A Certain Missing Esper (Arc 4 Main Story)

Of course the others followed, at this point Hirashi was used to things not going his way.

“It’s just a precaution.” Hirashi gestured at the bound and unconscious people at his feet. “We don’t know whose side these people are on and I’d personally avoid dealing with another scenario like the one we had in the last warehouse.”


"What happened to them? Can you tell? To be honest, this is nowhere close to what I was expecting. Do you think there may be someone besides us coming after these guys?”

"I don't know. I really... don't. Maybe they fought another group, or had some infighting? It's a wild guess."

"Let us try to push forward and get more information, hopefully our answers will lie deeper within."

Right on cue, as soon as he said that, a man burst into the room. After making a brand new addition to the pile of unconscious bodies on the floor, he looked up at them and said.

"You guys don't look like Skill Out. And I'm really hoping that's the case. I'm really not in the mood for another fight."

The mysterious newcomer was still relatively far away from Hirashi. Too close for Hirashi to make a run for it if he decides to attack, but far enough for Hirashi to prep a few nails and hopefully land at least one solid hit. Hopefully after which Mad Biker can do the fisicuffs thing she was so apparently fond of and finish the job.

“Well that is good, we would also like to avoid any fighting. I am Saito, and you are…?”

If what he is saying is the truth, they had a common adversary. And as the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

A moment after Aiko had spoken, the rest of the group filed into the room and Tsubasa offered her thoughts on the unconscious group on the ground.

"I don't know. I really... don't. Maybe they fought another group, or had some infighting? It's a wild guess."

"Let us try to push forward and get more information, hopefully our answers will lie deeper within."

It was a reasonable assumption. If someone was fighting their way into the base, then further in would have their answers. Though surprisingly, before the were able to move further in the answers came to them. The loud sounds of a fight seemed to be coming from further in and getting closer until it spilled right into the room in front of them. Aiko quickly drew the laser pointer from her pocket, keeping it focused on the figure in front of her. A moment later that figure delivered a swift kick to a second man on the floor, knocking him out before turning to face the rest of the group.

"You guys don't look like Skill Out. And I'm really hoping that's the case. I'm really not in the mood for another fight."

For some reason the man's voice sounded familiar. Almost like Aiko had heard it a lot. The dim lighting of the room made it hard to make out exactly who it was though. Aiko expanded her field to encompass the room, switching it from dimming light to amplifying the little light there was and brightening up the room. In doing so revealing the face of the man in front of them and causing Aiko quite the shock.  

“Well that is good, we would also like to avoid any fighting. I am Saito, and you are…?”

"Guy-Sensei!?!? What are doing here?"

Aiko quickly covered her mouth with her other hand as if it would somehow erase her outburst. The last person she expected to see raiding skill out hideouts was her teacher. Aiko almost wished her teacher wouldn't recognize her, the last thing she needed was someone from school finding out about her "Extracurricular Activities". It was a shame Aiko hadn't had any time to return to her dorm, she was still wearing her Tokiwadai uniform and was very recognizable with it being the winter uniform with extended sleeves. Instead of trying to hide her identity from him, Aiko decided it might be better to instead shift the attention on to him.

"What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself mixed up with this time? Is the disdain from the dorm mistress not enough so you had to go find other people to get mad at you?"

Despite the harshness of what was being said, the tone it was being said it made it clear that it was more of a playful jab then contempt.

As if on cue, and to answer all of the group's questions, a crash followed by a loud shout could be heard. From the sound of it, it seemed to be coming from the next room.

'An enemy?'

Just as Tsubasa was readying herself to engage in combat, she saw two silhouettes fighting. After one of them was knocked out, she deduced that, this other person was probably the one behind the attack on this facility. She couldn't make out the person's gender or age however, due to the dimness of the room. His breaths only increased her tension. Was he going to attack them next? What was his affiliation?

"You guys don't look like Skill Out. And I'm really hoping that's the case. I'm really not in the mood for another fight."

'Good, he's not.'

Tsubasa seemed to forget, however, that an enemy of enemy wasn't necessarily a friend. But she was rather simple-minded for such complicated mind games. Thankfully for her, Guy truly wasn't their enemy. Not that she knew that for a fact yet.

“Well that is good, we would also like to avoid any fighting. I am Saito, and you are…?”

"Guy-Sensei!?!? What are doing here?"

"Oh! So, your name is Guy! Nice to meet you!", Tsubasa was happy to meet a new ally so she greeted him cheerfully.

"——Wait, 'sensei'?", alarm bells ringed in her mind and she quickly looked at Aoki who was still talking to Guy, for confirmation.

"What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself mixed up with this time? Is the disdain from the dorm mistress not enough so you had to go find other people to get mad at you?"

As the rest of Aoki's sentence was slowly registering in her brain, Tsubasa was starting to panic.

...

"Wait, wait, wait, please wait!! You're a teacher?! For real?!"

This could be bad. She often got into trouble. Sure, this wasn't her teacher, but teachers often hang out in circles of teacher friends or other administrative staff. If one of her own school's teachers got wind of her mischivious endeavours and her-not-so bight track record of troubles with Skill-Outs, it could affect her not only academically, but especially her idol career. The only one who knows about her activities at school is her manager, who's also the coach of the Urban Dance Team at her school. And that is for a reason. He can be trusted with her secret life.

“That’s admirable. Not sure it’s that smart, but it’s admirable.”

The girl chuckled at the sound of those words and scratched at her cheek with her index finger.

“I’ve always prided myself on a certain degree of logical thinking. I’d like to think that this, too, falls into that range of logic.”

Emotions were oft treated like a separate entity to logic. Separating Logos from Pathos was a common archetype of thought, but the two were still inseparable from each other on a basic level. There was no sin in melding together those forms. That was the conclusion she had come to.

But, as time passed, two basic realities reared their heads. The first was that, even as the sun made its ever constant arc through the dome of the sky, it was unlikely that the pursuers were going to storm in and cause a scene. Either they had retreated, decided that storming in would be counterproductive, or were waiting outside and keeping watch.

But the second and more ugly reality was the fact that Anko had still not arrived. And just as the chances of being ambushed dropped exponentially, so too did the likelihood of Anko’s return.

As the sun had departed beneath the horizon, Kohaku had to make a decision before the door was completely closed.

Would she forsake her friend here?

Would she turn her back on it all and run?

“Alright, let’s get going then. I’ll find some way to reconnect with her.”

The girl had coldly drew the line and turned to the platform. Under duress she remained calm.

She was not turning her back on Anko. She would return and meet up with her again. That was a guarantee.

“Well that is good, we would also like to avoid any fighting. I am Saito, and you are…?”

"Oh thank God..." Guy's shoulders dropped and he leaned againstthe wall. He didn't need to put up an intimidating act in front of these kids, at least. "I'm-" The young man shrouded in gloom started to reply but was cut short.

"Guy-Sensei!?!? What are doing here?" He blinked against the blooming light of Aiko's ability.

"Yeah, exactly." Guy said to the girl's impromptu introduction. He didn't miss a beat upon seeing the girl. First Misaki, now Aiko, he wouldn't have been surprised to see the rest of his students at this rate.

"Oh! So, your name is Guy! Nice to meet you! ——Wait, 'sensei'?"

"What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself mixed up with this time? Is the disdain from the dorm mistress not enough so you had to go find other people to get mad at you?"

"Now wait a second, why does everyone have that sort of reaction?I should be the one asking you why you're here!" He shook his head. This wasn't the time. "Look, whatever. This is serious. I don't know what you're doing here or how much you know, so I'm going to forgo the stern lecture I should probably be giving you and just tell you this; whatever you're looking for, you won't find it here. It's a dead end." The way his jaw flexed as if chewing on those words said volumes about his own frustration. "Whoever's running the show here, they knew someone would be coming, and I'm going to bet it's the same for every other location these guys have set up shop." He paused, considering the information he had on hand.

From the location in the shipping and transport district, this was likely their main supply line to and from the city. With that shut down that should hopefully mean they wouldn't be moving any of their captives beyond the city. That bought him time to find Rachel. He just had to hope they'd not had time to move her already.

Guy frowned. The next words he said were difficult for him.

"They're rounding people up. Most of the sick experiments in this city get their 'volunteers' from these guys. And not just here. They're moving them out of city." And if that was the case, then it wasn't just some isolated incident. For the notoriously secretive Academy City to be allowing their most valuable asset to leave their jurisdiction meant one thing; this went all the way to the top.

***

“I’ve always prided myself on a certain degree of logical thinking. I’d like to think that this, too, falls into that range of logic.”

Naoto offered a sympathetic smile. They were the same, in that regard. She also considered herself rational and level-headed, but here she was, throwing aside her own rules for the sake of a stranger. All because she felt sorry for this stranded girl and her friend. In the end people were moved by their hearts, and they made excuses around those actions.

“Alright, let’s get going then. I’ll find some way to reconnect with her.” Naoto nodded. When the next train arrived at the platform she stepped aboard alongside Kohaku and held onto the rail.

"I'll take you to a safehouse, from there you'll be free to do what you like. I don't know if you want to wait for your friend there or-" She stopped, the phone in her pocket buzzing caught her attention. She glanced at the screen and clicked her tongue. "Sorry, change of plan. Looks like we'll be taking a quick detour through district 11."

Hoodie Girl’s outburst has once again revealed information which she probably should not have given away. Is this girl really involved in the dark underworld of Academy City? If she spills like this on her assignments too Hirashi can’t imagine her bosses would be too happy.

A teacher, in a shady warehouse having a few rounds of fisticuffs with Skill Outs. It was a strange thought yet it is happening right in front of Hirashi’s eyes.

"Whoever's running the show here, they knew someone would be coming, and I'm going to bet it's the same for every other location these guys have set up shop."


“…”

As usual, Hirashi’s face betrayed little emotion, but it was easy to guess he was annoyed. Judging from all the unconscious bodies lying about the warehouse, whoever was behind this not only set up ambushes, but also likely removed all evidence leading back to them. It was as Adult Teacher had said, this was a dead end.

"They're rounding people up. Most of the sick experiments in this city get their 'volunteers' from these guys. And not just here. They're moving them out of city."

The implications were clear, their adversary either had the power to oppose the highest powers of Academy City, or worse, the leadership of Academy City was allied with them.

“I guess there is always a bigger fish.”

“I doubt anything will show up, but I will search the warehouse for leads anyway, just to be safe. Hopefully it will give us a new pointer.”

"Now wait a second, why does everyone have that sort of reaction?I should be the one asking you why you're here! Look, whatever. This is serious. I don't know what you're doing here or how much you know, so I'm going to forgo the stern lecture I should probably be giving you and just tell you this; whatever you're looking for, you won't find it here. It's a dead end. Whoever's running the show here, they knew someone would be coming, and I'm going to bet it's the same for every other location these guys have set up shop. They're rounding people up. Most of the sick experiments in this city get their 'volunteers' from these guys. And not just here. They're moving them out of city."

“I guess there is always a bigger fish. I doubt anything will show up, but I will search the warehouse for leads anyway, just to be safe. Hopefully it will give us a new pointer.”

This was a big deal. If academy city was letting these people smuggle espers out of the city, there was no way the higher ups didn't know about it. It also many it extremely clear why Aiko had be told to stand down on this one. It went all the way to the top. Though it would probably have repercussions for her, there was no way Aiko was going to back down from this now. Especially not after hearing what was being done to the people that were being taken. Thinking back on it, the fact that they knew people would be coming for these bases explained why the other base they had attacked had been almost completely abandoned already. Regardless, they needed a next move. Aiko walked over to Guy, sliding the laser pointer back into her pocket and taking out her phone. She pulled up the map of all the bases and handed the phone over to Guy.

"Here, it's a map of everyone one of their bases. Originally we were planning on going around and seeing if we could rescue anyone else, but if they've already started moving people out we may be too late for that. Do you think any of these might be where they are currently holding them?"

Aiko then leaned in to whisper into Guy's ear.

"Oh, and don't even think of telling anyone about me being here. I get in enough trouble just breaking uniform codes and curfew I don't need this tacked on there."

The fact that her would-be savior was offering that smile meant that she, too, could understand her feelings. That’s why there were no further words needed from her at that point. They just needed to take the next step.

“Sorry, change of plan.”

Her eyes turned to the savior looking at their phone and narrowed.

“What happened? And lead the way.”

They could do a briefing on the way there. Now was the time to actually get moving. Wherever the savior would take them would likely be the fastest option. Depending on where in District 11 they had to go, there may have been a safer or more efficient option than grabbing the train here.

But, again, that was left to the person who had quickly changed plans.

"Now wait a second, why does everyone have that sort of reaction?I should be the one asking you why you're here!"

Upon hearing this, her forehead started sweating. Would this guy be a problem for her if he recognized her true identity? Maybe Aizawa could sort things out with him later after they finish what they have on hand. After arriving at this solution, she realized how much she relied on her manager to tidy up after her mess every single time.

"Whoever's running the show here, they knew someone would be coming, and I'm going to bet it's the same for every other location these guys have set up shop", the teacher added "They're rounding people up. Most of the sick experiments in this city get their 'volunteers' from these guys. And not just here. They're moving them out of city."

'This sounds very problematic... Can we keep truly track of them with our limited resources? But anyways, how could they even manage such a feat...?'

“I guess there is always a bigger fish.”

"O-Oh...! R-right..."

She hadn't followed that line of thought till its logical end up till Saito spoke. But of course. Those scums only managed to do this because someone higher up was backing them up. This situation was becoming worse and worse by the second.

Tsubasa knew that Academy City was corrupt, but...

'Was it truly this bad? This was basically human traficking at this point wasn't it?! And the higher of the city were not only letting this happen, but maybe even behind all of it? Just how deep did this darkness go...? Did Aizawa-san know about this? Wait, was this why he didn't want me to get involved?'

The others were still talking, but she wasn't focusing anymore. This news shook her that much. Her brain was racing. She heard mumbling, but the meaning of their words did not register at all.

“I doubt anything will show up, but I will search the warehouse for leads anyway, just to be safe. Hopefully it will give us a new pointer.”

"Here, it's a map of everyone one of their bases. Originally we were planning on going around and seeing if we could rescue anyone else, but if they've already started moving people out we may be too late for that. Do you think any of these might be where they are currently holding them?"

...

She was trying to make sense of the truth she just heard. We must not forget that while Tsubasa had had mischivious encounters with Skill-Outs before, she had never had the opportunity (or misfortune) to come into direct contact with any of Academy City's Dark Side matters. So this revelation just now was a hard pill to swollow. She already hated the scientists' guts for how they failed her with becoming an Esper, but now she hears that there are way worse things going on behind the scenes. At first she thought some criminals did what they did to Reina but... it was ths very city all along?

"S-sorry to interrupt your strategy meeting, but... guys... just what the hell is going on in this city...?", her voice was trembling.

She was shaking, from fear, but mostly rage and frustration. How could she live all those years in ignorance about this?

"Please! Who's the real enemy?!", she pleaded them for the truth.

“I doubt anything will show up, but I will search the warehouse for leads anyway, just to be safe. Hopefully it will give us a new pointer.”

Guy nodded in understanding. Crossing paths with the occupants of the office had cut short his own investigations, and though the likelihood was that the warehouse had been stripped of anything useful or valuable, there was still a chance they'd overlooked something in their hurry.

"Here, it's a map of everyone one of their bases. Originally we were planning on going around and seeing if we could rescue anyone else, but if they've already started moving people out we may be too late for that. Do you think any of these might be where they are currently holding them?"

He swept through the map, pointing to one of the locations marked out.

"You can cross this one off. I already paid them a visit earlier."

"Oh, and don't even think of telling anyone about me being here. I get in enough trouble just breaking uniform codes and curfew I don't need this tacked on there."

"I'll keep your secret if you keep mine." He had his own set of circumstances to worry about, after all. He'd already gained a bad enough reputation for getting into trouble without adding to it. Not to mention there were a couple of his students who were already on his case about his supposed hero complex.

"S-sorry to interrupt your strategy meeting, but... guys... just what the hell is going on in this city...? Please! Who's the real enemy?!"

Guy couldn't honestly say.

"I wish I knew." He admitted. "Right now, though, we need to treat anyone in authority with suspicion. There's no telling who's involved. I hate to say it, but we can't even trust Anti-Skill. Luckily, there are still a few decent people we can rely on."

As if on cue, Misaki came running through the door of the office.

"Sensei, I-" She recoiled in shock at the sight of the others, raising her remote and dropping into an exaggerated ready pose that resembled a gunman taking aim with their pistol.

"Relax, Misaki. They're on our side." Guy gently placed a hand on the remote to lower it with all the care of someone handling a loaded gun. That thing might well be more dangerous than any firearm, after all...

"That's good." Misaki hesitantly holstered the remote in her purse. "Oh." She spotted Aiko. "Aoki-san?"

Reina had been quietly observing the exchange. Something bothered her about the young man in red. Something that was difficult to put her finger on. Her ability gave her a visual expression of a person's emotional state, but right now he was...

Reina's attention was pulled from the unnerving thought by the screech of tires and the rumble of engines outside the warehouse that signaled the arrival of a new complication. She hurried to the door, peering outside to see a flood of bright headlights pointing towards the warehouse entrance from the newly gathered vehicles.

***

“What happened? And lead the way.”

"It's a little complicated. You see, this sort of thing is..." Naoto paused, considering how best to explain it. "I guess you could say it's a hobby of mine?" Was that the right way to put it? She'd have called it a side business if she earned any money off of it. But the kind of people she helped didn't tend to be the kind who could pay for the service. "Or maybe it's more like a community service. Saving people in tough spots." She smiled disarmingly. For such a serious-looking girl it was an unexpectedly gentle expression. "And right now it looks like someone else is about to be in need of a little saving."

The next station drew close and Naoto gestured for Kohaku to follow her to the doors. "We'll be getting a lift from here."

At the station entrance a vehicle was waiting. A gaudy-looking SUV driven by a bleach blonde youth who was the very image of a delinquent. "I hope you're not too put off by us Skill Out?" She adjusted the cap atop her head and gave that unusually charming smile again.

***

"Okay. So you're sure it's just the one guy at the door?" Rachel double-checked with Natsume.

"One hundred percent." Natsume confirmed. "One standing guard at the door and two doing checks on the rooms." Her wind communication spell had given her the location of the youths watching over them. "It takes them a little over 12 minutes to check the entire floor. So we'll have to be careful with our timing."

"Got it." She'd been paying attention, too. They came by every 2 hours judging by the clock on the heart monitor. That was when they administered the aneasthetic that was keeping Rachel from being able to use her ability. Why this Natsume girl could still use hers, Rachel couldn't tell, but it was at the end of that 2 hour period that she felt closest to being able to use her Harmonic Scramble. If she concentrated. Really, really concentrated, she could force it. A small noise. Hopefully enough to distract the guard. And then...

They hadn't figured that part out yet. But just knowing that much was enough to give Rachel a sliver of hope to cling to. She wasn't totally helpless. She could still do something.

In other words, Kohaku wasn’t the only one in any sort of danger and the mysterious savior found it best to kill two birbs with one stone. She could accept that. There being other people in danger in the vicinity, possibly due to the same root cause was far from the realm of possibilities.

It would be selfish of her to object. So, she simply followed along until she saw the SUV that they were approaching and would likely be their transport. Between lying on the floor and her recent running around and sitting on hard station chairs, this was a welcome improvement.

Even as she saw the fact that the getaway driver was clearly not someone who was living a squeaky clean life. Despite her recent experiences with the type, be they traumatizing or good, she could swallow down her pride and fear and know what had to be done.


Just like it was selfish of her to object to the change in plans, it would have been selfish of her to posit any gripes she had with the situation and even their getaway driver.

“At this point, I don’t think getting put out by them’s an issue given how many times they’ve been getting me out of binds over the past few days.”

That was her honest and absurdly frank judgment as she followed into the vehicle.

"S-sorry to interrupt your strategy meeting, but... guys... just what the hell is going on in this city...? Please! Who's the real enemy?!"

"I wish I knew." He admitted. "Right now, though, we need to treat anyone in authority with suspicion. There's no telling who's involved. I hate to say it, but we can't even trust Anti-Skill. Luckily, there are still a few decent people we can rely on."

“That is what I intend to find out, right now we just need to keep our mouths closed and eyes forward.”

It was at this point where Misaki came bursting into the office. Given Hirashi’s liking towards information gathering, the recognition was instant. Hirashi involuntarily took a step back in surprise, almost as if he was mirroring the level 5 before raising his hands when Misaki pointed her remote at him.

Judging from her sensei shout earlier, the Number Five was with Adult Teacher. And Hirashi was not a fan of getting done in by friendly fire.

"Relax, Misaki. They're on our side."

"That's good. Oh Aoki-san?”

Hoodie Girl seemed to know everyone around this part of town.

When Adult Teacher mentioned “a few decent people who we can rely on”, the Queen of Tokiwadai was certainly not what Hirashi was expecting. This new ally did not give Hirashi much confidence though, Adult Teacher had the #5 working with him and still was being run in circles by whoever orchestrated this. What could they achieve that a level 5 cannot?

The sounds of screeching tires and bright lights spilling into the open warehouse door interrupted Hirashi’s musings. Surely his companions knew what was about to happen, Hirashi wordlessly drew his nails and began scanning the warehouse for a good position from which to defend.

When she awoke the light was to bright it was blinding. Only after a few more minutes she finally could make out the space around her. It wasn’t bright at all. Albeit there had been a lamp right above where she lay, the room itself was sparsley lit.

It was an odd space. When she tilted her head to scan the surroundings carefully, she found unremarkable furniture all around. Chairs, desks, computers, shelves, a few plastic plants, and a sense of tired tranquility. It was familiar, yet odd.

After all, who would expect to wake up in an office of all places after bleeding out in the gutter?

However, this made one thing clear to her: She wasn‘t dead.

Kisaragi Anko wasn‘t dead.

«So you are finally awake. Certainly took you longer than I had calculated.»

The first thing she heard was the emotionless voice of a man. From its sound alone she could he was young and quite fond of himself.

Groaning under the attempt at searching for him, she instead remained flat on the surface she had rested onto. It was soft and comfortable. A bed for camping purposes. But that wasn’t what mattered. When she looked down upon the lower half of her body she was bandages covering her otherwise naked stomach. Dressed in only her black sport underwear and covered in bandages here and there, someone must have taken good care of her.

«Who are you...? Where...am I?»

Even in this state, her tongue kept a remainder of its usual sharpness.

«What happened...? Where is Kohaku?!»

And it recovered itself with each thought racing through her head.

«She is safe. For now. You are, too.»

The voice replied calmly.

«I arranged for you to be secured after your loss at Thanatos‘s hands. I couldn‘t let you die just yet.»

However, his calm wasn‘t hers. The more he spoke, the more time she had to grasp reality, the more she recalled the events that had led up to this. They had been chased. They had been fighting to survive. What had happened to all that? What were the current events’ meaning in all that?

She shot up, fought and nearly broke down in face of the excruciating pain. And yet she did not give in. Her fierce glance shot across the office room, desperately searching for anything, the origin of the voice or any other indicator for her current state. But she found nothing. Only an empty office space after working hours. Yes, after working ours. It was dark outside.

When she looked further, she found a clock displaying the current time.

11:03 PM

Many hours had passed since noon. Even more if she had been out for longer. What the hell had happened? How the hell could it have happened in the first place?

«It‘s a lot to process. But for now all that matters is that you are alive and in good health. Well, what you might call good health given the circumstances.»

The voice without a visible source continued speaking as if they understood exactly who she was and what she thought. But did they or were they just acting the part? On one side it gave her the creeps, on the other the loss of everything urged her to catch up quickly.

«I‘ll ask again. Who are you? Why did you save me?»

She hadn‘t looked below the bandages yet, so she began to lift them ever so lightly, not afraid of the pain or the view expecting her.

«I am TASK. Is that satisfying enough as a reply?»

It all came together that moment. The sight of the wound covered by a strange, hardly translucent kind of foil that in parts resembled a modern band aid which clearly originated from a technology she had zero understanding for, the empty office space, and the man’s style of self-representation. Clearly, he was from that world. All that belonged into that world. And if there was a connection to it, it was TASK.

However, there was one more thing that stuck out to her.

He said he was TASK. Did that mean...?

«You are the one holding the reigns? How much trouble did I cause to deserve this honour?»

«It is a long story, but to cut it short: None out of the ordinary. In fact, you did exactly as you were supposed to do, Hasagawa Yumemi.»

The more that man‘s voice spoke, the more crypticism was thrown at her. Instead of answers all she got in return were more questions. Questions he would not answer and she could not answer. Yet, what else to expect?

«What matters right now is that we salvaged you, fixed you up, and can send you out again. This is not over yet. And I need you more than ever. In fact, I might need TASK more than ever.»

She listened, although only with half a ear. Other concerns than her job had begun to take over her mind. Any little thought she formed revolved around what had happened before. The mercenaries, that one eyed lady, her supposed death at her hands, and Kohaku. Kohaku. Kohaku? Weren‘t they supposed to meet? What about that? What happened afterwards?

«You‘re not listening, are you?»

Kisaragi shook her head in response.

«I did. I am just not interested. I need to be somewhere. Urgently.»

«I know. But where you are headed nobody is expecting you. The girl moved on.»

The voice shattered the status quo with a cruel twist on reality. She felt the implication, yet her mind would not allow her to process it. No, it could not. If she had learned one thing about people confident in their own choice of words, they would use it in whichever way they could to have their way.

«Where is she? Where is Kohaku? Tell me and I will listen.»

«No. I will tell you after you listened. After all, every information has a place in the larger machinery that is this incident. And I will bare it all to you, Kisaragi Anko. Playing part in it is the price you will pay for being saved. Isn‘t that fair?»

That was how it always had been. TASK, Academy City, this man, whatever form you attribute to this darkness she had fallen into, it held the reigns. Not only to her, but to all people trapped within it. She had learned it when she was captured, when she had done the jobs they had assigned her with, and she was learning it again right now. No matter what she did, it all would lead down the same path. The path anticipated by these figures in the shadows.

And she understood she had no choice.

«Fine, tell me.»

A soft chuckle emerged from that voice without a source, before ultimately their own aloof demeanour fell apart to assume a drastic tone.

«There is an enemy I need you to root out. An enemy who drew first blood last night.»

Matching the drastic news.

«Ichigo Ai‘s to be precise.»

"I'll keep your secret if you keep mine."

"Deal."

It seems that even Guy could be reasonable in situations like these.

"S-sorry to interrupt your strategy meeting, but... guys... just what the hell is going on in this city...? Please! Who's the real enemy?!"

"Unfortunately, that's a difficult question to answer. All we can really do at the moment is just keep taking things one step at a time until we find our culprit."

“That is what I intend to find out, right now we just need to keep our mouths closed and eyes forward.”

"I wish I knew. Right now, though, we need to treat anyone in authority with suspicion. There's no telling who's involved. I hate to say it, but we can't even trust Anti-Skill. Luckily, there are still a few decent people we can rely on."

Without warning another girl came running into the room.

"Sensei, I-"

Upon seeing the group of people the girl pulled a remote control from her bag and pointed it at the people in the room. Aiko seeing an unknown party enter the room quickly pointer her laser pointer at the girl. Aiko's panic quickly faded however as she recognized the uniform the girl was wearing was the same as her own and the remote control she was wielding could only mark her as one person.  

"Relax, Misaki. They're on our side."

"That's good. Oh."

"Aoki-san?"

Aiko let out a sigh as the identity of the new arrival was confirmed to be who she thought it was.

"Shokuhou-san, what are you doing here? Wait let me guess, somehow Guy-sensei got you wrapped up in all this."

As much as it was a surprise to see one of Tokiwadai's level 5s here, it was a big relief as well. Having a level 5 was a large increase in the capabilities of their makeshift team. The capabilities of which might soon be put to the test, because at that moment the screech of tires and an influx of bright light from the headlights of several vehicles filled the room. Aiko quickly dimmed the light in the room back to the normal levels to hopefully not give away their presence, though it might have already been to late for that. Aiko crouched down and moved towards the walls of the room and away from any windows, while changing the target of her laser pointer to the door. If they were about to have unexpected visitors, Aiko certainly wasn't going to give them the first shot.

When Tsubasa begged the others for an explanation of the identity of their enemy, the replies that she got didn't sound that reassuring to her

"I wish I knew. Right now, though, we need to treat anyone in authority with suspicion. There's no telling who's involved. I hate to say it, but we can't even trust Anti-Skill. Luckily, there are still a few decent people we can rely on", Guy said first.

'Even Anti-Skill can't be trusted...?'

"Unfortunately, that's a difficult question to answer. All we can really do at the moment is just keep taking things one step at a time until we find our culprit."

“That is what I intend to find out, right now we just need to keep our mouths closed and eyes forward.”

"I understand. I'll stay focused."

Briefly after, she could see a new silhouette approaching them. Aoki was the first to react, but she quickly lowered her guard, as if she recognized the person. Upon taking a closer look at this person, Tsuabsa saw a beautiful girl with long golden hair. She wore a Tokiwadai middle school uniform and had a remote in her hand, for some reason. Going by her uniform, she seemed to be in middle school, even though her physique said otherwise.

'Another Tokiwadai student? Aoki's friend perhaps?'

"Relax, Misaki. They're on our side."

'Misaki...?'

"That's good. Oh. Aoki-san?", Misaki had just noticed the other Tokiwadai member in their group. Her reaction confirmed Tsubasa's suspicions. These two were acquaintances, to say the least.

"Shokuhou-san, what are you doing here? Wait let me guess, somehow Guy-sensei got you wrapped up in all this."

What Aoki just said caught Watabe's attention. Precisely, the family name. So if this girl is called Misaki, and her family name is Shokuhou, and she's a Tokiwadai student, then that could only mean one thing...

"You're Shokuhou Misaki?! THE Shokuhou Misaki?! The Level 5?!", Tsubasa couldn't believe what was happening.

What started out as a small adventure continued to get bigger and more complicated. And now she even got to meet - no scratch that - to actually work with a level 5 in person. For someone like Tsubasa, it was like meeting a legend. Those people, the level 5s, were the goal that Tsubasa could never achieve. The strongest espers in existence. The ultimate beings.

Multiple emotions started brewing inside of the girl's heart. A mixture of admiration, awe, stupefaction, fear and envy. All of her hidden insecurities threatened to overwhelm her once again. She could only gawk at the girl in front of her.

Few moments later, she could hear the screeching of tires coming from outside.

It seems they have company.

Tsubasa decided to stick around Reina in order to defend her and readied herself for combat.

Aoki Aiko and two strangers. Finding this odd mixture of a group under these circumstances paired with the knowledge she had acquired about her fellow student, led Shokuhou to a solidified albeit wrong conclusion. Yes, with them being one short and Hujisaka Natsumi nowhere to be found, it could only be like this.

Speaking of wrong conclusions.

«Shokuhou-san, what are you doing here? Wait let me guess, somehow Guy-sensei got you wrapped up in all this.»

«It’s not like that! I was the one who picked him up when I meddled with my own business ability. He just happened to to be of fairly good use as a vassal ☆»

Like a true queen, the honey blonde overshadowed the childish poutiness her initial reply had been borne from and instead posed as the proud lady. An act she could further spin to her liking upon the fanboyish outbreak of Aoki’s comrade.

"You're Shokuhou Misaki?! THE Shokuhou Misaki?! The Level 5?!"

«Yes That’s me ☆ The Queen of Tokiwadai ☆ At your service ability ☆»

However, the very moment she struck another of her infamous poses to wallow in the spotlight for as long as she could, noise from the outside of the building brought her back to earth or rather returned her mind to the discoveries she had made earlier. Indeed, while Li-sensei had greeted the  group she mistook for another, she had used her abilities to snoop around on her own. And the discoveries she made there fell perfectly in line with what was ahead.

Li-sensei. These thugs set up an ambush. I doubt it will be of much advantage ability to remain here. There’s a secret backdoor I found. They won’t expect us to come through there.

Instead of speaking aloud, the Number 5 chose to send her voice directly into her partner in crime’s mind.

I’m sure these people are part of a troublesome organisation. As such, their combat ability should be sufficient to help them out here. And I doubt a large group size ability would allow us to slip away easily. We need as little attention ability as we can get.

Clearly, she wasn’t eager to loiter around. Especially not in a situation as wasteful of their time as this supposed ambush. Hence, the best and only course to take here was run and leave the distraction up to these others.

They were agents of that side after all. Weren’t they…?

«Ichigo Ai’s…? What?»

She knew these words had been chosen to serve as a bait for her attention, but Kisaragi Anko just couldn’t help but fall for it. That faceless voice finally had her full attention.

«Last night she was ambushed and assassinated by the group you know as ‹Odd Wolf›. Their name nowadays it Thanatos, by the way. They have been deeply involved in a rather messy incident and are in lieu with a rather dangerous individual and some other force. Komaba told you about Kurama’s men, didn’t he? Those are also part of it. But all of them are just the surface. The core here is something else. Someone else. Actually more than one faction, but the other aspects of it do not concern us, I would say.»

This information was hardly condensed, if at all it was thrown at her in its full overwhelming mass with too many details and implications buried underneath. How did they know about her meeting with Komaba? And even down to the very topics they discussed?

«The point of concern to us is the one who commissioned the hit. They had the means to track Ichigo Ai down rather quickly and with little hassle.»

Every time he spoke that name Kisaragi felt a cold chill run down her back while her stomach twisted ever so lightly. However, she did not understand why it did get to her. In fact, wasn’t it also in his intonation?

«I must not tell you how complicated it is to stage an attack on one of ours. Especially her. They are dangerous.»

Yes, there was something in that voice hidden in the way he was uttering these words.

«So, all you task me with is return the favour?»

In the end, however, none of that mattered. What did was cutting to the point.

«Yes. But do not assume this to be easy. Even I have no means to track them down. All I know is where to start. The rest is up to you.»

Of course. No matter how resourceful someone made themselves appear, there was an end to anyone’s resources.

«Fine. I will take care of them. It’s not like I wasn’t planning to in the first place.»

It was time to demonstrate strength. In line with the words she spoke, the kunoichi raised herself from the makeshift bed and scanned the environment one more time. No cameras in sight. No speakers. No microphones.

So how could she hear this voice and why couldn’t she tell its origin?

«I am aware, but I had to make sure to prepare you accordingly. Had you rejected I would have had to end your life.»

He chuckled softly. Only then she finally realised the how and why.

Not that it mattered right now.

There was a more pressing circumstance at hand. One that even overshadowed that odd cold these news had brought over her. Loss was a strange experience she still could not fully grasp even now. But certainly not one she was all too fond of.

«So what about Kohaku?»

She had lost another person today, but that didn’t mean she would allow for this to repeat itself once more.

«I will send you the coordinates.»

At this point she was done questioning how exactly they were able to track Kohaku. In fact, she was done questioning anything at all anymore. She knew there were means to that end and she wasn’t that intent on learning their nature.

The only question she could have asked was connected to where these coordinates would be found. Yet even that answered itself as a silent vibration guided her attention towards a desk in the room’s corner. There, instead of a PC, key board, or other business files she found an outdated flip phone resting on a neatly folded bordeaux coloured tracksuit placed right next to a white pair of plain but comfy sneakers.

Certainly, TASK was as well prepared as always.

«Before I forget it. You might wish to hurry up.»

«Shokuhou-san, what are you doing here? Wait let me guess, somehow Guy-sensei got you wrapped up in all this.»

"Now, wait a second!" Guy started to protest again, but Misaki spoke over him.

«It’s not like that! I was the one who picked him up when I meddled with my own business ability. He just happened to to be of fairly good use as a vassal ☆»

He decided that was sufficient for an explanation. A useful vassal was a step up from a reckless troublemaker at least. In fact, that might have been the first time in recent memory someone had praised him for being useful at all. For someone so used to being derided, any sign of kindness, no matter how minor, was seen as a comfort.

The sound of engines rumbling triggered a muttered curse from the teacher and he spun about, immediately scanning the office and attached  warehouse for an escape route. The upper gantry of the warehouse was within reach of the windows. A route out onto the roof for those brave enough to try. As he was about to move he heard Misaki's voice. But she wasn't speaking.

Li-sensei. These thugs set up an ambush. I doubt it will be of much advantage ability to remain here. There’s a secret backdoor I found. They won’t expect us to come through there.

It unnerved him to hear someone else's voice in his head, knowing that another was intruding into his thoughts uninvited. A chill ran through his body and something cold and violent and reptilian recoiled in the far black depths of his mind. He pushed the unfamiliar feeling deeper, suppressing it like a the urge to wretch.

I’m sure these people are part of a troublesome organisation. As such, their combat ability should be sufficient to help them out here. And I doubt a large group size ability would allow us to slip away easily. We need as little attention ability as we can get.

She was right, the safest option for them would be to use this group as a decoy. It was a chillingly utilitarian assessment. After a moment of apparent hesitation he spoke.

"We should split up." He said. It was the best chance they had of evading the pursuers without sacrificing anyone deliberately. "If we stay and fight it'll only be a matter of time until we get overwhelmed. And if we move as a group, we'll be easy pickings." He pointed towards the metal walkway that ringed the edge of the warehouse interior and the windows above them."You guys take the rooftop, Misaki and I can make our own way." Guy turned to Aiko and held up his phone. "You've got my number. We'll keep in contact."

Lead the way... He thought deliberately in response to Misaki. Was that how her telepathy worked? Could she hear his thoughts? He suppressed another shiver.

"We should split up. If we move as a group, we'll be easy pickings."

In any other situation, this may be the case. However, in this particular scenario, they had the power of a level 5 on their side. Being quite the information collector, Hirashi was aware of how powerful the #5 was, and so he perceived the suggestion not as a valid tactical reasoning, but rather a desire to get rid of them.

Also knowing the said level 5 had the power to listen in on his thoughts, Hirashi decided not to dwell on it too much, at least for now.

"You guys take the rooftop, Misaki and I can make our own way."

Now this was just plain rude.

It was understandable for the Adult Teacher and the #5 wanting to get rid of them, but pointing them at the rooftops with no further input was an insult to their intelligence.

Where would they possibly go after getting to the roof? Run to the opposite side, jump off, and hope for the best? That could work, if their adversary does not see them on the flat roof, they did not already surround the building, and that they can even get off the roof besides that catwalk at all.

Also, this is Academy City, where all kinds of advanced technology was being used to perform, or help with, every task its citizens did. Thus getting aerial surveillance of the area with a drone would be a trivial matter for their attackers outside. Additionally, if their attackers were indeed from the organisation which they were investigating, money and Academy City’s no-fly zone were also surely no object, they might even have satellites and planes watching this warehouse.

Going onto the roof was definitely one of the less appealing things they can do.

“And where will we be going from the rooftop?”

A simple and logical question, if the pair’s suggestion did have Hirashi’s group’s best interest at heart, it would not be difficult to answer. If the pair’s intention was to toss Hirashi’s group to the wind as he suspected, then they would need to come up with some really good explanations.

"We should split up. If we stay and fight it'll only be a matter of time until we get overwhelmed. And if we move as a group, we'll be easy pickings. You guys take the rooftop, Misaki and I can make our own way."

Looking at Aiko, Guy continued.

"You've got my number. We'll keep in contact."

“And where will we be going from the rooftop?”

Saito was right, splitting up could make sense, but going to the roof may be a dead end. Tactically, Aiko could see the flaws with the going to the roof, however, Aiko also didn't think that Guy would be someone that would let one of his students die as a decoy to escape. Because of this, Aiko chose to believe that there was some kind of plan in motion, or at least that there would be an escape route up there and gave Guy a quick nod to confirm.

"If I die up there I'm going to haunt you."

Aiko then turned to the rest of the group.

"Tsubasa, Saito, Reina, I'm heading up to the roof. If you stay near me I should be able to keep us hidden."

Aiko then began moving up the metal walkway to head out to the roof. Aiko was pretty confident at her ability to remain unseen should the enemy pursue them. Using her ability to cloak everyone in shadow was even more effect with the backdrop of the dark night sky. In bright light the shadow itself could stand out, but when it was already dark it would be almost impossible to notice.

Tsubasa honestly didn't like where things were going.

At first, she felt a sense of relief knowing that a Level 5 was with them, she was certainly a plus that would help with protecting Reina... or so she thought.

To be fair, Tsubasa didn't realise that at first, she took what they said at face value and believed their excuse, she wasn't that tactically inclined after all, but Saito's simple question helped her realise what she had previously missed, and clarified to her what the the two newcomers were truly planning.

"You guys take the rooftop, Misaki and I can make our own way."

“And where will we be going from the rooftop?”

'So basically these assholes are planning to just ditch us and escape alone? To begin with, what kind of teacher leaves his student behind?'

Guy, and the Level 5, just left the worst first impression on her, committing one of the worst actions someone can do in her book.

“Yes, let’s hear you answer Saito’s question. You better have a fucking good explanation for even suggesting that plan, if you can even call it that. I don’t care if we’re ambushed right here, right now, you won’t leave until you finish explaining.”

"If I die up there I'm going to haunt you."

AIko said so, but Watabe could tell from her facial expression that she trusted the guy. She was starting to get worried on Aoki’s behalf. Was this teacher truly trustworthy? Wasn’t he abusing Aoki’s trust in him and manipulating her?

Tsubasa had a lot of questions. She truly wanted to give the teacher and Shokuhou a piece of her mind. But, well, it's not like they were friends. This was further proof not to trust random people who barge into your life, even if they call themselves 'allies'. Yes. She has lived so far without trusting others, and she would continue to do the same.

'It would be weird if things changed now, wouldn’t it...? This was bound to happen sooner or later. Right, it's my fault, I should've been able to see this kind of behavior coming from miles away. It's not like this is anything new to me...'

As if on cue, Aiko turned to the rest of the group, and in doing so, turned to her.

"Tsubasa, Saito, Reina, I'm heading up to the roof. If you stay near me I should be able to keep us hidden."

That snapped the level zero out from her self-pity about her loneliness.

‘Right, I do have one friend now’, She thought as she looked at the slightly younger girl talking.

Was this timing a coincidence? The moment she was starting to shut off her heart again, Aoki's voice rang through the room, as if to remind her of her presence. It most certainly was just that, a coincidence. And for that reason, the fates are playing a cruel trick on Watabe’s frozen heart.

“Arrgh!”, Tsubasa frustratingly scratched her hair, “Alright alright! You beat me. I’ll tag along! I’ll go with you.”

The other girl probably had no idea what Tsubasa was talking about, having no insight into her brain.

But a certain someone probably could read her like an open book right now.

“Reina and Saito, both of you should come with us, I think."

«And where will we be going from the rooftop?»

One of them had high paranoia ability.

«Yes, let’s hear you answer Saito’s question. You better have a fucking good explanation for even suggesting that plan, if you can even call it that. I don’t care if we’re ambushed right here, right now, you won’t leave until you finish explaining.»

Another was a text-book dumb thug.

«If I die up there I'm going to haunt you. Tsubasa, Saito, Reina, I'm heading up to the roof. If you stay near me I should be able to keep us hidden.»

And the other was fortunately naive enough to eat the bait.

All it’d take from here was a little more tweaking and all was settled. Thus, Shokuhou Misaki took on her usual sugar sweet girlish facade.

«How silly? Why would the roof of all places be more dangerous than any other path through the building? These people are Skill-Out not the air force. As if they’d come for the roof first? Clearly they’re going to use their field knowledge ability to conquer the building first and until they made it up to the roof you’ve already long since escaped onto and through the neighbouring buildings ☆ You guys aren’t cared of heights are you?»

Words were weapon that could be used wisely to stir situations into whatever direction applicable. Especially if you sugar-coated them with the blonde beauty’s trade-mark cuteness. However, truth be told, the escape plan she had made up on a whim was as sound as the one she had proposed to the elder man earlier. In fact, maybe it was actually even more sound than their own?

«Aaaaaaany way ☆ I think we, too, should get going, right Li-sensei~?»

«And where will we be going from the rooftop?»

A fair question. Guy opened his mouth to respond but was quickly shut down by Tsubasa.

«Yes, let’s hear you answer Saito’s question. You better have a fucking good explanation for even suggesting that plan, if you can even call it that. I don’t care if we’re ambushed right here, right now, you won’t leave until you finish explaining.»

He was about to answer when Aiko interjected.

«If I die up there I'm going to haunt you. Tsubasa, Saito, Reina, I'm heading up to the roof. If you stay near me I should be able to keep us hidden.»

At this point, he felt a gentle throbbing in his temples and he took a moment to take a deep breath.

«How silly? Why would the roof of all places be more dangerous than any other path through the building? These people are Skill-Out not the air force. As if they’d come for the roof first? Clearly they’re going to use their field knowledge ability to conquer the building first and until they made it up to the roof you’ve already long since escaped onto and through the neighbouring buildings ☆ You guys aren’t cared of heights are you? Aaaaaaany way ☆ I think we, too, should get going, right Li-sensei~?»

The throbbing in his temples had given way to a pounding feeling as his pulse began to skyrocket. Misaki was trying to help, but this was hardly the place for a lecture.

"Fine! We'll take the roof!" He said, perhaps louder than he meant to. "I really don't care which way we go, as long as we get out of here!" There was no time to waste. Guy pinched the bridge of his nose as he marched towards the broken window that led into the warehouse. On the way he placed his foot against one of the filing cabinets and gave it a hard kick, knocking it down to block the door. It wasn't going to stop the intruders, but it would at least slow them down. And he'd be lying if it didn't help relieve a little of his stress. He hopped from the office into the open space of the warehouse.

With Misaki's helpful directions they were quickly able to locate the hidden door. A metal cargo container placed up against the far wall had been used to mask a cut-out in the floor where a set of roughly chiselled stairs led to a makeshift tunnel. The occupants of the warehouse had likely built it themselves for transporting their more illicit cargo. Looking down into the dank and dingy tunnel Guy felt suddenly less apprehensive about taking the rooftop. Neither way was particularly appealing, but he had a preference for heights over depths.

"Call me as soon as you get out." He repeated to Aiko. "I don't need anyone else to worry about tonight." He pointed emphatically, hoping his severe tone would make it clear he wasn't fooling around for once.

Reina followed the group, awkwardly positioning herself between Tsubasa and Aiko. In contrast to Guy, the small girl was grateful to be heading down rather than up. The idea of the vertigo-inducing heights had caused her to tense up visibly when the rooftop route was mentioned. She continued to eye the older boy warily as it became clear to her what she found so unnerving about him. His 'aura' was strange. It was like a flickering candle, struggling to remain alight. The effect was all the starker in comparison to Tsubasa, whose emotions flared intensely whether she was happy or angry or sad. Even during his outburst of anger, it had only spiked a little, like the flint of a lighter being struck in the wind.

Reina looked down into the tunnel and swallowed hard. The thin string of lights had been hooked to the ceiling by metal braces and they offered just enough light to navigate by, but not enough to see clearly.

«If I die up there I'm going to haunt you. Tsubasa, Saito, Reina, I'm heading up to the roof.»

Hoodie Girl’s constant display of trust and honesty will never cease to amaze Hirashi.

«Yes, let’s hear you answer Saito’s question. You better have a fucking good explanation for even suggesting that plan, if you can even call it that. I don’t care if we’re ambushed right here, right now, you won’t leave until you finish explaining.»

And Mad Biker, having picked up on what Hirashi was implying, wasted no time in voicing her opinions.

«How silly? Why would the roof of all places be more dangerous than any other path through the building? These people are Skill-Out not the air force. As if they’d come for the roof first? Clearly they’re going to use their field knowledge ability to conquer the building first and until they made it up to the roof you’ve already long since escaped onto and through the neighbouring buildings ☆ You guys aren’t cared of heights are you?»

Not exactly a convincing argument, but given the nature of the #5’s ability and looks, it did not have to be. Hirashi was not so easily deterred. But before he was able to speak, the Adult Teacher, exploding in what seemed to be frustration, decided that the group would switch paths.

After a short walk they arrived at the small dark tunnel. As unpleasant the tunnel may be, Hirashi feels it is definitely the safer option. At the end of the day, some water and a bad smell is much more preferable than arrest or dying.

“Aoki-san should take the lead, your light show would be more effective if there were no obstacles in the way yes?”

As utilitarian as ever, Hirashi stepped to one side and gestured at the opening. Gown Girl seemed to have lodged herself firmly in between Hoodie Girl and Mad Biker, which meant if Hoodie Girl does go first, Hirashi would be the rear guard.

«Yes, let’s hear you answer Saito’s question. You better have a fucking good explanation for even suggesting that plan, if you can even call it that. I don’t care if we’re ambushed right here, right now, you won’t leave until you finish explaining.»

«How silly? Why would the roof of all places be more dangerous than any other path through the building? These people are Skill-Out not the air force. As if they’d come for the roof first? Clearly they’re going to use their field knowledge ability to conquer the building first and until they made it up to the roof you’ve already long since escaped onto and through the neighboring buildings ☆ You guys aren’t cared of heights are you?»

Based on the other's reaction, they didn't seem to trust Guy and Misaki. That was fair given that they were all just meeting them for the first time and even Aiko didn't trust Misaki fully. From her experience with Guy, she'd come to the conclusion that though he seemed to be a lazy slacker, he wasn't the kind of person who would just leave one of his students behind and run away. At least not without a reason he'd think they'd be okay. Regardless, the pressuring from the rest of the group seemed to cause him to swap his stance and give them the route to the tunnel.

"Call me as soon as you get out. I don't need anyone else to worry about tonight."

Aiko could tell from his voice that he was no longer joking around. The situation wasn't one that called for more jokes anyway. Aiko gave a quick nod of agreement to Guy's request before turning to move towards the tunnel.

“Aoki-san should take the lead, your light show would be more effective if there were no obstacles in the way yes?”

"Yep, follow me... And Guy, be careful."

While not entirely right, Saito wasn't entirely wrong either and Aiko felt no need to correct him. The closer she was to the front, the faster she would be able to detect if someone was coming down the path the other way. Aiko expanded her field to its maximum range and rather than boosting the incoming light levels, she decided it might be better to just lower the amount of light that left the field radius. That way if anyone looked down the hall it would be much harder to make them out in the dim light. Aiko slipped a small flashlight out of her pocket and pointed it forward. It could only illuminate up to the edge of her field given she was blocking light from escaping, but for the 10 meters in front of her it would help keep things bright.

"I should be able to keep us relatively hidden and be able to tell if anyone is sneaking up on us, but just a heads up, I can't do those things and use lasers at the same time so cover me if something happens."