To prevent those guys from GHQ from coming after him again, Funeral Parlor deliberately placed Yahiro Samukawa and his younger brother Jun under protection. Their residence was also arranged by Gai, making it easier for informants to keep watch.
Fortunately, the residence was relatively close to Tennoz, near the commercial district, so there were no concerns about travel. Moreover, since things were still at the height of turmoil, Yahiro needed to stay hidden for a while, so he had not attended school for the entire past month.
As for Jun, because the virus crystals in his body had been purified by Musou Isshin, his physical condition had improved significantly. However, he was still frail and remained unconscious.
As for the sudden improvement of the virus in Jun's body, the Shogun instructed Yahiro to remain silent about it. She herself also had no intention of telling Gai. The explanation given was simply:
"Due to the outbreak of the virus in Jun's body, most of the crystals spread onto the frame piloted by Daryl Yan. As for why the concentration of the virus in the host decreased, they did not know. The infected mech was also destroyed, so there was insufficient evidence and no way to verify the cause."
—That was all there was to it.
After that, she specifically reminded Yahiro of several matters. The most important points were that he had to promise the following—
He must not engage in such depraved dealings again and should focus his time on his studies and taking care of Jun.
If he caused trouble or even harmed those around her again, she would not be lenient next time.
And the final point... he must never have any contact with GHQ again!
Yahiro obediently agreed to all of it. After experiencing what had happened before, the Shogun had already become a godlike figure in his eyes—someone he both admired and believed in. He no longer dared to make mistakes. After all, she was the angel who had personally saved his family. That was more than enough for him.
And so, another month passed, and summer vacation arrived.
Perhaps it was because they found the summer break too boring and wanted something to do, or perhaps they simply wanted to deepen their friendships and liven up the holiday atmosphere, but everyone secretly planned a so-called seaside trip. She only found out about it last—and that wasn't even the main issue. The biggest problem was that they had included her without asking!
"A school trip?"
Inori, standing at the kitchen counter making coffee, raised her eyes to glance at Hare, who was leaning over the counter, and asked.
"Mm, not exactly... it's not officially organized."
Hare replied.
This suggestion was originally proposed by Souta. He invited Shu, and when Kanon heard about it, she thought it sounded feasible and agreed. As her best friend, Hare naturally had to accompany her. And if she was going, she would definitely invite Inori and Mio as well. And so, things ended up like this.
"Dominoes?"
Hearing this, Inori tilted her head slightly, imagining a row of domino tiles falling one after another.
"Hehe... I—I guess you could say that."
Hare laughed awkwardly.
"So... what do you think? Inori, will you come too?"
Resting her chin on her hand, Hare asked expectantly.
"...I don't really mind. There hasn't been any mis—mm?"
That's not right. There should have been a mission. Just a few days ago, Gai had specifically come to find her.
[Memory]
"Souta Tamadate... my classmate?"
Looking at the blond man in front of her, the girl couldn't help but show a puzzled expression. In her mind, she subconsciously pictured that short-haired, somewhat foolish-looking boy. He seemed to be her fan.
"That's right. If possible, bring him to Oshima, then infiltrate the GHQ facility there."
Sitting on the steps in the base hall, Gai operated his laptop while drinking a pouch of jelly, assigning her the task.
"You mean... we need his Void?"
She asked.
"Yes. To break through the security system."
He paused to take a sip, then tossed her another unopened pouch.
Tap...
She caught it skillfully, silently looking at the brand and the illustration on it.
"This flavor is good."
He smiled.
"...How should I approach him?"
She opened it and took a sip, feeling the cool sweetness of orange flavor, then asked softly.
"That's something you'll have to figure out yourself. Ideally, get him alone. You'll need room to maneuver—don't let anyone else notice."
"...Understood. I'll think of something."
[End Memory]
Originally, she had thought this kind of mission would be quite difficult. She needed to be alone with him and also bring him to a place like Oshima. She had been stuck in a dilemma—but at this moment, a flash of inspiration struck her.
This opportunity had come far too coincidentally... it left her momentarily dazed. She could make use of this trip.
"Um... Inori?"
Seeing the girl lost in thought, Hare raised her hand and waved it back and forth in front of her eyes.
"No, it's fine. I don't have anything going on lately. I can go."
She nodded in agreement.
"Really?"
Hare's face lit up with joy.
"Mm. But... has the destination been decided?"
She asked deliberately.
"Not yet... we were planning to decide after everyone was confirmed."
Hare scratched her head awkwardly.
"I see. Then... how about Oshima? The environment there is nice, and there's the sea..."
Inori suggested the very location where Funeral Parlor would carry out their mission. Oshima also happened to be a vacation spot, so she naturally had to seize such a perfect opportunity.
"Oshima... hmm—wait a second, I'll ask Kanon."
Hare turned around, took out her phone, and called Kanon.
"Kanon, um... how about Oshima?"
"...Inori suggested it. It's not too far, either. Mm... mm, got it. Let's go with that."
Beep—
The call ended.
"It's fine. They agreed."
Inori let out a small sigh of relief. Fortunately, the location hadn't been decided yet, or it would have been troublesome.
"Then you all go. This body will stay home."
At that moment, the Shogun, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly spoke... Both of them instinctively turned to look at her.
They saw her lying on her side on the carpet beneath the low table, tilting her head while fiddling with the terminal in her hand. She didn't even have a pillow, using the side of her head directly against the floor—completely in a lazy, stay-at-home posture.
"Wait... Mio, don't lie like that. It's bad for your neck."
Seeing her like this, Hare sighed helplessly and hurried over like a worried mother, crouching down to slip a pillow under her head.
At the same time, she couldn't help but take a closer look at her current appearance. Perhaps because she was just relaxing at home, she was only wearing a plain slip dress. Her slender collarbones and the gentle curve of her cleavage were left completely exposed—and she wasn't even wearing a bra.
Moreover, the neckline of her dress was somewhat loose. As she lay on her side, the strap on her outer shoulder had slipped down along her arm, causing the pink peaks of her breasts to appear and disappear from view. The side-lying posture further accentuated the graceful curves of her shapely body, fully exposing its contours before Hare's eyes.
"It doesn't matter... it won't hurt me."
Although the Shogun muttered this, she still obediently rested her head on the pillow.
During this, she didn't notice the unabashed gaze behind her. She shifted slightly in her side-lying position, her smooth legs extending from beneath her dress, bare without any stockings. They bent gently against each other, forming elegant lines, her calves slowly intertwining. Her delicate feet, painted with light purple nail polish, brushed against each other. Altogether, she resembled a languid kitten.
"—///"
Hare took in the entire scene at once. She felt her body grow warm, her throat slightly dry. The seductive sight before her was enough to captivate even her, another girl.
Fortunately, Inori brought over the tray of coffee and set it down in front of them, pulling Hare back from her drifting, desire-tinged thoughts. Otherwise, things might have gotten awkward.
"What's wrong?"
The Shogun seemed to notice a hint of stiffness in Hare and turned to ask.
"Shogun... are you not wearing... a bra?///"
Hare asked, her face slightly flushed.
"Hm? A bra? No. It feels uncomfortable."
The Shogun replied indifferently, then reached up to pull the slipping strap back onto her shoulder.
It was the truth. She had always found such things restrictive and uncomfortable. Back in Inazuma, when she dressed as the Raiden Shogun, she had never worn one either. After all, a kimono didn't require such restraints.
"N-no, you have to wear one.///"
Hare protested, blushing.
"Why? I usually don't—haa... fine..."
The Shogun was about to say something, but eventually relented and didn't argue further, turning her attention back to the screen.
"...Honestly..."
Seeing this, Hare didn't say anything more. She felt that the woman in front of her seemed somewhat out of touch with modern times... or perhaps just a bit airheaded.
"What is it? Why bring this up all of a sudden?"
After watching the screen for a while, the Shogun tilted her head to look at her, puzzled.
"Eh? Nothing... I was just thinking about the beach trip from earlier."
Hare steered the conversation back.
"Oh... you all go. I'll pass."
The Shogun got up, took a sip of coffee, then flopped back down again, looking every bit like a homebound shut-in—as if she had been influenced by someone.
"B-but... if one person is missing, it might—"
"If she doesn't want to go, there's nothing we can do."
Inori didn't try to persuade her further. This mission was simple and didn't require Mio's involvement, so it didn't matter whether she went or not.
"Even you, Inori... I know missing one person isn't a big deal, but... the atmosphere just..."
Hare lowered her gaze, looking somewhat disappointed. She had been looking forward to traveling together with her, but hadn't expected such a straightforward refusal.
"By the way..."
"Mm?"
She looked toward the woman lying on the floor.
"What are you supposed to do there?"
The Shogun set aside her terminal and asked curiously.