Chapter 278 - Into the Garden of Truth
(1)
"Toya-kun, it's morning~"
I sat up and stretched.
"Good morning~"
Airi, who was sleeping next to me, hugged me.
I stared at Airi like that.
"?"
Airi looked at me curiously.
Airi doesn't get a tan. Instead, she turns red as if she's gotten a sunburn. I noticed she seemed to be in pain when she showered when we went to the hotel yesterday.
That thing I often see in videos and stuff. That perfectly clear white mark left only where the swimsuit covers. I wonder what it's like in Airi's case?
"Toya-kun?"
Airi has started accepting me these past few days. But is it okay to do this on the first morning after the break?
That worry turned out to be unfounded.
Airi hugged me first.
"Don't worry, I'm the real deal~"
Since she was hugging me on her own, it'd probably be fine to tease her a little.
Having judged that, I pushed Airi down.
"Kyaa. I told you no rough stuff~"
Ignoring Airi, who let out a cute cry and protested, I unbuttoned her pajamas. I took off her bra while I was at it.
Her body exposed, Airi's chest, which had grown to an average size, was still perfectly white. Instead, the parts that were tanned, or rather sunburned, were red.
I'd wanted to see this in the flesh once.
Just as I was satisfied and trying to get out of bed, Airi's hand grabbed my arm.
"What did you think you were doing, getting me all worked up?"
No, I just wanted to see the swimsuit marks contrasting with your tanned skin. I don't actually intend to do anything. How cool would it be if I could say that?
Is it really cool? Should I try saying it?
"I just wanted to see your tan lines, Airi, so I'm satisfied now."
Airi did up her undone pajamas. Then she glared at me. I guess I screwed up.
Ponk
"You perv, Toya-kun!"
"Sorry, sorry, I really just wanted to see them."
"Ugh... since I granted your wish, Toya-kun, you have to grant mine too!"
"Alright. What should I do?"
"After we finish breakfast, hold me tight ♪"
What a cute demand.
"Got it."
"Yay~"
Letting out a cry of joy, Airi got out of bed herself and started to change.
"Ah."
"Hoe?"
I didn't need to overthink it.
"I could have just looked when she was changing."
I laughed as I said that.
I was laughing.
But Airi was angry.
Ponk
Maybe I was too slow to realize that.
After I finished my jog and took a shower, I ate breakfast.
After that, I went back to my room, laid down on the bed, and waited for Airi while watching TV.
The reason I was lying on the bed was because I had to hold Airi anyway.
I could pretty much predict what would happen next.
But there was one thing I overlooked.
Airi brought two mugs and sat down at the table.
"Aren't you going to drink, Toya-kun?"
Airi asked.
"R-right."
Laughing it off, I got out of bed and drank the coffee.
After I finished my coffee, Airi went to the kitchen to clean up.
Then, when she came back, she hugged me.
"You promised, right?"
I picked Airi up in a princess carry and placed her on the bed.
When I tried to take off the clothes of Airi, who hadn't quite grasped the situation, she resisted.
"We don't have time for that~"
Ah, right.
"So I'll just settle for you holding me tight~"
Do you ever consider whether I can hold back?
After thoroughly enjoying the physical contact with Airi, I left the house, went to school, and attended classes.
After the second period, I went to the cafeteria and ate my packed lunch.
Then everyone gathered.
Today's topic is probably about the visitor coming after school.
"Toya, it's all good, right?"
Watanabe-kun pressed me for confirmation.
"If you're worried, why don't you listen in too?"
"Of course I plan to... but he seems capable for his age."
"Kids like that are easier to handle."
"What do you mean?"
"If they get worked up just because they're younger, they'll just get made fun of. It won't be a negotiation."
"Isn't he a hard opponent to deal with?"
"But on the flip side, if you praise him and flatter him, he'll talk your ear off about things you didn't even ask for."
"What's your basis for that?"
"I figured it out from the chat logs yesterday. He proudly talked about the backdoor thing himself, didn't he?"
"I see."
Watanabe-kun laughed and said it seemed better to leave it to me.
"Hey, Toya. About yesterday's business..."
Kanna started to say something.
"Is Makoto really going to be caught?"
"Why?"
"Why, you ask..."
Kanna was worried that they had proof of Makoto's hacking.
"That's not it."
I stated definitively. I had a basis for it.
"Why can you be so sure?"
"Kanna, you're too shaken up. I can say it clearly. Makoto hasn't slipped up."
"But why can you assert that?"
Wouldn't you know if you looked at how the other side was acting?
"If they had evidence, they would have brought it out already. There's no way they'd leave the most dangerous person, Makoto, alone. Even the Wizard said they disposed of the evidence."
"Can we trust that?"
"His own life is on the line, so I don't think he's lying or bluffing."
"But the new Wizard guy has skills comparable to Makoto, right?"
"He only has skills comparable to Makoto. In that case, even Makoto can handle him."
"Well then, why did Warlock contact us in the first place?"
"I was interested in his motive, so I agreed to the negotiation."
"Haah!?"
Everyone had the same reaction.
"Hey, Katagiri-kun!? You're endangering all of us for such a selfish reason!?"
"Why are all of us in danger?"
"He has our personal information, doesn't he?"
"That's the first thing you're wrong about."
"Huh?"
Everyone's face froze again.
"Isn't that why he came into the group chat yesterday?"
"Can't you trust Makoto a little more? Everyone's smartphones have security installed. Makoto's own special security."
"Didn't he get past Makoto-kun's security?"
"You guys are all too swayed by his bluffs."
"Bluffs?"
"It's just a bluff. He didn't break through the security. He just had no choice but to use the trap that was set when he happened to use Honoka-san's phone."
"In other words, they wanted to contact us so badly they used their trump card?"
"Doesn't that add up?"
"Do you have proof?"
"If he was skilled enough to break Makoto's security, he wouldn't bother secretly making a new server using the old one as a decoy. The information left on that server is still alive, right?"
When I looked at Emi-san, she nodded.
"That's for sure. The footprints are clearly left. I went there and confirmed it."
"The opponent didn't get through Makoto. He couldn't, so he's putting himself out there to make do. Thinking about it that way, we come back to his motive."
"It looks like Katagiri-kun's thinking is correct."
"But he even knew about my part-time job! How do you explain that!"
Kanna said.
"Isn't everyone forgetting? That you introduced yourself."
"Ah! The TV!?"
"Exactly. As for the rest, he probably hired a detective or something."
"Well then, aren't we still in danger?"
Emi-san said.
"That's why we have bodyguards now, right?"
"But that alone isn't reassuring..."
"You can rest easy."
"But why!"
Kanna seemed to have lost her patience.
"Are you forgetting? That we still have a card to play?"
"Aren't they trying to kidnap us to use as bargaining chips?"
Actually, Nidhogg made a move. Ai-san said that.
"The other side knows that tactic won't work. That's why they made such a big spectacle."
"You mean the bombing mission."
"At the very least, the Takahashi Group can't move. Airi's father's team arrested the entire execution squad."
They were caught red-handed. There's no way they can cover it up.
And I thought the period when they were frantically trying to cover it up was our chance.
But that opportunity was lost.
Takahashi Kenshin's illness.
I hadn't read that far.
That's why I'm interested in Warlock's information.
"Let me confirm again. He didn't hack us, right?"
Emi-san pressed me for confirmation.
"Yeah, I think the site and the TV were the leak sources."
Actually, Takahashi Sora's location hasn't been found.
That's a huge advantage for us.
He probably wanted to say that dead men tell no tales, but if a real one shows up, he can't exactly say that.
"At any rate, it all depends on today's negotiation. We might find a clue to solving this."
Watanabe-kun said.
After Nidhogg was wiped out and the Takahashi Group fell into crisis, the Egoist started moving now, of all times.
I want to see what they're up to.
It's fine to have that kind of attitude.
"Toya's saying this with so much confidence. I think we can trust Toya. What does everyone think?"
When Watanabe-kun said that, everyone nodded.
"Well then, it's decided. We'll leave today's negotiation to Toya."
Watanabe-kun said.
"Toya-kun, are you sure you'll be okay?"
Airi asked with a worried look.
"I'll be fine. The opponent isn't stupid either. As long as they're saying it's a negotiation, they won't do anything."
I stroked Airi's head.
"Oops, it's about time. Well then, everyone, gather at the Blue Bird after today."
When Watanabe-kun said that, everyone stood up.
"Let's go too, Airi."
"Okay."
I took Airi's hand and headed to the classroom.
I kept one worry to myself, not telling Airi and the others.
If it's a negotiation, the other side will probably demand something too.
I didn't know what that demand was.
(2)
Blue Bird.
Around evening, two men in black hoodies and a boy in a white hoodie came.
"I'm Warlock. If I say that, you know why we're here, right?"
When the boy who introduced himself as Warlock said this to Sakai-kun, they showed him to our table.
The ones who answered the negotiation were myself, Makoto, and Watanabe-kun.
Airi and the others were watching from another table.
"Quite a large party today."
Warlock said.
It seems our identities were exposed after all.
"This is our regular hangout."
I replied.
"You're Katagiri Toya-kun, right? Is this our second time meeting?"
"Looks like it."
"Well then, shall we get straight to the negotiation?"
"Sure, but shouldn't you order something first?"
"Alright, I'll have an iced coffee."
After checking that Sakai-kun had gone to the kitchen, Warlock started talking.
"Well then, I'll show my cards first. It's about Takahashi Kenshin's secret."
"There are two Takahashi Kenshins. That's what it is, right?"
When I said that, Makoto and Watanabe-kun were surprised. But Warlock didn't flinch.
"Impressive. How did you figure it out?"
"If you think about the meaning of 'Hermit', it's obvious."
"I see. So this card is useless?"
"You came knowing that, didn't you?"
"Yeah, maybe... Well then, how about this?"
Warlock took out a brown envelope.
"This contains your personal information. It's the only file."
"We can't be sure that's all, can we?"
"You're very suspicious."
Warlock laughed.
"If you doubt it, you can have that guy over there hack into our server."
"I don't think there's an idiot who would leave damaging information on a network that can be hacked?"
"Are you actually being inflexible in your thinking? No matter how much you cut off the network, there are plenty of ways to hack in."
"Oh, really? Like what?"
"You guys showed it yourselves. You extracted information from the Nidhogg terminals, didn't you?"
Makoto reacted.
"No matter how much you conceal it, information will eventually come to light."
"The same goes for the opposite. All of your identities are completely exposed to us."
"Yeah, they are."
"We're in a fifty-fifty position here. I want to speak frankly. What's your goal?"
"We will release information regarding the Takahashi Group. The condition is that you do not interfere with the Egoist's activities."
Everyone got restless. But I shook my head.
"What do we gain from that?"
"You don't have any reason to be hung up on the Egoist anymore, right? And you want it, don't you? The information on the Takahashi Group."
"Are you misunderstanding something?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why do you think we're going through all this trouble?"
It's because the Egoist was pulling stupid stunts in our name, right?
If you're hung up on something, it's on the Egoist.
I kept it to myself that Makoto had already infiltrated the Egoist. Show your cards.
"...You really are smart. It's amazing you were ever thought of as a low-grade student."
"I'm not thought of that way anymore. I'm just a basketball player now."
Warlock was lost in thought. Does he still have another trick up his sleeve?
"This is a problem. We can't negotiate."
"We're negotiating right now, aren't we?"
"But you won't agree to a deal."
"If you want to make a deal, you have to bring proper negotiating material."
"But I did bring some. You just didn't accept it."
"I can't really do anything when all you show me is stuff not worth trading for."
Warlock was not composed today.
It looks like I can keep this up.
"What do you guys in the Egoist even want to do? What's your goal? I have a pretty good idea."
It was a bluff.
But it seemed to have worked on him.
"Our goal...? Heh, I'm interested. What do you think it is?"
Warlock's words lacked composure.
Everyone was also looking at me.
"To take over the Takahashi Group using the Egoist?"
When I said that, it went dead silent.
The one who broke the silence was Warlock's laughter.
"Hahaha, you really are amazing! You figured that out too?"
"I was right?"
"How did you know?"
"So I was right? It was just a guess."
He won't give up the Egoist information, but he'll leak the Takahashi Group information. Anyone would think of that with a little thought.
"But is it okay to give us information on the Takahashi Group? I don't think you have any advantage in that."
"...We have our circumstances too."
His tone changed.
"I see... I didn't think you'd read that far."
He bit his nails and thought.
I need something more to push him.
"Who is the existence that elevated your god to power?"
He twitched slightly.
"Did you hear that from the god?"
It was just a bluff. I was certain. So there really is an existence above the god. It's probably...
"There's someone else besides the Hermit? An existence close to god."
It probably isn't the Emperor...
His expression brightened.
"I'm beat. To think you had it calculated this far. But sorry. I can't tell you that much."
"So you're not denying it?"
He said nothing.
This match seems to be decided.
Then I'll make a move from our side.
"Alright, let's make a deal. You will have nothing to do with us. You will discard the information. In exchange, we will discard the Egoist information from here on out."
Everyone seemed surprised by my terms. But Warlock's reaction was even bigger.
It was close to a bluff. We don't even have any Egoist information in the first place.
"I didn't expect you to propose a deal... That was beyond my calculations..."
"You're the one who offered a negotiation in the first place?"
"I need time. How long can you wait?"
"I can give you all the time you want."
I'll just go after the Egoist in the meantime.
"Alright. I'll think it over. That's all for today."
With that, the three of them left.
"The negotiation with you was fun. I hope we get to do it again."
Warlock said that as he left.
After they left, I was bombarded with questions from everyone.
"What are you thinking!? You corner the Egoist this much and then tell them to give up!?"
Ai-san said that.
"Hey, Katagiri-kun, we're not okay with that last deal!? You better explain it properly."
Emi-san also said.
"I feel the same way. Toya, explain it properly..."
If I make one wrong move, I'll get beaten to a pulp.
But I wasn't fazed.
Instead, I spoke to Makoto.
"Makoto, can you access the Egoist's server?"
"That's already done."
"Then delete all the information related to us. Capture the new Wizard guy and make him delete it too."
"That's easy, but doesn't that mean you had no intention of making a deal from the start?"
"He said he'd give us time. When time passes, the situation changes. Right?"
"I see what you mean! I get your logic! But why make that kind of deal?"
"Because I want the last piece."
"The information on the Takahashi Group?"
Airi said that was the information Makoto had extracted, but I shook my head.
"I know those guys got some information from Sora too."
I imagine they stole some from the Nidhogg base too.
In other words, this negotiation itself doesn't mean much.
It's just a way to buy time.
There was also another intention.
"At first, I thought the Egoist was operating under the Takahashi Group. But the situation has changed."
"What do you mean?"
Airi asked. I answered.
"The Egoist sees the Takahashi Group itself as a tumor. They're planning to cut it off. Probably leaving only the power."
"So the Egoist's aim was their own independence."
Watanabe-kun said.
"Probably. The top of the Egoist is connected to the Takahashi Group and trying to seize their power. If that's the case, I thought it would be fine to let the Egoist swim freely."
"But doesn't that just mean the Takahashi Group gets replaced by the Egoist!? That's pointless!"
Emi-san said.
"So we strike the Takahashi Group while we have time. If we crush the Takahashi Group, there's no need to bother with the Egoist. Did you forget? Our original goal."
"Wasn't it to expose the Egoist's misdeeds?"
Emi-san said.
"No. It's to prove Unity's innocence. Once that's proven, I don't care what they do."
"Wait, that's not right. The goal of saving the victims of the Egoist is... Ah!?"
Akira-san seemed to notice.
"That's right. Our activities have been reported widely, and we've made an exposure site. We can't really say there are still victims anymore."
After that, I just have to achieve what my father and the others wished for.
The time to withdraw from this ridiculous battle is near.
"Why did you give them time?"
Watanabe-kun asked.
"It doesn't cause any inconvenience on our end. We can just gather information on the Egoist in the meantime. While we're waiting, we haven't made a deal either."
If we can crush both, the one who benefits is Unity, right?
"As expected of Toya! To think you had it all figured out! Just how sharp are you?"
Makoto said.
"I see. While we have time, we crush our own exposed information and grab the opponent's weak points, right?"
Emi-san said.
"I mostly understand what Toya is saying. Everyone, victory is just around the corner! Let's do our best!"
It wasn't even a match, though.
"What about Papa and the others' wish?"
Airi asked.
"Katagiri-kun? Our side is ready."
It would be too late after Kenshin dies. They'll probably run away, blaming everything on Kenshin.
"Makoto, how long until you can expose the Wizard's information?"
"I can do it in a week! I just have to trap them. The traps are already set."
"Then we'll release the Freesia and the information about the god at the same time."
"So that time has finally come?"
Airi asked.
"Yeah, I think we can safely assume the enemy has used up all their cards. From here on out, it's a battle of speed. Offense is the best defense."
"Got it! We can finally go on the offensive."
Makoto said.
The time is ripe.
There's no point in hesitating now. This is the decisive moment.
(3)
"Hmm, so that's how it is..."
I scratched my head.
Benign brain tumor, Stage 1. It can be cured if removed. But the issue is the surgical site. Does this elderly patient have the stamina to withstand surgery?
"Is it impossible after all?"
The old man asked.
"It's a battle against time and stamina. The sooner you have the surgery, the better. If you give up, we can focus on palliative care?"
"Do you have confidence you can make it a success, Doctor?"
"I pride myself on never failing."
"Then... I entrust my life to you, Doctor."
"...Are you sure about this?"
"You were the one who said you wouldn't fail, Doctor. Besides..."
"Besides?"
"Because living on like this would just be miserable?"
"...Nurse, could you step out for a moment?"
I had the nurse step out.
"You're the Hermit, aren't you?"
"Ah, you're from Unity as well. ... There's no point in hiding it now. ... I'm a body double."
"A body double?"
"My real name is Takagi Seigo. I'm legally dead."
I was speechless.
"Then what about Takahashi Kenshin?"
"That's the position I was given. The real Takahashi Kenshin is the Hermit."
"I see..."
So living on is pointless for him...
It all clicked.
He wants me to do the surgery even if it fails.
Actually, he'd rather die, so the real Hermit can move more easily.
That's the intention.
"Understood. We'll operate soon. I'll be the surgeon."
"Understood. I'm counting on you."
I'd heard that when people grow old, they either cling to life or obsess over their honor, but he clung to life.
I can't just abandon a patient like that.
This is my duty as a doctor.
"Well then, please rest for now."
The old man bowed his head and left the room.
I looked at the tumor in the image while chewing gum.
Knock knock
I wonder who it is?
"Miyuki-san."
It was Keisuke's father.
"What's the matter?"
"It's about the patient just now... Are you going to operate?"
"Is there anyone else?"
"The thing is... I'd feel bad making my daughter-in-law perform a surgery we know will fail."
"I don't fail."
"But the client wants it to fail."
"...I don't care about that!"
"It'd be a waste to damage your hard-earned career record. Maybe you should leave it to another doctor..."
"After what I just heard, I want to do it even more. Excuse me."
"Doctor, can I bring in the next patient?"
The nurse asked.
"Yes, go ahead."
"Miyuki-san!"
"Are we done here? I have an examination."
My father-in-law shook his head and left the room.
That day took until late at night.
When I got home, Keisuke was cooking and waiting for me.
"First the heart, now the brain?"
"Yes, the surgery will definitely cure it. The only problem is the patient's stamina."
"Will it be okay?"
"It's a doctor's duty to keep the patient alive, right? I won't give up, even if the hope is small."
"You're strong, Miyuki?"
"I'm not really."
"Huh?"
Keisuke stopped washing the dishes and turned to face me.
"I'm still a woman, you know. There are times I want to act spoiled with my husband too."
"Miyuki?"
"I'm going to take a shower. I want to rest well today."
With that, I entered the bathroom.
I thought about it calmly as I poured hot water over my head.
People who gain from others' deaths and people who want to survive are always in conflict.
Extending a helping hand to those who want to survive is the role of a doctor.
It doesn't matter how bad a person they are.
After I showered and returned to the room, Keisuke had brought wine.
"You said you wanted to rest, right?"
"Yes."
I drank the wine and forgot about work for a little while.
And I spoiled him completely.
That's how I've been getting through life.
The mountain ahead of me now is terribly steep.
But it's not like there's no path.
Then I'll take on that mountain.
I'll find a way out.
To me, the Hermit is neither an enemy nor an ally. He's just a patient seeking salvation.
I don't care about the people who'd be happy if he died.
I just walk my path as a doctor.
(4)
"No, no, I'm beat."
I was on the phone with her.
"You messed up?"
"It's not that. It was quite interesting."
I explained to her.
"...It's your mistake."
"You put me to shame saying that."
"...What about the deal?"
"I wanted to consult with you about that."
"Shouldn't you accept it if it's for your goal?"
"I want to respect your wishes."
"Shouldn't we first cut down the opponent's fighting strength?"
"Meaning?"
"There's no guarantee the other party will keep their promises. If so, we need to do the deal after crippling them."
"The mummy collector might become a mummy." (T/N: Japanese saying, meaning the hunter might become the hunted.)
"The principle of negotiation is to do it from a position of advantage, right?"
"True."
"That's what the new Wizard is for."
"I'll do what I can."
"See that you do."
With that, the call ended.
I bit my nails.
"It's interesting, so I don't mind... but I wish they wouldn't get on my nerves so much."
I made the next call.
"Hello, Emperor?"
"Warlock?"
"Yeah. Can I ask a favor?"
I explained the plan to the Emperor.
"Understood."
If you're going to cripple them, you start with the head.
"Katagiri Toya..."
He's the source of everything not going according to plan.
So is the only option to eliminate him?
The detestable eldest son of the Katagiri family.
I've done my research. Next month is the Universiade, so he won't be around.
Should I make my move in the meantime?
Or is the time not right for me to make a move yet?
Is this really the right move?
Am I making some fatal mistake?
Such an anxiety flashes through my mind.
Let's organize the situation.
The negotiation to stop the pursuit of the Egoist in exchange for leaking the Takahashi Group's information has fallen through.
That was expected.
Because they already have solid evidence.
I managed to divert their eyes from the Egoist to the Takahashi Group.
But then they proposed their own deal.
Don't interfere with them, and they won't pursue the Egoist.
Do they even have a reason to chase the Egoist?
Don't they just want to ensure their own safety?
If so, then the advantage is on our side.
It seems like we're cornered, but actually, we're the ones doing the cornering.
If we corner them more, they might come to a negotiation that favors us.
But how do we corner them?
Is there no choice but to take a hardline approach?
Am I dealing with something outrageous?
No way, they're just college students.
But I know from the Nidhogg incident that a hardline approach won't work.
It's been a while since I had such a painful negotiation.
It gives me chills.
Just make sure you entertain me, Katagiri Toya.
(5)
I went home and immediately started working.
Kanna makes me some coffee.
She tells me, "Don't push yourself so hard."
Drinking the coffee, I slowly move forward with my work.
Toya said there was time to carry out the plan he'd mentioned, but if the other side caught on, it would fall apart in an instant.
I infiltrate the Wizard's PC via a stepping-stone PC and grant permissions to the stepping-stone PC.
After that, I use the stepping-stone PC to systematically destroy all the files related to us on the Egoist servers.
I also pinpoint the location of the servers and inform Emi-san and Toya.
Then I send over a new type of virus specially made by Makoto-kun.
It's an extremely troublesome file that formats the hard drives of every PC that accesses the server.
It's like that incident from a few years ago in an online game, where applying a patch file destroyed your hard drive.
Next, I attack the Wizard's PC itself.
He must be panicking about now, right?
Even if he tries to operate the keyboard, nothing moves, and even if he tries to turn it off, it won't shut down.
Even if he pulls the plug, he probably has an uninterruptible power supply installed.
I start leaking all the illegal files on his PC to the P2P network one after another.
I neatly attach his own personal information too.
A phone call comes in.
It's probably from Emi-san.
"I've tracked down the Wizard's address. What should I do?"
"Call the police. I think the cyber police are probably already on the move."
"Got it. I'm reporting it now. We don't need to detain him, right?"
"Yeah, let's just hand him over to the police quietly."
"Understood. Talk to you later."
"Thanks."
The problem is what was on his PC.
I check the files being sent from his PC.
It contained detailed records of the Egoist's new structure, funding sources, and so on.
Our information was neatly included too.
I scrutinize them one by one.
My fingers stopped.
"So this is the Pope's real identity...?"
A girl younger than my own sister...
The higher-ups were supposed to be the ones connected to the Takahashi Group.
It's just as Toya said.
I'm impressed.
I contact Toya about this.
This should mean we have the complete advantage.
I was filled with a sense of fulfillment.
My job is done here.
I'll leave the rest to Toya!
(6)
"Got it. Thanks."
When I finished the call, I went back to studying with Airi.
"What did Makoto-kun say?"
"Makoto works fast. It seems he's already taken control of the Wizard and the Egoist's servers."
"Already, even though you only told him today?"
"Yeah, he must have thought about it in his own way. That he had to do it before Warlock noticed."
"I see. Everyone's amazing, aren't they?"
"Airi's amazing too, isn't she?"
"Huh?"
"I heard you learned self-defense just from reading a book?"
"Ehehe~"
Airi seemed shy.
Thanks to Makoto securing everything in one go, I can be confident from here on out.
The only thing left is whether the other side will respond to the negotiation.
"Toya-kun, do you really think it's okay to just leave the Egoist alone?"
Airi asked.
"We don't have any reason to deal with them now, do we? I told you, didn't I? Our original goal was just to warn everyone who was trying to join the Egoist."
"That's true, but there are still people in the Egoist, right?"
"At least there's no one joining by mistaking us for them. Not anymore."
Because we have Unity.
"More importantly, we have to do something about the Takahashi Group."
"`'Freesia'`, huh..."
A flower of hope, connected bonds.
"We have to make it bloom properly."
"Yeah."
When we took a break from studying, Airi brought some drinks.
"We're alone, though. It might be a bit too early to say this..."
Airi said.
"Yeah."
I said that and laughed as I looked at Airi.
"Cheers."
Clink.
"Next is your turn, Toya-kun?"
"Huh?"
"The Universiade. You have to do your best, Toya-kun. I wish I could go cheer for you at every game, but..."
"Why don't you come, then?"
"Huh? But isn't it still dangerous to go out alone?"
I pulled out my trump card to answer Airi's question.
I had been planning to give it to her yesterday...
It was a ticket to Fukuoka, a ticket for the event, and an accommodation ticket.
When I asked the staff, Aya and the others apparently had the same idea, so they gladly agreed.
They're arena seats.
"I can cheer for you by your side, Toya-kun?"
"With Airi cheering for me, I can't afford to make any mistakes."
When I said that and laughed, Airi jumped on me.
"Yay~"
Airi laughed, looking genuinely happy.
I hugged that Airi.
As long as I have Airi, even America is no match for me.
It was a night that made me feel that way.