(……Did that backfire on me?)
Tatsuya thought to himself as he kept staring at the door after Erika left.
He had considered the possibility that Chiba Naotsugu’s intervention yesterday was the result of the Chiba Family joining the Saegusa Family, or more appropriately, the recon vanguard dispatched by JSDF intelligence bureau after being goaded on by the Saegusa Family, but this appeared to have nothing do with Erika.
Still, this may be as simple as Erika being not informed.
(Forget it. They would catch on sooner or later.)
In the end, Erika had already witnessed all sorts of things. Not only had she seen his powers, but also Miyuki’s "Cocytus". Based on her outstanding instincts, all of this was simply a matter of time regardless.
(In the end, we pulled her in anyway.)
This development was not something that Tatsuya planned for in his scenario, but it was fine in his book so long as the result was alright, he thought.
Typically, it was impossible to keep a secret without a few conspirators.
There were situations where the person in question simply could not cover everything by themselves. Strictly speaking, that was because those who sought these secrets acted behind the backs of the person in question. At that time, the ideal scenario was for the seeker to run into a third party that happened to be the conspirator.
Tatsuya unilaterally drew the curtain on this incredibly selfish monologue.
"Pixie."
((Yes, Master.))
Tatsuya more or less understood that when conversing with Pixie using telepathy, they were communicating with concepts rather than words. The image being sent over was then translated into words by the receiving side.
Even while wearing a servant’s garb, being called "Master" by someone wearing the same school uniform still threw him out of sorts. Still, this was how the other entity felt and once this became a habit during their telepathic communication, there was nothing he could do about it.
Nonetheless, Tatsuya was glad that at least the term hadn’t translated into something like "My Lord" or "Milord". After all, this was his personal preference when it came down to language.
Since she(?) used a mobile form of telepathy, Tatsuya believed that she was unaware of this. She was probably doing this after reading the behavioral patterns based on the names recorded in the electronic brain, Tatsuya thought as he moved before her.
"Before taking hold of this body, you guys appeared to function like a group towards a common objective. Within your group, was there an entity that served as a leader?"
((There is no one among us who functions in the capacity of a leader.))
"Then how do you maintain group cohesion?"
((Strictly speaking, all of us are not independent bodies. We are both individuals and the whole body. While we possess the ability to think critically, we also share our consciousness.))
"In other words, one mind exists in a state with multiple cognitive processes?"
((Not cognitive processes. I think it would be more appropriate to describe this as an incompletely independent cognitive process in the subconscious being gathered by a higher level of cognition.))
"I understand. However, in that case, if the subconscious has differing agendas, wouldn’t the higher level lose cohesion?"
((Under the condition that the life form is set as the host, then it is impossible to completely avoid being influenced by the host’s most fundamental desires. Our actions are determined when survival instincts and reproductive impulses reach an accord within the consciousness.))
"Life extension and producing more companions. Quite simple really for life forms seeking survival."
((Indeed. We will abide by the life form’s greatest desire then proceed along with survival and reproducing as our goals.))
"Since there is a unified consensus within the group, does the group provide assistance for objectives that lie outside of survival and replication?"
((Despite achieving general consensus, we still possess individual sense of self that reciprocates the host’s personal desires on our own. However, that is under the condition that the overall objective holds the priority, so I think it’s just as Master believes.))
"I see……"
Tatsuya fell into a reverie after speaking.
One reason that she failed to interrupt him any further could be that she wasn’t human in the first place, or the fact that her host was pure machinery.
"Then, the current you is something that exists outside of the general consensus, an almost heretical existence. If a dissent appeared in your group, wouldn’t you be eliminated?"
((We do not have the desire to root out dissenters. However, once they determine that I may pose an obstacle to their objective, they may elect to launch a pre-emptive attack.))
"I see…… I have one other question. Right now, you said that you are cut off from contact with the rest of your comrades, but can you detect their presence?"
((That is possible if the target shows high activity. On the other hand, my current state is one such that they can also detect my presence if we’re in the same area.))
"Is that so?"
Tatsuya fell into a thoughtful posture before immediately giving new orders.
"Pixie, return to the trailer, change into your original uniform and enter sleep mode. I will find you later."
((Understood. Executing standby orders.))
Pixie primly, or rather stiffly, bowed before moving towards the garage.
Tatsuya mentally selected the equipment he needed, returned home first, then went to the Student Council to pick up Miyuki.
In the year 2095, the world had grown smaller. However, the gap between Magicians and mundane humans was the exact opposite.
Magicians had received official recognition after early deployment and action in the scattered national territorial disputes and were heavily restricted from leaving the country except on government business. For Magicians, the world had shrunk to within the country’s interior.
On the other hand, mundane humans could take full advantage of the advancements in transportation technology. Land, sea, and air travel had all become streamlined and more efficient, so people could freely travel internationally. Now, getting to the other side of the world was a simple matter of one quick flight in a matter of hours, removing the need to switch flights. Compared to one hundred years ago, the world had indeed become smaller.
After experiencing conflicts across the world, every country paid careful scrutiny to potential illegal immigrants who loitered within the country’s borders for too long. In comparison, the current trend was that short stays from foreign travelers were on the rise. This was made blatantly obvious by the sight of foreigners walking along the streets of Tokyo.
On the eastern bank of the "river", no Japanese person would find it odd for young men of Spanish or mestizo ancestry walking with young women of equally mixed ethnicities at dusk. None of the citizens would have found it strange for the three of them to walk into the large, somewhat out of fashion hospital.
There were beds laid out in the hospital’s basement.
Usually, this would be considered par for the course, but these beds usually wouldn’t appear in a hospital.
The bedspring wrapped within the black leather was practically useless, so rather than calling this a bed, this was more like a long, rectangular box.
The various beds weren’t arranged in one row or split into two rows of four or five, but a haphazard arrangement of all 9 beds. Atop each bed lay a young male, each with a face from East Asian descent. All nine of them had pale faces as they slept on beds with no pillows without a single chest rising or descending. They appeared to be corpses, or in a near death-like state. The basement only contained the 9 silent young men as well as the three men and women of mixed descent who just entered.
A white male stood in the gap formed by the beds set up with the head facing inwards. Standing in the darkness, he almost seemed like a necromancer.
The mestizo male checked his watch and raised an arm as if waiting for something. After approximately ten minutes, the man looked towards the young woman standing on the other side of the ring of beds. This appeared to be some sort of signal as the woman nodded and raised both hands before her face.
The man repeated the same motion. Between the man and woman who were facing one another, the white male clapped his hands while his footsteps emitted noise.
The clapping continued.
The steps continued as well.
The young man and the woman joined the white male in clapping while the sound of their pacing around the ring continued. As the young man and woman switched positions, the white male gave a louder clap.
Before the sound faded, the silent bodies rose from bed.
One body, then another.
Eight of those previously in a near death-like state had revived from their black beds.
In the darkness of the basement, there was the sound of an insect’s wings flapping, except this existed in the mental landscape instead of the material world or the Idea.
If translated into a human language—
(I/We have finally reawakened.)
(My/Our numbers have decreased again.)
(Another person/one was lost?)
(Are there enough vessels?)
(Negative. The facilitator has procured them for us just as you see.)
(The Chinese spiritualists are quite capable.)
(Ho, at least they surpass my/our levels.)
(The desire for life on the cusp of death. The consciousness has been suspended.)
(But I/we have also learned from this. Now we know how to move from host to host.)
(Even if the vessel is destroyed next time, activities can still resume after a short delay.)
(It should be easy to replace the missing person/one.)
(Let’s go reclaim my/our missing companion.)
(Let’s find my/our companion.)
—This was the contents of that conversation. This was the conversation held between the three bodies who had come from overseas and the eight monsters who had reawakened from their slumber.
After returning home, Tatsuya headed for the phone instead of changing first. Rather than using the telephone with the large screen in the living room, he used the secured line in his own room. Any power usually reserved for external purposes was instead diverted to encryption on the phone that Tatsuya used to call Hayama, the butler for the Yotsuba Family. Right now, he was barely on time for the appointment he arranged ahead of time by mail.
"You’re just on time, Tatsuya-dono."
"Hayama-san, many thanks for last evening."
Both sides skipped the small talk. Tatsuya was matching Hayama’s tempo. Rather than saying the old butler was in a hurry because of his schedule, Tatsuya got the impression that the old man had something he wanted to say.
"As I said last night, there’s no need to thank me. After all, protecting Miyuki-sama is the second highest priority for us in the Yotsuba Family."
"Hayama-san, hearing you say that so lightly puts me in a small quandary."
"There are no issues so long as the time frame and opponents are made clear. More importantly, I am different from that person in that I’m not brave enough to tangle with Tatsuya-dono."
He appeared to have enough time to engage in some small talk.
That being said, Tatsuya didn’t have much time on his end. Though he had specifically requested a secure line, he still wanted to convey critical information as quickly as possible. –In addition, Tatsuya wasn’t sure what he was going to do if Hayama brought up the conversation he had several months ago with Aoki.
"So, what did you need to talk to me about? You could not send this via mail nor was there time to meet in person, so I conclude that this information must be vital."
"Oh yes, that’s right."
Hayama’s voice sounded like he just remembered this. However, anyone could have noticed that this was nothing but theatrics based on the voice intonation alone even if they didn’t know Hayama’s personality.
"Tatsuya-dono, in regards to the monster incident, the 3rd Division will be mobilized. I just wanted to convey this to you."
"Third Division…… JSDF Intelligence Counterintelligence Department 3rd Division? I believe that interesting unit is affiliated with the Saegusa camp, correct?"
After Tatsuya said this, a chuckling sound could be heard over the receiver.
"I don’t think they would want someone like you from the Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion calling them interesting, but it is indeed that 3rd Division."
"My interests do not lie in the direction of eradicating the source. In other words, the Saegusa Family is using the 3rd Division to investigate the Parasite…… No, capture them instead?"
"Though I wanted to say that you are as sharp as always, but we are still unclear on their objective. Unfortunately, it is most likely aligned with what Tatsuya-dono just said."
How troublesome, Tatsuya thought from the bottom of his heart. This was originally a complicated incident with multiple factions already invested, now a new player had joined the fray. Furthermore, the Saegusa camp had a decidedly different perspective from Mayumi.
"Thank you very much for this valuable information."
Still, he was not allowed to just reset the board and try again. No matter how difficult it was, reality differed from games, and do overs were not an option.
"I felt that this was necessary after taking Miyuki-sama’s safety into consideration. Please do not forget this, Tatsuya-dono."
"I will keep that in mind."
Indeed, they could not destroy the world that Miyuki lived in. Though there was no need for Hayama’s extra reminder, Tatsuya accepted the comment without resistance.
Seven o’clock in the evening.
All the students had long returned home, and the only lonely souls still occupying the school were a few of the faculty members. The school gates had been locked and, until the next day, access was strictly denied to all but a small group of exceptions. Teaching supplies, products for the campus store, and foodstuffs for the cafeteria were all largely brought through the back door to the underground passage before sundown.
The only ones allowed access were a handful of faculty members, security guards from a contracted security company, engineers working on maintenance that could only be done at night, individuals with special dispensation from the school, and select members from the Student Council.
This power that seemed a mite overkill even for student government was adopted last year while Mayumi was Student Council President. This was a huge help in that there was no longer a need to submit a request with valid reasons to the faculty. This was also especially useful for situations where the reasons could not be stated aloud.
Tatsuya had already made arrangements on the way home before he arrived there, and was now carrying the package that arrived at home on his back before heading for school. From the security guard at the door, he received 3 ID cards issued to visitors that only allowed night time access after a confirmation number from the Student Council was inputted. This was designed so that anyone not carrying a valid ID at night would trigger the security alarm as a suspicious individual.
As to why there were 3 cards, well, one of them was obviously for himself.
The second one was for Miyuki.
Miyuki received the ID card with a satisfied smile.
At first, Tatsuya never planned on bringing Miyuki along. The original plan called for Miyuki to watch the house.
Unfortunately, Miyuki added on a condition when issuing the night time access number.
She said she wanted to come along.
The power to issue access confirmation lay within the hands of Azusa, the Student Council President. However, just as the rumors went, the real power in the Student Council was the Vice President and not the President. Approximately three hours ago, this was on full display in front of Tatsuya.
After failing to convince his stubborn little sister otherwise, Tatsuya was forced to acquiesce.
Miyuki, along with one other.
The third card was handed to Honoka, who met him at the station. This may not need to be said, but just as with Miyuki, no, even before Miyuki, Tatsuya never planned on bringing Honoka along. The reason everything turned out like this was because Honoka was also present when the question about the access confirmation came up in the Student Council Room. Indeed, he could only blame himself for being careless. On top of that, even if he could refuse her, he couldn’t tell her the real reason with Azusa and Isori eavesdropping on them. He still might have been able to deny Honoka’s request, but he could not go through with this after Miyuki threw in her support. Additionally, unlike Miyuki, Honoka received the ID card from Tatsuya with a petrified expression on her face.
The reason he requested the access card was to "investigate the odd behaviors in the 3H-P94 model". Nevertheless, the real reason Tatsuya wanted to bring Pixie outside was to bait the Parasites.
He knew something after questioning Pixie multiple times, and that was "the Parasites won’t leave Pixie alone". Although this knowledge was nothing more than speculation, Tatsuya had confidence in that line of thinking. If the general consensus lost contact with a component, they should attempt to recover that piece. Tatsuya judged that in order to accomplish this, they had to make contact somehow.
He had no way of locating the Parasites, though he didn’t need to do that actively. –Until yesterday, that is. Since Pixie had been possessed by the Parasite, he could not wash himself of the whole deal. There was a much bigger problem with handing over Pixie in that state, and when compared to all that, he wanted to wipe out the Parasites even more. He had originally planned on fighting the Parasites again, which was precisely the reason why he had asked to train with Yakumo. Pixie was nothing more than the impetus that changed a reactive stance to a more proactive one.
Tatsuya wasn’t planning on taking out all the Parasites tonight. Still, he believed that if they could lure out one or two, then that would lead to clues regarding the rest of them.
After taking into account the danger involved with this course of action, Tatsuya probably should have decisively forbidden Miyuki and Honoka from accompanying him. In all likelihood, Tatsuya was probably numb to the "danger" of too many things.
While strategizing tonight’s activities, he never planned on proceeding alone. Based on his experiences to this point and contemplating the necessity of this move, he petitioned Erika and Mikihiko for support. It was only thanks to their help that he was able to allow Miyuki, who was in the know, and Honoka, who was somewhat of a participant, to come along.
First High’s school rules required students to wear their uniforms before or after class, but this restriction was lifted when visiting the campus at night. On the surface, this was because the ID card had a built in transmitter so there was no need to wear a uniform, but in reality, the underlying intent was to prevent students from wandering around on the streets after hours in their uniform.
This was a matter of risk avoidance – better to have less incidents than more incidents – for the school. Understanding this, Tatsuya complied with that wish and wore the same combat-use jacket he usually wore. Matching her brother, Miyuki wore a half coat, sweat pants, and a pair of high boots for mobility.
Yet, Honoka still wore her uniform underneath her jacket. This caused one to ponder if she was fully aware of what they were about to do tonight, but Tatsuya wouldn’t be Tatsuya if he did something so blatant as expressing that thought aloud.
"Honoka, did you not go home today?"
Miyuki was the one who gently asked the question on her brother’s mind.
"Eh? No, I did go home."
Honoka lived alone in a rented room that was much closer to school than the siblings’ residence. It was fairly implausible for her to not have enough time to change.
"Is…… wearing a uniform, going to be a problem……?"
"Well, it’s not going to be a problem…… But it might be a little inconvenient."
Though scolding words were to be avoided, they were planning on running into trouble tonight. Furthermore, Honoka seemed to have missed that memo.
If he knew this was going to happen, he should have explained more carefully, Tatsuya thought with a hint of regret.
"Onii-sama, would it be better for Honoka to first stop by her apartment?"
Miyuki wanted to dispel the glum atmosphere.
"We can wait for Honoka downstairs while she changes."
Miyuki probably wasn’t doing this to "help her rival". Most likely, she was presenting a solution to Tatsuya’s puzzlement.
"That’s true. It’s too late for us to visit…… If Honoka is OK with it, let’s go."
"Of course not! I, uh, would never mind if you came to visit. If you have time, please drop by."
However, while completely unrelated to Miyuki’s thoughts, this was something that Honoka dearly wished for.
And so, while this drama was playing out, the three of them arrived at the garage for the Robotics Club. The door was locked of course, but things like locks were designed to be easily disabled from within.
Tatsuya pulled out his portable terminal and engaged short range communications before sending out a recognition signal that he prepared ahead of time. The response was practically immediate.
((Did you call for me, Master?))
A simple door’s thickness, even a heavily reinforced armored door that was completely out of place on this flimsy looking exterior, was not going to affect telepathy.
"Open the door for me."
((Understood.))
Immediately after the response, the door to the garage opened.
Not far inside, the silhouette of a doll wearing a maid uniform dropped into a deep curtsey. Even with a monster dwelling inside, the basic behavioral modules were still active.
Once Pixie raised her head, Tatsuya removed the first thing from the bag.
"Pixie, put this on."
Even if it was late at night, no, on some level precisely because it was late at night, there was no way they could bring her around like this (in her maid getup). Whatever the case, any reason for wearing a maid uniform was no good. For this operation, Tatsuya first had to prepare a set of clothing for Pixie.
It appeared that orders of this extent did not require a verbal response.
All of a sudden, Pixie began removing her dress.
Tatsuya treated this entire process as if it was all a matter of course. This was already the second time he had seen "her" changing clothes after school, and since he had no interest in treating humans and dolls in the same light, to him Pixie changing clothes was the same thing as lifting the hood on an automatic car.
"Onii-sama? Why are you just watching!?"
However, it appeared that it was a little difficult for Miyuki to come around to his line of thinking.
Likewise, Honoka seemed to share that sentiment based on her disapproving gaze.
"What are you talking about, Miyuki? Pixie is a robot."
"A robot that happens to be a girl!"
"No, humanoid actually, and not precise enough to emulate the human body……"
Just as Tatsuya said, the 3H was designed to be a humanoid robot "indistinguishable from human beings after putting on clothes", but the portions and lines hidden beneath the clothes could not possibly compare with a human female. The "parts" on a doll used for deviant purposes would be a little more pronounced.
The torso gave the impression of "a woman wearing a skin-colored leotard", but that only extended to the waist. The portion from the waist to the leg showed lines that clearly belonged on a robot, and even wearing tights over that could not hide the fact she wasn’t human. That was the reason why the disguise involved a long dress.
Still, for the two young ladies, subjectivity trumped objectivity.
Miyuki forcibly turned Tatsuya around while Honoka stood protectively between Pixie and the other two.
Though he felt that this was a little ridiculous, it wasn’t like he wanted to peep. Until the moment the two of them gave the OK, Tatsuya obediently kept his back to them.
"Tatsuya, it’s OK now."
Despite Honoka’s words, Tatsuya checked Miyuki’s expression just in case before turning around.
The clothes that Tatsuya brought included a standard windbreaker jacket with high elasticity as well as a knee length skirt that covered the lines.
A scarf was wrapped twice around her neck.
A hat to cover the facial features was not provided on purpose.
The legs were wrapped in a thick pair of leggings and boots, which served to hide the fine details while improving the purchase on the feet. –These were all suggestions he took from the female officer responsible for clothing in the Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion.
Honoka produced a brush out of nowhere and started organizing Pixie’s hair. Pixie didn’t seem to care in the slightest as she stood there without moving. This was declaring that, no matter how she looked on the outside, she was just a doll and not a human. Tatsuya did not have such high demands from Pixie.
As long as she could move about on the streets without suspicion, that was more than sufficient.
On that point, Pixie’s current appearance was passable.
"Pixie, follow me."
As if declaring the onset of hostilities, Tatsuya made this declaration
He gave a lofty order as if commanding a slave.
Completely apathetic.
Erika stood in front of her brother’s room in a daze.
For her, this was unexpected beyond the unexpected. She couldn’t believe she was still so weak in some areas.
Although she wasn’t nervous when coming to her mother’s house, she still tried her utmost to avoid her father and older sister. There was no conflict with those two, but she also wanted to dodge her oldest brother. Thankfully, her eldest brother shouldn’t have returned at this hour yet.
At any rate, quickly handling the issue and then retreating far away from here to her own room was the best bet, so stalling in the hallways was the worst possible choice.
"Second brother, it’s me, Erika."
She encouraged herself to strike up a conversation.
"Come in."
There was a tiny delay before a response was heard.
The sound was neither displeased nor welcoming.
Instead, the unpleasant aura must already have been retracted.
Striking down the urge to do an "about face", Erika opened the door.
"What is it, coming here at this hour?"
Naotsugu sat in a chair at the writing table. He turned in his chair and faced his upper body towards Erika. However, Erika noticed that the bed behind the writing table showed signs of someone just in bed recently.
Although this was the opposite situation from last night, Erika didn’t open her mouth to scold him.
"There’s just a few things I wanted to talk to you about."
Erika’s tone was slightly hesitant.
Her change was brought about by the forced smile that floated across Naotsugu’s face.
"Go ahead."
Naotsugu’s response was a little half-hearted, almost as if it was like "I’ll listen just because it’s you". Yet, this didn't lessen Erika’s load in the slightest, since something else seemed to be on his mind.
"Onii-san, have you heard of a unit called the 101st Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion?"
"Why do you know that name, Erika?"
Erika was a little hurt by Naotsugu’s nonchalant attitude and rallied to utter those words, words that immediately captured all of Naotsugu’s attention.
"Actually……"
Once she got here, Erika was again filled with doubt, but there was no other way to go about it.
"The person Onii-san was protecting is actually my classmate, Shiba Tatsuya-kun. He happens to be one of the soldiers for the Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion."
"What did you just say……?"
Erika was trembling with hesitation, if not outright fear, as she said this, to which Naotsugu was unable to hide his shock.
"I’m terribly sorry. Originally, I should have passed this along several days ago when you asked, but because of someone called Major Kazama, I was unable to do so because of a gag order related to classified national security reasons."
"Major Kazama……? –As in 'Daitengu' Kazama Harunobu!?"
"Daitengu?"
This time it was Erika’s turn to tilt her head in surprise at her brother’s words.
For the appropriate Magician, and also to overawe their opponents by bolstering their name, sometimes an exaggerated alias was called for, but "Daitengu" was too unique even for that. It was so overblown that it seemed impossible.
"Does Onii-san know about Major Kazama?"
"Yeah…… In forests or mountainous terrain, he is globally acknowledged to be one of the finest Ancient Magic users. Likewise in the realm of paratroopers, he is still renowned as one of the great commanders in the country."
Naotsugu’s expression and voice were interlaced with excitement and awe.
"Do you know about the Vietnamese Conflict? In that war, the South Vietnamese Army that was trying to wage guerilla warfare against the Great Asian Alliance that was encroaching into the Indian Peninsula and the Korean army dispatched by the Great Asian Alliance were so fearful of him that they treated him like Death or the Devil himself."
Upon hearing her brother’s words, Erika knew that he had forgotten everything in front of him and merely sighed as if to say "What am I going to do with you……"
Many were those who martyred themselves on the path to glory by going that extra mile. Maybe one day, this sort of thinking will drive this country to destruction. Even though this wasn’t something that a young woman like her should consider, Erika couldn’t help but ponder this in her head.
"Rumor has it that the Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion is under Major Kazama’s direct command…… In that light, all of these rumors that smack of urban legends make sense. Furthermore, if Shiba Tatsuya-kun is a member of that outfit, then that power unbefitting his age could also be explained."
Just as Erika seemed to be lost in her own world, Naotsugu also appeared to be talking to himself.
Thanks to this, Erika’s attention was drawn back to her original goal.
"Onii-san, I made contact with Major Kazama during the Yokohama Incident. If not for that emergency, I may not have been able to stumble across Shiba-kun’s secret. Even then, I felt that this was a huge secret."
"Hm~…… The Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion carries all the characteristics of black ops. Having a high school student join them as an irregular must contain a very special reason."
"I broke regulations by informing Onii-san about Shiba-kun’s situation, so please keep that in mind."
"In other words, Erika is telling me to stop poking into his affairs, correct?"
"Indeed. The fallout from poking that hornet’s nest should be something that not only Onii-san, but the Chiba Family as a whole would want to avoid. Likewise, that nest may contain a giant swarm of poisonous hornets."
"Hm…… That’s true, you have a point there, Erika. However, although he’s a student, I belong to the army. I cannot disobey a direct order."
"Then, can you pretend to obey orders? If you pretend to be his guard, then under situations where he gets attacked, you can then appear and seize control of the situation."
"I see…… I understand. Then let’s proceed along these lines."
……Fortunately, she was able to convince her brother without dropping the name "Yotsuba". Concealing her uneasy expression, Erika bowed and left Naotsugu’s room without catching his eye.
After returning to her own room, Erika read the message that was flashing on the information terminal atop her desk before murmuring "Aoyama Cemetery, eh?" She didn’t sit in the chair directly and immediately peeled off her clothes and threw them aside. This was not something a young lady should be doing, but she was also taking this opportunity to get rid of the depression she felt while trying to convince Naotsugu.
After putting on the composite rubber under armor with bulletproof, anti-piercing and other qualities, she put on a leather biker jacket and shorts. She wore protectors that did not disrupt her mobility over her knees and pulled a pair of clothes over her hands that had thin, composite fibers over the palm and finger areas. After verifying the contents in her jacket pocket, Erika picked up her weapons and headed for the threshold. The shorts and long rubber boots appearance highly suited her fiery appearance, but her destination wasn’t the night life.
Not far from her, "Erika’s personal guard" awaited her. In this recent "vampire incident", they were the core elements of the Chiba Family’s personnel and served as Erika’s hands and feet in this operation.
"Come."
Erika coldly uttered those words.
Yet no trace of displeasure was shown by the men as they followed in her footsteps.
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