I picked up the fainted Mitsuki and started walking towards the gunfire with the teacher. Strictly speaking, we also had to move towards the target point, but the news coming through the communication was so positive that it put my mind at ease.
Uhe~ Found an executive from the Kaiser side. I’m entering the battle.
Uhuhuh… Tango down. It’s been ages since I last saw you, General. Let me hear a delightful cry from you—oh wait, just kidding.
This is RABBIT 1. Please refrain from my unnecessary commentary, Wakamo-senpai.
In the end, this fight would conclude when we captured Kaiser’s head. The fact that we had already found two was very good news.
After leaving a message on the communicator about the variable I was dealing with, I looked into the distance at Azusa’s figure, faintly visible.
“Wow… Our squirrel is doing great today.”
…Squirrel?
“Azusa-chan is so nimble, it’s just a nickname I call her.”
Azusa was attracting all the attention of the automatons that were supposed to head towards us. Despite facing so many alone and remaining safe, it seemed like the teamwork with Haruka was somehow working out…
Thinking about it, these two weren’t strangers to each other. They had played together in the past.
At first, they probably weren’t cooperating, but it seemed like they ended up fighting back to back somehow.
Leaving them alone would likely yield good results, but I couldn’t ignore the situation before my eyes. I removed one hand supporting Mitsuki and conjured up some starbursts.
“Azusa-chan, over here!”
After sending off a few starbursts, I called out to Azusa. I didn’t think that would be enough to neutralize the following troops completely.
I just figured it would be better to quickly regroup with Saori and move towards the target point.
Upon hearing my call, Azusa swiftly turned her head and immediately grabbed Haruka’s arm as they dashed over. It’s nice that elite members like Saori and Azusa in the Arius Squad can make quick judgments.
“Sa-chan, please brief me on the current location.”
…Approximately, from the initial combat point, kuck! It’s a storage facility located about 450m minimum, 600m maximum to the northeast.
“Okay☆”
As I was waiting for Azusa to join, I sent a communication to Saori, who responded right away. It looked like she was heavily engaged in a match with Aru.
By the way… they sure ran tirelessly in that brief moment.
“Teacher, we’re about 600m away. Can you run?”
“At full speed?”
“No, no, that’s not necessary.”
“Then I guess it should be fine.”
Fortunately, our teacher’s stamina didn’t seem that poor. Considering her height and build, it would be a waste if she couldn’t run.
Suppressing the urge to be grumpy, I gestured for Azusa and Haruka to follow right as they joined us.
“Um, where are we going now… And what about Mitsuki-san?!”
“She’s just taking a quick nap, so there’s no need to worry☆”
“…Mika, you put her to sleep, didn’t you?”
“Hey, when she wakes up after such a nice sleep, she’ll feel really refreshed, so it’s actually a good thing, right? I think so.”
“Mika.”
While the teacher looked at me in disbelief, Azusa called out to me with a hint of annoyance.
“Yes, what is it, my squirrel?”
“Why is she…”
“Well, I can’t just leave her lying around, and carrying her is definitely more reasonable than letting the teacher do it, right?”
“No, that’s not what I meant.”
“Huh?”
Listening to Azusa’s words, I looked down and saw Mitsuki’s halo shining brightly. When did she wake up?
Anyway, if she’s awake, it’s time to run. Just as I thought about letting go of Mitsuki, she suddenly wrapped her arms around my neck with her eyes wide open.
Kuuhuhu. Angel-chan, were you just about to drop me? How cruel! We’re going to go see Aru-chan like this!
Heu… Well, I don’t particularly mind, though.
To be honest, I felt like I could run just fine even carrying Mitsuki along with Azusa and Haruka, plus the teacher. It honestly didn’t bother me at all.
Tsk.
“Hey, should I carry you too, Azusa-chan?”
…No. I’m in the middle of a mission, so I’ll focus and finish it properly.
I threw a casual suggestion to our squirrel, and she responded seriously, showing what her attitude was toward missions.
She really is sincere about her duties. Given how many ugly scenes I’ve witnessed since meeting her, it makes me wonder how she turned out so mature…
*
After running for a while in the direction Saori specified, we easily arrived at the storage facility she mentioned.
And the gunfire that could be heard from outside indicated that the two were engaged in a pretty intense showdown.
“Teacher, be careful not to get hit by any stray bullets.”
“I’ll be fine.”
Having left the body bunker behind to take care of Mitsuki, it was a bit difficult for me to protect the teacher. However, if things got really dangerous, I was prepared to take the hit myself, but I still didn’t want to get hurt.
As we entered the storage facility, the first sight that caught my eye was Aru, swirling on top of a tank with her coat flapping in the wind. She seemed to be focusing on evasion, occasionally firing shots at Saori, who was pursuing her.
If I were to sincerely express my thoughts about what I was seeing…
“Cool…”
The way Aru was genuinely engaged in the fight was undeniably one of the coolest sights among the students at Kivotos. It was truly the embodiment of hardboiled.
Kyahaha, Aru-chan! Angel-chan must be smitten with you!
But unfortunately, that coolness didn’t last long.
Mitsuki’s shout shattered the mood, causing Aru to swiftly turn her head this way. In that moment, her foot slipped and she tumbled right off the tank.
What’s more, it wasn’t just her reaction; Saori also got startled and almost fell in a similar way. The difference is that she managed to do a quite acrobatic move and landed gracefully on her feet.
“10 points.”
The teacher clapped her hands together with that evaluation.
“What are you talking about, teacher? That’s an 11 out of 5!”
I wanted to clap and give my own score, but I couldn’t because of Mitsuki. What a shame.
Moreover, teacher. If you’re going to grade, at least do it properly; your judgment is way too poor!
“My perfect score was 1 point, Mika.”
“Ah…”
That’s honestly a bit too harsh. I guess it’s true that the teacher is definitely an older man in that regard. A handsome older man, but still…
Kyahahah! Aru-chan, are you alright?
As Mitsuki jumped down from my arms and dashed over to the dazed Aru, Saori approached me after quickly reloading her firearm.
“Mika, do you know them?”
“Uh, yeah. We met as targets for a request and had a bit of fun after I disciplined them.”
…?
“Ahaha. Let’s just say it was an interesting encounter.”
…I see. They’re quite a well-known group in this industry. Heungsinso 68. They’ve hired me for a few requests. Especially their boss, Rikuhachima Aru… She’s quite skilled. I wouldn’t guarantee a victory against her. I intended to use today’s job as an opportunity to gauge her skill, but it seems that’s not happening now.
…So Aru was that strong? While I knew that Heungsinso had established itself quickly thanks to Makoto’s foolishness, I wondered whether that was enough to impact Aru’s prowess.
On the other hand, Saori had been brought in, properly fed, clothed, given a good resting space, and trained well…
So I thought she had become stronger than the original Saori, yet the thought that she couldn’t compete with Aru felt a bit off. What was the issue?
While I pondered that, something struck me.
In the original story, Saori truly was a kid on the brink of a cliff. She had children to protect and, although it wasn’t her will, she had to risk her life for everything.
From that perspective, it felt like the current Saori might lack in raw skill compared to her, but the determination and mindset from the original Saori that relied on her fierce will weren’t anything to scoff at either.
But if you asked me whether that was a positive, the answer would be definitely no… So I thought Saori’s current situation is a hundred times better.
“By the way, Sa-chan, when you were chasing after Aru-chan earlier, um…”
“Hmm.”
“Why did you say you’d kill her…?”
…Ah.
Saori blinked her eyes. After glancing at Aru briefly, she offered her response.
“It’s not that deep of a reason. We’ve worked together often enough that I don’t have any personal grudge against her. But…”
Placing her hands on her chest, Saori met my gaze and solemnly confessed:
“She targeted my family, and that’s reason enough for me.”
Truly, her words hit my heart deeply, making it flutter unexpectedly.
If not for the oblivious old man beside me, I might have leaned in for a kiss right then and there.
Cough.
…If only he hadn’t been around, I definitely would have.
“Mika, are you perhaps thinking something inappropriate since a bit ago?”
“Huh? Me, the teacher? Ahaha, just joking☆”
Caught red-handed.
