Published at 17th of August 2019 8:54 am

Volume 15, Chapter 4: Infiltration Operation

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

Part 1

Saturday, July 3

While the Sun Rangers had been able to sneak into the underground people's factory, they were now obviously a lot more alert. The soldiers would patrol more often, and they were clearly armed. They didn't want to allow any more intruders.

“I'm really glad we hurried.”

Kiriha observed the factory on the other end of the forest through her digital binoculars and let out a small sigh of relief. Confused by Kiriha's reaction, Koutarou who was watching the factory next to her asked her for her reason.

“Why? Isn't it more problematic if there are more guards?”

“While it is problematic, it means there is still something left to be guarded.”

“I see, so it would actually be worse for us if it wasn't as guarded.”

“Precisely.”

The fact that the guards had increased around the factory meant that the radical faction still needed it. Since Koutarou and the others wanted to find out what they were doing, the fact that the guards had increased meant that the evidence they wanted was still inside the factory. A decreased guard meant that the factory was no longer producing anything, and it would be too late even if Koutarou and the others infiltrated it. While more enemies was troublesome, it wasn't all bad news.

“There's also one more reason I'm glad we hurried.”

“And that is?”

“The fact that the guard is so obviously armed means that it won't be long until the factory won't be needed anymore.”

“You mean that they no longer need to worry about being seen?”

The factory guards were quite obviously more armed than a general corporations guard. The factory guards weren't even trying to hide their weapons as they patrolled the factory site. In Japan there were practically no factory were the guards were armed with guns. That's why if they were spotted by someone, they would easily be able to tell that something is wrong. At this rate it was only a matter of time before they were reported for engaging in terrorism.

But what if they wouldn't be for long?

Before the police or mass media could reach the factory, it would have outlived its purpose. Or, they might already have begun their attack on the surface. If that was the situation, it didn't matter if the general population spotted them. The primary risk was having the enemy infiltrate them once more.

“Satomi-san, don't go too far ahead. You'll step out of the area of the camouflage spell.”

“Ah, sorry, Yurika.”

Koutarou and the others were approaching the factory while being protected by Yurika and Maki's spells. While there was still some distance, magic was perfect for closing in as the radical faction still hadn't noticed them. However, they should have access to magic as well, so they couldn't be careless.

“Baron-san, it's about time we split up.”

“You're right. Red Shine, take care of my friends.”

“Of course.”

From here, they would split into the diversion team and the infiltration team as planned.

Kiriha was the leader for the infiltration team, and it would consist of her, Koutarou, Clan, and Harumi. The diversion team consisted of the remaining people with its leader being Red Shine, Kenichi. The diversion team would distract the enemy, to allow for the infiltration team to sneak into the factory and gather information, and if possible, sabotage the factory.

“Then we're going.”

“See you later everyone.”

“Theiamillis-san, don't mess up.”

“You're the ones more likely to be in danger. Be careful.”

After saying their farewells, the infiltration team disappeared into the woods. The remaining diversion team remained on the spot until they could no longer see the others.

“... By the way everyone, can I ask you something?”

Once Koutarou and the others couldn't be seen, Kenichi asked the remaining girls of room 106. It was something he hadn't asked, but wanted to.

“I don't mind. What is it?”

Theia represented the group and answered. As she did, Kenichi asked hesitantly.

“I've been wondering, but what relationship do you all have? Your group is so rich in variety that I can't even imagine.”

Kiriha was from the underground and the remaining members were helping her, that much he knew. However, he had no idea as to why they began working together.

A leader of the underground people, Kiriha. Theia, Ruth, and Clan who had extremely advanced technology. Yurika, Maki, and Harumi who could use magic. Sanae who had spiritual powers. Shizuka who was overwhelmingly strong with martial arts. And finally Koutarou who brought them together.

Kenichi couldn't fathom why such a varied group had gathered in one place.

“We...”

Theia was about to instinctively answer that they were invaders, but she stopped to think before she said it. She had doubts whether that word was apt to describe them now. That's why after thinking for a moment, she gave a different answer.

“... We are sort of like a family. Like you said, because we are rich in variety, we were often in conflict at first. However, those conflicts are now what supports us. We hold each other's hands, knowing each other's good and bad sides.”

“That's quite a deep relationship.”

Theia's answer was slightly different from what Kenichi wanted to hear, but he was able to guess the circumstances from it. They had gathered together, by fate or by chance, and after repeated conflicts, they eventually took each other’s hands. That was how Kenichi understood Theia's story.

“That's why you will be fine too. I'm sure you'll be able to coexist with the underground people.”

“I hope so.”

If Theia and the others could, then surely they could too.

Holding on to that hope, Kenichi headed for his battleground.

Part 2

Having separated from the others, Koutarou and the others in the infiltration team were hurrying through the forest. Since the diversion team would attack the front gate, the infiltration would attempt to sneak in from the back. The distance from the infiltration point to the factory building was the shortest from that position, bringing with it the lowest risk of being spotted by the enemy. When Koutarou and the others got into position, the diversion team would begin their attack, so they wanted to get there as quickly as possible.

“Clan. You're falling behind. Hurry up.”

“E-Even if you, say that, running is, not my specialty!”

Amongst them, Clan was falling behind. Koutarou was wearing armor, Harumi was using the PAF, and Kiriha was well-trained. However, Clan who had below average stamina was already out of breath.

“Guess it can't be helped.”

“Kyaa?!”

There, Koutarou caught Clan and lifted her up in his arms before continuing to run. With Koutarou's powered armor, running while carrying Clan was no problems.

“Bertorion, I can―”

―fly on my own, is what Clan was about to say when she remembered what she and the girls had talked about before. As a result, she swallowed her next words.

“What is it?”

“I-I just stopped being stubborn. I'm counting on you for a while.”

Clan could fly through the sky through her own inventions, but she had chosen not to do so. Instead, she swung her arms around Koutarou's neck and embraced him.

It's a bit different from being hugged... but this is nice in its own way...

This wasn't a situation where a girl of age should be glad, but she instinctively poured strength into her arms. Her appearance was awfully cute and Harumi who was next to them instinctively smiled.

“Fufu, not being stubborn is the best, Clan-san.”

“W-Well, it's better for my own pride to be hurt than for me to slow down everyone else.”

“It'd be dangerous if you fell, so don't force yourself too much and hold on tight.”

“... I think... I'll do just that...”

Clan blushed as she drew her cheek closer to Koutarou. From that proximity, she could feel Koutarou's warmth and breath, and with that, Clan's mind turned blank.

However, Koutarou himself couldn't tell how Clan was doing because she was too close. What he was more interested right now was Harumi.

“Sakuraba-senpai, don't force yourself either.”

“I'm fine, Satomi-kun. That's why I'm on this side.”

Since they would infiltrate after the enemy was distracted, it should be a lot safer being on the infiltration team than the diversion team. That said, Koutarou followed them as a guard, just in case.

“And besides, Clan-san's invention is covering for my body's handicap.”

“Then that's fine...”

Koutarou reluctantly nodded. Harumi's words were logical, but Koutarou had a strong objection against dragging her onto a battlefield.

Even though she was in a safer position, having her handicap alleviated through PAF, and held a strong power she had inherited from Alaia, to Koutarou, Harumi was still herself. Like Yurika, he didn't want to see her on a battlefield.

“But even then, I'm reluctant to have you fight, Sakuraba-senpai.”

“If you're going to say that, I don't want you fighting either, Satomi-kun. You're not someone who should normally be on a battlefield.”

Harumi understood how Koutarou felt. To her, Koutarou wasn't someone who should fight. Koutarou, who had lost a family member and was looking for warmth, shouldn't be a weapon that hurt others. There was only one reason as to why he fought.

“But even then, you fight. For everyone, and their future. That's why I am the same. I want to stay by your side and do the same.”

“Sakuraba-senpai...”

“Of course, I know I'm not suited for fighting. That's why I want to help as best as I can without getting in the way.”

Harumi's feelings hadn't changed since the day she learned of Koutarou and the others’ secret. She wanted to walk down the same path they did. That was it. And she was sure that the other girl inside of her felt the same way.

“Give it up, Satomi Koutarou. Harumi is correct.”

“... Okay, okay. In that case, let's get this over with quick. That’d be for the best.”

Koutarou gave up as Kiriha called out to him.

If Harumi didn't have a reason to fight, the same could be said for Koutarou. There was no reason that allowed Koutarou to fight but not Harumi. In that case, their best bet was to complete their mission as quickly as possible in order to avoid any fighting.

And it's not just senpai or Yurika. It's the same for Kiriha-san, Clan, and everyone else too. They're all strong, but they're definitely better off not having to fight...

Koutarou wanted all of the girls of room 106 to live happily. It wasn't just Harumi he wanted to keep out of the fighting. Koutarou was determined to do his best for the girls.

Part 3

The report that the infiltration team had reached their position came in ten minutes after the groups had split up. At that time, the girls of room 106 and the Sun Rangers had reached the front gate of the factory.

“A laser message from Master. They have reached their assigned position.”

“Send him a message telling him not to mess up... Well then, let's go!”

Theia stood at the front with her arms on her hips. That was when the night wind blew at her golden hair. It was like a waving flag. Her apparent confidence and the unwavering will in her eyes was so great and beautiful it made one forget about her small size.

“Maki-san, this will be the first battle for our band of knights. Perform your best to not sully the Satomi family name.”

“As you wish, vice captain! I will protect her highness in place of our captain!”

Ruth and Maki wore their band of knight uniforms and stood next to Theia in order to protect her. However they were wearing their own arms on top of their uniforms. Ruth was wearing armor and was equipped with two beam swords. Maki wore an indigo robe and held her magical cane. While their birthplace and looks were different, the two held the same emotions in their eyes.

Behind those three were Sanae and Shizuka.

“Alright, I'll give it my all today!”

“You sure are getting into it, Sanae-chan.”

“I'll take all the spotlight and make Koutarou invite me to the band of knights!”

“Maybe I'll do the same.”

“That's more like it Shizuka! Have the monster uncle work too!”

“No thank you!”

“Don't be so cold, Shizuka.”

“But if I bring out uncle Alu my weight will increase! I'll finish this today without having to bring him out!”

“... It's not like your weight actually increases...”

“I don't really get it, but you can do it Shizuka!”

Neither Sanae nor Shizuka had any armor or weapons, but instead they were enveloped in spiritual energy. Sanae was clad in her own spiritual energy, while Shizuka wore the spiritual energy of the dragon inside of her. Thanks to that, the two were stronger than the armed soldiers. To these two, weapons or armor only got in the way.

“... Nana-san... I'll do my best today...”

Behind them was Yurika. The atmosphere around her was different from normal. There was a clear distinction between today's enemy compared to what she had gone up against until now. They were an organized enemy that misused magic, a clear enemy of Rainbow Heart. At the same time, the battle with this enemy would have a major effect on Kiriha's future. This was both her duty and for the sake of her friend. That's why she had a more serious expression than normal.

“I'm still nowhere near as good as Nana-san is, but I will definitely pull through!”

Yurika tightly gripped her cane, Angel Halo.

It was her expression as a magical girl that she had shown from time to time. That expression was now clearly showing on the surface. The current Yurika was now magical girl, Rainbow Yurika in the truest sense. She was like a completely different person when compared to when she had first come to room 106.

“Baron-san's friends are all amazing people... We still have a long way to go...”

“We've become able to tell that just by looking, so we've made progress too.”

“Kotarou is right, Kenichi. Nothing good will come from tormenting yourself.”

“Yeah. Just being able to tell how amazing Baron-sama is, that’s already a huge step forward!”

“... Sadly, that part of Megu-chan hasn't made any progress.”

In the back were the five Sun Rangers. They were wearing their usual combat uniforms. However during these months, the combat uniforms had gotten all kinds of scratches and damage. They were proof of their growth, proof that they were first-rate soldiers. They were no longer a disorderly mob like they had been when they first met Koutarou. Like Yurika, it was like they were completely different people.

There were six girls from room 106 and five Sun Rangers. In total there were eleven of them. They were boldly approaching the factory from the front. As they did, the spotlights around the factory focused on them. When they had approached to within ten meters of the gate, a speaker attached to the gate gave of a warning in a strong tone.

“This is a privately owned area! If you approach any further we will remove you by force!”

It was a conventional warning. However it was clear that it was just a formality. The soldiers who served as guards had already aimed their weapons and were waiting for the order to fire. They were well aware that the people in front of them were those that had appeared during daytime.

“Do it if you can! I'll show you who you're barking at!”

Theia fearlessly stood at the front as the enemy warned, or more precisely threatened her. The unyielding strength she had been born with revealed itself in her eyes.

“Blue Knight, raise the flag!”

“As you wish, my princess.”

On Theia's orders, a large flag several meters wide spread out behind the group. This wasn't a physical flag, but one drawn using lasers. In the center of the flag was a golden flower. It was the flag raised when Theia herself went to the front.

Part 4

The flag drawn from lasers stood out even from afar. It could even be seen by Koutarou and the others on the opposite end of the factory.

“So it's started.”

Once the flag was raised and a golden light was emitted, the factory guards’ attention was naturally drawn towards it. As a result, the guards began swarming in that direction. As planned, the guard around the rear of the factory was relaxed.

“Clan.”

While Theia's flag was meant to draw the enemy's attention, it was also a signal for Koutarou's group to begin moving. As the diversion team’s battle begun, Koutarou and the others began their infiltration of the factory.

“The preparations are already done. The surveillance cameras on our route are already being fed dummy footage and the sensors’ positions have been confirmed. I will guide us into the factory undetected.”

The infiltration would begin under Clan's guidance. As her ship was specialized in stealth functions, she had excellent techniques for concealing oneself. While the People of the Earth had more advanced detection methods than those found on the surface, they were but rudimentary sensors to Clan.

“Kii, you will have to do something about the spiritual energy sensors.”

“Karama, Korama, activate the spiritual energy sensors and detect the location of their sensors.”

“Got it, Nee-san!”

“Karama-chan, let's show them our gallant figure Ho!”

“Don't fall for us Ho!”

“I won't fall for you!”

The only thing Clan couldn't do anything about was the devices made using spiritual energy technology. Since it was something based on a completely different technology, there was nothing she could do about these. Kiriha and her haniwas would need to deal with them.

“Senpai, could you keep an eye out for spells just in case?”

“I understand, I'll be careful.”

Since magicians needed to cast spells manually, one at a time, the chances that they were being used at a large site like a factory was low. However, there was still a chance that they might be used in a smaller area. It was important to have Harumi stay alert.

During their infiltration, Clan was in charge of science, Kiriha of spiritual energy and Harumi of magic. Koutarou would guard the three. The infiltration team inevitably became these four when taking into account everyone's abilities and their personalities.

“Alright, let's go everyone.”

““Yes!””

The three girls responded to Koutarou in harmony. The four passed through the fence and infiltrated the factory site. Neither their voices nor teamwork showed any disorder.

Part 5

They would have liked to advance straight towards the factory, but there were too many sensors in the way. Koutarou and the others followed Clan's directions, slowly but surely closing in on the building.

“Next stay low and approach that corner. Bertorion, you need to stay extra careful because you're so tall.”

“Got it, I'll be careful.”

They would sneak from shadow to shadow, sometimes they would stay low and crawl, slowly approaching the factory building. While they wanted to approach as quickly as possible, they would be found by the enemy if they did. In order for them to get as much information as possible, they needed to remain patient for now.

Koutarou and the others slowly infiltrated for several minutes. Fortunately their efforts paid off and they reached the factory building without being detected.

“Geez, we finally reached it.”

“Well done, Clan. You really are good at these kind of cowardly things.”

“Are you praising me or taking a stab at me?”

“I'm praising you, really.”

“I can't believe it, geez.”

“It's okay, Clan-san. Satomi-kun is always singing praise of you when you aren't around.”

“Ah, hey, Sakuraba-senpai?!”

“Fufufu, sorry.”

“I-Is that true?!”

Koutarou and the others hid by the building and rested for a moment. Being freed from the tension that had been building up for a while, Koutarou and the others showed a smile of relief. The words they exchanged were carried with light tones. However, they could only remain like that for a short while.

A group of soldiers passed right by the place where Koutarou and the others were hiding. They were reinforcements for the battle going on at the front gate. Waiting until the soldiers were far enough away, Kiriha opened her mouth.

“We can't take this too easily. Koutarou, let's enter the building as soon as possible.”

“You're right. I'm sure the other group is having problems.”

The sounds of gunfire and explosions reached even Koutarou's group. It was clear that the diversion team was in the middle of a fierce battle and there was no time for Koutarou and the others to take it easy.

“Nee-san, we should stop before the service entrance over there Ho!”

“An active spiritual energy sensor has been set up in that area Ho! We'll be detected even using class II stealth mode Ho!”

However, the factory's security was tight. It would be difficult to use the entrance the soldiers used.

“I want to hurry, but we should probably refrain from forcibly breaking through with these numbers.”

“We should look for another entrance. Clan, can you find one?”

“Please wait a moment... uhm...”

Clan operated her bracelet and sent orders to her small unmanned scout. This scout had been gathering information for a while and had already made a rough sketch of the outside of the factory. Clan called up that information and analyzed it again, selecting a different infiltration route.

“... Let's see. Just a bit away from here is an exhaust vent where the heat from the factory is being exhausted. I tried following the heat signature and it seems to reach quite a way into the factory.”

Clan suggested that they infiltrate the factory from the exhaust port, but Kiriha quickly shook her head.

“... Since this is heat exhaust from weapons productions, it must be quite a considerable temperature. Koutarou aside, none of us would probably be able to get through.”

When processing metal for weapons production, the heat exhausted is massive. One could imagine it as a scorching hot wind. That was no problem for Koutarou, whose armor was designed for space use, but the other three wouldn't be able to pass through it. That's why Kiriha couldn't imagine it as a realistic path. While Kiriha liked Clan and wanted to respect her opinion to its utmost, this time she had to oppose it.

“I've already thought of that, Kii.”

Since that response was within her expectations, Clan smiled. She had already thought of a countermeasure.

“Considering the data I have, we should be able to pass without any problems using Harumi's magic.”

Clan's data had been accumulated from both Alaia's and Harumi's magic. That data showed that with Harumi's defensive and cooling spells, they should be able to endure the factory's heat exhaust.

“I see, that might work.”

“Of course, it would only last for a short while... There are also other merits to it. In the heat exhaust vent, there should be less detection devices.”

Even if they had a tight security, they most likely wouldn't watch over an area that required a spacesuit to pass through. The guard around the exhaust should be less guarded than the entrance from before.

“We're counting on you, Harumi.”

“Please leave it to me. I came with you for these kinds of situations.”

Harumi didn't flinch from the sudden job thrown onto her; instead she nodded powerfully as her beautiful long hair started shining silver.

Part 6

The infiltration from the exhaust port was progressing smoothly. Harumi was controlling the magical power from Signaltin and protected Koutarou and the others from the scorching hot wind. As a result, the group could casually take a walk through the winds over 100 degrees Celsius. After walking through the exhaust vent for a while, the group found a maintenance hatch that they managed to pry open and infiltrated the factory. As expected, the heat exhaust was poorly guarded, and nobody had detected them.

“Koutarou, your hand.”

Koutarou was the last to pass through the maintenance, and in front of him was a ladder going up. Above him was Kiriha's hand, waiting to pull him up.

“Thanks. But that's no good, Kiriha-san. The armor is still heated up a little.”

“I don't mind.”

“I do.”

Koutarou regrettably smiled wryly and shook his head.

The maintenance hatch was heated by the exhaust, so Koutarou who was wearing an armor was in charge of opening and shutting it, but the heat from the hatch transmitted to Koutarou's armor. While the armor had a cooling function, it still hadn't fully cooled. If Koutarou grabbed her hand, she probably wouldn't get burnt, but her hand would most likely turn red from the heat. That's why Koutarou climbed up the ladder on his own.

“... Onii-chan doesn't understand the feelings of a girl who wants to be of help to the person she loves.”

Kiriha whispered so only Koutarou could hear and pouted. Kiriha, or rather Kii, wanted to be of help to Koutarou. She didn't mind if her hand heated up a little.

“... What can I do, you're important, Kii.”

“... Ahaha, then I guess it can't be helped.”

However, she was only able to remain childlike for a few seconds. They were in the middle of a battle, and tension soon returned to her expression. The same went for Koutarou, and when he opened his mouth again, he had the face of a knight.

“By the way, Kiriha-san, what kind of place is this?”

“This is an area with blast furnaces and pressing machines. An area filled with equipment that emit a large amount of heat. There should be another area where armor is attached to the weapons. I want to take a look at that first.”

Koutarou couldn't even imagine what kind of machinery was around him, but they were for large-scale metalwork. The metal was melted in the blast furnaces and molded into rough shapes. The shapes were processed in the press and cut into parts. To Kiriha, it looked like armor for the weapons being made here.

While armor was being made, since several parts were being produced it would be hard to get a grasp of the overall shape by examining this area. They would be better off heading for the area where the armor was put together. And if possible, she wanted to head to the control room where the production was overseen.

“Clan-san, where should we head?”

Harumi felt like this was an incredibly odd place, even more so than Koutarou. That was only obvious for a girl who wasn't good with technology. Troubled by this, she sought Clan's help.

“Well, if this factory's layout is logical then we should head in the direction of the front gate.”

Clan answered without hesitation. Since she wasn't a normal girl, she had the most accurate grasp of this place. A functionally-arranged factory was a world she was more in line of her kind of world than the city was.

“Why?”

“Because transporting in and out would be easier that way. It's the most logical to place the start and finish of the production line there.”

“I see. Then they'd be able to produce as efficiently as possible.”

A transport would drop off the material and leave after being loaded up with the finished product. In that case, it was natural for production to start and end by the entrance. While there were some exceptions, a well-placed production line had its start and finish at the same place.

“Which means that we only need to head that way.”

“Let's hurry. The battle outside is still ongoing.”

Koutarou and the others headed in the direction Clan had pointed out to examine the factory.

Everyone, stay safe...

Despite having entered the factory, they could still hear the sounds of battle. Koutarou prayed for the girls' safety while pumping himself up to complete his mission as quickly as possible.

Part 7

The diversion operation couldn't simply focus on defeating the enemy. If the battle progressed too one-sidedly then the enemy might retreat under the assumption that they can't win. If that happened, there would have been no point in a diversion. They needed to make the enemy believe that they could win. As a result, Theia and the others couldn't make any major attacks, such as bombarding the area using the Blue Knight. Instead, they were fighting against the soldiers directly.

“Blue Knight! Anti-personnel smart gun!”

“Please select your desired bullet.”

“Use paralysis bullets, fire away at will!”

“As you wish, my princess.”

Theia summoned an anti-personnel weapon from the Blue Knight and fired down on the soldiers.

The weapon Theia was using was a large machine gun that one would often find attached to a vehicle. The gun fired out nearly 1000 bullets per second and the sound was like the rumbling of the earth.

“Kya kya kya?!”

The bullets didn't just assault the enemy, but also Yurika who was near them. Since the Blue Knight was aiming automatically, almost no bullets hit her, but she didn't feel happy about being shot at by her own ally. Yurika was already in tears.

“Theia-chan, please just shoot the enemy!”

“The shots are properly calculated, you're all right after all.”

The bullets Theia was using had the effect of paralyzing the enemy. The lethality of these bullets was low and they didn't have the power to break through the defensive spells on Yurika. On top of that, the Blue Knight's automated aim was very accurate and only a very limited few stray bullets headed for Theia's allies. While things might change when firing a large quantity of bullets, the chances were next to none if it were just a few. Theia had determined that using a weapon with low power would allow her to defeat only her enemies in a melee. While Theia didn't say it out loud, she trusted in Yurika's magic.

The results were as Theia had expected as the underground people fell one after another. But Yurika wasn't happy at getting shot even though she might be safe.

“Don't shoot at me just because it's safe!!”

“Yurika-chan, if you don't like it, then you just have to not get hit.”

Shizuka who was with Yurika showed a confident smile. She could sense Theia's intention to attack and moved out of the line of fire. As a result, not a single bullet hit her.

“Please don't lump me together with a superhuman like yourself, Shizuka-san!!”

“You can do it too if you put your heart in it. Or can't you muster any motivation without Satomi-kun with you?”

Shizuka made small talk as she beat up a nearby soldier. From a light left jab into a right straight, and as her body was moving, she poured the momentum into a roundhouse kick. The soldier hit by the brilliant combo fell to the ground. The power from her attacks was great and the soldier stopped moving after collapsing. Since Shizuka was avoiding vital points, the soldier merely lost consciousness rather than die. The girls had a reason for not wanting to kill the enemy.

While they might be enemies, the radical faction were from the same place as Kiriha was. In order to avoid grudges from the People of the Earth, they wanted to keep the fatalities to a minimum. So it was only natural for Theia to use non-lethal weapons and for Shizuka to avoid vital points. Of course, the fact that they hated killing also played a big role in it.

“T-That's not it, but...”

“Yurika, quit spacing out and get to work! They're coming out in droves!”

Sanae shot an enemy using a bow and arrow created from her own spiritual energy. Dodging her arrow that split into 16 smaller arrows midair was difficult, and the soldiers were hit by several of the smaller arrows and fell. These soldiers were actually after Yurika. Yurika who was incredibly adaptable was seen as a big threat amongst the soldiers.

“S-Sorry, Sanae-chan! Fog Cloud – Modifier – Effective Time Twice!”

Yurika cast a spell to block the field of view of the approaching enemies. The enemy was attacking even while she was protesting. Now wasn't the time for her to whine.

“Yurika-sama, get behind us!”

“Nijino Yurika, you support us from the back! The band of knights will take the front!”

There were other enemies approaching Yurika, but these were stopped by Ruth and Maki. Ruth wore a mechanical looking armor and was armed with beam swords, and Maki had created a large blade stretching out from the top of her cane. The two stood in front of the enemy and prevented them from getting any closer to the others.

“Maki-san, be careful not to get too far out! Please keep our allies position in mind at all times!”

Ruth made full use of her armor's defensive function, breaking up the enemy waves. The output of her barrier was considerably high, and by expanding it further out, she could effectively block attacks against her allies. As she did that, Ruth attacked the enemies designated as high priority by her armor's artificial intelligence one after another with her beam swords set to paralysis mode.

“Understood, vice captain!”

Maki's role was more offensive than Ruth's. Using her large blade, she effectively attacked enemies that showed an opening. Ruth prevented the enemy from advancing while Maki thinned their numbers. The two had split into effective roles and stopped the enemy's approach.

That said, since their band of knights had only just recently been formed, their teamwork was still somewhat lacking. Maki especially had little experience fighting with others as during her time in Darkness Rainbow she had been fighting alone. As such, she had a tendency not to consider her allies. Koutarou alone was one thing, but she had a hard time paying attention to all of her allies.

“Aika-san, wipe those guys out! I will protect you!”

“Kasagi-san?! Then please do!!”

However, while Maki struggled to work together with her allies, her allies protecting her was another example of teamwork. Since this way of fighting was completely different from what Maki was used to, she had a lot of hesitation. However, she firmly believed that this was her true appearance and that she was far stronger than before.

Like that, the unique teamwork of the girls of room 106 was demonstrated and the diversion team's battle was progressing in their favor. But when it came to teamwork, the Sun Rangers weren't losing.

“Let's go, Daisaku!”

“Yeah. After I charge in, please back me up, Hayato-kun!”

In the past, they had been a disordered mob, but now the five had clearly divided up their roles.

In the front was the large man skilled in martial arts, Yellow Shine, Daisaku. He dealt with the enemy's vanguard. Pink Shine, Megumi, used an automatic gun to restrain the rear of the enemy formation. Defeating the enemy was the job of the skilled shooter, Blue Shine, Hayato, who used a rifle to pick off the enemies one by one. The job of Green Shine, Kotarou, was to throw the enemy into disarray. He used explosives as his weapon of choice for this. And finally, holding a sword in his right hand and a gun in his left was Red Shine, Kenichi. He adapted to the situation and provided backup where it was needed.

“Calm down, Daisaku, Hayato! Our job isn't to defeat the enemy!”

“Kenichi is right! We need to buy time for Baron-sama and the others!”

Their teamwork was splendid and they no longer carelessly took action like they did in the past.

The Sun Rangers hadn't rolled their thumbs and done nothing these past few months. They trained to get strong, and through battle they dug up their problems, and through their efforts they had acquired adequate ability, mentality, and teamwork.

Under the command of Kenichi, the five fought a splendid battle. That said, there was a difference in equipment and their results were nowhere near that of Theia and the others. However, it was clear to anyone that they were more skilled than your average soldier.

“But Kenichi-niichan, something's strange.”

“What do you mean?”

“Take a good look. The weapons that Daisaku-niichan and Megumi-neechan photographed aren't coming to attack at all. And that robot that attacked when we were escaping isn't here either.”

“Now that you mention it...”

The experience they had piled up until today told that them there was something unnatural about this fight. This was supposedly a weapons production facility, yet none of those weapons were anywhere to be seen, despite several weapons being caught on photograph earlier in the day, nor was the robot that had attacked them shown itself. The enemy consisted solely of underground people, and their weapons were just the ones they were carrying. The Sun Rangers who had prepared themselves for a fierce fight felt like they lost their momentum.

“... If you'd like, I can tell you the reason for that.”

That was when the cold and sharp voice of a woman cut through the noise of the fierce battle. The moment that voice rang out both friend and foe stopped fighting.

“Maya-sama?!”

“It's been a while, Maki.”

The voice belonged to the previous Darkness Navy, Maya. She was Maki's master. Maya, who had approached in a grand manner, stopped and faced Maki from a few meters away.

Maya-sama... she means business...

When she faced her master, a cold shiver ran down Maki's spine. Maya crossed her arms as if showing off her large bosom. She seemed defenseless despite her provoking behavior. However, Maki couldn't seem to find a single opening. To Maki, Maya looked like a ferocious beast that could rip her opponent's head off in the blink of an eye.

Maki stared at Maya with a sharp glance, looking for openings, while readying her large blade. Her stance was slightly smaller than it had been up until now. Maki knew that she wouldn't catch Maya with any large attacks better than anyone else.

“Oh, scary. Maki, you don't need to be so scared. I only came because I wanted to see your face for the first time in a while. I'll leave after playing with you for a little while.”

Maya didn't seem shaken in the slightest despite her apprentice pointing a weapon towards her. Maya knew that the current Maki couldn't win against her. She showed a confident expression and her white teeth could be seen peeking out from under her lips. It was a feminine smile from a beautiful adult woman. However, what could be felt from her smile was more akin to a beast baring her fangs.

“And if you're gonna make such a scary face, you'll give away your act of being caught by the enemy. Fufufu.”

“M-Maya-sama?!”

Maki was shaken up by what Maya pointed out. Since Maya had appeared so suddenly, Maki had forgotten her own supposed standpoint. She would have needed a more self-controlled reaction.

“Don't worry, Maki. I don't really care whose side you are on. Not up until now nor from now on...”

“Eh...”

However, Maya's next words shook Maki up even more. Maya had more or less understood Maki's betrayal and left her alone until today.

“But, Maki, I don't hate your current self.”

Maya showed a truly happy smile. As her master, or maybe as one of her few comrades. It was a pure smile void of any evil, though it only lasted for a few seconds.

“Realize your wish with your own powers. That is the kind of life you're living now. It wasn't until you parted with Darkness Rainbow that you finally embodied the ideal of the organization. How ironic.”

When Maki was in Darkness Rainbow, she desired others to be sincere. The reason for that was because she had been betrayed by those close to her in her youth. But there was no perfect human. Every person lied in some way or another. That's why Maki always felt an irritation towards her surroundings.

Maya didn't like that part of Maki. She believed that Maki shouldn't restrain her irritation, but rather act as she pleased. In other words, she should use magic to force people to be sincere. Changing the world to something more convenient for yourself was Darkness Rainbow's style.

However, after parting with Darkness Rainbow, Maki had been freed from her irritation. That was because what Maki truly wanted wasn't people's sincerity, but what lay beyond. Love. Creating love using magic was sad. All she would get was a false love, something Maki hated. That's why the power of magic couldn't change Maki's world.

Maki was now using the power of magic to prevent what she had gotten from being stolen from her. The sight of Maki being honest about her feelings, even if those were feelings of love, was more preferred by Maya. Since Maki parted with Darkness Rainbow, she had started acting more like a proper member of Darkness Rainbow.

On top of that, the relationship between the members of Darkness Rainbow was shallow and using your allies was common place. That's why Maya didn't care if Maki had betrayed them. That was only obvious. In fact, she was pleased that Maki had become a full-fledged member of Darkness Rainbow. As a result, she never told anyone of Maki's betrayal.

Good and evil didn't matter to Maya. Creating a world more suitable for yourself through magic was the embodiment of Darkness Rainbow's ideals.

“Then you should understand, Maya-sama. Even if I'm going up against you, I will defeat you.”

Maki pointed the tip of her blade towards Maya. Her hands were trembling slightly from her tension and sweat was sliding down her forehead. If she let her guard down by even a little, she would be taken out in an instant. Since Maya knew Maki's hand, she was close to her worst possible opponent.

“That's right, that's what it should be like. However―”

As Maya spoke, a blade popped out of her artificial arms.

“―I will kill anyone who opposes me, even if it's you, Maki!”

As Maya finished speaking she moved. Her movements were so fast that most people struggled just tracking her with their eyes.

“Nightwalker! Recall – Precast – Category Alpha!”

One of the few that didn't was Maki. Instead, she released ten or so spells that she prepared beforehand to drastically increase her physical abilities.

“Maya-sama!”

Maya's blade came into contact with the blade that had popped out from Maya's right arm. Having drastically increased her physical abilities, Maki was barely able to keep up with Maya.

“Well done stopping it, that's my number one apprentice!”

Yet despite having her attack stopped, Maya seemed happy. She was glad seeing the growth of her apprentice.

“But you're too naive!”

Even then, Maya didn't stop her attack. Even if it was her apprentice, an enemy was an enemy. While Maya was happy to see her apprentice's growth, she would kill her without mercy.

Maya had the upper hand when it came to both weight and power, and she forcibly pushed Maki back and unleashed a kick towards Maki's head. Since Maya's body was supported by a strong frame of alloy, a kick to the head would cause major damage.

“Energy Release!”

Maki's senses told her that she wouldn't be able to dodge the kick normally. So instead, she released the magical power in her cane. The magical blade formed on top of Maki's cane required a large quantity of magical power, and by releasing that, she could create a small explosion.

“You're as reckless as always, Maki!”

The shock wave from the explosion threw Maya's kick off track, but Maki herself was also hurt by it. Compared to Maya who had a mechanical body, Maki who had a body made of flesh obviously took more damage. Maki believed that the damage from the explosion was less than getting hit by the kick, but it was still reckless like Maya had said.

“... My master isn't someone you can beat through normal means.”

While staggering from the explosion, Maki readied her cane once more. Her eyes were unwavering and she was still desperate to beat Maya.

“I'm glad to hear you say that.”

However, for some reason, Maya retracted the blades extended from her arms.

“Maya-sama?”

Since Maya had the advantage, this action confused Maki. Since she was her apprentice, Maki knew better than anyone that Maya couldn't be underestimated.

“I told you. I only came to see your face today.”

Maya noticed Maki's confusion. While her battle with Maki was fun, seeing Maki confused like this was also fun. She smiled as if her excitement from before had been a lie.

“If I'm going to fight you, I will prepare a more suitable stage. Not at a place like this where people will get in the way.”

Maya had several reasons for stopping, but the biggest reason was because she hated interruptions. While Maya would have been able to overwhelm her opponents for a while after a surprise attack, Theia and the others wouldn't stay quiet afterwards. In fact, Shizuka was almost at Maki's side already. If she had continued, Maya probably would have been in danger. The current Maki wasn't alone anymore.

“Besides, I just received word that our boy has been found over there.”

“Boy... you mean Satomi-kun?!”

Maya and the others’ target was Koutarou. Everything else was just a bonus. Even her apprentice, Maki. Maya had come here because they didn't know where Koutarou was. While they had quickly figured out that Maki and the others were a diversion, they didn't know if Koutarou was taking part in the infiltration or the diversion. Since their strategy would change depending on where Koutarou was, Maya had to visit the site to confirm it with her own eyes.

And she hadn't found Koutarou amongst the diversion team. Next, she received a message from inside the factory, letting her know that Koutarou was infiltrating it. Knowing that, Maya no longer had any reason to remain here.

“That's right... Koutarou, my dear beloved boy... and that's the reason why our main forces haven't come here. I'm sure the boy and his friends are struggling.”

This was also the reason why the weapons in the factory hadn't appeared. Maya and the others had placed their main force inside, preparing a trap. And as they had expected, Koutarou had appeared. In other words, the underground people dealing with Theia's and the others’ diversion was yet another diversion to conceal their main force.

“Well then, good bye Maki. Let's meet again.”

After casually saying her farewell as if speaking to a friend, Maya turned her back towards Maki.

“Maya-sama?! W-Wait, Maya-sama!!”

Maki wanted to chase after Maya, but the People of the Earth soldiers got in her away, leaving her unable to follow. While the soldiers were keeping Maki busy, all she could do was watch as Maya walked away.

“Still... it's been a while since I played with the boy... Fufu, I can't wait.”

Maya's steps were light. She was like a woman about to reunite with her lover.

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