Encore 4 — Humanoid Imperi (III)

"You... lost your memory?"

The elderly woman asked.

I nodded.

"I've forgotten everything from when I was 8 years old and younger. I also have multiple scars all over my body and a scar near my heart."

It may seem impossible for someone to live a life without half of their memories, but I lived that way for almost most of my life now.

At first, it was hard to trust but it's easier now. What's hard is wanting revenge for a person that I don't even remember anything about. Which is why I have my pocket watch and earring. Makes me feel closer to my deceased mother.

Of course, no one I know, excluding Reiko, my father and Ms Kin, knows that I only have 8 years of memories.

"I'll have to think about it."

Principal Chigiri uttered to herself.

"What was that, Principal?"

Ms Kin asked.

"Don't worry about it. I'll be taking my leave now, I wish the two of you a good day."

The principal waved at us as we left.

"That woman is the principal?"

I've been here for two years and people were talking about how scary the principal is. She just seems like the average elderly woman to me. I'm not trying to be rude.

"Yeah. More importantly, you should've said something if you were here."

Ah... I did but I was too infatuated with the video. She doesn't need to know that though.

"So, what was the context of that video?"

Ms Kin stayed silent for a second.

"Don't tell anyone."

"Uh, sure."

She sighed.

"Three days ago, on Monday, a mysterious black vestige appeared above Tokyo. It was easily seen because it was noon."

"I'm guessing from that vestige appeared that girl."

Even knowing that she's a humanoid Imperi, it's scary knowing that she looks like a teenager. Though I want to kill him, I kind of wonder what Alpha looks like.

The teacher nodded.

"Black snakes emerged and destroyed the surrounding area. This attack affected 14 of the 23 special wards in Tokyo."

The attack caused less damage than last time but it was still major. It scares me to even think about the casualties.

There may even be a child who suffered the same as me.

"Due to her infinite number of snakes that she can seemingly summon, we've decided to codename her, 'Ouroboros.'"

"Seeing as how we want this humanoid Imperi gone, I don't think Ouroboros is a good name."

I joked.

She snickered.

"You got that right. Well, why did you come to the faculty room at this time of day? Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"What? You think I slack off my training? I wake up at 7:00 am every day just to train."

"Then, let me ask you, did you train today?"

Ms Kin asked with a smile.

Gah, she got me!

"T-that's not important... This mission is more important!"

I showed her the mission that I chose.

She snatched it from my hand and gazed over it.

"You're a real daredevil, you know that? If you're found out, you may be expelled."

She said.

"So, what do you think of the mission?"

"It's really simple. Better than what Yuichi would choose. A dungeon in Kyoto. If not cleared by Saturday, the dungeon will open, releasing the beasts inside. It's a C+ ranked dungeon. That's good, I guess."

The woman spun on her chair and worked on her laptop.

"I'll put it into the system now. We'll be leaving for Kyoto tomorrow morning. Since tomorrow is Friday, we need to clear it tomorrow, otherwise, the beasts will leak into Kyoto."

"I took it since it was within our range and because it's an emergency mission. If I didn't take it, I don't know if someone else would."

"This should be able to satisfy Yuichi."

She said.

She took the sheet and scanned it on the laptop.

"Okay,"

Ms Kin seemed to have finished inputting the mission into the system.

"When you see the two in class, tell them that we'll have a rendezvous tomorrow, outside of the second dorm building."

Second dorm building. That's the female one, meaning the one that Isla lives in.

"Cool, I'll tell them."

"Now, shoo!"

The teacher swatted her hand in my direction like I was a fly.

"I have work to do."

"Sheesh! You don't have to be that rude about it."

I complained while exiting the faculty room.

---

The next day came and we met up at 9:00 am, while everyone else was in classes.

"It's 9:07 am. She's late."

Isla said, performing a static stretch.

She was doing a shoulder stretch.

"It's not like-this-is-the first time!"

I spoke, talking while assuming a bicep stretch position.

"Yeah, she's the one who selects the missions but she's always late."

'Actually, I'm the one who selects them.'

If I said that, then Yuichi would go crazy and probably report me to the school.

"Sorry, sorry!"

Ms Kin came running toward us. She seemed to be carrying a bag.

The crimson-haired woman stopped just short of us and placed the bag she had down.

"What're you carrying?"

Yuichi asked.

He peeked into the bag. I also looked into the bag with him.

"Items?"

"Most of this is for Kazuya since he can't use spells."

Both Isla and Yuichi looked at me. Even I was confused.

"For me? But I have Dawn and Dusk?"

I flaunted my beloved twin pistols in front of her.

"Yeah but Connor broke your Spatial Composer, right?"

"True, but I can handle myself."

I told her.

"And how many times have you been saved by your Spatial Composer?"

Ms Kin asked.

I couldn't retort.

It's true. Well, mostly because I like using my Spatial Composer, I use it a lot. I guess to someone else, it does seem like I'm relying on it.

I might as well take whatever she has for me.

"This is why you should've asked Ashikaga to make it."

"I'll pretend you never said that, Isla."

I began inspecting the bag.

"Electromagnetic hand grenades? These may be useful."

I put two of them in the pouch by my waist.

I haven't carried something for a hot minute while fighting. It'll be a different experience.

"A sabre?"

I picked up the handle and imbued mana into it.

A translucent black blade appeared. It was like a shortsword.

When I stopped imbuing mana into it, the blade disappeared and I put it into my pouch.

I have room for one more thing, depending on what it is.

"What's this?"

Yuichi picked it up from the bag.

It was a silver box with a sideways triangle button and a square button.

"What's this do?"

"Y-Yuichi! Stop there! Don't press that button!"

I shouted at him.

In shock, Yuichi froze, his eyes widened as he looked at me.

"W-what?"

I snatched the box from him.

"Did you never pay attention in Magi Tactics?"

"Uh... No?"

He seemed slightly nervous.

"Figures."

I sighed.

"Oi, that's the lesson I teach."

Ms Kin announced, a little irritated.

"Anyway, this is a Diverter."

"A Diverter? Oh, is it that machine that distracts Imperi?"

Isla asked, recognising the name.

"Yeah, but not quite. The Diverter doesn't only affect Imperi but also Streia. Since we're superhuman, we can hear higher frequencies compared to normal humans. Imperi can hear this frequency too. The frequency produced by this hurts both Streia and Imperi, making them incapable to move. Which is why we use earbuds--"

I reached into the bag.

There was almost nothing left.

Well, everything I felt did not feel like any earbuds or a small plastic bag.

"Where are the earbuds?"

I asked Ms Kin.

"Uh..."

She turned away.

"I forgot them."

"Then go and get them now!"