“Threatening sounds so harsh. I just have a small favor to ask.”
The scoundrel before her put on a highly suspicious smile.
That calculating smirk confirmed Rui’s concerns.
–This scum, he’s been planning to use Hina from the beginning…!
Since she was little, Hinata had openly expressed her desire to join the [Prim-Libra].
There’s no way this man wouldn’t know that.
“It’s a simple request. I just want you to keep my true identity a secret.”
Ever since Hinata was granted the powerful innate Lux, her dream must have seemed highly achievable in this man’s eyes.
If his aim was to hide his true identity and use that from behind the scenes, there’s no room for overlooking this anymore.
“I refuse.”
“That’s troublesome. But even if you were to reveal it, do you have any proof? Do you really think Hinata would believe you?”
“…Tch.”
…As frustrating as it is, what the scoundrel before her says is true.
Even if she told Hinata about Ibuki’s true nature without any evidence, it’s hard to believe that years of trust would crumble so easily.
This man had been building such a relationship for many years.
What a despicable groundwork.
It’s infuriating, but she has to acknowledge his skill and patience.
And the fact that, currently, she can’t break through this man’s schemes.
“…………”
“Looks like you understand. I really don’t intend to do anything to you guys.”
“Shut up, you pervert who hugged Hina!”
“Ugh.”
Ibuki clutched his chest at her insult.
His gesture, as if his heart was hurt, only fueled her anger more.
By now, this scoundrel’s words were worth less than garbage to Rui.
He says he has no intention of doing anything to them, but that’s missing the modifier “at this point.”
Or rather, he’s intentionally hiding it.
They are, after all, the next-generation top of the [Prim-Libra].
There’s plenty of future value to be exploited.
She can’t let him have his way with that.
Above all, there’s no way Hina should remain deceived by this scum.
“…Fine. I’ll keep quiet as long as you behave yourself.”
“…! Thank y–“
“However,”
Interrupting him as he was about to say something, Rui declares war.
“The next time you become a ‘Divergence’, I’ll chase you to the depths of hell, rip off that despicable hood, and shove it in Hina’s face.”
Faced head-on with Rui’s fighting spirit, I smiled brightly.
–That’s not going to happen.
Rui raised her eyebrows fiercely, to the point where I was almost captivated.
“In a situation where you can’t deny it, I’ll open Hina’s eyes.”
…Huh!?
I thought I had managed to get through this situation, but now there’s even more grudge and resentment added on top!?
I only said “Don’t reveal my identity” and “I don’t intend to do anything to you guys”!?
This is bad. I may have gotten through this moment, but that’s all I’ve managed…
“W-wait, you know?”
“Shut up, you’re annoying.”
“Hold on, there seems to be a misunderstanding–“
“Close that suspicious mouth of yours.”
Just as it seemed like this pattern of me trying to explain and Rui rejecting would continue…
“Um…”
A timid voice called out from beside the table, and we both fell silent immediately.
Hinata lowered her eyebrows, looking troubled.
“Can’t you two get along?”
“”Of course we’re getting along great??””
The scene bloomed with smiling flowers.
Artificial flowers, that is.
Although we’re completely at odds, our top priority is undoubtedly to make Hinata smile, so these artificial flowers will continue to bloom profusely.
Maybe someday Rui and I will be able to open an artificial flower shop together… hahaha…
“R-really…?”
Hinata responded somewhat hesitantly to our simultaneous forced smiles as she sat down.
As she did so, my eyes were drawn to the tray she placed on the table.
Ramen, fried rice, katsudon, hamburger… it was literally a mountain of food.
“Carbohydrates.”
“Huh? …Oh!”
Following my gaze, Hinata looked at her lunch lineup and made an “Oh no!” expression. Our favorite girl has such easy-to-read expressions.
“Um, this isn’t… I-I bought some for you two as well!”
Rui’s eyes sparkled under her hood as she watched her best friend nervously make excuses.
“──No, that’s a lie.”
“Rui!”
Hinata, who was startled by this sudden betrayal, looked taken aback.
“She usually eats much more by herself.”
“Rui! …Um, that’s not true, onii san.”
The gluttonous angel tried to laugh it off while making excuses.
Rui smirked provocatively from behind her.
That’s when I realized.
──This girl is trying to make me mess up…!
She probably thinks that if I say something wrong, Hinata’s opinion of me will go down.
What a sly heroine of justice…
──But don’t underestimate this Hinata-chan otaku.
“It’s okay, Hinata-chan.”
I smiled as if nothing was wrong.
“Huh?”
“A girl who eats a lot is really charming. Just watching you enjoy your food makes me happy too.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
As Hinata started to calm down a bit, I continued.
“And besides, Hinata-chan, isn’t this because of your compensation Umbra?”
“!”
Not only Hinata but even Rui widened their eyes.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.PAGES.DEV
“You didn’t used to eat that much, and just now Rui… I mean, Utsurugi-san said [You usually eat more]. For you guys, ‘usual’ means using your natural Lux every day. So, I figured you might need to eat a lot as compensation. If that’s the case, it’s natural for your stomach to grow bigger, right?”
──I said that quickly, but I just knew it from the start.
To them, who had no way of knowing, it seemed like quite a surprise.
“Wow, that’s exactly right…”
“…………”
Hinata looked relieved that there was no misunderstanding, while Rui’s cool face twisted in frustration.
As the tension in the room eased, I stood up.
“Well, I’ll go get something too.”
While checking the store’s lineup, my mind wandered elsewhere.
Hinata’s compensation Umbra is [Hunger].
Like me, it’s an accelerated development type.
The degree of compensation Umbra changes depending on the usage of natural Lux, and the longer it has been since the last use, the greater the required compensation Umbra becomes.
In Hinata-chan’s case, the more she uses [Acceleration], the stronger her hunger grows, and the faster she needs to satisfy it.
For a girl, it might be an unbearable compensation Umbra.
But for an otaku, a gluttonous trait is nothing but a moe element!
“Even her compensation Umbra is cute… my oshi is just perfect…”
Shaking with awe, I bought lunch and returned to my seat.
Rui seemed to have already bought her food, and a tray with a hamburger was placed in front of her.
As we all started eating, a voice echoed from the large screen in the hall’s center.
[The next segment is Angel Order’s Guardian Exia!]
[I’m looking forward to it again this week!]
When I glanced sideways, it looked like a news program was playing on the screen.
A few handsome announcers were speaking.
In today’s world, where the gender gap due to the presence or absence of natural Lux is widening,
men are becoming valued in areas unrelated to natural Lux.
Even though I don’t watch TV, I know that much.
What caught my attention was the term “Angel Order.”
If my guess is correct──.
[In this segment, we’ll introduce the Guardian Exia who had remarkable achievements this week.]
──I knew it!
It’s like this week’s sports highlights.
“They have a segment like this.”
“Ah, you don’t watch TV, so you wouldn’t know.”
Rui seemed uninterested, but Hinata explained.
“It’s part of a press release from the WPrim-Libra. They do this to promote public safety and provide reassurance to the citizens.”
Despite drone coverage of incidents, information about the angels is surprisingly widespread.
They are seen as both symbols of peace and as athletes who inspire people.
Thanks to this media strategy, the number one dream job for elementary and middle school girls is overwhelmingly Guardian Exia.
Hinata didn’t mention it, but they probably also aim to gather future heroes.
[First, let’s look at the outstanding rookies with excellent records.]
And then, the screen showed──,
“Whoa!?”
That’s right! my oshi! Hinata with her dazzling smile!
“Whoa!”
“Naturally.”
Rui acted cool as if she knew it all along while I was hyped up.
Hinata blushed and looked embarrassed.
[Agent Hinata Soehi was assigned to the Tenth Division this week as a promising rookie.]
[Already in action despite just being assigned this week!?]
[Yes, her record at the academy was so outstanding that she was immediately put into action.]
[Outstanding record? You mean she tied for first place in history with Agent Rui Utsurugi, who joined a few months ago?]
[Yes. Apparently, they are childhood friends and have already teamed up this week.]
[Wow, a pair of top-notch talents in history!]
[This is great news for the Sakuramura district, where Nega-Messiah’s activity has been on the rise lately.]
As the lively conversation among the announcers continued, Hinata shrunk in embarrassment.
Cute.
Rui, however, gave me a smug look about pairing up with Hinata.
Annoying.
[Their achievements this week are also remarkable, solving eight cases already.]
[Eight!? More than one case per day!]
[Yes, her natural Lux allows her to respond incredibly quickly.]
Six days had passed since my battle (if it could be called that) with Hinata-chan.
That means Hinata hasn’t made any mistakes since then.
Despite my interruption, she seems to have recovered, which is a relief.
[Now, moving on from the rookie introduction…]
The screen then showed a girl with silver hair.
No, not a girl, but a woman.
She carried a bow on her back and casually held a dull-colored long gun in one hand.
I knew about her.
“Rinne Yotome.”
Hinata whispered.
──Hinata has two idols.
One is the hero of the Prim-Libra who once saved her from a crime incident.
The other is the angel Rinne Yotome, reputed to be the strongest in the Tenth Division.
Despite being quiet and elusive, she is barely depicted in the original story.
So I don’t know much about her either.
But I do know how much Hinata admires her.
And,
“…………”
Even Rui, who had shown little interest earlier, was now watching the silver-haired figure on the screen.
──Her gaze seemed to hold a complex emotion.
“Well then, let’s enjoy the afternoon!”
Hinata cheerfully stood up.
We hadn’t planned anything specific for the afternoon.
We had looked at clothes, so maybe we’d buy something we liked and browse some accessories.
Or perhaps check out an interesting movie at the adjacent theater.
──As we were chatting peacefully, it happened.
An explosion.
Then, a strong gust of wind.
“W-What’s going on!?”
In the center of the hall, the screen that had been showing Guardian Exia was shattered.
“Hina!”
“Yeah!”
The two angels quickly took their stances.
Seeing this, I also realized the situation.
Was it an accident or an attack?
It became clear as the smoke in the hall’s center cleared.
“Ha-ha! An attack’s gotta be flashy, or it’s no fun!!”
I recognized that man.
A prominent member of Nega-Messiah, [Gouki].
He didn’t even try to hide his identity, laughing loudly with his hood down and robe draped over his shoulders.
Around him stood about ten subordinates, presumably members of his group.
“There are a lot of them…──onii san, please run away.”
“W-What about you two!?”
“Don’t ask obvious questions.”
Seeing me panic the most, Rui concluded that I had no involvement in this matter.
After a quick glance at me, she didn’t take her eyes off the dangerous [Gouki].
Rui’s line was continued by Hinata──the Guardian Exia girl.
“We will protect the people here.”
Visit the request page If there’s a Japanese Light Novel (LN) or Web Novel (WN) you’d like me to translate
When the donation goal progress bar above hit 100% one novel will be chosen for translation
| Table of Contents | Next* |
Support the Author by Buying the Original Books!
