"Oh, dear. So that's why you're shivering from the cold," said Lu Niang Lan of Illegal with a light of both exasperation and admiration in her blue eyes.
She stood behind the counter of a used goods store in the large Chinatown of Block C.
The store was dimly-lit, it smelled of sweet incense, and the walls and columns were red. It was so red that one had to wonder if buildings in China were really quite that red. That was hardly surprising given this Chinatown had not developed naturally. The entire Block had been constructed as a film set for the kung fu movies distributed by the Toy Dream Company. In other words, it was the unrealistic image of China that Westerners pictured in their heads.
Incidentally, those movies included one with a shirtless muscular protagonist chaining two shotguns together like nunchucks and swinging them around while shooting in every direction. That should give you a good idea of how unrealistic this Chinatown was.
"…"
"…"
Shiroyama Kyousuke and Meinokawa Higan were shivering with chilly water dripping from their hair.
After landing in the ocean near the school in Block R, they had boarded his cruiser home that he had secretly moored nearby. From there, they had used the canals to reach Block C. They had showered and changed clothes on the way, but that had not fully rid them of the chill that had soaked them to the bone.
They had come to this store for two reasons.
First, to stock up on equipment such as Incense Grenades. The contents of an Incense Grenade had to be delicately mixed for the specific summoner who would use it, so they could not use one stolen from an enemy. A summoner either made their own or relied on a specialist.
The second was to gather information.
"Your hair is wet, Kyousuke-chan, but why are your clothes the same as always?"
"I have several pairs of the same clothes."
"And why is Higan-chan wearing a maid outfit? And a miniskirt one at that."
"Because the only girl's clothing I had were the ones you forced on me when you were drunk a while back! Why did you even give a guy a miniskirt maid outfit!?"
Even if the cruiser was equipped for daily life, it did not have a washing machine or dryer. They would use too much water and power. Her wet shrine maiden outfit was soaking in a tub of water, but they needed to visit a laundromat before long. Otherwise, it would stiffen up from the seawater.
However, that revelation led the beauty in a modified China dress to lean over the counter.
"That was the only girl's clothing you had? Then! Does that mean what I think it means!?"
"What?"
"Holy Shrine Maiden Higan-chan isn't wearing anything under there!?"
"Tch!! I was doing my best not to think about that, so why did you have to be so blunt about it!?"
Anyone would have noticed at a glance, but Meinokawa Higan was blushing, holding down the maid outfit's miniskirt with one hand, and fidgeting her legs. Someone who did not know the situation would have assumed she needed to use the restroom.
"(Oh, Wh-White Queen. Give me the noble heart needed to endure this extreme humili-hyah! I-I bit my tongue…!!)"
The sexy oriental beauty seemed to overflow with energy when she saw the shrine maiden muttering under her breath again.
"Th-this is some high level stuff. You're this girl's only chance at survival, but not only do you order her to wear a maid outfit, you don't let her wear any underwear and then take her for a walk around Chinatown in the middle of the night. How high level can you get, Kyousuke-chan!?"
"Please stop smiling like that! Forcing her to wear my boxers would be pretty perverted too, wouldn't it!? I-I had no choice! What else was I supposed to do!?"
Meinokawa Higan could not get a word in as the other two argued.
Was this really the Alice (with) Rabbit who had ruled that battlefield not long before?
The difference was so great that she was not sure how to approach him from now on and she began panicking a little.
Lu Niang Lan must have seen through that because she grinned and asked Higan a question.
"Are you worried because you can't get a read on Kyousuke-chan's character?"
"Eh? Um…"
"The answer is that everything you see there is a part of him. Show him your cleavage and he'll grow flustered. Give him a teary upturned look and he'll do most anything you say. Remember that because it'll be on the test. And the clincher is 'Help-…"
"Please stop telling her more than she needs to know!!"
Kyousuke loudly and quickly cut her off.
The modified China dress woman worked at cooling herself down and spoke to Higan again.
"Anyway, Higan-chan, don't worry. Based on what I've heard, there's nothing to worry about for the moment."
"Eh? Um, uh, what do you mean?"
"Now that you've teamed up with Kyousuke-chan, the two of you have been registered as the new Freedom Award 902, Alice (with) Rabbit. That means you're no longer the kind of wandering asset that Government sees as a threat."
"B-but, um, will they really accept it that easily?"
"Not normally, no. But while Illegal is legitimately their enemy, Government actually works with and hires summoners from Freedom. …They could eventually kill Alice (with) Rabbit, but it's more efficient to tame you than to accept the many sacrifices it would take to defeat you. Government as a whole gains very little by forcing the two of you to fight. They're also indebted to a certain someone☆"
"Anyway," added Shiroyama Kyousuke as if to urge caution. "That's really only wishful thinking, so don't get too optimistic. That may be true of Government as a whole, but there's still a decent chance Golden Luxury will attack as an individual. After all, we picked a fight with her, threw sand in her face, and ran off. …She's got to be pissed right now."
Higan let out a trembling groan.
That summoner was skilled enough for even Kyousuke to decide fleeing was the best plan. It scared her to have a monster like that know her name and face.
"A-and she specializes in the White Queen. That's the White Queen, isn't it?"
Her face had gone completely pale and Kyousuke sounded a little annoyed as he answered.
"Yes. It's that queen you love so much. …And she doesn't just pray to her. She wields her power as a deadly weapon."
Higan's face only grew paler.
The noble being ruling her mind would now bare her fangs as an enemy. Merely imagining that scene was probably enough to nearly faint, but that was the world of summoners.
"The Unexplored-class are beyond all of the Regulation and Divine-class Materials and she stands at the peak of even the Unexplored-class… W-we even worship her as, um, our shrine's unofficial second god."
"Well, she is the most popular." Lu Niang Lan laughed while resting her elbow on the counter. "Even in this store, the White Queen sculptures and plates sell the best. Government, Illegal, and Freedom each have a contract with one of the Three to receive their Awards, but in truth, all of them think the White Queen is the strongest."
"A-and we've made enemies of someone who summons her to fight?"
"In the world of summoning ceremonies, the lowest rookie and the most skilled expert have an equal chance of summoning any Material. You can't measure someone's strength based on what they can summon."
Kyousuke and Lu Niang Lan were both carefree.
Could experience really change someone that much?
"But now it looks like you can focus on the main issue here. Based on what you've said, this new organization called Guard of Honor attacked you and your twin sister, separating the two of you. You want to meet up with your missing sister before she's killed and the time limit would be…two days now that it's past midnight. That was your original goal, right?"
"Lu-san… Um, I'd heard Guard of Honor is a dangerous new organization that's been gathering a lot of strength in Illegal lately."
"Hmm. But I've never heard of them."
The altered China dress woman sounded indifferent. She felt no obligation just because she was also part of Illegal. The Russian mafia would feel no responsibility if a South American drug cocktail was being misused, so this was probably a similar way of looking at it. Illegal had their own issues to deal with.
"You twins got your information from Government, right? Can you really trust that? And…"
"And?"
"If this is an unregistered group using the Illegal name without permission…don't you think a legit Illegal member like me would be able to tell at a glance?"
Shiroyama Kyousuke could not believe his eyes.
This was due to a fifty-by-fifty centimeter cardboard box about fifteen centimeters tall. It was stuffed full of Incense Grenades just like an industrial box of drink cans.
"Lu-san, this is way too many. How am I supposed to carry all these!?"
"Divide the extras up between your cruiser and coin lockers. It'll be a pain coming back here every time you run out, won't it? More importantly, how about you replace your Blood-Sign's tip? You don't want to complain about poor maintenance if you're attacked without warning."
Lu Niang Lan messed with the laptop on the used goods store counter while recommending him all sorts of equipment. That included a short-bladed knife for handicraft work, fine waterproofed sandpaper, and instant glue.
Meinokawa Higan's eyes opened wide when she saw it all. They all looked like tools for home carpentry or summer projects, so she could not imagine how they could help in a summoning ceremony that could reach even the ancient gods.
"U-um, that…"
"Yes?"
Kyousuke pulled his Blood-Sign from his back, placed the knife blade a few centimeters from the front, and pressed down with his body weight. After a dull popping sound, the entire tip came off.
A piece of wood as soft as cork rolled along the floor. They were generally made from valuable sacred trees, but something of that level could be grown in a greenhouse if one knew how.
"That Repliglass Blood-Sign…i-it's for practice, n-not combat, right? Um, they use them in Government, don't they?"
"I think it's officially known as a Quad Motors Phosphorus. It's for beginners, so it doesn't have any outstanding features yet is still better than average overall. Adding my own customizations on top of it is the most effective method. Plus, a custom-made one using rare materials is a lot harder to replace if it gets damaged."
Kyousuke answered her while carving off the bits of the tip still stuck to the Blood-Sign. Then he used the instant glue to attach a new piece of wood. He traced the blade across the side of the Blood-Sign to get rid of the glue that oozed out and the wood that stuck out too far.
Just seeing his practiced motions was enough to give Higan the general idea that he had been doing this for a long time.
Then Lu Niang Lan spoke up while operating the laptop.
"Oh, there we go, there we go. Found it. This looks fishy to me."
"You found something, Lu-san?" asked Kyousuke while rounding off the surface of the newly-attached tip with the fine sandpaper.
The China dress beauty removed the laptop screen and held it out toward him. He took it and Higan peered in from the side.
"U-um, is this…an occult site?"
"It's a collection of urban legends," said Lu Niang Lan. "You can't take these things too lightly."
Higan did not seem to know how to respond and Kyousuke asked a question.
"Do you not use the internet much?"
"Well…my sister told me this is what, um, stole our god's place in the world."
Higan may not have been entirely wrong there.
"Isn't it more accurate to say people assumed gods could appear in or descend to our world whenever they wanted, but it turned out the conditions and locations were quite limited?"
Shiroyama Kyousuke and his fellow summoners used an Incense Grenade to create an Artificial Sacred Ground before performing the summoning ceremony. That implied the existence of natural sacred grounds that did not require the "artificial" clarifier.
They could be unexplored regions like deep valleys or thick rainforests and they could be temples, sanctuaries, or cathedrals designed by human hands. It had to be more than someplace hidden from human eyes where people were forbidden to enter. They had to naturally fill people with a desire to stay out. Someone could easily peek inside one if they could, but they would never think to do so. People would decide they would be happier not knowing if the alternative was exploring somewhere like that. It was in those places the gods would appear.
"Well, the internet is certainly convenient, but being too convenient can be a problem," said Lu Niang Lan. "You can easily search for satellite photos and you can freely explore 3D models of the pyramids. That'll have really limited the number of beds the gods like so much."
"Although if they're really one of the mystical locations spoken of in our field, people will avoid digitizing them or viewing that data even if they have the technical capabilities," said Kyousuke. "What really happened is we revealed just how few true sacred grounds there were in the first place."
"There are a fair number of partial ones, but in those, the exit gets clogged up and it turns into a haunted spot. Although if monsters like the Kuchisake-Onna show up, that gives us more work to do."
People no longer feared the darkness.
Or rather, they had forgotten the darkness existed.
That was a dry fact, but it meant they had no choice but to use whatever was available to them.
"Summoners and vessels aren't perceived properly by normal people and you can even trick cameras and sensors in some situations," said the modified China dress beauty. "But that will sometimes leave behind incomplete witness data."
Shiroyama Kyousuke scrolled through the page and saw a list of various rumors.
There was supposedly a giant server for an online casino below the amusement park and anyone would be able to add in some malware if they located it. There was supposedly a human trafficking organization walking boldly through the crowds by mixing in with the official costumed characters. Like that, most of the rumors were the standard fare.
But he frowned when he saw one of them.
~The Carnivore Girl~
In an accident at Block Z's zoo, a girl fell into the lion's cage. She died and the lion was shot by the zookeeper, but she continues to wander this world in search of the person who pushed her in so she can feed them to the lion's ghost."
"Um, isn't this talking about Aika? She generally holes up in her apartment, but she apparently goes out late at night to go for walks or bathe in the moonlight with that wild animal of hers."
"I really wish she would stop calling herself a shut-in when she can go to the convenience store on her own. But you understand now, don't you? Summoners and vessels aren't properly perceived by normal people, but they can't control how that perception shifts out of place. That's why partial information like that will pop up from time to time."
Lu Niang Lan tapped at one point on the screen and the text enlarged.
"But this is different. Someone's been spreading information for damage control. And on a pretty large scale. This is on the level of the Cyber Force's high-speed parallel servers."
"??? Um, uh, wh-what do you mean?"
The modified China dress beauty smiled and answered Meinokawa Higan's question.
"It means there's a rumor containing some kind of dangerous truth that warrants this. Not that just anyone could tell by looking at this screen☆"
Lu Niang Lan belonged to Illegal, which was (according to Government Middleman Aika) a collection of criminal organizations. That was why she could acquire anything one might need. And that included the software or specialized groups needed to accurately analyze the "flow of data" on the internet that could not be fully grasped even by a company worth billions of yen that managed both the advertisement and search business.
"When Illegal is manipulating stock prices or dabbling in the kind of land speculation that doesn't require any violence, then we'll purposefully spread rumors online like this. But this one has nothing to do with us. And yet it has a very Illegal smell to it. Guard of Honor might be doing something while making it look like our doing."
Shiroyama Kyousuke and Meinokawa Higan looked to the screen again and read the rumor in question.
~Terror of the Part-Time Empire~
Toy Dream 35 is a city of adults' hopes and children's dreams, but it is apparently putting a lot of effort into training its part-timers. If a part-timer treats a guest poorly and ruins the dream, their superiors will take them away. Recently, a black-haired girl in a shrine maiden outfit was seen being chased by men in work uniforms."
"U-um, is this, um…"
Higan grew flustered and Kyousuke spoke for her.
"This is a city of costumes, so the shrine maiden outfit alone isn't a sure thing. But since it matches your sister's description, I think it's worth pursuing."
"By the way, this rumor has been blocked three times in just the past few hours. That is, from eleven at night to one in the morning. Where the 'shrine maiden part-timer girl' appears has been all over the place, though."
"Wait. You mean…?"
"Yes, she's being seen more often. Almost as if she's purposefully making appearances."
"Hm," said Kyousuke as he stopped to think for a moment.
He did not know what route she was using, but Meinokawa Renge had apparently safely escaped the harbor area and was traveling between blocks. She should have been able to hide if she had a secret route like that, but she was purposefully showing herself from time to time.
If Guard of Honor was trying to block the information, then the information on her location was reaching them each time she appeared.
Why would she do something so dangerous?
After some thought, Kyousuke looked over at Higan who was staring at the laptop screen.
"Eh? Eh? Um, do you need something?"
"No," was all he said.
Meinokawa Renge was putting herself in danger to draw Guard of Honor's attention toward her and away from her sister Higan.
"Lu-san, I get that Meinokawa Renge is purposefully letting people see her, but is there a pattern to where and when she shows up? To put it more bluntly, where will she show up next?"
"Eight next morning in Block G."
"Eh? Wait… Um, how do you know that?"
"Well, I'll admit three data points is too little information to say for sure, but this city has twenty-six blocks from A to Z. If you convert the letters to number, compare them to her past appearances, and do a biiit of calculation, a simple pattern shows itself."
"Material is summoned by spelling out the name with the Blood-Sign… I guess that is a summoner-esque dying message."
Kyousuke tapped at the edge of the flat screen where the time and date were displayed.
"It would be difficult to get to the current point from here, so we'll just have to wait until eight in the morning."
"With that much time, the odds are good Guard of Honor will notice the pattern too."
"U-um, uh, what does that mean?"
Higan was almost in tears and Kyousuke gave a simple answer.
"It'll be a race to reach her first, like a game of beach flags."
They had the necessary equipment and they had some information to base their next move on.
Just as Shiroyama Kyousuke prepared to leave the store, Lu Niang Lan called out to him while leaning on the counter.
"Oh, right. Kyousuke-chan, why not take a side arm with you?"
"I think I'd be better off without one. It seems I'm Alice (with) Rabbit, after all."
With that quick response, he stepped out the door. Meinokawa Higan seemed puzzled by that exchange but started to follow Kyousuke while worrying about the short skirt of her maid outfit.
"That's fine. Higan-chan, take this just in case. Don't let Kyousuke-chan know, though."
She placed a military knife with a twenty centimeter blade on the counter. It was the kind with a jagged back often seen in movies. However, the grip was strange. It did not hold the blade equally on both sides. One side was longer.
"That's a trick knife that also works as a gun. It has two shots inside. When firing, align the tip with the center line of your target's body and press the button on the grip. But assume you can't hit from more than ten meters away. It's essentially a replacement for a blade that's fired by a spring."
"Eh? Eh? Wait, um…!?"
Higan was confused. She belonged to the world of the insane fights to the death known as summoning ceremonies, but the term "gun" filled her with an entirely different sense of rejection. It was strange, but a part of her still saw herself as existing within this country's laws.
Her mind subconsciously searched for an excuse to not take it.
"Um, uh, I thought normal weapons didn't work on a summoner inside the Material's protective circle."
"That's true. But let me tell you something that I've already accepted."
"?"
"Long ago, I killed a summoner with this. At the time, they were Government Award 1000."
That was enough to shock Higan.
Not only a summoner, but a Thousand Eater who held the greatest power of one of the three groups. Their affiliation would supposedly shift from this world to the other world and they would create new legends as a resident of the other side. Higan and her sister could never hope to defeat someone like that at their best, but this woman had killed them with nothing more than a modified handgun?
The modified China dress beauty laughed.
"To be blunt, I was forced to be their vessel. It was pretty awful. I really was living in a cage with a collar around my neck. I was sick of that life, so at the very, very end, I saw an opening, killed them, and ran off."
Lu Niang Lan belonged to Illegal.
According to Government, that was a collection of criminal organizations.
"That's why I don't believe in the assumption that only summoners can kill summoners. You'll find plenty of opportunities depending on the methods you're using. I may be an exception known as the Perfect Dragon, but that isn't something only I can do. It's best to be on your guard."
"…"
"Especially with high Award summoners like Kyousuke-kun, you'll often find yourself relying on him no matter what. So you take that. You aren't a customer or a guest anymore; you're half of Alice (with) Rabbit. You need to compensate for the things he can't do."
The woman gave a thin smile.
Meinokawa Higan thought she had a point, but her hand still wandered hesitantly through the air.
"And there's also the circumstances for tonight in particular. You might find yourself in need of some simple self-defense."
"?"
"Kyousuke-chan lives alone in a cruiser, but where do you think you're going to end up sleeping tonight? And with nothing underneath that miniskirt maid outfit, no less."
Higan grabbed the trick knife so quickly she nearly set it off right there.
Toy Dream 35 was a metropolis bordering the ocean. Its nightscape encroached on the dark sea as well as the land. This was due to the many ships. The small ones were boats meant to transport personnel and equipment or cruisers used as villas. The large ones were tankers and luxury cruise ships that could circumnavigate the globe.
One of the ships was especially large.
It was the Princess Azalea.
It was said the capacity of a CD had been decided because it could hold the entirety of one of Beethoven's symphonies, but something similar could be said about this cruise ship. The bridges of major port cities around the world – New York, Shanghai, Sydney, Copenhagen, Kobe, Singapore, etc. – had been modified so this ship could just barely pass through. It had begun operation ten years before to celebrate the high society debut of a single mysterious girl, but it was well known that even the water gates of the Panama Canal had been widened for the appearance of the ship.
That legend summed up the influence of the world-famous American defense contractor Quad Motors.
However…
"Milady," said the gentle voice of an old butler.
Azalea Magentarain sat next to a convenience store trashcan munching on Whitefish Night's Fried Fish, a popular hot snack. With the exception of the character illustration on the cardboard packaging, there was no creativity whatsoever in the product. If the maids waiting back on the cruise ship had seen this, they might have fainted.
"If you are hungry, shouldn't we return to the ship?"
"No, thanks. Everyone's too strict there."
She tossed the cardboard packaging in the plastic bag and pulled out a cheap spring roll instead.
"Seventy-eight yen each and made with entirely unknown ingredients. No lengthy menu and no bragging chef. Ahh, now this is the ultimate thrill. I could never eat something like this back home."
"You are incorrigible, milady."
"Just to make sure, you are going to keep this a secret, aren't you? If my family found out about this, they'd punish me with a detailed medical examination that very day," said Azalea as her small tongue licked up the grease on her thumb. "Any word on Freedom Award 902?"
"I apologize. We are putting in every possible effort to gather information, but…"
"Well, yelling at you isn't going to make them appear."
Even the old butler's eyes sharpened when he saw Azalea's slender hand reach for the plastic bottle of soda sitting directly on the ground, but Azalea was clearly enjoying that reaction as she gulped down the drink.
"Rather than chasing after them, we should chase after what they want. I received a report on Meinokawa Higan when she was brought under Government's protection."
"It seems Guard of Honor is also taking action concerning them…"
"Then this is business as usual. Either way, a summoner can't reveal their true value without beginning a battle. As I defeat enemy after enemy after enemy after enemy after enemy, I'll come across Alice (with) Rabbit eventually."
She held the fizzing bottle up in front of her eyes and pictured an imaginary image inside the translucent liquid.
"Doesn't that seem like the first worthwhile target in a while?"
She desired a powerful target, but she gave no real thought to the target itself.
There was something else that excited her.
"The peak of the Unexplored-class…the White Queen. It's been so long since I came across a delicious target that won't be crushed before I can summon her."
Beyond the Regulation-class and Divine-class was the Unexplored-class.
A certain Material was said to be the most powerful of that class and thus her popularity approached the level of worship.
She was known as the White Queen.
As the summoners of Government, Illegal, and Freedom honed their skills to crush each other, they had ironically cast aside the Three at the peaks of the low, middle, and high sounds and instead named her the most powerful.
When it came down to it, a battle was not a one-on-one affair to Azalea.
It was a stage on which she alone would shine.
And the most wonderful performance of all was to dance with the beautiful White Queen.
That inhuman beauty would complete that one-night-only performance in a way that could never be captured by a painting or sculpture. That was Golden Luxury's reason for existing in this world.
"Really, that is your biggest bad habit."
"Call it the true essence of the summoning ceremony. It's obvious why our combat-focused techniques can summon the gods and the Unexplored-class beyond them: combat is beautiful enough to draw them to us. Isn't that right?"
That was why she spent so much money and used so many personnel and yet never left the conclusion to her subordinates. In a game of chess, she would have been the king, but she would charge right into the enemy lines.
It was all to stage the most beautiful battle.
No matter how much risk it entailed, she would choose to stand before an enemy powerful enough to rival her.
"I am truly, truly hoping you can last long enough for me to reach the White Queen, Alice (with) Rabbit."
The next morning arrived.
"............…"
"Why aren't you sleeping? And after I let you have the bed, too."
Shiroyama Kyousuke had tried to get what sleep he could by placing the kitchen table's chairs next to each other. He asked his question while cracking his back, but Meinokawa Higan did not answer him.
She was filling her cupped hands with tap water and washing her face that still looked discouraged. On a cruiser, fresh water was fairly valuable. Basically, mineral water was pumped into a tank. Although there were reports saying Toy Dream 35's tap water taken from a Repliglass bacteria pool was of higher quality than commercial water bottles.
"Next up is our 'Trend Catcher!!' section where we discuss cutting-edge technology and the latest products. Today, we will be discussing the Logical Cables everyone has been talking about lately. Have any of you ever had trouble with your electric cords getting all tangled up at home? But prepare to be amazed! These Logical Cables will untangle themselves even if they're as tangled as an afro!!"
"But Tomcat-chan, aren't these made from Repliglass!? That was originally a military product, so surely it has to be expensive. …Huh? It's this cheap???"
(Honestly, that stuff is showing up everywhere these days.)
Kyousuke listened to the cat costume and the female announcer (he could not remember her nickname) on the TV as he poured cereal and milk into two large bowls and prepared a salad from the ingredients in the fridge.
"We have at most two more days. After eating this, let's pursue that rumor about the 'part-time girl' that's probably your sister."
"R-right. We need to find her as soon as we can."
Higan clenched her small fists.
"And you need rice and miso soup for a proper breakfast."
"Yeah, well cereal and damp bread is all I've got."
"B-but I didn't expect a legendary summoner to, um, buy Tomcat-chan cereal."
"This is Toy Dream 35. Everything from toilet paper to molester-repellent spray is branded with some kind of character or another. It's harder to find something without an illustration on it."
To add some more flavor, Kyousuke put a single scoop of plain yogurt in his bowl.
"I-I see…"
"Why are you so on edge? None of this is genetically modified if that's what you're worried about."
"Our shrine performs doll funerals, so I don't really like seeing all these mass-produced character goods that just get thrown out. Nothing's scarier than a smile buried in mud…"
While Higan preferred Japanese food, her empty stomach won out and she stuck a silver spoon into her large bowl of cereal.
Before taking the first bite, she muttered something under her breath.
"Oh, White Queen. Thank you for the happiness of having food at the table for another day."
"You're praying again?"
"I-I'm a shrine maiden, so of course I am. Didn't I tell you the White Queen is our shrine's unofficial second god?"
"I understand wanting to rely on her when she's known as the strongest, but you should be focusing on the entire summoning ceremony system more than a single temporary Material."
"B-but…"
Higan took a bite of the cereal and then reached for the bottle of honey on the table.
"The name on this boat's side is the White Queen."
"And you have no idea how much I regret that. If I'd known how hard it is to change a boat's name once it's been registered, I never would have given it that name."
Higan was puzzled by the way he seemed to spit out the words, but he changed the subject before she could find an answer.
"Oh, right. We need to do something about 'that' once you finish eating."
"?"
"I'm talking about that."
Kyousuke used his spoon to point toward the floor where the seawater-soaked shrine maiden outfit was soaking in a tub of water.
Toy Dream 35 was a giant amusement park filled with hopes and dreams, but it of course had the stores needed for daily life in addition to the souvenir shops and official fashion shops.
But Meinokawa Higan spoke up as soon as they entered the laundromat they found on the way to the nearest station.
"Oh, um, we can't use this."
"…Why not?"
She was looking at the synthetic detergent, not the washing machine.
"My sister said our outfits are dyed using the rubia plant, so u-using something like this will, um, wash the color out."
"Then what kind of detergent can we use?"
"I think everything like this is off limits."
Kyousuke held his head in his hands.
It was looking like they could not use the laundromat.
"So let me get this straight. To wash this thing, we have to use expensive dry cleaning? In this city that prices everything at hotel levels?"
"I…guess so."
"And with the special hand-washing option needed for a kimono or dress!?"
"It would be, um, m-meaningless otherwise."
"That costs too much. .........…I guess we'll have to give up on that."
"?"
Meinokawa Higan blankly tilted her head and he gave what might as well have been a death sentence to a girl who was still wearing a miniskirt maid outfit.
"On buying you some panties."
Ten minutes later, Shiroyama Kyousuke held the receipt from the dry cleaners they had dropped the shrine maiden outfit off at as soon as it had opened.
He had also been hit over and over by Meinokawa Higan whose entire face was beet red.
"Wh-why!? Um, how could this have happened!?"
"One: I got some Incense Grenades and information at Lu-san's place. That's an Illegal business, so it isn't cheap. Two: this is an amusement park city, so pretty much everything is expensive. Three: hand-washing traditional Japanese clothing requires an expert, so it's super expensive!! Just to be clear, my savings are pretty much down to zero now. Zero! Once my fridge is empty, I'm going to have to catch some dinner with a fishing rod!"
"B-but I thought you were Freedom Award 902, Alice (with) Rabbit!!"
"I've been using up all of my savings without doing any work for about half a year now. Got a problem with that? Besides, before taking issue with my financial situation, how about you take a look in your own wallet!?"
"Uuh… B-but we had our shrine taken away because of our debt…"
"Um… Just out of curiosity, how did you and your sister even get to Toy Dream 35? Surely you have some spare clothes at the hotel or apartment you were staying at."
".........We don't have anything like that."
"Don't tell me you were living in a home of newspaper and cardboard… That's just sad."
"S-say a word more and, um, I might not be able to control myself."
Nevertheless, they could not spend money they did not have and she could not wear panties she did not have.
She nearly accepted her fate, but then something occurred to her.
"Huh? There is a way!! Y-you can sell that cruiser!"
"Hell no!! Surely you don't think I'm crazy enough to sell my home to buy some panties!"
And thus Meinokawa Higan was forced to continue her strategy of utter defenselessness.
"Once this is over, you should probably go running to Government or Illegal and accept a few small jobs. At this rate, you'll be digging through the trash for food."
"U-uuh… D-do you have to, um, verbally attack me like that?"
"Yes, I do! We're supposed to be a pair, but I feel like one side isn't exactly supporting the other much!"
It was 7:58 in front of Block G's monorail station. The city's ground had been intentionally submerged and all of the roads floated in the air like elevated highways or giant land bridges. The plaza in front of the monorail station was large enough for a basketball court, but it too was not solid land.
At this time, the people on the way to work or school were mixed in with the tourists who had gotten up early. But that area in front of peaceful Block G's monorail station was also a delicate "powder keg" where multiple summoners were prepared to clash head-on.
"I-it's about time…isn't it?" asked Meinokawa Higan while holding down her maid outfit's short skirt with both hands.
She was standing out more due to her fidgeting than her clothing, but Kyousuke held his tongue because he knew telling her that would not help.
"B-but how is, um, my sister moving around? I-I was found by Government right away."
"She's probably using the staff-only pathways," calmly answered Kyousuke. "There are apparently tons of passageways spread out through the city like a spider web to quickly transport supplies, trash, and famous people who might cause a scene if they were in the public eye. Some are undersea tunnels, some run through the giant land bridges, and so on. I don't know all the details myself, but it's the hidden side of this land of dreams."
But Renge had used those to survive until morning.
Although no one knew how long that would last.
"Assuming Guard of Honor isn't filled with complete idiots, they'll be hiding around here somewhere. …Your sister Renge and the people pursuing her are both here somewhere, so focus."
The target was a human being and lives were on the line.
The ultimate game of beach flags would soon begin.
Meinokawa Renge had long black hair and smooth white skin, so no one could have looked more at home in a shrine maiden outfit. She was near the plaza in front of Block G's monorail station, but she was actually on a different land bridge passing directly above that plaza. She was extremely close, but she would never cross paths with Kyousuke or Higan.
A weird costumed character that kept saying "gozaru" cheerfully passed her by.
She had an extremely simple reason for being here.
She was intentionally following a pattern to capture Guard of Honor's attention. That would allow Higan at least to escape their information network.
(It scares me that my connection with her was severed, but I can't go searching for her now. If I chase after her, I might lead Guard of Honor right to her. I can only trust that she's alive and keep doing what I'm doing!!)
She would do anything for her sister.
Their opponent was skilled and this cheap attempt to remain on the run would not last forever, so she wanted to be of some use instead of dying a worthless death. She wanted to protect her family.
She had resolved herself to that, and yet…
(Why is Higan here!?)
Renge crouched behind the concrete railing to make sure she could not be seen from below.
This defeated the entire purpose of her acting as bait. Guard of Honor would soon close in on Renge, but Higan was here too.
Plus…
(And why is she wearing a miniskirt maid outfit???)
That question only brought further questions.
(Plus, who is that boy standing next to her? Eh? Don't tell me that's…a new summoner!? Is that why her connection with me was severed? But a contract can't be forced through threats or hypnotism, so, um…)
Those questions brought further confusion.
(Absolute consent is needed. But that means he could have deceived her like a host chatting up women in a host club… D-don't tell me that bastard laid his hands on my cute little Higan!!)
She nearly forgot her situation as anger flared up inside her.
"Found you☆"
But then she heard the sound of creaking metal.
The wave of pedestrians naturally opened on either side to avoid "her".
It was a young woman wearing a light pink nurse outfit. However, her fingernails were painted a venomous color and a single tuft of her long, loose hair was dyed deep red. Both were unhygienic things an actual nurse would never do.
However, the entire city of Toy Dream 35 was an amusement park, so a costume was not going to gather much attention. The attention was drawn by something else.
The sound of creaking metal continued.
One of her hands held an IV stand with wheels. The transparent tube led to a girl in a plain, long-sleeved navy blue sailor uniform. The skirt was long and the legs poking out were covered in black tights. But very few people would think of the words "delicate" or "slender" upon seeing her. The words in their mind would be far more frail, devastating, and hopeless. They would be similar to the thoughts of someone seeing an old tree that had started to rot from within.
The girl swayed unsteadily on her feet as if she did not even have the willpower to remain standing. If some third party followed the nursing instructions and supported her back while tugging gently on her hand, she would probably have followed them to the ends of the earth.
They were a summoner and vessel.
The summoner went by Guard of Honor's shared name of Uniquely Selfless. She was the skilled summoner who had summoned the Unexplored-class Lady of "Purple Lightning" that Separates Good from Evil (iu – ao – eu – ei – kub – miq – a – ci – pl) on a cruiser at the harbor. …However, she had used up more than fifty vessels to reach this point.
The vessel's head continued lolling unsteadily and she did not speak a word, but that was hardly surprising when the drug in the IV kept her mind muddy twenty-four hours a day. The nameless girl probably had no idea she was a vessel.
The effect was technically somewhat different, but it may have been similar to pharmaceutically recreating the hopeless trance that left someone only able to smile a little as the final calamity of defeat approached. But here, it continued indefinitely.
"Meinokawa Renge sighted☆ And if she's been sighted, then I'm close enough to use this☆☆☆"
The Uniquely Selfless in the nurse uniform grinned and let her slender fingers crawl along her own thigh.
She pulled a metal can from her skirt.
It was an Incense Grenade.
Summoner Meinokawa Renge did not currently have the vessel needed to summon Material, so she would be killed by even the weakest Material at a cost of one.
The enemy summoner licked her lips that were covered in an excessive amount of lipstick and she pulled the IV needle from the girl's arm. That was another sign of the coming battle. In her long life, the vessel only had any awareness during the few minutes of a battle. To that ignorant girl, that life may have seemed like a fragment of a psychedelic nightmare.
"Hee hee☆ Ahh, I knewwww it☆ This moment when I hold a human life in my hands☆☆☆ This is the moment of ultimate bliss☆ Ha ha ha☆ Ah ha☆ Ha ha☆☆ Ah ha ha ha☆ Ah ha☆☆☆ Ah ha☆☆ Ah ha ha☆ Ah ha ha ha☆☆☆☆ Ah ha☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆"
But then she heard a girl's voice as clear as a bell slip into her ears from behind.
"Oh? If you really want to take your cruelty to the next level, you need to create some benefit to society so its value will be widely accepted, don't you think? …For example, like this."
A rumbling burst out.
It was over in less than fifteen seconds.
Shiroyama Kyousuke heard the whistling of something slicing through the air as it slowly rotated. The people in the plaza had started screaming and fleeing in confusion after an explosion directly above, but that quieter noise sounded oddly loud to his ears and heart.
Meinokawa Higan looked up without thinking.
At that exact moment, a woman in a nurse outfit fell from the giant land bridge crossing above the plaza.
A dull, soft sound followed.
Despite falling solidly onto her back, the woman forgot to choke and continued making a single action. She was not holding a Blood-Sign, but she slowly continued miming the act of striking something with one again and again.
"Kh!!"
Kyousuke took Higan's hand and began to run.
He nearly leaped forward to hide below the land bridge running by overhead.
Higan looked like she was going to ask a question, so he covered her mouth with a hand and held his breath.
He heard a pure girl's voice. In fact, it was so pure it sounded like it would kill germs.
The speaker was likely looking down at the plaza from above. And from the sound of her voice, she was speaking over a cellphone or radio.
"Yes, yes. I defeated them. It was Guard of Honor's…well, it's a little confusing since they're all called Uniquely Selfless. Anyway, this is the eighth one. It's so easy I'm having trouble holding back a yawn."
(That voice. Government Award 930, Golden Luxury!?)
Shiroyama Kyousuke gulped with his hand still covering Meinokawa Higan's mouth.
The timing could not have been worse.
Like the ally of justice Government was meant to be, they must have used their own information network to hunt down Guard of Honor. But the enemy of your enemy was not necessarily your friend. Kyousuke and Higan had already given Azalea Magentarain a reason to fight them.
Meinokawa Renge was nearby.
And Guard of Honor may have sent more than the one summoner.
If Golden Luxury noticed them while speaking on the phone, she would probably use a Material even in this crowd. Who could say how far the damage would spread.
"I'll leave it to you to pick up the trash. How about putting her through a strength test to see how far you have to go before she tells you everything?"
Whatever the case, they could not afford to begin a battle here. Meeting up with Meinokawa Renge came first and then they needed to focus on safely leaving this place.
"Is this necessary? Of course it is. I am Government Award 930. Are you sure you haven't misjudged my value?"
"(M-my sister was there…)"
In his arms, Maid Higan looked up at Kyousuke and pleaded quietly to him.
It was an earnest plea.
"(When I looked up before, I saw my sister there! We have to do something!!)"
"(Wait. …Something isn't right.)"
Kyousuke felt a scorching sensation on the back of his neck as Azalea continued speaking overhead.
"You all have talent that rookies do not, but there is too much variation in that talent and not everyone is going to earn a passing grade. Don't you think we need to weed the failures out at some point? With a large plan, even the smallest mistake could lead to it all falling apart."
He had assumed Golden Luxury was speaking with a Government contact, but she was not.
"If they can keep me from catching up to them, we know other members of Government can't catch up to them either. We are in the process of carrying out a delicate plan, so they need to be able to accomplish at least that much. Anyone caught by my network would be caught and tortured by other members of Government. You should thank me that they were only caught in this practice run. If this was a real fight to the death, those incompetent grunts would have been defeated, thrown in a dark room, and tortured for every detail of our plan."
Azalea Magentarain was speaking with someone else entirely.