Once again, the Queen had seen my thoughts…
Kobayashi muttered silently to himself.
But these were trivial matters. Right now, the priority was the situation with Raifu.
"Torahachi, ask her…" Realizing the call was on speaker, Kobayashi grabbed the phone. "Raifu, tell me your location."
As a "transmigrator," Kobayashi did know the original story, but those scenes were riddled with critical gaps, missing details like time and place.
In the past, that was fine for simply following the narrative, but now, actually trying to save those kids? Not knowing the when or where was a dead stop.
All he could do was wait passively for the victims to call for help. He couldn't take proactive action.
Now that Raifu had called, it meant that Haruaki Himimi, Tsurigane Saryou, Shirakinue Hokka, and the rest of the group also had a chance at rescue.
If he acted quickly, Shirakinue Hokka, who had died in the original story, could survive this time.
The thought of saving another child who might have died—just like rescuing Dolly—stirred a wave of excitement in Kobayashi. Any hesitation or thoughts of lying low were long gone.
"I need your location. Even just the research institute's name will do," Kobayashi said again, signaling Torahachi to pull out her phone and check online.
Not everyone can accurately give their location, especially kids trapped as test subjects in a research facility. The institute usually hides details to prevent escape or leaks.
So, at the very least, knowing the name would allow them to pinpoint the place online.
Fortunately, Raifu recited the address clearly, saving them the trouble.
Torahachi found it immediately on her phone map and gave Kobayashi an "OK" gesture.
"Good. We're heading there now," Kobayashi said into the phone. "Make sure you're ready."
He paused, thinking. "Or is there a better time for your escape?"
"…Saryou has already started moving. We're ready to go too," Raifu replied.
Kobayashi sucked in a sharp breath. "This fast? With travel time, what's the point of calling me at the last second?"
The girl on the line hesitated, intimidated by his tone. "…Saryou told me to do it…"
Tsurigane Saryou —the Koga ninja dispatched to Academy City—was only eleven or twelve, but her ninja training made her formidable. Her intellect and will were just as strong.
Judging by the original story, if she weren't responsible for three companions, she could have single-handedly raided the entire institute and escaped unscathed.
If luck hadn't run out and Shirakinue Hokka hadn't perished, their escape would have been perfect.
Thinking this way, Saryou's plan made sense—she didn't want to pin all hope on Kobayashi, using him as just a backup.
Kobayashi considered this, then instructed Raifu, "I'll head there immediately. Tell your teammates to stay safe. Don't rush. If there's danger, hide—don't charge in blindly."
After hanging up, he turned to Torahachi. "Do you want to come along this time?"
Feeling the urgency emanating from him, Torahachi knew this was a real rescue mission, not some trivial errand.
Danger and combat awaited. Refusing wasn't an option.
"Hmph. If I don't guide you, by the time you find them, it might be too late!" she snapped. Pushing Kobayashi's wheelchair, she headed for the door.
"Eko…" Kobayashi called back.
"I'm leaving too," Raifu said, rising to her feet. "Although it sounds fun, I'm just a fragile girl—I can't come along."
"Be careful on the way," Kobayashi reminded her, knowing well how physically weak she was, before parting ways at the building's entrance.
Back in her car, Raifu toyed with the remote. "Driver, follow along and help Kobayashi if necessary."
"Yes, Your Majesty," the driver blinked calmly and started the engine.
Raifu blushed slightly.
"Your Majesty," huh… this title still feels embarrassing. Will the future me really like being called that?
Since gaining Kobayashi's memory info, she had been subconsciously emulating her "future self": planning the "Shiho faction" early, and mentally preparing for the title of "Queen."
Beyond her powers and status…
"Figure is a big part of it too~" she muttered, glancing at herself. "So, my abilities can even do this?"
The black car glided smoothly forward.
Kobayashi, watching from afar, finally pulled back his gaze. "Let's head out too."
Torahachi tied her ribbon around her ponytail. "Nice… a car to take us. Is that Raifu's power, too?"
"Probably," Kobayashi said. "She used 'Mind Control' on the driver; she couldn't have slipped out so easily."
Torahachi scanned around. "Where's the guard tailing us? Haven't seen him in a while."
"He's busy. He won't waste manpower following me every day," Kobayashi said.
Once the guards noticed he was busy handling harmless requests and wasn't causing trouble, they stopped tailing him. Real-time phone monitoring made physical surveillance unnecessary.
Torahachi pouted. "What a shame… thought we could borrow his car to speed things up."
(End of Chapter)