Do you mind?　You'll be resting for a few days I guess it's no use saying that.

　In Masato's hospital room, Akira looks resigned, but not as if he is making fun of it, he sighs.
　After that, Yuto and his friends met up with Shima and the others and went to a nearby university hospital, where Yuto underwent emergency surgery on his left arm by a doctor affiliated with the institution.
　And then, early in the morning after one night, when Akio visited his hospital room, he found that Masato had already changed into civilian clothes while wearing a cast on his left arm and was looking out the window with a fearless look on his face.

''Yes, Meira-san. How is your preparation to travel over there?　If you can't do it at the agency...

I'm ready to go.

　From behind Ming Liang, the Japanese Branch Director's secretary, Kaki Tate Shima, appeared and shook her ticket for the Chinese Communist People's Republican Tour in front of her chest.
　Furthermore, Mizuho and Marion entered the room from behind them.

''Ah, Kakitate-san,''

''I personally disagree, but we have received permission from Oomine-sama. Well, I'll just say that Mizuho-san....... and the Shitenji family had a strong request. As for your travel this time it has nothing to do with the agency. Of course, no matter what you do over there, no matter what happens.

'Oh I'm sorry. But I'll never bother the agency....

'What?　Du Du, don't get me wrong.

'What?　It's....

''What you just said ... is that ... ostensibly. 　It's just enough to make me feel like I'm a good person. And I appreciate that you guys are going, to be honest. Of course, that's a prerequisite...

Well you have to leave evidence, right?

I see. Well, Miss Omine said she doesn't mind as long as there's no physical evidence.

　Shima sighs as he says that, his head hurts.
　Yuto listens to Shima's story and the face of that inedible branch chief comes to mind.
　As far as the agency is concerned, it's been licked by the Dark Night's Leopard this time. This information, accurate or inaccurate, will have been conveyed to numerous organizations.
　The agency can't leave it as is.
　Of course, every organization must be staring at it and searching for the trend of the agency.
　What kind of abilities will they use and by what means will they retaliate against that Dark Night Leopard?　And.
　So, no way, even though there were A-ranked Mizuho and Marion, no one would think that the new group that was attacked this time would immediately go to retaliate.
　It's known that the agency isn't so short of talent that they would choose such people.
　While I'm grateful that Nissae would go so far as to give them an opportunity, at the same time, I'm impressed that Yuto hasn't forgotten these kinds of calculations.
　Beside Shima, Mizuho laughed bitterly and showed her a frightening smile.

''........I understand. I won't leave any evidence in any form. Ah, only physical evidence, right?''

'Just pull back as soon as you feel it's dangerous. Oomine-sama was also very strict about only letting him go free for three days. Is that clear?

　Yuto nodded with a divine face.
　He thinks that Hisae also thinks that it is indeed impossible to go further against the Dark Night No Leopard.
　Although it wasn't mentioned here, Yuto guessed that the selection of their replacements had already been completed.

''Also, I'll have a few agency staff members hiding out with you guys to follow up. Also, I did not tell the Chinese branch about this. I know it's not possible, but if you should run into someone from the Chinese office, avoid fighting. And please contact us immediately. I will inform you of the situation through our channels.

Okay, so what time is your flight?

It's past noon. You must go now. Here's your forged passport and your ticket. Be careful, each one has a different name.

Then, Eugene, let's go!

Masato........are you hurt?

　Each of them received their tickets from Shima, Mizuho was elated when they received their tickets and Marion turned to look at Yuto, who had bandages all over his body in concern.

''No problem!　Let's go, Mizuho-san, Marion-san.

　They nodded at Yuto's words and promptly left the hospital in the taxi the agency had turned in for them.



　Shima and Akira, who were left in the hospital room, saw Yuto and the others and walked off to deliver Shihira and the others to an empty house in Gunma.

'Thank you for your help. Kakitate-san.

''No, it must have been hard for you too, Mr. Shinzen. 　Honestly........I was against it, thinking that this was too reckless this time. I know that Mizuho-san and the others are capable of doing this, but you are a rank D player, and you are seriously injured. I understand that Master Omine took Mizuho and the others' intentions into consideration, but as I thought....

It will be all right, won't it, Yuto-kun?

''......... You seem to be very confident, why is that?　Shinzen-san. Come to think of it, Kamizen-san, who was supposed to be a follower, didn't even try to follow Mizuho-san this time.

　Meira closed her eyes and grinned with a grin.

''It's not the squire's role to follow everything, you know. Besides....''

...and?

''........The reason why I can stay here and focus on the post-processing afterwards is because of Yuto-kun. If he's here.......if he says it's okay, then I'll be okay too. He's that kind of boy.

....

　Shima listened to Akera's words, and the depths of her eyes lit up.

''Oh no, and seriously, I have to think about it too, you know.

What?

No, I have to make a good impression on the man who might be the next head of the Shitendera family's son-in-law.

'Huh!　It's....

I'm just kidding, I'm only half way through...

　Meira is happy and Shima is surprised as she walks down the corridor of the hospital.
　It's no wonder Shima is surprised.
　If you can say that he is the son-in-law of the head of the Shitennji family, that alone makes him someone the institution can't ignore.
　Meira said she was going back to school to follow up on Mizuho and the others' alibis, and Shima was leaving with Shihira and the others.



'Good job, Shima. So ... how did it go?　Yeah, yeah.....

　Hisae is now in contact with Shima from the branch manager's office.

''And yet again, I'm a full-fledged disgusting adult this time, aren't I? You pretend to be thinking of Mizuho and the others' feelings, but the truth is that I'm testing you, Du Du.

"That's not true. We're following up meticulously for Mizuho-san and the others........ We'll also send our real-life abilities to the site at the same time."

'That's what I'm calling a jerk adult~. Oh, if this is found out by Mizuho-chan, she'll definitely hate it. Well, let's think about it then......... So, getting back to the topic at hand, you're sure that the opponent you fought against, DoDu-kun, was a dead bird?　And this time, you said we were evenly matched again...

"Yes that's what he said. This was agreed upon by Kamizen-san, so I'm sure there's no mistake.

'The previous explanation was that the dead bird's water stoppage was an old wound and it didn't seem to have the same power as before... but I wonder...'

"What do you mean?"

''If that's true would the Dark Night Leopard be willing to hire such a person here?　I mean. Think about it. I don't know why yet, but the guy who tried to grab me is a rank-A Marion, albeit a rookie.　I can understand relying on the once superhuman strength of a dead bird to abduct Marion-san, who is treated as a guest of the Shitennji family, but...

"

''......... The attack and repulse of the undead in the rookie trials, the incident where the sword of Surt that nearly crushed a single country called Millimer was defeated, the boy who was in the place of all that........? No, I may have been poisoned by Bartolo-san's hypothesis as well........

"........."

''For now........I'm asking you to carefully check out how you guys are going to set up the Dark Night's Leopard this time around. If the content is a little unsavory, you can intervene immediately.

".........I understand. I'm going into China now, too."

'I'm sorry, but ... please. Is there anything else?

After all, she's going to be the next head of the Shitenji family's son-in-law......."

'What?　Meira-kun did that?　That's amazing....

"Halfway through, you said you were joking...."

　Shima had said it with the intention of making small talk, but was puzzled by Nisasae's reaction, which was more serious than she expected.

''Well, that's half the story,''

"What...?"

''The companionship of the head of the Shitennji family, you know, is only possible with the consent of Omine and Shinzen. And there is an unwritten rule that has been in place for hundreds of years to obtain that consent.

"...What is that?"

''Power.



''Well I just stuttered a bit, so I was just going to say, yes, yes, I'll take care of it then. So....

　Hisae hung up the phone and stood up from the branch manager's chair and turned her attention to the buildings in the Shinjuku sub-center of the city that could be seen from the branch manager's office.

'Such an important thing about the Shitendera family ... is this a joke?　And that Akera-kun, you know.

　Huffily relaxing her shoulders, Hisae looked through the test results of DoDu Yuto's rank acquisition and the research documents she was asked to hold in her right hand.

''Dou Dou Yuto-kun........huh? Do I have to seriously measure him for this?　If he still has the ability as hypothesized...........how will the headquarters move? I'm sure they'll try to somehow get Dou Dou Dou-kun in exchange for a change to a higher rank. But still........if you are a party to the two matters of the Immortal, Surt's Sword......

　While spitting to himself, he had an unusual power in his eyes.