The Curiosity of Sakayanagi

"Don't worry, Ichinose! I won't tell anyone!"

"My trustworthiness score is pretty high! If this gets out, it'll definitely be because Su Wei said something in his sleep!"

Su Wei: Hard to say.

Good thing Horikita Suzune wasn't here.

Still, he didn't refuse.

"I showered when I got back yesterday, and it hasn't been that hot lately... I shouldn't smell sweaty."

"N-no, please stop!"

Ichinose's face slowly turned red, like a brilliant glow of sunset had been brushed across a white cloud.

"You don't need to mention such strange details!"

"Doctor, they've entered the compound."

"So the day has finally come. Go. Put the countermeasures in place."

The night he obtained his hundredth African Heart in a row, Chen Shi'an, the ultimate hoarder, was transported to the Terra Continent in a flash of light.

There was no time to mourn his lost African Heart. Next up was the Search-Retrieve System.

Search containers + complete missions.

[Combat Department Mission (2): Defeat the leader of a street gang in the slums (0/1)]

[Mission Reward: Ghroth Trial Card *1]

[Note: If there are other members in your team, your teammates can also contribute to this objective]

...

[??? Direct Order: Defeat the "Demon King" and the "Evil Spirit of Babel," obtain partial Originium management privileges, and successfully make a flying-squirrel extraction from Babel]

[Mission Reward: AWM Sniper Rifle construction unlocked, .338 Lap Mag AP bullets *5]

But for Chen Shi'an, the biggest problem was what to do with the Lupo girl lying unconscious—or so it seemed—in the corner.

The Curiosity of Sakayanagi

The cramped equipment-room stall.

Ichinose Honami looked down at the Reinforcement Suit she was wearing.

Perhaps because the clothes had been tailored to fit Su Wei, they were a little too big on her. The collar slipped down, revealing her pale, faintly rosy collarbone. She even had to hold it in place so it wouldn't expose her cleavage.

There was no surge of power as she'd imagined, nor did it automatically tighten and mold itself to her body like something out of a science-fiction movie.

It was simply a well-made cosplay outfit. Aside from looking good and making her feel embarrassed, it was useless.

"...Nothing happened?"

Even though she'd been expecting it, Ichinose still felt a little disappointed.

She didn't dwell on it. With quick, practiced movements, she changed back into her uniform and carefully folded the Reinforcement Suit, which still held a little warmth.

She opened the stall door.

Kushida Kikyo, who had been waiting outside, immediately came over.

Seeing that Ichinose had changed back into her regular clothes, she couldn't help looking disappointed.

"Looks like... it didn't work?"

Ichinose shook her head helplessly and handed the Reinforcement Suit back to Su Wei.

"Sorry, Su Wei. It had no effect on me at all. It was just like wearing ordinary compression wear."

"That's normal."

Su Wei casually put the Combat Suit back in his bag.

His tone was calm.

"If powerful equipment could be lent out at will, S Points would lose a lot of their value."

"People who aren't willing to risk their lives could just borrow equipment from the strong and scrape by. That would obviously go against the Black Sphere's—or the school's—'survival of the fittest' principle."

"Besides, the final say belongs to them..."

"Mm, you're right, Su Wei. I was being too greedy."

Ichinose Honami nodded obediently.

But when her gaze accidentally met Su Wei's, she jerked her eyes away as if she'd been shocked.

Even though she hadn't smelled any body odor earlier, and the clothes were clean, just thinking about how the tight-fitting outfit had been pressed against Su Wei's skin only minutes ago—and was now pressed against hers...

The sensation of being indirectly embraced still lingered on her skin.

For a girl who took such good care of herself, it was all a little too much.

Don't think about it, don't think about it! Ichinose, what are you getting worked up over?

This is just a necessary test for the team's survival! That's right, a test!

Seeing the girl's flustered expression, Su Wei looked away. He had no intention of teasing her.

To be fair, Ichinose Honami really was the sort of girl who trusted people easily.

She'd only just started school, yet after a few words of encouragement, she'd dared to confide her dark past to Miyabi Nagumo.

She was almost too innocent.

But...

The reason she trusted him so completely this time was probably that they'd cuddled up to each other so many times before that she'd inevitably picked up some of his habits?

Well, it wasn't his fault.

Who could resist a big pink puppy that wagged its tail at you and looked at you with nothing but trust?

"Looking at it this way..."

Kushida Kikyo spoke up at just the right moment.

Apparently unaware of the suggestive atmosphere between them, she calmly analyzed the situation.

"The first piece of equipment we should prioritize redeeming is still the Combat Suit, right?"

"Even if we can't lend it out, the boost to our physical abilities alone makes it worth the price."

Ichinose quickly recovered from her embarrassment and returned to her usual dependable self.

"Mm, you're right, Kushida."

"I'll organize the data from this test and post it in the group chat, so everyone knows what to expect."

Then she turned to Su Wei, an apologetic look in her eyes.

"It's just... if we work as a team, it might affect your earnings at first..."

"It's fine."

Su Wei didn't mind.

"Besides, I'm not fond of fighting."

"If anything, having a leader like you who thinks about everyone will save me a lot of trouble."

"Actually, if I can... I'd still like to get through these three years of high school peacefully."

He really did want a peaceful life.

He wasn't here to destroy the world. As long as no one provoked him, he was happy to take it easy.

Ichinose's eyes flickered at his words. A brilliant smile blossomed on her face as she nodded firmly.

"Mm! Leave it to me!"

"I promise I'll make sure everyone gets through this alive and well!"

Sunlight streamed through the high windows of the equipment room, falling across the girl's hopeful face and seeming to bathe her in a saintly glow.

Watching this, Kushida Kikyo narrowed her eyes slightly.

She suddenly understood where that inexplicable irritation she'd felt that morning had come from.

That untainted kindness. That resolve to give everything for the sake of strangers.

Why?

Why would anyone go so far for strangers?

We're both pretending to be good people. So why are you so much better at making it look natural?

Kushida Kikyo couldn't understand.

It was the instinctive aversion of someone who walked in darkness toward a blinding light.

Meanwhile, in the Class 1-A classroom.

Sakayanagi Arisu sat in the special seat by the window, resting her chin on one hand as she quietly watched the figures running freely around the field, their bodies slick with sweat.

That lively energy, the solid feeling of their feet striking the ground—

No matter how many times she watched, the envy she'd deliberately buried in her heart still gave a faint, resentful throb.

She had once forcibly sealed away that yearning with the theory that "geniuses are always lonely and flawed."

But now...

The girl gently ran her fingers over the cool desktop.

Now that she knew her condition wasn't an insurmountable obstacle, Sakayanagi Arisu, a born ruler, naturally found herself longing to be whole—or, rather... perfect.

The feeling didn't linger on her face for long.

She allowed herself only a moment of weakness.

Sakayanagi Arisu looked away and picked up her phone.

On the screen was her chat history with her father, the chairman, from the past few days.

The information revealed between the lines wasn't encouraging.

The arrival of the Black Sphere Trial seemed to have set certain higher-ups on edge.

Although her father still held on to his position as chairman, he'd said they had already decided to parachute in a "vice chairman" to help handle matters related to it.

The vice chairman's name was Tsukishiro, apparently.

"Heh."

Sakayanagi Arisu chuckled.

"Assistance" was probably just an excuse to seize power.

But she wasn't worried about the storm brewing on the horizon. If anything, she felt like laughing.

In the past, her father might have been a little troubled.

But now...

The White Room, the Black Room, artificial geniuses... In the face of the Black Sphere's supernatural power—a force that operated on an entirely different level—they were nothing but chickenshit dogs.