Chapter 152: A Mysterious Might / Body Double (2/2)

They say that a forest is needed to hide a tree, but if there were even one lanky green bamboo in the forest then it would stand out in another sense.

In order to prevent that, this was a special squad formation composed of people with the same appearance as Taiyou.

「Sorry for making you do all this」

「I dun mind, those peeps move separately anyhoo」

「Okay」

Leticia and Youran as well as an unreliable black-clothed squadron had surged into a room on the highest floor of the hotel.

Inside the suite room was one girl, looking at the intruders with a fearful face.

「Yeah, this certainly isn’t the actual person」

Taiyou mumbled for whatever reason.

The girl in front of him wearing the white undershirt was Juunishima Youran herself at first glance, but her fearful expression was something Taiyou knew Youran would never make.

Though he couldn’t understand via photo, Taiyou grasped it upon actually meeting her.

「P-P-Princess, wh-wh-what has happened? If it’s N-N-New Moon-sama then she is still――」

「Ah gotcha. Anyhoo, we’re gonna have ya come with us」

「Huh? B-B-But, I-I-I――」

「Sorry, ain’t got no time ta explain. Oi」

When Leticia gave a jerk of the chin, one of the black-clothed people stepped out, lifting up Youran’s body double from the bed she was on.

「Hyan! Wh-Wh-What are you doing」

「Let’s git」

The party turned back. However, upon exiting the room, a different party came running.

「Mm……」

Groaning, Taiyou hid his emotions within his black clothing.

Because in the enemy party, he had found a familiar face.

「Tch, I vas too late」

「Yer……Chan Shaa, huh」

「Your ‘Ighness Leticia」

「What ya come for？」

「I could ask you ze same, Your ‘Ighness. Vat reason do you ‘ave for coming ‘ere？」

The princess and middle-aged woman faced off against each other from either side of the room.

It felt like a joke seeing the two foreigners speaking to each other in Japanese, but Taiyou did not feel like laughing.

Holding his breath, he observed their exchange.

「Me n’ that fool are close, Ah thought to throw a sudden pajama party, see」

「Sneaking visits have been out of fashion」

「Seems like a portion of Juunishima’s still undergoing abduction marriages」

「Zat is banned by zis country’s law」

「Too bad, Ah ain’t one of this country’s peeps, and Ah can smooth things ova ta a certain degree with diplomatic immunity」

「Vat a coincidence, I am also a foreigner so I am not informed of zis country’s laws」

「The crime of inflictin’ bodily injury is NG in most countried」

The superficial conversation continued. During that time, the air began getting more and more strained. Both parties had not moved even a step since the beginning of their encounter, but the invisible fuse was turning to ash with tremendous force.

「Hand over zat girl」

「Ain’t happenin’」

「Zen, I need only to take ‘er by force」

「Attack unit, forward」

To both women’s signals, the subordinates from either side clashed.

Taiyou moved so as to not attract attention, moving by Leticia’s side so as to cover her.

In order to prevent his identity from being revealed, in advance arrangements, he would not heed any of Leticia’s orders unless his name were called directly, only focusing on protection.

Taiyou observed the progress of the battle.

If it were only the task of scattering Chan Shaa’s subordinates then he would have thought it to be simple. If he charged in and released his power then they would doubtlessly fall without a hitch.

But then he would be exposed, so he couldn’t. Especially if he were to be spotted by his opponent’s leader, someone directly supervising things under Saekusa Tsukumo, one of the people seen by Tsukumo as a mother of the mother-daughter bowl.

If his opponent were to discover that Natsuno Taiyou were there then Aoba would be used as a hostage. Putting aside close quarters, he couldn’t risk danger from a remote location.

Thankfully, it seemed something would become of it even if Taiyou didn’t participate.

In the battle between subordinates Leticia’s side was at an advantage. Her subordinates were overwhelming Chan Shaa’s subordinates, securing an escape route.

「Princess」

「Yeah」

One of the subordinates yelled, and Leticia replied.

Eye signalling to both the subordinate carrying Youran’s body double and Taiyou, she began progressing along the cleared path.

The awe-inspiring appearance of a monarch.

In contrast to that, the pushed-back Chan Shaa was making a vexing expression.

It seemed things would be alright for now. Taiyou thought so at that time.

「Taiyou-chan Taiyou-chan」

Of all things, Hera, who had been left where Youran was, manifested her appearance. Manifesting via warping as per usual, Taiyou almost raised a shocked voice.

Fiercely resisting the urge, himself accompanied by Leticia stared at the small fairy. He implicitly asked her what was wrong.

「Youran-chan and Aoba-chan were abducted!」

Taiyou stared blankly. He couldn’t immediately understand what she was saying.

Weren’t they already abducted?

Doubt rushed across his mind.