Disclaimer : I don't own Naruto or Toaru Kagaku no Railgun/Toaru Majutsu no Index
The Trinity of Tokiwadai
Chapter One Hundred Sixteen: Agitate Halation - Road to the Hero Riot
The first Sunday after the Ichihanaransai, Last Order was at the playroom in Mama's house for a playdate with Janie-chan, Febrie-chan, Kreutune-chan, Fremea-chan and Fumiki-chan. A gathering that she had arranged so she could introduce all her friends to each other.
A gathering that was made possible by Mama thankfully getting Papa to tone down her punishment for running off the day before the Ichihanaransai so instead of being banned from playdates for a week and everything else, she was only banned from computer games for a month. Mama had argued that was the root cause of her running off anyway so banning it until she learned to be civil when playing online was more fitting to the crime. That argument and extending her punishment period out to a whole month had convinced Papa to relent.
Mama was the best! No, her parents are the best! They took awesome care of her, punishing her when she needed to, but otherwise pampering her wonderfully. The only downside was that she had to go to Mama's house or otherwise meet up with her to spend time with her. She really wished that Papa would just move in with Mama already then she could follow him and they could live together as one big happy family with Janie-chan and Febrie-chan. And with Fremea-mama and Fremea-chan living just next door, they were practically living together with them too! Unfortunately, Oba-san just had to be stubborn and insist Papa and Mama couldn't stay under the same roof until Mama was sixteen. She could move in with Mama without him but then he'd be lonely and she didn't want that either!
Speaking of Mama, she was sitting in the corner workstation of the playroom and looking at them all fondly whilst the screen of the computer next to her flashed from one image or document to another at truly blinding speeds. It seemed that Mama was using her phenomenal multi-tasking ability to work, probably collating or reviewing the intelligence her network and analysts had gathered, even as she watched them.
Catching her looking, Mama smiled at Last Order sweetly and nodded towards her friends, wordlessly telling her to pay attention to them instead. Smiling back at Mama, ever the obedient daughter, Last Order obeyed.
She turned back to the entertainment center in the middle of the playroom, where she and her friends were using the "Fantasy City Builder" app to create a model city on the center's holographic display. An effort that saw Last Order and her little sisters pull ideas from that one time the Trinity had a sleepover and built model cities using the same app to populate their cities with things like Elsa's ice castle from Frozen from Mama's "Ojou-sama land" as Uiharu-obasan had dubbed it, a candy cane tower from Naru-nee's Candy Land, and a massive broadway along a beach full of arcades straight out of Onee-sama's submission to that particularly memorable competition between Mama and her friends.
Kreutune-chan, who was thankfully not dressed in that terrible two-piece transparent dress she'd been wearing when she first escaped from the Windowless Building, turned to Last Order and shot her a questioning look. "Order-chan, what has got you so distracted?"
Turning to her friend, who was dressed in a stylish dress that was a combination of colors and design. A dress that featured a color-blocked look with a white top section that transitioned into a soft pink midsection, followed by a deep burgundy skirt accented with a pink tie belt at the waist, cinching and adding a feminine touch. A dress whose sleeves and the hem of the skirt had a scalloped edge, adding a playful yet elegant detail. All in all, Kreutune-chan's outfit gave her a perfect casual yet chic look.
"Misaka was just thinking about how my punishment got moderated. Misaka Misaka informs her friend." Last Order said, shaking her head to reassure her that there was nothing to worry about.
"You're so lucky that it did." Fumiki-chan, her best friend, who she'd made during her brief time as a student at Keigan Academy - Elementary School Division, told her with a scolding look. "You were so silly running away from home and getting lost. Considering what you did, your punishment is actually quite lenient."
"Yes, Misaka knows. Misaka Misaka confesses whilst nodding contritely."
"I hope that's true, Onee-chan." Janie-chan said, offering her a chiding look of her own. A surprisingly intimidating look considering how mild mannered her middle sister was. "What you did was really stupid."
"Misaka knows. Misaka Misaka meekly acknowledged."
"You better." Febrie-chan added her two cents before pivoting the conversation to another topic. "Kreutune-chan, your outfit is so pretty! Where did you get it?"
"Ah~! It was part of the wardrobe that Saten-sama gave me."
This statement prompted Fumiki-chan to look between Kreutune-chan, Last Order and the twins, all dressed in clothes picked for them by Mama and her own Keigan Academy - Elementary School Division uniform before letting out a sigh. "Saten-sama has good fashion sense."
Last Order could understand. Keigan Academy's uniform was a classic, smart design that exuded a polished and academic look, ideal for a ten-year-old schoolgirl. It included a crisp white button-up shirt with a pleated front and long sleeves, giving it a formal and neat appearance. Paired with the shirt was a dark tie adorned with diagonal stripes, adding a touch of sophistication. The ensemble was completed with a navy blue pleated skirt featuring a subtle check pattern, and the look was further enhanced with black suspenders that added a modern twist to the traditional school uniform. However, it paled in comparison to what the rest of them were wearing.
Besides Kreutune-chan's chic outfit, Janie-chan was wearing a striking gothic black dress. A dress that featured a lace-up bodice adorned with intricate lace detailing and a high collar. The long sleeves were also made of delicate lace, and it extended to a full, layered tulle skirt that cascaded down to the floor, creating a dramatic and elegant silhouette. A matching black floral headpiece completed the darkly enchanting look.
In contrast, Febrie-chan was wearing a charming white gothic dress. It included a knitted bodice with a high collar and long sleeves. The waist was accentuated with a black ribbon tied into a bow, and the skirt was made of layers of tulle, adding volume and grace. The ensemble was finished with a white floral headpiece, creating an ethereal and magical appearance.
As for Last Order herself? Unlike her little sisters, she never favored the kind of extravagance that the twins did, so today she opted for a much simpler, cozier, and casual ensemble. An outfit that consisted of a gray ribbed sweater paired with a soft, pink corduroy pinafore dress. The sweater had long, slightly oversized sleeves, adding to its relaxed, comfortable look. The pinafore dress featured adjustable straps with metal buckles and a large front pocket, creating a chic yet practical appearance that Last Order quite enjoyed.
"It's really unfair how good your outfits are." Fumiki-chan said with a shake of her head and another sigh.
"Essentially, I totally agree with you." Fremea-chan agreed with a pout. "Ruiko-nee bought me some things too and they are the best things in my wardrobe. Nyah~!"
Fumiki-chan turned to the Norwegian girl and gave her a once-over. Fremea-chan was wearing a beige, long-sleeved dress adorned with an adorable pink sheep applique at the front, which added a playful touch to her look. The dress was complemented by a faux fur collar in a darker shade and a single button detail at the neckline, providing a hint of elegance. Her ensemble was paired with dark leggings and warm, patterned leg warmers, creating a perfect mix of comfort and fashion. The outfit was completed with a charming brown cap, adding an extra touch of cuteness and practicality for the winter weather.
"Is what you're wearing something Saten-sama got you, Seivelun-san?"
Fremea-chan shook her head. "Nah. Onee-sama bought this for me. But like I said, what Ruiko-nee did get me was essentially super cute."
Last Order and the twins nodded. They had seen what their Mama had bought for Fremea-chan and they had to agree. As with every piece of clothing that Mama bought, it was super pretty. Their mother really had a great eye when it came to fashion.
Now if only Mama didn't like to express that by playing dress up with us so much… Last Order mused.
Don't get her wrong, Last Order loved the clothes that Mama got her. They were pretty and made her look very beautiful. But unlike the twins who seemed to love it, she got tired of Mama playing dress up with her sometimes. Endlessly changing from one outfit to another for hours at a time was exhausting!
"I could get you some outfits, Anno-san." Mama piped up from her workstation in the corner.
Last Order's best friend jumped at Mama's sudden offer and turned to her, nervously waving her hands at her and replied. "That's not necessary, Saten-sama!"
"You do not need to worry, Anno-san. It's not a problem." Mama told Fumiki-chan with an encouraging smile. "Expect some presents for Christmas next month."
A blushing Fumiki-chan prepared to say something, probably to refuse again, but Last Order put her hand on her shoulder and as her friend turned to her, she shook her head. "You should stop, Fumiki-chan. Misaka Misaka urges. It won't work. Misaka Misaka explains. If Mama says she'll give you presents, you'll get presents from her. Misaka Misaka adds."
Fumiki-chan's eyes widened at that before blushing even harder, she turned back to Mama. "T-Thank y-you, S-Saten-sama."
"You should look forward to it, Anno-san." Kreutune-san told her with a smile. "The presents will be worth it. Saten-sama has exceptional taste when it comes to fashion."
Last Order and her sisters all nodded their heads in agreement. Considering their wardrobe was almost entirely purchased by Mama, they spoke from experience. Add that to Fremea-chan's own nod of agreement adding something of an outsider's perspective, and it was clear that there was a great deal of weight to the observation.
A flustered Fumiki-chan nodded and changed the topic, gesturing at the holographic city they were working on, she asked in a slightly desperate tone. "Why in the world is the city we're building so fantastical?"
"Misaka and her sisters are just recreating things from the last time Mama played this game with the Trinity. Misaka Misaka explains."
Fumiki-chan shot Mama a disbelieving look. "Saten-sama built a city with a Disney castle and a candy cane tower?"
"I was having a moment of whimsy, Anno-san." Mama replied with a chuckle as she stood.
"Mama?" Febrie-chan asked, looking at their mother curiously.
"We have an unexpected guest that I need to go meet." Mama explained. "Now don't get into any trouble whilst I'm gone," She continued before gesturing to a camera in a corner of the room. "I'll be watching."
"We'll be on our best behavior." Janie-chan assured her as they all nodded in agreement.
"See you in a bit." Mama told them with a smile before teleporting away.
"I wonder who came to visit?" Fremea-chan asked, tapping her chin thoughtfully.
Febrie-chan shook her head. "I don't know. If it was someone we knew, Mama would say who it was."
Janie-chan nodded. "Whoever it is though, they must be super important because Mama wouldn't leave us unattended to go meet them just because they dropped by otherwise."
"Yeah. Misaka Misaka says whilst nodding in agreement. Maybe we should go spy on Mama to see who this mysterious unexpected guest is? Misaka Misaka suggested."
"Order-chan, no. That's just asking for us to get into trouble."
Kreutune-chan nodded. "I must agree. We did promise Saten-sama that we would be on our best behavior."
"Misaka is already in trouble, Misaka is willing to risk it. Misaka Misaka reasons." Last Order insisted as she jumped to her feet and turned to follow after Mama.
Before she could make it three feet, Janie-chan had rushed around the entertainment center and grabbed Last Order's arm.
"No, you don't." Janie-chan told her firmly before pointing to the camera that Mama had gestured to earlier and which was currently looking straight at Last Order. "Mama is watching and I am not letting you be naughty and disobey her, Onee-chan! I am not letting you get into more trouble!"
Last Order looked between the camera and her sister before sighing and nodding, abandoning her plan to sneak out.
"Okay. Misaka Misaka relents." Last Order conceded as she let Janie-chan guide her back to the entertainment center.
"Let's just work on our city." Febrie-chan suggested.
Last Order nodded and retook her seat.
"Though I am really curious who Mama's guest is?" Febrie-chan said, voicing everyone's thoughts as they got back into their game.
Ruiko's teleport deposited her in front of her front door, allowing her to physically block a girl she knew well before she could press her doorbell.
"Rensa #29." Ruiko greeted, shooting the cyborg a glare. "What are you doing here?"
"Is that how you greet one of your sisters, Onee-sama?" said the cyborg with long, disheveled dark hair worn down and purple eyes, dressed in a backless pink nurse uniform. A cyborg that Ruiko knew had a bust size that measured, with a ridiculous level of precision, at exactly 80.999 centimeters, as specified by her creator, Yakumi Hisako. A cyborg whose body was piloted by a clone of Ruiko's own brain.
"You are no sister of mine."
"I am one of your clones, aren't I?" Rensa #29 asked, crossing her arms and glaring back. "That makes us sisters by the logic that has been applied to the other Level 5s and their clones, doesn't it?"
"I do not acknowledge you nor the other Rensas as my sisters, you are nothing more than Yakumi Hisako's dogs."
Rensa #29 scoffed. "Is that the best insult you've got, Onee-sama?"
"Stop calling me that. You have no right."
"If you refuse to accept being our Onee-sama, what right do you have to tell us what we call you?" Rensa #29 shot back before rolling her eyes. "But whatever! I didn't come here to argue with you about that."
"Then why did you come by?"
"I came to deliver a message from all of us Rensas," Rensa #29 told her, adopting an uncharacteristically serious look.
"What message?"
"'No hard feelings'," Rensa #29 said before abruptly spinning on her heel and turning to leave.
"Does this have anything to do with the Agitate Halation Project?" Ruiko asked the departing cyborg.
Rensa #29 stopped, turning back towards Ruiko with a smirk on her face.
"Oh! So you know about it?" she replied.
"I do not know the details." Ruiko admitted. "But whatever it is, Yakumi Hisako is implementing it and is eliminating threats to said roll out including Tsuchimikado Motoharu when he began investigating it. Going so far in the process as targeting the Magician-Esper hybrid's sister to get at him and pushing him to drag Kamijou Touma into the mess. Something that by my estimation is a fatal mistake."
Rensa #29 just laughed.
"Oh, don't worry about Yakumi-sama's plan. We've got everything under control. Besides, despite the hype, how big of a threat can the [Imagine Breaker] really be if he lets himself get kidnapped? Or fail to get out in a timely manner after being tossed into the School Garden? The bloody School Garden of all places! If it were some Dark Side supermax prison, I'd understand, but that ojou-sama exclusive district? Sure, it might put Kamijou in those girls' crosshairs, but that's barely a speed bump! And all of that just so that two-bit Dark Sider, Tsuchimikado Motoharu, can get a chance at revenge? Hah! We don't need to worry about a useless hero like that!"
"Even if the Trinity joins in against you?" Ruiko asked. "That's why you are here to tell me 'no hard feelings', correct? You fully expect us to be enemies soon, don't you?"
"As expected of you, Onee-sama. You've always been super smart." Rensa #29 said, offering Ruiko a bittersweet smile.
Brushing aside the praise entirely, Ruiko frowned and said. "Whatever you are planning, it better not target my loved ones, or clones of me or not, I will crush you."
"We expect as much." Rensa #29 told her, the bittersweet smile still on her face as she once more turned to leave.
Ruiko did not stop her this time as the cyborg stepped off the house's lawn and teleported away.
Glancing in the direction of the low wall separating her house from Frenda-chan's, Ruiko addressed the person she knew that was hiding behind it. "How much did you hear, Frenda-chan?"
Frenda-chan, whom Ruiko knew via her surveillance network had just returned from training in the underground lab beneath their street, accessed via the hidden elevator in her house, was in the process of coming over to check on Fremea-chan when she'd made herself scarce so she could listen in on the conversation with Rensa #29. At Ruiko's prompting however, she pulled herself up onto the top of the dividing wall.
"I heard most of it. Was that woman really your clone?"
Ruiko nodded. "She is really just a brain that is piloting a cyborg body."
Frenda-chan blinked and nodded at the revelation. "That explains why she looked so different."
"It does." Ruiko agreed. "So do you want to join me in looking after the girls? You've finished putting away your things?"
Frenda-chan shot her a look. Clearly unimpressed by her deflection. "You aren't worried about the implied threat of this Agitate Halation Project?"
"Kamijou Touma is already on the case." Ruiko said with a shrug. "If we want him to stop interfering in Incidents we have under control, we shouldn't do the same to him."
Her girlfriend snorted. "You just don't want to get involved and screw up our date tonight."
"Of course I don't. Accel put in a lot of effort setting it up. Do you want all that effort to go to waste?"
"I don't." Frenda-chan said with a frown. "But is just letting things develop really okay?"
"We'll watch the situation from afar for now and intervene when it proves necessary. We can't live perpetually on the lookout for the next crisis. We need to live a little."
Frenda-chan giggled. "I can't believe you said that! Were you really once called the [Robot]?"
"Not you too…" Ruiko said with a pout.
Her girlfriend's giggles turned into a full blown laugh at that response.
Huffing in indignation, Ruiko turned to face her front door and called over her shoulder to Frenda-chan. "Go finish putting away the gear you used in your training. I'll put on some tea while you do."
"S-Sure." The Norwegian said, still giggling.
Ignoring how her girlfriend was laughing at her expense, Ruiko teleported back into her house to get ready some tea to welcome her.
Later in the evening, Mikoto entered her dorm room in the Exterior Tokiwadai Dormitory and angrily pulled off her coat and tossed it onto her bed.
Her actions prompted Kuroko to look up from working on her homework and turn to look at her warily. "Based on your mood, Onee-sama, I imagine that you failed to find Kamijou?"
Mikoto nodded angrily. "Shokuhou's Faction played interference and stopped me from catching up with him."
"I see." Kuroko said with an agreeing hum. "Do you know why Kamijou was in the School Garden anyway? Or how did he even get in? Boys are summarily disallowed unless they have a rarely granted special permission."
"I don't know." Mikoto said with a shrug.
Kuroko cocked an eyebrow. "Why didn't you call Ruiko-san to find out and track Kamijou?"
Picking up her coat and moving to properly hang it in her wardrobe, Mikoto answered her roommate. "I wasn't about to disturb Ruiko for something so trivial."
"At least you can admit that Kamijou and dealing with him are trivial matters." Kuroko said with a smile.
"What did you say?" Mikoto asked, shooting Kuroko a glare accompanied by a few sparks of electricity.
"Nothing, Onee-sama." Kuroko swiftly backtracked. "Speaking of Ruiko-san, she would be mad if you had called her for something so trivial, wouldn't she? She is looking after her girls and preparing for her big date tonight, isn't she?"
"She is." Mikoto agreed as she began pulling out a change of clothes centered around her Gekota themed pajamas from her wardrobe. "We should reserve using Ruiko's intelligence network to when we actually need it."
Kuroko hummed in agreement.
"How did you know that Kamijou was in the School Garden, Kuroko? Or that I spotted him and tried to chase him down?"
Kuroko shrugged. "It was the talk of our schoolmates. You're one of our school's idols. Did you think no one would notice you chasing someone around? Especially a boy that shouldn't have been in the School Garden in the first place?"
"Stupid fans." Mikoto muttered with a sigh as she began making her way to their room's en suite bathroom.
"They are what they are." Kuroko told her with another shrug. "Are you taking a shower, Onee-sama?"
"Yeah." Mikoto said as she shot Kuroko a warning look. "Don't even think about following me into the bathroom."
"I would never!" Kuroko cried, faking being affronted.
Mikoto snorted and asked meaningfully, "What about last week?"
"You were having a bath that time! We're Japanese. We bathe together all the time."
Mikoto just shot her a deadpan look. "We don't do that in a private bath."
"But you never said it was a private bath, Onee-sama. Besides, the bathtub in our ensuite bathroom is more than big enough for us to bathe together."
Mikoto closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm her temper. Snapping at Kuroko wouldn't help. Nevermind that her logic was deeply, deeply flawed.
"Well, this time I want to take a private shower so don't follow me!"
"Yes, Onee-sama!" Kuroko obediently told her.
Satisfied that she'd be able to take a shower in peace, Mikoto walked into her dorm room's ensuite bathroom and locked the door behind her. She placed her change of clothes on a shelf next to the shower and tub set aside for it, then began taking off her clothes and dropping them into the laundry basket beside the door. It had been a long day, and she couldn't wait to enjoy a nice, relaxing shower and a good night's sleep!
Later in the evening, after the sun had set, Naru was at a garden party with her Faction to celebrate the success of their Ichihanaransai event in the gardens of the Tokiwadai Interior Dormitories. As befit a picnic organized by a group of ojou-samas, it included an array of elegant food and drinks. The spread featured finger sandwiches with gourmet fillings such as cucumber and cream cheese, smoked salmon and dill, and egg salad. There were cheese platters with fine selections like brie, gouda, and blue cheese, accompanied by crackers, nuts, and dried fruits. The dessert offerings included a variety of delicate macarons in flavors like raspberry, pistachio, and vanilla, as well as traditional scones served with clotted cream and strawberry jam.
The drinks were just as luxurious, with refreshing water infused with slices of cucumber, lemon, and mint, or strawberries and basil, alongside flavored iced teas such as peach and lemon. They also enjoyed freshly squeezed juices like orange, apple, carrot, and raspberry. Also available was fizzy lemonade made with fresh lemons and sparkling water. Additionally, fruit smoothies in flavors like mango, strawberry-banana, and mixed berry, and creamy milkshakes in classic flavors like chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry, completed the delightful beverage selection.
Seated at a wrought iron table amidst the beautifully illuminated garden with Chao-chan, Onaga-chan, Azumi-chan and Emily-chan, the group in her Faction that she was closest to, Naru was enjoying the wonderful food and drinks as they discussed their Takeshi's Castle-style event during the Ichihanaransai. An event that proved to be a runaway success that saw them ending up running out of prizes a whole two hours ahead of the time they had initially planned to keep their booth open, forcing them to close early!
"I still can't believe how well the event turned out." Naru admitted.
"You underestimate how popular you are, Naru-sama." Chao-chan told her as she took a long sip of her strawberry-banana smoothie. "The allure of your signature alone was more than enough to draw in customers."
"Yeah, Naru-sama. You're super popular." Azumi-chan said, nodding enthusiastically.
"I know." Naru admitted unabashedly.
Not going to act humble? Kurama asked with an amused tone.
There is no point denying the obvious truth.
Kurama just broke into a laugh.
"But I was still surprised by how far people would go to get my signed merchandise." Naru said as she popped a macaroon into her mouth. "I mean some of the challenges we borrowed from Takeshi's Castle were really tough. To think people pushed through them for it is flattering."
Onaga-chan, who was the one who had led the team that had come up with the challenges that they used, just shrugged. "We made them aware of every challenge we had set up when they signed up, just not what exact challenge they would face."
Emily-chan nodded in agreement. "And they signed an Acknowledgement of Understanding to legally certify they knew what to expect."
As the person who had helped them get in touch with the lawyer that had helped them draw up the document, she would know.
"Yeah, I know. I'm just surprised by how determined my fans are, I guess." Naru said with a shrug as she took the last slice of cheese from their table's cheese platter. "I hope they enjoy what they won. After all the effort they put into it, they deserve it."
"I'm sure they do." Chao-chan assured her as she polished off the last of the finger sandwiches.
Glancing at the other tables occupied by her Faction, Naru noted that the food and drink on them were running out too.
Looks like things are winding down. Naru observed. I think it's time to ca-
She was in the middle of the thought when Kurama suddenly let out an angry growl into her mind, prompting her to cut herself off.
What's going on, Partner?
There's something strange in the air that's messing with your mind. Kurama explained. It's almost like a subtle genjutsu from my old world. I'm using that as a reference to block whatever it is.
So someone's trying to mind control me? And you're stopping them?
Yes, to the latter. But it's less of a full on mind control but rather one more geared towards influencing you.
Influencing me to do what?
I don't know. Kurama told her with another frustrated growl. I'm unfamiliar with whatever this is, so I wouldn't be able to figure that out unless I let its effect take hold and I'll only do the latter over my dead body. I'm not taking the risk.
Naru's heart warmed at this show of protectiveness on her partner's part.
Thanks, Kurama. You're the best. Naru told the fox. Think you can track down what this mind control effect is coming from?
No. The effect is permeating the area all around us. There's nothing for me to track. Kurama said unhappily, clearly not pleased that he was unable to track the source of this effect. Considering what this is, I think you're better off asking that mind controlling senpai of yours for help. This is her speciality.
Naru nodded and began pulling out her phone from her skirt pocket.
"Naru-sama?" Chao-san asked, curiously as she watched her do so.
"Just need to make a call." Naru assured her right hand woman and unlocked her phone.
The moment she did, however, she received a message. She wasn't the only one; everyone in the garden, both those from her Faction and others enjoying a nighttime stroll, got one too. Judging by the sounds of alerts echoing from the rest of the compound and beyond, it seemed everyone in the entire dormitory did as well- possibly everyone in the whole City.
As everyone around her took out their phones, Naru read the message that according to her Caller ID had come from the City's very own Emergency Alert System.
[Calling all Heroes of Academy City!
An eight year old little girl named Fremea Seivelun is in danger! She needs a hero to save her!
Download the app from this link to track down Fremea-chan and prove yourself to be her savior!
Will you be her hero? Prove it!]
"What, by Science, is this!?" Naru muttered with a frown.
Naru's reaction was the exception however. All around her, her Faction, even Chao-chan, Onaga-chan, Azumi-chan and Emily-chan, and everyone else were all acting like the message was a call to arms and were downloading the app linked in the email that would supposedly allow them to track Fremea-chan.
Naru blinked in shock at this. What is going on? Everyone should be more level headed than this! So why are they suddenly falling for what looks like an obvious scam? Unless-
Yes, it's probably like you think. It's because of the genjutsu-style attack. Kurama told her. An attack that it seems everyone else has been subjected to.
We need to investigate this. Naru frowned. No one gets to mess with my friends' minds like this and bring Fremea-chan into this no less!
I'm with you. Kurama told her with a determined nod. We need to get to the bottom of this!
Some time earlier…
Fremea Seivelun was home alone. Why? Because her Onee-sama was out on a big date with her girlfriend, Ruiko-nee, and boyfriend, Accelerator-nii. She could have gone to Ruiko-nee's house for a sleepover with Janie-chan and Febrie-chan, joining Last Order-chan and Kreutune-chan who had done exactly that. However, to prove herself a big girl to her sister, she chose to stay home alone instead. Well, she wasn't entirely alone. Kakine-san, formerly Beetle 05, was with her. After he'd learned from her via text that she was home alone, he had come to visit her.
"So how have you been, Fremea-chan?" Kakine-san, currently in the form of a palm-sized version of his beetle form, asked from atop her study desk. "It's been a couple days since we hung out during the Ichihanaransai."
"I've been as good as always. Nyah~! Essentially, nothing special has happened to me over the past two days." Fremea replied easily as she relaxed in her chair and looked down at her friend's insectoid avatar. "What about you? How have you've been?"
"Not much has happened to me either." Kakine-san said with a surprisingly human shrug for a literal beetle. "I've been spending the time trying to get used to being the Kakine Teitoku."
"Oh? How's it going?"
"It's a work in progress."
"Can I help?" Fremea asked earnestly.
In another uncharacteristically humanoid gesture for an insect, Kakine-san's beetle avatar shook his head. "No, I'm afraid not. This is something that I will need to work on myself."
"Are you sure?" Fremea asked with a pout.
"I'm sure." Kakine-san assured her.
"Awww~! Well, I hope it all works out for you soon. Nyah~!"
"Thank you." Kakine-san said with a look that if he had a mouth she was sure would've been complemented with a smile. "But enough about me. How do you feel about being home alone just so your sister can go on a date, Fremea-chan?"
"Essentially, it's fine." Fremea assured him. "Before I moved into this house with Onee-sama, I lived in a dorm alone, so I'm used to living alone. So I'm fine with being alone for one night."
"My, my, how very grown up you are, Fremea-chan."
"Thank you, Kakine-san. Nyah~!" Fremea said, preening at the praise.
"So, what about the fact that your sister has both a girlfriend and a boyfriend? How do you feel about that?"
"I don't care." Fremea told him honestly. "So long as Onee-sama is happy, I'm happy."
"That's very mature of you. You really are very grown up, aren't you, Fremea-chan?"
Blushing, Fremea smiled proudly.
"By the way, Fremea-chan, do you happen to know where Fräulein Kreutune is living? I have been looking around to figure it out but can't seem to get an answer."
"I asked her about that but all she told me was that she doesn't really need to sleep, eat or anything like that so she doesn't really need anywhere to live." Fremea told him with a tired sigh and a frown.
"She might not need it, but that doesn't mean she shouldn't have a place to stay." Kakine-san insisted.
"I told her that. Everyone told her that."
"Did that convince her to find a place to stay?"
"Thankfully, yes." Fremea said with a relieved nod. "Order-chan and I wanted her to stay with either of us but she adamantly refused, insisting that she couldn't impose."
"So where is she staying now?"
"We eventually managed to convince her to at least spend last night at Last Order's place since there Yoshikawa-san is always there to look after her," Fremea explained. "Right now, she's sleeping over at Ruiko-nee's house, where they are having a sleepover with Order-chan's little sisters."
"And why would Fräulein Kreutune need looking after?" Kakine-san asked with a chuckle prompting Fremea to pout.
"Whatever else she is, Kreutune-chan is a little girl now too. Of course she needs to be looked after." She insisted.
"Yet you don't?" Kakine-san asked, his tone radiating amusement.
Fremea pouted even harder.
Chuckling again, her Level 5 friend continued. "But, I see your point."
"I'm glad you agree." Fremea said before she let out a yawn.
"You're tired, Fremea-chan. You should go to bed."
She pouted at that and prepared to claim that she wasn't tired. But the moment she opened her mouth, a yawn escaped it instead.
"Essentially, it seems I do." She admitted with a blush. "So, uh, could you give me some privacy so I can change into my pajamas?"
"Of course." Kakine-san agreed as he spread his wings and began flying out of the room even as he continued speaking. "Call me when you're done changing please. I would like to keep you company until you fall asleep."
"Okay." Fremea agreed easily as she locked the door to her bedroom after her friend flew out.
Once she had, she quickly changed into her pajamas. A set that was gifted to her by Ruiko-nee, and consisted of an ensemble that featured a top and a skirt adorned with playful and enchanting unicorn prints. The top was made from soft, breathable cotton with long sleeves and showcases a whimsical unicorn design, complemented by ruffled lace detailing around the neckline and cuffs. The skirt, made from the same comfortable fabric, had an elastic waistband for a perfect fit and was embellished with tiered, ruffled layers in pastel shades of pink and blue, adding a touch of magic and charm. This combination of vibrant colors and playful elements made the pajama set both adorable and comfortable for a young girl like her.
"I'm done." Fremea shouted through her door and unlocked it after she was done changing.
"That was quick." Kakine-san said as he flew back into the room.
Fremea yawned as she tiredly shrugged. "Essentially, I was feeling more sleepy than I thought so I changed quickly so I can go to bed as soon as possible."
"I see. Then you should hurry and get into bed."
Fremea nodded tiredly and quickly slipped under the covers of her bed.
"Good night, Kakine-san." Fremea told her friend as she snuggled deep into her blankets
"Good night, Fremea-chan."
Fremea was just starting to doze off when suddenly a loud cracking noise jolted her awake. In response, she worriedly threw off her covers and turned toward the noise, spotting Kakine-san twitching erratically on her bedside table. The sight sent a shiver down her spine: his beetle avatar was covered in cracks, clearly in distress as its little insect form rolled off the table and onto the floor.
"Kakine-san! What's wrong?" Fremea asked as she slipped out of the bed and gingerly picked up the little bug.
Kakine-san's only response was a pained, almost inhuman scream, "AIIIiiiiiiiIEEeEE!"
If she was a lesser person, Fremea would've panicked and run around like a headless chicken. She was better than that though so instead she rushed out of her room and whilst carefully keeping Kakine-san safe, she pulled on her winter coat and ran out of the house to find help for Kakine-san. Of course, she was still only eight years old, so she failed to realize she really should have called for help using her phone or failing that to run over next door to the Kiyama household to try and ask them for help. At the very least, if she was more experienced or, at least, more level headed, she would have remembered to disable the house's alarm that her sister activated before leaving for her date.
She was thus startled when the security system activated as she rushed out of her front door, causing a loud alarm to go off and dozens of defense turrets armed with a gamut of heavy weapons to pop out of the ground. Turrets that swiveled to level their many, many guns at Fremea. A sight that had her screaming in fear.
"Aaah!"
Seemingly reacting to her fear, Kakine-san responded with his own scream. "AIIIiiiIIiiieEEEe!"
As they both screamed, a laser scanner quickly examined and recognized her, prompting the turrets to stand down. At least, that's what Fremea thought must have happened as the alarm cut off and the turrets retracted into their hideaways. Seeing this, she shook off the fear the turrets had instilled in her and immediately ran off with Kakine-san's avatar held gently in her hands.
"Don't worry, Kakine-san." She assured her friend. "I'll bring you to Ruiko-nee! She'll fix whatever is hurting you or know someone who can."
Some time earlier…
Kinuhata Saiai was doing a stake out near the Kiyama and Seivelun households alongside Hamazura. Ever since Kiyama-sensei had become a member of the City's Board of Directors, there had been a dramatic increase in outfits engaging in espionage against her and Eden Corp. Espionage that ITEM had been hired to help curtail.
"I still don't see why we don't just go super smash them." Saiai whined as she adjusted her outfit. One that she had picked with Mugino's help and that she had chosen to attract Hamazura's attention. An ensemble whose centerpiece was a tailored plaid coat with a belted waist, that according to Mugino radiated both structure and elegance. The coat was layered over a vibrant red top, creating a striking color contrast. She had paired this with slim-fit dark jeans that had a trendy raw hem, complemented by red high-heeled shoes, adding a pop of color that tied the whole look together. The outfit was further accessorized with a sleek handbag, completing the sophisticated and fashionable appearance.
Saiai's outfit
"Smash them?" Hamazura asked, cocking an eyebrow and looking her up and down. Something that caused Saiai to do her best to adopt poses to make herself look as attractive as possible. "Whilst you're dressed like that? That's a little too much haute couture for you to wear for a fight, isn't it? That's more Mugino's thing."
Saiai shrugged. "Well, I'm wearing this because we decided not to go smash the outfit spying on the Kiyamas and Eden Corp that we are keeping an eye on today. Besides, I'm a girl you know and like all girls I want to look super pretty once in a while too. All that aside you still haven't answered my question, why aren't we just super smashing them?"
"No point picking fights with every one of the outfits spying on Kiyama and Eden Corp. There would be no end to it if we did." Hamazura explained with a shrug as he struggled and failed to tear his eyes away from looking at Saiai appreciatively.
Damn! Mugino was right, this outfit is really drawing him in. Guess I owe her one now. Saiai thought as she seductively crossed her legs as she lounged in the seat in the living room of the apartment they were using for their stakeout.
Desperate to avoid being caught staring, nevermind that he had already been caught and that she appreciated it, Hamazura moved to the windows and put the binoculars they had brought for the day with them to his eyes and looked through the tinted glass towards the apartment across the street at the building they knew was being used by the rival outfit they were spying on tonight. Only then did he continue answering Saiai's question, "Besides, better we figure out what kind of information each outfit is targeting as best we can first. We can decide which of them, if any, we can 'smash' as you describe it after that and which we want to keep around to spread information we want to their employers."
"Hmm… I guess that makes sense." Saiai conceded.
They fell into a comfortable silence for a good long while after that with Hamazura working hard to try and not stare at her by spying at their targets through his binoculars whilst Saiai did her best to strike poses to catch his attention. This tableau was broken alongside the silence of the night when an ear screeching alarm came from the distance. An alarm that as Saiai turned to the direction it came, she realized with a growing unease, was from the vicinity of the Kiyama and Seivelun households.
"You don't think-"
"It can't be from either the Kiyama or Seivelun house." Hamazura said with worried confusion, though his tone lacked confidence. "I mean their security system can easily take care of any enemy and failing that, Saten-sama lives there."
"Yeah, but we should go check that everyone is safe anyway!" Saiai urged, her worry unrestrained.
"Right." Hamazura nodded in agreement and tossing the binoculars he was still holding onto the nearest table he began making his way to the apartment's door. "Let's go."
Jumping to her feet and kicking off her high heels she rushed after him. She wasn't Frenda, she couldn't fight in heels. Much less heels as high as she was wearing to look sexy, so she would have to switch over to some much more manageable red sneakers that she'd left by the door.
It didn't take them long to approach the street the Seivelun house was on and much to their growing worry, they heard the sound of explosions nearby. Explosions that they both turned to rush towards without words, sharing a fear deep within them that whatever had caused them might somehow involve Fremea-chan.
They should have probably been worried by the occupants of the Kiyama household too, according to what they'd heard from the little gossip that was Fremea-chan, Saten-sama's three daughters and Fräulein Kreutune were having a sleepover at the Number 3's house. But the same gossip had told them that the quartet were being watched over by the resident twins' babysitter, Nunotuba Shinobu, and that girl had enough sense to make sure her charges were safe and secure in whatever insanely secure safe room the home surely possessed. She would probably extend that to Fremea-chan next door too but only after she'd ensured the safety of her own charges and with how reckless Frenda's little sister could be, Saiai had a bad feeling that by the time Nunotuba-san was in a position to do so, the brat would've already somehow gotten herself neck deep in whatever chaos had erupted now.
And if that's the case, it means that as the closest friendlies it'll be up to us to save her. Saiai mused as she and Hamazura got ever closer to the site of the blast they heard earlier.
They were about halfway there by this point and would reach it in another ten minutes. They could probably shave up to half that time if they upped their pace but doing that would probably leave them exhausted by the time they got there.
We should've driven. Saiai concluded. A good part of the area was a car-free zone though, so they had concluded it wasn't worth it. A decision that she was starting to regret.
She was pulled out of her thoughts when an exhausted looking woman suddenly staggered out of an alley between a couple of buildings ahead of them and moved to block their path. With curled brown hair that reached below her shoulder blades and faded into a light pinkish color at the ends, well-manicured nails, and wearing a white lab coat over her lavender sweater and red mini-skirt, she presented a striking figure. Her long legs were covered in black stockings, held up by a garter belt, adding to her overall stylish appearance. She would have looked beautiful if she didn't look half-dead. Though Saiai didn't care about any of that, all she cared about was the fact that she was blocking their way.
"Hey! I don't know who the hell you are, but super get out of our wa-"
"You should surrender." The half-dead woman said in a hoarse voice. "You are the easiest heroes for me to use to draw in Fremea Seivelun so hand yourself over. It will be easier that way."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Hamazura demanded. "Have you done something to Fremea-chan?"
Ignoring Hamazura, the crazy woman just kept rambling. "Ah! I should've known. Words have no meaning to "heroes", I need to provide a more convincing reason if I want them to give up."
At this, sounds of skittering erupted all around them.
"Hamazura-"
"We're surrounded," He replied, his voice calm despite the chaos unfolding around them. From every conceivable opening - gaps in the manhole cover ahead, the alleyways between buildings, garbage cans, and other hidden crevices - innumerable cockroaches poured out, forming a wide circle of chitin around them. These insects, Saiai presumed, were all under the control of the mysterious woman.
"Cockroaches? Super eew~!" Saiai couldn't help but say even as she dropped her purse. The equipment she had inside wouldn't help her against the bug swarm and the swinging bag would just be a hindrance in the fight.
"Tell me about it." Hamazura said, sounding just as disgusted as he drew his gun and swapped out his magazine for one she knew contained some of the special bullets the City's scientists had cooked up.
Whatever he's got loaded, I hope it works well as bug spray.
"Yes, cockroaches." The woman said, sounding almost smug. "But not ordinary cockroaches. No, these roaches have had their brains modified to make them eat anything and everything, even people."
"Hamazura, leave these man-eating cockroaches to me." Saiai suggested. "With my Offense Armor, I'm super safe from the roaches so I will handle them. While I'm doing that, super go find Fremea-chan and make sure she's safe from this woman and her allies."
Even as he spun on his heel and fired off the bullets in his magazine into the leading edges of the swarm of roaches, setting them ablaze with what Saiai recognised now as Pyro Bullets, Hamazura frowned as he weighed their options. He knew as well as she did that her suggestion was the logical thing to do but he was weighed down by his worry for her and the desire to never leave a teammate behind. He was just so damn dashingly chivalrous like that!
"You seem confident that the wall of nitrogen created by your Offense Armor will protect you from my roaches, Kinuhata-san." The half-dead woman said with a smirk, ignoring how the ring of fire that Hamazura had created had both taken out a significant portion of her pet swarm and was keeping the rest of them away from them. "And while it is true that they cannot eat through it, it is a dangerous gamble to assume I do not have ways around it."
"Kinuhata, let's both make a break for it. We'd have a better chance of protecting Fremea-chan if we're together." Hamazura told her as they both ignored the woman.
"Maybe but the woman may have the ability to attack multiple places at the same time and we super can't leave Fremea-chan unprotected." Saiai pointed out. "Besides, someone has to deal with her."
"Do you honestly think that you can get away?" The woman taunted confidently. "Do you know why I chose roaches? It's because of the disgust they engender in their foes. Their mere existence causes more mental exhaustion than other insects like termites. Exhaustion that affects the Personal Reality which Espers use to control their powers."
Hamazura frowned at that. "Kinuhata-san, she knows how to-"
"Like fighting cockroaches is that super big of a deal." Kinuhata snorted. "Do you really think bugs are enough to rattle me enough to disrupt my Personal Reality? If so, you're a super idiot, lady."
"We shall see about that, won't we, little girl?"
"Yeah, we will." Saiai agreed before turning to glare at Hamazura. "What are you still doing here? Super get going already! Or are you willing to let Fremea-chan see the super grotesque things that come from the Dark Side of Academy City? As one of that girl's precious Onii-san, second only to Frenda herself, you have the obligation to live up to the trust she put in you, and that means super not allowing her to see the things that we Dark Siders have seen."
Hamazura's eyes widened a moment at this before it narrowed in determination and he nodded. Turning and swapping out his empty clip at the same time, he spun and shot through the still burning ring of fire keeping back the roach swarm. Shots that created a burning path out of their encirclement.
"Sorry, Kinuhata." He said as pulled a can of what Saiai thought might be fire-retardant aerosol, a necessity to have on hand when dealing with something as potentially capable of setting a whole area ablaze like Pyro Bullets, and hastily sprayed it around himself. "I'll make up for this next time."
Saiai laughed. "Like I expected you to be of any help in the first place. Super forget it."
"Whatever you say." Hamazura said with a crooked grin that had Saiai's heart doing a tap dance against her ribcage as he tightly wrapped his coat around him as the aerosol settled on him and gave him a degree of protection from the flames.
"Just super get going already!"
He shot her with a full blast of that roguish grin of his, causing her heart skip a beat, before he raced through the fiery corridor through the attacking bug swarm he created and made good his escape. Not that it was a difficult one to make when the insects didn't even bother to pursue him.
"Ah~! Young love. If I didn't need you two for my plan, I am tempted to let you carry on and see how things play out between you." The half-dead woman said with a wistful sigh once Hamazura had disappeared from view.
"I would get mad at you for making assumptions about us outside of whatever intel reports you've read but since your misunderstanding bought Hamazura time to get away, I'm super not going to."
"Misunderstanding?" The woman said with a chuckle even as at some unspoken signal, heedless of the flames that Hamazura had created and had kept them at bay till now, her roach swarm surged forward. Thousands died to the flames, but their sacrifices slowly but surely quenched the flames. Their dead bodies smothering the fires bit by bit, such that within minutes thousands more of their fellows could cross over their ashes to attack Saiai. "I think not. Even if I had not read the reports on you, just seeing you dressed as if you are on a mission with him as your partner would tell me all I needed to know, Kinuhata Saiai. You wore that to impress him, didn't you?"
"So what if I super did?" Saiai asked as she began smashing roaches by the dozens with stomps and punches, all the while hundreds more crawled up her body. She kept them from touching her body or her clothes though. Just an extension of her Offense Armor a little further out than usual being more than enough to keep them away from her like she was wearing an actual sci-fi force field.
Come to think of it, isn't that exactly what my Offense Armor is? Saiai thought as she began stomping her way to the woman, who wisely began backing away from her. Even with what might very well be a literal ton of cockroaches swarming over her and trying to eat her alive, or at least hold her in place by burying her under their mass, Saiai was slowly but surely closing the distance with their controller. All the while, maintaining her expanded Offense Armor. It was because she was doing that that she picked up on something.
Wait! That's how she controls them!? Saia thought with disbelief as she picked up something strange about the composition of the air around her from which she was drawing out the nitrogen that she was using to create her Offense Armor. Seriously!? She's fighting me, a Level 4 with an Aerohand adjacent ability, when her control mechanism is something like that!? Really!?
"Lady, you're a super idiot." Saiai gave her honest opinion of her opponent as she stopped and turned her attention to manipulating the air currents around her. Her ability was distant enough from Aerohand to make what she needed difficult but it was still within her capabilities. By tactically calling in the nitrogen for her use, Saiai destroyed the layout of the pattern of abnormal scent particles that her ability had detected in the air.
The roaches reacted instantly. Maybe it was a sick failsafe that had been programmed into them for the scenario where they were cut off from their standard control mechanism but the moment that they were freed from their master's control, the man-eating roaches abandoned their futile attempts to devour Saiai and instead turned their attention to the woman. Within moments, the brown haired woman was buried until a mountain of bugs. Disturbingly, her head was visible even under the swarm and despite being eaten alive, she was smiling.
"Argh! So you're super crazy after all." Saiai said with a disgusted sigh, less over this discovery than the fact that her Offense Armor was currently coated in the remains of dead cockroaches with countless more littering the ground all around her. The sight of them might not have been debilitating to her like might be to some people but she still found them gross.
Damn! Somehow getting this gunk off me without getting it on myself or my clothes will be a super pain!
"How can you smile in a situation like this?" Saiai asked as she plucked a handful of cockroaches off her body that didn't get the memo to switch targets like the majority of their fellows had and crushed them.
"Why? Because getting killed was part of my plan all along. The plans you so-called 'heroes' know of is not all of it. Heroes!? Bah! You are no more than ignorant fools!"
"And what kind of stupid plan has you going so far as to get yourself killed like a disposable pawn?" Saiai asked in the hopes of getting some useful intel even as she continued pulling cockroaches off her body and killing them.
"Ask the 7,500 'heroes' that have been summoned by Agitate Halation. With my death the final phase is complete and the Agitate Halation Project has successfully concluded." The woman said smugly, somehow managing to finish her spiel before her mouth was filled by man-eating cockroaches as they sought yet another opening into their still living prey.
Saiai just frowned in incomprehension as the woman breathed her last and the roaches suddenly rapidly accelerated the consumption of their prey. Such that within seconds, they had devoured the woman so thoroughly that not even bone remained. At which point, all of them, even those not involved in eating their master, suddenly scattered to parts unknown.
"Okay, seriously! What, by Science, is going on!?"
Even as mayhem was erupting near her home, a blissfully unaware Kiyama Harumi was in her office at the Eden Corp HQ going through some paperwork. Since becoming a City Director, she'd established a policy of not bringing any work home if she could help it and much to her chagrin the pile of documents needing her attention today was such that despite the sun having set, she still had a ways to go before she could head home if she wanted to live up to that standard she'd set for herself.
She was thus dutifully reading through a project proposal from the Power Development Aids division about their latest learning aid in a bid to clear the pile as soon as possible when her office phone suddenly rang. Turning to the device, she frowned. The number for her office was a secret known to only a few outside of her loved ones and by the coded ringtone coming out her desk phone, this was not from one of them. Instead, it was signifying that it was from one of her subordinate organizations on the Dark Side, which if they were calling her directly and not contacting her through the Review Board…
Means this is either something very urgent, important, or trying. Likely all three. Harumi thought with a frown as she looked away from the screen of her computer and toggled the controls of her phone to accept the call on speaker, all the while muttering to herself. "I hope this isn't another Incident."
"What happened?" Harumi said as the call connected, dispensing with any and all formalities when she saw the Caller ID identified the call as coming from Maniple. Besides, her office was rated to be secure enough that she could discuss matters that were classified beyond top secret, so there would be no eavesdroppers on her end. She similarly trusted Maniple's discretion. So there would be no one, not even Ruiko, who could get on her case for being rude to her subordinates. Not when there would be no evidence of such.
"Good evening, Kiyama-sensei. This is Ylva." Maniple's leader greeted over the phone. "There is a situation developing in the vicinity of your home."
"What kind of situation? Are my granddaughters and their friend and nanny safe?" Harumi asked with a frown as she thought through who would be at her home at the moment. With Ruiko out on a date, Janie-chan and Febrie-chan had invited their Onee-chan and her friend, Fräulein Kreutune, for a sleepover under the watchful eye of Nunotaba-san. A sleepover that Anno-chan and Fremea-chan had declined to attend because the former had school tomorrow and the latter wanted to housesit whilst her sister was on her date with Ruiko.
"They are. I have established contact with Nunotaba-san and she confirms that she has all four girls in her care at the moment with her in the safe room."
Harumi breathed a sigh of relief before she pressed for more information. "What is the situation?"
"Sporadic rioting has engulfed a large area centered around your house, including all of School District 22 and a good portion of the surrounding Districts 18 and 10 as well as sections of District 11."
Why has rioting spontaneously broken out like this? Harumi frowned once more as she tried to make sense of things. Was this the result of some Esper ability or magic spell? And considering that it was centered around my house, it has to be an attack of some sort but why? Was it an attack against her? Against Ruiko? The Trinity? If it was, why was it affecting such a large area?
Her house was pretty close to the southeastern edge of School District 22, Harumi having purchased one of the underground labs built as part of the District's research into subterranean living and built her home on top of it, but though the district was small…
The area of effect that Ylva-san had described was quite substantial. What use would such a spread out attack be? Or was that the point? Make the epicenter be my home and make it appear as if I was to blame for this attack?
For a moment she tried to come up with answers to these questions but soon grew frustrated.
Argh! I have too many questions and too little information to formulate answers for them! She concluded. I will figure them out later. For now, I need to handle the situation at hand.
"Ylva-san," she addressed the commander of the paramilitary organization under her jurisdiction sternly. "Deploy whatever forces you deem necessary. Put down the riots and secure the safety of my loved ones in accordance with the priority list established for emergencies."
"Yes, ma'am. I have already sent my men to combat the riots and ensure the safety of those on the list. Though, there is one complication on that front…"
"Who?" Harumi asked, her heart filling with dread.
"Fremea Seivelun." Ylva-san told her and Harumi couldn't help herself from breathing a sigh of relief. As worried as she felt about hearing that Ruiko's girlfriend's little sister was unaccounted for, she could not help but be relieved that at least it hadn't been one of her children or grandchildren.
If the other woman heard her sigh, she made no sign of it and instead just continued with her report. "It seems she ran out of her home in a state of panic shortly before the riots began and my men have been unable to locate her."
"You have not been able to locate her?" Harumi asked for confirmation as a frown spread across her face once more.
"Yes, Kiyama-sensei. Despite our best efforts, we have not been able to locate her."
"I see." Harumi said, her frown deepening as her fears were confirmed.
If she cannot be found by Maniple and Ruiko's intelligence analysts working with them then it most likely means that… Someone of at least a Director's influence was styming their efforts.
"May I have your permission to contact Saten-sama for assistance, Kiyama-sensei?"
"Hold that thought." Harumi told the other woman.
Ruiko has been fervently anticipating her date with her boyfriend and girlfriend tonight for days. I am not about to spoil it for her by dragging her into an Incident. Not yet. Not until we have no choice.
"For now, redouble your efforts in locating Fremea-chan and ensuring her safety. Redeploy non-essential resources from elsewhere if necessary."
"Yes, ma'am. It will be done. Good evening."
"Good evening." Harumi replied distractedly as she cut the call, her mind preoccupied with thinking about what else she can do in response to what was clearly a brewing Incident.
She was still mulling over the rudiments of what to do when suddenly her phone rings again. This time the ringtone was one coded for her ally on the City's Board, Kaizumi Tsugutoshi.
Considering the timing, this must be about the current Incident. She thought as she answered the call.
"What do you know about the current Incident?" She bluntly asked as the line connected.
The old man on the other side of the call gave a tired sigh. "What do you know about Yakumi Hisako's Agitate Halation Project?"
Done and done! Thanks to Nameless as always!
And so the Hero-Fest has begun! Will the blonde loli (we have a few of those, huh?) be saved by our roster of heroes?! Will there be villains to slay and babes to lay?! I personally loved Ruiko volleying with #29 and cannot wait for the fights to come with the anti-level 5 clone, it's going to be a riot! A Heroic Riot even! And of course, Saiai falling into the trap of the roguish hero of the three guy heroes. Tsk tsk, tension seems to be on the horizon! What will happen? Only we know!
Nameless: Before I say anything else, I just want to say that I think Agitate Halation is an arc that I have greatly been looking forward to writing. Why? Well, you'll have to wait till the actual Hero Riot. There were some things we came up with for that which I will thoroughly enjoy writing out. Now, onto things specific to this chapter… There's really only one thing I think I want to discuss and that's our decision to tack on the Kinuhata scenes instead of merging them into the next chapter. We did so as a bit of an appetizer for the rest of the arc instead of just leaving things as bits of slice of life and foreshadowing. Hopefully our decision was the right one. If you'd be so kind, please let us know your opinion on the matter.
You know what to do! Smash that review button and tell us what you love! No flames and peace off my peeps!