Chapter 35: Dire News Delivered by Memory

The whrrr-whrrr of the engines reverberated through the hull, a fine vibration rustling my long bangs as a distinct sense of weightlessness pressed against my body. The ship was flying through the sky.

"Hmph..."

A cold iron cell—just like the one I’d been brought to before, except this time I was locked inside alone. Sensei wasn’t here. Kanna-san wasn’t here either. I was completely by myself. There were no restraints on me, but the iron door was firmly shut, with no sign it would open anytime soon. I hugged my knees to my chest, buried my face against my legs, and glared out through the bars.

"Um, uh... Komori-san...?"

"Hmph."

I try to think about the former director’s objective. What exactly is he trying to do? The first thing that comes to mind is escaping with this ship. But if that were the case, there’d be no need to point guns at us—and no reason to abandon the men in black or the people from Problem Solver 68. Revenge for what happened in Abydos, which I heard about from Sensei? Even then, the risk-to-reward ratio is completely off. That man shouldn’t be stupid enough to attempt something like that.

Then there’s the fact that he didn’t throw me, Kanna-san, or Sensei off the ship, but detained us instead. I’m necessary to extract illegal data from the Cleaner’s Memory—his original objective. Sensei… maybe to eliminate uncertainties after what happened in Abydos? Kanna-san… I don’t know. Because she’s the Public Safety Bureau Chief? But if I remember right, she was pretty cozy with Kaiser…

Even so, this line of reasoning is outright denied by the former director’s own words. After all, he said this:

『I no longer need something so trivial.』

That means that, to him, the “evidence of Kaiser’s corruption” is no longer even worth considering. And if we believe what he said afterward, then his true objective is this “ship” itself.

"Um..."

"Hmph."

A flying battleship created by “the me on the other side.” My memories still aren’t clear, and I don’t know what purpose that other me had in mind when she built it, but with this ship’s armament, it could seize control of the city center—including Sanctum Tower—or even annihilate it outright. Honestly, it could effortlessly wipe out a mid-sized academy. As expected of me.

But Trinity and Gehenna are a different story. Those monster schools should have plenty of anti-air firepower, and in front of that gor—ahem—Lady Mika and the Prefect Team leader, even this sturdy armor would turn to paper. I can practically picture it being shattered by a single lighthearted “Ei⭐︎” or “Nope nope~⭐︎.” Why is that image so easy to imagine?

In short, the former director’s talk of “ruling Kivotos” is nothing but a pipe dream. It’s utterly impossible with just one ship. If he lowered his ambitions a bit, maybe he could dominate Kaiser Corporation—but I can’t imagine him managing it competently afterward. He’d trip up somewhere, and it would collapse on its own.

Which means the real problem right now is that Aru-sama and the others were left behind… and whatever atrocity he’s planning doesn’t actually need to be stopped.

It doesn’t… and yet, like a fish bone caught in my throat, a small sense of unease refuses to go away.

"Please don’t ignore me!"

"...Strange. I’m hearing a voice from somewhere..."

"It’s my fault! At least let me apologize!"

With a sigh, I lift my head. Clinging to the bars, her face lighting up the instant our eyes meet, is the traitor—Imo.

"K-Komori-san!!"

"Mm. Apology. Excuses. Hurry up."

"Y-Yes!"

Tears well at the corners of her eyes as she snaps a salute. I glare at her with narrowed eyes, urging her to continue.

"...Um… well, this time, I deeply apologize for betraying your trust and following the former director’s order to detain you."

"...Right. Even though just the day before, you said we were friends..."

"Th-That! I really am sorry about that! I-I do truly think of you as a friend!"

Oh, really?

"Then… next. Your excuse, please."

"I-It’s not really an excuse, but the reason is… because it was my employer’s order. Y-You understand, right, Komori-san!?"

"...Well, yeah. Listening to your employer is important… it affects your credibility… but enough to betray a friend…?"

"Ack!! …B-But! You’ve done it too, haven’t you, Komori-san!? Tricking and betraying longtime comrades for a job! Befriending someone under a false identity and then eliminating the target! In the underworld, emotions and work should be kept separate! Right!?"

Imo casually says some truly awful things. And yet… I can’t completely deny them. More than that, I actually agree.

Yeah. Let’s look back at my past. I’m a Cleaner. A professional mercenary. Even if I agree with the principle, I shouldn’t have ever used such underhanded methods.

"......"

"...I-I’ve n-never done thaaat?"

"You’re lying, aren’t you!?"

I look away.

"...Th-Then, even if you couldn’t agree with that argument… could you point a gun at your benefactor?"

"Benefactor…?"

"Yes. For example… in your case, Rikuhachima-san. Or Sensei."

I imagine it. Me, pointing a gun at Sensei… at Aru-sama…

"Blegh!"

"You threw up!?"

No way.

"Nope nope… absolutely nope…"

"Right? To me, the former director is the same kind of benefactor as Sensei or Rikuhachima-san is to you."

"...That arrogant, stubborn, cowardly big lug…?"

"W-Well, I can’t completely deny that, but yes…"

She adds, “Strictly speaking, to all of us,” and continues.

"I told you before that I’m a former SRT student, right? And that I’m a traitor."

"Yeah… I remember."

"Someone like that naturally ends up on a wanted list. I betrayed an organization directly under the General Student Council, after all. I had plenty of information that couldn’t be made public, and an SRT combat professional falling into the underworld would obviously cause trouble."

"...Now that you mention it, I think I might’ve seen something like that on the news a long time ago…"

"Yes. That’s right. It became such a big deal that it even made the news. I was publicly wanted, with a bounty on my head, spending every day on the run from pursuers. If someone like that started working as a mercenary, do you think they’d ever get legitimate jobs?"

"...They’d get taken advantage of."

"Or it’d be a trap. One of the two."

She laughs lightly, saying she actually fell for those traps more than once.

"Back then, the one who noticed me and hired me for a fair price was him—when he was still a director. Maybe he just thought I looked useful, but thanks to him, I can honestly say I climbed this far in the underworld."

"Huh…"

"By the way, Komori-san, have you ever seen my partner Homura’s legs in person?"

"...Now that you mention it… maybe not… she’s always worn pants…"

What comes to mind is the red-haired girl—probably a former Trinity student. In a world like this, where people tend to dress rather revealingly thanks to its gacha roots, I’d always thought it strange that she kept herself so covered.

"Her legs are prosthetics."

"...!"

"Ah… um… I’d appreciate it if you kept this from her… but do you remember that serious accident at Trinity that made the news a long time ago?"

"...I think… I remember something like that…?"

A serious accident at Trinity. Thinking back, I recall it now. A first-year student, the same age as me at the time, lost her legs after getting them caught under a train. It was an extremely shocking incident—especially because students of Kivotos are protected by mystic power.

"...Normally, we students are protected by our Halos. Even getting hit by a train wouldn’t usually leave both legs completely unusable."

"It probably would for me."

"...Her Halo, in particular, was very strong. It wouldn’t even flinch under a sniper’s shot. So why did something like that happen?"

Ah. She completely ignored that.

"...She was being bullied. Pushed past her limits. Her legs bound to the tracks. Then abandoned. I’d been in contact with her—she’d asked me for advice—but I was one step too late to save her. I never imagined it would go that far."

"..."

"...Later, when I went to have a ‘talk’ with the bullies, I learned that even they hadn’t intended to go that far. Apparently, they only meant to break her legs… which is still awful, of course…"

"........."

This suddenly got really heavy.

"The one who gave her new legs… was that man. On the condition that she work as a mercenary with me, he provided her prosthetics."

"..."

"...Do you understand now? Homura works to repay her debt to him. And I work to repay mine… and also to atone for failing to save Homura. That’s why I can’t betray him."

"...I… see…"

I see… then maybe it really couldn’t be helped, even if she betrayed me—

"Yeah, but I’m still not forgiving you."

—Nope. That’s not how this works at all.

"What!?"

"That’s that… and this is this… being able to compartmentalize is a required skill in the underworld…!"

"I-I mean, that’s true, but—!?"

"Ahhh, what should I dooo… at this rate… I might end up hating Imo…"

"W-Wait! Please! D-Don’t hate me!"

"Hmm… maybe if you give me one year’s worth of GODEVA chocolate, right now… I might not hate you…"

"GODEVA!? I don’t have anything that high-end!?"

"Then after we get back is fine…"

"WHAT!?"

"...Traitor who betrayed her friend…"

"Hic! …Ugh… f-fine! Fine, okay!!"

"Yay… forgiven…"

I got her on record. Aru-sama wanted some anyway—I’ll give it to her.

"...Sigh… changing the subject, Komori-san."

"Hm…? What…?"

After checking what will soon become the tragic remains of her wallet and letting out a sigh, Imo’s expression suddenly sharpens. With a serious look, she continues.

"This is just a proposal… but I’ll be blunt. Would you consider joining our side?"

"...What do you mean?"

"...I’m asking you to side with the former director."

"So... you’re telling me to betray Sensei and Aru-sama?"

I glare straight back at her.

"...Yes. That’s exactly what I’m saying."

"...You say that so decisively."

"Yes. I don’t want to betray another friend ever again."

"......"

"If you’d just say one word—that you’ll join us—I’ll persuade the former director and guarantee your freedom, as well as Sensei’s safety."

"...What about Aru-sama and Kanna-san?"

"They too. I promise we’ll immediately go back to retrieve them and ensure their safety. We can’t exactly let them roam free, but at the very least, they’ll be spared the worst-case scenario—freezing to death."

"...Huh? Kanna-san too?"

"Ah... y-yes. Um... the former director said he didn’t want to leave any uncertainties outside the ship, and unlike you or Sensei, she has no value to exploit, so... she was likely wrapped up and thrown out at departure."

"Ehh...?"

That’s just cruel... though Kanna-san is tough, and getting wrapped up and tossed out probably wouldn’t kill her. If that’s the case... I guess it’s fine.

"...If all it takes for everyone to survive is me cooperating with him... maybe that wouldn’t be so bad..."

"......"

"...But you know, I can’t betray my friends either. Or my benefactors."

".........I thought you’d say that..."

With that, Imo lowers her gaze, then stands up.

"By now, Sensei has been placed in a separate cell from yours, with the terminal known as the Shittim Chest and its card confiscated. Depending on the former director’s mood, his life could be put in danger at any time. And as for your Cleaner... since the former director has given up on extracting information, it will eventually be dismantled and researched by Kaiser PMC mechanics. I don’t know when that will happen, but... if you change your mind, contact us using the radio I’ll leave here."

She places a single radio down, then leaves.

What remains in the dim, frigid cell is me—and the radio, sitting just within reach beyond the bars.

"..."

Imo betrayed me. But the words she spoke were sincere. Even in a situation this hopeless, I’m glad I was able to learn that much. Maybe it’s because she was my first real friend—aside from the Make-Up Work Club, whom I ended up interacting with a lot due to circumstances. ...Those guys count as friends, right? Because if they ever say something like, “Ahaha... you and me, friends? That’s a funny joke, Komori-chan,” I might actually cry.

"...Alright then."

That’s why I don’t want to betray her either.

"JAILBREAK TIME!!!"

That’s why I had to turn down that offer!

I mean, no one would normally refuse a deal with conditions that good, right? The standard move would be to accept everything, then betray them afterward and flip the board. The fact that I didn’t do that means it was friendship-driven. Wow. I really am kind.

"Blegh!"

I clamp a hand over my mouth and vomit—not jokingly like before, but for real, pressing my abdomen as I empty my stomach.

Luckily, I hadn’t eaten breakfast, so what came up was mostly stomach acid... and one small, concealed Ziploc bag.

Inside it—

"Aaaanywhere~ jail-break~ set~!"

A piece of wire. More precisely, a metal part taken from a toy I found mixed in with trash and corpses when I desecrated the grave of “the me from the other world.” It’s reasonably sturdy, but with Kivotos-level grip strength, it’s flexible enough to bend—perfect for lockpicking.

I’m not some weak princess who sits quietly in a cell. I’m Komori the Cleaner. I’m an action-oriented type.

Alright. Time to break out!

───Just as I confidently step forward—

"—!? Gah!?"

A sudden, violent headache slams into me. It feels like my skull is splitting open. My vision distorts, flickers. What’s happening?

The answer comes immediately.

"What... is this...!?"

Memories that shouldn’t exist come flooding into my mind—memories seen by me from another world, or by a Cleaner who wielded that world’s mystic power.

This isn’t a dream. I’m not asleep. And yet they keep pouring in.

"—Don’t tell me... those bastards started messing with the Cleaner...!?"

Even after I understand the trigger behind this surge, it doesn’t stop. A massive torrent of information forces its way in against my will—memories of someone who lived eighteen years in a previous life, and another eighteen in this one. Even if it’s only fragments, the pain of having that much crammed into my head is unbearable—

"—Huh?"

—And then, I see it.

"...Hah... hah..."

───The Ark of Theseus Project───

"...What a sick joke of a surprise."

It seems the me on the other side left behind something truly outrageous.