Sky Striker Ace, but Symphogear Chapter 15

The white-haired girl in red thought.

That was right. Of these two girls, the one with red clothes and white hair was naturally Snow Yuki Chris, whose name Raye had forcibly changed to Christina.

Then the other girl, dressed in black with gray hair, was of course...

Because her appearance was far too recognizable, Raye had been forced to put on a wig, wear colored contacts, throw on a coat, install a voice changer, remove the device over her right eye and transfer its functions to a tablet and her contacts, and store the Sky Striker in a guitar case. After a complete disguise, she had taken the alias Ruse.

As for why they had come here in disguise, it was naturally to make Chris into a famous idol.

And the specific method was exactly what they were doing now.

Raye had first personally sought out the second most famous idol-training agency in Japan. Then she had used a small portion of the wealth she had accumulated through various jobs over the past few years to give them a little financial shock, prompting them to use every resource at their disposal to train Chris and build up publicity for her.

As for why it was the second and not the first, that was because the agency universally recognized as Japan's number one idol-training company had a songstress named Tsubasa Kazanari affiliated with it.

[But wait. If she has this level of disguise technique, could Raye's usual appearance also just be a disguise? Could she actually not be the person I know...? No, no, that's impossible no matter how I think about it. Though I can't be sure... Hmm.]

Bang—

The girl in red with white hair—that was, Snow Yuki Chris—thumped herself on the head, forcing herself to stop entertaining wild thoughts that would only leave her unable to distinguish reality from illusion.

"Christina, what's wrong?"

Drawn by Chris's action, the girl in black with gray hair—that was, the disguised Raye—asked in confusion.

By then, they had already reached the elevator. They pressed the button and began waiting for it.

"Nothing. I'm just a little dizzy. Maybe I was too tired this morning."

Hearing Raye's processed voice, Chris replied. After giving herself a heavy blow to the head, her eyes had become somewhat clearer.

"Tired? But Christina, you spent the entire morning eating snacks in a sofa chair. The only thing that could count as work was posing a few times while I took some pictures of you."

Seeing Chris's puzzled expression, Raye asked with some concern.

Since it was only the first day, Chris's work had consisted merely of showing her face. Most of the time, Raye had been the one discussing the specifics of how to train Chris with the agency.

If Chris felt tired even after that, Raye would have to consider arranging some physical training for her. As it happened, she also had experience doing similar work in the United States.

"I-I just have some psychological anxiety, that's all. This is my first time becoming an idol, after all. It's only natural for me to be a little nervous."

Hearing Raye's question and recalling her performance that morning, Chris's face reddened as she forced out an explanation.

"All right, let's say that's the case."

Unable to tell what Chris was thinking, Raye eventually gave up on continuing the topic. However, she still added a physical assessment for Chris to the schedule she was planning.

"Eek..."

Looking at Raye, who had already turned her head away, Chris suddenly shuddered. For some reason, she felt that something terrifying was going to happen to her later.

Ding—

The sound of the elevator doors opening rang out. While Chris and Raye had been chatting, the elevator had already arrived at their floor.

Before long, the two girls took the elevator down to the first floor, then walked straight out through the building's entrance.

The moment they stepped outside, a spring breeze swept through the street, carrying the chill that had yet to fade despite the recent arrival of spring.

"It's cold. Wait, it's not cold?"

Chris, who was wearing only a thin dress, shivered from the cold wind. The next moment, however, she felt the chill being dispelled by warmth rising from beneath her clothes.

"Of course not. This outfit was made using advanced Heresy Technology. A little cold like this can be adjusted away in no time."

Raye spoke as though it were obvious. To make the outfit, which had to be worn for long periods, easier to accept, she had added many practical functions to it.

At Raye's reminder, Chris also remembered the shameful restraint suit she had deliberately tried to forget—the one she was wearing beneath her clothes.

[E-Even so, I absolutely won't change my opinion that this outfit is awful. Absolutely not.]

Chris's face instantly flushed scarlet. She firmly planted that thought in her mind, preventing herself from becoming the kind of woman who found an outfit like this acceptable in any sense of the word.

"Wait. Come to think of it, I remember we changed into these clothes so we could go... um, shopping?"

Once Chris finally recovered from her embarrassment, she remembered why she had been forced to put on the outfit. It was to carry out a plan other than the "idol" plan.

And if she remembered correctly, the next thing they were supposed to do was that other plan.

"Mm, that's right. So let's hurry."

Raye spoke, then took Chris's hand with her black-gloved one.

"Wait, already? At least tell me where we're going..."

Chris hadn't had time to react to Raye's unexpected initiative, but Raye, who had tucked the tablet beneath her arm, paid no attention to her question.

Then, after a little less than an hour had passed—

"Um, what is this place?"

Looking at the okonomiyaki restaurant located beside a side street in the shopping district, Chris voiced her question.

Raye had dragged her along without listening to a word she said, only stopping when they reached this place. Chris had no idea what the other girl's plan was.

"An okonomiyaki restaurant."

Raye had already taken out her tablet and glanced at the information on it. After a slight pause, she pulled her hand from her black coat and raised it to her forehead in a thoughtful pose as she answered.

"I know it's an okonomiyaki restaurant. I'm not blind. I mean, why are we here... Huh?"

Chris was about to continue questioning her when she realized that Raye, despite her disguise, had somehow moved right in front of her. She was so close that Chris could even feel the warm breath leaving her mouth.

"Y-You, what are you doing? You can't do something like this outside!"

Looking at the beautiful face before her, whose beauty had not diminished despite the disguise, and thinking of the name of this plan, Chris's face instantly flushed for what felt like the umpteenth time that day. She frantically tried to push Raye away.

"Don't move, Chris."

Just as Chris was about to do so, Raye's arm forcefully wrapped around her body, while her other hand, already looped around the back of Chris's neck, held her head firmly in place.

With strength far exceeding Chris's somewhat useless physique, Raye completely overpowered her. Chris could only watch helplessly as the other girl's face drew closer and closer.

[Could it be that my first time is going to happen here, like this? No, I don't want that... Well, if it's Raye, I suppose I can accept it.]

As she watched that approaching face, chaotic spirals appeared in Chris's eyes. She closed them, waiting to feel what would happen next.

[There. It's installed. Chris, can you hear me?]

Chris had closed her eyes out of embarrassment and confusion. Suddenly, she felt something cool and smooth touch her forehead. The next moment, Raye's familiar voice rang out inside her mind.

"Huh?"

Chris opened her eyes and saw that Raye's face had already moved away. She reflexively reached up to touch the spot that had just been touched, but Raye immediately stopped her.

[Don't touch it, Chris. Don't do anything that increases the risk of suspicion. Answer any questions in your head. Just silently think, "Dial, Raye," and you can send it to me.]

The voice that followed in her mind explained why Raye had done this.

"Ugh, Raye... Ruse, you baka."

Even someone as slow as Chris realized that Raye's action had been entirely preparation for establishing this form of communication.

[All right, Chris. That was merely a necessary preliminary step for activating this kind of communication. Don't dwell on it. Besides, it's also part of the plan we made to fulfill your ideal with Fine.]

Looking at Chris's flushed face, Raye said this to her through their mental link.

"...You really are something. Fine."

Snow Yuki Chris was clearly not satisfied with that answer. But considering that Raye said it was for the sake of her ideal, she endured it.

Although she now knew how to use Raye's new device, Chris obviously couldn't use it just like that. If the awful thoughts she had just had were transmitted through the device, she would explode on the spot.

[It's for my ideal. It's for my ideal. It's for my ideal. All right!]

Chris began hypnotizing herself deeply, repeating the thought until she was certain she had truly calmed down. Only then did she prepare to send Raye her first message.

While Chris gathered herself, Raye maintained a suitable silence to ensure that outsiders would see nothing suspicious. She perfectly played the role of a friend who had just finished joking around with another friend.

[Phew. I'm ready. Can you hear me?]

[So what exactly is this thing? Why did you have to bring it out at a time like this? Weren't we supposed to go, um, shopping?]

After a difficult attempt, Chris finally adapted to the sensation. She immediately sent Raye a barrage of questions in her mind, hoping to obtain answers to everything that had been piling up in her thoughts.

P.S. Everyone, don't stay up late, or your stomach and intestines will tell you who's really in charge.

Okonomiyaki

When Raye received Chris's mental communication, she didn't respond immediately.

[Ah, what happened? Did I do something wrong?]

After waiting for about a minute without receiving a reply, Chris operated it once more using Raye's instructions.

"..."

Chris still received no response.

[But I definitely...]

"Sorry... Chris, wait a moment. I have something to deal with."

Just as Chris was about to try a third time, the black-clad girl in front of her seemed to come back to her senses. In a voice carrying the faintest tremor, she spoke to Chris.

"What is it?"

Chris didn't understand what Raye was doing, but she put on a concerned expression.

"It's nothing. Nothing serious."

After looking at Chris's reaction, Raye said this.

Then she turned away, her back facing Chris. She removed the black thin glove on her hand, which had gotten red liquid on it, tucked it inside her coat, and took out a new glove to put on.

[Sorry. Maybe because it hasn't been tested, there was a slight line-busy issue with the connection. It should work now. Can you hear me?]

Raye turned back around. After blinking somewhat wearily and pursing her lips, she used their mental link to confirm this with Chris.

Seeing Raye's behavior, Chris felt somewhat strange.

She hadn't heard anything that sounded like a lie, yet Raye was displaying the same signs she had shown in the past only when she was lying.

But then Chris thought that so much time had passed that those memories probably weren't very useful as a reference anymore, so she didn't mention her doubts.

[I can hear you. What about you?]

Suppressing her questions, Chris began cooperating with Raye to test this strange communication method, although she still didn't understand why they were doing this at a time like this.

[...I can. Looks like there shouldn't be any problems this time.]

This time, Raye's reply came without delay, quickly echoing from the depths of Chris's mind.

[Did you just tremble?]

Chris noticed that her body trembled for some reason whenever she sent Raye a mental message.

[No. You must have imagined it. Anyway, don't worry about such trivial things, Chris. Now that you're connected, I'll tell you what we're doing this afternoon.]

Pursing her lips, Raye said this to Chris in her mind.

[But... all right.]

Seeing that Raye had no intention of explaining, Chris stopped pressing her despite still caring about the strange behavior whose cause she didn't know.

However, she had already committed the matter to memory and planned to ask Fine whether she knew the reason when she had time.

[All right, then. First, cooperate with me, Chris.]

Seeing that Chris had stopped asking questions, Raye began speaking to her in her mind. She naturally linked one arm with Chris's, then pointed toward the okonomiyaki restaurant in front of them.

"Christina, I know you've always wanted to try Japanese okonomiyaki, so I did some research and found this highly praised restaurant. What do you think?"

Raye said it naturally, like an ordinary girl introducing good food to a friend.

[Chris, quickly—act like a girl who's very interested in okonomiyaki.]

"Ah... Ah! So that's why you brought me here. All right, since you recommended it, I'll go in and try it. I'm really looking forward to it."

With Raye's prompting, Chris woodenly played along with the role.

"Mm. Then let's go in and give it a try."

As she spoke, Raye pushed Chris into the okonomiyaki restaurant.

At the same time, on a bench beside the road in the shopping district, two men dressed in black suits who looked like office workers withdrew their gazes from Raye and Chris. One of them adjusted his collar and seemed to say something.

Elsewhere, Chris, who was completely unaware of what was going on, entered the okonomiyaki restaurant.