Sky Striker Ace, but Symphogear

After thinking over Raye's words, Chris couldn't find any reason to refuse.

[Then let's go. Oh, right, Chris, if you have nothing to do on the way, take a look at the plans for later.]

Seeing that Chris had no questions, Raye said this, then operated the tablet in her hand and sent over a file.

[I haven't had time to write today's log yet. I'll send it to you together with the log once I'm done.]

Raye said this inwardly, and Chris noticed a notification appear in her email.

[At least this is more useful than those artworks you looked at before, which were created using my image. All right, I'll hang up first.]

After saying that, she ignored Chris's increasingly hurried breathing caused by her words and indicated that she was ending the call.

[What are you talking about...? Forget it. I'll look over Raye's arrangements first. I need to cooperate properly to work with Raye more efficiently... Hah, why am I starting to think about this sort of thing too!?]

Her heartbeat accelerated from Raye's half-teasing words. Chris's face flushed slightly as she opened the file Raye had sent to her phone.

[Let's see... Huh?]

Although it looked like a lot at first glance, after excluding the various contingency plans and work details, there were ultimately only two things to deal with.

The first was for Chris to find time to measure her own String Gain level and activate the Relic by herself. Manuals for operating the various instruments were attached.

The second was for Chris to cooperate with the "idol" work by herself. Various contingency plans and Raye's contact information were attached.

To be fair, assigning these two tasks to Chris made perfect sense.

Having the overworked Raye handle these relatively undemanding tasks would simply be a waste of resources.

Rather than waste time on them, it was better to outsource them directly to Chris while Raye focused on more meaningful work.

[But why do I feel so...]

Looking at the arrangements for her work on her phone, Chris felt a wave of anxiety rise in her heart for no apparent reason.

[Alone. Alone... Ahhh, why is this so annoying?]

Looking at the words in the file, Chris irritably grabbed at her hair, messing up her originally neat strands.

[Phew, what am I doing? This is just a normal assignment. I just need to follow Raye's lead as usual, and work together to realize Fine's and my ideals. After that... after that?]

At that thought, Chris's thoughts suddenly stalled for a moment. She remembered something. Raye had said from the very beginning that she had been hired by Fine.

Then where would Raye go once the employment ended...? In any case, she certainly wouldn't remain by Chris's and Fine's side.

[After that, once the employment ends, Raye will drift away like a dandelion, carried by the wind toward somewhere I don't know...]

Chris's voice echoed in her mind.

[That's normal, isn't it? After all, Raye and I don't have any special relationship. Where she wants to go and what she wants to do have nothing to do with me.]

Chris's voice continued.

[...?]

[When you get right down to it, why am I going to such lengths to investigate Raye? We're nothing more than employer and employee. Even if we once spent some time together and made a childish promise, there's no need to care about it after all this time.]

Chris's voice grew heavy.

[...?!]

[So, sure enough, I'm a complete idiot. No one asked me to do this. I'm the only one worrying and caring on my own. If that's the case, I might as well stop meddling in her affairs and just focus on myself...]

Chris's voice carried determination.

[...!!!]

It happened so suddenly that Chris, who had been looking down at her phone, abruptly raised her head. Her gaze fell on the black-hatted girl ahead. She rushed forward and grabbed the other's shoulders.

[Is it fun pretending to speak my inner thoughts, Raye? I don't think that way at all!!!]

Chris angrily turned Raye around and glared face-to-face at that expressionless face.

[I didn't expect you to notice. Looks like you're not completely stupid after all, Chris—or perhaps the device I made isn't perfect enough.]

Under Chris's stare, Raye fell silent for a moment. Then the voice inside Chris's heart changed pitch, returning to Raye's calm tone.

[What exactly are you trying to do, Raye? Why would you do this?]

Chris asked angrily. If she hadn't noticed so quickly, she might really have been persuaded by that voice rising from the depths of her heart and given up investigating Raye.

[Image: Handsome]

P.S. Good afternoon.

Chapter Forty-Two: Clash

[Yes, this time I was indeed in the wrong. I did something like this to you without your permission, Chris.]

Facing the furious Chris, Raye apologized to her inwardly.

Even through the disguise, Chris could see the sincerity on Raye's face, and the emotion about to erupt within her suddenly lost its target.

[Huh? You... Don't think you can just apologize and consider this matter settled.]

Chris said this irritably.

She was definitely angry about what Raye had done to her. But being angry was one thing; facing Raye's sincere expression, Chris had no idea what to do next and could only express her displeasure for now.

[Is that so?]

Looking at Chris's puffed-up appearance, Raye thought briefly.

[In that case, what kind of compensation do you want, Chris? I can agree to one request that doesn't affect the mission or endanger my life, as long as it isn't too excessive. Any request is fine, as long as it doesn't get me killed.]

Raye's voice soon rang out in Chris's mind.

[Hah, it's only a little compensation. Don't think I'll forgive you just because of that.]

[...]

[Ah, what did you say?]

At first, Chris didn't react. Once she did, she realized what Raye had just said.

[One request. Anything at all. No matter what it is, I'll do it.]

Raye simply emphasized it again without changing her expression.

Her clearly enunciated words plainly conveyed the offer.

[Um, do you really know what you're saying? You're not joking, are you?]

After confirming that she hadn't misheard, Chris swallowed and looked incredulous.

[Yes. As long as it's within my capabilities, I'll help you fulfill your request, Chris.]

Ignoring Chris's doubts, Raye repeated herself.

[Uwaaah... Whatever. You said anything goes, so of course I'll make an extremely difficult request.]

Seeing that Raye didn't look as though she was joking, Chris believed her and fell into deep thought.

For a while, the atmosphere descended into prolonged silence.

Although things seemed to be heading toward an outcome favorable to Chris, her thoughts had become completely stuck.

What could she ask Raye for?

Money? Judging by Raye's attitude and overwhelming abilities, problems that could be solved with money probably weren't problems to her at all.

Should she ask Raye to stop lying? But what proof did Chris have that anything Raye said was true? Even if Raye claimed she was telling the truth, did that make it true?

Or perhaps, like in those novels and manga, she could make Raye do this and that...

Chris slapped herself hard, driving the strange thoughts from her mind.

It was all that damn website's fault. Her mind was now filled with bizarre positions and strange things she had never imagined.

[...]

After banishing the thoughts produced by taking in that strange "nutrition," Chris's mind continued spinning rapidly as she tried to come up with the plan most advantageous to her.

[Looks like she has already forgotten that she asked me why I hypnotized her.]

Meanwhile, sensing that the thoughts in Chris's mind were chaotic but had moved away from dangerous territory, Raye finally relaxed.

This time, she had indeed been too hasty. Without being absolutely certain, she had used a back door left behind when she set up the device—and, worse, she had let Chris notice it.

If Chris kept pressing her about why she had done it, Raye would truly be in trouble, because during that operation, she had exposed a very dangerous flaw.

If that flaw were discovered, Chris might realize what Raye truly wanted to conceal, causing the defenses she had built up all this time to collapse completely.

When that happened, she might have no choice but to use extreme measures against Chris to ensure both their safety. She was certain that would be good for neither of them.

Fortunately, Chris was still Chris. By merely bringing up a more attention-grabbing topic, Raye had shifted her focus away from the dangerous direction.

[Still, I can't let my guard down. Until I finish Fine's mission and part ways with Chris, I'm in a dangerous position.]

Raye thought to herself.

"Wait, I've got it."

At the same time, Chris finally emerged from her tangled thoughts, apparently having come up with a request that satisfied her.

[What is it, Chris? Have you decided what you want to ask for?]

Noticing that Chris seemed to have thought of something, Raye lifted the one-way block on Chris's mind and spoke inwardly.

Agreeing to one of Chris's requests was something she had considered carefully. She didn't believe Chris could come up with anything so difficult that she couldn't accept it. Even if Chris made some suggestive request like the one she had just been imagining, it wasn't as though Raye couldn't accept it.

[I've decided. Raye, you have to take me on a date that satisfies me. If I'm not satisfied with the date, then the next time I ask you to go on a date with me, you can't refuse, until we have a date that satisfies me.]

Chris spoke to Raye with absolute confidence.

This was the perfect request she had devised after careful consideration.

First, judging from Raye's previous behavior, she didn't seem to like wasting time for no reason. In other words, wasting time was undoubtedly painful for Raye.

Second, as long as she kept Raye by her side, Chris would have more time to uncover her flaws and investigate why she had become the way she was.

Third—and this was what Chris liked most about the idea—

She had only said that the date had to satisfy her; she hadn't specified what form the date had to take. In other words, under the guise of a date, she could ask Raye to do all sorts of things.

And what counted as a satisfying date was entirely up to her, wasn't it? As long as she said she wasn't satisfied, she could use that excuse to keep demanding Raye's time indefinitely.

[W-What do you think, Raye? This request isn't too much, is it? Or are you saying you can't even agree to something like this?]

Chris asked inwardly, somewhat uncertain. Her idea was excellent, but it still depended on whether Raye would agree.

[...]

Chris's request seemed to be so far beyond Raye's expectations that Raye fell silent for a moment.

P.S. Blue Star is way too fun. I lost track of time playing it.

Chapter Forty-Three: Preparing to Set Out

[All right, so this is your request? I agree to it.]

After thinking for a short while, Raye said this inwardly.

[As expected, even a troublesome request like this... Ah, wait, really? You actually agree, Raye? Are you sure?]

Chris couldn't believe that Raye had really agreed to a request that might let her keep Raye under her thumb indefinitely.

[Of course. Absolutely. Since your request doesn't violate the conditions I mentioned earlier, there is naturally no reason to refuse it.]

Raye nodded and answered seriously.

She had of course seen the ulterior motive hidden in Chris's request. After all, playing with wording was something she was good at too. But she had to agree to Chris's request now, and the more outrageous the request, the better.

Only then could Chris's attention be completely shifted from the previous "minor matter" to the more meaningful "major matter" at hand.

As for whether Chris might one day come to her senses and realize what Raye wanted to conceal... that was something the Raye of that day would have to consider.

Besides, if Raye still couldn't think of a solution or a fallback after buying so much time to maneuver, that could only mean the secret would no longer be especially important to her by then.

[Since you've agreed, let's start today. You didn't finish work early today, Raye? You have some free time.]

Once she realized that her request had been accepted, Chris became as delighted as someone who had built up a powerful hand and was now pointing it straight at her opponent. Her joy completely washed away her previous displeasure.

Just as Raye had expected, she never considered what Raye might have gained in exchange for paying such a "price."

[Today...? All right. Time is a little tight, but since I agreed, let's do it.]

To placate the girl in front of her, Raye didn't think for long before agreeing to Chris.