Behind the Robot Club's garage, tucked away in a corner adjacent to the outdoor practice fields, lay a patch of empty land so secluded it served as a perfect spot for private conversations. Takuma hadn't come here for the privacy, however. He had simply run blindly, seeking any place away from prying eyes, until his legs gave out.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it all!"
Unable to contain the volcanic frustration boiling within him, Takuma began to strike the trunk of a massive tree. Again and again, his right fist collided with the rough bark.
"Stop that, Shippou. You're bleeding."
Just as his voice began to crack with raw emotion, a call came from behind. Takuma spun around, his face a mask of fury, only to find Kasumi standing there with a look of weary exasperation.
"Saegusa! You—!"
"Hey, don't flatter yourself. I wasn't following you. Being here is a complete coincidence."
As she spoke, Kasumi's brow furrowed, and she stepped toward him. She produced a handkerchief, folded it into a makeshift bandage, and reached out to take the hand of the boy glaring at her.
"What do you think you're—!"
"Good grief... the skin is completely shredded."
Ignoring his protests, Kasumi wove the cloth around Takuma's bloodied knuckles.
"Sorry, but I don't have authorization for healing magic yet. You'll have to go to the nurse's office later. And don't worry about returning the handkerchief."
"..."
Takuma stood frozen as Kasumi let out a long, heavy sigh.
"That was a pretty spectacular loss. I guess the 'wall' of the upperclassmen was higher than you thought."
"...Why?"
"Hmm? Why what?" Kasumi asked, sensing he finally needed to vent.
"How can they be that strong?! They're just high schoolers like us! There's only a one-year difference! So why... why is the gap between us so massive?!"
It was a cry of genuine anguish. To Kasumi, it sounded as if he were bleeding from the soul. She didn't need to ask who "they" were; she knew exactly whose shadows were haunting him.
"Is there really a reason?"
"What?"
"They're strong because they are strong. That's all. But... if you really need a reason, maybe it's just because they worked harder than anyone else to get there."
"I've worked hard too!"
"I know. I'm sure you've put in the effort. I have too. But if those people are still stronger, doesn't that just mean they've put in even more? I'm not dismissing talent—God knows I'm only where I am because of my family line. But that kind of 'strength' that left you in shock? I bet that comes from somewhere else entirely. Somewhere beyond just being gifted."
Kasumi began to turn away. "Look, I'm not all that interested in 'strength' for its own sake. If you want to be the best, that's your problem. Your strength belongs to you alone, Shippou. No one else."
True to her word, she walked away without looking back. Takuma stood in the silence for a long time before striking the tree one last time—not with a closed fist, but with a quiet, frustrated palm.
After parting ways with Hattori and the other members of the Club Management Group, Tatsuya returned to the Student Council room. He sat at his desk and booted up his communication terminal. His fingers danced across the keys with blurring speed, drafting a message meant for someone in that very room.
『Yes, Master.』
The reply came via active telepathy, targeted specifically and solely to Tatsuya's consciousness.
『Have you finished tampering with the data?』
『As per your instructions, I have ensured that falsified data was recorded in real-time.』
This silent "conversation," conducted to keep his secrets from the other Student Council members, provided the answer he required.
『Master. Was I of use to you?』
『Yes. You did well. Rest for today.』
『Yes, Master. Transitioning to suspend mode.』
Having thanked the supernatural entity that guarded his secrets, Tatsuya ordered the "doll" to standby and erased the communication logs entirely.
Later that evening, after Tatsuya had returned home, a secure transmission arrived from Kyoko Fujibayashi.
"That airship you erased the other day... it turns out it was indeed a stolen vessel," Kyoko reported.
"Stolen, was it?"
"Your hunch about the remnants of No Head Dragon was spot on. We've confirmed that the hijackers were led by a man who is the cousin of Richard Sun's nephew."
"The cousin of a nephew..."
Tatsuya swallowed the remark that they were practically strangers at that point. He could easily imagine that Kyoko was thinking the exact same thing.
"There's one more thing," she continued, her voice turning grave. "And this smells much worse."
"Go on."
"It appears that the head of the Saegusa family is attempting to make contact with the individual believed to be the mastermind behind this incident."
"Is that information reliable?" Tatsuya's tone sharpened.
Koichi Saegusa, the family head, had already been stoking the fires of the anti-magic movement through media manipulation—an unwelcome distraction for Tatsuya. If Koichi was about to interfere even further, Tatsuya knew he might have to seriously consider asking Maya Yotsuba for her "assistance."
"The details are murky, but he is definitely conducting his own investigation. We haven't pinned down his ultimate goal yet."
"I see... I suppose his media games weren't enough to satisfy him."
"About that... it seems my grandfather had a hand in it as well. Or rather, it's more accurate to say he turned a blind eye to Koichi's actions."
"The Elder did...?" Tatsuya sighed. "I wish he would have put a stop to it."
If Kudou Retsu had reined in Koichi Saegusa, Tatsuya wouldn't have had to perform that elaborate "experiment" during the airship incident. He didn't regret the experiment itself, but it was a fact that the stunt had drawn far more attention to him than he ever wanted.
"I'm sorry, Tatsuya-kun. Truly. I feel like we're always piling more trouble onto your plate."
"It's not your fault, Fujibayashi-san. Besides, I've been making my own preparations."
"Is that so? Well, in any case, keep a sharp eye on the Saegusa patriarch. I'm not sure if Mayumi-san is involved in his schemes or not..."
"I doubt she is," Tatsuya replied, recalling the look on Mayumi's face when she spoke of her father during the Vampire incident. "They didn't exactly seem to be on the best of terms."
Kyoko seemed to accept his reasoning and ended the call. Left alone in his room, Tatsuya let out a solitary, weary sigh as the curtain finally fell on the Double Seven incident.
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 40 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
Here's the link:
[email protected]/DaoistRoeoNQ
Thank you so much for your support!!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"