1: Prophecy and Visit

[#990129_2342 IP:xx.xxx.xxx.115]

[#title/PaChry + Certain Tokyo High School]

[#name/none]

[#So, do users here think the Pacific Chrysalis seajacking last month on the 24th is connected to the hijacking in Sunan? Didn’t see much reporting on it since Bush’s son got blown up the same day. Just seems suspicious that it happened to be the same high school...]

[#more conspiracies? so sick of this crap. knock it off]

[#gtfo]

[#So weird to see a serious post here... Two terrorist attacks on the same school in eight months... okay, that’s bizarre... but I doubt there’s anything behind it...]

[#Guys, this is an obvious plot by Dear Leader. They kidnap high school girls from our country to serve as comfort women (etc)]

[#details on last girl saved at Sunan plz]

[#shes fuggo dont bother]

[#You think? The pic they ran in the weeklies wasn’t great, but I thought she looked cute]

[#All I know is that she has big tits. My heart tells me so.]

[#Be careful, guys. ECHELON is watching.]

[#yeah think echalon added TITS to their watchwords.]

[#whats an echelon]

[#^search engines exist dude]

[#You think that girl might be the cause of it? Heard she was the daughter of a UN high commissioner.]

[#Probably High Commissioner for Environment Chidori. But that’s a pretty low-ranked position as commissioners go. Their office budget isn’t anywhere near what the UNHCR gets. You see those guys on the news all the time. The environment agency is new and small. There are way more valuable hostage targets out there.]

[# +no connection btwn PaChry & DPRK.]

[#Can we all agree Chidori-tan is a hottie with big tits???]

[#pics plz]

[#Hey, first post on this thread. A guy I knew in high school is a reporter for one of those newspapers. We got together for drinks to catch up the other day, and he had a LOT to say about this!! He said his bosses warned them not to investigate the school “to protect the victims’ rights.” But one of his coworkers tried to investigate anyway and got transferred to Tajikistan! Something’s going on at that school!!]

[#will lol if this is real]

[#I told you! Dear Leader wants high school girls! Anyone who opposes them will get Taepodongs (etc)]

[#gtfo]

[#I’m more interested in that picture of an M9 one of the Sunan students took. That’s the latest AS model, right?]

[#That was a total shop. M9s are still in the testing phase in the US military, and they wouldn’t drag them out for a delicate operation like that. Plus that one’s monomolecular cutter was too big, and the head sensors and blade antenna looked totally different from the M9s currently in testing.]

[#But it’s pretty similar to the commander unit prototype we saw in the original M9 blueprints, right?]

[#Here. This is a picture of the 1/48 Italeri kit from the time, now OOP. You’ll notice it’s called the XM9. It was based on the DoD’s published blueprints at the time, but it had crap rounded edges so no one liked it lol. The best replica right now is the Tamiya kit.]

[#Huh, reminds me of the F-19...]

[#f***ing military otaku plz go]

[#My niece is a student at Jindai High, and she says it’s really strange. She’s a third year so she wasn’t actually there, but apparently there’s a lot of strange things going on at that school. Just outbreaks of violence and little fights and stuff. And it’s all accepted without question.]

[#Important question for your niece: Does the girl have big tits???]

[#PLEASE SHUT UP.]

[#Serious reply here. HC Chidori is investigating the illegal dumping of medical waste. Apparently they’re finding tons of biohazard bags filled with needles and stuff in the mountains in the Philippines. They said Japanese companies and government agencies hire these organizations to dump their waste in Southeast Asia. HC Chidori made a lot of enemies in his NGO days, so it could be that some other force is trying to threaten him.]

[#So they hijacked a plane his daughter was on? Seems like a reach.]

[#She’s an alien. She’s receiving signals from Vega and passing their forbidden technology to Earth. Arm slaves, stealth bombers... it’s all Vegan technology.]

[#tinfoil hat brigade plz go]

[#Either way, there’s something more to her.]

●

It was sixth period, and they were in the gymnasium. Candidates stood on stage, passionately declaring their ambitions in front of a mostly unenthused student body.

“...In addition! I declare that the secretive manner with which the current student council conducts itself only serves to protect a handful of clubs and committees! If I’m elected, I’ll guarantee a more open student council, and a better school life for all. Please vote Yamada Taro!”

Scattered applause. The second-year student, who had glasses and a bowl cut, bowed to everyone, shoulders heaving, then walked briskly off the stage.

“Thank you. Sugiyama Ryoichi from class 2-5 will now give his campaign speech,” the girl who served as the student council secretary, standing in the wings, said placidly into the microphone. A member of the light music club, with an acoustic guitar slung over his shoulder, walked past her to the stage. It was the same boy who had made the bet with Sousuke about the clubs’ girl-recruiting competition.

“Hey,” he said. “I’m Sugiyama and I’m running for class president. If you elect me, I’ll hold concerts in the gym on the first of every month.”

“Awesome!” a few shouted out, half in jest.

“Okay, so. I wrote a song for you all, so listen up.” The candidate began to strum, and then launched into a passionate song.

The teachers scowled, but couldn’t interrupt. They had made an agreement with the current student council president that, out of respect for democratic elections, they wouldn’t comment on the contents of candidate speeches.

While the boy belted out with an amateur’s confidence, backstage, Chidori Kaname let out a small sigh. “This is less like a campaign event, and more like a recital for show-offs.”

“You think so?” Sagara Sousuke was standing close by, scanning the auditorium carefully. After his disinterested reply, he whispered urgently into the walkie-talkie in his hand. “HQ to Alpha One. Is everything well?”

“Alpha One here. Everything’s well. I think...” replied the voice of a first-year stagehand.

“Don’t say ‘I think,’” Sousuke lectured sternly. “Make your reports clear.”

“Roger.”

“Continue to keep a close watch. HQ out.” He turned off the walkie-talkie.

Kaname gave him the side-eye as the communication ended. “What’s all this sneaking around about?”

“Security. It’s a presidential election, after all. One of the candidates could send an assassin against one of their opponents.” Sousuke had been granted the odd title of ‘Head of School Security and Aide to the Student Council President.’ That meant he was nominally in charge of matters relating to security, but in practice, what he did was mostly busywork. Still, any time there was an event like this, Sousuke always poured an absurd amount of effort into seeing his duty through.

“Normally, I’d run all students through a metal detector and perform a bag check,” he went on. “But...”

“Oh, give me a break!” Kaname hissed. “No one’s going to assassinate anyone, okay? And stuff like that would make it take hours to get everyone into the gym.”

“That’s why I refrained.”

“I guess that’s progress... sort of,” she said grudgingly. Still, she had to admit that over the nine months since he’d first transferred to their school, Sousuke had been causing less and less trouble.

“It’s our final job for the current student council administration,” he insisted. “I wanted to do it right.”

“Our final job, huh? Well, one less annoying responsibility on our plates.” Kaname spoke the words with forced indifference, as if to wipe her mind of its irritation.

She currently served as student council vice president, but she wasn’t running in the current election. She would be a third-year soon, and that meant she’d have entrance exams to study for; it was the reason most student council officers tended to take office in the third term of their first year and only serve for the majority of their second. The current president was a third-year student, and about to graduate, but he was an unusual case.

The song continued. It was just reaching the climax. The melody was kind of a ripoff of Ozaki Yutaka, with some Japanese rapping mixed in. The lyrics stank of amateurishness:

Our days together have been shining

Just like the sun we watched together

Just like the smiles we shared together

But time moves on and we can’t turn it back

All our sadness and anger and love...

It was winter, and the gym was freezing. And even though they were only a few hundred meters from hundreds of fired-up students, for some reason, it seemed especially cold backstage.

“An awful song,” Sousuke whispered abruptly.

Kaname was surprised; it was unusual to hear him say things like that. “Huh. You think?”

“Yes. I find it unpleasant.”

“Really? It seems pretty typical... like, really typical, to me.”

“Still, I don’t like it.”

“I see...” Is he in a bad mood? Kaname thought, and took a subtle half-step backwards.

In reply, Sousuke whispered, “It’s only my opinion. Don’t let it bother you.”

“Right,” she agreed.

The performance ended. The musician left the stage to applause.

“How many more?”

“Four, I think. We’re running a bit behind, but I think we can make it.”

Another announcement played over the speakers, while the next candidate, a girl, prepared to come out on-stage. She was a first-year who had been helping with student council work for a while, a member of the swimming club.

I guess she’s going for sex appeal, Kaname thought. But... a competitive swimsuit in this cold? The girl’s slender shoulders were trembling. Her toned bottom was freezing. It looked like her lips were turning blue. “Um... are you okay?” she asked.

“Of course I’m okay, Chidori-senpai!” The girl clenched her fists and smiled confidently in return. A fire of some kind seemed to burn behind her bright, round eyes.

“You look like you’re trembling to me,” Kaname pointed out.

“Trembling with anticipation! Because I will soon be entrusted with the future of the student council! I’ll do whatever it takes to get elected!”

“R-Right. Well, good luck.”

“Sure thing! Just watch me! I’m gonna win this! Yeah!” She slapped herself on the cheeks to rev herself up, then ran up onto the stage. “Hello, there! Um, I’m Morikawa Yui, and I’m running for student council president! I’m in the swimming club, so I’ve decided to represent, even though it’s a little embarrassing!” Her proclamation was met immediately with cheers.

Kaname looked on with another sigh, but Sousuke muttered, “Reminds me of a certain someone at the school festival.” She had to admit, it was certainly reminiscent of her own performance during the Miss Jindai High contest at the school festival.

“What are you trying to say?” she asked pointedly.

“Er, nothing...” Sousuke reached for his walkie-talkie, looking abashed.

The vote counting was to be done that same day, and they had the results by six o’clock. It was already dark outside the student council room. The senior members of the student council, Kaname and the others included, were watching, with their advisor present, as the second-year election official read out the results.

“—Takasaki Kaoru-san, 157 votes. Sugiyama Ryoichi-kun, 219 votes. Um... Morikawa Yui-san, 249 votes. 128 ballots disqualified.” The election official stopped. “That is all. Our 54th student council president is Morikawa Yui-san of class 1-3. That means vice president is first-year Sasaki Hiromi-kun, secretary is first-year Soga Takashi-kun, treasurer is first-year Kurata Hiroshi-kun, timekeeper is second-year Miki Hararen-san...”

“Ohh.”

“Great job.”

“Nice work, everyone.”

Everyone offered up a polite round of applause. The newly-elected officials were all regulars to the student council room, but since they were candidates, they weren’t actually present.

“Okay, good,” their advisor, Kagurazaka Eri, said leisurely. Then she turned her eyes to the student council president, who was sitting in an office chair. “Did it all go as you planned it, Hayashimizu-kun?”

The student—Hayashimizu Atsunobu, the 53rd student council president—closed his eyes and shrugged lightly. He was a young man with a clever appearance: tall and pale, with almond-shaped eyes behind expensive glasses, and a long and straight nose. “I can’t control how the students vote, ma’am,” he said calmly. “This was a democratic election.”

He had better negotiation and manipulation skills than most politicians, and everyone knew he’d been pushing for Morikawa Yui to be the next student council president. Her swimsuit sex appeal pitch had been effective, of course, but the truth was that most of the students were really just voting for a continuation of Hayashimizu’s regime.

The reason for this had nothing to do with complicated topics like policy and budget management; it was just that pretty much everyone viewed Hayashimizu’s two years as president in a positive light. In that time, he had improved the supplies and facilities for each club; overseen first-place awards in baseball tournaments, track meets, and art competitions; and allowed for more freedom on culture festival projects. Fashion and music magazines had been added to the library, he’d increased the diversity of baked goods available in the dining hall, and he’d allowed student access to the roof. He’d also opened up the gym, athletics field, and pool on days off. Additionally, starting next year, the students would have much more say in the destinations of their class trips. He was very well-liked for all of those improvements.

“But I’ll admit, I feel like... I can graduate in peace now,” he admitted modestly.

Kagurazaka Eri smiled in amusement. “You really are something. Can I expect to hear about you again someday, as one of the great politicians of our time?”

“You flatter me. If that does happen, I’ll be sure to drop your name in my later-years autobiography, as a teacher who inspired me,” Hayashimizu said, in a way that made it hard to tell if he was joking or serious.

“Thanks. But don’t underestimate the wider world, all right?”

“I won’t.”

“Well, I’m going to post the election results on the bulletin board. Good job today, everyone,” Eri said with a sense of finality, before leaving the student council room. The elections official and others began filing out, too.

Kaname also began her preparations to leave. “Whew, guess it’s all over,” she said to Hayashimizu.

“You did a wonderful job, Chidori-kun,” he complimented her.

“No, it was all you,” said Kaname, smiling brightly.

Hayashimizu had been president already when she had arrived at the school, during the first term of her first year. He’d cajoled her into helping out with student council work, and in the end, had encouraged her to become vice president. It had been quite an adventure, and after this week, it would all be at an end. They’d known each other for almost a year and a half. It really was a powerful moment.

“Sagara-kun,” said Hayashimizu, turning to face Sousuke next. “I’m grateful to you, too.”

“Not at all, Mr. President.” Sousuke straightened up.

“Mr. President, eh? But what will you start calling me next week? I’ll just be an unremarkable third-year.”

Sousuke responded immediately. “Mr. Former President, of course.”

Hayashimizu smiled ruefully. “I’ll attempt to continue to live a life worthy of that title. Though personally, I hope you’ll just call me Senpai.”

“Roger.”

Kaname always felt a slight sense of alienation when these two talked. Their relationship wasn’t like that of ordinary friends, or of leader and subordinate: the word “compatible” seemed to be the closest way to describe them. Their upbringings and personalities were completely different, but there was something fundamentally similar about them... the scale on which they approached things, perhaps, or their value systems. They seemed to share something on a primordial level—beyond a mere emotional connection—that inspired a mutual respect. If either of them did something to become unworthy of that respect, their relationship would likely dissolve immediately.

Sousuke’s relationship with Hayashimizu was fundamentally the same as his relationships with Kurz Weber, Melissa Mao, Andrey Kalinin, and the others from Mithril. At the same time, it was fundamentally unlike his relationships with his classmates Kazama Shinji, Onodera Kotaro, Tokiwa Kyoko, or his homeroom teacher, Kagurazaka Eri. That wasn’t to say that Sousuke looked down on or shunned his classmates; he trusted them, certainly, but he didn’t rely on them. If push came to shove, Shinji, Kyoko, and the others weren’t the people he would turn to for help.

Hayashimizu, though, Sousuke saw as a comrade; perhaps even a confidante. The other man seemed to feel likewise. Kaname had come to realize this well, throughout the various bits of chaos that had kept their school life interesting for these past nine months. In that regard, Hayashimizu Atsunobu was exceptional—not just at the school, but in society as a whole.

Like equals in strength, she found herself thinking. But what does that make me?

“Chidori?”

“Huh?” The prompt snapped Kaname back to reality.

“What’s the matter?”

“Oh, nothing. By the way, Hayashimizu-senpai. About what Ms. Kagurazaka said before... Are you really gonna be a politician?”

“Ahh... No way.” Hayashimizu shook his head in self-reproach. “A thousand constituents is one thing, but a million? There was a time, back in middle school, when I thought about it... but I’ve had experiences since then that have changed the way I think.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve acquired an interest in people,” he admitted. “In a different way than what politicians deal in.”

Kaname fell silent. She was remembering the picture he’d showed her of his old girlfriend, whom he’d said had died.

“I’ll try out a few things in college,” Hayashimizu went on. “There’s a public school I can get into by referral, but there’s also an assistant professor who wrote a book I like, and I’m thinking of taking exams for the university he’s in. I took their mock exam out of curiosity, and I don’t think it will present a problem... as long as I don’t get hit by a car on the day of the test.” If Hayashimizu was that confident, then he would almost certainly pass.

“Boy, I wish I could be that confident,” Kaname said ruefully. “I’ll be spending the whole year with my nose buried in books.”

“Will you? I think that when it comes to science, at least, you can get in wherever you want.”

“Um...” For a second, Kaname was at a loss for words.

“I’ve heard about your rankings on the standardized tests,” Hayashimizu told her. “I also read through the second-year questions. Even setting aside the more malicious trick questions... I don’t think even I could have gotten a perfect score the way you did.”

Kaname fell silent. There was no jealousy or sarcasm in Hayashimizu’s tone; she knew he was above that sort of pettiness. It sounded more like he was feeling her out, in the name of curiosity and personal interest, to see how she would react.

“Ah, excuse me.” He must have noticed the sudden seriousness in her eyes, and the slight tension in Sousuke’s. He lowered his eyes regretfully, and shook his head. “The point is, you should respect your own abilities.”

“Ah... right. Of course. Ahahaha,” Kaname laughed, rubbing the back of her head. “Anyway, I think we’d better get going. Sousuke?”

“Good idea,” he agreed. “Let’s go.”

“Wait—Sagara-kun. I need to talk to you for a bit.” Sousuke was about to turn and go, but Hayashimizu stopped him gently.

“What is it?”

“It’s nothing serious. Just stick around, all right?” He looked out over Kaname, the treasurer, and the other members of the election committee. Everyone except Kaname looked at each other, whispered, “See you tomorrow,” and left the student council room. Hayashimizu’s gaze focused on Kaname, who had remained where she was.

I guess I’m a third wheel, huh? “Yeah, yeah. Boy talk, right? Well, Sousuke, I’ll be waiting at the entrance,” Kaname shrugged, but her voice was not unkind.

“Roger.”

“Sorry, Chidori-kun.”

Kaname left the student council room, leaving Sousuke and Hayashimizu behind.

Hayashimizu waited a little while after she was gone, and then said, “Is anyone listening?”

“No,” Sousuke said after a moment of close attention.

“But just to be sure, let’s go to the roof.” Hayashimizu stood up and took the ring of keys that hung in a corner of the student council room.

Sousuke watched him questioningly.

The two left the student council room. The vote counting had taken so long that the school was now dark and empty, and the corridors were freezing cold. They walked silently through the halls, climbed the stairs, and came out onto the roof of the south school building. The door’s lock clacked open with a sound that seemed deafeningly loud in the silence.

The sky was cold and glittering with stars. Night had fallen. They could hear the muffled sounds of car engines coming and going down the nearby road.

Hayashimizu took a spot next to one of the thrumming air conditioning units. “Sagara-kun,” he said, his hair rustling in the light breeze of the compressor. “I’m aware that what I’m about to say might be out of line. I don’t know the full situation, so consider this innocent advice from a friend.”

Sousuke waited a long moment before he responded. “Right.”

After five or six seconds of silence, the soon-to-be-former president began again. “You can’t keep this up anymore.” His words sounded heavy, and pained.

They were exactly the words Sousuke was expecting, and they were like a knife in his heart. Of course, he’d never told Hayashimizu about Mithril, about himself, or the truth about Kaname. They’d never had one conversation about that; he’d always skirted the subject. But... that didn’t mean that a bright young man like Hayashimizu wouldn’t have questions. He’d have been foolish not to catch on.

Sousuke remained silent.

“It’s not a problem with you. With a little more time, you could probably become a normal man. You’re learning the compromises you have to make to exist in our society. Before long, you’d probably settle into ‘just a little eccentric’ levels... I’ve been watching the effort you’ve been putting in, so I know. But...” Hayashimizu turned his attention to the entrance, where Kaname was expected to be waiting.

“The problem is her,” he whispered, and a kind of gloom fell over the man’s face that Sousuke had never seen before. “I don’t know what’s going on with her. Anything I might propose would be pure conjecture. But it’s not hard to get a vague idea of why you’re here, and what’s behind the various disasters that the school has been subject to. It’s her, isn’t it? She’s at the center of all of it. And not just the hijacking and the seajacking—she’s at the center of something much more serious.”

It would have been easy for Hayashimizu to figure out, with a little investigation, and talking to a few other students. Yes... he’d have been foolish not to catch on.

“At first, I assumed it was because of her father’s position,” he continued, “but that wouldn’t be enough to explain it. And there are two more elements that every incident she’s involved in have in common—your absence, and the presence of an armed organization of unknown affiliation.”

Sousuke said nothing.

“That’s all that I know. I’ve tried to avoid prying unnecessarily, but if even someone like me can pick up on that much, it’s only a matter of time before others start raising suspicions. And a week from now, I’ll just be a normal student. In a month, I’ll be gone,” Hayashimizu pointed out. “You won’t have anyone smoothing things over for you. Morikawa-kun and the other incumbents won’t have the power. She’s not up to the task, and it’s possible she might even turn on you. You’ll be expelled from the paradise I’ve arranged for you. Do you understand why?”

“Because... the school would be a lot safer if Chidori and I were gone,” Sousuke said with grave hesitation.

“I’m afraid so,” Hayashimizu sighed. “I doubt you’re to blame, but when I heard about the Christmas incident, I started to feel genuine regrets about covering for you in the past. What if one of the students had been hurt? Or killed? I...”

Sousuke’s face tensed up. “It... that operation was supposed to be safe.” He couldn’t stay silent any longer. He couldn’t help but attempt to vindicate himself, at least to this one person. He didn’t care that it was classified. He continued talking, unprompted, hoping it might bury the agitation growing inside him. “I need... I needed a clue about the people who were after her. That was what it was for. We’ve always been stuck reacting in the past... and I wanted to take back the initiative. I thought if we could crush their headquarters or cut off their funding, we could get them to leave us alone. We could make it work out. She’d be safe. The intelligence and research divisions are running analyses now. They’re almost there. My squad can get it done. We just need time...”

“I told you. Your time is running out.” Sousuke had never heard Hayashimizu’s tone so grave before.

“I...”

“I won’t tell you to leave. As I said at the start, this is merely advice. But... it’s easy for me to imagine, even without knowing the exact situation, that this is all going to come to a bad end. Now that I have my successor, you and she are the last things I’m worried about. I just wanted to let you know where things stand. The rest, you should discuss with her yourself.” Hayashimizu, leaning against the fence, gazed into the distance with melancholy eyes, and spoke with the gravity of a prophet. “If you don’t, you’re going to end up regretting it very soon.”

Sousuke swallowed hard. “I... like being here.”

“So do I. Everyone here is wonderful. They’re so naive and virtuous... but they’re also normal people. They have their fears and anxieties. And...” Hayashimizu’s sigh came out in a white puff, “...they can be cruel.”

A terrifying image flashed into Sousuke’s mind: hostility. Glares of hostility from the class, the student council, and others. Reproach mixed with fear, untempered by sympathy. Malice, resentment, hatred, and blame. And on the receiving end of all of it... her. Just imagining it made his blood run cold.

Hayashimizu must have read the agony on Sousuke’s face, because he shrugged a little. Then, returning to his typically casual demeanor, he said, “But I don’t think this is worth torturing yourself over. At the end of the day, it’s just a school. Just a waypoint.”

“A waypoint?” Sousuke questioned.

“It’s easy to forget, I know, but when this is all over, life will go on. You’ll have decades to go after this. Now...” Hayashimizu handed the keys to Sousuke. For some reason, they felt like lead in his hand. “I’m going to go. It seems I’ve left someone waiting. Return the key, would you?”

Hayashimizu began to walk for the door to the roof, where the class secretary stood. She didn’t seem to have overheard their conversation. “Sorry to leave you waiting,” he apologized.

“Not at all, Senpai.”

“I’m impressed that you found me. You must have looked everywhere.”

“Well, maybe a little...” The raven-haired girl giggled and smiled gently. She gave Sousuke a slight nod from a distance, then left the roof, following Hayashimizu.

Sousuke remained almost completely silent on the way home. Kaname made small talk, and he responded with disinterested pleasantries.

What did he and Senpai talk about? Kaname wondered, but she found herself deciding not to question him. Something about the way he was acting made it feel inappropriate. “...So, Shiori’s boyfriend, right?” she said instead. “Apparently he said he wanted to break up out of nowhere.”

“Oh?” Sousuke questioned absently.

“Crazy, huh? They’d been head-over-heels up to that point. I met him a few times too, and he seemed like a pretty decent guy, you know? Shiori was losing her mind about it,” Kaname chatted. “She didn’t know what to do. She called me up at three o’clock last night.”

“Ahh.”

“So I decided I’d get to the bottom of it, and I called the guy to ask him what the deal was. And you know? It was the funniest thing. Apparently it was all a big misunderstanding, and it was just he saw her with Ono-D when we went to that movie recently...”

“I see.”

“Oh, come on...” Kaname grumbled.

After getting off the train, which was packed for rush hour, Kaname stopped suddenly and groaned in annoyance. “What’s with you? You’re acting weird. I mean, weirder than usual...”

Seeing Kaname lose her patience and storm up to him, Sousuke blinked rapidly, as if hearing her voice for the first time. “Sorry,” he apologized.

“Hmm. Don’t tell me you’re sad your student council duties are over,” she suggested.

“No, not especially. I was just thinking.”

“About what?”

Sousuke’s mouth drew into a line, and he seemed about to speak... but then shook his head. “Nothing.”

“It’s so not nothing,” Kaname said accusingly.

“I’ll tell you soon.”

“Huh? Okay, but this is really weird...”

The two resumed walking. It was night, and the shopping street was cold. The people heading home around them inevitably found their pace quickening.

How long had it been since they’d started walking home side-by-side like this? At first, Sousuke had always followed her from a distance. That distance had grown shorter—day-by-day, little-by-little—until at some point, it had seemed natural that they should walk side-by-side.

And then, how long had it been since their arms had begun to randomly brush against one another like this?

Sousuke suddenly spoke. “Chidori.”

“What now?”

“Let’s hold hands.”

It was so out of nowhere that, at first, Kaname couldn’t believe her ears. “What... hold up, what? What did you say?”

“I said ‘Let’s hold hands.’”

What’s up with him? She wondered. This makes no sense. One minute he’s completely silent, and the next minute... this? It’s totally bizarre. And besides—

“You don’t want to?”

“N-No...” she denied hastily. “I wouldn’t say that.”

“Then let’s do it.” Sousuke held out his right hand and gently took her left—at first timidly, then firmly. He’d taken her hand before during emergencies, but this was their first time doing it like this.

Kaname held her breath. Her ears felt hot. She buried her face in her scarf self-consciously. “I... I don’t get it. Where did that come from?”

“I don’t know,” Sousuke said as he pulled her along, walking somewhat awkwardly.

“You’re seriously acting weird...”

“Am I? I see. Perhaps I am.”

That was the last thing either of them said.

On the outskirts of the shopping district stood a small yakitori bar. They could hear an enka song playing as they passed: Yagiri no Watashi. The tenor of the song wasn’t quite right for their situation, but it still struck her for reasons Kaname couldn’t quite explain.

A sense of calm was washing over her. His hand felt large and warm... but at the same time, there was something fearful about it. It seemed to be clinging to hers for comfort, though she didn’t know why.

Time passed in the blink of an eye.

They left the shopping street behind and arrived in their residential area. As always, their apartment buildings were facing each other across the road. But even this familiar view seemed somehow changed to her. Normally, this would be where they parted ways, each heading back to their own dwelling... but she couldn’t quite bring herself to let go just yet.

“Hey... you want something to eat?” she found herself asking, and was surprised by the words coming out of her own mouth. It felt like a risky thing to say, given the vibe between them at the moment.

Sousuke seemed surprised by it as well. “Are you sure?”

“Um... well, I guess,” Kaname said. “We could have, like... a little wrap party.”

“A wrap party?”

“Yeah. It... might be nice.”

Sousuke gave a small nod, tightening his hold on her hand, and headed for Kaname’s apartment. They remained silent for the entire elevator ride.

What’s going to happen? Kaname wondered. It’s kind of scary, but exciting... She felt dizzy and distracted. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She could feel sweat forming on his palm, too. They walked down the communal hall, and made it to her apartment door. She tried to pull out her key, but the fact that she was still holding his hand caused her to fumble it a little bit. “S-Sorry...”

“Ah. Should I let go for a minute?” Sousuke asked.

“Y-Yeah.” She stuck the key in the door and opened it.

They entered. After a dawdling removal of shoes, they took hands again, and then headed toward the living room, side by side.

Sousuke sprang into action immediately. He yanked Kaname toward him, threw himself in front of her, and drew the pistol from the small of his back in one fluid motion. He’d seemed tense before, but now he emanated a completely different kind of tension.

“What...” Kaname began, and then fell silent. It took her a minute to realize it: A young man was sitting on her sofa in the dark. He was dressed in a dark suit and had wavy silver hair.

The young man—Leonard Testarossa—stretched, as if he’d been kept waiting a long time. “Welcome home, Chidori Kaname-san.”

I’ve been lax—that was the only thought on Sousuke’s mind.

This silver-haired man, sitting placidly in Kaname’s living room... how had he gotten inside? He’d set up numerous alarm systems and traps to detect and repel anyone trying to break in. Had this man worked his way through them, then?

No...

There was nothing about this man that suggested the slightest hint of “work.” He was so at ease, it was more like they’d left the door unlocked and he’d simply let himself in. Sousuke was stunned by the skill it must have taken.

He knew this man, too.

He had seen him before.

This was Leonard Testarossa, the brother of his commanding officer, Teletha Testarossa. They’d run into him recently during a visit to her parents’ graves. On the way back, Tessa had explained that he was a member of Amalgam, and likely the designer of the Codarl series that had given Sousuke and his allies so much trouble in the past.

How did he get here? And why had he come? That’s right, Sousuke realized. I have no idea. And... why come to Kaname’s apartment, of all places?

With anxiety frothing in his chest, Sousuke pointed his gun at Leonard. He activated his laser sight and fixed it right on the man’s chest. “Don’t move. Put your hands up slowly and get to your feet. If you don’t do as I say—”

“You’ll shoot me?” Leonard shook his head mockingly. “The same old ‘diplomacy.’ Can’t we just skip the pleasantries? I’d rather not have to run through that entire script again.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“This.”

Sousuke’s senses of smell and hearing, in addition to his soldier’s sixth sense, all picked up on it—a slight movement on the balcony, at the back of the living room. There were two figures there. They had been lurking there in perfect silence, but now, they slowly adjusted position. Their presence was so faint that most people probably wouldn’t even pick up on it. They were big, and they weren’t human; pure threat, untainted by emotion—machines.

He brought those robots for an ambush? Sousuke hadn’t forgotten them for a moment. These were Alastors, super-miniaturized ASes; the battle robots they had fought on the Pacific Chrysalis. Leonard had probably instigated their slight movement as a way to make his point.

And now, having informed Sousuke of their presence, he spoke. “Do you still think you can land a shot between my eyes before my ‘escort’ makes its move?” It was as if he’d read Sousuke’s mind.

Sousuke made no reply.

“It’s not possible, Sagara Sousuke-kun,” Leonard said, gently correcting his opponent. “As excellent a killer as you may be—”

Before the man could say another word, Sousuke had pulled the trigger. The fact that he was Tessa’s brother didn’t enter his mind for a second. Sousuke was indeed an “excellent killer,” and he wasn’t going to just sit there and let his enemy talk.

The moment he fired, a shadow flitted in front of Leonard, and the bullet aimed squarely at his forehead fell away with a spark. The black coat he was wearing had moved sharply, whip-like, to deflect Sousuke’s shot.

Sousuke’s mouth fell open. Some kind of memory polymer? he wondered. An “active” bulletproof cloth capable of identifying and reacting instantaneously to hostile movement? If so, how much firepower could it deflect? Could it work on shrapnel from hand grenades? Fire? Impact? Rifle shots—

“Sousuke?!” Kaname screamed, sounding furious about his indiscriminate fire. Her reaction shocked him even more than the appearance of the mysterious bulletproof cloth.

“See? Even she wants to see you exercise a modicum of civility,” Leonard said with a smile.

The smell of gunsmoke tickled his nose. The hairs on the back of his neck pricked up. The man was mocking their relationship.

“I don’t know what you came here for, but you can get out of my apartment right now,” Kaname said.

Leonard looked terribly hurt by her hostility. “I’ll do so shortly, but I came tonight to talk. Would you mind calling your guard dog off for a minute?”

“I’ll show you who’s a guard dog...” Sousuke’s hand tightened on the gun grip. Now that he knew about the bulletproof coat, he had already formulated multiple backup plans.

“Stop it, Sousuke.”

“This man is our enemy.”

“He’s Tessa’s big brother, too.”

“That doesn’t matter.”

“Sousuke!”

Why is she so angry? Sousuke’s antsiness only grew.

“No need to hold back on account of my sister,” Leonard said invitingly. “But are you sure it’s a good idea to spill blood in this apartment?”

Sousuke gritted his teeth.

“You can hold onto your gun, if you like,” Leonard continued. “But I wish you’d hear me out.”

After a brief silence, Sousuke said, “Talk.”

“Thank you. Let’s see... Sergeant Sagara, was it? I am Leonard Testarossa.”

“I know.”

“Ah, do you? Well, then... Chidori Kaname-san. What I want from you is simple: gather up your belongings and come with me.”

It took a moment before Kaname could even speak. “What did you say?”

“Leave your current life behind and come with me. There’s no need to worry,” Leonard told her earnestly. “I can guarantee you’ll be treated well, permitted a certain degree of freedom and comfort. I’ve prepared a facility to satisfy your intellectual curiosities, and most importantly, you’ll be perfectly safe.”

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about,” Kaname replied slowly.

“You don’t? I think I’ve been quite clear.”

“Do you think I’m stupid or something?”

“Then let me explain a little bit more,” Leonard said, and let out a little sigh. He swung his crossed leg idly as his gaze turned out the window and into the distance. “My organization is getting serious now.” Something about his words had the same ring to them that Hayashimizu’s had earlier—his statement of ‘You can’t keep this up anymore’—and it filled the pit of Sousuke’s stomach with the same sense of foreboding.

“What are you talking about?” Kaname asked, pushing for more information.

“Mithril has overreached,” Leonard explained. “The West Pacific Battle Group, in particular. Shall I list off the machines of ours that you’ve destroyed so far? Seven Codarls, one Behemoth, thirteen Alastors, and twelve stolen Mistral IIs. It’s really quite amazing when you list it all out like that. You’ve really had us on the ropes.”

Sousuke listened silently.

“Then, the Pacific Chrysalis... That was a very bad look. The ship itself wasn’t worth much anymore... but the information you stole was significant,” Leonard continued. “In time, you’ll uncover nations, corporations, terrorist organizations, and more: all affiliated with Amalgam. That’s going to be quite a nuisance to us.”

“It certainly is,” Sousuke retorted. “And I’ll see to it that it’s more than just ‘a nuisance.’”

“That’s what I mean when I say you’ve overreached,” Leonard told him. “Prior to this, Amalgam has never taken Mithril all that seriously. We’ve been aware of your existence since your founding, but we had a good idea of what you could and couldn’t do. We thought that if your power ever grew too great, we’d just do a little pruning.”

“Is that why you set that trap on Perio?” Sousuke wanted to know.

“Yes,” Leonard confirmed. “Your submarine, the Tuatha de Danaan, is a very fine weapons platform. It wouldn’t mean much in a national military... but it’s absolutely ideal for Mithril’s purposes. And that white AS... hmm, that would be the ARX-7, wouldn’t it?”

“I don’t need to tell you anything,” Sousuke said.

“It’s just the name. Honestly. But it has a nickname, doesn’t it? Another medieval weapon, I’m sure. The worthless Six was the Halberd.”

Sousuke remained silent, refusing to concede.

“A shame,” Leonard mused. “I suppose we’ll never get along...”

“If this is all you want to talk about,” Sousuke told him stonily, “then the conversation is over.”

Leonard just shrugged in disappointment. “If you insist. Anyway, those are the basics. The power you brought to bear in both Sunan and Ariake exceeded our expectations, so our intention was simply to take you off the board. We thought we could accomplish that at Perio, but you wriggled your way out of that situation.

“And then, one of our own executives turned on us. Mr. Iron—Gauron—went rogue to start that chaos in Hong Kong. It sent the whole organization in quite a state of panic, it seems. It also lost us six Codarl-type ASes. He certainly liked to rock the boat, even to the very end.”

“You knew him?” Sousuke asked suspiciously.

“A bit. I believe he truly loved you. He was so happy about your reunion in Sunan.”

“Shut up.”

“It’s true, though.” Leonard smiled. There was something beautiful, almost girlish, in the gesture.

Sousuke just managed to stop himself from clicking his tongue scornfully. This man seemed to enjoy riling him. The way he’d pretended that he’d only just remembered his name, too—it was another way of mocking him. If he knew about Gauron, there was no way he didn’t remember Sousuke.

“Well, no matter,” Leonard conceded. “Then, the cruise ship incident occurred. You genuinely got the better of Amalgam that time. You passed the threshold where you could conceivably be taken off the board or restrained. That left the organization with only one course of action: destroy you, and take Job back with us.”

“Job?”

“Oh, just her codename. Don’t worry about it.”

“Wait a minute,” Kaname said. “Are you saying... they want to destroy Mithril and kidnap me?”

“That seems to be the track they’ve moved to,” Leonard agreed. “In the past, we’d decided to sit back and watch you, more or less... but we can’t do that any longer. The organization has already decided to resort to any means necessary, even extreme ones, to acquire you. I think you know what ‘extreme’ means in this context, don’t you?” He didn’t have to explain it. Rather than their roundabout means of the past, Amalgam would be more direct now, even spilling blood if necessary. “I think that’s more than enough explanation as to why I came here to get you, isn’t it?”

“To convince me to join you before they make their move?” Kaname clarified.

“Yes. Because I love you.” This time, Leonard offered her a beatific smile.

The way he smiled, as if Sousuke wasn’t even there, reminded Sousuke of his earlier urge to fill him full of lead. “How dare you...”

“Wait, Sousuke.”

“Why?”

“Just wait!” At her warning, his finger on the trigger stopped. Kaname gently pushed Sousuke’s gun down and addressed Leonard in a calm voice. “I hear you, and I appreciate your consideration. But I have school, and I like my life here. And most of all, there’s no way I’m going with you. Because, as I’ve told you time and time again, I absolutely loathe you.”

“Chidori...?” Sousuke asked uncertainly.

“Now, get out of my apartment right now!” she said, ignoring Sousuke’s question.

Leonard sat there for a time, expressionless, then at last, shrugged and stood up slowly. “So cold.”

“What did you expect?” Kaname demanded.

“Are you still angry about that?”

“Ngh...”

“You said you’d forgive me,” Leonard said accusingly.

“Did you not hear me? Go away!” Kaname shouted, her face going red.

Their exchange confused Sousuke in a new way. Angry about what? he wondered. Forgive him, why? What are they talking about?

“I’ll say it one more time.” Leonard turned his back on them. He made a slight motion with his right hand, and the Alastors hiding on the balcony slowly straightened up. “Why don’t you accept it already? You are one of the chosen, with intelligence that far surpasses mere everyday genius. All those around us can ever think of is finding ways of cajoling us into serving their ends. Do you want to be at their beck and call forever?”

“Stop it,” Kaname demanded.

“You must have realized it by now: everyone around you is stupid and incompetent.”

“Get out.”

“It annoys you how dimwitted they all are, doesn’t it?”

“Get out!!” Kaname shouted, with so much force that tears appeared in her eyes.

“Very well. I’ve passed on my warning; whatever happens next, it’s out of my hands... Ah, right. Also, Sagara-kun.” Leonard opened the glass door to the balcony, and turned back around. “Earlier, when I was waiting for you, I was watching the news to pass the time. They just caught a mass murderer in England. They say that he killed thirty-five people.”

“So what?”

“I ran a simple investigation. You’ve killed over three times that many,” Leonard said.

Kaname’s eyes went wide. She held her breath, and a tremble ran through her.

“I wonder why it is that people still like you, despite that? She does, too—a man who’s killed over a hundred people. I wonder if they’d all stick with you the same if they knew that. It doesn’t seem fair.” With that cruel joke—or perhaps, with a more complicated sentiment—Leonard left the apartment behind.

The two of them stood stock-still in the dark living room for some time. Kaname continued trembling. Unable to stand seeing her look so vulnerable, Sousuke tried to put an arm around her. “Chidori...”

Kaname lurched away reflexively. For a moment, she gazed at Sousuke like he was a monster... and then she shook her head slightly and pasted a smile on her face. “Ah... sorry. It’s... it’s okay. Don’t worry about what he said, okay?”

“Right...” That was all Sousuke could say for now.

Major Andrey Kalinin, upon receiving Sousuke’s message at the command center in Merida Island Base, responded thusly: “Understood. Try to hole up until tomorrow morning. We’ll get a transport helicopter to you by then.”

The conclusion of Sousuke’s report was that Kaname would be safer at Merida Island than in Tokyo. Apparently, she’d been reluctant, but eventually agreed to join them there.

“Tomorrow morning?” He could sense a slight fear in Sousuke’s voice on the other end of the radio line. “You should be able to pick us up faster than that, using the established routes. The fact that Leonard managed to break through my alarm systems—”

“That’s all the more reason, Sergeant, that we shouldn’t use Mithril’s standard escape plans. We should be prepared for the possibility that they know them all.”

“Ahh...”

“You’re a member of the SRT. You’ve been preparing for this, haven’t you?” Kalinin asked. “Use what you have.”

Sousuke hadn’t been sitting by idly all these months he’d spent in Tokyo. He’d set up various routes of his own, completely independent from Mithril. Along these routes were multiple cars, disguised weapons storehouses, safehouses, and stocks of fake licenses and ID cards. Any mercenary worthy of being chosen for the SRT was expected to handle this kind of thing; he’d never asked them about it, but Kurz and Mao had likely done the same.

Self-preservation was of paramount importance; the organization was just a tool to facilitate that. Loyalty mattered, but you couldn’t rely on it.

“Roger,” Sousuke replied shortly. “I’ll do my best.”

“I think you know this, but watch out for anyone tailing you,” Kalinin cautioned. “I’ll consult with the colonel about what we’ll do with the girl when you return.”

“Sir.”

“Keep future communications to a minimum. That is all.” Kalinin signed off.

Teletha Testarossa, who had previously been listening to the conversation in silence, let out a small sigh. As usual, she was dressed in her uniform, her ash blonde hair done up in a braid. There was a furrow of worry on her brow. “I knew something like this might happen someday, but... it’s not quite what I expected, even so.”

Kalinin nodded. “Yes, ma’am. But you took the measures you did with this in mind, I’m sure.”

“True,” she admitted. “Because I wanted to respect her wishes.”

Kalinin said nothing.

“Still... I cannot imagine what my brother is thinking.” She had been quite surprised to hear that her twin brother had visited Kaname’s apartment, and on top of that, that he had asked her to come with him. Why would he do something so brazen? It was possible that there was disagreement in their ranks, but Leonard might also be setting some kind of trap.

“No... That can’t be it,” Tessa told herself. The truth is, he’s just trying to get her for himself. Not just her body, but her mind. Such a motive wouldn’t be out of the question for him; he’d genuinely think that he could achieve it, too. To Tessa’s eyes, it was the height of foolishness, but Leonard was unlikely to agree. She had done her own meddling in their relationship—her own little playing at romance—but what Leonard was doing seemed far darker and more serious than that.

Was sending a transport helicopter enough? She knew her brother. He couldn’t possibly intend to let Mithril just pick the two up and escape that easily, could he? Even if he personally had no inclination to stop them, he must know what Mithril would do, and he could very well have tipped off other branches of his organization.

“Send the Arbalest with it,” Tessa said.

Kalinin scowled. “Why? If this is supposed to be a discreet pickup—”

“Just in case it’s not enough.”

Kalinin fell silent.

“If something does happen, it would be safer to have an AS to secure the landing zone, wouldn’t it? The enemy might send those robots... the Alastors, after all.”

“Wouldn’t an M9 be enough, then?” Kalinin argued.

“The enemy might be expecting that, and have Codarls prepared.”

“Within a city?”

“ECS-equipped ASes can be anywhere, can’t they? Either way, without Sergeant Sagara, the Arbalest is no different than a normal M9. There’s no point in keeping it locked up inside.”

Kalinin showed a moment’s hesitation, but then nodded. “Understood. We’ll need a mid-air refueling craft, too. Permission to dispatch?”

“Of course. Do hurry.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Tessa gave the needed orders as fast as she could to various command center personnel. When that was all done, she whispered, “Sagara-san said that the enemy was about to seriously take us on. Do you think we can assume they feel threatened?”

“I don’t know,” Kalinin answered. “But there’s a basis upon which to think so. We’ve done more than enough to agitate them.”

“You’re right. But...” Tessa grabbed the end of her braid, and tickled her nose with it. “I don’t think this enemy will leave it at that.”