Chapter 178

Chapter 174: Rinka and Her Dear Friends

Agiri Rinka was fed up.

The summer sunshine was so hot that it felt like it would scream, even though it was still before noon, and it was even worse in the concrete jungle.

There were many districts in Mikage Academy, and some even served as summer resorts. However, the place she was in now was different.

Every building lining the streets was a medical facility. The second largest after the Touka Rescue School, it was a medical area that wholly utilized a Dungeon Core.

(It’s damn hot… Maybe the sky should just be covered with a Dungeon.)

Looking at the annoyingly shining sun, Rinka frowned in irritation.

And the reason she was fed up was also due to the two behind her.

“—Are you really okay? If it’s still tough, I can carry you on my back.”

“I’m fine. You’re such a worrywart. I could only manage light exercise until now, so it would be bad if I got any more sluggish, right?”

“That’s true, but…”

“Well, I appreciate the thought… Thank you.”

“Mihaya…”

Behind her, Tourak and Mihaya chatted cozily together. They were accelerating Rinka’s irritation even more.

(Why have those two been all lovey-dovey since leaving the hospital! They should try to consider my feelings! Lutra-chan looks awkward too—no, she actually seems kind of happy though.)

Glancing at Lutra, she saw her being pulled along by Mihaya and Tourak, smiling widely. They looked like a perfectly happy family.

(Ugh… so enviable…! I want that too…!)

In Rinka’s mind, she envisioned a silver-haired girl in a white dress smiling. Released from her shackles, the girl, a life-sized version of herself, waved innocently in her direction.

It was an illusion cast by the summer heat.

“Right now, you’re training with someone named Rokuhara, right? Are you training again after this?”

“No, today’s a break. I just really want to spend time with you.”

“…You’re so forward for some reason.”

(Why can they act all lovey-dovey in broad daylight? And Tourak has matured beyond what I imagined! Rokuhara has gone too far!)

Tourak’s skills were already at a point where they could be deemed perfect. He had reached the limits of human potential.

Therefore, most of the training proposed by Rokuhara consisted of mental conditioning. He understood that the final piece needed for taking Tourak to an even higher level was his own mental strength.

(I knew it was due to mental unrest, but still… why did they have to perfect it this much…? And who exactly is that guy? He has a scary look, but he brought lemon honey for yesterday’s training. He often treats me to meals. Is he a good person? Is he a good person?)

As a result, training with Rokuhara was a great success. Among the outcomes, the most significant was Tourak’s approach to Solciera.

“…Mihaya, I wanted to help Solciera and Kei-kun. But that was wrong.”

Suddenly, Tourak let those words slip out. Mihaya immediately understood, from his expression, that his overly chatty demeanor until now had been his way of easing his own tension.

Imperfect as it was, she quietly waited for Tourak to express his thoughts. Whether Lutra sensed his nervousness or not, she tightened her grip on Mihaya’s hand.

“I want to stand by her side. I don’t want to protect her; I want to fight alongside her. So, I need your help.”

“…I see. That’s your answer, then.”

Tourak nodded.

“I had always seen Kei-kun as a weak being who needed assistance. I had unconsciously looked down on him… I didn’t realize that until Rokuhara pointed it out.”

Tourak smiled self-deprecatingly.

However, when he raised his face next, his expression had become refreshed.

“So, I won’t assist her anymore. I don’t want to help; I want to fight alongside her. And that’s not just me; it’s everyone. We all want to stand by her side.”

Mihaya, who had been quietly listening to Tourak’s words, softly replied, “…That’s right.” Then, she laughed mischievously.

“Even if she says she doesn’t want us around, I’ll stand next to her whether she likes it or not. I’ll tell her not to play the tragic heroine all by herself!”

“I-I didn’t intend to go that far, though.”

Lutra, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up.

“I will say it. And I’ll egg my sister on too.”

“Lutra, don’t you think that’s a bit off? We’re not actually going to fight or anything, right?”

“We should seriously fight Solciera once to show our usefulness. Tourak, with our current strength, we can cut through that.”

Seeing Lutra nod vigorously, Tourak couldn’t help but smile wryly. Watching those two, Mihaya tilted her head.

“What’s ‘that’?”

“Our final form. A star slash beyond a star slash.”

“Though, I still can’t maintain it for even a minute.”

“Huh… I need to get back to the front lines quickly. You guys are going to leave me behind.”

Mihaya said cheerfully. Then, still holding hands, they all took off running.

With Mihaya pulling her along, Lutra followed suit, and a startled Tourak hurried after them.

Ahead of them, Rinka could be seen slightly ahead.

“Of course, you’re going to fight with us too, right?”

Saying this, Mihaya put her arm around Rinka’s shoulder. Startled by the sudden action, Rinka trembled once and looked at the others.

Seeing the expectation in their eyes, Rinka managed a relaxed smile.

(They could buzz around together all they want, but they’re trying to pull me into their circle too…)

Despite thinking that, Rinka said with a certain level of enjoyment, “Leave it to me. In fact, you might not even have a chance to step in.”

“Oh, you’re quite confident, aren’t you?”

“Well, I’ve been through more brutal situations than you have. Right?”

“Hmm… haven’t the three of you grown way too much while I was gone? I’m beginning to feel a bit excluded. Should I ask that Rokuhara guy for training too?”

“I think it’s better to refrain from that.”

“Agreed.”

Rinka said calmly, and Tourak nodded beside her. Rinka and Tourak both understood as they looked at Mihaya and Rokuhara.

These two got along far too well.

(They probably do nothing but train together… and I might get dragged into it.)

It was wonderful that Mihaya had become more lively. However, it made Rinka feel like she would be forced to train too, even as a non-combatant.

(Well, if that happens, I’ll come up with a reason to escape. Sorry, Tourak. You’ll have to handle these two on your own.)

In Rinka’s mind, she joined her hands in prayer for Tourak.

At that moment, a notification sound rang from her Dive Gear. It seemed a message had arrived from someone.

“Ah, sorry about that!”

Excusing herself, Rinka swiftly stepped away. When she opened it, it was a message from her rival.

(Cラムか……)

Ever since they exchanged contact information, they had surprisingly communicated often. Most of it revolved around a competitive exchange regarding Solciera, but it was certainly not an antagonistic relationship.

(I guess there will come a day when I’ll cooperate with her too.)

To fight Zero, they needed more people. Therefore, cooperation was essential. Even if they had to fight seriously someday, they would need to work together for that time.

(Perhaps we could end up being a surprisingly good team.)

Imagining the decisive battle that would one day come, Rinka couldn’t help but smile.

(Actually talking with her, she’s not such a bad person after all. Maybe I’ll invite her to lunch next time.)

While thinking this, she opened the message.

“Yay WWWW Hey, Rinka-chan, the self-proclaimed collaborator, are you watching? Right now, I’m going to take care of your precious Solciera, giving her some love and nursing her back to health! I’ll feed her porridge like this, ‘Ahh!’ WWWWWWW”

Along with that message, a picture of Clam holding a tray with porridge was sent. As expected of a former streamer, she had captured the perfect angle to make herself look the cutest.

Behind her was a door that seemed to belong to Solciera’s room.

In other words, it seemed Clam was about to make a move under the guise of nursing.

“—Huh?”

A low voice that was uncharacteristic of her usual self. The calm thoughts cultivated in Silver Twilight were already burnt away in flames of anger.

“Rinka, what’s wrong?”

Sensing her change, Tourak approached her. Rinka turned around and affixed a perfect smile, saying:

“I have a bit of business to take care of.”

In two seconds, the furious Rinka would utilize a disposable teleportation device (worth five million yen) to head to Phectom.