After securing fingerprints and items for mind readers, we returned to Special Task Force Section 6's barracks. In the end, the only person at the enemy's base was the summoned girl. The Stand user woman had already escaped, and I couldn't find anything in her room.
The only thing left was the DISC that restricted the girl's freedom. I had to be content with just retrieving that.
There were about 10 girls, including Rem and Ram (who had apparently already been summoned as a pair). Tessarossa-san hadn't expected so many, so we had to arrange for a car on the fly.
Watching the girls leave the building and get into the car, their faces were filled with anxiety, wondering where they were being taken.
Some of the girls were from works I knew. There were also some who were clearly non-combatants. I hadn't summoned them yet, but it seems even girls who don't fit into this world's setting can be summoned.
The hostile stares we received from a few of them were probably a result of their experiences since being summoned by that guy.
When we got back, there wasn't much for us to do.
I'm not part of this organization; I'm an external collaborator. I'm not sure if I was much help, but that's what it is. I'll just consider knowing the location of that guy's house a major achievement.
I might be an outsider, but Sakura isn't.
Sakura is a super-elite who was recommended to be assigned to Special Task Force Section 6. Weekends mean nothing to her. There's plenty of work to do even after returning to the barracks.
And yet, Sakura was still troubled.
"Ugh... I still can't understand it."
"W-well, you don't have to think about it so much."
She ended up continuing to agonize over it. I'm so sorry. I really am. I'm just... sorry.
The cause, of course, was my confession. My sin is great, as it has been causing her an hour and a half of confusion.
I kept apologizing in my heart. I regret saying something so pointless. But it would have been too hard to keep hiding it.
"No, I do understand some parts of it. It's true that some rare skill users have special conditions they need to meet... But this is just..."
"I apologize for the ridiculous conditions."
"N-no! I don't think that at all!"
Yes, you do. I would, too.
"...Wait a minute, does 'that' from yesterday, with us, count too?"
"Of course. I just told you that."
"And your other abilities are the same, then?"
"That's right."
"So, it can be determined by whether you've... done it with a senior?"
This girl is scary. Why did she figure that out?
"More like, if I count the number of abilities, I can calculate how many times you've done it..."
Let's not, Sakura-san, please stop.
"S-Sakura, don't you have work after this? Look, everyone looks so busy."
We were dawdling in the barracks' cafeteria, but there was no one else sitting around. The lunch break had long since ended, so that was to be expected. I had a quick glance at the office on the way here and everyone was working seriously at their computers. Even the members who went to that guy's house with me said they had reports and procedures for the protected girls to take care of.
So, here we were, just idling while everyone else was working. It was a very uncomfortable situation for a Japanese person like me. But leaving now feels a bit... wrong, too. Ugh, what a corporate slave I am. Like a new employee who can't leave on time.
"It's okay, you two. You've worked hard today."
Tessarossa-san approached us, holding a tray with both hands. It was 5:00 PM. Was it a late lunch or an early dinner? Looking at the menu on the tray, it was a seafood salad and a sandwich. It wasn't a large quantity, so it was probably lunch.
"May I sit?"
"Yes, of course."
Fate-san sat down and looked at us before picking up her chopsticks.
"I'm sorry about today. Because of my carelessness, I put you both in danger."
She apologized. Generally, detectives are expected to protect themselves even more than civilians. In a world where you can easily die if you do something beyond your means, there would be no end to this kind of talk.
But I understand the sentiment. The Bureau has a culture that values the organization more than the savage detective-for-hire. Working with people is fundamentally different from working with business rivals. It wasn't strange for Tessarossa-san to feel responsible for that situation.
"This time, one step wrong... no, being put to sleep and being unable to do anything is the same as dying once. I should have acted more carefully."
"I was also underestimating the opponent's Stand ability."
I had gotten quite carried away after getting my dark magic. Stands can trap you regardless of your combat strength. I should have anticipated that much.
...I have a good idea of what that guy's Stand ability is, but I can't just talk about it freely. I'd be asked, "How do you know that?"
"Tessarossa Executive Officer, you can be a little too honest sometimes, can't you?"
"M-Matou-san!? I don't think that's true...!"
"Really? Senpai, listen to this. The other day, a dangerous drug smuggler..."
"Whaaa! Whoa! That's classified! You can't talk about that to an outsider!"
What on earth happened?
"In the end, the evidence..."
"I said no!"
So, what happened?
"W-well. I don't know about her work, but I think it's much better than being overly twisted and cynical."
"Right? It's one of the reasons why her subordinates adore her."
"...Does that mean they're just toying with you...?"
She's strong, but as a commander, you know? Thinking about the original work makes me feel a little iffy. It must be tough to manage people at such a young age.
Watching her slump and nibble on her salad was very cute. I almost forgot she was older than me.
No, she's beautiful. Her figure is easy to see even through her clothes. Her gestures, which some might find a little cutesy, are also great.
"Ouch!!"
"Huh! W-what's wrong?"
"...Nothing at all."
Sakura, you...! You stepped on me hard...!
"Is that so?"
"Yes. More importantly, what happened to the girls you protected?"
Sakura forcefully changed the subject. And to a work topic, no less. I had no choice but to get serious.
"They're being taken to the hospital now. No external injuries, but just in case. After that, they'll be moved to the same facility as the girls we protected before."
"No external injuries?"
"Yep. Their health is good, so I heard no one needs to be admitted."
Hmm, that's surprising. Knowing that guy, I thought they might have suffered worse. But this is a good thing, so I'll just be happy about it.
"What will happen to them now?"
"Do you mean after this incident is over? If so, it will be up to their own wishes. We found out they were all abandoned child errors, so it might be a hard life for them, but we're going to support them as much as we can."
"I see..."
The price of that guy's selfishness is immense. Even though they were summoned, they are girls with real lives. What he did can never be forgiven.
"..."
"..."
Changing the subject only made it awkward in a different way.
Unable to bear the silence, I glanced at my watch. Oh, this is...!
"I should get going now."
It was 5:30 PM. It was officially time to go home. I'm leaving on time.
"Ah, I'll drive you home. I'm leaving on time today, too."
"Thank you. I appreciate it."
It seemed Fate-san was also leaving on time. Vivio must be at home, so her schedule was probably adjusted.
After she cleared her tray, we waited for her to change for 10 minutes. When she came back to the lobby, another woman came with her. I recognized her.
Ah, that's...!
NANOHA!? TAKAMACHI NANOHA!?
I was startled. My body trembled, and my heart raced. My back was covered in a cold sweat—no, that didn't happen. Her being here was within the scope of my expectations.
She was already in her casual clothes, ready to go home. Her gentle aura also contained a clear, strong will. A woman of the same age as Tessarossa-san, with chestnut-colored hair that reached her waist in a side-tail, approached us.
"Sorry, you two! Have you been waiting? I just happened to run into Nanoha."
"No, no, not at all."
"Good work, Takamachi-kyokan. Are you also leaving on time?"
"Yeah, I am. I have some things to get ready. Today's the only day I have free."
This woman, who was talking so familiarly with Tessarossa-san, was the protagonist of "Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha," Takamachi Nanoha. In the world, due to her actions in the original work, she has been given dishonorable nicknames like "Magical Cannon Girl" and "The White Devil," like a new weapon of the Federal Army.
In reality, she should be a wonderful person. She couldn't have changed that much.
Sakura bowed her head beside me. "Kyokan" means "instructor," so she holds a position like that in this world, too. And she works in this Section 6.
"So, Matou-san. Is this the boy you were with today?"
"Yes."
"I'm Yozuki Sho. I'm afraid I wasn't much help."
"That's how it was for everyone. Even for Executive Officer Tessarossa."
I stepped forward and introduced myself.
I had gotten cocky from fighting Servants. I must not forget this defeat. The people in this world aren't just those from the original works. I can't always know my opponent.
"Even Fate-chan couldn't do it?"
"Hmm... it was more like everyone. You can read the details in the report."
"Okay, I'll read it on the way."
Her gentle demeanor instantly changed to a professional's face. I brought up a bad topic when she was just getting off work. I should forcefully change the subject.
"By the way, what do you need to prepare for?"
"Huh? Oh, we're going to stay at a pension owned by someone we know."
"And train while we're there, too."
Ah, I see. So that's what the preparations were for. I remember that event happening.
"We're inviting our daughters' friends, too, so it's going to be a big group."
After that, we chatted about trivial things, and Tessarossa-san drove me home in her car.
----------
The next day, when I went to the hospital where Asuna and the others who were injured by Vlad were staying,
"Huh, you were invited on a trip by your friend?"
"Yeah. On the weekend after my periodic exams in a week. It's a trip, but it's also for training..."
"That's fine... Oh... I have to go too, or my magic will..."
"Yeah, it's three nights and four days, so you'll run out."
So I should go too, huh? They're elementary school students, and their parents will probably be there. If I pay for my own travel expenses, I can probably manage it. It's a week away, but it's not peak season, so I should be able to get a hotel, right? Well, if I have to, I can just stay at a capsule hotel.
"Ah, no, that's not the problem, big brother. The problem is whether your weekend is free."
"...Huh? What do you mean? Of course, it is, and I'll manage everything else."
"Then it's okay."
"Yeah. Good, Kuro-chan."
For some reason, Asuna and Yukina also looked convinced.
"The place for this trip is a pension owned by one of the parents' friends. So, we don't have to worry about travel expenses at all."
"We already told them about that. It ended up being a post-facto approval for you, Senpai, but..."
"I'm glad you're free, though. I thought you'd make plans for a date with some woman I don't know, or get tangled up in something."
I can't deny that, to be honest. Wait, what? There are a dozen people, and it's okay? Is there really such a large, privately-run hotel with training facilities?
"...By the way, who is this friend?"
"Huh? Vivio. You've met her before, right? The one with blonde hair and an odd eye."
So that's what it was...
It seems my connection to Nanoha-san and her friends isn't going to be severed anytime soon.
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