"Christina, it's Operation D8! It seems Hachiman is in trouble. We're heading to May Queen!" "What's that supposed to mean? Well, whatever, he's in trouble, right? Got it, let me hurry up!"
It should be noted that Kyouma sprang into action without having the slightest clue what kind of mission Operation D8 actually was.
"Our target is Akiba! Form squads by department!" "First, we move to May Queen Nyan-Nyan! One maid will accompany each team from there, so coordinate with her and systematically check the assigned shops!" "Are there any squads that don't have the photo of those two yet!? Make sure to destroy the photos after the mission is completed!" "If the police stop you, drop the name 'Kikuoka'! Supposedly, that takes care of everything!" "The target is highly likely to be a murderer and may carry lethal drugs. Every team, do NOT take unnecessary risks!"
Thirty minutes later, over a hundred Soleil employees had gathered at May Queen Nyan-Nyan, with Bara naturally taking command.
"Alright, each squad, begin the search! Make sure to return here at regular intervals to take breaks! Thanks to Faris-san's generosity, we are allowed to bring outside food and drinks in for our breaks, so show her your appreciation!" """""""""Thank you very much!"""""""""
The employees shouted in unison, which seemed to inspire Faris.
"Leave the resupply to General Faris nyan! I expect brave fighting from every squad! Now, all squads, launch nyan!" """""""""OU!!"""""""""
Faris and the employees were entirely swept up in the high-energy momentum. Kyouma looked on with envy, but his attempt to intervene was completely shut down by Kurisu, who held firmly onto his clothes and refused to let go.
"Gnugh... Assistant, unhand me!" "No way. Outsiders like us shouldn't be hogging the spotlight. We're standing by quietly as reserve forces." "Kuh... My grand stage, wasted..."
Bara spoke up to Kyouma.
"Thank you, both of you. If anything comes up, we'll be relying on you." "Y-Yes, ma'am!"
Addressed by Bara, Kyouma instinctively gave a crisp salute—reminiscent of a certain series' doppelgänger. However, he was no match for Bara's allure; his eyes flicked repeatedly toward her chest. A split second later, Kurisu stomped down hard on his foot.
"Gah, that hurts!" "Okabe, how rude."
Told off by Kurisu, Kyouma hurriedly apologized to Bara.
"Ah... Bara-san, my apologies. It was just force of habit..." "Habit?"
Kurisu shot Kyouma a chilling glare. It seemed that during his part-time shifts at Soleil, Kyouma had a bad habit of stealing glances at Bara's bust.
Bara simply offered them a soft, understanding smile.
"It's fine. I'm used to it because of Hachiman." "I knew it! That closet pervert!" "Those words are ricocheting right back into your own head, you know."
Thus, in the real world, everyone began moving frantically into motion.
Meanwhile, returning to the original timeline...
"Sinon, how was it?" "Looks like a hit. Kirito-kun's signal didn't show up on the scan." "I see... Which means we shouldn't blindly trust the scan." "Looks like it."
Sinon lent Kirito a hand, pulling him up out of the river.
"Ugh, that felt horrible." "Eh? In what way?" "How do I put it... Compared to diving underwater in the real world, the sensation is subtly off. That's what feels disgusting, or something..." "I see."
Nodding in understanding, Sinon explained the scan results to Kirito.
"There are eight people left: Shana, Hachiman, Musketeer X, Pitohui, Misaki, Yamikaze, and the two of us." "And the one who might be hiding is Steven, right?" "Yeah. We can't rule out that possibility." "How do you think we should move from here?"
Kirito asked Sinon in a slightly hesitant tone.
"Well... Everyone left is an acquaintance, but that doesn't mean the target for the kill isn't among them. So for now, shouldn't we just defeat everyone ourselves as fast as possible?" "Just to be clear, I'm in a safe place, okay?" "Hachiman-kun is at home, so I'm probably fine too." "Hachiman-kun? What's that?" "Um... Hachiman's clone?" "...I don't really get it, but fine. Basically, we take everyone out before Steven targets us, right?" "Yeah." "Well, isn't that nice and straightforward?" "Right?"
The two came to a delightfully meatheaded conclusion.
"Alright, shall we go then?" "Yeah."
Just as Sinon bent down to pick up her Hecate II resting on the ground, a bullet grazed right over her head.
"Eh?" "Sinon, get down!"
Kirito pushed Sinon's head down, forcing her to hit the dirt.
"Where did that shot come from?" "Judging by the angle... There! Over there!"
At the tip of Kirito's finger stood Death Gun, on the opposite bank of the river. Seeing him, Kirito drew Elucidator.
"Fire all you want! I'll swat every single one down!" "You really haven't changed..."
Surprisingly, Death Gun was the one to speak out. Kirito issued a quiet instruction to Sinon.
"Hey, Sinon. Can you aim at him from there?" "Hold on, I'm aiming now... Eh? N-No way..." "Sinon? Hey, Sinon!" "W-Why... why does he have that gun..."
Through her scope, Sinon stared at the weapon clutched in Death Gun's hands... It was the Black Star.
And shoving the cliffhanger right at the end makes the complete set.
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