The Condition Is... a Date?!

Though they had previously guessed that DEM's airship had been shot down by a Spirit, most likely a beautiful silver-haired girl, hearing Kaguya confirm it herself still left them incredibly shocked.

After all, DEM's airships were superior to the Fraxinus in both defensive equipment and weapons systems. In the original story, Fraxinus had fought a DEM airship before, and if it hadn't been for Kyouhei Kannazuki's incredible piloting skills, Fraxinus would probably have been shot down.

Kotori took a deep look at Kaguya, then turned around and said, "This isn't the place to talk. Follow me." With that, she walked into the interior of the airship without looking back.

Kaguya smiled and, without saying anything, followed her.

Though the Fraxinus was much smaller than DEM's airships, it somehow felt roomier. This might have been because DEM airships were packed with weapon systems, leaving them with comparatively less space.

Not that this mattered much to Kaguya, but she did find herself wanting an airship like this. It looked quite stylish—perhaps she could sneak into DEM and steal one.

A plan as daring as stealing an airship could only come from someone like Kaguya. If anyone else tried, they'd likely be torn to shreds by DEM's security guards before they even got close.

Following Kotori, Kaguya arrived at the door of a room. Kotori placed her hand on the unlocking panel, and with a small "beep," the door opened, allowing them to step inside.

But as soon as they entered, Kotori suddenly turned around and, without warning, launched herself at Kaguya.

Caught off guard, Kaguya instinctively prepared to strike, her fist already halfway out. But sensing that Kotori meant no harm, she hesitated and withdrew her fist.

That brief hesitation gave Kotori just enough time to throw herself into Kaguya's arms, nearly knocking her over.

"Hey, what are you—"

Before Kaguya could finish, Kotori's soft face drew close. In a moment of complete surprise, Kaguya felt Kotori's lips press against hers.

What on earth?

Was this girl out of her mind?

Clearly, Kotori had little experience with kissing; she simply pressed her lips tightly to Kaguya's, doing nothing more than lightly rubbing them against each other. Her eyes were closed, her cheeks flushed with a hint of shyness.

After a long pause, Kaguya finally snapped out of it and pushed Kotori back, frowning. "What exactly is the meaning of this?"

Calmly, Kotori straightened her slightly disheveled clothes. Looking up with a nonchalant expression, she said, "It's nothing. I was just collecting a down payment." The lingering blush on her cheeks, however, betrayed her true intentions.

"A down payment?" Kaguya muttered, feeling a bit baffled. Was this girl running a fever?

"Yes," Kotori replied, changing the subject with a casual glance at Kaguya. "You want to know who tipped off DEM, right? I've already found out who it is."

Kaguya, who had been on the verge of asking more questions, froze for a moment. "Who?" she asked almost reflexively.

"If you want to know, you'll have to agree to one condition," Kotori said, pulling a lollipop from her pocket. She peeled off the wrapper and popped it into her mouth, speaking around it.

"What condition?" Kaguya frowned. "If it's something unreasonable, I advise you to forget it. This isn't something so important to me that I'd go out of my way or put myself in a difficult situation for it."

"Relax, I already knew you weren't the type to compromise easily," Kotori said, removing the lollipop from her mouth and pointing it at Kaguya. "So it's not something that will trouble you, nor is it anything excessive. Besides, you don't have to do it right away—if you prefer, you can even wait until later."

"Wait until later?" Kaguya asked in surprise. "Aren't you worried I'll go back on my word once I have the information?"

"Nah, it's nothing that difficult for someone like you," Kotori said, smiling with a slight lift of her lips. "And besides, a powerful Spirit like yourself wouldn't break a promise over something so small, would you?"

If Kaguya had had no interest in Kotori's words before, she found herself curious now, wondering what exactly this girl wanted her to do. It sounded like it might not be as difficult as she had imagined.

"Alright, then tell me," Kaguya said seriously. "I'd like to know just what it is you want from me."

"What I want you to do…" Kotori stood up from her chair, stepped up to Kaguya, leaned in close, and whispered in her ear, "...is go on a date with me."

What?

Kaguya was stunned. For a moment, she even doubted her ears.

Of all the possible conditions Kotori could have proposed, this one was the last she'd expected—it was utterly absurd.

If Kaguya had thought this girl might have a fever before, she was now certain. Not only was Kotori feverish, but she clearly hadn't taken her medicine if she was acting so nonsensically.

"Are you messing with me?" Kaguya pushed Kotori away, her tone a bit hostile.

With a slight smirk, Kotori's refined face wore a calm smile as she replied, "Why would I risk my life to mess with you? I'm telling the truth. Believe it or not."

"Why would you want to do something like that?" Kaguya asked, utterly perplexed.

If Kotori had asked her to take down DEM, or eliminate the AST forces, Kaguya would have understood. Even if Kotori had demanded she hand over the Spirit, it would have been more reasonable, even if she had no intention of agreeing.

But this condition seemed entirely childish, like some kind of joke. No wonder Kaguya didn't believe it; anyone would find it ridiculous, just as absurd as gaming companies suddenly giving away money instead of taking it.

After returning from the Fraxinus, Kaguya was still somewhat at a loss. What exactly did Kotori mean by that, and what could her intentions possibly be in making such a ridiculous demand? When Kotori had visited Kaguya's home previously, she had said something similar. At the time, Kaguya brushed it off as a prank, but now it seemed there might be more to it.

However, Kaguya's thoughts were now on something else entirely—the fact that the one who tipped off DEM turned out to be this person, which caught her completely off guard. When Kotori told her, Kaguya thought she was just toying with her, but seeing the footage for herself made her realize the truth. It was always the people you'd least suspect, especially someone who seemed so small and inconspicuous.

Kaguya had barely returned home when she spotted a figure tiptoeing toward the corner of the house, furtively looking around.

Could it be a thief?

She watched as the person peered inside, scratching her disheveled hair in frustration. "Not here, huh? I thought she'd be home. Well, never mind, I'll just leave it here." She hefted a large package and tried to head inside.

"Need a hand?"

A voice from behind made her start, and she muttered, "No, just go away, don't bother—ah!"

She hadn't even finished when she realized something was off and quickly turned around. But before she could take a defensive stance, a hand grabbed her by the neck, lifting her up like a kitten.

"Got you," Kaguya said.

The small figure had messy light-blue hair, a pale face, a wide-brimmed hat, and a mismatched outfit with black and orange socks. It was the strange little girl Kaguya had encountered twice before.

"Y-you, what are you doing here?" the girl stammered.

"This is my house," Kaguya replied. "So why wouldn't I be here?"

"But... didn't you leave?" the girl asked, confused.

"Are you stupid?" Kaguya flicked her on the forehead. "Just because I left doesn't mean I wouldn't come back home."

"Ow, ow!"

The forehead flick stung, leaving a faint red mark on her pale skin. She clutched her head with her small, soft hands, crouching down and glaring up at Kaguya as if she had committed some horrible crime.

"What are you doing at my house, hmm?" Kaguya leaned closer, her voice tinged with amusement.

The girl's expression turned awkward as her eyes darted around. She suddenly stood up and dashed away like a rabbit, her small legs moving with surprising speed.

She glanced back as she ran and only let out a breath of relief once the house was out of sight. But just as she thought she had escaped, she slammed into something solid—a barrier as unyielding as steel—bouncing backward and landing on the ground with a thud.

"How… how did you…" She looked up, stunned, at the silver-haired girl in front of her. "Weren't you just…?"

"Did you really think you could run away that easily?" Kaguya asked, her face impassive. "You're far too naive, little girl."

Realizing she was in trouble, the girl tried to scramble to her feet to flee, but Kaguya grabbed her wrist, twisting her arm behind her.

"Hey, let go, you jerk!" she cried, struggling in pain as she squirmed in Kaguya's grip.

"Stop wasting your energy," Kaguya said coldly. "I don't recall ever wronging you, so why did you try to frame me?"

"Frame you? I have no idea what you're talking about," the girl huffed, turning her head away.

"Didn't you leak information about my place to DEM?" Kaguya asked. "You're still trying to deny it?"

"I said I didn't! Now let go of me!" the girl protested.

"Seems you need some convincing," Kaguya said. "I'll give you one last chance. Otherwise, don't blame me for what happens next."

"Oh, really?" The girl sneered, "I guess I'll just have to show you my real power." Suddenly, a powerful energy surged from her, swirling around her body with violent force. Waves of energy blasted outward, tearing up the ground and sending debris flying as dust filled the air.

But then—

"Huh?"

When the wave of energy subsided, the girl found herself unchanged—still weak and powerless. Something felt off. Shouldn't this have turned out differently? Wasn't she supposed to—

She was speechless.

"This is your so-called 'true power'?" Kaguya mocked her. "How impressive."

"No, this isn't how it's supposed to be!" the girl cried, suddenly glaring at Kaguya. "You… you must've done something!"

"That's right, and I'm not sorry," Kaguya replied, her expression flat. "To think you'd try to show off such petty tricks in front of me, you foolish little girl."

"You jerk, how dare you!" The girl renewed her struggling. "Let go of me, or else you'll be sorry!"

"Oh, I don't think it's you who gets to punish anyone right now," Kaguya said. "I warned you I'd only give you one chance. Since you didn't take it, prepare for the consequences."

Hearing the ominous tone in Kaguya's voice, the girl felt a sudden foreboding. Just as she started to resist again, everything went dark. In a ripple of spatial energy, they appeared in an unfamiliar room.

It was a clean, tidy room, fully furnished but dimly lit, giving it an eerie atmosphere.

"W-what are you planning to do?"

But before she could say another word, Kaguya suddenly yanked down her pants.

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