"Why do things never seem to change?" muttered a voice on the roof of a school buildings.
Specifically, this was on the edge of the school's side most distant to the infirmary.
Someone stood on the edge of the building. A few tabs were opened in front of Akashi. He rested his right elbow on the railing, rotated his body, and leaned back on the railing.
He leaned the stick in his right hand against the railing next to him and looked at his left leg. From the shin down, that had been what took damage.
"Honestly. People are even saying I'm using some sort of injury to get some sympathy." He saw the program on his tablet open a new window. "Ahh. Did someone start a new thread on the school's own network? This one's an inspection, hm? ...People are saying all sorts of things on the journal sites and the student council's site is getting an amazing number of messages. ...And every single one of them is saying what I should have done differently."
He sighed. His gaze was turned toward the tablet that displayed a diagram of the school. The damage to the area was displayed with lines and colors.
"And..."
He turned the tablet displaying the supposed injuries in the previous battle and the one displaying the financial losses to the grounds and such.
After checking on all that information, Akashi muttered to himself while completely alone.
"This is tough. I thought I was prepared, but it's different once everyone is doubting you and denying your actions."
...I think I did as good as could be hoped...
"But everyone is saying that my efforts were inadequate or worthless and that there was a better way." He sighed. "They're saying it would have been better had I not been there."
As he sighed again, he heard a sudden voice.
"Oh? I noticed ya haven't gone to the infirmary yet and ya didn't go towards the festival, but is this where you've been?"
Akashi turned around toward the voice coming from down below in the stairwell.
Even with the wall in the way, he could see someone with orange hair.
"Mizukami-kun."
"Yeah. I hope you can remember at least that much, ya shut-in." He stepped atop the railing next to him. "How 'bout these two beaten dogs take some time to whine and complain to each other?"
.
"Complain, hm?"
Mizukami's suggestion to "whine and complain to each other" was met with both annoyance and resignation from Akashi.
He would have preferred attaching reasons to his thoughts rather than doing something as unproductive as complaining.
...But I am worrying.
The reason for this was simple.
"Well, I suppose I am being exposed to enough criticism to want to complain."
"Yeah. I tried searchin' yer name on Border's own network and what I found made me feel bad. Seein' someone shamed like that isn't fun. I decided to show my support."
"Eh? You're on my side?"
"Nah. I joined'em in criticizing ya and agreed with them as much as I could, but I guess I was on an entirely different level from them because they all backed off. They left just when I started a new thread. It's sad they can't do any better than that."
"A-are you trying to complain or insult me?"
"Never mind that," said Mizukami.
The corner of his mouth rose in a half-bitter and half-scornful smile and he spread his arms toward the midday wind to keep his balance.
"Checkin' everyone's opinions gave me a general understanding of the situation. The damage from the attack and the shelling left our side damaged."
But...
"It may not've been this bad before, but this is hardly the first time we've been damaged. When ya took command as strategist during some other battles, some of those who fought in the battles were injured and our side was badly damaged. We were injured too. But there was one obvious difference in this battle."
Akashi gave the answer before Mizukami could.
"We didn't win. Right?"
.
It's when you win that the injuries and the losses gain meaning, thought Akashi.
"It's all meaningless if you don't win."
They had excuses and explanations for the outcome, but that would not quell people's emotions.
Checking the records of other incidents showed people forcing the blame onto each other whenever they lost. The blame for a loss or failure had to go somewhere.
"By pushing the blame on someone else, people can accept the loss because it 'wasn't their fault'."
"Border doesn't have a set age limit on who can join, so even if the children support you, their parents will not forgive you. When their children come back injured, they feel like saying 'I told you so'. Plus, they'll not wanna blame their own children, so they'll point the blame in your direction."
"I'm really glad you understand."
I'm not very tough if I feel like that helps, thought Akashi.
"I have to use the internet and Border's network in some of my duties and I need to obtain all sorts of information to fulfill my role as strategist, but that means I have to see what people are saying about us."
"Even in the records, defeated generals're said to have received horrible criticism. This's probably a part of that sorta thing."
"Yeah."
Akashi sighed and leaned up against the railing. On top of the railing, Mizukami took a step away to the right and used his arms to balance himself again.
"In the Three Kingdoms Period of China, military commanders were often said to 'die in agony' or 'die in a fit of rage', but that was likely due to the stress their position put on them. Dying in agony likely referred to a heart attack and in a fit of rage was likely stress related, but I hear it was difficult to reproduce that in the history recreation."
"I know askin' this to a history nerd will bring us off topic, but what'd they do?"
"Right. The direct resolution was to give them enough stress to kill someone. Although, if that happened today, they would be letting them retire as a sort of interpretation."
Things like that should be avoided, thought Akashi.
Afterwards, something would have to be put in place to stop that sort of thing.
"If an author were to make something out of that I have no doubt they would give it a bad ending where the heroine died or their favorite play would be forced into a depressing end where everyone died. There would be some incidents where an enraged reader would want to strangle the author or organizer, but for the most part, that would be an 'agonizing death' in it's own right if it were to only sell cheaply in stores as a novelty thing."
Akashi nodded a few times and suddenly realized something about himself.
"I guess I can still keep going if I haven't reach that state yet."
"We'd probably be in trouble if ya died, so don't push yourself too hard."
Akashi's tablet informed him that another thread about him had been created on both his and Mizukami's schools' network. He checked the title.
"That's what I thought. ...I used to do the same thing with strategists and other occupants."
"What same thing?"
Akashi took a breath and opened his mouth. He spoke the opinion that was most commonly being sent his way.
"I would say they should have done it my way. Everyone says that kind of thing."
"Yeah, but they're free to do that. When Suzume sells her books, a lot of people look through them, say somethin' similar to that, and leave without buyin'em."
"And how does that make her feel?"
"She said that she'd kick their ass if she wanted to, so it didn't really matter. ...What's with that look?"
Doujin artists are scary, thought Akashi. But then he had a further thought. No, a lot of Border is pretty much like that.
Was it just a bad environment?
But, he thought. I hope I can vindicate myself.
If he could still hope for that, he still had a chance. He was still hoping for his own continuation.
...I need to do my best.
He vowed to win next time. Winning gave it all meaning.
For that point of view, the festival going on right now would end up being very important. It would be a way to mix in their problems with some realizations.
"I need to do my best to make sure my achievements warrant another festival."
"You should've gone to today's festival. Why didn't you?"
Akashi's answer was simple: he raised his right arm.
The sunlight illuminated the bandages wrapped around the lower arm where it looks like he had landed on it. Words were written on the white cloth of the bandages, but they were not fully covering what lay beneath.
"I canceled my Trigger at the wrong time. Asano's attacks had done more damage than I realized. I ended up falling into that hole in my real body. This only makes me wonder what she would end up doing to Kotowari if he had been in my place."
In other words...
"Asano is pissed that Kotowari continues to follow after his former captain and I had to take the brunt of that.
Mizukami's eyes narrowed as he looked down at him. He took in a deep breath and spoke.
"I'm usin' that."
.
...This'll save my ass.
Mizukami was sure of it.
"I just got a message from Suzume. It reads: 'If I have him honestly use that line while naked at a decisive point, it'll be perfect for convincing the female readers! I could draw up a storyboard around just that one line! His leg was also injured, right? How about I honestly set the story in a hospital!?' End."
"Why did you do this to me? Besides, that kinds of things have never really interested me."
Mizukami shrugged, shook his head, and took a breath.
"Well, ya own the rights to yer likeness, so how about you ask for a royalty of 10%?"
"Wouldn't that 10% be for my human rights, not for using my likeness?"
As long as he let her use him in her doujinshi, she would likely not care either way.
"Anyway," muttered Mizukami. "You can't go along with the rest of us with that arm, so why don't you ask someone to-..."
He was going to ask why he had not had it taken care of, but the bandages on the arm were proof he had already done just that. The fact that the injury remained could only mean one thing.
"Is that some kind of injury that wrecks your body? Does Umi have to shoot it off?"
"Yes to the first question, no comment to the second. I bent it in a strange way that probably won't fully heal. It sucks that it happened, but it didn't happen to my dominant hand. If was my own fault for missing my timing, so I can't blame either Asano or Kotowari for this one. Even if I get it examined, they will likely tell me the same thing. We have some people around here who are pretty adept in this kind of thing because of the fox, so I didn't need to go to the hospital for this. It still hurt like hell when going over it, but that's just how it is. Nothing I can do about it now that everything is over."
"Does it really matter if you view it as something less than what Kiyoshi normally has to go through?"
"The point is that I am still here and he has barely woken up."
That was indeed a bit of a problem.
...He always imagines the worst case scenario which makes him hard to deal with. But that might just be how strategists think.
Akashi used the railing to adjust his position.
"It's easier if I wait a bit to go to the hospital because I can try to handle any situation that arises. But that also means I can't stay by everyone's side or do my job. I am injured in my real body and have no trion left to fight with my Trigger at the moment. I could even end up causing indirect incidents with others."
"That's a bit much for something like a messed up hand."
Mizukami's thoughts then turned to the enemy he had faced.
"What was that about Kotowari and meeting up with him that Asano mentioned? Do ya mind if I ask?"
"Are you going to send it to Misaki?"
"Of course. It'd be weird if I didn't," he replied immediately.
Akashi brought a hand to his forehead for a moment.
"W-well, I suppose it's better than having a rumor spread based on something you all completely madd up. But to be honest, there isn't much to say about what happened."
"Really?"
Akashi gave a small nod.
"I had taken pity on Kotowari and told him that I would help him a single time. His style is more similar to mine than anyone else's, but he has been doing things in a way similar to yours or a normal Shooter. Wagner of Minoru-kun's squad was also there, but he was giving me problems and I was ready to hit him for that. He could not seem to make up his mind, which was what really got me mad. But I suppose I went about it wrong if Asano ended up wanting to attack me."
Mizukami listened carefully.
"That boy has no idea what he is doing, yet he is doing very well."
"I see," someone had said.
Mizukami and Akashi turned their head in time to see someone come up from the stairs.
It was...
"Yo, didn't think I'd see ya here 'til next year, Take-chan."
.
"That's right." Takeshi nodded. "Yuki-san has been causing trouble lately and that has been dragging others into it. I am still learning how to handle everything, but even I can tell what kind of problem is this and how much is going on. Instead of having a set battlefield, Mikado City itself had been turned into the stage. If the city is where we will be fighting, it will be fully protected due to who will be fighting."
And that meant...
"Asano-san will be there with every intention to win. I will fight her and have her back down."
Neither one asked whether he could or not.
...In that case, whoever makes the biggest announcement wins.
The two of them nodded silently, so he returned the nod.
"Akashi-san, Mizukami-senpai. I've caused a lot of indirect trouble for you with how I have been, so I promise that I will greet you with Asano-san at my side."
"Sure," responded Mizuakmi before asking a question. "Did ya realize what you're missin'?"
"I did."
Takeshi clenched his teeth in a small smile, hidden by his scarf. This had nothing to do with Yuki. It was all about himself, so he spoke without worry.
"I've always been troublesome. I had just forgotten that I can fix my own problems because of all the strange people surrounding me."
The two of them smiled back at him. One gave him a thumbs up while the other righted himself on the railing before bending down to pat his head.
Mizukami jumped from the railing he was on and decided to go along with what he was saying.
"Well," he began.
But a sudden noise other than the wind filled the area.
It was a familiar voice blaring from the school's external speakers.
"...ait! Wait, Kunichika!"
It was Suzaku. His voice sounded a bit rushed.
"You need to stop Jinsei from buying that nasty game!"
.
Takeshi's expression froze in place as he turned toward the inner part of the school where the students would be. Akashi recalled that the school's primary broadcast room was located at about the center, so he looked in the same direction with half-lidded eyes. However, the loud voice continued.
"I have to put the cause of death on the report to the magistrate's office, and I don't want to have to put 'surprise ascension into heaven due to shock in a porn game' or 'collapsed naked in front of a computer screen displaying a porn game'! And my place would fill out a document for anything he's signed on, but what will the others who start working later on for us think when they look through the documents and see 'reason for contract cancellation: left the earthly plane via porn game'!?"
Suzaku's voice was followed by Kunichika's, but Takeshi, Mizukami, and Akashi all exchanged a glance.
"Should someone tell'em they accidentally turned on the mic?" asked Mizukami.
"It's too later now. ...Oh, but you could send a chat message."
"Right, right," replied Mizukami as he lowered his shoulders and sent a chat message to Suzaku.
"Is this how we will be when we enter high school...?"
A short moment passed and then...
"Eh? Oh, no! They can hear us outside!? Um, hey, everyone. If you can hear this, please raise your hand. ...Oh, don't worry, don't worry. I won't shoot you if you raise your hand."
"That stupid business worker. Just 'cause his sanity level is always low's no reason to go completely crazy here."
"I know what you mean," said Akashi with a sigh.
The two of them looked toward Takeshi for a moment before shaking their heads.
He looked up into the sky and spoke again after hearing the school-wide broadcast click off.
"I may be down, but everyone else is full of energy. I want to save them, but I have nothing to save them from when they're like this."
Rampage Dress: "Kido-san, may I have a moment of your time?"
Kido Masamune looked at his screen with narrowed eyes.
He had been going over the information he had been given by Shingai. The news that the white fox had others supporting him was not something he was surprised by. The only thing that had been surprising was how Mogami's sister had appeared in the middle of the fight and saved Border some face with an adlibbed comment.
Border had won all possible fights in that schoolyard, but overall, they had managed to show that there was issues within the organization. The entire fight had been displayed all over the internet and Border's general members had been doing their best to take those down. Most of them had been stopped right away, but there had been a few that managed to slip through.
Now with all of that happening, he had to think about what to do next while having Netsuki save them from any problems those videos may have brought.
Something he had not been prepared for was this person messaging him directly.
Rampage Dress: "There is no need to worry. This channel is a general one. That is how you are able to tell that I am messaging you from the Yagura Branch Office."
"Cheeky girl. Are you staying there because you think that it is safe?"
Rampage Dress: "More like I was housesitting for a bit. Oh, but I did have a nice brunch with Mitsuteru and Shokubutsu. Curry truly does taste good at any point in the day."
This was a pointless conversation.
The girl had to be stalling for time. She had never been the type to speak casually like this with those above her, so anything she said here would be nothing more than a nuisance.
And yet...
Rampage Dress: "While I had brought them up. Mitsuteru and Kotowari Squad will be enjoying the festival today. Shokubutsu may still be a bit too shy, so he will be at the branch office with Suzuka for the time being. I did hear that he is getting along with others his own age, so they might come by and invite him to the festival."
Kido: "...Why are you telling me this? Would it be safe to assume that Tsukiko will be in the same areas as they are?"
Rampage Dress: "The exact opposite."
What?
Kido narrowed his eyes again as he reread the message.
She had just told hime that anywhere those named people would be, the white fox would not be. That meant he would not be contacting any of them directly for the duration of the festival.
What exactly is she planning? Her calculations border precognition, so she has likely thought about this entire conversation already.
There would be no way of knowing how far she had gotten into her calculations and how much she would try to manipulate things to her benefit. Since that was the case, Kido had made it a point to keep track of her location.
Rampage Dress: "Due to what had happened at the school, Border is in some trouble, correct?"
Kido: "It is not something we can't handle."
Rampage Dress: "But that would mean calling in some favors. Doing so now would be pointless."
"Then was there something you had in mind?"
It had been a rhetorical question and both of them knew that. There was no doubt that she had already thought about the entire day's events in full, narrowed down the best choices, and would try to implement them here.
So he left her continue.
Rampage Dress: "Why not use this festival like you have before?"
Like they had with the sponsors and the Wanderers.
Rampage Dress: "There are bound to be more fights coming up within the day. Border will be doing their best to capture Yuki and take out anyone on his side. Meanwhile, those of us on his side will be trying to figure out what is going on and protecting him. Since that is the case, it would be best to make sure those fights do not seem too out of the ordinary."
Kido: "And how do you suppose we do that?"
Rampage Dress: "Simple. We simply say that it is part of the festival."
So that was what she was getting at.
Rampage Dress: "Say that Border will be performing mock battles in public areas as a way to show off for everyone. Enlistment Day is long gone, but it may still inspire some people to join the next time it comes around. At that point, use some of Border's members to show the public the basics of how some Triggers work. Tell them things that any C-Rank would know and give some test runs using them. Not allowing the civilians to do so, of course."
Kido: "So you want us to put on a demonstration as a cover for the fights we will be having. That much is clear, but the time to request such a thing to the city is already gone. The festival will be starting and there is no time to set anything up. It will seem like Border is just barging in and taking the opportunity to show off."
Rampage Dress: "That is where you use the fight at the school to Border's advantage. Say that it was a test run to determine how the public would react to that sort of sudden thing. Mogami has gone to the school, meaning she can vouch for that by saying she was there to approve of the test run."
It was a way to save face for Border while also finding out why exactly Mogami's sister had gone to that school. The official report had stated that Suzaku Squad's Shooter had called her there, but there was still something not right about that.
If it had only been because she was called out like that, she would only have needed to state where she was. There would have been no reason for her to go into the school itself and no reaosn for her to stay longer than she has.
She had a reason to be there.
And he was sure that reason was the white fox they were chasing after.
Rubbing the scar on his head, Kido closed his eyes and took a moment to go over everything in his head.
It had made sense to cooperate on this since the opposing side was still a part of Border and had the interest of others in mind. They would be fighting against the base, but that did not mean they were necessarily bad or that they wanted to cause harm to the people around them. If such a thing were the case, they would not have minded a more all-out battle from the start.
"...Very well. I will inform the other directors of this and measures will be taken to make sure that what had happened at the school was only a test for some of the festivities. Make sure that your side understands this situation as well and does not do anything that could harm the citizens during this festival."
Rampage Dress: "There is no need to worry. Our own performers are well trained and understand how to keep things on the stage."
That was the most worrying part to him.
Kido watched as the connection was cut and his screen was free of any more messages.
He stood up from his desk and began to head for the door.
There was now even more to do for them all.
The sounds of the festival danced about the stone and brick city. They gathered together and spread out in the midday sky.
The city was not all that tall. Instead of apartments, the streets were lined with stone and brick houses.
But the dirt roads and roofed sidewalk arcades were all filled with people.
The road could not be seen through the people who were all heading to different destinations or the temptations before their eyes.
The people made countless different noises. Orchestras and bands played and sung the main melody, the countless speaking voices of the walking people formed the low bass, and their footsteps on the stone and dirt created the drum-like tempo. The many sounds and never-ending flow of people drifted toward the fatty, flavorful, and sweet scents of foods at the festival stands. They were further disturbed by the jester and magician shows, but no matter how much the movements slowed, they never came to a complete stop.
And on top of all that movement, there had been talk of Border fully joining in on the festivities.
Voices carried the information, the people speaking about that carried the materials to support the festival, and they all remained in constant motion.
All the never-ending action produced heat, but one factor gave them all a breather.
The girls.
There were the Mikado City residents. A few girls – mostly from Mikado City – were dressed up as they walked down the center of the road. A tall girl with light brown hair and lots of exposed skin took the lead. She was followed by a tall blond girl, a small red-haired Sniper, and girls with black and gold short cut hair.
The waves of people naturally parted ahead of them, but not to avoid them. Both the men and women wanted to move back so they could more easily see the entire group.
The parting waves of people began hesitantly, grew surprised, and finally filled with breaths of curiosity. The occasional person made a comment while drawing back.
"Are those the girls of Border?"
A lot of Border's girls had entered the city for the festival. However...
"Those are members from some of the growing B-Rank squads for Border and are near the top tier. They're the main players during combat."
Of all the gazes turned toward the girls, not all of them were filled with curiosity. Some of the people had body types that pointed toward certain combat styles or wore stockers for Triggers. Those people parted the waves of people and poked their heads out to observe the girls who might become their opponents.
Their gazes held suspicion or doubt and they commented on the girls' gait, posture, and shoulder movements.
"We can't let our guard down."
"Yeah, especially with the message we got today. They're more impressive in real life than in the footage from the B-Rank Wars."
"Their breasts are?"
"Their heights are."
"I just had to ask. It was a joke, okay? Don't take it seriously? Okay?"
"If you say so."
After a short pause, one of them lowered his head.
"Sorry…I lied. I shouldn't do that. I shouldn't lie about the important things."
"No, I'm sorry. I lied too. It's just that I'm more of an ass man, so I didn't want to give in."
"I see."
Some of the guys in the crowd smiled at each other and placed a hand on each other's shoulders, but an occasional guy would exit the crowd to invite one of the girls to join him. They were mostly high school aged and some were closer to middle-aged, but they would all start by standing in front of the girls.
"––––– "
The dancer's smile and comment from the girl in front would put a bitter smile on their face as they looked up into the sky.
That exchange happened a few times, but suddenly something else happened.
"–––––?"
The boy who exited from the valley of people was younger than all the previous ones. He was still middle school aged. His blushing face was filled with tension, but he still stood before the girls.
But his lips trembled as he tried to speak and he was unable to form the words.
"…!"
The boy bent his right elbow and held it out toward the dancer at the front. He was asking her to take his arm.
The entire surrounding crowd gulped at the action.
"––––"
And then they either laughed lightly or gave sympathetic sighs at what was coming.
Their reactions caused the boy to blush an even deeper shade of red and hang his head.
But with a light laugh, some hair flew through the air. The hair spread out like a cloud filled with wind and then it danced about. The sudden action caused the surrounding people to fall silent.
"–––––"
The girl in the lead removed one of the ribbons in her hair and wrapped it around the boy's arm. She gently but surely tied the decoration to his proffered elbow.
She then lightly tapped his elbow. It was a rejection and a sign for him to return to everyone else. He looked at the cloth wrapped around his arm, looked at her, and then nodded.
"––––!"
He swung his elbow up to show everyone.
"…!"
And the crowd welcomed the boy back with cheers and applause.
As she watched the boy be swallowed up by the crowd, the dancer spread her arms slightly and bowed lightly toward them all. A few people cheered and she calmly began walking once more. Once she did, the crowd parted before her.
As they walked, the black-haired girl second from the lead glared at the dancer and asked her a question.
"What was that strange ritual just now, Suzume?"
Suzume did not turn around as she walked in the lead. She merely left behind the words to answer the question.
"It's simple, Shana. Mikado City's self-proclaimed gentry are challenging the summit's flower which was discovered in many battles already."
.
Shana listened to Suzume while watching out for the animals that occasionally cut across the road.
"But they are honestly taking me too lightly. After all, they are all inviting me by saying 'how about you come with me' or something similar. I don't like it. They make such a casual invitation for protection in case I refuse. If I do and people laugh at them, they can laugh it off as if it were a joke from the beginning. Why would I honestly accept an invitation like that? That is why I tell them other guys would be joining us as well."
"Then what about that boy just now?"
"Ha ha," she laughed quietly. "He silently held out his arm as if to say 'come with me'. It was forceful, but it did a nice job of making me pass judgment. He was honestly not the same as the others. He was seriously asking me if he was good enough. I could not respond so lightly to him. He had the right attitude."
"Then why did you give him the ribbon?"
Suzume responded immediately.
"That's simple. I can't let him mistakenly think that dressing up nicely and being forceful is enough to win acceptance from a girl. He had the right attitude, but he still lacked quite a bit. There is also looks, strength, other obligations, his finances, his job, etc. There were still a lot of unknowns. I honestly have no intention of being satisfied by a boy like that. I am sure he will pick another flower one day, but he still has a long way to go before that day comes. But that outstretched arm was not a mistake, so I honestly rewarded him with one of my ribbons to tell him that."
"Does my brain still have a long way to go? Because that sounds like the reasoning of a drunk to me."
"If a woman cannot grow drunk on herself how can she intoxicate others with her presence?"
"Um." Shana lightly waved her hands back and forth. "I've never actually been drunk."
This produced whispers from Nasu and Kumagai behind her.
"Doesn't Shanachi get some American alcohol sent to her at times?"
"I thought she had been banned from drinking when she started using it as a substitution. Wasn't that not too long ago?"
...First my appearance and now my liver. I feel like it is always body-related jokes with me today.
She felt her height was the same, but then Suzume's hair waved back and forth in front of her.
"I have also been deflecting the ones after you, so you should be thankful."
"Eh? …Ehh?"
She had not expected that. For some reason, the word "indecent" entered her mind and heat filled her cheeks. She frantically spoke up now that she knew her safety was in the hands of the deviant walking before her.
"U-um, m-make sure you reject all of them, okay?"
"Yes, yes. I am not honestly foolish enough to let any impurities approach Tsukiko Squad's main heavy tank Attacker . That would cause trouble for my foolish teammate and the others. Just leave it to me. I can speak English."
"You can?"
"Of course," answered Suzume. "Knowing the words 'yes', 'no', 'eros', and 'dance' is enough to hold a conversation."
"Wh-who let this idiot take the lead!? Oh, I'm so glad I realized this now!"
"It doesn't matter. There are not many people here who will be speaking different languages, so there won't be any problems. More importantly..."
Suzume turned toward them. She looked at Hiura, Kumagai, and Nasu.
"Has anything changed in our search for my foolish former captain's best friend and Kon?"
"By the way, where are Hitsugi-chan and Rokuta?" asked Nasu.
"Hitsugi went to a pain shop to see if she could find anything. Rika said something about watching over Wataru so he doesn't end up trying to kill Mitsuteru," explained Shana. "We will meet up with Hitsugi in the park near the Yagura Branch which runs between the branch office and the city. Kō and Yuka might be there as well, all things considered."
Suzume nodded.
"Heh heh heh. Not much further and we can spy on that foolish boy and his Operator's date. We are honestly a slight mistake away from being stalkers, but that kind of twisted concern is so lovely! If Shobu-san could join us, we could use his sensors to listen in! Let's eavesdrop! ...This would honestly be a lot easier with a ninja. Did that idiotic former captain even get up from bed yet?"
"As far as I know," said Nasu. "He is still at the school, but has woken up since the incident at the school happened, so he probably wants to gather himself while he can."
"Probably," agreed Shana, but then she turned toward Kumagai. "Yūko, don't you have some connection to him because of Denji?"
"You don't have to avoid calling that sort of thing what it is, you know? Anyway, Denji looks like he's going to be staying out of all of this and refuses to leave his squad room for the day. I'll be taking part in all of this, though. Even without Denji around, I still have my own things going on. Speaking of which, Murakami-senpai will probably have some trouble. With Yuki-san..." Kumagai held up her right arm. "And the whole body issue, I doubt he will actually be able to do much."
"What was it that makes the two of them even have a connection? Wasn't it something like being similar to each other?"
"Heh heh heh. If you are honestly going to look into people's pasts, keep it to the ones you have fallen for, gossiping heavy tank," said Suzume. "Whether one's past has a major impact or not, even incidents in one's past that leave no memory are part of the environment that shapes them. In that case, learning someone's past is the same as wishing to live in the same way as them. Understood?"
"Understand what?"
"Kuma-chan is saying that she and Denji have a past together. ...As a girl, don't you hope for an adorable future there?"
"You make it sound like you hope for love even from stalkers."
"What's wrong with that? If we were not all honestly protected by the law, everything we did would be a crime. So let us enjoy ourselves like criminals in this land with different laws. …Akane-chan, what are you looking at?"
.
In response to Suzume's question, Hiura looked to the right.
"There is a park over there."
The others only had to look. The park beyond the crowd was a square patch of land thirty meters long. It was likely a local gathering spot. A simple bazaar had naturally been set up there, but there was something else there as well.
"You assholes want to get in through the backdoor?"
Someone with a foul tongue and a manly way of speaking was speaking to others in that park. They were shielded away by the people, but the group could see the person had a semi-slim body with black eyes and black hair pushed back.
...Why does that boy seem so familiar?
He had a similar feeling to someone she knew.
The issue that she found was that his facial expression of annoyance was not like anyone's she had seen before. His facial structure and the way he held himself was something she had seen in some of the more experienced Border members, but had something else in it.
Usually, she would have ignored this sort of person as someone who only had a passing resemblance to someone she knew and would simply walk away now. In a city where they had to fight Neighbor and their sponsors were strange, seeing someone's doppelgänger was nothing that was particularly noteworthy.
"You sometimes see people like that trying to drive home the want for more people in the actual military or the force. For people like us, it really feels too normal to do after we have already fought Neighbors - both robot-like and humanoid."
The group surrounding the boy already had a supply unit which was running festival stands.
They were aided by women whose clothes bore chicken and squirrel emblems. Those women also lined up small items to sell.
This is a pretty lively atmosphere, thought Hiura.
"But those people seem to be very invested in bringing that boy with them, or at least getting something out of him."
"This is still the early stage for the festival, so they are still quite busy," said Kumagai from behind her.
Hiura regretted saying they were trying to get something out of that boy in front of Nasu and Kumagai who understood that themselves, but Kumagai was looking in the same direction.
"They probably want to find someone in Border to join them so that they can have someone already trained. That's kind of a poor excuse though, and one that ultimately doesn't work. The only times it would are for Gunners and Snipers, really. Even then, there are things we are too used to at this point."
"They probably want people who will be quitting Border so they can snatch them up as soon as they can. The difference between actually fighting and fighting for Border is a bit too wide. Using money works for people like Urushima, but that also brings in its own problems. That boy must be someone particular that they think they can get on their side."
Before their eyes, men lined up in the park and the leaders accepted them.
Meanwhile, the other group was still trying to convince the one boy in particular. Next to them, the recruitment commander tried to convince people to join while a hired band played as loudly as they could manage.
In the park, the people were divided between the candidates awaiting inspection and those whose inspection was complete.
And something existed between the two groups.
"Please join us so we know that everything will go smoothly! You would be an amazing help!"
The boy in question had been looking at the group with only contempt as they continued to zero in on him. The makeshift inspection gate had been in between him and the group until they had crossed it and moved in to get into his personal space. Hiura was fairly certain that he was ready to punch them in the face with the way his fists were tightening up at his sides and the way his brow began twitching. It very much looked like a violent person trying to hold back from using violence.
...That means he is trying to be a good person while others are pressuring him.
Supply workers stood to either side of the gate. One side was busy working on the other group of people while the second worked on trying to get the boy to join them. Even from this distance, they were able to hear what was being said over the festival going on around them without a care.
"You're the son of that family, aren't you!? What!? You don't want to be involved with them!? But you had offered us that thing earlier in the day! Why are you saying you don't remember that happening? ...Fine then. Let's start over and just ask you to get in in somehow."
It was unclear whether that was actually something to worry about or not, but it seemed the boy was getting tired of them.
As they spoke, the recruitment commander began performing an oath with those who had passed through the Spear gate.
"Listen up! You will abide by the AHRRS academy rules and the normal regulations of duty! First, when marching, 'Give your all, Always stay the pace, and Yearn to continue on'. Remember those rules of G-A-Y, and you'll do fine! Next, to ensure a balanced diet with your provisions…"
As they all nodded at the basic stipulations, they held their right hand and two fingers up toward the commander and gave their oath.
"I swear it."
The girls of Border sweated nervously as they listened to the stipulations and oath.
"No running in the halls, keeping a balanced diet, and flattening their milk cartons? Th-that is quite a strict oath."
"You eat nothing but meat, so you need to add water and bread to balance out your diet."
"Suzume, I think you would be kicked out the instant they performed a uniform or hairstyle inspection."
As they all watched the mercenaries, Kumagai spoke up.
"Moving away from those people... That boy over there looks like he's finally fed up with that group. He just punched on in the face that was getting too close for his liking. It's probably better to ignore that stuff going on though. But I get the feeling that leaving him be will only be a problem later on. Maybe we should have someone keep track of him while the festival is going on? That would probably be the best we could do at the moment, with what's going on with Yuki-san, that is."
"...You really thought that out."
"I suppose I did," she said, but she said nothing more about herself. She instead steered the conversation back toward the boy again. "That guy really does seem familiar though. I feel like it's only recently that I've seen him, but I can't put my finger on it. It's bugging me quite a bit, but going up to ask him would probably end up terribly."
"I understand that," said Hiura. She then had a thought concerning that sort of thing. "What would you think if he was actually someone we know?"
Her casual comment caused Kumagai to face forward. She had a surprised look on her face.
"Um..."
Hearing her teammate hesitate, Hiura belatedly realized her question had been inappropriate.
...I'm really lacking in tact today.
She decided to change the subject, but Suzume asked her a question before she could.
"Kuma-chan, do you still remember the way to the branch office?"
.
"Eh?"
Kumagai immediately restated her response.
...Oops.
"Yeah. It is up ahead on this road. I've been there to visit Yuki-san before."
"I'm a bit surprised you actually remember the way, Kuma-chan."
"I made sure in case there was an emergency with Yuki-san's health. Takato-san has said that she will be going there and that she will show me a quick way there."
"True." Suzume had her back to them, but Kumagai heard her laugh. "Just my foolish former captain was fun enough, but now Mei-san is honestly cute as a doll and I can touch her with my own hands. My life is trending upwards so much that every day sets a new high score. Just think about it: there is an idiot who is trying to make up his mind while also giving himself to everyone and a cement-like girl who actually has the authority to do something...and I am honestly on their side. So who will hold the highest position in the future? That would be me, wouldn't it?"
How is anyone supposed to mentally defeat this girl? wondered Kumagai, but Suzume brushed up her hair with a laugh and continued speaking.
"So if I do not keep a level head, the entire world will go crazy?"
"Are you saying you are a balancer for the world?"
...Even Misaki had to have been surprised when Takato-san suddenly changed. Probably. Maybe. If there is even the tiniest bit of normalness in her.
Kumagai had also not known what to do about that sudden change of that high end senpai, how she seemed much more relaxed, and learning that she had grown even stronger with people who were as troublesome as Denji. Kumagai had not known how to react to that girl or if she should simply leave things be and see what happened.
...Either way, that is something for Yuki-san to take care of.
Kumagai was grateful that Murakami would also be there for those two who had changed. After all, it meant that she knew someone strong would be backing two troublesome people. Now she just had to figure out what to do about it.
At any rate, she thought before speaking to the others.
"If we continue to gather this much attention, someone will notice us once we get closer."
"Heh heh. You honestly want to split up? I thought people like you hunted in packs?"
"Would you rather I gave instructions as a pack pack leader? Split up and track them."
Just as Kumagai followed up her instructions with a small snort, a shadow suddenly flickered to the side.
She frowned and looked around.
"Why are we tailing these people again? I have better things to do than this, you know."
Wakamura rubbed his forehead as he watched Katori look at the stalls lining the street. Her eyes had fallen on a stall selling old school games for a console that stores no longer sold. The way her eyes seemed to latch onto the game told him all that he needed to know.
Letting out a sigh, he looked over to where Miura was busy speaking with some of the people walking around.
"This is the best way to stay out of any trouble. Border won't be on us for helping Tsukiko-san's side and their side won't be against us for doing this for Border. Just put up with it and be happy that you're getting paid for this."
"Huuuuuh? That's supposed to make me happy? Like hell it will! Those girls are crazy and being around them is making me go crazy!"
"You aren't particularly any better. You stole some of Nasu Squad's style, so they can throw some pretty harsh copyright problems our way."
"Oh, shut up. It's not like they will do anything about it."
He shook his head as Katori continued looking at the stall selling old school games.
On the idea of enjoying the festival, Katori Squad had been told to watch out for anyone who might be on the side opposing Border's base. In this case it had been Suzume's group that had been found. There had been nothing too strange about what they were doing, but it was still up to them to keep an eye out.
With that in mind Wakamura had made sure to keep track of his captain as they walked through the city. It would only end in trouble if she were to go off on her own at the moment.
I wish I could have gone to this festival with her though, he sighed in his heart.
There was a different girl who had been on his mind since they had been informed about what was going on. That girl was the younger sister of who they should be wary of.
Taiyōko Hoshi was someone who would only ever be on her family's side.
As someone who was trying to remain neutral, he found that there was a chance he could help her while also not catching the eye of Border. So far this had been the only thing that came to mind. Watching out for both sides.
But...
"Urg! This seriously sucks! Can't we just say we're not going to be involved and call it a day? I want to have fun at the festival!"
It was made difficult with his captain's tantrum.
"You're the one who said you wanted a bit more money! Stop complaining and just keep a lookout!"
"I thought we would just be beating up some of them, not putting 'Stalkers' on the list of things be call us!"
"And the other things are any better!?"
"No, but being labeled as a stalker is someone meant for only you!"
"How am I the only one who gets that!?"
"Because of how much you follow that stupid little girl!"
At this point he could only sputter out sounds as his face began to heat up.
The smug and knowing expression Katori wore had been quickly taken over by an irritated one. It seemed that her own words had hit her hard as well, something he took satisfaction in. The simple mention of Hoshi had an effect on the both of them, but she was the one who would be hit harder than him.
"Oh, speaking of her, she's over there," Miura said, breaking his silent streak this entire time.
Wakamura turned his head to where Miura was currently pointing and could see Katori do the same from the corner of his eye.
In an instant, his eyes zeroed in on the stall that had been selling old school games that Katori had been looking at.
"What is that stupid girl doing!? I was going to go and get that game!"
"Hey, Hoshi-chaaaaan!"
The simultaneous yells from his teammates brought Wakamura back to the reality of the situation. They had been tailing the Kotowari Squad Sniper and had ended up finding their support member. Now she was walking over with a smile after being called over.
In her arms was a bag containing the game Katori had wanted to buy while a smile was shining brightly on her face. Her hair was done in a twin-braid style that Teruya had fixed for her days before. And once she got close enough...
"I am so glad to see you three! Hello, Miura-senpai, Katori-san, Waka-kun!"
She waved back to them.
.
It was frustrating to see that stupid girl running up to them, waving, bag in hand.
I was going for that game! Why the hell did she have to go and get it!?
It was bad enough that she was here at all. There would be no doubt whose side she was on, so all they needed to do was make sure she could not fight for that side. Even if they were supposed to be on a neutral side, there was no reason to hold back if this girl started something.
She was someone who relied on her teammates for combat, that much they knew, but she was also weak. Taking her one-on-one would be enough, so the three of them would be overkill here. That was fine so long as she gave up the game.
"I did not expect to see your squad walking around here. I had figured that you would be going after Kiyo-nii," the girl said as she reached them. Her arms were spread wide, as if asking for a hug.
Katori scoffed at the idea.
Rokurō will probably take it though. That stupid megane won't miss his chance to-
Her eyes went wide as the girl walked past Rokurō and instead went into the embrace of Yūta. The glasses-boy had seemed to be going for the hug, as evidence from his raised arms, so he had probably been surprised by this too.
The two of them looked at each other for a moment before slowly turning to see Yūta giving the stupid girl a return hug with a smile on his face.
Pointing her finger towards the two, she saw Rokurō blink a few times behind his glasses before straightening himself out. He coughed into his clenched fist and fixed his clothes.
...Damn, even I have to admit that was pretty harsh. Who new this girl could just crush a guy's hopes like that.
She would not respect that, but she could give some credit to the girl for doing that without hesitation.
"We decided to be neutral in all of this, so we won't be actively going after Tsukiko-senpai. You don't need to worry, Hoshi-chan," Yūta said as they pulled apart.
"Ah, that is good to know! I would not want to have to fight with you all. I would certainly lose without one of my teammates with me. Thank you for letting me know that."
"Of course! Oh, Hana wanted to know when you would be coming over. She said there were some things she wanted to talk to you about."
"Ah! I had forgotten about that! I will let the two of you know as soon as I am able to, is that okay?"
"Yeah! We will be ready whenever!"
The confusion only stacked up as the two of them spoke so casually while in front of them.
Katori looked back to Rokurō while bringing up her second finger to point at them. The glasses-boy seemed to have turned away from the two in an attempt to hide his embarrassment from the failed hug.
She had wanted to find out why the two of them were so casual with each other and when their squad's Operator had started hanging out with the stupid girl. All fo those time had to have been while she was not around. But then why did Rokurō also looked surprised by this?
"What the hell is going on!?"
The first to react was the stupid girl.
"Ah! My apologizes! I was so busy speaking with Miura-senpai that I had forgotten that the two of you were here!"
As insulting as that was, there was no time to think about it as the stupid girl had begun to put her hand into her bag.
The bag that had the game she wanted inside.
Katori narrowed her eyes, ready to pounce if this stupid girl started flaunting the game in front of her.
I don't care how much of a crush Rokurō has on her or how well she gets along with Yūta and Hana... I'll go for the throat.
As she expected, the girl had pulled out the game within the bag. The case it was held in was just as beaten up as it had been from a distance. The cover on it looked strange, but that had been what had gotten her attention in the first place.
While she was not as dedicated to gaming as ones like Hanzaki or Kunichika, she understood what it meant to find a game like this. It was a golden opportunity to play something like this while she had the chance.
Now all she needed was to get that game and get the console that could play it.
So once she starts...-
"Here you go, Katori-san! I had figured you would like this, from what Hana-san has told me!"
The girl held out the game to her.
Rokurō and Yūta could be seen nodding their heads to the side.
And Katori would only say one thing while gripping her hair.
"This stupid girl is so anooooooooying!"
Something Yuki had not been expecting when he heard the door close was for the Kobayashi-hired woman to walk in and sit on the bed that Mizukami had been sitting at.
"Ko ko ko. How long will you be pretending to sleep? I know you are hardly trying to pretend here, so there is no need to do so anymore. We have been sitting here for a good amount of time, so you should be healed enough to at least sit up."
He had not wanted to speak, but he knew that lying to someone like her would mean nothing.
Compared to her, he found himself to still be inexperienced. It was the difference between them that had him begin to sit upright.
"Oh, so you decided to actually get up. Good. I would have had to smack you if you chose to stay laying down."
"I know who you have on your side and who would come to help you. I don't want that kind of trouble near me right now."
"And yet you have an even bigger problem directly linked to you."
Yuki felt something in him shake at those words.
Everything that had been going on was something he was unsure how to feel about.
It had only been a few hours since he had been speeding in the underground, enjoying himself, but that had been quickly destroyed after he had woken up where everyone else was.
"Was there something in particular you wanted from me? I would figured that you would try something as someone associated with Border via Kobayashi."
"Someone who is only a 7 should watch what he says to a golden 9 like myself," she said with narrowed eyes. The smile that had never left her lips had turned tight. "Or is this simply the 'you' that is hidden behind the mask?"
"...I'm not wearing one of those anymore."
"So then you are simply a lost child who cannot decide on who he wants to be. That is actually even more sad."
What did she want? If she had been here to mess with him, the others would have at least tried to stop her. They had all let her come here and see him for herself, so they had noticed something about her that allowed them to trust that he would be fine.
That did not seem to be the case though.
This fox woman only wanted to mess with him and speak too casually to him. It was as if...
"...Wait, did Denji ask you to-"
"That man has decided to leave this issue alone. Him and the delinquent who had worked for Kurosaki."
That was both a relief and a worrying factor.
With both Denji and Sekai not being involved here it meant that neither side would have a particularly overwhelming advantage. Things could not be overturned in the blink of an eyes and both side would need to use what they have to make it through all of this.
But that brought up a certain question.
What is "all of this"?
Something was going on and he was being blamed for it.
Putting him in the middle of it all meant that others would naturally try to find meaning in why it was happening. During the important times for Border he had been thrown into the middle of the issues.
During the invasion and the attack on the base, he had been one of the ones to directly fight the opposing forces.
When the Wanderers had come to Earth, he had to hold off one of them while using his teacher's Black Trigger to defeat one of their trion soldiers.
The sponsors had turned on Border, so he had been the one to begin negotiations with them and had ended up going to Kurosaki to resolve the issue.
A few hours ago, he had fought alongside his only true enemy in order to defeat a Crown Trigger that had been beneath the city.
But now...
I am directly in the center of the issue. People are going after me while others are helping me.
This was different.
It would be fine if this only involved me and an opposing side. I could handle it well enough. Figuring out what is happening and what I would need to do would be all I needed before deciding to do something. But now there are others who are getting involved because of me.
This isn't something as simple as asking anybody what to do or cutting something in half.
A fight had begun within Border because he was directly involved.
.
Ah.
That made sense.
The moment he began unneeded was when others began involving themselves with him.
He was contradicting what they wanted, something he was used to doing.
He was a faker and that had led to this outcome.
The people who were following him and who had decided to be on his side were looking at the fake person he had created.
But that had only ended up in a fight.
Because his family only knew how to fight.
They started fights. They ended fights. They got in between fights. They watch fights. They thought of fighting. They enjoyed fighting. They made reasons for fighting. They chose to fight. They wanted to fight. They needed to fight.
It was how they are.
So what would happen if he finally stopped?
He had always known he would end up dying and fading from everyone's memories. An existence based on something false would be something everyone would want to forget. It would be something that would only right the world and get rid of the false thing.
Everything would right itself.
He was unneeded, so there would be no problem with this.
So.
That's what I can do.
The process was already in motion.
All that would be needed to was to finish it.
But...
I don't want that.
I know what will happen and what could happen, but I still don't want that.
I don't want to force that outcome.
If it happens because of my illness or because something has happened, that is fine. I am fine with fading away.
But...
I don't want to just go out because I know it will be better.
That would mean I have given up on this fight.
That was something he knew his family could never do.
Even someone like him could not do anything like that.
They could not give up on a fight.
So.
"Mogami, do you happen to know what exactly is going on in Mikado City?"
.
Yoshiko smiled behind her open fan.
The boy in front of her had been having an internal battle. She could tell that much from his silence.
He had not won that battle, she also knew that. He had not even finished it.
But that was fine. After all...
As long as he is still fighting, there is a chance for him to win.
He had an equal chance of losing to himself, but that thought should be the one in the back of her mind. If this boy continued to fight like this then she knew the people backing him up would continue to support him.
If he did end up giving in and loses that battle, those same people would stop supporting him and something else would happen.
They would help him back into the fight.
Border members have a strange way of doing things, I have realized, she thought with a laugh. They fight using tactics and teamwork, but are lenient when it comes to helping each other out.
Maybe it was the way of the younger generation to do such a thing, maybe it was not. But it still ended in the same way.
"Ko ko ko. You all are so interesting."
Closing her fan, she smiled down at the boy who was looking at her expectantly.
"So you want to know what is going on? Good. If you had left without asking for that much I would have smacked you back down. It is good to know that you understand your position."
"A 7 needs to remember his place in front of a golden 9."
This cheeky boy, she thought with a smile. He was using her own words against her, but not to mock or belittle her. It was his way of getting on her good side.
If he kept this up then there would be no way for him to lose in a battle of words.
But they were not in the middle of a battle, so he was doing this to mess around.
Yes, us foxes tend to like being mischievous for no reason at all.
"Very well. I will let you know what I have learned about the current situation in Mikado City. Before that, there is someone else who has come here to see you."
The way the boy narrowed his eyes was enough to tell her that he would be cautious until he knew he was safe. It was the instinct of a fighter and a fox who only knew how to rely on himself. It had taken her a good amount of time to gain that instinct for herself. Seeing this boy with that made her chest tighten for a moment.
She let that go for the moment as the door began to open.
She could hear the boy in front of her give a questioning hum as he saw who had opened the door.
Once it was fully open she could see the boy's brows raise in realization while the person behind the door made an instantaneous movement.
They slapped him.
.
"It seems like the two of you know each other, is that right?" Yoshiko placed her fan over her mouth. "That was quite a bold move."
Yoshiko had no problem with this action that appeared reckless. In fact, she quite liked it.
...As long as you have some life in you, that's enough.
She directed her gaze towards the boy as if asking if he was fine and got a glare and a horizontally-spread mouth in response.
"I do not envy the ones who have had to deal with you until now."
"I tend to just take it as it comes."
The way the boy raised his eyebrows and said this did not scare Yoshiko.
"Mogami!" spoke up the girl who had walked in. The way she held herself made Yoshiko smile, so she said nothing. "This guy deserves at least this much, from what I've been hearing!"
"Müller, was it? Having Denji around makes life so wonderfully stress-free, but you are pretty up there as well."
But someone else's reaction was an interesting one.
Gambler: "She must be one of the people he met while in Germany. That probably means that she's trouble."
Still Young Girl: "Not necessarily. I have my doubts, but it seems Tsukiko Yuki really has decided on who he wants to be."
Yoshiko pressed the raised fan against her lips so the laughter on her lips would not escape.
She sensed a dried lacquer flavor on her tongue before she continued.
"They appear to know each other well enough for him not to attack."
.
"So then," said Katerina Müller as she tapped her phone that she had pulled from her pocket.
...She's going all in, isn't she?
She had rushed into the room in order to smack him across the face, but now he seemed to have settled down.
But there was something that caught his attention.
While he only knew her and had something to be thankful for, there was someone who recently had an incident with him and was good friends with her.
That someone was Minoru.
He had found out about what Kushikage had done to his cousin and gone to Yuki concerning the matter.
At the time, Yuki had been in a different mindset, but he had not taken the best action when it came to the situation.
Minoru had not taken kindly to his answer when it came out, punched him in the face, caused him to fall, then everything had stopped. Time, the wind, and movement continued on, but Minoru himself had stopped, curled in, and showed something Yuki could never forget. He had broken down right there.
But that had all been something she heard about.
"Yes."
Katerina sensed Yoshiko looking forward behind her, but she inhaled regardless.
...Minoru probably ended up in a bad place after that.
But because of that, she knew that the two of them would be on opposing sides here.
...That shows just how bad that incident was.
Minoru was refusing to help Yuki and had even been the one to send him into this state, albeit on accident.
In the past, they would have been on the same side.
But the weakened boy had said something.
"You've finally found out about it, haven't you?"
Katerina tilted her head and asked the boy a question.
"So what will you do?"
The weakened boy's answer was a simple one.
"I'm going."
.
"You're going?"
Yuki heard Katerina's question.
But that question came from a smile with raised eyebrows.
"You don't even know about the rumors going on around you, do you?"
"They are rumors that you have been going around and trying to hand out Triggers. Also," continued Yoshiko. "Someone is going around and using your former name to cause a commotion. As it is a Border problem, the rest of us have stayed out of it. We don't know the full extent of these rumors, or who has started them, but they have spread out quite a bit. I suppose that you all would not have noticed due to your own problems happening."
But...
"There is no doubt that someone is using your likeness to go around and do something or other. It could really be you, or it could not."
"So do the two of you think it's me?"
"A good question," said Katerina while turning toward the door.
Someone shrugged in response.
That someone was Hokari.
"It can be annoying and unmotivating, dealing with him. Figuring things out are what we're best at when he starts causing trouble, just ask anyone from our class."
"Yuki...feeling lonely? Well, are you? Hmm?"
"If I could move around freely, I would punch you in the face, Pokari..."
It was good to know he was fine enough to talk back.
Manager: "Things have been set in Mikado City to make any battle done in the city appear to be part of the festivities. We should be able to do things a bit more freely than we would think. I am heading over to have a talk with the others, so anyone at the school, take care of that guy."
Yuki looked at the message that Hokari was showing him from the door.
He spoke to Kimura through it.
"I will not call this a game, Kimura. Because I'm actually pretty pissed that someone is doing this. But..."
He raised his right hand and raised a finger.
"Make sure everything is settled so that no one but me can get in trouble once everything is said and done here, got it? I don't want any of you to take the damage for my likeness being used."
.
Katerina saw a message appear on her phone.
It displayed the time she was supposed to have already been at the Border base in Mikado City.
...I guess this detour ended up being worth it.
Even if Yuki did go out and deal with this issue himself, the fighting would already have begun by the time he arrived. He would not have the time or opportunity to get involved until it was too late and he was useless. Instead, he likely planned to find critical points and track down the person who was using his likeness to deal with them himself. So...
...Most of the normal people are staying out of this.
"I see," said Katerina. "This is awfully presumptuous of you."
In the worst case, she would have to do something about this.
The information she was receiving from the base was over what she had expected.
"I guess that means I should be staying out of this mess as someone who is not even from this city."
So...
"Hey, give me your Trigger. The one that has the Trigger I made for you back in Germany that you took a liking to right away. And if you don't have it on you, just tell me where you put it so I can pick it up before heading to the base. I would assume you would not trust me, but..."
Katerina smiled bitterly because she knew what she had to say to him.
"I want to work on it some more. There's a reason I'm here in the first place, but I still have to wait regardless. ...So give it to me and I will work on it some more."
"Okay," said the weakened boy. Then the black haired boy at the door took a step forward in preparation to stop her.
"Hey, we also met in Germany. Why are you going to work on his Trigger?"
"Because I'm the one who finalized it. You can say that it has been in a prototype phase this entire time, so I want to collect the data on it and figure out what to do with it. The reason he had given me for finishing it was weak, but that was probably because he had a good reason to give it. I had even hid it from your Border over here." She flattened her hand in the air as she continued. "I will be giving them that information now, but not because I'm on their side. I'm not on your side either, but I want to work on that Trigger. So we can just say that I'm doing this for a selfish reason, if that makes you feel better."
Katerina's shoulders slumped when she saw the black-haired boy nod before taking a step back.
"Mogami."
"Yes?"
"They are probably going to get a lot of help from you."
"I always planned to give it."
The fox gave a "ko ko" of laughter.
"Müller."
"Katerina is fine enough. What is it?"
"You and I can get along quite well, that much I am sure of. So never feel the need to hold back if you need something."
"What...?"
"Oh?" Yoshiko's eyes widened a bit. "You hadn't noticed? There is someone we are now both connected to."