“It’s clear that you’ve set up an underground research facility over there.”
“But, I didn’t expect you to break through the security in just 30 seconds. You must really have a grotesque level of narcissism…”
“[Grotesque? That’s quite a troublesome comment. No matter how endless the slanders against a super ultimate beauty like me may be, it’s a bit difficult to attach words that just don’t fit.]”
The Arius Squad that had entered the underground facility took a moment to regroup for their operation. From here on, they could hardly expect to rely on blind spots in the surveillance cameras, so an armed conflict was unavoidable.
However, the guards in a military research lab likely wouldn’t be using high-powered weapons, so the internal security wasn’t a major issue for the Arius Squad.
What was actually problematic was the external guards coming in for support. Unless there was an emergency escape route in this research facility, it meant they would have to push through waves of incoming troops through this narrow corridor.
“Leader, can’t we just break through?”
“If there are no suitable options, then yes, we’ll have to do just that. It’s just that I’m worried about how much longer it will take to move on to the next operation.”
“It’s okay, Saori. If it were Mika-nee, she would hug you warmly after this ordeal. It might even be a gain.”
“[Wow, isn’t Mika-chan doing way too well with the visuals? At this rate, we should put Chi-chan front and center… Oh, but if we did that, Chi-chan might just faint. Yikes, that’s dangerous. Maybe it’s better to refuse meeting altogether.]”
Saori realized how pointless it was to tell Himari to hold back on the off-topic chatter and momentarily closed her eyes.
“Let’s move for now.”
“[Oh my, if you’re planning to move right away, please head to the nearest access terminal. First, I’ll check the layout of the underground facility, and I’ll also prioritize blocking any transmissions heading outside.]”
“…That’s not something you can just simply discuss, is it?”
“[What do you think I am? A single flower blossomed in the Millennium, a super genius and sickly hacker who can do it as easily as breathing. Ehh—hem.]”
“…”
Everyone in the squad reached a similar conclusion at this point: it’s better for their mental health to engage in minimal conversation with Akeboshi Himari.
While they were grateful in many ways to Mika for bringing this person along, a simultaneous sense of resentment surged over the squad.
*
An hour felt like ten minutes had passed. The battle with the security automatons, which looked intense from the outside but was practically a one-sided slaughter, continued to rage on.
“Operator, is there still a long way to go before the task is done?”
“[First, I’ve breached the firewall, and I’m currently connecting to the factory’s security system. If I shut it down… phew.]”
As Chihiro let out a sigh of relief, the security automatons that had been troubling the FOX Squad all went into hibernation mode. Among them, the only one with any knowledge of electronic warfare, Kurumi, became the center of attention.
“Why, why are you all staring at me? Don’t expect me to explain this kind of professional hacking; it’s beyond my comprehension!”
“Um, I didn’t expect to gain total control over the entire factory this easily. Can it be that advanced systems aren’t always entirely beneficial developments?”
“[That kind of misconception is very dangerous. No matter which direction technology develops in, flaws are inevitable, and technologies created to counter those flaws will also progress accordingly. If Kaiser’s security had been even one step ahead of this, or if I didn’t have a hacking tool like [Mirror], today’s operation would have certainly failed.]”
After hearing Chihiro’s words, Niko nodded with an awkward smile. Then she stopped herself mid-thought, realizing that Chihiro wasn’t even looking in her direction.
“[I’ve also gained access to the surveillance camera controls… Wait, what’s this?]”
“…Operator, did you just discover something important?”
“[It’s a cruise missile. But is there any reason to keep just this one separate…? Let me look for related information.]”
Upon hearing “missile,” one thought immediately sprang to mind for the FOX Squad: just a year ago, an event connected directly to this factory.
The members exchanged glances, wondering if something was amiss, recalling the day they had recovered Kaiser’s thermobaric warhead for ballistic missiles developed here in the Second Factory.
“It makes sense now why the security felt unusually tightened; they were scheming something suspicious.”
“But if you just consider the cruise missile itself, it doesn’t violate the Student Council’s regulations. Even if it uses a ramjet engine, it’s skirting by just barely—”
“[I’ve found it. It seems to be a product that came up during the research for a cruise missile based on a scramjet engine.]”
“…What? A scramjet engine? Isn’t that a field where they still haven’t grasped things properly in Millennium?”
“[If you dig in with determination, the technology itself might become feasible within a year, but commercialization is an entirely different story. From the looks of the data, this is still far from being a completed product. Hm… and more importantly, regardless of the feasibility of a cruise missile based on a scramjet engine, this clearly violates the Student Council regulations.]”
“I see. I bet FOX 5 would love this.”
“…Hey Yukino-chan, are you still unable to let go of that regret?”
Just like that, Kaiser Corporation was about to go from one out last year’s thermobaric warhead incident to two outs.
*
Was the operation proceeding without a hitch? That thought made it hard to concentrate.
If that was the case, I should’ve squeezed in more persistence and watched the situation in real-time with Veritas.
I hadn’t completely ruled out that possibility; however, when Wakamoto, the squad, and FOX Squad all had such sad expressions implying they didn’t trust them enough, I ultimately surrendered that notion.
Especially since they understood that I was practically on vacation, listening to their pleas to please rest made things quite frustrating.
Originally, the outline of Operation Canister Kick was to carry out several infiltration missions starting with Kaiser Corporation, so I had heard that even the supporting position of Veritas had stocked a whole box of Yokai MAX. Of course, our kids on the ground would take breaks in between, but I was a bit worried it would be quite exhausting for them.
“Mika, it’s your turn.”
“Ah, umm.”
…Well, I was worried about what I should be worried about. I wouldn’t be such an inflexible boss as to refuse their requests to rest. I had been pushing through without a break myself; it was time to ease up a bit.
Above all, even though I was suited for action, in an operation like this, I had to consider my social standing a little.
There was the Arius Squad, shrouded in secrecy; Wakamoto, who not only was notorious but also had enough reason to commit retaliatory acts; and the FOX Squad, officially a special unit under the Student Council President, with some degree of immunity granted.
Unlike them, it would be inappropriate for someone like me, who was basically the face of the academy, to participate in the operation. The moment I get spotted, everything would turn upside down.
Nevertheless, I couldn’t avoid showing my face completely during the operation, so it would be best to partner with Veritas for the operation scheduled to take place tomorrow.
Permission? Honestly, if I genuinely appealed to Hina, I could return to Trinity immediately. I simply wanted to make the most of this rare vacation, which was why I had completely erased that option…
Crash!
“Oh.”
“That makes it 3-0. Mika, if it’s not fun, you can go to bed now. After all, I’ve been struggling with this lung condition, and there’s no need for you to stick around till this hour…”
“Ahahaha, it’s not like that. It’s not that it’s not fun, I just keep getting distracted by other matters… Anyway, let’s do it again. No way am I losing 3-0, that’s just too damaging to my pride.”
Sitting across from Hina and playing Jenga, I realized I had a chance to enjoy such a daily life, yet found myself thinking of other things instead.
It’s important to separate work and leisure.
Recently, with T-party’s politics revolving too much around me, it felt a bit out of place, but I still put a high value on this separation.
Quickly stacking the Jenga tower back up, I alternated between pulling the wooden blocks from the edges and piling them on top.
Honestly, my inability to focus was partly due to my score being 3-0, but the larger contribution came from Hina’s absurd skill.
Basically, while Hina often displayed a tough exterior in combat, she felt slightly more delicate in everyday life, so she naturally excelled at Jenga more than I did.
“How about we make this round a bet?”
“…Hina-chan, bringing up bets in front of me may imply you want to fight, right?”
“Of course not. I was just planning to let you win to make you feel better.”
“Normally, people wouldn’t mention such things right in front of someone… I’m sorry for bothering you that much.”
Hina was just too kind-hearted. How could I possibly not look after someone like her?
“So, from now on, I’ll go all out☆”
Ah, regardless, I will never accept a bet again. I’ll refuse any bets where I feel I’d definitely win. Gambling is a fast track to ruin, and betting is no different.
I wasn’t dumb enough to make the same mistake twice.
But.
“…”
“Mika, umm. Didn’t you say you’d go all out?”
“Hina-chan, please be quiet. Just, I’ll ask you to hold on a moment. Right now, I need time to lick my wounds and settle down…”
I wasn’t the kind of fool who repeated the same mistake… but I definitely had no talent for Jenga.
…Or rather, it was because Hina was just too good at it. It wasn’t because I was bad at all. Yup, that’s what it is.
