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Suddenly, darkness enveloped her.
Kusakabe Kagami froze for a moment, then lowered her gaze.
She saw the tip of a dark purple dagger, its razor-sharp blade piercing through her chest from behind.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but a sudden surge of excruciating pain shot through her nerves, causing her entire body to convulse. Helpless, she fell from her chair and crashed to the floor.
"I'm so sorry, Kagami-chan. I never expected you'd investigate this far."
A slender, tall figure stepped in front of the computer, studying the row of files on the screen.
"You're truly remarkable. There's even information here I didn't know myself. You really have the talent to be a great journalist."
It was a handsome man.
His expression carried a perpetual hint of melancholy, his brows and eyes slightly lowered, and a smile that lacked genuine warmth curved his lips.
It was Arisuin Nagi.
Kagami wanted to cry for help, but all her strength had been drained away. Her mind grew hazy, and she couldn't even manage a whisper.
"Don't worry, I won't kill you. After all, we're not on bad terms."
Arisuin Nagi spoke coldly to Kagami, who lay sprawled on the ground.
"But you won't be showing your face to anyone after this. They'll find a safe place to lock you up, though, don't worry, it'll only be for a day. By this time tomorrow, everything will be decided anyway."
He extended his hand, destroying the computer and all the data on the desk, leaving no loose ends.
Shortly afterward, he bent down and hoisted Kagami Kusakabe to her feet.
'Next, I'll find a warehouse to stash her in.'
The orders from Hiraga Reisen hadn't called for killing her. As long as they got through tomorrow and the client's plan succeeded, they could release her.
By then, he could withdraw gracefully.
Clang!
As Arisuin Nagi was lost in thought, a palm-sized object fell to the ground.
It had slipped from Kagami's grasp and was still glowing.
The screen displayed the words: "Currently on a call..."
"The student handbook's emergency call function... Could it be that you..."
Arisuin Nagi froze, her expression shifting to stunned disbelief as she stared at Kusakabe Kagami.
As expected, Kagami's face wore a look of Crap, I've been exposed!
When she had fallen to the ground, she had feigned helplessness, secretly retrieving her student handbook from her pocket and initiating an emergency call.
To ensure the Student Knights could immediately alert the outside world upon encountering terrorists, the student handbook was naturally equipped with an emergency call function activated by a single fingerprint scan.
The call would then automatically connect to the emergency contact Kagami had previously designated.
Kagami's designated emergency contact was, of course,
"Ryoji-sama... I really fell for your act."
Arisuin Nagi stared blankly for a moment, speechless with shock.
Bang!
Before she could react, the door was blasted open with a thunderous crash.
Starlight twinkled outside.
A young man stood in the doorway, his entire aura radiating lethal intensity, as if he were about to draw his sword and strike down anyone in his path.
Kagami Kusakabe's face lit up with joy.
Considering that the Puppet Warlock traveling with Kurogane Ouma was a complete pervert, Ryoji deemed the group extremely dangerous. He had preemptively had Kagami change her emergency contact to himself, ensuring he could come to her rescue in case of trouble.
"But I never imagined I'd actually have to use it."
Ryoji strode into the room, his icy gaze fixed on Arisuin Nagi.
"You're just joking, right...? You wouldn't actually try to fool me like this, would you?"
His suspicions had proven correct.
Behind this Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival, a massive conspiracy was indeed lurking.
"Eris... what's going on here?"
Behind him, Toudou Touka and the others appeared, staring at him in disbelief.
It was dinner time.
Ryoji had answered a phone call, bolted out without a word, and the others at the table, assuming something was wrong, had rushed after him.
Among them was also Kurogane Shizuku.
First, she was momentarily stunned, then slightly enlightened, her expression tightening almost immediately.
"Ahaha... I surrender."
Arisuin Nagi chuckled bitterly, set Kagami down, and raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.
Against this lineup, he stood no chance of winning.
He could have taken Kagami hostage and used the shadow passage to escape, but,
Arisuin Nagi's gaze drifted to Kurogane Shizuku, who was already poised for battle, a momentary daze flickering across his face.
"...I'll tell you everything."
He spoke with disarming sincerity.
Even Ryoji, who had been warily watching him, couldn't help but freeze in surprise.
Was this a ploy to lower their guard?
The thought had barely crossed Ryoji's mind when Arisuin Nagi abruptly tossed Kusakabe Kagami toward him, Ryoji catching her in one swift motion.
Kagami cheerfully wrapped her arms around Ryoji's neck, her earlier weakness having vanished as if by magic.
'He's even surrendering the hostage?'
If Arisuin Nagi had threatened Kagami, Ryoji would have been truly caught in a bind, but he never expected the enemy to return her so readily.
Is he... finally realizing the futility of resistance?
Or could this be some kind of defection?
'Haha, no way. That's too far-fetched.'
...
The seven-day joint training camp flew by in a blur.
Their time with Kyomon Academy had been relatively pleasant, and now the Hagun Academy members were packing their belongings, as their return to school was scheduled for this afternoon.
After parting ways with them, the Kyomon Academy members erupted in overwhelming joy, their laughter and cheers echoing through the air.
Following about ten days of rest, the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival would finally commence.
However, before that grand event, another fierce battle loomed.
"Any luck?" Ryoji asked Senior Sister Toudou Touka as they stood by the bus.
"No, I still can't reach them," Toudou replied, her face etched with worry.
"The Director, First Senior Sister, the Old Man... Not a single one of them has been reachable all day?"
Ryoji's brow furrowed deeply at this news.
The Old Man had left the previous day, supposedly due to an urgent matter requiring his immediate assistance.
Shinguuji Kurono and the legal loli had gone to Osaka to discuss matters related to the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival with the organizers, leaving them absent from the academy.
Even so, it shouldn't be impossible to reach any of them.
The signal was perfectly fine; everyone else could make calls, but none of these individuals could be contacted.
"What are you all still dawdling for?" Stella called out, leaning out of the bus window, her crimson hair dancing in the wind. "Even if we can't reach them, our strategy is flawless!"
Moreover, their entire group was exceptionally strong, with each member capable of holding their own and thriving in the professional arena. Stella's confidence wasn't unfounded.
"At this point, we have no choice but to grit our teeth and push forward," Ryoji sighed.
He slapped his cheeks, trying to boost his spirits, and boarded the bus with Senior Sister.
Something felt off.
For some reason, he couldn't shake off a lingering sense of unease.
(End Of This Chapter)