After dinner that weekend, Tatsuya sat on the sofa in the living room, gazing at the large screen that dominated the wall.
The screen was divided into three sections. The main section displayed real-time footage of central Tokyo captured by a stratospheric surveillance camera, with three points of light moving across it. The upper half of the sub-section showed a road map corresponding to the main view, tracking the movement of those lights, while the lower half displayed text data scrolling by at thirty-second intervals.
Access to the stratospheric platform's camera was thanks to Sanada. However, the ability to monitor the tracer signals of the Saegusa-Juumonji alliance was not because Tatsuya had extracted the recognition codes from Mayumi, but rather due to the work of the hacker of the century: Fujibayashi Kyoko.
"Mayumi-san seems to have her hands full, doesn't she?"
"Indeed. More importantly, it seems Stars possesses technology for detecting vampires that is superior to our own."
Miyuki was leaning heavily against his right side, while on his left—the opposite side—sat Kyoko, operating the monitor. That she had visited the Shiba home immediately after receiving permission to make contact was no mere coincidence, nor was it without ulterior motive. Although Tatsuya had requested her hacking skills, he would have been perfectly satisfied if she had simply transmitted the footage to him.
"It's a pity, but not everything we have is cutting edge, after all."
"That goes without saying. Still, I would have liked to have that technology."
Tatsuya peered into the Stars system and sighed softly. Cutting off any superfluous thoughts, he lifted his body from the backrest.
"Brother, are you going?"
"Be a good girl and wait here for me."
Tatsuya stood up. Miyuki looked up at him with a gaze full of longing. Tatsuya's palm gently stroked her cheek. Layering her hand over the back of his, Miyuki pressed her brother's palm firmly against her cheek, as if confirming his body temperature.
"I will be waiting for your return today."
"Yeah. Your power will be needed soon, without a doubt. When that time comes—"
"Yes. When that time comes, we shall be together. It is a promise, Brother."
"...Well, I don't think it will be as dangerous as Yokohama was. Thank you as well, Lieutenant."
Having spoken to Miyuki with a slightly playful attitude, Tatsuya offered his thanks to Kyoko while removing his hand from Miyuki's cheek, beginning his preparations to leave. Miyuki stared at his back with wistful eyes, while Kyoko shot him a look of dissatisfaction at being thanked as a mere afterthought. Though Tatsuya noticed both gazes, he ignored them and continued his preparations. He knew that if he engaged with them now, it would only delay his departure.
A short while after Tatsuya had left, Kyoko completely shut down the hacked monitor. An ordinary person would never be able to find traces of her intrusion, but she performed a thorough destruction of evidence just to be safe. As far as she knew, there was no one capable of uncovering traces of her hacking in this situation.
"Well then, Miyuki-san. I should be heading home soon."
"Yes. Thank you very much for today."
"Not at all, it was Tatsuya-kun's request. Besides, I happened to be free of work."
"But, as Brother mentioned, would it not have sufficed to simply send the footage you acquired here?"
Miyuki knew that Kyoko harbored feelings for Tatsuya that went beyond those of a colleague. Kyoko, in turn, knew that Miyuki harbored feelings for Tatsuya—for her own brother—that she should not possess.
Perhaps that was why, when conversing without Tatsuya as a buffer, a subtly electric tension filled the air. An atmosphere of mutual containment...
"You never know when higher-level hacking might become necessary, do you? That's why it was more efficient to hack from this house rather than sending the footage. Even if it turned out to be unnecessary, that is merely hindsight."
"Did you not simply wish to see Brother, Fujibayashi-san? It appeared to me that you were sitting rather close to him."
"My, surely the same applies to you, Miyuki-san? I think it's a bit abnormal for a teenage girl to cling so physically to a brother close to her in age."
"You are aware of the reason, aren't you, Fujibayashi-san? That I exist in this world thanks to my brother's power. That my brother resurrected me into this world."
"Even discounting that, I think your feelings for Tatsuya-kun are far from ordinary. Even his friends seem to care for him, yet you get jealous of them as well."
It was a development where neither side would yield an inch. Taking advantage of the fact that there was no one here to stop them, they said exactly what they wanted to say to each other.
"You may be protected by Tatsuya-kun, but you haven't stood on the battlefield with him many times, have you? In fact, wasn't Yokohama the first time?"
"The number of times is irrelevant. It is a question of how 'close' one is to Brother. A bond exists between Brother and me that loses to no one."
"Not a bond, but a contract, no? It's all in how you phrase it."
The power of Tatsuya, which Miyuki had released based on her own judgment, had been sealed once again via the Yotsuba family magicians. That was the 'bond' Miyuki spoke of, and the 'contract' Kyoko referred to.
"Hello there, Miyuki-kun. I rang the doorbell, but since there was no response, I let myself in."
"Master!? I apologize, we were... caught up in the moment."
"No, no. Tatsuya-kun is truly enviable, being loved by two such beautiful young ladies."
"It has been a long time, High Priest Yakumo."
"Indeed. It has been a while, young lady of the Fujibayashi family."
Yakumo turned his smile to his student.
"Miyuki-kun. We are going to follow Tatsuya-kun, so go get changed."
"Understood."
Unlike the Yakumo that Tatsuya had described to her, this direct encounter made Miyuki feel a momentary resistance to breaking her brother's order. However, thinking it a waste to let this opportunity pass, she decided to change as Yakumo suggested.
"Well then, Fujibayashi-san. Until we meet again."
"Yes. Good day, Miyuki-san."
As Miyuki left the room, Yakumo chuckled.
"Good grief... It's a good thing Tatsuya-kun wasn't here, for both your sakes. If he had been, he surely would have been exasperated."
At Yakumo's muttered words, both Miyuki and Kyoko wore identical expressions of relief. Imagining Tatsuya seeing them like that, they were genuinely glad it hadn't been reality.
(Author's Note)
Popular as ever, isn't he...
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 40 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
Here's the link:
[pat*eon*com/DaoistRoeoNQ]
Thank you so much for your support!!!