Sky Striker Ace, but Symphogear

"Welcome. Oh my, a new face. What would you like?"

Perhaps because it was already past mealtime, there were not many people in the shop. As the only two customers, the pair were quickly greeted warmly by a middle-aged woman in an apron.

"Ah, um..."

After entering, Chris did not know what to say next for a moment.

"It's like this. She's always wanted to try a Japanese specialty, okonomiyaki, and after looking into it, I heard the okonomiyaki here is very good, so I brought her here to try it."

Taking out the tablet tucked inside her coat, Raye stepped forward and explained this to the woman.

"Is that so? Well then, Auntie will definitely treat you two well. So, two servings of okonomiyaki, is that right?"

Apparently pleased by Raye's words, the woman asked with a smile.

"No, I won't be having any. I would very much like to try your cooking, ma'am, but if I continue consuming high-calorie food today, my weight may become impossible to control. So please only make one serving for her."

Looking at the tablet in her hand, Raye politely declined the woman's hospitality on the grounds of her weight.

"Weight... Ah, if you ask me, you young girls care far too much about that sort of thing."

Hearing Raye say that, the woman stopped preparing the second serving and focused on cooking a single okonomiyaki.

Raye and Chris then pulled out their chairs like ordinary customers and sat down.

[So, what exactly did we come here to do?]

The moment she sat down, Chris impatiently sent Raye a Telepathic Communication message. Though she asked that, she had already vaguely sensed why Raye had done this.

[Before that, Chris, take out your phone and casually browse something. Though Telepathic Communication is highly concealed, we should still put on a bit of an act and not be too obvious.

Also, once the okonomiyaki arrives, chew carefully and eat as slowly as possible. I need you to buy me some time for something I need to do.]

Raye gave Chris these instructions telepathically while placing her tablet on the table and tapping away at it, looking as though she were playing a game.

[All right.]

Hearing Raye's suggestion, Chris took out the phone Fine had given her for convenient contact, opened a short-video app, and began mindlessly scrolling through videos.

[So can you tell me now why we came to this place?]

After setting up her disguise, Chris continued asking.

[No need to rush, Chris. The reason I chose this place as the first stop of our... hm, "shopping trip," was actually because...]

Against the background sounds of okonomiyaki cooking, Raye explained her reasons to Chris through Telepathic Communication while using her tablet.

P.S. I finally recovered.

P.S. Sky Striker's new Link-4... all I can say is that it fits the manga portrayal perfectly.

Chapter 29 information.jpg

[First, Chris, I need to tell you something. Besides the mission to activate Durandal, Fine also gave me another mission: capture Fusion Case No. 1 of the Biological Relic, an individual named "Hibiki Tachibana."]

Raye's voice rang out in Chris's mind as she began sharing the information.

[Another mission? Ah, from yesterday morning!]

Hearing Raye's words, Chris recalled seeing Raye discussing something with Fine before she left.

[Yes. For the sake of operational efficiency, I believe we can carry out simple preliminary preparations for capturing Hibiki Tachibana while simultaneously completing Fine's requested "date" plan.]

Raye said.

[In other words, while fulfilling our agreement, you also plan to prepare for your later operation to capture someone named "Hibiki Tachibana"... But why come here? Does that Hibiki Tachibana have something to do with this shop? Or is Hibiki Tachibana this auntie?]

It did not take Chris long to understand Raye's objective, but even after understanding it, she still did not know why Raye had brought her here for okonomiyaki.

[What a vivid imagination, Chris. I think you could become moderately famous if you wrote novels. But unfortunately, Hibiki Tachibana is a first-year female middle school student at Lydian Music Academy, not this auntie.]

[The reason I brought you here is that after investigating Hibiki Tachibana's spending records, I discovered that aside from purchasing Tsubasa Kazanari merchandise, the place where she spent the most was this ordinary okonomiyaki shop.]

[After analyzing the information, I concluded that this place has value as a potential trap. That is why I brought you here.]

Raye denied Chris's guess, then explained through Telepathic Communication while scrolling up and down on her tablet.

[So that's how it is.]

Chris said in realization.

[Of course, it is also because it was already noon and you had not eaten lunch, Chris. This conveniently solves the issue of food as well.]

[And since this shop earned Hibiki Tachibana's approval, it means it must have something going for it.]

[According to data I obtained by infiltrating Lydian Music Academy's system, Hibiki Tachibana eats three times as much as the average student in the school cafeteria. Clearly, she cares greatly about food.]

[Ordinarily, a shop approved by someone like that would generally not be bad. It is a good place to solve the lunch problem.]

Raye added.

[Raye, what exactly have you investigated?]

Listening to Raye, Chris complained internally. Why had she even investigated someone else's appetite?

[That is perfectly normal, Chris. If one intends to capture prey, then naturally one must prepare bait that will make the prey take the hook.]

Raye did not think there was anything wrong with that. After all, she considered herself quite weak. If she could not gain as much of an advantage as possible through information, many missions would be impossible to carry out.

[Oh, right. Since you may also need to participate in capturing Hibiki Tachibana later, I might as well share the information I collected yesterday with you. If you have any good ideas, we can discuss them.]

As she said this, Raye remembered that she had not yet shared the information she had investigated, so she operated her tablet and emailed Chris a file.

[Me too? All right, let me see... Wait, this many files? What exactly did you investigate? Don't tell me you even found out what color her underwear is.]

Chris opened the email on her phone, then was stunned by the number of files, which nearly filled her inbox.

From top to bottom, there were countless files of unknown origin, including "Social Media Chat Records—Hibiki Tachibana," "Medical Examination Report—Hibiki Tachibana," "Spending Record Summary—Hibiki Tachibana," "School Disciplinary Records—Hibiki Tachibana," and "Family Member Information—Hibiki Tachibana."

Chris dared say that Raye practically knew Hibiki Tachibana better than Hibiki Tachibana knew herself.

[It is not that much. Thanks to the internet age, all this information can be obtained by casually digging around online. It looks like a lot, but much of it is invalid or duplicate information. If you think it is too troublesome, Chris, you can read the compressed file I sent last, named "Information Sorting and Analysis Summary.zip."]

Raye said.

[Also, I should explain that I did indeed investigate her clothing preferences by looking through purchase records, so I do know what styles of underwear she likes. If I remember correctly, it was...]

Raye added in a perfectly serious tone.

[All right, that's enough. I don't want to know that! Where did you get this stalker behavior from?!]

Hearing the awful words in her mind, Chris immediately cut her off. She had absolutely no interest in such strange matters.

[Don't say that, Chris. Information is information. There is nothing shameful about it. The only thing we need to consider is how to find a way to complete the mission from this information.

Besides, my methods of gathering information were indeed inspired by several stalkers who have since been sent to prison.]

Raye said to Chris in her mind.

[What exactly have you been through, Raye... Forget it. All I can say is that it's fortunate you're not my enemy. You'd be terrifying if you were.]

Chris no longer had the strength to complain about Raye's abnormality. She was simply extremely—nine parts out of ten—glad that Raye was on her side.

Chris did not know what Hibiki Tachibana would think of an investigation plan that spared not even a sliver of privacy, but Chris herself already felt her scalp go numb.

[A-Anyway, I understand. I'll look through it when I get back.]

Chris said telepathically, then impatiently closed her inbox. She was afraid that if she looked any longer, she might develop psychological trauma from the black-clad thing sitting beside her.

[And, um... right, you said you were making preliminary preparations. How are you going to do that? Are you planning to set things up around the area later?]

After closing her inbox, Chris hurriedly changed the subject.

[Yes, that is correct. But I need to correct one thing: it is not something I will do later. I am already doing it.]

Raye affirmed Chris's question and added this.

[Huh? What did you do?]

Chris was a little confused. Ever since they had entered, Raye had remained beside her. Chris had not seen her do anything that looked like setting something up.

"Here you go, little miss, your okonomiyaki. Auntie is very confident in her cooking. And you there, little miss in black, games are fun, but don't play too much."

While Chris was puzzled, a steaming serving of okonomiyaki was placed before her, and she heard the woman say this.

P.S. Writing during the day really is more comfortable.

Deployment

"A game?"

Picking up her okonomiyaki, Chris reflexively glanced at the tablet in Raye's hands after hearing the woman's words.

On the screen, a little aircraft seemed to be avoiding monsters' lines of sight and obstacles inside rooms before finally reaching a certain target point. And the setting of that game seemed to be a restaurant?!

[This is your preliminary preparation, Raye?]

Chris realized that Raye appeared to be controlling something to do something to this okonomiyaki shop.

[You noticed? Yes, it is nothing worth mentioning. I am merely leaving behind a set of surveillance units and spatial coordinates here. After all, I am more accustomed to engaging enemies in places I can visualize and teleport to.]

Noticing Chris's gaze, Raye explained what she was currently doing.

[But I saw five or six red dots on your screen. Based on what you said, you shouldn't need that many target points, right?]

Thinking of the glimpse she had caught earlier, Chris asked Raye. At the same time, she picked up her chopsticks and began eating the okonomiyaki bit by bit, chewing slowly as Raye had instructed.

[They are simply different types. Though they are all surveillance units, every individual within the same group has different concealment and detection mechanisms.]

[There are two reasons for setting them up this way. First, if one type of unit is discovered, the others can continue monitoring. Second, if two or more types are discovered, it can make the enemy wonder whether there are even more varieties of surveillance units.]

[Furthermore, these surveillance units have self-destruct programs. If the programs detect exposure, they will self-destruct immediately. Multiple self-destruct methods have likewise been set up, in the hope of minimizing the speed at which the other side can acquire information.]

Raye briefly explained the reasons to Chris.

[That is absolutely not a "nothing worth mentioning" preparation! And where did you even get so many kinds of surveillance and self-destruct methods?!]

Listening to Raye's explanation, Chris complained internally while eating her okonomiyaki.

From her perspective, setting up surveillance mechanisms to this degree basically meant that this place could never escape Raye's watch.

[It is merely an ordinary application of Heresy Technology. My Sky Striker is rather good at this sort of thing.]

Raye replied internally, then continued manipulating the aircraft through her tablet and began setting up the next target point.

[So this is what you've been tinkering with all these years?]

Chris asked internally.

[More or less. It is also why I cooperate with Fine. She possesses much Heresy Technology that I need. One more kind of technology means one more kind of preparation; one more kind of preparation means one more option; and one more option means greater security for my personal safety.]

Raye replied.

At that moment, amid the pair's idle conversation, Raye finished deploying the surveillance unit at the final target point, while there was not much okonomiyaki left on Chris's plate.

[All right. Once you finish eating, we will leave here and go to Lydian Music Academy. We will set up several groups of surveillance units there and place a few teleportation guidance units. Then today's mission will be complete.]

Seeing that the time was about right, Raye closed the guidance software on her tablet, which had deliberately been overlaid with a game interface, and spoke to Chris in her mind.

"Are you finished, Christina? If you are, let's go. Our next stop is a visit to Lydian Music Academy. I have already made a reservation for you."

While explaining internally, Raye also said this to Chris aloud.

"Ah, yes, Ruse. I'm done."

Looking at Raye like this, Chris felt a strong sense of dissonance. She did not understand how Raye could run two processes at once without any bugs appearing.

"Oh my, you're going to Lydian? Are you going to study there?"

At that moment, after hearing what Raye said to Chris, the woman casually asked.

"Mm... something like that. Actually, Christina's goal is to become the world's strongest diva, so she wanted to see what kind of place could produce someone like Tsubasa Kazanari."

Noticing the woman's movements, Raye glanced at her tablet before answering, adding more characterization to Christina's identity.

"Yes, that's right. I've always admired Miss Tsubasa Kazanari, so I want to understand her, surpass her, and grind her beneath my feet."

[Could you tell me before adding weird character settings for me?!]

Chris, who had been given an inexplicable new persona by Raye, tried hard to act in a way that suited it while complaining to Raye in her mind.

[Sorry. I did not expect the auntie to ask so suddenly, so I improvised a little extra drama for you.]

[But do not worry, Chris. When you cannot react in time, I will control your clothes and the collar around your neck to make you perform actions that suit your persona.]

Raye apologized to Chris, then assured her that she would absolutely not let her break character.