「 For now, we will use these girls’ performance to gather the attention of the pedestrians 」
Oh. Now I get it.
「 Then, we’re going to get Tendou Sadao and the others in the Karaoke box while that’s happening? 」
「 That’s right. Kou 」
Minaho-neesan looks at the speakers.
「 Shou-san, prepare cars for retrieval 」
『 We have two 2 ton trucks prepared. They’re disguised as moving company agents 』
Yeah, we can bring the truck to the karaoke box’s side and then bring them in stealthily.
『 Also, the aforementioned Kouzuki SS former training hall is in the neighborhood, please use that 』
An unused building nearby.
「 Thank you, Shou-san 」
Minaho-neesan gave her thanks.
「 Wait a second! 」
「 A second! 」
Huh? What now?
「 Does that mean that our job is to be a spectacle? 」
「 Are we not partic.i.p.ating in the punishment of the bad guys? 」
What punishment?
「 Look, the bad guys you’re talking about are divided into two groups 」
Nei smiled wryly and explained.
「 Then, the guys hiding in the karaoke box have hostages with them, and so we have to deal with them delicately, that’s our job 」
Edie added.
「 Then, there will be another group that will come from the sides, and you will deal with them 」
Michi speaks like a cool girl.
「 I see. That means you leave their destruction to us sisters? 」
「 Certainly! 」
Err.
If this goes on, Irokuchou Ichirou’s group, the one who will try to s.n.a.t.c.h away the Takakura shrine maiden from the sides, will…
They will be fighting these sisters while some civilians are moving around.
Ain’t that dangerous?
If there are witnesses, then it will become news.
「 It’s not just you two. Kinos.h.i.ta-san, could you look after the two? 」
Minaho-neesan leaves the Anjou sisters to Kinos.h.i.ta-san.
「 I’m okay with that 」
Kinos.h.i.ta-san gives consent while showing her usual smile.
「 Your team leader is Kinos.h.i.ta-san. She’s from Kouzuki SS, and so you’ll follow her instructions, won’t you? 」
Minaho-neesan told the sisters.
Speaking of which, it’s Kinos.h.i.ta-san who brought these sisters to this room.
「 If you don’t follow my instructions, I’ll report it to Seki-san. 」
「 When you hinder the operation because of your selfish judgment, then you’re fired. Kouzuki SS can’t use you, and it will become a discussion among the bodyguard companies and n.o.bility 」
Minaho-neesan gives a strict warning.
Right.
Anjou Mitama and Kinuka’s objectives are to work and earn money to ease up the debts of Kurama house, their Masters.
They can’t disobey Kouzuki SS right now.
「 It can’t be helped, we’ll follow Kinos.h.i.ta-san’s orders 」
「 Orders 」
On the other hand, the sisters probably won’t follow orders from Michi and Edie, who are in the same generation as them.
There’s a high chance that they will mess everything up because they make a judgment call themselves.
Naturally, they won’t listen to Nei or me, who aren’t bodyguards.
I mean, to be honest, I think that they’ll ignore Minaho-neesan’s instructions all the same.
In a sense, only Kinos.h.i.ta-san can hold down these two since she carries the name of Kouzuki SS.
However.
Kinos.h.i.ta-san’s also a messed up person, even more than the sisters.
Is it correct to let them team up?
「 Then, while Kinos.h.i.ta-san’s doing the road performance, Minaho-oneechan brings Yomi-chan with her and shows up on the karaoke box? 」
Nei said.
「 Yes. We will come in by car. Okay? 」
「 Y-Yes! 」
Yomi replied, filled with tension.
「 We will use the two-ton truck Shou-san prepared for us. We’ll tell Tendou-san that he’ll need some legs if he wants to escape Tokyo with Yomi-san 」
A means of transport to return to Kansai.
「 And once Yomi-san shows up, Irokuchou Ichirou-san will also move 」
「 Yes, that’s when we will block them 」
Kinos.h.i.ta-san speaks brightly.
「 While the people in the karaoke box are concentrating on the fuss outside, I will sneak in and retrieve the girls 」
Edie said.
「 Then, I will storm in from the front 」
Michi shows her expressionless face.
「 As for you, you can follow Michi or me 」
Edie told Adelheid-san.
「 Ah, okay 」
「 Which do you prefer? Loud or Stealth? 」
「 That’s… 」
Adelheid-san compares Edie and Michi.
「 I’ll go loud 」
Well, Adelheid-san learned her skills from an orthodox school, and so she thinks that she can do her job better with Michi.
「 Then, you will follow me. I will not allow any disobedience, get it? 」
「 Certainly 」
Michi immediately puts pressure on Adelheid-san.
「 Okay, I’ll go stealth, Michi goes loud, and when everyone’s incapacitated, that’s when Darling will bring in boxes and pack them up 」
M-Me?
Yeah, I mean, that’s all I can do.
「 Nei, you’ll guide the girls, okay? 」
「 Okay! 」
Then.
「 Me? What am I going to do? 」
Tendou Otome glares.
She wants to go with us.
As expected, she’s worried about her friends, especially Tokuda Sonoko-san.
「 Right, as for you… 」
Minaho-neesan looks at Tsukiko.
「 Can you pause her? 」
「 What? Pause? 」
Tendou Otome forgot that Tsukiko’s controlling her.
Tsukiko’s power has control over her.
「 Uhm, there are audio equips, right? It’s “PAUSE” 」
「 What do you mean by tha-Hauu!! 」
Tendou Otome paused her thoughts.
「 Okay, she’s suspended for the moment 」
Tsukiko speaks calmly.
Tendou Otome’s mouth is wide open, she’s looking at nothing in the air.
「 What do you think so far? 」
Minaho-neesan asks Edie.
「 I don’t think that she’s lying about herself. Although 」
「 Right. The enemy’s plan is to let us capture Tendou Otome-san from the start 」
「 They also talked to her with the knowledge that we have the Miko power 」
I see. That’s why we can’t count on Tendou Otome’s information.
「 The proof is that the enemy number according to her and Kouzuki SS’ investigation are different 」
Tendou Sadao’s group has another person that Tendou Otome doesn’t know.
Tendou Otome’s father didn’t let her know that the number increased.
「 But, they couldn’t fool her that easy. I couldn’t sense the malice 」
Yeah, she thinks that all the information she knows is the truth.
She’s not making a fake story to derange us.
「 Her emotions of hate towards her father and wanting to save her friends is genuine 」
Minaho-neesan said.
「 But, that doesn’t mean that we can fully trust her. She will betray us without remorse anytime 」
For Tendou Otome, her only allies are those eight girls she brought from Kansai.
Just as we can’t trust her completely, Tendou Otome doesn’t trust us either.
「 If I recall, she’s lied about one thing. Tendou Sadao’s group member, Iwasaki Hiromi-san, was it? 」
Tendou Otome said that among the Yakuza group from Kansai, Iwasaki Hiromi didn’t bring her daughter.
「 Yes, I know that she’s lying. But, everything about Iwasaki Hiromi is hidden deep inside her thoughts 」
Tsukiko said.
「 Naturally, if I use my power, I can force and read the memories she has deep inside her mind, but… 」
If she forced to stir until the bottom of someone’s mind, it would mess them up that it might reach the point of no recovery.
「 If I recall, Iwasaki Hiromi came with her sister, didn’t she? Iwasaki Yoshimi-san, was it? The one which is de facto married with another Yakuza and is recording lolicon videos with their daughter 」
Minaho-neesan asks Tsukiko.
「 Yes, she mentioned that 」
「 Then, do you know the status of Iwasaki Yoshimi-san in her mind? Is it sunken deep, like Iwasaki Hiromi-san? 」
Tsukiko touches the back of Tendou Otome’s head.
「 No, she’s in the same place as the other Yakuza who came from Kansai. Iwasaki Hiromi’s the only woman who’s hiding deep inside her mind 」
「 Similar to Tendou Sadao-san? 」
Minaho-neesan asks.
「 Oh, right. But, despite hiding her father deep inside, she pulls it out back to the surface 」
That means she often thinks of him.
Therefore, Miko power can peek through her memories.
「 Did she hate being Hiromi-san’s partner that much? 」
I mutter.
Compared to the other adult Yakuza, she’s the only one Tendou Otome’s hiding deep down in her mind.
「 I can’t say that. Although, it’s nothing to worry too much 」
Minaho-neesan said.
「 When you fight people like Yakuza, don’t think too hard. Most of them don’t think and just charge at you. If you overthink the possibilities, thinking “Maybe they’ll do this,” “Maybe they’ve set up this kind of trap,” then you’re hindering your movements 」
「 The enemy could be smarter than yourself. Or maybe, the enemy could be dumber than yourself 」
Edie?
「 Darling, don’t a.s.sume that the enemy is always smarter than you or that they’re more skilled, sometimes, you have to think the other way around 」
Tendou Sadao and his group are abysmally dumb and sc.u.ms, if we’re to use Tendou Otome’s statements.
They will not hesitate to use violence to follow the orders of their bosses and seniors.
Even when the police arrest them and send them to prison, they still think that it’s worth it for the Yakuza world.
They will rape their friend’s daughter or even turn them to prost.i.tutes without care.
They let their own daughter infiltrate the enemy mansion.
Right, Tendou Sadao is…
He’s making Tendou Otome poison suicide herself in the Kouzuki mansion.
He’s sacrificing his daughter’s life to accomplish the orders of the organization.
They misunderstand that it makes them cool is what makes them sc.u.ms.
「 Right, they’re not people who can outwit us with their plans 」
They’re people who swing their blade from following their emotions, they’re simplistic people.
「 Perhaps, this Iwasaki Hiromi is connected to Irokuchou Ichirou-san? 」
Nei inferred.
「 There should be at least one person who will report all of the situations to Irokuchou Ichirou-san 」
「 Tendou Otome knows about it, and so she keeps Iwasaki Hiromi-san on a different place in her thoughts? 」
「 Hmm, Is it not the case/ 」
Nei looks at Minaho-neesan.
「 I think Nei’s inference is close. But, that’s not all there is to it 」
That’s…
「 Oh well, we can revise our plans while Tendou Otome-san’s thoughts are suspended. 」 Everyone, listen carefully 」
Minaho-neesan begins to talk.
◇ ◇ ◇
「 Kuuuu?! 」
Tendou Otome’s ‘pause’ has resumed.
「 Oh, Tendou-san, you’ll infiltrate with Edie from the back. You want to secure the girls, don’t you? 」
Minaho-neesan says as if nothing happened.
「 Okay, I don’t want to see the old men after all 」
Tendou Otome hasn’t noticed that time flowed while she was suspended.
「 Also, as for the girls who’ll come in from the front, Kou, Nei, and Adelheid-san will come in, pretending as customers before Michi-san comes in 」
Minaho-neesan.
「 That’s the natural action if you’re going there, right? 」
That means we’re joining up inside?
「 If possible, you could check on the situation of Tendou Sadao and the girls and tell us via phone 」
I see. It’s better to know information before jumping in.
「 But, the real employees of the store have already evacuated, and the store should be closed down for today, right? 」
Businesses in the neighborhood are all under the Kouzuki group’s jurisdiction.
As soon as Tendou Sadao entered a building, the other customers are sent home, and the employees also evacuated.
「 We can use our quick-wittedness for that 」
「 It’s okay. I’ll deal with it, Yo-chan! 」
Nei said with a smile.
「 But, if all of the combat members are elsewhere, there’s n.o.body to guard Minaho-neesan and Yomi 」
I’m worried.
「 It’s okay. Michi-san will be keeping guard in the front, and once she enters the building, we’ll go to Kinos.h.i.ta-san who’s performing on the streets 」
Minaho-neesan looks at Kinos.h.i.ta-san.
「 With that said, I’ll ask you to keep us safe from Irokuchou Ichirou-san once they commence attack 」
「 Roger that! You two got it? 」
Kinos.h.i.ta-san speaks to the Anjou sisters with a smile.
「 Certainly 」
「 Consent! Yessir! Defense gate! 」
Knowing Kinos.h.i.ta-san’s pulverizing flail’s power, she should be okay.
As for Anjou sisters, no need to worry about them.
「 Once I find out where Sonoko and the girls are, make sure to contact me too! 」
Tendou Otome orders me.
Oh, she still isn’t aware of Tsukiko.
We still haven’t discussed what Tsukiko will do on-site.
Tsukiko, how long is she going to do this?
I don’t think Tsukiko could join in Edie and Tendou Otome and infiltrate from the back of the building.
She has no skill to do that.
「 Then, let’s make our preparations 」
「 I’ve prepared the disguise tools, here you go 」
Kinos.h.i.ta-san guides us to another room.
Tendou Otome’s following us.
Behind her is Tsukiko sticking to her.
◇ ◇ ◇
「 There we go…Like this? 」
I don’t need any disguise since I’m going there wearing my school uniform.
The girls are changing to clothes that make it easier to move.
Michi used a twin-tail hairstyle to change her ambiance.
「 Uuuu, Master 」
Pink T-shirt and jeans, Sneakers and Hotpants,
「 Yeah, you should wear clothes like this sometimes. Any clothes look good on you since you’re a beauty, Michi 」
「 Uuuuuuu 」
Michi blushed, and she’s feeling shy that she might faint.
「 As for me, it’s this 」
Edie’s wearing dark blue long sleeve shirt and a light brown hotpants.
「 It’s better if you wear light brown color if you want to go dark instead of wearing black clothing 」
Oh, she chose the color with infiltration in mind.
「 Thank you for waiting! 」
Nei’s also wearing jeans. But, her a.s.s line stands out, it’s s.e.xy. It’s got an adult university student feel to it.
「 D-Do I have to wear this? 」
Adelheid-san is wearing a lacy one-piece dress.
「 Uhm, skirts are… 」
「 They’ll never expect the girl wearing the cutest clothes to be combat personnel, right?! Also, put this on 」
Nei puts a white band on Adelheid-san’s head.
「 What’s this? 」
「 It’s cute, right? It’s called “Kachusha” but how do they call it in Europe? 」
「 It’s a headband or Alice band 」
Edie replies.
「 Why Alice? 」
I asked.
「 Lewis Carroll’s Alice through the looking glace ill.u.s.tration has that 」
I see.
「 It’s called “Kachusha” in j.a.pan because a famous actress was wearing that while that was her role, right? 」
Nei said.
「 That’s what they say, but in fact, there are no photos found in the Taishou era where Matsui Sumako was wearing a headband on her role on the stage play “Ressurection” 」
Michi?
「 No, I mean, Matsui Sumako’s act as the “Kachusha” was the origin of the word. It was unrelated to the play at that time. However, most people named it arbitrarily due to popularity. Matsui Sumako’s Salome act coined the Salome scarf, and the drug Salomethyl, despite the play itself having no relationship to such 」
「 I see. So it’s just the name 」
Nei’s impressed.
「 Yada yada! You all keep on throwing random trivia 」
Tendou Otome shows up complaining.
She’s wearing navy blue fatigues and a cap.
It looks like she’s some part-time worker on delivery.
Behind her is Tsukiko, wearing the same clothes.
「 Thank you for waiting! 」
「 Waiting! 」
「 Ting! 」
And Kinos.h.i.ta-san and the Anjou sisters show up.
Err.
「 Mount Osore shaman? 」
「 Pilgrims? 」
Nei and I retorted at the same time.
The three of them are wearing white j.a.panese clothes.
They’re covering their head with a hood.
「 No, since it’s a rare chance to do a street performance, then 」
Kinos.h.i.ta-san smiled.
「 We changed our clothes to Takeda Shingen! 」
Why?
Why go with Takeda Shingen when you’re doing a j.a.panese style street performance?
「 I’m also Takeda Shingen! 」
「 Takeda Shingen! 」
And there’s three of them.
「 I can only think of the group named Shingens! 」
Kinos.h.i.ta-san…
「 And our motto is? 」
「 Ningen Shingenda! 」
The three speak without hesitation.
Oh, right.
Kinos.h.i.ta-san was from Banbarubie 3.
She’s been in a gang of three.
Well, I guess this is how it ends up.
「 Takeda’s chivalric order is also a good name 」
I’m not going to ask why.