Radar Search Training. Following the radar directions, seek out and shoot targets. If targets are not found using the Radar then it does not count. After landing one shot, move on to search for the next target. Scores are based on how many targets are hit within the time limit.
It was the day after the recent B-Rank War match and people continued to hone their skills in these sorts of training sessions.
Shots fired from different sniper rifles could be heard filling the space and no one spoke as they continued to fire.
One such person refusing to speak during this training session was Suzume.
With Kodera to her right and an unfamiliar face to her left, she continuously fired at the designated targets. Her score kept a constant rhythm of moving up by bits before suddenly stopping before starting back up. The sound of her shots remained a constant alongside the other snipers. The entire area was a symphony of gunfire and destruction.
Compared to her normal extravagant feeling, she had a aura of focus that spread out to the two next to her.
The one to notice it first had been Kodera.
It had been slightly off putting at first, but he had been quick to realize that she had simply been that focused to the point of not noticing her surroundings.
It was strange, but not unwelcome.
The training was soon over and everyone turned to their screens to see the results.
"Oh, honestly."
.
Kodera turned to the girl who had been focusing next to him. His own concentration had been broken a few times, but he had remained in a high positions among the regular agents of Border.
As for the girl next to him...
"Is something the matter, Misaki?"
"Oh, I see you remained pretty high up, Shōhei-kun. For that, I will overlook you not calling me 'nee-san' like we had discussed before."
It was both a relief and a worry that she let that slide.
"R-right... Well, was there something wrong? Was your score not what you had wanted it to be?"
"I don't think anyone ideally reach the point they want to be at."
"That was pretty deep. ...Are you okay?"
"Heh heh heh. What a good child to worry about me like that. But that is also fine. Just remember to remain honest like that and I will take good care of you when you need it."
"...Thank you?"
How were you supposed to respond to something like that?
She had always been like this, meaning he could just move on and only worry about it once it came up once more.
For now he could focus on his question.
"But to answer you... I suppose I am a bit down that I am still behind some people. I am not too used to sniping without moving, so these sorts of training sessions are not for me."
"You still make it to them whenever you can, though. That shows how much you want to improve."
"Keep speaking like that and I might honestly make you mine, Shōhei-kun."
"I don't think Narasaka-senpai and Satori would like that..."
"I don't care about the former, but I suppose getting to the latter like that would honestly be rude."
She had yet to figure out why that would really be an issue, but he remained quiet about that. It was not his place to speak up about another person's obviousness.
Instead, he fixed his glasses and moved over to stand in front of her.
She noticed him move forward and smile towards him. Unlike her normal impish one this one held a sort of affection he would think only an older sister could have.
It had always been interesting to see that side of her. It tended to be hidden by her normal extravagant persona that he would tend to forget that she could be calm and caring like this. This side of her was what had attracted him to being her friend in the first place, so seeing that she had not lost it was a good thing to see.
"Shōhei-kun?"
"Yes?"
"I see something honestly interesting going on over there, so I will be leaving you now."
"Okay. I hope you enjoy yourself then."
"Heh heh heh. Always make sure to treat your important people like that and I will never stop taking care of you." He was going to give his retort, but she continued before he had the chance. "Anyway, I will be working on the coming festival with some others later on in the week. Come down and honestly see what comes of it, okay? Or you could simply join us for the festival itself and watch me perform."
"...That sounds nice. I will see if I can make it."
Without nodding, she turned around and began to walk away. She lifted her hand in a backwards wave, so he returned it, even knowing that she would not be able to see it.
.
Suzume, using all of her training to hide herself properly, soundlessly made her way toward a group of people she had seen from a distance. They had been talking to each other after the training had ended and she had found her chance there.
Even from where she was moving, she could hear their conversation. But what caught her attention the most was the duo who had walked over to the original group.
"Oh, kitty. Kitty and Amatori-chan. What's up?"
"So this is the little canon I heard about?"
Suzume straightened up at the new voices. It had not been too long since she heard them, but she found herself getting excited at the prospect of gaining new material from them.
"Hi, Oki-senpai. And..."
"Ariake Mitsuteru. Nice to meet you, Amatori-chan."
"Well look who it is. Are you the Oki who missed out on his chance in the last match? And is that the Mittsun who started harassing people he couldn't normally take on?"
"Geh! Tōma-san... Um, yeah, hey. What's up...I guess?"
"Who's harassin' who now, Tōma-san? Tokyo here just wanted to have some fun. And as for me... You've got it wrong." She could see Oki smile from Tōma to Chika. "Since I'm an only child, I always thought it'd be great to have a younger sibling like Amatori-chan!"
From the area behind Tōma, she could see the trio of Ema, Izuho, and Akane watching on from behind. She made a note of their expressions, already imagining the scenarios she could use by having their age more than what they current were.
Out of the ones from the trio her eye quickly caught onto Ema in particular.
"You just got scared of her trying to take you out at the same time."
"No, no! It's just that I couldn't shoot someone as cute as this girl, right?"
"Okay-kun, maybe tone it down a bit?"
When she looked to Mitsuteru she saw that he was making sure to stay out Tōma's line of sight while also making sure to have Ema within his sights. That alone was enough for her to make some material out of, but it only got better once Ema began to move.
At first she had thought that he would be moving to say something to Mitsuteru, but she had been pleasantly surprised to watch him stand between Oki and Chika. The glare he gave towards the former had been enough for her to forego sneaking around and instead took quick steps.
"Stop that, Oki-senpai. Can't you see that you're troubling her?"
"Huh? What's up, Yuzuru?"
"Okay-kun, Okay-kun, can't you see that you're hitting on his girlfriend?"
"Oh, that makes sense."
"That's not it at all! And Mitsuteru, don't just assume things like that! You're giving me trouble with that!"
"Eh? Eh!? Now even Yuzuru is yelling at me?"
"Oki-senpai, what about me?"
Suzume took that as her chance.
With a leaping start, she jumped lightly.
She reached out her arms wide before closing them around an unassuming Akane's neck.
"Akane-chan! It would honestly be hard for any of us to shoot you!"
"Ah! Suzume-nee-chan!? When did you get here!?"
"Just now! But that's not important! Oki-kun, you agree, don't you!? You wouldn't shoot Akane-chan, right!?"
"Yeah, I think I'd have a hard time shooting her too."
"Right? Right? Akane-chan is just too cute!"
"W-wait! That t-t-tickles! Hahaha! Don't rub my cheek like that!"
.
Mitsuteru smiled at the sight he was watching.
While he was being mindful to stay out of sight from Tōma, he made sure to have the younger snipers within eyesight. It would do no good if something happened and he was not ready for it.
Oh, but I guess I wouldn't be the best person to do something if anything did happen.
He knew he was being self-deprecating, but it was also something he knew as a fact. That was why he was able to release any tension he had built up simply by letting it out as air through his mouth or nose.
His attention was diverted from Suzume and Hiura messing around, dragging in Natsume with them, once he heard a small noise from Yuzuru.
He watched as Yuzuru pulled out his phone and spoke, addressing Tōma.
"It's from Kage-san. He's asking us to hang out at his place."
"Oh, nice. Izuho, Chikako, what are you guys doing after this?"
A small smile began to form on Mitsuteru's lips as he heard that. It was a bit of eavesdropping on his part, but he had always wanted to make sure that Yuzuru was fine. He knew that there were others, better people, looking out for him, but he felt like he could at least do this much.
Compared to his captain or these Snipers around them, he was the lowest ranked one to help anyone. He was a support Sniper, but that left him limited in what he could do. So taking any sort of initiative would have required some time to mentally prepare.
Hm, hm~ That's fine. I got a lot out of my system during the last match. Any more and I might just become a different person altogether.
He gave a bitter laugh in his heart at the thought.
Something new was what he had been trying to avoid, but now there were a lot of new things going on around him.
And one of those things happened to be...
"Hey, Mitsuteru..."
Yuzuru himself was now new.
He would not have normally spoken up to him like this, so it must have been something important for him to do so.
"Yeah? What is it, Yuzuru?"
"Do you want to join us? I can ask Kage-san is that's fine for you to come."
"Huh? Oh, uh... I guess? Wait. The Arafune Squad duo senpai had said they wanted to...see me for... You know what? I would love to go. Please let me go."
"Oh, afraid of being scolded by those two? Well I can do that too then."
He had not thought about that. But at least this way he would only be scolded by one of his mentors instead of two of them.
I think that's just a plus for me. And besides, it's easy to distract Tōma-san with others around than it is when those two are there together.
It was the perfect chance.
Dealing with one person was far easier than two.
"Right, I'll go with you guys then."
"Heh heh heh. Well you honestly seem to be in better spirits, Ani. And Yuzu-kun, you also have a nice Rhythm to you. Both of you, make sure not to lose those, okay?"
He had not been expecting for Suzume to speak to them at this point. The expression she wore was not the one he was familiar with, so it had thrown him for a loop.
She must have noticed this as she gave another laugh while moving away from Hiura. The way she swayed while walking over to Amatori was interesting, but he felt that thinking of her as anything other than a fellow Sniper would get him in trouble.
"Well, with all of that being said and done... Make sure to properly say your farewells to us."
So that was what she wanted here.
Maybe out of pity, or out of pure kindness, Amatori was the first one to respond to this.
"See you soon, Yuzuru-kun. In the next match."
"Yeah... In the next match."
"And it was nice to meet you, Ariake-senpai."
"Likewise. And feel free to address me by name. Most of the Snipers here do."
He smiled toward her while making his way out with Tōma and Yuzuru.
.
Ema found himself relaxing a bit as he left with Tōma and Mistuteru at his side.
"So," the latter started. "Is Amatori-chan really Yuzuru's girlfriend?"
"Wha-!?"
"Not yet."
"Ah. Well, don't worry. I'm rooting for you, Yuzuru. She seems like a good girl."
Every bit of relaxation he had felt after leaving had been thrown away. Now only tension filled his body.
These people are the worst...
First was the sauce.
Next came the mayonnaise.
The final part were the bonito flakes.
"Oh! It's like they're alive!"
Cutting down from three sides was necessary to get the right portion.
Once everything had been set, the okonomiyaki was passed out to each person sitting at the table.
"Yum!"
"How's that? Great, huh?"
"So good!"
"Don't burn yourself."
The group sitting at the table enjoyed themselves as the food was set.
The first one to begin eating had been Kuga, who could only smile as the food hit his tongue. The taste and feeling of it were just right and nothing was spoiled.
Everyone around him seemed to watch with enough interest as he continue to eat.
"By the way, Yuzuru," Kitazoe started. His eyes slowly moved from Kuga, who was across from him, to the single person at the table next to their own.
"Yeah? What is it?"
"Is he okay?"
Following his sight, Ema learned forward to look at the table next their own.
What he saw was Mitsuteru quickly putting food from the grill, to his plate, into his mouth in record time. The steam coming from his mouth was sopped by the hand that came up to cover his mouth.
Once he finished chewing and swallowing the food, he was quick to take a drink of water before repeating the process.
"...I really don't think he was ever 'okay'. It's better to just ignore him."
"Hey, Yuzuru, that's me- Hah! Haaaaaah! Hot, hot, hot!"
He took another drink, not seeing the amused look he was getting from some of the ones at the other table.
"You would think he hasn't had anything to eat in a long time. He's going at it more than Kuga here."
"That's because dealing with tension makes me more hungry, Tōma-san. And you mentors give me the most amount of tension. Oh, but this time it was different."
"Different how?"
"Well, you see," he said, lifting his finger. "I am always afraid of Kageura-san, so the tension I had this time was even worse. I really thought I would just end up leaving early. But that changed once the food came along. I didn't know this place had such great food. Now that I do, and seeing Kageura-san act like that with Kuga-kun - by the way, hello, Kuga-kun. Sorry, I forgot to properly introduce myself because of the tension."
"No problem. Nice to meet you, Ariake."
"You can just call him 'Mittsun'."
"And now my mentor is giving me away like that... Well, that's fine with me. Shigeko was the one to first call me that, so no one can take that away."
Half of the people at the other table shook their heads and waves their hands, but he chose to ignore them.
"Well, anyway, since I saw that Kageura-san can act like that, my tension slowly faded. So now I'm just here, stuffing my face. Oh, but this food really is great. I'll make sure to come back again. Maybe one a month... No, one a week?"
"Your captain comes here once in awhile. You should ask when he's coming back."
"Does he? I guess that makes sense. Thanks for letting me know, Senpai."
Murakami waved him off with a smile before turning to Kageura. He could hear Mitsuteru begin to eat again and made sure to be ready in case the boy started choking from eating too fast.
"It looks like you will be having a new regular, Kage. Try to go easy on him."
"I'm not going to complain about more customers."
From the side they could all see Mitsuteru give a thumbs up as he put more food in his mouth.
.
"By the way, Kage... You seem to like Kuga a lot."
Even as he was stuffing his face, Mitsuteru made sure to pay attention to the conversation at the next table over.
It was not eavesdropping, so he did it easily.
He had only really known Tōma and Yuzuru until he started speaking more with Murakami. But the other three there were still relatively new to him. He had never spoken to either one of the older Kageura Squad members, only ever hearing about them from Nire.
I wonder what they're like with friends, he thought while continuing to listen in.
This was his chance to broad his understanding of others he did not know.
"That's true. You invited him to this place, after all. Seeing you make more friends makes Zoe so happy."
"Shut up!"
Mitsuteru could hear the unspoken "Listen!" as Kageura pointed to Kuga.
"This kid is totally different from everyone else. When most people try to aim an attack at me, it comes in as a tingling feeling right here." He pointed to his neck, but it felt like he meant it more as a general area. "Because of my crappy Side Effect. But this guy doesn't give that sort of feeling at all. I can't read his attacks at all. It's like he's a machine or a bug. To see somebody fight with no emotion like that isn't something easy to come by. The only other people who can do that are Azuma-san and Shitokei. That makes our fights so much more thrilling and fun. That's what I like about him."
"I see. An emotionless sword then."
"Hm. I don't get it."
Was it weird that he understood what they meant if Kuga could not understand it?
But...
...He mentioned Fuji-san by name. Has he fought her himself then? And who won that fight then?
He spared a glance over at the other table and saw that Murakami had turned to him. Likely to see his reaction to having his former teammate brought up so casually like that.
Taking another drink, he waved a hand over to Murakami. There was nothing wrong to worry about, so he made that clear with his actions.
Feeling a buzz in his pocket, he reached down to grab his phone.
Black Wolf: "I'll tell you about it later on. Don't worry, Kage didn't mean much by it."
Daybreak: "That's fine. I was just curious, is all."
The way Murakami lowered his shoulders told him that his senpai had likely been worried about what would come from that.
"By the way, this is totally different, but...Kuga. This guy has a crush on the Sniper of your squad."
"—!?"
.
Mitsuteru tried his best to not laugh at Ema's surprised response or his coughing brought out due to that. He hid it behind his hand as he went for some more food.
He remained quiet, interested in knowing where this would be going.
"Ah, you've got a good eye. Anyone interested in Chika is a good guy."
Was that how it worked?
"Yuzuru has a girlfriend now... That makes Zoe cry."
"You're always like that, Zoe."
Was it right to feel a bit jealous that Ema managed something like that before he did? But it really was a joyous thing.
He shrugged his shoulders at the idea and decided to be happy for Ema.
But...
"There's nothing to be happy about. This guy intends to throw the next match!"
Hm?
Mitsuteru took a moment to stop his eating.
He looked past Kitazoe and directly at Ema. There was no shame or denial in his expression. That meant there was nothing he could remark or criticize on.
After all, I was pretty petty in my last match. I never thought of the points we could be getting and instead thought of only harassing everyone else.
He gave a bitter smile inside his heart as he looked from Ema to Murakami before going back.
...I guess I'm pretty bad myself then.
He was determined to understand Ema's reasoning here. So he settled down, stopped eating, and focused completely on the conversation.
.
"Are you giving up at a chance of winning for Amatori? Is that what this is about? Just like how your name is?"
Ema held a moment of silence before speaking up, but his eyes remained down.
"It's because our squad doesn't intend to join the away team. And if someone wants to do that, isn't it better to give that spot to them?"
"Even so, I don't think we can do that so easily."
Giving up an entire match when others would be trying their hardest was difficult enough, but having teammate also trying their hardest made it even more difficult. It created contradicting wants within a squad and they all knew that.
Even so, Ema continued to face the table as everything was taken in.
From where he sat, he could tell that Mitsuteru was watching and paying close attention to what was going on. That alone was bad, but his remaining silence only added to the weight of the words.
But...
"You don't have to worry about that sort of thing."
Someone broke the small moment of silence.
"Her participation on the away team is already decided."
It was Kuga.
Taking the fork from his mouth, he leaned forward and continued.
"It's because of her massive amount of trion. They said they would be able to increase the size of the ship thanks to her. We were told that as many agents as possible would be going, so we were asked to lend her for this."
"Now that you mention it," said Kitazoe. "We got a notice earlier. It was saying that they are choosing a few B-Rank agents for the away team too."
"The ships's really small. I see how that works. They want to make it bigger with her trion."
Kageura nodded to Tōma and Kuga in thanks a she turned to Ema, who had been sitting next to him. A small sigh of relief could be heard at the next table, but he ignored that for a moment.
"Then there are no more problems here. She's already on the team. You have no reason to give up winning."
But Ema gave his retort just was quickly.
"But Amatori-san is the only one who is assigned to the expedition. She would want to have her squad with her for reassurance."
"That makes sense, for sure," Murakami said.
"You always have an answer for everything! Hey you, Ariake! Can't you say something to convince this guy!?"
In response to being called out, Mitsuteru jumped in his seat.
Wiping his mouth clear of any water that had spilled out, he turned to look at Kageura and Ema staring at him.
While one of them was looking for an answer, the other gave nothing away with his expression.
"Uh, well, I... I can see both sides of this fine enough, but I have a sort of bias towards Yuzuru since I know him more."
"Tch. So much for that."
"Now, now, Kage..."
"But..."
This time everyone turned to see what Mitsuteru had to say. He had been fidgeting in his seat since being called out, but now he was looking up, as if to find the words waiting for him.
"I guess I can say... Well, Yuzuru, you-"
"Welcome!"
He was interrupted by the sound of two pairs of feet stepping forward.
"Geh! You two!?"
"Hey, what's with that reaction?"
.
Arafune glared down at Mitsuteru as the boy tried to hide from him and Hokari. It was a miserable attempt since he had been the only one sitting at the table.
Seeing the empty plates on the table, his glare increased.
"Arafune and Hokari."
Nodding towards his former student, Arafune turned back to glare at Mitsuteru.
Without another word, he sat down across from the boy while Hokari moved to sit next to him.
"You told us that you had a change of plans, but I didn't think you would be here."
"Uh, well, um, you see..."
"We were going to treat you for a good job in your last match, but it looks like you wanted to have some fun without us."
The way Mitsuteru started sweating under the glare was satisfying to watch.
He fiddled with his fingers for a moment before he jumped at Hokari patting his shoulder.
"I thought you two were going to throw me into another hellish training session! I don't get why having stupidly big muscles means anything when I just need to snipe then jump!"
"Damn, what the hell did you two do to that guy?"
It was worrying to know that it was Kageura who had asked that.
For him to worry about Mitsuteru meant that either they had done something bad or he was good at gaining pity for others.
...I feel like it's a bit of both.
But admitting to something like that was not how he had survived with all of those cannibals, so he instead turned his attention elsewhere.
To the other table.
"I'll just order you guys some food..." Mitsuteru said weekly.
Hokari nodded as he moved some of the empty plate to the side.
"So what were you all talking about?"
.
Mitsuteru slumped down in his seat as the ones from the other table informed Arafune and Hokari of what they had been talking about.
When put as a summary, it felt much more clear to understand and he had even realized where he had gone wrong in his part of the conversation.
"I think I understand what's going on," Arafune said. "But I don't see how it's that difficult."
Maybe it was due to seeing one of his mentors with his hat on most of the time, but Mitsuteru noticed the way Arafune seemed to realize he had taken his hat off. The slight twirl of his hair way have been his way of pretending he had not forgotten, but he made sure to memorize what had just happened.
The atmosphere around them all had cooled down to a simmer, so he felt that he could now take the time to notice these sorts of things.
"All you need to do, Ema, is join the away team as an individual. That way you can go together with the Tamakoma girl. It's as simple as that."
Was he always this smart? he wanted to say. The thought was relegated to the back of his mind for now.
As much as he did not want to admit it, all of his mentors were smart in their own ways. This had made it difficult to learn at the start, but after understanding them, it had all become too easy to know what they were talking about.
It was in this way that he knew not to speak up and wait for Ema to respond.
He was interested in how the rest of the continued conversation would be going, so there was no problem with this.
"Have me go on the away mission?"
"In that case, you don't have to deliberately lose," Arafune explained. "Tamakoma's girl will have you there with her. If you're so worried about her, then go protect her yourself."
"Myself...?"
That was right. They had both failed to protect at least one person already.
Amatori-chan seems to be someone close to Yuzuru already. If he wants to make sure she can be protected, he really has no choice here. And from the looks of it...
He knew that too.
Having Amatori go with her squad would give her reassurance that she would not be alone, but that would then leave him to wonder how she would be doing. His own reassurance would have been that she was with her squad, but would that be enough?
Mitsuteru liked to believe that he know Ema. That meant also knowing that he would still worry, even if Amatori's whole squad went with her.
Even now, we both worry... At least Yuzuru has found someone to properly worry about. Meanwhile, I'm stuck here.
He had let go of a lot after his recent match, but there were still some things he could not let go of just yet.
Taking in a breath, he thought about those things. At the same time, he could hear Kuga start to speak.
"Well, whether you throw the match or not, it doesn't make any difference to us. Whichever you choose..."
That's right.
"We're the ones who are going to win."
There are people like that all around him.
And if he realized that those people were here, Ema would no doubt realize it as well.
.
Pushing himself up from the table, Ema grabbed his jacket and turned away.
"Wait a sec. Where are you going, Yuzuru?"
"I'm heading back to the base."
The second sound of someone getting up could be heard, along with some money being placed on the table.
"I'm going to review Tamakoma's logs."
Without turning back, he made his way to the door.
Following behind was a heavier pair of footsteps.
There was no need to look back to know who it was that had followed him outside. The voices inside could still be heard, but one voice in particular rang out from directly behind him.
"I'll head to the base with you," it said.
"There's no need to do that. You can enjoy yourself back in there," he responded.
Mitsuteru gave a shallow laugh as he fell in pace with Ema. His own jacket was wrapped around him, but he looked more at home this way than any other way.
It was a bit surprising that he could even manage to keep pace instead of walk forward with his longer legs.
"With the Arafune Squad duo there? I would get chewed out for sure. I just got lucky that Tōma-san was in a good mood, otherwise I might have survived that."
Even if those people were not the worst of the cannibals, they could easily tear into someone without a second thought. He had learned that from the times they had gone over to Kageura Squad's operating room.
He understood what Mitsuteru meant by all of that. And that was what scared him the most.
"Well, either way, I thought it was time I get over my petty streak. I managed to let go of a lot of things yesterday, so I should start looking forward instead of backwards."
"Busy going backwards... That's why you used to say."
"Oh, so you remember that? I guess I just liked how it sounded. I didn't really understand it until now."
Would it be best to compliment him for understanding now or criticize him for taking so long? Doing either one would likely gain the same response, so he chose not to do either.
Instead, Ema moved forward a bit, but held the same space as before.
Mitsuteru noticed this and made a certain decision.
.
He placed an arm around Ema's shoulder.
"So this is what it would feel like to have a little brother."
"You would be a terrible older brother."
"You think I don't know that?"
He gave a bitter laugh, but did not move his arm.
Hey.
"I didn't know how to really respond back there when I was put on the spot by Kageura-san."
"I could tell."
"I bet you could."
Do you understand?
"...I figured it out, though. What I want to say."
"Who do you want to say it to exactly?"
"Well, I have a lot to say to a lot of people. But for now, you are my focus. After all, you beat me to having a girlfriend."
This is fine, isn't it?
"It isn't like that..."
"But you like her, and that's what maters. Be happy about that. You can like someone who is here."
"I'll make sure that Shigenaga-san knows you said that."
"Hahaha! You really want me to die, don't you?"
Moving on and letting go of unnecessary things is important.
The two of them both understood well enough that things lost already would not come back so easily, if at all.
So there was only one thing to say.
"Hey, Yuzuru."
"...What?"
"I still have a lot to hold onto. For my sake and the sake of some others. But you don't have to do that."
So.
"Do your best to hold onto this. And make sure that you never want to let it go."