Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 15 - Chapter 6

Kiriha’s Determination

Saturday, July 3rd

While they had gathered the information they needed and all made it safely back to room106, Kiriha’s expression remained gloomy and serious. Koutarou understood how she felt. They were now faced with a mountain of uncertainty.

“Why didn’t Tayuma try killing us?”

That was Koutarou’s biggest question. He’d had them trapped. If he’d just sent more of the factory’s weapons after them, he could have eventually overwhelmed them and cut them down. But he’d done nothing of the sort, and Koutarou didn’t understand why.

It was Kiriha who answered his doubts. Being as sharp as she was, she had already figured it out.

“He probably planned on killing the intruders at first. That was why he placed his trap outside the control room.”

The information the intruders wanted was inevitably in the control room, and he’d placed a trap at the only exit. Kiriha suspected his original plan was indeed to cut them down on the spot.

“But on the way, he realized the identity of the intruders and changed his mind.”

“Why would he do that?”

“I can think of two reasons. The first is that Tayuma and the others want to learn about us and our abilities.”

If the intruders had been the Sun Rangers, they would have been wiped out. But it was Kiriha and her allies. That’s why Tayuma shifted to plan B.

To Tayuma, Koutarou and the others were unknown enemies that had given him a hard time in the past. There was a high chance that they would appear during the battle with the surface dwellers. With only a portion of them in the control room, he thought it would be better to test them and learn about them than get rid of them.

To that end, he only threw unmanned units at them. He would study the encounter and the data gathered from it, and use that against them when the time came. That’s why Tayuma had walked off so casually. He felt no urgency in trying to defeat them. That would come eventually.

“It was probably also his intention for us to leak information about the earthquake weapon to the People of the Earth.”

That was his secondary reason for letting them live. If the conservative faction did nothing about the earthquake weapon, they would lose their home and be forced up to the surface where they would be dragged into battle. But even if the radical faction threatened them with such a weapon, there was no guarantee they’d believe it. They may very well just think it was tasteless bluff. But if word of it came from a reliable source like Kiriha, they would be forced to believe it. In essence, Tayuma was using Kiriha to force the conservative faction to make a choice ahead of the destruction.

It was a diabolical but highly effective plan. In fact, having seen the information on the earthquake weapon with her own eyes, Kiriha was already moving to take measures against it. It would only be a matter of time before a similar panic spread through the rest of the conservative faction.

“Damn it, so we’re just doing exactly what Tayuma wants us to... No, what this Maguz guy wants us to...”

Koutarou gritted his teeth. He was mortified. Their opponent was always one step ahead of them, and it didn’t seem like that would change anytime soon.

“So, Kiriha, what will you do?”

Theia directed a harsh glance, rarely seen in room 106 these days, at Kiriha. When she considered what lay ahead of them, she couldn’t help the demeanor that came over her. This was Theia as a princess prepared for battle.

“I don’t know. How do I settle things without anyone getting hurt?”

But Kiriha still hadn’t reached a conclusion. She could see several paths in front of her, but regardless of which one she chose, there would be casualties. So she chose not to make a decision at all. There had to be a better way. A better path to walk. She just hadn’t come up with it yet.

“There might be a way to get through this without anyone getting hurt. But there’s no time to find it, Kiriha. We need to act immediately.”

“I know that... but...”

Kiriha bit her lip in frustration. The truth was that she knew that Theia was right. In fact, she’d spoken with her father, Daiha, about the coming battle just the other day. But even then, she found it all very difficult to accept.

Kiriha always acted out of benevolence. She used her intellect to try and stay one step ahead of problems. Whether it was in her political or private life, she always strove to find the solution that kept everyone safe and sound.

“I believe that when your choices are limited and casualties can’t be avoided, then the choice that brings about the fewest casualties is preferable.”

“But I can’t abide seeing the surface dwellers hurt... or potentially letting the People of the Earth become their enemies.”

It was Kiriha’s benevolence that brought her to a dead halt at crossroads like this. None of her options were good. And she was unlike Theia, who could simply just act. Even though Kiriha knew she had no other option, she couldn’t bring herself to move forward. She was at a complete loss. Her face distorted into a pained grimace and she tightly clenched her fist.

“Kiriha-san.”

That was where Koutarou reached his hand out to hers. He undid her clenched fist and held it firmly.

“Koutarou...?”

Unable to decipher his intentions, Kiriha stared at Koutarou. She had the expression of a child looking to her parents for answers. It reminded Koutarou of how she’d looked eleven years ago. That’s why he smiled with all his might and spoke to her in a gentle tone.

“If Kiriha-san and Kii-chan say they need me, then I’ll help in any way I can.”

Kiriha had been too big-hearted ever since she was just a young girl. If Koutarou told her what to do, she would undoubtedly listen. But he didn’t think that was good enough. That big-hearted little girl was still inside of her, and if she didn’t follow what her big heart told her was right, it would wound her deeply... even if she pretended like everything was fine.

“And if we fail even then, then I’ll be there to suffer through it with you.”

Kiriha and Kii didn’t need someone to tell them what to do. Her heart was already telling her. She only needed one thing. A push.

“So tell me, Kiriha-san, what is that you need right now? What should I do?”

He would accept anything she said, and he tightly held her hand to let her know that.

“Koutarou... Onii-chan...”

Kiriha was taken aback by his words. He was saying that he would disregard good and evil, right and wrong, and side with Kiriha regardless of what she chose. She was suddenly reminded of eleven years ago. Of the Koutarou who cried at his own helplessness. And of herself, desperately trying to save him. That’s when she realized this was the same; their roles were just reversed. He was reaching out to her and accepting her, weakness and all.

“Thank you, Koutarou...”

That’s why Kiriha squeezed his hand back, which made him squeeze hers even harder in turn. Kiriha used her free hand to wipe away the tears that had started to fall. She was happy over Koutarou’s feelings, but she had no time to indulge in tears. Right now was the time to act.

“Please listen, Koutarou. Everyone else, too.”

After wiping away her tears, Kiriha raised her head. Not even the faintest trace of weakness remained on her face. She once again wore the expression of a calm and composed commander.

“From here on, we, the People of the Earth, will use armed force to stop the out of control radical faction.”

As a member of the conservative faction, Kiriha herself was a pacifist. The fact that she had steeled herself for battle meant a lot. That was how far the situation had soured. And that was conveyed to the girls of room 106 as well. Their connection ran deep.

“While it is deeply regrettable that the People of the Earth must fight against each other, we cannot let the radical faction have their way. We will capture their leaders, stop the use of the earthquake weapon, and protect both the surface and the underground. To that end, we need your power!”

While they might be extremists, the members of the radical faction were still People of the Earth. Kiriha didn’t want to hurt them if she could help it. She’d desperately struggled up until now in order to avoid that. But she’d finally made up her mind. If she didn’t take a stance here, she wouldn’t be able to protect anything. She couldn’t sit and twiddle her thumbs while her hometown was brought to ruin.

“Please, lend us your strength! The enemy is far too great for us alone to handle!”

The radical faction was strong. They had amassed war funds in the shadows, had the help of magicians, and were now mass-producing weapons. They were also moving swiftly. Things were on the brink of war already. While the conservative faction had the numerical advantage, it would be hard for them to turn the tables. That’s why Kiriha needed the help of Koutarou and the other girls of room 106. She didn’t like the idea of involving them in her fight, but she had no other choice.

“Ohoho! I’ve been waiting for you to say that, Kiriha! You are my rival! I’ll kick those radicals to the curb so we can return to our original fight!”

“Theia’s right, Kiriha! Let’s beat them up with a smash and a bang, and then go play somewhere fun! It’s almost time for summer vacation!”

“I’ll help too! Magic is being misused, so it’s my job to set things right!”

“I’ll go too. Since Maya-sama is involved, I can’t let this be.”

“Don’t you worry, Kii. Your Onee-chan is here for you.”

“Master, what will the Satomi knights do?”

“The Satomi knights will all sortie. We’re going to support the People of the Earth’s conservative faction.”

“As you wish, my lord. I will stake my life on it.”

“What will you do, Sakuraba-senpai?”

“I will help too, of course. Kurano-san is my friend after all. What about you, Kasagi-san?”

“Same. A landlord and tenant share a special bond. Right, uncle?”

“That’s right. I shall help as well. I’m also interested in this underground country.”

The girls offered their support one after another. Not a single one was against it. Not a single one of them had a relationship with Kiriha so shallow that they could abandon her in her time of need.

“Everyone... thank you...”

Kiriha’s chest grew hot as tears welled in her eyes. As she looked around at the girls of room 106, she was truly happy that she had come to the surface. She wanted the other People of the Earth to experience this kind of bond with the surface dwellers too. That’s why she had to stop the radical faction no matter what.

What Koutarou and the others were calling the earthquake weapon had been dubbed the Great Earth Dragon. In the People of the Earth’s culture, the ley lines running underground were likened to dragons, and its name was derived from that. It would be the dragon in the earth that stirred up earthquakes for them.

Elexis, who was in the control room for said weapon, quite liked the name. The enterprise he managed himself also had a name involving dragons.

Elexis was currently facing a brand-new computer, performing the final adjustments on the Great Earth Dragon. It was a very advanced weapon, and also very delicate. Not only did it have to harmonize with spiritual energy technology, but it had magical components that needed monitoring as well. It would take quite some time to get everything right and for it to reach full power. As a result, Elexis had been nailed down in the control room for days with scant progress.

“I’m back.”

“Ah, welcome back, Maya.”

Maya was the flash of excitement in his life. Whenever she was around, unexpected things happened one after another. After thoroughly losing to Koutarou, Elexis had remained on Earth because he enjoyed Maya’s company.

“How did it look?”

“They’re a silly bunch, same as always. But I think they’ve gotten even stronger than before.”

“What about Koutarou-kun?”

“Especially him... Here, you should take a look for yourself sometime.”

“Thank you, Maya. I’m looking forward to it.”

Maya handed Elexis a memory card. On it was the combat data collected on Koutarou and the others by the automated weapons, and various other data taken from the sensors placed around the factory. With it, the combat capabilities of Koutarou and the girls could properly be measured. That was the information Elexis and Maya had really wanted.

“Elexis, that’s quite an attitude to take when you have a beauty like me in front of you.”

“Hmm? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You look like you just got a letter from your lover.”

“I guess it is an affair of sorts. But it’s the same for you, isn’t it?”

“Heh... We’re pretty twisted, aren’t we?”

Maya and Elexis smirked at each other. That was happening more and more lately. Overall, the two thought in very similar ways. But it wasn’t as if they had nothing to offer each other. In fact, they both enjoyed that the other frequently had ideas they would never think of themselves.

“There’s that. But it’s also just a bright point in an otherwise very dreary assignment.”

“Are you stuck in your work?”

It was rare for Maya to show interest in someone else’s feelings. She typically did whatever she pleased without consideration for others.

“No, it’s not like that. While it’s taking time, everything is proceeding smoothly.”

“Then what is it?”

“Honestly speaking, I can’t say I like this. I understand their goals, but their means are weapons of mass destruction and kidnapping.”

The same was true for Elexis. He rarely complained about others. It was a natural part of his demeanor as a businessman; he simply kept his opinions to himself. But ever since meeting Maya, that part of him was gradually changing.

“Heh, then I guess we both have a guilty conscience about it.”

“I’m not rejecting the methods outright. They’re things I might use myself. They just need to be used in a limited and controlled way. But these people are letting their emotions rule them.”

While Maya and Elexis were working together with him, they didn’t hold any positive feelings for Tayuma. They were all working towards common goals, but Tayuma was too extreme in his ways. Maya and Elexis weren’t huge fans of that. He struck both of them as too prideful without truly having anything to be proud of.

“Evil has it own way of blooming.”

“Indeed it does. And in that regard, you are truly beautiful, Maya.”

“I can’t say I’m too pleased about being called an evil woman.”

“An evil woman, huh? Ahahaha! That certainly does sound like what I meant, doesn’t it?”

“Jeez... so shameless...”

The two of them were in the process of building their relationship as partners. But since neither had ever been in a relationship with someone they considered an equal before, they would be slow to realize it. If they ever realized it at all.

“...All joking aside, what is that Tayuma doing now?”

“That would be the kidnapping part. He’s gone with Maguz to go capture Kurano Daiha.”

“So it’s finally starting.”

“Yes. The People of the Earth’s civil war is just about to begin.”

“Honestly, I would like to see Koutarou-kun and his friends shine. That way would be more elegant.”

“It’s not like I don’t understand how you feel... Do your best, Maki...”

Their real objective was still far off. Cooperating with the radical faction was just the first step. In other words, while Maya and Elexis were working together with Tayuma, they didn’t share the same goals. That’s why it was still unclear how they would influence the People of the Earth’s future.