Estimated reading time: 7–9 minutes
Chapter 17: Alliance Negotiations
「So, do you know anything about that?」
「Reina, or rather Miss Shiroinu? I’m surprised you don’t know about it.」
「You can call me Reina. What I know is limited to the development phase of version 1.00. I can only speculate about the actual operation and subsequent developments – right now I’m just a mercenary loosely connected to the underground.」
「I see. My side doesn’t know anything about the past stuff, but we’ve been getting a lot of intel lately related to cyborgs. For example, there’s no way the country alone could have built that old Osaka city location, so leaks were inevitable.」
「But to think that little book led them all the way to space… unbelievable.」
「Well, they hit obstacles in the practical application and mass production, even the basic synthesis, of the exotic matter. There must have been crucial information in that book related to the biggest bottleneck. Since this update came so abnormally fast, we haven’t been able to thoroughly analyze the contents.」
The two of them, waiting for the appointed time, were shocked by the sudden update and gathered to discuss the cause – just a short while ago.
Of course, they also contacted Kanji, but with the livestream ongoing, he’s not in a state to be discussing plans or strategies. At this point, each organization is in an uproar – no, in an even more dire situation.
Right before their eyes, they watched players robbed of moisture by the vacuum, dessicated. Kanji fell silent as he witnessed this.
『I died instantly upon logging in!』
『Same here. What was the point of lifting the login restrictions?』
『The f*cking game changed, didn’t it? The ads only showed the surface!』
『Fix the damn bugs already. I’ll sue!』
The comment section was sheer chaos. And rightly so – games where you die instantly upon logging in are few and far between.
「A vacuum… If we know where the safe zones or spacesuits are located, we might have a way.」
「Would that work? Do you understand what a vacuum means? Even if you hold your breath, the boiling of bodily fluids will rupture blood vessels and lungs. That’s what led to those mummified players.」
「Well, 30 minutes is the limit for activity. Beyond that, you risk irreparable damage and injuries.」
「Wait, 30 minutes of no damage activity is possible?!」
Momiji was stunned by the sheer absurdity. While she had heard rumors of second generation beastkin, she hadn’t heard they defied reason to this extent. And that 30 minutes referred to the maximum duration of fully utilizing beastkin physical capabilities.
Momiji crossed her legs and sipped her tea. They were currently in a family restaurant near Reina’s house. By (pure) coincidence, Momiji’s temporary lodging was also nearby, hence meeting in person rather than a call.
The real reason for meeting face-to-face wasn’t to share information – screens were fine for that. She wanted to see each other’s bodies directly. Reina’s deeply tucked hat and pure black gloves and tights, Momiji’s limbs covered by the same. She felt visual confirmation was necessary.
「All four?」
「No, five – including the spinal cord.」
「I see.」
Reina also took a sip of her coffee. Caffeine no longer affected her, but sweet treats didn’t seem appropriate for the mood. A moment of silence hung in the air, drowned out by the chatter of nearby students.
Reina spoke dolefully, yet with a hint of joy:
「I thought there wouldn’t be a second time. I also thought Japan would be the first to finish gathering intel on this.」
「That’s because of the update. That station shouldn’t have existed in the first place. At least when the squad went there on the first day, it was completely submerged. But I guess the enhancement of the Apollyons reduced the damage to the city, allowing that area to survive.」
「You seem to know quite a bit. What happened to not knowing anything from before?」
「Official stances and reality are different.」
「…Let’s stop probing each other. It’s tedious.」
「Sure. So what’s your objective, Reina?」
Momiji’s question made Reina freeze up momentarily. Their reason for meeting wasn’t so much to share information as to gain mutual understanding and form an alliance.
After all, Orange, aka Mishima Kanji, really did have no background or ties – he was just an ordinary person. Both Momiji and Reina were well aware of that. However, having spread world-changing intel twice, that perception would inevitably change. At the very least, others would assume there was more to him.
The most frightening possibility was retaliation by those harmed by Orange’s actions – physically or socially. While Reina could likely handle the former, the latter could jeopardize Kanji’s future. Granted, he had no promising future left to lose, but neither woman wanted to see that cheerful, curious face darkened.
Another threat was recruitment by other organizations, offering backup in exchange for exclusive intel, thanks to Kanji’s evident scouting abilities. As long as the organizations were legitimate, this could be managed, but criminal entities were another story. The declining trust in nations after the “Base Collapse” had led some espers to form independent organizations beyond governmental control. If such entities that disregarded ethics like beastkin appeared, Kanji could even be kidnapped.
For protection, Reina had bugged the manga she lent Kanji. As she listened to him snore through the bugs while on guard duty, she struggled not to open strange doors.
While there were various other concerns like him being deified, the fact was that Kanji’s safety was now jeopardized. True, most legitimate organizations wouldn’t resort to coercion against a second generation beastkin. However, they desperately wanted to prevent idiots who didn’t understand that and carelessly provoked her.
Hence Momiji’s security company as a shield and Reina as the violent deterrent. Together, they could at least prevent immediate harm coming to Kanji. Feigning ignorance, Reina asked back:
「My objective is to protect Kanji, I guess?」
「That’s obvious. With things as they are, handing him to the government would stifle him in red tape, and now that it’s happened a second time, him living freely is the only option for Kanji. See, aviation stocks are plunging. It’s the Second Orange Panic.」
「As expected of him. So what’s my reason? Well, it’s simple – being with Kanji now is fun, even knowing I’ll die in 2055.」
Momiji froze mid-sip. For a moment, she mistook it for talk of lifespan, though she knew that only applied to the third generations. Then the mention of a 2055 death could only mean that military operation. Reina’s words about enjoying the present carried deeper affection than Momiji expected, but clearly they weren’t at that stage yet. Breathing a private sigh of relief, Momiji stroked her chest.
For some reason, Momiji’s reaction stirred turmoil within Reina. Unable to articulate her feelings, she could only deflect the question back at Momiji.
「…So what’s your objective, Momiji?」
『Base Collapse』
A project existed to formulate and share psychic powers. However, in the 2030 earthquake, new artificial mass particles manifested, causing many abilities to destabilize or alter. The phenomena from this incident are collectively termed the “Base Collapse.”
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