***
Back in the kitchen, Haruki left the task of monitoring the boiling pot to Asahina-senpai, and took a short break to gulp water straight from the tap, before turning back to us.
“I'm pretty relieved, actually. I'd never though Yuuki wouldn't come to school, so I was worried that this might be something way worse than an ordinary cold. But his fever isn't too high, so if he eats a good meal and gets a good night's rest, he'll be fine!”
“Yes, it doesn't seem like there will be any need for him to visit the hospital.”
Itsuko chimed in. Everybody here aside from Haruki knew that no human doctor would be of any use to Nagato, but it'd be unnatural to not bring up the prospect at all.
“I happen to be personally acquainted with an excellent doctor, so if it comes to that, I can have her prescribe him with some excellent medicine.”
Wiping his lips with his sleeve, Haruki said,
“Medicine isn't all it's cracked up to be. It's spirit you really need for these things.”
Haruki began another of his lectures.
“The reason medicine tastes so bad, see, is to trick the cold germs or viruses or whatever they are into thinking 'well, if they're going to be shoving stuff this disgusting down here, I'll better get the hell out while I still can'.”
“Is... that really why?”
“Yeah, of course!”
Stop lying to Senpai with that aura of confidence. What if he actually believes you?
However, I didn't have the energy to voice such a retort, and instead retreated to the living room with Itsuko, where we sat under the inactive kotatsu and did nothing in particular.
Itsuko, after returning with the shopping, had been relieved of duty right away, and as Haruki had never given me any real responsibilities to begin with, I was let go after bringing out the tableware and washing up, so the two of us had nothing left to do at this point but watch Haruki do the actual cooking with the dubious assistance of Asahina-senpai.
I'd always been aware that Haruki was good at this stuff, but watching him at it now... frankly, I'm quite ashamed. From the ease at which he sliced the vegetables to the way he prepared the dashi, I can't help but be impressed with how easy he made it all look.
“Bah, anyone can do this with enough practice!”
So quoth Haruki, tasting the contents of one pot.
“I've been cooking ever since I was little. I'm better than anyone else in my family. Mitsuuru-kun, pass the soy sauce.”
“Right here.”
“Thanks.”
Come to think of it, I've never seen Haruki bring a lunchbox to school. So his parents don't cook?
“Nah. When I need one I make it myself.”
There was a complicated expression on Haruki's face.
“I dunno if I should really say this, but, um, my mom and dad really aren't the best people in the kitchen. Like, there's something wrong with their tongues... anything they make never tastes the same twice. Back when I was a kid, I thought this was normal – I remember thinking that school meals were the tastiest thing in the world, but when I tried making dinner myself, it turned out great. Pass the mirin.”
“Right here.”
“These days I do most of the cooking. Both my parents work, so I sort of have to help out. There's no better practice than the real thing, like they say. Hard work and guts! Well, not that I really put a lot of effort into it, but when something becomes routine, you pick up all the impotant stuff. Mitsuuru-kun, taste this.”
“Right he-- mmm! It's delicious!”
“You see? This is my personal Special High-Class Vegetable Soup. It's got all the way up to Vitamin Z, perfect for building stamina! One sip of this stuff and your aches and pains will be boarding a rocket ship to Saturn!”
...Where he gets this stuff from I have no idea, but at any rate Haruki transferred the contents of the pot into a deep dish, having turned off the heat already. My stomach started rumbling. The smell alone was making me hungry.
“Kyon, why are you making that expression?You're not getting any. You can carry it into his room, though. I'm sure he'd like that.”
Don't worry, I'm ready to devote myself to any task you give me. I'm sorry that I can't do more.
I gathered Haruki's porridge and vegetable soup onto a tray, carried it carefully into Yuuki's bedroom. Asahina-senpai followed behind me with a teapot and cup, and Itsuko with the herbal medicine and a cup of water. Haruki opened the bedroom door.
“Sorry for the wait, Yuuki. It's all ready.”
“…………”
Slowly, Nagato lifted himself up and gazed at the four of us with empty eyes.
“Drink the medicine first, it's the kind you're supposed to take before eating. This is the kind I've had the best experience with, so I guarantee it'll work. There's plenty of food, so eat all you want. You didn't have any lunch, right?”
Haruki's overwhelming positivity was wonderful. The average cold virus really would flee in terror, seeing this kind of power. Any kind of bacteria with an instinct for self-preservation would be wanting out about now.
“…………”
Nagato attempted to get out of bed, but Haruki pushed him back down again. Itsuko handed over the medicine and the cup, and after gazing at it doubtfully for a second, Nagato drank it down.
It looked for a second as though Haruki was going to attempt to feed Nagato his dinner personally (“Say 'aaaah!”), but Nagato quickly grabbed the bowl and spoon himself. He took a spoonful and swallowed.
“…………”
As Nagato drank down the porridge, barely chewing, Haruki and the rest of us watched intensely with a piercing gaze.
“…………”
He looked down at the bowl in the same way one would look at the colour of an iodine solution pour on a sample of starch, but eventually Nagato said in a quiet voice:
“Delicious.”
“Isn't it? Keep on eating. Eat everything! Here's the soup. Probably should have boiled it longer, but it should taste alright.”
Taking the dish Haruki shoved into his hands, Nagato drank it down too.
“Delicious.”
“See?”
With a look of extraordinary satisfaction on his face, Haruki watched Nagato eat his dinner. Little by little, Nagato went on eating at a steady pace. I have my doubts as to whether he was actually enjoying Haruki's cooking; while he did seem to be savouring it more than he had when he had eaten the frozen curry earlier, he could well have been repressing his lack of real appetite. Nagato will eat anything that's put in front of him. He will eat even if he doesn't have to.
I found it difficult to watch.
Maybe it was because Nagato was sitting there, clothed in pyjamas. Maybe it because he was eating Haruki's nutritional meal in silence. Or maybe it was just because that even though he was sitting to close that I could have reached out and touched him, he seemed to be growing fainter than usual...
“Sorry...”
I apologized to no one in particular.
“I'll be back in a minute.”
Without waiting for a response from anyone, I left to shut myself in the bathroom. Though I don't think it showed on the surface, I felt as though the longer I sat there watching Nagato, the more the meaningless anger might bubble up inside me.
I sat down on the toilet seat cover, softly bit into the inside of my lips, and settled down to think.
I have only one thing going for me right now: I know exactly who I should interrogate first.
Something has to be done about that Kuyoh person. It isn't fair that Nagato lies bedridden while that bastard walks around in perfect health. It's just a question of balance, and I'm not putting up with this any longer. First, I'd have to contact Sasaki, and then...
“Aaah!”
My cellphone started vibrating suddenly, and I nearly fell off the toilet seat.
I checked the display to see who had surprised with such immaculate timing, and saw that it was a text message rather than a call.
“Huh?”
The sender's address was incomprehensible gibberish. Who in the world...? I opened up my inbox.
“Eh?”
The screen went completely black. A virus? Oh no, I have important stuff stored on here...
As I began to panic, I noticed a white cursor blinking in the top-left corner of the LCD screen and was struck by a sudden sense of deja vu. I had seen something like this before.
Moments later, the cursor slid across the screen, leaving a string of characters in its wake. The smooth flow of text, absent of character conversion, was familiar as well.
yuuki.n> you need not worry
Nagato. It is you.
It's just like when Haruki and I were trapped together inside Closed Space. In which case, I should be able to respond in the same way. My thumb darted across the keys.
'Don't worry?' Fat chance. Slowly but surely I typed in my reply.
“It's because of those jerks from the Canopy Domain that you've got this fever, right?”
As soon as I had sent the message, another arrived.
yuuki.n> yes
I felt like freezing my own head in liquid nitrogen and smashing it with a baseball bat. Damn it! That creepy Kuyoh bastard had looked so harmless, sitting there like a mannequin next to Tachibana Kyou. I had made a stupid assumption; that it was only me and Haruki who they were concerned about.
I'm a fool.
Without ever questioning it, I had made the assumption that they had wanted to do something about Haruhi's power. Itsuko had even told me that Nagato was the greatest asset the SOS Brigade had, I knew she was right, so why didn't I see right away that he'd be the first target of any enemy attack!?
yuuki.n> i will not allow them to harm you or haruki suzumiya
In frustration, my thumb flew rapidly across the buttons.
Haruki and I can take care of ourselves, and right now, we're perfectly fine. You're the one who's been attacked, you're the one in trouble, so do something about that!
Sent. Again, and instantaneous response.
yuuki.n> this is one of my duti?????????ata integrati???????ciousnes??????ttempt???????municat ??????????????an opy doma
The characters came to a halt.
“What's wrong?”
The distance between Nagato's bedroom and this tiny bathroom suddenly felt impossibly far, and the seconds that followed felt like an eternity.
yuuki.n> my operat?????æ–‡å —å?????–ã‘ã??ァã™????æ–‡å??? —å?????– ã‘ãァ???
I thought my cell must have broken. At least, I hoped it was the phone.
yuuki.n> ????????ã“ã‚?ã?????‚‚æ–‡å??? —å???–ã‘ã???•ã“ã‚????ã ‚‚æ?????????????–‡å —å?–ã‘ã•??
I broke out in a cold sweat. I'd never have thought Nagato would send me honest-to-God nonsense. Was his condition really that terrible? If it turned out to be incurable, I'd.......
I felt as though I might black out at any moment. My body felt so weak that my hand could have slipped and dropped the phone in the toilet. Frankly, I couldn't have blamed myself if I did.
Thankfully, before I managed to actually break my phone, the top line on the screen changed once more.
yuuki.n> need to sleep
That tiny, flickering message appeared for just a moment before fading away as if melting. It was one hundred percent Nagato.
Like hell I'm not going to worry. You've got to be kidding me. Sorry Nagato, but I'm not mature enough to just go with that. You're expecting too much of me.
Dashing out of the bathroom, I sped in a flustered rush straight back into the bedroom.
“Hey, Nagato!”
Looking up at my wild expression, Haruki seemed taken aback.
“Shut up, Kyon. Don't wake the patient. He just got to sleep.”
He glared at me.
“He laid back down as soon as he'd finished eating, and the next think I knew he was out cold.”
And just like he said, Nagato was laying there with his eyes closed. Like a glass sculpture, frozen in time, even his breathing was undetectable.
“He's really calmed down. Living alone isn't good for a guy, you know? You need to have other people around; even when sleeping, it's important to hear other people moving around in the rest of the house. It just helps to feel comfortable. Doesn't matter who, I think he just needs--”
I turned my back on Haruki's reasonable explanation. Normally, I would have listened, but I wasn't in the mood for it. Um, I should clarify: this wasn't a conscious act. My body was literally moving on its own.
“Oi, Kyon, where are y--”
Leaving the bedroom at a dash, I only picked up speed as I hurtled through the front door as well. I didn't feel like waiting for the elevator to go down to the ground floor, so I ran down the stairs instead. Passing through the entrance and out of the apartment building, I kept on running with no real aim in mind.
...Where would Kuyoh be at this hour? I have no idea, but he had been wearing a Kouyouen Academy uniform. If he goes to school properly like Nagato does, then Kouyouen was as good a place to start as any. I don't care if the security tries to stop me like last time. I'll just charge straight in. If I just burst into the staff room... why, his name might actually be on the register. If it wasn't, then I'd just have to find another way.
The only thing I can't do is sit still right now.
Eventually, my feet felt like they were sliding, as though I was wearing winged boots, bestowed upon me by some goddess. My stupid, useless cardiopulmonary functions had betrayed me, and I'd finally run out of breath. I looked up, and found myself in front of a train crossing.
The very train crossing where, in fact, about a year ago, Haruki had delivered a long speech...
Overcome by exhaustion, I focused my energy on taking long, deep breaths. My gaze happened to wander over to the other side of the crossing, and what I saw there made my both my gaze and my blood turn to ice.
Kuyoh Suoh.
The enemy who threatened both me and Nagato stood directly opposite me, across the tracks. As though he had been there all along.
“_______________”
Black uniform. Rounded hair. And that unfathomably blank expression.
The lights above the crossing gates began to flash. At the same time, the bells that signalled an approaching train began to ring, and the gates lazily began to fall. Why is he here? It's almost as though he was... waiting for me...
Kuyoh didn't move. He stood his distance, the width of a single train crossing, as though he was rooted to the ground. He was completely still, looking more like a robot crafted out of cardboard boxes than a human being.
Clang, clang, clang...
The gates had closed completely now, and the rumbling of the tracks and rushing of air that foretold the coming of a train became louder. My gaze was fixed upon Kuyoh, and where his was focused was a mystery to me. This isn't a coincidence. He's....
He's waiting for me.
With a burst of wind, the train rushed past, concealing Kuyoh from view. Though it can't have had that many carriages, for those few moments, it seemed as though time stood still. This horrible sensation, powerful enough that I felt as though I could have identified each and every one of of the passengers in the train windows that went past, turned into an equally powerful premonition.
As though the future was flashing before me, I felt a sudden certainty that when the train had finished rushing past, Kuyoh would no longer be standing on the other side of the rails. Somehow, he would be standing right behind me, reaching out his long, pale, ghost-like fingers, his hands tightening around my neck...
A horrible delusion.
The train went past. The red warning lights, relieved of their duty, stopped flashing, and the black figure of Kuyoh, was standing, as before, on the other side of the gates. Was it a demonstration of surprising patience, or an unnerving scene staged for my benefit? Or perhaps he simply didn't understand human concepts like that at all...
After waiting for the black-and-yellow crossing bars to return to their upward position, Kuyoh finally moved, as though walking across the ocean floor. I'd really like to know how he manages to move without his clothes shifting in the slightest.
His body, like an insubstantial hologram, came to a halt a few metres away.
I felt my fists tightening.
“What the hell did you do to Nagato!?”
Kuyoh's eyes, like giant marbles glistening with frost, gazed upon me. My gut was telling me to not to meet that gaze. I felt as though those were the kind of eyes that might suck my soul from my body...
His lips, so pale they were almost bluish, parted.
“I wanted to know about humans... No...”
He kept his distance, but I heard his voice as though he was whispering right into my ear.
“No, that was not... what I wanted to know about...”
He cocked his head to the side. This incredibly human gesture caught me off guard.
“What I wanted to know about... was you...”
...Huh?
“Will you join me?”
What is he trying to say?
“You will, won't you...?”
He held out a hand towards me.
Alien.
Clang, clang, clang... the crossing signal rang again. Two red lights, flashing one after the other, warning that the train was coming... but to me, it felt as though they were warning of something far more terrible than being hit by a speeding train. This is an emergency situation. What's happening? What's going on? Nothing makes any sense. What's with this sudden transformation, as though the mannequin was brought to life by a necromancer?
Kuyoh's hand was still approaching, closer and ever closer. A human-shaped hand of something inhuman.
It's something that cannot possibly coexist with humanity, an unknowable entity from beyond the galaxy, beyond human ken. A silhouette the shape of a monster.
Eyes as black as the new moon. No, don't look. The world will turn to black.
I wanted to scream 'stop', but my mouth refused to move. This is pathetic. After coming this far, I...
“Give it up.”
The voice that stopped Kuyoh's advancing hand did not belong to me.
I stood there in silent shock.
The masculine voice that echoed from directly behind me was filled with a cool confidence and a subtle, all-encompassing amusement. It was a voice I hadn't heard in a long time, and with all honesty never wanted to hear again.
“I'm not going to allow you to come any closer. After all...”
From a point above the top of my head, the voice broke into a peal of brief, charming laughter.
“This girl is my prey. If you mean to take her away from me, well, I'd rather do this.”
An arm reached past my head and around my neck. It wore the blazer of the male North High uniform, and grasped in its hand was an object I will never forget. An awful light reflected from its sharpened blade.
The blade of the katana, gripped in reverse by that terrible hand, was almost brushing the base of my neck.
“I can't say I really mind, one way or the other.”
His deep, mirthful laugh made all the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
I know this person.
“You're...”
Finally, I managed to squeeze out the words.
“.........Asakura?”
“Correct. Who else were you expecting?”
The unmistakable voice of my one-time fellow classmate of Class 1-5, Ryou Asakura, rang out from behind me,
“Nagato-san is having a little rest at the moment. And so, for now, you have me. Is there a problem?”
I couldn't turn around. I had the unshakable feeling that if I actually saw Ryou Asakura there, standing behind me, then the consequence would be something unthinkable. The one-time partner of Nagato and member of the Data Overmind's radical faction, this guy had attempted to murder me twice, and on the second occasion had come very close to succeeding. On both occasions, I had only been saved due to Nagato's intervention, and Nagato was out cold. Instead, before me stood Kuyoh. This is outrageous. I'm caught between a wolf and a tiger, and neither one could possibly considered an ally. This is the last thing I wanted to happen.
“This is an emergency situation. Therefore, I appeared. Is that really so strange to you?”
His melodious voice went on.
“After all, I am Nagato-san's backup. If he can't take action, I'm supposed to take over. Don't you remember?”
If Nagato can't take action...
So this was such a crisis that the deleted Asakura could return to life, huh? So dangerous that I needed the help of a murderer.
“Now now, that's rather rude. I'm not a murderer. After all, I haven't killed anyone yet, now have I?”
In that case I'd appreciate it if you could move that sword. I can't even swallow with that thing there.
“Not possible, sorry. As long as he's standing over there, I have to execute my duty faithfully.”
A single finger of the hand gripping the katana extended to point in the direction of Kuyoh.
“A humanoid terminal of the so-called Canopy Domain, correct? Intriguing. If you were to die in this situation, I wonder how that guy would react.”
He always brings up such bone-chilling topics in that casual manner. He hasn't change a bit since he was the class president. Nope, there's not a person in the world who could pull that off but Ryou Asakura.
Like a wet cloth left to dry in the blazing desert, I couldn't move a muscle. I couldn't even tell if I was freezing or burning up. There was only the sharp glint of the sword, cold as deep space, and Kuyoh's eyes, calm as four storeys underground.
That's too calm.
A sudden realization came to me. What had happened to the flashing lights at the crossing? Where had the deafening noise of the warning bells gone? And why hadn't the train arrived yet?
I opened my eyes. The signals lights had stopped flashing, left permanently on. The gates had come to a standstill, diagonally in midair. No wind was blowing. Not a single person walked the streets, and not a single car drove past...
The world was standing still.
The clouds in the distant sky steadfastly maintained their position, and when I managed to spot even a crow frozen in-mid flight, I finally and belatedly understood.
Time had been stopped.
“The hell is this...?”
Asakura let out a sly chuckle.
“I don't want anyone interfering. If I do this, nobody will see us, see? Spatial manipulation is my speciality. Escape is impossible.”
A trap, then. But for me, or...
“Now then, Kuyoh-san.”
Cheerful as ever, Asakura continued.
“Shall we have ourselves a pleasant conversation? Or would you rather fight? I wouldn't mind. I'd like to see what you people can do. That's also part of my job, you see.”
Kuyoh stood as motionless and expressionless as always, but...
“......Release that human. Threat level extreme...... Your intent to kill is geniune......”
Slowly and carefully, he blinked, and when his black eyes reopened, there was a light within them that I'd never seen before.
“It is not you. I have no interest in you. You are not important.”
A slight hint of emotion could be detected in Kuyoh's voice.
“Well. That's not a very entertaining answer, is it? All right, if that's how it's going to be...”
The hand holding the katana shifted, leaving only an afterimage. It moved so quickly that my eyes had no hope of following its motion. This was a sensation I recognized from a previous experience like this, caught in the middle of an extradimensional battle between this guy and Nagato in Class 1-5. All I could tell was that Asakura had let go of the katana, and it had instantly hurtled towards Kuyoh at close to the speed of light – and it was only seconds after the fact that my brain was able to process that much.
“......Threat level increased by two stages.”
Kuyoh muttered the words to himself, his hand gripped on the katana blade, directly in front of his face. Blood dripped down his wrist. He showed no sign of fear towards the sword that was almost brushing the tip of his nose.
“......And continuing to rise.”
The katana, and Kuyoh's hand gripped around it, were vibrating minutely.
Oh God.
Asakura's sword, even after Kuyoh had halted its forward momentum, was still trying to impale him. Kuyoh was monstrous enough just for having the reflexes to stop that lightspeed katana in midair, but Asakura was even more terrifying. Just how much kinetic energy had he put into that thing? I didn't want to think about it.
“Not bad.”
There was a tone of admiration in Asakura's voice.
“It was only a test shot, but I did attack with greater force than my calculated forecast of your capacity. This might become quite interesting.”
I could feel the air stirring up behind me. If I turned around, would I see a dark aura rising from Asakura's body? I kept my gaze straight ahead, but I couldn't block out the noise.
“Expanding data control range. Deploying offensive data. Shifting to Termination Mode. Requesting authorization for localized combat simulation within limited space for the purpose of analyzing specified target.”
That was the most I could understand of Asakura's rapid vocalizations, and as soon as I had, the surrounding scenery collapsed. Like a jigsaw puzzle of urban scenery being broken into its separate pieces, everything transformed, and that which lay beyond made itself known. For the second time in my life, I found myself inside the twisted geometrical realm that was Asakura's Data Control Zone.
“......Threat level stable.”
Kuyoh's skin, which had been a sickly white, began to flush with color. His manner of speech, too, was shifting.
“Move away from that girl.” He still spoke in an unnaturally unconcerned tone, considering the katana that even now remained grasped in his hand.
“You are not worthy of consideration...”
His sentences were becoming a lot more intelligible. With a careful, jerking motion, as though taming a wild horse, Kuyoh slid the katana to one side of his face. Once the blade had reached a sufficient distance, he cocked his head to the side and released his grip.
The sword that Asakura had thrown once more assumed its original speed, rocketing off like a missile into the distance, and then...
“......!”
For the third time (and by this point I was getting quite sick of it) I stood stunned in astonishment.
A third figure was suddenly visible immediately behind Kuyoh – but my mind barely had time to process this information before Asakura's katana sped directly toward the third figure's face with hyper-mach ultrasonic velocity, and as though copying Kuyoh's earlier response, the figure seized the blade in midair in the instant before contact. The possessor of this arm which was capable of such sword-catching feats was...
“Kimidori-san.”
Was immediately identified by Asakura.
“And what would you be doing all the way out here?”
Kimidori-senpai, in his usual school uniform seemed oddly out-of-place in this non-euclidean realm. The serene smile on his face was identical to the one he wore when acting as the Student Council President's lapdog. This profoundly ordinary expression was all and well, but in a world this abnormal, it was incongruous by the very virtue of its normality, and I'm running out of was to describe all this. I'm sorry.
Kimidori-senpai turned over the hand in which he had caught the katana blade, pointing it back in Asakura's direction.
“I am here to put a stop to your deviant activities. Your actions are not grounded in the consensus of the Overmind.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
“Yes. Such actions are not permissible.”
“I see. Alright, then.”
Too readily, Asakura gave his agreement, and then said,
“Do you think I could have that back now?”
Kimidori-senpai released his grip, and the katana moved through the air, this time at a speed that my limited vision could easily follow, back towards myself and Asakura. But in the next instant, Asakura muttered another rapid incantation, and the sword suddenly accelerated again, diverting its course straight towards the back of Kuyoh's head. It didn't move at a velocity that could be dodged. It was like a laser made of steel.
“!!”
I could hardly believe my eyes.
One second it looked as though Kuyoh had suddenly become two-dimensional, and the next he had vanished from sight completely.
It was as though the Kuyoh before me had been nothing but a cardboard cutout a millimetre thick, and had suddenly been flipped ninety degrees. Distracted by this strange phenomenon, I failed to notice the new direction of the katana until I saw it flash in Asakura's hand, this time held with a normal grip, back in its original position, ready to slice my head of at a moment's notice.
As soon as I realized what just happened, a stream of cold sweat erupted from the top of my head.
If Asakura hadn't caught that when he did, the flying sword would have pierced straight through the base of my neck. Okay, now this is going beyond terror.
Asakura voiced a question, his voice full of doubt.
“Did he escape?”
Wait, wait, you're just going to ignore what almost happened to me?
“No.”
Kimidori-senpai shook his head and lifted his chin to the sky.
“He is right here.”
Kuyoh plummeted down in front of us.
As though lowered from offstage by some kind of rope, he landed in a perfectly upright position, and with one hand grabbed the wrist of Asakura's katana-wielding arm, whilst bringing the fingers of his other hand together for a jab, then motionlessly unleashing it towards... towards what?
Towards my face.
“?!”
Everything was moving so fast that I felt utterly exhausted. There wasn't a thing that I could do. It was only after the fact that I was able to comprehend anything that had happened here, and this was happening now.
A rush of air hit my bangs like a solid object would, and I couldn't help but close my eyes tight. This was a bad move on my part. When I hurriedly opened them in the next instant, the following scene met my eyes:
Kuyoh's hand had come to rest only millimetres away from my forehead, and the only reason it had stopped there was that Asakura's hand was clasped around its black-uniformed wrist. In one hand he held an actual blade, and the other a hand-shaped one. And, I, the idiot, stood there trapped between outwardly human but inwardly what could only be called demonic pair of combatants. I'll say it again: I suck.
Was this the second time now that Asakura had literally saved my life? Seriously? Isn't there something a little wrong with this picture?
“Kuyoh-san.”
There was a mocking air in Asakura's voice.
“What is it that you want with this human girl? Do you want to kill her? Or do you want her to live?”
Kuyoh's eyes regarded me as one might regard a sandbag. His eyes, like blades themselves, bored into me, but then shifted to an area above my head – the direction, presumably, of Asakura's face.
“......Meaning of query unclear. Define 'human'. Define 'girl'. Define 'kill'. Define 'live'.”
He went on in a voice that almost seemed to come from some kind of speaker rather than from actual vocal cords.
“......Define 'Data Overmind'. Clarify.”
He muttered the words as though to himself, before, - in a manner that one could only call 'dramatic' – altering his expression.
Kuyoh was smiling.
It was a resplendent and beautiful smile.
Although it seemed more like a perfectly-executed simulation of a smile than an expression of any real emotion, it was enough to send even the most reticent maiden's heart aflutter, infecting them with that disease called 'love at first sight'. Only I could have resisted it. Someone like Taniguchi, unaware of the circumstances, would have been floored in an instant. As my mind went blank, Asakura began his brazen response.
“My, what a handsome face, Kuyoh-san. But I think this is enough, don't you? I have no intention of yielding to the Canopy Domain, and the matter of whether this human lives or dies is no exception.”
With both sets of hands trapped in this strange interlocking embrace, Kuyoh and Asakura were continuing their conversation.
...What the hell are these people even talking about...?!
I'm becoming more and more frustrated.
Look, let me making something clear – I'm normally a very calm, kind-hearted person. For example, when my little brother took my favourite scarf and tried to wrap it around Shamisen for kicks, and Shamisen, being rather unamused by such an event, responded as any cat would and turned the scarf into an unidentifiable mess of wool and fibre, I was understanding enough to let the both of them off with no wore of a punishment than a poke to the forehead each. That's just the kind of person I am. (I still miss my scarf, though.)
When you've managed to make someone like this seriously angry, you know that conditions are going critical.
Yeah, yeah, I get it.
Anyone with the nerve to stand in the middle of an outrageous situation like this with a smile on their face is out of their mind. The fact that all three guys here right now are from outer space just serves to prove my point.
I'm the only sane one here. That's why I'm terrified. Is this a problem for you?
“......Define 'Canopy Domain'.”
Paying no attention to words that could have come from an online spambot but were instead emanating from the most perfect smile in the world, Asakura made his own pronouncement.
“Initiating offensive data assault.”
The ground beneath us began to foam wildly. Along with a bubbling sound like boiling water, it gave the impression that we were standing in a poisonous swamp. Asakura's katana melted into nothing, like crystallized sand, and Kuyoh's hand, held in place by Asakura's, was engulfed in some kind of bluish-white mosaic. A grid of miniscule hexagons spread up his arm with astonishing speed, but in the next instant, Kuyoh's figure once more became two-dimensional, and another instant later, he was but a vertical line in the air.
BOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGG!
“Ngh...?!”
A deafening metallic chime like two giant tuning forks being struck against one another right next to my ear rang through the air, and I instinctively squeezed my eyes shut. The sound disappeared as quickly as it had come, and everything went silent as if some giant hand had wiped the notes clean out of the air.
“..........”
When I found the nerve to open my eyes again, Kuyoh was nowhere to be seen.
The only figure I could see before me was Kimidori-senpai, and the unnerving presence of a certain guy lurking behind me was as clear as ever.
The unsettling geometrical world had been swept away, and with the return of our earlier surroundings, the return of the street by the railway crossing, my world was finally restored to some semblance of normality. But I was well beyond being surprised by anything like this anymore.
“Is he gone this time?”
Asakura's inquisitive voice came from behind me, and in front of me, Kimidori-senpai responded.
“The data containment field that you had constructed was penetrated by an unidentified stream of concentrated data. Currently in the process of tracking the path of the target in question, and repairing the surrounding space.”
“A physical dimensional shift in his bodily data… clearly their terminals take a different form than ours. They have no need for authorization.”
“It would seem that he was not created for the primary purpose of communicating with human beings. In fact, I would speculate that he was most likely constructed as an interpretation platform for communication with our own kind. Most likely, even his interest in Haruki Suzumiya-san was derived from observation and anticipation of the movements of the Data Overmind."
“I find it hard to believe that he was a simple terminal at all. He deconstructed my offensive data without any need for decoding.”
“Their logical foundation differs from our own, so analysis of the algorithms of the domain with which he is connected will be necessary to effect fatal damage.”“Yes, well, I'll leave that to you, Kimidori-san. You must have been able to obtain a fair amount of data from this encounter, hmm? As far as I can see, while we may not be able to eliminate the data itself, destruction of the physical terminal should be possible. Would it not be a good idea to pick up the pieces and use those to determine the overall structure of the platform?”
“Unauthorised action is not permissible.”
“You sound just like Nagato-san. Still, I do think that Nagato-san will be more accommodating in his present state.”
“I will put a stop to your activities. The Overmind will not permit them.”
“Oh?”
Asakura put on an air of surprise.
“And since when did you become the Overmind's representative?”
“The Interface designated by the personal name Yuuki Nagato has transferred a portion of his autonomous judgement capacities to myself. He proposed this of her own accord, and the transfer was authorised by the central will of the Data Overmind. My actions are in conformation with the consensus of the Data Overmind."
“Consensus, you say? You mean those useless conservatives, always trying to preserve the status quo? Or am I being labelled a minority party?”
“Both.”
Asakura let out a nasty chuckle in that model-student tone of his.
“My behaviour patterns are unchanged from my former station. They have yet to be overwritten.
“You are a backup unit, deployed purely as an emergency measure. Nagato and myself have merely conceded in a professional capacity that your deployment was a necessary measure in the limited context of this emergency, that your potential usefulness was marginally greater than the threat you present.”
“Should I be thanking you? Seeing as how it's thanks to you that I've returned.”
“I have been granted the authority to cancel your data integration.”
“So there's no point my trying to fight you, then. Fair enough. I only plan on acting according to my own will. Nagato-san taught me that, you know, where exactly the potential for independent evolution truly lies. Didn't you know, Kimidori-san? He has long ceased to be a simple terminal. Don't you think that we too might hold that same potential?"
To hell with that, Nagato alone is enough for me, thanks. Sure, sure, I'll thank you for saving me, but let me make this perfectly clear:
Nagato is the only one I need. I don't need you, Asakura.
“How harsh of you.”
Asakura seemed to be enjoying himself.
And let me say this, too. Do you have to keep holding this ridiculous debate quite literally around me? Listening to all this crap is giving me a headache.
“You heard her, Kimidori-san.”
One more thing, if you've got the spare time to show up in a place like this and hang around pointing swords at people, then why don't you go and make Nagato some damn food, the way you used to the last time I saw you?
“Come now, is that any way to talk to the person who just saved your live from an evil alien monster?”
The smiling tone in his voice never wavered, and it didn't sound at all as though Asakura had taken any actual offense.
“I'm truly sorry, but the question of maintaining this form for any extended period is out of my hands. If you have any complaints regarding that, I'd suggest you direct them at our friendly senior over there and the dominant faction of the Data Overmind. Or, why not try asking Nagato-san? If he agrees to it, why, I might even be able to come back from Canada.”I'll pass, thanks. I don't see much hope of getting Haruki to accept a development like that anyway. You enjoy your vacation now.
“Really? Ah, what a pity.”
Giving his usual melodious laugh, Asakura went on.
“I'm afraid it's about time for my temporary deployment to come to an end. Call me anytime. I'll be ready and waiting. As long as Mr. Big and Scary over there doesn't step in to intervene, of course.”
Not having any recollection of calling him in the first place, I stayed silent. Asakura's voice moved even closer.
“Nagato-san and I are like reflections in a mirror. Can you understand that? I'm much more akin to Nagato-san than Kimidori-san is. The Interface you're looking at right now won't lift a finger to help you. His job is, after all, merely to observe.”
I could feel his breath against the back of my ear.
“Why don't you... turn around? Can't we at least say our goodbyes face-to-face?”
Like hell. What if I turned around and saw you standing there with that perfectly ordinary class-rep smile of yours? It might wipe the fear clear out of my head, and I might be taken in by that perfect handsome smile. Look, as far as I'm concerned, you and Kuyoh aren't all that different.
“You are so awfully rude. Oh well, goodbye, then. Until we meet again.”
Even after his voice died down and his presence vanished, I was still reluctant to move a muscle, even though my body wanted to collapse to the ground. It was a test of endurance.
Kimidori-senpai, too, stood watching me, without saying a word. I noticed his hair begin to flutter in the wind, and as soon as I did, the sounds of the crossing bells started up again and I jumped about five millimetres off the ground. The signal lights flashed, and the gates came down. The clouds in the distance drifted on by, and the crow flew off to find its nest.
The sounds of the city were all back. Time was on the move once more.
Kimidori-senpai began walking softly in my direction, and came to a halt facing me, a perfect distance away. I wondered if he was going to give me some kind of explanation, but no matter how long I waited, his mouth didn't move from that constant Student Council Secretary smile.
“Kimidori-senpai.”
“Yes.”
“That guy... that Kuyoh... what exactly is he? I can't make sense of him at all. There's no rhyme or reason in the things he does or says. Is it just because he's not human?”
“The principles governing the Canopy Domain are beyond comprehension. We have yet to even reach a conclusion as to whether they have an autonomous consciousness. We cannot even state for certain that they can be strictly classified as a living being.”
The stiffness of that explanation was a little depressing.
.......Right, I see, Well, that would be a problem, wouldn't it? And I have my own problems to deal with... but right now there's one thing I must say while I have the chance.
“Can you at least do something about Nagato's fever?”
“Nagato-san has been assigned a special task. He is to establish high-level communication with the Canopy Domain itself.”
“He's bedridden and can't even move. You call that a mission?”
Kimdori-senpai's face only seemed to be smiling at me. He may have actually been staring off into the distance.
“His task is to establish a higher level of communication which does not rely upon language. This is a mission which would be fundamentally impossible for a human being to achieve. For the first time, we have established a measure of physical contact with their kind. It may be indirect, but it is a huge development in comparison to the complete mutual comprehension failure that has plagued us in the past. Nagato-san is serving the role of relay between our kind and theirs. Even now, he is actively fulfilling that function. Please look after him."
“...And you think that's an excuse for forcing all that on him?”
It took all the strength I had remaining to keep from shouting. I was staring daggers at Kimidori-senpai's unconcerned features, which remained as serene as Japanese dandelions dancing in the spring breeze.
“Why can't you or Asakura do it instead?”
"It was Nagato-san, the Interface with the closest proximity to Suzumiya-san, with whom they first established contact. I would consider their choice to be extremely logical.”
His calm and composed responses were starting to make my head hurt.
In other words, you're telling me to just leave him be? I guess the Data Overmind really is made up of nothing but worthless assholes. It must have been a miracle that someone like Nagato was the one send here and was the first one of you I met. Hell, if Nagato and Asakura's positions had been reversed, or if it had been Kimidori-senpai there in the Literature Clubroom, I'd never have made it this far. It's all because of Nagato. 'Interface' – that damn word can get lost somewhere around the orbit of Neptune. I'm starting to feel that it wasn't 'an alien' that Haruki wanted in the SOS Brigade, but Yuuki Nagato himself. I don't care whether it's the dominant faction or the radical faction – either damn one of you try presenting yourselves to Haruki, let him measure you up against Nagato, and I can tell you which he'd have the sense to pick every damn time!
“Please forgive me.”
Kimidori-senpai bowed ever-so-properly in my direction.
“There is very little that I am able to do. The limitations imposed upon me prevent any deviation from this course. If you have any other matters to discuss, I will be happy to be of assistance.”
As my gentle upperclassman walked past me, he bowed his head once more, before heading off in the direction of the station. I knew full well there was no point in going after him. These aliens were trying to accomplish something that was beyond my ability to properly understand.
There's just one last thing I want to say.
“This is Earth! This isn't some playground for aliens, understand?”
My words disappeared into a gust of the spring breeze, and Kimidori-senpai had already been lost to my sight.
Yet...
“Such a very...... entertaining joke.”
I couldn't tell whose words they were. Whether it was Kuyoh, Asakura, Kimidori-senpai, or someone else entirely, I had no idea.
But I have a hard time believing that those words I thought I heard were simply my mind inventing a human voice from the sound of the wind blowing past my ears.