It seems Kanata is incredibly fond of Canadianman.
After learning how to utilize Psychokinesis from Sanpin, I headed to the cafeteria. I was thirsty and wanted something cold to drink. Sanpin had warned me to expect a few injuries, but I managed to come out of it completely unharmed. However, I doubt that would happen against Tozen. My training with Tozen is tomorrow, so I need to find Natsume by today. If I can’t find her, I’ll have no choice but to have Marika-san contact me…
I spotted Natsume in a corner of the cafeteria! It seems today is a lucky day. I’ll buy that lewd milk on my way home. With my luck today, I might even get a gold sticker and win a limited edition, not-for-sale blonde bombshell nude photo book.
I bought an iced tea and sat in the chair in front of Natsume. Natsume, who was eating chocolate cake, glanced at me briefly but quickly returned to her indifferent expression.
“Natsume, I need to talk to you.”
“…I don’t want to. Go away.”
“Oh, really? Then forget it. It’s just that I might get to train with Tozen, you know.”
Natsume’s face twitched. I knew she was interested. But the strategy is to make her chase me, not for me to chase her. As someone who used to be a loner, I understand how to handle them.
“Against someone like Tozen, I’d have to be prepared for injuries, so maybe it’s better for a girl like you, Natsume, to skip it. See ya.”
I got up and moved to a different table, drinking my iced tea as if nothing had happened. Move, move already. You’re interested, aren’t you? I know your thirst for strength. Your ruthless, “Killing Angel” style of killing shown in real combat. The tenacious spirit you display in training with Marika-san. Your obsession with strength is undeniably within Natsume. Hiding under the bed while your parents were bludgeoned to death, that was your past self. You can’t accept your weakness, you want power, if only you had power then! You’re still carrying that regret, aren’t you? You’ll definitely take the bait. You wouldn’t miss a chance to fight Tozen, who doesn’t believe in training.
…! She stood up. Natsume got up, leaving her half-eaten chocolate cake! Was this the same feeling Clara felt when she stood up? I’m so proud, like Heidi. Natsume walked over to me and sat in the chair in front of me.
“…Tell me about it.”
Easy now, easy now, you haven’t taken the bait yet.
“When I was drinking with Tozen and the others, we made a bet. And that’s how I ended up training with Tozen.”
“…When?”
“Tomorrow evening, 5 PM, at the vacant lot outside the graveyard.”
“…I’m going too.”
Fish on! She bit!
“Alright, but the opponent is Tozen. Don’t complain if you get hurt.”
“…Of course not. …I’m looking forward to it.”
Natsume, having heard and said what she needed to, quickly returned to her original seat and resumed eating her chocolate cake. Phew, it worked out. The reason I wanted to train with Tozen was partly because I thought Natsume would take the bait. It might be too early to go to the infirmary. I think I’ll go to that manga cafe in the entertainment district and read the latest *Aniking.
*Aniking with Muscle Heavy Armor truly was a masterpiece. I can’t wait for the special collector’s edition to come out. I’ve decided that the special collector’s edition is the only one I’ll buy for the *Aniking comics. Of course, I’ll buy the regular edition too; that’s the mark of a true fan. I was worried it would end after destroying the evil obese organization Shibon, but I was surprised when Metabone appeared as a new enemy. And finally, Aniking’s partner, Anekking, has appeared. Although there are already two real Anekking-like individuals in the Asura Unit. Wait… Anekking is strange. Since she’s female, shouldn’t it be Queen, not King? No, if you think about it like that, then the combined attack of Kinniku Buster and Kinniku Driver being Muscle Docking is also strange! Kinniku Docking just doesn’t sound cool. I don’t need a lecture from the linguistic master, Lilith-sensei, to understand the depths of these word choices. …Speaking of which, wouldn’t translating Canadianman literally result in “Canadian Man”? Shouldn’t it be “Canadaman”? No, that’s not right! Canadaman sounds uncool. Canadianman is definitely cooler, and coolness is justice. Yudetamago-sensei is always right. Besides, Canadianman, along with Warsman, possesses 1 million Power of Superhuman Strength, which is higher than that of Robin Mask or Ramenman. As someone with 1 million Nenshin Strength, I feel a strong sympathy towards him. I lost to No. 10, lost to Marika-san, lost to Shigure-sensei with both of us fighting, and lost to Sanpin-san. And tomorrow, I’ll likely lose to Tozen as well. I can’t help but love Canadianman, who lives strongly no matter how many times he loses! I love you, Canada! This love is eternal, forever love!
I was so engrossed in pledging my love to Canady that I walked right past the infirmary. Whoops, I need to turn back. Honestly, my tendency for delusion is a lifelong affliction. Upon entering the infirmary, I was greeted by Dr. Hibiki, whose brow was furrowed. I sensed something bad had happened. It was supposed to be a lucky day, though.
“You’re here. Kanata-kun, we’re going to the command room.”
Without letting me reply, Dr. Hibiki grabbed my hand and started walking. Well, it’s an opportunity, so I might as well enjoy the soft feel of Dr. Hibiki’s hand. Holding hands, Dr. Hibiki and I arrived at the command room, swirling with smoke.
“What is it, Hibiki? At least knock.”
Lieutenant Colonel Kurando’s reprimand was delivered. For Dr. Hibiki’s honor, she did knock. She just entered before receiving a reply.
“Is something wrong?” the Commander asked, looking perplexed.
“Yes, it’s about Kanata-kun. Let’s talk in the back.”
We moved to the study in the back. Once everyone was seated on the sofa, Dr. Hibiki began.
“I ran a medical check on Kanata-kun, and a shocking fact was revealed.”
“Did your infiltration rate jump up again?” the Commander, a heavy smoker, asked with a cigarette in his mouth.
“The Combat Cell infiltration rate has increased from 62% to 66%.” Lieutenant Colonel Kurando, a heavy cigar smoker along with his superior, tilted his head while cutting his cigar with a cigar cutter.
“Kanata is a clone of Agito. You know the limit infiltration rate is 100%. It’s common knowledge that the infiltration rate is easier to increase when there’s a large gap between the limit and the current value. There’s nothing surprising about it. Even considering that, Kanata’s growth rate is astonishing, but…”
Dr. Hibiki shook her head and explained.
“It’s not that. The increase in Combat Cell infiltration rate is within expectations. The problem is the Nenshin Strength. Kanata-kun’s current Nenshin Strength is… 1.02 million n.”
“What!!” “What did you say!!”
Both master and subordinate gaped, mouths agape. Lieutenant Colonel Kurando even dropped his cigar cutter. What’s the big deal if his Nenshin Strength increased by 2%? It’s within the margin of error… Wait!
“You’re saying the Nenshin Strength increased!? But… that’s common sense, isn’t it? Infiltration rate grows, but Nenshin Strength doesn’t change!”
Dr. Hibiki replied with a grave expression.
“It did until yesterday. Nenshin Strength doesn’t grow. That was common sense.”
The Commander, recovering from his shock the quickest, spoke calmly.
“Could it be a malfunction of the measurement equipment?”
“I suspected that too. But the machine wasn’t malfunctioning.” Lieutenant Colonel Kurando, close your mouth already. That’s why Lilith makes snide remarks about you being a useless bowling grandpa. Instead of the bowling grandpa, let me suggest another possibility.
“Is there a possibility that my Nenshin Strength was 1.02 million n from the start? You checked for machine malfunctions earlier, right? Could the machine have been faulty during the initial measurement?”
“Are you saying a machine that was faulty during the initial measurement, which no one repaired, suddenly fixed itself today? Besides, Kanata-kun’s Nenshin Strength has been measured multiple times while he was at the laboratory with his cousin. It was 1 million n there as well?”
The Commander retracted his words.
“Kanata, you must admit it. The notion that Nenshin Strength doesn’t grow is now in the past. What are your thoughts on breaking common sense?”
“I can only say that it’s another problem added to the pile. Dr. Hibiki, do you know the cause?”
Dr. Hibiki shook her head. I figured as much; if she knew the cause, she wouldn’t be this perplexed. Silence descended upon us. We all seemed to have entered a labyrinth of thought. As Mr. Holmes once said, “When you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” This theory has its limitations in whether humans (especially ordinary people like me) can find all possibilities for a single event and then correctly analyze those possibilities, but I think it’s a very effective way of thinking. Following that theory, the only remaining possibility is… The only explanation is that the soul residing in this clone is a wanderer from another world. It’s not exactly impossible. It’s a very plausible story. The problem is, I can’t explain it. Firstly, it’s unlikely they’d believe me. And even if they did… my position would only worsen. No, no, I’ll keep this to myself.
So, the next thing to consider is:
“There’s also the issue of whether this should be made public, isn’t there?”
The Commander, with his arms crossed, nodded.
“It’s a vexing problem.”
The bowling grandpa looked confused.
“It would be excellent publicity for the unit. After all, there has never been a case of Nenshin Strength growing before.”
“Lieutenant Colonel, it’s not that simple. If the higher military authorities learn of this fact, they’ll surely pour more resources into clone experiments!”
Lieutenant Colonel Kurando slapped his forehead.
“Ah, there’s that issue. I was thoughtless.”
Your thoughtlessness is on the Hegelian level, old man. Pay attention! The Commander, whose attendant is so thoughtless, made a decision.
“For now, we have no choice but to keep it secret and observe the situation.”
“Even so, we should inform Marika-san and Shigure-san.”
“Kanata, the best way to keep a secret is not to tell anyone.”
“Yes, I agree with that opinion. But that’s under the premise that they don’t notice. Marika-san observes us subordinates with surprising acuity. Shigure-san is my master and a hawk of observation. It’s only a matter of time before they notice.”
“…That’s true. If it’s only 2%, they might not notice, but if it grows further, they’re bound to realize.”
“If we tell them when it grows further, they’ll know we concealed it at the time of discovery. It would be better to tell Marika-san and Shigure-san from the start.”
“It seems Kanata is right. We should tell them. As for telling Rasen and the others, I’ll leave that to Marika. The Company Captains who fight alongside Kanata, especially that old man Tagame, aren’t just old for nothing. His insight is not to be underestimated.”
“There’s also an old man here who isn’t old for nothing.”
“Kanata, who are you referring to!”
Lieutenant Colonel Kurando gave me a chop to the top of my head. It hurt quite a bit! Grandpa, your brain might be slow, but your body is healthy! Dr. Hibiki covered her mouth and chuckled. The atmosphere in the room lightened a bit. The Garden’s style is never to forget a joke, no matter the situation.
“Hibiki, increase the frequency of Kanata’s medical check-ups. I want to know the details of his future progress.”
“Understood.”
“Kanata, I know you’re eloquent, but sometimes it’s good to speak your true feelings. Sometimes, unvarnished truth is what touches people’s hearts.”
“What do you mean?”
“…So, Kanata doesn’t fully trust me, does he? …I proclaimed that I would use you and I am, in fact, using you. It’s only natural that you don’t fully trust me. Then, I’ll tell you Kanata’s true feelings: ‘I don’t want to hide things anymore from my comrades and benefactors.’ How’s that? Am I right?”
“…I forgot that you possess a mirror that reflects people’s hearts.”
“…I’ve thought this for a while, but… Kanata, are you really a clone?”
“With this face, which is an exact replica of Agito, you can tell, can’t you?”
“Not that, but your personality. You’re supposed to be a clone who hasn’t even been around for six months. But to me, Kanata not only has a solid personality but also worries, gets angry, grieves, and rejoices. You seem like a normal, ordinary human. Is it possible for science to forge an individuality, a personality that can be called the essence of being human?”
The Commander is truly unavoidable. His insight is unparalleled. Let’s change the subject to Dr. Shijima’s ambition.
“The Dr. Shijima who created me probably wants to reach the realm of God. He wanted to succeed in his devilish experiments, create perfect humans, and immerse himself in divine pleasure. He was that kind of person. I am merely an anomaly; the doctor won’t stop until he establishes a method to reliably succeed in his experiments.”
“Humans should not exceed the human domain. If Shijima intends to become a god, we will crush him.”
The Commander issued a death sentence with a cold expression. Poor Dr. Shijima. The Commander is the absolute worst person to make an enemy of in this world.
When Dr. Shijima’s name came up, Dr. Hibiki’s expression darkened. The bowling grandpa also wore a stern look—_—. Hmm, the atmosphere in the room is getting heavy again. How about this?
“But I can explain why I seem to have a personality like a normal human!”
“What!” “What did you say!” “Really, Kanata-kun!”
The Commander and Lieutenant Colonel Kurando reacted for the second time. It’s a comedic repetition.
“I have the function to perfectly replicate personality!”
I decided to bet my career as an entertainer on this clunky, toy-like performance! After a moment of silence, the three of them burst into laughter. It was quite a hit. My life as an entertainer, Kanata, isn’t completely worthless.
“Heh heh, you’re quite good. Please perform that at my birthday party next year in front of everyone. …Don’t worry about what I just said. You yourself want to know why you have this kind of personality.”
My perverted personality that loves breasts was cultivated naturally in Japan, you know.
I love Specialman. Kevin Mask is a close second.
