Chapter 50

Looking at the USB flash drive handed over by the somewhat unsteady girl, Chris was silent for a moment, then speechlessly took the drive—and not just the drive.

"Ah, Chris, what are you doing?"

Raye looked at the white-haired girl before her, asking calmly.

As for the reason for her question, it was because the girl in front of her, while grasping the USB drive, had also used both hands to pull on the hand that was offering it.

"What am I doing? I should be asking what you are doing, Raye! Why is it that, whether in the past or now, you always turn yourself into this state the moment I'm not paying attention? Right now, come with me back to the bed to rest."

Chris Yukine glared, speaking to Raye in an unquestionable tone as she exerted force with both hands, trying to pull the fragile-looking girl back to her own bedroom.

In Chris's experience, ever since they first met, Raye had been terribly good at driving her own body into an absolute wreck whenever she faced a high-stress environment.

She had thought that seeing the girl have no major issues over nearly a month of living together meant she had finally changed, but looking at it now, that was simply because her stress tolerance had risen; her tendency to run herself into this exact state at the slightest provocation hadn't changed at all.

"Are you worried about me, Chris? Heh, it's actually somewhat nostalgic... But rest assured, Chris, I'm different from before, and I'm fine. This state is merely the result of slight overexertion; I'll recover after resting for just a few minutes."

Propping up her wobbling body, Raye pulled back the hand that had been held, signaling to Chris in this manner with a calm tone, as if nothing were wrong at all.

"As if! Sleeping only a few minutes a day, plus this kind of work intensity—what on earth do you take your own body for, Raye? Show some care for yourself!"

Chris held a completely skeptical view of Raye's assessment.

Though she didn't understand Heresy Technology, she understood the Raye of the past. She knew that if she left this girl alone according to her own ideas, this wretch would definitely not stop until she pushed her body to its absolute limit.

"It really is fine, it's only to this degree... Besides, what's more important right now is to hurry and arrange various matters. There is less than a week left until the meteor shower. Afterward, we first need to set up the special prison to detain Fusion Case One, and monitor the specific movements of those Second Division members to adjust our strategy. I still have so much to do, I can't rest yet."

Raye shook her head as she spoke, simultaneously rising with the intention of leaving to handle other aspects of the work.

As her body swayed from side to side, the shoulder strap of the precarious white undershirt she wore unconsciously slipped from her shoulder, exposing her fair collarbone while leaving a certain spot further down faintly visible.

"Nngh... Even if you say that, Raye, you really need to rest properly. In this state, what are you going to do if you actually have to fight later?"

Shaking her head to force her focus back to serious business, Chris hurled this demand at Raye.

"I will rest before that happens. I understand the consequences that extreme exhaustion ultimately brings, and I can still tell the difference between priorities in these matters. Besides, even if I might lack alertness in battle due to staying up late, I'll take measures in advance to keep myself awake when the time comes."

Faced with Chris's challenge, Raye slowly offered the "solution" she had already considered.

Of course she knew that over-squeezing her body wasn't a good thing, but she had no choice. Because of the actions of the Second Division and Hibiki Tachibana, the work that originally had no deadline suddenly acquired a definitive one, making her once relatively abundant time extremely tight.

Clinging to the notions that speed is the essence of war and delays breed trouble, she could not afford to ignore this opportunity. Therefore, all she could do was squeeze her rest time, sacrificing future work efficiency in exchange for all-out action in the present.

"!?"

Hearing Raye's words, Chris was temporarily at a loss for what to say.

"Besides, as a hired operative, as long as I do the work I'm supposed to within the scope of my abilities, you have neither the need nor the right to meddle in my actions, Chris. Or is it that some of my recent indulgence has made you forget what the current situation is?"

Disregarding Chris's thoughts, Raye continued with her calm exposition, exactly as she always did.

"No, that's not it, I..."

Listening to Raye's rational dissection, a subtle shift appeared in Chris's expression. Reflexively, she wanted to refute Raye's words, yet she didn't know how.

She understood. Although she and Raye had recently seemed to grow closer, upon closer inspection, this closeness was merely her own wishful thinking. She had never received any positive feedback from Raye; it was always just Raye tolerating her one-sided antics as a colleague.

"Well, enough of this farce. Go rest at your own pace, Chris. I'm going to do a test run of the overall defense system and check for any potential loopholes."

Giving one final glance at Chris, who seemed to be pondering her words, an ethereal-looking Raye shook her head and drifted past the downcast white-haired girl, her mind gradually filling back up with upcoming projects.

Then, that project-filled mind was thoroughly emptied by the event that immediately followed the next second.

"What are you doing, Chris? What are you thinking again? If it's not necessary, could you please not interfere with my work? Thank you."

Raye spoke in a tone as calm as possible, and what made her say that was her immediate physical sensation.

A slightly warm forehead pressed against the back of her neck, white strands of hair brushing across her exposed skin to bring a faint tickle, and fair arms reaching from behind to gently rest upon her abdomen, while the fluid-like softness she could perceive completely swallowed her spine.

Simply put, after Raye walked past her, Chris Yukine had embraced Raye's body from behind, driven by unknown thoughts.

"I do have them."

Chris's voice rang out as soft as a mosquito's hum. If not for the sensory system of Raye's Sky Striker being powerful enough, she might not have known what Chris said at all.

"What?"

Yet even though she knew the words, Raye was temporarily unable to understand what Chris meant to express.

"I know that the current me shouldn't stop you, Raye. If I keep doing this, just like you said, it will interfere with your normal work and subsequently affect my ideals and Fine's... But even if it's fake, I don't want to lose anymore."

Chris's voice carried forth on the vibrations of the air, and upon being received by the instruments, it translated into the text displayed at the corner of Raye's right eye.

The heart that had thought itself stripped of everything, left only with a desire for vengeance against the world, was already smashed to pieces by the current reenactment of that past brief beauty.

A gorgeous and bustling dream, a honey-sweet and appetizing illusion—before all this, the single conviction she once believed remained, the conviction to use violence to end all conflicts in the world, had truly become like a high-rise tower cast from tofu: it looked indestructible, yet was actually anything but.

"Hah, so what on earth are you trying to say, Chris?"

Adjusting her breathing, standing with her back to Chris and harboring inscrutable thoughts, Raye closed her eyes and asked.

"I do have the right to make demands of you, Raye. You haven't forgotten that, have you? The promise you made to me earlier."

Maintaining her embrace, Chris spoke with a firmness that Raye could sense even through the written text.

"Hey, you don't mean... Are you sure you want to do this, Chris? Wasting time on something like this instead of maximizing the probability of safely capturing Hibiki Tachibana?"

Raye quickly realized what Chris was referring to—a promise made out of expediency, assuming Chris possessed a broader perspective and wouldn't abuse it excessively.

"I'm sure. If ordinary requests won't make you rest, Raye, then I have to do this. Well? Are you going to break the promise you made?"

Chris said firmly. For this moment alone, the balance of ideals and desires in her heart tipped slightly toward her own desire; perhaps they would pay a price for it later, but right now she did not regret doing so.

In Raye's perception, every time Chris spoke, her warm breath could slowly sweep across her body, disrupting her originally clear thinking.

Really, with time so tight right now, this girl Chris is still causing me trouble.

Raye reined in her wandering, runaway thoughts as much as possible, attempting to restore the light of reason to them.

Think carefully, Raye. The absolute best thing for you to do right now is to use every means at your disposal to fulfill your goal as completely as possible.

The girl's body heat had already penetrated the barrier of their clothes to reach her.

If I agree to such a self-indulgent request, it will only impact the progress of completing "that."

A slightly high warmth and softness rested upon her shoulder.

And most importantly, looking at it from any angle, the current me simply doesn't possess the capacity to shoulder this sentiment. Just maintaining my own survival has taken every ounce of my effort.

A giant marshmallow of a scale completely unlike the past, a terrifyingly sweet abyss, pressed tightly against her spine.

I must refuse properly, cutting off this connection that ought not to be prolonged at this time with an attitude of absolute unyielding certainty.

Beautiful dreams and brilliant hallucinations surfaced before her eyes, the joy—capable of sucking marrow dry like the song of the Sirens—relentlessly corroding human willpower.

Finally, after a period of arduous internal judgment, Raye reaffirmed her resolve within her heart. Even if it would temporarily hurt Chris, to protect the tiny scrap of rationality remaining within her soul, she had to make the correct and sensible choice, just as she had always insisted upon.

"Then, Raye, let's go. Today I will definitely make you relax properly!"

Then, such text appeared before Raye's eyes.

Ah?

Her mind fell into a momentary dislocation, her breathing stuttering for the span of a blink.

Soon, Raye realized what had just happened. Before reason could catch up, her rampaging spirit had already commanded her body to respond.

ps. Good midnight, er, or rather, good morning.

ps. Woke up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, and figuring I was already up, I decided to just finish writing it.

Chapter 85: Respective Movements

Leaving aside the side that had begun wasting time day and night, over at Lydian Music Academy, after outsourcing her report, Hibiki Tachibana's originally tight schedule became slightly more relaxed. Though she still needed to manually copy out the study reports, she no longer had to consume her already scarce brainpower.

This meant she could finally carve out a little time to lead a normal, ordinary campus daily life, temporarily casting matters like combat to the back of her burner—provided she finished certain things ahead of schedule.

"Ah, this is simply wonderful."

Sitting in her seat, Hibiki sighed with emotion while continuously copying the text from her computer screen into her report notebook.

"Hibiki, what are you referring to?"

Miku Kohinata, who was keeping her company while she worked on the report, asked.

"Ah, nothing, I just mean how wonderful it is to have the chance to go see the meteor shower with you, Miku. Oh my, I originally thought there was no way we'd ever manage it."

Hibiki wore a smile, and it was obvious she was truly happy about this.

"Is that so? Then that really is something to be happy about. Speaking of which, Hibiki, how is your copying of the report she sent coming along?"

Miku nodded, then directed her question to the girl sharing her desk.

Half a day had passed since Hibiki outsourced the report, and right when the morning classes ended, the outsourcing agency had used lightning-fast efficiency to package and send a portion of the study reports to Hibiki.

"Mm, don't worry, Miku, it's already done! Just copying it out is still pretty simple."

Hibiki confidently displayed her notebook to Miku as she spoke. She cherished this opportunity super-duper much and would absolutely not let any accidents happen.

"That's good."

Seeing the dense, unrestrained handwriting packed across Hibiki's notebook, Miku wore a gentle smile on her face.

"Hahaha... Ah, that's right, speaking of which, Miku, where are we going to go watch the meteor shower later?"

While feeling happy, Hibiki suddenly thought of something and asked her best friend.

"Where... Is there any need to worry about that so early? There are still several days left."

Hearing Hibiki's question, Miku asked somewhat quizzically.

"It's fine to be early, right? C'mon, tell me, Miku."

Hibiki's expression stiffened slightly, but she pressed on anyway.

Because she had been fighting a life-or-death battle with the study reports, she had completely forgotten that Commander Kazanari had instructed her to decide on a location for the meteor shower in advance, so that the Commander and the others could deploy whatever defense lines or other things she didn't understand ahead of time.

"Hmm, let me think. I've done some research; to observe meteors, you need to be in suburban areas far away from urban light pollution. Considering that some famous viewing spots might get quite crowded, I think this place is nice: it's sparsely populated, and I know of a wide-open clearing there."

Though she found it a bit strange, Miku still brought up the map application on her tablet computer and pointed out a clearing in a suburban forest to Hibiki.

"Ohh, we're going here? Okay, I understand! Um, Miku, I have some things to take care of, I'm going to step out for a moment."

Leaning in close, Hibiki deeply engraved the location pointed out by Miku into her mind, and then spoke thus.

* * *

"Right now? Well, okay, but Hibiki, remember to be back before class starts. Also, don't forget that this Friday the school has a very important physical examination; at the very least, don't go disappearing like you did before. Even if you're going to do something, let me know in advance."

Watching Hibiki's movements, Miku understood that the other girl was probably off to do those unspeakable things again. Feeling somewhat helpless, she could only offer this reminder to lower the probability of her missing important matters.

"Ah, I know! Um, Miku, I'm heading off, I should be back before the lunch break ends."

Hibiki nodded, then immediately stood up and bolted out the classroom door.

Accompanied by a loud roar of "Tachibana-san, do not run in the hallways!!", Hibiki's figure completely vanished from Miku's field of vision.

Deep underground, within the Second Division's headquarters, Genjuro Kazanari was holding a routine meeting, continuing to discuss matters related to Raye and how to organize subsequent operations with the main family.

"Then, let everything be handled as expediently as this. We shall deploy our full strength to trap that national villain within this inescapable net, and reclaim the nation's supreme treasure from her hands."

On the electronic screen in the conference room, an old man named Fudou Kazanari, seated behind a desk, delivered this declaration.

"Understood. I will not fail your trust."

Standing inside the meeting room, Genjuro immediately stepped forward to give this guarantee.

"Excellently spoken. Furthermore, I have a question: the very crux of it all—the bait luring the villain into the trap, the warrior who will stall her actions—what is her current status? Can she shoulder the responsibilities of both bait and warrior?"

After Genjuro's assurance, Fudou nodded, maintained his stern posture, and posed this inquiry.

"Regarding that aspect, well, there's no problem. I believe she can..."

Though he disliked the other man's term for Hibiki, facing the inquiry of the Kazanari main family, Genjuro could only go along with their phrasing for the time being.

"Hah, haha, Master, we've decided—ah, Master, are you having a meeting again? Ahaha, I won't disturb you, I'll be leaving first."

Just as Genjuro and Fudou were negotiating, the heavy doors of the meeting room were suddenly pushed open by a bustling flax-colored rice ball—namely, Hibiki. Having pushed her way in and just about to say something, she took in the situation inside the conference room, let out an awkward laugh, and began backing out the way she came.

"...I see. So that is the bait. As bait, she is qualified; as a warrior, she still seems to need some polishing."

Seeming to notice the commotion in the meeting room, Fudou made this judgment just as Hibiki sheepishly retreated out the door.

"Tachibana... no, that's not it. In fact, I've been giving Tachibana special training lately, and her strength has made tremendous progress compared to before, making her fully capable of bearing greater responsibilities."

Paying no more mind to the accidental intruder, Genjuro refocused his attention back to the ongoing meeting and spoke thus.

"There is no need to offer such defenses. Whether she can bear it or not, I shall judge for myself. You need harbor no further doubts regarding this matter. Then, let us conclude for today."

Without entertaining Genjuro's defense, Fudou simply tossed out those words and cut the communication, bringing the meeting to an end.