be difficult when half of us have died at this point. Was there no one who could deal with the attack like the one from earlier positioned here? Since it was a straight passage, they should be able to predict that such an attack would come. Kemuri-san¡¯s clone stands in the same place as before. Was there a misplacement¡­? ¡°13th person! C¡¯mon, c¡¯mon, are there only small fries here!?¡± I peek from the behind the pillar, and see Utsusemi-san jumping about the parking lot and cutting down enemies one after another. Come to think of it, there was the contest, huh. However, now that it has come to this, I have no leeway for such a thing. I lower my posture and look around from behind to see the surviving members. In the melee, there are Roll and Getsuri-san fighting in order to protect the entrance to the passage. The other members are in the center, killing the enemies from the SDF one after another. The number of corpses rolling on the ground is increasing at a fast rate. Utsusemi-san dispersed the enemies, so it would be easy each person to deal with them. I couldn¡¯t stay still here, so when I see the opportunity, I jump out of the shadow, approach a soldier from behind, and cut off his neck with a knife. ¡°First person,¡± Let¡¯s count it for the time being. Thinking so, I speak out. Using the ultrasonic waves currently emitted by Utsusemi-san, I also grasp the space. Currently, the number of enemies is over 80. Utsusemi-san¡¯s success is the main reason why the number has decreased so much in such a short time. By combining the Sound Control (Dominant) and the Superhuman (Braver), he kills enemies in a more efficient order. Utsusemi-san marks the enemy and allies with sound, making it easier for me to move. I modified the sound markings so that I could further differentiate our allies. Of course, I couldn¡¯t fire the Sound-Shot, so I erase my presence, go around behind the enemies, and then stab their vital with my knife. The number of enemies was steadily decreasing. ¡°There sure is nothing but small fry here.¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± I lean my back on Roll¡¯s back who is near the entrance of the passage. But feeling the gaze of Getsuri-san, I widen our distance a little. There are no reinforcements of the Self-Defense Forces; with the remaining about 10 members, or rather, I feel that Utsusemi-san alone could annihilate them. ¡°Shion, how many people have you got?¡± ¡°¡­6 people.¡± ¡°What? Do you even have the motivation to do this?¡± Roll says. ¡°Well, after all, the terrain is unfavorable for me¡­¡± I think I shouldn¡¯t have been placed here because I¡¯m not suitable for melee. If only I can use Sound-Shot, I can wipe them out in an instant. ¡°Then, how many have you got, Roll?¡± ¡°Twenty-two.¡± ¡°Heee¡­ well done. But.¡± ¡°Fifty-seveeen!! C¡¯mere you maggots!!¡± The screams of Utsusemi, who is leaping about happily, echoed. ¡°He¡¯s about to get 3 times yours, it seems.¡± ¡°He sure is ridiculous¡­ Then, I¡¯ll leave this place to you,¡± Saying that, Roll breaks into a run. *Pyokon* and cat ears spring up on top of her head. I look at Getsuri-san who is standing next to me. ¡°What!¡± I¡¯m already used to his usual oppressive attitude, so I don¡¯t hold animosity for this person. And there was that time when he saved me once. ¡°No, just that the number of enemies has decreased, hasn¡¯t it?¡± The members who are rampaging in the parking lot have driven the Self-Defense Forces to a corner. And many corpses are rolling near the entrance to the passage; I believe that Getsuri-san and Roll were the ones who killed them. There are no more soldiers who could come this far, and the remaining enemies are being chased by Utsusemi-san. ¡°Seems so,¡± A brusque reply returned. There is no reinforcement of the enemy, only light shining through the entrance of the underground parking lot that was blown up and expanded. ¡°Withdrawal! Withdrawal!¡± It was probably the enemy commander who shouted. I am surprised that he¡¯s still alive. Perhaps he wasn¡¯t actively giving out commands, so he hadn¡¯t been targeted. ¡°No way I¡¯d let you gooo!!¡± The twenty or so remaining enemies start withdrawing to the opened doorway. They immediately gather together, turn this way and restrain us while heading to the doorway to the outside Utsusemi-san approach them in an attempt to kill every single one of them. Seeing it as an opportunity, I start running. After running through a distance of about 50m in a moment, I shout, ¡°Please back away!¡± The members, led by Utsusemi-san, who are trying to chase after the enemy, turn this way and open the path. Then I shoot a Sound-Shot. Clean sweep. The twenty or so enemy soldiers are blown away, each made blood flowers bloom on the walls or floor. I immediately head to a person who is still breathing, and stab him to death. After that, I sigh. When I feel a gaze and turn around, Roll is looking at me with a dispassionate face. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that cheating?¡± ¡°No, it was not.¡± I point my finger at the corpses I made and count; there are 15 corpses. Well, it¡¯s just this many probably because several people were killed when I was running this way. ¡°I got a total of 21. How about you, Roll?¡± ¡°¡­28 people. It¡¯s unfair.¡± ¡°Then, it¡¯s my win.¡± I grin and head toward the passage, and Utsusemi-san hit my shoulder. ¡°I got 63 people, y¡¯know. It¡¯s exactly three times the difference.¡± Utsusemi-san throw his arms wide open, showing off his haori, which was muddled with blood. ¡°I didn¡¯t accept the contest against Utsusemi-san to begin with.¡± Dammit, I should have done my best and killed one more person. ¡°Haha! That doesn¡¯t matter!¡± What doesn¡¯t matter? I don¡¯t want to be involved with you. While thinking about that, we return to the underground passage and check the surviving members. ¡°9 people, huh. Even though we were able to annihilate them, we lost quite a lot of people,¡± Getsuri-san says with a sad face. ¡°If I wasn¡¯t there, everyone would have been annihilated,¡± Hikisaki-san says. I thought that¡¯s exactly the case. At that point in time, half had died, and about two more died in the melee. The members I¡¯m particularly close to did not die, but there are many familiar faces for people who have belonged to the organization for a long time, such as Roll, Getsuri-san, and Hikisaki-san; they don¡¯t hide their sadness. Only Utsusemi-san is wandering aimlessly while looking murderous, and saying ¡°Are the next enemies not coming soon?¡± When I look at the parking lot again, a miserable scenery spread out there. The corpses of the enemies are in a quite grotesque state, there is one whose head stuck in the windshield of a car, one with its neck twisted, one with only half of it¡¯s face left, and one with its limbs cut off. I wish they would have killed them in a little tidier way, but it is also unavoidable due to each ability. ¡°Kemuri-san, what should we do?¡± When I ask for instruction from Kemuri-san, he tell us to wait saying, ¡°Wait as is¡±. ¡°Is anyone hurt?¡± I ask the members. Everyone shakes their heads. At first glance, there are many people who are slightly injured, but it seems it wouldn¡¯t affect their battle power. ¡°How¡¯s the situation over there?¡± Hikisaki-san sitting on a corpse asks me. ¡°It seems that most of the enemies have been annihilated and the invasion of the enemy has stopped.¡± ¡°Hee~. Same as here, huh.¡± The enemies are regrouping, I think. ¡°Have our reinforcements arrived yet?¡± ¡°Kemuri-san?¡± I can¡¯t answer Roll¡¯s question, so I pass it to Kemuri-san. ¡°They should take a little while longer.¡± I louden Kemuri-san¡¯s voice from the end of the passage and convey it. They¡¯re not here yet, huh. It¡¯s been a little over an hour since the request for support was sent, so they should have been ready for the pincer attack though. ¡°I wonder what Boss and Shido-san are doing,¡± Roll says, that is probably the biggest question everyone has. Originally there should be an executive meeting today, so it was strange that those two weren¡¯t here. I wonder if the enemy aimed for the absence of those two people. However, there¡¯s no way that those two would make a blunder such as letting the information of their absence be known by the Self-Defense Forces. No, to begin with, why was this hideout found¡­? Dammit, I don¡¯t know. Since it is Boss we¡¯re talking about, there is a possibility that he have arranged various measures behind the scenes. The worst-case scenario is that they are being forced to stay somewhere by the Self-Defense Forces¡­ I hope they come back soon. ¡°Hm¡­¡­?¡± While I¡¯m thinking about various things, Utsusemi-san mutters and turns around. My reaction is late by a second compared to Utsusemi-san. He has inhuman reflex due to Superhuman, so it can¡¯t be helped. Anyway, I also notice the sound. *Step, step* I hear the sound of military boots coming down the distorted stairs of the blasted doorway. Footsteps of seven people. They are new enemies no matter how you think about it. ¡°Their number sure is small. I hope they got some bones.¡± ¡°Well, with this number, they are definitely elites¡­¡± ¡°Since there are seven of them, it might be good to propose one-on-one fight to death to decide the winner.¡± I take my eyes off Utsusemi-san, who is saying something incomprehensible. Then, I see the seven men who had just come down to the underground parking lot. I can see a three-star badge shining on each of their chest. ¡°It¡¯s a joke, right? ¡­seven lieutenant generals¡­?¡± ¡°OHHH!¡± Utsusemi scream in joy next to me, who lightly despaired. Is the one coming not only the Anonymous Countermeasures Department? Even as a reinforcement, to gather so many lieutenant generals in one place, is the enemy¡¯s military strength that massive¡­? ¡°You guys have done well coming here¡­ Let¡¯s play a game, Self-Defense Forces,¡± The loudened voice of Utsusemi-san echoes. Utsusemi-san said such a villain-like, or rather a scoundrel¡¯s line, as if he doesn¡¯t care about the enemy¡¯s military force. If they are lieutenant generals belonging to the center of Saint Celia, only in terms of combat power, they might be at general class. Of course, I don¡¯t think they¡¯re undefeatable enemies. However, we you fight, there is no doubt that this small force we have here will be further reduced. There¡¯s also a good chance of defeat. It might be better to withdraw and block the entrance here. However, although Kemuri-san should be informed of the situation, he hasn¡¯t instructed us to withdraw. It means he want us to fight. In that case, Utsusemi-san¡¯s one-on-one battle proposal might be a rather good idea¡­ Aside from whether the other party will accept it. ¡°Your evil deeds end here. Anonymous,¡± A lieutenant general standing right in the middle of the seven says. It seems that they have no intention of amuse themselves with the game that Utsusemi-san said. ¡°Haah?¡± Utsusemi-san, the temporary leader of this group, stare at the lieutenant general. He puts his katana on his shoulder and slowly moves forward without hesitation. Utsusemi-san also seems to have realized that the enemy is not going to play the game, and he is already ready for battle. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Utsusemi-san slowly lower the tip of his sword to the side and stop after 10 steps. ¡°Of course.¡± *gun* I feel my vision shook for a moment. It wasn¡¯t just a feeling, it was some kind of interference, which meant the activation of the enemy¡¯s ability. And when I notice it, an enemy is standing behind me, and when I look back, he is swinging up an imposing thorned iron block toward Roll. Everyone is taken aback. Contrary to my body that does not move, my head spins well. He could get pass Utsusemi-san. Was it an ability of the coginitive interference system? How about the other six people¡­? It¡¯s better to withdraw. Roll is in trouble¡­! Although I¡¯m able to react, my body doesn¡¯t move. It seems that Roll is the same, as she is just standing still and looking at the iron block. Immediately after that, a dull sound is heard. ¡°Wha¡­!¡± The one who raised a surprised voice is the lieutenant general. And the one who received that iron block with his body is Getsuri-san. Immediately my body become able to move, and in reaction, I jump away from the spot. ¡°Hah, hah¡­ you bastard¡­ what the fuck were you going to do to my angel¡­¡± Blood is dripping from Getsuri-san, who blocked the iron ingot with his left hand and the back of his neck. His right hand is firmly clutching the lieutenant general¡¯s arm. ¡°Getsuri¡­!¡± ¡°Move, you guysss!!¡± Utsusemi-san¡¯s voice echoes over Roll¡¯s voice. The tension runs in an instant, and each side starts to move. I grasp the position of the six lieutenant generals of the Self-Defense Forces who have spread. I approached the lieutenant general who is firmly caught by Getsuri-san from behind and stab my knife in the back of his neck. At that moment, there is an enemy who aimed my back, but Roll repel him, protecting my back. Two sounds that had been marked on allies had already disappeared. Since the mark work by sensing the changing frequency of one¡¯s heartbeat, the disappearance of the mark means their heartbeat stops. In other words, two people died in an instant. ¡°Shion! Take care of Getsuri!¡± ¡°I know!¡± Due to the death of the lieutenant general with an iron block, Getsuri-san collapse to the ground along with his body. I immediately remove the iron block and check on Getsuri-san¡¯s injuries. ¡°Tsk¡­ you, huh¡­ If possible, I want my angel to take care of me though¡­¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have time for that! I¡¯ll carry you to the rearguard, so please stand up¡­!¡± ¡°¡­I can¡¯t. This can¡¯t be cured even by Chiyaku-san¡­¡± Looking at it, the back of Getsuri-san¡¯s head is severely injured. I lose words. Then, I notice the approach of the enemy and jump out of that place. Running as is, I immediately hide in the back of a pillar. The enemy approaching me changes his target and heads towards Utsusemi-san. Looking at the battle situation, the number of surviving 9 people has decreased to 5. If excluding Getsuri-san, there are 4 people. Roll, Hikisaki-san, Utsusemi-san and I. It seems that one of the enemy lieutenant generals was killed by Utsusemi-san, so there are five left. The underground parking lot has become stormy battlefield. ¡°We should we withdraw¡­¡± When I mutter, I hear Kemuri-san¡¯s voice from the other side of the passage. ¡°Withdraw,¡± Hearing that, I immediately raise my voice. ¡°¡­! Withdraw! Withdraw!¡± ¡°Hah! We¡¯ll withdraw only after killing these guys!¡±A disobedient reply come back from Utsusemi-san immediately. At that time, I sense more footsteps from the other side of the doorway. Enemy reinforcements. Crap. If we don¡¯t withdraw now, we¡¯ll be annihilated. No, that¡¯s wrong¡­ Even if we withdraw now, we will still be wiped out¡­ I look at the battlefront from the shadow. The hands of Roll, Hikisaki, and Utsusemi are full and they couldn¡¯t afford to withdraw. If they show their back, they will die. That¡¯s the situation. Utsusemi-san is dealing with the enemies while supporting the two. Utsusemi is thinking about it properly. If we don¡¯t defeat them, we can¡¯t withdraw. ¡ª¡ªSilent World. I quickly decide. The sound in the place disappears. The surviving enemies are, five people¡­ Can I do it¡­? No, if I don¡¯t do it, I¡¯ll die¡­! Stretching out my palm as if to grasp the empty space, I concentrate. I aim for each of their hearbeat. The inside of my head is hot as if it is boiling. But endure it. Endure and survive. ¡°The first one¡­¡± With the image of crushing a heart, I squeeze my fist. *Ba-dump, ba-dump* Such sounds echoes from my chest; and they jumps around for no apparent reason. It¡¯s no use running away. This technique cannot be avoided unless your speed exceeds the sound. Die¡­! *Burst* The lieutenant general that Roll was dealing with bursts open. ¡°The second person! The third person¡­!¡± *Burst, burst* The two who are highly mobile burst and scatter. Due to overusing my ability, blood is dripping from my nose. ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­¡± After a few seconds, I target the fourth person. My blurred vision is irrelevant. I only have to listen to the sound. ¡°The fourth person!!¡± *Burst* Blood fireworks. The blood and flesh stick to the nearby Roll and Hikisaki-san. ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­¡± I chase the fifth person with my eyes that were congested with blood. In practice, I had never shoot more than 3 Heartbeat-Shots though, will my body hold for the next one? ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter¡­! Die!¡± The Heartbeat-Shot misfired. It¡¯s because Utsusemi-san cut the enemy¡¯s body in half before I fire the Heartbeat-Shot. At that moment, I feel like I¡¯m about to collapse, but I shout, ¡°Withdraw!!¡± The enemies are annihilated. But more reinforcements are invading the underground parking lot. I manage to carry the collapsed Getsuri-san and proceed through the underground passage. Utsusemi-san and Hikisaki-san go ahead, and I have Roll, who caught up, carry Getsuri-san and run after them. A new Self-Defense Forces reinforcement have just entered the underground passage. At that time, the pillars of the underground parking lot explode one after another. The blast and dust cloud invaded the underground passage, and we are pushed and blown into the hideout at the end of the underground passage. Then, I collapse on the spot. CH 116 [Collapse of White Line] When I wake up, I¡¯m lying on the bed in the medical room. I raise my body and look around. Then I find that quite a few injured are lying in bed like I am. *Throb* My head and my eyes hurt. Did I collapse due to overusing my ability? However, even though I used my ability to the limit, I don¡¯t feel that much pain. I feel like I can still use my ability. That is to say¡­ I have fainted for quite some time, huh. ¡°Um, excuse me,¡± I grab a member in charge of medical treatment wandering around the medical room. ¡°Shion-san, you woke up.¡± ¡°Please tell me about the battle situation. How long has it been since I fainted? ¡­What happened to Getsuri-san?¡± Being asked suddenly, the woman in charge of medical treatment looks around restlessly, but then she takes a deep breath and speaks calmly, ¡°As for the battle situation, we have withdrawn to the final defense line currently, and Tameiki-san, Byakurei-san, and the rest of the remaining members are mobilized there. It¡¯s been about one and a half hour since Shion-san fainted¡­ Also, Getsuri-san has¡­¡± Seeing the woman in charge of medical treatment looked down, I realize that he had died. A feeling of emptiness passes through my chest. He wasn¡¯t a bad person. In that first duel, he tried to kill me, but Getsuri-san just wanted to be recognized¡­ There was also that time when he saved me. *Phew* I exhale and get up from bed. Only my jacket was taken off, I still have my shirt on. At any rate, there¡¯re things I still have to do now. I have no time to mourn Getsuri-san. ¡°Where is my jacket? I¡¯m going to return to the front.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll prepare it now¡­!¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª Final defense line. The entrance to the center of Derrida Village is also widened by the Self-Defense Forces like the one in the underground parking lot. The elevator only exists on the second basement floor and below, so I must use the stairs to get up to the first basement floor. The central doorway and passage are wide and suitable for battle. However, the widened doorway is currently completely blocked by Byakurei-san¡¯s five-sided expansion of ¡®Room Impair¡¯ Having grasped the situation so far by sensing the sound, I walk in the corridor quickly and head for the central doorway. The fact that this situation is still continuing means that no ally reinforcements have come for more than two and a half hours. Looking overhead, I notice that the number of lamps is limited. It seems that the electricity supply from Derrida was cut off and the inside of the hideout was switched to the standby power supply. It¡¯s not a favorable situation. When I arrive at the central doorway, there is a crowd of surviving members. Pushing my way through the crowd, I come to the front. ¡°Shion, are you okay already?¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± There is Roll in the front. Looking around, there is Byakurei-san who¡¯s stretching out his hands and constantly deploys his abilities, Tameiki-san standing next to him, and even the others such as Kemuri-san and Face Punch-san, all the forces of the hideout are gathered here. What I see beyond the doorway across the invisible wall of the Room Impair is the army of the SDF. I don¡¯t know how many of them are from here, but it seems that there are still quite a number of them left. The battle is in a stalemate due to Byakurei-san¡¯s ability. Earning us some precious time. ¡°It seems the reinforcements haven¡¯t arrived yet.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± As I thought, huh. That means that neither Boss nor Shido-san here yet. ¡°Um¡­ Shion? No, it¡¯s nothing,¡± Roll tries to say something, but stop. I think for a moment, and I somehow understand what she wanted to say. ¡°¡­It¡¯s a pity about Getsuri-san.¡± He died as a result of saving Roll. Although it doesn¡¯t appear on her face, Roll is surely pained. ¡°Yes¡­ ¡­Getsuri left behind some words for Shion.¡± Roll hesitates to speak. I nod and wait for her to continue her words. ¡°Shitty bastard, don¡¯t let my angel die¡­ so he said.¡± I involuntarily shut up. ¡®Don¡¯t let my angel die¡¯, huh. I understand the reason why Roll hesitated to speak. She must be unwilling to convey that by herself. Perhaps that¡¯s exactly what Getsuri-san wanted to tell to Roll. That person¡­ seemed to understand my true nature after all. There was that time when Getsuri-san told me that I was the type who only received the feelings of others and survived alone. (TN: Meaning he only took other¡¯s feeling without reciprocating them, I guess.) I think he was right. Even now, I think anything¡¯s fine as long as I survive at least. And I don¡¯t think that¡¯s strange. Certainly, I felt pity for Getsuri-san. However, protecting others at the expense of myself¡­ I don¡¯t call it hypocrisy, but I think that way of life is wrong. Roll also said these when we first met. That even though we just became partners, she would bet her life on my behalf. That even if her best friend and I were to be put on a scale; she would choose me. In Anonymous, there are occasionally members who die while protecting newcomers who have just entered. Like Hakunetsu-san and Kuroinu-san. Of course, I respect the two who protected me and died, and when I remember it, it still brings me to tears even now. But they seemed protected me with all their might. I don¡¯t think I would ever understand it. ¡°¡­that so.¡± If it¡¯s a normal man, he would probably say ¡°I won¡¯t let you die¡± even if it¡¯s a lie. Well, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll just watch her die, and if possible, it¡¯s better if no one died. If possible, I want to protect people. Just that, when in front of real possibility of dying, I¡¯m not confident that I will prioritize others over myself. That was why I avoided Roll¡¯s eyes and could only reply in an evasive manner. ¡°I wonder what will happen,¡± Roll says after a while. The anxiety of the surviving members is visible. There¡¯s no reinforcement even after two and a half hours. In addition, Boss and Shido-san have not returned. It can¡¯t be helped that they got anxious. ¡­By the way, I have something I want to say to Kemuri-san. Remembering that, I walk up to Kemuri-san and call his name. ¡°What is it, Shion?¡± My eyes meet with that of Kemuri-san¡¯s who turned to me and said so. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you give a proper command a while ago? If it¡¯s Kemuri-san, you should be able to determine the timing of withdrawal.¡± Earlier, Kemuri-san was just standing on the sidelines of the battle, and only gave instructions for the first assault and withdrawal. Even those weren¡¯t appropriate instructions. If we had withdrawn earlier, or if we were placed in the parking lot instead of the passage, we wouldn¡¯t have had such a dangerous battle and there would be fewer casualties. I almost died then. I know that gazes are gathering on me. The place is a little frozen. Anyone would hesitate to question the commander, in this case Kemuri-san, because they are afraid of lowering the morale. That¡¯s why even I wouldn¡¯t normally question him, but this time is different. ¡°That is, you see.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Because I think of you all as sacrificial pawns.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I become speechless reflexively. Wouldn¡¯t saying such a thing lower the moral? Thinking so, I look at the surrounding members, but very few responded in the same way as I did. I see. This is a gathering of that kind of people. Even though they are working to kill people, they could easily bet their lives on behalf of someone and the organization. Only I have different values ¡­ I feel like I¡¯m out of place. ¡°It was for victory.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I understand,¡± Being told that, I can¡¯t say anything. I bow down and step back. Kemuri-san¡¯s reply was not the answer to my question, but they were effective words to silence me. There is no merit even if I doggedly oppose him here. The enemy is before us. ¡°Just right. Shion, since you¡¯ve come back, move on to the next strategy,¡± Having said that, he calls up four people, Utsusemi-san, Tameiki-san, Face Punch-san, and Sen. There are five people including me. We are brought by Kemuri-san and go out behind the crowd. ¡°What is the next strategy¡­?¡± ¡°We are able to attract the enemy completely, but the arrival of reinforcements is delayed. The current difference in forces is overwhelming. So, I think we should just pincer attack them just by ourselves.¡± I see. So that¡¯s why he called the members with high firepower. It¡¯s a mystery why I¡¯m included though. If there is Face Punch-san, we can wipe out units of 100 people. ¡°How do we get behind the enemies?¡± Face Punch-san says. ¡°We¡¯ll use the evacuation exit to get out. If there is Shion, the enemies will not hear the sound of the blast. In addition to this member, I will also bring Chiyaku.¡± Is that the case? However, in that case, Utsusemi-san can also do it. I wonder if Kemuri-san doesn¡¯t know that Utsusemi-san has stocked up my Sound Control ability. ¡­Well, I don¡¯t need to say it. If I can go to the surface, I want to go. That¡¯s because I¡¯m going to secretly call Renga. Well, if we¡¯re going to do a pincer attack, Renga wouldn¡¯t be a hindrance even if I call him, right¡­? ¡°It¡¯s finally my turn, huh,¡± Sen who is in a suit that really good on her says. She has received the (animal) training of Chiyaku-san and is a member of Anonymous completely now. ¡°Kemuri-san, can I call Renga?¡± ¡°Ahh, I want you to do that.¡± ¡°So, from where are we going to get out, Kemuri?¡± ¡°Second evacuation exit. Since it¡¯ll be hard for the enemies to notice it if we go out from inside the forest,¡± Kemuri-san answers Tameiki-san question. Second exit, huh. Most of the evacuation exits have been crushed due to the withdrawal, but the one in the perfect place still remains, huh. ¡°I¡¯ll leave my clone here,¡± The white smoke that came out of Kemuri-san¡¯s body sways and form a human body, and a new clone appears. ¡°Let¡¯s go right away.¡± We follow Kemuri-san who starts walking after saying that. To get to the second evacuation exit, we have to go down to the second basement floor, go all the way through a passage from there, and by activating the detonator at the end of the passage, we can break out to the surface. ¡°Oi, wait a sec, Kemuri. Aren¡¯t these members overpowered? If we¡¯re going to do a pincer attack, it¡¯s better if some stay here,¡± When we get down to the second basement floor, Utsusemi-san unusually said something reasonable. ¡°Is that so?¡± It is unusual for Kemuri-san to answer a question with a question. Utsusemi-san shrugs his shoulders. ¡°In addition to these members, there is Chiyaku, isn¡¯t it obviously overpowered?¡± ¡°Rather, I think it¡¯s not enough you know. I haven¡¯t told the others, but the enemies¡¯ forces on the surface is quite considerable.¡± ¡°Hee~, looks like I¡¯ll be able to blow off some steam,¡± Face Punch-san says. ¡°How many of them are there?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯ll know it when we get up,¡± Kemuri-san evades the question. There must be quite a lot of them. I feel a slight sense of despair. ¡°Shion, are you scared?¡± Tameiki-san who is walking in front of me says. If asked whether it¡¯s scary or not, I¡¯d say it¡¯s a little scary. But there no other choice but to do it. ¡°Not at¡­¡± When I try to put on airs, Tameiki-san put her hand on my head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll protect you,¡± Tameiki-san lifts up the corner of her mouth and smiles a little. That makes me very relieved. Should be fine. There is Tameiki-san. When I think so, some of my fear faded away naturally. When we reach the end of the central corridor on the second basement floor, we join up with Chiyaku-san there. Chiyaku-san will follow as a medical staff. She has a large medic kit in her hand and probably in case she has to fight, she is carrying a backpack that is probably filled with her own blood. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go. Shion, get ready.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Being told so, I silence the sounds in the surrounding. Seeing that I nodded, Kemuri-san operates the detonator on the wall and activate it. *Bang* There is a blast, but the sound is silenced. After a while, Kemuri-san turns the handle of the watertight door installed at the end of the corridor multiple times. Then the door opens heavily with a squeak. There is a dust cloud inside, but light from the surface is piercing it. ¡°Tameiki, please,¡± Tameiki-san silently nods, proceeds to inside of the open door, and floats slowly, going up to the surface ahead. ¡°Go on,¡± Kemuri-san says, this time I, who is close to the door, goes inside. Then my body floats and rises to the ground. I see, Tameiki-san is manipulating the gravity. When I come out of the hole to the ground, I¡¯m gently lowered to the ground. Having landed, I look around, there are vegetation spreading all over my field of view in the forest facing Derrida Village. Looking back, the members are popping out one after another from the hole. When everyone is gathered, Kemuri-san gives the signal to proceed. We proceed in line in the direction of Derrida Village inside the woods. ¡°It sure is quiet.¡± ¡°Whaaat. It¡¯s going to be filled with screams soon.¡± It¡¯s certainly quiet. And there is something else, the way I hear the sounds is a little strange. I wonder what this discomfort is. Is the enemy using some kind of wide-range ability? Only the chirping of birds and the rustling of trees can be heard constantly. I proceed while thinking there is suspicious. Let¡¯s confirm the position of the enemies for the time being ¨C thinking so, I expand the sound detection to search for the enemies. However, the number of enemies that I can detect is small. They are certainly packed in the vicinity of the center of the hideout, but their number isn¡¯t as threating as Kemuri-san made it out to be. Is it a detection-jamming ability¡­? If that¡¯s the case, it would be troublesome. We eventually stop when we are about to reach the village. Because we walked from the depths of the mountain, we are in a position where we can overlook the village. However, we are astonished there. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What the heck does this mean?¡± I can hardly see the figures of the enemies. The number of enemies gathered near the hideout is 200¡­ No, there¡¯s less than that? Anyway, there are only a few of them. It¡¯s different from what we heard. While thinking about that, I remember that I have to Renga. I immediately send out a sound and try to call Renga. ¡ªBut. The sound can¡¯t reach out. If I just sending out a send instead of listening, I¡¯m quite confident in the distance I can reach. However, the sound I sent out was stopped within a radius of about 2 kilometers. Why¡­¡­? I ponder about it. Strange. It¡¯s as if the sound has lost its destination¡­ it¡¯s as if it¡¯s going back and forth in place¡­ This is like¡­ ¡°Oi, this is¡­¡± It seems that Utsusemi-san who is standing next to me also notice it, as he knit his eyebrows. ¡°¡­It¡¯s like Shido-san¡¯s, Infinite Corridor,¡± I involuntarily say it. It¡¯s at that moment that white smoke wraps my body. At the same time, Utsusemi-san kicks my body. *Goro goro* Having rolled over and hit a tree beyond, I immediately stand up. Then, I see Kemuri-san holding a knife stands in the place where I was before. His body is still slightly covered with white smoke. ¡­It¡¯s a clone. I move my gaze. There, Face Punch-san is struck by Kemuri-san¡¯s knife on the back of his neck with his eyes wide open. I move my gaze. Utsusemi-san is holding down Kemuri-san¡¯s clone on the spot and staring in another direction. I follow his line of sight. There, is the figure of Tameiki-san who is struck by the knife of Kemuri-san in the pit of her stomach and vomiting blood while standing. CH 117 [Collapse of Distortion] My head turn blank. My mind can¡¯t catch up with the ongoing things, and I feel like my view is shaking. What the hell is going on ¡­? ¡°Kemuri, you bastard¡­ the hell ¡®re you doin¡¯?¡± Utsusemi break the neck of Kemuri-san¡¯s clone, which he was holding down. Then, the clone scatters as white smoke and disappeared into the air. The clone that was aiming for me steps back a few steps to keep a distance from Utsusemi-san. ¡°I have no obligation to answer, see,¡± Saying that, Kemuri-san pull out the knife that was stabbed into Face Punch-san¡¯s neck. He collapses on the spot, dead. Seeing the corpse with his eyes wide open, I almost turn my face to the side. And the other Kemuri-san pulls out the knife from Tameiki-san and once again tries to stab the knife into her who is staggering. ¡°Guu¡­ha!¡± *Whap* Tameiki-san barely dodge it, and she falls down to her knees at the place she retreats to. Tameiki-san¡¯s shirt is dyed red with blood; she is holding that part with her right hand and is breathing roughly. ¡°Tameiki-san¡­!¡± I rush to her and shout. ¡°Chiyaku-san! Please treat her!¡± I look back toward Chiyaku-san in a desperate manner, but she is just standing there with her usual calm expression. A frown is naturally formed on my forehead. ¡°Chiyaku-san¡­?¡± Without avoiding my gaze, she says with a wry smile, ¡°Sorry for this, Shion-kun.¡± A scalpel come down from the cuffs of her white robe, and she cut her wrist with the scalpel. The blood flows down her hand in drips and form a shape just like that. And a blade of fresh blood is formed in her hand. ¡°You¡¯re kidding me, right¡­ Chiyaku-san¡­?¡± My breath is getting rougher and rougher. I glance at Sen at the edge of my field of vision, and she is slowly stepping back with a frightened expression while staring at Chiyaku-san. From that expression, she is not an enemy¡­? Tameiki-san¡¯s rough breath is disturbing my thoughts. It¡¯s no good, think about it, think about it, think about it. What should I do? What should I do? ¡°Shion¡­¡± Tameiki-san murmurs suddenly. ¡°Hah, hah. Kemuri¡¯s, knife¡­ must be, poisoned¡­ I think I won¡¯t¡­ be able to make it¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­Please don¡¯t say such stupid things.¡± I slowly regain my composure, but her words make my head blank again. ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­¡± Just like Tameiki-san, my breathing just keeps getting rougher too. The fact that her injury is fatal is obvious in a glance. Even if Chiyaku-san and Kemuri-san are defeated, Tameiki-san¡¯s treatment will not be in time. In the first place, Chiyaku-san who can treat her is an enemy, so there is no help for her in any way. Sen also seems to lose her fighting spirit for some reason, she stops in place as if she is petrified. What. What¡¯s happening. While checking Kemuri-san and Chiyaku-san, I retrace how we got to this point in my blank mind. But as a result, my thoughts return to a blank slate. It¡¯s useless. Tameiki-san will die here. I thought desperately, but that is the conclusion I come to. ¡°Hey, Kemuri¡­ why¡­ tell me,¡± At that time, Tameiki-san look up at Kemuri-san with teary face. Tameiki-san¡¯s blood is sticking to Kemuri-san¡¯s knife. Her wound must have hurt severely. Despite that, she raised her face and looked at Kemuri-san¡¯s eyes. This is the first time I ever see Tameiki-san being like this. Seeing the tears filling her eyes, I can¡¯t help but feel like crying. Tameiki-san has been devoting herself to the organization the whole time. It is her life. There¡¯s no way she will have such an end, right? ¡°Tameiki. I thought of you as my own little sister,¡± Kemuri-san says expressionlessly. Tameiki-san narrows her eyes, looking as if she has realized something. Then she closes her eyes, takes off her gaze from Kemuri-san and looks down. ¡°¡­Why. What is your purpose, Kemuri-san, Chiyaku-san?¡± I ask. After all both Kemuri-san and Chiyaku-san are among the members who have devoted themselves the most to the organization, aren¡¯t they? ¡°I have no obligation to answer. However, this was decided from the beginning.¡± I don¡¯t understand what he¡¯s saying. Even my head already become confused. What¡¯s going on? Infinite Corridor. Shido-san is also an enemy¡­? The inside of the hideout is also dangerous. Where is the 2000-strong force of the Self-Defense Forces? Who is the enemy? Tameiki-san will die. I don¡¯t like it. ¡­I will also, die¡­? *zan* Chiyaku-san is stepping into the radius of 1 meter around me. ¡°Gggh¡­!¡± I¡¯m attacked in the momentary gap. I won¡¯t be able to deploy the Silent World in time. It is also difficult to activate it at this timing. Crap, my judgment is too late. The blade of fresh blood is approaching before me. I¡¯m dead. When I think so, *gakin* I hear the sound of metal and metal colliding with each other. I open my eyes. It is Utsusemi who is standing in front of me and stop Chiyaku¡¯s blood blade with his sword. His haori that is wet with blood is flapping in my view. He gazes back at me from the space between his bamboo hat and his shoulder, and says, ¡°Fight, Shion.¡± A switch in my brain is flipped up with a *click* with that word. It feels as if a pure white paper is permeated by blank ink. That¡¯s right. Fight. What I need to do in this situation is very simple. Kill or be killed. There is no doubt that these guys are trying to kill me. Then you guys, die. As I breathe slowly, the ¡®uncomfortable feeling¡¯ that I felt until just now converge in me, as if dot after dot is connecting, as if entwined strings are unraveled. The mysterious placement of members on our second line of defense. On the contrary, it was a deliberate act to make us like trapped rats. There are many other orders of Kemuri-san that were incomprehensible too. The motive does not matter. What is Kemuri-san trying to do now? I collect my thoughts in a second. ¡°Sen, can you move?¡± I open my mouth slightly behind Utsusemi-san. The sound reaches only Sen and Utsusemi-san. ¡°Get back to the base and tell Byakurei-san about what happened here. That person is an ally.¡± Otherwise, Kemuri-san would not make Byakurei-san to be exhausted by the constant deployment of his ability. Sen is opening and closing his mouth for a while, but eventually she nods silently and tries to leave. However, Chiyaku-san, who is standing in front of Utsusemi, gives off a killing intent. ¡°Sen, stay still. You¡¯re mine, aren¡¯t you¡­?¡± Sen¡¯s movement stops and she is in petrified state again. Dammit, what a useless person. ¡°Haha. I wanna say the same to you, Chiyaku. I¡¯ll be taking your head from now on, so you better stay still.¡± ¡°You sure have a big mouth.¡± With a *bashin* Utsusemi-san and Chiyaku-san start to move. The two move their battle spot in an instant, running to the depths of the woods. I say to Sen, ¡°Now! Go!¡± ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s no good ¡­ her blood is flowing in my body, and if I disobey her order¡­ I¡¯ll be killed.¡± ¡°What are you saying, you are immortal!¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible, impossible¡­¡± Sen trembles and whines like that. Not good. This person¡­ is really useless. I give up on Sen and turn my eyes to Kemuri-san that remains. Probably, the one that created the clone who stabbed Tameiki-san is the real one. And there is also the clone that stabbed Face Punch-san and the clone that tried to stab me. A total of three bodies. This situation. Inevitably, I will have to fight Kemuri-san. ¡°Come on¡­ let¡¯s do this, Kemuri-san.¡± It was probably a big miscalculation in his part that he couldn¡¯t kill me in the surprise attack at the beginning. I was saved by Utsusemi-san. I was confused because of the surprise attack, but when I calm down, I see that this is not that desperate of a situation. ¡°Don¡¯t be cheeky, newcomer,¡± I focus my gaze on them. Each of them is ready for battle, but Kemuri-san, who has lost the decisive blow, has not taken a stance. Their attack method is only physical attack. At this distance, Sound-Shot is faster. But a simple Sound-Shot is no good. Kemuri-san should be wary of it. It is a good idea to hit his body with a Heartbeat-Shot, but honestly¡­ I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s his real body. I just think so because it is the closest one to his first position. He might have changed place when I was about to be stabbed. In worst case, his main is not among the three. No¡­ I want to believe that it¡¯s not the case. His main should want to check the situation here. Then, one of these three is the main body. In other words, there is a 1/3 chance. If I miss, I will be attacked in that gap and die. And there is another concern. There is a possibility that he can catch up with the lag of activation of the Silent World. If I activate the Silent World, he will definitely launch an attack right away. This is because Kemuri-san have seen the Heartbeat-Shot in the battle in the underground parking lot earlier. He¡¯s not Kemuri-san if he can¡¯t see through what kind of technique it is. At this distance, there is a possibility that it will be a one-on-one close quarter combat even if I use ¡®that¡¯. If that happens, I¡¯m at a disadvantage. In terms of ability, Kemuri-san, whose skill level of physical skills directly leads to improvement of combat power, has no equal in a battle without ability. With a knife, he could kill me in an instant. Having gaps in all my techniques, if my blow is avoided, it will directly lead to my death. I don¡¯t have the initiative in this battle. Then there is no choice but to keep a distance. If I do so, I can finish him with ¡®that¡¯. I turn my eyes to Tameiki-san with a glance. I can barely hear her heartbeat and breathing. She¡¯s not dead yet. However, she won¡¯t make it. ¡°Tameiki-san. Are you still conscious?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ahh,¡± A voice that sounds about to vanish replies. In the meantime, the three Kemuri-sans step back a little. ¡°This time I will be the one to protect you, just for a while. However, I don¡¯t think I can save your life. I¡¯m sorry,¡± I say plainly, keeping a clear mind. Right now, I just calmly look at the enemy before me. With dry eyes. ¡°I¡­ with the last of my power¡­ I¡¯ll let you escape¡­ Hah, hah. Come here¡­ Shion.¡± The voice she squeezed out is painful just to hear. She is trying to help even at her last moment, huh. I wish she also think about herself for a bit. ¡°Please listen. ¡­I¡¯m sure I wouldn¡¯t be this strong without Tameiki-san¡­ Will you please see it if possible? My growth¡± ¡°¡­hah, hah¡­ don¡¯t. Kemuri¡­ is not as weak as you think,¡± Tameiki-san speaks while vomiting blood. At the same time, Kemuri-san starts to move. I have no choice but to ignore Tameiki-san. The three Kemuri-sans slowly move away from me and take tens of steps away. And he gains the advantage of siege by enclosing me in a triangle. Seeing me laughed grinningly, Kemuri-san also curls up his mouth. ¡°That is the face of someone who give up the advantage of distance.¡± That¡¯s right. The moment I muttered so in my heart, white smoke rises from the three Kemuri-sans. If this is the case, I can¡¯t determine which one is the main body. Camouflage, huh. The white smoke quickly surrounds me, and eventually part after part of it forms a shape. Eventually, a total of more than 100 Kemuri-sans surround us. ¡°¡­¡± As expected, I¡¯m also overwhelmed by their numbers. ¡°You are really¡­ serious, aren¡¯t you?¡± I mutter. ¡°Because you can¡¯t be underestimated. My image of you is a brute who does anything to live.¡± Get yourself a mirror. You¡¯re the crazy guy who put us in this situation. ¡°My clones are over 100. You know that each has the same mass, the same properties, and the same equipment, right?¡± Naturally. I answer with silence. I¡¯m not overawed by Kemuri-san¡¯s words. ¡°At this distance, I can deal with Sound-Shot with walls of flesh. Even if it is not Sound-Shot, the number of times you can use that single bombing is three more times even if you risk your life, isn¡¯t it?¡± Single bombing ¨C he must be talking about Hearbeat-Shot. ¡°I can¡¯t even use it three times you know.¡± ¡°That so. That means I¡¯m going to fight you with at least a winning percentage of 98% or more,¡± Kemuri-san who grins and make a wry face. I¡¯m the one who want to laugh. ¡°That¡¯s not the case, Kemuri-san.¡± I spread out my both hands. The reason he didn¡¯t immediately attack me is probably because he sees my leisurely attitude. He should have come at me earlier. ¡°What¡­¡­?¡± ¡°You know what the T wave is, right?¡± ¡°Are you talking about the Torque wave?¡± That¡¯s it. Torque wave¡­ Commonly known as T wave, it is a brain wave emitted by nerve cells in the brain that control one¡¯s ability. It is said that this is giving paranormal changes to all kinds of events. The wavelength varies from person to person. TAD ¨C which I was once tasked to sell together with Hakunetsu-san and Kuroinu-san ¨C is also an item to detect ability user using the Torque waves. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± I will let you find the answer to that question with your own body. ¡ª¡ªSilent World. At the moment when all sounds disappeared, the more than 100 Kemuri-san¡¯s troops run toward me all at once. However, I¡¯m not scared. This technique requires considerable concentration, but consumes almost no stamina compared to Heartbeat-Shot. Because it only partially emits a small, small audible sound. Even if the T wave is offset, its effect does not disappear for some reason. However, if you add a sound wave of a different wavelength to the generated part and disturb it, you can prevent the activation of the ability only during that time. Eat this. Distortion Sound (Distortion). At that moment, with the activation of the ¡®Distortion Sound¡¯, all of Kemuri-san¡¯s clones disappear. Among the Kemuri-sans that disappeared without raising white smoke, there was only one Kemuri-san that did not disappear. It¡¯s the main body. I concentrate and grasp his heartbeat. He opens his eyes wide, looking astonished, but he immediately makes the best decision and run straight to me. ¡°Uooooooooooooooooooooooo!¡± ¡°Dieeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!¡± ¨D¨DHeartbeat-Shot. His body explodes into pieces of fleshes and blood. CH 118 [Collapse of Death] Kemuri-san who was approaching me exploded, splattering blood and flesh on me, then I take a few steps back due to stamina consumption of using Heartbeat-Shot. Staggering, I endure from collapsing on the spot. ¡°Hah, hah¡­¡± It seems better to avoid using Heartbeat-Shot any more than this. I stare at both of my hands and think. I have overused my ability. If I hadn¡¯t recovered in the medical room, I would have collapse by this time. I used the Heartbeat-Shot on the spur of the moment, but thinking back, I should¡¯ve used the Sound-Shot. Dammit, I wastefully consumed my stamina. However, to kill him for sure, that was the correct answer. Sound-Shot, which is a ranged attack, might not be enough to kill a master-level enemy. As a deciding attack, I¡¯m not really confident in Sound-Shot. ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­¡± While adjusting my breathing, I walk up to Tameiki-san and kneel on the spot. Before I notice it, Tameiki-san is lying on her back while holding her stomach. ¡°¡­You¡¯ve become, stronger.¡± ¡°¡­Told you so.¡± Blood flows out of Tameiki-san¡¯s mouth. I wonder if the poison has begun to spread. Her breathing is rough and her bleeding does not stop. Seeing her condition, I sort out the situation in my mind. Tameiki-san probably can¡¯t be saved. Tameiki-san knows that as well, and I don¡¯t know what to say. Words for a person who is about to die¡­ I look at Sen, who is still petrified. There are many mysteries. And many things that needs to be done come to mind. A sound of battle is echoing in the woods. It¡¯s from the battle between Chiyaku-san and Utsusemi-san. I have to give up on Tameiki-san and head inside the hideout first. I thought so, but my legs didn¡¯t move. ¡°Go. You must live¡­¡± Maybe she noticed my inner feelings, as Tameiki-san says so while looking up at the sky vacantly. I stand up quickly. Right, I have to go. I turn my back on her. ¡°Thank you for everything,¡± When I try to run after saying that, Tameiki-san coughs violently. My legs stop. At the same time, I can hear a loud noise from somewhere in the forest, and the ongoing battle sound stopped. I¡¯m worried about that side too, but I turn my gaze toward Tameiki-san. Then Tameiki-san turns her head toward me. ¡°¡­Shion, sorry, but can I ask you, for just one thing¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Upon hearing my reply, Tameiki-san turn her face in the opposite direction and says, ¡°¡­Then¡­ kiss me.¡± I was unintentionally about to ask her to repeat that, but I immediately reply with a nod. Just that much. Even in this situation where there is no time to waste, if it¡¯s for Tameiki-san, I won¡¯t hesitate. ¡°Come to think about it¡­ even though you said you liked, me¡­ you haven¡¯t done anything, since then¡­¡± That ¡®since then¡¯ is probably about when she trained me. ¡­Which reminds me, I did say something like that. I kneel beside Tameiki-san again, and bring my lips closer to hers. Tameiki-san¡¯s lips are wet with blood. Right at that time, Utsusemi-san appears from the depths of the forest. Utsusemi-san seems to be injured, as he is holding down his right shoulder. From the sound I can hear withdrawing in the opposite direction, it seems that Chiyaku-san is not dead yet. I close my eyes and kiss Tameiki-san. I can smell Tameiki-san¡¯s nice smell mixed with the smell of blood. After putting my lips on top of hers for just a few seconds, I lift my face and stand up. Tameiki-san has a thin smile on her face. ¡°¡­I¡¯m going.¡± ¡°¡­Ahh, see you later,¡± Saying that, Tameiki-san closes her eyes. It seems that she has fainted. Her heartbeat is weak, but still beating. But she probably won¡¯t open her eyes anymore. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Utsusemi-san walks to me. The wound on his right shoulder is quite deep. And as expected, before Tameiki-san¡¯s death, it seems that even Utsusemi-san can¡¯t smile frivolously like usual. ¡°Why did you kiss her?¡± That thought of mine immediately shattered hearing that pretty boorish question. ¡°Why, you ask¡­¡± ¡°Well, whatever. I¡¯ll cure her for the time being.¡± ¡°Hah?¡± Utsusemi-san kneels beside Tameiki-san, flip up her shirt, and put his hand on her wound. Then, her wound is gradually closing from the edge. ¡°¡­!¡± I open my eyes wide. Then I come to a realization. His personality has reversed. I see, this is¡­ Chiyaku-san¡¯s ¡®Accel Heal¡¯. This person¡­ ¡°No way, did you copy it from Chiyaku-san¡­?¡± ¡°You got that right. This ability is essential if Chiyaku becomes an enemy. I¡¯ve decided to abandon Sound Control.¡± I want to give a big applause to Utsusemi-san. I unintentionally want to give him a tight hug. Holding myself back, I stare at him. I completely forgot. Even if Chiyaku-san becomes an enemy, if Utsusemi-san copies her ability, the hole will be filled. Did this person start a battle with Chiyaku-san with that intention from the beginning? When I first met him, I thought he was just a ridiculously oversized garbage, but the more I interact with him, the more I find him to be pretty sharp. ¡°Her wound is going to be okay, but the poison is troublesome. If she doesn¡¯t go back to the hideout and get it detoxified soon, she¡¯ll die. What happened to the inside of the hideout? Also, what about Kemuri?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know about the inside of the hideout. I tried to send Sen in, but¡­¡± I glance at her. Sen is looking this way with an apologetic look. With my and Utsusemi-san¡¯s gaze piercing her, Sen hangs her head in a dejected manner. ¡°Go now.¡± ¡°I-I understand¡­¡± Sen is at the bottom position of Anonymous, but if Sen had also become an enemy in the previous situation, I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything. There is no way for me to defeat Sen. I think while looking at Sen¡¯s back as she ran. ¡°¡­What about Chiyaku-san?¡± I will confirm it for the time being. ¡°She has escaped. Rather, I got this shoulder injury in exchange for copying her ability. Well, it can be cured though.¡± As I thought, Chiyaku-san isn¡¯t dead yet. Eventually, Tameiki-san¡¯s wound is closed, and Utsusemi-san lifts her body and carry her under his arms. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°No, please wait.¡± I look at the Derrida central doorway through the gaps between the trees in the forest on the slope. The battle has begun. Did Byakurei-san¡¯s ability run out, or was there something going on inside? Kemuri-san¡¯s strategy was probably like this. Tameiki-san, Utsusemi-san, and all members who were brought here were to be isolated and then dealt with or forced to stay here; meanwhile, he¡¯ll annihilate the people inside the hideout somehow. Even if they are not annihilated, the Self-Defense Forces will clean them up. However, does the small number of Self-Defense Forces means that they weren¡¯t there from the beginning ¡­? The messenger who came during the meeting said that their number exceeds 2000. Kemuri-san himself too, said things suggesting that the enemy¡¯s force was overwhelming. Is that mean that it was all a lie from the very beginning¡­? Thinking about it, the Anonymous Countermeasures Department could not possibly have such a force. The members on the surface of Derrida have been annihilated. However, it is not difficult to annihilate them all even with a small amount of force, as long as there¡¯s time. Perhaps that¡¯s why they were late to find the entrance to the underground parking lot. ¡°The number of troops left is roughly 150, or less. For the time being, I think that Utsusemi-san alone will be able to manage to annihilate them. Would you like to launch a pincer attack as originally planned?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t even know what¡¯s going on inside the hideout, you know. The situation is messed up.¡± ¡°But in order to sort out the situation, it¡¯s better to get rid of those soldiers. Or rather, aren¡¯t you aching to do that? Fighting against that number of people at once, I mean.¡± Even if his personality is reversed, what Utsusemi-san desire for doesn¡¯t change. Overwhelming desire for battle. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t deny that.¡± ¡°Then please. Regarding Tameiki-san and the inside of the hideout, please leave them to me.¡± After taking Tameiki-san from Utsusemi-san, I carry her on my back. As for Utsusemi-san, he claps my shoulder while laughing and rushes to the battlefield. After seeing him off, I run to the evacuation exit. Shido-san¡¯s Infinite Corridor being deployed is probably the cause why Anonymous¡¯s reinforcements haven¡¯t arrived until now. The Infinite Corridor in this situation is very disadvantageous for our side. Therefore, Shido-san is also an enemy. In other words, is Boss confined by Shido-san? It¡¯s hard to imagine that even Boss, the leader of Anonymous, is an enemy. When I arrive at the evacuation exit, I wrap the wire of the grappling gun around a nearby tree and managed to get down to the second basement floor of the hideout. ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­¡± Because I¡¯m carrying Tameiki-san, I used up a lot of stamina. After taking some breaths, I start running again. The second basement floor is quiet. This is probably because all the members are gathered near the central doorway. The above is noisy. First, I head to the medical room. There is also a medical room on the second basement floor. This is where I was brought in earlier. When I open the door of the medical room, the same scenery as before unfolds there. The members in charge of medical care are running around busily. When I lay Tameiki-san on the nearest vacant bed, I call a nearby medical staff and entrust her with Tameiki-san. I tell her to prioritize Tameiki-san¡¯s treatment and detoxification. The people here don¡¯t seem to know anything about the situation, but I want to avoid confusion, so I decide not to tell them. Immediately after leaving the medical room, I hurry to the central entrance on the first basement floor. When I expand the sound detection to the first basement floor, I find that the enemies are rushing in. At the end of the passage, there is a melee battle against the Self-Defense Forces ongoing, and obviously the number of our side is smaller. I see Sen¡¯s red hair among them. Her ability is useless in a closed place. Sen should¡¯ve stayed and fight on the surface, huh. The one who sent her here wasn¡¯t me though. ¡°Sen, have you told anyone about the situation?¡± I send a sound to Sen from a long distance. ¡°There¡¯s no way I could do it in this situation!¡± This person is really useless. However, looking at this situation, it is highly possible that Kemuri-san set up a disturbance here as well. I wonder if he took each of our situation into account. I ignore Sen, run back, and proceed from another passage that has few enemies. The corpses of the enemies and allies are lying around, but as expected there are more corpses of our allies. When I viewed the enemies¡¯ forces from above, I saw no factor that would make us lose even in this situation. Kemuri-san¡¯s purpose was probably to give us reckless instructions and losing the battle that we could afford to win. I find that the enemies inside the hideout are visibly decreasing. Utsusemi-san must be rampaging on the ground. When the enemies¡¯ offense loosened, I go to the front line right away. When I arrive, Roll, Byakurei-san, and the other members are keeping the enemies¡¯ invasion to a minimum. Kaya-san and Hikisaki-san are still alive as well. ¡°Roll!¡± ¡°Shion!¡± Calling my name, Roll run to me. Byakurei-san immediately deploys the Room Impair, and the space with multiple members including myself, Hikisaki-san, Kaya-san, and Byakurei-san temporarily gained an absolute defense shield. ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± I ask. ¡°Kemuri-san betrayed us¡­! He suddenly increased his clones and killed everyone¡­! ¡­But all of his clones suddenly disappeared midway, so we¡¯re able to hold up for now. The situation is hopeless¡­¡± I see, his clones here disappeared because I killed his main body, huh. ¡°Hah, hah¡­ That¡¯s the situation here. How¡¯s¡­ the situation over there?¡± Byakurei-san asks in strained manner while heaving his shoulders up and down. It seems that he is quite exhausted; deploying this 5-sided barrier must also be quite taxing for him. ¡°Chiyaku-san is also an enemy. Also, Shido-san too. There is an Infinite Corridor deployed outside, so reinforcements cannot reach this place. Face Punch died and Tameiki-san was serious injured, but I¡¯ve carried her to the medical room, I think¡­ she will make it.¡± I omit various parts, explaining it in a concise and brief manner, and everyone reacts to it with a bitter expression. ¡°Chiyaku-san¡­ and Shido-san are enemies¡­ something like that¡­¡± Roll mutters. ¡°At any rate, let¡¯s talk more about that later. Once we¡¯ve cleared the enemies.¡± CH 119 [Collapse of Hope] Thanks to Utsusemi-san playing an active role on the surface, the number of self-defense forces has decreased significantly. And the number of allies has already decreased to the point where they can be easily counted. For the time being, the enemies inside the hideout have been annihilated somehow, and we are now gathering in the conference room. ¡°I will explain the situation again,¡± I say, and every member nodded. The amount is 18 people. Even though the non-combatants are also here, the members present are only 18 people. The injured and medical personnel in the medical room on the first basement floor were all killed. Kemuri-san did it. If I was late in killing Kemuri-san, the people in the medical room on the second basement floor would have been annihilated as well. There are practically no people on the third basement floor and onward. The total number of members remaining in the hideout is over 50. More than half of them is injured; the situation was hopeless. Just that, the enemy is no longer the Self-Defense Forces. ¡°Currently, there is Shido-san¡¯s Infinite Corridor deployed on the surface, so we can¡¯t expect the arrival of reinforcements. At the same time, we cannot escape from here either.¡± Thanks to that, it should be okay to assume that there is no reinforcement for the Self-Defense Forces either. ¡°I don¡¯t think that meant Shido-san betrayed us,¡± Roll says so to me. I ask back, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because she¡­ she was the one who raised me since I was a child you know?¡± ¡°Kemuri-san and Chiyaku-san have protected us so far as well, but they betrayed us, right?¡± Well, I understand Roll¡¯s feelings. I can calmly analyze the situation, but the other members who have been here for a long time cannot. It was the same as Desuko-san¡¯s case, the shock of learning that Kemuri-san and the others had turned traitor should be immeasurable. Roll casts her eyes down. I continue, ¡°For the time being, let¡¯s just look at the current situation and assume that Shido-san is an enemy. The situation has grown worse due to the betrayal of Kemuri-san and Chiyaku-san. I managed to kill Kemuri-san, but Chiyaku-san and Shido-san are still in this Derrida.¡± The Infinite Corridor can only be deployed from the inside. Therefore, if Boss is outside Derrida, it will be impossible for him to get in unless the Infinite Corridor is unraveled. However, in case that the Infinite Corridor has been deployed since the beginning of the battle, it would be strange. Shido-san¡¯s Infinite Corridor should be a trump card that has an extreme stamina consumption. To keep deploying it for more than two hours¡­ is impossible, I think. ¡°Obviously they¡¯re going to come to kill us, so even though the Self-Defense Forces is mostly annihilated, they should still be preparing some sort of plan¡­ So¡­ do you all want to fight back?¡± I throw a question. The remaining path is withdrawal. But I can¡¯t decide that at the drop of a hat. Because everyone here has been in the organization for much longer than I am. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t want to. Chiyaku is one thing, but there is no one who can beat Shido here,¡± Byakurei said. As he said. There is no ability user who can defeat Shido-san here. She is an ability user who has the ability to control the distance itself. She can easily repel a thrown knife, and she can dodge our attacks like a walk in the park. However. ¡°We can¡¯t get out of here unless we defeat Shido-san.¡± ¡°We can probably wait for her stamina to run out. There¡¯s no way she can endure for that long.¡± ¡°But she has already kept up the Infinite Corridor for at least more than an hour, right?¡± The proof of that is the reinforcement hasn¡¯t come yet. They should already be here, considering so much time has passed. ¡°To begin with, why did they betray us?¡± Hikisaki-san brings up the topic I don¡¯t want to talk about the most. Thinking about something like that now is useless. However, it is something that everyone is curious about. ¡°Maybe they are connected to the Self-Defense Forces.¡± The door of the conference room opens. The one who appears is Utsusemi-san who is covered in fresh blood. Everyone turns their gazes to him. Connected to the Self-Defense Forces; that is hard to imagine. If that is the case, they can just leak the location of the hideout, they don¡¯t need to do it in such a roundabout way. And they must have other ways to do it as well. ¡°Anyway, there¡¯s no use thinking about it now.¡± I look closely at Utsusemi-san¡¯s expression. He has a face that says that he doesn¡¯t really care about why they turned traitor. Yeah, there¡¯s no need to think deeply about it. ¡°I¡¯ve cleaned up most of the enemies on the surface, but what to do from hereafter?¡± Utsusemi-san turns to me. Honestly, I would like the executives, namely Byakurei-san and Utsusemi-san, to decide. Utsusemi-san and Byakurei-san are aware that they are suspected, though slightly. That¡¯s natural. When the executives betrayed us in quick succession, it would be unavoidable for both of them to be directed with suspicious gazes. ¡°For the time being, we have to find Shido-san,¡± I¡¯m also worried about Chiyaku-san¡¯s movement, who withdrew earlier. ¡°Haa¡ª, finding Shido you say, are you insane? How are we going to do that?¡± As Byakurei-san said, that would be difficult if she is seriously hiding. However, she is deploying Infinite Corridor while maintaining a distance in the surroundings where sounds can¡¯t reach her. I want to believe that it is possible to find her. ¡°If she finds that we get closer to her, she will just widen the distance, so I have no choice to go to the surface and try to detect her¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s not necessarily on the ground y¡¯know. Maybe she¡¯s hiding inside the hideout.¡± What Utsusemi said is¡­ undeniable. Anyway, we have to try whatever we can do. ¡°¡­Then, Roll and I will go to the surface and see the situation for now. Will you search in the hideout with the remaining members in the meantime? If you find her, please contact me or Roll.¡± If Shido-san is in the hideout, we can do something about her even if we can¡¯t reach her. When every member nod, we start to move. Roll and I leave the conference room and run down the corridor. ¡°Just in case, let¡¯s go out from evacuation exit.¡± We will stand out if we exit from the central doorway now, and I¡¯m also worried about the remnants of the Self-Defense Forces. ¡°¡­Okay,¡± Roll¡¯s voice is a little spiritless. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Roll is unstable. I chose to act together with her because she¡¯s my partner, but looking at her condition, I don¡¯t think I can expect a tag combination from her right now. Should I have chosen another person? ¡­¡­No, at least on top of being my partner, the one who I can cooperate with the best is Roll. It¡¯s not a wrong choice. Returning to the evacuation exit on the second basement floor, Roll and I go out to the surface using the grappling gun that I had left there earlier. ¡°Shion,¡± After we get to the ground, Roll calls my name. I want to hurry, but I stop and look back. ¡°Shido-san¡­ I wonder if she really betrayed us.¡± I don¡¯t know. ¡°Roll, right now¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it strange? Why did the executives turn traitor in quick succession? What is their intention¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s wrong to try to look at this situation in a good way, Roll¡­ How many people have died because of them? There is the corpse of Face Punch-san ahead. I¡¯ll just put it straight, their intention is to obliterate us.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t want to think that Chiyaku-san and Shido-san are enemies¡­ No matter what you say, for me, they are family, you know¡­ This place is¡­ my home you know.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I totally got it wrong. This organization is what supported Roll up till now, huh. ¡­In that case, I wonder what is the difference between Tameiki-san, Byakurei-san, Utsusemi-san and the executives that have turned traitor? It is no exaggeration to say that Tameiki-san has been around since the formation of Anonymous; what is the difference between her and the other old timers? Not good. It¡¯s not time to think about that. ¡°I wish¡­ I can live like Shion too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I reach my hand out to Roll. Roll claps my hand as if giving me a high five and goes ahead. Passing the place where I fought Kemuri-san earlier, we stand in a place where we can overlook the village. At the same time, I expand my sound detecting field. ¡°¡­¡± The sound that I sent out stretches far beyond. Without any interference. I realize it then. The Infinite Corridor is not deployed. ¡­¡­What is going on. ¡°The Infinite Corridor is not deployed,¡± When I look at Roll while saying that, I notice that she is staring at a part of the village. I follow her line of sight. It leads to the village square about 100 meters away from the central entrance. There are the figures of Shido-san and Chiyaku-san who is treating her. ¡°¡­!¡± What the heck is going on¡­? I squint and try to look at their appearances. However, due to the distance, I can only see them vaguely. That attire and black hair¡­ that is Shido-san, right? I try to listen to the sounds there, but I can hear nothing, as Chiyaku-san is just treating Shido-san silently. ¡°Roll, let¡¯s go back for now. Now that the Infinite Corridor is cleared, we can withdraw¡­¡± ¡°Shion. I¡¯m going¡­ to confirm it.¡± What are you saying? ¨C When I think so and turn to her, Roll rushes out without waiting for my reply. ¡°¡­! Roll!¡± Rushing out of the forest, Roll immediately runs to the two¡¯s side. ¡°You¡¯re kidding me¡­¡± Astonished, I take out my phone from my pocket. I tap Byakurei-san¡¯s name registered on the phone and make a call. But it doesn¡¯t connect. Looking at the screen, the signal reception status of the phone is out of service. ¡°Dammit!¡± Is the communication antenna destroyed ¡­? In that case¡­ I throw the unusable phone away and put my right hand on the ground. Then. ¨D¨DSound-Shot A roaring sound echoes in the forest, and the birds fly into the sky all at once. The vibration is transmitted to the ground. I wanted to send a sound directly, but since the underground is multi-layered, it¡¯s tough from here. However, if I make such a sound, they should be able to tell that this is my rescue signal. The people around Utsusemi-san¡¯s level should¡­ noticed it. I stand up to and run down the mountain to follow Roll. Chiyaku-san has noticed us with the Sound-Shot just now. Shido-san remains lying down. Roll dodges Chiyaku-san¡¯s blood spear that she released from a distance. I use my knife to ward off the blood spear that has passed Roll and came to me. However, because its power is higher than I expected, the knife is flung off my hand. ¡°ng¡­!¡± Running through immediately, I reach Roll¡¯s side. However, there we are surrounded by countless blood blades. ¡°Roll!¡± ¡°Ah¡­!¡± I hug Roll standing next to me and fire Sound-shots in every direction, dispersing the blood blades. ¡°Hah¡­! Hah¡­! Look¡­! Those two are enemies! Fight them!¡± The dispersed blades are reforming in the air and aiming at me and Roll again. I lower my body and run. Chiyaku-san¡¯s attack is almost equal to a one-shot deathblow. If you receive even a single drop of that blood, just like Heartbeat-Shot, you will be broken to pieces from inside your body. I have no more stamina to use the Silent World. However, the Distortion Sound can be used without the Silent World. However, in that case, the range will be short. It can¡¯t be used at this distance. Roll¡¯s reaction is delayed by one tempo. A little more¡­ just a little more¡­! *Stab* A blood blade stabs into my shoulder. ¡°Guu ¡­!¡± Crap. When I think so, Roll jumps out in front of me. She deals with the blood blades that came one after another. *Swish* Her cheeks is cut. And a blood blade passed by the side of my neck. The wound on my shoulder hurts severely. The invading blood of Chiyaku-san proceeds, heading toward my heart. ¡°Guuuuaaaaaahhhh!!!¡± Jumping out of Roll¡¯s back, I barely get Chiyaku-san into my range. ¨D¨DDistortion Sound The blood that is flying in the air falls to the ground. The pain that pierces my body disappears. The Sound-Shot that I try to release continuously doesn¡¯t come out. It can¡¯t be helped. I have overused my ability. I feel dizzy. Chiyaku-san, who is about 10m away, looks hazy. ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­¡± ¡°This is¡­ I see¡­¡± Chiyaku murmurs, staring at her right hand with a surprised face. ¡°Haven¡¯t you become a rash one, Shion-kun?¡± I¡¯m not. There is a chance of winning now. ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­ with this¡­ can we finally have a calm talk, I wonder.¡± When I say such words while behaving like I have room to spare, Chiyaku shrugs her shoulders and smiles. Of course, we are not going to talk to each other. The only thing left to do is to deliver the final blow after all. ¡°I wonder about that. You can¡¯t fight anymore, right?¡± However, there is Roll. Roll, please. End her now while her ability is blocked. With that in mind, I look at Roll. However, she keeps standing still. ¡°Chiyaku-san, why do you do something like this¡­?¡± I feel a furious anger at Roll who opened her mouth and said that. Dammit, to ask such a silly thing in a life-or-death situation¡­! I can¡¯t maintain Distortion Sound for long¡­! ¡°To hell with her reason! Quickly kill her!¡± I shout. ¡°Shut up, Shion!¡± I¡¯m silenced at her angry look. I have no choice but to keep quiet. Tears is filling her eyes. ¡°¡­For me, that is something I care about.¡± ¡°Right¡­ I have to answer that¡­ right¡­¡± *Thud* The one who is struggling to lift her body is Shido-san. I open my eyes wide. Crap, the Distortion Sound doesn¡¯t reach Shido-san. I take a step towards her slowly and carefully. At that moment, ¨D¨DThe scenery flows. ¡°Dam¡­¡­¡­!!¡± Shido-san and Chiyaku-san is far behind. The step I took, that was less than a meter, was transformed into a distance that drove me to the edge of the square. Of course, both of them are out of Distortion Sound¡¯s range. It¡¯s a complete failure. CH 120 Collapse of Soul] When fighting Shido-san, the most important thing to watch out for is the distance. Even though I think we should get away from here, that is not possible. Holding down my shoulder that was stabbed by the blood blade, I adjust my breath. ¡­The situation cannot be overturned anymore. If Chiyaku-san puts just a little bit of effort into it, both Roll and I will die. I turn my head around, putting the three people behind me in my sight while trying to suppress my palpitation. Is there a way to get out of this situation? ¡°Shido, don¡¯t push yourself¡­ Leave this to me,¡± Chiyaku-san supports Shido-san who is getting up staggeringly. Shido-san seems to be quite exhausted, why ¡­? ¡­Perhaps she became like that because she used Infinite Corridor to her limit. The range was also quite wide, unlike before. ¡°Chiyaku¡­ don¡¯t intervene¡­ I will¡­ take care of this¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­Got it,¡± Chiyaku-san takes a step back after saying that. On the other hand, Shido-san steps forward toward Roll. Even though it is summer, she is wearing a coat that looked hot as usual. Chiyaku-san doesn¡¯t move. Instead, she moves the blood lurking in my shoulders a little and restrains me. It means, don¡¯t do anything. It feels like my wound is being gouged. I clench my teeth and endure the pain. ¡°Shido-san¡­ why¡­¡± Roll faces Shido-san and squeezes out her voice. Shido-san is silent for a while, but eventually opens her mouth. ¡°¡­Roll. I truly feel guilty to you¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°But this¡­ was decided¡­ from the very beginning.¡± Kemuri-san said the same thing. What was decided from the beginning ¡­¡­? Does that mean that Kemuri-san, Chiyaku-san, and Shido-san were going to turn traitor from the beginning? The common points among these three people are that they are executives and that they can be involved with Observer. But, isn¡¯t Chiyaku-san not included in the latter point¡­? No, that¡¯s right. The reason I thought Observer is a human being was because Chiyaku-san was doing regular maintenance to it. If it¡¯s as I guess, that Observer is that ¡®brain-like thing¡¯, it should have parts that only a doctor like Chiyaku-san can deal with. Even though she didn¡¯t use Observer directly, she did examine it. ¡°¡­It was decided that Shido-san and the others would betray the organization¡­?¡± Roll says. I also thought a lot about it, but Shido-san¡¯s following words should give the answer. But deep down, something like that doesn¡¯t concern me. Whatever the reason, these two are enemies. And even if the truth is told, what will happen to us after that? Of course, we will be killed. Surely, telling the truth is Shido-san¡¯s way to atone to Roll. It¡¯s convenient for me because such a shit-like atonement is buying us time though. ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°Shido,¡± Chiyaku-san called her name. Immediately, Shido-san evades backwards. *Bang* A small crater appear at the spot where she was. I immediately look up at the sky. The who is there is Utsusemi-san. He gets down and stand in front of Roll with a *tap* and puts his hand on the sword on his waist. ¡°Utsusemi¡­¡± ¡°Hey Shido, Chiyaku. It sure been a while since this me have met you. I am glad that you look well.¡± Utusemi-san. He noticed it after all, huh. Firing that Sound-Shot was correct. I didn¡¯t notice Utsusemi-san approaching because I was minimizing the sound¡¯s detection. If I could deploy the Silent World even for a moment, I can change this battle situation with Distortion Sound. With that in mind, I was trying to restore my stamina as much as possible. However, it seems that it is not necessary. Utsusemi made it in time anyway, and the surviving members, led by Byakurei, is running here from the central entrance. Shido-san¡¯s ability does not activate. She probably doesn¡¯t have enough stamina left. A total of 18 members gathers in the plaza so as to surround them. Everyone is ready for battle. Byakurei is taking a stance with his extra-long sword, and Kaya-san is aiming with a fire bow. Matching them, I also narrow the distance a little. Chiyaku-san should be able to kill me and Roll whenever she wants to, but she doesn¡¯t seem intending to do that. That¡¯s natural. If she kills me and Roll in this situation, it will be the signal to begin this battle. This difference in numbers. This is undoubtedly not a battle they can win. Chiyaku-san, who is a little away from Shido-san, closes their distance. ¡°Chiyaku¡­ can I leave Utsusemi to you?¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± Seeing that nod, we prepare for battle. Everyone keeps an equal sense of distance from them. It is obvious that Shido-san is exhausted. But she is by no means an opponent we can let our guard down against. These two could be called ¡®the strongest¡¯ in Anonymous respectively. It seems that many people didn¡¯t know that Chiyaku-san could fight, but that¡¯s not the case now. The reason is that she is restraining that Utsusemi-san with her killing intent, and she is emitting an air such that no one is able to move. ¡°Do you want to change the place? Chiyaku,¡± Utsusemi-san says. Chiyaku-san glances at Shido-san. I can only see their backs from my position, but I know they exchange glances. ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine, Chiyaku. Go.¡± ¡°¡­See you later, Shido.¡± ¡°Yes, let us meet again in hell.¡± Chiyaku-san throws the backpack at her feet high up in the sky. ¡°Come, Utsusemi.¡± What cut through her backpack is her blood blade. A large amount of blood diffuses and converges from the ruptured backpack. The mass of blood falls to the ground due to gravity for a moment, but then soars vigorously. Chiyaku-san also takes off as if to chase after it. Using the blood floating in the air as a foothold, Chiyaku-san escapes from the siege and flies ahead. Utsusemi-san happily follows after her. The one left is Shido-san. And we are besieging her alone. The silence continues. With an air as if she is no longer waiting for the continuation of the answer, Roll is silent. However, as a result, Byakurei-san returns the topic. ¡°Shido¡­ What is your purpose. Why are you guys doing this?¡± I¡¯m already tired of hearing that word. It¡¯s not worth worrying about, just kill her quickly. She is quite weak now. Perhaps she doesn¡¯t even have the power to swing a knife. She should be barely standing. But I couldn¡¯t open my mouth. Just like Roll, Byakurei-san may have various questions and feelings swirling in his head. What I can do is to get Shido-san in my range to insure she can¡¯t use her ability. I take a step forward. Shido-san should be aware of my movement, but she doesn¡¯t use her ability. ¡°Roll.¡± Ignoring Byakurei-san¡¯s question, Shido-san calls Roll¡¯s name. ¡°Shido-san¡­¡± ¡°I thought of you as my real daughter,¡± Shido-san puts her hand on the button of her coat. While doing that, she takes out a lighter from her pocket with her other hand. ¡°¡­Hah, hah,¡± She seems to be unable to stand at last, as she kneels on the spot with a thud. At the same time, her coat comes off. *Thud* a heavy sound echoes after her coat fell to the ground. When I turn my gaze to it, a large amount of explosive is set inside the coat. Without any time for us to be surprised, Shido-san lit the lighter in her left hand with a snap. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous¡­¡± Anyone knows what will happen in this situation. With that number of explosives, we will surely get swallowed up in the explosion in this distance. No, no matter how far we are, with Shido-san¡¯s ability, the explosion will reach us. We only got about 1 second to act. The battle sound of Chiyaku-san and Utsusemi-san is ringing in the distance. The situation is so inevitable that I turned my attention to such an insignificant thing. Dammit, what to do¡­! At the next moment, most people turn their back and start running. Shido-san ignites the conducting wire. ¡°Everything is for him¡­¡± She mutters something, but I have no time to worry about it. I scream at once. ¡°Byakurei-san!¡± With Byakurei-san¡¯s Room Impair, it should be possible to defend against the explosion. ¡°I know¡­¡­!¡± Can he make it in time¡­!? Suddenly, I find Roll standing at the edge of my field of vision. ¡°Roll!¡± Why are you spacing out¡­! I stop my legs and try to go there, but given the distance, I shouldn¡¯t be able to make it. Roll is on the other side of Shido-san. ¡°Roll! Move!¡± I call out. She doesn¡¯t move. Immediately after. Bang! Such an explosion occurs. I close my eyes. Due to the blast, I¡¯m blown backwards. Hitting a crumbling wooden house, I cough out a mouthful of blood. However, it¡¯s not a big deal. I wonder if Byakurei-san managed to use the Room Impair in time. When the blast and its rumbling subside, I slowly open my eyes. A gruesome scene spread out there. Those who hit the wall and dead, scattering about in pieces of meat. A crater has been created the center of the place where Shido-san was. However, there are three directions where the ground is not scraped. Suddenly, the rubbles next to me is lifted up, and Byakurei-san appears from it. ¡°¡­Sorry. I could only protect two sides.¡± You¡¯re kidding me¡­ That means everyone else is¡­ Roll is ¡­ I somehow raise my severely hurt body and proceed to the epicenter where Shido-san was while dragging my legs. I overlook the area around restlessly. The houses in the village are on fire. I expand sound detection. I can only hear three heartbeats save for mine and Byakurei-san¡¯s. When I trace one of the heartbeats and shift my gaze, I find Hikisaki-san there. And, in the immediate vicinity is Roll who has fallen on her butt in a daze. I see, Hikisaki-san changed the direction of the explosion with his ability. However, because of that, his opposite direction had become disastrous. The people who were there were annihilated. Well, he had no other choice to survive, I guess. I hold my shoulder and drag my legs to the roll. *Rattling* Kaya-san appears from the collapsed house next to me. ¡°Cough, cough¡­ Fuck, fuck!¡± There is no noticeable injury on her. Are these five people the only ones who survived? When I thought so, a naked Sen appears from a burning house this time. ¡°It was really scary just now¡­¡± Right, she is immortal. That means, the ones who survived are these six, huh. Next is up to the result of the battle between Utsusemi-san and Chiyaku-san. Eventually, I reach Roll¡¯s side. Hikisaki-san, who is standing about five or six meters away, is holding half of his face with his left hand. Probably, he regrets having killed many members to protect himself. ¡°What happened was inevitable.¡± I don¡¯t know if such encouragement will give him a peace of mind, but I told Hikisaki-san what I thought. ¡°Roll, can you stand?¡± Standing in front of her, I reach out my hand to her. Roll stares at the place where Shido-san was and mutters, ¡°Shido-san¡­ why¡­¡± Having seen that, I pull Roll¡¯s hand and force her to stand up, and seriously hit her on the cheek. Due to my punch, Roll falls over the ground again. ¡°¡­You wanna die?¡± She glares at me. ¡°That¡¯s my line. You want to die?¡± After I said that, Byakurei rushes over and cut in between me and Roll. ¡°Oi, stop it, Shion.¡± ¡°Byakurei-san¡­ Please move away. There is something I have to say to Roll.¡± ¡°Even so, you shouldn¡¯t have hit her. Why are you fighting in this sort of situation?¡± ¡°It is exactly because the situation is like this. Given the circumstances, Anonymous is over. But even so, Roll and I are still partners.¡± It was also because she is my partner that I chose her when I was going to the surface. I trusted her. Byakurei-san looks into my eyes for a while, but as if he has got my intention, he draws out from between me and Roll. Roll is hanging her head and saying nothing. I take a step and say, ¡°We are not very good partners, are we?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re right,¡± Her cheek is red and swollen. It can¡¯t be helped, since I hit her seriously. ¡°But, didn¡¯t you tell me when we first met? About what partners are supposed to be in Anonymous.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± I tried my best, but I was convinced that I couldn¡¯t meet Roll¡¯s expectation. Because I don¡¯t have the confidence to risk my life to protect Roll. But even so, I¡¯m confident that I will choose Roll without hesitation when she is put on a scale with someone else. Even if she had mentally prepared herself, it was unavoidable that she couldn¡¯t act when she was faced with that kind of situation. I also have experienced something like that. ¡°¡­¡­Sorry.¡± I¡¯m not asking for an apology. I¡¯m just playing innocent. But I have one thing I want to say. If we were to continue to act as partners hereafter, I have one thing I want only Roll to know. ¡°If you die, that will be the end of it.¡± Not good. I also can¡¯t say what I want to say. I wanted to convey it in a way that was easier to understand and better organized. At this rate, she wouldn¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about. While I¡¯m thinking about the next words with my mouth half-opened, tears overflow from Roll¡¯s eyes. I abandon the words I was thinking about and reach out to Roll. ¡°¡­Can you stand?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Un,¡± Roll grabs my outstretched hand and stand up. Then, she begins to cry loudly. Perhaps Roll was pushing herself to the limit. She is a kind person after all, and she has been in this organization for all this time, so she probably became mentally weak and unable to come to terms with the situation. I want to hug her, but this is not the time for that. We have to escape from here. In the distance, the battle between Utsusemi-san and Chiyaku-san continues. But he probably doesn¡¯t need a support. ¡°By the way, where is Boss?¡± Suddenly, Hikisaki-san says as if it just comes to his mind. I also completely forgot about Boss¡¯ existence because of the urgent situation. That¡¯s right. Boss hasn¡¯t returned even though Shido-san¡¯s Infinite Corridor has been unraveled. Why. Just as that question came to my mind. ¡°It¡¯s a good time, huh.¡± It was Boss¡¯ voice. We look back at that voice. At the same time as I was surprised, a new question emerged in my head. Looking back, the one who is there is certainly Boss. He is quietly standing as though he is there from the beginning. However, the figure of Boss wearing a jet-black coat and the trademark strange mask, is not there. ¡°Why¡­¡­¡± What we see there is Boss dressed in white military uniform with three stars shining on his chest. CH 121 [Collapse of the King] As one would expect, even I want to know the answer at this time. Why? Why is Boss wearing the military uniform of the Self-Defense Forces? I barely manage to turn my head and see the reactions of other members. Both Roll and Byakurai on my side. Hikisaki-san and Kaya-san, who are a little far away. Even Sen, everyone is stunned by this situation. ¡°¡­If this is a joke, it¡¯s a bad one, Boss,¡± Byakurei-san says. It isn¡¯t a joke; I get it from his expression and the atmosphere he is clad in. Even Byakurei-san who said that reaches for the extra-long sword on his back. ¡ª¡ª Maybe they are connected to the Self-Defense Forces. I remember Utsusemi-san¡¯s words. I thought it¡¯s impossible, but now that it has come to this, I can¡¯t deny it. Boss is also an enemy. That¡¯s right. Everyone must have suspected a bit when they found out that Shido-san turned out to be an enemy. That maybe Boss is also an enemy. But they didn¡¯t believe it. Because it doesn¡¯t make sense, too. I wait for Boss¡¯ words while still being stunned. There is no doubt that Boss is an enemy. However, only at this time, I don¡¯t think of reckless thing like trying to kill Boss to survive or such. Because if we were to fight, we will be no match for Boss, even though we have six people. Besides, I don¡¯t feel like fighting against him myself. I hold my dizzy head. It seems that I have become lacking in blood due to the bleeding on my shoulder ¡°If asked whether I don¡¯t feel attachment¡­ the answer is no.¡± Boss, dressed in white military uniform, opens his mouth. ¡°Ha? ¡­What are you saying?¡± Byakurei-san takes one step ahead. ¡°At least¡­ I don¡¯t look forward to this day. Just that, there is a goal I need to achieve.¡± ¡°¡­Explain it properly.¡± ¡°You¡¯re here to kill us, aren¡¯t you?¡± I interrupt Byakurei-san¡¯s words and say so. Boss shifts his gaze to me and answers. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± As I thought. The choices are¡­ to run away or beg for our lives. ¡­¡­Neither is a good idea. We might be able to deal with him with Distortion Sound, but he is out of range at this distance. Boss definitely wouldn¡¯t allow us to get close easily. In the first place, there is no way to take countermeasures against Boss because his ability is unknown. ¡­Is Boss hiding his ability because he intended to do this from the beginning? ¡°Was everyone¡­ moving under your command¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Boss doesn¡¯t answer Roll¡¯s question. He takes a step towards us. In response, I take a step back. Not good. I¡¯m afraid. It¡¯s been a long time since I felt this feeling. If it¡¯s fear, I had experienced it many times. However, to absolutely not be able to oppose someone. It¡¯s been a while since I felt that way. Until now, even though I was scared when I was face to face with death, I felt a power as though it was boiling from the bottom of my stomach. There is no such thing this time. Why? It has been decided. Yes, because the opponent is none other than Boss. Being saved by Boss was the beginning of everything. The reason I am the way I am now is because there was Boss who reached out to me by turning the unreasonableness, which was the Self-Defense Forces, into a lump of meat without hesitation before me. If that Boss wants to kill me, I¡­ When I notice, I have retreated to Roll¡¯s back. My hands are shaking. Roll, whose eyes have become red, squeezes my hand. ¡°¡­We¡¯re together.¡± Hearing those words, I¡¯m taken aback. What? I¡¯m going to die? No¡­ No¡­! I will live. I don¡¯t feel like dying here. It doesn¡¯t matter even if the opponent is Boss. Rise up. However, it is clear that I can¡¯t win against Boss. Then, what to do. Buy time¡­? How? It¡¯s impossible. Should I have some people stop Boss and run away? Dammit, I can¡¯t think straight. When Boss takes another step, Byakurei closed the distance at once, coming close to Boss. He stands ready, but the battle never starts. Byakurei-san just close the distance, but doesn¡¯t begin the fight. ¡°¡­!¡± No, it¡¯s not. I immediately change my perception. The battle has already begun. Suddenly, Byakurei-san collapses, leaning against Boss. A knife is deeply stuck in his chest. Byakurei-san was done in¡­? I couldn¡¯t see anything before that. Nothing, even a little movement. Boss just took a step and allowed Byakurei-san to get close to him. ¡°¡­Shion,¡± Let¡¯s escape ¨C Roll directs such a gaze to me. It¡¯s pointless. We can¡¯t escape. He definitely wouldn¡¯t let us escape. That I understood. We have no choice to but to buy time. He¡¯s not an opponent we can hold off, but still, we need time. I take a deep breath and try to forcefully steady my pounding heart. At least to pretend to be calm. ¡°Boss,¡± I call the man who was the leader of Anonymous. Boss steps back and removes Byakurei leaning against himself. Byakurei-san who fell on the spot is already dead. His heart was stabbed with a knife, huh¡­ Although he was exhausted, that Byakurei-san was killed in just one blow. ¡°What is it, Shion.¡± I¡¯m relieved that he accepted the conversation for the time being. If he started killing without a word, there would be nothing I could do about it. We can beat Boss with these members. Then, we¡¯ve got no choice but to stall him with conversation. ¡°U¡­ a¡­ Byakurei¡­ -san¡­¡± I turn my gaze to Hikisaki-san who suddenly began to sob like that. It¡¯s bad¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t be kidding meeeee!!!¡± ¡°Hikisaki-san! Please wa-¡­!¡± I couldn¡¯t finish my words. The reason is that Hikisaki-san¡¯s head, who was about to run toward Boss, falls on the spot with a thud. What happened¡­ I direct a timid gaze to Boss. Boss is still standing on the spot without moving an inch. Just that, Byakurei-san sword is held in Boss¡¯ right hand. ¡°¡­¡± He cut him¡­ with that¡­? You¡¯re kidding me¡­? In that distance? Unnoticedly¡­? My thought can¡¯t keep up with things. ¡°Hikisaki¡­! Bastaaaaaaaaard!¡± At that time, what¡¯s flaring up at the edge of my view is Kaya-san¡¯s arm. It¡¯s the deployment of her ability, ¡®Ante Arrow¡¯. ¡°It¡¯s useless¡­¡­!¡± At the same time as I shout, her arm flutters in the air with a slashing sound. ¡°a¡­!?¡± ¡°Kaya¡­ -san¡­!¡± When I¡¯m calling her name, her head flutter this time. I immediately turn my eyes to Roll and say, ¡°Don¡¯t move¡­ absolutely don¡¯t move!¡± My teeth begin making clattering sounds. Too much, this situation that shows my powerlessness. Before the absolute ruler of space, I have no way to resist. ¡°So, what is it, Shion?¡± *Bakun* My heart skips a beat. Just now, I was so scared that I felt chills down my spine just because Boss focused on me. Boss has no hesitation. However, it seems that he won¡¯t attack as long as we don¡¯t start moving first. It¡¯s okay, calm down. *Gokuri* I swallow my saliva. If he doesn¡¯t feel like having a conversation, Roll and I should have been killed by this time. Looking at his attitude trying to continue the conversation, I guess that he still has enough conscience that he will solve all of our questions before killing us. ¡°I get that you¡¯re here to kill us, but¡­ Boss, you can at least explain the situation, right¡­?¡± Boss¡¯ white military uniform is stained red with Byakurei-san¡¯s blood. The blood stained three stars are shining dull. ¡°Ahh, since you¡¯ve asked, I have the duty to explain. As Anonymous¡¯s leader.¡± I turn my eyes to Sen for a moment. The immortal Sen should not be targeted. She is the key to this situation, but how do I make use of her¡­? If she turns into the phoenix form, she would probably be a quite a good distraction, I think. ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll ask you straightforwardly. Why are you doing this¡­? Why, are you wearing those clothes?¡± Hearing that, Boss closes his eyes. After a while, he lifts up his eyelids. For a moment, I thought of closing the distance in an instant and use Distortion Sound. However, Boss is probably not someone who can¡¯t react to that. I stay in place. ¡°¡­We have killed many for one person. The number of people saved by that is overwhelmingly small compared to the number of sacrifices, but they certainly exist. Like you guys.¡± I move my eyes to Roll next to me. Neither Roll nor I could live without Anonymous. ¡°But for me, that fact was only a reason¡­ no, just an excuse to stand on top of you all until this day¡­¡± What is he saying. ¡°Didn¡¯t you create this organization because you choose the minority who were ousted unreasonably over the many who were saved by the Self-Defense Forces?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just a pretext. My true purpose is different. Who I want to help is not the minority or such. But the many people who are looking forward to the future and are salvable.¡± I open my eyes wide. So this what being betrayed feels like. I grit my teeth as strong as I can and clench my fists to the point they bleed. ¡°Then¡­ why did you create such an organization!¡± I shake my clenched fists. My shoulder hurts. Breathing raggedly, I stare at Boss¡¯ eyes. ¡°This world is more rotten than you all think. It¡¯s where everything is unreasonable and everyone you see is an enemy. Even the Self-Defense Forces that advocates justice is like a garbage dump overflowing with trashes. Under such circumstances, what do you think the people are looking for?¡± I don¡¯t give a damn about such a thing. ¡°It¡¯s a Hero,¡± Boss lift the corner of his mouth, smiling grinningly. ¡­I see. So that¡¯s it. In my head, the dots are connected one after another. ¡°The evil organization Anonymous¡­ is just a stage set for Boss huh¡­ In order to become a hero and change this world¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Boss who crushed Anonymous as a lieutenant general will probably make a name for himself immediately. He is sure to be promoted as well. Then, Boss will be selected as the hero who will replace Midou Ryuusui. He will probably gain support to the world changing extent in one leap. Thinking back upon it, was the reason he killed Midou Ryuusui, who originally reigned as the idol of the people, so that he can fill in his position¡­? The general¡¯s position is still open. ¡°¡­Everyone died for something like that¡­? Roll says. ¡°For something like that, huh. Some of the people you guys killed probably died thinking that way as well.¡± Roll is silent. For Roll who had lived as evil, those words were irrefutable. Because she is silent, silence dominates the place for a while. Boss takes a step towards us. ¡°Boss¡­ I still have something I don¡¯t understand,¡± I say in a fluster. The interruption of the conversation means death. I still have more things to ask. And as long as this conversation continues, we will not be killed. Somehow¡­ I have to find a way. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it,¡± Boss stops and says. ¡°If you originally belonged to the Self-Defense Forces ¡­ Why do you pick this timing? There are too many contradictions. If you were in a position that can crush the base anytime¡­ and understand all the circumstances of the Self-Defense Forces, you should have been able to proceed with your plan more smoothly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the case. I¡¯ll return to Saint Celia as the only survivor of this battlefield. My becoming a part of the Self-Defense Forces is essentially at that moment.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I don¡¯t understand what he¡¯s saying. Isn¡¯t Boss belong to the Self-Defense Forces from the beginning¡­? ¡°What¡­ are you saying¡­¡± ¡°Lieutenant General Sakai, possessor of the full authority in the Anonymous Countermeasures Department¡­ I will take the place of that man and eventually get the Self-Defense Forces in my hands.¡± Lieutenant General Sakai. I also know his face because he is also listed in the organization¡¯s database. Originally, he was supposed to be the person who took command on this battlefield, but come to think of it, he didn¡¯t appear. Boss replacing Lieutenant General Sakai ¨C what does that mean? I don¡¯t understand. Is he saying that he will return to Saint Celia and says that he is the Lieutenant General Sakai? Something stupid like that wouldn¡¯t work. ¡°¡¯Time Thief¡­ Right. That may be possible with your ability, Hyde.¡± Roll and I look back at that at that suddenly appearing voice. On a worn-out roof that is about to collapse due to the previous explosion. She stands there. I open my eyes wide. ¡°Tameiki-san!¡± Has she recovered? No, that¡¯s not the case. I¡¯m sure she forcibly slipped out of the medical room. *Whoosh* Noticing the killing intent from the back, I jump out of the place reflexively. When I timidly confirm the appearance of Boss who released the killing intent, he is holding a knife in one hand and looking up at Tameiki-san on the roof. ¡°Haah¡­¡± Tameiki-san¡¯s sigh that sounds as though she understood everything echoes in the place. ¡°You¡¯ve done well coming here, Tameiki.¡± CH 122 [Collapse of Will] ¡°¡­So, such a foolish thing was the purpose of the organization, huh,¡± Tameiki-san says, Her tone was as usual. Her breathing is ragged, probably because of her injury, but her expression and voice are very calm. I frown. Even though she has been working for the organization for all these times, she is betrayed like this; why can she look calm? Even I received a huge shock. Her feelings should be more hurt than mine. ¡°From the beginning, I didn¡¯t think that I¡¯ll get your consent, see,¡± Boss says with a self-deprecating smile as he looks at Tameiki-san. Roll slowly steps back to my side who had jumped out. Sen also takes a distance from Boss, but it seems as though she is in a daze. ¡°That¡¯s why you didn¡¯t tell us the plan, isn¡¯t it? Because you thought we wouldn¡¯t give up our life for you.¡± ¡°There is that, but the plan was originally planned to be carried by us alone. It was for this time that I made members who weren¡¯t very cooperative to the organization like Byakurei, Utsusemi, and Desuko became executives. If there are only capable people like you around, I would be eaten up after all. Though it seems that it was only Desuko who had notice it somewhat. Still, I thought it was fine to tell you about it, Tameiki.¡± If everything had been decided from the beginning ¨C the discomfort I had until now is resolved. Daring to gather nothing but members without mobility, setting up the hideout in this place that is close to Saint Celia, and even not finishing General Tenjoumine at that time¡­ it was all for this plan. ¡°I see¡­ In that case, it was a big mistake not telling me about it, Hyde¡­ I would have said ¡®yes¡¯ if you asked me to give up my life for you.¡± After Tameiki-san said so, Boss throws the extra-long sword he has in his hand to the ground with a clang, spreads his arms a little, and says, ¡°How about now?¡± ¡°Of course, ¡®no¡¯.¡± Tameiki-san glances at me and Roll. ¡°Right. You resemble Yoiyami, for better or for worse. Even if nothing happens, you are destined to leave the organization.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Tameiki-san is silent. As though her injury doesn¡¯t concern her, she just stares at Boss. ¡°¡­Did you expect a more noble purpose?¡± Boss says, while looking at Tameiki-san, me, and Roll alternately. Feeling expectation¡­ not. Disappointment¡­ not either. Honestly, I don¡¯t care about what the purpose of Anonymous is. However, if we were saved only to be killed, we would be too pitiable. To think the organization called Anonymous only exist for one person, which is Boss. He created the organization just so that he could gained the support of the people by annihilating it. ¡°Not at all¡­ I said it was foolish, but when I properly think about it, that¡¯s not the case at all. If you crush the current Anonymous, you will definitely gain enough influence to move the world. Isn¡¯t that good? ¡­In any case, the people here, including me, are just dead people after all. I, too¡­ wouldn¡¯t have lived with conviction, if it wasn¡¯t for your ambition. Indeed, it¡¯s just like someone breaking their own toy, but¡­ this organization is, without a doubt, your toy.¡± Just dead people¡­ That¡¯s right. Without Boss¡­ without this organization, Tameiki-san, Roll, and I wouldn¡¯t have lived until now. In that sense, Tameiki-san is quite philosophic, isn¡¯t she? Besides, she was originally in a world where she could die at any time. However, I don¡¯t agree with her thought. I have no intention of becoming Boss¡¯ toy. ¡°Many people also admire you though.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Tameiki-san takes off her jacket, turns it over, and scatters the knives inside on the roof. The conversation between the two has stopped. The tense air makes me foresee the beginning of the battle. I look at the both of them alternately and slowly retreat. ¡°Do you have any last words? Tameiki.¡± ¡°I do¡­ Then, can I say it?¡± ¡°Go for it.¡± ¡°Even though things have turned like this, I¡¯m grateful to Yoiyami and Hyde, who have raised me.¡± Tameiki-san¡¯s expression collapses for the first time there. She has a face which I can¡¯t tell whether she¡¯s about to cry or she¡¯s smiling. With such a face, Tameiki-san glances at me and mutters, ¡°Run.¡± I look towards Boss. Boss is frowning; it is my first time seeing him has a grim face. ¡°It seems I imposed a difficult role to Kemuri and the others.¡± When I notice, a knife is already held in his hand. Boss takes a step. At that moment, his figure vanishes. At the same time, Tameiki-san jumps from the roof and flies to the sky. ¡°ng¡­!¡± I search for Boss¡¯ figure in a hurry, and immediately catch the sound he made. Boss is on the roof where Tameiki-san was; he slowly stands up from other side and turns his eyes to Tameiki-san in the sky. ¡°To avoid my attack, have you reached that domain?¡± What¡­ happened just now? Did Tameiki-san avoid Boss¡¯ attack¡­? Tameiki-san knows Boss¡¯ ability. If I remember correctly, she called it Time Thief. What kind of ability is it? Guessing from the name, is it an ability to steal time¡­? If that is the case, Tameiki-san should have no way to deal with it. In fact, Byakurei-san, Desuko-san, and even Midou Ryuusui¡­ all the strong people that have faced Boss had fallen before his ability. However, Tameiki-san has certainly avoided the unavoidable attack just now. ¡°Crisis sensing ability that transcends sixth sense. It is already at the level of foresight.¡± ¡°¡­Hyde. Just so you know, I have no intention to die,¡± Tameiki-san says to Boss from the sky. Then she yells, ¡°Go! Shion, Roll!¡± Coming to myself at her voice, I take Roll¡¯s hand. ¡°Roll, let¡¯s go¡­!¡± ¡°Y-yeah¡­!¡± Having started running, I turn my eyes to Sen. ¡°You too, come!¡± CH 123 [Collapse of Tears] Utsusemi was flying in the air like a feather. While avoiding the blood blades fired by Chiyaku on the ground, he pretended to close the distance with her with a misleading movement and moved away. With the sword he held in his hand, he deflected the incoming blood blades and shot out fist pressure occasionally. Utsusemi also looked at Shion and the others¡¯ situation with the eyesight of Superhuman (Braver) from the sky. When Hyde, the leader of Anonymous, appeared in the military uniform of the Self-Defense Forces, he also frowned. ¡°No way, even Hyde was on their side,¡± Even while talking, he fluttered in the sky. Each and every blood blade that Chiyaku freely manipulated were aimed Utsusemi¡¯s vitals. Strengthening system, Superhuman (Braver). Originally, with its overwhelming speed, power, and reflex abilities, Utsusemi should be able to kill the enemy without a delay, but he couldn¡¯t. He knew the reason. It was a story when Utsusemi was still a boy. Senjiya Kusuri, who once belonged to the Self-Defense Forces and was touted as one of the seven generals and the strongest army surgeon at that time. Alongside her, there was a woman named Enjoji Yachiyo, who was also touted as the strongest. The two went out to the battlefield together and were in a good relationship. Therefore, Chiyaku had a detailed understanding of the ability of Enjoji Yachiyo; how to cope with it, its limit, etc. So she was able to deal with Utsusemi who now possessed the power of Superhuman (Braver). The incoming surging waves of blood blades continued to shot out of the large amount of blood floating around Chiyaku. It stayed in the air and kept aiming at the sky Utsusemi ceaselessly. If even a small amount of that blood invaded his body, no matter how strong the endurance of the Superhuman possessed by Utsusemi, fatal injury was inevitable. Then the blood blades flying in the surroundings would shower him all at once. Utsusemi focused his eyes on Chiyaku with a faint insane smile on his face. He was delighted with the desperate situation. There were several reasons why he didn¡¯t settle in the hideout and became a wanderer, but one of them was he couldn¡¯t fight against his colleagues. And that was also the biggest reason he became a wanderer. ¡°It¡¯s fun, Chiyaku,¡± Utsusemi murmured. At that moment, a blood blade grazed his right cheek. Immediately after, Utsusemi cut off his cheek flesh without hesitation and flew through the inside of the flying about army of blood blades. He checked on the situation of Shion and others through the gaps between the houses with a glance. Tameiki seemed to had let Shion and co escape. The opening created by his diverting attention was large. A blood blade cut his body, but Utsusemi grabbed the wound with his hand and gouged it out to prevent Chiyaku¡¯s blood from entering his body. Then, *suu* he healed the wound with Accelerate Heal. ¡°You better not overdo it, Utsusemi. It¡¯s doctor¡¯s order.¡± ¡°You sure can joke around.¡± Chiyaku who was manipulating the red blood blade spreading all over the sky was about to reach her limit. Utsusemi sensed that, as Chiyaku continue to whittle his stamina. The condition of both were getting gradually worse and worse, but the one who set the bout was Utsusemi. Having flew around in the sky from one corner to the other while avoiding the blood blades, Utsusemi suddenly started to fall. ¡°Let¡¯s end this, Chiyaku.¡± Will I get there or will you kill me before that? In a straight line. With the help of gravity, he went straight to Chiyaku. Without caring about the blood blades, he accelerated while getting struck all over his body by them. He had his arms crossed in front of his face to protect only his eyes. His haori and hakama had become rags, and his body was already bloody. Although Utsusemi was showered with countless blood blades, it took only a few seconds for him to reach Chiyaku. *BANG* the straight first attack was evaded by Chiyaku, and Utsusemi created a crater on the ground. ¡°You are too easy to read.¡± ¡°Really?¡± In the second attack, he drew out his sword from its scabbard in an instant and throwing at Chiyaku. Chiyaku avoided the sword that flew while rotating with *hyun, hyun* by bending over at the last second. But, it slightly grazed her. Her cheek was torn apart and the sword pierced the wall behind her. Utsusemi kicked the ground strongly and tried to close the distance created by the retreat of Chiyaku. However, Chiyaku¡¯s blood that invaded his body cut off his tendons. In a moment, Utsusemi suddenly lost his momentum, went pass Chiyaku and fell over. As he accelerated the healing of the tendons in his feet, the blood manipulated by Chiyaku began to advance toward his heart. The Superhuman¡¯s though body managed to slow them, but the blood slowly and surely went toward his heart while penetrating his body. In truth, he should had felt so much pain that he would writhe on the ground, but he didn¡¯t make a single voice; though his eyes were grim, the corner of his mouth was lifted a little. After having his cut tendon healed to the point of him being able to move, he stood up, leaning on his knees, and closed the distance with Chiyaku. He tried to throw a punch using the centrifugal force, but of course it is not powerful. Chiyaku was able to stop it with one hand. He launched an attack with his other hand that just recovered, though barely, but he couldn¡¯t display his true power at all, and it was stopped by the other hand of Chiyaku. Then, Utsusemi collapsed as though to lean against Chiyaku. She caught him and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Her blood was reaching his heart and his brain. ¡°Haha, yeah¡­ it seems so¡­¡± Chiyaku frowned at the changes in the expression and voice of Utsusemi. Immediately after. ¡°¡­!¡± *Stab* Receiving a mysterious impact, Chiyaku opened her eyes wide. Staggering, she tried to step back, but she couldn¡¯t. She vomited a large amount of blood from her mouth. When she lowered her gaze, a long sword was piercing through Utsusemi¡¯s flank to her heart. ¡°This, is¡­¡± Even while speaking, she rushed to use her ability. At least I have to kill him too. She thought so before her understanding caught up. However, Chiyaku¡¯s blood inside Utsusemi¡¯s body didn¡¯t move at all. ¡°¡­Inside, my body¡­ my blood, is definitely¡­ a lot more¡­ right?¡± ¡°What, are you¡­¡± *COUGH* while coughing out a large mouthful of blood, Chiyaku understood. ¨D¨DAbility offsetting each other. Utsusemi copied her other ability, Blood Slave. She noticed that she was being touched. She turned her gaze to the handle of the sword that was visible on Utsusemi¡¯s back. His blood stuck on it. He manipulated the sword that was stuck in the wall, huh. He planned to offset her blood attack and to fall upon her, and she, convinced of her victory, fell for it. Having convinced of her loss, Chiyaku closed her eyes. It would be difficult for her to recover even with her Accel Heal if her heart was stabbed and the sword was stuck in it. ¡°I¡­ lost¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ rest¡­ in peace¡­¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª We are running, turning our backs on Tameiki-san and Boss. Although I¡¯m afraid of turning my back to Boss, I still run. The destination is the depths of the forest. ¡°What are we going to do¡­! Shion!¡± ¡°For now, let¡¯s get away as far as possible!¡± I think about our means to escape from here. Of course, I¡¯m talking about Renga. Actually, I had called Renga when we got to the surface. However, he is late. He should¡¯ve arrived here by now. Renga who totally doesn¡¯t want to get separated from me should arrive in 10 or 15 minutes at the latest, it¡¯s strange. Perhaps, Boss took the initiative and¡­ That¡¯s not impossible. If even Shido-san¡¯s death was included in the plan, I don¡¯t think Boss would leave Renga, who might come to my rescue, alone. In that case, I better quit relying on Renga, huh. It is quite a distance away, but if we go out of the forest, we can get to the public road. If we steal a car there, we should be able to escape somehow¡­ right? ¡°¡­¡± After advancing through the woods for a while, I suddenly stop and look back. ¡°¡­? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Sen comes into my view. Roll also questions me who suddenly stopped, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Shion?¡± I wonder if¡­ Tameiki-san is okay. The battle between the two is quiet, so I couldn¡¯t hear anything. What is more noticeable is the fierce battle sound of Chiyaku-san and Utsusemi-san. ¡°¡­Nothing.¡± I was told to run away, and I came until here just thinking about running away, but is it okay for me to run away just like? Not just Tameiki-san. Utsusemi-san is still fighting too. Maybe we are just hindrances for Tameiki-san and Utsusemi-san. However, now that Anonymous is about to be crushed in Boss¡¯ hand¡­ aren¡¯t they our remaining comrades? At the time when my ability manifested and I was about to be killed by the Self-Defense Forces, I thought the world had turned into my enemy. However, after joining Anonymous, I learned that there are many similar people to me. They were all killed. I¡¯m about to be killed too. Even though my time in the organization only lasted for a short time, even though the organization was dyed in filthy black of garbage dump, I thought of them as my comrades. There were many people who I didn¡¯t like as well. Even though I thought that I should be able to cast away something like a comrade at any time. However, before the collapse, I find this tepid water precious. I want to be protected. So, I don¡¯t want to lose my few remaining allies. To notice this on the brink of the collapse¡­ Boss is an absolutely unbeatable enemy. I¡¯ve judged so in my head. But, is it okay to escape? Besides, where are we going to escape to from here? No branch can be relied on anymore. Having abandoned my friends, family and city, I have no place to call home anymore. ¡­I, I have always tried to survive that way, even now. Since the opponent is Boss, I have no other choice but to run. However, if I run away now, I feel that everything will be over this time. This is not the time to be afraid. ¡°Roll¡­ Sen. I will go back and fight.¡± Hearing my words, Sen who is still naked takes a step forward. ¡°Huuh? What the heck are you talking about, bastard!¡± Roll glares at Sen as if to tell her to shut up, and she does shut up. ¡°¡­¡­Why?¡± ¡°¡­ If I run away here, I don¡¯t think I can stand up to anything anymore.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯ll die.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t die,¡± I say clearly. I¡¯m very afraid. But there will be a chance of success as long as I cut off my fear. Boss shouldn¡¯t know my Distortion Sound yet. He¡¯s not an unbeatable enemy. I¡¯m sure of it. ¡°I¡¯ll also¡­¡± ¡°You two should go first,¡± I interrupt Roll¡¯s words and say strongly. There is no need to get her involved. It is fine just me alone. Rather, that is the only way so this can be meaningful. ¡°¡­Got it. We¡¯re going first.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Be careful, buddy.¡± ¡°Oh well, I don¡¯t care even if you die!¡± (Sen) ¡°Let¡¯s get going, Sen!¡± Without seeing off the two who started running after that said, I turn to the path we come from and run. Is this decision wrong? ¨D¨DThis hesitation, this fear, each and every one of them is annoying. I feel like I want to separate my brain. Even now, the core inside my head is still trembling. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going there to die. I¡¯m going there to kill Boss. It¡¯s a simple matter. Enemies that endanger my life should be killed. There is no need to fret about it. It¡¯s just like what I¡¯ve been doing until now. I reassure myself many times. It¡¯s the same thing. Just that the enemy is Boss now. It¡¯s a world of kill or be killed from the start, isn¡¯t it? In the big picture, the situation hasn¡¯t changed at all. I just need to leave my consciousness to the darkness. Yes, I just need to leave everything to the darkness¡­ ¡ª¡ª¡ª After Shion and co escaped, Hyde and Tameiki glared at each other. Tameiki thought about Hyde¡¯s ability. Tameiki, who once fought Hyde in an inter-organization tournament, had been pondering about his ability for quite some time. She had heard some things about it from Yoiyami, and thus she was able to quickly realized that if she received it directly, her time would be robbed. This is the second time she had received Hyde¡¯s ability. No, to be precise, it was the second time she had been pointed with the brunt of that ability. This time, she avoided it. That cleared up some things. Hyde¡¯s ability was to steal time. And it could be avoided. Perhaps there were range limit and, or requirement to the usage of his ability. And it wasn¡¯t like it stole time all the time. She guessed that the ability had a point of activation and need a sight. In other words, if one could escape at the ¡®point¡¯, which was the moment when the ability was used, and from his ¡®sight¡¯, which was its range of effect, their time would not be taken. The moment she saw the point, Tameiki immediately escaped from his sight, succeeding in confirming her hypothesis. ¨D¨DAs long one doesn¡¯t enter his sight, they wouldn¡¯t be affected by his ability. However, Tameiki had a doubt. Was that all? Did with just that alone, he drove away Yoiyami, stood at the top Anonymous, and slaughter all those strong people? If that was all, he shouldn¡¯t be her match. Suddenly, another question popped up in Tameiki¡¯s mind. Thinking back, how did he get to the top of the roof? Tameiki recalled and repeated his previous movements in her head. The movement she had seen from the sky was just plain fast. But if that was not due to an ability, it was clearly surpassed the limit of human. That speed would only make sense if he stole the time of Shion and co previously. Perhaps Hyde added the stolen time to himself, allowing him to move at a higher speed. The more he stole, the more his speed would increase. However, even so, in order to climb that roof, he had to take some steps such as climbing. Hyde made a linear movement as though he connected from point to point, and reached the place where Tameiki was in an instant. ¡°Won¡¯t you come down, Tameiki? Sadly, I can¡¯t fly. So I can¡¯t fight in an aerial combat,¡± Hyde said with a leisurely smile on his face. ¡°Tsk,¡± Tameiki replied with a tongue-click. Certainly, the farther away she was, the easier it was to get out of his sight. And as Hyde said, unless he could fly in the sky, he didn¡¯t have a means of attack. That was why, Tameiki could be lost in her thought. At that moment. Having felt a vague ¡®something¡¯, Tameiki escaped from Hyde¡¯s sight in an instant. As thought to stick into the ground, she descended and landed behind a house. *Throb* Her head hurt. She came here without completely detoxifying the poison in her body, so her visibility was poor and she endured severe palpitation and headaches. In her blurry consciousness, she sensed Hyde¡¯s presence. He seemed to be walking slowly here. ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s been 20 years since the day of your manifestation. It feels like it was just yesterday,¡± Hyde¡¯s voice echoed. His footsteps stopped on the other side of the house. He grasped her position as though he could see her without any obstruction. ¡°¡­You are leisurely reminiscing about the past? You must have a lot of leeway.¡± ¡°I have, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Seeing Tameiki sank into silence, Hyde continued. ¡°20 years. Thinking back, many people have died.¡± ¡°If you intended to kill from the beginning, you don¡¯t have to be deeply moved.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I hate you all. It¡¯s just my purpose comes first.¡± ¡°¡­Why now?¡± ¡°I decided so. That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Shido and the others¡­ why were they risking their lives for you?¡± ¡°Because we are old friends, perhaps?¡± Those words weren¡¯t filled with strength. Tameiki was sure. This man didn¡¯t know why Kemuri, Shido, and Chiyaku were betting their lives on his behalf. Even if somebody died for his sake, he would not seek for the reason. Tameiki understood Kemuri and the others to some extent supposedly. She thought of each of them as people who had a heart; even though she didn¡¯t show it on the surface, she admired, respected, and trusted them. Honestly, she wasn¡¯t confident in her ability to judge people. But even so, she knew they weren¡¯t twisted people her longtime interacting with them, she still believed so, even now. That was why, at the same time she understood. This man made Kemuri and co had a reason for them to risked their lives. For Tamiki, the purpose Hyde mentioned earlier was not something that would made them willingly gave up their lives for him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to listen anymore,¡± Tameiki said. ¡°That so. Then, let¡¯s just kill each other.¡± That is, fine. *Bang* Tameiki dropped Press on Hyde along with the house. The wooden house makes a creaking noise and instantly collapsed to the ground. Hyde¡¯s figure wasn¡¯t there. Tameiki immediately deployed a gravitational field to keep Hyde away from her surroundings. In that case, even if her time was stolen, he would not be able to approach. While thinking so, she moved her gaze around, looking for the dozens of knives and Hyde at the same time. A few seconds later, she found Hyde on a small prefab and fired Press on rapid succession. But, Hyde¡¯s figure disappeared from there. She couldn¡¯t follow his speed with her eyes. He never drew closer because of the gravitational field, but his speed was truly bizarre. It could be called teleportation. Then inside Tameiki¡¯s mind, another conclusion was made. Hyde probably could stock up the time he stole. Then Tameiki felt a vague ¡®something¡¯ again. She put strength into her legs in a moment in order to avoid it. However, it was extremely dangerous to move indiscriminately in this situation where she did not know where Hyde is. Relying on the gravitational field, she stayed in place. And in the next moment she felt suffocation. ¡°U¡­ gh¡­¡± The scenery had also changed. When she noticed, she was already pressed against the wall and a hand was squeezing her neck. Hyde¡¯s other arm was crushed for some reason and hung down loosely. She could see blood dripping from her crushed fingertips. ¡°¡­This is no good.¡± Hyde muttered. Tameiki grabbed Hyde¡¯s wrist, which was strangling her neck, with her hands. ¡°¡­For¡­ what, reason¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Tameiki? If it¡¯s you, you should be able to escape easily, right?¡± ¡°Why¡­¡­¡± While being strangled, Tameiki squeezed out her voice. What she certainly captured in her blurred vision was the tears that flow from Hyde¡¯s eyes. ¡°Hesita-¡­ ting?¡± ¡°¡­As I thought, you are similar to Yoiyami.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± She refused to meet his eyes. For a long, long time, Hyde strangled Tameiki¡¯s neck. Slowly, her hands hung down and strength escaped from her body. Then he said. ¡°No¡­ you were too kind.¡± CH 124 [Collapse of Severance] Having passed through the forest and returned to the village, I stand stock still on the spot. ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­¡± Most of the houses have been crushed due to the battle and turned into rubbles. My gaze is toward Boss standing in front of the wall of a house beyond the square. Boss has his back turn to me and is pressing Tameiki-san against the wall, but then he let go of his hand and turns around. ¡°To think you would come back. I¡¯m surprised,¡± Boss says. Boss and I are facing each other across the crater made by Shido-san. Sliding down the wall, Tameiki-san¡­ collapses on the spot. She is not breathing anymore, and her heart have stopped beating. ¡°¡­She is dead.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Boss reply to my muttered words. Tameiki-san was¡­ killed. I didn¡¯t make it in time. No¡­ not yet. Although she is in cardiopulmonary arrest, life-saving measures may still be able to save her. But I don¡¯t think Boss will let me do that. The grace period is a few minutes. In that case¡­ I have no choice but to kill him first¡ª¡ª When I thought so and took a step forward, Boss takes a knife out of his pocket and throws it to Tameiki-san¡¯s neck. ¡°¡­!¡± The knife pierces her neck deeply, and her blood flows, forming a small blood pool. She is¡­ without a doubt, dead. ¡°This will be a good medal,¡± Boss holds his crushed arm and says so. Blood drips from his fingertips one after another. Dizziness attacks me. I hold down half of my face and manage to get my staggering body upright somehow. ¡­If things would turn out this way, what the hell did I come back here for? ¡°Tameiki-san¡­ had been working for the organization all these times,¡± It¡¯s no use. There is no point in saying such a thing. I glare at Boss while enduring headaches and nausea. ¡°I know that best.¡± Right, of course Boss knew that as well. Ah¡­ dammit. In that case, Tameiki-san was too pitiful, whatever the circumstances might be. But¡­ why do I feel sympathy rather than sadness or anger? Is it because I knew that Tameiki-san couldn¡¯t beat Boss? No, that¡¯s not it. It¡¯s because at this point I¡­ prioritize my own life. However, for that reason, I can stay calmer than usual. ¡°You sure are heartless, even if I say so myself,¡± Boss says. I slowly take a deep breath. My headache and dizziness have subsided. It¡¯s still unknown whether or not Tameiki-san is alive, but I wouldn¡¯t be able to beat Boss if I challenge him head on. Then, what to do? To bring him into a conversation, or to hide at once. The latter is the one I want to choose, but there is no place to hide because the area is completely flat. To deliberately show myself, that was too thoughtless. ¡°If you still want to confess, I¡¯ll gladly listen, you know.¡± Was the reason I spat out such provocative line because I had gone crazy? If it turns into a battle, then it can¡¯t be helped. I just have to do it. Looking at his tendency so far, Boss kills by melee attack. Even Tameiki-san seemed to be strangled to death after all; I better be cautious about throwing knives and such, but as long as I spread Distortion Sound to the surroundings, I can crush the activation of his ability when he approaches. ¡°It seems the battle on that side is over,¡± Boss looks at another direction. That direction was where Utsusemi-san and Chiyaku-san were heading. The sound of their battle has stopped before I notice; it seems that the victor has been decided. ¡°You said ¡®confession¡¯ right, Shion?¡± After bending down and pulling out the knife from Tameiki-san¡¯s neck, Boss looks back at me. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite accurate. Shion, don¡¯t you want to ask someone for forgiveness every time you think of your guilt?¡± ¡°Not anymore, I¡¯m over that now.¡± Boss, and Anonymous turned me like this. They taught me that I can¡¯t live unless I¡¯m evil. ¡°Right, normally, you¡¯d want to blame someone at first. But as you continue to live, there comes a time when you get used to it.¡± ¡°Are you still not over it, Boss?¡± ¡°Ahh. Is it laughable?¡± It¡¯s not. ¡°Such a thing is not laughable, you know.¡± If Boss is like that, the member who shook off their guilt and devoted themselves to evil would be too irredeemable. ¡°That¡¯s not what I want to hear though.¡± Having said that, Boss laughs, closes his eyes, and slowly walk toward me. I exhale and forcibly paste a smile on my face. Putting my hand on my knife in the holder, I look at Boss quietly. When it comes to fighting against Boss, it doesn¡¯t matter whether you make the first move or the second move. However, Distortion Sound is a technique that can surprise the enemy. Thus, I¡¯ll make the first move. ¡ª¡ªSilent World I just need a moment. Endure¡­ endure it somehow, me. The disappearance of sound gives me the illusion that the world has stopped. However, that is merely for a moment. Boss is quietly holding his knife. He¡¯s still far away. However, he is within the range of the Silent World. ¡ª¡ªDistortion Sound Suddenly, Boss stops his feet and opens his eyes wide. At that moment, I start running. *Throb* My head hurts. Not good, just a little more. I just need a little more to reach Boss. Until then, the Silent World can¡¯t be undone. I close the distance of several tens of meters in a few seconds. As I approach, Boss kicks the ground. At this distance, Distortion Sound should be able to reach him even without the Silent World, so I cancel it. Sounds returns to the world. I swing my knife at Boss¡¯ crushed arm. Blood sprays out, and I follow up with another swing, aiming for his neck. He¡¯s completely open. In the next moment, sparks scatters. The knife I swung was repelled by Boss¡¯ knife. ¡°¡­ngh!¡± Dangerous¡­! I step back and keep a distance in preparation for a counterattack. However, Boss¡¯ follow up attack is extremely fast. Last-minute reaction. I let go of my knife and reach out my hand toward the grappling gun. At the same time, Boss¡¯s body blurs. When I notice it, Boss has already retreated far back. ¡°Cra-¡­!¡± Boss came out of the range of the Distortion Sound in an instant. It was clearly not the movement of someone whose ability was sealed. It was too fast. And a strange feeling of emptiness attacks me. Intuitively, I know that my time was stolen. Ability to infringe the only right given equally to all humankind, namely time. ¡­I can¡¯t beat this person. It feels like I¡¯m having a blackout. No, it¡¯s not a blackout. Suddenly, Boss appears before me. I can¡¯t recover from the gap of that lag-like feeling in time. While being thrown off balance, I stretch my hand forward, and the knife that Boss thrusted pierce into my right hand. ¡°Gh¡­!¡± I fall to the back just like that. Then, I hit a wall that shouldn¡¯t have been behind me, and my hand is fixed to the wall with the knife as is. Letting go of the knife, Boss puts his hand on my neck. There, he suddenly stops moving. ¡°That¡¯s strange,¡± Saying that, Boss¡¯ eyes turn to the left. I, who is restrained, also turn my eyes that way. There is a man standing there. He has a gaunt face and is wearing an awfully tattered attire. His hair is a mess and his skin is a bit sunburnt, but I know who he is in a glance. ¡°I don¡¯t remember inviting you, Midou Tsurugi.¡± ¡°I invited him, Hyde.¡± It was a woman¡¯s voice. Boss¡¯s line of sight now shifts to the right. ¡°I see,¡± He sneers with a ¡®hah¡¯. Boss separates from me and turns around. I¡¯m familiar with the person who appeared from the other side. Pure white hair¡­ She is¡­ the girl who appeared in the Observer¡¯s room. ¡°We finally met, Hyde.¡± ¡°It¡¯s much earlier than I expected though¡­ only your appearance that is according to my plan. Yumesaki Aika¡­ No, Observer. Do you come to obstruct me again?¡± CH 125 [The Collapse That Remained] I don¡¯t know how many times I¡¯ve got confused today. What the hell is going on¡­? I repeatedly move my eyes alternately from Boss in front of me, to Tsurugi on the left, and to the white-haired girl on the right. Boss called the white-haired girl Yumesaki Aika and Observer. If I remember correctly, Yumesaki Aika should be the girl that Boss has been looking for all this time. Does that mean that the girl and Observer are the same person? No, there are a lot of strange points if that is the case. But, I don¡¯t know. And what did Observer come to hinder Boss mean? ¡°You are¡­ Aika¡­? What happened to your hair¡­? This is¡­ what¡¯s going on¡­?¡± Tsurugi looks at the girl and says so. Tsurugi, who has been releasing his killing intent toward Boss, is now turning his attention to the girl. My frown deepens. Tsurugi doesn¡¯t understand this situation either¡­? Yumesaki Aika¡­ or perhaps Obersever said that she was the one who called Tsurugi here. However, looking at the situation, the two doesn¡¯t seem to be on the same page. Guessing from what he said, Tsurugi knows Yumesaki Aika. That¡¯s not strange. It¡¯s because I also know that Yumesaki Aika was the girl who was escorted by Midou Ryuusui. Therefore, it¡¯s understandable she is acquainted with Tsurugi. However, why did she call Tsurugi to this place in this kind of situation? ¡°Hyde, you must have a lot of things to say to me. You do understand the meaning of what I said, right?¡± Observer says, breaking the few seconds of silence. Then she traces her neck with her two fingers. ¡°What did you see, Observer?¡± ¡°I saw your ambition crumbles apart, you know.¡± Smiling grinningly, she raises her index finger pointing up. ¡°Hou, that¡¯s interesting. Was it the usual faulty observation?¡± Observer yells, ¡°Yeah¡±, at Hyde who said so. Her expression is extremely joyful. ¡°It was just a small resistance. I always think about how to get in your way with the little ego I have left, you know.¡± ¡°Thanks to that, the plan has been delayed until now. Your plan was a success. Even so, you did well to boot up on your own.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to thank Shion and Utsusemi for that. They did well.¡± Boss turns his gaze toward me for a moment. I can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised. I¡¯ve guessed that mine and Utsusemi-san¡¯s names would be brought up. The boot up must be the series of events that happened in Observer¡¯s room. Even so, the conversation between the two is ambiguous. ¡°Well anyway, I¡¯d appreciate it if you be quiet. For you, Yumesaki Aika and I should be pieces that you don¡¯t want to lose yet.¡± Does that mean she took herself hostage? However, against Boss, that wouldn¡¯t amount to anything. I don¡¯t know what kind of ability Yumesaki Aika- Observer has. But it should be easy for Boss to incapacitate her without killing her. ¡°That¡¯s just your imagination¡­ but, yeah. To play along with your plan for now is not a bad idea. It¡¯s just right as I wanted to take a little break.¡± Boss in front of me walks away, leaving me, and sits down on a nearby rubble. The heated air is unwrapped, including the killing intent that has been released. I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on, but it seems that I¡¯m alive for now¡­ It was miraculous that I wasn¡¯t finished. It¡¯s not strange if I were dead by now. It might have been the deadliest situation I have ever experienced. No, my situation won¡¯t change as long as I haven¡¯t escaped this place yet, huh. I pull out the knife stabbing my hand and throw it on the spot. Then I hold my hand, enduring the pain. The amount of blood I lost is also dangerous. I want to get out of here somehow. ¡°Now, Midou Tsurugi, it¡¯s been delayed, but let me answer your questions.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡± ¡°First of all, I¡¯m not Yumesaki Aika. I¡¯m another person¡­ no, referring myself as a person might not be correct, but anyway, I¡¯m the one who is moving Yumesaki Aika¡¯s body by possessing her. You can call me Observer, I guess. Please understand the situation. For the time being, you can think of me as an ally. This mind is¡­ that¡¯s right. Isn¡¯t it faster to hear it from the man there?¡± While talking, she twirls her long white hair with her finger. When Observer point to Boss, Tsurugi¡¯s gaze is drawn there. At that time, my eyes meet with Tsurugi¡¯s for the first time. His eyes widen a little, but they only stopped for a moment, as he moves his gaze to stare at Boss. It is clear that Tsurugi¡¯s thinking process hasn¡¯t caught up on the things yet. Boss and I, or rather, Anonymous itself, is an enemy that Tsurugi hate. To be thrown into such an incomprehensible situation so suddenly, he must be confused. It seems that he decided to start processing from Yumesaki Aika. ¡°¡­Answer me. What did you do to Aika. Why does she look like that. And¡­ why are you wearing the military uniform.¡± Tsurugi glares at Boss who sits on the rubble with killing intent. ¡°It¡¯s just a cessation of pigment-forming cells due to overuse of ability. Her life is not in danger. As for why I¡¯m wearing this outfit, I can only answer it¡¯s because I¡¯m a Self-Defense Forces Lieutenant General.¡± In other words, she overused her abilities to the extent that the pigment in her hair was lost. I heard that will happen if you continue to use your abilities to the limit every day. ¡°Nonsense¡­!¡± Tsurugi¡¯s killing intent swells. As for Boss, he is sitting with a smile on his as if to provoke Tsurugi. Observer opens her mouth after seeing Tsurugi taking a step forward. ¡°¡®Her life is not in danger¡¯, huh. Well said, Hyde. Certainly, it seems you weren¡¯t to intending to kill Yumesaki Aika nor I, the Observer, but even so, the treatment I received made me feel I¡¯d rather be dead. As for Yumesaki Aika, she was still treated with great care.¡± Tsurugi stops his feet and looks toward Observer who spoke to make him stop. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been separated from my body and brain, and was used willfully with most of my ego suppressed. My body is now a narrow capsule filled with cerebrospinal fluid, connected to a cold machine. I wonder why can you do such a terrible thing. Oh, right. You¡¯re the incarnation of evil, Hyde. For the sake of your purpose, you cut off people¡¯s path, and made them tread on the path of evil.¡± Was that the case? But what was certain was that the brain is truly the real body of Observer. And Observer was originally forcibly controlled. If that¡¯s case, then that explains various things. Observer walked slowly while talking and eventually stood next to Tsurugi. Her whitish blue loose patient gown is stained here and there, and she is barefooted as she was a few hours ago. ¡°You sure are talking happily aren¡¯t you, Observer,¡± Boss looks at such Observer and laughs. That laugh can¡¯t be said to be from joy. What kind of laugh was that? ¡°That¡¯s obvious, right? This is the first time I can speak human language like this in several years. Human¡¯s body temperature, sensation of their hands and feet, the air passing through their lungs, and the information of scenery that visually enters their brain. Ahh, I feel like talking for the rest of my life.¡± Spreading both of her hands open, Observer says so with a joyful tone and expression as though she is enjoying a dancing festival. ¡°Was it because possessed Yumesaki Aika, who has poor psychological resistance? By linking with her, you were able to temporarily release the suppression on your ego.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, Hyde. At that time, I synchronized a small part of my knowledge and memory with her. You can¡¯t move Yumesaki Aika as you please anymore.¡± However, I¡¯m doubtful about the possession part. Observer should be a sensing ability user. Possession ability can¡¯t be said to be included in the category of sensing ability, right? But Observer¡¯s ability is not limited to one, as she could accurately determine the position of something or someone and roughly predict the future. Although it is out of the frame of sensing, she is practically succeeded in possession, so I have no choice but to consent to it. However, I feel that even synchronization itself is out of the region of possession. Ordinary possession ability can¡¯t synchronize. If possible, that might be a takeover. ¡°Now that¡¯s troublesome. Since I don¡¯t know you had a means of possession, various miscalculation occurred. But,¡± ¡°But?¡± Observer parrots and Boss continues, ¡°I¡¯m relieved to hear that only a part of you were synchronized. That means only a part of you possessing her. That part of you, was that your childhood?¡± ¡°Correct. Certainly, if I possess her with my original thinking ability and ego, I would have done other things. I didn¡¯t do that because I considered the human rights of Yumesaki Aika and I wanted to experience human¡¯s senses only for one more time.¡± Boss stirs a little, and I step back along the wall. Observer continues and say, ¡°Let¡¯s negotiate, Hyde.¡± ¡°Do you have cards that you can use?¡± Observer nods and raises three fingers. ¡°Now then, let¡¯s talk about three reasons why you have to negotiate.¡± She folds her raised fingers, except the index finger. Then she speaks, ¡°The first reason. Yumesaki Aika and my lives. Right now, right here, you can only rob Yumesaki Aika¡¯s time. If you want to rob my time who use the possession ability, you have to go to the 5th basement floor of the hideout and get in touch directly with my real body. If the me there take back my ego here through the link, depending on your actions, she can stop the brain activities of Yumesaki Aika and I at any time.¡± ¡°That so. Continue.¡± Boss says as though he knew it. Is that the reason why Boss didn¡¯t deal with her? Observer raises her second finger. ¡°The second reason. Midou Tsurugi and Shion. These two are the only ones who have the possibility kill you within the radius of 200km.¡± What the heck is she saying? That¡¯s impossible. It was proved earlier. I move my gaze to Tsurugi. When I did, Tsurugi also turns his gaze to me, and our eyes meet. Cold gazes collide. ¡°Hou.¡± ¡°The reason you didn¡¯t kill Midou Tsurugi that day was probably because it would be more convenient to sanction him after you got a position in the Self-Defense Forces, but now that has gone up in smoke.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not late even starting now.¡± Seeing Boss finally stand up, I thought about running away then and there. Even though I know it¡¯s reckless, I think it¡¯s better than leaving myself to the flow as is. Observer raises her third finger and continues talking a little faster. ¡°The third reason is my foresight. My observation of the present time is shaking. Everyone in this place might die, or everyone might live.¡± A few seconds of silence descends. Boss laughs a little and says, ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh. Before the execution of the plan, you listed the people who wouldn¡¯t die, but they all died. You have no basis nor persuasive power, you know. Well fine. Do you mean to stop me with those cards?¡± ¡°You understand, right? I¡¯m telling you to withdraw, Hyde. If you do, I¡¯ll obey you.¡± Ridiculous. In that case, why did she come here? What did she want to do? If she just hides herself without calling for Tsurugi, Boss would only kill me and the surviving members of Anonymous. It¡¯s as if it was just a meaningless negotiation. No¡­ don¡¯t tell me, it was to save¡­ me? She went as far as to take herself hostage to restraint Boss, and with resolve to die at the worst-case scenario, she called Tsurugi. If that¡¯s the case, that would make sense of things, but I don¡¯t understand her aim. There should be no merit in saving me. ¡°¡­What is your purpose?¡± Boss also shows suspicion in response to the incoherent request of Obsserver. ¡°What are you talking about? Then why did you call me here!¡± Tsurugi raises his voice. ¡°Midou Tsurugi. I want you to know of this situation and the future you have to pursue.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying¡­! As long as I can kill that man, I don¡¯t mind even if I die here!¡± ¡°Yumesaki Aika will also die. Are you okay with that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­¡± Tsurugi is silenced. It is a convenient development for me, but what about Boss? Thinking so, I return my gaze to him. I¡¯m horrified at Boss¡¯ insane smile I saw then. ¡°Well then, Observer. Allow me to tell you three reasons why I¡¯m going to kill you all.¡± Ahh, as expected. Boss won¡¯t stop with just that. He is the Boss who took more than 20 years to make such a grand plan and put it into practice. Observer looks at him. ¡°One, taking yourself as a hostage was a mistake. I think nothing of you more than ¡®I want to keep you alive if possible¡¯. Rather, killing you right now would be the wise decision.¡± A plain tone. But loud and clear. The life of the only one I thought I could rely on, Observer, or rather Yumesaki Aika was not something that Boss will persistently cling to. In response to that, Observer is silent. I¡¯m sure that what Boss first claimed wasn¡¯t a bluff. Then, why doesn¡¯t he start the battle even at this point? I glance at Tsurugi. Boss has been wary of him since earlier. Don¡¯t tell me what is effective in restraining him wasn¡¯t Observer taking herself hostage, but Tsurugi¡¯s presence. That¡¯s ridiculous. ¡­¡­No, I don¡¯t know. Tsurugi has succeeded in escaping from Boss twice. Even the ability of Time Thief doesn¡¯t work on Tsurugi. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Two. If there are two people here who could possibly kill me, there¡¯s no way I¡¯m not going to get rid of them here.¡± That¡¯s right. The second card won¡¯t make Boss withdraw. Rather, as he said, there¡¯s no way he¡¯d let us escape. Observer probably said it to strengthen the third reason, but it was counterproductive. ¡°And three. Your ability is not a future prediction, but a future prediction based on calculating the result you¡¯re your sophisticated sensing. Even if you predicted such an ambiguous future, it will not stop me. What decides the future is a strong will.¡± Observer remained silent, perhaps because she had no words to return. Tsurugi readies for battle. As for me, I plan to escape by pushing Boss onto Tsurugi. Naturally, I have no more strength left to join in the battle. ¡°It is clearly the end, Observer.¡± ¡°It is not, Hyde.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get it, do you? You have been pushing yourself too far. Although you behave as though you have a leeway, coming up with such forced plan shows that you¡¯re cornered. If you were able to completely synchronized with Yumesaki Aika, you might¡¯ve done it. You didn¡¯t do that because interfering with things outside of your observation range caused anomalies in your real body. It¡¯s not that you didn¡¯t, but you couldn¡¯t. Yes, your name is Observer. You just have to observe.¡± Observer is silent the whole time Boss argued without a pause. ¡°It¡¯s that easy to silence you. But what I don¡¯t know is whether your main body allowed this outrage. That¡¯s the only baffling part. What the hell are you thinking? Observer.¡± I get the feeling that the light in Observer¡¯s eyes have dimmed. It¡¯s obvious that her eyes changed. The queer air she releases cools the surrounding. It¡¯s different from killing intent. It¡¯s like a cold feeling. At that time. I sense a ¡®sound¡¯ that echoes in the distance and open my eyes wide. ¡°Hyde. What you said is right. Everything is true. But, with this my purpose has been achieved.¡± My eyes meet with Observer¡¯s. At the same time, sceneries, emotions, and thoughts flows into my head. Observer also shifts her gaze to Tsurugi. Don¡¯t tell me, this is really her purpose? ¡°What?¡± ¡°I will leave a part of me to Yumesaki Aika, and finish my role as an observer. I can finally be released from life and die.¡± ¡°If your purpose was to dismantle your main body, I can¡¯t understand the reason why you appeared here.¡± ¡°My purpose is to destroy your ambitions. The sin that drove me to the edge of despair is heavy, Hyde.¡± Boss didn¡¯t seem to be convinced yet, but I could understand the meaning. Observer will die here. But¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a shame about Tameiki, but¡­ it¡¯s enough. With this, you will need to make a major revision to your plan, right?¡± ¡°Gyaaaaoooooooooooo!!!¡± Entrusting the future. That¡¯s right. Foolishly, Observer really came with the purpose of keeping me alive. At this moment, she made the necessary factors to prepare the force to defeat Boss. ¡°Renga! Here!¡± I shout at Renga who came. I¡¯ll make use of it. I appreciate she went out of her way to save me, but I¡¯m not going to move as she wished. ¡°So it¡¯s alive, how persistent.¡± At the same time as Boss starts to move, Tsurugi moves, then both of them stops moving. Renga¡¯s body is tattered. As I thought, Boss put his hands on him. But was he holding back? Or was he hard pressed against a growing mythical class demon beast? Either way, Renga came to help me. I grab my grappling gun and fire the wire toward the sky. As Renga passes there, the wire entwines around his wing, and I climb. Then, Renga turns around and accelerates. ¡°Shion¡­ no, Kamiya Kazato. My prediction of your manifestation has twisted your life in the wrong direction. Even though actually there was a path you should have walked on. I am sorry.¡± I look back while holding on to the grappling gun. Their figures have become small. I can see Tsurugi holding Observer¡¯s body and running in the opposite direction of Boss. ¡°Renga, over there!¡± I instruct Renga to a direction, heading for Utsusemi-san. On top of a lake of blood, I find Utsusemi-san and Chiyaku-san lying down. Utsusemi-san is¡­ still breathing. ¡°Land, now!¡± After Renga landed on the ground, I run toward Utsusemi-san¡¯s side. Chiyaku-san, who is lying beside him, is dead. ¡°¡­Oh, Shion, huh¡­ Seriously. You don¡¯t need to¡­¡± I silently carry Utsusemi-san and somehow climb on the back of the bloody Renga. I sense Boss¡¯ sound is coming toward us in a tremendous speed. ¡°Renga! Fly! Quickly!¡± At my command, Renga roars and flies up laboriously again. It seems that his injuries are severe. Dammit, can we escape¡­? Renga speeds up, steadily accelerating. Our distance with Derrida is instantly widens. However, feeling a tremendous killing intent from far behind, I look back. The killing intent that is released from Derrida village is clearly Boss¡¯. Boss is aiming at us. Although there should be an enormous distance, an alert is going off in my head. I don¡¯t know what it is, but it¡¯s dangerous. *Zun* Renga¡¯s movement suddenly stop, and Utsusemi-san and I are thrown into the air. ¡°Uuhh¡­ ah!!¡± Being thrown vigorously due to the inertia, my breath gets stuck in my throat. The figure of Renga who is stopped in the sky enters my sight. No way¡­ he could use Time Thief at this distance¡­!? I reach for the grappling gun. Not good. It won¡¯t reach Renga. *Whooosh* Hearing such a sound, I move my gaze in Boss¡¯ direction. Then, there is a huge fireball there. It looks just like Renga¡¯s full-powered fireball. The diameter is 10m. No, bigger. The size is big enough to incinerate Renga or us respectively. The heat is approaching. It¡¯s already hot enough to burn my skin, and it¡¯s so bright that I have to close my eyes. Then, BOOM. My body is safe. There is a feeling of falling. I open my eyes. Before me, the burnt Renga is raising up smoke and falling together with us. ¡°It¡¯s a joke, right¡­ Renga, you¡­!¡± Protected me. ¡°Shion¡­! Reach out your hand¡­!¡± Utsusemi-san screams. I turn there with shock. The ground is already pretty close. When I extend my hand, Utsusemi-san grabs my wrist and pulls my body. Then, he stabs a knife into his belly, and blood flows out from that belly and his mouth. The blood wraps us as though it has a will. This is¡­ Chiyaku-san¡¯s Blood Slave¡­ I see, so that¡¯s why his personality reversed again. Convinced that it doesn¡¯t matter, I close my eyes. Directly below is a road that pass through the forest. With a crash, we fall to the hard ground. ¡°Gaaagh!!¡± Thanks to Utsusemi-san¡¯s blood, the impact was considerably softened, but even so, my bones are cracked all over the place. Blood fills my fading vision. Is Boss still chasing us? In any case, I can¡¯t lose consciousness here. Utsusemi-san, who fell beside me, has fainted and is in a graver situation than I am. Well, at least we fell on the road. If we are lucky, someone might pass through here and help us. Not good¡­ my consciousness¡­ *Screeech* Hearing such a brake sound, I lift my eyelids. ¡°Shion! Ahh, how terrible¡­!¡± It¡¯s Roll¡¯s voice. A car stopping nearby enters my vision. I see. She stole a car and came here¡­ ¡°Sen, give me a hand¡ª¡± My consciousness is cut off there. CH 126 [Unfolding Death] I wake up in a dusty room. Light rushes into my sight. It feels like I¡¯ve finally awakened from a long dream. While squinting, I somehow get up and look around. At that time, *kiiiiiiin* there was a violent buzzing in my ears. I hurriedly turn my ability off while scrunching my face, and the buzzing become somewhat better. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± What the hell happened? I close my eyes and retrace my memory. Boss¡¯ betrayal¡­ the death of my comrades, the destruction of the organization. And at the end when I hit the ground, my memory was cut off. Is the buzzing a side effect of overusing my ability? ¡­There are a lot of information that I need to organize, but anyway, it seems that I was saved. Becoming relieved by that fact, I feel like my strength is drained out of me. After spacing out for a while, I lift both of my hands, and noticed that my body is completely healed. Now that Chiyaku-san had deceased, only Utsusemi-san who copied her ability could do this. That means that person is also alive. Thank goodness. ¡­But that means enough time has passed for such injuries to heal completely, huh. It should take quite a long time for such injuries to heal completely. How long have I slept? Exhaling with a *whew*, I look around again. It¡¯s a dreary room. With a bed, a table surrounded by wooden small chairs, a small TV in the corner of the room¡­ and nothing else. However, I was familiar with this floor plan. This is probably a room in the apartment where Yoyami-san lives¡­ Roll probably brought me and escaped to Yoiyami-san¡¯s place. Even so, we sure have struggled a lot to reach here. Roll who brought us here probably had met with difficulties too. The distance from that hideout to this place is quite far after all. I wonder if there was any other place we could go to¡­ Well but, to rely on Yoiyami-san might be a good decision. It¡¯s safe here. Even Boss will not be able to easily make a move on Yoiyami-san. While I¡¯m thinking about that, I hear a rattling sound of the front door opening. Then the sound of footsteps is getting closer this way, and soon the door of the room opens. What appear there is a blonde woman with a shopping bag hanging in one of her hand. It¡¯s Roll. However, her appearance is a little different from the Roll I knew. She is wearing a knit hat with a brim deeply, and it doesn¡¯t look good, but her long blonde hair that reach down to her waist is sloppily cut and even up a bit below her shoulders. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± My eyes meet with Roll¡¯s. After being overcome with surprise for a while, she roughly put the shopping bag on the kitchen table and run up to me. After she has her lips quivering for a while, she hugs me. ¡°Shion, thank goodness¡­!¡± At that time, *sting* and the joints of my body feels painful. I suppressed my reaction, but I still didn¡¯t seem to be able to deceive Roll after all; she hurriedly separates from me. ¡°Sorry!¡± It seems that my injuries haven¡¯t healed completely yet. The external wounds have healed completely, but it seems that the inside is not yet. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe, Roll.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line¡­¡± Silence. For some reason, an awkward air flows in the room. It allows me to guess her what¡¯s going on in her mind. Then I remembered I have a lot of things to ask. ¡°Roll, what¡¯s with that hair?¡± For the time being, I decide to ask what I¡¯m interested in first. ¡°Ahh, this. It stood out and we are wanted now, so I cut it. Does it look bad?¡± ¡°Hee. I¡¯m not saying it looks bad, but I like it longer.¡± Or rather, if the reason was because it stood out, I feel like it¡¯s too late for that. ¡°¡­That so. I¡¯m a little shocked. You could have praised me even if you were lying.¡± ¡°Ahh, sorry. It looks good.¡± ¡°Too late.¡± ¡°¡­So, what do you mean by ¡®wanted¡¯?¡± I have a rough idea though. Roll shows a little thoughtful gesture before she turns on the TV with the remote on the table. The time displayed in the upper right corner of the screen is around 7:00 am. She changes the channel, but the programs are all about the weather forecast or the news. However, there is a news program that caught my eyes among them. In the program, a VTR of an interview with the Self-Defense Forces is playing, and the person who was interviewed is someone I recognize¡­ no, I¡¯m familiar with. That man was etched into my brain and wouldn¡¯t disappear. ¡°Boss¡­¡± The caption says, ¡°Sakai Tatsumi has been promoted to general. What will be the future policy of the Anonymous Countermeasures Department?¡±, and Boss responded that they will deal with antisocial forces hereafter. ¡°That guy wanted us, so if you go out into the city without a disguise, someone might report you and the Self-Defense Forces will come running to you in a jiffy.¡± Does he try to erase us who know his real identity? ¡°General Sakai, who annihilate Anonymous, already have real power in his grasp, and the public attention is now focused on him.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Well of course. Anonymous, which had been a thorn in their side, was destroyed by Sakai. Although in reality, it was all a play orchestrated by the leader of the Anonyomous, Sakai himself. That being the case, of course Lieutenant General Sakai was appreciated and promoted to general at once. So far, it¡¯s exactly as he planned. And Boss¡¯ ability is able to change event roughly. No one doubts him because he had been making preparation for that sake. After that, he just has to erase us who could verify that he was the leader of Anonymous. ¡°There¡¯s something that I¡¯ve been curious about.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°How long did I sleep? I feel like quite a long time has passed.¡± ¡°10 days.¡± ¡°¡­So long.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because Utsusemi put off your treatment. Due to that, Shion wandered the border between life and death for a while. Well, there¡¯s a lot to talk about, including that part, so I¡¯ll go gather everyone.¡± With that said, Roll leaves the room. CH 127 [She Died Twice] Currently, Roll, Sen, Utsusemi-san, and Yoiyami-san are gathering in the room I am in. Roll is beside me, Sen is leaning on the table, and Utsusemi-san is sitting on a chair. And Yoiyami-san is leaning his back on the wall ¨C each settle down in their own position. After the surviving members and Yoiyami-san gathered, I received an explanation about the current situation from Roll. About how the destruction of Anonymous was reported. About how Boss has been promoted to general. About how, following that, the other evil organizations were being destroyed one after another by the Self-Defense Forces¡­ no, by Boss. About how the expansion of Saint Celia, namely the plan to recommend migration to the safe Saint Celia which is out of the reach of evil was announced in a large-scale. And about how¡­ we are currently wanted, and by having Yoiyami-san shelter us, we have managed to escape from the eyes of the Self-Defense Forces. The world changed a lot during the 10 days I was sleeping. ¡°Well anyway, you slept well, weren¡¯t cha?¡± After the story is over, Utsusemi-san says so happily. ¡°Yes, thanks to you,¡± I say while lightly glaring at Utsusemi-san. I heard that the reason why I was unconscious for 10 days was because this person didn¡¯t treat me at all until his injuries were fully healed. Due to that, I¡¯ve been wandering around the border between life and death until now, and finally recovered from the critical condition, or so it seems. ¡°Well, if you were in my position, you¡¯d do the same, ¡®ight?¡± Utsusemi-san says with his index finger pointing between my eyebrows. Being told so I thought, ¡®certainly¡¯. I clear the frown between my eyebrows and exhale *fuuh*. That¡¯s right. I¡¯m alive now, so something like that doesn¡¯t matter. I can hear a rustling sound *kasa kasa* of insects crawling on the ceiling. ¡°Then, in regard to the future¡­¡± ¡°Wait, Roll,¡± I stop Roll who was about to get into the main subject. Before that, I have something to ask. To Yoiyami-san. ¡°Yes, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I have a question for Yoiyami-san.¡± ¡°What.¡± ¡°Did you know, Yoiyami-san?¡± About Boss¡¯ ambitions, his plans. The gazes in the room concentrates on Yoiyami-san. Even Utsusemi-san directs a half-serious gaze at Yoiyami-san. This reaction. So no one asked about this. Even though it¡¯s extremely important. If he knew it would come to this, that means Yoiyami-san had let us, the organization died without lending a helping hand. No, Yoiyami-san who left the organization has no obligation to save us to begin with. He has none, but if he knew this would happen, but didn¡¯t even tell me, I won¡¯t think of him as an ally anymore. Come to think of it, the reason why Roll and the others hasn¡¯t asked that is perhaps because Yoiyami-san is sheltering us currently. When my thought reaches up to that point, Yoiyami-san opens mouth with his gaze focusing on empty space. ¡°No¡­ I didn¡¯t know.¡± Hearing his reply, I immediately feel relieved. ¡°Really?¡± Roll asks again with a suspicious look on her face. ¡°Really.¡± There, Yoiyami-san look into my eyes sitting on the bed. I have no ability to detect Yoiyami-san¡¯s lie, but If I don¡¯t trust him here, the story won¡¯t proceed. ¡°Then can you answer me? Why did you leave the organization? What caused you to fall out with Boss?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I¡¯ve been avoiding the question until now, but it will be a problem if I don¡¯t have the answer. I also look firmly into Yoiyami-san¡¯s eyes. This is not because I doubt him, but because I want to know. I wonder if Yoiyami-san understand my true intention. ¡°¡­When you think carefully about it, since Yoiyami-san is a member of Anonymous since its founding, isn¡¯t it strange that you don¡¯t know the purpose of the organization? Kemuri-san, Chiyaku-san, and Shindo-san knew, and they were on Boss¡¯ side.¡± ¡°That¡¯s probably because the difference in view between Hyde and me.¡± Yoiyami-san says as thought to interrupt my words. I involuntarily shut up. ¡°We seemed to understand each other, but we actually didn¡¯t. Our thoughts didn¡¯t match up. That¡¯s probably why Hyde intended to kill me too.¡± ¡°I see. Then¡­¡± ¡°That sounds like you breakup due to differences in musicianship.¡± ¡°Please shut up, Utsusemi-san,¡± I glance at Utsusemi-san who suddenly cracked a joke and turn my eyes back to Yoiyami-san. ¡°Then is that the you reason you guys fell out?¡± ¡°No. Something like that won¡¯t make me leave the organization. The reason why I left the organization was¡­¡± For the first time, Yoiyami-san turns his eyes down. He exhales heavily and shows a hesitant look. I had a short relationship with Yoiyami-san, but it surprised me that he made that kind of face. I wonder if it¡¯s something that he wants to keep closed deep in his chest that much. However, since we are in this kind of situation, we should have the right to hear it. After a while of waiting, Yoiyami-san mutters, ¡°A woman.¡± It¡¯s completely unexpected. The cause of the conflict between Boss and Yoiyami-san is a woman? I move my gaze to Roll. Roll looks at me and shakes her head. It seems that she has never heard of such a story. As for Sen¡­ she is unrelated to the talk, huh. Laughing with a *hah*, Utsusemi-san responds first. ¡°That one is definitely a joke, ¡®iiight? Yoiyami of those days! And Hyde! Had a fight that erased one branch because of a woman, that¡¯s so unbelievable! No, not like I¡¯m makin¡¯ fun of you, y¡¯know? Rather¡­¡± ¡°Utsusemi-san, can you shut up?¡± ¡°OK, OK. Imma stay silent.¡± Yoiyami-san¡¯s conversation has its own pace. There should be more to it. Thinking so, I wait for Yoiyami-san¡¯s words. After a while of silence, Yoiyami-san speaks, ¡°Hyde killed a woman. My woman¡­ That¡¯s the cause of our conflict.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡­I see. That¡¯s how it is. That would be a plenty enough reason for him to quit. ¡°But previously, you said you didn¡¯t hate Boss. That you regretted leaving the organization. Were those your true feelings, even though something like that happened?¡± ¡°Ahh. I¡¯ve killed someone¡¯s loved one too. When I think that way, my anger naturally weathers.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so? Then, why was that woman killed by Boss?¡± ¡°Because I loved her.¡± Yoiyami-san stops, so I thought to put a break in this question-and-answer session. Since the story has deviated so far, it can be seen that the estrangement of Yoiyami-san from the organization had nothing to do with the current situation. It was just a trivial ¨C or perhaps not so trivial ¨C dispute caused by a mixture of personal feelings. Boss probably just wanted to separate Yoiyami-san from that woman. ¡°Hee. Well that aside, who the heck is that woman? I sure as hell am curious about that the most.¡± Yoiyami-san doesn¡¯t have the obligation to answer to that extent, right? He has talked so much, so it¡¯s enough. Or so I¡¯d like to say, but to be honest, I¡¯m also curious about that. I can¡¯t imagine the what kind of woman that Yoiyami-san loved. Yoiyami-san frowns, but I couldn¡¯t say ¡®You don¡¯t have to answer,¡¯ to him. As a result, Yoiyami-san opens his mouth solemnly, ¡°Codename Observer. Though she¡¯s not the Observer you guys know, but her predecessor.¡± ¡°Predecessor¡­¡­?¡± ¡­Hm? What does that mean? Does that mean that there was another Observer preceding the Observer I met? Yeah, Observer was a top secret to begin with, we only learned about her on the brink of the organization¡¯s destruction. Even then, we still don¡¯t know much about her. ¡°Ahh. She was killed and a new Observer, the one you know, was chosen.¡± In other words, Boss had killed members of the organization even in the past. ¡°Though you say that, I can¡¯t be convinced that he killed her just because you loved her. There must be another, clear reason, isn¡¯t there?¡± Just like Utsusemi-san said. ¡°Hyde didn¡¯t answer that. So,¡± ¡°So, you fought him, right?¡± And the scale was so large that one branch was destroyed. In other words, ¡®because Yoiyami-san loved her¡¯, such a reason is only Yoiyami-san¡¯s conjecture. ¡°¡­But you might be right. If this plan had been in Hyde¡¯s mind since then, Observer¡¯s existence might had been a hindrance for him. Thinking about it, Hyde had no control over Observer. Because she had sensing ability beyond human intelligence.¡± I feel a little discomfort. ¡®I¡¯ve been separated from my body and brain¡¯. ¡°Perhaps he thought might as well just get rid of her.¡± ¡®This is the first time I can speak in human language like this in several years.¡¯ Wait a minute. ¡°So, the predecessor was a real human? I can only imagine that form when it comes to Observer after all, see.¡± I erase the voice Utsusemi-san let out. I swallow my saliva *gokuri*. Then Utsusemi-san looks at me. ¡°Why did you erase the sound. Shion.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I made a slight mistake in adjusting my ability.¡± Yoiyami-san looks at me with suspicious eyes. I can hear the ticking sound of the second hand of the clock in the next room getting louder frightfully. If ¡®that is the case¡¯, Yoiyami-san would be shocked upon learning the truth, I¡¯m sure. ¡°¡­What do you mean by a real human, Utsusemi?¡± He read his lips. Not good. I can¡¯t deceive Yoiyami-san with my ability. ¡°Utsu¡­¡± I try to send a sound so that only Utsusemi-san can hear it. But with a glance from Yoiyami-san, I stop. Eventually, when Yoiyami-san turn his gaze back to Utsusemi-san, I slowly bring my index finger in front of my lips. However, Utsusemi-san turn toward Yoiyami-san¡¯s direction ¨C along with the chair, as though ignoring my gesture. This might turn really bad. Utsusemi-san, I beg you, please get the hint. ¡°Though you asked what do I mean by that, it¡¯s the literal sense of the words, y¡¯know?¡± Utsusemi-san was fighting with Chiyaku-san, so he wasn¡¯t there when Observer appeared. Neither did Roll and Sen. Other than Observer, only me, Tsurugi, and Boss were there. That will now birth a grudge. I can¡¯t let that happen. ¡°I dunno whether the Observer I saw last time was a woman or not; it was just a ¡®brain¡¯ after all.¡± I can¡¯t take my eyes off Yoiyami-san¡¯s face. ¡°¡­¡­¡­Shion, do you know something?¡± ¡°Nothing¡­¡± ¡°Answer me. After I left, Observer, what is it?¡± ¡®Observer¡¯ was Anonymous¡¯ top secret. There was no way for Yoiyami-san who had left the organization to know about it. No one knew until it was about to be destroyed by Boss¡¯ hand. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°So, that¡¯s how it is.¡± *Shudder* Roll, Utsusemi-san, Sen, and I. We all jump back to the wall of the room at once. No, we all instinctively took a distance from Yoiyami-san. ¡°Eh, wai¡­ Yoiyami-san¡­?¡± ¡°Oioioi!! Whazzat!? That¡¯s a joke right, oi seriously, WOW!¡± ¡°What is it this time¡­¡± I swallow my saliva *Gokuri*. ¡°..Yoiyami-san, please calm down. Don¡¯t be rash.¡± I say with a quivering voice. This is the intimidation of the once most feared man in Anonymous. The only person who could rival that Boss. This kind of killing intent. If the Self-Defense Forces detects it, they¡¯ll definitely come rushing in full forces. ¡°I will tell you everything I know. Please calm down.¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯m going to ask Hyde directly.¡± ¡°Stop him!¡± Seeing Yoiyami-san moving his feet toward the door, I scream and move. I jump on Yoiyami-san. The lagging Utsusemi-san, Roll, Sen also moves. Then, everything ends in an instant. Yoiyami-san, without taking even a single step, laid us down on the ground with a mysterious power. This is, the ability to control darkness. My sight is dyed black. ¡®Anmoku¡¯ Yoiyami-san¡¯s technique to rob people¡¯s sight. Even the ¡®black¡¯ in our pupils is his domain. ¡°What¡¯s this¡­!¡± If he was serious, our sight would be loss forever, but this time, he just covered our eyes with black. Yoiyami-san¡¯s footsteps head toward the door. Now that we are deprived of our sight, am I the only one who can chase him? ¡°You sure are amazing, Yoiyami! You¡¯re too strong, aren¡¯t cha!¡± Dammit, it¡¯s not the time to say something like that. No matter how strong Yoiyami-san is, heading to Boss¡¯ place right now is suicidal. There must be several generals and lieutenant generals in Saint Celia where Boss is right now. What will happen to me if Yoiyami-san dies! ¡°Roll, break the floor!¡± I have to stop him at all costs. ¡°Got it!¡± I hear the sound of the floor cracking *bakibakibaki*, and then, along with a crashing sound, I get a falling sensation. We break through the floor on the second floor and land on the first floor. CH 128 [Sweet Scent of Death] Having landed on the first floor of the apartment, I immediately start running, kick the front door and go outside. However, Yoiyami-san¡¯s sound is already gone. He must be using ¡®Blackout¡¯ which allows him to move between black and black in no time. But it¡¯s daytime now. In daytime when there is little black or darkness, Yoiyami-san can¡¯t exert even half of his original power. He shouldn¡¯t be too far away yet. If it¡¯s the current Yoiyami-san, even I can follow him. I close the eyelids of my eyes which was covered in black and concentrated on the sound. In a radius of several kilometers. I search for Yoiyami-san¡¯s sound. If he is trying to escape from my detection using his ability, he has two options, which are to keep lurking in black or to cover himself with black. However, if he does so, he won¡¯t be able to use ¡®Blackout¡¯. No, in the first place, Yoiyami-san doesn¡¯t care even if he¡¯s detected by me. So, me must be heading straight toward Saint Celia. I maximize my sound detection toward the north. Then, I detect Yoiyami-san¡¯s sound which is moving from point to point there. There he is. But he has gone that far, huh. I have no means of stopping him at this distance. However, I can send a sound, enough for a conversation. ¡°Yoiyami-san.¡± There¡¯s no reply from Yoiyami-san. In a few seconds, he¡¯d be out of my reach. There is only one way for me to stop Yoyami-san. ¡°Observer is alive,¡± When I say so, his sound ¨C which is moving from point to point ¨C stops. ¡°¡­¡­¡± I swallow my saliva. Cumulonimbus clouds gradually cover the sun. Yoiyami-san doesn¡¯t move. Although he stopped as I intended¡­ the thing about Observer being alive is of course a lie. She committed suicide. I have to lie. If I don¡¯t, Yoiyami-san won¡¯t stop. ¡°Then, where is Observer now?¡± Yoiyami-san says. It¡¯s a natural question. But how do I respond? Regardless of whether Observer is alive or dead, Yoiyami-san who had guessed the truth would eventually go to Boss¡¯ place. That¡¯s not the main problem now, but rather, it is the point of Yoiyami-san¡¯s anger which is aimed perfectly at Boss. I want to deceive him for a while. Only until Yoiyami-san regains his composure. ¡°Inside Yumesaki Aika.¡± What squeezed out of my mouth after a thought was her name. Observer said she copied a part of herself in Yumesaki Aika after she possessed her. In that case, even if the lie is exposed, there¡¯ll be somewhat of an excuse I can use. ¡°That Yumesaki Aika, where is she?¡± ¡°If she wasn¡¯t caught by the Self-Defense Forces, she should be with Midou Tsurugi¡­ I don¡¯t know where he currently is either.¡± ¡°¡­Thought so. He¡¯s also wanted now.¡± Yoiyami¡¯s voice is frighteningly calm, but it can¡¯t hide the anger inside. So scary. I¡¯m afraid, but I have to stop him. The only person I could rely on is Yoiyami-san after all. ¡°I beg you. Please come back. You¡¯re not calm right now. If you don¡¯t come back, we will end up¡­¡± I say as though to plead him, looking up at the sky. When the sun is completely hidden by the clouds, Yoiyami-san is already standing behind me unnoticedly. I¡¯m surprised and try to take a distance, but I manage to plant my feet on the ground. ¡°¡­You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No.¡± The black of my vision quickly recedes with a *suu*, returning my view. Then, I see Yoiyami-san going up the stairs *clonk clonk* to the apartment. ¡ª¡ª¡ª The second floor of the apartment. We gathered again in the room next to the broken one, however, because Yoiyami-san wasn¡¯t feeling well, we went back to our respective rooms. Since Yoiyami-san¡¯s killing intent has subsided without having to be snuffed out by the Self-Defense Forces, it seems we can still stay here. Then time passed without me doing anything, and night falls in no time. I¡¯m thinking while lying on a sofa. The discussion is tomorrow. The content of the discussion is about our future. While I was sleeping, Roll and co decided to act together going forward. And since I¡¯ve woken up, it seems they decided to talk about what course of action should we take in the future. ¡­Future course of action, huh. Actually, there are only two options we can choose. Whether to keep running away for the rest of our life or fight. We have to choose one of them. However, now that it has come to this, there is no point in discussing it anymore. Yoiyami-san who was ambiguous clarified his hostility to Boss, and Utsusemi-san ¨C got hit by Yoiyami-san¡¯s intimidation ¨C began to starve for battle. I want to run away. I don¡¯t want to fight Boss. Just remembering his face gives me a flashback of the dying moment of various people. I don¡¯t want to meet him again. Perhaps Roll and Sen will go along with what I said, but whether we keep running or fighting, the power of Yoiyami-san and Utsusemi-san is essential. Without their help, even if we continue to run away, our future would be short. ¡°You sure can make a long face, Shion.¡± Rolling on the bed, Roll who is wrapped in a thin blanket turns to me and said so. The room I¡¯m in now is the room assigned to Roll. This apartment ¨C which is rented by Yoiyami-san ¨C has many rooms that has become unusable due to the various reasons following the incident in the morning (mainly due holes opened in the walls), so I spend my time in Roll¡¯s room. We shared room even at the Derrida branch, so she didn¡¯t oppose it at this late hour. The problem is, I have to sleep on the couch because there¡¯s only one bed. ¡°I was just thinking, perhaps we should stop using codename like Shion.¡± After a short while, I give an unserious reply to Roll. Seeing Roll immediately turn silent, I immediately realize that I have made a mistake. That¡¯s right. Roll have no name other than her codename. ¡°Ahh, sorry.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not thinking about that.¡± Roll shakes her head, making me tilt my head. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Anonymous is really gone now, is it¡­¡± Anonymous was Roll¡¯s home and family. It can¡¯t be helped that she ended up being strongly influenced by its destruction. However, I can only answer with ¡®yeah¡¯. Though I wish I could¡¯ve said something more decent even just a little bit. ¡°We¡­¡± ¡°Roll, let¡¯s sleep,¡± I say, interrupting Roll who was attempting to say something. I get off the hard sofa and press the lighting switch of the room. The light in the room turned off with a *pushin*, and in total darkness, I return to the sofa. When I picked up the fallen dusty blanket from the floor, covered myself with it, and closed my eyes, Roll opens her mouth again. ¡°Shion, on second thought, why don¡¯t we sleep together¡­?¡± It¡¯s a faint voice. Roll then adds with a small mutter, ¡°From today¡±. It must be because of that, Roll and I had a little dispute over which of us should sleep on the sofa earlier. Roll wanted me ¨C who is injured ¨C to sleep on the bed because she felt bad. On other hand, I can¡¯t bring myself to let Roll to sleep on the hard sofa either. Given that, it is somewhat rational to sleep together, so I proposed that idea earlier, but I kinda got embarrassed, so I immediately took my spot on the sofa. ¡°Okay, as long as you don¡¯t mind it.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t mind it.¡± In that case, it¡¯s okay, huh. For one reason or another, I want to sleep on the bed as well. Getting off the sofa, I lie down next to Roll slowly so as not to hurt my body. It¡¯s not a big bed, so we¡¯ll likely fall if we don¡¯t put our bodies in close contact to some extent. ¡°So narrow.¡± ¡°Un¡­¡± ¡°But it¡¯s better than the hard sofa. Thanks.¡± Our skins touch, allowing me to directly feel Roll¡¯s body temperature. ¡°Shion¡­¡± Again, Roll calls me with a voice that sounds about to vanish. Snuggling up to me little by little, she rubs her face against my shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± When I ask, Roll answer with a quivering voice. ¡°¡­Even though Anonymous is gone, we are still, partners, right¡­?¡± This time, it¡¯s my turn to turn silent. It¡¯s easy to affirm her. Roll is frail now. She wants to be assured. However, that is no good. ¡°This is unlike you, Roll.¡± ¡°Because¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s no good. Roll isn¡¯t such a weak girl, right?¡± Where is your pride as Anonymous¡¯ member the Rolling Cat Roll gone to? ¡°But¡­¡± Hearing Roll¡¯s sniffling, I reflexively turn my head toward her. ¡°¡­Are you crying?¡± ¡°But I only have Shion left¡­!¡± I tremble at those words. Only have me left she says, stop that. I also want to depend to someone. I¡¯ll be troubled if she relied on me. I don¡¯t have that kind of leeway. However, contrary to my feelings, my mouth cheers Roll up without permission. ¡°Ahh, it¡¯s okay. We won¡¯t die in a place like this.¡± ¡°No. You got it wrong¡­ I¡¯m afraid to be alone. I don¡¯t want Shion¡­ to die and leave me too.¡± If it¡¯s about that, I can assure her. ¡°I won¡¯t die. Absolutely.¡± I will live, no matter the cost. ¡°¡­I love you, Shion.¡± In the end, Roll murmurs so and pull the blanket over her head. Then, I lower my eyelids with a complicated feeling. CH 129 [The Two¡¯s Preparedness for Death] The next day, even though I went to bed early last night, I woke up after noon. And there is no figure of Roll next to me, instead there is Utsusemi-san sitting on a chair in the room. Noticing that I am awake, he drags the chair and set it near the bed. ¡°Yoo.¡± ¡°Good morning. Why are you here, Utsusemi-san?¡± ¡°Why you ask, it was because Roll made a fuss telling me to hurry with your treatment, so I was healing you since morning, y¡¯know.¡± ¡°¡­I see. Thank you very much for that.¡± I turn my shoulders around and squeeze my fist once. Certainly, my body is light. Can¡¯t say I¡¯m completely healed, but it seems I can move without any inconvenience. ¡°Roll is¡­ downstairs, huh.¡± I can hear Roll¡¯s voice from the first floor. She seems to be in Sen¡¯s room. Currently, in this apartment reserved by Yoiyami-san, Roll, Yoiyami-san, and I are assigned to the rooms on the second floor; Sen and Utsusemi-san are assigned to the rooms on the first floor. ¡°Ou, I kicked her out of this room. I couldn¡¯t concentrate if I was bothered after all. This ability (Accel Heal) is pretty taxing y¡¯know.¡± ¡°Hee.¡± Accel Heal. It¡¯s a pretty delicate ability to use, huh. Chiyaku-san handled it well though, perhaps it¡¯s due to the difference in familiarity. No, that¡¯s not the problem here¡­ It¡¯s unlike Utsusemi-san to explain the reasons one by one. After finishing the treatment, he waited for me to wake up. That means he has a business with me. That was why he kicked Roll out. Just right. I also have something to ask him. ¡°Speaking of Roll, she ended up completely dependent on you, ain¡¯t she? ¡®s that okay?¡± Utsusemi-san says such thing in a happy voice, so I instinctively look at his face seriously. ¡°Why do you know something like that?¡± ¡°Because she kept being annoying, repeating Shion Shion for the 10 days you slept.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As Utsusemi-san said, Roll is not good anymore. She¡¯s too frail. Being stripped off her armor ¨C namely the organization, she lost her confidence. ¡°Though, since she has become like that, won¡¯t it be easier to use her? That won¡¯t be a problem, ¡®ight?¡± It¡¯s not a problem of how easy to use her. The important thing is whether she has the power to survive going forward. However, this person sure is good at making a guess. ¡°¡­Utsusemi-san, could it be, you heard the thing yesterday?¡± ¡°You got that right.¡± At that time, I could properly hear the sound of Utsusemi-san from his own room. I wasn¡¯t talking in a tone that could be heard through the wall; don¡¯t tell me this person, ¡°Was it my ability?¡± ¡°Ahh, I¡¯m borrowin¡¯ it.¡± That means he copied it while I was asleep, huh. If there are two people that have Sound Control, it would be easier for me as it would reduce the burden in terms of sensing, but rather than that¡­ ¡°I think you should copy Yoiyami-san¡¯s ability rather than mine though.¡± ¡°Listen ¡®ere~. I wanna try it too, y¡¯know? But that¡¯s impossible. That¡¯s not an ability that I could just copy and use suddenly. Well~, I wanna use it though~.¡± Oh, I see. If he copied my ability, Utsusemi-san¡¯s personality should be reversed and become the other Utsusemi-san. Since that¡¯s not the case, that means he copied it twice and returned to this Utsusemi-san. ¡°Besides, Yoiyami¡¯s territory ¨C ¡®darkness¡¯ was followin¡¯ me around, y¡¯see. It interferes with me.¡± ¡°I see.¡± While nodding in response, I get off the bed and stand up. I then walk to the kitchen, draw a cup of water and drink it. After taking a breather, I look at Utsusemi-san again while holding the cup in my hand in the kitchen. ¡°Change of topic, but actually, I have something to ask Utsusemi-san.¡± ¡°What a coincidence. Me too.¡± ¡°Thought so.¡± He happily turns his chair around and face my way. As I thought, he has a business with me. ¡°After you,¡± I turn my palm toward Utsusemi-san and urge him. ¡°No, you first.¡± ¡°I understand. Well then, I will have you listen to me first. Utsusemi-san, honestly, why do you keep accompanying us?¡± This is what I wanted to ask. The reason why Utsusemi-san ¨C who was one of the wanderers back in Anonymous ¨C is acting with us. Roll, Sen, and I act together in order to increase our chance of survival. However, no matter how much of a deal being wanted is, what is the reason the daredevil who challenged General Enjoji alone ¨C as though he didn¡¯t care about his life ¨C to change his stance at this late hour. Besides, Utsusemi-san ¨C who had been rampaging freely since he was in Anonymous ¨C was already wanted with a photo of his face attached in the first place. In terms of situation, it just became a little tougher; for him, things should be the same as before. Therefore, I feel out of place at the fact that he secretly lives here. ¡°Okay, okay. If that¡¯s what you¡¯re askin¡¯ bout, then it¡¯ll become clear once you hear ¡®the thing I want you to hear¡¯. Though rather than the thing I want you to hear, a proposal is more correct, I guess.¡± ¡°Proposal?¡± ¡°Ahh. Shion, won¡¯t you team up with me?¡± I put the cup on the sink with a *clink* and fold my arms, thinking. What the hell is this person thinking? What does he mean by teaming up? It makes me thought of various possibilities, but did he mean betraying Yoiyami-san and the others? ¡°That sounds kind of ambiguous for some reason, but let¡¯s set it aside for now¡­ Is that the reason why you¡¯re acting with us? It doesn¡¯t make things clear at all though.¡± ¡°Reason¡­ reason, is it. Right. If I have to say, then it¡¯s you, Shion.¡± I have a reaaaally high opinion of you.¡± ¡°That so?¡± I reply curtly, but honestly, the one I think I can trust the most right now is Utsusemi-san He has saved my life several times after all, and I know that each of us only think about ourselves, so it¡¯s easy to decide. ¡°I¡¯m here because it¡¯s fun to be with you. From here on out, too, being with you is definitely going to be fun. Haha, in short, I have no malice, y¡¯know? Betraying Yoiyami and the others or the likes, I have no such thoughts either. ¡­Just that, can you survive without me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± CH 130 [Better Than Dying] The surviving members are gathering again in the room used by Yoiyami-san. I thought this when I came before, but this room is so dreary that it¡¯s unbelievable someone lives here. Dust has piled up on the table, and the two chairs are strewn about randomly. With only the sound of the ventilator echoing, Yoiyami-san who is sitting on the sofa and placing his hands on his lap opens his mouth, ¡°We need comrades, no?¡± Our current battle force is 5 people. I look around at the members in the room. Even without reconfirming it, we are currently lacking in battle force. ¡°Pff¡­¡± Sen lets out a laugh unintentionally. No wonder. We are only five people in total. Perhaps she¡¯d rather laugh at this too desperate situation. However, the fact that Yoiyami-san is here with us is significant. If it¡¯s only the surviving 4 of us, we should be just insignificant existences for the Self-Defense Forces. Boss is trying to get rid of us as we are uncertain factors, but to be honest, there is little we can do with the four of us. Therefore, our degree of priority is low However, it is wise to treat Yoiyami-san as one ¡®force¡¯. One man force. Even if he is against an army or against a single person, he would still be able to exert tremendous power. That power was once enough to repel Midou Ryuusui ¨C who even Boss didn¡¯t attempt to challenge head on ¨C by himself. Yoiyami-san¡¯s ability is versatile. It is excellent in attack range and maneuverability, and can even be used for long-distance movement and detection. ¨D¨DAbility to control ¡®force¡¯ of darkness. Well¡­ at present, that Yoiyami-san said we need comrades thought. Hell, no. I mean, we don¡¯t need half-baked comrades. Yes, they¡¯re unnecessary if he just want to increase our numbers. I want sacrificial pawns, but they will just get in the way. In short, ¡°Do you have someone that you can count on? Err¡­ a trustable comrade who can be of help for us.¡± I look at Yoiyami-san, then shift my sight to Sen, Roll, and Utsusemi-san. Sen is silent, Roll shakes her head, and Utsusemi-san shrugs his shoulders as though to say, ¡®no way I have one right, right?¡¯. ¡°How about entering another organization? Since Anonymous that was in control of the underworld was crushed, I think there¡¯s gonna be an organization taking its place.¡± No one thought about that, right? ¨C Sen says her opinion out loud while radiating such air. ¡°Haha, it¡¯s already settled that all of such organization will be crushed. The reason why Anonymous had such a huge notoriety wasn¡¯t only because we were strong, but also because the others were weak, y¡¯know?¡± ¡°The ¡®Association¡¯ and ¡®Nursery Rhymes¡¯ are no longer exist after all, right?¡± ¡°Ahh, there¡¯s no way that Boss doesn¡¯t take measures in anticipation of that.¡± That incident that allowed the Association and Nursery Rhymes to be rounded was certainly convenient for Boss. ¡°You don¡¯t have to shower me with rejections Like that¡­¡± Sen steps back with a vexed face, and turn silent. But comrades¡­ comrades, huh. In that case, the problem is not whether they will be useful for us, but probably the fact that now we can¡¯t trust the word ¡®comrade¡¯. When I¡¯m thinking about that, Yoiyami-san says, ¡°I certainly don¡¯t have someone I can count on, but don¡¯t you have one, Shion?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± I have one, he says? I should have none. No one come to my mind. For me who haven¡¯t been living in this world for long, such a connection is¡­ ¡°Other than you guys, there¡¯s also another guy wanted, no?¡± After he said that, I understand the meaning of Yoiyami-san¡¯s words. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯re talking about Midou Tsurugi?¡± With the fabricated story that Tsurugi betrayed Self-Defense Forces and attached himself to Anonymous, he is now wanted alongside us. He also survived from that place, and is still running away from the Self-Defense Forces. ¡°That¡¯s right. Moreover, if he brings Yumesaki Aika along, it will be a huge advantage for us.¡± I immediately refute Yoiyami-san¡¯s words, ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible, you know. You do know that Midou Tsurugi is the son of Midou Ryuusui, right?¡± To Tsurugi, Anonymous is his father¡¯s worst enemy. Just because Anonymous was destroyed, he wouldn¡¯t just team up with us. ¡°Ahh.¡± ¡°¡­Besides, there is a big feud between me and Tsurugi. You remember it, right? What happened at that base¡­ ¡­If he sees me, the first thing he will do is to kill me, you know.¡± Yoiyami-san stares at my eyes. I listed the reasons (excuses) why Tsurugi can¡¯t be counted on, but to put simply, I don¡¯t want to ask him for cooperation and I don¡¯t want to fight together with him. Yoiyami-san should be able to catch on to that. ¡­or so I thought, but it seems that my thought didn¡¯t reach Yoiyami-san. No, Yoiyami-san understands my thought, that¡¯s why he says, ¡°We are in a situation where we can¡¯t be picky. We have no room for personal feelings.¡± Dammit. To count on Tsurugi, doesn¡¯t that mean Yoiyami-san, too, is bringing his personal feelings into the matter. The matter of Observer must have never gotten out of his mind. I spit out inwardly and swallow my saliva. ¡­No, Yoiyami-san is not wrong. Now, Tsurugi is in exactly the same situation as us. The only demerit in cooperating together with him is nothing but personal feelings. Tsurugi too must want to prevent this situation where Anonymous¡¯s Boss is trying to climb to the top of the Self-Defense Forces. Having thought so, I stop making excuses and proceed with the discussion. ¡°First of all¡­ I¡¯ve already said this yesterday, but I don¡¯t know where Tsurugi is, you know.¡± There, Yoiyami-san gets up from the sofa. ¡°We just have to find him. To cooperate.¡± CH 131 [Dead City] I have no idea where Tsurugi is, but I was told to search for him in this city. Slaceid, the city where Anonymous¡¯s base (hideout) used to be. Slaceid is my hometown where I was born and raised, and also the city I abandoned. I heard that the residents have lost their trust in the city and are moving to Saint Celia one after another since that great conflict that involved the whole city. As a result, Slaceid has transformed into a city with a bad public order. It¡¯s been half a year since then. In other words, it is the first time in half a year that I come to this city. I look up at the sky; the moon illuminates the city brightly. There are no clouds, and the stars are clearly visible. When I lower my gaze as it is, I can see the scars of the conflict that remain in the city. It seems it is as I¡¯ve heard, the reconstruction isn¡¯t progressing much. Yoiyami-san and I land on the roof a residential building in the center of the city. ¡°This far is fine, right?¡± After I nod silently, the figure of Yoiyami-san standing next to me melts and disappears in the dark night. That¡¯s right, Yoiyami-san took me to Slaceid with ¡®Blackout¡¯. It is now past 3 o¡¯clock late at night. It is difficult to travel long distance by ¡®Blackout¡¯ in the daytime, so we had to wait until this late to carry out the operation. The other members are on standby at the apartment. Roll was unhappy regarding this arrangement, but no matter how you think about it, it would be too conspicuous to search for Tsurugi with everyone; the risks is big, so I rejected it. If possible, I wanted to do the search in pair with Yoiyami-san. However, to move Yoiyami-san thoughtlessly and have him be detected by Boss would be unwise. That was why Yoiyami-san only played the role of a means of transportation, and withdrew for the moment. If I contact him, he will be coming again to pick me up. So, I¡¯ll be doing the search alone. However, I¡¯m very anxious of acting alone. What if the Self-Defense Forces discovers me? What if someone reports me? When I thought so, I would like to have at least one person to accompany me in preparation for the worst, but having arrived here, I don¡¯t think I would make that kind of mistake. In the first place, my ability is suitable for acting alone. And if it¡¯s now¡­ even if one or two generals come rushing here, I¡¯m confident that I can escape unhurriedly. The despair in the confrontation with Boss at that time and getting out of there alive gave me that much confidence. I am not weak. Not in the least. I jump off the roof of the residence building and land on the concrete ground. My body feels light probably because I don¡¯t have the grappling gun and knife that would normally hang on my waist. It¡¯s not that I no longer need them. It would be convenient to have them. But as a matter of course, I¡¯m infiltrating the city under the guise of an ordinary person. There¡¯s no way I would be wearing a tuxedo and a mask. A grayish thin hoodie and dark blue jeans. They are the clothes that Roll has picked for me before coming here. Therefore, I can¡¯t carry such conspicuous things. As for the grappling gun, it was something Roll ordered from the R&D department of Anonymous, so we just can¡¯t get it anymore. I walk straight on the dim road. Taking off the hood I¡¯m wearing, I put my hands into the hoodie¡¯s pocket. If I act so openly, no one would think I am a wanted criminal. Unlike the other members, I have no distinctive features. Features such as having a blond hair with blue eyes, or fiery red hair, or wearing a hakama and a bamboo hat. Therefore, I believe there will only be a few people who will guess that I¡¯m a wanted criminal in one shot just by taking a passing glance at me. Besides, most people think that wanted criminals have nothing to do with themselves. Well, I have no intention of encountering anyone, to begin with though. As I proceed while thinking about such things, I see the former residential area that Face Punch-san had blown away. The rubbles have been removed, and it has turned into a vast vacant lot. I immediately stop and look around once. Almost no people live in the center of the city ¨C which was heavily damaged. With the addition it being late at night, the street is empty. Perhaps the sounds of people wandering around here and there that I can hear still is that of the patrols of the Self-Defense Forces. I change direction to avoid the sound approaching from about 200m ahead. It¡¯s been half-a-year, but I had lived here for many years, so I still have a map of the city in my head. The night breeze is lukewarm. I proceed toward the ¡®destination¡¯ while taking in the scenery I was used to seeing. ¡ª¡ª¡ª Of course, Boss knows that Slaceid is the hometown where Tsurugi and I were born and raised. You would naturally have many acquaintances and friends in your hometown; he must have considered the possibility that there might be people who would be sheltering us. Although I had sneaked through the patrols of the Self-Defense Forces to reach this point, the number of patrols was clearly large. In other words, Boss is taking proper measures, and since that is the case, Tsurugi wouldn¡¯t be able to easily enter and stay in this city. ¡­But thinking about it, will he take an action that will involve someone in this city? I at least don¡¯t want to choose ¡®plan 2¡¯ which is very risky, but¡­ ¡°I better not expect anything, right?¡± I drown out such monologue so that no one could hear it, then I look up at a single-family house from outside the door of the gate. The light in that person¡¯s room is still on. And from inside that room, I hear that person¡¯s sound. I check the time by looking at my wristwatch. 3:50 am. I¡¯m surprised that person is still awake at this time, but it makes it convenient. ¡°Ohashi, are you there?¡± Ohashi Hitomi. To be honest, it was name which even its existence I had forgotten since I was swallowed in the muddy stream of the underworld (TN: as in the underside of the society). When we were students, Tsurugi, Rin, Ohashi, and I sure got along well as a group. I speak again with a voice that reach only her. ¡°Look out the window.¡± Several seconds later, the window is opened vigorously, but produce no sound. It¡¯s because I¡¯ve silenced the sound. Without making any noise, Ohashi Hitomi leans out of the window and immediately finds me. Ohashi has her shoulders heaving up and down, and is staring at me. She is in a pajama and her hair is a little wet. I raise my index finger and bring it in front of my lips. Because I can silence all sounds, I can make her unable to report or make a fuss right now, but if possible, I¡¯d like her to keep silent willingly. ¡®You don¡¯t want to put your family in danger, right?¡¯ I lift the corner of my mouth just a little and warn her so. Now then, I have two plans for searching for Tsurugi. Plan 1 is to get information on Tsurugi and try to contact him directly. And Plan 2 is to take someone hostage and wait for him to take action. If I can¡¯t hear anything about Tsurugi from Ohashi, I will abort Plan 1 and switch to Plan 2. Ohashi has a stalker-level affection for Tsurugi, but if I can¡¯t get any information from her, it will be the same even if I try getting it from other people. It means that Tsurugi is able to escape perfectly without involving anyone. Therefore, it is better to change to a different method rather than moving around imprudently. However, Plan 2 cannot be said to be a very effective means, as our purpose is building a cooperative relationship with him. Of course, the one who will become a victim as a hostage is Ohashi, but that is one of the big risks I mentioned earlier. After looking up at Ohashi leaning out of the window for a while, I turn on my heels back as if to ask her to follow me and proceed toward the residential area. She will naturally follow, I think. Whether she has information on Tsurugi or not, there must be a mountain of things she wants to ask me. There is also the possibility that she will call for reinforcements with her phone or something of the sort if she is out of my sight. But perhaps, Ohashi doesn¡¯t even know anything about Tsurugi, she isn¡¯t allowed to know. This is a guess considering his personality. So, from the beginning she might ¡®not know anything¡¯. If this prediction is right on the mark, she will definitely try to get information from me. In that case, if she calls for reinforcement, she won¡¯t be able to hear anything from me, as they will get in the way. That¡¯s why Ohashi comes alone. And I will make use of it. Even if my prediction is proven to be wrong, and she doesn¡¯t call for reinforcements or follow me, then I would just withdraw and think of a different plan. That¡¯s convenient as it supports the guess that Ohashi has information about Tsurugi. ¡°Wait!¡± However, as expected, Ohashi comes and follows me. I look back after walking dozens of steps from her house. Ohashi ¨C who shouted at the front door ¨C probably came down in a hurry, as she is barefooted and still in her pajamas. She walks this way as she is vigilantly. I say to her, ¡°Change your clothes and come. There is a park ahead, right? I¡¯ll be waiting there.¡± CH 132 [Equality in Death] I¡¯m sitting on the park¡¯s bench. It is a few minutes¡¯ walk from Ohashi¡¯s house. This small park which is not large enough for children to run around has almost no playground equipment, it only has benches, a sandbox, and a swing. The view is quite poor because the surroundings is connected to residential buildings and in addition has trees lined up uselessly. A streetlight with a height of about 5m which is sticked into the middle of the park barely manage to illuminate the surroundings, its brightness unreliable. The Self-Defense Forces¡¯ patrols are coming and going to the residential area, but if it seems like they¡¯re coming close to the park, I plan to move to another location. Many of the troops assigned to night patrols has strengthening ability that would give them advantage at night. No matter how bad the visibility in the park is, I must be alert. The park at night is very quiet. The wind that occasionally blows makes the trees make a rustling sound. After sitting and waiting on the bench for a while, Ohashi who have changed into plain clothes arrives at the park. After finding me sitting by myself on the bench, she slowly walks this way. I sense that Ohashi¡¯s pulse is pulsing faster than usual. Vigilance, fear, tension, distrust. Those feelings spur on her palpitations. When Ohashi arrives right in front of me, I get up from the bench and face her. I don¡¯t know what her ability is. So, I couldn¡¯t just sit on the bench and limit my room of movement. There¡¯s no guarantee that I won¡¯t be attacked. While showing composure, I stay alert. ¡°It sure has been a long time, Ohashi.¡± The distance is 2 to 3m. I say so to Ohashi who takes the perfect distance to run up and attack. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, you say¡­ you sure can say such things shamelessly, Kamiya-kun¡­ no, Shion.¡± Eyes with clear hostility. That¡¯s natural. Ohashi should already know everything about me going to school while hiding my identity as Shion, and about me killing Rin. As I am wanted now, my real name, my code name as Anonymous¡¯ member ¡®Shion¡¯, and the evil deeds that I have done are already been spread to various places along with my photo. I¡¯m sure there are many people who are disappointed with me. ¡°Why did you kill Rin?¡± Ohashi continues. Her heart is still pulsing at high speed. Probably, what she really wanted to ask about was Tsurugi. However, as Ohashi is still the Ohashi who has a good head on her shoulders, she has probably thought about the reason why I came here. So, thinking that I might be trying to get information about Tsurugi from her, she didn¡¯t say Tsurugi¡¯s name first with the intention to get the upper hand. That is to say, she doesn¡¯t have any information about Tsurugi. If she wanted to speak on equal footing, she should¡¯ve asked on what important matter did I come here, though. ¡°About Rin, it was my bad,¡± I shrug my shoulders. Seeing the wrinkles forming in Ohashi¡¯s eyebrows, I continue, ¡°It was really unfortunate. Even though I didn¡¯t intend to kill her.¡± ¡°Stop your¡­!¡± As Ohashi tries to yell, I point at the pocket of her jeans. The pocket is bulging. ¡°That is?¡± ¡°¡­My phone.¡± ¡°Take it out,¡± I say in a little forceful tone, then Ohashi takes out her phone from her pocket. ¡°Now then, give it to me.¡± When I take a step forward, Ohashi hurriedly put the phone back into her pocket. ¡°¡­Why should I?¡± Because I was asked, I cut to the heart of the matter there, ¡°You want to meet Tsurugi, don¡¯t you?¡± *Ba-dump* The sound of her heart beat leap up. Heartbeat, muscle tension, and breathing. They are enough for me to understand Ohashi¡¯s feelings with. It is clear as day that she hasn¡¯t been trained to keep them in check. Ohashi looks down, seemingly pondering. Taking that chance, I take out my phone and call Yoiyami-san. I had Yoiyami-san lent this phone to me. [What is it.] Yoiyami-san answers the phone immediately. ¡°Can I have you come to pick me up?¡± [That¡¯s fast.] ¡°Yes.¡± After exchanging the necessary conversation, I hang up and put the phone in my pocket. Ohashi is looking at me with distrustful eyes, ¡°That was¡­¡± ¡°A comrade of mine.¡± ¡°You called your comrade?¡± ¡°Ahh, cause I¡¯m going back.¡± After I said that, Ohashi opens her mouth seemingly in a hurry. ¡°Where is Tsurugi now?¡± She bit it, huh. ¡°Who knows?¡± I truly don¡¯t know, but my bluff sounded as though it implied something. ¡°What¡­ do you want me to do?¡± ¡°If you want to meet him, follow me.¡± I declare. With that being said, Ohashi must have noticed her own value as well. Even though she doesn¡¯t know the specifics, she should have realized my intention of making use of her. In short, I was telling her to help me. In order to build a friendly cooperative relationship with Tsurugi¡­ no, in order not to worsen our relationship more than this, I can¡¯t hurt Ohashi either. Therefore, though I¡¯m not good with this kind of thing, I have to do it. Albeit unwilling. After sorting my thought, I once again look at Ohashi¡¯s eyes. ¡°If I call my comrades here now as well, you will be caught,¡± After swallowing her saliva *gokuri*, Ohashi says so. ¡°¡­Heeh.¡± This girl, is she unexpectedly an idiot? No, her head is only filled with Tsurugi. That¡¯s why she doesn¡¯t have a decent pattern of thinking. ¡°You can¡¯t do that, and what do you want to do after capturing me anyway?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have you talk about Tsurugi¡¯s circumstances.¡± ¡°¡­Then? What? Tsurugi you want to meet himself will also be killed if he gets caught by the Self-Defense Forces now, right?¡± In other words, if I get caught and spill the information about Tsurugi, that would be disadvantageous for Tsurugi as well. Aside from the fact that I don¡¯t have any information about Tsurugi. ¡°That won¡¯t¡­ happen.¡± ¡°You sure don¡¯t sound confident.¡± If Tsurugi gets caught, he will definitely be killed. Even if Tsurugi is a former lieutenant general of the Self-Defense Forces and has many comrades who trust him, Boss will kill him. ¡°I want a guarantee,¡± Ohashi says. ¡°Of what?¡± I hold back my laughter inwardly and ask back. ¡°Guarantee that I can meet Tsurugi.¡± She fell for it. Since we¡¯ve come this far, it¡¯s okay to say it already. ¡°Sorry, but there is no guarantee that you will meet with Tsurugi.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ohashi opens her eyes wide. ¡°We also want to get in touch with Tsurugi. For that reason, I want to have you to play a role.¡± She has also become doubtful of the Self-Defense Forces after Tsurugi became wanted. That is a big opening. ¡°What will Kamiya-kun do when he meets Tsurugi?¡± ¡°We are in the same situation. So, I want to have a cooperative relationship with him.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ trust you.¡± Well yeah. But in your case, the desire to meet Tsurugi is even higher, right? If you miss the chance ¨C that is me ¨C here, you might not be able to meet Tsurugi for the rest of your life. ¡°¡­What should I do, specifically?¡± After exhaling as if hesitating, she says so. No, she ends up saying so. I¡¯m doing my best to hold back my laughter inwardly. Do you aware of yourself? You are a shitty girl who helps me who killed Rin just because you want to meet Tsurugi. Despite you might be deceived. Just because I¡¯m going to make use of you doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t dispose you. Even so, just the desire of wanting to meet Tsurugi stirs you up, Ohashi. ¡°If he finds out that I¡¯ve kidnapped you, Tsurugi won¡¯t be able to stay still.¡± ¡°Un¡­¡± When Ohashi nods, a sound appears behind me. Ohashi¡¯s line of sight moves to behind me; she then takes a few steps backwards The one who appeared is Yoiyami-san. He arrived quickly because I had told him in advance that I wanted him to wait near the city until the morning came. ¡°He¡¯s my comrade.¡± Though I said so, it is impossible for her not to be wary of Yoiyami-san, seeing him for the first time. Since learning about Observer¡¯s matter, Yoiyami seems to get all worked up about, making us around him feel nervous. ¡°We will take her and return to New Road at once.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Darkness tries to cover us. However, it stops with a jolt at my words. ¡°Before that, Ohashi, call for reinforcements.¡± ¡°Eh, but if I do that¡­¡± Ohashi is confused by the sudden request. In order to convey that Ohashi gets kidnapped, we have to make use of the mass media. However, the enemy, will surely notice our intention for kidnapping Ohashi, so there is a possibility that it won¡¯t be reported. In that case, we should make a big ruckus that can¡¯t be brushed aside. ¡°Just do it.¡± After I pressure her, Ohashi immediately takes out her phone and do some kind of operation with it. ¡°Yoiyami-san, it would be bad if you get spotted, so can you take Ohashi and get back first. After that, please come back again to pick me up.¡± I decide to go wild a little until Yoiyami comes back. After Yoiyami-san and Ohashi melt into the darkness and disappears, I sit back deeply on the bench. CH 133 [Death Ability] The next morning, the news of me causing an uproar in Slaceid is reported on TV. In the news is featured the casualties of two lieutenant generals, major generals and several others, and also the destruction of the city; moreover, the commentator makes a conjecture about my purpose as he pleased. And the kidnapping of Ohashi is not reported. But that¡¯s not a problem. The minimum conditions have been cleared. All is fine as long as Tsurugi see this news. If it¡¯s him who is in the same situation as us, he would immediately see through our purpose. ¡°Everything is as planned, huh.¡± Utsusemi-san who is standing right in front of the TV suddenly turns off the CRT and says so. Looking grumpy. That¡¯s right. The operation went well. ¡°But,¡± Utsusemi-san continues, ¡°What I don¡¯t understand is, why was Shion the only one allowed to run wild.¡± He sighs deeply. Utsusemi-san seems to be dissatisfied with the fact that I was the only one got to fight yesterday. However, even if Utsusemi-san was there, he would not have been able to fight as he pleased. Tsurugi might be familiar with the members of the Self-Defense Forces stationed at Slaceid, so considering that, I didn¡¯t kill anyone yesterday. In order to make the uproar bigger, I also dealt a bit of damage to the general public, but since I had to make it clear that only the members the Self-Defense Forces becoming victim, I only destroyed some buildings. I don¡¯t understand why we have to be so careful in dealing with Tsurugi, but if I take careless actions, Yoiyami-san will be displeased. I ignore Utsusemi-san and turn my eyes to Yoiyami-san who is leaning his back against the wall. ¡°Is Yoiyami-san¡¯s ¡®Darkness Void¡¯ truly able to block radio waves?¡± ¡°Ahh. Except me, interference from inside or outside is impossible.¡± ¡®Darkness Void¡¯. Yoiyami-san can stow away some things inside the darkness; you can call it his personal space. And now, Ohashi¡¯s phone is in it. If it is taken out, it will be traced, and we can¡¯t destroy it either. Because Ohashi¡¯s phone is the sole thread that connects us with Tsurugi. ¡°Yoiyami-san¡¯s ability really can do anything¡­¡± Roll standing next to me says with a bitter smile. Certainly ¨C so Sen continues with a strained laugh, but in terms of performance, I envy Sen¡¯s ability. No matter how strong Yoiyami-san is, it does not mean that he is immortal. Putting that aside, it seems that Ohashi has called Tsurugi many times after he disappeared, but the call didn¡¯t get connected. With Tsurugi being himself, he might have destroyed his phone for fear of it being traced, but even if he didn¡¯t, he wouldn¡¯t answer the phone because he wouldn¡¯t involve Ohashi. But now it¡¯s different. If he understands for what I went to Slaceid now after a long time, I¡¯m sure he will make a contact. Of course, the contact point is Ohashi¡¯s phone. Tsurugi had memorized Ohashi¡¯s and Rin¡¯s phone number. Thinking about it now, that might have been an obligation as a student special force. Therefore, even if Tsurugi has destroyed his phone, he can still contact Ohashi. Although he may have already contacted her, we can¡¯t take the phone out of the ¡®Darkness Void¡¯ right now. If this location is exposed, Boss will naturally notice that we have Yoiyami-san hide it, and if that happens, though he wouldn¡¯t immediately dispatch the Self-Defense Forces, he would devise countermeasures. Boss knows that Yoiyami-san can no longer kill people. Not being able to kill people is an overwhelming weakness. There would be nothing we could do if Boss strikes that weak spot from now on. Well, I can¡¯t say unconditionally that the current Yoiyami-san is still like that, but it would be better to hide the weapon that is Yoiyami-san. Currently, the enemy who has notice our side¡¯s intention in kidnapping Ohashi should be preparing to catch us and Tsurugi and the same time. It is an opportunity for the enemy as well that we are trying to contact Tsurugi by such a means. And there¡¯s no one other than Boss who has a problem with Tsurugi and us who survived. Even if Tsurugi make a contact and we decide to have a talk, we would have to meet somewhere in the end. How to hide that from the enemy. That is important. I look at Ohashi sitting in the corner of the room. She has her arms tied behind her so that she can¡¯t make a resistance. I walk up to Ohashi and cut the rope tied on her back with a knife. ¡°Hey, wouldn¡¯t that be dangerous?¡± Sen says seeing me releasing Ohashi¡¯s restraint. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Ohashi is harmless until she meets Tsurugi. Besides, I don¡¯t know what kind of ability Ohashi has, but she doesn¡¯t look strong. I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t be able to harm any of the members here. But it¡¯s a perfect time. Let¡¯s ask what her ability is just in case. ¡°What is your ability, Ohashi?¡± ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t say that.¡± To think she would refuse to answer in this situation. When I¡¯m surprised, Utsusemi-san grabs my shoulder from behind. ¡°Leave it to me. I¡¯ll know if I copy it.¡± ¡°Ahh, certainly.¡± Since he can copy Sound Control (Dominant) at any time, it¡¯s like he has a free copy frame. Utsusemi-san said a while ago that he also read to some extent what an ability is at the same time he copies it. That¡¯s why it can be used in this way, huh. I¡¯m a little impressed. After I moved out of the way, Utsusemi-san comes forward and put his hand on Ohashi¡¯s head. ¡°Un.¡± Utsusemi-san opens his eyes a little widely. The atmosphere cladding him has changed. It seems that his personality has reversed after using his own ability. I ask such him, ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°How should I put it, it is an unusual ability. This is more or less of the manipulation system, I guess?¡± While speaking, Utsusemi-san put his hand on my shoulder. Then he immediately lowers his hand and says, ¡°Try hitting me for a bit.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Being told so, I throw a punch into Utsusemi-san¡¯s left cheek. Then, an impact is transmitted to my left cheek with a *smack*. Feeling pain, I¡¯m taken aback. ¡°It hurts¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha. That¡¯s how it is.¡± When I look at Utsusemi-san while rubbing me cheek, I see his left cheek is also a little red. ¡°Ability to inflict the received damage back to the opponent¡­?¡± ¡°That seems to be the case. Sen, try hitting me this time.¡± Utsusemi-san ask the nearby Sen for verification this time. ¡°Ehh¡­ well, okay.¡± Sen who has seen the result slaps Utsusemi-san¡¯s cheek lightly. However, the damage didn¡¯t seem to be returned to Sen this time. ¡°Huh?¡± Sen who is expecting the damage tilts her head. ¡°I see, I see. So, this is a restricted manipulation system ability that can only pick one person as a target. It can only inflict back the same damage from an attack received from the selected target. Is that correct?¡± Ohashi who is looking and getting taken aback at our verification nods as though she has expected Utsusemi-san¡¯s question. That¡¯s the well-informed Utsusemi-san for you. ¡°I like it. It is a pretty good ability. If I may ask, what is its name?¡± Utsusemi-san hits Ohashi¡¯s shoulder, completely in good mood. As for Ohashi, she mutters with a stern look ¡°¡­Revenge Note.¡± Revenge Note, huh¡­¡­ What a nasty ability. However, checking it was the correct choice. This ability can be a threat normally. No matter how superior you are, if she has resolved to die, you might end up dying as well. ¡°Rather than that, is it okay for you to be messing around?¡± Roll says from the side. That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t have time to get excited by Ohashi¡¯s ability. ¡°You¡¯re right. Then Yoiyami-san and I will leave the city and make a contact with Tsurugi now. Everyone else will be waiting here.¡± ¡°I want to go as well.¡± ¡°No can do. It can¡¯t be helped, no? It¡¯s a different story if you copied a teleportation ability though.¡± ¡°It is easy for you to say that. Teleportation ability is not a common ability, you know.¡± ¡°I know that.¡± I don¡¯t have time to care about Utsusemi-san. While we argued, Yoiyami-san already walked toward the exit of the room. When I try to chase after him, Roll pull my sleeve and hold me back. ¡°What is it, Roll?¡± ¡°Be careful, okay¡­ Shion.¡± As I frown and wonder what she is doing, Roll says so with some tears in her eyes. I feel irritated at this meek Roll. ¡°Ahh,¡± I nod lightly and shake off Roll¡¯s hand, then I follow after Yoiyami-san. CH 134 As Yoiyami-san practiced a while ago, the movement speed of ¡®Blackout¡¯ is tremendous even in the morning when the sun is shining. However, after leaving the outer wall of New Road, we have to rely on a car as the means of transportation from there. ¡®Blackout¡¯ is the ability to move through the darkness, not teleport. In the daytime when there is little darkness, on top of the distance that could be covered being short, the power of ¡®Blackout¡¯ couldn¡¯t be fully exerted in the vicinity of the open New Road where there are few covers. Sitting in the passenger seat, I open the window and look at the outside scenery. It should take about 2 hours to reach the destination. When we arrive there, we will take out Ohashi¡¯s phone and check if there is any contact from Tsurugi. It¡¯s fine even if there is no contact from Tsurugi. I thought so at first, but since we¡¯ve braved such a risk, I feel like I¡¯m going to get angry if he doesn¡¯t contact us. ¡°Shion.¡± Suddenly, Yoiyami-san who is driving the car calls my name. I keep my elbows on the car window and only turn my head to listen to him. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°About earlier, something happened with Roll?¡± I frown a little. Yoiyami-san is looking straight at the continuing road. ¡°Are you curious about such a thing?¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± Yoiyami-san glances at me and immediately take back his gaze. I think a little. I wonder if he threw this strange topic just to make a conversation in the quiet car. It sure makes me feeling a bit out of place. It¡¯s not like I feel uncomfortable not having a conversation with Yoiyami-san after all. Or should I say, it isn¡¯t like him. ¡°Should I turn on the music?¡± I ask, trying to change the topic. ¡°¡­Listen, Shion.¡± It appears to be a serious topic. I lower my elbow from the car window and reply, ¡°Okay.¡± The sound of a car running. Because it is a shabby car borrowed from the slum, its noise is terrible. In the middle of that, Yoiyami-san starts talking, ¡°Strangely, even though I get a reason to fight¡­ at the same time, I don¡¯t have motivation to fight inside me.¡± I know that. Yoiyami-san can¡¯t kill people after all; it is already a good thing that he is sheltering us. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I intended to be alone. But in the end, now it is not so. In short, Shion. Being alone forever is difficult.¡± I get confused because I couldn¡¯t understand what Yoiyami-san is saying, but I can¡¯t just tilt my head, so I respond with ¡°I see.¡± ¡°So, I think all of you as my comrades.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Since Yoiyami-san is not good at speaking, he probably can¡¯t convey his thought well, I guess. However, I¡¯m glad if he thinks of us as his comrades. ¡°¡­Roll is your partner, right.¡± After he said only that, the inside of the car gets enveloped in silence. ¡ª¡ª¡ª Negwave, a small city about two hours away by car from New Road. I heard that its outer wall is low, and even the Self-Defense Force¡¯s control there is loose, but it seems to be relatively safe. When we arrived there, we immediately search for a place to take out Ohashi¡¯s phone. The place is a lonely parking lot in a corner of the city. After the car parked there, I receive the phone from Yoiyami-san in the car. There is no incoming call history because the radio wave was blocked, but now that it¡¯s out, it immediately receives mails. I snicker at the mails that appears on Ohashi¡¯s phone. When the reception is completed, a find an email from Tsurugi. A phone number is contained in it. He probably meant for me to call it. Next, I check the short mail by the ¡®incoming call notification function¡¯. There is one incoming call notification from Tsurugi and several incoming call notifications from an unknown number. The incoming call notification from this unknown number was probably sent by the Self-Defense Forces to find our location. I look at the clock. We won¡¯t be able to have a long talk, but since he only called once, he seems to have guessed the circumstances. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll call him.¡± ¡°Do it quick. We don¡¯t have time.¡± I operate the phone and enter the phone number written in the email into the dial, and make the call. Getting the call traced in this city, which is the third closest to New Road, is a concern as it might get us connected with Yoiyami-san, but there¡¯s no need to worry. Right. If we can cooperate with Tsurugi as planned, there will be no more reason to stay at New Road. We will make a new plan to defeat Boss in the new location. *Purururu* The ringing tones echo in my ears. I¡¯m getting impatient. He hasn¡¯t pick up the call after a while has passed. However, there is no need to rush. There is a considerable distance from Saint Celia to this place, and even if the nearby troops are dispatched, I can handle them as long as a general class doesn¡¯t come. In addition, there is Yoiyami-san here. Well, Yoiyami-san will be a last resort, however. After hearing the ringing tones a dozen times, I finally hear the sound of the phone connected *gacha*. I slightly open my mouth and prepare to say the bare-minimum. [As I thought, you may still be a threat to me. Shion.] My head turn blank at that voice. ¡°Wha¡­ kh¡­!¡± Why is¡­ Boss¡­! Eyes opening wide, I close my open lips as though biting them. My heart beats violently. Having watched my condition, Yoiyami-san frowns. I have to regain my composure at least ¨C I exhale deeply and make my brain fully rotate. Why does Boss¡­? Does that mean he has already captured Tsurugi? No, that¡¯s not it. First, I hang up the phone. After taking off the phone away from my ear, I turn off the power with my shaky hand. ¡°¡­¡­Dammit!¡± ¡°What happened, Shion,¡± Yoiyami-san next to me looks my way suspiciously. ¡°¡­The one who answered the phone was Boss. Yoiyami-san, put this phone in ¡®Darkness Void.¡± ¡°What¡­¡­?¡± While surprised, Yoiyami-san receives Ohashi¡¯s phone and hides it in the darkness. ¡°¡­¡­What do you mean.¡± I see¡­ I¡¯m an idiot. I considered the possibility that Tsurugi destroyed his phone, but I did not consider that the phone was in the hands of the enemy. Tsurugi was in such a situation after all, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if his phone was seized in some way. So, was the other incoming call notification that came from unregistered number was Tsurugi? The possibility is high. However, in any case, I don¡¯t have time to call Tsurugi now. ¡°Anyway, Yoiyami-san, start¡­¡± I begin to say, and then stop. Sound collection. Then, I look around the area from inside the car. I can¡¯t see any sign of the enemy, but ¡­ ¡°Ahh.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this too quick¡­? No matter how fast they are.¡± We are already surrounded. It is too fast even considering the time bought by ringing tones. They are surely not the force of this city. Did they keep a teleportation ability users on standby until I called the whole time? There¡¯s no use thinking about it. Since it has come to this, there¡¯s no other way than to fight. ¡°I¡¯m going.¡± ¡°Wait, I will go out too.¡± ¡°Please wait, Yoiyami-san¡­¡± Even in this situation, I want to preserve Yoiyami-san. With that in mind, I try to stop him, but he is already out of the car and standing outside. Letting out a sigh, I slowly get out of the car, a figure then appears at the entrance of the parking lot. ¡°Hey, hey. Could you possibly be Yoiyami? I haven¡¯t heard of this, y¡¯knoww.¡± Shining four-star silver badges are pinned on the chest of the man who is walking while complaining. I look at his eyes. ¡°Mikunizaki Miyabi¡­¡± I mutter the name of the general who is supposed to be assigned to a distant city CH 135 Mikunizaki Miyabi. His exposure to the media is low, his name and glory are inferior to other generals. He refused to be assigned to Saint Celia and chose to supervise a frontier, but quite extensive region. His ability is Teleport. ¡­I see, no wonder they¡¯re fast. I observe the situation while processing information about the man before me. An old man with a shaven head and have deep wrinkles that stand out around his eyes. In white military uniform, he probably is about as tall as I am. Looking from above his clothes, his body build is not so good. However, should I say as expected of a general? He gives off a great feeling of intimidation. The ones who are hiding their figures and surrounding us must be the teleportation unit of Mikunizaki. A unit consisting of only transportation ability users. They¡¯re extremely annoying. Suppose we run away, these guys will chase us even to the ends of the earth. I shift my gaze to Yoiyami-san standing diagonally across the car for a moment. He is very calm. If I were to believe what Mikunizaki muttered earlier, he didn¡¯t expect Yoiyami-san to be here. In that case, Boss probably didn¡¯t expect it either. In other words, the surprise attack, that is Yoiyami-san, works. It is the only advantage I have right now. In the sky, clouds just covered the sun. In this case, Yoiyami-san should be able to move to some extent as well. However, the simple ability that is teleportation. It is frighteningly strong. Even though it is only an ability to move in an instant. No, that is precisely why, huh. Convenience, diversity, viability, it boasts high status in everything. Because of its simplicity. It is even said that your future will be secured as long as you manifest a teleportation ability. At the same time, however, there are many who are made to run errands. Anyway, the means to defeat such an opponent has been decided. That is, by making the first move. Distortion¡ª¡ª While I¡¯m in the middle of activating my ability, Yoiyami-san extending one of his hands horizontally is reflected at the edge of my vision. A signal to stop. In respond to that gesture, Mikunizaki moves backwards. As a result, he goes out of the range of Distortion Sound. ¡°Why!¡± I stop the activation of Distortion Sound and raise my voice unintentionally. If it¡¯s Distortion Sound, no matter who the opponent is would not matter. Even Mikunizaki before us will be killed, however. ¡°No need.¡± When Yoiyami-san defenselessly walks and eventually stands before me, I notice Mikunizaki¡¯s palpitation. The heartbeat of Mikunizaki who is keeping calm suddenly pulsates violently. When I look at his face, his face has become horribly pale. Just, why? There is no time to ask, as Yoiyami-san has walked further forward. ¡°Listen. It is I who let you go.¡± Yoiyami lightly lifts one of his hands and points his finger at Mikunizaki. Mikunizaki swallows his saliva with a gulp. Dozens of seconds later, he slowly nods. What did Yoiyami-san do to Mikunizaki¡­? ¡°Withdraw!¡± Raising up his hand, Mikunizaki screams. Then the presences surrounding us disappears in an instant, and Mikunizaki ¨C who have lowered his hand ¨C disappears. ¡°¡­¡­What exactly happened?¡± After confirming that there are no enemies around, I ask Yoiyami-san a question. ¡°I¡¯m a good match for teleportation ability users. I just reminded him of that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I don¡¯t know what he did, but in short, Mikunizaki was scared off by Yoiyami-san. ¡°¡­¡­haha.¡± A strange laugh leaks out. I definitely have power to live. Luck too. Good. That¡¯s enough. It¡¯s a pain that Yoiyami-san¡¯s existence has been exposed, but on the other hand, it gives us a grace period. To Boss, Yoiyami-san shouldn¡¯t be an opponent who he can take care of easily. Even if he could send another general here, it would surely take time. So, let¡¯s fulfill our original purpose here. ¡°Then, Yoiyami-san, please give me Ohashi¡¯s phone again.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ahh.¡± Receiving the phone from Yoiyami-san, I operate it to call the unknown phone number in the short mail by the incoming call notification this time. This may also be a trap, but since we already triggered the trap, it doesn¡¯t matter. I tap the call button without hesitation. And after a few ringing tones, the phone is connected. [¡­¡­] ¡°¡­¡­¡± At the silent other party, I also reply with silence. However, we both couldn¡¯t keep silent forever, so I break that silence, ¡°Is it you, Tsurugi?¡± [Ahh. Kazato, you haven¡¯t touch Hitomi, have you?] Kazato? Why did he call me that way? ¡°Of course.¡± [Thank goodness.] ¡°¡­You do know our purpose in calling you, don¡¯t you?¡± [As I thought, that sure is the case. I was worried.] He wasn¡¯t completely sure, huh. Him doubting about Hitomi¡¯s safety meant that Tsurugi didn¡¯t completely see through our true intention. In that case, I have to convey it in words. I glance at Yoiyami-san next to me. He is sitting on the hood of the car, waiting for me to finish the call. ¡°Why don¡¯t you team up with us, Tsurugi?¡± I say straightforwardly. At the same time, I feel d¨¦j¨¤ vu at my own words. I rub my temples a little hard with my left hand that doesn¡¯t hold the phone and close my eyes. Tsurugi is silent. [¡­¡­] ¡­¡­Ah, that¡¯s right. Two days ago, I heard almost the same line from Utsusemi-san. Then, I ¡­ ¡®I¡¯m sorry, but¡ª¡ª¡¯ [Sorry, but¡ª¡ª] For some reason, my pulse is rising. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m worried about the failure of the plan. It is because I can sense Tsurugi¡¯s calmness. I who killed Rin, Anonymous who killed his father. Not only that. Anonymous also caused his hometown to be destroyed, he should hold a lot of grudge to me¡­ to us. He should have. It would be great if Tsurugi were to reject the suggestion. The one who said we should work together with Tsurugi was Yoiyami-san, I was against it from the beginning. However, what¡¯s with that attitude. You should know the benefits you can gain by teaming up with us, right? I know the feelings you must have for us, despite that, I encourage you to make use of the situation and cooperate with us. Whether you refuse or accept, for you¡­ [Sorry, but I decline.] Not resenting us, would be strange, right? I¡¯m lost for words. Helpless anger surge up from the bottom of my stomach. Why. Why do you decline my offer like that? What is the reason? Tell me your reason. ¡°¡­Is that, because you hate me?¡± [No.] Immediate answer. The strength in my hand holding the phone increases. ¡°Then¡­¡± [Cause even if I were to cooperate, I won¡¯t be able to agree with the way of Kazato and your comrades doing things, I think.] ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± When he put it like that, that¡¯s right. Our outlaw methods wouldn¡¯t suit Tsurugi. In that case, it would make sense. Very. ¡°¡­¡­Is that so, okay.¡± [Sorry.] ¡°Ha?¡± Sorry? ¡°Sorry, you say¡­ what are you talking about? Seriously.¡± [That is-] Intercepting the words of Tsurugi on the other side of the phone, I continue, ¡°Do you not hate me anymore? I was also involved in the killing of your father, I killed Rin, and even Slaceid became like that because of Anonymous you know.¡± [Kazato. I thought so, but ¡®not¡¯ anymore. That¡¯s not correct.] ¡°What, have you attained enlightenment or something¡­?¡± [Kazato, let¡¯s end this talk. Please release Hitomi.] ¡°No, I will kill her.¡± Hanging up the phone casually, I squeeze the phone tightly as though to crush it. ¡°Shion.¡± Yoiyami-san calls my name. ¡°AHHHH!!¡± I scream and slam the phone on the ground. After a light sound *Paan* that makes my feelings clear somewhat, the screen gets broken to pieces, and the fragments flutters. Gritting my teeth, I heave a deep sigh. *Fuu*, I sigh deeply again. After closing my eyes and confirming that my mind has calmed down, I turn toward Yoiyami-san. ¡°Yoiyami-san.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± CH 136 [Death Gets Dyed in Madness] There is no way to bridge the overwhelming difference in our force with the Self-Defense Forces. Boss who used to lead Anonymous is familiar with the works of evil organizations, so even if we were to systematically move to increase our power, he would close our path of retreat with various means. Boss who has been promoted to general is very active. He is doing reforms rapidly to eliminate the evil of each city. He does not hesitate to destroy the foundations of the underworld he has built. Meanwhile, I put together all the problems in the current situation and draw one conclusion. We who survived Boss¡¯s attack have been wanted and searched to a persistent degree. We cannot escape from this. The final blow is that I, knowing Yoiyami-san¡¯s past, impertinently lied in order to control him. It led me be forced to face Boss, even only in appearance. But if I do things half-heartedly, I will eventually be cornered by Boss, or might end up losing Yoiyami-san¡¯s trust before that. I have confirmed it many times, but it is impossible for us to survive in the future without the cooperation of Yoiyami-san. In any case, our lives will continue to be threatened endlessly if we don¡¯t get rid of Boss. Therefore, Boss must die. Even if we, figuratively speaking, killed Boss, we will probably be targeted every day for a while. However, if we hold our breath patiently, though the hate of the world towards us will not disappear, it should eventually wane. If Boss no longer exist, most of the people who mind us who will stay quite will disappear. We have no choice but to deal with the remnants each time. In short. I¡¯ve decided not to look away from Boss. Returning to the hideout in New Road, I who have regain my composure, am standing in front of Ohashi who is sitting on the floor. With a knife in hand. The one who have been assigned as a watch in the room where Ohashi is confined is Roll. After coming back and telling everyone that the operation had failed, I went to this room immediately, Utsusemi-san and Sen also gathered in the room. Ohashi purses her lips tightly and looked up at me with little moist but hostile eyes. ¡°You gonna kill her?¡± In the end, Utsusemi-san, who re-copied my ability, has returned to his annoying personality. ¡°¡­¡­¡± (Shion) ¡°If you gonna kill her, better let Sen do it. We don¡¯t know who her ability is targeting now after all, no?¡± (Utsusemi) ¡°No, no, I also don¡¯t want to get hurt if possible, ¡®kay?¡± (Sen) Revenge Note. Certainly, it is not an ability that worth fearing for the immortal Sen. But that wasn¡¯t what I was thinking about. I¡¯m sure I made the wrong choice. Ohashi is no longer useful. That¡¯s okay. I ended up losing my composure in the earlier call with Tsurugi. Though I said I¡¯ve calmed down now, I¡¯m still full of anger toward him. ¡­.But the idea of asking Tsurugi for cooperation came from Yoiyami-san. If I were to take Yoiyami-san¡¯s mood into consideration, I should have made endless concessions and asked for Tsurugi¡¯s cooperation even if I had to promise that we wouldn¡¯t take any means that would go against his intention. In that case, I had to have Tsurugi and Yumesaki Aika to match our story to lie to Yoiyami-san, however. Anyway, in order to have Yoiyami-san on our side, I must respect his will as much as possible. However, due to my circumstance, the plan to cooperate with Tsurugi ended in failure. Yoiyami-san is trying to get a foothold in Observer¡¯s case from Tsurugi and Yumesaki Aika. I have to control the situation while Yoiyami-san is on our side. ¡­¡­The words I said at the end of the call, ¡®No, I will kill her.¡¯ Tsurugi probably wouldn¡¯t leave things just like this. I was overwhelmed by anger and destroyed the phone, but I remembered the phone number sent to the short mail. Wouldn¡¯t I still make it if I call him now? That said, I don¡¯t have the confidence to hold back if he were to take that attitude like he had attained enlightenment again. Silence for tens of seconds. The eyes of four people ¨C including Ohashi ¨C are gathered on me. Yoiyami is quiet in his room. I wonder why. Why is the situation moving with me at the center? Is it because I¡¯m the one who is striving to live the most? ¡°I won¡¯t kill her,¡± I make a decision for the time being. There is no merit in killing Ohashi. There are demerits though. And she probably wouldn¡¯t make any strange resistance at this late hour. I feel the contact with Tsurugi ended in failure was because he had predicted this development, but Ohashi herself has understand that it is more likely she will reach Tsurugi by staying with us rather than being cooped up in Slaceid. On top of that, the risk of ¡®death¡¯ must have entered her mind. ¡°The heck, she¡¯s just a hindrance.¡± (Utsusemi) ¡°He¡¯s right. This girl is more less an enemy, no? It¡¯s best to kill her when she no longer has any use.¡± (Sen) ¡°I also think we shouldn¡¯t kill her.¡± (Roll) While Sora and Sen criticized me in quick succession, only Roll agreed with me for some reason, so I glance at her. ¡°¡­¡­¡± (Shion) ¡°Hitomi isn¡¯t on the Self-Defense Forces¡¯ side, but is going to follow us unconditionally because of Midou Tsurugi, so isn¡¯t she a rather valuable ally instead?¡± (Roll) That¡¯s certainly true, but that doesn¡¯t mean she has no intention to take revenge against us who killed Rin and messed up her hometown. The reason I¡¯m not killing her is because I thought I should try to negotiate with Tsurugi again. I¡¯m not going to compare my life with my momentary emotions. Pride and something of the sort are the shackles that held you from making the best choice. Even if we¡¯re not going to act together with Tsurugi, it¡¯s better to let each other know of each other¡¯s movements at least. At that time, Observer said it. That Tsurugi and I are the ones who can kill Boss. ¡°Ohashi,¡± I call the name of my former classmate after putting away the knife. ¡°What¡­¡± (Ohashi) ¡°Tell us about Tsurugi¡¯s ability.¡± (Shion) ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s not an ability that you can handle even if you hear about it, though.¡± (Ohashi) I already knew that after confronting it several times. I just want to know the trick of that power that can even negate Boss¡¯ ability. If he isn¡¯t hostile to me anymore, we probably wouldn¡¯t be fighting in the future. I don¡¯t want meaningless fight either. It¡¯s hard to swallow, but I think it¡¯s convenient at this time. ¡°Just say it,¡± I say, once again flashing the knife to her. ¡°¡­¡­Denial of interference (Master Cancel), ability to deny any interference.¡± (Ohashi) ¡°I see.¡± (Shion) It is an ability that can counter Boss head-on. It would be good if that power only used for eradicating Boss. ¡°Is slipping through walls also one of the applications of that ability?¡± (Shion) ¡°¡­¡­Un.¡± (Ohashi) ¡°To think she sell out the ability of her friend, isn¡¯t she quite a thrash!¡± Sen stamps her foot with a *bam*. It can¡¯t be helped since she is threatened though, I think. Sen, who belonged to Nursery Rhymes, has a strong sense of companionship. It seems that Sen¡¯s words pierce unexpectedly deep; tears begin to accumulate in Ohashi¡¯s eyes. Ohashi then close her lips tightly, making no sign of opening her mouth. ¡°Haha, it¡¯s because you say something unnecessary.¡± (Utsusemi) ¡°But, you know¡­¡± (Sen) I want to hear a little more about Tsurugi¡¯s ability, but knowing that much is enough. If he denies any interference, my Distortion Sound may also be repelled. However, this made it clear how to defeat him. Make him use the ability to the limit. Any ability user needs physical strength and mental strength to use their ability. And when they reach their limit, they become unable to use their ability. Well, the opportunity for me to need such a means has already disappeared. However, the emotions hidden in my heart is¡­ An indescribable feeling of wanting to touch Tsurugi¡¯s reverse scale. I glance at Ohashi and head for Yoiyami-san. ¡ª¡ª¡ª A few hours ago, when Shion and Yoiyami headed for Negwave to make contact with Midou Tsurugi, Roll was in charge of watching Ohashi Hitomi in a room in the hideout. Ohashi Hitomi¡¯s ability, Revenge Note, was very good in one-on-one individual battle, but the potential difference allows Roll to incapacitate her without harming her. Hitomi herself had no intention of resisting this lawless group until she could get in touch with Tsurugi. Yes, at least their intention aligned. Hitomi was longing to meet Tsurugi so much that she even accepted the risk of death. She planned to escape if things went wrong, but Hitomi realized her helplessness. Her little self-confidence cultivated by placing herself in the bizarre position of the student special forces shattered in front of the bunch of Anonymous, including Shion. Her difference in ability with Sen and Roll as well as Utsusemi was clear even without a fight. She had enough experience to understand that. Any resistance was futile. Hitomi felt the professionality of those who had survived in the underworld from Roll and the others who had shown no sign of carelessness while on the watch. It was this kind of enemies that Tsurugi was fighting. But Hitomi found another opening to protect herself. What she saw in her line of sight was the figure of Roll crouching in the corner of the room. Hitomi had no way of knowing what was on her mind, but she was the girl who hid in the school as a transfer student and acted with Shion. In a little while she had not seen her, her atmosphere had changed extremely. Her long hair was cut to shoulder-length, and while appearance-wise she was not at all inferior to Hitomi, there was no longer the beast-like spirit that contrasted her physical appearance dwelled in her. To put it bluntly, she was worn out. However, Hitomi felt there was a situation that couldn¡¯t be described in just few words from her former friend, Kamiya Kazato and this Roll. ¡°Roll-chan,¡± Hitomi called out to her, sitting on the tattered wooden chair, and hanging her head down. The voice echoed well in the room, and Roll lifted her head a little and looked at Hitomi, but she didn¡¯t reply. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about Kamiya-kun.¡± (Ohashi) ¡°¡­¡­About Shion?¡± (Roll) When that name came out, Roll compulsorily reacted. It wasn¡¯t unnatural for Hitomi to want to know about Kamiya Kazato who had changed suddenly considering the circumstances. But Hitomi had seen through Roll¡¯s dependance on her love from her gaze that was directed to none other than Shion. Until now, Hitomi had come into contact with various romances at school. In that sense, Hitomi was also professional. There were certainly things that could only be cultivated among students. Roll who had changed after losing her position and pride as a member of Anonymous had become an innocent maiden confused by puberty. She was originally fond of Shion as an opposite sex, but when she was in Anonymous, Roll had a pride and was not willing to be swept by emotions. But by losing her parasitic plant, that was the organization, her restrained emotions exploded out along with her weaknesses. As a result, it was only natural for her heart to shift to the one she loved. In addition, Roll¡¯s special upbringing had spurred her dependance. ¡°Un.¡± (Ohashi) Even if she had found such a weak point, her current position requires her careful choice of words. ¡°I was wondering¡­ why did he change that much?¡± (Ohashi) ¡°To live,¡± Such a line leaked out of her Roll¡¯s mouth without hesitation. Hitomi thought about changing the topic at those words that were mixed with anger. Then she skipped the conversation course and cut to the heart of the matter. ¡°¡­Roll-chan loves Kamiya-kun, right?¡± (Ohashi) Is it that noticeable? Roll didn¡¯t show it on her face, but she got embarrassed inwardly. At the same time, Roll sensed the aim of Hitomi at the sudden change in topic. She didn¡¯t care. But ¨C she thought. This time she remembered her craving while sitting deep in the wooden chair and hanging her head down. Utsusemi, Yoiyami, and Sen. None of them were suitable people to talk about something like that. No, from the time when the organization called Anonymous was functioning, it was only Shido and Shikkou that she could talk about such things with. Those two no longer existed. Then, wasn¡¯t Hitomi perfect as a partner to let out the emotions hidden in herself? Even if it was just Hitomi¡¯s scheme. Oddly, the girl named Ohashi Hitomi had come to this place as a result of her struggle in love. ¡°Well,¡± Roll gave an ambiguous reply after a long pause. She was quick to bite on Hitomi¡¯s bait. ¡°Why do you love him?¡± (Ohashi) ¡°I don¡¯t know. Lots of things happened¡­¡± (Roll) She should have thought of him as someone she must protect, but before she knew it, it had turned into love. ¡°What about Hitomi?¡± Instead of just telling her story, Roll tossed the topic back to Hitomi. Once she spoke, things would go according to Hitomi¡¯s aim, but it didn¡¯t matter anymore. With Roll on her side, Hitomi¡¯s survival rate didn¡¯t change even a bit. Hitomi didn¡¯t understand that. She couldn¡¯t. A person named Kamiya Kazato who had changed suddenly, Utsusemi, Yoiyami, and Sen. The current Roll didn¡¯t have the influence that could affect them. ¡°Why did I come to like Tsurugi, you ask?¡± (Ohashi) ¡°Yes.¡± (Roll) ¡°Nothing special, I think. I¡¯ve had a long relationship with him, so a lot of things happened between us as well. But Tsurugi loved Rin, you know.¡± (Ohashi) ¡°Hmm¡­ Rin also loved Tsurugi, right? Was there room for Hitomi to barge in even thought they had feelings for each other?¡± (Roll) ¡°I think it¡¯s because Kamiya-kun used to love Rin¡­ Tsurugi covered his own feelings.¡± (Ohashi) ¡°¡­¡­So Shion loved Rin.¡± (Roll) ¡°That¡¯s just my guess, okay. Besides, it¡¯s an old story. Though I¡¯m sure Tsurugi guessed so as well. That¡¯s why I imposed my love on him.¡± (Ohashi) ¡°Hitomi sure has it hard.¡± (Roll) Roll couldn¡¯t say that she was a coward. As someone who had the same troubles, she could understand Hitomi¡¯s feelings painfully well. ¡°That¡¯s why I can¡¯t forgive Kamiya-kun for killing Rin.¡± (Ohashi) ¡°Shion killed Rin¡­?¡± (Roll) The fact was new to Roll. ¡°¡­You don¡¯t know?¡± (Ohashi) ¡°Yes, absolutely. This is the first I heard it.¡± (Roll) ¡°¡­¡­Is that so.¡± (Ohashi) Was it just a trivial event for Shion? Or was it something he doesn¡¯t want anyone to touch? It was difficult for Hitomi to understand, but Roll understood Shion. He was forced. He had to choose to cut her down. At the same time, he undoubtedly had to draw the line. ¡°You¡¯ve created an enemy that you¡¯ll never be able to match, haven¡¯t you?¡± (Ohashi) Hitomi exposed her imprudence thought without hiding it. If she didn¡¯t show her dirty side, she wouldn¡¯t be able to start a deep conversation. ¡°I¡¯m fine even with that. It¡¯s not like I wished to be tied together with Shion. I just¡­ don¡¯t want Shion to die.¡± (Roll) ¡°That¡¯s not different, Roll-chan.¡± (Ohashi) ¡°Why?¡± (Roll) ¡°Because you want to be by his side after all.¡± (Ohashi) ¡°Well, you¡¯re right.¡± (Roll) Her chest tightened again and again. She would to do anything if it was for Shion. ¡°If so, that means Roll-chan has been able to make a distinction between reason and instinct. I think Kamiya-kun and Roll-chan are well-matched. You have to be more offensive.¡± (Ohashi) ¡°I-is that so?¡± (Roll) Roll was not stupid. Hitomi¡¯s words sounded as though she wanted her to be more offensive in pursuing Shion. However, Roll got a mysterious sense of security from the person who just seemingly supporting her love. The heart of a maiden in love is easy to lead around. While experiencing that first-hand, Roll went into went into a feverish conversation with Hitomi. CH 137 [Each Thought of Death] ¡°It¡¯s fine, Kazato won¡¯t kill Hitomi right away,¡± Tsurugi muttered baselessly as if to convince himself. A few moments after the call, he was leaning against the wall of an alley and looking at the screen of his phone. The girl standing beside him, Yumesaki Aika, neither affirmed or denied. Approximately two weeks have passed since the total destruction of Anonymous. Tsurugi and Aika managed to survive from the former leader of Anonymous Hyde ¨C who was currently a general of the Self-Defense Forces ¨C thanks to his ability denial of interference ¡®Master Cancel¡¯. However, for them who had no backing, just trying to get by every day took them their all; they were living a life where they were even troubled about procuring food for the day. Hiding their identity, they moved from one inn after another, there were even many days where they slept outside. Even though the wounds of the battle hadn¡¯t healed yet. ¡°Weren¡¯t you planning to join hands with them temporarily?¡± Aika asked a question, as if she had read her thoughts. ¡°There¡¯s no change to the plan. You¡¯ve managed to locate the precise location, right?¡± (Tsurugi) ¡°Yes.¡± (Aika) ¡°In that case, there is no problem. Let¡¯s head there from now.¡± (Tsurugi) ¡°Then, why did you dare to say something that made him angry?¡± (Aika) Even if asked why, it was doubtful whether he could express the earlier impulse in words. Under this circumstance, the request for cooperation from Shion was not a bad thing even for Tsurugi. Rather, it was an offer that he could only hope for. At the current state, he could no longer be picky about the means or allies. That was why, when Hitomi got kidnapped, he guessed some of their plans and said he would accept it if it was a signal of invitation. In spite of this, he ended up naturally turning down the proposal over the phone. And yet, they were still going to their place. That was why, for Aika, his thought was hard to understand. However, the reason he took such a risky act without guaranteeing the safety of Hitomi was because the impulsiveness of Tsurugi himself. Tsurugi started talking bit by bit, ¡°¡­¡­.When I heard his dreary voice, I thought: If Kazato is fixed upon the thought that I should be hating him because he killed Rin and my father, and messed up our hometown, then he gets it wrong. He is now thinking that being hated by me is something inevitable.¡± (Tsurugi) ¡°However, Tsurugi-san is, in fact, should be hating Kamiya Kazato.¡± (Aika) ¡°Ahh, that¡¯s right. That¡¯s exactly why, I wanted to deny it.¡± (Tsurugi) ¡°Is that so. I see¡­ If that is the case, I might understand a little.¡± (Aika) Seeing Aika frowned as though she was a little stumped, Tsurugi burst into a smile. The remnants of the Observer only remained as a potential of Aika; she was regaining her emotions. ¡°I want to forgive Kazato. Not only forgive him, but also save him.¡± (Tsurugi) But now he still could not forgive him. And on the other hand, there was also a part of him who wanted to exact the worst revenge on him. ¡°He is more afraid of death than anyone else.¡± (Aika) ¡°So you have seen through him.¡± (Tsurugi) ¡°Yes.¡± (Aika) Until now, Kazato must have been desperate to live. If Kazato is angry at the unreasonableness surrounding him, and have been living in fear, I too must have been a part of that unreasonableness to Kazato. That said, it doesn¡¯t mean I can forgive him about the matter of Rin and father. Can I face the current him while leaving them out? Tsurugi asked himself. I have to stand in front of him as Midou Tsurugi, as a man. Not as one of his many obstacles, but as his only best friend, I will receive his anger all at once. For Tsurugi that was his atonement. ¡°Kazato can¡¯t stop by himself anymore.¡± (Tsurugi) Sewage dripped from an old pipe extending out from a private house. ¡°If he¡¯s been afraid of death and been living in fear this whole time, I want to end it.¡± (Tsurugi) ¡°Is that okay?¡± (Aika) ¡°It is not. That¡¯s why¡­¡± (Tsurugi) ¡°¡­¡­¡± (Aika) ¡°That¡¯s why only at that time, I¡¯ll be fine even if I were to become evil.¡± (Tsurugi) CH 138 [Desperate] I told Yoiyami-san to keep Ohashi alive only. I don¡¯t know how long this situation will last. It hurts that we have one more person to take care of, but Ohashi will be looked after by Roll who is of the same gender and more sensible than Sen. Now then, due to the breakdown of the negotiation with Tsurugi, we have to find a foothold for a new advance. Such is the situation, but I¡¯m planning to make contact with Tsurugi again. This time, I¡¯m going to move secretly behind Yoiyami-san¡¯s back. The reason being that when the negotiation with Tsurugi is concluded, I want to us to match our story to deceive Yoiyami-san first. If I¡¯m asked why I move in secret, I would say that I feel guilty for ruining the operation because of my personal feelings. If that¡¯s the case, he shouldn¡¯t be suspicious. Since I memorized Tsurugi¡¯s phone number, I can contact him relatively safely by using a public telephone in the city. First, I would like to try contacting him alone, but we are currently forbidden to go out of this apartment of Yoiyami-san for no purpose. It was a rule established by Roll while I was unconscious. I can¡¯t break this rule which even that Utsusemi-san is obeying. A little disturbance in our teamwork at this time will lead to our annihilation. It means even Utsusemi-san understands that too. Still, there are some ways to go out. To be confined indoor the whole is not good for mental health either, so the task of going to shopping is assigned in rotation. If I go shopping, I will naturally be able to go out by myself, so I immediately pick it as it is the easiest way to go out. ¡°Can I go shopping today?¡± I say, stopping Roll at the front door trying to leave the apartment during the busiest hours of supermarket in the evening. Shopping is a covert mission for us who are wanted. ¡°You can go if you want to, Shion,¡± Roll willingly agrees, but I feel a sense of discomfort in her wording. ¡°Then, please take care.¡± (Roll) ¡°¡­Got it.¡± (Shion) After handing me a memo and a wallet, Roll stares into my eyes for a while, then return into the room. Then she lays down on the sofa and pulls out the bookmark of the book she begins to read. I follow her actions with my eyes. As I thought, her fierceness of the past is diminishing every day. Frail gaze. Tone that sounds spiritless. Unpretentious choice of words. A cat that has lost her dignity. The softening of Roll is happening at an accelerated rate. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong¡­?¡± Noticing my gaze, she closes her book, looking a little embarrassed. ¡°Ah¡ª, umm¡­¡± (Shion) Combined with the change in her hairstyle, she looks like a different person. Armor that is Anonymous. And her yearning toward Shido-san must have made up Roll¡¯s character. It is excessive, yet too quick. People change that is. It is something that I really don¡¯t want to see. In that case, she won¡¯t be able to live in the future. If that happens, I won¡¯t have no choice other than to cast her away. I¡¯m sure I wouldn¡¯t hesitate at that time. When I look down at the memo, my field of vision is a little blurred. Even so, I manage to read it; in addition to the ingredients, I find hand cream, shampoo, cosmetics, and other unessential items. As if to gloss over it, I ask, ¡°Are these for Ohashi?¡± (Shion) ¡°Un. Hitomi didn¡¯t say she want them, but she might be inconvenienced not having them, I think. If it¡¯s not good¡­¡± (Roll) Ohashi is given some extent of freedom by Roll. That said, her room is next to Utsusemi-san¡¯s, and she is monitored by two Sound Control, so she is not completely private. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll buy them.¡± (Shion) Ohashi is an important tool for negotiation with Tsurugi. She probably won¡¯t be stuck-up by her value of being hostage at this late hour. If so, it¡¯s fine to buy what she needs, huh. We have no financial worries thanks to Yoiyami-san. With that in mind, I put the memo in my pocket. ¡°I can do anything if it¡¯s for Shion.¡± (Roll) After wearing a jacket and putting on shoes, I hear such words from behind. My fingertip stops while touching the doorknob. Utsusemi-san said Roll had become completely dependent on me. Though she said she can do anything, Roll must be wanting something from me. I¡¯m fine with Roll who don¡¯t want anything from me. I turn the doorknob and leave the room to escape. ¡°¡­I, will protect Shion, no matter what.¡± (Roll) However, even after leaving the room, the Roll¡¯s voice reaches me. ¡°So-¡± (Roll) There I shut out Roll¡¯s voice. I close my ears for no reason. Following that, I even turn off my ability, and this time I try to hit the railing of the stairs¡­ and then stop. Perhaps I myself have been cornered, my emotions keep being shaken. That¡¯s absurd. Calm down, me. Have a peace of mind. ¡°Seems like you have it rough,¡± It¡¯s Sen, smoking at the landing of the stairs. ¡°Sen, huh¡­ So you smoke.¡± (Shion) ¡°I had quit, but I can¡¯t help but smoke with this much free time.¡± (Sen) ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m saying you can¡¯t though.¡± (Shion) ¡°You¡¯re making an overtly displeased expression, y¡¯know.¡± (Sen) The reason I have a displeased expression is because I see a figure I don¡¯t want to see. The smell of cigarettes doesn¡¯t bother me. I go down the stairs avoiding Sen leaning against the railing. ¡°Shopping?¡± (Sen) ¡°Ahh.¡± (Shion) ¡°Then, I¡¯m coming with.¡± (Sen) ¡°Don¡¯t. You stand out too much,¡± I spit out and hasten my step. But Sen grab my sleeve to stop me. ¡°Hey, Shion. I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a long time, but you really don¡¯t pay me any respect as someone older than you.¡± (Sen) ¡°That¡¯s natural, right? You tried to kill me once. I don¡¯t have to pay respect to someone like that.¡± (Shion) ¡°W-well, how about we sweep that matter under the rug? We both lost a lot of precious people anyway. We¡¯re on the same side now, right?¡± (Sen) ¡°That¡¯s exactly why you¡¯re here now, right?¡± (Shion) ¡°Un¡­ that¡¯s true¡­¡± (Sen) I shake off Sen¡¯s hand casually and leave the apartment. The supermarket is about a 15-minute walk from here. I wish I could find a pay phone on the way. Tsurugi might not necessarily answer the phone in one call. I can¡¯t be late to return, so I have to do it as smoothly as possible. ¡°Why are you following me, Sen?¡± I look back and ask. Sen is following from behind with a minimal disguise. I can see her bright red hair hidden from under the black wig. ¡°Ain¡¯t it fine? Look, I¡¯m also disguised.¡± (Sen) ¡°There¡¯s no way it¡¯s fine. What are you thinking? If you get found and reported, you won¡¯t be able to live here anymore. Or rather, remember the rule.¡± (Shion) Because our connection with Yoiyami-san was exposed, Boss should have realized that we were on New Road. As long as there is Yoiyami-san, he won¡¯t touch us for a while, but I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be left alone if they received a report from a citizen. ¡°Even with the rule, if I say that Shion is okay with it, Roll will definitely forgive me.¡± (Sen) ¡°Still, you can¡¯t.¡± (Shion) ¡°I want to go out sometimes too, y¡¯know! I¡¯m the only one always stuck in that gloomy apartment, y¡¯know! For the last two weeks! She won¡¯t let me go shopping, saying I¡¯m standing out! Why is Utsusemi is allowed while I¡¯m not!¡± (Sen) It can¡¯t be helped. Utsusemi-san is crazy, but his head is good. He acts crazy in calculated manner. However, Sen¡¯s head is not good in the literal meaning that she is stupid. She acts without thinking about the consequences. Not letting her go out is the correct choice. ¡°I beg you! I¡¯ll let you do anything you want with me!¡± (Sen) Is this person a dog who extremely wants her owner to walk her¡­? However, it would be troublesome if she were to scream here as is. What to do. ¡­¡­Negotiation with Tsurugi can¡¯t be hidden from Yoiyami-san forever. This voluntary act will inevitably be exposed once negotiation with Tsurugi is complete. However, only the fact that we match our story absolutely must not be made public. I can come up with any number of excuses for anything other than that. Utsusemi-san has been obedient so far, but I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s thinking. That person ¨C who doesn¡¯t consider the possibility of himself dying at all ¨C must be up to something. And Roll is unstable in various ways. In the current situation, it may better to win over the easy-to-handle Sen. This person has a shield, that is her immortal ability, so I can make use of her as I like. Besides, Sen has become familiar with the current members, for better or for worse. It was just the course of events for her, but we all have gone through some points between life and death together, so she might have started to feel something like a sense of companionship. ¡­¡­No, I must not think like that, she probably still views us as the foes of Nursery Rhymes. However, that¡¯s not a problem. In any case, there¡¯s no merit in betraying us, and we have the last resort (Distortion Sound) to suppress her immortality. It might be possible to scare her by giving her a glimpse of death that is Distortion Sound. The timing is just right. ¡°Okay.¡± (Shion) After I nodded, Sen hug herself in surprise after being solidified for a moment. ¡°Eh, Shion¡­ you want to do it with me¡­?¡± (Sen) ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± (Shion) ¡°No, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m against it¡­ rather, I welcome it because I¡¯ve been accumulating a lot recently, however¡­ err, when I think what will happen when Roll finds out¡­¡± (Sen) ¡°I said that¡¯s not it.¡± (Shion) ¡°T-then what do you want me to do¡­.?¡± (Sen) ¡°Give me a little help. Go shopping in my place. In the meantime, I¡¯m going to do something else.¡± (Shion) ¡°Something else?¡± (Sen) ¡°For now, I¡¯ll walk you to the supermarket,¡± While urging her to walk, I continue talking, ¡°¡­Don¡¯t tell Utsusemi-san. Or rather, don¡¯t tell anyone.¡± (Shion) ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡± Sen nod timidly while walking. Should I remind her once again? ¡°I¡¯m saying this because Sen is tight-lipped.¡± (Shion) Currently, I am trying to hide our conversation from the surroundings with my ability, but if it¡¯s Utsusemi-san who also has Sound Control, he should notice that the sound is silenced. It¡¯s fine for the independent action itself gets found out. However, since that person knows Observer¡¯s circumstances to some extent, he might hit on the lie that I uttered to Yoiyami-san after considering the reason why I want to contact Tsurugi alone first. Utsusemi-san is sharp after all. Even if he catches on to the lie, I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t tell it to Yoiyami-san. But I don¡¯t want to let that person to have a card that can be used against me. I have to be careful. There is no disadvantage in forbidding Sen speak. ¡°I-I know. Just say it.¡± (Sen) ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll try to negotiate with Tsurugi again.¡± (Shion) Sen, who is nervously waiting for what kind of dangerous thing I¡¯m going to tell her, put a question mark on her head as if it is a let-down. ¡°¡­¡­Is that, something you have to keep secret?¡± (Sen) ¡°The operation failed because of my selfishness, so it¡¯s natural for me to clean up the mess by myself, right?¡± (Shion) ¡°¡­Hee¡ª. You unexpectedly have a strong sense of responsibility, Shion. In that case, shouldn¡¯t you move after consulting with everyone without hiding it?¡± (Sen) She thinks straight despite being an idiot. I fail to fool her, huh¡­? ¡°¡­There are various circumstances. Anyway, don¡¯t tell it to anyone.¡± (Shion) Yoiyami-san wants to know about the Observer. If he knows I want to make contact with Tsurugi and co, he¡¯ll definitely come with me. I have to take the initiative no matter what. ¡°That is of course. Now that I went out, I¡¯ll keep my promise. Ha~~~h, this feeling of liberation! Back in the apartment, Yoiyami¡¯s gloomy aura permeates the whole place, it felt so stifling, right? Moreover, it feels like we¡¯re being monitored constantly.¡± (Sen) Actually, due to Yoiyami-san¡¯s ability and Sound Control, it¡¯s like that place is filled with surveillance cameras all over. It can¡¯t be helped that she feels restless. Especially for someone of the strengthening system like her who is sensitive to such things. ¡°Rather than talking about that, help me look for a pay phone, Sen.¡± (Shion) ¡°Ehh~. But you know~, that apartment is really crampy, don¡¯t you think? It¡¯s plain and depressing, and there¡¯s no one to talk to either. Moreover, there¡¯s neither TV nor AC in my room.¡± (Sen) Hastening and lowering her pace, Sen enjoys the walk just like a dog. Dissatisfaction with our current life comes from Sen¡¯s chattiness. When the members are gathering, Sen¡¯s expressing power drops to the bottom and basically no one treats her seriously. ¡°If you want someone to talk to, there¡¯s Roll, no?¡± (Shion) Utsusemi-san and Yoiyami-san are not a good choice to pick if you¡¯re looking for someone to talk to. That leaves Roll by process of elimination. I too don¡¯t really want to be Sen¡¯s talking partner. ¡°Recently, Roll is a bit, you knowww¡­¡± (Sen) Recently ¨C meaning even this person noticed Roll¡¯s changes, huh; putting that aside, I empathized with those words. ¡°You noticed¡­?¡± (Shion) ¡°Well, anyone will notice when she changed that much, right? Speaking of Roll, did something happen earlier?¡± (Sen) Immediately after I got out of the room, I remembered that I showed Sen a shameful appearance. ¡°¡­¡­I just can¡¯t stand her getting weaker.¡± (Shion) There might be a desire to complain about Roll inside me. I regret it after speaking out. I¡¯ve said something unnecessary. Moreover, to such a person. However, Sen¡¯s reply is unexpected, ¡°Eh, are you seriously saying that?¡± (Sen) ¡°¡­¡­?¡± I get a strange feeling that we are not on the same page. ¡°Roll isn¡¯t getting weaker. Despite her looks, she hasn¡¯t gotten weak¡­ heck, if I was Roll, I would¡¯ve already been heartbroken¡­¡± (Sen) ¡°What do you mean?¡± (Shion) ¡°That¡¯s a sign of determination and attachment. I wasn¡¯t scared of the previous Roll at all, but the current Roll is really scary.¡± (Sen) ¡°I completely don¡¯t get what you¡¯re saying. How does she change specifically?¡± (Shion) ¡°Specifically, you say, I don¡¯t know how to put it¡­¡± (Sen) ¡°What the hell is that. Your senses really can¡¯t be counted on, even though you¡¯re immortal.¡± (Shion) ¡°If I must say, maybe it feels like I absolutely don¡¯t want to turn her into an enemy.¡± (Sen) Why am I having this kind of talk with Sen? I became curious about something like that at this late hour. Nevertheless, my understanding of Roll is falling deeper. ¡°Ah¡ª, maybe our definition of ¡®weak¡¯ is different. In the first place, Roll I see is different from Roll that Shion sees.¡± ¡°¡­Perhaps. Anyway, I can¡¯t seem to accept the current Roll under any circumstances.¡± (Sen) An armor is essential for Roll. She needs a mask. Those were what made her looked solitary and brilliant. I feel Sen looking at me with pity for a moment. ¡°I think Roll just decided to show you her weak self, however.¡± (Sen) I don¡¯t want to see that. Those words that I didn¡¯t say out loud were too childish, they were just a denial. ¡°Wait a sec, holy sh-. I enjoy talking with Shion¡­¡± (Sen) ¡°What¡¯s with you all of a sudden?¡± (Shion) ¡°After all, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve had such a proper talking partner, y¡¯know~.¡± (Sen) I thought she was just a rotten idiot who has an ability, but it seems that she also has an emotionally delicate side. Sen¡¯s feeling was unreliable, yet I don¡¯t think it was off the mark. ¡°Ah, a pay phone.¡± (Shion) I suddenly find it at the time when Sen couldn¡¯t say anything. A subtle air flows between me and Sen. ¡°Well then, I¡¯m going, so I¡¯ll leave the shopping to you. Oh right, here.¡± (Shion) ¡°Eh¡ª¡± (Sen) After taking out coins needed for the pay phone from the wallet, I hand her the wallet along with the memo. Sen spiritlessly receives and puts them in her pocket. ¡°The supermarket is just up ahead.¡± (Shion) ¡°Ou.¡± (Sen) ¡°You are really going to be okay alone, right?¡± (Shion) ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of me! It¡¯s just shopping!¡± (Sen) ¡°Don¡¯t buy anything unnecessary.¡± (Shion) Having said that, I go to the pay phone. CH 139 [Dying Conscience] After seeing off Sen, I stand in front of the payphone. From now on, I will make a phone call to Tsurugi. And try to negotiate again to see if we can form a cooperative relationship. At least on the surface, I would like to try to talk with a policy that matches Tsurugi¡¯s means. He rejected the previous proposal due to an extremely reasonable reason, that is he couldn¡¯t agree with our outlaw-ish means. Of course, there may be other reasons, but at least we won¡¯t come to terms unless our side make concessions. In that case, our movement will be restricted, especially me and Utsusemi-san, but if doing so would give me a serious wound, at worst, I would just sever my relationship with Tsurugi. It is only because of Yoiyami-san¡¯s humor that I go out of my way trying to form a cooperative relationship with Tsurugi. Even though it was because of personal feelings, Yoiyami-san directly nominated Tsurugi, so I think it is essential to form a cooperation with him as soon as possible. Right, that¡¯s why the relationship with Tsurugi is only something temporary. I can come up with any number of ways to get rid of Tsurugi later. Just that, I have to show my loyalty to Yoiyami-san. In order for us to survive, the backing of Yoiyami-san is indispensable. I must not misunderstand the current situation. This is a fact that can¡¯t be overturned no matter how we struggle. We would have been dead by this time without Yoiyami-san. It will continue to be so. Everything will end if he abandons us. Therefore, while respecting his ideas as much as possible, I will also consider my self-protection. The Observer¡¯s case is a difficult problem. She is the very reason why Yoiyami-san fights. I lied that she was alive, but she was actually dead. However, even if I lied, if I didn¡¯t stop him at that time, I¡¯m sure we would¡¯ve lost him. Is there a way to appease Yoiyami-san without lying to him? Anyways, the horrible treatment Observer received should have been enough reason for Yoiyami-san to fight, but I just had to go out of my way to fan him. At least there must have been a better lie. I¡¯m assuming that I could hide the matter of Observer well even in the future by matching my story with Tsurugi. However, when Yoiyami-san, who is hoping that she is alive, finally confront Boss and learn the truth¡ª ¡­¡­No, I don¡¯t want to think about that time. Closing my eyes and breathing out, I finally pick up the payphone handset. I insert coins into the coin slot and press Tsurugi¡¯s phone numbers ¨C that I ¨C memorized one by one while being cautious of the sounds around me. After the electronic sound *pipopa* ¨C that I used to like ¨C echoed in order from the handset, it eventually change to a call *Turulu*. And after a few rings, without losing my patience, the phone is connected. [Hello.] A female voice comes from the handset. It¡¯s Yumesaki Aika. I have no use for this person currently. ¡°Please give the phone to Tsurugi.¡± (Shion) [Shion-san is it? I will give it to him now,] She said mechanically, without a pause. I can hear air noise from the other side of the handset. While listening to the exchange of Tsurugi and Yumesaki Aika and the noise of the car, I look over the street corner where the setting sun is setting. I can see the streetlight is already lit up on the street in the distance. [Kazato?] Then Tsurugi¡¯s voice reaches my ears. ¡°Ahh.¡± (Shion) [I know what your business is generally.] (Tsurugi) Meaning this guy predicted the possibility that I would want to talk again, huh. Meanwhile, I had been trying to calm down and braved myself to come here for the flicker of hope for negotiation. Was the reason he refused the first invitation to lower our conditions? Or did he have a second thought? Well, it doesn¡¯t matter which one. ¡°That¡¯s good, the talk will be quick then.¡± (Shion) From the noise of the call, he¡¯s outdoor now, huh. For him to be outside with Yumesaki Aika on purpose means that Tsurugi has no one like Yoiyami-san to ¡®depend on¡¯. No, in the case of this guy, it is highly likely that he doesn¡¯t dare to rely on someone because he doesn¡¯t want to bother them. However, that¡¯s not the case with us who are in the same situation as himself. [How about Hitomi?] (Tsurugi) I feel like clicking my tongue. Shameless. Since he has predicted it, he should know that I wouldn¡¯t kill Ohashi. If he sizes me up that far, it makes me feel like holding my ground, but¡­ if I become too emotional, it would be a repeat of the case at Negwave. ¡°You should know that she¡¯s safe, right?¡± (Shion) [I see¡­ yeah, I¡¯m glad. Since at that time Kazato sounded like you were really going to kill her. I was really worried you know.] (Tsurugi) ¡°¡­¡­¡± The flippant and affable voice, that sounded just like that of Tsurugi¡¯s of the past, cross through the handset and jolt my eardrum. This time I couldn¡¯t make a voice. It¡¯s because I can¡¯t read his true intention. I don¡¯t feel hatred from Tsurugi¡¯s voice, after all. However, I feel a gap from that tone with the somewhat formal tone he had during our last conversation that sounds as though he was probing me. From that difference, I get the feeling that I might go mad if I talk to him for a long time. Even though I just talked to him for a little while. [About the invitation, I¡¯ll join you for the time being.] (Tsurugi) ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean¡­ you accept the invitation without any condition, right?¡± (Shion) [Of course. It¡¯s kind of hard to talk about the points that we can¡¯t concede to each other over the phone, so let¡¯s talk directly. Let me decide after that whether or not I will cooperate.] (Tsurugi) ¡°¡­Ah, got it,¡± Wanting to end the call as soon as possible, I unintentionally give a crisp reply. Tsurugi¡¯s words sounded like an eerie sound in the inside of my eardrum, and only after a few seconds passed that I grasped the meaning of his words. I can hear a beeping sound *beeeep* from the payphone nearing the end of the call. I add a coin to the slot and swallow my saliva, braving myself, ¡°No, wait. Before that, I want to talk with just the two of us once.¡± (Shion) [¡­¡­I don¡¯t mind. Can I bring Aika with me?] (Tsurugi) Tsurugi¡¯s tone changes. Cause I want Yumesaki Aika to listen to me too, I affirm, ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Where are you now?¡± (Shion) [Ahh, don¡¯t worry about that. Aika has grasped your position, we¡¯ll be there somehow.] (Tsurugi) ¡°¡­Then about what time will you arrive?¡± (Shion) [Perhaps three days at the latest, I think. Please contact me again around that time.] (Tsurugi) ¡°No, I¡¯m not in a situation where I can contact you that many times, so I¡¯ll head to you when you are close.¡± (Shion) [Can you do something like that?] (Tsurugi) ¡°Well, yeah.¡± (Shion) I can pick up sound from the whole area, Tsurugi is at the place where I can¡¯t pick up sound. If he received that interference, he should be able to notice me as well. Tsurugi who is moving in pair with Yumesaki Aika must have pass through waves of detection. So, he probably wouldn¡¯t turn off his ability when he enters a new city. ¡°But just in case, how about we decide the place to meet?¡± (Shion) [Is it okay to talk about that over the phone?] (Tsurugi) ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± (Shion) Boss probably have marked Tsurugi¡¯s phone, but he shouldn¡¯t have tap it. If we talk about needless things, he would have to get rid of more people after all. In the case of Negwave, before Tsurugi and I made contact, the existence of Yoiyami-san had not been revealed, so he moved the Self-Defense Forces. Boss has a new position. Even if he eavesdrops on this conversation privately, if he wants to crush someone, he would crush Tsurugi, who is moving independently, before he join up with us. He is the Boss who lynched Midou Ryuusui with all the executives. Even against Yoiyami-san, he will never challenge him with a half-baked force. Boss currently doesn¡¯t have the power to move many generals yet. Well, there is a merit to me no matter how it turns out. If Tsurugi and Yumesaki Aika die, my anxiety will clear up, and if the matter with Tsurugi and co goes well, in addition to increasing our strength, I will be able to gain Yoiyami-san¡¯s trust. What I hate is, [If you have a place in mind, let¡¯s go with that.] (Tsurugi) The attitude of this guy. It¡¯s good that he predicted my thoughts, but I didn¡¯t expect this immediate response. Without thinking about anything, they leave their safety to me. Even if he has an absolutely inviolable insurance, that is ¡®Master Cancel¡¯, that leisure is sickening. ¡°¡­Then, I¡¯ll tell you the meeting place, so take a note.¡± (Shion) [Aika is listening, so feel free to say it anytime.] (Tsurugi) ¡°There is a downtown area along Road 5, which extends to the northeastern slums of the city. On the second floor of a building called New Avenue there, there is an internet caf¨¦, so if we can¡¯t join up, let¡¯s meet there.¡± (Shion) At that time, whether or not I could get out of the apartment¡­ but well, at that time, I better tell the truth to Yoiyami-san to some extent. If I said I have something I want to talk about with Tsurugi, he should think I want to talk about our private matters, not about Observer. [You sure are careful. I got it.] (Tsurugi) ¡°Not really.¡± (Shion) [Okay.] (Tsurugi) *Piii* The sound of the call about to end comes from the payphone again. ¡°Later,¡± Saying that, I put the handset back in its original position. ¡°Haah¡­¡± That was tiring. The tongue-clicking that had been holding back during the call becomes a sigh and flows out of my body. I wonder if Sen is able to manage the money properly. I clear up my next anxiety and proceed to the supermarket. CH 140 ¡°I¡¯m relieved. It seems that you can run an errand properly.¡± (Shion) Having found Sen in a rough disguise just wearing a wig over her red hair in the liquor corner of the supermarket, I call out from behind her. The shopping basket has been filled with quite a lot of foodstuffs requested by Roll, but it has been stuck in the liquor corner. ¡°Wha? Even I can do shopping at least.¡± (Sen) She¡¯s extremely smug, but my conversation with Tsurugi only took a few minutes. In other words, it¡¯s more correct to say that Sen didn¡¯t have time to commit any trouble, as the time we parted wasn¡¯t that long. Besides, I had been listening to the sound of Sen¡¯s activity while talking to Tsurugi, so if something seemed to go wrong, I intended to immediately stop and tell her to return. Despite that I was still worried; even I myself am surprised that my evaluation of Sen was that low. ¡°It seems you¡¯re trying to buy something unnecessary though.¡± (Shion) I look at the shelves where various liquors are lined up. Sen hurriedly takes out the memo with the list of things to buy and resume her steps. ¡°¡­¡­No, I was just passing by¡­¡­ T-that¡¯s right, rather than that, have you done with your business?¡± (Sen) ¡°Ahh.¡± (Shion) The negotiation with Tsurugi went smoothly and well. It¡¯s because Tsurugi had predicted my actions to some extent, but that¡¯s fine. When I get back, I¡¯ll tell Yoiyami-san that I¡¯m going to meet Tsurugi and apologize for acting at my own discretion. Then, I¡¯ll tell him that there¡¯s something I need to discuss with Tsurugi alone. ¡°By the way, the shampoo on the list, is it for that girl called Ohashi?¡± (Sen) ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± (Shion) ¡°Haah? There¡¯s no need to treat that girl well, right?¡± (Sen) ¡°I don¡¯t know, it was Roll¡¯s decision.¡± (Shion) Since Ohashi has been entrusted to Roll, I don¡¯t really care. Just that, because she can be used for the negotiation with Tsurugi, it would not be good to treat her too harshly. ¡°She sold out the ability of her friend. She¡¯s the worst.¡± (Sen) ¡°You haven¡¯t put that to rest? That wasn¡¯t a situation where she could remain silent, and in fact, it¡¯s an ability that you can¡¯t do anything against even if you¡¯ve heard of it.¡± (Shion) ¡°But, y¡¯see¡­¡­¡± (Sen) ¡°Give it a rest and quickly finish the shopping. I don¡¯t want to stay outside the apartment for too long.¡± (Shion) ¡°Eh~. I don¡¯t wanna go back~.¡± (Sen) ¡°Then leave.¡± (Shion) ¡°Hey~, Shionnn~.¡± (Sen) I take the shopping basket from the whining Sen and quickly bought all the foodstuffs on the list, then I hasten my steps. ¡°Next is daily necessities, huh.¡± (Shion) After getting the foodstuffs and going through the register, all that remains is the daily necessities and clothing needed for Ohashi. The daily necessities corner is on the second floor, so we head there by escalator. ¡°I will choose underwear and the likes,¡± Sen says with a sneaky smile when we get to the second floor. In addition to daily necessities, there were also change underwear on the list; it certainly seems better to leave it to Sen. ¡°Then I leave it to you. But if you mess around too much, you¡¯ll be scolded by Roll, you hear?¡± (Shion) Sen must be planning to choose something weird. So I warned her. ¡°Yeaaah¡­¡± (Sen) Hearing Sen¡¯s sloppy reply, I then go on my own way to look for the sundries. While watching Sen from a distance, I get toothbrush, shampoo, and hand cream, the items on the list in order. There should be some things that Roll wants to use too. There are few such daily necessities in Yoiyami-san¡¯s apartment. Because to him, that place is only for sleeping. Thinking about it, Yoiyami-san¡¯s life before meeting us is ideal for me. Because of his strength, he was left alone and spent his days freely without being targeted by anyone. We cling to Yoiyami-san who have been living alone to get by. When I try thinking about it from his perspective, I feel like suffocating. At that time, there is a man coming next to me and reaching for a moisturizing oil. I casually glance at the man¡¯s face and just like that, my thought stops. ¡°This is essential for battles in the sky, you know. Otherwise, your skin will become rough¡­¡± I deploy Distortion Sound without hesitation as I take a few steps away from the man who appears in plain clothes. At the same time, I send sounds to Sen and others. ¡°Sen! Come here!¡± (Shion) ¡°Hou, so this is the rumored¡­ It¡¯s a wonderful power. You can kill me anytime with this.¡± ¡°Ichinose, Soraha¡­¡± (Shion) Why is a general of the Self-Defense Forces in such a place? Ichinose have a look of leisure while holding the moisturizing oil in his hand, even though his ability is sealed. ¡°What happened, Shion!? Geh!¡± (Sen) Sen who rushes this way throw away the clothes in her arms and enter battle stance. Of course, I muffle Sen¡¯s stupidly loud voice, so we haven¡¯t become the center of attention yet. Surrounded by me and Sen, General Ichinose immediately returns the moisturizing oil to the shelf, turns his body toward Sen, and begins picking up the clothes she had thrown away. Full of openings. As Ichinose said, suppose I fire a Sound-Shot at this distance, though Sen will be caught up in it, he will surely be killed. The reason I don¡¯t do that is, in addition to the fact I¡¯m holding the absolute advantage now, because this man¡¯s action is too mysterious. Why did he appear before me? There is no way it¡¯s a coincidence. He is too calm after all; he appears at a completely unexpected time, and he deliberately giving me an advantage. Even when I try to scan the surroundings, it doesn¡¯t seem that there are troops waiting in the surroundings. ¡°It looks like you¡¯re living an inconvenient life, isn¡¯t it? This is our second time meeting, I think. Former member of Anonymous, Shion.¡± (Ichinose) Apparently, he remembers the matter at Slaceid. At that time, I was on Renga¡¯s back and didn¡¯t face him directly. ¡°What do you want?¡± (Shion) The fact that we, the remnants of Anonymous, have been sheltered by Yoiyami-san was known to Boss because of the matter the other day. It¡¯s no surprise that Ichinose found us, as our hiding place should be the same as his. However, this attitude¡­ The general of the Self-Defense Forces should have no business with the remnants of Anonymous¡¯s, that is us, other than to annihilate. If Boss¡¯ side has moved, then I have made miscalculations. A power-level ¡®individual¡¯ named Yoiyami-san. Boss should take some time to make preparation to corner us at New Road, which is far from Saint Celia, so we have some time to change our hideout. I also include the time to negotiate with Tsurugi in my calculation. ¡°You must have some doubts. However, today I¡¯m off-duty and I¡¯m doing this on my whim. There is something I want to ask. Which is why I wish you can forget us being enemies for now,¡± Ichinose says while holding the clothes he has picked up. I can¡¯t feel fighting intent from the gaze behind his glasses. His words just now¡­ how should I take it? At least it¡¯s not good to kill him here. That will surely cause a ruckus. If, as Ichinose said, he is acting on whim, then might be not Boss¡¯ ploy. However, for Ichinose Soraha¡­¡­ the man called the successor of Midou Ryuusui suddenly to behave modestly to a villain. ¡°Shion! That¡¯s definitely a lie!¡± Sen is glaring at Ichinose with a beast-like look. That¡¯s right. I should be vigilant. Of course, I don¡¯t lower my guard, to begin with. That said, even if we were to continue talking here, it will only attract attention. ¡°Since I¡¯m leaving my life in your hand like this, I think it¡¯s okay for you to trust me a little, however.¡± (Ichinose) Leaving your life in my hand, huh. Considering that, it is strange there is no disturbance in his heartbeat. ¡°To not be wary at your leisure is strange, no?¡± (Shion) ¡°Ahh. That is, well¡­ because of guts, I wonder?¡± (Ichinose) Seriously, what is he thinking about? ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go out and talk as we walk. You¡¯re suspicious. Sen, pay this.¡± (Shion) ¡°Ehh¡­? No, but, are you going to be okay? Shion.¡± (Sen) ¡°Ahh.¡± (Shion) His ability is sealed by Distortion Sound, and I don¡¯t let up on picking up sounds. I¡¯ll keep an appropriate distance from Ichinose, so I can respond immediately if he shows any suspicious movements. Ichinose, whose ability is sealed, cannot attack at a speed that surpass Sound-Shot. I kick the shopping basket on the floor and slide it to Ichinose¡¯s feet. Ichinose pack the clothes he has in it, along with the moisturizing oil taken from the shelf. After that, he slides it further to Sen¡¯s feet. ¡°Oi, Shion, shouldn¡¯t you contact Yoiyami and the others¡­¡± (Sen) ¡°I have, since the beginning.¡± (Shion) At the same time as I sent a sound to Sen, I informed the encounter with General Ichinose to the members at the hideout. However, I told them not to rush. It is not good to make too much movement while Ichinose¡¯s intention cannot be read. I can handle Ichinose under Distortion Sound by myself. If this is a trap, I would rely on everyone. At this distance to the supermarket, Yoiyami-san can come in an instant with ¡®Blackout¡¯, so it¡¯s safe. Alright, there¡¯s no need to worry. ¡°This is too reckless even if I say so myself,¡± Ichinose holds both edges of his glasses with his glasses with his hand and laughs with a self-deprecation as Sen picks up the shopping basket and heads for the register. ¡°What on earth is your purpose?¡± I urge Ichinose to walk with my eyes, then I ask from behind. Thinking about it, no one is aware that a general is here. Tsurugi¡¯s father, Midou Ryuusui and his peers would immediately be crowded wherever they went, regardless when they are off-duty, but Ichinose could only be seen as an ordinary person when he isn¡¯t wearing military uniform. ¡°You may have thought about it. No matter how strong you are, you can¡¯t cope when death suddenly visit you. If a salaryman walking next to you suddenly attacks you with no hesitation for some reason, there is nothing you can do no matter how strong you are. Ahh, but there are exceptions, such as having immortal abilities,¡± Ichinose starts talking without answering my question. We take the escalator and head for the exit of the supermarket ¡°That said, it¡¯s unlikely that a salaryman walking next to you will suddenly attack you, and it¡¯s very stupid to always assume that. Well, in short, there¡¯s no way around it,¡± Ichinose says, ignoring me who doesn¡¯t even make a sound to agree. I don¡¯t think this one-sided conversation is meaningful. ¡°And yet, only when we lose our lives do such unreasonableness assail us, isn¡¯t it?¡± (Ichinose) After going out of the supermarket, I see Utsusemi-san, who have arrived at this point, on the roof of a house. I can see that he has a happy expression. Roll is waiting in the apartment, keeping watch on Ohashi, and Yoiyami-san leaves the decision-making to me, and it seems that he¡¯s not going to move. As we walk toward the apartment from here, I probe for Ichinose¡¯s intention. ¡°Therefore, you can¡¯t let go of your caution. And, in that case, you end up thinking about living. There is no time to relax if you are wary of invisible enemies at all time, whether you sleep or wake up, eat, excrete, or at any time. Whether or not that can be said to be living as a human being¡ª¡± (Ichinose ¡°Enough with the pretentious speech. Speak your purpose,¡± Feeling irritated at his serious of words that sounds to be filled with insinuation, I erase Ichinose¡¯s voice and say so. Boss seems to profile my humanity well. Ichinose, whose voice is erased, looks back at me with an interested look. Several dozens of meters away from the supermarket, we approach a less popular street. ¡°My purpose, is it. If I were to do all this, it seems I would die prematurely too,¡± Perhaps he finally feels like having a proper conversation, smile disappears from Ichinose¡¯s face. That alone changes his air. It makes me nervous despite I have an overwhelming advantage. ¡°I came to solve my doubt,¡± (Ichinose) ¡°Doubt, you say?¡± (Shion) ¡°In regard to General Sakai. Something is wrong with him.¡± (Ichinose) About General Sakai, about Boss. Don¡¯t tell me, this person realizes it¡­? ¡°Can you tell me what happened on the day Anonymous was destroyed?¡± (Ichinose) CH 141 [Return of Death] Former leader of Anonymous, Hyde. Boss is currently on the front stage by robbing Lieutenant General Sakai¡¯s life itself and killing himself. Even Yoiyami-san does not know the full picture of Boss¡¯s ability, but it is certain that he has the power to change an occurrence by robbing time. Now that he becomes an enemy, we¡¯re up against that mysterious and ridiculous ability of his¡­ And according to Yoiyami-san, Boss¡¯ ability has been strengthened thanks to Yumesaki Aika¡¯s power. The alterations made by Boss who took the entire time of each person and every person and made them his are immeasurable. The man before me has doubt about that. ¡°General Sakai¡­ Lieutenant General Sakai at that time, didn¡¯t have the power to destroy Anonymous. No. That day, the force enough to destroy the organization was certainly participating in the operation. However, what about Shido? Tameiki? Byakurei? Kemuri? Although they had caused countless unfortunate events, it is hard to imagine that they fell into a state of annihilation without being able to escape.¡± (Ichinose) ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± (Shion) There is a blind spot. Now that Boss has sneaked into the center of the Self-Defense Forces, the best solution is to let the Self-Defense Forces repair itself. ¡°There are also other suspicious points. Why were all the executives in complete line-up as though they were waiting for the day of the attack? From before that, why were the forces from the branches were gathered at Derrida as though to round them up in one place? This is as though¡­ the destruction of the organization itself was a scenario. It is strange that no one has any doubts about this. In the first place, Lieutenant General Sakai was supposed to be well-known as an incompetent, but the reaction of the society was as thought that was not the case.¡± (Ichinose) ¡°Shion! Are you okay!?¡± (Sen) When Ichinose pause his story, Sen, who is carrying shopping bags in both hands, rushes this way. Taking a glance at the roof, Utsusemi-san is coming down with a disappointed expression. It is certainly not a good development for Utsusemi-san. However, this will be a stepping stone to counterattack. Not that we¡¯re going as far as becoming allies, but if he has this doubt, Ichinose will surely be a piece that we can move. If there are enemies in the Self-Defense Forces, exterminating them would probably be a much higher priority than killing us, and we would be able to cooperate temporarily. I exhale a little. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s talk. In exchange, we¡¯ll have you answer what we want to know.¡± (Shion) ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t mind.¡± (Ichinose) ¡°Then I¡¯ll take you to our hideout.¡± (Shion) ¡°No, no, no, what are you saying, Shion!? This guy! Is a general, you know!? The top force of the Self-Defense Forces!!¡± Sen, who has not heard the story from the beginning, opposes. Sen had seen Ichinose¡¯ fighting power up close, particularly in the sky, so her reaction is natural. ¡°I know that. Don¡¯t yell.¡± (Shion) It is not that much trouble to lower the volume separately, but it is annoying. I briefly explain the situation to Sen and lead the way to the apartment. ¡ª¡ª¡ª After returning to the apartment with Ichinose, all the members including Ohashi gathered in Yoiyami-san¡¯s room. Ichinose glanced at Ohashi for a moment but didn¡¯t say anything. As for her, she hung her head as soon as she saw him. That is natural. Ohashi¡¯s current situation is of her own doing. It is the result of breaking order and following her desire. ¡°¡­¡­Shion, what happened, for you doing this?¡± (Yoiyami) This situation, that is me inviting a general of the Self-Defense Forces to our hideout, is too strange. Yoiyami-san¡¯s question is completely normal. Where should I explain from? It was truly unbelievable that Ichinose came into contact with us. However, before that, I went out without Yoiyami-san¡¯s permission and got in touch with Tsurugi. Should I tell him about that honestly and ask his permission to meet with Tsurugi afterward? I don¡¯t know what kind of action Ichinose would take after he learn of the circumstances. In that case, I shouldn¡¯t talk about my contact Tsurugi yet. I connect a sound channel with Yoiyami-san. At the same time, Ichinose opens his mouth, ¡°Pleased to meet you, former executive of Anonymous, Yoiyami¡ª¡ª. I was the one who got into contact with him first, you know. I wanted to know the truth.¡± Yoiyami-san glances at Ichinose, and Roll¡¯s eyes meet with mine. ¡®Truth¡¯, huh. It seems that Ichinose has made some guess. ¡°Given everyone¡¯s reaction, it seems that there was something behind the collapse of Anonymous, wasn¡¯t it?¡± (Ichinose) ¡°Before we get into that talk, there is something I want to ask about,¡± Yoiyami-san says, stopping Ichinose from continuing his words. His line of sight is naturally directed at me. ¡°It seems that you¡¯ve been doing something sneakily, however, what is your purpose?¡± (Yoiyami) As expected, Yoiyami-san knew what I was doing outside, huh. He must have been watching me using his ability. Even if he saw me calling Tsurugi, I didn¡¯t say anything suspicious, taking in consideration his lip-reading technique. There is no problem even if I speak honestly. ¡°I¡¯m going to meet Tsurugi,¡± I say on the sound channel connected to Yoiyami-san. ¡°¡­Why did you do so arbitrarily?¡± He asks in no time. I try to reply with the answer I have prepared after a while, ¡°¡­¡­The previous operation failed, wasn¡¯t it? Because of me. So¡­¡­¡± (Shion) ¡°Stop.¡± (Yoiyami) *Bang* In an instant my head is twisted to the limit of its range of motion and pressed against the wall of the room. With a delay, shock run through my whole body, and my wounds that haven¡¯t been completely healed at some parts are hurting severely. ¡°Gah¡­!¡± (Shion) ¡°Shion!¡± Roll rushes to me immediately, Utsusemi-san, who is coincidentally ahead the sight of my twisted head, whistles. When I somehow move my eyes down, a black ¡®haze¡¯ holding me from my chest to my neck. It is the power of ¡®Darkness Control¡¯. Then the one who used that ability slowly approaches me. ¡°Shion, it seems you¡¯re looking down on me, aren¡¯t you?¡± (Yoiyami) ¡°Please, Yoiyami-san. Stop it.¡± (Roll) ¡°You¡¯re in the way.¡± (Yoiyami) Roll cut in to stop him, but she is blown away by a ¡®haze¡¯. His cold gaze shoot through me. Ahh, I messed up, I guessed, and strength drains out of my body. ¡°You lied, no?¡± (Yoiyami) ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± (Shion) ¡°You must¡¯ve been thinking that I¡¯m a fool.¡± (Yoiyami) Yoiyami grabs my neck with his cold hands and pushes me further against the wall. I can barely make a voice, but I can¡¯t answer. As he said, I might¡¯ve been looking down on Yoiyami-san. In fact, I was trying to control him for my own convenience. He realized that. ¡°Please¡­¡­ release Shion.¡± (Roll) With Roll who was blown away by the haze come to hold Yoiyami-san back again, Yoiyami-san releases me. Then Roll support me who fall on the spot. ¡°Cough, cough¡­.¡± (Shion ¡°¡­Shion, are you okay?¡± (Roll) ¡°Shion. If you think we¡¯re just pieces, leave this place.¡± (Yoiyami) I can¡¯t say I didn¡¯t think as such. But honestly, there were times when I couldn¡¯t understand Yoiyami-san¡¯s way of thinking. What does he think of me, of us? I get that he doesn¡¯t shelter us just because of the course of events. Like Tameiki-san, Yoiyami-san must be concealing feelings that cannot be cooled down somewhere inside him even though he is cladded in a composed atmosphere. Yet, until now, Yoiyami-san has been passive except for the matter of Observer. That must be why I unconsciously thought I could control him. To protect myself. ¡°If you want to change my mind, first, tell me the truth.¡± (Yoiyami) Thus, if I bought his displeasure, of course I¡¯d like to change his mind. Tell him the truth. ¡°Without Yoiyami-san, we would be killed¡­¡± (Shion) ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Intermittently, I talk about the reason I lied and look up at Yoiyami-san. Roll¡¯s uneasy breathing echoes in my ears. Yoiyami-san is looking down at me with unknown emotions in eyes. ¡°Observer¡­ died. She suicided,¡± I say, averting my eyes. ¡°I see.¡± (Yoiyami) Yoiyami-san¡¯s reply is plain. I try looking at his expression timidly. As expected, I can¡¯t guess the inside of his heart from his eyes. There is no change in his heartbeat either. There¡¯s no way he doesn¡¯t feel anything. Even though she was dead to begin with, I gave him a futile hope. ¡°¡­¡­However, she said something like she transferred a part of her to Yumesaki Aika.¡± (Shion) It doesn¡¯t change the fact that she¡¯s dead, but I tell the truth as a mere consolation. At the same time, it was also my excuse, what I told him wasn¡¯t a complete lie. ¡°I got it,¡± After saying only that and taking a deep breath, Yoiyami-san looks at Ichinose. Without being enraged like that time, he seems to understand that going to defeat Boss alone wouldn¡¯t be possible. As long as he doesn¡¯t lose his reasoning, Yoiyami-san is going to protect us. In that case, revealing the fact this way might be for the best. I borrow Roll¡¯s shoulder and stand up. Utsusemi-san who has been listening to the talk that had been interfered with Sound Control from beginning to end is looking at me while grinning. ¡°Have you finished talking?¡± Ichinose said in response to the gaze from Yoiyami-san. Sen standing near to the entrance becomes stiff, easily readable form her face. Utsusemi-san put his hand on the sword on his waist with a vulgar smile on his face. ¡°We won¡¯t be able to talk with that much killing intent in the air, you know,¡± Yare yare ¨C Ichinose raises both of his hands. As expected, with the current members as the opponent, even a general of the Self-Defense Forces has zero chance of winning. On top of that, Ichinose has been under the effect of my Distortion Sound. ¡°By the way, is she a hostage to get in touch with Tsurugi-kun? I don¡¯t see any restraints on her though, are you just looking down on her, or¡­¡± (Ichinose) Ichinose turn his attention to Ohashi. ¡°General Ichinose¡­ I ¡­!¡± (Ohashi) ¡°Shut up you,¡± Interrupting Ohashi¡¯s words, I move forward. Obstructing Ohashi¡¯s words, I went forward. Before receiving the scolding from I was a little reluctant to take control of the situation, but I can¡¯t entrust the flow of the talk to Yoiyami-san, Utusemi-san, Sen, nor the current Roll. I would be troubled if the talk proceeds as Ichinose wants. ¡°Get to the main subject.¡± (Shion) ¡°Wait a bit, Shion, I have called a guest. He should be here soon,¡± Yoiyami-san says. ¡°A guest¡­?¡± Sen tilts her head. Is there a fool willing to get involved with us who the Self-Defense Forces trying to annihilate with all their might? ¨C I thought. After waiting for a while, I hear someone coming up the stairs of the apartment. The footsteps stop in front of the room; the doorknob is turned and the door is pushed open. ¡°Yo. Wait, oi, oi¡­¡­ I haven¡¯t heard of this, Yoiyami. Don¡¯t cha think this is a little too spicy for a new joke?¡± (?) Looking at the man complaining like that as soon as he sees Ichinose, I open my eyes wide. The name of the man who appeared is Hitsugiya Banri. A man who I should¡¯ve killed. CH 142 [Death Separates in Chaos] ¡°Hitsugiya¡­ why, are you still alive?¡± (Shion) I crease my eyebrows, expressing my discomfort. What surfaces in my mind is that day when Slaceid got destroyed because of the attack of Nursery Rhymes. I had a fight with this man, Hitsugiya Banri, and killed him at the end¡­ or so I should have. I saw Hitsugiya becoming pieces of meat and scattered in the wind due to Heartbeat-Shot, yet¡­ here he is, standing before me, alive and well. ¡°Kuku, it sure looks like you have been polished extremely again, Shion. Don¡¯t stare at me with such bare killing intent. Let¡¯s celebrate the reunion first, eh?¡± Hitsugiya goes to sit on the chair in the center of the room without permission and raises his legs on the worn-out desk. What to do. Should I put him under control with Distortion Sound? However, he Yoiyami-san¡¯s guest. Him coming here in this situation probably means he¡¯s intending to help us. As I look down, thinking, Hitsugiya shrugs his shoulders, ¡°Well, it was just a simple trick anyway, so let me tell you. I just instantly changed places with the substitute I had prepared in the shadows.¡± (Hitsugiya) If it¡¯s only that, then I think it¡¯s not totally unthinkable. However, Heartbeat-Shot is a Sound-Shot that marks and fires at the heartbeat. The fact that I didn¡¯t notice him changed places despite that means that he should have done it in an extremely precise timing. ¡°Though I¡¯m fine coming, despite hearing that the crazy guy is here, why is General Ichinose here? Can I get an explanation?¡± Hitsugiya asks to no one in particular. Seeing no one talks, I start explaining about the circumstance to Hitsugiya and Ichinose from the beginning to the present in order to sort out the situation. ¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°Ah~¡­.¡± (Hitsugiya) ¡°¡­Fumu.¡± (Ichinose) Getting to know about the situation that befell us, it seems that even the two who has experienced considerably lot of things couldn¡¯t help but to groan. ¡°In other words, General Sakai is Anonymous leader ¨C Hyde himself?¡± (Ichinose) ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± (Shion) Ichinose repeatedly asks for confirmation. It took an hour to explain, but it seems that the two are still not convinced. However, given that we have fallen into this state, they have no choice but to trust it. It is too absurd as a lie after all. ¡°Worst of the worst thing happened in a place I didn¡¯t know, huh,¡± Hitsugiya laughs as though it is someone else¡¯s problem. This guy, like Utsusemi-san, is the type who feels joy in conflict. There¡¯s the fact that he belonged to Nursery Rhymes too¡­ he has a terrible curiosity and obsession with murder. That¡¯s why Yoiyami-san called him. He¡¯s not a guy who fight for profit. However, this guy has a criminal record prowling after me just because he wanted to tease me. So I have to mindful of the possibility of him betraying and aiming for me again. I decide to kill him when things have settled, but it sure is a pain to not be able to rest easily when this guy is nearby until then. However, I am honestly pleased that there is another ally beside Utsusemi-san who could push the enemy without hesitation. ¡°So, what are you all going to do?¡± Ichinose looks around and says. ¡°Kill General Sakai. Unless we do that, we won¡¯t be able to have peace.¡± (Shion) Our thoughts can be summed up to that. There is no problem telling Ichinose about this. Because Boss himself is aware of our objective. Then, let me cooperate as well.¡± (Ichinose) Everyone¡¯s eyes are gathered at Ichinose, who said so simply. ¡°Well, you probably don¡¯t trust me, however,¡± He adds. ¡°That¡¯s right, there¡¯s no way we can trust you¡­!¡± Unable to hold it in, Sen cuts into the conversation. After taking a glance at Sen, Roll holds her mouth and steps back. ¡°If we get Ichinose¡¯s help, the difficulty of infiltrating Saint Celia will drop drastically, eh. Among these members, the ones who can infiltrate in without risk are only Yoiyami, Hitsugiya, and me after all,¡± Utsusemi-san makes an unusually decent remark. It is as he said. Even if it is an assassination, it is too reckless to attack the enemy¡¯s base with only Yoiyami-san, Hitsugiya, and Utsusemi-san. No, if we assume Ichinose doesn¡¯t help us, that is the best plan, even if it is reckless. However, if we all infiltrate Saint Celia, there will be some leeway. If I can deploy Tsurugi as well, then it can be called a perfect plan. Because only Tsurugi and I can negate Boss¡¯ ability. Either way, Ichinose cannot be killed here. Killing him will give Boss an excuse to move the SDF. If we have no choice but to send him back, then I would like us to get some kind of benefits, however¡­ as expected, if he betrays us, we¡¯ll be over. ¡°General Sakai is steadily solidifying his foundation.¡± (Ichinose) Meaning the more time we waste, the more difficult it will be to assassinate Boss. ¡°Ah~, so that¡¯s why he pushes up the Saint Celia expansion plan. The more people settle in, the more people will be assigned to the headquarters,¡± Hitsugiya nods as though he understands. ¡°I¡¯m not able to convince you to trust me, but there are two reasons why I offered to help you. One is to make the Self-Defense Forces a better organization. It is outrageous that the person who holds the real power is a sinner. The other is¡­ I personally have a grudge against Hyde, the leader of Anonymous,¡± Light vanish from Ichinose¡¯s eyes. Although he¡¯s under the restraint of Distortion Sound, I take a step away in the face of his bottomless fury. ¡°Hmph. We¡¯re the same, but Boss sure is planting tons of grudges. What did he do to you?¡± Utsusemi-san finds a beer among the foodstuffs that Sen bought and asks while picking it up. Pulling open the pull-tab of the canned beer, the sound of him chugging the beer down his throat echoes in the room. Roll is silently enjoying the reaction of Sen reaching out her hands with envy. ¡°He killed Midou Ryuusui.¡± (Ichinose) Tension fills the room in an instant. Ichinose Soraha is the youngest to have climbed up to the position of general. It is all too well known that he belonged to Midou Ryuusui¡¯s unit when he was still in the low rank. I see, then it won¡¯t be strange that he holds a grudge against Boss. But in that case¡­ that includes me too. I am also one of the people who killed Midou Ryuusui. Currently, the only remaining members who participated in the mission to kill General Midou are Boss and I. I meet eyes with Ichinose. You too ¨C so the glint in his eyes seems to indicate. This person is no good. After all, I should¡­¡­ ¡°Please rest assured. I have decided to leave you to Tsurugi after all,¡± Ichinose softens his sharp eyes and shows me a soft smile. Why is this guy can make such a threat in this situation? Disgusting. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I want to get the cooperation of Ichinose, but should I forgo it? But if I don¡¯t ride on this bet, it seems that the winning chance of the next bet will be worse. Is there something that can somehow prevent Ichinose¡¯s betrayal? Should I have Utsusemi-san copy Ohashi¡¯s ¡®Revenge Note¡¯ and target Ichinose? That ability, which is effective only against attacks from the target, is weak as an assurance, but that much is the only thing we can do¡­ ¡°Well, if you want an assurance, don¡¯t you only have to ask Yoiyami?¡± Hitsugiya says as though reading my thought. In response to his words, I turn my eyes to Yoiyami-san. ¡°Can you do something like that?¡± (Shion) ¡°¡­Just to the extent for a peace of mind, though,¡± Yoiyami-san, leaning against the wall, raises his index finger with his arms folded. Then, a black ¡®haze¡¯ that oozes from behind him crawls on the floor and advances to Ichinose. Then it climbs from his feet to his waist and from his waist to his neck, eventually reaching his face. Ichinose does not move and does not pay it any heed. The ¡®haze¡¯ that reaches his face disperse there, then it ¡®fits¡¯ in Ichinose¡¯s pupils and ears. ¡°This is not very comfortable isn¡¯t it?¡± (Ichinose) ¡°Let¡¯s cooperate with your eyesight and hearing as collateral,¡± Yoiyami-san brings down the final decision. As always, his ability is terrifying. However, with this, it will be quite unlikely for Ichinose to betray us. He must be resolved to sacrifice his eyes and ears to do that. It is natural that Ichinose, the general of the Self-Defense Forces, wants to eliminate Boss who is wearing the skin of General Sakai. To put things bluntly, he¡¯s not too worried about the remnants, that is us. After letting us get rid of Boss, he will get rid of us©¤©¤ That should be Ichinose¡¯s plot. Although some uncertainties remain, I couldn¡¯t hope for a fight without any risk anyway. It seems that Yoiyami-san is in a hurry to settle things with Boss, but¡­ let¡¯s follow his decision. ¡°Then it¡¯s decided, eh?¡± (Ichinose) After that, we, together with Ichinose, make new arrangements and set up plans. It seems that Hitsugiya also decide to get on our plan; he decides to stay in the apartment for a while. ¡ª¡ª¡ª Two days later. As I¡¯m collecting sound around the clock in the city, I sense an ¡®interference denial¡¯. He said that he would arrive three days later, but it appears that he arrives in the city a day earlier. I wonder if he grasps my position, he is coming very close to me. In that case, it seems that we don¡¯t have to go to the designated meeting place. ¡°Yoiyami-san, I¡¯m going to talk to Tsurugi,¡± Sending a sound through the wall, I get up from bed and put on my jacket. Now that Observer¡¯s matter has been resolved, there is no point in talking face to face with Tsurugi. There is no point, but if it¡¯s things to talk about, there are lots. In order to establish a good cooperative relationship, it is a good idea to unravel the fetters to some extent. If he has intention to forgive me, I would just have to put up with it. ¡°Are you going out?¡± Roll lying next to me gets up and asks. ¡°Un,¡± I answer without looking at her and put on a mask to hide the lower half of face. When I try to leave the room, a thought comes to my mind. Though Yoiyami-san will watch it, isn¡¯t it unwise to go alone? ¡°Roll¡­ wanna come along?¡± (Shion) ¡°Yeah.¡± When I look back and ask, the reply come back immediately. Roll gets off the bed in hurry and changes clothes quickly. She changes from her loungewear to her plain clothes and stands next to me. ¡°¡­It¡¯s been a long time, isn¡¯t it? We¡¯re going out together, I mean.¡± (Roll) ¡°You should wear a hat, at least; you stand out after all.¡± (Shion) ¡°Un.¡± (Roll) After I hand her the newsboy cap hanging on the wall, Roll puts it on deeply. Then we leave the apartment. We go through an uncrowded alley and come out to an abandoned shopping street. Roll is walking next to me at a shoulder-to-shoulder distance. ¡°Hey, Shion,¡± Almost as soon as Roll calls out to me, I see him coming from the other side of the shopping street. Next to him is a white-haired girl¡­ Yumesaki Aika. ¡°What is it?¡± (Shion) ¡°After this¡­ there¡¯s something I to talk about,¡± Gently pulling my sleeve, Roll says with meek eyes. After I nod, Roll lifts her finger off her sleeve. Then when I turn my gaze, the distance between us and him¡­ Tsurugi is so close that we could talk normally. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Kazato.¡± (Tsurugi) ¡°Ahh, Tsurugi.¡± (Shion) CH 143 [The Two¡¯s Dead Feelings] Tsurugi slowly narrows the little distance between us. I glance at the white-haired girl walking next to him, Yumesaki Aika. They should have been on the run for more than two weeks, but they both look fine. No, it is more correct to say that they only look fine, huh. ¡°Roll-chan too, it¡¯s been a long time.¡± (Tsurugi) ¡°Yes.¡± (Roll) Tsurugi smiles a little at Roll standing diagonally behind me. It seems that he will stick to the attitude of not showing hostility to the end. There is part of me hoping a bit that this reunion would awaken his desire for revenge, but well, things going according to plan like this is fine. Tsurugi returns his line of sight towards me. ¡°Your hair sure has grown a lot.¡± (Tsurugi) ¡°As for you, you are quite¡­ worn out.¡± (Shion) Even though he has dressed up and keeps up his smile, he can¡¯t fool me. There are black circles under his eyes. His skin dry and dull, and he even has some fine wrinkles. Our former classmates would definitely be surprised seeing the current appearance of Tsurugi¡¯s, who was said to be the most handsome boy at school. ¡°That¡¯s the same for both of us, right?¡± (Tsurugi) ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re right.¡± (Shion) *Rattle* The sound of the shutter closing of some store echoes in the deserted shopping street. ¡°¡­¡­This is not a good place to talk. So, how about we go to a suitable shop somewhere?¡± (Shion) ¡°Let¡¯s,¡± With Tsurugi¡¯s consent, we decide to leave the shopping street. Having entered a coffee shop that we found not far from the shopping street, we decide to get separate seats with me being with Tsurugi, and Roll with Yumesaki Aika. Because the content of the talk can¡¯t be leaked ¨C so Tsurugi suggested. Since I was intending to talk alone with him, in the first place, I accepted his suggestion. Tsurugi and I are guided to counter seats, and Roll and Yumesaki Aika are guided to window table seats for two people. Because we chose a shop that seems to be less popular, the customers other than us are sparse. Roll, sitting at the table, turns her worried gaze this way, but the one in the disadvantage in this pairing is Tsurugi. In the unlikely event, Roll can take Yumesaki Aika as a hostage. However, despite knowing that, Tsurugi still dares to leave Yumesaki Aika in Roll¡¯s care. As though to make me not to be wary. He persistently appeals that he has forgiven me. ¡°Thank you for waiting.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± The two coffees we ordered are served not long after we got to our seats. After sipping it a little, Tsurugi breaks the silence that have been continuing on for a while, ¡°Just to make sure, Hitomi is safe, right?¡± (Tsurugi) ¡°Ahh,¡± I answer, then silence descends again. About General Ichinose going to cooperate with us. About Boss. About whether or not Tsurugi has his own information. There are many things I would like to talk about for the future. However, since we are left alone, the air to be able to talk about that sort of things has gone. What we have to talk about is¡­¡­ no, what Tsurugi want to talk about is not something like that. Though I¡¯ve known that I have to start talking about it first to curry his favor, however, I hesitate after coming here. Even though something such as pride is cheap compared to my life. There¡¯s a part of me feeling that only for Tsurugi, I can¡¯t throw it away. But I have to talk. The feud between me and Tsurugi is definitely a life-threatening issue if we were to form a cooperative relationship. I take a small breath. I resolv- no, I give in. ¡°Tsurugi,¡± I open my mouth. ¡°Do you really have forgiven me?¡± (Shion) I start working on getting his real intention. Tsurugi quietly closed his eyes, ¡°I haven¡¯t forgiven you. I definitely can¡¯t forgive you. But¡­¡± (Tsurugi) I feel relieved at the same time becoming vigilant at the weighty words he uttered without hesitation. Tsurugi hasn¡¯t forgiven me. Just knowing that, I feel that the uncontrollable anger and sickness that has accumulated in my stomach are alleviated. I turn my body toward Tsurugi. ¡°You hate me¡­ and you want to kill me, right¡­? Even so when we were on the phone you said ¡®no¡¯. What is ¡®no¡¯ about? What is ¡®that¡¯s not the case¡¯ about? At that time, why did you say sorry and apologize? At that time, you weren¡¯t going to cooperate with us, so you shouldn¡¯t have to apologize, right? What was there for you to apologize to me about. Hey.¡± (Shion) Once I started, everything overflowed out. Irritations, doubts. Tsurugi bring the coffee to his mouth again, sipping it. ¡°Hear me out.¡± (Tsurugi) ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± (Shion) Tsurugi¡¯s tired voice make me turn silent. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking¡­¡­ I want to forgive Kazato. And I also want to be forgiven,¡± Tsurugi says while facing forward. What is this guy want me to forgive him for? I don¡¯t understand. Was it for not reaching up to me the day I manifested? Something like that is irrelevant now. It was my choice. Everything was my fault. There¡¯s nothing for him to be forgiven for. So, there¡¯s no reason for him to receive an apology or such. ¡°I want Kazato¡­¡­ to return to be my best friend.¡± (Tsurugi) Having such selfish words imposed on me, I feel like the fury I felt at that time is about to be awoken inside me again. I grit my teeth and squeeze my left hand on the counter. Furrowing, I desperately suppress my rage. I can¡¯t go back anymore, right? I can¡¯t imagine the future of us laughing at each other to silly talks. Because Rin is no longer there after all. Even if we grow old, we won¡¯t be able to enjoy talks about the past. Because at that time, we will be remembering Rin. We can¡¯t go back to being best friends. No matter what happens. ¡°I want to save Kazato. So, I must not be trapped in useless feelings such as anger and hatred.¡± (Tsurugi) Shut your trap. Feeling like shouting so, I breathe out deeply. Not good, calm down. What do I get angry about? Don¡¯t I just have to read the air, go with the flow, and give suitable response to make Tsurugi feel refreshed? ¡°¡­¡­By save, from what do you want to save me?¡± (Shion) ¡°From the one who make you under the impression that you have no choice but live stained in evil, ¡®Shion¡¯.¡± (Tsurugi) ¡°Don¡¯t talk like you know anything!¡± (Shion) *Bang* I hit the counter table with my fist. The eyes of the clerk and other customers are gathered on us, but it doesn¡¯t matter. ¡°It must be easy¡­ to say such a thing as an outsider. You don¡¯t even know what I¡¯ve sacrificed, with what kind of feelings I¡¯ve been living through to this day. Rin¡­¡­ even Rin was also like that.¡± (Shion) ¡°Stop.¡± (Tsurugi) Twitch. Tsurugi¡¯s fingertips tremble. Foreseeing the horrible words that I¡¯m about to speak out loud. Seeing that, joy arises within me. Just as I thought, you must be hating me. Don¡¯t impose me with your selfish hypocrisy. ¡°She¡¯s also one of the things I¡¯ve sacrificed. When I faced her, I thought;¡± (Shion) ¡°¡­Stop. Don¡¯t talk about Rin.¡± (Tsurugi) ¡°¡®I have to kill her here¡­ I have to part with her¡­ otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to continue to live.¡¯ That was why I killed her. I didn¡¯t care even if she died as long as I could live!¡± (Shion) ¡°Stop!!¡± (Tsurugi) Along with a bellow, Tsurugi grabs me by the collar. His bloodshot eyes are looking sharply at my eyes. I raise my hand to Roll who is about to stop him. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about Rin¡­!¡± Twisting my collar, he imposes on me. The corners of my mouth spontaneously raise up. ¡°Haha¡­ don¡¯t you want to forgive me? ¡­Well, that wouldn¡¯t be possible¡­ I don¡¯t want to be forgiven. And I won¡¯t change. Tsurugi, you won¡¯t be able to forgive me for the rest of your life. I won¡¯t reflect. I have no regrets. Rather, I¡¯m glad I killed both your father and Rin¡­!¡± (Shion) *Whack* Tsurugi¡¯s fist hits the middle of my forehead; I roll over the chair behind me to the ground. ¡°Tsurugi!¡± Roll grabs Yumesaki Aika by the hair and pins her down on the table with a thud. ¡°Roll stop, it¡¯s fine!¡± I get up while holding my nose and stop Roll again. ¡°Ouch,¡± Yumesaki Aika mutters with a voice that sounds as though it is someone else¡¯s problem. Without looking that way, I look at Tsurugi looking down at me while heaving his shoulders up and down, then I realize. ¡­¡­I see. So that¡¯s why he let Roll and Yumesaki Aika together. Even if his anger towards me erupts again, if Roll takes Yumesaki Aika hostage, he will be deterred. How dare he looks down on me. ¡°But¡­!¡± (Roll) ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± (Shion) After I said so, Roll releases Yumesaki Aika with a reluctant look. Casually wiping off the blood flowing down my nose, I put my hands behind me. ¡°Now, come. You can hit me all you want until I¡¯m on the verge of dying. I get you. Violence sure is refreshing, isn¡¯t it?¡± (Shion) ¡°Kh!¡± (Tsurugi) Ahh, this is another blunder. I¡¯m sure that Yoiyami-san is also ¡®watching¡¯. However, brutally honest conversation like this is what Tsurugi wished for. The talk might not be going in a positive direction, but only in this I¡¯m not going to back down. The clerk at the other side of the counter is trying to report to the army, seeing we fight, which is an unusual occurrence. I replace what he says with suitable words, preventing him, With this, they should think it is just a prank call. Well, we still can¡¯t stay long. When I see Tsurugi grits his teeth, I can¡¯t suppress my mouth from grinning. ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself, Tsurugi. Even though you become like this with just a bit provocation, what¡¯s with wanting to save, wanting to forgive. This is just what you really are,¡± I say with a flippant smile on my face. Tsurugi closes his eyes and exhales deeply. After what seemingly a short and long silence, Tsurugi opens his eyes. ¡°You sure are desperate to be hated by me.¡± (Tsurugi) ¡°Ha¡­¡­?¡± (Shion) Receiving incomprehensible reply, my expression almost distort. ¡°You, too, don¡¯t push yourself.¡± (Tsurugi) For some reason, Tsurugi regains his calm and looks at me with contempt in his eyes. ¡°I get it now. Yes, forgiveness itself is the greatest way to get revenge on Kazato. That¡¯s why I¡¯ll forgive Kazato someday. No matter how long it takes. Even if I can¡¯t get Kazato to forgive me,¡± He says in that enlightened manner again. Even though my mood just turns good, when he takes this attitude, my anger surges incorrigibly. I pretend to be calm and laugh so that he won¡¯t realize it. ¡°Hah, what are you saying¡­? I¡¯ve said it many times, right? I have nothing to forgive you for. Whether you forgive me or not, that¡¯s just your own thought, I honestly don¡¯t care anyway.¡± (Shion) ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± (Tsurugi) I frown at Tsurugi stating so clearly. ¡°Kazato, you find salvation by being hated by me, aren¡¯t you? You want me to hate you because you killed Rin, don¡¯t you? Otherwise, you feel pain, not being blamed by anyone, right? Since it feels easier if you are hated, you depend on me. In the end, you¡¯re just running away as usual.¡± (Tsurugi) ¡°¡­¡­Haa? The heck are you talking about?¡± (Shion) That¡¯s not true. Even though that shouldn¡¯t be true, I end up hesitating to say it out loud. With a bitter look, Tsurugi continues regardless, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I know it was unforgiveable. I also know I can¡¯t make an excuse like it was something I can do nothing about. But please let me apologize. I want Kazato to forgive me.¡± (Tsurugi) ¡°¡­¡­I said, for what?¡± (Shion) I can hear Tsurugi¡¯s sounds. He doesn¡¯t deny me. His heartbeat accelerates little by little. ¡°For not telling you my ability manifested first¡­ for hiding the fact I joined the Self-Defense Forces. For leaving you behind and becoming stronger. For not being able to reach out to you that day and¡­¡­!¡± (Tsurugi) From there, I silence the sounds Tsurugi makes. However, his last words reach me. ©¤©¤ For robbing Rin from you! ¡°Shut up!!!¡± (Shion) At the same time as I shout, I fire a Sound-Shot. The shockwave accompanying the explosion sound engulfs everything in the surrounding and blows Tsurugi before me away. Dust cloud flutters. Sand falls from the ceiling. I immediately erase the scream of someone echoing in the shop. ¡°Tsurugi-san!¡± Yumesaki Aika runs toward the dust cloud, however, Roll silently holds her arm. Soon the dust cloud clears up. Among the several customers, spilling blood and getting caught in the blown off rubbles, Tsurugi collapsed. At that sight, Yumesaki drops on her knees. ¡°¡­¡­Why?¡± I grasp my face. Tsurugi did not use his ability. It should have been an attack that he could have easily prevented with Interference Denial ¡®Master Cancel¡¯. And above all, I notice an irritating fact. Did I unconsciously adjust the power of the Sound-Shot I fired¡­? Tsurugi looks to be fatally injured and is unconscious, but his heartbeat is pulsing firmly. ¡°Dammit, dammit, dammit¡­¡­! Dammit!!¡± I scratch off my hair with one hand. ¡°Shion¡­¡± (Roll) When Roll calls my name, the door of the half-broken coffee shop is kicked open by someone. Still scratching my messed-up hair, I turn my gaze there. The one who comes in from there is Utsusemi-san. ¡°Buhah, this sure is a mess, ain¡¯t it?¡± Utsusemi-san walks to Tsurugi¡¯s side. ¡°Ah¡ª, this will take two days to heal.¡± (Utsusemi) He then lifts up the unconscious Tsurugi and looks at me. ¡°Geez, when blood get to your head, you sure also become so stupid that you can¡¯t even say a thing about me.¡± (Utsusemi) ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s quickly leave before the army comes.¡± (Utsusemi)