At Yokohama's Rotterwald, Kyoko and Chiba were engrossed in what they called "information exchange" but was really just gossip. Inagaki, sipping his coffee with a look of exasperation, watched them. He lacked the courage to join the conversation between the refined Fujibayashi heiress and the somewhat tarnished Chiba heir.
"Master, another round," Inagaki called.
"Inagaki-kun, aren't you drinking a bit much?" the Master replied.
"If the Inspector would wrap up his chit-chat, I wouldn't need to drown my sorrows like this."
"Then why not join us?" Chiba teased.
"You haven't forgotten why we're here, have you?" Inagaki shot back.
Chiba still hadn't gotten any information from the Master, which was why Inagaki had been radiating a prickly vibe for a while now.
"Um, may I step out for a moment?" Kyoko interjected, holding her device as she approached Chiba and Inagaki. She hadn't meant to interrupt, but the message she'd received was too sensitive to discuss here, so she sought permission to excuse herself.
"Take your time," Chiba said with a wave.
Once Kyoko stepped away, Chiba checked that no one else was nearby before leaning toward the Master. "Have you seen any suspicious characters around lately? Or know anyone who has?"
Inagaki raised an eyebrow, impressed by his younger superior's directness. Chiba's face, usually softened by his flirtations with Kyoko, was now sharp and focused—almost unrecognizable.
Meanwhile, Kyoko slipped into her car and resumed the paused call. "Sorry, there were people nearby."
"No worries," the voice on the other end replied. "I hesitated to ask a Second Lieutenant like you for this."
"Don't sweat it. Covering for Captain Daikoku is part of my job."
"Thank you. There's a skirmish near Ainebrise, close to First High. A barrier's up, but we need you to handle the cameras."
"Got it," Kyoko said. "Your crew sure attracts some aggressive types, huh?"
"Seems that way," the voice admitted.
Ending the call, Kyoko swiftly hacked into the surveillance cameras around Ainebrise, as instructed by Tatsuya. "Mikihiko Yoshida, the former prodigy of the Yoshida clan…" she muttered. "Looks like the kid's grown up, but he could stand to be more discreet in the middle of town."
Grumbling, she worked quickly, accessing the surveillance records. She altered the footage from Erika and Leo's fight with an unknown opponent, erasing all traces of magic from the system.
"Tatsuya's friends are a handful," she sighed, though her tone held a trace of sympathy. The target they were tracking was already on the Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion's radar, but higher-ups had decided to let it slide, using Tatsuya as bait. "Tatsuya probably doesn't care much," she mused, stepping out of the car and heading back into Rotterwald. She still had business with Chiba.
Erika and Leo, having lost their quarry, returned to the café separately to avoid suspicion. Erika, who'd used the bathroom as her excuse, slipped back through the rear entrance and took her seat with a casual air.
"Erika-chan, you've got some dirt on you," the Master pointed out.
"Huh? Where?" she asked, glancing down.
"Right there. Where'd you pick that up?"
"Master, is your bathroom dirty or what?" Erika quipped, grinning.
She knew it was nonsense, and the Master, catching her jest, laughed it off. "No way, my place is spotless."
"Leo-kun, your pants are dirty too," Mizuki noted. "What happened outside?"
"Just a gust of wind," Leo said. "Got hit with a cloud of dust."
"You've gotta brush it off properly," Mizuki chided, oblivious to the truth. She began dusting off their clothes, while Miyuki, Honoka, and Shizuku—who'd been clued in by Tatsuya—watched her with pitying looks.
"Um, do I have something on me too?" Mizuki asked, noticing their stares.
"No, you're fine," Miyuki replied. "I was just thinking it must be tough keeping these two in line."
"When did I end up with such big kids?" Mizuki wondered aloud.
"Kids? Erika-chan and Leo-kun are my age!" Mizuki protested.
"Is your husband Mikihiko?" Shizuku asked, dropping a bombshell.
Mikihiko choked on his coffee, and he and Mizuki turned beet red, their movements suddenly awkward.
"I don't mind if Miki's the dad, but being his sister? No thanks," Erika said.
"That's your issue?" Leo groaned. "They're calling us kids! That's what you should be mad about!"
"Whatever, you are a kid," Erika shot back. "I don't come off that childish."
"We're practically the same!" Leo argued.
"Both of you, keep it down," Tatsuya interjected. "There are other customers here."
"Sorry…" Erika muttered.
"My bad…" Leo added.
They bowed sheepishly to the other patrons and sat quietly.
"Tatsuya-kun's like their big brother," the Master chuckled.
"Master, enough with the jokes," Tatsuya said, his glance toward Miyuki signaling that more teasing might set her off. The Master, reading the room, dropped the topic.
"How long are Mikihiko and Mizuki gonna stay embarrassed?" Tatsuya asked.
"It's only natural, Onii-sama," Miyuki said with a mischievous smile. "They were just called a married couple, and they're clearly into each other."
Tatsuya's wry smile deepened into something more strained.
"I'm obviously the older sister," Erika declared. "No way you're the big brother type."
"What? You as the sister? You're too reckless for that!" Leo retorted.
"How long are you two gonna keep this up?" Tatsuya sighed, his exasperation no longer hidden. Erika and Leo flushed, slightly embarrassed.
"Mikihiko, Mizuki, snap out of it. It's time to go," Tatsuya said.
"Right, sorry…" Mikihiko mumbled.
"Sorry…" Mizuki echoed.
"Miyuki, Shizuku, no more bombshells, please," Tatsuya added.
"Understood, Onii-sama," Miyuki replied.
"Sorry, Tatsuya-san," Shizuku said.
Tatsuya, ever the mediator, managed to calm everyone with ease. "Master, the bill, please."
"Sure thing. You've got your hands full, huh?" the Master said, ringing them up.
Tatsuya didn't mind the chaos too much, but to onlookers, it seemed exhausting. "Come back soon!" the Master called as the group of eight left Ainebrise for the station. Miyuki, Shizuku, and Honoka flanked Tatsuya, while Erika and Leo bickered, and Mikihiko and Mizuki walked with heightened awareness of each other, their dynamic subtly shifted by the earlier teasing.
Kyoko, and now even Tatsuya, had to play cleanup for this mess…
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