As Yoiyami-san practiced a while ago, the movement speed of ‘Blackout’ is tremendous even in the morning when the sun is shining.
However, after leaving the outer wall of New Road, we have to rely on a car as the means of transportation from there.
‘Blackout’ is the ability to move through the darkness, not teleport.
In the daytime when there is little darkness, on top of the distance that could be covered being short, the power of ‘Blackout’ couldn’t be fully exerted in the vicinity of the open New Road where there are few covers.
Sitting in the passenger seat, I open the window and look at the outside scenery.
It should take about 2 hours to reach the destination.
When we arrive there, we will take out Ohashi’s phone and check if there is any contact from Tsurugi.
It’s fine even if there is no contact from Tsurugi.
I thought so at first, but since we’ve braved such a risk, I feel like I’m going to get angry if he doesn’t contact us.
“Shion.”
Suddenly, Yoiyami-san who is driving the car calls my name.
I keep my elbows on the car window and only turn my head to listen to him.
“What is it?”
“About earlier, something happened with Roll?”
I frown a little. Yoiyami-san is looking straight at the continuing road.
“Are you curious about such a thing?”
“Ahh.”
Yoiyami-san glances at me and immediately take back his gaze.
I think a little.
I wonder if he threw this strange topic just to make a conversation in the quiet car.
It sure makes me feeling a bit out of place. It’s not like I feel uncomfortable not having a conversation with Yoiyami-san after all.
Or should I say, it isn’t like him.
“Should I turn on the music?” I ask, trying to change the topic.
“…Listen, Shion.”
It appears to be a serious topic.
I lower my elbow from the car window and reply,
“Okay.”
The sound of a car running.
Because it is a shabby car borrowed from the slum, its noise is terrible.
In the middle of that, Yoiyami-san starts talking,
“Strangely, even though I get a reason to fight… at the same time, I don’t have motivation to fight inside me.”
I know that.
Yoiyami-san can’t kill people after all; it is already a good thing that he is sheltering us.
“……”
“I intended to be alone. But in the end, now it is not so. In short, Shion. Being alone forever is difficult.”
I get confused because I couldn’t understand what Yoiyami-san is saying, but I can’t just tilt my head, so I respond with “I see.”
“So, I think all of you as my comrades.”
“……”
Since Yoiyami-san is not good at speaking, he probably can’t convey his thought well, I guess.
However, I’m glad if he thinks of us as his comrades.
“…Roll is your partner, right.”
After he said only that, the inside of the car gets enveloped in silence.
———
Negwave, a small city about two hours away by car from New Road.
I heard that its outer wall is low, and even the Self-Defense Force’s control there is loose, but it seems to be relatively safe.
When we arrived there, we immediately search for a place to take out Ohashi’s phone.
The place is a lonely parking lot in a corner of the city. After the car parked there, I receive the phone from Yoiyami-san in the car.
There is no incoming call history because the radio wave was blocked, but now that it’s out, it immediately receives mails.
I snicker at the mails that appears on Ohashi’s phone.
When the reception is completed, a find an email from Tsurugi.
A phone number is contained in it.
He probably meant for me to call it.
Next, I check the short mail by the ‘incoming call notification function’.
There is one incoming call notification from Tsurugi and several incoming call notifications from an unknown number.
The incoming call notification from this unknown number was probably sent by the Self-Defense Forces to find our location.
I look at the clock. We won’t be able to have a long talk, but since he only called once, he seems to have guessed the circumstances.
“Then, I’ll call him.”
“Do it quick. We don’t have time.”
I operate the phone and enter the phone number written in the email into the dial, and make the call.
Getting the call traced in this city, which is the third closest to New Road, is a concern as it might get us connected with Yoiyami-san, but there’s no need to worry.
Right. If we can cooperate with Tsurugi as planned, there will be no more reason to stay at New Road.
We will make a new plan to defeat Boss in the new location.
*Purururu* The ringing tones echo in my ears.
I’m getting impatient. He hasn’t pick up the call after a while has passed.
However, there is no need to rush.
There is a considerable distance from Saint Celia to this place, and even if the nearby troops are dispatched, I can handle them as long as a general class doesn’t come.
In addition, there is Yoiyami-san here.
Well, Yoiyami-san will be a last resort, however.
After hearing the ringing tones a dozen times, I finally hear the sound of the phone connected *gacha*.
I slightly open my mouth and prepare to say the bare-minimum.
[As I thought, you may still be a threat to me. Shion.]
My head turn blank at that voice.
“Wha… kh…!”
Why is… Boss…!
Eyes opening wide, I close my open lips as though biting them. My heart beats violently.
Having watched my condition, Yoiyami-san frowns.
I have to regain my composure at least – I exhale deeply and make my brain fully rotate.
Why does Boss…?
Does that mean he has already captured Tsurugi? No, that’s not it.
First, I hang up the phone.
After taking off the phone away from my ear, I turn off the power with my shaky hand.
“……Dammit!”
“What happened, Shion,” Yoiyami-san next to me looks my way suspiciously.
“…The one who answered the phone was Boss. Yoiyami-san, put this phone in ‘Darkness Void.”
“What……?”
While surprised, Yoiyami-san receives Ohashi’s phone and hides it in the darkness.
“……What do you mean.”
I see…
I’m an idiot.
I considered the possibility that Tsurugi destroyed his phone, but I did not consider that the phone was in the hands of the enemy.
Tsurugi was in such a situation after all, it wouldn’t be strange if his phone was seized in some way.
So, was the other incoming call notification that came from unregistered number was Tsurugi?
The possibility is high.
However, in any case, I don’t have time to call Tsurugi now.
“Anyway, Yoiyami-san, start…” I begin to say, and then stop.
Sound collection.
Then, I look around the area from inside the car.
I can’t see any sign of the enemy, but …
“Ahh.”
“Isn’t this too quick…? No matter how fast they are.”
We are already surrounded.
It is too fast even considering the time bought by ringing tones.
They are surely not the force of this city. Did they keep a teleportation ability users on standby until I called the whole time?
There’s no use thinking about it. Since it has come to this, there’s no other way than to fight.
“I’m going.”
“Wait, I will go out too.”
“Please wait, Yoiyami-san…”
Even in this situation, I want to preserve Yoiyami-san. With that in mind, I try to stop him, but he is already out of the car and standing outside.
Letting out a sigh, I slowly get out of the car, a figure then appears at the entrance of the parking lot.
“Hey, hey. Could you possibly be Yoiyami? I haven’t heard of this, y’knoww.”
Shining four-star silver badges are pinned on the chest of the man who is walking while complaining.
I look at his eyes.
“Mikunizaki Miyabi…”
I mutter the name of the general who is supposed to be assigned to a distant city
As Yoiyami-san practiced a while ago, the movement speed of ‘Blackout’ is tremendous even in the morning when the sun is shining.
However, after leaving the outer wall of New Road, we have to rely on a car as the means of transportation from there.
‘Blackout’ is the ability to move through the darkness, not teleport.
In the daytime when there is little darkness, on top of the distance that could be covered being short, the power of ‘Blackout’ couldn’t be fully exerted in the vicinity of the open New Road where there are few covers.
Sitting in the passenger seat, I open the window and look at the outside scenery.
It should take about 2 hours to reach the destination.
When we arrive there, we will take out Ohashi’s phone and check if there is any contact from Tsurugi.
It’s fine even if there is no contact from Tsurugi.
I thought so at first, but since we’ve braved such a risk, I feel like I’m going to get angry if he doesn’t contact us.
“Shion.”
Suddenly, Yoiyami-san who is driving the car calls my name.
I keep my elbows on the car window and only turn my head to listen to him.
“What is it?”
“About earlier, something happened with Roll?”
I frown a little. Yoiyami-san is looking straight at the continuing road.
“Are you curious about such a thing?”
“Ahh.”
Yoiyami-san glances at me and immediately take back his gaze.
I think a little.
I wonder if he threw this strange topic just to make a conversation in the quiet car.
It sure makes me feeling a bit out of place. It’s not like I feel uncomfortable not having a conversation with Yoiyami-san after all.
Or should I say, it isn’t like him.
“Should I turn on the music?” I ask, trying to change the topic.
“…Listen, Shion.”
It appears to be a serious topic.
I lower my elbow from the car window and reply,
“Okay.”
The sound of a car running.
Because it is a shabby car borrowed from the slum, its noise is terrible.
In the middle of that, Yoiyami-san starts talking,
“Strangely, even though I get a reason to fight… at the same time, I don’t have motivation to fight inside me.”
I know that.
Yoiyami-san can’t kill people after all; it is already a good thing that he is sheltering us.
“……”
“I intended to be alone. But in the end, now it is not so. In short, Shion. Being alone forever is difficult.”
I get confused because I couldn’t understand what Yoiyami-san is saying, but I can’t just tilt my head, so I respond with “I see.”
“So, I think all of you as my comrades.”
“……”
Since Yoiyami-san is not good at speaking, he probably can’t convey his thought well, I guess.
However, I’m glad if he thinks of us as his comrades.
“…Roll is your partner, right.”
After he said only that, the inside of the car gets enveloped in silence.
———
Negwave, a small city about two hours away by car from New Road.
I heard that its outer wall is low, and even the Self-Defense Force’s control there is loose, but it seems to be relatively safe.
When we arrived there, we immediately search for a place to take out Ohashi’s phone.
The place is a lonely parking lot in a corner of the city. After the car parked there, I receive the phone from Yoiyami-san in the car.
There is no incoming call history because the radio wave was blocked, but now that it’s out, it immediately receives mails.
I snicker at the mails that appears on Ohashi’s phone.
When the reception is completed, a find an email from Tsurugi.
A phone number is contained in it.
He probably meant for me to call it.
Next, I check the short mail by the ‘incoming call notification function’.
There is one incoming call notification from Tsurugi and several incoming call notifications from an unknown number.
The incoming call notification from this unknown number was probably sent by the Self-Defense Forces to find our location.
I look at the clock. We won’t be able to have a long talk, but since he only called once, he seems to have guessed the circumstances.
“Then, I’ll call him.”
“Do it quick. We don’t have time.”
I operate the phone and enter the phone number written in the email into the dial, and make the call.
Getting the call traced in this city, which is the third closest to New Road, is a concern as it might get us connected with Yoiyami-san, but there’s no need to worry.
Right. If we can cooperate with Tsurugi as planned, there will be no more reason to stay at New Road.
We will make a new plan to defeat Boss in the new location.
*Purururu* The ringing tones echo in my ears.
I’m getting impatient. He hasn’t pick up the call after a while has passed.
However, there is no need to rush.
There is a considerable distance from Saint Celia to this place, and even if the nearby troops are dispatched, I can handle them as long as a general class doesn’t come.
In addition, there is Yoiyami-san here.
Well, Yoiyami-san will be a last resort, however.
After hearing the ringing tones a dozen times, I finally hear the sound of the phone connected *gacha*.
I slightly open my mouth and prepare to say the bare-minimum.
[As I thought, you may still be a threat to me. Shion.]
My head turn blank at that voice.
“Wha… kh…!”
Why is… Boss…!
Eyes opening wide, I close my open lips as though biting them. My heart beats violently.
Having watched my condition, Yoiyami-san frowns.
I have to regain my composure at least – I exhale deeply and make my brain fully rotate.
Why does Boss…?
Does that mean he has already captured Tsurugi? No, that’s not it.
First, I hang up the phone.
After taking off the phone away from my ear, I turn off the power with my shaky hand.
“……Dammit!”
“What happened, Shion,” Yoiyami-san next to me looks my way suspiciously.
“…The one who answered the phone was Boss. Yoiyami-san, put this phone in ‘Darkness Void.”
“What……?”
While surprised, Yoiyami-san receives Ohashi’s phone and hides it in the darkness.
“……What do you mean.”
I see…
I’m an idiot.
I considered the possibility that Tsurugi destroyed his phone, but I did not consider that the phone was in the hands of the enemy.
Tsurugi was in such a situation after all, it wouldn’t be strange if his phone was seized in some way.
So, was the other incoming call notification that came from unregistered number was Tsurugi?
The possibility is high.
However, in any case, I don’t have time to call Tsurugi now.
“Anyway, Yoiyami-san, start…” I begin to say, and then stop.
Sound collection.
Then, I look around the area from inside the car.
I can’t see any sign of the enemy, but …
“Ahh.”
“Isn’t this too quick…? No matter how fast they are.”
We are already surrounded.
It is too fast even considering the time bought by ringing tones.
They are surely not the force of this city. Did they keep a teleportation ability users on standby until I called the whole time?
There’s no use thinking about it. Since it has come to this, there’s no other way than to fight.
“I’m going.”
“Wait, I will go out too.”
“Please wait, Yoiyami-san…”
Even in this situation, I want to preserve Yoiyami-san. With that in mind, I try to stop him, but he is already out of the car and standing outside.
Letting out a sigh, I slowly get out of the car, a figure then appears at the entrance of the parking lot.
“Hey, hey. Could you possibly be Yoiyami? I haven’t heard of this, y’knoww.”
Shining four-star silver badges are pinned on the chest of the man who is walking while complaining.
I look at his eyes.
“Mikunizaki Miyabi…”
I mutter the name of the general who is supposed to be assigned to a distant city
