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Suou Residence – Dining Room
Yuki was having dinner with her mother, Suou Yumi, and her grandfather, Suou Gensei.
"I heard there was a student congress involving Masachika and the daughter of the Taniyama industrial owner," Gensei said.
"Yes," Yuki replied.
"But she left while the debate was still ongoing," Gensei continued.
"She must have had his reasons," Yuki said.
"Whatever the case, the result gave Masachika legitimacy… and also that boy who was with you during the attack."
Hearing that, Yuki stiffened slightly. "What about him?"
'Oh no, Grandpa investigated Ace!' Yuki screamed internally.
"I was a bit curious, so I looked into him," Gensei said. "Akashi Ace, Class 2-B. He's consistently in the top five academically. What caught my attention, though, were his parents."
"What about them?" Yuki asked cautiously.
"Both of his parents are former members of the SGS Foundation."
"SGS Foundation? What's that, Grandpa?"
"SGS Foundation, or Search Guard Successor Foundation, is a non-government organization that collects and safeguards hidden treasures. You could call them treasure hunters."
"What's wrong with an organization that collects treasure?"
"They're a massive organization that spans the entire world. Among the treasures they handle are artifacts from ancient civilizations with extremely advanced technological power, called Precious. To deal with such dangerous artifacts, a special unit was formed. The accessible data on Akashi Ace's parents only lists their names, their status as Ace's parents, and their history of working for SGS. That's why I suspect his parents were members of that special unit."
'What?! Ace's parents were part of a worldwide organization too?!' Yuki shouted in her mind. "I see… this is the first I've heard of it," she said aloud. "Do you know the name of that special unit, Grandpa?"
"Unfortunately, that's all I know. The unit's name and its members are classified by SGS."
"I see. That's too bad."
"There's one more thing. But before that," Gensei said, signaling all the servants to leave. Only Yuki and her mother remained.
"Yuki, do you know about Sword of Logos?"
Outwardly calm, Yuki panicked inside. 'What?! Grandpa knows about Sword of Logos too?! Has he dealt with the supernatural before?!'
"I don't know, Grandpa," Yuki replied.
"Hm… I see. Before I continue, Yuki, do you believe in the supernatural?" Gensei asked.
Yuki hesitated. "I-I already know about the supernatural, Grandpa."
"I see. Did Akashi Ace tell you?" Gensei asked. Yuki nodded slightly.
"What about Sword of Logos?" Yuki asked.
"It may be too early for you, but I'll tell you anyway. I only know a little. What I do know is that they're an organization that deals with supernatural threats like demons and curses," Gensei said.
"How do you know about them?" Yuki asked.
"When I was young, I was once saved by a member of Sword of Logos."
"Why bring up Sword of Logos all of a sudden? What does it have to do with Akashi-kun?"
"The person who spoke to me after that attack was a council member of Sword of Logos. That's why I suspect Akashi Ace has some kind of connection to them, or may even be a special member. A council member wouldn't step in personally for an ordinary operative. Still, it sounds unreasonable. How could a boy like him be connected to two major organizations?"
'What?! So the person with Lala back then was a high-ranking member of Sword of Logos?!
Okay, calm down, Yuki. Change the topic away from Ace.'
"You said you were saved. Saved from what?" Yuki asked.
"Devil. An enemy of mine wanted me dead, so he made a pact with a devil. Thankfully, I was saved by a swordsman from Sword of Logos."
"Then he must have been very strong. What was he like?" Yuki asked.
Gensei rubbed his chin. "Hmm… if I remember correctly, he carried a large sword and wore glasses."
'A large sword? Could it be Ogami-sensei? No, Ogami-sensei doesn't wear glasses, and the age doesn't match,' Yuki thought.
"Yuki, I don't mind you associating with Akashi Ace," Gensei said. "But remember this. Don't fall behind. Just like Masachika, Akashi Ace is clearly talented. You may never be able to catch up to them, but never run away from your responsibilities."
"I understand, Grandpa," Yuki replied.
After dinner, Yuki returned to her room and flopped onto her bed.
"Ugh… Grandpa really did investigate Ace. I have to tell him," she muttered.
She grabbed her phone and called Ace.
"Hello, Yuki. What's wrong?"
"Ace, this is bad! Grandpa knows about Sword of Logos!"
"…And?"
"And?! Grandpa investigated you and found out you're connected to Sword of Logos!"
"Yeah… so? That's not a problem."
"Isn't Sword of Logos supposed to be a secret organization? Why are you so calm about it being exposed?!"
"What do you want me to do? 'Silence' your grandfather? You want your boyfriend to silence your grandfather? You'd be a terrible granddaughter, Yuki."
"Tch… whatever." Yuki hung up.
"What's wrong with him? I even acted a little dramatic so he'd panic, but he's way too calm. Shouldn't he panic a bit, like in manga?!" Yuki complained.
"Is something wrong, Ayano?!"
"I don't understand what you mean, Yuki-sama."
"Ugh, I'm just going to sleep!"
"Good night, Yuki-sama."
---
Kuoh Suburbs – Ace's House
The next morning, Ace, Lala, Asia, and Craftbot finished breakfast. Ace and Lala got ready to head to school. Ace was thinking about enrolling Asia as well, with Ogami help.
Suddenly, the house's security alarm blared. Something was approaching at high speed.
"What? A direct attack?" Ace muttered as he operated the device to check.
At first, nothing appeared. But through a magically enhanced camera, the approaching object became visible. A green dragon.
"Tohru?" Realizing who it was, Ace turned off the alert mode.
When Ace opened the door, a dragon's face appeared right at the entrance. Craftbot and Asia panicked.
"Ace! Activate attack mode now before that dragon eats us!" Craftbot shouted.
Lala, on the other hand, lit up with excitement. "Tohru! You came!"
Tohru transformed into her human form, wearing a maid outfit. "Tohru is ready to serve," she said, bowing slightly.
Lala pulled Tohru inside. "Asia, Craftbot, this is Tohru. She's a dragon!"
Craftbot hid behind Asia. "I know! Why did you bring her inside?! What if she turns back into a dragon and destroys the house?!"
Ace snorted when he saw Craftbot hiding behind Asia. "Hey, aren't you supposed to be the strongest power sphere? Hiding behind someone as gentle as Asia. You should be ashamed."
"You can say that because you have my power! I don't have any power left!" Craftbot protested.
"Relax, Craftbot. Tohru is a good dragon," Lala said.
Asia gathered her courage. "N-nice to meet you. My name is Asia Argento."
Tohru smiled brightly. "Yes! Nice to meet you too, Asia!" She grabbed Asia's hands and shook them enthusiastically, making Asia a little dizzy.
"Tohru, wait here for now," Ace said. "Lala and I have to go to school. Let's go, Lala."
"W-what? But I just got here! That's not fair, I want to come too!" Tohru protested.
"No," Ace said flatly. "You're too conspicuous with horns and a tail, and no one goes to school with a maid."
"B-but—"
Before Tohru could finish, Ace cut her off. "Craftbot, your job is to keep an eye on Tohru and protect Asia."
"You want me to watch a dragon?! What if she breathes fire at me?! My body will melt and I'll look terrible!" Craftbot yelled.
"Hah! I don't want to breathe fire at a pile of scrap like you either," Tohru shot back. "I could crush you easily without fire."
"See, Ace! She's already rebelling!" Craftbot panicked.
Ace turned to Asia. "Sorry, Asia, but could you watch Tohru while we're at school?"
"Don't worry, Ace-san. I'll keep an eye on her," Asia said confidently.
"Hmph! Like a human could watch over me," Tohru scoffed.
"Then see you after school," Ace said as he left with Lala.
After they left, Asia guided Tohru into the living room. Craftbot quietly picked up the phone and called Ace's mother.
"Hello, ma'am?"
"What is it, Craftbot?"
"Ace… he's bringing too many girls into the house."
"So? Bringing friends home just means he's social."
"No, no, this is different. First, he brought home an unconscious girl. Then he brought another girl with problems who's now living here. And now a female dragon has come to live with us because Ace invited her."
Ace's mother gasped. "This… this is a pattern!"
"A pattern," Craftbot repeated.
"Alright, Craftbot. I'll come back once I'm done with work," she said.
"Yes, ma'am. Please be careful," Craftbot replied and ended the call.
---
Outer Space – GoGo Voyager
"Of course, Craftbot," Ace's mother said as she closed the call and sighed.
"Why the sigh, Sakura?" a man asked.
"It's nothing, Satoru. It just seems Ace is causing trouble again."
"Oh? What did he do this time?" asked Akashi Satoru, Ace's father.
"You know Ace has a fiancée, the daughter of the Galaxy King, right?" Sakura asked while operating the GoGo Voyager.
"Yes, yes. That was quite a shock back then."
"Well, I think because he believes he'll become a king someday, he's been crossing a few lines."
"What do you mean?" Satoru asked, confused.
"He's bringing a lot of girls into the house," Sakura replied.
Satoru froze. "…It seems he's explored quite a bit too. Ha… ha…"
He fell silent under his wife's stare. "Sorry."
"I think he's still better than his clueless father," Sakura teased, her face serious as she piloted the ship.
"Please don't say that with such a straight face. Besides, back then I still wanted to keep exploring," Satoru protested.
"You still love exploring even now," Sakura said with a small smile.
"I suppose you're right. In that case, let's finish this job and head home to lecture our son," Satoru said.
"Roger, chief," Sakura replied.
The GoGo Voyager streaked through the void of space, starlight reflecting off its hull. In the distance, a blue green planet slowly grew larger on the main screen.
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