"Yeah, I'll count on you."
"Got it. I'll look into it."
The call with the surprisingly capable Jeanne ended.
A while had passed since that attack, and the second meeting was just two days away. Of course, the culprit hadn't been caught, and Holy Heavens had apparently been unable to leave her home.
Fortunately, or so I guess, Kikunojo Tendo seemed to be cutting his trip short to return early. Though, whether that would actually change anything remained to be seen.
So, it wasn't Tina after all? After the incident, I checked the scene, but there was no sign of the guy I was supposed to have defeated, not even a drop of blood. Maybe it was because of the rain? Because of that, even the mind reader was stumped.
At the debriefing (a kind of reflection meeting) for the first meeting and the meeting for the second, a new club was formed: "Shou Yozuki is the one who's bringing in the assassins."
You probably already know, but it's Yasuwaki.
He's seriously off the rails. What's crazy is how he's trying to pin the crime on me, ignoring all logic. All the other guards were backing away from him.
And on top of that... he's strangely overconfident... I just have a bad feeling about him.
I'm only observing him because I know that if I talk to him, things will get out of hand.
Besides, I'm not exactly well-liked by the other people, either. While not as bad as Yasuwaki, I guess it's understandable that the elites don't like some newcomer like me.
But Yasuwaki is so pathetic that he's even shunned by those people who have a common enemy. You'd think that's the time they'd cooperate.
Leaving those people aside, let's talk about the assassination attempt.
I asked Jeanne to investigate because she's an Informa, a former I-Who, and can use her old network to look into the shady stuff.
She said she'd get back to me as early as tomorrow. That's a huge help. It'll be just in time for the meeting.
"Alright, let's go."
I started walking towards my destination.
--------
"Here you go."
"Thank you."
I handed the takoyaki I'd bought to Tina, who was sitting on a bench. She looked as sleepy as ever.
I sat down next to her and put some sauce and mayonnaise on the takoyaki.
Tina wasn't in her pajamas; she was wearing an orange hoodie over a yellow parka and a black miniskirt.
By the way, it was just the two of us. I wasn't acting alone. I was meeting with Chloe.
Chloe, still in elementary school, isn't recommended for missions. She has to prioritize her classes. Since I was asked by Holy Heavens to come as soon as possible, I used my afternoon elective period (for high schoolers, regular classes end in the morning, and the afternoon is for honing skills or taking on missions) to come to the park with the fountain in front of Holy Heavens' mansion.
When I got there, I unexpectedly ran into Tina.
After a moment of hesitation, I decided to keep her company. Just like with Riko, what's written down might be different from reality.
And to be a little crude, I thought I might learn something about her mysterious abilities by talking to her.
But Tina was as consistent as ever.
As usual, she sprinkled an absurd amount of caffeine tablets on her takoyaki. It looked so unappetizing.
She poked a takoyaki with a long toothpick and brought it to her mouth, but...
"A-ow...!"
It didn't make it into her open mouth and landed on the ground with a splat.
"Oh, come on. Here, give it to me."
I took the toothpick from Tina and poked the takoyaki. After making sure it was firmly stuck to the octopus inside, I put it into Tina's mouth.
Her cheeks puffed up as she chewed the whole thing. The sight of her struggling to chew it... was kind of nice. It cleansed my soul.
"Sho-shan, more pleash."
She begged for more even with her mouth still full.
"Alright, alright. Eat up, eat up."
"Munch, munch."
She quickly gobbled down the second and third ones, making me wonder if she was eating properly.
"Hey, you've got sauce on your face."
I occasionally wiped the sauce off her mouth with a tissue. A peaceful moment passed between us.
This is going to be a mess when Chloe gets here. Oh well, I'll deal with that when the time comes.
"Thank you for today. For keeping me company."
"Oh, I had some free time anyway."
A bit of a lie.
"I like you, Shou-san."
"That's a sudden confession."
"It's not in a romantic way, you know? I'm just a kid, so I don't understand those things yet. But..."
Sudden, out-of-the-blue "I like you's" are still bad for my heart. I've gotten used to a certain amount of physical contact, though. Yeah, I'm trash.
This is just the straightforward emotional expression of a child. I won't get the wrong idea.
"It's been a while since someone has been so nice to me. I haven't been very happy since my parents died."
"..."
Tina said this with a dark expression and a quiet voice.
My phone rang. At that moment, Tina's face stiffened. It wasn't mine; it was hers.
"You can take it."
"No, I'm going home now."
Tina stood up, turned her back to me, and started running, but then...
"Will you meet with me again?"
She looked back with an anxious expression.
"Yeah. Come again."
We'd already exchanged contact information.
When I answered with a smile, Tina's face relaxed, and she ran off.
...Though I have a feeling the next time we meet, it'll be in a fight.
"'Painful'... huh..."
I looked up at the clouds and muttered to myself.
"I have some leftover takoyaki. Want some?"
A golden-haired girl appeared before me just as Tina was leaving. She was wearing a black outfit with a rather provocative design, with only the metal fittings standing out. But her beautiful, long golden hair was even more striking.
"No, I prefer taiyaki."
The girl, who was a complete stranger, responded as if we were making small talk, and then used a massive, spiked iron ball to smash the bench I was sitting on into splinters.
"I have no grudge against you, but you must die here."
This girl...!
She was on me in an instant, swinging a hand that had transformed into a blade. A car in a standstill wouldn't reach this speed even if you floored the gas pedal.
(Inherent Time Control: Time Alter, 2x Speed, Double Accel!)
I fell back and leaped backward. I barely dodged it at 2x speed.
If I hadn't anticipated the attack and prepared for it, I would have been dead.
"Transform!"
I rolled further and transformed into Paradox.
The people around the fountain finally realized something was wrong and started to run away. The voices of the scattered people grew fainter and fainter.
It's actually convenient for me that everyone's gone. I'll go all out.
"You're Golden Darkness. Who hired you?"
I asked, though I didn't expect an answer.
Her characteristic clothes and abilities were unmistakable.
This girl is Golden Darkness. A character from To Love-Ru, she's a killer with the ability to freely change her entire body with nanomachines, a transformation.
I was supposed to be guarding against assassins, but now I've got a killer sent after me. And a really strong one, too.
"You knew? But it's meaningless to ask."
"Is it because I'm going to die here?"
This time was different. I could keep up with her speed.
I calmly parried the hand that Darkness swung at me. Her face was filled with surprise. She probably didn't expect me to react so perfectly.
I threw a punch at Darkness, but it didn't land.
The battlefield moved from the ground to the air. Darkness grew wings from her back, and I created footholds using the game area.
My Rubber Rubber Punch was dodged with a graceful roll, and in return, I was crushed by a giant iron ball.
"I see, it's just as my client said. A pervert who likes to assault innocent girls."
"Hold on a second."
I'm going to kill that client.
"And to top it off, a lecher who makes passes at anyone, regardless of age, gender, or orientation."
"That's not... wait... that's not... It's not! I don't make passes at men!"
At first, I couldn't deny it, but then I reacted to the unsettling word in her statement.
I'm definitely going to kill that client!
"Full-on transform!"
"It's useless."
Her hair started to writhe. Each strand became a sharp blade, raining down all around me.
It was a relentless attack that I couldn't even get close to. She must have been cautious about my change in form, keeping her distance and not letting me move properly.
"Haaaaaaaah!"
I brought my arm armor together and unleashed a fiery aura. It acted as a barrier, and her attack slowed down.
Phew... There's no other way. I didn't want to use this move, but I don't have a choice.
I took a deep breath, so exaggerated that anyone could see it. Seeing me, Darkness stopped moving. Was she being cautious?
I don't know what kind of information she received from her client, but she's not making a decision based on that alone.
But it's meaningless. You should have either ignored this and cut me down, or covered your ears. Since you didn't do either, I've already won.
I unleashed the air I took in all at once, with the intention of a one-hit reversal!
"Your panties are white today!"
"Wha--!"
Darkness grabbed her short skirt. Both her hands were occupied, and her razor-sharp hair softened.
It's no surprise they'd be visible when you're flying around in a short skirt. If you don't want people to see, don't wear a skirt!
"You're mine, aaaaaaah!"
Inherent Time Control: Time Alter, 4x Speed, Square Accel!
"Break through it, aaaaaaah!"
Since I can't use my Puzzle ability right now, I'll use another ability to accelerate.
Darkness couldn't react to my perverted comment and sudden acceleration. I easily broke through the defenses she put up in a panic and pierced through them.
My fiery fist then caused a massive explosion.
The heat and shockwave of the explosion distorted the fence and blew away the plants. Darkness was sent flying through the fountain to the other side.
"Phew..."
I rotated my arm and took a breath.
A figure jumped out of the rubble and disappeared.
That was Darkness. I somehow managed to repel her. Even though it was the worst way to win. And how is she not knocked out from that?
I released my transformation.
The park, which had been so beautiful and green, was unrecognizable. The flowers in the flowerbeds were trampled, and the water to the fountain seemed to have been cut off due to a broken pipe.
I really am sorry about this.
As I was feeling down about the destruction, I fell to the ground.
"...Huh?"
I felt a strange sensation in my abdomen and touched it.
I felt a slick, warm sensation.
It was my blood.
The last thing I saw through my blurry vision was a skull mask holding a blood-stained knife.
--------
"To fail after I paid so much money. Golden Darkness."
"..."
In a back alley, there was Yasuwaki. It was hard to see in the darkness, but Darkness was there, her clothes tattered. The damage from the fight with Shou had not yet subsided.
Darkness was an assassin hired by Yasuwaki to kill Shou.
Yasuwaki had just gained a new power, but there's a huge difference between killing an assassin and killing a detective he was fighting alongside (of course, Yasuwaki didn't see it that way).
It was obvious the latter was a much heavier crime.
Once he calmed down, Yasuwaki thought about what would happen if he got caught, so he decided to leave the job of killing Shou to Darkness. And also the job of killing the assassin who was targeting Holy Heavens.
"I will get him next time. I will be on my way--"
"Wait. You don't need to worry about Shou Yozuki anymore. He was stabbed in the stomach by a street mugger and is in critical condition. I don't know who did it, but he's a fool."
After that, Shou was immediately taken to the hospital by Chloe, who rushed to the scene. He had already received the news. He couldn't help but laugh openly, drawing strange looks from those around him, but Yasuwaki was not a person who was bothered by such trivial things anymore.
"I have another job for you. If anyone attacks Holy Heavens at the meeting the day after tomorrow, kill them. Don't worry about the number of people. I'll pay you more for it."
"...Understood. But I don't need the money. I failed this time."
"Hmph, do as you please... In the end, it won't matter anyway."
Yasuwaki muttered, his voice disappearing into the darkness.
He intended to eliminate Darkness as soon as everything was over.
Even though Darkness was a professional assassin, he wanted to make sure that no information about what he'd done would leak out. Darkness would just look like she was part of the assassin group. One more dead body wouldn't make a difference.
Before he awakened his 'power,' this would have been impossible, but now it was different. Now he could be by Holy Heavens' side no matter where she was.
"Honestly, slumped over the desk like that... You'll get a mark on your face, Holy Heavens."
Yasuwaki walked down the night street like a ghost.
--------
Tina went home and immediately took a shower.
She hadn't been clumsy enough to get blood on herself, but she still wanted to wash it away.
"I'm sorry...!"
No matter how much she scrubbed, the feeling of stabbing someone remained vividly on her hands.
Tears streamed down her face, and when she closed her eyes, she saw the image of Shou, bleeding profusely from the wound she had created.
When she heard the name, Tina's heart felt like it had stopped for a moment.
<...Oh? That reaction. Do you know something about them? >
The phone call she received after parting with Shou instantly erased her happy feelings.
Shou had started fighting an unknown woman. When Shou transformed into Paradox, tears welled up in Tina's eyes.
She forced her pounding heart to calm down by using a card.
After the fight ended with Shou's victory, she attacked him from behind as he was catching his breath...
"I'm sorry... Shou-san...!"
Her master's orders were absolute. If she disobeyed, she wouldn't just lose her home. She would lose her life.
This wasn't the first time she had hurt someone. She had been like a doll, calmly carrying out her master's orders. But this time, it was painful.
The phone rang.
"!"
Tina's hands trembled as she touched the screen and slowly answered the call.
"...Yes, Master."
"Oh, uh, I..."
"...!"
<...Well, we'll deal with that later. The next plan for the meeting has been sent. Chloe von Einzbern will be there, but Shou Yozuki won't. This is your last chance. Do not fail.>
Tina realized that her life was over. She knew that as soon as this mission was completed, she would be eliminated by her master.
Even if she tried to run away, a naive girl like her couldn't survive on her own, and it would only be a matter of time before her pursuers found her.
A killing machine shouldn't have unnecessary emotions. She should pull the trigger mechanically and be cold to her targets.
When she couldn't do that anymore...
"I'm sorry... Shou-san...!"
She spent the entire night crying, repeating those words over and over.
--------------------------------------------
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