Episode 193: The Thrilling Pervert
“It seems that S-Rank individuals have been dispatched from Kisou Academy and Factom General Academy.”
There are numerous structural voids within Chroma.
In one of the basements created in these voids, two people were present.
“Your role this time is merely to buy time. Be sure to understand that — Conductor.”
The female student, who is an individual of the Doctor, said this to the Conductor.
In response, the Conductor remained silent, fixated on the monitor.
The music leaking from the Conductor’s headphones was cheerful.
“Hey, are you listening?”
The Conductor did not respond to the Doctor’s question.
Instead, they stared at the monitor with a gleaming gaze.
(That’s why Conductors… I still don’t want them to join Silver Twilight. They’re far too loyal to their desires.)
For the realization of their own dreams, the Conductor showed no hesitation, comparable even to the Doctor or Professor.
Cruel and unfeeling, they followed their own path driven by emotion.
This was the very essence that made the Conductor what they were.
(If only they were a bit more sociable, it would be better… No, that’s too low-quality.)
The Doctor sat casually in a chair.
Just as they were about to wait for the Conductor to finish, it happened.
“Please do not sit in that chair.”
The Conductor said this to the Doctor, who had just barely sat down.
Their eyes, unwavering, were fixed on the Doctor.
The dark circles under the Conductor’s eyes clearly indicated their abnormality.
“That chair is a limited edition signed by Her Ladyship. You are not permitted to sit in it.”
“How arrogant. Giving orders to me?”
“Stand up! That’s an ornamental chair!”
The Doctor, deliberately sitting deeper into the chair and crossing their legs, responded.
At that moment, a magic circle appeared around the Doctor.
Out came silver chains.
“…What!? Hey, hey, you don’t get jokes? I didn’t know people from Chroma lacked a sense of humor.”
The chains bound the Doctor, forcibly pulling them off the chair and throwing them onto the floor.
“Quite the reckless behavior, isn’t it?”
The Doctor got up, attempting to summon Divided Death but stopped.
Seeing the girl standing beside the Conductor, they realized they had no chance of winning.
Her silvery hair and black attire stood out.
The pulsating jet-black scythe evoked the image of a grim reaper.
Undoubtedly, she was Solciera.
(What trouble this has caused, having fallen into the hands of the Fourth Angel’s power.)
The contract between humans and the Third Angel had already yielded sufficient results, killing the Star Reader.
It was only natural that the next angel would again form a contract with a human.
(I don’t know what criteria they used to choose. But…)
The standards by which angels chose humans remain unknown.
Still, it was certain that the Conductor had been chosen.
And how troublesome that choice was.
(Foolish one, consumed by your own admiration. Your fate will be destruction.)
The Doctor silently cursed, without uttering a word.
The Conductor looked down at them and suddenly said,
“The final performance of the day will begin soon. I must go.”
With Solciera’s teleportation circle activated at the Conductor’s command, all attention was directed toward their decision.
Nothing else mattered besides the Conductor’s will.
“Leave now, Doctor. I’m going to the performance. Rest assured, the plan will proceed.”
After those words, the Doctor vanished through teleportation.
Without responding, the Conductor began preparing to leave.
In a good mood, their humming echoed throughout the room.
“Then, please wreak havoc as usual, Lady.”
Nodding, Solciera disappeared into the teleportation circle.
“Soon… Soon, the world will understand you.”
The Conductor smiled blissfully.
Looking at the woman displayed across countless monitors, they whispered her name.
“Lady Nei…”
■
The expressions of Tourak, Lutra, and Mihaya, summoned to the Student Council room of Mikage Academy, were stiff.
No matter how they looked at the suspicious young man seated before them, they couldn’t help but feel wary, despite the expensive live concert tickets he offered.
“…So, what exactly are we supposed to do with these?” asked Tourak.
“Huh? Oh, nothing much. I just thought you might enjoy it. You know, the Hinotuchi Cultural Festival is coming up soon. Thought you could check it out beforehand. Call it sightseeing under the guise of inspection,” replied the dubious young man, Yukihira.
“So, reconnaissance,” Lutra clarified.
Shaking his head, Yukihira pointed at each of their tickets.
“I bought these with my own money. Especially for you three since I owe you. So, take a break and enjoy yourselves.”
“Is that alright?”
“Don’t worry about it. While you’re gone, Rinka will handle the paperwork. She actually suggested it, so relax and have fun.”
“Alright, thank you.”
Mihaya bowed in gratitude, inwardly sighing in relief. Initially, they had expected some kind of mission upon being summoned alongside Tourak, but this turned out to be a pleasant surprise.
“Crowd parties hard during Chroma’s pre-festival night. Lutra, you should enjoy it too.”
“Okay, thanks!” Lutra bowed politely to Yukihira, making Tourak smile warmly at the sight.
Watching them, Yukihira added casually,
“Chroma’s getting unusually noisy lately. Just keep an eye out, though with President Dia of the Student Council around, and Ryuko too, you’ll probably be fine.”
“Ryuko… Isn’t she S-Rank? I think I’ve never seen her.”
“She doesn’t like media exposure much, so she avoids it. But she’s strong. Very reliable. To put it simply, she’s beaten Rokuhara multiple times.”
“…I think Rokuhara mentioned something similar. What kind of person is Ryuko…!?”
Tourak shuddered involuntarily, unaware that within that reaction lay a desire to fight.
“She’s a regular kid, really. Though personally, I think President Dia is more dependable. So, if you run into trouble, rely on her.”
“What kind of person is she?”
“Hmm, tough to describe… Royal?”
Upon hearing “Royal,” the trio tilted their heads in confusion. Yet, Yukihira repeated the word unchanged.
“Anyway, go ahead and enjoy yourselves.”
“Understood. Thank you.”
With another bow, Tourak and the others left the Student Council room.
Afterward, Yukihira glanced at the PC monitor and smiled.
“(I’ve been told not to interfere with Rokuhara, but if I happen to get involved while visiting, there’s nothing I can do about it. Yeah, nothing I can do.)”
On top of Chroma’s school building, the image of a girl wielding a scythe appeared on the screen.
“A fake… but let’s play around a little anyway.”
Yukihira said this cheerfully, leaning back in the chair.
Soon after putting on an eye mask, they started snoring lightly.
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