Zaregoto-Volume 4 Chapter 2

Tenacity like a cockroach?

You mean they die if you whack them with a rolled-up newspaper?

1

The scientific laboratory of Mad Demon Shadou Kyouichirou -- its official name was apparently the lengthy Shadou Kyouichirou Mathematical Theory Learning and Permutation ALS Research Institute -- was constituted of a total of eight buildings.

Eight buildings were crowded together in a space surrounded by tall walls that could absolutely not be called spacious, so it would not be possible to deny that it looked cramped from above, but when you entered, it gave the neatly organized impression of a laboratory. It was not that I felt any bit of nostalgia, but the environment made me remember a little.

There were one, two, three - I could see four buildings that looked like dice once we stepped within the walls. Looked like dice, I expressed, but not because of the similarity in shape. Each building had not a single window, and so at first glance it was hard to determine if they were structures that could be called buildings. They resembled avant-garde art more than buildings. Speaking of which, I had heard of stories of industrial facilities that created things like game applications using window-less buildings for security, so perhaps this was the same case? If that were so, then once again I would have to say that they were taking a lot of precautions. Enough so that I could nod in understanding when they said that the intruder was unable to do anything.

Shito-kun continued walking forward, toward the largest building of the four, a building that looked like the General of the dice, then said "wait a moment," pulled a keycard from his laboratory coat pocket, and slid it through the card reader. He also typed a ten-digit code into the numpad placed next to the card reader. I thought the door would open then, but that was not the case.

"Please state your name."

There was apparently a small speaker above the card reader that was difficult to discern, and it sounded like an obviously synthesized voice. It was significantly more high-tech than the anachronistic gate security.

"Oogaki Shito. My ID is ikwe9f2ma444."

"Voice and retina confirmed. Please wait."

And after waiting a moment as directed by the synthesized voice, like an automatic door (if you were to complain that this expression is stating the obvious, then like magic), the thick, insulated door opened sideways. Shito-kun said, "hmph," stepped inside, and turned toward us.

"Hurry up and get in. It'll close soon."

I, Kunagisa, and Suzunashi-san entered as told. Inside was a white hallway reminiscent of a newly-built hospital. Shito-kun walked as a guide and spoke.

"This is the Primary Ward, so basically just think of it as the central laboratory ward that also doubles as Professor Kyouichirou's living quarters. I won't explain anymore because it's a pain in the ass. In any case, I'm taking you to greet the Professor, alright? Make sure not to be rude to him."

He was still as abusive as ever, but Shito-kun seemed to at least be responsible toward his own professional duties. He did it roughly, but he still guided us.

"The Professor is waiting on the fourth floor. Here, on the elevator," he said, and he pressed the button to call for the elevator. "Don't wander around like that, it's annoying."

"Well sorry. By the way, Shito-kun."

"What."

"Rather cautious. The entrance security, and the lack of windows."

Ahh, Shito-kun nodded.

"This is normal for a first-rate research facility. I guess I should go ahead and warn you guys not to leave the facility without letting us know. Once you get out yourself you can't get back in."

"Hmm..."

"Well, not that it matters."

We entered the elevator and moved to the fourth floor. I did not know how many floors this building consisted of because there were no windows, but based on my instincts, I thought the fourth floor was the highest floor. We stepped out onto the hall, and Shito-kun pointed toward what looked like a smoke-break room and said, "Wait there."

"I'll go report to the Professor. I'll come back really quick, so don't relax too much."

Said Shito-kun, and then he ran off down the hall. In what world is there a host that directs their guests to "not make yourself at home too much while you rest, please," I thought as I sat down on the sofa in the smoke-break room. Kunagisa sat beside me, and Suzunashi-san sat across. Suzunashi-san took a cigarette out of a hidden pocket on her coat, held it between her lips and lit it with a Zippo.

"... Ahh, I can finally have a smoke," Suzunashi-san exhaled cigarette smoke with an ecstatic look. "Really, Asano... was so persistent about not smoking in the car."

"Of course, because the smell sticks. There is no helping what cannot be helped."

"Well, yeah... I was worried sick about this place being no-smoking, too, but it's all good. But you know, I was expecting something weirder, and of course the place and the walls are pretty weird, but the inside is pretty normal. Like the interior of a university."

"They are fundamentally similar things... However, it is still an extravagant thing, to be using such a large building alone." As someone who lived in an apartment room the size of a mere four and a half tatami, I was truly, honestly envious. "Ah, well... were there three using this building?"

"Yup," Kunagisa nodded. "Shito-kun and Misachi-chan and Professor, so three. The other Research Wards are one per ward, though."

"I see," I nodded. Really, my memory was as unreliable as ever. "Well, regardless, it is still an extravagant thing."

"I'm not just talking about the building," Suzunashi-san spun the cigarette around with her right fingertips as she continued, "The people seem pretty normal too. Normal people, should I say? I feel like I wasted some anxiety."

"Normal?" I tilted my head to the side. "Normal, Shito-kun? I do not think so... and to begin with, having a sixteen-year-old apprentice itself is abnormal for a normal research institute."

"I was imagining even stranger things, personally," Suzunashi-san laughed with a bit of embarrassment. "People that speak in programming language... people that fling mad and dead drugs at you... being naked under the laboratory coat... I was expecting that sort of stuff."

"You have quite the imagination..."

It seemed Suzunashi-san looked upon academics and researchers and scientists and other people of like ilk through rather colored glasses. Indeed, from such a perspective, Shito-kun would fall under a normal scope. Judging people after having preconceptions is not good, but I suppose in this case an incredibly crass prejudice actually led to an unexpectedly good result. Well, not that we were talking about such an educational thing.

"By the way, Tomo. I want to discuss something serious, now that we have come this far. What do you intend to do? Everything has gone smoothly so far, but you could also say this has simply been the phase where the application is started up, can you not? In any case, nothing caused a hang-up, so how do you intend to move the pieces now?"

"Uni. Unini. Uh, I've thought of some varieties," and Kunagisa leaned back and gazed at the ceiling. "Let's see. First I'll see the Professor, and have a chat. Put the problems on hold for now, and get permission to have a proper meeting."

"He is in the seventh ward, if I remember correctly?"

"Yup. And not to sound optimistic or anything, but I think we'll get permission to meet. And boku-sama-chan has a few wild cards ready."

"Wild card..."

I repeated her words, and then thought of a certain contractor, who had popped into my head from those words. The red contractor, mankind's strongest. She is a clump of self-confidence, who also certainly has even more than just her confidence, and you could express her as transcendent and superior: indeed, a wild card. She loves disguises and she loves manga, and she loves mischief even more, so that made her quite a bothersome personality to deal with, but there is no more dependable an ally.

"Tomo. Would it not have been easier to get Aikawa-san to help?"

"Hmm. But you need to take care of your own things yourself. It's not good to bother other people with things involving your friends."

"I think that is her job, though..."

As we were talking, as he had said, Shito-kun came back soon. "The professor will meet with you," he said, and hurried us up. That forced Suzunashi-san to press her half-finished cigarette into the tray, and she looked a bit wistful as she did so. Miiko-san had told me to "try to keep Suzunashi from getting too much nicotine," so I did not ask Shito-kun to "wait until Suzunashi-san finished smoking." Not that I think Shito-kun would have listened, anyways.

"This way. Hurry up."

Shito-kun said, and then he walked down the wide corridor, stopping before the door of the furthest room. He placed his hand on the doorknob, turned his head, and repeated, "Don't be rude."

"Especially you," he directed at me. "It's just my personal opinion, but you're weird. Don't say a word."

"You do not hold back from difficult subjects. I know... I do not intend to interfere. I understand my role."

I shrugged my shoulders as I responded, and looked at Kunagisa. Kunagisa did not show any signs of nervousness or anything. She had the same, usual, carefree expression. I would not say that she seemed to be enjoying it, but, it did not seem she cared about meeting the Mad Demon. Well of course, Kunagisa was actually wanting to meet none other than the one in the seventh research ward, Utsurigi Gaisuke.

I sighed.

"Right your posture. Well, then..." said Shito-kun. "Excuse us, professor."

And then the door opened.

We entered the room, Shito-kun leading. From the way the hall looked, I expected an interior like a hospital room, but it was nothing like, as it was like an ordinary visitor room with a round table in the middle. And on the other side of the table, he -- Shadou Kyouichirou -- sat.

They said he was sixty-three years of age, so I expected a more aged person, but my expectation was almost eerily off. While he did not have completely white hair, he had plenty of it, and showed no signs of balding. While his hair could not be called smooth, it still felt filled with vitality. I thought that his appearance was such that he could pass even if he were to say that he was in his fifties, no, even his forties. And more importantly, that gaze of his, that expression, was nothing like that of an old man. Not quite a researcher either, but rather a veteran, expert politician came to mind. Cunning, expert -- such words popped up one after another.

Shadou Kyouichirou.

The room was filled with a presence dense enough to overwhelm and pressure.

"Fufu."

The old man laughed.

"It's been a while -- seven years, I think? It's been seven years, I think, lady of Kunagisa."

A hoarse voice. However, that did not mean it lacked force. It was a settled voice, as if a superior person were calling out to an inferior person. If I am allowed to describe it in any way, I would say it was a voice that belonged to someone who stood atop others.

"You changed your hairstyle. That looks more like a child and suits you, lady of Kunagisa. You look more like a child than you did seven years ago."

"Why, thank you," replied Kunagisa to Shadou Kyouichirou's voice. "Thank you for praising me. I am quite pleased to have been welcomed so warmly, professor."

"Hah. You sound so sarcastic."

"Did I? I did not particularly mean to," Kunagisa shrugged. "But, if that is how it sounded, then I must have, after all."

One small lady stood behind the professor. She had a bob cut to her neck, and looked at us with a business-like gaze through her glasses -- or if I were to describe it more, a cold, calculating look -- and wore a suit. Considering that she did not wear a lab coat, she was probably not a researcher.

In that case, she must be Uze Misachi-san, the professor's secretary.

Shito-kun left our side and walked next to Misachi-san. He whispered something to Misachi-san, then did the same toward the professor. The professor nodded twice, thrice at Shito-kun's words, and then looked at us once again.

"Well then -- kukuku, it has been seven years, after all," the professor turned to Kunagisa. "Of course, seven years is not particularly significant to me, but for the lady of Kunagisa, it's quite a few years, given that you're not yet twenty. There must be much for us to talk about, but unfortunately I do not have much time. I am busy, after all."

"Much to talk about? I do not think there is much to talk about with the professor. And we are both busy. You are busy of course, but I have work that I need to do, too."

"Is that so, is that so. That is a difference in perspective, lady of Kunagisa. In my world, we don't call things without industrial value work, but I suppose they do say that play is work for children."

"If play is work, then that goes for both of us. Having no industrial value goes for both of us. I suppose the professor is still playing with machine theory? If so, then thank you for your hard work. There is plenty of surplus and excess, after all. I wonder if you are not having too much trouble with the details?"

"You wouldn't know, lady of Kunagisa. You don't understand anything about me."

"Probably. I think so, too. The professor is right about that. I certainly do not understand.

Kunagisa nodded twice. There was nothing odd about that, per se, but that was why it left me with an odd feeling. I felt like this conversation was not quite right for the Kunagisa I know. Kunagisa would not participate in a conversation that was not odd.

"Artificial intelligence -- or rather, artificial life, did you abandon that possibility? I heard that through the grapevine, professor."

"I didn't abandon it. I don't abandon anything. I just realized that it was easier than I thought, so I'm taking a detour to solidify everything around it. I only want to make things with industrial value, after all," the professor said with a self-effacing sneer. It was truly an expression that did not look like it came from any smidgen of comfort. "I don't do anything as play. I'm not an artist doing things for performance. You shouldn't harangue a scientist about the work they've poured their life and soul into, lady of Kunagisa."

"Of course, I intend no such thing. Haranguing the professor about what he does? That would be pointless to the point of despair."

Kunagisa shrugged her shoulders again.

That attitude, too, felt a bit off relative to the Kunagisa I know. I do not think I would be able to answer why it was different, however, an inexplicable sense of anxiety began bubbling forth from my heart. I understood that this was neither the time nor the place to fret about this though, so I shook my head and tossed such thoughts aside. I should think of someone like Hikari-san in these situations. Hikari-san was so cute. I wondered what she was doing, now.

"By the way, lady of Kunagisa," Shadou Kyouichirou changed the subject. "Is your father doing well?"

"-- Who knows?" Kunagisa seemed to hesitate a bit about responding. "You are malicious, professor. That question is malicious. You know, of course, that I have been disowned since then. You have been notified about it."

"Oh, that's right. I'm sorry, I have gotten old, after all. I tend to forget things," laughed the professor heartily. "They say you don't want to age, and they were right!"

"Hmm, I see. Then I assume research must be difficult to do."

"No worries. I don't need to be fret over by a child. Only my memory has waned. There're plenty of media available to memorize things in my stead. As long as I can think, I'll be able to satisfy your father, lady of Kunagisa."

It was a very sarcastic way of speaking. It was a very distasteful way of speaking. I determined from the way he spoke that the professor definitely was not welcoming of Kunagisa as a guest. And on the other hand, Kunagisa also answered similarly, so not a single person would ever listen to this conversation and expect a friendly atmosphere.

Indeed. To Shadou Kyouichirou Kunagisa Tomo is a relatively insignificant existence. Even now, while he was acting like he was welcoming a guest, it was just for show. Just as Kunagisa valued Utsurigi Gaisuke, not Shadou Kyouichirou, Shadou Kyouichirou valued Kunagisa's father -- or rather, in this case, Kunagisa's house, and not Kunagisa individually.

Kunagisa's house -- the Kunagisa Syndicate does not need explanation. One of the few plutocratic households in Japan -- no, it would be more correct to call it the ultimate role model of a plutocratic household. When considering relevant matters and affiliated jurisdictions, they encompassed over 22,200, no, realistically surpassing that number, companies. As long as you live a relatively normal life, they are so enormous that you would never realize you lived under their shadow, such was their size, and they had influence over the rest of the world. It was a bloodline that almost felt like that of a phantom.

And that also happened to be a patron of this laboratory.

For example, if you were to imagine something like the of Medici it would fit this case perfectly, but in other words the Kunagisa household does not hold back in providing funding for this sort of personal research laboratory and similar artistic endeavors, for people with specialized skill sets -- or rather, they are very aggressive in providing funding for such activity. Why Shadou Kyouichirou despite being labeled Mad Demon could without a doubt, even if it is deep in a mountain, have a very proper, unabashed laboratory, and continue research activities like this was because he had the backing of the Kunagisa household. Of course, the Kunagisa household was not providing this funding out of insanity or respect, nor out of kindness of heart, but rather because they wanted rights over the results and information produced by this laboratory, buying everything in advance, essentially to receive royalties and other such gains. Then it may be more accurate to call them not patrons but rather investors. Of course, it would be hard to find investors willing to invest in the Mad Demon, so in that sense the Kunagisa household could be called high rollers. However, that was the reason.

That was the reason that Kunagisa Tomo and her acquaintances were able to step foot within these facilities. Even if she were disowned, she was still a direct daughter of the primary bloodline within the Kunagisa house, so she could not be treated wrong. It was impossible for Shadou Kyouichirou to turn down her request.

That was why you could say that this situation was formed by Kunagisa using authority as a shield to force her way in. If you think about it that way, the professor's malicious attitude, and Shito-kun's displeased attitude, all were understandable. We were the ones demanding the impossible.

"....."

Of course, that was if we were only to talk about the current situation.

"By the way, who's that boy?"

The professor suddenly changed his focus to me. He clearly thought me as suspicious and even pointed a finger at me.

"I thought the lady of Kunagisa would show up with her brother. I had always thought the lady of Kunagisa's agent would never be anyone other than her brother. That someone else in this world would be that insane absolutely shatters my world. Hmm? I don't recognize you. What famous person's kid are you? Or were you an engineer from the lady's school? Or perhaps you were someone from Cluster, even though you don't look the type?"

"No. Ii-chan is a friend," Kunagisa-said nonchalantly. "Nao-kun's the third-most busy body in the world, so he said he didn't have the time to come here. But, he said to give the professor his regards. My sister may do something careless, but I will take full responsibility for everything so please rest easy, he said."

"That's, well... Hahahah," the professor, for the first time, seemed to simply find that funny as he roared with laughter. "It seems he, too, is quite healthy. Kunagisa Nao, despite his circumstances, is still like that... Hmmhmm. I haven't felt this amused in a long time. Truly, a long time, lady of Kunagisa."

The old man seemed as pleased as a child, and then he changed his attitude and said, "Alright."

"Then let's have a serious chat. We're both probably at our limits. So--"

And then the professor looked at me again. I inwardly recoiled at his heavy gaze, but I did not show that in my expression. I probably succeeded, I think. However, my little success seemed not to matter any to the professor, as he continued speaking.

"Can we have your friends leave their seats? This is important, after all."

"... Are you talking about me?"

"Did you not take it that way? Young one," kuku, the old man chuckled. "You have good eyes, young one. Really good eyes. About equal with our Shito-kun. Such good eyes."

Upon hearing those words, Shito-kun, who was standing by Misachi-san's side behind the professor, momentarily flashed a displeased expression. He seemed to glare at me, but it was but a moment, as he quickly recomposed himself, and looked away from me.

"However, this is a specialized topic. I don't think I'm asking anything wrong. So, will you leave your seat?"

"Well... but."

"Just listen to the professor, Inoji."

Suzunashi-san placed a hand on my shoulder from behind. I turned and looked at her, and found that Suzunashi-san was not looking at me, but rather directing her sharp gaze at the professor. She was grinning, as if she were enjoying the situation, but in this case this person's smile was a creation, and I knew that she instead used it as a poker face instead. When she was actually enjoying something, Suzunashi-san did not smile.

"Inoji's underaged, and Inoji's an outsider, and then on top of that not an expert, -- so you shouldn't be sticking your neck into the difficult conversations of adults. Isn't that right? Doctor."

"... Indeed, that's the case, but," the professor looked at Suzunashi-san with caution. "Who're you?"

"My name is Suzunashi Neon. The repetition of a sound without a bell. I'm their guardian."

As she said that, Suzunashi-san pushed against Kunagisa's back, half-forcing her back in her seat, and then sat down next to her. No, it was not a style of sitting that could be expressed as sitting down. It was a very extravagant way of sitting, as if she were stepping on the chair with her waist, or as if she were expressing conquest and dominance over the chair.

She directed an audacious expression at the professor.

"Of course, since I am their guardian, I'll be sitting in on the conversation. But that's alright, isn't it? Doctor." She raised the ends of her lips, and formed an even more vicious look. "There're no problems. No problems at all, that would cause you to tremble in fear. No, no, actually there's nothing but good. After all, Kunagisa-chan is underaged, like Inoji. We can't have underaged kids negotiating with someone as glorious as the professor without a guardian. If you're a professor with academic prowess, a professor with esteem, and more than anything, a professor who's a friend of Kunagisa Tomo, then you must have thought about this, of course, so I can't imagine not being granted permission to sit here."

"....."

Violence Neon was never one to be counted out. None could stand up to her skill at playing the villain. Her physical stature also helped her become peerless in acting the villain. I could never pull something off like this, given how I lack an imposing physique.

The professor... laughed, pleasantly.

"Hahahah... indeed, that's true, Suzunashi-san," and he nodded several times as he spoke. "Indeed, you're right. You're correct... correct. Yes, I don't mind, you can sit in. You can sit in as much as you want. But we'll need that young one over there to kill time somewhere for about an hour somewhere."

"Yes. Sound good?" Suzunashi-san turned to me and winked. "That's alright, isn't it? Inoji."

"I will do that, then. Not that I have any choice," I raised my hands in acquiescence, and then said to Kunagisa. "Tomo. I'll be in the smoking room, then."

"Yup," Kunagisa turned to me and smile her innocent smile. "Understood, Ii-chan. I'll be there soon, so don't get lost."

Those words, that smile, all calmed me down.

Yup, that is the Kunagisa Tomo I know.

"Alright, then Shito-kun, let us wait outside."

"Alright, got it. I'll guide you around the area... wait, what!?" Shito-kun shouted. "Don't nonchalantly invite me like I'm a friend!"

I was joking, I said, and I left the rest to Suzunashi-san and stepped out of the visitor's room.

1. Suzunashi (鈴無音音) is written repetition (2x) of a sound (音) without (無) a bell(鈴).

2

It is time for philosophy.

Well now, what sort of thing is a human soul in the first place? For example, someone, I think Freud, had separated the soul as the conscious and subconscious, but was there actually a need to separate them at all? Would I have any troubles if I were to have no subconscious aspect of the soul, or perhaps no conscious aspect of the soul, causing me to become an entity consisting entirely of my subconscious thoughts?

Kunagisa said the soul is a result of the physical activity of the brain. That is probably correct. I am not underestimating contemporary biological science to be able to completely refute that. However, if the concept of a soul is simply the brain acting as a monolith, if it is nothing but the electrical signals of neurons and synapses, then I can understand why some would argue that we are then no different from machines. Or rather, I feel like I fit in better with their perspective. However, even in that case, I would still find myself in more-or-less the same situation: would I have any troubles if I were to realize that I am the same as a machine?.

If you could explain everything about human action and human life using complete logic and organized programs, or alternatively if you could create a similar imitation to that, what is actually wrong with that? Just where is the reasoning for the application of the word evil? It is not necessitated that a chess player be human. No one would be bothered if the Tower of Hanoi had been routine construction performed by machines. Expressing a cluster of organic matter as a collection of inorganic matter is something to be praised and not something to be condemned. There are those that may say that it is a blasphemy toward God and a rebellion, but there is no reason behind declaring that the action of creating life is a unique privilege of God. After all, modifying a boar to become a pig, and creating replica or imitation life: how much of a difference is there?

If you want to look at things from a logical perspective, then the invention of the automobile would have been a similar affront.

Anyways, these days it has already become generally accepted that theoretically you can reconstruct a human soul using programs and applications. No, you could say that it has already mostly been done. Manmade life that you can hardly tell apart from just its appearance, or what has been called an android from previous times, are supposedly already mere seconds from being practical, or something. Nowadays there is very little that cannot be done through science, costs aside.

That is just how it is, I think.

For example, within my own brain thinking such frivolous things, you could say is just a pool of zeros and ones. As long as you have time, it is possible to express this in text using programming languages and machine language. What I want to say here is not whether that is good or bad, whether it is useless or boring, or anything of the sort.

What I want to say here is that, even though it is something that ultimately can be projected in text form, I could not explain why I was still indecisive like this. If it is text, then it should be simple. If you were to look from a distant place, like a God looking down from their castle in the sky, then my thoughts are nothing but obvious nonsense. That is absolutely not an imagination wrought with romanticism, and absolutely not a fantastic illusion, but rather just a time-worn truth. Even then, that I am doing inexplicable, and meaningless, aimless, contradictory things all the time, could that be called a mistake by God when constructing humans, or simply a kludge program? Could it be that there was a failure from the start, that a block of code that was a mistake had been engraved into my brain?

If that were the case.

What is the point of copying such a program? What sort of meaning is there to my brain, which mass-produces that unseemly text? What exactly is expected by using, as the base, a device that in the end does not evolve or learn even a bit, by creating an application that is constantly misunderstanding, constantly mistaking, for two thousand, four thousand, six thousand years?

Even if such a thing were actually created, would it be the same as looking at yourself through a mirror? Would it not be a futile effort such as looking into the other side of the surface of the mirror, peeking into the other side of the surface of water? Not to conclude with finality, truly, it is -- it is.

"Umm. It is... what?"

I thought about it for a while, but I could not come up with continuing words. I thought for another minute after that, but that did not go well, either. This may be the limit of today's user of nonsense. Jeez, and I abandoned the thought, leaned back against the sofa, and stared at the ceiling.

"Hmmm..... it is tough forcing yourself to think about something that seems serious."

Since I had gone through the effort of coming to a research laboratory like this, I thought of pondering something of the sort (artificial intelligence or artificial life, or something), but you really should not do things that you are not used to doing. At this rate, it did not seem I would be able to arrive at a sensible conclusion. Indeed, pondering should be done after you come to the conclusion first, I learned. The inductive method is not that easy.

The smoking room.

It had already been thirty minutes since I had been kicked out of the visitor's room. Suzunashi-san and Kunagisa, and of course Professor Kyouichirou and Shito-kun and Misachi-san, showed no signs of coming out of the room. At this rate, it seemed more time would be needed.

"An outsider, eh..."

I mumbled.

Well, that is how it is. I did not particularly think anything of it. Especially because I, myself, had no inclination of stepping in. I am used to being left out, and rationally, leaving Kunagisa to Suzunashi-san was the safest course of action. At the very least, it was clear that it is a better plan than having someone dangerous like me near her.

I understand.

I understand that.

I looked at the ash tray on the table in front of the sofa. A single cigarette, the one that Suzunashi-san had crushed on it, remained. It seemed like one with a heavy dose of tar. I knew of no other female who smoked something like this. Well, Suzunashi-san seemed the type to have strong lungs, and it was nothing that I should be fretting over. At the very least, that person was not one to die of lung cancer.

"... Come to think of it, Suzunashi-san was one of those people who cannot drink alcohol..."

I thought that being able to smoke but being unable to drink is rare, but upon further thought, those things have nothing to do with each other. One is the liver, and one is the lung - completely different internal organs. They are not issues to be lined up together. However, Suzunashi-san's friend, Miiko-san, was perfectly capable of drinking, but absolutely detested cigarette smoke, so I felt like there was some sort of relation, some sort of karma between the two extremes. Although, this sort of logic was warped to begin with.

"I am bored... maybe I will do a robot dance while imitating Miyamoto Musashi..."

Just as I had declared something that made no sense even to me, I suddenly heard the sound of what seemed like a running motor. That was slowly coming closer, and the sound was gradually becoming louder. It was like the sound of the Mini 4WDor remote-controlled cars that I had played with a long time ago, such was the cheap feel to the running motor, but, this sound, I wondered--

As I stood up from the sofa to look for the source of the sound, the source of the sound crashed into my right leg. It was a clump of steel roughly a quarter of my height. Or more specifically, it was like a cylindrical pillar made of steel, with wheels at its feet, along with something like a mob. It relentlessly crashed into my right foot, as I was still half-standing half-sitting.

"--?"

What is this?

Nothing that could describe this bizarre thing resided in my knowledge cabinet. Ween ween, it went, like a sound effect in a comic, and I could tell that it was some sort of machine, but I could not determine its purpose.

In any case, I tried holding it down. And then, the mysterious object froze. When I decided to turn it around to the other direction, and then let go, that object, sounded its rumbling noise and ran off that way.

".....? ..... What is that.....?"

"A cleaning robot."

When I saw off the Mysterious Object X with an odd feeling, this time from the other side came a human voice. I turned around, and about five meters down the hall, stood two people wearing the same type of lab coat as the professor and Shito-kun.

One had inordinately long hair, to around their waist. And it was not cleanly long, but rather like a monster that shows up in some book, crumpled and long, as if it had never been treated, had never been straightened. I could not tell their expression through the terrifyingly long hair, but I could see a thick mustache near the mouth that could barely be seen in between the hair, and so I noted that it was a man.

The other had radically different, cleanly-kept hair. However, only the hair was cleanly kept, as the figure was quite unruly. The lab coat looked constraining, and it was hard to say that they boasted a tight, healthy body. That said I could not say that it was an ugly form or anything, but rather, how should I say it, as if they were trying to keep an odd sort of tidiness, like a noble that appears in a foreign monochrome film.

It was not like Miiko-san and Suzunashi-san, but these two were also an extremely opposite pair, I thought, and as I walked toward them, I asked, "What is it?"

"Umm. Did you say something?"

"No no no, not really," the filled one said with an exaggerated wave of the hand. "You were looking at it with fascination. I just thought I'd be kind and tell you what it is. It’s a cleaning robot. In other words, a maid robot for menial labor, hahah. No no, we shouldn't laugh, right? Oogaki-kun made it as play, after all."

Shito-kun made it, did he? That is pretty impressive, I thought, and I looked back down the hall, but that Mysterious Object X had already disappeared. It seemed it had already turned the corner.

"It's supposed to use radar and detection to pick up on the location of trash and dirt, and then automatically head that way... you know, our laboratory is pretty dry on funds, because someone spends money lavishly," and then the filled one glanced at the long-haired one with a bit of a sarcastic look. "We don't have enough leftovers to hire a cleaner, so Oogaki-kun took it on himself to make that, yup, well it's actually pretty useful, but... yup, an admirable boy really, considering the times. It's just. That robot, it's a pain because it can't tell the difference between people and trash."

"That is no good."

So that was why it was running into me earlier. I am the same level as trash.

"There's no need to differentiate between people and trash," a low, quiet, and dark voice came from the long-haired person. "There's no need to differentiate, because they're similar."

If that had been said with the sarcasm of the filled one, I would have been able to respond, but given that it was said with an ordinary rhythm, there existed no way for me to respond. An agreement, like "yes, that is true," would imply that I am acknowledging that I am no different than trash.

"Hah hahahah, this guy says some nasty things sometimes but don't pay it any mind," the filled one said with mirth, and then as if to nudge the long-haired one, continued. "Look, the boyfriend's quite surprised. We're in trouble if you displease him too much, you know?"

And then the filled one looked at me.

"After all, this one's the lover of the niece of the famous Kunagisa household. The lover, hey? Love love, hey? They've got enough power to fling us worthless laboratory fellows with the flick of their finger, hey."

"..... Umm."

"My, apologies and excuse me. I hadn't introduced myself yet," the filled one grinned and exaggeratedly placed an arm over his chest as he bowed. "I am employed here as a fellow, and regardless of my will have been left with the care of the fifth ward, Neo Furuara."

"..... I see."

I vaguely nodded. I nodded, and thought, that if this person, this filled person is Neo-san, then the long-haired person. The long-haired person seemed to have noticed my look (I could not see his eyes through his hair, but it seemed he could see mine) and said,

"Koutari Hinayoshi."

Frankly.

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Lover."

"Huh....." I answered once more with a vague nod.

Koutari was a name that was ordinary in Kyoto, but otherwise it was nationally known as the type of name that was so rare that it was famous. Perhaps Koutari-san came from Kyoto."

"Hello, well, pleased to meet you."

It was a pair of such extremes, and it was a pair with such different levels of bizarre impact, that I could not determine how excited I should make myself feel. I would need a high level of tension to keep up with Neo-san, but then it would be difficult to go along with Koutari-san. I felt sandwiched between high and low tension, but I began to feel it was pointless to worry over such a thing. There was no need to force myself to deal with these people. I said just "farewell," and then returned to the smoking room.

"Hey hey hey hey hey, don't be like that, don't be like that please, you make me lonely," said the filled one... I mean (come to think of it, that is a rude way of calling him) Neo-san followed, and then without consulting, sat down on the sofa across from me. "Bored, aren't you? Then let's have a chat, Mr. Famous."

"..... I am not particularly bored."

"Someone mumbling about weird stuff like brains and artificial intelligence and souls cannot not be bored," said Koutari-san quietly, as he sat down next to Neo-san. "Furthermore, I cannot imagine someone who thought about doing a robot dance while imitating Miyamoto Musashi is not bored."

".........."

Hmm. They had heard my painful monologue. It appeared they had been observing me for quite some time. It is a bad habit of mine to not notice my surroundings when I go deep in thought. Furthermore this is enemy territory (-- it probably was alright to express this place as such), so letting down my guard is unacceptable. The only existence that could possibly let down their guard in such a place would be the red contractor. I decided to repent a bit.

Regardless, they came with none other than Famous. I had expected it to some extent, but just as we had borrowed Chii-kun's powers to look them up, they had also investigated us. That would mean that Professor Kyouichirou acting like he had no idea who Suzunashi-san and I were and that he was expecting Nao-kun was just an act, after all.

If that were the case, then was Shito-kun not knowing about Suzunashi-san a means of reinforcing that disguise? Deceive your allies to deceive your enemies, they say, but hmm, I see, as should be expected of the Mad Demon, he is quite a veteran. I glanced at the visitor's room with a tiny bit of admiration. Deceiving your allies -- is surprisingly difficult, you know.

"-- So? Did the two of you have something to discuss?"

"Well. That puts us in a bit of a pickle, to ask that so directly, right? Koutari-san."

".........."

Koutari-san responded to Neo-san with complete silence.

"My my. This one's cold, too. I feel lonely lonely," however Neo-san showed no signs of being anything of the sort. His lips were curled in a self-satisfactory smile. Turning back to me once more, he said, "Then, alright. Shall I just speak to you?"

"About what?"

"What would you like to hear about?" smiled Neo-san with his meaty face. "I shall speak to you about anything you want. Any topic you want."

".........."

"Hmm? What? What is it? Are you being weary, being weary perhaps, maybe?"

"I am not being weary," I answered calmly. "I have no reason to. I simply make it a point not to trust anyone who speaks a lot. People who smile with their face and disdain people with their soul are always scheming something. I am not fond of people who scheme."

"How harsh, indeed," and Neo-san slapped his own face. His motions were all quite flamboyant. You could even say he was overacting. "However, leaving trustworthiness aside, don't you have anything you want to talk about? For example, about Utsurigi-san."

".........."

"Hm? What's wrong? You want to hear, don't you? About Utsurigi-san."

Utsurigi Gaisuke.

I intended not to react, but it seemed my shoulders moved just a bit when I heard that name. And that was enough of an acknowledgement to Neo-san, as he loudly clapped his hands together and said, "Alright, gotcha."

"That's right. You all came to see Utsurigi-san, after all. Of course you'd want to hear about Utsurigi-san. Of course of course of course. You know, Utsurigi-san, he's quite the talent. Or should I say, he's quite outstanding? That person is..."

"A pervert."

Koutari-san finished Neo-san's line with decisiveness. I glanced at Koutari-san, or rather, I could not determine his expression because of his hair, but he did not seem any different than before, and so there was no sense of him disparaging someone, but rather that he had said it matter-of-factly.

"Is a pervert. Without a doubt."

"..... I see."

I could only nod.

Speaking of which, Shito-kun had also said something like that about Utsurigi. However, there was a certain lack of tact for calling a colleague who lived in the same facility a pervert. Indeed, this may be an abnormal, far-out-of-the-ordinary place lorded by a person named Mad Demon, but for Utsurigi Green Green Green Gaisuke to be treated in such a way certainly made you wonder what sort of existence he is.

It was beginning to be far out of my realm of imagination.

"Pervert is quite cruel, Koutari-san. Pervert is too cruel no matter how you look at it. There's something called tact, you know," Neo-san whacked the unresponsive Koutari-san's shoulder. "He's quite odd, for sure. After all, he hasn't taken a single stepout of the seventh ward since he's come here. You've gotta bow your head to that. Though, he's probably not an obsessive researcher like the professor--"

"He does not come out, you mean."

I thought of asking if that was a mistake for him being locked up, but I restrained myself. There is no meaning to debating with Neo-san here and now. To be honest, this sort of silver tongued, flamboyantly theatrical type of person is my worst enemy. It would be better even to have to take on a Yamitsuki somewhere.

"Yes yes, speaking of Utsurigi-san there was an interesting episode," clap, he struck his hands together in a theatrical act of just remembering. "It was about a half year ago. There was this two-headed monkey--"

"What are you talking about, Neo-san."

Neo-san's story ended abruptly again. This time the suspect was not Koutari-san but rather Shito-kun, with a scowl, who was standing over us and looking down. I could see Suzunashi-san behind Shito-kun. Then, because of her short stature I could not see her, but Kunagisa was probably behind him as well.

"Yo, Oogaki-kun."

Neo-san raised a hand in greeting with a grin, as if it were all deliberate.

"Thank you for your hard work."

"But no thanks to you at all, Neo-san," said Shito-kun with heavy emphasis, as if peeved. "What were you talking about? What were you just about to tell this thing?"

Thing, he called me.

"Nothing. Nothing important. Nothing important at all. I said absolutely nothing. I am a silent character, after all. All I did was greet him a bit, just a little bit. Right, Koutari-san? That's right, isn't it?"

"Don't ask me."

Koutari-san said shortly and coldly, and then stood from his seat. He passed by Shito-kun, and then walked down the hall toward the professor's visitor's room.

"Hey, hey. Really, what a bind. What am I supposed to do, jeez. Come on, wait," and then Neo-san also lifted his enormous body from the sofa, as if to follow Koutari-san. "Jeez... so impatient, Koutari-san. Ahh, well then, young man, that's all for now. I wander around the facility a lot, so we'll probably meet again. Let's have a chat then, this time for longer."

And then this time, as if ignoring Shito-kun, he bowed to Suzunashi-san and Kunagisa.

"Hello, hello, what beautiful ladies. Please make yourself at ease, welcome to the Mad Demon Shadou Kyouichirou's research facility."

He lowered his head so much I wondered if it would touch the floor. Straightening back up and boldly chuckling, he turned to me and said, "Well, see you," and followed Koutari-san.

"..... Inoji. What's that?" Suzunashi-san said with utter curiosity. "It's been a long time since I've been called a beautiful lady."

"Boku-sama-chan too," Kunagisa looked exasperated as she watched Neo-san off. "Who is that? Ii-chan."

"Neo Furuara-san... the one with the long hair was Koutari-san. Koutari Hinayoshi-san."

However, he said see you. It was a way of talking that set a next meeting as a premise. He did seem the type that had a high encounter rate, but, in that case it seems an unnecessary flag was raised.

"Hmph," Shito-kun harrumphed in a despising way. "Such thoughtless people... to converse with this, to talk to this is a travesty for a fellow of this facility."

My. Am I being talked rudely about?

Ignoring Shito-kun, who continued muttering loud enough to hear, I asked Suzunashi-san behind him, "How did things go, I say?" Hmm, a bit of Neo-san's flamboyancy had rubbed off on me. Perhaps the same had happened to Suzunashi-san, as she spread out her arms, as if to embrace me, and said "Positively!" with a theatrical motion.

"The details were a bit rough. But in any case, we were given permission to see Utsurigi Gaisuke immediately."

"That's how it is, Ii-chan," Kunagisa said while swaying her blue hair. "Shito-chan's going to guide us now."

"Don't call me Shito-chan!" shouted Shito-kun, cutting short his muttering and spinning to us. "You're acting overly familiar! I don't know what it is between you and the professor, but stop being friendly with me!"

"But if you think about it, Shito-chan feels more right," I nodded in agreement. "As a nineteen-year-old, there is an obligation to call a sixteen-year-old person with a -chan."

"There's no such thing! Are you screwing with me? Are you screwing with me! Huh!?" Shito-kun shouted at us. "Cut it out! Or are you making fun of me in a roundabout way!?"

"I had no intention of being roundabout; however, this does seem to be set in stone now... I understand Shito-chan's feelings, but it is not something that can be dealt with by me alone."

"Shito-chan, if you don't like it, I'll call you Shitopi-chan."

"Don't! If you make fun of me one more time, I'm going to really be mad!"

"Understood, Shito-chan."

"Roger that, Shito-chan."

And then Suzunashi-san punched both Kunagisa and I.

3

What was unexpected was that when we were leaving the ward -- in other words, when we were leaving the building, the card key, the code entry into the number lock, and the voice recognition and retinal recognition, were all required. To need to do this not only for entry but also for leaving was care and then care and then even more care, like a maximum security prison. Shito-kun said "Don't leave on your own," but it appeared that is an impossible task to begin with.

"The seventh ward is this way," Shito-kun said with his usual curt way of talking. "God -- why do I have to guide them... this isn't part of my job at all."

Kunagisa Tomo and I walked a bit of a distance behind. Suzunashi-san said "I want to take a look around the building. Investigating, investigating," and was still wandering about the first ward. Suzunashi-san had quite a strong sense of curiosity, so there must have been things she wanted to take the opportunity to look at. She was being guided around by Misachi-san. Misachi-san was beautiful in her own right, but was not really a bishoujo, so it should hopefully be alright.

"In any case, Tomo," I spoke to Kunagisa as we walked beside each other. "What did you speak to professor Kyouichirou about? We were granted a meeting pretty quickly. I thought they would be hesitant about these things, and so the professor would try to procrastinate as much as possible."

"You're right. Yup, that's right. For boku-sama-chan it's technically technically expected, but this sort of expected is discomforting," Kunagisa said as she rubbed the back of her head, which had been smacked by Suzunashi-san. "He's probably confident."

"Confident?"

"Yup, confident with regards to Sacchan. Really, that sort of person... really, he must have really found out a lot, the professor. A lot happened so it's as expected as it was expected. Researcher -- no, that's more the personality of an academic. Or rather, more a lifestyle than a personality, probably."

Kunagisa said with a bit of disappointment, as if she was saddened by the gradual loss of something. I did not know what to say to that Kunagisa, so I just averted my eyes from the awkwardness, and changed the subject. "By the way."

"How do they get electricity this deep into the mountains? Are there power lines? Even if there are waterways and gas. Even if there are phone lines."

"No idea. Hey, how is it, Shito-chan?"

Kunagisa called out to Shito-kun. Shito-kun had in turn apparently given up on that name, and while he looked unhappy, he said nothing about it, and simply snorted.

"That's it," and he pointed toward a building to our side. "Eighty-percent is generated from in-house. Research and experimentation and such take up a lot of electricity, so we do have a power line running to us, but we have to generate our own."

"Hmm. Then, this building--"

"The sixth ward."

"The interior of the sixth ward is composed of an electrical power plant. I was wondering because it was not a research building, but I see--," and then I looked up. With a glance, I noted that it looked like the first ward that we were in just now as well as the other buildings -- no windows -- but. "Do not tell me there is a nuclear power plant stuffed inside."

"We wouldn't make something that dangerous, idiot," Shito-kun struck down my worries in one blow. "It's a hydrogen power plant, hydrogen."

"What is a hydrogen power plant?"

"Powering electricity using hydrogen. Can't you figure from the name?"

It was an incredibly rough explanation, but Shito-kun did not seem like he was willing to give any further explanations, having turned back forward. We walked leisurely along the space between the greenery and the building that supposedly was ahydrogen power plant. It appeared Utsurigi Gaisuke's seventh ward was on the other side of this sixth ward. Given its numeric order, the seventh ward was probably created last.

"However, the buildings are all placed close to each other," I mumbled to neither Kunagisa nor Shito-kun as I recalled the blueprint of the laboratory wards. "Isn't that dangerous in the case of earthquakes and fires?"

"Unyun," Kunagisa looked at the first ward and then the sixth ward, and nodded. "Yup. There're problems for dealing with earthquakes and such. But because it's in the mountains, there're other architectural restrictions. Of course, this is just hearsay from Nao-kun. But even so, isn't this still better than Tokyo?"

"Well, that is right, but. Come to think of it, have you even been to Tokyo, have you even seen that place?"

"Ii-chan hasn't either."

"But I have been to Houston."

"That's not a brag at all."

It was not.

I spontaneously decided to look at the sky and noticed that it had become cloudier. It was still just evening, but not a single ray of light made it through, or rather it had become as dark as night. It was like raven-colored clouds had dominated the heavens in a ghastly way.

-- Then.

Bump, Kunagisa ran into my back.

"Auh, sorry, Ii-chan."

"No, do not worry," I stepped aside, letting Kunagisa pass. "I was spaced out, too. I was looking at the sky."

"Yup? Ah, you're right. Looks like bad weather. Like it'll rain. Hey, Shito-chan?"

"..... What." Shito-kun said back, a line that should be a question but lacked a question mark. "Did you call me."

"Yup. How high up are we? It looks like we're lower than the cloud."

"Don't ask me," Shito-kun sighed. Not that I could speak for others, but despite being young, his sigh implied many years of hardship. "Why would I know something like that?"

"Even though you live here?"

"Then do you know the altitude of where you live?"

Uni, Kunagisa folded her arms. Shito-kun sighed once more and then plodded forward. Yes, it seemed Shito-kun had come to realize that Kunagisa is a rather difficult person to deal with. Becoming angry at Kunagisa is just a waste of effort.

"What's wrong, Ii-chan? Let's go."

"Ahh. Yeah."

I nodded, and I subtly glanced behind us, and followed Kunagisa. Only trees were left behind us, and I could not see anyone.

".........."

Of course, I did not bump into Kunagisa because I was looking up at the sky. I am not refined enough to look at rainclouds with any sort of passion. Even if I were to look at rainclouds, I would only think, "Ahh, it is cloudy. Quite cloudy indeed." No, the reason why I suddenly stopped was because I sensed something unpleasant behind. Something unpleasant only comes across as vague, so allow me to rephrase that with more specificity.

I felt something watching us from behind.

I do not know for sure if it was someone watching, but in any case I felt we were being watched, or someone was tracking us. Of course, just as I had not noticed Koutari-san and Neo-san approaching in the first ward, I am not particularly sensitive to such things. Not sensitive, but it did not mean I am especially insensitive. I have enough senses such that if I do feel it, then I can determine whether I felt it for sure.

However, who could it be? The first to come to mind were professor Kyouichirou or a subordinate fellow (for instance, Koutari-san or Neo-san from earlier), or perhaps the professor's secretary Misachi-san, but none of that really fit. A sufficient beholder named Shito-kun stood right in front of my eyes. There was no meaning to go to through the pain of double-checking.

"..... Tomo. Have you done anything evil lately?"

"I haven't. Recently, at all," Kunagisa responded quizzically. "What? What do you mean with that? If I did something evil, is Ii-chan going to scold me? Sounds exciting."

"No, if you have not, then it is fine."

Indeed, Kunagisa had barricaded herself in Shirosaki's house of late, and had been pouring herself into something suspicious, but I had not heard of her actually doing anything. Even if there were problems related to that something suspicious, I could not imagine it was something that would merit being stalked this deep in the mountains.

Perhaps it was an animal or something, I tried to steer my thoughts toward realism. I felt like it was simply a favorable interpretation, but I also felt like it was the only reasonable answer. This place was completely surrounded by a high wall, so even if it were to be animal it would have to be a bird, so that would mean that I had at least come to the point where I could sense the eyes of birds. That would indeed to be quite a level up in skill, but I also felt like it was a very superhuman power.

"It is nonsense akin to placing the price tag by its side..."

It was sufficient for a scarlet contractor to be the only one with such a skill.

Following Shito-kun's lead, we walked past the sixth ward and turned a corner to see the seventh ward. As expected, just like the other buildings, it was a windowless, dice-shaped building. It seemed slightly smaller than the power-plant sixth ward. Although from where I stood, the height seemed similar.

"..... Hmm--"

So he is inside -- the cracker for Team, Green Green Green Utsurigi Gaisuke.

For some reason Kunagisa held my hand. I glanced at her and noticed that it seemed that, like me, she was pondering something, as she looked up at the laboratory. I did not know why she grabbed my hand, but in any case, I held her hand back.

"What're you two daydreaming for?" Shito-kun said with suspicion. "Jeez. Didn't you two come to see Utsurigi-san? Hurry up and come."

Shito-kun had already arrived at the entrance. He was standing in front of the card reader and tapping his feet with irritation with a hand to his waist. I continued holding Kunagisa's hand and moved us toward him.

"Let me tell you now... I have nothing to do with whatever happens. Absolutely positively nothing. Really, no matter what happens, I'm not going in to help."

"Help? What?" I tilted my head to the side at Shito-kun's words. "I do not really understand what you mean, Shito-chan."

"You two are so persistent... I'm gonna tell that black big sister," Shito-kun looked at us with an unforgiving look. "Jeez... why am I always stuck in this sort of role... so cruel, really. Well, whatever. Anyways, no matter what Utsurigi-san does, I'm not coming to help. Just understand that real good."

"What do you mean by help, Shito-kun," I asked again. "It is not like we are coming to see Dr. Lecter, right? Are you saying Utsurigi Gaisuke is going to bite off our tongue?"

".........."

I said that as a joke, but Shito-kun muttered, "Correct, Mr. Columbo, and then slid the card through the reader. He entered the code number, and then, "Oogaki Shito. ID is ikwe9f2ma444."

The thick, heavy door slowly opened. Shito-kun entered first, followed by me and then Kunagisa. Shito-kun muttered, "Jeez... really, so unexpected... ugh ugh," and continued down the hall.

"Fourth floor."

He said quickly, and then he opened the steel door at the far end of the corridor, and began climbing the stairs by its side.

"Do you not have elevators? I thought there was one next door."

"Doesn't like them. Utsurigi-san. Elevators," Shito-kun answered without turning around. "So almost everything from the elevator shaft to the box is completely decomposed. He let off using hardly any tools."

".........."

I glanced at Kunagisa, but she only mumbled nostalgically, "Sacchan is still the same." It seemed that was not a light joke or anything. I see, destroyer and pervert. I felt like I was able to see a bit of Utsurigi Gaisuke.

We arrived on the fourth floor. After completing the climb, another key was used to open the door, and we stepped into a white hall. If the central hub of professor Kyouichirou's first ward gave the impression of a hospital, this one gave the impression of a university campus. That came because it did not seem like an atmosphere befitting human life. There was a lack of realism, as if we were inside a theme park.

Shito-kun did not hesitate in selecting a door, and then he stopped. He waited for us to arrive, and then seemed to gather his wits before knocking.

".........."

There was no answer. Shito-kun furrowed his brows with suspicion and knocked again. However, there was still no answer. It remained silent.

"..... That’s weird. The professor called him."

"Maybe he is sleeping?"

"Idiot. He received a call, why would he sleep after that," Shito-kun looked at me with exasperation, and then knocked once more. "..... That’s weird....."

He knocked a third time and a fourth time, then he finally seemed to give up, and then he sighed, and placed his hand on the knob. And then he said, "It's Oogaki. I'm coming in, Utsurigi-san," and then pulled the door open.

There was no one inside the room.

Shito-kun entered the room, so we did the same. And then, I was surprised by the interior of the room. It was not just that there was no one inside. There was just a single, steel-piped chair in the middle of the room, and there was not one other thing, without any exaggeration or hyperbole, absolutely nothing else in the room. It was like a newly-built mansion room that no one had yet stepped into -- yes, a very inhuman atmosphere.

"Shito-kun," I said to Shito-kun. "What room is this?"

"Ah? Utsurigi-san's private room. He's usually here when he's not working, but..."

Private? What about this room was a private room? If such a thing exists, it would not be this place in the least. Without any reason, I walked around this spacious room, which had nothing, and was about the size of twenty tatami.

"Hmm. So this is Sacchan's room..." Kunagisa followed suit. "Hmm. Indeed... indeed... indeed-- ufufu."

She seemed satisfied. Was this supposed to also be just as expected of Utsurigi? More and more the term pervert seemed more real. No, if this is supposed to be individuality, then I thought that it should instead be expressed as an illness.

Shito-kun was just irritated. He glanced around the room without any purpose, and then began hitting the wall in a furor. Perhaps the walls were sound-proofed, as all that came of it was a powerless slapping sound.

"Shit... did he run away..."

Just as Shito-kun muttered that.

"I haven't run."

From the entrance came a voice. That voice was oddly pointed and shrill, like a hen.

"Would you please refrain from saying rude, incorrect things, Shito-kun? Even if it's rude, I do not mind you mouthing the truth. Even if it's wrong, I will forgive if you speak with respect. But both are unforgivable. Altogether unforgivable, Shito-kun. Or are you saying that there is a reason that I would run away?"

Shito-kun turned, and then I turned, and then Kunagisa turned.

There was one lab-coated man, leaning against the inner frame of the door.

What stood out most was the white hair that did not suit his age. His slender form and long limbs. He looked the part, yet because of that, the lab coat felt lacking for him. He wore white, cotton gloves on each hand. He had a pretty face such that one might glance at him and think him a girl, but his stubble on the end of his chin struck that thought down. And then his orange-colored sunglasses, and the eyes behind them. Those eyes were smiling and laughing, but the back of those eyes were not laughing.

This is. This is.

"U-- U U U," Shito-kun's words became stuck in his throat as he said the name. "..... U, Utsurigi-san....."

"Yes, it is Utsurigi-san," Utsurigi flashed a manly smile. "Utsurigi Gaisuke."

"Ah, um....."

Shito-kun seemed to take a step back and turned toward Utsurigi. It was like a rodent was being terrified in front of a carnivore, would be a metaphorical expression of his sudden shift in attitude. Shito-kun was completely cowering in front of Utsurigi, such that you would never think this was the same person who was just now cursing while punching the wall.

Cowering.

Yes, this was absolutely not a display of respect or awe. Shito-kun's emotion was unfortunately understandable for me. I could understand it like it was my own feeling. My emotion standing in front of Utsurigi, my impression having first met Utsurigi Gaisuke, was probably completely the same as emotion of Shito-kun at this very moment.

However, Utsurigi Gaisuke himself did not so much as glance at Shito-kun -- or even, of course, me -- looking instead in one fixed direction. There is no need to explain what direction that was. None other than one blue-haired girl stood in that direction, with her jaw raised as she looked up at Utsurigi with her eyes.

Utsurigi adjusted his sunglasses, and then curled the right corner of his lip, and then,

"-- Yo, Dead Blue."

He said, and then he lowered his head deeply.

That sight was so bizarre it was memorable, as an adult man was bowing to a young girl.

"This would be about two years. Would it not. Oh, did you change your hairstyle? You've become much cuter. What happened to that coat? That precious, precious keepsake. Fufu, whatever the case, to be able to see you once again, is both extremely awing and moving to myself."

"To be precise, one year and eight months thirteen days fourteen hours thirty-two minutes and fifteen-point-seven seconds. Of course, seventeen-point-eighty-seven seconds have passed since our reunion. Yup, right -- I am glad we were able to meet again."

Replied the one who used to lead him.

"It's truly been a while, Green Green Green."