Chapter 7: An Unexpected Alliance
Working at a café isn’t just about serving customers.
Besides cleaning and tidying up dishes, sometimes you’re also tasked with simple grocery shopping.
Recently, with the addition of menu items like curry, I’ve been asked to buy ingredients that can be easily purchased at supermarkets, in addition to those ordered from suppliers.
“But I don’t think they’d ask me to buy coffee beans…”
Moreover, since my sister asked me to buy her some snacks on my day off, I found myself taking a short train ride to a fairly large shopping mall that also sells coffee beans.
“Well, snacks secured. Now for the beans.”
If I remember correctly, the master wanted me to buy coffee beans that weren’t for commercial use, but ones sold exclusively at a particular store.
“This isn’t really part-time job work, is it?”
I’ve thought this many times, but since I’ve already been paid, I have no choice but to do it.
As I walk through the mall, adjusting the glasses my sister inexplicably gave me, I suddenly notice a girl at the edge of my vision.
“Hm?”
She looks to be about 10 years old… or maybe younger?
Concerned about the girl who seems lost and uneasy in the crowded mall, I decide I can’t just leave her be and approach her.
“Um… are you okay?”
“Huh?”
I crouch down to meet her eye level as I speak, and the girl answers, albeit a bit warily.
“My big sister got separated from me.”
“…Huh? Your big sister got separated from you?”
“Yeah.”
Isn’t it usually the other way around?
I can’t help but smile wryly at the girl who’s shrugging her shoulders as if to say “What can you do?”, but it seems she’s still lost nonetheless.
It’s crowded, and I can’t just leave her like this.
“You might feel uneasy with just me here, so should I call someone in charge?”
“Should we have them call out your sister’s name really loud?”
“Hmm, that might be better as a last resort.”
If we’re not careful, your sister might end up crying, you know?
But if we leave things as they are, that might become a reality.
“If you got separated around here, why don’t you sit on a nearby chair and wait? If she doesn’t find you, then we can ask for help.”
“Okay.”
I might be mistaken for a suspicious person, but I can’t just leave her alone.
Wondering what to do, I have the girl sit on a chair not too far away.
“Did big brother come to buy snacks?”
The girl asks, looking at the bag in my hand, so I nod.
“Yeah. My sister asked me to buy them.”
“Is that so? Actually, I came with my big sister to buy a birthday cake for my little brother!”
“Oh, really? You’re a good big sister.”
“Right?”
Shopping for her little brother, huh.
As I’m smiling at the girl’s words, finding them heartwarming, I spot a girl about my age frantically looking around in my peripheral vision.
Hm? From the looks of it, could it be…
“Nanaka! Nanaka! Where are you?”
“Ah, it’s big sister. Hey!”
The girl seems to have spotted her too, waving her hand and calling out loudly.
Looks like she’s been found.
Before I could say anything, a girl with pigtails hanging down both shoulders hurriedly approached the girl called [Nanaka].
“Nanaka, I’m so glad I found you.”
“Big sis. I told you not to get separated, didn’t I?”
“Huh? Am I the one at fault? Wasn’t it Nanaka who got separated?”
“Oh, right.”
Changing the subject, the girl, Nanaka, looks at me.
“This person helped me.”
“Oh, I’m sorry my sister caused you troub–!?”
At this point, the older sister notices me and freezes upon seeing my face.
Tilting my head at her reaction, I speak to Nanaka.
“It’s good that your sister found you safely.”
“Yeah, at first I thought big brother might be a suspicious person, but he wasn’t at all!”
“Um, don’t people tell you that you’re too honest?”
“Yeah, I hear that a lot!!”
“I bet you do.”
But maybe it’s better to be this cautious.
As I’m thinking this, the older sister, having come to her senses, looks at my face again and starts to panic.
“Ah, um, wh-why are you here!?”
“Huh?”
“Katsumi-kun!?”
Katsumi-kun? Is she mistaking me for someone else?
“Um, I think you’ve got the wrong person… Have we met somewhere before?”
“…I’m Kirara Amatsuka… Don’t you remember?”
Kirara Amatsuka? Somehow, it feels nostalgic—
—It’s still too soon
No, I don’t remember at all.
I’m sorry, but it must be a case of mistaken identity.
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“I’m sorry. Actually, I have amnesia… I don’t remember anything from before four months ago.”
“What…”
“But I think you’ve probably got the wrong person. My name isn’t Katsumi, it’s–!”
Just as I’m about to say my name, the usual ringing in my ears starts.
But this time it’s different.
Instead of coming from far away, it feels like it’s ringing close by, and I even feel a headache. I hold my head, enduring the pain.
“A-Are you okay!? Is there something wrong with your body…!!”
“Big brother…?”
“No, don’t worry… about me.”
Could it be coming closer?
We’re inside a building so I can’t see what’s happening outside.
As I’m trying to move while holding my head, suddenly a sound like an explosion and a shock wave resonate from outside.
Realizing that it’s from the pillar of light that appears when a monster shows up, I immediately look at Kirara-san and Nanaka-chan.
“You two need to get away from here quickly!!”
“Wait, where are you going!? Katsumi-kun!!”
Ignoring Kirara-san’s call, I dash towards the direction of the sound.
A monster appearing so close… !!
But in a way, this is convenient!!
“Shiro!!”
[Woof!!]
The mechanical wolf, Shiro, jumps out from my pocket and lands on my palm.
“Cover my face!!”
A futuristic helmet, like the ones worn when riding a bike, covers my head and face.
This way, even if I transform, my face won’t be revealed. Without stopping, I summon the belt and transform.
[SAVE FORM!! COMPLETE……]
The general customers who notice me transforming in a flash of light are surprised, but right now I need to get these people to evacuate too.
“Everyone!! Please run away!! It’s a monster!!”
[A-A monster!?]
[Let’s hurry and escape!!]
[We can’t get in the way!!]
Wow, their awareness of the danger from monsters is incredible…!?
Surprised by how quickly people are following my warning and evacuating, I rush to the place where the sound came from.
“Giii……!! Heeehahaha!!”
What I found there was a skinny monster with rabbit-like ears.
But it’s not a lovable rabbit-like figure at all. From its sharp claws on its right arm and its ferocious face, it’s clear this is absolutely not a friendly entity.
It directs its murderous gaze towards a mother shielding her child.
“Womeeen! Kiiids!!”
“Kyaaaa!?”
The monster leaps, raising its sharp claws as if to strike.
Witnessing this, I kick off the ground with all my might and jump in to shield them.
The claws hit my back, scattering sparks, and I endure the pain.
“Guh……!!”
“Whaat!?”
“Hah!!”
I swing the Lupus Dagger I’ve drawn in my right hand to force some distance.
In that moment, I check on the safety of the two.
“Qui-quickly, please run away.”
“Th-thank you very much!”
Confirming that the mother and child are moving away, I ready my Lupus Dagger.
This guy was aiming for the child first, huh? He’s definitely someone I can’t ignore.
“Aaaare yooou the Whiiiite Deeeer?”
“You can talk?”
“Star General Rank 267, Kinuto.”
I’m surprised that the rabbit-headed monster can speak.
Moreover, it knows about me?
“It’s offensive to be lumped together with the lower-ranked small fry.”
“Rank? What are you talking about?”
“It’s nothing that concerns you. Because you’re going to die here!!”
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