Two days had passed since Kosaka Wakamo's insane plan came to light.
We had given Odyseia Maritime School advance warning, but those incredible idiots still managed to get their school ship, the Nereus, hijacked by her.
Seriously, are you kidding me?
Frankly, if we just responded with anti-ship missiles, we could end this situation with minimal damage, even with Wakamo on a rampage. But Odyseia, with a complete lack of shame, came to us begging, 'That's our precious school ship, so please don't blow it up…'.
They offered corresponding compensation so it wasn't an entirely baseless request, but the sight of them asking us to clean up a mess they'd created through their own carelessness was infuriating.
More importantly, the ship they got hijacked was a cargo ship. And it was equipped with ship-to-surface missiles. Have they all gone completely mad?
Since Odyseia had pleaded so earnestly, we decided against preparing our own anti-ship missiles and instead left the missile interception to them. Our plan was to infiltrate the school ship directly and neutralize Wakamo.
The infiltration team would consist of me and the FOX Squad. A clean five-person team.
Aside from a few key crew members, most of the personnel on the ship had been subdued, and control was firmly in the hands of Wakamo and her mercenaries. This meant that as long as a small team could successfully infiltrate, ending the situation shouldn't be too difficult.
Normally, this would be a job for our tactical weapon, Tsurugi, but I decided to let her focus on the team events while I handled this myself.
Since we had advance intelligence, as long as Odyseia could successfully intercept the missiles, this was a chance to end the incident with minimal fuss and capture Wakamo ahead of schedule.
She'd probably just break out when the Sanctum Tower's authority fails anyway, but by then, Sensei will be here, so it won't be my problem. If she could just stay nicely locked up until then, I wouldn't ask for anything more.
"Mika, the phrase 'too much of a good thing' exists for a reason."
"Seia-chan, my head is killing me. Can we just get straight to the point today? I feel like I'm going to die from exhaustion."
The source of this stress was entirely due to the fact that, even before the team events began, the score had widened to 39 to 51. I might have said I should just accept defeat and look out for myself, but my desire to win hadn't changed. As a result, my mental state has been a rollercoaster, swinging with every result.
Unexpectedly, my interpersonal relationships have improved a lot, so the stress from that has decreased significantly, but… I don't know.
The most depressing part is that even when the festival is over, I don't get a break.
If I win, I just have to bring Makoto to Trinity for a week and act as her glorified babysitter. If I lose, who knows what she'll do to me. Looking back, it was a bet I never should have accepted.
No, wait. It wasn't like I wanted to accept it in the first place.
"Wow—"
"Mika, I will be sure to relay that last remark to Nagisa."
"Seia-chan, are you not afraid of the fist that is right next to you?"
"!"
I pulled the fox-eared Seia into a tight hug and closed my eyes. For some reason, as long as she kept her mouth shut and let me hold her, Seia had a calming effect.
Today's team events were split into a warm-up and the main event. A penalty relay race that screamed 'Kivotos,' and a mock battle on the beach.
From the team events onward, every win was worth 10 points. With four team events over two days, considering the current score difference, we could afford to lose once.
The problem would arise the moment we lost a second time. In that case, I would lose my bet, and Trinity would suffer the humiliation of defeat.
Honestly, I didn't care much about the latter, but the former was something I would never accept. I would rather be Makoto's babysitter than her slave.
"So, what did you mean by what you said earlier?"
"I understand you have many worries, but all the things that are troubling you now will be resolved. That is what I meant."
"Hmm… really? But Seia-chan, why are you only telling me something so important now?"
"Ahem. That, my dear, is because there is a right time for everything. Is that not obvious?"
Normally, I would have flicked her on the forehead, but right now, I didn't even have the energy for that. I just held her blankly and closed my eyes.
"Hey, Seia-chan. Can you wake me up in exactly one hour?"
"I say, Mika. If you are going to sleep, you could at least let me go. Ugh… your arms…"
Just a little while. Just until lunchtime, let me close my eyes like this.
A familiar scene greeted me.
The Tea Party office. Not the one I usually used, but an office high up in the Tea Party building.
A night sky, clear of clouds and densely packed with stars, welcomed me.
"Mika, are you aware that there is no way to defy the great flow of destiny?"
"Ah."
"Another word for destiny is inevitability. The conclusion that must be reached, no matter the chain of causality… the final destination one cannot help but arrive at."
"Seia-chan. Can you come over here for a second?"
"?"
The little fox girl from the future, who had been leaning against the railing spouting her usual 'Seia-speak,' blinked and approached me. The slight hesitation in her steps suggested she had a feeling she knew what was coming.
"I think our brilliant Seia-chan already knows what I'm about to do☆. Why don't you say it out loud for me?"
"A forehead flick, I presume?"
"Ahaha, you know me so well☆. Are you from the same time as the Seia-chan I saw last time? The past? The future?"
"Strictly speaking, I believe we are from the same time period. For me, it has only been a week since our last meeting."
"A week… I see. For me, it's been months."
I slowly raised my hand, and the Seia in front of me squeezed her eyes shut.
"Could you… possibly let me off just this once?"
"Eh."
What is this? Give me my Seia back.
"I have found that if I do this, you often refrain from hitting me. Did it work?"
No, on second thought, you don't have to give her back. Just give me back the adorable Seia from ten seconds ago… please!
"Hmm. I think I see why you usually don't hit her."
Thwack!
"Hic?!"
"But, you see, I'm in a bit of a weakened state of mind and body right now. This is your fault for tormenting me with that roundabout way of speaking of yours. So you can understand, right? Right?"
"What could I possibly do even if I did not understand? Of course I understand. Of course…"
"Oh? I don't remember you being this negative last time."
"I was merely playing along in a way you would enjoy. The me from your time likely does not know how to be so friendly…"
"She's been pushing her head into my hand asking for pets for a while now. I was just holding her a few moments ago."
"?!"
Hearing my words, Seia's eyes widened, and she looked up at me in shock. Hmm. So this was a change this version of Seia hadn't experienced.
Well, whatever. My Seia could serve as an excellent emotional support plushie, so it was all good.
"Actually, I was hoping I'd get to see you again. There was something I wanted to ask."
"What is it?"
"That thing you told me back then… about not hesitating at the most important moment of choice. The thing about not needing to doubt a choice made for your sake. Does that still apply to me now?"
I had secretly suspected that her words were referring to my choice not to proceed with the plan involving her assassination by Arius. But thinking about my recent involvement with Gematria, I had come to the conclusion that it might be something else.
Now that the opportunity had presented itself, how could I not confirm it?
"It is still valid."
"Ahaha. I see."
I was just trying to get a little shut-eye, and now this?
In other words, the path of suffering that lies before me is still very much intact.
Maybe I shouldn't have asked. But then again, it's better to know than to do something stupid out of ignorance. I sighed.
"Then what was all that talk about destiny and inevitability?"
"That, I cannot explain in detail. Do not misunderstand me. It is not that I do not wish to tell you. The act of telling you itself would bring you harm, so I must conceal it. It is what one might call a leak of celestial secrets…"
"So in the end, you can't tell me the details. Well, I kind of expected that. It just means something big is going to happen, so I should be prepared, right? That's what it sounds like to me."
"In summary, yes."
"Sigh… Seia-chan, you're at it again."
I walked over to the railing and silently looked up at the night sky. Just then, a shooting star streaked across it, a rather romantic sight.
As I watched it, a thought popped into my head and came out of my mouth without passing through my brain.
"Hey, Seia-chan. Am I… doing a good job?"
"…"
"A lot of things have gone and are going the way I want them to. But sometimes, I wonder. Was what I thought was the best choice really the best choice? Yes, I think about things like that."
"Mika, if you doubt your own choices, everything will crumble from within. So do not be afraid, and have faith. There are more than enough people around you to correct a misplaced faith."
"Ahaha. I guess I still have a long way to go before I'm mature."
"Well, think of it as a good thing. Strictly speaking, have you not become younger? It can hardly be considered a bad thing."
"That's true."
I wondered if there was anything else I wanted to ask, but I cleared my mind of such thoughts. I had tried to take a nap to rest my brain; it seemed a bit much to overwork it even then.
The night sky here was too beautiful to spend my time tormenting myself. It was as if the ideal world everyone wished for was contained within it.
"Seia-chan, do you have that thing today?"
"If you are referring to coffee, then of course, I have it prepared."
"Hee. You're the best, Seia-chan. Want me to pet your head?"
"I will not refuse."
A meteor shower decorated the night sky, a dazzling display. The long tails they left behind seemed to wash away my worries, one by one, like falling rain. The feeling of the fox ears twitching beneath my fingertips gave me a sense of peace.
It was far from the kind of rest I had wanted, but it was, without a doubt, a moment where I could find some peace of mind.
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