Chapter 238: Suzune / Four Wings (2/2)

「You expected this？」

「Mhm, I expected it」

Aoba nodded. She spread out the paper loops she had made, checking the length.

「Cause she’s suuuper similar to Natsuno-kun. She’s smart, nimble, and it feels like she gets good at whatever she does」

「Ah, I think so too. What is it now?……Mhm, thanks Kaza-chan」

As if telepathy had begun again all of a sudden, Suzune gave her thanks for something.

「What’d Kaza-chan say？」

It was like she had suddenly begun talking to herself, but Aoba knew.

Her reaction showed that she was used to the irregular actions of the three sisters.

「Not crafty, but someone who really has a good head on them, she said」

「Mhm, she’s intelligent alright. I think so too. And she has amaaazing common sense from the ground up. Strangely enough, it’s like she not only understands, but “knows” that she understands」

「Mhm」

「In the opposite sense, Kohaku-san’s well-versed in knowledge and whatnot, but maybe is a bit of an odd person」

「She’ll get angry if you say that」

「……To the contrary, wouldn’t she be happy about that? If I said it like that」

「……That might be true, yeah」

Suzune nodded after briefly hesitating.

She seemed to be slightly hesistant about wording it that way, but she agreed in the end.

The image of Kohaku came into their heads simultaneously, and they agreed about that.

Afterward, there was a time when they silently worked on things.

As they were doing that, this time Suzune broke the ice.

「Taiyou-san is fighting right now, right?」

「Mhm, as a way of buying time for us to prepare」

「Hera-chan’s fighting with him, right?」

「Well yeah, it’d be unnatural at this point for her to not be with Taiyou when he challenges」

Aoba answered, still moving her hands.

Hera was one of the trump cards Taiyou had against Shirokiyami.

Only those who kissed Taiyou could see her and touch her.

However, no matter what they might try, no human could hurt Hera other than Taiyou.

That essentially meant that Hera could one-sidedly attack Shirokiyami, but Shirokiyami could not counterattack.

Even if she were able to shoot her out of the atmosphere, Hera could not take damage.

Making use of that phenomenon, Taiyou had been tag-teaming with Hera as of recent when challenging Shirokiyami.

He was challenging Shirokiyami with her as his trump card, his joker.

Right now he was vying for time, but also, in order to not let her catch on, he was fighting with Hera as usual.

「We also……would like to fight together, you know…」

「Together? You mean with Natsuno-kun？」

「Yes」

「That……would be difficult though」

「Mhm」

「Ah, but not necessarily impossible」

「Eh？」

「Earlier, there was something like that in an anime that Kohaku-san and Hera-chan saw. There were heroines singing songs to assist a man riding on a fighter aircraft」

「Songs?」

「Yeah, songs. And then the man just got reeeally strong. You might not be able to actually fight, but I think you could assist」

「But, with merely assisting……」

「It might work」

Aoba made another wink, grinning.

It was an impish, mischievous smile.

「But aren’t we normally of use to Natsuno-kun? With『Idol』」

「Ah-」

「Hera-chan says that it’s the same wherever we are, but I think it might be different. Being closer versus farther away」

「……」

「I think so. When I was first introduced to her, he was by my side, but……I feel like Natsuno-kun was extreeemely fired up」

「I see」

「Let’s try it next time. Let’s all get together and cheer on Natsuno-kun」

「Mhm, let us try」

Suzune nodded.

In the living terrace of Taiyou Castle, the two females proceeding preparations while smiling at each other.

☆

Hirose Bridge, riverbed.

Taiyou was sprawled in the shape of the kanji 大, staring up at the sky.

（I wonder how much more time I have to save……）

His body hurt all over, and blood was flowing “drip drip” from where he was cut.

His heart felt like it would break.