The shopping trip went smoothly. There were no noticeable problems. At the massive supermarket where he always shopped, he threw several days' worth of groceries into the shopping cart.
It was quite crowded. Not only groceries, but a variety of other things were sold there. Because of this, not only islanders but also many tourists were visible.
I was in charge of pushing the cart. This one was also huge. It was a two-story structure, designed to hold two baskets on each level.
Four of those baskets were almost full. It makes sense, as they were buying food for a group of nearly 30 people.
"Are we buying more?"
"Hmm... I guess this might not be enough. Nakajima-san eats a lot after training."
He had noticed this from dinner the day before. She was a glutton who made you wonder where all that food went into her slender body. Speaking of which, their own Artoria and You were also quite the eaters.
"Okay, I'll go get some more."
"Please do. I'll wait here."
"Ah, I'll go too, Yozuki-kun."
Testarossa-san followed him from behind.
"Ah, in that case, I'll go to the restroom."
"I'll go too."
Vivio and Lutecia decided to take this opportunity to finish their business. Well, it won't take that long. They would return soon.
As he walked, he decided to talk to Fate-san about something that had been on his mind.
"Why did you come here? Was it okay to not participate in the training?"
"Yeah... Nanoha told me I wasn't focused today."
"Do you have any idea why?"
He quickly adapted to such changes. It was an important skill.
"I wonder... If I have any idea, it would be the house search from before..."
The one from before, was it the search of that scumbag's house? Was it something to worry about... Wait, if they let a wanted criminal (Rai) escape and put their unit members in danger, it's understandable to be dejected.
On top of that, there was almost no result. If she wasn't dejected by this, her mental state would be too strong.
"Yeah. Haha, if I got depressed by things like this, I wouldn't be able to be an Enforcer."
"Well, that's just how it is, isn't it?"
When you're on the battlefield, there must be countless moments that make your heart stop, and missing the target must happen all the time. On the contrary, it's more strange for someone like him to run into a boss every time.
However, the stress on someone fighting on the front lines against "Stand Users" who cannot be dealt with by ordinary people must be immense.
"But when you meet a Stand User, I'll do something about it. I'm a Stand User too. Although I wasn't of much help last time."
"Thank you. I'll rely on you then."
Fate-san's expression seemed to soften a little as she said that.
I am not free (not in a sarcastic way, but because I have many tasks to handle), so there are limits. Stands are something that we, people from another world, brought here. We should be the ones to put an end to this.
As they talked, they arrived at the entrance of the supermarket. Their goal was the largest cart. To stack the shopping baskets to their limit and take them.
"Ah, Fate-san. Can you get a basket... Fate-san?"
Fate-san, who should have been walking beside him just a moment ago, had suddenly vanished.
"Huh? What?"
He looked around, but there was no sign of Fate-san. That noticeable blonde hair couldn't be hidden by just hiding a little bit.
This was clearly an abnormal situation. He understood very quickly.
It was an enemy attack.
"I must be cursed."
"Wonderful. You have great judgment."
A girl appeared, taking Fate-san's place. The voice was also that of a fairy he had heard somewhere before.
"The blonde person from before is fine. She's not hurt or anything. At least, not right now."
"What's your goal?"
He had too many ideas. He could immediately think of two or three among the current members.
"Do you think I'll explain it to you slowly?"
"It's for your own good to speak before you get beaten to a pulp."
He aimed with his nails, to which he had added "rotation." Fang Tusk growled behind him, revealing his fighting spirit.
"Ahaha, you're quite hot-blooded. And a good killing intent—it's wonderful!"
The hostile girl with eyes glowing like a beast licked her lips and leaped at him.
----------
"They're late."
"Indeed."
"..."
The three—Megane, You, and Yami—who had been waiting, were bored. However, if they moved rashly, they might not be able to meet up with Sho and Fate.
A small purple ladybug flew over.
"Oh, is this one Lutecia's?"
Lutecia's summon beast flew over. It seemed familiar to Megane, as it landed on her fingertip. It was chirping desperately. You's eyes sharpened.
"Something happened. We have to go."
You, who could communicate with animals through the power of her Life Catalog Genome Tree, instantly changed her usual vacant expression to a grim one. This was no joke.
It meant that the situation was serious enough to make the free-spirited You so serious.
"To Vivio-chan and Lutecia?"
"Something happened to the two of them?"
"Yeah, this way."
Megane and Yami followed the running You. The bug had moved from Megane's finger to You's. Although others couldn't tell, a lively exchange of information was happening between the two of them.
The bug led them to the restroom. Indeed, Vivio and the others had said they were going to the restroom and had left. Was this the place?
"Wait a moment."
He held back Yami, who was about to move forward.
"This little one says that the two of them disappeared in the restroom ahead."
"Disappeared? Not attacked, not kidnapped, but disappeared?"
"What does that mean?"
"I don't know. It says the link with Lutecia is cut right now."
"Does that mean the two of them are isolated in a place where even a link with a summon beast can't be maintained?"
"A place like that shouldn't be easy to create..."
Seeing the three of them with serious faces worrying at the restroom entrance, people passing by started to avoid them.
"Talking won't help. If we look, there might be traces of the spell."
"Let's proceed with caution."
Yami transformed her arm into a blade. In a peaceful place, a blade appearing would be a step away from causing a commotion.
Megane, with a forced smile, concealed the oblivious Yami and You, and the three of them rushed into the restroom.
Inside,
"There's nothing strange..."
"Nothing?"
All the doors were open. They seemed to have entered when no one was around. If someone had been there, it would have caused a stir.
There were no strange patterns or dirt of any kind. Nothing was left on the floor, and they couldn't expect to find any clues about a magical catalyst.
"..."
Yami, not letting her guard down, moved forward little by little.
"Were they kidnapped after all?"
"I don't think the two of them would lose to a random thug around here..."
"Then it must have been a strong opponent."
Yami replied lightly, but in her mind, having survived the underworld, many methods came to mind for defeating someone stronger than herself. Surprisingly, there are many ways to do it.
However, in that case, the appropriate preparation is needed. Without a specific target, there is no preparation. In other words, unless they were intentionally targeted.
"Was there a reason for someone to target them?"
"That's... but..."
"Is there?"
The two of them couldn't say there was no reason. Vivio, in particular, had a big reason. A major incident had occurred because of it. Several years had passed since the incident, and various measures had allowed her to live a normal life, but it was still a perfectly plausible cause.
However, Megane did not give any further explanation. She thought it would be rude to talk without Vivio's permission.
Yami and You did not force her to tell them. Neither of them was good at talking, and they also had one or two things they didn't want to talk about.
It was enough to know that there was some reason.
"We won't find anything more here."
"Seems so. I'll contact Sho."
You was about to take out her device—and then she noticed. There was a person reflected in the restroom mirror. And she was right behind her, directly behind her.
"!"
You turned around sharply.
You, who had the senses of an animal, not noticing that someone had gotten so close was absolutely abnormal.
"You-san? What's wrong?"
"No, someone's reflected in the mirror..."
She looked at the mirror again, and a woman was indeed reflected. And she was getting closer. It felt like they were shoulder to shoulder, like in a crowded scramble crossing.
"But...!"
However, there was no one next to her. Even though the mirror clearly showed someone.
"Ha!"
Yami, without hesitation, shattered the mirror. The broken pieces scattered all over the place. The other two's eyes widened at her swift and radical action.
"It's possible it's a special ability user. Be careful. Kasukabe You, are you okay?"
"Y-yeah. I'm fine, but..."
You picked up a piece of the mirror scattered on the floor. It was a normal mirror. There was no special trick to it.
"It's useless to break the mirror!! I'll drag all of you into my world!!"
The next moment, the two of them disappeared from the spot as if they were being sucked in.
"Oh?"
"Is everyone okay?"
Yami and Megane found themselves back in the original restroom. But something was off. Their bodies felt heavy. Had they been put under some kind of spell?
"Hah, hah...! Cough, cough...!"
You, who hadn't responded, was lying down weakly.
"You-chan!? Are you okay!?"
"Y-yeah. I suddenly felt sick... cough."
"Excuse me, please take care of Kasukabe You. We're clearly under attack by someone. Let's get out of here."
"O-okay! I got it!"
Megane carried You on her back. Carrying a person who had lost all her strength was tough, but despite her appearance, she was a Bureau officer. She had no hesitation in her actions.
With Yami, the most combat-capable of the three, at the front, they exited the narrow restroom.
"Huh?"
"Was the exit in that direction...?"
The direction they took a step in to get out of the exit was the opposite of where the exit was. Yami also questioned why she had done that, letting out a dazed sound. She took a step towards the outside again.
There wasn't a single person outside.
After walking a little, they noticed something.
"Yami-chan, did you notice?"
"Yes. All the letters are 'reversed.'"
All the letters on the products were reversed as if they were reflected in a mirror. If it was a prank, how much effort would that have taken?
"This can't be a prank."
"I guess so... You-chan, are you okay?"
"Y-yeah, I'm okay..."
However, there was no strength in her voice.
"I wonder if a barrier to ward off people has been set up."
"If it was used in such a crowded place, people would notice it right away."
Even a barrier to ward off people would feel strange to someone with a high level of skill. If it was used in a place that should be full of people, that strange feeling would only get stronger.
"Ahahahaha! How about that!"
A large woman appeared with a loud laugh. She cracked the whip in her hand, and cracks appeared on the floor tiles.
"It's been a while, Golden Darkness...!"
"Tyrant Azenda...!"
One of the people who had been observing them in the parking lot, a woman who had a particular hatred for Yami, stood there.
"You know her?"
"Yes. A Level 3 telekinetic and master of a high-speed whip. We had a little trouble in the past. But she's no match for my Transform ability."
"A little trouble...? Don't make me laugh! Because I lost to you and failed a request, the name I built up is in tatters! I won't be satisfied until I return this humiliation to you, exactly as I received it!"
Yami didn't try to have any useless conversation with Azenda. In the underworld, killing and being killed was a daily occurrence. Yami herself understood that she had done things that would make people hate her.
"—Transform...? Transform! ...This is..."
"Ahahahaha! What's wrong!? Your specialty, the Transform, isn't showing up!? Weren't you going to show it to me after all this time!?"
Her body didn't change at all. The ability that she had used as if it were her own limbs was gone. However, Yami didn't panic.
"If I can't use Transform, I'll just exterminate you with unarmed combat."
Yami lunged straight at Azenda. Even without her Transform ability, Yami's physical abilities were high enough. Even without the support of her Transform, she could subdue an A-rank martial artist.
"Hah, I thought you'd do that!"
When Azenda moved her finger, a shadow appeared from the side.
"!! Ta... Takamachi Vivio...!"
Yami's fist hesitated when Vivio interrupted her. Azenda wouldn't miss that opportunity.
"Why are you stopping!? Here you go!!"
A sharp whip caught Yami.
"Yami-chan!"
"You on that side! Don't move!!"
Today, Yami was not wearing her usual combat suit. It was a white dress chosen by the women. This was actually part of the "Let's become friends with gap moe" plan.
Of course, Yami didn't have such clothes. They belonged to Asuna.
The fabric of the dress, which had no bulletproof or slash-proof capabilities, was mercilessly torn. Going past a welt, a blue bruise had already formed.
Azenda's shout stopped Megane, who had been about to rush over. It was because she saw another girl who had appeared after the shout.
"Lutecia!?"
"My telekinesis is Level 3. But you know, it's easy for me to turn unconscious people into puppets."
Both Vivio and Lutecia had vacant eyes. They stood with their backs to Azenda, protecting her. As Azenda said, they seemed to be being manipulated.
"Now, let's start. Let's begin the Golden Darkness humilation show!"
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