Chapter: 88. The Task Begins and Doubts (4k8)
Tokyo’s night is shrouded in a thin but relentless drizzle.
Neon lights blur into fuzzy spots in the humid air and pooled water, flashing and reflecting on the damp streets.
Amid this flowing light and shadow, a silvery-gray luxury car glides silently down the street, its wheels splashing through puddles along the curb, creating delicate droplets that arc sharply in the rain fog.
After a moment, the vehicle smoothly comes to a stop in front of the entrance to the nightclub, which is lined with a red carpet.
The driver is dressed in a meticulously tailored dark gray suit, his hair neatly parted, with a slight sheen combed back. Behind thick black-framed glasses, his composed eyes reveal a sense of calm. He looks older than his actual age, reminiscent of the “harmless but tedious” office worker from the company insurance department—exactly the sort of “insurance guy” he was pretending to be.
Skillfully, he pushes open the driver’s door, holding a black folding umbrella in his left hand, and efficiently closes the car door with his right hand. He then quickly circles around the front of the car, where shallow puddles accumulate between the tiles and the wheels, yet not a drop of rainwater splashes onto his trousers.
By this time, the parked luxury car has drawn the attention of the staff at the nightclub entrance.
This is a well-known nightclub located in the Ginza area.
The entrance is adorned with elegant red and gold columns and purple velvet drapes with embroidery. Vintage-style warm lamps glow on either side of the entrance, casting soft yellow light that transforms into a blurred halo in the rain fog, merging dreamily with the multicolored neon lights along the street.
The greeter, dressed in a black suit and with neatly styled hair slicked back with pomade, quickly notices the arrival of the luxury car.
He adjusts his bow tie, steps forward with a professional smile, and his polished shoes echo softly on the slick tiles.
His smile is sharp and his posture upright, the kind of standard service model that would leave even the most arrogant guest with no complaints.
“Welcome! The VIP lounge has been prepared for you—”
Before he can finish, he sees the “insurance guy” leaning down to open the car door, causing his professional smile to freeze on his face.
Under the rain curtain, a figure seems to walk toward him from the end of the red carpet.
Nagi raises her skirt slightly and elegantly steps out of the car.
She wears a fitted black evening gown, the off-shoulder design exposing her fair shoulder, while the V-neckline perfectly accentuates her ample bosom. Her slim waist is accentuated, highlighting her curves. The skirt, which comes up to mid-thigh, sways gently as she walks, occasionally revealing her ivory-like thigh skin beneath.
Her long black hair is elegantly pinned up, with strands cascading down, glimmering under the night lights, paired with rose-red lips and softly shimmering silver-lined eyes, making Nagi particularly eye-catching in the night.
The greeter momentarily finds himself speechless, his gaze drifting between Nagi’s skirt and shoulder before hurriedly looking down, forcing back his rigid professional smile.
“… Um, welcome, Miss. The VIP area is ready for you.”
He stutters to complete his interrupted greeting, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead.
Nagi does not speak, merely nods slightly.
Then, alone and surrounded by looks of surprise and curiosity, she gracefully and confidently walks toward the nightclub’s grand entrance.
In contrast to her, the “insurance guy,” assigned to monitor the perimeter, does not follow.
His task tonight is to remain on standby outside, acting as a driver, ready to respond to any emergencies.
This infiltration mission employs a targeted deployment.
Compared to men, women often relax others’ vigilance in such situations and can gain deeper access to the target’s circle of activities.
Thus, the ones selected to enter the nightclub were Nagi and Misa—two beauties from Star Academy.
Misa has already entered ahead of time as part of the nightclub’s staff, masquerading as an ordinary waitress.
Nagi, on the other hand, enters through the main entrance as a VIP guest.
They infiltrate from different directions, forming a double surveillance network around the target’s area, almost without any blind spots.
Just as Nagi steps into the threshold, a sweet and cheerful voice comes through her earpiece.
“Hey, Nagi-chan, you’ve really never been to a nightclub before?”
The speaker is Akane, a mixture of surprise and unabashed admiration in her tone, her voice soft and slightly teasing, making it tingle in Nagi’s ears.
“Your outfit… it’s just perfect, no flaws at all! Sexy yet aloof, it totally gives off the vibe of ‘are you hunting for men tonight?’”
In response to Akane’s comment, Nagi internally negates the situation: I’m not, I didn’t, please stop saying that!
In fact, just before the start of the operation tonight, during the task allocation meeting, Akane even suggested whether to find someone to help Nagi with a full makeover.
After all, among the ace practitioners involved in this operation—
Shirayuki and Akane, as part of the special circle SEGA, were arranged to command due to their high status, making direct contact with the target unwise.
As the consultant for the joint team, Kanade has high visibility within SEGA and is the captain of the “Final Enmity Special Team.” His presence on-site could evoke unnecessary vigilance and chaos, so he was assigned to support from the rear.
The introverted homebody is clearly more suited to behind-the-scenes support rather than frontline infiltration, so she was naturally ruled out.
Thus, the final personnel for the operation are limited to the insurance guy, an uncle plumber, Misa, and Nagi.
Considering that the target is a normal straight male adult, the two men find it difficult to approach the target or ease their vigilance, regardless of their disguises.
Therefore, the task of successfully infiltrating the nightclub and gathering intelligence falls squarely on the shoulders of the two attractive women, Misa and Nagi.
Meanwhile, the insurance guy and the uncle plumber are tasked with supporting on the perimeter, forming a blockade with the other joint team members around the nightclub to ensure immediate containment if the target makes any unusual moves.
Before the meeting, Akane was considerate enough to suggest, “Should we get a professional makeup artist or stylist to help Nagi-chan prepare for tonight?”
And truth be told, Nagi has no experience in this regard.
After all, the last time she entered a nightclub… she was still a man.
Now, she has to step out in the neon night as a woman, leaving her completely at a loss.
Just as she was about to nod in agreement with Akane’s suggestion, she suddenly recalled—
The “Cosplay-kun No. 1” that Shiraishi had given her before.
No matter how you look at it, it seemed to be a rather unserious prop.
With the mindset of “there’s no loss anyway,” she opened the built-in “one-click costume change” list on the watch.
To her surprise, she found an option labeled “Nightclub Dress Ver. 2.0.”
“What kind of usage scenario leads to this kind of clothing being prepared!?” Nagi mentally complained.
Considering that the designer of this outfit was Shiraishi, and to prevent the outfit from being filled with Shiraishi’s eccentricities, or containing various explosive devices to cater to his misunderstood hobbies, she decided to conduct a small test in the dress changing area of the operations center.
Fortunately, this garment did not have any strange mechanisms hidden within, and the nightclub dress fell within a “reasonable showing range” of safety.
Ultimately, she relaxed her guard and decided to wear that dress tonight.
I have to admit—
As a superb item, this “transforming watch” is indeed very convenient in actual use.
Not only can it change outfits with a single button, but it can also retain the original attire intact, allowing it to be restored at any time.
At this moment, Nagi is clad in the nightclub outfit tailored for her by Shiraishi.
Her makeup and hairstyle have also been changed, forming a complete set that packs fashion and ambiance into one package design.
It reminds Nagi of certain online games where you can purchase a set of “clothing” for a price; this outfit seems to fall into the highest tier of “clothing” when looking at its design and refinement.
There’s no denying that Shiraishi truly deserves his title as the second-in-command of the “Fashion and Costume Design Research Society.”
He has an exceptional grasp of aesthetics and style.
Once Nagi donned the dress, she almost didn’t recognize herself in the mirror—
The girl reflected in the mirror looked like the most dazzling and unattainable princess in the nightclub, gorgeous to the point that one might mistakenly think she was born to this neon and champagne-infused stage.
And precisely because of this, tonight’s roles became exceedingly clear.
Nagi’s task is to act as the “bait,” standing in the most conspicuous position to draw attention.
Meanwhile, Misa, who has infiltrated the nightclub as an employee, will be responsible for covert investigation and intelligence gathering.
One in the light and one in the dark, this cooperation is seamless.
……
……
Simultaneously,
In a high-rise office building several streets away—
From here, one can have an unobstructed view of the main road and the area in front of the nightclub.
The night is dampened by the falling drizzle, with the city lights reflecting off the rainy curtain and glass façade in layers, resembling a neon maze washed by water.
The building’s exterior is clad in silvery gray glass, reflecting the world like mirrors, making the nightclub’s splendid golden entrance particularly eye-catching.
Inside this building, however, it is solemnly quiet, as if cut off from the urban clamor.
In a simply furnished observation room, Akane and Kanade stand by the floor-to-ceiling windows, watching as Nagi steps alone through the nightclub’s entrance, her slender silhouette appearing exceedingly solitary amidst the intertwining night and lights.
“What’s wrong? Are you worried about Nagi-chan?”
Akane turns her head slightly, gazing at him with her emerald green eyes that gleam like jade.
Being a former partner who fought on the front lines together, she is highly perceptive to Kanade’s emotional shifts.
“Don’t be deceived by her delicate appearance that seems like it would blow away in the wind; after all, she’s an ace-level practitioner. She’ll be fine,” she softly reassures him, her tone tinged with a playful smile.
“No, I’m not worried about her combat capabilities.”
Kanade replies softly, his gaze fixed on the direction of the nightclub, as if he were peering through the layers of rain and glass to see a deeper question.
After this period of training, he has a profound understanding of Nagi’s extraordinary potential.
Setting aside the mysterious ability of “soul fusion,” her precise control of magical power surpasses his imagination.
That extreme precision in manipulating magical power—Kanade has seen such control before.
Memories from the past involuntarily surface in his mind.
In the past, he had only seen one other practitioner as skilled in magical control as her.
This deepens a certain doubt within him.
“Ah, you’re worried that Nagi-chan might be approached by another man tonight?” Akane suddenly adopts a teasing expression, playfully moving her palm up and down in front of her.
Despite her appearance as a cute, petite girl, at this moment she seems like a gossiping middle-aged lady.
“That’s not the direction I’m worried about.” Kanade’s tone is decisive, without hesitation.
“But Tsukimi-kun, didn’t you say you like Nagi-chan?” Akane bluntly states, her tone slightly mocking.
“Not at all.”
Kanade promptly denies, reacting as if he was prepared for this question.
After a brief pause, he adds, “I’m just somewhat concerned about her.”
“Isn’t that what it means?!” Akane instinctively responds.
But upon seeing Kanade’s expression, her words suddenly stop.
It’s not awkwardness, not avoidance, nor the awkwardness typical of adolescent boys; instead, it is a serious expression that leaves no room for teasing.
In that instant, a hint of inexplicable bitterness surges within Akane.
She retracts the smile that was lingering at the corner of her mouth and gazes out at the blurred neon behind the rain curtain, slowly speaking:
“… I still remember the first time I saw you on the battlefield, Tsukimi-kun.”
“Even after so long… you still can’t forget that child, can you?”
Akane and Kanade’s first meeting was on a battlefield against fantasy monsters.
Her team of practitioners was ambushed by the fantasy creatures, finding themselves in desperate circumstances, and SEGA had no ability to send reinforcements in time.
At that time, Kanade was just a rookie who had joined Tsuki Academy not long before, a full-fledged “newbie,” who hadn’t even been rated as S-Class. His primary responsibility was assisting in developing methods to combat the “Final Curse.”
Yet, he defied SEGA’s command, forcing his way through the encirclement of fantasy monsters to reach Akane’s team.
That scene remains deeply etched in Akane’s memory.
The battlefield under the night was chaotic with smoke and magic, littered with debris.
Amidst the flames and roars of fantasy monsters—
That boy charged into the fray like a beast escaping from hell.
He swung his blade emanating a spectrum of colors, while the other hand unleashed dark claws, repeatedly tearing apart the encroaching fantasy monsters, fiery lights twisting around him.
He had no excess words.
No tactics.
Only unrestrained primal instincts.
He carved a bloody path with sheer force—this wasn’t a rescue; it resembled revenge.
In that moment, Kanade wasn’t human.
He was a beast clad in human skin, devoid of reason.
Yet in the frenzy of his violent dance, Akane caught a glimpse of his eyes.
Those eyes held no victory, only a hollow, heart-wrenching sadness.
He resembled a little dog that had lost its master, racing and howling amid the abyss of black flames, using the destruction of enemies and bloodshed to numb the collapse of his own heart.
As if by continually fighting, he could forget the painful truth that “she” was no longer there.
When he finally slaughtered all the enemies before him, that madness and killing intent receded like a tide, leaving only a silent wail—
Akane remembered this boy, and the pain he bore from losing his loved one.
She had thought—this pain would gradually fade with the passage of time,
Like a wound that would eventually heal over, even though scars remain, it would no longer throb with pain.
“How could I forget?”
Kanade’s decisive and unwavering voice interrupts her thoughts.
“So… what do you think about Nagi-chan? It’s obvious to everyone that she likes you.”
“Ah, I can feel it to some extent,” Kanade answers calmly, his tone displaying no evasion.
Since he regained control over the power of the Black Flame, he has also regained his ability to keenly perceive others’ emotions.
From the girl Kamishiro Nagi, Kanade indeed sensed an almost sweet inclination of “affection.”
But this pure and intense feeling made Kanade more concerned—
Because he remembered when he first felt this kind of simple yet sweet emotion, which marked both the happiest and most painful moments of his life. When the blade pierced someone’s heart, he sensed that same feeling.
He would never forget.
The series of “coincidences” that occurred around this girl made Kanade inevitably delve into a certain level of doubt.
As if sensing his confusion and struggle, Akane gently pressed her communicator behind her ear and turned it off.
“If it’s just for a few seconds, Shiro will probably not hold it against us.”
Kanade glanced at her and similarly turned off his only communication device.
The surroundings fell silent for a moment, leaving only the stormy night outside the building and the flickering lights and traffic of the nightclub in the distance.
Under Akane’s gentle and calm gaze.
After hesitating for a moment, Kanade finally leaned toward the formidable senior before him and quietly asked, with an earnestness he had never shown before:
“… Do you think it’s possible for a person who has already died… to come back to life?”
