OTO Chapter 64

[Heavy Judgment]

Tameiki-san is a gourmet. Even in this city, Slaceid, there are several shops that she visits regularly, and today, I was brought to one of them, a shop where you can eat the delicacy of demon beast.

Tameiki-san’s face was known by Self Defense Force, so she needs to be vigilant even just by walking around the city.

Members whose face was already exposed can’t walk the streets openly.

After all, if the sighting information increases, the location of the hideout may be identified.

As a countermeasure, Anonymous has prepared a number of routes where the SDF’s eyes can’t reach.

Today we went to this shop through it.

When we entered the store, Tameiki-san and the owner seemed to know each other and we were guided to a private room.

Such connections are essential for ordinary covert activities.

“Order for whatever you want.”

Tameiki-san said, then she handed me the menu.

I briefly read the menu, but everything is ridiculously expensive.

Although she told me to order for whatever I want, with these prices, I will be reserved after all.

But well, Tameiki-san has a great amount of money, I guess.

Even if I’m not really reserved to order, she isn’t a person who cares about such things, so I will take her upon her words here.

Thinking so, I handed the menu back to Tameiki-san and ask her to order various suitable dishes.

I rarely eat demon beasts, so I don’t really have a preference.

Therefore, no matter what was ordered, it will be the same.

“Tameiki-san, do you not have anything else to wear beside suits?”

After the waiter left, I asked so.

“Yes.”

“Are you not thinking of wearing anything else?”

Roll is somehow pretty fashionable.

Tameiki-san and Roll. They should have been living a similar life, but why are they so different?

They have some similarities, though.

“I don’t. There’s no need after all.”

“It’s a waste. Tameiki-san is very beautiful. Your body is good, so you would look good in various clothes.”

“…your flattering is good.”

Tameiki-san turned her sight away and said.

Tameiki-san who is shy is very cute.

“No no, it’s not flattery. It’s true.”

“…Stop”

It’s really a waste. If Tameiki-san return to normal life, there would be many men who would woo her.

Since her face has been exposed, it’s impossible for her to return to normal life. That’s why she must live in hiding.

However, Yoiyami-san had a relatively ordinary life.

“Come to think of it, since when were you in Anonymous?”

Suddenly, I got curious, so I asked.

At that time, the door of the private room was knocked and opened. The waiter brought in the drink that had been ordered.

Tameiki-san took a sip of it and placed it on the table.

The waiter left the room, and Tameiki-san said.

“It’s about when I was 6 years old.”

6 years old…that’s the age where you would enter elementary school, right.

Tameiki-san was about 25 years old now, so that’s about 20 years ago.

“Why… why did you enter Anonymous…?”

…this question, might have conveyed wrongly.

That’s a part everyone avoids, I was really not delicate.

For some reason, I always says what I thought to Tameiki-san.

“I’m sorry…”

I apologized for asking such insensitive question.

Then, Tameiki-san laughed and spoke.

“I’m the same as you. I caused a manifestation disaster.”

“Eh?”

“The manifestation disaster will not occur if the ability is strong. Nevertheless, it still occured, because it was deeply related with the mental state at that time and the compatibility with the ability.”

“…”

I’ve learned in class.

If the compatibility with the ability is too good, it may rampage without control.

There are many patterns in which strong abilities are gradually manifest and bloom, but it seems that such cases can occur if the mental state is unstable.

That was the case with me. If I was asked if my mental state was unstable, I had to tilt my head though.

Maybe I just didn’t realize it.

“…With my manifestation, I made my whole surroundings became a plain. It was a small village. A lot of people died.

Of course, my whole family died as well.”

I was speechless.

That experience should be too painful for a 6-year-old…

Tameiki-san speaks calmly.

“Everyone who approaches me dies… I became alone.”

“…What happened after that?”

It was similar to me. However, it must had been harder for Tameiki-san.

“Hyde and Yoiyami appeared there.”

Boss and Yoiyami-san… Right, Yoiyami-san was already a part of Anonymous since the time it was formed. So Anonymous was already around since that time huh.

“Then, I entered Anonymous. It was still a small organization at that time.”

“Hee, it’s already around since that long…, Anonymous I mean.”

“Ahh.

…I’m grateful to Hyde. It’s thanks to him that I could live like this now.”

“I see.”

Then, the reason why Tameiki-san silently obeying the unreasonable orders of Boss is because she feels that she has a debt of gratitude to him?

She grew up that way. Perhaps by doing so, she reaffirmed the significance of her own existence.

It’s something that only Tameiki-san can understand.

I wonder if Tameiki-san enjoyed her life now.

As expected, I couldn’t ask such a question.

“Now that I think about it, the only ones who are still alive since the time of founding were Hyde, Yoiyami, and Kemuri.

At the time I entered, people are dying every day. Since I was still a kid, so I was only protected at that time. That’s why…I also understand your feelings well.”

Tameiki-san narrowed her eyes.

Kuroinu-san… Hakunetsu-san…

Perhaps there were also existences like those two for Tameiki-san.

I’m sure that she had experienced this sadness, fear, and anger dozens of times more than I do, to be the Tameiki-san of now.

“…”

Boss picked up many different people.

However, those people eventually died.

If they would eventually die, I wonder why they were saved.

What was Boss thinking about when he created this organization.

Sacrifice many people for one person.

Boss said so.

However, that one person would also die.

Currently, they are collected as an organization, but there were many times more people who died than those who were saved, right?

How does Boss accept this fact.

“I wonder why Boss made Anonymous.”

With Boss’ ability, he should be able to join the Self Defense Force and work to save those kinds of people.

I think he could help more people by doing so.

Is it can’t be done unless it’s Anonymous?

“The reason, huh… He has various responsibilities, so should have his own consideration. It’s been about 20 years since I met him, but I don’t know anything about him.

No, there’s no meaning in knowing it.

There are considerable numbers of people who can live thanks to him. That’s enough.”

I thought deeply about the meaning of those words.

Then, after a brief silence, the door of the private room opened and the food was delivered.

Even though we deliberately came here to eat, the talk had become quite unenjoyable somehow. It’s because I heard something weird.

However, I can’t think of a story that can be enjoyed with Tameiki-san.

Not that it’s unenjoyable to be together with her.

“Here, let’s eat.”

“Itadakimasu.”

The demon beast’s dishes were delicious

ーーー

An executive meeting was held that night.

I’m sitting in Utsusemi-san’s seat. It’s a space that can’t be said to be comfortable.

“Let’s start the meeting.”

Boss’s words shook the atmosphere in the meeting room.

“First, status report.

In the last 3 days, I ordered the branch members to make exaggerated movements, and 5 out of 7 cases was taken care of by Midou Ryuusui. From this, the organization can’t move poorly.”

“Five cases huh, that’s troubling.”

Byakurei-san put his feet on the table, and said so.

“Looks like they got a Teleporter ability user. This is their measure against Shimichi, and the situation became troublesome.”

“Hee, the enemy doesn’t seem to be stupid.”

“Byakurei is an idiot though.”

I turn my sight to the two. Seems like they have no sense of tension.

By the way, Desuko-san and Byakurei-san are somehow on good terms, right.

“He specially step down from his general rank to crush us in earnest.

He seems to manage the department that mainly dealt with Anonymous. Perhaps he inherited the department of Lieutenant General Sakai, who had hardly functioned.”

“There was such a thing too, right.”

“Then, his range of action.

Midou Ryuusui acts only within the range of the seven major cities that made a big encirclement around Saint Celia. It’s been confirmed by Observer.

That’s probably because he’s putting all his effort to battle us and try not to leave Saint Celia if possible.”

“Moreover, that’s the limit distance of the Teleporter ability user.”

“Ah, if we make a conspicuous move within this range, that guy will certainly come. Well, even so, it could be an advantage for us.

However, it’s necessary to separate the Teleporter ability user from Midou.”

Boss looked at Kemuri-san.

Kemuri-san sighed and raise his hand.

“Certainly, that’s my role, which would make it least risky. But they shouldn’t be alone, right? The Teleporter ability user I mean.”

“True. You’re right. The exact number is unknown though.”

“To summarize, this is an assassination, right. The difficulty of assassinating people with teleportation ability is high though.”

“It seems easier than to deal with Midou Ryuusui. I’ll help you, Kemuri.

Battle isn’t my business anyway.”

“Then, I’ll count on you, Desuko.”

“Yes~.”

“I’ll leave that side to you two.

Well then, I, Tameiki, Byakurei, Shimichi, the minimum conditions to attack him with these four people are that he is acting alone and that we can take it to a battle where civilians are damaged.

And if possible…I want to capture him alive.”

“Ha?”

“Yes?”

“What are you thinking Boss.”

“…The conditions have suddenly become more difficult at the end. Why do you need him alive?”

Everyone asked one after another.

“There is information that I want to retrieve. Of course, I will kill him after I retrieve the information.”

“It’s no use. He’s not a man who would open his mouth even when tortured.”

“It’s fine to let Desuko try it.”

“Eh~, me…?”

“…As expected, it’s too hard right? To capture him alive, four people is just barely enough. It’s different from killing him.”

Barely enough with four people…

Those four are barely enough huh.

“That’s why I said, if possible. The level of difficulty jumps up after all.

I’ll see the situation and gives the instruction.”

Boss seems to be aiming to capture him alive since the beginning.

Tameiki-san also said that four people was more than enough if it’s just to kill him.

So, he wants the information so badly that he would even go to that extent.

“Do you have a plan or something?”

Byakurei-san said.

“We’ll use Shion.”

Everyone’s eyes moved to me.

So, my role is here huh.

“We’ll make Shion be our hostage.”

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