Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 28 - Chapter 3

The World Begins to Change

Friday, March 4th

Just as the Sun Rangers had said, the National Diet soon began discussing legislation related to Forthorthe. And as expected, voices against it rose up from all sides. Since these would be bills assuming that Forthorthe forged an exclusive diplomatic relationship with Japan, certain parties objected, saying they wanted to hold a conference with the UN or at least the G7 on the matter first. It was only obvious that their true intentions were to pass off whatever alien technology they could get their hands on to their own connections. That was why they were trying to stall legislation as long as possible, even if they were doing it under the pretense of equality, justice, and humanity.

“It’s the same in any country, isn’t it? Evil deeds are performed under the guise of good intentions.”

Clan’s criticism was pointed. She had done something similar once. And she looked on Japan’s confused politics with the same judging eyes that she did her past self.

“To think that those claiming to stand for equality and justice would let so many spies enter the country in such a short amount of time... I’m amazed.”

A long stream of images flowed past Clan’s eyes. They were pictures of spies that were confirmed to have infiltrated the country over the past few days. Almost all UN member states with the financial capability to do so had sent one or more. Moreover, these were just the spies that the Sun Rangers had confirmed. The real headcount was likely much higher. That seemed proof enough that the “equality” and “justice” other countries and their Japanese allies were clamoring for was all a sham.

“Don’t be so angry, Clan,” Koutarou said, reaching out and patting her on the head. “Sadly enough, we Earthlings are just neanderthals, after all.”

While he didn’t want to admit it, he had no choice but to accept that what Theia had said in the past was true.

“You are not neanderthals. Just like us Forthorthians, you just have a few villains mixed in.”

“We can’t overcome our fear of the unknown, either. Just like you and me at first.”

“Veltlion...?”

Those unexpected words left Clan staring at Koutarou wide-eyed. She could feel deep sympathy for her coming from him.

“So like I said, don’t get so angry. You should only get worked up about dumber things.”

“...Veltlion, you really have changed a little.”

Perhaps because her focus had shifted to Koutarou, Clan’s angry expression relaxed a little and slowly became a smile.

“Even I know that there’s a time and place for everything, you know.”

Clan’s beaming smile was so dazzling that Koutarou had to look up at the ceiling. He then scratched his head uncomfortably.

“You did that before too. Right now―”

Koutarou patted her on the head again to cut her off.

“Please just leave it at that.”

“Heh, okay.”

“You’ve changed too, Clan.”

“I’m at least willing to humor your requests now. A lot has happened, after all.”

“Yeah. It really has.”

Koutarou nodded at the faces of the lineup of spies. Naturally following his lead, Clan did the same thing. Everything that had happened before this day was what had led the two of them to grow, and much more likely lay ahead for them in the future. The information on the spies that the Sun Rangers had delivered was only a sign of what was to come.

While resistance to the legislation concerning Forthorthe had been considerable at first, its advocates lost their momentum as time passed. There were primarily two reasons for that.

The first was that it was Forthorthe that had decided to establish diplomatic relations exclusively with Japan. They also made it clear that if things didn’t work out with Japan, they would consider their trip to Earth premature and return home without trying to contact any other nations. If that happened, everyone would lose out.

The second reason was the voice of the people. The public in general said that making the Forthorthians, who had come from so very far away, wait for no reason was rude. They pressed the government to make a quick decisions on whether or not they would accept establishing diplomatic relations with the aliens.

And because the citizens’ objection to holding up the process any longer grew stronger by the day, the people who were actually causing the delays became the victims of the public’s wrath. If the commotion continued any longer, a snap election would be held and they would lose out anyway. So in the end, public opinion pressured them into reluctantly proceeding with the legislation. And after that, the necessary bills moved to be voted upon with exceptional speed.

Upon reading the headline “Forthorthe Bills Pass the House of Councillors,” Koutarou looked up from his newspaper and scanned the room. Laying eyes on the person he was looking for, he called out to her.

“Kiriha-san, what are the Forthorthe bills anyways?”

“Roughly, it’s legislation divided into three parts. The first part defines aliens and sets basic rules concerning how to accept Forthorthe as a nation.”

“I guess that makes sense. It’s not like Japan’s laws were made under the assumption that countries exist on other planets...”

Japan’s laws were naturally centered around what went on inside of Japan, but while they acknowledged the existence of other countries, they didn’t acknowledge the existence of aliens. The bylaws of the Sun Rangers included aliens on their list of potential invading threats, but that was something of a precautionary addition. In recent years with signal analysis and the likes being used in search for aliens, the alien clause had been added in just in case. It wasn’t like the matter of aliens had ever actually been discussed in legal terms. That idea had seemed quite silly until just recently. No one had ever thought they’d show up, and when and if Earth managed to discover them somehow, talks could proceed from there. Any detailed discussions of aliens without any actual aliens had been universally panned as a waste of time.

“The second part concerns the people, including changes to laws about nationality, which creates a new framework in the event Forthorthians visit Japan. Of course, the reverse has been discussed as well.”

“So that would be relevant for us.”

“It’s developed about as well as we’d hoped. If the new laws are put into effect, the People of the Earth and the Folsarians will freely be able to become Forthorthians.”

The Forthorthians had been heavily consulted on the Forthorthe bills, and they’d made sure to covertly include concessions for the underground dwellers and the Folsarians. Kiriha had come up with the details of the plan, so there was no need to worry about any oversights.

“I guess Forthorthe has the advantage in all these negotiations since they can just peace out if things don’t go their way, huh? Well, what’s the third part?”

“The third part concerns rules regarding the exchange. Japan and Forthorthe will establish diplomatic relations, but any and all exchanges between the two will be limited to cultural and human capital for the time being. Prohibitions and penalties have been put in place for anything else.”

“Since other countries and terrorists are going to be after Forthorthe’s technology, I bet that’s the part they’re not gonna be happy about.”

“Certainly, but it provides a legal basis for cracking down on those activities for now. Being able to curb the initial influx of such behavior over the next few years will be key.”

Everything was in place now. Since the bills had been decided on so quickly, they were relatively simple and straightforward about their goals and purposes. More or less, existing laws were just being altered to accommodate aliens. But even then, nothing is perfect. How they would deal with those who abused the legal loopholes in the legislation would be the deciding factor in how this all turned out.

“We’ll need to keep it together too,” said Koutarou.

“Indeed,” agreed Kiriha. “Our role is an important one.”

Koutarou and the others would cooperate with the Sun Rangers to deal with whatever trouble may arise. Since the People of the Earth and Folsaria were the primary reason Forthorthe had come into contact with Japan, it was a good call. But everything would be for naught if Earth was thrown into chaos and war over their arrival. Koutarou and the others’ hard work would play a large part in determining everyone’s future from here on out.

The day after the Forthorthe bills were approved, Koutarou and the others could already see changes in their lives. As they were walking to school, several large trucks passed by. Their commute ran along a main road of the city, so seeing large trucks there wasn’t unheard of. But it had never been this many.

“Looks like things are already getting started...”

“What things?” Sanae cocked her head to the side at Koutarou’s muttering.

When Koutarou or Theia talked about complicated things, Sanae would earnestly listen at first, but usually ended up dozing off. Thanks to that, she didn’t fully understand what was going on despite having been there when it was explained. Theia smiled a little and gave her a refresher.

“Facilities for accepting exchange students from Forthorthe are being constructed or expanded. They can only accept a limited number as things are. Both housing and educational facilities are needed, and the question of security needs to be resolved as well.”

“So those trucks are making dormitories and new schoolhouses?”

“Precisely! Kisshouharukaze City will lead the world by becoming the model city for accepting exchange students from Forthorthe!”

Theia had been smiling all the while, and she ended her explanation with fire in her eyes. There was no doubt danger was lurking just around the corner, but two nations were taking a giant step together towards what could be a glorious new future for both of them. Theia wanted to take pride in that.

“Kiriha-san, what’s a model city?” Yurika asked.

Theia’s choice of words had puzzled her. Yurika had long given up on trying to understand what was going on, so she spent her time during their discussions just reading manga. Ultimately, she was in the same boat as Sanae.

“Accepting exchange students throughout all of Japan right away would be very risky. Instead, special districts will be made in select locations, and only those will accept Forthorthian exchange students. The idea is to start small and see how things go. There’s also the matter of budget.”

“So does that mean where we live is going to be one of those places?”

“That’s right.”

“Hmm... Why Kisshouharukaze City?”

Yurika was only casually asking out of curiosity, but she’d hit upon something very important. So instead of Koutarou rebuking her for asking a dumb question like usual, he gave her a very serious answer.

“That’s because you and Kiriha-san are here.”

“Hueh?”

Koutarou’s answer sailed right over Yurika’s head. She just stood there, mouth agape and head cocked to the side. She didn’t know what she and Kiriha had to do with it. Seeing Yurika’s confounded expression, Koutarou realized that he hadn’t been specific enough. He then took a second try at explaining.

“It means that Kisshouharukaze City, with the People of the Earth’s stronghold right below us and the gates to Folsaria scattered about, is important.”

“Ah, so that’s what you mean. So it really is because me and Kiriha-san are here,” Yurika said, nodding repeatedly like she understood everything now.

“There’s a high risk of gathering attention, but we’re in a dilemma because we need the laws to protect us,” Kiriha added.

Weighing the pros and cons, Kiriha had concluded it would ultimately be in their favor to have Theia specify Kisshouharukaze City as one of the special districts The downside was that Kisshouharukaze becoming a model city would inevitably draw attention, especially considering it was a rather ordinary town that stuck out among the list of major cities that had been chosen. That would mean spies and agents would be sent in, which was exactly what Clan had been looking in to. But even though that was a drawback, Kiriha thought it would be better for them to come under the protection of the law as soon as possible. Considering the likely future ahead, they’d have to protect themselves some way.

“From here on, Kisshouharukaze High School will be accepting exchange students. Staff will be increased, a new school building will be constructed, and the surrounding environment will be maintained. It should cause quite a fuss soon enough,” Theia explained.

Kisshouharukaze High School and Kisshou University would be reoutfitted in order to accept new exchange students. It was primarily a measure to safely and comfortably accept the new students, but since this would make them nationally known schools, prospective Japanese students would likely pour in as well. If that happened, the current grounds, classrooms, and facilities wouldn’t be enough. A large-scale upgrade was necessary.

“And the Sun Rangers are going undercover at the schools, huh?” Koutarou asked.

“It’s a good plan, isn’t it?” Theia affirmed.

“Yeah.”

Since the school was expanding, it would need to hire more personnel. It was the perfect opportunity for the Sun Rangers to infiltrate. Putting them right at the source of potential trouble would make doing their jobs a lot easier. Koutarou was truly impressed by how clever it all was.

“Was that your suggestion, Kiriha-san?”

“No, it was Clan-dono’s.”

“Clan sure is a master when it comes to schemes. Just what I’d expect.”

“That’s none of your business!”

Koutarou really was impressed, but his comment seemed to upset the person in question. Clan wasted no time shouting at him through the bracelet on his wrist.

She sounds the same as ever, but... those eyes... Something’s different.

Even though she was shouting at him, Clan didn’t actually look all that angry. If anything, she seemed to be enjoying herself. After flashing a small smile, she pulled down her lower eyelid, stuck her tongue out, and cut the hologram.

“Things are just getting more and more difficult... jeez...”

“What’s that, Satomi Koutarou?”

“Hmm? Oh, I was just thinking that everything’s changing.”

“That’s right. Completely contrary to your own wishes.”

Kiriha shouldn’t have known anything about Koutarou and Clan’s discussion the other day, but the look on her face told Koutarou that she knew everything. About how Koutarou had changed. About how Clan had. About how Kiriha herself and the other girls had too. The gentle look on her face smiled over all of them.

“As a result, Japan that will lead the way in space diplomacy and space tourism. Kisshouharukaze City will be at the forefront of all of it. Of course, people up to no good will gather from all over the world here. Industrialized countries that have been left out, scoundrels after our technology, and terrorist groups that want weapons. We’ll need to pay very careful attention from now on.”

Theia’s expression was the exact opposite of Kiriha’s. She looked quite serious, but perhaps that was to be expected. Right now, she held the fate of two worlds in her hands. She looked like a leader ready to take charge and cut a path to the future.

“Thinking about it all, you really did put a lot of thought into this,” said Koutarou.

Kiriha had an excellent handle and perspective on things, but so did Theia. Koutarou respected them both for it, but she didn’t seem thrilled at the way he expressed it.

“What?! Did you think we were idiots?!”

“Yeah, honestly.”

Koutarou was under the impression that Theia and the others had only come to Earth to give him a hard time. Essentially, that it had all been on impulse. Of course, that wasn’t the case. Theia had taken action with Forthorthe, Folsaria, and the People of the Earth in mind. If anything, her revenge on Koutarou was just a bonus. That’s why she was personally offended that he had thought anything otherwise.

“You’re the idiot! Two thousand years have passed since Empress Alaia’s time! How dare you think we don’t know anything about establishing diplomatic relations with other nations!”

“Yeah, my bad.”

“Then isn’t there something you have to say to the lord you hold in such high esteem?”

“I am terribly sorry, princess.”

“And don’t you have something to say to your beloved Theiamillis-chan?”

“Beloved...?”

“Am I wrong?”

Theia’s piercing glare hit Koutarou like a cold blade. Realizing there wasn’t an easy way out of this one, he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck and asked for clemency.

“Um, I implore you to show some mercy on a humble servant such as I.”

“You are such a pain... Fine, don’t you have something to say to your close friend Theiamillis-chan?”

“Would you like a chocolate parfait or something on the way home?”

“Very good! Very good indeed!”

In reality, Theia had already forgiven Koutarou and the chocolate parfait wasn’t necessary, but he knew he shouldn’t say anything on that front. After peeking into his wallet, he switched gears a bit and changed the subject.

“But... we can’t let our guard down. There’s no real precedent for spiritual energy technology or magic in your world either.”

“That’s the biggest problem.”

Theia willingly abandoned talk of the parfait and got back to the matter at hand. It was serious business, and she trusted Koutarou to uphold his word.

“Our technology isn’t the only thing we need to protect. Spiritual energy technology or magic leaking into Forthorthe would be bad too.”

People trying to steal Forthorthe’s technology wasn’t exactly a new thing, so they had a good idea of how to safeguard it in order to prevent that. But what of spiritual energy technology and magic? Could they protect those the same they could advanced science? And if someone could get their hands on them, would it then make it easier for them to steal Forthorthe’s technology too? The wild cards of spiritual energy technology and magic had the potential to throw everything for a loop. In the end, it looked like making contact with Earth would be far more difficult than anyone had expected.

“There’s technology on Earth that can’t be leaked to Forthorthe either. Plus there’s still the footage of our fight in Forthorthe...”

“That’s right, Koutarou. That’s partly why Theia-dono had to hurry in initiating contact with Earth. Who knows what would have happened if she’d taken her time and someone like Vandarion snuck down to Earth...”

“Then they would clearly be out to get a monopoly on spiritual energy technology and magic. And without diplomatic relations with Earth, Forthorthe wouldn’t be able to openly intervene, huh? Smart thinking, Theia.”

When Kiriha laid it all out for him, a lightbulb came on over Koutarou’s head. Theia’s revenge would have been an extraordinarily petty reason for them to go to all this trouble, so it made a lot more sense if there was a grander reason behind it. And that reason was protecting both Forthorthe and Earth.

“I’m glad to hear you praise me, but this was actually my mother’s wisdom.”

Theia smiled wryly, but also looked smug. While she wished she’d been the one to come up with it all, she was proud of her mother’s doing.

“So it was Elle, huh? I guess that’s an empress for you. Nice.”

“You owe that compliment to her.”

“Yeah, I’ll make sure to thank her.”

Koutarou obediently nodded. He was extraordinarily grateful that Elfaria had been so insightful in setting this up. He knew the least he had to do was thank her.

“Directly, you hear?”

“Yeah.”

“Ahaha, you said it! Now you have to return to Forthorthe!”

“C-Crap!”

With a lightened mood, Koutarou and the others moved away from the topic of the troubles with Earth and Forthorthe. Instead, Koutarou and Theia began talking about this and that with carefree, heartwarming banner befitting of two high school students.

It’s really much better this way... The princess, the legendary hero, and their allies aren’t our true identities...

Harumi watched on with a relieved smile. A small incident in a small room had developed into a great tumult that had even crossed galaxies. It constantly changed shape, demanding one thing after another from Koutarou and the girls. Harumi didn’t think it was right. She wished to return to that small room, and to return to being normal boys and girls.

“Sakuraba-san...”

Maki gave Harumi with a worried look. At first, Maki had been satisfied with the idea of living and dying for Koutarou’s sake, but now she understood Harumi’s feelings. That was because she’d realized that she wanted a regular life and friends too.

“It’s okay. I was just thinking that when he became a hero in Forthorthe... this must have been how Satomi-kun felt.”

“I... I think so too...”

Regardless of what they’d wanted, the world still needed Koutarou and the girls to act as a hero and his allies. And with the wellbeing and happiness of so many at stake, it wasn’t something they could turn down. Especially not this time since things were largely the result of their own doing. But thanks to that, even their everyday lives were becoming strange. Harumi and Maki were a little saddened by that, so they prayed together for peaceful days to return.

Since it was decided that they would be accepting exchange students from Forthorthe, Kisshouharukaze High School suddenly found itself in need of more staff. Normally any new faculty would be hired in April, but the situation being what it was, the hiring timeline was pushed forward to the middle of March. Decisions were made quickly, and the new staff was brought in to be introduced to the students. It would give them time to get to know each other before there was an influx of new students, and let the new employees get a feel for the school.

“Dr. Mukojima here is going to be a new school nurse, but she’s got a lot of experience resolving problems around school. Since things are going to be getting busier around here, she should be a valuable addition to the team.”

“That’s right, everyone! I’m Mukojima Megumi! Pleased to meet you all! If there’s ever something bothering you, come see me in the infirmary!”

Part of the new hires at Harukaze High included the Sun Rangers. The new school nurse, Mukojima, was among them. She was really Megumi, the Sun Rangers’ Pink Shine. Her energetic voice, amplified by the speakers, echoed through the gym filled with students.

“And Matsuzaka Kenichi-sensei here specializes in physical education. The Forthorthian exchange students are interested in Japanese sports, so―”

“...Don’t they stand out too much? I mean... is this really okay?”

Koutarou couldn’t help looking skeptically at the Sun Rangers standing up on the stage introducing themselves. As allies of justice, their battle-hardened bodies were a sight to behold. They were toned, fit, and young. They looked like models standing among the other faculty. Megumi’s legs peeking out from her skirt captivated the male students and made the girls sigh. Kenichi’s masculine facial features, tall stature, and well-trained body made all the female students squeal and all the boys put up their guard. Kenichi in particular had such an earnest personality that this kind of thing seemed like it would only get worse as time went on. But that was the problem. The more they stood out, the harder it would be for them to do their jobs.

It was a bit different, but Green Shine was in a similar situation. Taking advantage of his small stature, he’d infiltrated the school as a student. The only exception was Yellow Shine, Daisaku, whose giant stature made him the odd man out.

“Kenichi-san and the others are pretty cool after all. I see why the students are causing a fuss... I bet they’d look good in cosplay too.”

“It’s okay if you switch sides, Yurika. Leave Satomi-kun to me.”

“Maki-chan, putting it like that is mean!”

Yurika and the other girls could understand why their classmates were all so interested. The Sun Rangers not only looked good, they were genuinely good people. If the girls didn’t already all have their special someone, they very well may have been a little smitten too.

“There’s no real problem, Koutarou. This is just temporary. Aliens will be showing up soon, after all.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Koutarou nodded. What Theia was saying made plenty of sense. While the Sun Rangers were the center of attention now, the spotlight would undoubtedly shift soon. When it came to things that stood out, there wasn’t really much that topped being an extraterrestrial. No matter how much the Sun Rangers stood out right now, they’d just be normal humans once aliens arrived at the school.

“Now that I think about it, you should be exposed before long thanks to your plays.”

“Indeed. The drama club is already putting out feelers, but I expect the truth to come to light when the new school term starts.”

Before now, Theia had been pretending to be nobility from a small country in Europe. But since she’d written about Forthorthe by name in her plays, it was only a matter of time before someone caught on. The same went for Ruth.

“Well, if it doesn’t happen until the new term...”

“Indeed. It’ll just be like there’s one more exchange student.”

The Forthorthian exchange students had all been given a gag order in regards to Theia’s status, but that still wouldn’t be enough to keep her identity a secret. The truth would surface eventually, but delaying the inevitably would help ease the shock. That was why the incoming exchange students had been told to keep quiet on the matter.

“Theia-dono being here might unexpectedly lead to Kisshouharukaze High School being the first real place to understand and accept the aliens,” said Kiriha.

“Huh, yeah. I guess the people who already know Theia won’t be as scared of aliens,” said Shizuka.

“That’s right, Shizuka! That was my plan all along!” proclaimed Theia.

“You liar,” chimed in Koutarou. “The way things worked out just happened to benefit you.”

“Lucky me. Teehee!”

“Hey, don’t think a cute giggle makes this all okay, you idiot!”

Little did they know they weren’t the only ones undergoing a change. Things were happening all around them too, and from here on out, that would build at a frightening pace. The fate of countless people depended on how well Koutarou and the others would be able to surf that wave of change. They would need to use everything at their disposal to keep their heads above water and accomplish their goals. Theia had laughed it off, but they should have all been hoping luck was on their side right about now.

“...”

“Hmm...?”

As everyone else was talking, Sanae heard what sounded like someone whispering in her ear again.

“I really can hear someone! Who’s there?! ”

“...The promised time is coming... the time for your greatest trial...”

Surprisingly enough, Sanae could clearly hear what the voice was saying this time.

“The promised time?! What trial?!”

Sanae quickly stood up and looked around for the source of the voice, but couldn’t find it. All she saw were her friends looking at her in confusion.

“...I wish for you to pray too... that just one small miracle will happen...”

“Who are you?! Where are you?!”

No matter how much Sanae looked, she couldn’t find the source. She had no idea what was going on. She didn’t know who was talking to her or what their intentions were. All she could tell was that it was a woman’s voice. It was mysterious. It sounded like a voice she’d heard before, but she couldn’t remember where or when.

On the same day the Sun Squad infiltrated Kisshouharukaze High School, Clan detected one of the persons on the ranger’s watch list in her surveillance network. From overhead in the Cradle, she’d been using her observation drones and hacking skills to monitor the city. One of her cameras picked up a suspicious person trying to blend in with the crowd as he left the station.

“Veltlion, based on his actions and movements, he appears to be highly trained.”

After spotting the person in question, Clan contacted Koutarou. He was unhappy at first since he was in the middle of class, but his attitude changed when he heard what she had to say.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

His voice over the comms no longer sounded the slightest bit perturbed. Rather, he sounded quite serious and invested now. Responsible and ready to act. It was the voice of Princess Clariossa’s beloved knight among knights, which was different from the normal boy that the girl named Clan loved.

“Yes. I just finished a facial recognition match. It seems to be a spy that’s entered through a neighboring country.”

“There’s a lot of people getting in that way. I guess neighboring countries are the perfect place to pick up a fake passport and infiltrate Japan.”

“His country of origin seems to be in the middle of a conflict. Which means... he’ll jump right in.”

Clan was also different from her usual self right now. She was talking and behaving like Princess Clariossa. While she understood that this was a dangerous situation, she could still understand why someone would want a trump card to end domestic conflict back home. That’s why she felt a little reluctant to brand this man a pure villain. Her kindness and compassion showed in her words.

“...Clan, I know how you feel, but him stealing your technology won’t resolve that conflict.”

“That doesn’t sound like you... Why do you say that?”

Considering Koutarou’s personality, she was a bit puzzled by him suggesting something like that. She thought that he’d be unsure of what to do, just like her.

“Because he’s careless.”

“Careless?”

“For starters, he was caught on surveillance cameras the moment he entered the city, not to mention the fact that he’s on the watch list. If he gets his hands on Forthorthian technology, he’ll definitely leak it, and that’ll plunge the world into a serious situation. So the conflict won’t end. If anything, it’ll get worse. Or that’s what Kiriha-san is telling me.”

In reality, Koutarou felt the same way Clan did at first. But once Kiriha had pointed that much out, he realized the truth of the matter. That was why he was saying something so unlike him.

“So it was Kii’s suggestion... I’m glad to hear it.”

“Hmm? What are you talking about?”

“Nothing at all. Heh...”

Slightly relieved, Clan flashed a small smile. Koutarou was still Koutarou. She was happy to be able to confirm that. But she also felt like he was right. Careless sympathy in a situation like this might just make things worse.

“Anyways, we can’t just do nothing. Pass this information to the Sun Rangers.”

“Yes, I will.”

Clan did as he asked and called up the Sun Rangers. She was still acting as Princess Clariossa, but Clan herself felt quite a bit better now.

The spy Clan found was just the start of suspicious foreigners beginning to appear in town. Since Kisshouharukaze City was rather rural and fairly removed from the more populated parts of Japan, it wasn’t an area with many foreigners to begin with. Thanks to that, the sudden influx of foreigners rather stood out, and it was easy enough to keep tabs on the spies and secret agents. But they weren’t who Kiriha was worried about.

“If anything, the bigger danger is...”

After cleaning up from lunch, Kiriha sat up straight on the picnic sheet. The weather today was pleasant enough that, while a bit unseasonable for it yet, the group had decided to enjoy their lunch out in the courtyard. It was just cold enough still that there weren’t many other people around, which made it a better place for them to talk privately than the classroom.

“If there are Japanese working together with any of these organizations, they’ll be much harder to identify than these foreigners coming in.”

Kiriha was worried about potential Japanese operatives. Not necessarily Japanese citizens, but also people of Japanese origin from abroad. They wouldn’t look any different from the domestic population, and they would know how to blend in culturally without a problem. They were far more of a threat than any other agents.

Then there was the matter of domestic spies, too. In addition to the foreign operatives coming into the country, there were inevitably agents sent by Japanese organizations to investigate. Just because Forthorthe was working together with the Japanese government didn’t mean that there wouldn’t be individuals, private corporations, and other organizations that also wanted their hands on Forthorthian secrets.

“My experience tells me that spies who can be picked out just by looking at them are mere diversions.”

Maki was of the same opinion as Kiriha. Moreover, since she’d once been part of an evil organization herself, she had some personal insight into the tactics these people might be using.

“Most likely. That’s presumably why they intentionally sent people who were on the watch list.”

Kiriha thought what Maki was saying made perfect sense. There would be a flashy, attention-grabbing decoy, while the real threat would come quietly. It was common strategy in magic tricks and scams. The suspicious foreigners were a perfect example of it. They were only a distraction.

“In fact, there’s a high chance that most of the easily distinguishable spies might be sent to different model cities,” added Ruth.

“That’s true. Sending a diversion and the real thing to the same place would only risk raising more red flags. It would be counterproductive,” said Maki.

“Hmm...” said Theia. “If that’s true, Maki, then...”

“Yes. The groups that appear not to have sent anyone here are the ones that have sent in their elites.”

“That’s not good... Ruth, I need you to investigate. Make a list of the countries and organizations that look like they haven’t made a move yet or have only sent personnel to the other model cities.”

“Right away, Your Highness!”

“Jeez... I was prepared for this, but things sure have gotten bothersome,” Theia said with a bitter expression.

This kind of information warfare was outside of her expertise. Not only did she not have a lot of insight into it, it didn’t suit her personality, either. That’s why Kiriha and Maki’s help and advice were extremely welcome under the circumstances. Theia took great comfort in them, but her heart was still heavy on the matter. In a vain attempt to lift her spirits a little, Theia looked up overhead, where she saw a sparrow riding in on the spring breeze.

“Hey!”

She also heard a familiar male voice call out.

“Hmm?”

Looking back down, the man who’d shouted over to them had just come out of the school. It was the Sun Rangers’ Red Shine, who went by Matsuzaka Kenichi at Harukaze High.

“Koutarou, Kenichi is here.”

“What?”

When Theia said that, Koutarou turned around to look for himself. He saw Kenichi eagerly running over to them.

“Huh, you’re right. I wonder what’s up.”

Based on how he looked, Koutarou figured that it must have been urgent, and he swiftly went to meet Kenichi. Regardless of what had happened in the past, Kenichi was older than him, and moreover, he was a teacher at their school now. Koutarou was polite (and active) enough that the idea of sitting where he was and waiting for Kenichi to come to him never even crossed his mind.

“Baron-sa―”

“Stop, Kenichi-sensei!”

When the approaching Kenichi was just about to say something careless, Koutarou loudly shouted out to interrupt him. While it was still cold and there were only a few of them, there were still some other students out in the courtyard. It could be trouble if anyone saw Kenichi and Koutarou being overly casual with each other.

“Oh ye― I mean, that’s right. Satomi-kun, I want to talk to you about your future, so could you come with me to the guidance counseling office?”

“What, again?”

“Please. I’m still not used to all this. And I want to settle the problems with you before the people from Forthorthe come.”

“Okay, fine... Guys, I’ll be back later.”

Since Kenichi brought up Forthorthe, Koutarou sensed that it was an urgent matter. He quickly said goodbye to the girls and followed Kenichi back inside the school building.

“Don’t you have anything else to say before you run off, Satomi-kun? Gosh...” Shizuka complained as he moved farther and farther away.

She’d been the one to make lunch boxes for everyone today, and she considered them to be quite the masterpiece. That’s why she couldn’t stop herself from complaining even though Koutarou was too far away to hear.

“No mercy from you, Shizuka, I see,” Kiriha giggled.

Shizuka had wanted a little bit of attention, but hadn’t gotten it. Before he could praise her handiwork, Kenichi had come and stolen Koutarou away. The circumstances being what they were, however, she couldn’t tell him not to go. Kiriha understood how Shizuka felt, which was why she gently smiled at her.

“But, but, but don’t you feel that Satomi-san has changed lately? Like he’s flailing around trying to be nice to us.”

Yurika, surprisingly enough, pointed out the minute change that come over him. While the other girls were surprised by that for a moment, they realized that she couldn’t stay the same forever either.

“I agree. Then again... While we have an easy enough time saying it, being a man gets in his way and prevents him from honestly expressing it...”

The holographic Clan about the size of a doll put her hand on her hip and smiled bitterly. When she’d talked to Koutarou previously, he’d spoken to her with kind words. But he’d also said that even he knew that there was a time and place for everything. That told her his true intentions lay elsewhere. It was likely just his pride—even his stubbornness—as a man, and that part of him wouldn’t change any time soon. From Clan’s perspective, however, it all seemed rather needlessly roundabout. It was a bit frustrating, but she thought a good woman would be able to forgive him that much.

“That’s exactly the problem! Couldn’t you just try a little harder, Satomi-kun?!”

“Aren’t you being a little greedy, Shizuka...?” Theia asked.

“I think Master is doing his best,” Ruth added.

Koutarou wasn’t exactly in the wrong. He was putting in the effort. But since the girls could all understand Shizuka’s frustration after how hard she’d worked on making lunch, all they could do was laugh half-heartedly.

“Hey!”

In the middle of their conversation, however, Koutarou called out to them from over by the entrance to the courtyard.

“Thank you for the food, Landlord-san! It was really good!”

Just as he was about to enter the building, he’d remembered that he hadn’t thanked Shizuka for lunch yet. Koutarou in the past might have just kept walking. But Koutarou now was, as Yurika put it, flailing, and managed to squeeze out a simple thanks. After waving with his arms at the girls, he disappeared into the school.

“Satomi-kun...”

As Shizuka had practically given up hope, those words were like a surprise attack. She unintentionally gasped a little and held her breath.

“Shizuka, Shizuka! Any comments?” Sanae asked eagerly.

“Oh jeez, Satomi-kuuun! Shouting out so loudly... Everyone’s listening too, jeeeeez!”

Shizuka had used words that made it sound like she felt troubled. But that was just the words. Her discontent from a few seconds ago was no longer anywhere to be seen; Shizuka’s smile made it look like she might melt at any moment. It was pretty clear how happy she was that Koutarou had called out to her like that.

“It looks like she’s as pleased as can be.”

“So it seems.”

Maki and Harumi couldn’t help but giggle at the change that had come over Shizuka. They secretly swore to themselves that they would try and become as assertive as she was.

“All riiight, let’s work hard on the next one too!”

The commotion raised the spirits of the slightly out-of-sorts girls. Despite what was going on around them, they would still have to find a way to cope. And though it most likely wasn’t Shizuka’s intent (although Kiriha was suspicious), her complaining had helped out all the girls.

Rather than the guidance counseling office, Kenichi took Koutarou to one of the school’s reference rooms. At least, what was labeled a reference room. It was filled with communications equipment, computers, and various other technology kept under lock and key. The large wooden desk in the center of the room and thick curtains covering the window were the only leftovers from its original use as a reference room. It was now serving as a temporary secret base. Once the new wing of the school was completed, they’d have a proper base there, but for now this would have to do.

“So, what happened?”

Entering the room, Koutarou returned to acting like normal. They didn’t have to act like teacher and student once they were behind closed doors, and neither one of them wanted to waste any time with unnecessary formalities.

“In short, there are some people paying close attention to the drama club.”

“The drama club? I see... It must be because of the plays.”

“If they find Devil Princess-san, that’s one thing, but if it turns into something bigger than that, it would be a problem...”

“That’s true. It would be a problem if they get to Yuri― I mean, Jet Black King or Black Rose.”

“The details are still unknown, but it’s presumed that an intelligence agency is closing in.”

“What’s your basis for that?”

“Kotaro.”

With that, Kenichi turned around and looked at Green Shine, who was also in the room. Kotaro pulled up several pictures on the monitor of one of the computers. They were all taken from afar using a telescopic lens. Despite the distance, their face was clearly visible. In addition to that, it was obvious they were on the phone with someone, and more importantly, there was a gun peeking out from under their jacket.

“Baron-san, that gun’s the MST-A9 that the old Zangaarb Federation’s intelligence agency used,” a third Shine added.

Blue Shine, Hayato, was an expert on firearms. He could only see part of the grip in the photos, but that was enough for him to know what model it was.

“It’s as compact as a normal gun, but it’s specially made with a built-in silencer. From a resupply standpoint, it requires unique ammunition, so they probably brought plenty with them.”

With normal guns, a large silencer needed to be added to the barrel of a pistol in order to reduce the sound of gunfire. Hayato was saying this gun was different, and had been specifically constructed to be as silent as possible. Of course, accomplishing that wasn’t simple, and it required a particular type of bullet to work.

All of this narrowed down the possibilities about who was behind it. Since the bullets used for the gun were drastically different from normal ones, the user would need to have a decent supply on hand or risk being slowed down in their mission when they ran out. It wasn’t like they could just go buy more. So if someone was using a specialty gun like that, that meant they had plenty of ammunition on them, as well as a connection to someone who could supply it.

“...In other words, there’s a high chance they’re from one of the four western countries formed from the old Zangaarb Federation?”

Hayato nodded. Koutarou had hit the nail on the head.

“All four of those countries are domestically and politically unstable, so they all have motives.”

The Zangaarb Federation had split up into several countries some time ago. As the largest nation after the split, the Zangaarb Republic had repeatedly undergone military reform. It was hard to imagine that they would still use weaponry that was produced in the late 80s and early 90s. Compared to that, the other four independent countries had been much slower to develop than the Zangaarb Republic in terms of military affairs. They were still known to use weapons from that era or even before. To them, even the tanks from the 70s were important resources. Moreover, due to their instability terrorist organizations ran rampant there. It wasn’t hard to imagine an operative from one of those four countries to be using that gun.

“Megumi-chan, let’s have Baron-san take a look at that.”

“Okay, Daisaku-san.”

After waiting for Hayato to finish his explanation, Megumi brought up a different series of pictures on the large monitor. It was still the same person in question, but these photos showcased what they’d been up to: surveying the high school and some houses, as well as speaking to members of the drama club. Kenichi eyed the pictures with an unpleasant look on his face.

“Baron-san, as you can see, they’ve already come into contact with the drama club. At this rate, it’ll only be a matter of time before they get to Jet Black King-san and Black Rose-san.”

Jet Black King was Yurika, and Black Rose was Kiriha. Just like they called Koutarou Baron Demon, the Sun Rangers still referred to the girls by the hero show roles they’d once played. And now with things what they were, there was no harm in using codenames.

“So this suspected spy is getting dangerously close to Folsaria and the People of the Earth, huh?” Koutarou asked.

“That’s the problem. If the world finds out about Folsaria and the People of the Earth before Forthorthe and Japan can establish the right groundwork, Earth will suffer for it. Both magic and spiritual energy are something people would kill to get their hands on,” Kenichi answered.

“I see. And that’s why you called me.”

“Yes. We think if we can present Jet Black King-san and Black Rose-san as normal high school students, that would be the best way to protect them.”

“I think that’d be for the best too. We have some people that excel at methods like that, so we’ll give it a shot.”

“Please do. We’re not very good at those kind of things...”

“That can’t be helped. You’re heroes of justice, after all.”

The person in question was trying to identify the person who had written the manuscript—in other words, Theia—and obtain information and technology from Forthorthe, so they weren’t directly after Yurika or Kiriha. So if the spy were made to believe that those two were just normal high schoolers, they would quickly be removed from the list of persons of interest. And since it would be revealed soon enough that Theia was from Forthorthe, there would be no more need to investigate the drama club after that. With the exchange students coming in too, it was highly likely spies would turn their eyes elsewhere to try and collect information anyway. It would all be a matter of keeping Yurika and Kiriha’s true identities a secret until then.

Koutarou called on two of his friends to help with the difficult task of concealing Yurika and Kiriha’s secrets. If he used a team of too many people, they’d just stand out. Moreover, since replacements would be necessary while Koutarou and his team worked, bringing as few people on board as possible made sense. That’s why he chose two experts in particular. However...

“I can’t accept this.”

“I bet not.”

“I want to retire from this kind of shady work!”

One of them seemed unhappy about their nomination. That was of course Clan, who was peerless when it came to computers and science in general.

“Satomi-kun, I’m happy that you came straight to me when you were troubled. I’d do anything for your sake.”

The other party seemed very receptive, however, as she looked at Koutarou with trust and joy in her eyes. It was none other than Maki, who specialized in mind manipulation and illusions.

“The truth is that I’d rather not make you do this, Aika-san. I know you hate deceit and prefer to tackle things head-on.”

“It’s fine. When I work for someone, I feel like I’m alive... even more so when it’s the right thing to do.”

“All right, then I’m counting on you, Aika-san.”

“I’m glad.”

“What about me, Veltlion?!”

Koutarou wanted to conceal the girls’ identities using Clan’s scientific prowess and Maki’s magic. And if any work was required, he’d deal with it. And on top of that both Clan and Maki were strong, so they’d be useful in a fight. They were a fantastic trifecta of a team.

“Clan, it’s not a joke or a prank this time. It’s just that I need you.”

“I know that! It’s in order to hide information on us too, after all!”

Even though she understood Koutarou’s idea, she couldn’t accept it. Him asking her to do this kind of thing reminded her of a version of herself she didn’t like.

“You seem awfully unhappy about it, though.”

“That’s because it’s still upsetting!”

Clan wanted to become a splendid princess, but there was no denying she excelled at this sort of shady work. So even though she was trying to change, her past was holding her back. Rather than being angry at Koutarou, she was mad at herself. She was so miserable she could cry.

“Then once this is over, ask me for anything you like in return. To make you feel better.”

Koutarou knew he was asking Clan to do something she’d really rather not be doing, but he didn’t have a lot of other options. He’d have to make it worth her while. It was only fair.

“You’re being awfully kind today...”

Clan’s expression changed at his unexpected offer. She figured he was just going to tease her or tell her to get over it. But instead, he’d said something that almost sounded like he would answer to her frustrations. It was quite a surprise.

“That’s just how serious it is. Besides...”

Pop!

Koutarou flicked Clan’s forehead with his finger. It made a loud sound, indicating that it was a good, solid hit.

“Ow!”

“I’ve been thinking a little more about what it means for that crest to be engraved there.”

“Veltlion...”

Tears formed in Clan’s eyes. Most of them were because her forehead hurt, but at least a few were because of what Koutarou’s words meant.

“Then I’ve made up my mind,” Clan said.

Despite the tears, she was smiling. Koutarou would answer to her directionless feelings. She was happy.

“What do I have to do?” he asked.

“Even after this is over, I want you to stay just like you are now for a little while.”

“That’s surprisingly hard, you know?”

Koutarou let out a small sight. When there wasn’t a crisis or some other pressing matter at hand, he had a hard time being honest. But he couldn’t refuse her request. This is what she was asking for in exchange for her help.

“Yes, I am aware. Your love is complicated, after all.”

“My love...”

“Oh, am I wrong?”

“...I wish for Her Highness to use a softer expression.”

“You menfolk sure are troublesome. But that won’t happen!”

Clan’s mood was back to normal. Actually, it was more accurate to say she was in an even better mood than before.

It’s probably just as Kiriha-san... This is probably what she means when she says it’s only a matter of time. Heehee...

Watching over Koutarou and Clan, Maki began smiling as well. All Koutarou was doing was trying to hide an answer that had already been made clear. Not just to Clan, but to himself too. While the dam he’d built was strong, it already had several small cracks in it and was leaking water. Maki was sure it would burst any day now.

Thanks to the information gathered by the Sun Rangers, Koutarou and his team were able to locate the hideout of the spy closing in on Theia. It was in a high-rise apartment building near the station. It was fairly clever. Nobody would suspect anything regardless of what hour someone came or went, and in a building with this many tenants, neighbors hardly knew each other. It was the perfect place for a modern spy to hide.

“So that room furthest in, huh? It’s hard to tell from a distance, but they’re probably not alone. We should take a closer look,” observed Koutarou.

“We can’t approach carelessly,” warned Clan. “There are surveillance cameras, personal radars, and most likely bugs around too. We’d be detected right away.”

They were observing the hideout from around a corner down the hall. According to Clan’s intel, the spy had far more than an amateur’s defenses in place. It was dangerous to approach without a plan.

“I’ll go,” offered Maki.

“It’s dangerous, you know?” cautioned Koutarou.

“Who do you think I am, Satomi-kun?”

Poof!

All of a sudden, Maki was no longer a cute young girl, but an older delivery man. It was an illusion she’d cast. As it was something she’d often use during missions, she was very skilled at it, and the illusory disguise she donned was strikingly realistic and detailed. From every angle, she looked just like a tired middle-aged man.

“Clan-san, the device to gather information, please.”

“Ah, r-right. Hold on to this.”

“Okay. Then I’m off.”

Maki smiled with the face of a middle-aged man, and walked with determined steps towards the room in question. Since she was used to undercover missions like this, Maki wasn’t nervous in the slightest.

“Veltlion, she may have said that, but...”

“I know. I’ll follow up on her after this.”

Maki had long stopped living as Dark Navy and started living as Aika Maki. But her skillful use of a disguise like this to gather information was clearly a holdover from her life as Dark Navy. She’d said that she didn’t mind, but Clan knew better than anyone how she must feel about her old self.

“You know, you really are especially kind with her...”

“I think Aika-san would say the opposite, honestly. That I’m depending on you especially.”

Ding-dong!

Koutarou and Clan’s discussion didn’t last long. When Maki pushed the button for the apartment’s intercom, they both fell silent and looked serious.

“I have a delivery for Yamada-san here.”

Maki spoke into the intercom with the voice of an older man. There was no hesitation or tension. A beautiful act.

“This isn’t the Yamada residence.”

“Is this not apartment 603?”

“Apartment 603 is one floor below.”

“Ah... I am very sorry for bothering you.”

Maki, completely in character, had a brief conversation with someone through the intercom before bowing and walking over to the nearest stairwell. It was only natural, considering the flow of their conversation. From there, Maki headed one floor down. Koutarou and Clan would follow her later.

“I found a lot through that,” said Clan.

The device that Maki had been holding observed the inside of the room and delivered the information to Clan’s bracelet-shaped computer. Not only could the sonic sensor determine the arrangement of the apartment, but through the metallic and electric sensors, it was possible to determine with relative certainty what was inside.

“Same here. There’s three people inside.”

“Are you certain?”

“Aika-san pushing the intercom button gathered all their attention in one place, but they reacted differently. One of them answered the intercom. Another one moved up to the door and stood at the ready with a weapon.”

Koutarou had been able to tell that much by spiritual energy. Since the people inside were on edge because of the potential threat, Koutarou could get detailed information on them and their movements even from this distance by reading their excited auras.

“The last one has been caught on the observation device’s camera,” said Clan. “He moved over to the balcony. It seems that they’re keeping watch on the outside too. They’re most likely assuming an attack and planning their escape.”

“Won’t they pick up your observation device?”

“Don’t worry. I’ve positioned it far away and it’s surveying at maximum magnification. I’m even picking up the conversation in the room.”

“Good work. We probably won’t be find out then, but we shouldn’t poke at them anymore. Keep watch on them with the observation device, and let’s attack them with your forte, Clan.”

While they had collected some general intelligence, Koutarou and the others still hadn’t gotten the information that they were after. That was who these people were and why they had made contact with the drama club. The easiest way to find that out would be to eavesdrop on them and intercept all outgoing communication. Both of which were in Clan’s wheelhouse, regardless whether or not she liked it.

Koutarou, Clan, and Maki continued observing the room from the Cradle for two whole days. As a result, they were able to identify the group in question. They were indeed from one of the countries formed from the old Zangaarb Federation. More specifically, they were spies sent by the Melgaard Republic. Some of their Asian people had been chosen and sent in for the mission.

“What kind of country is the Melgaard Republic?” Clan asked.

“It’s a devastated country that remained a battlefield for the entire civil war because of their abundant mineral resources. On their way to recovery, old Zangaarb was split and they became independent. While they became independent, their national power was weakened, unfortunately, and they decided to participate in an alliance and economic union that another country is spearheading in order to avoid the Zangaarb Republic from intervening,” Koutarou explained.

“That doesn’t sound unfortunate.”

“Well, it wasn’t at first. But when they moved to introduce a common currency a few years later, the situation went sideways.”

“A common currency...? That means it wouldn’t fluctuate in proportion to their economic situation. And in a union, Melgaard wouldn’t be able to make full use of their abundant mineral resources. Conversely, the already economically stable countries only stood to gain something. And they’d get cheaper resources, even from the poor Melgaard, with a trade agreement within the union. All of that would just be upholding the existing framework and solidifying it along with its problems. In fact, the stronger countries would just suck up all the wealth and increase the gap... which would be the worst possible outcome for them,” Clan extrapolated.

The Melgaard Republic was a very unlucky country. Because their restoration from the civil war coincided with the country splitting, they found themselves in financial dire straits, and other countries began targeting them for their resources. They had joined an alliance in order to protect themselves, but it had ended up dealing them the finishing blow. Stuck in the pitfall of the international economy, they were unable to get out.

And things only got worse from there. Mining products became oversupplied worldwide, and prices of rare earth metals dropped because of technological advancements. Melgaard just couldn’t catch a break. As so many problems were stacking up against them, even the most excellent leader would have a hard time getting the country back on its feet. Slowly but surely, the country was withering away.

“And just the other day, Melgaard broke down financially. Right now, they’ve shifted to austerity measures and are frantically trying to restore their economy.”

“No wonder they want Forthorthe’s technology. As a Folsarian, I can understand that much.”

Maki and the Folsarians relied on magic in the face of crisis. The Melgaard Republic didn’t have that, but they might be able to get their hands on Forthorthe’s technology. Even if it was someone else’s power rather than theirs, Maki could understand why they wanted it and the lengths they were willing to go to in order to get it.

“So they’re desperate to protect their country and their people... I’m not sure how I feel about this when we’re not going up against villains...” Clan sighed.

“But the whole world will suffer if they actually get Forthorthe’s technology. Same with magic or spiritual energy. If they’re not real villains, then that’s all the more reason we should stop them,” argued Koutarou.

In Folsaria, magicians had become the ruling class. That was how Darkness Rainbow had come about, and going off of that, the same thing would likely happen in Melgaard, just with technology instead of magic. There would be a scramble over who would monopolize the technology and dominate. It wouldn’t be pretty.

“That’s true. We have to stop them... We can’t let them ruin their lives and lose their families because of this...”

They weren’t bad men. They were just doing their jobs. They probably even meant well. But they had gotten close to the truth, and if left unchecked, they could potentially plunge the world into chaos. “This isn’t what we wanted” wouldn’t cut it then. That’s why Koutarou and the others had to keep that from proceeding down this path any further.

“Veltlion, this is the same problem we had back then, isn’t it?”

Clan smiled wryly as she adjusted her glasses and let out a light sigh. She looked like she was being self-critical.

“Hmm?”

“When we were in the past, we worried over who we should and shouldn’t save, remember? Don’t you think something similar to that is happening now?”

Since they were from the future, Koutarou and Clan had known how things were going to play out when they were in the past. They potentially had the ability to prevent or avert all kinds of tragedy. But they didn’t have the time to stop them all. They’d had to come up with a rule about how much they were willing to interfere. About who to save and who to leave to fate. They were ultimately unable to answer the question of how to determine which lives were the most valuable, so they’d agreed to only get involved in situations that crossed their paths directly.

“Yeah, I guess so. We... no... You have to decide who to reach your hand out to and who to let be. It’s the same as back then.”

This time, Forthorthe had to choose which nations they were going to parley with. Right now, Japan was the only one on that list. It was a measure to resolve the problems with the Magical Kingdom of Folsaria and the People of the Earth. That was the problem that had directly crossed their path.

“Heh, no. Saying ‘we’ was right. But it’s a bit late for that now, Lord Layous Fatra Veltlion.”

“...You’re right. But unlike back then, this is our ordinary.”

“Yes, back then it was just an extraordinary accident. Moreover, our worries were limited.”

“And right now, all of our choices lead back to this. To put it differently, our ordinary is being invaded by the extraordinary.”

The world around Koutarou and the others was rapidly changing. Koutarou was a normal high school student, but before he knew it, he found himself on the forefront of interplanetary diplomacy. He never could have imagined that two years ago. Back then, he’d only been protecting his home—a humble six tatami mat apartment. And while he was still protecting his home, it was on a much larger scale. He had Earth and Forthorthe to think about.

“I feel like everything up until now was extraordinary too, though,” said Clan.

“It’s not like Sanae flying or Aika-san using magic. It’s, you know, a matter of feelings.”

“I can kind of understand that... Like there’s not enough love.”

“Yeah, but it’s hard for a guy like me to use that kind of expression.”

“Then... there’s not enough kindness?”

“Let’s compromise with that.”

Right now, Koutarou felt that the girls who had been so extraordinary at first were now so very ordinary. No matter how odd they might look or what they might do, they were really just normal girls. Compared to that, reality was what was extraordinary. Koutarou couldn’t help feeling like he’d strayed into some bizarre world.