Episode 173: Tatarai’s Pure Emotions
At the top floor of Ariannrod.
In the middle of a dimly lit corridor leading to the innermost room, the Director stopped in their tracks.
Seeing them halt, Solfi tilted her head in confusion.
“What is the matter?”
“…Ah, it seems she has arrived after finishing her task,” the Director said, lowering their gaze to their own shadow.
In the corridor faintly illuminated by minimal light, an unusually dark shadow stood out prominently.
This shadow undulated like water and then transformed into the silhouette of a girl.
“Oh dear, my sneak attack failed!”
“Hahaha, despite appearances, you’ve quite startled me. Well done on your mission, Tatarai.”
The girl with black flowing hair, dressed in a pristine uniform resembling white ceremonial attire, was none other than one of the S Rank individuals, the strongest title in Academy City, known as Tatarai.
“My stomach’s growling! Can I eat Solfi?”
“Hahaha, that would be troublesome. We’ll prepare food shortly, so please bear with it just a little longer.”
With a gentle expression, the Director instructed Solfi to fetch all available food and beckoned Tatarai to continue walking.
“Shall we proceed? Let’s discuss the next job while enjoying breakfast a bit early.”
“Aww, another job already? I wanted to go to the dessert buffet with Ryuko-chan soon.”
“Afterwards, I’ll treat you generously under my name. Please endure just a little longer.”
“Then there’s no helping it, I suppose.”
Tatarai smiled demurely, her demeanor akin to a traditional Japanese maiden.
However, the shadow stretching from her feet told a different story. An enormous, monstrous shadow, far from what one would expect from a young girl, moved freely around, exploring its surroundings like a colossal serpent.
“You two eat so much, but it makes me happy to indulge you.”
Smiling kindly, the Director watched over them as large quantities of food were brought into the planetarium-like room.
Facing the abundance of food, Tatarai grinned widely, while behind her, the snake leapt off the floor, flicking its tongue.
“My report is exactly as stated in the data—any questions?”
With that, she popped a piece of premium sushi into her mouth. Meanwhile, her shadow swallowed entire servings of food whole.
“Hmm, indeed entrusting this job to you was the right decision. I never would have guessed that Silver Twilight had already killed the First Angel.”
“Retrieving the body was impossible. The professor and I don’t work well together—I’m not good with such strong-willed abilities.”
Throwing the empty sushi container to her shadow, Tatarai picked up a pizza with grace yet consumed at an extraordinary speed.
“It doesn’t really matter. Your mission was merely to investigate Silver Twilight’s movements. Even obtaining the information about Trim awakening is more than enough.”
The Director furrowed their brows slightly—a rare sight for someone usually smiling broadly, which piqued Tatarai’s interest.
“To me, she just seemed like a delicious-looking child. Is she truly something the Director should worry about?”
“Yes. That is the final successful model of the Demons Gear. Theoretically, it can hold its own against six Angels and even calamities. It represents the pinnacle of weaponry, differing from the Star Reader’s Staff.”
“I see… Sorry, but I still find it uninteresting.”
Taking the offered ramen from Solfi, Tatarai continued eating.
“By the way, as per the intelligence department’s report, there were traces of Reiko Hyououdou being present within Silver Twilight. She made quite a scene.”
“That must be her ability freezing Trim. Being targeted was inevitable. I always warn her to be careful…”
It wasn’t hard to imagine that Reiko hadn’t been captured but rather volunteered to infiltrate. That was who Reiko was.
“Even Reiko seeking out opponents she might lose to was terrifying. Especially when the packed lunch she brought ran out—that was the scariest moment.”
Tatarai laughed, nonchalantly popping an ohagi into her mouth.
“After enduring so much, are you going to give me another job?”
“I apologize, but currently, only you can take action.”
With that, the Director picked up a cup of coffee, took a sip, and exhaled.
“Why not just ask Rokuhara? He’ll do anything for money, right?”
“He’s currently training other Demons Gear users.”
“Ah, I see. Quite busy, huh? People with many titles sure have it tough.”
While saying this, Tatarai devoured the pizza in one bite.
“So, you want me to kill the Third Angel now?”
“…Third? Isn’t it supposed to be the Second?”
The Director shook their head gently.
“The magical depth recorded during the appearance of the Second Angel doesn’t match this current Angel. Honestly, for an Angel, it’s troubling how adept they are at hiding. We haven’t managed to eliminate the Second Angel, and now the Third has appeared.”
Their words carried a hint of fatigue, unlike their usual composed smile.
“So, tell me about this Third Angel?”
“…Ah, it seems the next Angel employs some rather cunning tactics.”
The Director opened a virtual window and slid it towards Tatarai. A turtle-like monster appeared on the screen—a pure white shell adorned with fins resembling human hands. It looked more like a piece of art than a creature.
Upon seeing it, Tatarai stiffened slightly and muttered.
“Softshell turtle hotpot.”
“This photo was accidentally obtained by our intelligence operatives. Apparently, this Angel moves from person to person, spreading disease. Infected individuals suddenly go berserk, attacking those around them. It’s like a low-budget zombie movie.”
“In that case, handwashing, gargling, and wearing masks are necessary, right?”
“If it were that simple, things would be much easier.”
The Director shook their head.
“This Angel dwells within electronics, moving and escaping through dive gear and mobile devices. It’s like a bug with its own will. It injects a unique virus into any information the target consumes, causing infection. This is unprecedented.”
The Director handed Tatarai a tablet retrieved from the expanded domain. After examining it, the Director explained to the puzzled Tatarai.
“This is the device where the Angel was found a few days ago. It’s already been processed. …However, you should be able to track it down by scent, right?”
“…I see, so I am the best candidate for finding things. Feels like being a dog, doesn’t it?”
Tatarai brought the tablet closer to her shadow. Both she and the shadow emitted sounds indicating hunger.
“Ah-la!”
“It seems you approve.”
Smiling at the Director’s words, Tatarai fed the tablet to her shadow.
“The smell made me hungry—it looks like the Angel will be tasty. I missed the chance to eat the one at the professor’s place, so this is lucky.”
“Will you accept this mission?”
“Of course. But wouldn’t someone like Ryuko or Yukihira be better suited? They could use their legends to quickly locate lost items, and Yukihira could choose a future where the Angel happens to be in front of him, right?”
Tatarai excelled at searching, but she wasn’t the optimal choice. There were two other S Ranks who surpassed her in this area.
“Yukihira is responsible for the Kisou Academy dismantling project. We can’t burden him with additional tasks right now.”
“What about Ryuko, then? Can I go with her?”
“We can’t do that. She’s currently living with Rei’s clone. She seems very busy, so chasing Angels isn’t feasible.”
“Rei’s clone… Ah, now I remember Ryuko yelling for help about something like that before.”
Deciding to prioritize the meal in front of her—”Ah, meatballs!”—Tatarai let the memory slip away.
“Besides, Kirika is attending remedial classes, and Rei hasn’t fully recovered yet. As mentioned earlier, Rokuhara is also occupied. You’re the only one available.”
“There isn’t someone who got themselves into this mess, too? Though even if they were here, they’d probably just turn everything into a scorched wasteland, so they’re unnecessary.”
Recalling something, Tatarai paused and asked.
“Ah, wasn’t there one more addition to the S Rank? What about them?”
“Ah, you mean Mizuki? If she’s available—”
The Director pointed into the air as if noticing something, and Tatarai saw a transfer magic circle unfolding. From it emerged a girl with red hair and a strikingly beautiful face, one that deserved admiration over mere cuteness.
“Welcome back, Mizuki. Did everything go smoothly?”
“Yes, no issues. …Still, this transfer magic circle is impressive. Very convenient, though it would be better if it weren’t disposable.”
“Hahaha, transfer magic circles are complex. We’ll provide a new one soon. Tatarai, allow me to introduce you—this is Teruue Mizuki, the new S Rank. She’s been handling the cleanup of the S Rank Clone Project.”
The Director turned to Tatarai, but upon seeing her lack of reaction, they tilted their head in curiosity.
“Tatarai, is something wrong?”
“Sssuuu…”
“…”
Both the Director and Mizuki tilted their heads in confusion. Facing both of them, Tatarai suddenly widened her eyes and exclaimed.
“So delicious-looking…!”
As she spoke, Tatarai sprang into action. The shadow extending from her feet transformed into an even larger serpent, opening its massive jaws and lunging forward.
By the time Solfi noticed and tried to stop it, the shadow was already in front of Mizuki.
“I shall partake!”
With a wide grin, Tatarai manipulated her shadow to consume Mizuki. However, the next instant, an overwhelming blaze entered her mouth.
“—I see, this is the baptism of the S Rank.”
“…Wha-?! What is this heat?!”
Clutching her mouth, Tatarai stepped back a few paces. Behind her, the shadow smoked and thrashed violently.
“Are you alright?”
“Not okay at all!”
With tears in her eyes, Tatarai clutched her mouth, causing Mizuki to look anxiously at the Director, who was drinking coffee while laughing.
“Tatarai shares sensations with the shadow behind her, especially those related to taste and eating. Likely, she burned her mouth?”
The Director’s explanation was met with several nods from Tatarai. The shadow eagerly accepted ice cream from Solfi and began devouring the container whole.
“If that’s the case… forgive me. Since you’re so hungry—”
Mizuki retrieved a bento box from the expanded domain. It featured cute floral patterns, unexpected given her appearance.
“I was given this bento for breakfast. Would you like to eat it?”
“……Thank you.”
Tatarai solemnly bowed her head upon receiving the offered bento and returned to her seat, where she began eating at an astonishing speed.
“I apologize for startling you.”
“No need to worry. In fact, it was fortunate to exchange blows, albeit briefly, with an S Rank.”
“Is that so? Then, since you’re here, would you mind working with Tatarai on a job? There’s compensation, and we happen to need manpower.”
“There’s no reason to refuse. Please allow me to assist.”
Mizuki turned to Tatarai, who had already finished the bento and started on a mountainous beef bowl.
Beside Tatarai sat the empty bento box she received. Even for someone of her caliber, it seemed she wouldn’t eat the actual bento box itself.
“Hmm…”
“Something on your mind?”
“No, nothing important.”
Though Mizuki claimed otherwise, she couldn’t help but think as she observed Tatarai.
(Not inferior to Toa at all…)
If Tatarai heard that, she’d likely blush furiously and deny it, yet Mizuki considered it seriously with a straight face.
Clicking hearts easily conveys support. (Login required.)
ni hyōi tensei shita ore wa TS o akiramenai, かませ役
