After finishing the special training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, they walked along the tree-lined path back to the dormitory building.
Horikita Suzune walked beside Chris. In truth, it hadn't taken long before she'd more or less fully recovered enough strength to walk on her own. Naturally, she no longer let Chris or Nanase Tsubasa support her from the side.
After all, with the foundation boost of the Combat Suit, even if she was severely drained mentally, as long as her body recovered a little, it was enough for her to keep up an outward composure.
However, physical exhaustion could be made up for with items—but a psychological line of defense wasn't so easily rebuilt.
Because earlier, during the training, the immersion of throwing herself body and soul into battle had faded...
And now, without a target to divert her attention, those suppressed emotions and that shame gradually began to well up from the bottom of her heart.
Chris glanced over out of the corner of his eye, only to see that the girl's originally fair cheeks had, at some unnoticed point, taken on a shade of crimson.
Even her usually cool, sharp phoenix eyes now flickered and wandered—clearly, something was off.
"Um..." Just as they passed a fork in the road, Horikita Suzune abruptly stopped in her tracks.
To keep Chris and Nanase Tsubasa from noticing this hard-to-voice wavering of hers, she spoke up first:
"I just remembered there's something urgent... nature's calling. I'll head back to the dorm first."
Tossing out that rather clumsy excuse, and without waiting for Chris or Nanase Tsubasa to respond, she quickened her pace as if fleeing.
"Huh? Senior Horikita..."
Nanase Tsubasa froze for a moment, instinctively reaching out.
As a girl, her first reaction was to wonder whether her senior's period had suddenly arrived.
She'd meant to kindly remind her, "I've got pads on me, and if it's really urgent, there's a public restroom right around the corner ahead."
But Horikita Suzune's speed—rivaling a competitive race-walker's—gave her no chance to finish.
Beside her, Chris watched the scene and smiled silently.
"No need to chase, Nanase."
Chris called out to Nanase Tsubasa, who was about to give chase. "The dorm building isn't far from here anyway. She'll just take the elevator up—nothing's going to go wrong."
Nanase Tsubasa turned back and opened her mouth, as if to argue something. But in the end, she chose to stay silent.
She couldn't exactly come out and say, "A girl's physiology is different from a guy's—when it's really urgent, we can't hold it in like you two can, you know?"
Nanase Tsubasa figured her relationship with Chris hadn't grown close enough to casually discuss female physiology.
As for why Chris had stopped her—it naturally wasn't some cluelessly-straight-guy obliviousness.
He simply didn't want Nanase Tsubasa to catch up and watch the reliable-senior image in her eyes come crashing down.
After all, once a tsundere's defenses cracked, the best way to handle it was to let her digest it slowly on her own. Forcibly chasing after and calling it out...
...would only reveal a despairing captain going down with the ship.
Leaving a tsundere a little face where appropriate was still a necessity.
Withdrawing his gaze, Chris tilted his head as if by chance, his peripheral vision drifting lightly over the shadows on the other side of the corridor.
That was the direction where Amanatsu Kazuha lay hidden.
Then he turned back, looked at Nanase Tsubasa, and said in a calm tone:
"By the way, Nanase. I recall you said yesterday... that it was only after you received the school's enrollment notice that Director Tsukishiro came knocking on your door—is that right?"
At those words, Nanase Tsubasa's eyes dipped downward for a brief moment.
But she quickly raised her head again, met Chris's gaze, and spoke without reservation:
"No, senpai. To be precise, it was actually back in April... in other words, before the start of my third year of junior high."
"While I was seething with rage over Eiichiro's suicide, he had already found me."
"He extended an olive branch, hoping that after I graduated I'd enter the Advanced Nurturing High School to help him get Ayanokoji Kiyotaka expelled—as my revenge."
Nanase Tsubasa's voice grew colder in the evening breeze:
"Afterward, around one or two months into the term, Advanced Nurturing sent me the documents inviting me to enroll. That was when he approached me again, telling me that in the gaps between my acts of revenge, through an existence called the 'Black Sphere,' I could touch a true 'Miracle' within this school."
Nanase Tsubasa paused and gave a self-mocking, bitter smile:
"Honestly, if it had only been that first time, given how desperate I was for revenge back then, I'd have believed him completely. But after he approached me a second time, I kept feeling like... the way things were unfolding had gotten a little strange."
The girl let out a soft sigh. "Maybe once I've saved up enough S Points later, I really will do as you suggested, senpai, and go ask the Black Sphere to make things clear..."
Chris nodded in agreement:
"Put that way, his pattern of behavior does seem a little deliberate."
"What's more, Tsukishiro Tsunenari wasn't originally part of Advanced Nurturing at all. He was parachuted in as deputy director only shortly after the Black Sphere appeared."
"Since he approached you to lay the groundwork even before the Black Sphere showed up, I'd wager... he has no shallow connection to the 'White House' behind Ayanokoji."
Nanase Tsubasa parted her lips slightly, about to follow the topic and share some deeper intel she knew, to see whether it might be of any help to Chris.
But before she could make a sound, a patter of light footsteps mingled with chatter drifted over from the corner ahead.
Nanase Tsubasa warily shut her mouth, swallowing back the words already at the tip of her tongue, and lapsed into silence again.
Watching her secretive, guarded demeanor, Chris barely managed to hold back from laughing out loud.
After all, Sakayanagi Arisu already treated the White House like a stray mutt by the roadside. In casual conversation she'd blurt out all sorts of dirt on the White House, not taking that place seriously in the slightest.
So Nanase Tsubasa standing here all paranoid came across as rather comical.
Still, considering Nanase Tsubasa's identity and the circles she moved in, it really was hard for her to know the story behind the White House.
And when Sakayanagi Arisu had blown the lid off the White House, she genuinely hadn't been present.
So Chris quashed the urge to volunteer a hint.
With a bit of a wicked streak, he even wanted to see what expression Nanase Tsubasa would make when, one day, she solemnly tossed out the White House as some ultimate conspiracy, as if facing a mortal enemy—only to discover that, in everyone's eyes, this thing was really just "a stray by the roadside"...
He looked toward the source of the footsteps.
It wasn't some stalker after all, but rather the trio of Yotsuya Miko, Shiraishi Asuka, and Morishita Ai.
Judging by their route, they too were planning to head back to the dorm; it was just that Chris and Nanase Tsubasa happened to have stopped to talk on this unavoidable stretch of path, which led to the head-on encounter.
Seeing this, Chris casually raised his hand in greeting:
"Yo, what a coincidence."
Yotsuya Miko looked up at the sound, and seeing it was Chris, spoke: "...Chris?"
Beside her, Shiraishi Asuka merely gave a gentle little nod as her greeting.
As for the ever-eccentric Morishita Ai, she raised a hand to stroke her chin, clicking her tongue thoughtfully. "Mm, Chris."
Chris had long since gotten used to Morishita Ai's uniquely oddball, off-the-wavelength way of greeting people.
His gaze swept over the three of them, and he asked, puzzled:
"You three—I don't think you're in the same class, are you? How'd you end up together? Don't tell me you're planning to secretly team up and book a private session in the Time Chamber?"
"But I don't see Ichinose or Sakayanagi anywhere—what are they off busy with?"
At this, Yotsuya Miko hurriedly waved her hand to explain. "It's not like that."
"Class President Ichinose plans to spend a bit more class points once the roster for the next Special Exam and the advance test is fully confirmed, so she can take turns helping everyone test out the new items in the Time Chamber."
Miko earnestly recited Ichinose's plan. "It's both to point everyone toward the right direction for upgrades, and to give the classmates heading into the exam a bit of confidence."
Chris pressed his lips together, and after a moment's thought, understood:
"...That really does sound like something Ichinose would do."
"When the time comes, she'll probably have to ask me and Ryuuen to lend out the [Blank Card Box] and the [Sianweistan] to do a trial demonstration for you newcomers."
Yotsuya Miko nodded obediently, then somewhat awkwardly pinched the hem of her skirt.
"But because of what happened during the exam at the hospital last time... I'm still a little scared even now."
"So my plan is to only step up once I've confirmed there's actually an open slot in the class."
"For now there's nothing pressing, so I figured I'd use this time to catch up on the schoolwork I've fallen behind on. Since the class president and Amikura are both really busy right now, I didn't have the heart to bother them..."
Miko looked gratefully at the two girls beside her. "And then I happened to run into Morishita and Shiraishi at the library—I'm really grateful to them!"
Hearing Miko's thanks, Morishita Ai shook her head expressionlessly. "It's nothing. I acted according to my own judgment, not to earn your gratitude."
Seeing the mood about to be shattered by a single sentence from Morishita Ai, Shiraishi Asuka spoke up helplessly to rescue her companion:
"Yotsuya, you really don't have to put it that way..."
"Your fundamentals are already excellent. And as a traveler who crossed worlds to reach our side, adapting in such a short time is entirely thanks to your own talent and effort."
Shiraishi Asuka smiled gently. "What we were able to do was really quite limited."
Praised so plainly, Yotsuya Miko bashfully lowered her eyes.
She bowed slightly and said in an earnest tone:
"That's not true... it's still all thanks to you two being willing to help me."
"There are honestly still so many areas I'm unfamiliar with. Without you two, there's no way I could have adapted this fast."
"Really... thank you so much!"
Seeing Shiraishi Asuka's lips part slightly, clearly about to launch into another round of polite reciprocation—
Chris couldn't help raising a hand to rub his temple.
Say what you will, the Neons really did have this whole "basic etiquette" and "reading the air" thing down to an art.
To someone else's polite remarks, they'd basically respond in an endless nesting-doll fashion.
But this also easily fell into a bottomless loop of "you thank me, I thank you, everyone's overflowing with gratitude."
It gave the listener a splitting headache.
Fortunately, Nanase Tsubasa, standing beside Chris, was at heart a crisp, decisive woman of action.
On the other side, Morishita Ai—the notorious "weirdo" of the former Class A—had always loathed this kind of pointless social fluff.
And so, before those two could speak, the pair of them cut in almost in unison, interrupting the "spellcasting":
"Let's leave the pleasantries there..."
"The sentiment's received, that's enough. Right now, talking business is what matters."
Without a doubt, the former was Morishita Ai, and the latter Nanase Tsubasa.
Hearing Nanase Tsubasa speak at the same time as herself, Morishita Ai closed her mouth, quietly watching the other and waiting for her to go on.
Nanase Tsubasa paused briefly, and after gathering her thoughts, slowly began:
"Actually... people like me and Yotsuya, who currently have no extra margin of life to spare, are precisely the ones who least ought to shrink back and enjoy the comfort of safety."
Morishita Ai gave her a thoughtful look, as if she'd found a kindred spirit. "What makes you say so?"
Nanase Tsubasa blinked and explained earnestly:
"Because the difficulty of future exams is bound to keep climbing. Stats will inflate, the mechanics will grow more complex."
"If we shrink back now out of fear and let our equipment upgrades stall, then one day, when the Black Sphere forcibly draws us and drags us onto the battlefield again..."
"That's when we'd truly be throwing our own lives to the wind."
Yotsuya Miko pressed her lips together. Though she knew in her heart that Nanase was right, she couldn't help voicing her worry:
"But... if we grab all the slots, what about the other classmates who also need to earn points?"
Nanase Tsubasa gritted her teeth, as if forcing herself to be cold:
"At this point, the Black Sphere exams have already become routine."
"Those classmates who still don't have the courage to take even one step forward—even if we handed the slots over to them and sent them to face those terrifying monsters, would that really be appropriate?"
"Rather than have them break down in panic on the exam field, wasting a life for nothing, or even triggering a chain reaction that wipes out the whole party..."
"...it's better to let those of us who've already steeled ourselves carry the burden forward."
Nanase Tsubasa drew a deep breath. "That way—whether it's raising our whole team's peak combat power, or scavenging resources on the exam field to secure life-saving items that can be distributed widely to more of the classmates in the rear—this is the optimal choice."
Listening to all this, Chris gave a slight nod.
In truth, the fundamental grain of Nanase Tsubasa's character was quite similar to Ichinose Honami's.
Both were people with a strong sense of responsibility and high emotional intelligence, who would absolutely never let their inner negative emotions show on their faces and burden others.
But between them lay a striking difference.
Ichinose was more inclined to accommodate others, trying to look after everyone's feelings, even at the cost of sacrificing herself;
whereas Nanase Tsubasa could force herself to make cruel choices at the critical moment.
She'd shoulder the so-called "sin" herself, but she'd never flee in the face of a decision.
Honestly, Chris wasn't surprised by Nanase Tsubasa's words.
But he still had to perform the appropriate attitude.
Chris gave a light cough and spoke to break the silent atmosphere:
"I think Nanase makes a good point. The Black Sphere has never sheltered the weak."
"Rather than cowering in the back and trusting to so-called luck, it's better to step forward and seize the future in your own hands."
Hearing Chris's affirmation, Shiraishi Asuka pursed her lips slightly and let out a soft sigh.
Faced with this classic trolley problem, she could neither be as coldly machine-like as Ayanokoji, nor could she, like Nanase Tsubasa, rationally force herself to swallow the pain and make a decision.
At her very core, Shiraishi Asuka was the type who "doesn't actively make choices, but is simply swept forward by the tides of the times."
She'd only be forced to act at the moment when there was a real threat to herself, or to the vital interests of most of those around her.
Just like in the original novel, where she stayed an utterly invisible background character for two full years, only being forced to spring into action when Sakayanagi Arisu withdrew from school.
As for now... with Chris and the various class leaders holding the front line, she felt there was no need for her to step forward just yet.
Unlike Shiraishi Asuka's passivity, Morishita Ai, after hearing out Nanase Tsubasa's analysis, nodded in agreement:
"Looks like I'll have to step in for the next Black Sphere exam too."
"Otherwise, if a test that concerns everyone's lives were left to that bunch of inexperienced newbies... as a senior, I couldn't rest easy."
Shiraishi Asuka thought for a moment, then turned to Morishita Ai and said:
"Kushida asked me earlier to help compile the list of classmates willing to take part in the next exam and report it to her for coordination."
"Right now Hayasaka, in order to buy the [Blank Card Box], has already confirmed she'll participate as an official examinee. Of the remaining four advance-test positions, counting me, there's still one open spot."
Shiraishi Asuka asked gently, "Morishita, are you going to participate?"
At this, Morishita Ai's expression froze slightly, and even her breathing couldn't help but stutter for half a beat.
Undoubtedly, as the aloof-by-nature weirdo of the former Class A—
she'd never show weakness to anyone, much less say something like "I'm scared" at a moment like this.
But upon hearing that she was to immediately fill the empty slot and face the Black Sphere exam head-on... deep down, she really did feel a flicker of hesitation.
So she fell silent.
Shiraishi Asuka was a perceptive person too; seeing Morishita Ai freeze up, she immediately realized she'd most likely said the wrong thing.
She was about to speak, find an excuse to take her words back, and get Morishita off the hook—
"Morishita, you took part as an advance-test member last time too, didn't you...?"
But Chris had already gotten a step ahead of her:
"Since there's no more margin for error, you really should participate. After all, the way things are now, even just as an Intruder swept up in the fray, relying on a single vanilla Combat Suit is honestly a bit inadequate on the exam field..."
After a moment's silence, Morishita Ai took the out that Chris had handed her and spoke up to save face:
"I just spaced out a little just now—I'm used to thinking things over on my own... I'll go."
"I know that."
Chris smiled and continued with his advice:
"If you can, the next time you go in for the test, carry some reflective object on you—something like a vanity mirror."
"Once the official examinees finish redeeming the [Blank Card Box], they'll be able to move freely through the mirror world."
"If you carry mirrors, they can serve as a medium for locating—and even rescuing—you at critical moments."
Morishita Ai nodded. "A pretty conventional idea, though nothing wrong with it." "However, I have my own way of doing things."
With that, she once again lapsed into silence, offering nothing further, leaving the air hanging awkwardly.
Watching her stubborn-as-a-dead-duck act, Chris felt the urge to laugh.
Let's hope you actually have a follow-up, and aren't just being pigheaded here to save face.
Honestly, Chris was rather curious to see whether Morishita Ai could actually grow into and unleash what she called a "master of the Morishita Ai-style ancient martial arts, holder of full mastery transmission."
GUNDAM
After all, in the original work, this was the grandiose declaration she'd made in the third-year arc, right before facing provocation from Ryuuen and the others.
Though the instant she laid eyes on Ryuuen she fizzled right out, decisively shoving Ayanokoji and Hashimoto Masayoshi to the front as shields.
A pure comic-relief performance.
But now, with the presiding god and the Black Sphere in existence...
Morishita Ai genuinely had a chance to turn her chuunibyou "Morishita Ai head-family school martial arts" into reality.
Chris stroked his chin, musing to himself.
With that die-hard front of hers... she felt like a perfect match for one of r.dp's Heroic Spirit cards.
After all, when it came to talking tough, putting on airs, and "I have a plan"...
Red really is a perfect fit, isn't it?
E
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