The day after Lina and Miyuki fought, Tatsuya came to school even though it was Sunday. Naturally, Miyuki was snuggled up beside him.
"No one has arrived yet, it seems."
"In fiction, it is a trope for the person who called the meeting to appear last, but reality doesn't always work that way, does it?"
The place Tatsuya and Miyuki had headed to was the Student Council Room, and as Miyuki noted, it was currently unoccupied. However, one of the parties they were waiting for arrived almost immediately.
"Good morning, Tatsuya-kun, Miyuki."
"Oh, Erika. Did you come together with Yoshida-kun?"
"It's a coincidence! ...Is it just my imagination, or do I sense a vague feeling of malice?"
"It's just your imagination."
"Did we make you wait?"
"No, we just arrived ourselves. Sorry to call you out on a Sunday."
While the high school girls exchanged unreserved banter, the high school boys exchanged the customary social pleasantries.
"I feel like Miki and I are being treated differently... Oh well. So, what's up today? It's rare for you to call us out on a day off, Tatsuya-kun."
"Please wait a little longer. I'd like to speak once everyone is assembled."
"Is someone else coming?"
"Yeah, they should be here soon."
Just as Tatsuya answered Mikihiko's question, there was a knock on the door. One might question why they knocked instead of using the intercom, but since Tatsuya opened the door himself without using the remote control, no one pointed it out.
"I apologize for calling you here."
Mikihiko had wondered why Tatsuya bothered to go to the door to greet them, but that doubt dissolved the moment the door opened. The new arrivals were Mayumi and Katsuto.
"Yoshida and Chiba? Were you two called by Shiba as well?"
"Ah, yes."
Katsuto voiced a simple question in place of Mayumi, who showed signs of agitation. And in place of Erika, who was unsurprisingly at a loss for words, Mikihiko gave a very brief reply.
"Then, shall we begin?"
Overlaying his words on that answer, Tatsuya urged everyone to sit. Once seated, the two beautiful girls directed sharp glares at Tatsuya and demanded an explanation.
"Could you explain this first? Why were we called here together with Saegusa-senpai and the others?"
"I agree. I want you to start by explaining that, too."
"I have something to inform you regarding the capture of the vampire we are pursuing."
Erika and Mayumi seemed strangely antagonistic toward each other, but to Tatsuya, that was a trivial matter, so he decided to skip any pointless mediation and get straight to business.
"Let's hear it."
Katsuto, who likewise had no interest in trivialities, reacted. Mikihiko, on the other hand, was nearly swallowed by the atmosphere created by the two girls and couldn't react.
"Last night, I implanted a transmitter made of synthetic molecular machinery into the vampire. It emits a specific pattern of radio waves every three hours. The transmitter's lifespan is three days at most. The signal output is weak, but it can be picked up by illegal radio wave interception antennas installed alongside street cameras."
"Wait a second, Tatsuya-kun. Last night? Where?"
"How did you find it?"
"Synthetic molecular machinery... where did you get something like that..."
This time, everyone reacted. Or rather, they couldn't help but react. Mayumi's eyes went wide; Erika asked accusingly, perhaps out of frustration; and Mikihiko asked with a mix of exasperation.
"This is the radio frequency and pattern."
Tatsuya had no intention of explaining himself. Doing so would force him to discuss a fraction of the Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion's technological capabilities, or Lina's true identity, which was technically still a secret. To gloss over the details, Tatsuya slid a card in front of each of the four.
"Both Senpai's team and Erika's team should be able to utilize interception antennas, correct?"
"...Are you saying we should use this to pinpoint its location?"
Tatsuya nodded silently at Mayumi's question.
"...Why give this to us?"
Erika's use of "us" referred to both the Saegusa-Juumonji team and the Chiba clan team. Tatsuya wasn't dense enough to misunderstand that.
"Regarding the true identity of the vampire we are chasing: it appears to be a magician who deserted from the USNA military. And they are not alone. There are at least two deserters, possibly around ten."
"Ten deserters from Stars?"
"No, Erika. Just because they belong to the USNA military doesn't mean they belonged to Stars."
"Eh, really?"
"Saegusa... Stars is a unit formed by selecting those with particularly high combat capabilities from among the magicians in the USNA military. Naturally, there are magicians in the USNA military who do not belong to Stars."
Tatsuya corrected Erika's misconception, Katsuto corrected Mayumi's, and then Tatsuya denied Mikihiko's follow-up question about whether a breakdown in military discipline was the cause.
"...So in the end, what are you telling us to do?"
While Tatsuya and Mikihiko were getting side-tracked, Erika cut in with a sulky voice. Looking over, Mayumi also wore a fed-up expression.
"I don't intend to tell you to do anything specific. However, a friend of mine was hurt badly, so I don't intend to leave it alone. That said, I'm not obsessed with making them pay with my own hands, either."
Tatsuya declared this simply and stood up.
"I apologize for making you come all this way. Given the nature of the item, I thought it best to hand it over directly."
"No, I don't mind. Good work. Since we are all here, we might as well talk a little before leaving."
"Is that so? Then, may I leave locking up to you?"
"Leave it to me."
"Hey!"
"Wait just a minute!"
As Tatsuya bowed to Katsuto and attempted to leave, the two beautiful girls called for him to halt.
"What is it?"
"Tatsuya-kun, weren't you supposed to be cooperating with us?"
"You helped us, didn't you!? Why are you connected with Saegusa-senpai and the others too?"
"Not particularly. As I said earlier, I don't intend to do anything specific with my own hands. If I can get information, I'll cooperate with either side, and if I judge you can't be used, I'll cut ties immediately. The opponent isn't simple enough to be defeated through mere camaraderie. And Saegusa-senpai, I am properly cooperating with you as well."
"Indeed. This will certainly be useful."
Looking at the card Tatsuya had given him, Katsuto took Tatsuya's side. Seeing this, the two beautiful girls, though unconvinced, realized they couldn't press him any further and gave up, returning to their seats.
Mikihiko watched Tatsuya's retreating back as he left the Student Council Room with eyes that seemed to be pleading for help, but it wasn't his imagination—Tatsuya had no intention of remaining there any longer and completely ignored him.
(Author's Note)
Poor Mikihiko. Surely your stomach pain will ease... eventually. (Distant look)
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