A Sudden Turnaround, Hashima Hikaru's Counterattack Plan
After all, according to Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's intelligence, the children here regard Ayanokoji Atsuomi as the most authoritative ruler. If there are any communicators or alarms inside, everyone will know as soon as he makes a sound.
So the boy quietly shrank down and slowly approached the horizontal window at the bottom of the iron gate.
The next moment, a voice came from inside.
"Is the person outside... Brother Hashiba?"
"?"
Upon hearing this, Hashiba Hikaru changed drastically, and her initial tension instantly turned into panic.
What's going on?
How did he know my name?
"Hehe, it seems that Brother Hashiba is quite surprised."
The voice coming from inside was that of a very young girl, probably no more than ten years old.
"..."
After a moment of silence, Hashiba Hikaru lowered her voice and asked, "You... you actually know me?"
"Yes, because the teacher told me something beforehand."
"What's up?"
"He said that during this time, an older brother named Hashiba Hikaru might come here. If we hear any unusual noises, it's very likely that it's Hashiba Hashima."
The woman's explanation was very clear, indicating that she had learned this information from Ayanokoji Atsuomi a long time ago.
"Is that so?"
Hashiba Hikaru's mind was racing. He had to assess the current situation. It seemed they had been a bit too optimistic when they first made the plan. They hadn't expected Ayanokoji Atsuomi to have a countermeasure in mind.
No wonder it went so smoothly when I got in; that man probably anticipated it.
"Why isn't your brother Hashiba saying anything? Ayako is lonely all by herself. Can you play with me for a while?"
A clear, melodious female voice kept coming from that horizontal window, carrying the unique innocence of a little girl.
"But your brother is very busy right now. If Ayako wants me to play with you, you have to do your brother a favor first."
Hashiba Hikaru continued speaking, a strange glint flashing in her eyes.
"Haha, what does Brother Hashiba want me to do? It's not like you want me to take pictures for you, is it?"
"..."
Damn it!
That guy really did foresee this; he actually shared all this information with the children beforehand?
Hateful!
Hashiba Hikaru's thoughts were churning like a stormy sea. He had made many preparations beforehand, but he never expected to be so thoroughly outmaneuvered after arriving here.
"Yes, my brother wants to take a picture of Ayako's room. Could you take a picture for me?"
Hashiba Hikaru tried her best to soften her voice.
"Sure, can I have your phone Hashiba- nii?"
The next second, a small, fair hand reached out from the horizontal window. It seemed that this girl named Ayako was quite bold, actually cooperating with his idea.
"Hehe, Ayako is really well-behaved."
Hashiba Hikaru offered a compliment, but did not hand her phone to the other person.
Based on the little girl's behavior, he was pondering whether what the two people he had just encountered said was true or false. If they also knew these things, then it was very likely that they were providing false information.
After waiting a while, Ayako spoke again.
"Does Brother Hashiba not believe me?"
"No, brother just thinks it's better not to trouble Ayako. I have a lot of things to do. How about I come and play with you next time?"
Hashiba Hikaru dusted off her knees and prepared to stand up.
"You're really anxious, Hashiba- nii. Actually, the guards here won't be coming back, because it's almost midnight already."
Ayako's voice carried a unique innocence, and listening to her crisp and clear expression gave Hashiba Hikaru a strange sense of incongruity.
Do you know why I'm here?
Hashiba Hikaru calmed herself down and asked directly.
"It seems like Brother Hashiba was planning to take some photos that might be detrimental to the teacher, but things changed drastically here last month."
Ayako withdrew her small hand, then patted the iron gate, making a thumping sound.
"Even though I've been put in solitary confinement, I've been really looking forward to seeing Brother Hashiba."
"Why?"
"Because my friends and I took a class before about the topic of Hashiba- nii (Brother Hashima)."
"..."
Are they actually using me as a teaching material?
"What did Ayako study?"
"The teacher talked about a lot of things in class that we hadn't learned before. For example, we learned that Hashiba- nii is a very special person and that we should learn from his qualities."
"I see."
Hashiba Hikaru nodded, and just then, he heard a faint sound of footsteps.
Just as the boy was about to hide behind the wall again, he saw Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, dressed in black, walking towards them.
"Classmate Hashiba."
"What's wrong?"
As she observed the expression on the other person's face, Hashiba Hikaru's unease quickly materialized.
It seems that the little girl named Ayako wasn't lying; Ayanokoji Atsuomi had already dealt with many parts of the [White Room] last month, which is why they found nothing today.
"The three [Combat Training Classroom] have been completely remodeled into simple cultural classrooms, with the walls covered with various famous quotes."
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's expression was rather unpleasant. After infiltrating this place, he followed his memory to the area of the [Combat Training Classroom], but as soon as he got close, he smelled the chalk, and a sense of foreboding flashed through his mind.
Ayako must have heard Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's voice, because she spoke again.
"Eh, is that Ayanokoji- senpai?"
"Um?"
Upon hearing this voice, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's expression changed instantly.
Chapter 804 A Twist of Fate: Hashiba Hikaru's Counterattack Plan.
"We've been tricked..."
When Ayanokoji Kiyotaka heard the voice coming from inside the iron gate, his expression changed slightly.
However, Hashiba Hikaru did not intend to give a detailed explanation here, as it might reveal more information. He simply gave Ayanokoji Kiyotaka a look, then looked down at the horizontal opening and spoke.
"Ayako, I have something very important to take care of right now. I'll chat with you another time."
"Yes, I'll wait here for you, Hashiba- nii."
Ayako's voice was very innocent, and she deliberately brought up another person.
"As for Ayanokoji- senpai, I've heard many stories about him. I'm so lucky to have met him."
"..."
Just then, a sense of unease flashed through Hashiba Hikaru's mind, and she immediately shouted.
"Run!"
"!"
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka also realized what was happening, and the two of them ran towards the outside passage. Just then, a very piercing long howl echoed throughout the entire [White Room].
"Beep--Beep--Beep"
It was a siren alarm; Hashiba Hikaru realized she had guessed right.
The [Confinement Room] is equipped with a signaling device; if she were alone, this girl named Ayako might not have any ideas.
However, upon hearing Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's voice, the other party immediately took the most effective action.
It seems I made a mistake just now; I need to react faster.
"Call!"
It was nearly midnight, and the guards resting elsewhere, upon hearing the siren, immediately launched a pursuit into the [White Room].
"Ayanokoji, you run outside first!"
As they sprinted to the intersection, Hashiba Hikaru shouted something to Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.
"Classmate Hashiba, what are you planning to do?"
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka ran forward, swinging his arms vigorously. Suddenly faced with this unexpected situation, he too was pondering how to handle it.
"Even though that man tricked me, I'm not going to give up so easily!"
Hashiba Hikaru sneered and quickly glanced at the System Panel in front of her.
[Exclusive Talent]
[Stealthy Trace: Enabled]
[Remaining Open Time: 00:36:16]
He had more than half an hour left, and he needed to get something more important, otherwise his trip would have been in vain.
"Ayanokoji! You go out and meet up with Uncle Ryo first. I'll probably be back in about half an hour!"
Hashiba Hikaru didn't want to explain any further. After the two parted ways at the intersection, he quickly disappeared into a corner, his aura vanishing abruptly.
"..."
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka glanced intently at the situation on the other side of the wall. He could still hear the shouts of his pursuers. He took a deep breath and ran wildly in the other direction.
"Don't run!!!"
"Stop right there, you bastard!!!"
Dealing with the pursuers was quite easy. After Ayanokoji Kiyotaka unleashed his Physical Ability to the limit, he quickly left the guards behind.
In the blink of an eye, he successfully disappeared into the dark forest and reunited with Togo Ryo.
"Huh? Why are you the only one who came back? Where's Hashiba- kun?"
The burly man leaning against a tree saw Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and instinctively asked a question.
"Classmate Hashiba is still inside; he plans to do something else."
"What?"
Togo Ryo was startled. If he had to choose between the two, he would of course choose Hashiba Hikaru, since his promise to his old friend was to protect the boy's safety.
Have you been exposed?
The man glanced at the beams of searchlight swaying in the distance and the guards running around, and immediately understood the situation.
"We were tricked, and we encountered a rather unusual situation."
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka didn't really want to explain, but he could sense the agitation emanating from this man, an agitation that was clearly not because of him.
"Why didn't Hashiba- kun come back with us? Does he have other plans?"
Although Togo Ryo wasn't quite sure what the two had planned, the current situation was quite clear— Hashiba Hikaru's choice to face the guards who had sounded the alarm alone would definitely increase the level of danger.
"That kid's got some nerve."
After a moment of Togo Ryo abandoned his plan to rush in and save the people, because a sentence that Sakayanagi Narimori had once said suddenly flashed through his mind.
[Hashiba- kun is a boy who can create miracles.]