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Jura Tempest Federation, Commander-in-Chief's Office
"Commander-in-Chief, recruitment for the Eastern Empire Army, Mobile Forces, and Navy has been completed. However, the battleships for the Second and Third Fleets have not yet been fully equipped, and since all units have taken on large numbers of new personnel, they still need time to integrate."
Tsuru, recently transferred to the Eastern Empire General Staff Department as Chief of Staff, sat across from Benimaru and read from the report in her hands.
"Understood. No need to rush the battleships. The First Fleet is sufficient for now. We may not even need them."
Benimaru nodded. The Eastern Empire Navy's fleet organization had changed significantly since before. After Kaito and the others had left the National Assembly, the military had finalized a new structure: each fleet now comprised two hundred frigates, one hundred destroyers, fifty cruisers, ten battleships, ten aircraft carriers, five Titans, and two Colossuses.
"That said, integration needs to accelerate. Souei's intelligence confirms the Eastern Empire is also mobilizing on a large scale. It won't be long before the two sides meet."
"Understood."
Tsuru's expression turned serious. Benimaru looked at the middle-aged woman across from him and smiled slightly.
"Heh, Tsuru-sama, you've gotten younger. Every time I hear you refer to yourself the old way, it catches me off guard."
Tsuru blinked, then smiled. "Heh, old habits."
Click.
The door flew open and a young girl in a secretary's outfit, red ribbon in her hair, came rushing in with an indignant expression. "Husband, that hateful snake woman from the Animal Kingdom is here again!"
"Kureha. This is an office. Knock before entering."
Benimaru's tone was only slightly stern, but it stopped her cold. Kureha went still, then noticed Tsuru sitting across from Benimaru watching her with the expression of someone enjoying a very good show.
"Ah!!! Tsuru-sama, you're here too!"
"Heh, I had something to report to the Commander-in-Chief."
Kureha straightened immediately, composing herself. "Um, Commander-in-Chief, Alvis from the Animal Kingdom is outside. She..."
Before she could finish, Alvis walked in with a charming smile. "Kureha, I knew you'd be talking about me."
"Tch... hateful snake woman."
Benimaru looked at Alvis, then at Kureha, who was already pouting at him, and felt a headache coming on.
"Commander-in-Chief, since you have matters to attend to, I'll take my leave."
"Ah, Tsuru-sama, I actually still had things to discuss with you..."
"Heh, deal with the situation in front of you first, Commander-in-Chief." Tsuru looked at the scene with quiet amusement, gave a slight bow, and walked out.
"Don't..."
Benimaru watched her go with an expression of quiet desperation.
"Lord Benimaru... I came because I have something important to discuss. You don't dislike me, do you?"
"You philandering snake, get away from my husband!"
"I..."
Tsuru, already in the hallway, heard the commotion continuing behind the closed door and shook her head with a smile. "My, my. The blessings of having multiple partners really aren't easy to manage."
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"I won't let you get away again!"
Misaka Mikoto looked at the spiky-haired boy cornered at the end of a dead-end alley, a triumphant smile on her face.
The boy in his high school uniform looked panicked. "Wait, I'm..."
"Accept your fate!"
"Ah!!! Fuguoda!"
A moment later, Misaka Mikoto was standing on the street outside the alley, looking bewildered.
"Huh? Misaka-senpai..."
She turned to find Saten Ruiko and Kazari Uiharu standing there. Her expression immediately brightened. "Yo!"
The three of them fell into easy conversation, and Misaka Mikoto invited them to visit her school, just as it had happened in the story. Shirai Kuroko, completely oblivious to all of this, was somewhere nearby lost in fantasies involving highly questionable methods.
"Come to think of it, Ruiko, when that robber went to kick you earlier, he just... flew sideways. Do you know what happened?"
Saten Ruiko shook her head, looking just as puzzled. "I don't know either. When I opened my eyes, he was already on the ground far away."
"Is that so..."
Misaka Mikoto lowered her head in thought. 'Another esper present at the scene? To act that quietly and precisely, it would have to be at least a Level 4.'
"Maybe Saten awakened her power!" Kazari Uiharu suggested brightly from beside her.
"How could that be? Someone like me doesn't just awaken..." Saten Ruiko trailed off, her voice going quiet.
Misaka Mikoto caught the self-deprecation underneath and spoke up immediately. "Alright, if you can't figure it out, stop thinking about it! Come on, let's go. Kuroko will be happy to see you two!"
"Mm, Misaka-senpai's right. Not going to think about it." Saten Ruiko's familiar mischievous smile slid back into place. "Heh heh heh, Kazari!"
She slipped around behind Kazari Uiharu and yanked her skirt up.
"Ehh ehh ehh ehh!!! Saten-san, seriously!"
Kazari Uiharu spun around with both hands clamped over her skirt, face bright red.
"Heh heh, Gome Gome!"
Saten Ruiko laughed her apology without a trace of guilt. She didn't notice that the parchment tucked in her pocket was quietly glowing gold.
"Heh heh, I wonder when Ruiko will start noticing the changes."
On the rooftop of a tall building nearby, Kaito and Shinobu Kocho stood watching the three of them below.
"Bad guy, why didn't you just tell Ruiko it was a magic cultivation manual?"
"No particular reason," Kaito said. "It's just... isn't there something exciting about the setup? Your friend falls into danger, you suddenly awaken extraordinary power, defeat the enemy. Don't you think that's a great story?"
"Hmph. You really are full of bad taste."
"I prefer to call it the 'mysterious old man' persona. You wouldn't understand."