“But thanks to that, Earth is barely hanging on by a thread. According to my speculation, that is.”
I can sense that something big is about to happen.
But no matter what situation arises, we know what we need to do.
“There’s still hope. Your enhanced equipment will be completed soon!”
“!”
“The day isn’t far when we’ll unveil suits with the highest performance, without being hindered by such crude devices as forced transformation cancellation!!”
It seems the president’s pride was greatly wounded when the Savers forcibly cancelled our transformations.
“The ‘Neo-Justice Changers’ I’ve already given you are different from the previous suits that divided one power into three. Now, each of you three has your own energy core, and you can even combine your powers into one. In other words, it’s possible to draw out performance beyond that of the proto-suits.”
“From what we’ve experienced, there are no issues.”
“Heh, of course not. And with the enhancement items, you’ll be unstoppable.”
The president smiled confidently.
However, his expression quickly turned somber.
“This was only possible thanks to the data from the Proto Changer, but…”
“President…”
“I wish he would come back soon. Putting aside our positions, he’s a friend and the best wearer to realize my ideals.”
“…We feel the same way.”
For that to happen, we first need to hear his side of the story.
Depending on the situation, we might have to use somewhat forceful methods.
…It’s as if he’s reverted back to being the lone Black Knight he once was.
After the briefing ended and we were dismissed, I went alone to the cell where Alpha-chan was being held.
The interior of the cell, where Katsumi-kun used to live, had hardly changed since he was there. Alpha-chan was sitting on the sofa, hugging a cushion.
I entered the cell and smiled wryly at her as she flinched.
“Alpha-chan, sorry about earlier.”
“Eek… I-I-I-I’m so sorry…”
I tried apologizing as I entered the cell, but she cowered intensely.
Alpha-chan, who had learned about the existence of the so-called White Knight, presumably Katsumi-kun, had impulsively tried to use her perception-altering ability to escape the base.
Just before she used her ability, I happened to be in the same room and felt an instinctive sense of danger. I tried to knock her out, but her perception alteration activated faster.
[Huh? Who is this girl?]
After it activated, I couldn’t recognize Alpha-chan in front of me, and I didn’t even know why I had raised my hand to strike.
But there was a definite sense of unease within me.
A sense of unease about not feeling uneasy about the girl in front of me.
Ignoring all the questions floating in my head for the moment, I followed my instincts and struck the back of Alpha-chan’s neck with the side of my hand as she turned away from me.
That’s how I managed to neutralize Alpha-chan who was using perception alteration, but seeing her tremble cutely in front of me now, I realized again that I might have overdone it.
“H-Here’s s-s-some t-tea.”
“Are you sure you’re not doing this on purpose now?”
She’s offering me tea while shaking violently, but did I really do something that scary?
“Anyway, calm down, okay? I might be scary, but Kirara and Aoi are worse.”
“………..”
“Could you stop giving me that ‘what is this person talking about’ look?”
Isn’t it too harsh to recoil like that?
“…Where are Kirara and Aoi?”
“They went home already. It’s just me this time.”
I’m planning to go home after this too, but I wanted to check on Alpha-chan first.
“You’re worried about Katsumi-kun too, aren’t you?”
“…Yeah. I’m much more worried than you are, though.”
Wow, this girl suddenly started asserting dominance.
Maybe she’s tougher than she looks?
“Alpha-chan, how long were you with Katsumi-kun?”
“About two and a half years… I’ve been with Katsumi since just before he started high school. Katsumi is careless about things around him, and if I didn’t say anything, he’d try to get through summer with just a fan. He’s hopeless without me…”
“Uh, if you say any more, I might consider it a hostile action. Are you okay with that?”
“I-I’m just kidding!”
I’ll counter your dominance assertion with a physical threat, okay?
As I smile and rest my chin on my hand, Alpha-chan suddenly puts on an awkward smile.
“Did Alpha-chan go to school with him too?”
“Ah, yeah. I used perception alteration to make sure no one saw me and followed Katsumi.”
“What about us…”
“I didn’t notice you at all. I wasn’t interested in anyone but Katsumi.”
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I guess we should credit the president’s skills for that.
Considering this girl’s obsession with Katsumi-kun, her claim of not being interested is probably true.
But, Katsumi-kun’s school life, huh?
I’m a little… no, actually quite curious about it.
“What was Katsumi-kun like at school?”
“Huh? What do you mean… he was normal?”
“Normal? Not like, always looking sleepy or something?”
“Katsumi himself… didn’t have such issues because he got proper sleep, except when he had nightmares.”
Of course, Alpha-chan knows about Katsumi-kun’s nightmares too.
Knowing that the past was tormenting him even when he was active as the Black Knight makes my heart clench.
“…But he wasn’t sleep-deprived even though he was active as the Black Knight, huh?”
“At his apartment, Katsumi didn’t do much besides housework, studying, and working out.”
“Ah…”
So that’s why he had time for his Black Knight activities – because he didn’t have anything else to do.
“But he did have friends. Katsumi did.”
“…R-Really?”
It might be quite rude, but I couldn’t imagine Katsumi-kun having friends among his classmates.
Talking to him, you can tell he’s not a bad person, but I thought his prickly impression and various other things created an unapproachable atmosphere.
“Just the person sitting next to him and such. Usually, Katsumi doesn’t approach others on his own.”
“Not because Alpha-chan made it that way?”
I was aware that I was asking something a bit mean-spirited.
But given her level of obsession, I thought it wouldn’t be strange if she had done so.
“I was told not to use my ability to casually twist people’s hearts, and being with Katsumi, I learned about right and wrong.”
“I see. Yeah, that’s good. Sorry for asking something unpleasant.”
“No, it’s a natural question, so don’t worry about it. I think I would have done that if Katsumi hadn’t told me not to.”
If that’s the case, then there was meaning in this girl being by Katsumi-kun’s side.
“Thanks to Katsumi, I was able to become human. If I hadn’t met him, I think my heart would have been the same as a monster’s.”
“A monster… huh.”
Sometimes I wonder what the monsters really were.
I’ve heard from the president that they were creatures created by invaders from space, but Alpha-chan in front of me and Omega, who we fought last, aren’t simple beings that were just created.
“That’s why I want to see Katsumi soon. He’s the only family I have.”
“I want to see him soon too.”
On that day when he disappeared, I had finally become friends with him, but the next time I found him, everything about him was different.
I want to meet him again and continue the conversation we had that day.
For that to happen, we need to meet him again.
“Hey, Alpha-chan.”
“Yeah?”
Well, before that, there’s something I want to ask Alpha-chan.
As she tilts her head cutely, I ask her with a slightly serious face.
“By the way, was that person sitting next to him a girl?”
“………..”
I could tell from that silence.
A regular student who was close to him when he was a student, sitting next to him.
This might be something we need to investigate together with Kirara and Aoi…!!
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