Chapter 62

1.

Himari doubted her own ears.

“……What did you just say? Corporate city? What on earth-”

It was an incomprehensible word, one that shouldn’t logically exist.

More precisely, it was a word that “shouldn’t exist.”

A single corporation controlling a city?

And that too, the Kaiser Corporation?

Himari, who knew more than most, found it hard to dismiss the conversation she had overheard between Hiiro and the President as mere jest. For the statement—Kaiser Corporation’s domination over the city—equated to nothing less than an ominous shadow clouding the city’s fate. It was no exaggeration to say that if this were true, the city might as well have been doomed.

“Is this really possible?”

Though Kaiser Corporation was a major company wielding great influence in Kiburatos, its reach was far from matching that of any Student Council, not even close enough to rival them.

Moreover, there was another reason why Hiiro’s revelation surprised Himari.

“The truth… is this real? Not even those of the hidden world or anyone else in the city knows this fact. How—”

Hiiro’s tone carried certainty.

President’s reaction seemed flustered.

And their deal was finally sealed.

These facts indicated the truthfulness of their conversation, which was the primary reason Himari was in a state of shock.

Thus, Himari could not respond with her usual retorts to Hiiro’s rough words. Nor could anyone assisting Hiiro at the moment utter a single word.

This silence persisted until Hiiro’s complete disassociation from Kaiser PMC, with not even Millennium’s top minds, including the Paranormal Special Operations Division and Veritas, able to fully grasp what had just transpired.

The sole question that revolved in their minds was:

“Exactly, how did he figure it out?”

“Hiiro hacked into Kaiser? That’s impossible.”

“Discovering it through some uncanny intuition sounds unlikely too.”

Exactly, how had Hiiro known this?

What secrets was she hiding from the others?

Could she be aware of something even more shocking?

These were both questions and doubts.

Questions and doubts about the abilities Hiiro possessed and any secrets she might keep.

……

In the end, Himari let out a defeated laugh. Perhaps it wasn’t as tightly guarded a secret as she thought.

A sudden thought struck her, broadening her perception. Ever the omniscient one, Himari quickly reached her conclusion faster than anyone else watching Hiiro.

The hypothesis that instantly came to her mind was both the most plausible and the most perplexing, yet fitting for Hiiro’s behavior so far.

“Prophecy, wasn’t that it?”

A path among the mysteries.

The key force regarded at each academy.

The ability to see what others cannot.

Beyond normal sight, from the celestial realms observing the flow of everything with a transcendent power. Some call it foreknowledge, others prophecy.

Indeed, did Hiiro possess this prophetic power?

Himari thought so with high probability.

As evidence, Hiiro had always acted as though peering into the future.

Adversely targeting Kaiser to an unusual degree,

Displaying a sense bordering on prescience,

Predicting the times of incidents with supernatural accuracy.

Looking back, these actions were nothing short of knowing the future. They had dismissed her abilities as supernatural in jest, mocking her as someone who knew the future, but now it seemed their jokes had hit closer to the truth.

“Come to think of it, even before the Sentum Tower’s restoration, Hiiro had already planned Gehenna’s activities. Did she know from the beginning that the Sentum Tower would be restored soon?”

Of course, it didn’t seem entirely accurate to label Hiiro’s vision as a “true prophetic ability” if the events were not consistently accurate. Such recorded prophetic mysteries from other academies also apparently did not predict everything perfectly.

Perhaps this was the case with Hiiro too?

This was what Himari believed.

If Hiiro was a prophet, or possessed a similar secret, this would also explain why she hadn’t revealed the truth to them.

There were still many questions, but…

[Hiiro. What’s the next plan?]

She simply chose to trust her.

She had no intention of asking or questioning anything unless Hiiro decided to reveal it first. After all, Hiiro always demonstrated herself as a highly rational and sensible child to Himari.

“There must have been a reason.”

Regarding her sudden revelation of secrets.

About attacking and pressuring Kaiser PMC.

And even finding their way to the treacherous Abidos—all of it.

There must be a reason in her own judgment. So she chose to trust.

This was Himari’s decision.

“…Um, aren’t you curious about anything?”

[There’s a lot. So many questions, but I won’t ask right now. I trust you’ll explain everything eventually.]

This choice even startled Hiiro, but Himari did not regret it, given everything she’d seen Hiiro do thus far.

“Senior…,”

[Ho ho, are you moved?]

Hiiro smiled earnestly, nodding.

“I truly admire you, Senior. Thank you. Thank you for trusting me.”

[… … …]

Again, Himari felt confident she hadn’t made a mistake by continuing to trust her.

2.

Thump thump-

A girl walked somewhere in Kiburatos.

With pink hair and heterochromatic eyes, the girl gazed with shadowed pupils at the building standing before her.

Then, hesitating as though unable to take another step, she sighed deeply and painfully entered the place, feeling as if she were willingly entering the maw of a monster.

Following her memory step by step, minutes later, the girl reached her intended destination.

Creak-

Upon opening the door, the girl arrived at the building’s top floor, a place where the city landscape was fully visible, and where someone had repeatedly extended offers to her.

“Ah, you’ve come.”

The girl, Takaanashi Hoshino, looked with her crimson and blue heterochromatic eyes towards her counterpart.

Her counterpart was clad in a black suit, a form odd with white streaks on his black body, bizarre beyond words.

However, from the mouth of this clearly non-human entity came an unfamiliar male voice with a slight resemblance to a teacher she knew from school.

“I’ve been waiting for you. The name’s Hoshino, right? Morning Star, was it? My apologies for the confusion.”

“…What do you want this time, Black Suit?”

Ignoring the friendly greeting extended by Black Suit, Hoshino directly asked, prompting him to release an all-too-familiar chuckle.

And the white circle on his body—resembling an eye—emitted a darker black smoke.

“The situation has changed, so we are making you another offer, Hoshino, one who wields the greatest mysteries in Kiburatos.”

“Offer? Stop joking! I already-!!”

“Ah, quiet there. Please quiet down, Miss Hoshino. My story isn’t finished yet.”

Assuming he was about to make the same offer again, Hoshino angrily yelled in rage, but Black Suit raised his hand, cutting her words short.

Then, stroking his chin, he smiled again.

“How fascinating. Originally, I had intended to make you an offer you could not refuse.”

“…What?”

“I am a fan of movies, so I planned to lead this dialogue using a famous line. But… it appears a certain spider has sealed my lips.”

“What… are you saying?”

“Simple. It seems impossible to secure you in this situation.”

“…?!”

Black Suit’s eerie words sent Hoshino instinctively away from him. She immediately assumed a combat stance, seemingly ready to dash forward and attack Black Suit, but his next words made her face twist with shock.

“It’s not easy to obtain you when there are two incomprehensible entities present, especially when this righteous spider has already woven webs around you.”

“…Spun webs around me?”

“Hasn’t someone spoken to you? Someone who urged you to refuse this offer.” “キュ-キュ-“, chuckling.

“…?! You…!!”

Only now did Hoshino understand the “spider” Black Suit spoke about.

There was only one being in this city symbolized as a spider.

Silk. It was her.

Black Suit was showing an interest in Hiiro.

Considering his behavior till now, this wasn’t something to be taken lightly.

“What are you talking about?”

“Ho ho, I’m trembling with fear. Chuckling. There’s no need to worry so much. My current interest lies deeply with the spider, not you.”

“What kind of stupid talk is this?!”

As Hoshino glared with anger, Black Suit smiled nonchalantly before shaking his head.

“You listen here, if you do anything to that girl, I won’t forgive yo…!!”

“Something’s already started. Chuckling…”

“…What? You crazy bastard!!”

“I humbly request the opportunity to seek enlightenment and truth from you, oh Hero of Kiburatos.”

Schreeeee-!!

Hoshino rushed toward Black Suit, only for unknown objects thrown at her by Black Suit to smash and explode in bright flashes. When her vision cleared, Black Suit had already vanished like a ghost, leaving the scene instantly.

Alone in the building, Hoshino quickly rushed out, clenching her teeth, realizing her precious ally and protector of Abidos was in danger.

“Hiiro…!”

Muttering the name of her close friend, now practically a comrade, Hoshino ran hastily.

3.

At that moment, Shibasaki Ramen Shop.

For some unsettling reason, I had come by the shop, ordered ramen, and then saw a group from an investigative firm causing a commotion.

“If I am to become a proper villain, then places like this must disappear first! What I require is ruthlessness, mercilessness, and iron-blooded tactics—not this sweetness!”

“No, thinking so seriously about it isn’t necessary…”

“So… you’re saying that this shop must be destroyed, Ms. Aru?”

Ah, hell.

Why is it flowing like the original story?

I sighed silently, wearing a mask while no one noticed.

Regardless, I needed to stop this explosion here.

I shot webbing at Haruka, who was slowly pulling out detonation devices.

…

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