[Dead City]
I have no idea where Tsurugi is, but I was told to search for him in this city.
Slaceid, the city where Anonymous’s base (hideout) used to be.
Slaceid is my hometown where I was born and raised, and also the city I abandoned.
I heard that the residents have lost their trust in the city and are moving to Saint Celia one after another since that great conflict that involved the whole city.
As a result, Slaceid has transformed into a city with a bad public order.
It’s been half a year since then.
In other words, it is the first time in half a year that I come to this city.
I look up at the sky; the moon illuminates the city brightly. There are no clouds, and the stars are clearly visible.
When I lower my gaze as it is, I can see the scars of the conflict that remain in the city. It seems it is as I’ve heard, the reconstruction isn’t progressing much.
Yoiyami-san and I land on the roof a residential building in the center of the city.
“This far is fine, right?”
After I nod silently, the figure of Yoiyami-san standing next to me melts and disappears in the dark night.
That’s right, Yoiyami-san took me to Slaceid with ‘Blackout’.
It is now past 3 o’clock late at night. It is difficult to travel long distance by ‘Blackout’ in the daytime, so we had to wait until this late to carry out the operation.
The other members are on standby at the apartment. Roll was unhappy regarding this arrangement, but no matter how you think about it, it would be too conspicuous to search for Tsurugi with everyone; the risks is big, so I rejected it.
If possible, I wanted to do the search in pair with Yoiyami-san. However, to move Yoiyami-san thoughtlessly and have him be detected by Boss would be unwise.
That was why Yoiyami-san only played the role of a means of transportation, and withdrew for the moment. If I contact him, he will be coming again to pick me up.
So, I’ll be doing the search alone.
However, I’m very anxious of acting alone.
What if the Self-Defense Forces discovers me? What if someone reports me?
When I thought so, I would like to have at least one person to accompany me in preparation for the worst, but having arrived here, I don’t think I would make that kind of mistake.
In the first place, my ability is suitable for acting alone.
And if it’s now… even if one or two generals come rushing here, I’m confident that I can escape unhurriedly.
The despair in the confrontation with Boss at that time and getting out of there alive gave me that much confidence.
I am not weak. Not in the least.
I jump off the roof of the residence building and land on the concrete ground.
My body feels light probably because I don’t have the grappling gun and knife that would normally hang on my waist.
It’s not that I no longer need them. It would be convenient to have them.
But as a matter of course, I’m infiltrating the city under the guise of an ordinary person.
There’s no way I would be wearing a tuxedo and a mask.
A grayish thin hoodie and dark blue jeans. They are the clothes that Roll has picked for me before coming here.
Therefore, I can’t carry such conspicuous things.
As for the grappling gun, it was something Roll ordered from the R&D department of Anonymous, so we just can’t get it anymore.
I walk straight on the dim road.
Taking off the hood I’m wearing, I put my hands into the hoodie’s pocket.
If I act so openly, no one would think I am a wanted criminal.
Unlike the other members, I have no distinctive features. Features such as having a blond hair with blue eyes, or fiery red hair, or wearing a hakama and a bamboo hat.
Therefore, I believe there will only be a few people who will guess that I’m a wanted criminal in one shot just by taking a passing glance at me.
Besides, most people think that wanted criminals have nothing to do with themselves.
Well, I have no intention of encountering anyone, to begin with though.
As I proceed while thinking about such things, I see the former residential area that Face Punch-san had blown away.
The rubbles have been removed, and it has turned into a vast vacant lot.
I immediately stop and look around once.
Almost no people live in the center of the city – which was heavily damaged. With the addition it being late at night, the street is empty.
Perhaps the sounds of people wandering around here and there that I can hear still is that of the patrols of the Self-Defense Forces.
I change direction to avoid the sound approaching from about 200m ahead.
It’s been half-a-year, but I had lived here for many years, so I still have a map of the city in my head.
The night breeze is lukewarm.
I proceed toward the ‘destination’ while taking in the scenery I was used to seeing.
———
Of course, Boss knows that Slaceid is the hometown where Tsurugi and I were born and raised.
You would naturally have many acquaintances and friends in your hometown; he must have considered the possibility that there might be people who would be sheltering us.
Although I had sneaked through the patrols of the Self-Defense Forces to reach this point, the number of patrols was clearly large.
In other words, Boss is taking proper measures, and since that is the case, Tsurugi wouldn’t be able to easily enter and stay in this city.
…But thinking about it, will he take an action that will involve someone in this city?
I at least don’t want to choose ‘plan 2’ which is very risky, but…
“I better not expect anything, right?”
I drown out such monologue so that no one could hear it, then I look up at a single-family house from outside the door of the gate.
The light in that person’s room is still on. And from inside that room, I hear that person’s sound.
I check the time by looking at my wristwatch.
3:50 am. I’m surprised that person is still awake at this time, but it makes it convenient.
“Ohashi, are you there?”
Ohashi Hitomi.
To be honest, it was name which even its existence I had forgotten since I was swallowed in the muddy stream of the underworld (TN: as in the underside of the society).
When we were students, Tsurugi, Rin, Ohashi, and I sure got along well as a group.
I speak again with a voice that reach only her.
“Look out the window.”
Several seconds later, the window is opened vigorously, but produce no sound. It’s because I’ve silenced the sound.
Without making any noise, Ohashi Hitomi leans out of the window and immediately finds me.
Ohashi has her shoulders heaving up and down, and is staring at me. She is in a pajama and her hair is a little wet.
I raise my index finger and bring it in front of my lips.
Because I can silence all sounds, I can make her unable to report or make a fuss right now, but if possible, I’d like her to keep silent willingly.
‘You don’t want to put your family in danger, right?’ I lift the corner of my mouth just a little and warn her so.
Now then, I have two plans for searching for Tsurugi.
Plan 1 is to get information on Tsurugi and try to contact him directly.
And Plan 2 is to take someone hostage and wait for him to take action.
If I can’t hear anything about Tsurugi from Ohashi, I will abort Plan 1 and switch to Plan 2.
Ohashi has a stalker-level affection for Tsurugi, but if I can’t get any information from her, it will be the same even if I try getting it from other people. It means that Tsurugi is able to escape perfectly without involving anyone.
Therefore, it is better to change to a different method rather than moving around imprudently.
However, Plan 2 cannot be said to be a very effective means, as our purpose is building a cooperative relationship with him.
Of course, the one who will become a victim as a hostage is Ohashi, but that is one of the big risks I mentioned earlier.
After looking up at Ohashi leaning out of the window for a while, I turn on my heels back as if to ask her to follow me and proceed toward the residential area.
She will naturally follow, I think.
Whether she has information on Tsurugi or not, there must be a mountain of things she wants to ask me.
There is also the possibility that she will call for reinforcements with her phone or something of the sort if she is out of my sight. But perhaps, Ohashi doesn’t even know anything about Tsurugi, she isn’t allowed to know.
This is a guess considering his personality. So, from the beginning she might ‘not know anything’.
If this prediction is right on the mark, she will definitely try to get information from me. In that case, if she calls for reinforcement, she won’t be able to hear anything from me, as they will get in the way. That’s why Ohashi comes alone.
And I will make use of it.
Even if my prediction is proven to be wrong, and she doesn’t call for reinforcements or follow me, then I would just withdraw and think of a different plan. That’s convenient as it supports the guess that Ohashi has information about Tsurugi.
“Wait!”
However, as expected, Ohashi comes and follows me.
I look back after walking dozens of steps from her house. Ohashi – who shouted at the front door – probably came down in a hurry, as she is barefooted and still in her pajamas. She walks this way as she is vigilantly.
I say to her,
“Change your clothes and come. There is a park ahead, right? I’ll be waiting there.”
Want more? Check out my patreon for 4 more chapters!
Zky Translates 
Thanks for the chapter.
LikeLiked by 1 person