This house even came with a terrace. While Einhart adjusted her device, Asuna and I sat there to rest.
Einhart was participating in a training session at the Yagami family dojo, which also served as a way to adjust her device.
She was training on the unstable sandy beach to improve her footwork.
"Everyone is so amazing. They're so small, too," Asuna said.
"Yeah, they are."
There were about ten kids, and two of them stood out as exceptionally talented.
And both of them were girls I knew.
One was Miura Rinaldi, a character from Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha ViVid. She uses the masculine first-person pronoun boku. She seemed shy around new people, hiding behind Signum and the other girl, but her skills were genuine.
I'd heard that she was good enough to have practice matches with her master, Signum, and Vita, another member of the Wolkenritter.
And indeed, her footwork speed and the power of her kicks, even from a distance, were incredible.
Her being here was fine; it was according to plan. The other girl, however, was a problem.
The other was Konno Yuuki. Her presence was a real problem. She's a famous character to anyone who knows SAO, but in the original novel, she exits the story due to certain circumstances.
I was really curious about what was going on with those circumstances. I couldn't solve that problem in my current state. Maybe the medical facilities on this island could? I should look into it later.
Even so, I had completely let my guard down since she wasn't a character with a link to this world. I never expected her to show up here.
Her strength was so overwhelming that it was almost beyond explanation. Even Einhart couldn't land a single solid hit on her.
Her overwhelming speed and an almost innate intuition were channeled through a delicate one-handed sword.
"But Asuna can do that much too, can't you?"
"Haha, I wonder?"
"…Well, the fact that you're not denying it tells me you can."
Seriously? She's on that level?
"But it hurts my pride a little to be on the same level as a girl so much younger than me."
"That's more than enough. Your swordsmanship isn't everything."
"...That's true."
As we were talking, Yagami-san, who had finished adjusting her device, walked toward us.
"Ah, they're so full of energy, aren't they? I wish I could borrow some of that from the young ones."
"But Yagami-san, you're still young enough," I said.
"What? Are you asking my age?"
That's not what I meant.
I knew her age. She was 23 or 24. That's why I said she was young.
"But it's amazing, isn't it? To be appointed as a division commander in the Bureau at that age," Asuna said, speaking with a completely formal attitude. In the original story, she came from a family that spent the New Year in kimonos with their relatives, so this was probably second nature to her.
"Haha, not really. I'm just blessed with great people around me—my friends, my knights, and 'that girl' who returned to the sky."
"...I see."
The words slipped out casually, but Asuna wasn't so tense that she would miss them. Without prying further, she simply gave an affirmative response.
"So," Yagami-san said, perhaps regretting her slip of the tongue and forcefully changing the subject. I accepted the change without comment.
"This is something I've been meaning to tell Fate-chan, in case we meet again," she said, as if this was the reason she came over and the main point of the conversation. She turned toward us and folded her arms, hugging her elbows.
She said it so casually.
"Are you two interested in Special Duties Section 6?"
"Huh?"
She must have meant Asuna and me. The pronoun was plural, and since there was no one else there besides Yagami-san, there was no room for doubt.
The real question was, why would she be recruiting us?
"To answer your question, I have the authority," she said.
"Authority?" Asuna looked confused.
"That's right, authority. Normally, there are a lot of troublesome tests—written, practical. You can't even get into the Bureau without going to the training academy, like a police academy. But, for now, I have the right to hire people for Section 6, bypassing all that."
That was some serious authority. Of course, she'd have to manage it within the budget she received, so it probably wasn't unlimited. Was it because she had the backing of Tatenashi-san?
But her words still didn't answer our question at all.
Why would she use such a powerful authority to recruit us into Special Duties Section 6? She hadn't answered that.
"Is it because I'm a Stand user?" I asked.
The first thing that came to mind was that I was a Stand user. Section 6 was deeply involved in Stand-related incidents. Did they think they needed more Stand user power?
"Hmm, well, that's part of it," Yagami-san said, resting her hand on her chin and groaning for about five seconds.
"We need people. We need human resources to work with us in Section 6. And we need people who are ready to be a part of the team and whom we can trust."
"Why do you need more power?" Asuna asked.
They had more than enough members already. The simplest reason for needing more power would be...
"Is there going to be a big battle?"
"Hmm, that's a good question... Well, it's just a matter of time anyway... Yes. Sometime soon, within three years at the latest."
Three years. Three years?
That number sounded familiar to me, and probably to Asuna too.
"Is that..." My voice cracked.
Wasn't that the time limit for the end that my future self had told me?
"...Is there some basis for that?"
"Of course there is, or Section 6 wouldn't have been established, would it? What's wrong? Did my story scare you?"
It all made sense now. The reason why so many people and so much power had gathered in Section 6. The reason Tatenashi-san and Claudia were behind it.
Everything was a preparation for the end.
"Do you know what's going to happen?"
"Not yet... I know that might sound suspicious, but we do know that 'something' is going to happen. And we're preparing for it."
Asuna and I couldn't hide our turmoil.
"I think the Stand incidents are a sign of what's to come. A precursor to an unavoidable incident. They're difficult cases, to be sure."
The conversation continued.
"Actually, that trip, that off-duty training trip, was also meant to test your character. A stiff interview would make it too easy to put on a mask. But on a casual trip, you can't do that. My team is like a family; we have strong bonds. We can't compromise on that. You all passed. Though I was surprised when you brought so many girls along."
That explains why we were all able to go on the trip together. The examiner was probably Nanoha-san. It didn't seem like something Fate-san would be suited for.
"Oh, that's right! Fate-chan really took a liking to Yozuki-kun. I was so surprised! I thought for sure you and Nanoha-chan were a thing."
I couldn't deny it. We did live together.
"Sho? I've asked you before, but are you really...?"
"We're not, okay?"
I might need to have a serious talk with Fate-san. No, I have a feeling that might get me into more trouble... But it would be a bad idea to leave things as they are.
"What's going on? Are you two dating after all? Or is it one of the girls who came on the trip? Hmm? I won't think badly of you, so just confess."
"Well, you know, that's our private business."
If she delved too deeply, I might let something slip.
"Come on, it's not like it'll hurt you. A beautiful girlfriend like this is something you can show off to anyone."
Asuna seemed to understand that and neither confirmed nor denied it, giving an ambiguous answer.
"Are you that interested?"
"Of course I am! The people around me are all so disconnected from romance. It's boring. That's why I like seeing you young people. Now that I'm this age, I realize that the time for women to shine is short."
I wanted to say, "You're still young."
Maybe you're a little worn out compared to other people your age, but still.
"Getting back to the point, though there's not much left to say. On that trip, I really wanted to have a land battle to test your combat abilities. But then that thing happened."
"That thing" was the attack by Azenda and her group. If that hadn't happened, we were scheduled to have a land battle the next day. It was supposed to be a team battle with people who had completely different skills. It would have been very useful in a real battle.
"When did you start thinking about this?"
Asuna's expression changed from formal to that of a soldier on the battlefield.
"It was all a series of coincidences. I just happened to take advantage of them. I'm not the type to let an opportunity pass me by."
Her words were probably true. She simply made good use of a sudden opportunity.
She was a sly one.
"I'd be happy if you thought about it."
"There's nothing to think about."
There was no reason to think about it, and no reason to refuse.
"We'll do it, of course."
"Really? You don't need to consult with the other girls who aren't here? I thought there were about ten of them?"
"Our opinion is the same. They'll all say the same thing."
Asuna answered for me.
"...I see. Thank you very much," Yagami-san said softly. Her smile was beautiful.
"Even if the formalities are simplified, you know that a written and practical test is unavoidable, right?"
"Yes."
"We can't do a written test, but for the practical one... Signum is here now."
"Huh?"
Did she mean we were going to fight Signum here?
"I'm kidding. Actually, I was thinking of using Section 6's simulator to do the land battle that got canceled. With the members from the trip, you know? I want you to join that."
"Is that... allowed? Using a public agency's equipment for a private purpose is..."
Asuna questioned Yagami-san, who had suddenly become playful, without changing her attitude.
Of course it wasn't allowed. It was something that was clearly wrong, with no room for excuses.
"That's why. If we frame it as everyone's test, there's no problem. Though a few kids might get mixed in," she said, with a wink.
"Oh, come on..."
This was a trick that only a close-knit group like Section 6 could pull off. This was the kind of person she was.
"I'll let you know the details at least two weeks in advance. I look forward to working with you."
"Yes. We look forward to it, Yagami-san."
And so, I decided to join Special Duties Section 6.
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