Mikado City's night sky was on full display.

The sun had fully set, and people had finally gone to sleep.

It was late.

The strangeness of the day had continued until the very end of the night.

The people who were moving in odd ways had finally decided to go home before it was too late.

With the night sky on display, it left some people with nothing to do but prepare.

So...

"We will be leaving soon to settle things with those idiots. When fighting those kinds of people, we will need to be ready for anything, especially since both of them know us very well, so their tactics and equipment are catered to us. They probably have everything planned to beat us, and it will be a real hassle to take them on. So this will come down to how fast we can attack. However..."

All of this came from Kumagai Yūko who looked out into the starry night sky. She reached for the teacup on the tray sitting on the bench.

"Who made this exactly? I hope it doesn't put me to sleep."

"I think it was made by Kuruma-senpai, so it's fine. Yes," replied Murakami Kō, who was seated next to him.

Hearing that, Kumagai held up the teacup for no real reason.

She glared at it as if she could see right through it.

"We got the rundown of what was talked about in the discussion between the branch offices and the Awdry family. It took a lot for everyone to give in and let us deal with the problem, didn't it?"

Murakami smiled and shook his head without making a noise.

No noise came out, but Kumagai understood why that was. Making noise on the subject would make her waver a bit.

Kumagai lifted the corners of her mouth in a smile when she saw his reaction from next to her.

"I guess you are holding true to your word by having a Suzunari Branch member deal with this and a Yagura Branch member also deal with it."

"Thank you very much."

Murakami was relaxed this entire time without missing a beat in his replies and used that to keep her calm as well.

"A lot of things had happened today, so that may be why Border decided to not do anything right away." He placed a hand to his head and laughed quietly. "Taking this break was really helpful."

"Rushing in really would have caused more of an incident."

"Oh?" Murakami nodded at Kumagai's comment. "Even if it was us, nothing would be resolved if they rushed and had others come in with us."

"That's right," confirmed Kumagai. "We also needed to wait for the citizens to be home. But it was still strange for them to act the way they did today."

"According to Yuki, that's due to Futoyuki's participation. But I don't really know how."

It sounded like a lot had been done just to make it to this point.

Yuki gave a deep sigh from where he sat.

"That is certainly a sound I never thought to hear from you."

"Rei?"

"Yessssss?"

Nasu smiled in order to put the boy at ease. She also held up an ice cream sandwich she had gotten from the freezer as a reward for dealing with everything during the day.

"Heh heh. Yuki-san? I hope you don't mind that I took one of your precious ice creams."

"If it's you, I can't say much in response."

"In that case, thank you. They are very good."

"You should get some sleep, though. It's good for your health and your looks. Besides, you shouldn't push yourself too hard."

"To hear that from you is a bit..."

"Hold on. I have too much to do, so I need to be like this."

"Fair enough," agreed Nasu. "But if I can get away with it when I am young, that means you can't complain about me doing it now. I just have to learn how to get to sleep early once I am older."

They heard the sound of Ikoma hitting the floor in the sitting area before hitting the nearby table.

"Ah, it looks like he was rolling around. I would have thought he would go to Chisato's room by now."

"Everyone was pretty tired today." Nasu smiled. "But I am glad to see them all getting along. Yes, and I was especially glad to see the part where everyone went all-out. Take a look over there."

"Over there?"

Yuki's gaze moved over to where Takeshi was asleep.

"Kotowari-kun worked really hard today and is all tired now."

"I didn't think he could sleep that peacefully."

"The way he is holding on to Mikumo-kun's shirt like that has also been good material to use."

"Please leave them out of this."

"I have already sent it to Suzume-chan."

"Wait a moment, Rei." Yuki quickly pulled out his phone and tried to find something. "Did she already start her next doujin?"

"Do you really think that she of all people would miss that golden opportunity?"

"Yeah, I suppose not." Yuki accepted it with a smile, but then he grabbed the empty space to his right in both hands and set it down to his left. "But that isn't the point."

"Oh, I took some photos too. Like when Ikoma-san tried to get a hold of Kotowari-kun. See?" Nasu slid over her phone and made sure to say one more thing. "I sent it to Suzume-chan."

.

Yuki quickly went through the phone's images to check them all.

...Oh, it wasn't just them.

In addition to pictures of Takeshi, there were images of Taichi and a pair of arms.

"Um, they're in the same category as a pair of arms?"

"Shiraishi-chan's defenses were too tough, so I couldn't get one of her."

That makes sense, he thought while flipping through, but then he came across a butt.

He was not sure he had ever seen it before, so why was he so certain it was his own? But...

...Oh.

He frantically set down the phone.

"What's the matter?"

"You know exactly what it is, don't you? Don't you!?"

While Nasu smiled in an oddly excited way, Yuki lifted the phone back up to check the image.

This was not something he expected to see. For one thing, the timestamp said it was from when he was covering everyone up.

There was one thing he had to ask about.

"Um, Rei?"

"Yesss? I will answer any question you have, Yuki-san. Because we are pretty similar at times."

"Then," he started. "Did you send this butt photo to Mei?"

"Hah. Do you really think I will answer that?"

"You went back on your word quick!"

"What does it matter?" The Shooter smiled and pointed toward the outside of the branch office. "If you are that curious, why not ask her yourself?"

"No way! There's no way!"

Ikoma gave a yell of encouragement and a dual thumbs up, but he was not sure what that meant.

He brought out his own phone to change the subject. At this time of night, anything he saw could be used as a new topic, so it was all useful to him.

"Honestly," he grumbled in exasperation, and found the chat for everyone who was in Border. "Hm, so Yoshi is also up. Probably playing games."

"You keep track of him pretty often, don't you? Akane-chan has told me how you watch over them when you all go out for ice cream. Of course, she also mentions how Hanzaki-kun also brings up his situation with Sasamori-kun and Girikage-kun."

That sounded like him. But aside from him...

"Oh, Daigo is actually asleep."

"You are acting as his mentor, aren't you? I have also heard about that. Apparently, you had taken an interest after he had spoken to you due to Wetman's words."

"Yeah, that seems to be the reason for it. But more than that..."

"It is due to Girikage-kun being a member of Hikigane-san's squad." Nasu pointed at the phone Yuki held. "But what about now that things have changed? Maybe I am judging a book by its cover, but that seems strange to me now. I mean, you look up to Hikigane-san and view him favorably, even now, I'm sure. I thought you would change things and tell Girikage-kun that you can no longer act as his mentor."

"Yes," agreed Yuki concerning Sekai. "I have some information on him since I needed to be in the know for a lot of things. And I do still look up to him. He has managed to get a lot done and even go so far as to give himself for the happiness of others. His thoughts on these matters go far beyond any excuse I can come up with. But that's why I feel like I can't give up on Daigo."

Yuki summed it up as briefly as he could.

"Most likely, Sekai-san is trying not to find a reason to stay with everyone. Even when there are major ones all around him."

"There are a lot of things you don't understand until that time comes, aren't there?"

Kumagai looked up into the night sky with Murakami seated next to her.

She saw the stars shining above the dim city lights.

"To be honest, I thought no one would take this seriously once you and Yuki-san settled things."

"Would you have preferred that?"

"I think I was being too self-conscious."

Murakami lifted his shoulders at that.

"I never thought I would hear that from you, you know that? But anyway, there is a lot we don't know about everything. That is just how it is, Kumagai."

"Are you going to ask me to wait for Denji until I do understand?"

"No, I'm not," cut in Murakami. "Besides, you aren't the type to wait for someone like him. If you fail to understand before that happens, then it's too late by the time you do. Then the people remaining will worry that they received nothing by the end of it."

"Are you talking to me here, or yourself?"

"Good question." Murakami looked out into the city, as if to find something. "To be short about it... I had made someone feel lonely when I was the only person who could remember him. Then it happened again, just with a different person."

So...

"I think we should talk a bit more about what it really means to be unneeded before we head out."

Nasu leaned against the chair across from the other chair and raised her finger toward Yuki.

"Listen," she said to gather the boy's attention. "This might make good material, and it might set the stage for something. You claim Hikigane-san has a reason to ignore everyone around him in order to maintain his idea of allowing others to be happy. That sounds like an interesting suspense story, so I can use it like I do the radio while thinking over some things."

"That's a good idea," said Yuki as he got up and looked at his phone.

White Fox: "Hey Akane and Yoshi, I know you two are around. Do you want to hear about Sekai-san too?"

Yoshi: "Geh!? I guess Yuki-san finding me out is to be expected... But why would I want to know about that guy?"

White Fox: "Don't be like that. I know how you feel about him, so this could be a good chance to get a better understanding of him."

Yoshi: "Urg... Fine. I guess I'm sort of obligated to know about him."

Yuki gave a thumbs up and saw Nasu return it.

All that was left was Akane.

Mad Hatter: "My uncle really does have some kind of history, but are you sure it's fine to tell us this?"

Viper: "He is still active after everything, so he must have a good outlook on the end. But still, I doubt that even Yuki-san knows his actual history."

White Fox: "I will only be saying things related to what I know."

Nasu smiled bitterly when Yuki looked back up.

"That is my thanks for looking after her and Kuma-chan."

"Rei, you're in such a different mood, you feel like someone else entirely."

"That is what happens when things like these come up for us."

"Fine, fine," said Yuki while raising his phone.

White Fox: "Um, okay. Let's talk about a mystery or slight oddity concerning Sekai-san."

Yoshi: "You saying his dick is small?"

Yuki was quick to mute Nasu and Akane from the chat for a moment.

White Fox: "No, I can confirm from Jinsei that it's pretty big, actually. But I really didn't expect that from you, Yoshi. Maybe you should actually go to sleep now. ...But that's not the point here. Even if it was actually a pretty funny question."

Yoshi: "That would be surprising though, you have to admit."

"I suppose," replied Yuki while unmuting Nasu and Akane.

White Fox: "This has to do with his partner in crime, Denji, who probably knows him best by this point."

.

"Now," said Yuki as he scrolled through his phone.

All of this had been sent to others who needed to be in the know as well.

He would provide information on the people with some connections to Border, especially when they had a connection to those around Border - and especially especially when they were involved with the sort of things that Akashi would invent weird fantasies about.

Sekai and Denji fell into that category.

...We don't have much time, so I need to get right to the point.

White Fox: "Sekai-san was actually how Mogami Yoshiko-san met Denji in the first place. He had been going on his own before that."

"That sounds awfully familiar."

Yuki wanted to shout, "I knew you would say that!" but he could not stop some embarrassment from rising up. He felt this way far too easily today. Did he just have to get used to it? But...

Yoshi: "So what kind of relationship did Bakuto-san have with that guy?"

White Fox: "Well, he actually seemed pretty intimate with Denji."

Viper: "Wow, so they were a thing. I can see that, though."

White Fox: "Um, well, this is kind of a pain to explain, but it was more like they were both in the same mindset when it came to those around them."

However, it was not a good mindset for them.

White Fox: "They wanted to help out others around them while putting themselves on the line for everyone, meaning they had little regard for themselves from the very start."

Viper: "So they grew closer due to their own thoughts about things and their understanding of each other, huh?"

Yoshi: "What kind of mindset was it exactly?"

White Fox: "That isn't really for me to say. I can only tell you what my mindset had been like, and then you would have to go off of that with them."

"But," said Yuki.

He had a thought about the current Sekai and Denji. To put it into words...

White Fox: "The current Sekai-san and Denji refer to themselves as Unneeded."

"Really, it was all a big pain in the butt," said Kumagai while seated on the bench and eating a teacake that had been sitting there for a while now. "Denji told me about all the things he and Sekai had been through."

"Yes, I was aware of that."

"You looked into it?" she asked without even looking over.

Murakami covered his mouth with his hand and smiled.

"They had both told Yuki about it once before, meaning I needed to also be told."

"Then there's no point in hiding it. Think of this as a verification from someone who was told everything and more."

Listen.

"It's because of Sekai-san that Denji got to where he is now.

"Denji got his mindset because he had been around Sekai for so long.

"It had been there from the start, but the two of them played off each other and stirred something in each other that brought this all out."

"Right, and after they confirmed this, they became-..."

"I will get to that later," said Kumagai. "Now, you seem to think you know about Denji, but I bet you didn't know this."

This being...

"He let go of his hatred."

White Fox: "At the time, it was only those two, and I had been going by a different name for various reasons. I don't know if they were on the same squad as Minoru and Ketsu-san, so I don't know if they had any part to play in this. But, after everything that has happened, I asked Minoru about the two of them during their time on the same squad as each other."

He had learned something from that.

White Fox: "Sekai-san and Denji had acted that way since the very start of them being a squad...I think. I can't quite track down all the information, but they made it onto that squad while already having that Unneeded mindset."

Viper: "Then did the both of them join because of that reason exactly?"

White Fox: "That's where things get kind of tricky."

Yuki viewed the records as he spoke.

White Fox: "Yasuko-san and Minoru were the first to form the squad. And while they were involved with that, Sekai-san had been sent to join them. ...Denji came after, and Ketsu-san followed in last."

Yoshi: "Cause they were lazy?"

White Fox: "Go have them kick your butt later, Yoshi. ...Anyway, Sekai-san's appearance there might be the very reason that Denji joined them, but I don't know for sure. That's actually the reason I asked Minoru about it the night before."

Viper: "So what was Bakuto-san doing before he became a member of that old squad?"

White Fox: "Well, Yūko has told me that there had been a long time when Denji had just been loitering around in his life."

And...

White Fox: "He had gotten attached to Sekai-san."

"That sounds like a complicated friendship. Or something-or-other-ship..."

"I have to agree with you, but they probably thought they were making things simpler at the time. They saw each other as partners. If anything, they understood that the other was a terrible, idiotic, and overall nasty person. They were probably dragging each other around...or maybe following each other. That's what I mean."

"Oh, so something like Yuki is with me."

The fox boy would likely throw something if he heard that.

"He can be such trouble a lot of the time."

"Well, they might not have been so dynamic. But, anyway, they probably found comfort in only themselves back when it was just the two of them."

However...

"After Sekai-san joined that squad, Denji did the same. Then the two of them stuck together there. I really don't know the specifics of how they were with that squad, but I know that they were only there for a name or because they had to be. The directors had apparently appointed at least one of them there."

"And that's why you never mentioned them?"

"Right," confirmed Kumagai. "Although it was something I knew about because of Denji, that's all there is to it. I only knew that squad existed, but I had no idea who was in it. I only heard about general things about everyone who wasn't Sekai-san."

So while playing her part as a listener, she learned about what that former squad was like.

Denji had calmed down a bit after that, even if he remained mostly the same, and he managed a fairly comfortable life because of it.

"From what I was told, they had been working well as a squad, and by the time a lot of things happened, everything had settled into a nice place. Anyway, Denji had decided that he was fine with this, so I thought it would have ended there."

"But there was more?"

"That's an easy answer." She shrugged. "They had gotten too comfortable with how they could act with that former squad of theirs. I think you saw it too, back when there was another squad running around."

"Did I tell you about that at some point?"

"It was Kirikari who told me. I got reminded of them when Denji told me this."

Since then, they had lived in peace.

His life had changed into a nice way of living where he could be free to do as he liked, even if she had not been there at the time to see it herself.

Denji had apparently not been the type to let himself grow corrupt even if he wanted to, so the days had passed relatively uneventfully.

But the time for their squad to separate was approaching.

...What could they even do?

"Everyone had been enjoying themselves enough due to their Operator keeping them in line. The plan was for them to continue this so that they would all have a place to return to without worrying about what else happened around them. It was thought that it would benefit everyone involved."

"It would keep Sekai-san and Denji peaceful, and it would allow for Border to have such a strong squad on their side for a long time."

"At the time, they never thought of it like that."

"Then this can be a lesson for you as well. But what happened to that plan?"

You could figure that out from the end result.

"With that Operator leaving, they came to a conclusion."

White Fox: "The remaining feelings that the two of them had from their time with that squad brought up some memories from incidents that had happened before joining that squad. At the time, they must have really let themselves wander into their own thoughts, so they came to the conclusion that they were no longer needed. Border would need them as members, but they had done their part as squad members."

Viper: "Why did they end up there? I thought they would be fine with it, especially since it seems that at least one of them had been forced onto that squad in the first place."

White Fox: "From my experience with two squads, I can understand what it was that got them to think like that. Generally speaking, they had gotten too attached and comfortable with that squad to the point where it felt like there was nowhere to go after that."

Yoshi: "Were they as bad as your former squad?"

White Fox: "I really have no idea. Even if they seemed close, Minoru had told me that they really weren't. It only seemed that way because they were all kept under control. Otherwise, they were pretty much individuals who were around each other. At best, they kept a respectful distance from each other. The only exception seemed to be Denji, but Minoru never had a good time around him, so that could have just been his bias showing. So they might have thought they were working together, but I think it was an excuse."

Nasu frowned at that.

...Oh, nothing gets past her.

I should have known, thought Yuki while Nasu's face was illuminated in the darkness by her own phone.

Viper: "What do you mean they might have thought, but it was also an excuse?"

White Fox: "Well, this is something that has to stay between us. Or, rather, it's something that might not be true and just something that I think may be true when I consider who they are."

Viper: "Whether or not I have Suzume-chan draw something is for me to decide."

Then this should be safe, decided Yuki.

"After having been forced into the position, Sekai-san probably didn't think he would be more than a coworker for Yasuko-san and Minoru."

Viper: "So he got too attached? Is that what you are trying to say?"

White Fox: "More-or-less, yes. But the real issue came when Denji followed him into that squad, according to what Minoru had told me. That was when the two of them probably thought that there was little for them to actually worry about."

In other words...

White Fox: "They most likely thought that this squad was where they could put aside the mindset they had built up and be free from it. So, uh, it's possible that they took the disbandment harshly, even if it didn't seem like it in the first place. But, well, Akane-chan? There's something I want to ask you."

Mad Hatter: "Yes, what is it?"

White Fox: "During that time - maybe 3 or so years ago - did Sekai-san start acting different? I joined pretty recently, in all honesty, so I wouldn't know what anyone would be like that long ago or further back. I wasn't even here for the first invasion, after all. And besides, I would think you would know more, being his niece and all."

Mad Hatter: "I'm not sure if he acted differently, but I remember that he had become a bit more distant."

...Well, that would make sense. He would be 16 around that time, so it could be written off as teenage problems.

Viper: "Okay, let's get on with it before someone unwanted wakes up. ...Isn't it kind of like what happened with Yuki-san's recent squad?"

White Fox: "Yes. That's what I had meant. Takeshi and the others took it harshly too, but they had always been on the emotional side and let things show easily. That meant everything came out in fits of rage and with a complete lack of response. When I saw Takeshi during that time, I thought he might end up turning into our fourth. I'm really glad that he managed to get past that and turn into the person he is today. I also have Rei to thank for that."

"But," said Yuki.

White Fox: "If they had the same reaction as my former squad, it meant that that is probably where the real feelings of being unneeded came from. Maybe not thrown away, but finally having no reason to be needed. That likely grew until it turned into what we have now."

"I still don't know why, but things changed." Kumagai thought back to what she had been told. "At the time, I had thought he was just being annoying. I had never really thought much about what he could be saying, or why he was saying it in the first place. Our job had been to keep them grounded, so I didn't think too much about his past."

"Well, they do say that you never know what you have until it's gone. While Denji is still here, it also feels like he's gone."

"True enough," she agreed. "For that very reason, he might not have understood what he had until he had to leave and go solo. That might have been when he started going out of his way to anger others in order to get hatred from them. He wanted to take all of the hatred of others so that he would be the only one who suffered. Doing so would mean hoarding everything negative from others and having someone easy to blame whenever it was needed. He was just like that...is what I thought."

But what happened during that time?

She only knew that is had resulted in a hardline stance of being labeled "Unneeded".

"My only praise for the two of them is for their decisiveness to hold true to these things."

"For the two of them?"

"That's right. Both Denji and Sekai-san have taken things to the point where they hold true to that choice they made and don't seem to want to change their mindset from it."

Thinking back now, she was glad Denji was that kind of person.

Because once it was all over, she had someone who could be completely honest with her and push her more than anyone else would.

But before they knew what the future held, she had taken his words lightly.

"When we had first met, Denji came forward and said this: 'I'm sorry that you're a pathetic girl, Kumagai Yūko.'"

"Kumagai Yūko?"

"That's right. That was the first time he had called me by my full name, but I just accepted it without thinking too hard about it."

...I was more pissed that he called me pathetic like that. That jackass.

"At the time, I tried to hit him and told him he should be apologizing for saying that sort of thing. And if he was going to be like that, then I would make sure he paid, so I said this to Denji."

She had wanted to look like a dependable member of Border in front of that powerhouse of a fighter. So...

"'I will prove you wrong every time.'"

"Oh."

"I will never forget the look on his face when I said that."

"Was he happy?"

"Not a chance."

Kumagai smiled bitterly. Denji had let out his barely built up anger that could have been interpreted as anger or resignation, and he had beaten Kumagai in a solo match. Over and over.

"He told me I was stupid. ...But I already knew I was stupid, so I again accepted it without thinking too hard about it. And that was a mistake."

She had calmed Denji and gotten to know him more after their repeated battles.

She remembered it being a long time.

"We had gotten to know each other, but since he thought he had no future, Denji suggested I know more about him than that. He wanted someone to hold him down when he felt like he couldn't hold anything back anymore. While I was wondering what in the world he was talking about, he looked like he had made a decision based on everything we talked about."

He said...

"'How should I put this? I'm worried that I might leave Sekai alone. And more than him, there are the others I'm worried about.'"

"He must have really been feeling the drawbacks of holding everything in, right?"

He was.

"I assumed that he had lost sight of where he was, so I chose to stay with him for awhile. I remember it happening on the outer part of Mikado City. I could see the lights of the inner city, and I said, 'Just let them deal with that stuff then' with a sigh."

He had responded with a "sure."

"I promised him that I would become his outlet, so I made sure to prepare myself for everything he had to dish out."

She had meant it as a bit of a cruel joke since he seemed to barely be holding it together and she knew he might snap. But...

"He began holding true to our conversation and put all of his anger and hatred towards me."

.

"––––––"

Should Murakami's silence have made her feel proud or made her laugh at herself.

She still did not really get it.

"He had said he was worried about other people he knew. I don't get what men are thinking sometimes. But I did finally understand what he meant when I was first introduced to Sekai-san. And now I understand who else he was talking about back then."

You fool. Stop looking down on yourself by assuming he was being considerate or cruel.

She had not thought much of anything about that foolishness. But...

"Well, I got really angry with him at some point. I grabbed him by the collar and let him have it: 'You're the worst. You didn't even fool those around you, you know that?'"

"And what did he say back?"

You're enjoying this, aren't you? she thought about Murakami's reaction.

"'Of course I did. You're the only one I won't try to fool.' And he was exactly right, so I couldn't find a rebuttal. He had been honest with me since that conversation."

With that, she had realized that two different deceptions had been underway even before she had met him.

Denji had wanted to have someone close to him.

Sekai had wanted a place for himself.

Denji had tried to create that place or help find it for him, but it had ended in failure, which led to the two of them feeling unneeded.

"And a fool will meet a fool's end."

The two of them had been connected since their first meeting as people who had gone through things others might not know about. She had learned what Denji had done in the past, but she still had no clue as to what Sekai was like before having joined Denji in his lifestyle. That hidden part of someone Denji knew so well had put her on edge after being on the same squad as Akane.

"But I guess even these kinds of things need to come to an end."

"Hey," he had said to her the day before he fought against Murakami. "I think I'm finally tired of dealing with this kind of mindset."

That had been enough of a shock to her, so much so that she had been happy about it.

"But I mistook his words by thinking that he would finally come and join the rest of us, like Yuki-san had. He had said one last thing to me."

He said...

"'Sorry about all the trouble.'"

"And what did you say in response?"

"I hate to say it, especially since it was so recently, but I honestly don't remember."

That showed just how overwhelmed with emotion she had been.

Part of her was certain she had said something, but part of her was certain she had not.

And would she have even had the words to reply to that?

"I had gone about things as usual after that, not thinking about what could come from it. I guess I was pretty happy, according to what they were saying about me. I remember doing some solo matches that day too. I didn't think much more about it since I felt I might have finally gotten through to that guy after all this time, but..."

She took a breath.

"I ended up hearing about the fight you had with him."

"You mean...?"

"I had spoken with Ariake before that happened and was told some interesting things. Then I heard about the fight later on."

There seemed to also be a past between him and Murakami, but she chose not to bring that up here. Besides that, he had made sure she knew that this issue was not about the past but about the present.

"That guy can be weirdly dependable at times. But he did bring up some good points that I had been thinking about the whole day. I think I came to terms with what really needs to be done after everything that happened during the day."

That had led to more realizations.

Why had Denji decided to even contact her?

Why had he and Sekai say anything to Border in the first place?

And why had she not realized anything that was going on?

Did she only have her own foolishness to blame for feeling happy while being oblivious?

Or had she been given that sort of happiness by hiding everything from her?

"Why is there so much you only understand after something happens?"

Dammit.

"I was so stupid to misunderstand what Denji meant after all this time. In a way, revealing my stupidity must have led Denji to realize all of his efforts were being wasted on me. It's obvious now that his contacting me was out of sympathy for my stupidity."

He really had held true to himself the whole time. But...

"Did I say something to Denji during that time?"

Had she managed to say something to the man who only gave her his hatred?

It was a bit late to be asking that now.

"All this time, I chose to stay with others while letting him do as he wanted."

That was not much, but it seemed to be enough for both of them. And...

...This is the result of that decision.

It was not a decision of sympathy. She knew she chose it so they could cut ties easily.

That was all she could do with him, so she was sure that was all she could have done.

I really am stupid.

"But...Kumagai? There is proof that all of that time spent wasn't wasted, isn't there? I mean, you look just as ready as I had been."

"True." She stood up. "Since he told me that, I wanted to find something that would help me with him. That fight you had with him also helped in my deciding that I could do something. That's why I'm not going to turn a blind eye to him and properly speak to him. I wasn't ever able to really give him any hatred...probably because I don't hate him."

She gazed up at the starry sky. When she looked up and felt the chill of the air, she realized just how embarrassing her words were. However...

"You and Yuki-san managed to get to this point before either one of them. ...All because you decided to be with everyone."

But that had worked because they were all terrible people. Everyone had dragged Yuki with them.

That was why she chose to do things differently than them and ask for specific help, but even that would be pointless if she could not bring herself to say the words she needed to tell him. It all came back around to hoping he would be true to himself the entire time.

"Don't misunderstand my words. Of course, even if you do, you might just find a convenient way to see it."

She took a few steps forward and.

And she took a breath.

"I think that's enough talking from me. ...It's about time I faced reality with that guy, even if it's going to be a pain in the butt the entire way through. Especially after seeing you two right now. So..."

So...

"I want to ask for your help here. Can you do that for me, Murakami-senpai?"

"Of course."

Good. Then...

"Shall we get going?"

Yuki finished telling the majority of the story.

...Although there are still a lot of things I don't know, so I can only speculate.

Viper: "Things really do sound complicated, huh?"

The other two nodded, and Yuki concurred.

The sky outside was still dark, and dawn was only a short time away. So Yuki could only think...

"I should be going soon. Knowing Kō, he will be on the battlefield already."

He wanted to leave while others were still sleeping. This was something he needed to settle as a former Unneeded.

But when he got up, Nasu spoke quietly to him.

"I hope that you were not planning on going out alone, Yuki-san. That would just be foolish."

And...

"Kuma-chan had already asked us for some help, so neither Akane-chan nor myself will be staying still."

"That's great and all, but you stayed up pretty late. Are you sure you're up for it?"

"You say that as if you are not in the same position as me."

Yuki smiled at her from where he stood. There was no longer a reason to do things by himself, or settled things just because he knew things.

"Shiro and Sthénos had been nice help, but I know you two will do just as well as them."

"It seems like things will be moving forward now."

Minoru listened to Mei from atop the wall in front of his uncle and aunt's house.

They had met back up after everything that had happened to go over what they knew. Everyone else had gone home, so it had just been the two of them sharing information.

They were both tired after a long day.

They could not sleep, though.

Minoru had found it hard to sleep after finding out about his former teammates.

Mei had decided to stay up with him while leaving her parents to sleep in the house below them.

He had made sure that no one else would come by to stay at the house for a second night.

"I never imagined those guys would cause this much commotion in such a short amount of time."

"You were pretty wild yourself for some time, so it makes sense."

"No, I think you're mistaking me for someone else. Hahaha."

"Oh?"

Mei didn't seem to accept that answer, but she remained quiet. It was a mystery what she actually thought about what he said.

Still, he could only blame his own personality for refusing to go out himself to speak with his former teammates in the first place.

...What am I supposed to do?

Should he rejoice? Should he argue his case for not going to them earlier and fighting them himself?

They all knew that they were not as close as they could say they were. That would be why Mei had not said anything about the situation.

But it still bothered him on the inside.

"How should I put this?"

"Just say it however you can."

Fair enough, he decided while pretending to think hard on it.

"I don't like it..."

This was something he had been thinking about for a while.

"I don't like how it feels like this could partly be my fault."

"I wouldn't say it's completely like that." His cousin smiled bitterly. "All of you refused to properly see eye-to-eye, even now. You didn't want to talk about much since you were all on the same squad during that time. Yasuko-san and Michelle had been the middle point for you all, but none of you grew up past that and stuck to clinging on to that old lifestyle. I'm not saying you all are being childish, but you already talked things out with me and Yuki, so why can't you do that with them?"

"This feels different from that. This is that Unneeded thing that Yuki talked about, while I'm thinking about the past."

"Eh, I would say it's all the same thing."

"So are you thinking of it from our point of view?"

"That would be kind of weird."

"Then..."

Before he could ask why, his cousin took control and explained her thoughts.

"Yuki learned that when something's a pain, he can leave it to, or abandon it with, 'them'. I'm guessing that Sekai and Denji are also like that."

"I don't think it's like that..."

"Why?"

"Because it means they really never did feel like any of us were good enough for that."

Mei looked over at him with wide eyes, something he did not expect. That response had clearly come as a surprise. And...

"–––––"

For some reason, she hung her head and held her head in her hands.

Minoru wondered if he had said the wrong thing.

He was feeling kind of awkward, so...

"What is it?"

"Well, sometimes these weird truths hit you in the last way you ever expected. But anyway." His cousin pointed forward with a straight face. "Look, he's coming."

Minoru looked over to see a familiar face climbing the slight slope toward them.

"Ketsueki."

.

Ketsueki nodded when Minoru called his name.

He had already arranged to have a quick meeting with his boss.

He had contacted the main base to ask what to do about his former teammates.

...Apparently Akasora-san said he would leave it up to the rest of us.

He had always been the kind of person to let others deal with things when they heavily involved them.

That meant they would do things themselves.

It had been decided that Border would get ready for anything that happened due to Misó.

While making those arrangements, he had heard Minoru was staying awake at his family's house.

When he told Director Rindō he wanted to hold a "secret meeting" with Minoru...

Myth: "I will be out for the night; that much I can guarantee."

2.7 Maime: "Have fun playing around with your former teammates, Ketsu-san."

He raised a brow at the strange response.

Myth: "Would it not be better to let me know how things will turn out? I would likely be doing nothing different from usual if you did so, Jin-kun."

2.7 Maime: "That won't work out as well as you think. Besides, the future is pretty weird at the moment, so just keep doing what you need to do."

Myth: "At times, I do wonder what it is you actually see."

That was a pretty Shinto way of thinking, he realized. But on the other hand...

Myth: "I suppose I should not pry into the life of someone like you, Jin-kun."

2.7 Maime: "Now, now, there's no need to say that. Ketsu-san has been having it rough recently, right?"

Myth: "I would not say that. It has just been a bit hectic around her lately. So much so that I had not been able to see Mikumo-kun's squad's last match."

2.7 Maime: "It's fine. It's not like they are mad at you or anything."

Oh, I figured as much. They are good children.

...Still, I had been too worried to go see that match, and now I feel bad about it.

But Jin asked a question about the situation.

2.7 Maime: "Ketsu-san, are you sure you're fine enough to speak with your former squad?"

Myth: "What do you mean by that?"

2.7 Maime: "Well, do you think you will go back to how you were in the past?"

That's the real question, thought Ketsueki as he climbed the slope.

The road was not that long, and he was used to working out. A walk like this was nothing for him.

He recalled that this person was also someone who was built well for these kinds of things, and he called out to them.

"Minoru, there is a lot I would like to talk about."

.

Minoru responded to Ketsueki while aware that he was physically above the other man.

"There are a lot of things I also want to say. ...To you and the others."

"That's right. We have a lot to talk about, don't we? I screwed that up earlier, but now I am ready to go all out against those two morons for what they've been doing."

"I see you decided to go back."

"I want to keep who I am intact, but I think being strict with myself won't help anything in this case."

Ketsueki's words told Minoru something.

...He really has changed.

He had not been the kind of person who would be lax with himself and show this side to others no matter what.

For that matter, he had not had the personality for something like a branch office either."

"Ketsueki." Minoru spoke his mind. "This hasn't been easy for you, has it?"

"What's with that sympathetic look?"

"Nothing." He waved his hand back and forth. "Don't worry about it."

Besides, he had something else to say.

"Why not try to stop them from the start?"

"I owed Denji a lot, so I wanted to repay that all in one go. Stopping it would only add to my debt."

"Are you stupid?" The words left him on reflex, and he leaned forward a bit. "Did you really think that would be the end of things? Are you just going to abandon your continuing responsibility for everything?"

"Then would you have repaid my debt?"

"Why would I have to!?"

There's something weird about him, thought Minoru.

Not that long ago, Ketsueki had spent all his time traveling around, but now...

...He looks ready to finally settle down in the city.

He realized this bizarre behavior had nothing to do with whether or not Ketsueki was traveling around, but that was not the point.

"Ketsueki, did you get yourself brainwashed somewhere?"

"No, I didn't."

His own cousin raised her right arm with a dull expression.

"What idiot would say yes to that?"

"Hm, that was a stupid question, wasn't it?"

But Ketsueki tilted his head down with a frown.

"There's something weird about you."

"That's my line." Minoru sighed and let his shoulders slump. "Besides, why are you still acting like this?"

"Oh, that. Being strict with myself puts a lot of tension on my body, so I end up being more rigid than I should be. So if I'm going into this, I want to be able to move better than ever."

"That's an interesting way of putting it."

When he jumped from the wall, he felt a bit of vibration coming from his feet.

"Is it really something for you to stand against? I would think it would be fine."

"That was from my legs falling asleep."

"So," said Ketsueki, "you're saying it isn't too much? Then I'll make sure to hold true to this until the end of the night. Okay, I decided."

.

Minoru saw Ketsueki nod.

"Well, there you have it, Minoru," said Ketsueki with his arms crossed in a dignified way.

"Wait, hold on, Ketsueki! Listen to what I have to say!"

Things were progressing at an extreme rate.

...Um, if he is going back to this kind of personality then what does that mean for the rest of us!?

He had said it was only until the end of the night, but that would mean he would go back to being his strict self by dawn.

"How long do you think this will last exactly!? What is going on!?"

"First you tell me to listen to you, and now you pepper me with questions?"

"Just tell me what is happening!"

"Right," said Ketsueki before pointing to the western sky.

The empty sky was pitch black since dawn would still be a while before approaching.

The Forbidden Zone was under that sky.

"Dealing with those morons we call former teammates will take a lot, so I don't plan on fighting near dawn or after."

"And you think that will be enough with everything going on?"

"Oh? If you know how much it will take, you understand this better than I thought."

"Ah." Minoru was dumbfounded. He simply had a feeling this was headed that way. "You want to deal with them and be done with it? Isn't that pretty reckless!?"

"Sorry."

When Ketsueki apologized so directly, Minoru lowered his raised hips back to lean on the wall.

...He might also be an idiot.

Minoru knew things were over for him now that the other man had apologized.

Because no matter what he said or did, the other man would simply apologize.

"Listen, Minoru."

"I don't want to hear it. Because I want all of us to be there at once when this sort of thing comes up!" He moved his arm past his shoulder to point toward a direction he knew. "You have no idea how Yasu-nee has been feeling about all of this!"

"Sorry."

"Don't apologize!"

"Okay."

"And don't say okay! When did you get so selfish?"

"I guess this is why we need to settle this," said Ketsueki. "This is how I had been before becoming strict with myself. You should remember that we were all very different before we began to get comfortable with our former squad and Yasuko-san."

"But...that was only possible by agreeing to work as individuals."

"Probably so. But from what I understand, we also got far too comfortable with just doing as we were told. There had not been a time when we could all properly agree and be on the same level as each other. We were all pretty pathetic."

"To have you be the one to say that to me here is a bit much..."

"Take things seriously when it calls for it."

Minoru just about retorted with "look who's talking," but held his tongue.

Ketsueki would only be acting like this until dawn.

"I thought I was with crazy people."

"Yes. I don't have that good of an influence around me either."

So...

"I'm going to beat up those bad influences, then drag them over for a nice, long talk."

"Can you do that for both of them?"

"Of course not. That's why I came to see you, but I guess you were having a nice family conversation," he said. "Still, I know that there are a lot of things you want to say to those morons ever since we were on the same squad together. I made sure to keep some tabs on you all."

"That sure is convenient for you, huh?"

"Then will you try to do it all yourself?"

Minoru thought about that. He had a number of thoughts concerning their former teammates. After all, they had all left things on a bitter note. But that did not mean he wanted to deal with it by himself, nor did it mean he would let it all go.

"I can't do that."

But this crazy man in front of him wanted to get to it right away.

...Oh.

Minoru mentally slumped his shoulders.

...He hasn't really changed at all.

He thought he had accomplished something, but he was still influenced by that "I'm not good enough" complex.

But one thing had changed.

"You're willing to admit that you need some help here."

"Hiding your weakness doesn't make you strong. That's why I joined Tamakoma in the first place. So instead..."

"Yes?"

"If you admit to your weakness, a great many people will lend you help."

"It's almost like you overheard my conversation with Yuki."

"I can guess what you two spoke about," he said. And, "Minoru."

Listen.

"We have been childish about this for far too long to be considered healthy."

.

Ketsueki spoke about what had happened and what he had discussed in the past.

"The two of us had left on good terms, but what about those other two? We need to properly speak with them so we can bring them along with us."

And...

"They had always been like that, even when he went drinking, so I know there's a question they still need to answer. I don't care if they're difficult, so long as they answer properly. So..."

"I get it already. So how about we get going?"

Minoru shrugged.

"I understand." He briefly hesitated before continuing. "You're still you. Even with that foul voice, you will still be strict about what you consider important. That's why you go traveling, isn't it? To let this side of you be wild and to not worry the rest of us. You come back refreshed every single time, no matter how much you get scolded."

"Well," said Ketsueki while aware he could not look Minoru in the eye. "Lately...I've learned that I really do blank out when leaving. I get a bit empty-headed and end up leaving, so that much remains true."

"I guess that makes sense, considering who you are. Both sides of you, of course."

Then a change came over Minoru's voice.

"Oh?" he said in confusion. "So do you change how you are after leaving the city?"

"The local police in many places don't particularly like me at the moment. I apologized as my strict self, but my wild self tends to put them on edge."

"I had heard you were giving others trouble, but thought it was fine so long as it was outside of the city."

"I see. But, you know, I always make sure to keep myself in Strict Mode whenever I end up at Yasuko-san's doorstep. She sees right through me, as to be expected. Even so, she allows me to maintain that part of myself while easing Michelle into what I'm like when I let myself go. I feel bad about it, so I also want to properly show Michelle that side of me."

"I see." Minoru rested his body against the wall again. "I thought you were hiding something important, but maybe that was just because I've been having to deal with troublesome people recently. I made up with the biggest offender, so I guess it's all fine there now."

Minoru sounded exasperated, but Ketsueki had to admit that he understood him. He had not expected certain people to be as much trouble as they really were when coming to Mikado City for the first time.

"Oh, but can you keep this a secret from Rei-san?"

"He still doesn't know? Really?"

"That's why it has to be a secret," said Kesueki. "Also, I'm only holding on to it like this for now. I want to make it clear that I'll let him know about it some day, but things have been rowdy at the branch office recently."

...I would imagine so.

"Then I have nothing to say about that. Of course, I'll be rooting for you, so try not to lose to your rival here."

"It would be much easier if Yuri-san were a bad person."

"I don't think you would stand for it if she wasn't," said Minoru. "Just keep going at your pace there."

"Then I will accept that response." Ketsueki shrugged with his palms pointed skyward. "Besides, it makes for some fun times."

She allowed her eyes to roam around the deserted city.

The area was filled with buildings that had been abandoned, and the night sky illuminated them all.

She was walking with a swing to her step and her hair moving along with the gentle shifts, but she made sure her steps were light.

This was an area of the city that had been closed off to those outside and would not allow others in.

"So this is Miden proper."

She turned her head to look into each building she walked by.

She had taken in the interesting things all around her while walking.

She touched her body and found she was fairly chilled. But...

"It's different from Galo."

Of course it would be different. There were clear signs that Miden did not use trion for a lot of their belongings.

She tried and had no trouble understanding that this was a place of wonder.

"Hm."

She frowned a bit when she thought about her first visit here, but...

"There was no choice."

She let her arms rest and then sighed."

"That Afto guy..."

As much as she wanted some revenge on him herself, that was now impossible.

The person who had dragged her here had already left this world.

"He left me in charge of things here."

What that meant, she had no real idea.

"'s th't h'w y'u w'nt t' 'nt'rpr't th'n's? 'f s', th't w'rks f'r me."

Without turning her head, she focused on the voice to her right.

"This means we can remain as we are without worrying about him."

That person had left her with these two guards.

"Can we talk a bit?" the lazier one said.

"Can I get a name from these guards then? Since they will be guarding the stage until dawn?"

There was a moment of silence, but she still refused to turn to either voice.

It would have meant allowing them to see her properly.

"G'v'n' y'u o'r n'm's 's pr'tty p'ntl'ss, s' y'u c'n j's' c'll m' Gambler."

The tired man refused to give any response, but she couldn't fault him for that.

"Hah. So can we talk now?" the tired one asked.

"Don't you have things to do?"

"Are you that boring to talk to?"

"Of course not," said Kigisa while facing forward.

The entire city would soon become her stage again. Like last time, she would be forced to put on a show.

The one forcing her to put on a show was from the same place as before too. It left a bitter taste in her mouth, but she could not go against these orders if she wanted everyone else to be fine.

"Your group from last time is still lingering around."

"How do you figure that? I just wanted to put on a better show than last time."

"Hah. Even if that were true, it would be a pretty pathetic thing for you to follow that guy."

But...

"Hah. I guess most people would end up falling when he trips you up. Hah. It really is a hassle dealing with him."

"Th't's wh' w' c'n d' 's w' l'k' n'w, s'nc' h's g'n'," said Gambler while moving around behind her, but Kigisa could not agree.

"Do you really think he won't be watching?" said Kigisa.

"H' g't b'r'd 'f th's 'l'c', s' h' d'sn' r'll' c'r' 'b't wh't h'pp'ns."

There was no hesitation in his words, making it hard to deny them. It was likely the truth.

They had only spoken for two days, but Kigisa felt as if she understood how the man worked. His own thoughts and actions were dictated by the amount of pleasure and enjoyment he could get out of something.

"Meaning that getting bored gives him a reason to leave."

"Were you tending to follow him if you knew?"

"Even if I was, sometimes you realize what kind of situation you are in, and sometimes people tell you about it."

But...

"There wasn't enough time for any of that. ...Is that a good enough excuse for being too weak to deny?"

"Being able to watch it play out should be enough," said the lazy man while shifting to a different place behind her, but Kigisa could not agree.

"Would I even be able to face them again?" said Kigisa.

"W' 'nt'nd t' d's'pp'r 'ft'r th's."

"But I bet you would have it easier if you didn't leave the stage."

"Th'n w'll y'u b' l'v'n' th' st'g'?"

"You set me up for that question, didn't you?"

"He has a way of doing that. Hah."

I'm taking this so lightly, thought Kigisa.

But I'm probably faking how lightly I really take it. However...

...I can't believe this.

She had fully accepted so many things on the inside, but external things like obligations and pride were refusing to let her outwardly accept them. She knew this made her look like a fool, so...

...I can't take any of it too seriously or it would drive me mad.

"Y'know," she said. "It was quite a show last time. Your side really put us through the wringer, even when we probably had more information than you."

"That wasn't because of us. Hah. Gambler here was being lazy, and I refused to even do anything for a nice person. Hah. We are the worst ones around now."

"Are you sure you can say that when you didn't even ask the audience what they thought of the show?" Kigisa lowered her head a bit. "You guys get the chance to accept or deny, so you should take it more freely."

.

Kigisa sighed.

...I just wanted to be heard a bit.

She had not been the only one who was brought along as an extra hand on their expedition to Miden. Shi Muon had been someone as small as her on Galopoula, but they had compatibility with certain Triggers far better than most others. More than that, they had gotten along with the others and understood what they would be needed for most.

They had been the ones to be called on even when it seemed like the team being sent was more than enough. Even after that, they had lost.

They had only managed to buy some time from others who never seemed to take it as seriously as they had.

Then she had been called out to and dragged back to Miden before she could even speak with everyone else.

But she had not been able to focus on that.

That man had shown her something he had stolen from a different nation and turned into a real weapon.

"Miden has a way to look at what is coming tonight, don't they? Then they should be ready," said Kigisa.

"I'm not too sure if the ones looking into the future even know what they should really be looking for," said the tired one.

"Then what will the two of you be guarding exactly? That man had said he put up something around that thing, so I doubt it will be found."

She had spoken about the weapon without really thinking about it or imagining it.

I'm being really cold, she realized. Cold and light. Is there something like that? I'm not sure. Well, I would think Miden would have it, from everything I had seen while over here.

"But this was on another scale altogether."

"Th' c't' 'r wh't y'u 'r' t'k'n' 'b't?" asked Gambler.

"How should I put it?" said Kigisa. "Miden has things I never thought would function without trion."

"Hah. We use things found on Earth and work with what we have. Hah. Trion was not the start of our history, so we aren't overly reliant on it."

"I wouldn't know how to live in that kind of work, but...you know..."

She tried to think of what that would be like for her.

"–––––"

But she gave up on thinking about something that would never happen so long as she enjoyed where she came from.

That probably expressed her innermost thoughts better than anything.

That was the part of herself she wanted to deny and the kind of person she wanted to be.

But this was a place for "everyone."

So while making sure not to reject anything that happened over here, she skipped past those thoughts and faced what came next.

"If I mess up here, then it will have no effect on him. Instead, I will likely need to take my own leave and never be seen again."

"You feel powerless?"

"Hm, not quite. I feel powerless when I fail my captain and everyone else. If I think about this as the finale to my personal show, I become more relaxed and want to end it out properly."

"In that case," said Gambler. His words now came as full sentences. "We have a reason to guard you while everything else is set up. We'll be taking a lot of blame after this, so we can at least set the stage for you."

"The two of you sound like all you have ever done was set the stage for others."

"That is just who we are," they both said at once.

The tired one moved around a bit more. The noise was subtle, but she heard it clearly. The smallest sounds always reached her in order to help her understand what kind of show she would need to put on for those around her.

"You both had it hard, didn't you?"

"We lived pretty freely, all things considered."

"Is that so?"

There was still time before dawn, so she would not be able to move much after this conversation.

That was all due to the work of that man from Aftokrator.

"When do you think you will need to fight?"

Kigisa did not know if she could just sit around stewing or not.

She doubted she could leave her innermost thoughts behind at Miden. Going back with her team sounded like nothing but a dream at this point, even when she knew they wanted to return at least once more.

She was not dumb enough to think she would be safe.

She had already made her decision, but she did not have t worry about it right away, so here she was.

She was pretty sure she would take on everything she had done by the end of the night, but...

"So the fighting has already started, huh?"

That would mean her stage would be set up soon.

She had only come to terms with her actions, so she was still not really sure what to do if she ever got a second chance.

Of the team as a whole, she was the most expendable, meaning there would be no need for the others to think about her, but...

"What should I do?"

She knew this would be the final time she would act as a free person, even when she was actually being forced to do something. Especially since...

"He had taken those two girls who are tiron soldiers and turned another one into a monstrosity."

"What's this about?"

"I'm curious too."

"At this point, I feel like there is no backing out, so I'll say it. The thing we have on our side is now nothing but a monstrosity that was altered by that man. It's hideous and something I would never want to see again, so..."

I really hope Miden can take it out of its misery, thought Kigisa with a wry smile.

She looked to the sky to view the lights in the endless black above her. Something she had learned about them was that they were not from other worlds.

"Miden's sky is great for a performance."

"Those guys... I was hoping that we could go the majority of the way together and figure out what to do while there, but..."

In the western part of Mikado City's Forbidden Zone, someone ran west along the path that ran through houses. Someone else was on the line with her.

"Kuma-chan, what do you think?"

"Well," began Kumagai. "I know they said they would catch up to us, but they are still in a pretty rough position. So, Rei..."

Then she made a leap.

She landed on a building that stood even with all the rest and ran toward the spot she would be fighting in.

From the sounds of things, Nasu had done something similar to reach her own destination.

Kumagai did not turn back as she took the leap. She simply ran forward.

"I feel bad doing this to Murakami-senpai and Yuki-san, but this was what they wanted here. ...We didn't really ask many people for help, so it would be up to us to fight anyone else who gets in the way and keep going until we reach those idiots."

"That is how you want to say it?"

"What other way should I say it then?"

"That's fair." Nasu had agreed, so it must have been right. "I guess that is just how we should be viewing a lot of those kinds of people. Oh, but I will be making sure to fire from all angles when I fight tonight."

"You are always scary when you really get into it, Rei."

"Well, I need to keep up with Kuma-chan."

With that, Nasu probably nodded, and Kumagai did the same.

"I need to keep up too."

The two of them would soon be arriving at their locations. They would see their battlefields. Kumagai raised her left hand and made sure she was seeing the correct location.

The barren land looked much more like a war zone. The area had been leveled, and it stood out among the houses before it.

This was where Yuki had fought in the large-scale invasion, fought his faker, and where Border had first met with Shiraishi.

"This battlefield is a place of meetings, isn't it...?"

Denji likely understood that as well. It would explain why he had stationed himself there.

Immediately after she saw that, she heard the sounds of something being destroyed, but it was not from the battlefield.

"That sounded like...a building crashing down!?"

It would have been the one with whom Yuki and Murakami were fighting. And that enemy was...

"Border's #1 Attacker is really fighting here too!?"

Yuki had never felt so hopeless.

He was in the middle of one of the Forbidden Zone's roads, and...

...I have to swordfight Kei-san just to get to the real targets and make sure he doesn't follow the rest of us!?

This should not have been a problem given how late in the night it was, but it was still happening because a favor had been called in. He honestly wanted to protest the fight since it did not follow any sort of logic whatsoever, but...

"Now, Yuki!"

Behind him, Murakami was totally into it, so he could not back off.

...Talk about being stuck between an idiotic rock and a lupine hard place!

I just about asked, "how Kō-ed this situation happen to me?" but I don't want to turn into Kimura.

At any rate, he was using the Kōgetsu blade he had borrowed from Murakami to swordfight with Tachikawa. And he would swap places with Murakami who was behind him or occasionally beside him.

"...!"

The black wolf charged in with his four golden chains of Shikifuku and his own hands wielding the long swords and spears he had formed from the very same Black Trigger. He used a total of six blades to attack Tachikawa. The golden chains thrust the blades in from multiple angles while he made sweeping and stabbing motions with the two in his hands. It was all done with the high-speed snapping motions learned from Mei.

The number of consecutive attacks may have been equal to, if not greater than Kanzaki. But...

"—"

The rapid, instantaneous movements were too much for both his body and the four golden chains. Murakami had never been suited for endurance running and the like, so before he ran out of steam...

...It's my turn!

Yuki would step in front of him or alongside him to switch from support to attack.

However, he did not use any direct sword techniques. From Tachikawa's perspective, he would pop out from behind Murakami, target Tachikawa's gut from below, circle behind him, and sometimes kick up the stones or sand on the unmaintained road.

He was not playing dirty, and he was not choosing the methods of the weak.

...This is a ninja's most effective strategy!

And when Tachikawa saw that fighting style...

"Not bad, ninja boy!"

"So you like it!?"

"Of course! It's not a real battle if you're not at least this dead-set on winning. And that black wolf's rapid combination is meant to get through to me. ...How could I not like it?!"

If he liked it, then Yuki had to give him more of it. This was a tall opponent. He used his ninja sword techniques to do more than cut at his ankles from the ground. He made upwards diagonal slashes, tactics meant for attacking an enemy on horseback, and everything at his disposal.

...It's so incredibly hard to reach him!

Tachikawa was enduring it all. He would receive all of their attacks and then strike back, so he was one form of the ideal enemy.

But at the moment, they needed to keep the exchange of attacks going. That would allow Nasu Squad group to reach the proper locations, and...

Rampage Dress: "You better do your best, Yuki. We can eat breakfast when you get back."

White Fox: "Why are you awake! But now I have some motivation!"

Umi: "W-wait, Yukicchi! That's a death flag!"

Rampage Dress: "Eh? But Suzaku, I was thinking Yuki and I could enjoy the sunrise together when he gets back. When I was cleaning out his junk, I found a nice thing for us to sit on."

Life: "I hope it's the camouflage pillow I gave him for the times he wants to really get down to it-..."

Umi: "Don't say that here, Jinsei!"

Kuni: "Right, it wouldn't be any fun that way. We need her to use it right in front of him."

Yoshi: "What kind of multi-angle death flag is this? Are you screwing with us?"

White Fox: "Y-you're all the worst! And you two better not be up playing more, Kunichika and Yoshi! Actually! Get Kei-san to back off, if you're still up!"

Kuni: "I don't waaaaaaaaanna~ Deal with him yourself."

White Fox: "Urg! Fine! I swear to you I'll come back alive!"

Black Wolf: "Focus on the battle!"

But doing things while fighting is a standard ninja technique, he thought, just as something else happened.

Tachikawa began to move. But instead of exchanging attacks like before...

"How about I mess with your pattern a little?"

He stepped forward.

.

...Now this is fun.

Border has some other ninjas too, thought Tachikawa. But it looks like Yagura's is reaching the commander level, just like our #3.

In that way, he was enjoying this battlefield. He was glad to be alive. But...

"I can't exactly lose to someone younger than me!"

Tachikawa moved forward with Kōgetsu in both hands.

Then the ninja changed his attack.

...Ohh.

He went for Tachikawa's legs. The technique was meant to stop his advance. And instead of aiming down from above, he aimed up from below, which was much more difficult to dodge.

The ninja lowered his hips and gently used his lower legs to control the distance between them. And while falling back, he struck at Tachikawa's knees, shins, and sometimes calves.

"Ohh...!?"

The ninja suddenly thrust an attack toward Tachikawa's right thigh.

From Tachikawa's viewpoint, it was a diagonal jab with the blade tip facing directly ahead.

The distance was hard to grasp from a three-dimensional viewpoint, so it focused more on getting a hit in than the force behind the blow. Also, this weapon could likely split his defenses.

...Is that Kōgetsu!? It's been a while!

.

Relying on the weapon isn't a bad decision, thought Tachikawa. After all, he's up against me here, he also thought. But he was not going to let the ninja hit him.

"...Toh."

He moved his left leg forward. And he pivoted on that leg to place his left side forward.

The ninja's jab would miss and he would end up stepping in front of Tachikawa's turned body. From there, Tachikawa only had to cut him down by bringing Kamewari down in his right hand.

He would have taken one of them out in no time at all.

It was too easy, so he decided it was a trap. A ninja at this level would never be defeated by something so simple.

But he did have to try to defeat the ninja, just in case. So...

"Take this."

He chose to use a snap of the wrist that held Kamewari. The weapon picked up speed to slice the ninja diagonally from the arm to the torso. The ninja would be unable to dodge while so low to the ground, and the attack power would be doubled since it was a counterattack.

He cut. It hit.

...Oh?

He felt the tactile feedback.

.

Tachikawa swung Kōgetsu and really did feel it hit.

His hand felt the blade slicing through the ninja's body and coming out the other side. But...

...What!?

The ninja had not been sliced apart. The blade had not even entered his body. Instead...

"He blocked it!?"

He had chosen defense. Instead of sending Kōgetsu toward Tachikawa's inner thigh, he used it along with a black pole he had hidden on the back of his waist. He had crossed them to catch Kōgetsu, and...

...A substitution!?

He had made it feel like a successful cut. That was one of a ninja's most famous techniques.

There were visual, auditory, and tactile varieties, but this had been the third. The ninja had caught Kōgetsu between the crossed blades and pulled back while opening the two blades.

"And that reproduced the sensation of cutting flesh!?"

.

Yuki executed the substitution technique with the phrase "attention to detail" in mind.

He was fairly confident in his ability to block attacks. During practice, he would rush ahead with the close-range team and block Akasora's attacks.

...Although he used to send me flying when I failed to block them.

But now he could do it.

The black rod crossed with Kōgetsu was recently strengthened. It had had its durability heightened to withstand an attack from a trion canon, and it focused more on weight balance than relying on specifics on both sides. He had been hesitant to make a main ninja weapon into a support weapon, but it was a good choice with Kōgetsu in mind.

And he had come to reconfirm two things while exchanging attacks with Tachikawa in the current situation.

The first was Tachikawa's physical strength.

And the other was Tachikawa's obsession with battle.

If that idiotic man was enjoying a battle, he would go all out, drag it out, and try to have fun with it. So...

...If I make it boring for him, he won't take it as seriously, but he'll still make an attack meant to end it right then!

That was exactly what had happened, so he blocked it. And he had done so with his substitution ninja technique.

A substitution was to create an illusion. The more skilled a ninja was, the less they would rely on the obvious visuals and sounds. Before, Kazama Squad's Kazama had caused Tachikawa trouble more with his movements than any kind of visual show.

So Yuki had wondered what would happen if he provided the tactile illusion of cutting through him during this high-speed exchange.

"...!"

Tachikawa had definitely been deceived by the illusion, but Tachikawa could slice through him in an instant with his great strength. It would only create an instantaneous opening. So...

...Kō!

That thought was answered by the rattling of chains.

Murakami circled to his left and in front of Tachikawa before making six attacks.

.

Tachikawa saw what his enemy was after.

He was currently turned to the left.

In front of him, the ninja was blocking and deflecting Kōgetsu which he swung with his right hand.

And beyond the ninja, the Suzunari Branch's ace and #4 Attacker sent six long swords toward him.

The short sword in his left hand was held out to his left side, and he was swinging Kōgetsu, so he could not defend.

Even if he pushed his right shoulder out toward the black wolf to guard his head, his side would still be undefended. So...

"Senkū! ...Kōgetsu!"

It was already charged. And he would be fine as long as he did not take a direct hit, so he twisted his wrist to aim Kōgetsu's blade toward the blocking ninja and the black wolf.

"...!"

The cutting power raced out and detonated an area around them.

.

Murakami saw a direct hit coming.

...How forceful!

Thanks to having fought him before in solo matches, he had known Tachikawa would use Kōgetsu to defend, but he had thought he could only do that just before he fled.

This time, he had only just begun his attack on them. Using an evasion method that injured him as well was simply insane, but...

...Does that mean he hasn't given up on attacking!?

Tachikawa had chosen to erase them, even if it meant injuring himself.

So Murakami realized there was no defense or dodging for this enemy.

It was all an attack meant to defeat them.

At this rate, the cutting power would hit him, so he chose a certain method. Murakami did not stop his six attacks. Just like Tachikawa, he chose to pierce his enemy.

"I'll apologize to Mei later!"

He kicked up the Yagura Branch Representative in front of him and slammed him into Tachikawa.

.

Tachikawa laughed. His breathing was too disturbed for it to reach the surface, but he laughed in his heart.

...Not bad!

He too had once used a small fry as a shield, but this was a little different.

This was fun. He liked it a lot, so he decided to try it himself later.

The Yagura Branch Representative crashed into him from his right arm to his side. It looked like a light blow, but it was surprisingly heavy. There was a simple reason for that: The ninja had picked up on what the black wolf was doing and moved to hit Tachikawa himself.

They were an entertaining group.

Of course, an impact like that was not going to change his stance much.

But the problem was how he had rotated his wrist to aim Kōgetsu at them. The movement past his elbow was thrown off.

"Fine then! I'll reward you for that one!"

The cutting power acted like a counterattack from the front right as he tried to move forward.

.

Murakami instantaneously guided things to the result he wanted.

He used the right two golden chains to guard against the smashing explosion, but he continued the attack with the two on the left.

"..."

One was deflected by Tachikawa's right shoulder. And the other...

...A blade!?

It had likely been meant to guard against the cutting power created on his own front right, but his left arm circled up above his right shoulder, and the second sword it held deflected the first sword held by the golden chain.

At the same time, the cutting power exploded at close range. It was like a pressurized wind of scattering trion light, and it struck everything like a physical blow.

The very edge of it scored a direct hit on Tachikawa.

The left shoulder he was using to guard was split open, and cracks ran through his left arm. But Murakami also made an attack of his own. He used a snap of his wrist for a high-speed throw of the blade in her left hand.

...Go!

It sliced through the wind in a straight line toward Tachikawa's right side.

His side contained his innards and a split in the area used to bend his body. No matter how much he trained that area, the body would be damaged from an attack also made by trion.

So he targeted it.

But Tachikawa moved within the pressurized wind. He lowered his right elbow as if to bring back Kōgetsu after swinging it forward.

He was using the elbow to either guard against or knock down the sword he had thrown, so Murakami immediately threw the right sword as well.

"Pierce him!"

The second long sword struck the pommel of the first one in a perfect straight line.

The second strike negated the loss of speed the first one had suffered after being thrown. To Tachikawa, the speed of the sword would suddenly shoot far above what he expected. Except...

...His elbow sped up!?

Tachikawa's elbow further accelerated as it took a defensive position.

He had likely lightened the elbow by loosening his hand's grip on Kōgetsu.

...An excellent decision!

Murakami accepted it quickly. Given how unbelievably ridiculous his senpai was, he was not surprised to find someone with similar technique and strength. So when Tachikawa's elbow knocked down the double long sword attack, he raised his voice.

"Yuki!"

Immediately, something shot up from the ground.

It was the Yagura Branch Representative. After colliding with Tachikawa and immediately landing back on the ground, he had raised Kōgetsu for...

...A second substitution technique!

As a form of invisibility technique, he made himself look like the ground.

And that was why the form that shot up from below looked like a part of the ground, even to Murakami.

"—!"

The full length of Kōgetsu swung as if drawing the moon, and it chopped off Tachikawa's right arm at the shoulder.

.

...I did it!

Yuki moved his entire body forward as he nearly collapsed after escaping that extreme tension.

In the corner of his vision, he could see Tachikawa's right arm flying through the air.

That was due to targeting his armpit from below. Most of the muscles around the shoulder were placed on the top or outside, so the connection at the armpit was weak and had quite a few gaps. Aiming there, he could cut through. It had been made even easier due to both of them being in trion bodies, making Tachikawa focus even less on that sort of spot.

However, opportunities to target the armpit from directly below were few and far between.

But something here had given him that convenient situation.

...It was thanks to Kō!

By slamming a heavy series of attacks into him, Murakami had guided Tachikawa into a defensive stance.

And that had allowed Yuki to make his attack.

For a ninja, a full body attack was the ultimate attack against an enemy on horseback. As an assassination technique, it was a sacrificial strike. But...

"Yuki!"

Yuki heard Murakami's voice.

And he saw something: Tachikawa was raising a large weapon.

He held it with his unharmed left hand, but it was...

...His right arm!?

The idiotic man had grabbed his own severed right arm and was swinging it as a weapon.

With the sound of shattering chains, Murakami was sent flying and Kōgetsu (that was held by the right arm that was in turn held by the left arm) flew toward Yuki like a spear.

.

"Kh...!"

Yuki tried to move his body, which had been thrown forward by the slash.

At this rate, he could do nothing to avoid Tachikawa's attack. Even if he drew the black rod he had returned to the back of his waist and used it to guard...

...It wouldn't be fast enough.

The others were elsewhere, so they would not come to help.

Oh, no, thought Yuki. Did I build up too many death flags up to this point in my life?

But if I go down here, it'll make things more difficult for Rei. Plus, there's also Mei to think about. She might go see the sunrise herself to comfort herself and use that thing Jinsei threw my way. And it looks a lot like Mei's own butt. I hope she would realize why I wanted it and simply conclude that boys are idiots, but Tetsuji would probably call me pathetic, and I don't want that. Maybe I should have left a will asking to have all of my possessions disposed of. Oh, but I also have that video of Mei in a yukata from the peaceful festival the other day... And I'm just trying to avoid facing my approaching death, aren't I?

"Die, ninja...!"

I'm not going to just because you tell me to, he thought as he pulled back on Kōgetsu out in front of him. But instead of pulling it toward him, he was pulling himself toward it. And...

...Will I make it in time!?

.

Kuni: "The ninja's deeeeeead!"

Umi: "Um... He will just go back to the Yagura Branch. Please don't confuse anyone who sees this later.

Murakami heard an ominous comment from the transmission as his golden chains shattered and he was hit by the impact they could not fully block.

Meanwhile, he saw a beam of light deflect Tachikawa's Kōgetsu.

...A Shooter!?

Murakami had been sent flying, so he kicked off the top of a nearby house's gate wall and propelled himself to the roof while confirming the light he had seen.

He looked to the roof of a house five houses to the northeast and saw who stood there.

"...Ah."

No one did. But that told him enough.

Murakami recognized this timing, this attack, and this stealthy movement. So he looked directly to his right on the same building rooftop he stood on.

The dull pain in his heart told me that he also needed to settle things at some point.

But beyond that pain...

"Mitsuteru...!?"

.

Yuki blocked Kōgetsu's attack while also dodging.

It was fortunate he had leaned forward as if crawling instead of standing upright.

When Kōgetsu's tip was diverted upwards, it drew a diagonal line across the right side of his back.

He had his ninja instincts to thank for twisting his body and avoiding having his spine severed. The black rod sheath at his waist shattered and deflected the sword tip toward the right of his back and his shoulder blade, but...

"Get rid of that thiiiiiiiing!"

Yuki shouted what he would do if he survived and then rolled along the ground.

He held Kōgetsu to his chest and used just his back strength to escape across the sidewalk and to the row of houses Murakami had jumped to.

And when he looked up, he saw someone standing on the roof.

It was Mitsuteru.

...Why is he here!?

But as soon as he wondered that...

"This is pretty scary, in all honesty. But..."

With those words, something hit Yuki at full force, and he understood why Mitsuteru was here.

Two people he cared for were fighting.

There was no point in asking why. Two people he viewed favorably were having trouble here. Hiding would have been the perfect thing for him to do as a Sniper, but showing himself here also served a purpose. Mitsuteru was actively showing himself to draw some attention away from him and Murakami, something that Yuki could always use. And...

...He is still great at being an individual...

Mitsuteru excelled at decision making for himself. And...

"Yuki. Senpai... No. No, no, no. I've settled things with Yuki, so I'll do the same here with everyone else."

This was very much like him.

He had spoken with Kumagai before, so he might have felt some guilt over the situation. Even if he was not to blame, he would take whatever responsibility was his.

So he was choosing to drop everything having to do with his poor decisions. Yuki had been someone who was part of that, but they had since made up. All that was left was...

"Yuki. Kō-kun. There is someone who wants to get some revenge here. And what's more... I want to talk with the two of you once you have settled everything."

As if to give meaning to his words, a body came forward.

It landed gently on the ground. So much so that even Yuki found himself in shock at how soft it actually was.

"Excuse me."

Knowing there would be no winning for him, he gave a sigh and nodded.

"Fine. ...Have it your way."

Looking over, he motioned for Murakami to take off the two parts of Shikifuku.

We can't fight those two with Shikifuku. It would feel like bringing others into this.

So he made sure Murakami tossed it to Mitsuteru. They would send Mitsuteru on a mission while they left things here with someone else.

"Go at it...Kanzaki."