Chapter 80: How To Get Back To Everyday Life (1)

“…So why am I here?”

“Sorry, the leader and everyone went out on a mission. I stayed because snipers are unnecessary for this mission…um…I’m Kakudate Karin, call me Karin.”

Yes…after being dragged away from the arcade by a person named Akane…I’m now half-imprisoned in the club room of this club called C&C.

If I want to, I can leave at any time…but the reason why I can’t leave remains dignified, so escaping was not an option I could choose.

So…I was now being served black tea by a woman who introduced herself as Karin, who was wearing a maid outfit…cleaning a large-caliber sniper rifle…two combinations that don’t go well together.

…Maid…black tea…is a real maid really a maid…?

The black tea was delicious.

Last supper, I slowly savored the scent of the black tea cup in front of me, and I was preparing my mind to accept the fate that would probably come.

“Uaaak…it’s hard…”

“Ahahat! Manager! You’re completely black!”

“Fufut…but it ended without any problems.”

How long has it been?

Around the time when the sky was starting to get dark, whether the mission didn’t go well or not, the three members of C&C, whose clothes were torn and who were blackened as if they were caught in an explosion, entered the club room.

“Ah…that’s right…”

“I was forgotten?”

And…as soon as the blackened Neru entered the room, she saw me and froze with an “oops” expression as if she remembered something she had forgotten.

My situation is really pathetic…not only was I half-forced to be dragged away, but the reason was even forgotten by the person involved, and in the end, I was forgotten.

“…This…I can’t do anything about it either, manager…”

“Ah…th…I see! I’m sorry…”

Well…still, I’m glad that I didn’t have to move my body unnecessarily.

If this is the case, maybe it’ll just pass…

“Wait until tomorrow, I’ll properly entertain you in our club room.”

Unfortunately, such a future did not exist, and the other party made a ridiculous proposal.

“Yes? I’m a person with separate work?!”

I did come to Millennium through work that I received half as an excuse, but still, there is something I have to do.

Even if it’s work that I received as an excuse, officially and outwardly, I came on business, so I have to do everything I have to do.

…Considering the difficulty of the work, there’s no big problem…probably…but it’ll be tight in terms of time…?

If I’m half-forced to engage in sparring tomorrow…I’ll probably have a very hard time.

“You won’t have a place to stay anyway! Whether you do it or not, stay quietly!”

“I have a place to stay…”

“Haang?”

“…I’ll stay overnight…”

Of course I would have a place to stay, since I came because of public service.

But…it seems that the woman in front of me, Neru, had no intention of letting that go.

Thanks to that, the reality that my work tomorrow will be chased by time has cruelly come to me.

…Really, what kind of bad luck…

“Training room 71, sparring room MSSTR main program access complete, facility software integrity check start…complete, facility hardware inspection start…”

“Is it Millennium after all…”

I spent a day in a room left in the C&C club room…and in the end, I had to be dragged to the training facility inside Millennium by Neru of C&C.

The training facility…should I say it’s Millennium as expected?

It was full of fairly state-of-the-art machines, and even a training facility that I saw in an SF action movie was equipped.

I felt this right now, as soon as the announcement that the facility hardware inspection started, the walls inside the training room moved and the surrounding environment began to change.

The training facility itself was located underground in Millennium, and still, it used the entire width of 3 floors underground in one building, so there would probably be no problems caused by being narrow.

“Facility hardware inspection complete, 87.17 seconds remaining until start. Both training subjects are requested to wait in place until the start signal falls.”

Sigh…I really can’t believe it.

I don’t know why I’m here.

As if knowing my feelings, even though the hardware inspection was over, the opponent is still staring at me far away through the gaps between the walls and structures that move.

I think I’m really going crazy…but what can I do…Mika-senpai’s giant ball just hit my head exactly…

As I thought before, I don’t want to blame Mika-senpai, and I struggled to somehow avoid it, but since it’s come to this, let’s try to do our best.

So I quickly and accurately corrected my posture and engaged.

The opponent’s armament is…an akimbo using two MPXs from Sieger, which was acquired by Millennium last year, and even tied the two with chains.

I can just think of it as simply cool, but when I saw the acrobatic movements I glimpsed during the Millennium Festival, I’m sure she’s good at close combat…

I’m also good at close combat, but since the opponent’s skill is not yet certain, let’s go to a medium-range battle where I can be a little ahead of the opponent.

I turn the cylinder of my SRM…aeternitas and replace it with slug rounds.

“15 seconds remaining until start.”

I draw up the mystery from the dantian.

I finish preheating so that I can use it at any time.

So that I can clarify my vision and accelerate my thinking at any time…so that I can strengthen my body at any time, I rotate the mystery to every corner of my body.

“10….9….8…”

Only now did the movement of the surrounding walls stop and the surrounding environment was fixed.

I quickly focus the mystery on my eyes and quickly grasp the nearby environment.

A somewhat complex environment with structures cluttered, I judged that it would be advantageous to occupy high ground.

Once the judgment is over, preparation is quick.

I immediately concentrate the mystery on my legs and wait for the start signal.

“7…6…5…4…3…”

Only 3 seconds remained until the start time…

The mystery prepared to jump greatly if only to explode at any time, following the enhanced vision so that even bullets flying can be captured, and finally, even the enhanced vision is strengthened so that it can be followed.

Funnily enough…it all went to waste.

“Training room 71 software initialization, MSSTR main program access release and termination”

“What, what?”

“…What…do we have to wait again…?”

Suddenly, the announcement that the training room program was turned off resounded inside the training room, and the walls that moved and formed a complex structure went down to the ground again, and in the end, the inside of the training ground became empty.

Absurdly, the training facility suddenly turned off, and it was clear that there was a problem, so the sparring was stopped even though it didn’t start, so I had to calm down the mystery that I had raised.

“Leader, it’s a big deal!”

“Haang? What is it! Is it a big enough deal to suddenly turn off the training program?!”

Kakudate Karin, she started shouting that it was a big deal, entering the empty training ground.

Maybe she’s the reason why the training program was turned off…

Anyway, the reason is…

“There was an explosion in the engineering department.”

“It always happened…it’s okay to go slowly…”

“That’s…leader, the Game Development Department and Sensei were in the engineering department.”

Sensei, that person is weak.

There was an explosion in the engineering department, and if Sensei was caught up in it, he would never be safe.

There is…Yumeka too.

“Haa?! You should have said that first!”

“…What…? I have to run right away! What are you doing!”

“Uh, hey!”

Worry, Yumeka and Sensei, especially Sensei, both are people who would not be safe if they were caught in an explosion, Sensei is inherently weaker than us, and Yumeka is weak because she is still a child.

That’s why I answered with a raised voice full of worry and ran out of the training ground and ran towards the engineering department.

I came to the engineering department with the children of the Game Development Department and Yumeka, who was asked by Sora.

The children of the engineering department said they had something to show us, so I thought it would be fun, and Yumeka also had something to do in the engineering department, so I brought her along.

It was quite difficult to persuade Yumeka, who asked to go a little later…but in conclusion…and even if I regret it, it’s already too late…it would have been better to listen to Yumeka.

-Boom!!!-

[What happened..]

What the engineering department said they would show us was a suspicious machine that had been found here and there in Millennium since some time ago.

A suspicious machine, yes…I don’t know what it is, but it is clear that it is related to the facility where I and the children of the Game Development Department found Aris.

It’s because there is such perfect evidence and circumstances that explain it.

The evidence was simple.

The suspicious machines that the engineering department said they had secured and Aris came into contact, and then Aris and the machines started to run amok.

“Ugh?!”

“Maki!!!”

Aris’ railgun bombardment was blocked by Maki, who clung to Aris to stop it.

Maki was hit in the solar plexus, rolled several times, flew away, and eventually fainted.

Calmness…I need to find calmness.

But…a sudden event, the sudden change of a child named Aris, who is always kind and a little quirky but upright, was enough to stop my thinking.

“Restarting the protocol. Starting the reloading sequence of the held armament.”

-Whirr…-

“Ah, ah…”

“Wh, what…Aris-chan! Aris-chan!”

“…Ugh…”

[Wait! Yumeka!]

Before I could even stop her, while my thoughts were stopped, Yumeka, leading that small body, the child who would be the most scared of this situation, started running towards Aris, who was in an abnormal state.

I should have stopped her…but there was no time to stop her.

“Fir….”

“Hup…!”

While the distance between Yumeka and Aris was getting closer, just before the light emitted from the end of Aris’ light sword, a familiar white flash blocked the two.

Sora, a student I trust, stood in the way of Aris.

-Thump!!!, Boom!!!-

At the same time, a metallic impact sound resonates and a single ray of light is embedded in the sky.

“Ha, is that a feisty brat?”

“Ueek…dizzy…”

At the same time, a scarlet flash flickers in front of my eyes, and I hear a familiar voice from the side.

Neru, she was standing next to me, holding a child with a similar body…Yumeka.

In that short time, she rescued that child and moved her to a relatively safe place next to me.

Relief, I regain my composure with the relief that no one else was hurt.

“Well then, Sensei? Let’s clean it up quickly and give me an explanation. So…hey, let’s go.”

“I’ll support you.”

“Yes, leave the rear to me.”

[…Okay, I’ll ask you. Arona?]

“Yes! I’ll switch to command mode. Sensei!”

At the same time as the children of C&C joined, the flow of the battlefield changed.

I hope Sora will stop Aris well…I start to command.

“Fir….”

“Hup…!”

It was reflexive.

For some reason, Aris, who aimed the muzzle of an absurdly large railgun at Sensei and the other children and put her hand on the trigger, and Yumeka, who ran towards Aris without thinking to somehow stop it, were found.

It was literally reflexive.

I concentrate the mystery on my legs and jump, stand between the two, exactly in front of Aris, and kick the railgun from below.

-Thump!!!, Boom!!!-

I don’t calm down the mystery used to jump, and while maintaining the strengthened leg muscles, I kick the bottom of the railgun with my foot.

Unable to withstand the impact, the muzzle of the railgun points to the sky, and a single ray of light is engraved in the empty sky, the void.

It was reflexive and urgent, so I couldn’t control my strength, but it was a kick with the intention of blowing away the railgun in the first place, so I think she was holding that railgun with a stronger force than I imagined, considering that only the direction of the muzzle was moved upwards.

The weight would probably be beyond imagination.

And with this, I was convinced.

Now, this being who is either Aris or something wearing the mask of Aris, I don’t know, but it is sincerely trying to harm everyone.

“I have identified a disturbance element, weapon misfire. The risk level of the disturbance element is high, it is designated as a priority exclusion target.”

“Let’s see you try!”

Aris lowered the railgun that she had kicked up again and swung it greatly at close range.

If it were my previous life, I would have been stunned for a moment at how such a small body could have such a strong power, but I felt a strong wind pressure.

But unfortunately for Aris, that kind of power and wind pressure are familiar to me now.

“…Increasing the risk level of the disturbance element to very high!”

“Hup…!”

I avoid the swung railgun by leaning my upper body back greatly, then grab a part of it with my left hand and rotate greatly, naturally leading to a kick.

Still, the kick was a little less mysterious because the opponent was the opponent, and nevertheless…at least the impact of the kick was the heaviest among the opponents I had hit, and Aris was blown away.

No, she wasn’t blown away.

Even though I reduced the mystery a little, even Wakamo was blown away by a weaker force, but Aris endured it.

A tactic that I use whenever I can, although not often, is a fighting method that grabs the opponent’s weapon and blows the opponent away in reverse.

But absurdly, Aris endured that kick with the grip that grabbed the railgun and didn’t get blown away far.

“Really, what kind of power is that…!”

“Ugh…!”

-Thud!-

Judgment must be fast.

Without being embarrassed, I concentrate the mystery on both arms, rotate it greatly vertically with the railgun, and slam it into the ground with the combined force of centrifugal force and arm muscles.

I didn’t want to do it in earnest because the opponent was the opponent, but I had to do it in earnest from the middle.

Fortunately, it didn’t end with this and it didn’t lead to the absurd story that she was still rampaging, and Aris…eventually fainted.

“…”

I pick up the fainted Aris and look around…

Sensei and the other students were cleaning up the situation with the fragments of several machines.

…As expected of Sensei, it seems that he quickly cleaned up the situation by fully demonstrating his unique leadership skills.

Yeah, wait…it seemed like that for a very brief moment.

“Sensei!! Sensei!!”

“Ah, ah, Momoi….”

“…In the end…”

[Midori, Yuzu, what’s wrong!]

“Sister…! Sister…!”

It was the moment when the trivial daily life that continued as always collapsed.

“Momoi…?!”

[Midori! Yuzu! What happened?!]

Momoi and Midori, supported by Yuzu, approached me.

The faces of the two, who always bickered but were as close as real twins, were stained with tears, and their voices were cracking as if they were crying.

This can’t be…

[Hey, hey! What happened?!]

“Ugh…”

“…Sister…sister…”

[…Arona! Check Aris’ condition!]

“Yes…vital signs are stable, but she is unconscious. I have confirmed a slight concussion.”

I put down Aris, who I was holding, for a moment.

The condition itself is not life-threatening…but a slight concussion is confirmed.

I’ve already taken care of that, so there’s no way I can make a precise judgment, but the conclusion that the concussion is ‘slight’ is…a little too calm.

Even so, I confirmed that the child was safe, so my confused mind, which had been frozen since Aris ran amok, started to move again.

The frozen blood flow circulates again, and the stopped thinking begins to rotate again.

But…I’m getting a bad feeling.

“Momoi! Say it properly! What happened?!”

“…The weapon that Aris used earlier…it wasn’t just an ordinary weapon…”

“…?”

“That…the laser…that was used…it’s not for stunning…it’s a laser for killing…!”

“What did you say…?”

The world seems to stop.

I can’t understand it.

It’s not a stun weapon, but a weapon for killing…so why is Aris…?

I can’t understand…I don’t want to understand…but…

[…Everyone, stop it. Now, let’s go back to the shelter.]

“…What are you talking about?! You haven’t heard the explanation yet?!”

“Sensei…you can’t be serious…”

[…It’s okay. Everyone, please go back to the shelter first. I’ll handle the rest.]

[This situation…I’ll take care of everything.]

-Tududududu-

I hear the sound of automatic rifle fire.

But…it’s strange.

The children of C&C…and Aris’ armament…should be different…

I didn’t come out.

Then where is that sound coming from?

“…Everyone…get out of here!”

“Ueek?!”

I don’t know, I really don’t know what’s going on…

But Neru’s warning…

I, Neru, and Sora, who were left, ran out of the engineering department without looking back.

“…So you got away…?”

“Ah…sorry…I’ll be going now…”

I got away from the engineering department.

I came out somehow…

Honestly, I’m scared.

I’m used to battle…but…I’m used to fighting, but it’s hard to get used to the scene where someone collapses.

I came here half-forced…no, not really…but…

I don’t have time to look at a child who is so weak, so I have to hurry…

“Hey, Sora.”

“…?”

“What are you so scared of?”

What…?

I’m sure I’m scared right now…but…why is Neru asking such a thing…?

I’m scared of…the engineering department…I’m scared of the scene…I’m scared of the situation…

But…what I have to do…it’s decided…

“I don’t know…but I have to go back…I have to go back to Sensei…”

“…That’s it…”

Neru…the eyes of the woman in front of me…changed.

I don’t know what changed, but it’s clear that she’s thinking something different now.

“I’m going too.”

“What…? Then me…”

“I said I’d fight you, right?”

Yeah, if that woman goes back, I don’t have to go back.

Even if I go back, I don’t think there’s much I can do.

But…

“…I’ll go too.”

“…? Why…?”

Yeah, even if I go back, there’s not much I can do.

But…that’s…

“…I’m his bodyguard, so…”

Yeah, that’s…that’s my job…so…

“Ha…fine…I’ll help you a little…for now…”

“I…I’m going too…!”

Karin…?

You…shouldn’t you be contacting the others…?

“The others are fine! I’ll go! If that being named Aris is still rampaging, I have to go! That is our…no, my friend…!”

…Really…the people around me…

-Phew-

“Ugh…!”

“It’s been a while…Wakamo…”

“You…how…?”

I was pushed to the point of no return.

I don’t know how…but Wakamo, who I thought I had defeated for sure…is rampaging again.

“…Don’t…hurt…my friends…!”

Aris…how…I have to stop her somehow…but…

I can’t do anything…

My body…won’t listen…

“Kufufu…so, so weak…what can you protect like that…?”

“…”

“Kufufu…let’s finish it…”

“Don’t interfere.”

“…?”

“Don’t…touch…my teacher…!”

“…Hmm…”

“Hey.”

“…?”

“…You know…that’s my line…”

“Don’t…touch…”

“So…let me borrow some of your time for a bit?”

-SLASH-

Two lines.

Two lights were drawn in front of my eyes.

One is white, like an angel.

The other is scarlet, like a demon.

And…

“Huh…? Are you…?”

I see.

Right…this is…

“…So that’s how it is…”

The moment of understanding.

The moment of reunion.

And…

“So…everyone…was waiting for me…”

The moment of return.