Chapter 322. A I Shi Teru!
「…This is ace of hearts and joker! Over!」
Nei-san takes out the device.
I listen on Michi’s earphone as well.
No, this time, Yukino’s also putting her ears close too.
Miss Edie’s staring blankly but she’s smiling.
『…We’re moving as planned. What about your side? Over?』
I can hear Margo-san’s voice.
「We’re going as planned…no problems!」
『Okay…we’re coming soon』
Then that means that they’re approaching the VIP room on 22nd floor.
『There’s been no engagement afterwards…the enemy presence has completely disappeared』
It seems that chief Tanizawa’s subordinates didn’t pursue Margo-san.
『It’s been 20 minutes since we parted from Tiger Lily. It’s possible that they’re coming your way so be careful. Over…!』
Nei-san said.
Yeah…if miss Cordelia has the ability to take action, she’d go one floor higher and re-attack Margo-san.
Of course…that’s in case they gave up on tracking us.
『Roger. The next signal would be『Ikkyu-san』so remember it. Over』
What…Margo-san?
「Roger…Over」
Nei-san disconnects the call…
「Nei-san, what’s『Ikkyu-san』?」
「Eh, Yo-chan doesn’t know about『Ikkyu-san』?」
「No, uhm…if I recall, he’s a monk? I’ve read it in j.a.panese history」
In the textbook at middle high school…I remember the culture page on Muromachi era.
If I recall, there were portraits too.
My cla.s.smate said that he resembled『Akira Emoto』…
The PC guy is called『Isaku-san』
Speaking of which…who’s『Isaku-san』?
「I see, Yo-chan doesn’t know the anime『Ikkyu-san』?」
…Anime?
That old man faced monk has an anime?2
「As soon as we came back here…Maru-chan watched a lot of j.a.panese anime to study j.a.panese language. Together with me. I’ve gotten vague with j.a.panese terms already. Then, Maru-chan came to love『Ikkyu-san』」
…Oh
「I liked『Gamba and friends』and『The adventures of Tom Sawyer』」
「Eh, that’s not a j.a.panese work isn’t it?」
Tom Sawyer…is american isn’t it? If I recall.
「Therefore…the j.a.panese people animates it in j.a.pan! It’s j.a.panese! That’s how it is!」
Oh…so that’s how it is?
「Are you an idiot?」
Yukino’s amazed.
「Sorry…I haven’t watched that much TV since I was a child」
「Were your parents strict?」
Michi asks.
「I hear that houses that are education enthusiastic, they ban entertainment such as television?」
I see…Michi doesn’t know it yet?
「It’s the opposite…Yo-chan’s abused by his parents」
Nei-san answers calmly
「No, it’s not abuse…I wasn’t beaten or kicked」
「It’s worse…having one’s existence ignored all the time…!」
Nei-san is angry for me.
「Uhm…I had to be like the『air』in the house. I mustn’t talk, I mustn’t make requests…I mustn’t show up myself in front of my mother as far as possible」
「…What does that mean?」
Michi’s surprised.
「Therefore… He was abused」
「But, during the three years on middle school, I was living in a dorm for a boys’ school in the mountains…it didn’t feel that harsh. Well, TV and radios were banned…phones can be brought if you applied to the school, but my phone is only for emergency uses, it can’t connect to the internet nor contact my parents…really, it only had the function to call. But still…my friends at dormitory lent me some manga and magazines. Yeah, I’ve read everything back in those days. I’ve read from car magazines, fishing, shogi. I’ve never done fishing since I don’t have the tools, but…」
Anyway…I read what I could.
「Therefore, I’ve read some works in manga but I don’t know any anime. I’ve only seen the photos on my friend’s anime magazines, but I don’t know how the photos move. There’s an amazing guy in the same dormitory who loves anime…when he goes home on a vacation, he watches all the recorded anime he had in one go. 『I managed to catch up this season』he said. But…I couldn’t go home even during the vacation period…」
Spring break, summer vacation, winter vacation…I’ve stayed in the dorm all time.
「Therefore…this spring, after graduating from middle school, I finally came home but…I don’t have the habit of turning on the television. Besides, they’d get angry when I do…」
「Uh…who will?」
Michi asks.
「No…They’d get angry saying『it’s a waste of electricity』」
Actually…there’s n.o.body that would scold me from that house.
My mother has returned to her parents without permission.
My father’s missing.
But still…I can’t turn on the TV because I feel like someone would scold me.
No…even the lights in the house.
「Yo-chan…!」
Nei-san hugs me.
「Forget all about the past! Yo-chan’s already a child of Kuromori house. My『little brother』…!」
Her soft and toned chest envelops my cheek…
「Let’s watch a lot of things together…we’ll watch the whole story of『Ikkyu-san』 With everyone」
「…Okay」
「…It’s 296 Episodes」
「…Really?!」
「Michan, you’re watching with us too!」
「O-Okay…!」
That foul looking monk has 296 episodes?
What kind of story is that?
As expected, is it about performing Indian sutras?
I’ve gotten interested in a different meaning
「Hm…What’s wrong, Yukino?」
Yukino looks a bit unenergetic
「No…nothing」
「No, you look gloomy though…?」
「It’s nothing! There’s no way I’m interested in you!?」
Yukino speaks strongly
I wonder what she’s saying…I know that even if she doesn’t tell me.
Yukino doesn’t want to know anything about me.
…Konkon!
Suddenly…the door of the room is knocked.
It’s a thick door made of steel so the knock is dull.
「…Wait」
Nei-san tells us then she takes out the communication device.
After a cough…
Nei-san sang at the microphone…
「…Suki suki suki suki suki suki! A I Shi Teru♫!」
…Tonkatonton!
The door’s beaten with a rhythmic sound…
「…It’s Maru-chan!」
Nei-san opens the door lock in a hurry…!
「…Are you okay?」
Behind the opened door, Margo-san, Seki-san and Reika can be seen.
All of them have a relieved look in their faces.
…But.
Seki-san’s eyes caught miss Edie who’s inside the room.
Miss Edie…
Is wearing the same black combat clothing just like Cesario Viola’s army
「…Enemy?!」
Seki-san spoke unintentionally…
The reflexive vigilance of the top elite of Kouzuki security service…
Ignites miss Edie’s fighting spirit!
◇ ◇ ◇
「…Enemy?!」
At that moment…miss Edie dashes like the wind!
《YEERAAA!!》
I don’t know where she had it but she attacked Seki-san with a knife at hand.
「…Kuh」
…Kin!
A sharp metallic clashing sounds.
As expected of Seki-san…she received the knife with the pistol.
Okay…the first shot was negated.
But, ,at this close range, the knife is more advantageous than a gun.
《WOOOOO》
Before miss Edie could make a two-hit attack…Reika shoves her cane.
Miss Edie takes distance on the last minute.
Margo-san then tries to intercept her with a kick
《…SEAAE!!》
Miss Edie roll around the corridor…taking distance from the three.
Bad, it has become a full battle
《No! Edie!!》
Michi rushed into the hallway and shouted at Edie with a loud voice but…she can’t suppress the blood thirst released momentarily
「Maru-chan…that girl’s not an enemy!」
Nei-san shotued…once again, miss Edie jumped at the three of them!
「…Shaaaaaa!!」
The target is Seki-san once again.
Knife at both hands…
Yet, Seki-san has put her gun in the holster…?
「…Toaaaaaaaa!!」
She intercepts miss Edie’s knife with her gloved hand?!
Both left and right.
She’s holding the blade of the knife on each hand?????!!!
「…This is an anti-blade glove」
Seki-san’s also a high skilled person.
We’ve seen her ability in the theater.
Since she’s not confident in power match, she devotes herself in gun support, but…
Her speed and accurate movements is outstanding.
「If it’s this girl’s power then even I can stop it…!」
Saying that, Seki-san grips the blade of the knife which she’s caught.
《…OH!》
Miss Edie releases the knife on both hands…!
Miss Edie rolls to take distance.
When she stood up…she’s got a new knife at her hands already
This time, it’s bigger than the knife earlier…a huge combat knife.
Holding up two knives, she ran towards Reika.
She’s fast like a beast.
《…SEYEAAA!》
…Kakin!
…Kin!
Reika receives the knives with her cane!
「Reika-oneesan…」
Margo-san shouts.
「…I know!」
…What?
Something flashed in the air?!
「…A steel wire?」
Michi mutters.
There’s two thin metal lines stretching out from miss Edie’s combat knives.
「The big knife is a misdirection…in fact, it’s a technique to cut off the opponent’s neck with a thin steel wire…」
Reika…entwines her cane to the steel wire.
《…WOO!》
Miss Edie draws the knives with both hands.
The steel wire rubbed into the cane and smoke rises.
「This cane won’t be cut by such a wire…!」
《…HAWOO!》
Miss Edie turns the knife’s blade to Reika…
…Bashu! Bashu!
The knife’s edge is shot at a tremendous speed!
「…Here! Haiiiiiiiii!!」
Reika brushed off the two blades with a slight time difference.
This time, miss Edie is already holding her next knife.
There’s no end to this.
「Hmm…Geez!」
Nei-san pulls the hem of Yukino’s shirt.
Yukino’s naked under only my shirt, so…
Her a.s.s and p.u.s.s.y are exposed.
…To me.
「Kyaaaaaaaaaa!!!」
Yukino screams like silk’s been torn.
Even though it’s always shown to me…
It seems she’s embarra.s.sed showing it so suddenly.
……！！！
Everyone paid attention to Yukino.
At that moment…!
「…Shingetsu!」
Michi releases her Qi
《WOO…!》
「Aah!」
「Eeh!」
「Uuu!」
Everyone who were fighting stopped moving.
◇ ◇ ◇
《why Sister Michi ……？》
Miss Edie’s surprised.
She’s already friends with Michi so…
She didn’t think that she would release『Shingetsu』on her.
Michi speaks in English too.
「『These people are my『Family』 You’re misunderstanding』She said」
Nei-san translates.
「What’s going on?」
Margo-san asks Nei-san.
Seki-san and Reika as well…there’s hardly any damage on their body.
The『Shingetsu』Michi used isn’t on full power just like when she used it to stop Miss Cordelia from moving.
It seems that she just used the skill to stop the fighting people from moving, surprising them.
「You see, Maru-chan. Seki-san, Reika-oneesan too, listen to this」
Nei-san explains the history of miss Edie.
Miss Edie is an from an a.s.sa.s.sination cult in the Southern America.
That her grandmother was one of the leaders of the cult but she was sold by the boss to Cesario Viola’s organization.
That miss Cordelia made her a subordinate but they didn’t match at all.
That when she saw Michi, she wanted to be practice companions so she came to us.
「Anyway…She’s a girl who only learned about a.s.sa.s.sination techniques and only thinks of becoming stronger. This girl’s simple, she doesn’t think about anything else」
Nei-san said.
「I see, I get it」
Margo-san said.
「This girl came from an a.s.sa.s.sination cult to miss Cordelia’s subordinate…then she’s the first on-site job?」
「Yeah. I think she said that」
「Sorry, since I’ve recognized the clothing as an enemy…she got into battle mode immediately」
Seki-san reflects.
「No, it’s not Seki-san’s fault. We didn’t tell you about miss Edie being with us…」
We don’t want miss Cordelia to know yet.
「Yeah, the surveillance cameras in the hallways have been destroyed so we’re okay for the time being」
Margo-san said as she confirm the smashed cameras on the ceiling.
「A girl who’s that skilled…I don’t want her to be an enemy」
Reika said.
「Yeah. She’s physically strong. She’s truly trained that she’s too specialized in being an a.s.sa.s.sin, but」
「What do you mean by that…Margo-san」
「…You see」
Before Margo-san explains…
Michi and Miss Edie’s voices are getting louder…
「Whew…what’s wrong?」
Everyone goes to the two.
The problem is this.
Michi speaks about Margo-san, Seki-san and Reika is her family.
Miss Edie’s not convinced with it.
But…when Michi said「The three ladies are my seniors and stronger than me」miss Edie rejects it fiercely.
In short…「The three of them aren’t that strong」
When Michi said again「No, they’re strong enough」…
「They’re not that much during the fight just now」
Since miss Edie said「I’m completely stronger」…
Michi answers『That’s just being conceited』…
Miss Edie seems to have exploded.
「Err…What do you mean?」
「She thinks that she’s stronger because the fight just now, even it’s 3-on-1, it was a tie」
Margo-san smiles wryly.
「Michan is physically weaker than herself but she’s accepted because she can use『Qi』techniques even though she’s younger than herself. But, Maru-chan’s already an adult, and yet they’re not stronger than herself, she doesn’t want to accept them, she says」
Nei-san explains to me.
She acknowledges Michi only on the『Qi』part.
Rather, she thinks that other parts are on lower level than herself.
Miss Edie likes Michi…so she came to be a practice companion.
If they’re physically equivalent…she might come to defeat her as a rival.
That’s her character.
「But, she’s really strong. This girl’s always alone, to be honest, I might’ve lost」
Seki-san said.
「I think so too. As expected, she’s an expert only in a.s.sa.s.sination techniques, she’s good at making up her mind…I think that we would be picked if we let our guards down a bit」
Reika said.
「You two are overestimating… She’s still a small chick」
Margo-san said.
「We’re a『team』so…it was three to one right now, or one-on-one has nothing to do with it. We cover each other, cooperate…and make sure we win. This girl doesn’t even know anything about fighting…」
Then, she tells miss Edie something in English.
「H-Hey…Maru-chan!?」
Nei-san’s surprised.
「There’s no choice but to make this girl accept by force…!」
Margo-san grins.
「I’ve got to make her aware of her own weakness clearly…!」
「Yes. I think so too…!」
Michi answers with a serious face.
「What is Margo-san saying?」
I ask Nei-san.
「『Then, have a one-on-one match with me』 『However, there’s no weapons. It’s a bout with bare hands. I’ll beat you black and blue』she said…!」
Margo-san and miss Edie’s fight.
「But, that would take time…」
Seki-san advises, but…
「Sorry but, give us five minutes…I’ll finish it by then. Anyway, I’ve got to refresh her head or else we won’t be able to walk together…」
True…if miss Edie keeps making fool of Margo-san and the two, it won’t be good.
But…
This girl moves amazingly.
In the fight earlier…Margo-san was hardly moving…
I believe that Margo-san would win but…
If both of them suffer any damage from the fight…it won’t be good.
「Don’t make that face…I’ll be fine. Leave this to me」
Margo-san tells me as I make a worried face.
「Then…stay a bit away」
Margo-san and miss Edie confronts each other.
Miss Edie shows a fearless smile…
She told Margo-san something
Perhaps, some insulting words.
On the other hand, Margo-san tells miss Edie something
With a cool face…
Miss Edie’s face turns red in anger…!
《…WAWOOOO!!!》
…Miss Edie becomes the wind.
1. I love you! ↩
2. Yes, it has, and yes, Yoshida’s correct this time ↩