Sky Striker Ace, But Symphogear

"Um, have I been causing you trouble?"

Hearing that there seemed to be no movement in the conference room, Hibiki Tachibana cautiously peeked out from under the door and asked somewhat uneasily.

"No, Tachibana, don't worry. This is the adults' job. Besides, we had already discussed everything by the time you Tachibana. Tachibana just need to do your job."

Genjuro Kazanari shook his head, indicating that Hibiki Tachibana hadn't caused them much trouble.

"Haha, is that so? That's good."

Hibiki Tachibana a sigh of relief; something that looked incredibly powerful could easily put pressure on her.

"Compared to this, Tachibana, when you said you'd made a decision, what were you deciding on?"

Skipping over that topic, Genjuro Kazanari went straight to asking Hibiki Tachibana the purpose of his visit.

"Oh, right, I came to tell Master that Miku and I have decided where to go to watch the meteor shower. It's right here. Um, it shouldn't be too late, right?"

Upon hearing Genjuro Kazanari's question, Hibiki Tachibana quickly took out her phone, opened a map app, and gave him directions while replying in this way.

"It's not too late, in fact, it's just right, because we just finalized the relevant command and coordination work today, and the site-related arrangements are something we'll discuss tomorrow."

Genjuro Kazanari stated this.

"Ah, that's good."

Hibiki Tachibana put her worries aside; she was still concerned that she might have delayed everyone's work progress.

"Is there anything else, Tachibana? Today is a time for rest and relaxation; you don't need to continue your training."

Genjuro Kazanari asked.

"Nothing else... Oh, by the way, how is Miss Yi today? Has she improved?"

Hibiki Tachibana was about to say that she was fine and was about to go back, she suddenly remembered that she hadn't asked about Tsubasa Kazanari's situation today.

"Haha, Tachibana really cares about Tsubasa's condition. But don't worry, Tsubasa's condition is not in any danger at the moment, and it is expected that she will wake up within a week."

Shinji Ogawa, who was in charge of matters related to Tsubasa Kazanari, stepped forward with a smile and skillfully explained it to Hibiki Tachibana.

Since Tsubasa Kazanari was injured, Tsubasa Kazanari Hibiki Tachibana has been checking on her condition almost every day, hoping for her speedy recovery.

"Really? That's great!"

The flaxen-haired girl became excited; this was probably the best news Hibiki Tachibana had heard all day. She hadn't been this happy even when she learned the report could be outsourced.

"In that case, I'll work hard too, Master. Let's train properly again tomorrow!"

Hibiki Tachibana spoke animatedly, then, just as quickly as she had arrived, she dashed down the corridor and disappeared from sight.

"Seriously, Little Hibiki is as active as ever."

Seeing Hibiki Tachibana's actions, Ryouko Sakurai, sitting in a corner of the conference room, sipped her coffee and said this.

That's right.

Some members of the Second Division echoed this.

In the darkest room in the center of the Kazanari Family headquarters, which is located some unknown distance away and which had just been connected to via electronic signal.

"The appearance of such a rare and divine artifact is a stroke of good fortune for our nation. This weapon, capable of ruling the world, must be mastered by us."

Sitting in a high-class wooden chair, Fudou Kazanari to himself, with two paper reports in front of him.

A report, seemingly freshly printed and still smelling of ink, was titled "Research Report on the Constitution of Case No. 1 of Biological Relic Fusion Case One - On the Feasibility of Artificially Inducing the Polymerization Body to Go Berserk."

The other report was very old, as if it had been read by many people and had gone through a lot of turmoil. The title of the report was blurred and illegible, and only the words "Sky Striker" and "rule" could be roughly discerned from some of the handwriting.

"We must fight to the bitter end, betting everything on this moment. This is a battle for the fate of our nation; we cannot afford any mistakes. We will surely take the treasure from those who have been lucky enough to possess it."

Fudou Kazanari's eyes gleamed as he muttered something to himself one last time.

Achoo-_

In the bustling city, amidst the throngs of people, a girl dressed in all black, with hair a mix of gray and white, holding a tablet computer, suddenly sneezed.

"Are you alright? You didn't catch a cold, did you? I told you not to push yourself so hard, you should have rested a bit."

The white-haired girl beside her spoke to the girl beside her, sounding both worried and complaining.

"Christina, this is just a normal physiological reaction to nasal irritation. To conclude I have a cold based on this is less accurate than to conclude someone is thinking about me."

The gray-haired girl rubbed the tip of her pretty nose and retorted to the white-haired girl beside her.

"Tch, Ruse, you can say whatever you want, but it doesn't matter. Even if you're right, you can't go against my demands now, so you still have to listen to me obediently."

In response to the gray-haired girl's rebuttal, the white-haired girl said smugly.

Clearly, these two were on a date: Raye, who had changed her appearance and name, and Chris Yukine, who had only changed her name.

Although this was just a simple outing with no mission requirements, considering that this was ultimately enemy territory, Raye insisted on undergoing a basic disguise.

"So, where are we going now? Why did you suddenly drag me out like this? Have you really thought about what we're going to do? If not, I suggest we go straight back; I still have a lot of work to do."

Raye asked silently.

After recovering from her emotional outburst, she realized how foolish she had been, but the die was cast. Having missed her best opportunity, she could only drift aimlessly with Chris.

"Don't worry, we've arrived already."

Chris, of course, wouldn't let Raye off the hook. She had made up her mind to give Raye a good rest for the day, and she had already thought of a good place for her to go.

"... The movie theater? Why here? Is there a movie you want to see? But watching it at home on your computer feels the same, doesn't it? I think we should go back."

Raye used statements that discouraged interest.

"Of course it's different. Watching it with you is a completely different experience than watching it alone. Also, don't even think about running away. You can't escape. Just spend this afternoon and evening with me."

The treatment had no effect on Chris, Chris 'Raye little hand with great interest, entered the somewhat secluded movie theater.

P. S. Good morning!

Chapter 86 Misunderstanding?

As they stepped through the glass revolving door, the ticket office, which wasn't crowded, came into view.

With the development of internet media technology, except in a few cases, very few people go to the movies specifically to watch a film. In addition, since it is neither a holiday nor after-school time, even fewer people will go out to watch a movie at this time.

"So, why come to the movies at this time? What movies are available right now, Christina? Do you know of any good ones?"

Raye, who had been forcibly dragged in, couldn't quite understand what Chris was thinking.

Logically speaking, or based on her usual observations of Chris, she shouldn't have time to learn about the entertainment activities that ordinary people engage in, such as movies and anime. So, does she really know how to choose a good movie?

"Hmph, I have absolutely no idea. I haven't been paying attention to any movies lately, but after careful consideration, the movie theater is the place I think best suits my current needs."

Then, Chris, with the most confident words, told Raye that she knew nothing about it.

"Ha, I don't understand. If you haven't paid any attention, how are you going to choose? If you just pick randomly, what if you end up with a movie that's mentally polluting? The experience might not be very good."

Raye was speechless, not understanding what Chris was thinking.

"For this kind of thing, I just need to ask the staff here. If I ask carefully, I'm sure I can find a movie that meets my requirements."

Chris said confidently, her expression still full of self-assurance.

If you ignore the content of her words, you might actually think she has some unique expertise in film appreciation.

"Christina, you have to understand, the waiters here also have their own ideas. You can't guarantee that they will really recommend the most suitable option for you according to your requirements. More likely, they will recommend the most expensive one."

Raye tried to remind Chris not to oversimplify things.

"It's alright, I already thought of that. Even so, I can still find movies that meet my requirements."

However, Chris seemed completely unconcerned by Raye's reminder, which only made Raye more confused about her thoughts.

"Is that so... Fine, I don't care anymore, Christina, do whatever you want."

Since she couldn't figure it out, Raye shook her head and gave up on continuing to speculate.

Anyway, whatever Chris thinks, she should know pretty much by the time she finishes watching the movie, so there's no need to waste her brainpower on it.

"Okay, leave it to me."

Having said that, Chris confidently walked to the front of the stage.

In fact, Chris understood everything that Raye said after doing her research, but that didn't affect her opinion at all.

Because she never really intended to watch a movie with Raye; her purpose was simply to give Raye a break and stop her from working so hard.

Therefore, for Chris, the quality of the movies she watches is irrelevant; in fact, the more boring and unnoticed they are, the better, because that way, Raye can get a better rest.

"Hello, just give me any movie ticket, any movie will do."

Chris walked straight to the front desk and said this to the receptionist.

"... Oh, whatever, are you sure?"

Upon hearing Chris's request, the receptionist was momentarily stunned.

"Of course, um, that's right, whatever... ah, no, and also, it's best not to be too loud."

Chris then made her request.

However, upon hearing Chris's request, the receptionist broke out in a cold sweat.

[Ugh, what bad luck! This kind of customer is the hardest to deal with. They seem to have simple requirements, but in reality, their demands are vague and they can't express their thoughts at all. Plus, they keep changing their minds over time. If I just recommend something randomly, this guy will definitely start causing trouble after he's dissatisfied.]

As a former employee who was laid off and forced to work part-time here, Chris's behavior awakened her long-dormant PTSD, reminding her of those bizarre clients who only know how to shift responsibility to others.

Why do I keep encountering these kinds of customers even after quitting my job to work in a place like this? Are these customers cockroaches? They seem to multiply in every industry.

The waiter was internally ranting and raving, even starting to act out a little skit.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

Chris was puzzled, not understanding why the other person suddenly fell silent after she clearly (in her opinion) stated her request.

[Phew, it's alright. I've seen clients like you before. Compared to those tough opponents, you're just a weak newbie. Let me show you the whole set of reading skills I've honed to keep my job.]

When the waiter looked at Chris again, her eyes were already burning with fighting spirit, which Chris found slightly strange.

"Hello, miss, I suggest you start by choosing from the categories. Our movies are mainly categorized into comedy/action, animation, horror, science fiction, romance, crime, suspense, fantasy, youth, family, police/thriller, disaster... and many more. Which one would you like to see?"

Then, under Chris's gaze, the waiter in front of her uttered a long string of words, pausing between each word so that she could process them.

[By observing the other person's reaction by mentioning nouns, I can first find topics they like or dislike. If I find the right topics, then I've already won half the battle in protecting my job.]

The waiter focused his attention and began to pay close attention to the emotional changes of the girl in front of him, who appeared to be a student.

Soon, she made a discovery: when she uttered a certain word, the other person's emotions clearly fluctuated dramatically, and their eyes darted around unconsciously in a certain direction. Upon realizing this, the waiter's mind went blank for a moment.

"I don't really understand these things. Ugh, really, is it that hard to find a quiet movie?"

Chris calmed herself down from the excitement of hearing a certain word and asked the waiter in front of her again.

"Well, since you're not quite sure what to do, I recommend a romance film. I think this type of movie would be perfect for you and that lady over there. What do you think?"

The waitress gave the introduction with a smile on her face, but contrary to her outward composure, her inner gossip was burning slightly.

Miss, isn't your reaction to love a bit out of the ordinary? Would a normal girl's first thought upon hearing about love be to blush and look at her best friend who came to the movies with her?

And that look in your eyes... I've only ever seen that look in the eyes of couples deeply in love. So, isn't there something slightly off about your feelings for that seemingly easy-going girl?

Such thoughts kept swirling in the waitress's mind, but adhering to her professional ethics, she maintained her smile as if she were on duty.

"Hey, you like 'I love 'Yasugi Yazaki Nijisan'? Like 'sheep-themed' movies? Okay, do you have any recommendations?"

Hearing the waiter's recommendation, Chris felt a slight ripple of emotion. After glancing briefly at the person behind her, she said this.

[It's probably just a coincidence.]

Chris thought that, based on her vague impression of romance films, most of them did indeed meet her standards—quiet enough and not too noisy—so it was normal for the other person to recommend this type of film to her.

[This guy, he really does have strange feelings for that girl over there. Looking closely at her outfit, a cool all-black military-style uniform, that clean-cut, aloof face, and that rock-and-roll-looking guitar case on her back... Damn, the more I think about it, the more reasonable it seems.]

Even as Chris was thinking this, the waiter's heart was still churning with unsettled emotions.

No, we need to double-check. For the sake of work, we must be extremely cautious.

The waiter thought of something, and then he thought of a new angle.

"As for romance movies, before making any recommendations, would you like to consider the opinion of your girlfriend—I mean, your female friend—who's traveling with you?"

The waitress put on a professional smile and fluently uttered her tentative question.