A white surface existed below the night.
It was a snowy plain. The snow reflected the moonlight and most of it was melting and refreezing.
"I know we can't really feel the cold, but we have to fight in a frigid place? The beach would be better. This doesn't even come up in a natural setting and we're stuck here in the artificial snow. ...Isn't being a branch director tough, Taku?"
"Why would you want to go to the beach when you hate the sand, Chi-chan? Besides, last year you insisted you preferred the mountains to the beach. That's why we are forcing you to do this for your own branch."
"You admitted to forcing me here! Some paperwork is already piling up and that guy had to stop by my house with that fake smile saying, 'Chishi, you got time? You can take a bit of time away, right? So get going, idiot.'"
The tanned older man wearing a tracksuit turned to the man in a coat standing next to him. They both looked like they had a good amount of experience under their belts and the glasses one was the boss of the Tamakoma Branch.
"That Shinoda impression really isn't that good, Chi-chan."
A small boy with covered eyes nodded in agreement next to him.
"...It was not...the best..."
"Shut up. I'm no good at reporting on the battlefield progress either."
"I know. When you reported on how we handled some of the Neighbors years ago, all you said was, 'I charged in like this, used Senkū, and - fwoofwoosh - the end.' How are we suppose to draw up a diagram based on that? You're lucky I was there to help explain, so you can treat me to something later on, since you never did. Anything but curry."
"No curry? Not even tandoori?"
"I can't let my guard down, so I'm banning all curry at least until Takato is banned from kitchens."
"Then we'll have to make sure she doesn't make any sooner or later. Preferably sooner."
"No, later works for me. We'll be busy with other things for awhile."
The man with glasses smiled bitterly, the boy at his side gave a deep nod, and someone stepped up behind them.
"Oh, there you are, Boss, Akasora-san, Tenryū-kun."
.
Akasora Chishi turned around to see someone in a girl's clothing and glasses.
She wore a large coat over a girl's clothing and she held up a tablet, but Rindō looked to the few trails of white smoke coming from the black buildings behind her that had been recreated for their task.
"Shiori-chan, you don't seem too worried, but should you really not question that?"
"...Not worried..."
The girl nodded at Shokubutsu's comment from next to Akasora and sighed while pushing up her glasses with a glint in her eyes.
"Mei-san said doing this from time to time would help me out a bit."
"I see," said Rindō.
...She hasn't changed.
The "perfect girl", Border's Combatant-Operator Mei, had great skill and people she could rely on, but she still did not get careless. Even now, she seemed to be helping others by preparing what had already been seen.
"Heh. Is she showing off?"
"How about you focus on whether she can go beyond out vague memories instead of whether she's showing off?"
Usami took a breath while ignoring Akasora's groan at her words. She then looked to the distant smoke and the strange scenery that looked more inline with a true battlefield.
"This method does seem a lot like something she would do."
"Yes, she does like festivals."
"Does the memory of former battles count as festivals now, Taku?"
"Right. You can view them as a festival used to decide political matters. ...Or would that make them wars? Either way, that's what makes them so troublesome."
Rindō followed up on those words in his heart.
...But I wonder.
He gave an inward sigh.
...How long will this festival last?
Just as he wondered that, Usami stepped forward. She first looked to the black buildings lined up like a mountain range far behind her and then she turned around to look at the white mountains far to the north.
"You guys sure went to some cold places."
"You make it sound like you haven't been outside until now. Have you been holed up working on some additional things?"
"No, this is just not something I thought I would see in person. I am still the one behind the monitor who works to support teams from the distance. But watching Mei-san made me want to come and see what it's like in the very front lines."
"Sometimes you work harder than I remember."
"No, you do, Akasora-san. Besides, that was a rude comment! I have been through a Gate once!"
"That's more than I remember."
Usami let out a long, white breath.
"It really is cold."
.
"Hey."
Rindō saw Usami point to the white mountain range to the north.
"Akasora-san, something's moving over there."
"What? Oh, that's not something for the office-working, indoorsy, treasurer-type who nearly failed PE to worry about."
"Did the Tamakoma Operator really just get lectured by someone who nearly failed math, modern Far Eastern, and music, according to Mei-san? ...Oh, but you aced art, didn't you? Wait... What was your educational circular like exactly?"
"Yeah... Chi-chan has some surprising redeeming features, so it's hard to know what to do about him."
Rindō turned toward Usami while ignoring the tracksuit glaring at him to ask what he meant by that. He then glanced northward just like her.
"Now that I'm here, I need to be a little useful."
His head was filled with the battlefield knowledge he had gathered before coming here, so he matched the topographical map, territorial map, and road map to the surrounding terrain.
"At the time, they did not take any meaningful actions where we could see them. But then there was that."
A giant cloud floated high in the sky to the north-northwest. The cloud seemed to be wrapped thickly around something there, but at the top...
"You can see that destroyed city, can't you? It's still a dozen kilometers away, but it has quite the presence. Sometimes you see amazing things like that when going through the Gate."
"Oh, great. This idiot's started talking again."
"...Hooray..."
...Nice one, Shobu-chan!
Rindō and Shokubutsu clenched their right fists and Rindō looked up toward the city in the distance.
"In accordance with what we all remember, that city over there was purged some time ago. Do you know how great a purge it was? ...Out of a population of eighty thousand, sixty thousand were killed."
"What's the point if you're going to answer it yourself? ...But that's more than died during the combined invasions over here, right?"
"Right. That massacre was ordered by the ruling nation at the time. We had heard this and that while wandering around, but nothing too particular that we need to mention to you. Just know that there was a conflict over inheritance that went way too far and ended up with this being the result. The fact Takato was able to recreate this using our current technology and vague memories means that she truly is something that we might not be able to define with words. Besides that, the rulers purged the city's female mayor and the city's residents for things we don't bother remembering at this point."
"What an awful thing to do... But it could have been because they were looking toward a different future."
Usami had a good point.
The city was slowly approaching them in the night sky. The dark wrapped clouds carried a slow but deep rumble.
"Either way, the reason for it didn't matter at the time. Not for us at least. Something we did find out was that it had been arranged that the city would be used for testing of some kind. The city may look like ruins now, but the areas on the outer edges and most inner part were still functioning and the city still acted as an entrance towards the main nation. In a way, it might have been purged to make it seem less suspicious."
"I wonder what they were testing."
"Who knows. But after a long time since being there, I'm sure they have figured out what they want to do about their formally incoming issue."
"What kind issues were they? Did you all get involved in them at any point? I feel like that is what happened when taking your characters into consideration."
Rindō answered Usami's question with a bitter smile and a "Right".
"From what we had heard, the floating city over there had its foundation built in a strange way that had made it float away like that. In other words, it was unexpected. The center had been the sight of another strange occurrence that had not been opened up to anyone. We did have someone go up to check things out, but they said there was nothing not worthy about it."
"Are we still sure that wasn't all made up to make themselves sound more impressive? And even if they did open it, I doubt there really was much. Besides, there are probably plenty of floating lands in the Neighborhood at this point.
"True. But that had been their oldest city and it apparently was the birth place of some kind of 'cancer' for the place. We also had a good guess what that meant, but that answer might have been a bad one."
"What answer is that?"
"Let's just say we decided that was not the best place to be for too long. And it didn't matter much to us at the time. It's only worth had been because it had sided with an interesting group after being purged by their own nation. I can't remember the name of that group, but we did know they had a Black Trigger that was irritating for most people."
Rindō then heard a sound behind him.
A few of the buildings were seeming to turn towards the southeast.
"Is she recreating the past using our memories and recordings?"
.
As Rindō watched the moving buildings, he realized Usami was looking in the same direction.
Next to him, she pushed up her glasses and spoke.
"Was there something going on at the time? I mean for the Neighbor nation you were at. It looks like it was a troublesome time for them."
"Keh. They had to overcome something particular with someone who had a bad personality. ...But they managed. Somehow. Mei can recreate what had happened at the time all she wants, but that doesn't change history in the slightest. They still had their issues, we still tried to stay out of it, and we still failed in a major objective that pisses me off."
"Maybe she is just trying to make us feel better by giving us this chance, Chi-chan. And you know how she views things at times, right?"
Akasora glared at him for just a moment, but...
"Sorry."
"Say that to Takato, not me. She was bothered by what you said."
"She takes on too much responsibility."
Akasora spat out another "keh", but Usami and Shokubutsu both smiled.
"She's such a cute person at times like these."
"I sometimes don't get her," said Akasora. "It's the same for the rest of you, right? At the very least, she corners herself to some ridiculous level like she's trying to crush herself. She says it's for us, so I want to tell her to stop because that's just creepy."
"Someone who would stop because they were told to would never be left with as much authority as she has. Personally, if I have no real regrets when..."
When he noticed Usami and Akasora's gazes, Rindō trailed off and Shokubutsu patted his side.
"...It's okay..."
He was not sure which way he meant that, but he decided it did not matter as long as it was okay.
So he said "that's right" to Shokubutsu and saw Usami smile.
Then Usami seemed to remember something.
"Oh, come to think of it..."
She held up the tablet she had brought with her.
"I've received word from Umi-kun. Shiraishi has started taking action concerning Border. Apparently, one of their higher level people went alone for a meeting with Yuki-san."
"Keh. That means we have to pick up the pace too."
Rindō thought a bit about what Akasora said.
...I see.
"That would explain why we were told to take on an important guest on our way here from HQ."
"A guest? Who?"
"Nakagami Suzuka. She brought a refrigerated container filled with a year's worth of boxed meals for us. Akasora-san, she came to greet us earlier. Were you asleep?"
"Shut up. That's exactly what I was doing, you fool. Anyway, are you serious? Who is this girl again?"
The look on Akasora's face changed when Usami nodded.
"She is the one who will be Yagura Branch's Operator since Mei-san rejected you to be with her team. She was recruited recently and managed to get good enough scores to be here."
"I see. Well, that makes things interesting for us since we won't be having Rampage Dress with us. I doubt that side of her will make an appearance ever again. That should be fine."
Something moved ahead of them.
"This is probably going to be a fierce battle regardless," began Rindō. "After all, this is just a test run for your equipment, but Takato set things up so that whatever attacks will have no trouble with this frigid land. Normal Triggers weren't enough the first time to get through their armor right away, and yet..."
He faced the northern snowy plain as he spoke.
"This is what we find as soon as we arrive."
A gentle breeze flew across the snowy plain, but it was more than a mere wind.
"Personal stealth Triggers using something similar to Chameleon."
A group of moonlit shadows spilled from the gently wrapping movement of the air.
This was the enemy. The recreated Trion Soldiers suddenly dropped from the air and onto the snowy plain.
.
The false enemy group continued to grow. Usami watched as their numbers exceeded one hundred, two hundred, and finally a thousand.
"Eh? W-wait? Three thousand...four thousand...ehhh? There's still more!?"
It was an unexpected development, but Usami gasped when she realized it was very real.
...An attack by thousands of enemies!?
She decided to raise her voice to contact any reinforcements they had, but the scene before her eyes was too intimidating. It had completely slipped her mind that they were just in Yagura Branch's new training rooms.
They were coming.
The appearing shadows slowly moved forward as if peeling back or casting off the wind. They were all over two meters tall and many of them had more than four limbs.
They were trion soldiers resembling demons.
Normally, an office worker-type like her would never have directly faced anything like this, but now thousands of them had appeared only about one hundred meters away and their numbers were continuing to grow.
Each and every one of them wore some kind of uniform.
Rindō and Akasora stood in front of her and they were the ones to explain exactly who this enemy was. Rindō was counting their numbers on his fingers as he did so.
"This is a specially made set, a group given territory in a southern buffer region that was created as guards. They were originally made for something else, but now they are just recreated to give us some familiarity."
"Why couldn't it have been the usual Marmod or Bambster? This is a pain-in-the-ass enemy for me."
"...Pain in...the ass..." agreed Shokubutsu.
Usami could not even nod in agreement. Even her legs refused to move now that she had suddenly found herself on the false front line.
...Wow.
"Now, then."
...In how many seconds will Shiori turn around, in how many seconds will she start running, in how many second will they catch up to her, in how many second will they trample her, in how many second will they do all sorts of awful things to her, in how many second will she make a double nirvana sign, and in how many seconds will the footage be spread all over the network? (Point Allocation: Making things more exciting)
"Hey, Usami, why are you wiggling around with your hands on your cheeks? Is your brain working fruitlessly again, you fool?"
"I-if you call someone a fool, it means you're a fool! More importantly, what are we going to do about this!?"
"Oh, right." Rindō sounded entirely calm. "Shiori-chan, could you stay right where you are?"
.
"Eh?"
Usami tilted her head at Rindō's request.
...How am I supposed to stay right where I am with this going on?
But Rindō was not paying attention to her. He was looking down at the fingers he was using to count the enemy.
"Yeah, I don't want anything messing up my calculations. ...Oh, you can charge right on in, Chi-chan. You're not in my calculations, but you can dodge anything that almost hits you, right?"
"You're coming up with some random strategy again, aren't you?"
Akasora glared at Rindō and Usami asked a question.
"Strategy?"
"Right. We knew something had been detected on this snow field...back then of course. And since I needed to help Chi-chan as another branch director, Shinoda told us to 'use those small fries to show off to our members how great we're working'. In other words, he left us in charge of recreating a bit of history. Although I have to admit I didn't expect Takato to recreate things to this point off of vague information and scratchy recordings."
"Um, then, I..."
"Yeah." Akasora shifted his glare from Rindō to Usami. "That's why Taku commented on how you didn't seem too worried when you showed up. Did no one tell you anything?"
"Think about it, Chi-chan. Normally, the Operators would never be on the front lines."
"B-but I thought you were just checking if everything works fine..."
"...Checking in..." added Shokubutsu.
"That's right." Usami nodded with the small boy and felt some tension leave her. "But Boss...you promise I'll be okay here, right?"
"Ha ha ha. Have you forgotten who was well off going against this man here?"
"No, I haven't."
"God, you two are annoying."
With a bitter smile on his face, Akasora took a step forward and rolled up his tracksuit's sleeves.
"Let's do this."
At that moment, the snowy field exploded in front of them.
The trion soldiers had suddenly started dashing toward them.
.
An excellent decision, thought Rindō.
As the entire front row of trion soldiers began a dash, their feet kicked up the snow and created a reverse cascade of snow in front of the row behind them.
"They'll probably be attacking and taking detours behind that wall. But..."
Rindō turned his smile toward the approaching front line as well as the gunfire and charging trion soldiers following from behind.
"This is the mirror, Shikifuku. I guess it has been a while since I've used it."
Something burst up from below and destroyed the wall of snow the enemy was kicking up.
It was a yellow pillar with a reflective look.
This yellow pillar was followed by a few more coming from the ground in massive numbers.
"It's a good thing I had Seidō-kun teach me how to properly use this."
When he dropped his hand, a yellow glow appeared. A yellow ring appeared around his wrist that was as thick as a rope while a black object orbited around his wrist and along the yellow ring.
"—!"
The charging enemy was powerful enough to push against the pillars, but the yellow pillars still came up in great numbers.
They collided and were swallowed up. Rindō opened his smiling mouth as he watched the destruction and approaching wave.
"Okay, Chi-chan, head on out. I'll be back here."
"You don't mind if I break those, right?"
"If you break them in groups of ten, then I can try something completely new, so I would actually appreciate it."
"Now I'm stuck doing odd jobs?" complained Akasora as he began running.
By the time a pillar of snow had been kicked up next to Rindō, Akasora had already torn through three trion soldiers with his leaping attack.
"Akasora-san is as crazy as ever."
"Yes, but I've recently learned that we're actually relatively calm as things go. So I need to push myself to the forefront some more."
Shokubutsu nodded from next to him and dropped something on the ground from his sleeves.
"So..." Rindō took a step forward while giving the charging enemy a fearless smile. "For now, I think I'll add some more. I need to do my best here."
After all...
"The younger people are starting to act. And this time, it's for us older people."
"Sensei and Rindō-san have already started their practice at Yagura?"
Yuki spoke to Murakami inside a large car provided for the Yagura Branch. The car's insides had Mizukami, who was driving it, and the rest of the Border members that had been at the meeting, so he did not need to worry about what he said.
"We're just about to meet with Shiraishi's representative who was chosen for the other business, so this is sudden. ...Where did this information come from?"
"Jin-san."
That must mean it traveled through Tamakoma and the other branches, decided Yuki. Information from the Yagura Branch would first reach Murakami, the Attacker and ace of the Suzunari Branch. Murakami would tell Kimura and then it would reach the directors, but...
"Given the situation, Kimura will wait until you give the go-ahead to tell everyone."
"Right. I need to thank Tamakoma's Elite Agent for the information."
"All he did was relay it to someone who already got the information."
2.7 Maime: "Oh, dear. Kō, are you at the age where someone's kindest embarrasses you? Heh. No. That's probably just Kimura. I'll have to contact a nice restaurant over there and have them send you guys some red meat as a stand-in for red rice."
Murakami looked down with a bit of sadness at not getting rice.
It was Kimura who responded though.
"Why can you send us messages right now!? And you were spying on us, weren't you!?"
2.7 Maime: "Oh, my. Spying? Who would ever do that? I can only see what you all are doing."
"I-I can't believe this! These chat settings are just plain awful!"
Well, he is someone who is rather important in Border and is usually a helpful person when not being a troll, rationalized Yuki.
Yuki moved next to Kimura who opened a tab and accessed the settings page.
White Fox: "Anyway, I appreciate the relayed information, Jin. Pass my thanks on to the others while you aren't particularly busy."
2.7 Maime: "Oh, dear. I only passed on some local rumors to a fellow member of Border, so I don't recall doing anything worth your thanks."
White Fox: "Then I would like to have our local walking shark send you something as thanks for the red meat you are sending us. How about a refrigerated container you can use as a way to cool down when things get heated over at Tamakoma? Cooling techniques have come a long way recently, so you should be able to store some excellent stuff."
2.7 Maime: "Right. But with a large container, I'll need to think of a place to put it."
Black Wolf: "Um, Jin-san? You're planning to use it where exactly?"
2.7 Maime: "At home. Yeah, it's being sent as a thanks for the 'red rice', after all. ...Now, Kō, I'm sure you are going to take part in the coming meeting, but don't do anything careless, okay? I have a busy night planned using bonchi, but you need to work hard so you too can grow up into a wonderful adult with a busy life."
Yuki wanted to ask what the man meant by "a busy night" and "using bonchi", but he decided against it when he saw that Murakami was also very confused as to what was being put.
Mizukami turned around while operating the car's steering wheel.
"We're 'bout to reach the spot. It's colder over here, so…"
He pointed to his pocket which had a small bulge where his Trigger was located. Murakami began going for his pocket which contained his Trigger and Yuki's Side Effect made him do the exact same motion.
A warmth reached the back of his waist like someone had placed their hand there.
"I see you've gotten use to using a passive one," commented Mizukami
"That's because I've had to deal with too much already. For now, I'll add in something to stop my Side Effect."
"Right. That should be enough for here. ...I'll be wait'n' over here, so call me if somethin' happens. I'll make sure everything's ready to go."
"Thanks. Please do. Especially since it's Shiraishi's third child instead of the ones controlling the company. ...Although it's because she's as cautious as we are that we're holding the meeting in this area of the Forbidden Zone."
...In fact, that's probably why they sent their child.
Even if something did happen, a daughter had the authority to make decisions for the company and had good odds of making it back with little issue.
"...Shiraishi Chisato, hm?"
.
Yuki knew Shiraishi Third Daughter Shiraishi Chisato as someone who never bothered to make many appearances to the public. There had been no males born into the family, meaning there were three daughters, but a girl filling these roles had not been any problem.
...If I'm remembering right, Shiraishi has a lot of different relationships which makes things more difficult.
He did not want to get involved with more business, but some of that could not be avoided when it came to helping out Border and the directors. They had already interfered by having this meeting and getting involved with something Director Netsuki should have been doing. But...
2.7 Maime: "Oh, I forgot to tell you one thing."
White Fox: "What is it, Elite Agent-san?"
2.7 Maime: "Great job. Since you called me that, I'll tell you. ...It's about Shiraishi. Do you know what happened to them in their conflict over inheritance?"
"Yeah," replied Yuki as this had come up at while driving.
White Fox: "The conflict occurred between the second and first children. They were living like regular sisters, but their second child scorned the first child because their mother decided the first would be a better choice for taking over their company."
But...
White Fox: "I believe that has yet to be properly resolved yet."
2.7 Maime: "But they would have been forced to advance their choice...thanks to the appearance of a certain showing on television by the Yagura Branch."
Black Wolf: "Jin-san!"
Yuki gestured to Murakami, telling him not to worry about it.
...Based on the way he's saying this, I doubt Jin has really any proof either.
That was why he had lured them in to continue the conversation for him. That way, he avoided saying anything careless. In that case, decided Yuki.
White Fox: "Thank you for the warning, Jin. ...You're saying recent events have already caused the people of Mikado City to lose what they had been hoping for from us, aren't you?"
They were not accepted as a source of peace or as a barrier against Neighbors. All they had were the promises and...
"Now, then."
The ground around them was flat land with a few holes.
...This place again.
White Fox: "Jin, it's about time for us. We can celebrate together afterwards."
He looked up just in time to see Mizukami stopping the car. Their speed gently dropped and the doors started to open next to them.
The wind blew in, but it did not feel cold.
Yuki refocused his mind as he felt the gentle shaking of the car resuming its ride.
...We're beginning again.
This was an unofficial meeting with Shiraishi, but at the same time...
"Let's take the first step of a small but definite new beginning."
.
Shiraishi Chisato waited on the flat land of Mikado City.
Her arms were lowered at her sides and her feet were planted at shoulder-width with the right one shifted a bit forward. This stance allowed her to move at a moment's notice while she also analyzed the information reaching her through her legs.
...The ground is shaking a bit more.
She could see a car come into view.
She could see the inside of the car once she was given a pair of binoculars and she could see that there were eight people onboard the vehicle. There were four girls and four boys...no, one was a female dressed in male clothing. Most likely, a strange person.
She remembered the area she was in as the place that had been where a battle with a strong Neighbor had been held. The area was flattened recently to make it seem like a battle did not truly happen. That may have been so others would not want to go see what it looked like after the battle.
Border was maintaining their image in the slightest of ways.
...Most likely, the ground was distorted so badly and had Neighbor remains that they did not want others to see.
They had covered the area with parts of the earth that had been broken off by the large explosions that had occurred in the area, they were likely working with construction businesses for these kinds of matter. In that case...
"Perhaps Border is setting things up around the area. Perhaps each area is getting something unique."
Chisato spoke under her breath and suddenly noticed the gazes of the Border agents surrounding her at a distance as her "escort".
"Oops."
A smile had reached the corner of her mouth without her realizing it.
I'm hopeless, she thought with a self-deprecating smile before facing forward.
Someone stood about thirty meters ahead. Their Border uniform was a dull one with a gray color scheme that had black and white to contrast each other.
"I am the Yagura Branch's representative and A-Rank agent of Border, who I am also representing here, Tsukiko Yuki."
"Got it. I am Shiraishi's third child who is last in line to take over our business - Shiraishi Chisato."
Now, then, thought Chisato. I wish Mother and Father hadn't given me so much to do.
But there was one thing she had to do for sure.
...Position our family favorably for the future.
To do that, she moved her lightly lipsticked lips.
"It may be unofficial, but let us begin this meeting between Shiraishi and Yagura."
.
Yuki had Murakami stand to his right. The other boy got down on one knee, placed his turned off Kōgetsu on the floor, and face forward with shallow strength in his eyebrows.
Shiraishi Chisato was about twenty meters away, and...
Umi: "Oh, I'll set up some soundproofing for any nearby electronics."
All electrical sound immediately vanished from their surroundings.
Umi: "Um, do you not want anyone reading lips? I could cover your mouths with a mosaic, gaze, steam, or frosted glass plus voice alterations."
Black Wolf: "Suzaku, I wonder at times if you are some kind of spy. And why are there so many options?"
Artist: "Right. But there is generally no need to hide anything. …Isn't that right, Arafune and Hokari?"
The Border Network has stalled due to congestion from a sudden surge of posts.
...This is not a good start for the meeting. And doesn't that mean everyone can see this?
While wondering that, Yuki instructed Kimura, who was in the car, to record the minutes of the meeting. He then faced forward where Chisato stood in the same stance as before.
"Sorry about leaving you with nothing to do."
"No, I can gain quite a bit of information just by standing here. But..." Chisato tilted her head. "Where is your branch director?"
"He's a lost cause."
Chisato frowned at his immediate response and finally asked another question.
"What about your branch's top agent?"
"He's a lost cause too."
In fact they're one and the same for us. In other words, he's a double lost cause.
Yuki nodded in his heart but then came to a sudden realization.
...Eh? Double? Isn't that actually pretty bad?
White Fox: "Hey! Everyone! I know this is late, but I just realized we have a pretty big weakness!"
Life: "Eh!? What is it? Is it something bad!? I'm busy fixing the position of my crotch supporter, so can it wait until later?"
White Fox: "You are one of many!"
He saw messages from the others telling him to calm down and he saw Chisato tilting her head beyond the flat ground.
"Your branch director and top memeber are a lost cause?"
Oh, no. There's been a misunderstanding. Some of us are used to hopeless directors and top members, but they tend to be useful in actual businesses. Although now that I think about it, I don't think I've met very many that were.
But...
White Fox: "Oh, I get it. That means Shiraishi's members and branch directors are actually useful for them."
SenSen: "Aren't we a lost cause as a whole if that news is enough to excite us?"
TetsuG: "And you shouldn't show off our weaknesses, Yuki!"
I suppose not, he thought while checking some things on the small windows he had while in his trion body and facing Chisato again.
"Sorry, there seems to have been a misunderstanding."
Yuki chose his words carefully.
"It isn't that our branch director and branch top agent are a lost cause. What I meant is..."
A tab opened showing the smiling idiot in a Mikado City girl's summer uniform.
…I'm going to kill him!
As Yuki grew expressionlessly angry, Chisato nodded to urge him on, so he reworded his previous statement.
"He never had a cause to lose in the first place. What's more, there're even most lost causes in Border than just him."
He ignored the others as they shouted at him.
…Don't blame me. Everyone has their limit. The fact this idiot got me to admit my feelings towards Sensei is amazing.
At any rate, Shiraishi's directors and members were apparently proper leaders. And in that case, things would probably go well if Yuki did a proper job of negotiating.
That meant he needed to focus on handling this meeting with Chisato in order to draw out the higher ups.
...Our goal is to build a relationship with Shiraishi that has a future!
After confirming what he needed to do, Yuki spoke.
"Now, I would like to ask what you wish to accomplish in this meeting."
"Right. Very well. To sum it up..."
Chisato spoke with a smile.
"The Shiraishi family wishes to cut all ties with Border. Is that okay?"