Aki

a、Da

is and Katsu

agi at Katsu

Agi's trailer traverses the wasteland. The ruins of Katsubara are not that far from Kumayama City, but it will take some time to reach Kumayama City. Aki

a Distance is usually covered by running, but most people prefer to ride a bike.

After winning the last battle, Daris and Katsuragi were in a very good mood. They were enthusiastic as they dealt with all the monsters that had been chasing them for most of their journey. They couldn't help but smile smugly and chatted with Akira about all the problems they had encountered on their journey, as well as the situation at the front.

Akira, who spent most of his time in the slum city, barely had the opportunity to hear such stories, so he listened carefully.

"Oh. That's the case with the eastern region, right? ”

"Yes. After all, we are talking here about the front line, the border separating the unknown. You know, it's quite normal for hunters in that place to have tanks. They took their tanks with them, just as we carried our guns. But that's also because the monsters there are so powerful that you won't have a chance to deal with them without tanks. ”

"So you're shipping goods from such a dangerous place, right? I can't even imagine how dangerous it can be to hoard goods. It's not easy to be a businessman, right? ”

"Well, so to speak. It's not just inventory, there's a lot we need to do, like making connections, finding business deals. It's as hard as stockpiling. ”

"I see, you're really great. There's no way I'm doing what you're doing. ”

Looking at Ming, who was really surprised, Katsuragi could only smile bitterly.

"But well, I can't deny that it's a lot harder to stock up today than usual. So don't think it's normal for us to face such a difficult thing. If you try, you might find that it's not that hard, you know? ”

Akira tries to imagine himself as a businessman, but he can't imagine himself as a successful businessman. His thoughts were evident on his face, and Katsuragi laughed when he noticed this.

"There are many ways to succeed. You can be a successful hunter, and we will be successful businessmen. That's all there is to it. I might be peddling merchandise in a trailer like this right now, but I'll use today's earnings as a stepping stone to make my business bigger. Then one day, I'm going to join corporate government and become one of the 5 greatest companies. ”

Akira was very surprised. Although he is a slum boy with limited knowledge, he also knows how big Katsuragi's dream is.

"One of the five greatest companies, huh. It's quite a dream. ”

"Once I join the corporate government, I will issue a currency coin, and its name will be Katsuragi coin. Then I'll get people to use Katsu

AGI currencies update their catalog. ”

Katsuragi smiled and talked about his dream, and his face became even more serious.

“…… This job was my first step towards my dream. That's why I really appreciate you, you know? It is because of you that we can survive without abandoning my goods. ”

"Is that so? In that case, think you owe me a favor. After all, if your work is going well, you can help me in many ways. ”

"Sure, but take it easy on me on the discount, okay? Like I said, I really need money right now. ”

Although they took different routes, both men aim to succeed in the East End. They had a great time. In the middle of the chat, Alpha, who was also enjoying the chat, suddenly said to Akira with a serious face.

"Akira, use your binoculars to look through the window on the right."

Seeing Alpha's mood change so suddenly, Akira suddenly became nervous. He quickly grabbed the binoculars and connected them to his information terminal. He then examined his surroundings with the visual support of the alpha. In that direction, he could see a cloud of dust in the middle of the vast wasteland.

「…… Katsuragi, you brought those monsters here, right?"

Katsuragi smiled wryly and tried to dodge the question.

“…… Well, about that, you see......"

"I don't care who brought those monsters here. But tell me, are those monsters just a small part of a larger group? ”

Katsuragi immediately understood something from Akira's actions. As a result, his face suddenly became solemn.

"Daris! Set the search device on the trailer to the maximum area search setting!! ”

"In that case, the sensitivity of spotting monsters will be reduced, you know?"

"Just do it!"

Daris noticed that Akira and Katsuragi looked a little uneasy, so he quickly changed the settings of the detection device as instructed. Katsuragi looked at the information displayed on the detector, and his face became even more solemn.

"Focus to 2 o'clock and magnify 60x."

Upon hearing this order, Daris was confused. In that case, the device will not cover other directions, and will increase their chances of being ambushed. But he immediately complied. Once he did, Darys and Katsuragi both stiffened their faces after checking the results.

Then Akira urged them to answer with a serious face.

"I'm sorry to ask you this question while you're busy, so I'll answer me...... How many monsters are left of the group of monsters chasing you?! ”

The cloud of dust he saw through his binoculars was caused by another group of monsters. The results of the search machine showed that monsters were swarming in the distance.

The group of monsters that chased Katsuragi from the Eastern Wasteland naturally divided into several groups according to their type and movement speed, and moved separately from each other. The group that attacked Akira and Katsuragi some time ago was the leader of the main army. As for the group of slow monsters, they gave up halfway through and returned to their original territory. Now, the group with moderate speed has finally caught up with them.

Katsuragi and Darius looked nervous as they talked.

"Katsuragi, can you get to the city at such a speed? Can we do it? ”

Katsuragi shook his head.

"No, we're not going to make it. They will think that we have brought monsters with them, and the city's defenses will kill us along with those monsters...... Looking at the speed at which the group was moving, if I had pushed the trailer to maximum speed, we might have gone a little faster. So to buy time until we can escape from them, once we keep a certain distance from them, we will go to the city. ”

This time, it was Darys who shook his head.

"It can't be. After a long journey, we had very little energy left inside the trailer. If we take a detour, the trailer will run out of energy. ”

They rejected each other's advice, sighed and stopped talking, and silence prevailed. Since no one has made any more suggestions, Aki

a His recommendations were made.

"How about going back to the ruins? This time I'll take you through the ruins. I know this field very well. If we go there, I think we might be able to survive. And even if the trailer runs out of energy, it's easier to dodge those monsters, or disband those monsters in the ruins than in the wasteland......"

In fact, the alpha will be the one who guides them. He concealed this fact when he made his proposal. But Katsuragi flatly rejected his suggestion.

"No, we can't."

Seeing that Akira was shocked by his answer, Katsuragi regained his composure. Then he told Aki

a His reasons.

“…… We just left piles of monster corpses in the ruins. The flesh and bones there should have attracted other monsters. In the worst-case scenario, it may even attract powerful monsters from the depths of the ruins. We can't defeat those monsters. ”

Akira was skeptical of this reason, looked at Alpha, and asked for confirmation. Alpha then replied with a serious face.

While his reasoning was correct, he didn't want to leave a trailer either. Also, if you go back to the ruins now, things will only get worse. ”

Hearing this, Akira sighed in frustration.

"We have no choice but to fight in this place......? By the way, can't we use the weapons you brought from the front? It's some kind of super-powerful weapon, right? ”

Katsuragi shook his head.

"No, you can't use those weapons unless you use reinforcement cloth that's adjusted to handle them, and it takes at least four hours to prepare. We also need the corresponding special ammunition that we do not have now. After all, we usually procure ammunition from different routes...... Damn it!! ”

Fighting back in this place is their only option. Everyone in the trailer understands this. They accepted this fact to varying degrees, and it showed on their faces, and none of them had the slightest look of relaxation.

Aki

A get the gun ready, and Katsu

AGI drives the trailer to a more advantageous position and parks the trailer. He prepared machine-gun ammunition for easy and quick reloading. Aki

a and da

is standing not far from the trailer. They will come into contact with this group of monsters in just a few minutes.

Aki

A was just like Alpha told him to hurry up and finish his preparations. He reloaded his AAH rifle with a new one and took out all the bullets in his backpack and put them outside so he could easily find them. He also had some medicines in case he needed them, and he had put some in his mouth in case the effects of the previous dose waned. At this point, Akira has completed all the preparations except for her own determination.

Alpha stood by Akira's side as usual. He felt nervous, but he felt a sense of peace from having made all the necessary preparations, and then he asked Alpha.

"Alpha, answer me honestly. Can I win...... Or rather, do I still have a chance to win? ”

He felt that Alpha would say that if he asked him if he could win, there was a good chance he would lose. So he changed his problems halfway through.

Alpha just replied with a smile as usual.

"Because I'm rooting for you, you do have a chance to win. So do what you can too, okay? ”

Alpha didn't lie. But she didn't say how much chance he had of surviving the monster horde attack. In her opinion, exposing it would only reduce his already small chances. Therefore, she did not give an accurate figure.

"I see. So I can win, eh? ”

Akira didn't ask any more questions. It's better not to know better things. At this point, both seem to agree.

Akira prepares the gun and looks at Alpha. He was about to say something when he stopped halfway through and just smiled when he saw Alpha.

"Akira, I did say this to you before, but I repeat it again. Since you have used all your luck to get to know me, I will take responsibility and assist you properly. That's why you can't give up no matter what, okay? I'm in favor of assuming you've solved it yourself, you know. So don't forget that. If you give up, then I will stop providing my support as well. ”

Alpha smiled as he teased Akira, and he could only respond with a wry smile.

"You're right, motivation and determination are my responsibility. So, well, since we're in this situation, I'm going to count on your help. ”

Alpha smiled smugly and replied confidently.

"Leave it to me."

Akira smiled lightly. He had shaken off the feeling of wanting to give up, and the will to resist was beginning to grow.

Akira made up his mind, and with this, he was finally truly ready.

The monster was already within range of the Katsuragi machine gun, but he did not start shooting. After all, in this case, there is no point in a preemptive attack. He also wanted to conserve his ammo, so he waited until those monsters were close enough to the machine guns to deal maximum damage. It was necessary to bring the enemy close enough, and Akira and Darys understood this. Therefore, they only prepared their guns while waiting for the monster to approach.

Since the monsters that could attack remotely before had already been killed by Katsuragi and Daris, this group only included monsters that could only attack at close range. Because of this, the three of them were able to hold their ground and wait for the monster to approach.

Once they get close enough for the machine gun to inflict fatal damage on them, the machine gun begins to spray bullets. The bullets tore apart the monsters in front of the flock, splattering their blood and flesh on the monsters behind them.

Although the monsters behind them were drenched in the blood and flesh of their companions, they didn't even slow down and continued to rush towards Akira and the others. Akira aimed at his target and pulled the trigger on the gun. The bullets fired from his gun pierced the target's forehead directly, killing the monster instantly. Then he shot the monster that jumped over the corpse, killing the monsters as well.

And then the next, the next, the next. With the help of Alpha, Aki

A's performance is much better than his original ability, and he keeps harvesting the lives of those monsters. But considering the total number of monsters, this will only have a small impact. Monsters kept pouring towards him, with no end in sight, and the hopeless endurance battle began.

They fought a fierce battle desperately. They already don't know how many monsters they've killed since the start of the battle. Akira doesn't care about anything other than shooting those monsters and following Alpha's instructions.

Due to the power of the anti-magic bullet, it also has a strong recoil force. Each time the trigger was pulled, the powerful recoil depleted Akira's physical strength little by little. But thanks to the medicine he had prepared in advance, he was able to maintain his combat effectiveness.

Every time he ran out of ammunition, he quickly reloaded with new cartridges. And when all the cartridges he had prepared on his suit were used up, he grabbed the cartridges prepared on the ground nearby, ejected the empty cartridges, and immediately loaded them into the gun. Although he became more and more worried as the number of remaining cartridges dwindled, he ignored it and continued to shoot. After all, the hesitation now means his death.

Whenever he felt pain in the arm that supported the gun, Akira would swallow the medicine in his mouth little by little. The medicine would restore his body, and without it, he would now be paralyzed on the ground. He adjusted his pace so that he wouldn't run out of pills anytime soon while maintaining his best combat power. He gritted his teeth and kept adjusting the dosage of the medication he was taking.

Alpha's command is near-perfect. She gave the order as she considered the speed of each monster. She tries to stop the monster from getting close to Aki

Alas, let him aim at the front row so that its corpse will block the monster behind it. She gave the order to maximize the use of what might help Aki

a everything.

But whether Akira could follow her orders or not was another matter entirely. Not only is he capable and amateurish, but he is also nervous, irritable, and tired. As a result, his movements became more and more sluggish as time went on. Half of the orders that Alpha gave him, he couldn't fully execute. But she immediately adjusts her instructions based on previous results.

Then events took a turn for the worse. A monster faster than anyone else suddenly lunged at Akira. Of course, Ming aimed his gun at the monster, and after releasing a barrage of bullets to confirm that he had hit the monster, he thought the monster was dead and turned his attention to the other monsters. Because he was in a state of panic and tiredness, and seeing the monster die after being hit like this, he made the wrong assumptions.

"Not dead yet!"

Hearing Alpha screaming at him, Akira turned her gaze to where the monster was panicking. But it was too late, and although it was badly injured, the monster was already too close to Akira. Its speed did not slow down in the rush of countless bullets, and it rushed towards him. It then jumped up and tried to bite him, but it could only push him down while removing the bullet from his gun.

The reason why it failed to bite Akira was because it had lost its original form after being shot several times. Thanks to this, Akira was able to get away with death. But that didn't change the fact that his life was hanging by a thread, and the monster opened its jaw again, ready to take another bite.

Imminent death distorted his sense of time, and it felt like everything around him was happening in slow motion. The same thing happened when he remembered the day when the monsters attacked the slums and he was almost killed. So he did what he did at the time as a reflex. He inserted his AAH rifle into his open chin along with his arm.

When the gun reaches the deepest part of the monster, it stops because of the pain. Just as he spoke, before its fangs could bite into Akira's arm, Akira grinned and pulled the trigger.

A bullet ejected from the muzzle destroyed its head. Then it fell to the ground, and bullets flowed out from behind its head.

Akira pushed the body aside. The joy of victory was suppressed by the stinging pain in the right arm. When the monster jumped on top of him, his right arm was injured.

Alpha immediately shouted at Akira, and at the same time made an unusually hideous expression, helping Akira to stay awake, narrowly escaping death, and almost fainting in pain.

"Take your pills!! You should have some in your pocket! ”

Akira endured the pain as she immediately reached for the capsule in her pocket and applied the contents directly to the wound. Then, another sharp pain immediately hit him.

"You can't faint here! If you faint here, you're going to die! Calm down! ”

The medicine applied to the wound caused severe pain, but Akira could barely stand the pain and did not pass out. He gritted his teeth and stood up. Then he took the rest of the medicine orally.

The healing nanomachines inside the drug sensed Akira's pain and immediately gathered on his wound and began treatment. Thanks to Aki

A pushes himself to keep moving, his open wounds only get worse and are immediately healed by the nanomachines. The cycle continued, and he started shooting again while enduring the pain. Most of the monsters were able to get close to him while he was lying on the ground, and a single mistake was enough to make the situation worse.

Akira, Katsuragi and Darius fight back. But it's getting worse. The monster was already close enough that it was almost impossible to solve the situation.

Katsuragi then muttered to himself in the driver's seat.

“…… The machine gun is running out of ammunition...... Damn, that's the end of it, right? ”

His words leaked through the microphone in the trailer, and Darys was heard complaining as well.

“...... So that's where we're going, right? ”

Akira didn't say anything because he didn't have time to join them. But in his heart, he actually identified with them. Eventually, his gun also ran out of ammo.

Alpha then said with a smile at Akira.

"This is the end."

Seeing Alpha smiling softly as if it was really going to end, Akira could only smile bitterly.

“… You are right. ”

"We are saved."

“…… Huh!? ”

Akira was surprised when she heard Alpha's words. The next moment, explosive bombs rained down on the surrounding monsters. The explosion turned most of the monsters into minced meat, with blood and flesh splattered around the area. Immediately after that, the area near Akira and the trailer were surrounded by anti-monster bullets, which further ensured their safety.

Akira was confused by the sudden turn of events, and Alpha was still smiling and pointing to the wasteland. He stood up as fast as he could, looking in the direction Alpha was pointing. There, he saw the familiar faces of two female hunters, riding a car, firing countless bullets at the monsters in the area. They are Elena and Sarah.

Sara stood in the car, holding a large gun that didn't fit her size. The gun in her hand kept firing explosive bullets from the muzzle.

"Elena! The location and the request are a little different, but those people are from a distress request, right? ”

Elena is also shooting at the monster with the machine gun in the car, and it looks like she's having a good time.

"That's right. SOS request says they are in Kuzusuha

A ruins, but I bet they got here after escaping those monsters. Let's get rid of them all! ”

"Roger! The requester will pay for the bullets! So, let's not get in any way!! ”

Since then, the battle has been overwhelmingly sideways. Sara and Elena, who had extra money last time, brought expensive but powerful ammo to clean up the monsters. Their ammunition seems to be working well and worth the cost to them. The explosive bullets that kept spewing out from the muzzle of her gun, like a storm, poured down on those monsters, leaving the ground clean. Akira watched the scene and her jaw dropped to the ground.

After suffering such a dense attack, the monsters that had plagued Akira and the other two merchants just now were completely destroyed.

***

The interior of the trailer that doubles as a moving shop is wider than it seems. Elena and Sarah then meet with Katsuragi and complete their distress request, but do not return to Kumayama City. While Katsuragi and Elena were negotiating, Akira spoke to Sarah, who was not far away. He thanked Sara as he bowed deeply.

"Thank you very much for your help. You really helped us escape death there. ”

"Don't mention it. That's what we do. Thanks to your desperate counterattack and reducing their number, it's not hard to clean them up. ”

Sara laughed heartily. It was clear that her full chest didn't weigh much, and they jingled when she laughed.

"But I'm also surprised to find you here. The thought that you'll be involved in fighting those monsters, your luck is really bad, you know. ”

"You can say it again. Honestly, I think so too...... I don't know if I should give myself some charm to increase my luck. ”

Akira teased with a wry smile. Sara smiled, following his joke.

"Well, it does that something like this might work. After all, no matter how much information you gather beforehand, things that you didn't predict will happen. I also had a close encounter not long ago...... Charm, huh? You can also buy one, but I think it's best to keep something that you already have as a talisman when you're lucky. In my case, I have this. ”

With that, Sarah opened the front clasp of her armor and took out a pendant, which was a bullet that had been transformed into a decorative pendant.

"When I was almost killed, someone came and saved us by pure coincidence, gave us this bullet, and then I transformed it into a pendant like this. This is to remind me of our gratitude and good fortune since then. ”

"I see it."

Akira managed to keep herself calm. Sa

A noted Aki

A's behavior is strange, but she thinks it's because of Aki

A was still nervous after narrowly escaping death, so she just ignored it. As for Alpha, who had been by Akira's side all along, she smiled teasingly at him.

"Aren't you happy? The guy you helped not so long ago just came to your rescue this time. What's wrong? Aren't you happy? ”

"No, of course, I'm happy. So like I told you, helping them that day was the right choice, right? ”

"You're right. Not only can you escape, but you also have to see the plump breasts of a beautiful girl. ”

When Akira heard this, she could barely keep her composure. Alpha giggled as he teased him.

"If you're not trying to figure it out, you can take a look at me. Or do you know it's important if you can touch them if you reach out, even though you really don't want to? ”

"Shut up."

When Ming said this in response to Alpha's inspiration, his face stiffened so as not to change his expression. But then he suddenly heard Elena's voice.

"No money? You're kidding? ”

Katsuragi was overwhelmed by Elena's pressure and replied nervously.

"Well, it's not like I don't have any money, it's a big misunderstanding. I do intend to pay you. But I can't pay you right now. ”

Elena continued to apply pressure as she glared at Katsuragi.

"Isn't it normal to pay us in cash when your request doesn't write any special rewards? You know, we even used expensive ammunition there. ”

"I know. But, it's a request for help, right? This is an emergency. We are in a precarious situation and we don't have time to write a detailed request, you know! It's not like we're going to trick you! I swear!! ”

Beautiful girls are scary when they are angry. And if that girl killed a monster mountain not so long ago. Katsuragi thought so, trying to calm Elena down.

"Look at this! The trailer is full of a lot of equipment! If I can sell them all, I'll get a lot of money! You know me, right?! Just wait a minute, can you wait a minute! Of course, I'll give you more money to wait! Good? ”

Katsuragi then showed all the cargo he was carrying inside the trailer. Seeing that Katsuragi was telling the truth, Elena's mood returned. Then she looked at the things with gusto, and Katsuragi squeezed every cell in his brain together, looking for anything that would allow him to break through the status quo.

Akira and Sarah followed suit to watch Katsuragi's cargo. This is for Akira, but for Sarah it was a rare opportunity to see the equipment used at the front. In this way, both of them were very interested in those goods. What's more, Alpha also seemed a little surprised.

"I wish you could start using these devices soon, Akira."

"If it's about that, be patient. By the way, which one do you want me to use? ”

"If I had to pick one from this place, it would be this one."

Alpha pointed to a huge gun that ordinary people simply couldn't use. It is made of ferrous metal, the size of a person, and has the manufacturer's logo engraved on it.

"No, no, no, I can't take anything like this with me."

"Of course, once you get a reinforcing cloth, you can. So you should get one of them first. But it's okay, don't worry, we'll be there someday. ”

Seeing the way Akira stared at the gun, Sarah couldn't help but look at the gun as well. But then, she exclaimed.

"Elena!! Look at this!! It's amazing! They also have Ragnarok!! ”

Elena, who was stopped by Sarah, then came there and looked at the gun, also surprised.

“...... Wow, they really have one. This is a gun that can shoot the bullet of the annihilator, right? ”

"Yes, it's one of my best items. I'm really having a hard time getting one, you see...... Wait, what are you thinking?

Katsuragi began to have a bad feeling when he saw Elena's expression when she looked at the gun. Elena smiled as she mumbled that she had found something she could use to negotiate.

“…… I don't know if Sara can use this gun. ”

Katsuragi immediately went into a state of panic.

"Blah, blah, blah!! No, no, no!! You can't do this! ”

"But you can't pay us in cash, can you? In that case, you have no choice but to pay us with your goods. ”

"No matter how you look at it, it's a lot higher than your reward, right?! Please don't let me do that! ”

"I want to know which of us is asking for the impossible. You can't even request payment of our rewards and ammunition through SOS, and you don't even know when you can pay us. Are you telling us to wait for our reward and don't even know if you're actually going to pay us? We need money to live on, you know? ”

Elena glared at Katsuragi, the expression on her face becoming a little frightened. That's a gamble too. Katsuragi understood this, but he couldn't say anything. Katsuragi is a businessman. He could not deny the fact that he could not pay them in cash. Even Katsuragi himself actually carries goods that have not yet been paid.

The troubled Katsuragi guesses that Akira and Elena know each other, and he watches Akira for help. But since Akira is also rescued by Elena and Sarah, he is more like he is by Sarah and Elena's side. Therefore, he could only look away when Katsuragi was staring at him.

After that, Katsuragi pleaded bitterly, and somehow, the negotiations finally ended. Ele

a and sa

A will be hired as Katsu

agi's escort, which of course adds Katsu

The amount of rewards that AGI owes them. Then, if Katsuragi can't pay the money by the deadline, Elena and Sarah go with Ragnarok. Ele

a and sa

A is also to keep an eye on Katsu

Agi, before accepting the job.

Just as Elena and Katsuragi were talking about the details of their contract. Akira's vision suddenly blurred, and she lost all her strength and fell to the ground.

He didn't even have the strength to get up. His vision darkened, and he saw Elena and Katsuragi running towards him. They seemed to be saying something, but Akira couldn't hear it. But he understood, they looked panicked.

Even though everything in his vision seemed blurry, he could see Alpha clearly. She smiled as usual and looked down at Akira lying on the ground.

"Well, I'm guessing you've reached your limit. But it's okay, just get some rest. ”

Akira was slightly relieved when he heard this in his fog and lost consciousness.

When he regained consciousness, Aki

A found herself trapped in a white space. No matter how far he looked, everything was filled with white nothingness. It's as if the creator of this world gave up halfway. But surprisingly, he didn't feel strange or uneasy to stand in such a world. In his hazy mind, Akira inexplicably understood that he was dreaming.

He saw Alpha standing not far from him. She stared blankly ahead. It doesn't look like she noticed him. He looked at her and felt like she was just a frozen humanoid doll standing there.

Suddenly, the Alpha spoke.

"The first attempt, it failed. The target was not reached. Due to the subject's death, it is impossible to continue. Look for ways to provide support. ”

Then she continued, as if she was reading a record from her memory.

"The second attempt, failed. The target was not reached. Due to the subject's death, it is impossible to continue. Find ways to provide support in battle. ”

She continued to do the same report without any mood swings.

"The fifteenth attempt, failed. The target was not reached. Unable to proceed because the object exits the request. The theme is alive. Subject exits the request due to fatal injuries. Adjust the boot method. ”

"The sixteenth attempt, failed. Zone 1 has been reached. Unable to proceed due to the subject's death. Re-evaluate the approach to providing support in battle. ”

Alpha just keeps reporting status. Aki

a Unable to understand what she was reporting.

"The 87th attempt, failed. Zone 7 has been reached. Unable to proceed due to the subject's death. Re-evaluate the approach to providing support in battle. ”

"The 88th attempt, failed. Zone 4 has been reached. Unable to proceed because the object exits the request. The theme is alive. Subject exits the request due to loss of motivation. Adjust the boot method. ”

She continued to hold on for a while.

"The 497th attempt, failed. Zone 9 has been reached. Unable to proceed due to the subject's death. Re-evaluate the approach to providing support in battle. ”

"The 498th attempt, failed. Arrived at the final area. Unable to proceed because the object exits the request. Subject becomes completely hostile. The situation has been taken care of. Current location, unknown. Completely realign the way you boot. ”

"499th attempt, ongoing. The target area was not reached. Confirm the current situation. Come to an end. ”

After the alpha report, the white world suddenly became pitch black. Akira could see Alpha floating alone in the darkness before slowly blurring into nothingness.

Akira's consciousness vanished. Eventually, everything dissolves into nothingness and the dream ends.

***

Akira opened her eyes. That strange dream, he was still in a daze, but most of the details of the dream, he had forgotten. Then he realized that he was lying on a bed in a room he didn't recognize. He was so taken aback that he completely forgot about the dream he had just had.

If it were Akira in the past, he would definitely jump up the moment he found himself in a strange place to confirm his surroundings. But now, although he was surprised, he was not on guard. It was only after waking up that it dawned on me.

He had lost his sharpness because he was now used to waking up in a safe place than in dangerous back alleys. He now wakes up in a room that feels safer and looks more expensive than his usual room. But the main reason he wasn't on guard was that he saw Alpha smiling at him.

"Good morning, Akira. Where can I get a good rest? ”

Akira looked around and confirmed her surroundings. He seems to live in someone else's place, not like a hotel room. The blood sludge that had stuck to him had been cleaned up. He also changed into a white T-shirt and a pair of trousers. He had completely recovered from his tiredness and woke up feeling refreshed and no longer in pain. His body was fully recovered. Sensing this, he completely got rid of the haze he woke up with. But as could be seen from his expression, he was a little confused.

"Good morning, alpha. Where am I? ”

Alpha then answered Akira's question by pointing to the door. Then Sara came in through that door. She was a little surprised to see Akira.

"Akira, you're awake, huh?"

Sa

A was wearing only a loose T-shirt and panties, which was a suit that showed a lot of openings. The fact that she is wearing such clothes also shows that it is a safe place, hence Aki

A can also relax. But on the other hand, he was also more confused than before.

"How do you feel? If you're still having trouble waking up, you can lie down, you know? ”

"Well, I'm fine."

Although he is still confused by what happened, he is in good health. To show this, he replied confidently. Sa

A also smiled, knowing Aki

a Really good.

"I see. Thank God! This is our place, Elena and mine. So you don't have to worry, we've got your stuff in another room. We also washed your clothes and put them there. If you want to change, I'll get it for you. ”

"Ah, I'll get it myself."

"Don't worry, you're our guest after all. I'll get it for you, and you wait here for a while. ”

Akira was swept away by the current. But as soon as Sarah walked out of the room and closed the door, Akira immediately went into panic mode.

"Alpha, what's going on?"

"Now, you just need to know that this is a safe place. If you can understand, calm down. ”

"Even if you ask me that......"

"Wouldn't Sarah feel strange that you just woke up in a strange place and suddenly understood what was going on? So ask Sarah first, and then I'll explain it to you, okay? ”

"Ah, yes."

Then, Aki

A nervously waited for SA

a Coming back. Even though he knew he was in a safe room, he couldn't relax, and he felt strange. He understood that he should calm down and think clearly, but he couldn't do it and continued to wait for Sarah, making it harder for him to calm down. So when Sara came back and handed him the clothes, he looked nervous.

Coupled with Sarah looking at him, Akira awkwardly tries to change her clothes. But Sarah thinks that Akira has just come to her senses, and his movements are a little awkward, so she asks Akira softly.

"Akira, do you want me to help you?"

"I- it's okay. I can manage. ”

"Is that so? You've just recovered, don't push yourself too hard, okay? ”

Since Akira wasn't used to being treated so gently, he couldn't help but feel even more nervous. But he realized that Alpha looked at him flustered, looking funny. So before Alpha could comment on his panic, he quickly changed his clothes.

After that, Sarah begins to explain to Akira what happened.

"I'll tell you about it first. It's been three days since you fainted. ”

Akira was surprised, but then Sarah calmly continued to explain.

When Akira faints, Elena, Sarah, and Katsuragi immediately check on him. Akira was not fatally injured. Due to the large amount of medication he took in a short period of time, all his wounds were forced to heal quickly. There are strange scars on all the healing areas. If his wounds heal naturally, these scars will disappear. But all of his wounds had been completely healed by the medicine, so these scars were left. Although his clothes were soaked in blood, his breathing and pulse were stable thanks to the medication he was taking.

In the worst-case scenario, he simply fainted, far from a fatal scenario. In this way, Elena and the others breathed a sigh of relief after confirming Akira's situation. So, she immediately ordered Katsuragi to go to the city, and Katsuragi completely agreed with her.

Afterward, Elena and Sarah bring the unconscious Akira home and place him on the bed. Although he was not in danger, Akira had not woken up for days. Ele

a and sa

a Considered to be due to drug overdose.

Most of the drugs distributed in the eastern region are a mixture of nanomachines and various different compounds. It's basically like a DIY device to close a hole in the wall. Advanced nanomachines in pharmaceuticals can act as a substitute for cells and close wounds.

Although this medicine is convenient, it also has some drawbacks and side effects. Repeated healing by inducing regeneration may lead to premature aging. Or nanomachines sometimes misinterpret the injured state as normal and stop healing altogether.

Akira fainted for the same reason. This shows that he took a lot of medicine in a short period of time to heal his wounds and restore his fatigue. It is by no means fatal, but he will remain unconscious until the nanomachines in his body calm down.

Then, as Elena and Sarah predicted, Akira woke up after three days of sleep.

After listening to Sarah's words, Akira bowed politely.

"Thank you so much for saving me and taking care of me."

"It's okay, don't mention it."

Akira was pleased with Sara's thoughtfulness towards him, and he smiled slightly. But his expression immediately changed to apology.

"Ugh. Well, technically, you accepted the SOS request...... Right? It's a bit hard to say when you saved me, but to be honest, I don't have any money at all. So how can I repay you? ”

Aki

a would like to repay their help. But even if he wanted to, he couldn't. After all, he can't make any money these days. He's just stating the facts. But after saying that, he hoped he could take it back. Akira lowered her head, ashamed of herself.

But Sara just shook her head casually.

"As I said, we do it because we want to. You don't have to worry about it. Elena and I don't want to ask for any compensation. ”

"Are you sure...? Ah, I mean, that's ...... Uh......"

It was really helpful for Akira, but he couldn't just take it for granted. Akira hesitated. But even if he hesitated, it wasn't that he had the money to pay them back. Therefore, he looks really grateful. Then Sarah's face turned serious.

「…… So, in exchange for a pay. I have something to ask you. Can you answer truthfully? ”

"In that case, of course. What is it? ”

Sarah was a little surprised, and Akira replied casually with a smile. Sarah then stared at Akira with a serious expression. Then she sighed and asked him a question.

"You were the one who saved me and Elena in the ruins of Katsurahara, the other day, right?"

Akira froze.

****

While Akira was still unconscious, Sarah went to Shizuka's shop alone. And when she starts talking about Akira, Shizuka smiles wryly.

"Fighting so many monsters, it must be very difficult for Akira."

"And, he has to do it twice a day, you know? Isn't that a very rare experience? Was he unlucky, or did Katsuragi bring him bad luck? Or maybe maybe both of them were out of luck? Now that they were able to survive, we can laugh it off now. But Nakatsuro and his friends seem to be the reward for Elena to squeeze them. They just can't stop complaining. Although they were able to deliver goods from the front line, they complained that more than half of their profits were spent against the monsters. ”

"But even then, they were able to survive without any serious injuries. So I don't know if they're lucky or unlucky. By the way, what about Elena? ”

"Elena is not far from here as Katsuragi's bodyguard. I'm here alone today. ”

"Is that so...... So why are you here today? ”

Shizuka, who listened to Sarah, changed her face and looked serious. She more or less understood why Sara had come to her today.

Sarah smiled wryly, and Shizuka guessed the real reason for her coming, which surprised her a little. Then, she looked serious.

"I said before that we were rescued at the Katsubara Ruins, right?"

"Yes. You've told me this story so many times. I even remember all the details, you know? ”

"What if, do you know who it is?"

Sarah stared at Shizuka intensely. But Shizuka didn't react in any way to her intense gaze. Shizuka looked at Sarah and thought about answering her question.

"Why do you ask me?"

"Your instincts are good, after all."

"Is that so? Well, in that case, my answer is no. ”

"Shizuka!"

Sara stared at Shizuka, calling her name in a strong tone. Unconsciously, she exuded the majesty of a hunter.

But Shizuka was unmoved. After all, she is a businessman who often faces hunters. What's more, she now knows everything about the friend in front of her. She didn't have to panic, she knew it and replied calmly.

"I don't really know, and no one doubts that I'm that person. And even if I guessed, if I guessed wrong, it would definitely cause trouble for you and that person. I may have some hints, but the guy told me not to say anything to anyone. So if I tell you, then I'm betraying that person's trust, so I'm not going to say anything. The man didn't threaten me, but since the man told me to keep it a secret, I don't think it's a good idea for me to say anything. After all, if I do something that might annoy my customers, it's going to be a hassle for the store. So I can't say, anyway, my answer is that I don't know. ”

Sarah didn't speak, just locked her eyes on Shizuka. But Shizuka's expression didn't change, she continued.

"And, that's not the main problem here, right? You've guessed who that person is, and you're almost certain of your guess. But since it's logically impossible, you're relying on my gut feeling to solve the puzzle, right? ”

After being told, Sarah finally realizes that her guess was correct.

The writing on the piece of paper was illegible, as if it had been written by a child. When she shows him her bullet pendant, Aki

a. Finally, there is the medicine that Akira carries with her. When she's tidying up Aki

A thing when in Aki

When the same medication she received was found in A's belongings, it confirmed her interest in Aki

a is the suspicion of those who saved her.

But even then, she has no hard evidence. And, based on her experience as a hunter, she speculated that even someone as combative as Akira would not be able to save her in that situation.

Sarah, who is unsure of her guess, goes to Shizuka intuitively. Even Elena admits that Shizuka's intuition is sharp, and even the unreasonable possibility has become a reality. She trusts Shizuka's instincts and eventually decides that Akira is the one who saved her.

Sara was taken aback when she realized this, but Shizuka continued.

"By the way, Sarah, how much do you want to know? Do you just want to know who saved you? Or do you still have a lot of questions to answer? ”

"Hmm, hmm......"

Sara couldn't answer. Indeed, there are many questions she wants to ask and many things to know. But what she really wanted to ask, what she really wanted to know, was only a small part of it.

"Think carefully before you ask. Make a decision between what you want to know and what you don't need to know, and then ask your questions. Ask your question sincerely, and if that person lies to you after that, that's it. ”

Shizuka said she didn't know. If this is true, then Sarah's guess is wrong. But if it's a lie, it means he doesn't want to expose it anyway, or he doesn't want to have anything to do with Sarah. Sara understood this and could not answer.

Finally, she can ask Akira when he wakes up. But for some reason, she hesitated. The moment she realized she was hesitating, she immediately understood why.

Sarah didn't want to be rejected by Akira. That's it. She finally understood.

Sarah, who had just realized a lot of things, stared at Shizuka, thinking that Shizuka must have understood everything before her. Shizuka may have understood why Sarah hesitated, and she herself didn't realize it.

But Sarah decided not to ask Shizuka again. It's not something you should ask anyone else. It's something she should find herself. It was her idea, and she smiled and changed her mood.

"Well, I'll ask him myself then. Thank you, Shizuka. ”

Shizuka responded with a relieved smile. But then it turned into a playful smile.

"You're welcome. Well, just some additional information, and I'll tell you my guess. Sarah, do you know someone with connections to the old field? ”

"Someone who connects the old domain? I've heard of them before, but ......"

"Go ask Elena for more details. She should know more than you do. But if I had to give you a simple explanation, they were people who connected to the old network for some unknown reason. I've heard that some of them can even pinpoint the location of individuals, monsters, ruins, and buildings. It may sound convenient, but I've heard that they also face a lot of problems because of their abilities. I'm talking about those people. ”

Sa

a Then imagine Aki

a is one of those people. If this is true, then someone like Akira has the power to save them. If Akira could pinpoint everyone's location in the colorless fog, he would be the only one who could see clearly, and everyone else would be helpless. This will improve his winning percentage. This could also explain why he hides his identity. If the people he saved wondered why he was able to save them, there was a good chance that they would notice that he was a person with ties to the Old Domain. If it spreads, it will even endanger his life.

Sarah kept staring at Shizuka.

“…… Your instincts are good, can't you just say that in the first place? ”

Shizuka smiled as if she was teasing Sarah.

"If I tell this to someone who hasn't made up their minds yet, that's not right, right? So do your best out there. ”

Sarah accepted her answer and nodded a little annoyed.

***

On the same day, Sarah heard about someone related to the Old Domain, and just after Elena had taken a night shower, she asked Elena about it.

"Elena, do you know anyone with ties to the old domain?"

Elena just wiped her body so as not to make a mess, and began to operate the information terminal in her hand. She wrapped herself in a bath towel and wore no underwear. She looks unladylike. Sa

A had reminded her of this several times, but Ele

A will never listen, nor will she answer that it is only necessary to keep everything around her dry. So when she looks like that, Sara starts ignoring her.

Elena then replies in a way Sarah didn't expect.

"Someone who connects the old domain? You rarely ask questions like this. ”

"Well, Shizuka told me that you should know better than she did, you know."

"More precisely, what do you want to know? Since you're asking me, it means you want to know something you can't even know by a simple search online, right? ”

As for Sarah, she actually wanted to know everything from the most basic knowledge, but she couldn't say that because it would annoy Elena. So she changed the way she asked Elena.

"There are benefits and dangers to those around them and to themselves."

"That's an interesting question, so, let's start with the benefits that they can get on their own."

Elena then began to explain happily.

The benefits that come with being associated with the old domain are wide-ranging. The biggest benefit is the ability to connect to a network that was established during the Old World period, known as the Old Domain Network. Even now, the old area network is still full of priceless knowledge. But the current technology is not able to connect to the network. Often, a terminal that can only be found in the ruins is needed to connect to the old domain network.

But people who connect to the old domain don't need such a device to access the old domain network. Even after rigorous government research, their method of connecting the old domain network is still unknown. Moreover, it is believed that this connection is not at all affected by colorless fog.

"Is it really that magical?"

Looking at Sarah, who looked incredulous, Elena's face changed, as if to say that this girl didn't understand at all.

"It's an amazing thing, you know?"

"But isn't that the same true for your information terminals? And it's useless in a thick, colorless mist, right? ”

"This works through different networks. It uses the same network as a city transit station and is basically a short-distance connection. That's why they stopped working in a colorless mist. It would be very convenient if a normal terminal could stay connected even in a colorless fog. This is very helpful for exploring the ruins that are always shrouded in a colorless fog. ”

The Old Domain was built using old-world technology in communication facilities, but only a few of these communication facilities are still operating in the old ruins. Countless valuable technologies from the Old World are kept in the databases or databases of these facilities. If you can connect to old areas, extract these technologies and recreate them, it will be a huge wealth. Or at least that's what people think.

Looking at Sarah, who was suddenly flustered, Elena smiled and calmed her down.

"Not just because it's only happening in the ruins, but because it's very unlikely that this kind of thing will happen, and we'll be fine anyway. In contrast, we have a higher chance of being killed by monsters. What's more, this kind of thing happens often, and no one dares to explore the ruins, right? ”

"Well, you have a point......

"And, I've heard that people who can connect to the old domain can pinpoint the location of the ruins and warehouses within the ruins, you know. Rumor has it that the maps sold to map brokers were made by people who could connect to the old domain. So big companies will kidnap these people. So those who can connect with the old world are less likely to be killed, but they are more likely to face a fate worse than death. ”

"Is that so...... Well, if you say that, I guess it should be true. ”

With a sigh of relief, Sarah's face turned serious.

"So connecting to an old domain isn't always a good thing, right?"

Ele

A glad SA

A is very interested in her major, which is a very rare thing for her, so she is more excited than usual. Thanks to this, Sara was able to get a good idea of who could connect to the old domain.

It also made her understand why it was so hard to get someone who could connect to an old domain to trust her. She was a little hesitant and asked Akira if it was a good fit when he woke up.

***

Akira has a headache right now. Because Sara realizes that it was he who saved her and Elena. But honestly, he doesn't think it's that much of a problem. The reason why he concealed this fact was only because he had to explain his motives and methods, which was too troublesome. So far, he's only thought of that.

Akira is one of those who can connect to the old realm, but he himself is not aware of it. He didn't even know what those words meant. The only thing he knew was that there were other people who could see Alpha as well, and he was just one of them.

Aki

A is impossible to tell them about Alpha. As he struggled to figure out how to avoid Sarah's question, he realized that Sarah was staring at him with a serious face. He was so frightened by the look that he stopped thinking.

Sa

a thinks Aki

a Still unable to trust them. That's why she begged desperately with that serious face.

"I'm sure you have your own reasons. That's why I'm not going to ask you any more questions. What I want to know is if you were the one who saved us. That's it. I'm not going to ask you why and how to save us or anything else. I'm not going to tell anyone anything you say to me. ”

Akira, who was pressured by Sarah, was actually panicked inside, but he still stiffened his face and remained silent. Sarah could feel his rejection, so her serious face began to turn sad.

"If you don't answer me anyway, then I'll give up." I won't ask this again, please let me ask you one last time...... At the Katsubara Ruins, you saved me and Elena, right?"

Sara sounds like she's begging. She desperately wanted to know who had saved them. Akira understood her intentions.

"Yes, that's right, it's me."

The mood suddenly relaxed a lot. Sarah's face relaxed, and then Akira said sorry.

"I'm sorry, I kept it a secret. Well, I have my own reasons, you see. ”

"Really good. As I promised, I won't ask again. But other than that......"

Sarah then shook her head and took Akira's hand.

"Thank you for saving me and Elena...... Finally, I would like to say thank you. Sorry to stress you. It's hard for me to say thank you to the people who saved me. I know that's my selfishness and I shouldn't have done this to the people who saved me. ”

Sarah smiled and thanked her, and her face turned apologetic. As for Akira, he was a little surprised and replied in a panic.

"Please don't mind me. You saved me too. So we were both lucky. Isn't that enough? ”

"Is that so...? Well, you're right. If you say so, then let's get this out of the way. Thank you, we really appreciate you. ”

“…… Ah, you're welcome. ”

Sarah felt relieved. She smiled widely. Then Akira came back with a smile. But in his smile there was a hint of gloom that Sarah hadn't noticed.

Ming listened to Sarah's words of thanks, and felt as if something had been dug up in his heart, not pain. But Akira did everything she could not let him show in his face.

Then, Aki

a with sa

a Lengthy talks were held at dinner. After all, after saying that, Akira's stomach growled, and that was because Akira hadn't eaten in days. When Sara heard this, she just smiled and prepared some food. It was something offered by the man who saved him, and he couldn't refuse either.

The food lined up on the table is on a completely different level than the frozen food that Akira usually eats. Sa

A took some time to prepare the food, Aki

a remembers hearing her prepare the food. But he just ignored it. His attention was focused on the foods that seemed so appetizing in front of his eyes. Of course, those meals were really delicious.

In the middle of the conversation, Sarah brings up the topic that Akira saved her and Elena. She also told Akira that the loot they got from their attackers made them a fortune. Hunters who cannot stay in hotels or other permanent sleeping places will have to travel around with all their money. There are hunters whose money is legally seized by banks to pay off debts. Without money to equip themselves, some will turn into bandits. The people who attacked Sara and Elena were such people.

The monetary problems faced by Sara and Elena are easily solved by the compensation they receive from the sale of these loot. They then use the rest of the money to get equipment so that their time exploring the ruins is easier, increasing their income. Since then, they have used the extra money they have received to buy better equipment, further increasing their income from exploring the ruins. Thanks to the positive cycle, they were able to fully recover from the fallen hunters. They are earning even more than ever. After telling Akira all of this and thanking her, she says that she wants to return the money she had earned from the loot sold to Akira, but Akira surprisingly refuses. Surprised, Sara asked him again for confirmation.

"But you're the one who killed them, are you really sure? That's a lot of money, you know? ”

"yes, after all, I decided not to rob them and leave, so I don't plan to ask them back now."

"Well, but even if you say so, not only did you save us, but thanks to you, we were able to solve our money problems. So it's a bit frustrating that we can't repay you with anything. ”

Looking at Akira's reaction, there was no sign of accepting the money. Therefore, if Sa

A pushes the money to Aki

a, it would be contrary to its meaning. But even so, Sarah wants to provide Akira with something to save her, even if it's just a little. Sarah muttered as she thought so, and then Akira thought of another idea.

"Well, please give this money as a reward for responding to our SOS request. I don't know what the normal reward is, so I don't know if that's enough, but ...... It's also frustrating that I can't give you anything after I saved me. So please accept it and think that we are even now. ”

"Well, since you say so, okay then."

The two immediately regarded each other as lifesavers and smiled bitterly.

After that, their next topic was how they spent their booty, how she immediately suggested to similarly strengthen her nanomachines. Following this momentum, their conversation shifted to Sarah's body, which was a body enhanced by nanomachines.

"So, you know what? People who use nanomachines to enhance their bodies will always store their nanomachines in one part of their body. In my case, that would be my boobs. There are also people who keep stocks on external cartridges, but if they lose them, it will be a disaster. There is also the option to store a small amount of nanomachines throughout my body, but there are limitations. ”

Sara then pointed to her chest. It's a really great asset even for a pretty girl like her, and she has quite a few nanomachines there.

"The shape of those people's bodies changes depending on the number of nanomachines stored in their bodies. Because of this, the size of their clothes also changes. So, I'm sorry if I don't look presentable. ”

"Ah, I really don't mind ......"

But Sarah notices Akira's strange eye movements. Then she smiled mischievously.

“…… If you're interested. Well, you did save me, so I might be willing to offer you some services. ”

"Can you stop teasing me......?"

Seeing Akira's face flushed, Sarah laughed happily.

Alpha didn't even hide his displeasure and complained directly.

"For some reason, your reaction is different from when I did that. I think I have a better body, you know? So what's wrong with you? Are you more interested in erotic clothing? Is that what excites you? ”

"Shut up."

"If your body size changes, what will you do with your armor before going to the ruins? They're reinforcement garments that need to be adjusted before use, right? Do you adjust it every time you want to use it? ”

"For my part, I always prefer elastic and stretchable armor. Then I'll put more armor on it. Akira ...... That thing...... It's your armor, right? ”

"Well, yes."

Akira then changed the subject of the conversation and talked about the time when he got the armor from Shizuka. Then their topic shifted to why they were using their armor, and then there was a discussion about monsters.

The monsters that roam in the East Sector get weaker the further west you go, and the stronger you get the further east you go. So the monsters that wander on the Far Eastern front are monsters that cannot be defeated without tanks and strengthened flesh. But on the other hand, most of the monsters in the west can be easily defeated with a pistol. From the Far East to the Western End, there are many kinds of monsters spreading. Sometimes, it feels like someone is deliberately doing it for pranks.

Akira, who listened to Sarah's words, didn't believe her statement.

「…… Do those monsters really exist......? Polyta with legs

ks…… Is that a monster? ”

"Yes, they are filled with flammable liquid fuel, they will get close to tanks and people and then detonate themselves. That's why they're classified as monsters. But if you can neutralize them before they explode, the liquid fuel inside them can bring you a lot of money, you know. We used to look for them a lot. ”

Sarah recounts her story to Akira as she reminisces about her past. This made Akira understand the truth that surprised him.

"I don't know why they made that kind of monster."

"Some say it's because factories built in the Old World era broke down after years of abandonment. Some say that those monsters will target cars to refuel them...... Well, in that case, I wonder why they are chasing humans? Do they want humans to take them to cars or something? There are also stories that hunters trapped in the middle of the wasteland also survived by collecting fuel from those monsters. I don't know how much of that story is true, though. ”

After that, they have been talking about their work as hunters. This is a scene where a new green hunter negotiates with a veteran and talkative hunter. They both had a great time.

***

After packing up, Crystal stood in the doorway, bowing her head to Sarah.

"Thank you so much, I'm leaving."

"You've just gotten up, please be careful, okay?"

"Yes."

But Sara hesitated for a moment before asking about Akira, who was leaving.

"Akira, uh, can I tell Elena what we talked about today? Of course, I'll tell her to keep it a secret. ”

"As long as it doesn't spread, I don't mind. After all, Shizuka-san already knows."

「…… As I thought, Shizuka knows, right?"

"Well, it happened, she found out."

Sarah smiled wryly, and Akira responded with a wry smile.

"By the way, let me tell you, Shizuka's instincts are really good. That's why, if you get lost on the device you want to get, you should go and ask her. After all, her good instincts seem to apply to objects as well. ”

"I understand. Thank you very much, Sarasan. Please tell Miss Elena that I said hello."

Akira casually ended their conversation and left Sarah's place.

***

Back in her hotel room, Akira lowered her head. Because he unconsciously compared his equipment to all the equipment he had seen at Sarah's, and because his room looked miserable compared to Sarah's. But that's not all. Akira, who was excited when talking to Sarah, returned to normal, and all the suppressed emotions suddenly surfaced.

Alpha asked Akira with a worried expression.

"Are you okay?"

“… Yes. ”

Akira replied in a tone and expression that was the opposite of what he said. So Alpha asked him again in a tougher tone.

"I'll tell you one thing first, you can't hide it from me, you know? After all, I've always been there for you, so I'm sure to discover your secrets...... So just give up confessing to me. It's going to make you feel better, you know. And I don't think it's something to lock up in your heart. ”

Akira just looked at Alpha and didn't say a word, Alpha smiled softly at him. After a while, Akira muttered under his breath.

Alpha wants to know Akira more than anyone else, and it's all for herself.

Alpha then whispered to Akira.

"I see, in that case, you should help them next time. I think that's good enough. ”

"Is that so?"

"Yes, yes. By doing this, you can consider yourself on an equal footing with them, right? It will also make you feel less guilty. That's why I don't think there's anything wrong with this idea, right? ”

Akira didn't say anything, he gave her thoughts a deep thought. Then he smiled and came to a conclusion.

“…… You're right, you're actually right. ”

Akira then nodded vigorously, as if to comfort herself.

"Thank you, it does make me feel better."

Seeing Akira return to her usual appearance, Alpha smiled brightly.