"This newcomer's pretty strong. Are you three planning to form a fixed team?"
Spink asked curiously and even tried to offer Sakiko a glass of sweet wine.
Yukino immediately assumed the air of a team leader. She refused the drink and calmly replied, "You can ask about our team if you want. Each question costs 10,000 Mission Points."
"Why don't you just rob me?"
Spink didn't get angry. He simply took the drink back as though nothing had happened.
The surrounding patrons immediately joined in, and a few even tried recruiting Sakiko themselves. Yukino rejected every offer before finally leading Makoto and Sakiko back to her room.
The instant the door closed, Yukino discarded her perfectly elegant demeanor and complained, "Those people definitely noticed something unusual about you."
"Once your condition stabilizes, Sakiko, go beat every last one of them in the Arena someday. That's the only way they'll truly behave."
A natural smile appeared on Sakiko's face.
Three Fate Value would only keep her alive for three days, but compared with the giant stone pressing on her chest that was dying tomorrow, she could finally see a real possibility of survival.
Once everyone sat down, Yukino asked, "Which world are you planning to enter next? One Piece?"
Makoto thought briefly, then nodded.
Stability was still the highest priority for Sakiko. Compared with being thrown into some unknown and potentially deadly world, One Piece was already a setting whose dangers Makoto could reasonably control.
Even the strongest enemies there generally possessed destructive power on the scale of wiping out an island with a single attack. With Spatial Manipulation and Tailed Beast chakra, Makoto was confident he could handle that level of danger.
"If neither of you objects, I was planning to leave today."
Makoto took out the World Designation Card, immediately drawing both girls' attention.
Sakiko nodded calmly.
"I don't object. I'll follow your decision."
Yukino, however, considered it for a moment.
"Makoto-kun, I'd recommend waiting one day."
Both of them looked toward her, and Yukino immediately explained.
"First, your next Mission World includes your Veteran Qualification. That means your mission definitely won't be something simple like following the original plot."
"And because you're bringing Sakiko, who's already a Veteran, the difficulty will rise even further."
Makoto was about to say he could handle it when Yukino continued.
"There's something else you might not know. One Piece is one of the Tavern Guild's primary worlds."
"If you enter One Piece and receive a mission that puts you in direct opposition to the Tavern, then even if you win, Guild members may cause trouble for you after you return."
Makoto frowned.
Is there really such a thing?
But surely that didn't mean they had to abandon the One Piece world entirely.
Yukino noticed his concern and smiled.
"Don't worry. I can ask whether the Tavern has any missions the two of you can accept."
"If you take one of their missions before entering One Piece, then you're far less likely to end up opposing the Guild."
"Besides, you only have one World Designation Card. Otherwise, we'd still need to buy another one."
Only then did Makoto realize the problem.
A World Designation Card could only be used by its owner.
Given the Main God Space's usual behavior, if an entire team wanted to enter a specific world, then Sakiko would obviously need a card of her own.
Makoto looked at Yukino gratefully.
"Thank you, Yukino. Without you, Sakiko and I might not have made it this far."
There wasn't the slightest exaggeration in those words.
Makoto was confident that he could survive in the Main God Space by himself, but when Sakiko came seeking help, he probably wouldn't have possessed enough resources or connections to save her alone.
Yukino lightly brushed back her hair, and her smile became much more genuine.
"We're teammates. Helping each other is only natural."
"All right. I'll go ask around. I recommend the two of you return to the real world and get some proper rest. Starting the mission tomorrow evening won't be too late."
With that, Yukino recovered her usual composed presence and left the room.
Sakiko watched her disappear, and the faint wariness she'd held toward Yukino gradually vanished.
Whatever relationship Yukino had with Makoto, the effort she'd put into saving Sakiko meant there was no longer any possibility of Sakiko treating her as an enemy.
'If I survive this, I should try becoming friends with Yukino.'
Makoto took Sakiko's hand.
"Want to go back together?"
"Mm."
They closed their eyes at the same time.
When their awareness settled again, both were sitting on the sofa in the hotel suite.
Only then did Sakiko finally drop the composure she'd maintained in the Main God Space. Like a peerless cat, she burrowed into Makoto's embrace, greedily enjoying the warmth of his arms.
Makoto relaxed as well and simply held her, intending to spend a simple, warm stretch of time together.
Neither of them knew that a certain mysterious electricity-wielding esper was currently staring at the hotel's security footage on her phone.
"These two, a man and woman alone together, holed up in that hotel room for so long—what exactly are they doing in there?"
Mikoto already had her suspicions, but she still clung to a sliver of hope. What if the two of them were just playing cards on the sofa... No, she couldn't keep waiting like this.
She finally called Makoto.
Yet the instant he answered, Mikoto somehow startled herself.
"What happened over there?" Makoto asked curiously.
"N-Nothing! I just kicked a concrete wall with my toe. It hurts!"
Makoto didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"Don't walk around while talking on the phone. Anyway, did you need something?"
Mikoto gave an awkward laugh. Her voice clearly lacked confidence, but she still delivered the excuse she'd prepared in advance.
"Obviously I'm calling to play games. You promised you'd play with me at least once a week."
"And today's already the weekend, so you're not allowed to break your promise!"
Makoto frowned and checked the calendar.
It really was the weekend.
Between living alone and not needing to attend school, he'd nearly forgotten that weekdays and weekends even mattered.
He glanced at Sakiko and was just about to refuse when she unexpectedly spoke first.
"Is that one of your friends? Then you shouldn't reject a friend's invitation."
Makoto looked at her in surprise.
Sakiko was smiling, her eyes full of sincerity, not as though she were lying.
Mikoto had heard her voice too.
The soft, sweet whisper flowed through the phone, giving Mikoto goosebumps all over, and she even felt heat rushing up to her face.
She'd called Makoto, yet Sakiko's whisper was the one coming through the phone—could the two of them be embracing each other?
Embracing would be one thing, but what kind of place were they embracing in? The sofa? The bathtub? Or the bed...
Thinking of this, Mikoto's face was already almost completely red.
"Fine, I promised. Where should we meet?"
Makoto's voice snapped her back to reality.
Mikoto instinctively named a cafe.
Then she immediately regretted it.
Was she really going to forcibly drag Makoto away while he was with his girlfriend?
'Wouldn't that make me the one stealing someone else's boyfriend?'
Then what exactly was her own relationship with Makoto?
Makoto was wondering something similar from the opposite direction.
Sakiko might avoid asking about Yukino because she owed her a huge debt, but why was she being equally generous about Mikoto?
She knew nothing about what had happened between Makoto and Mikoto.
As though reading the question in his eyes, Sakiko explained, "I need to understand what your life in Academy City is like eventually, don't I?"
"And I'd like to see what kind of girl you managed to befriend so soon after arriving here."
Makoto rubbed his forehead with a smile.
"You can stay here and experience all of that slowly later."
Sakiko's brows drew together slightly.
"Even if our trip to the next world succeeds tomorrow, I don't plan to remain in Academy City for long, Makoto-kun."
"I still have an incompetent father at home who needs me."
"And there are matters involving my friends that I need to properly settle."
"I've spent all my time dealing with the Main God Space until now. I finally have some strength and material security, so I don't want to leave unfinished business behind anymore."
What Sakiko truly meant was that she didn't want to leave regrets behind.
She trusted Makoto.
But even if he saved her this time, she could still die during some future mission.
If she disappeared without a word one day, how much trouble would that leave for her family and friends?
She needed to prepare for that possibility.
Makoto's tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed.
Sakiko wasn't like him, someone almost entirely alone in the world.
If anything, she had far too many family members to look after.
Once she was safe, she genuinely possessed both the strength and the motivation to settle the long-standing grievance surrounding the Togawa family.
And after resolving everything, she would probably be able to face Main God Space missions with far more motivation.
"I understand. I trust your judgment."
Seeing Makoto agree, Sakiko smoothly leaned in and lightly kissed his chin, then found her suitcase and prepared to change into presentable clothes.
Ever since leaving the Togawa family, Sakiko's financial situation had been terrible.
Simply having clean clothes that fit properly had sometimes been difficult. The elegant dresses she'd once worn as a matter of course had long since become part of the past.
But today, at least temporarily, she could return to the person she'd once been.
Makoto didn't have to wait long before Sakiko stepped back into the room.
She wore a sleeveless, high-collared blouse with a sweet, refined design and a striped ribbon tie. A lavender satin skirt fell below it, paired with white calf socks and delicate sandals.
She had merely changed clothes, yet Makoto suddenly felt as though he'd witnessed the legendary true form of White Sakiko.
No wonder she could, like a succubus, attract so many talented people into devotedly forming a band with her.
At that moment, Makoto felt like even he could've been recruited as a member.
"Well? Does it look good?"
Sakiko studied his expression, then smiled with a faint trace of playfulness.
"Judging from your face, I suppose the answer is already obvious... desuwa~"
There seemed to be something mischievous hidden beneath her smile, as though a hint of Black Sakiko's true nature still lingered underneath.
Hearing that verbal tic for the first time made Makoto feel as though he'd somehow wandered into an empty classroom at some prestigious school and encountered the young lady named Togawa Sakiko.
With a courteous, beautiful smile and just the right amount of concern, she seemed ready to approach him and ask:
'Are you Kitano-kun? You seem troubled. Is there anything I can help you with?'
Of course, that was only Makoto's imagination.
He had long since skipped the stage where the two of them needed to slowly get acquainted.
Makoto simply took Sakiko's hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed the back of it before saying, "As expected of you. You look good in anything."
"Makoto-kun, that hardly counts as a proper compliment."
"Then do I need to show you with actions?"
Makoto pulled Sakiko closer and held her in his arms. A faint lavender fragrance reached him, clearly something she'd prepared specially.
Sakiko lightly bit her red lips, stood on tiptoe, and said, "Don't mess up my hair and clothes. One minute only... mm."
One minute later, Makoto led Sakiko, whose face was flushed like peach blossoms, out the door.
Half an hour later, the two reached the cafe where Mikoto was waiting.
Mikoto, who almost never wore makeup, was actually using her phone screen as a mirror and quietly checking whether her hair was neat.
She'd never been this careful when meeting Makoto.
But after seeing the refined young lady on the hotel footage, Mikoto suddenly felt that her own status as a proper young lady was under threat.
Thankfully, she'd come alone today.
If Kuroko or Ruiko had been here to see her acting like this, her dignified image would've been completely ruined.
Sensing a familiar electromagnetic disturbance, Mikoto immediately sat upright and turned toward the approaching pair.
Even though she'd already seen Sakiko on her phone, meeting her in person still left Mikoto startled by her appearance and bearing.
She looked like the textbook image of a refined young lady who had stepped straight out of a movie.
'What kind of family raises someone like this?'
Sakiko carried a small square handbag and bowed politely.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Togawa Sakiko, a friend of Kitano-kun."
Startled, Mikoto hurriedly stood and bowed back.
Thankfully, Tokiwadai's etiquette training came to her rescue, preventing her from losing ground immediately.
The three sat down.
Before Mikoto could even decide on an opening line, Sakiko began showering her with praise.
"So you're Academy City's famous third-ranked Level 5 esper. Thank you very much for looking after Kitano-kun."
"You're exactly as he described you: brave, capable, righteous, and kind."
For a moment, Makoto was struck by an intense sense of deja vu.
This was exactly how White Sakiko had once praised Takamatsu Tomori and drawn her into her scheme to become a vocalist.
Mikoto, meanwhile, completely lost her composure under the relentless compliments.
Eventually, she began waving both hands in surrender.
"Sakiko, can we please just talk normally? If you keep praising me like this, I-I'm seriously going to run away!"
…