Evil Avalon
Looking at the clock, it was already past 10 p.m.
Summer vacation would bring busy days starting tomorrow, but it was already this hectic the day before it even began. I wondered what would become of me by the time summer ended, but I quickly gave up thinking about it when I started feeling depressed.
I sank deeply into a well-worn wooden chair and cautiously looked around.
The furniture and interior were old, but everything was meticulously maintained. The gentle light from the lamps, combined with the background music, created a very pleasant atmosphere.
I never expected to find such a tranquil place inside the Guild building.
We had rushed into this café to discuss things after Kano and Chi-chan's battle, but it seemed that last orders had already been taken, and a "Closed" sign had been put up.
Nevertheless, the owner generously welcomed us inside.
As a result, there were no other customers.
Apparently, the master and Mamiya were old acquaintances.
He looked to be around sixty years old. Although his hair was quite gray, he was a very handsome older gentleman, impeccably dressed in a black-and-white barista uniform.
There was a certain air of refinement about him, so perhaps he was somehow connected to the Mamiya family.
And, of course, Mamiya was sitting across from me.
He was devouring a gigantic fruit parfait with his mouth wide open...
You really do eat a lot.
I was getting hungry myself, so I was looking over the menu to order something when Mamiya's wristband lit up slightly and emitted a small electronic sound.
I wondered if it was an email.
"It's from Chizuru. She says she's finished changing and is on her way, and that nobody is following her, so there's nothing to worry about."
"Is that so...? Oh, it looks like they've already arrived."
While I was explaining that Chi-chan had contacted us, someone rushed into the café.
They looked around for a moment, and then, upon spotting us, waved both hands and ran toward our table.
"How was it, big brother?!"
"I've just arrived."
The troublesome girls slid across the floor as they braked beside the table.
The smug expressions on their faces made it obvious that they didn't feel the slightest bit remorseful.
I guess I'll start by giving my little sister a chop on the head.
She even offered her head to me while saying, "Pet me."
"Ouch! What are you doing?! I went to all the trouble of creating a connection with the Ten Rakshasa for you!"
"A connection?"
"Yes. Today's match was fought under the condition that the loser would have to do whatever the winner asked."
The pair of girls wearing bunny-eared Gothic Lolita outfits had fought my sisters in the arena.
One of them had said that she was "a woman who will one day become one of the Ten Rakshasa."
From that, I suspected that the bunny-eared girls were connected to the Ten Rakshasa—probably members of a second- or third-tier affiliated organization.
Moreover, according to Chi-chan, there had been an agreement that the winner of today's match could make the loser do whatever they wanted.
If they could cleverly manipulate and make use of those lower-ranking bunny-eared members, they could draw out the higher-ranking members of the Ten Rakshasa.
That wasn't the only thing they were after.
By standing out so dramatically in the arena, the name "EEE" would surely become famous.
And as a result, it would also lay the groundwork for bringing Kurosaki-san back.
The sisters proudly declared that this was a win-win—or rather, a win-win-win strategy.
Indeed, there had been no clear starting point for rescuing Kurosaki-san, and I had been struggling to figure out how to resolve the problem.
Therefore, the connections Kano and Chi-chan had made, along with the possibility of raising the clan's name through their achievements, might provide a clue toward solving the problem.
That being said, the Ten Rakshasa were not an organization that could be trifled with.
As far as I knew, the members of the Ten Rakshasa were mostly fanatical individuals who would attack without regard for their own lives if it was for the sake of their organization.
Their fighting force was also among the largest in the country.
On top of that, they had deep roots in the political and business worlds.
In terms of both trouble and danger, no matter how powerful a noble family or clan was, they couldn't even hold a candle to the Ten Rakshasa.
The problem was that the information I had was limited.
The Ten Rakshasa didn't appear very often in the game, and even the players had very little information about them.
If I didn't know how many dangerous people were among their members, who was running the organization, or how it was being managed, I couldn't even formulate a plan.
This lack of information was arguably the biggest obstacle.
If we were going to act, we had to be extremely cautious.
I gave our sisters, who were completely caught up in their excitement and had apparently forgotten all sense of danger, a stern warning.
"You are forbidden from challenging the Ten Rakshasa until you've gathered enough information and are certain that you can defeat them."
"I can't wait that long! Besides, that rabbit woman wasn't much of a threat. You saw it too, didn't you, big brother?!"
"Even if you keep fighting, you can still lose to an opponent who is weaker than you. That's the essence of battle."
Chi-chan countered that she had gathered information from videos beforehand, so there was no way she could have lost.
To be honest, I thought they could win too.
It was clear that they'd planned their strategy well, judging from how smoothly the two of them had worked together.
However, even in DunEx, it was common to be defeated by an unexpected attack from an opponent you had underestimated.
In a game, you could simply restart.
In reality, however, a single hit could cost you your life.
Unless you were forced into a situation where you had no other choice, willingly seeking out a fight was the act of a fool.
Furthermore, there was always the possibility that their true identities could be exposed by chance.
If that happened, they might be dragged into a brutal war with the Ten Rakshasa lurking behind the scenes.
In that case, their lives would be threatened day and night, leaving them mentally and physically exhausted and making it impossible for them to live a normal life under the sun.
I carefully explained all of these dangers to them.
But...
Even after hearing everything, both sisters still gave me looks that clearly said, "We're not convinced."
They were really rebellious.
I glanced at Mamiya, who was sitting next to me, and silently asked him to say something.
But he merely nodded along, pretending to listen while remaining completely absorbed in eating his parfait.
His appetite was on par with Butao's when he had first started school.
But there was something else I wanted to ask.
"How did you manage to reach B-rank in just a few days? I'd like you to explain that."
I glared at the two of them, demanding to know what they had been hiding.
Chi-chan answered as though it were the most obvious thing in the world while elegantly munching on the cake that had just arrived.
"Thanks to my brother's letter of recommendation, I was exempted from the examination and was able to start at B-rank."
"Yes, it's Chi-chan's older brother's letter. But the Guild receptionist was really surprised. I wonder what that was all about?"
A letter of recommendation from a powerful clan or adventurer could exempt someone from the examination required to become an arena fighter.
Furthermore, if the recommendation came from a ranked organization, it seemed that one could skip C-rank and begin at B-rank.
If something written by Mamiya carried that much weight, then it wasn't merely a recommendation from a viscount's family.
It had to be...
Oboro.
Oboro was a mysterious, shadowy organization whose true identity many clans and nobles desperately sought to uncover.
It was no wonder that the Guild receptionist had been surprised to receive a letter of recommendation from them.
However, when I asked how they had determined that the letter was genuine, they had apparently simply shown the letter they had received when they were registered with the Guild.
It was an insignia proving its authenticity.
I see.
So that mystery was solved.
I turned my gaze toward Mamiya, as if asking whether he had been an accomplice in this as well.
He began to say something along the lines of, "I think so... or maybe not... hmm?"
Apparently, he had handed the letter of recommendation to Chi-chan without thinking too deeply about it.
No...
Perhaps he wasn't thinking at all.
Though there was also the possibility that he was thinking something rather sinister.
It wasn't a good idea to take what he said at face value.
Having qualified for B-rank competition, the question naturally became who they should face in their debut match.
Who should they fight to make a name for themselves as EEE while simultaneously getting closer to the Ten Rakshasa?
After searching through a database containing hundreds of fighter pairs, they had chosen the bunny-eared clan known as Rabbit Moon.
They had made a name for themselves as an idol clan.
For a B-rank group, they had an unusually large fanbase and attracted a great deal of attention.
Moreover, there were even rumors that they "would join the Ten Rakshasa in the future," making it highly likely that they had some connection to the organization.
However, Rabbit Moon was also a veteran fighter pair.
Simply throwing down a challenge wouldn't be enough to make them pay attention to a pair of rookies who had just debuted.
So they had racked their brains trying to figure out how to get her to notice them.
"So we thought, why not compete by forming a cute unit ourselves?"
"We spent a lot of time working on the embroidery together."
The two girls busily pulled their costumes out of their bags.
They had taken plain robes that would otherwise have failed to make them stand out, then cut and dyed them into uniform-like dresses.
They had also painted and decorated masks designed to protect them from appraisal magic, giving them a sparkling finish.
They were quite well made, even when viewed up close.
My sister kept telling me to praise them, but despite her generally rough personality, she was surprisingly dexterous.
Mamiya, who had been eating the entire time, finally finished his parfait and joined the conversation.
"By the way, you had quite a lot of fans for your debut match. Did you do something special?"
"Everything was part of the plan, Brother."
It was merely a casual question from her brother.
I thought the answer would be just as casual.
Instead, Chi-chan revealed some rather shocking things she had been doing over the past few days.
From the day they had set their sights on the bunny-eared girls, they had promoted themselves on the Guild arena's dedicated bulletin board and social media.
They stirred up controversy over "which idol fighter unit is stronger and cuter."
At one point, they were confronted by a user who seemed to be a fan of the bunny-eared girls, which led to an all-night flame war.
Surprisingly, the argument spread among many arena fans and eventually reached Rabbit Moon herself.
Seeing this as an opportunity, Chi-chan continued provoking her.
Eventually, she successfully elicited the conditions:
"Then let's settle this in a direct confrontation."
And:
"If I lose, I'll do whatever you say."
Thus, they successfully got her to come to the arena.
At the beginning of the match, the bunny-eared fans were cheering louder.
However, by thoroughly utilizing the visually impressive Boost Hammers to create a spectacular battle, they managed to steal a significant portion of their opponents' fans.
By the end of the match, they had won over the majority of the audience.
Everything had gone according to plan.
"The day to bring back Tenma-senpai's maid is near."
Chi-chan said this while munching on a sandwich that had just arrived, recounting the entire story of their debut battle.
...Sigh.
I had suspected they were up to something, but it was far worse than I had expected.
Kano gave me another look that seemed to say, "See?"
I wanted to chop her on the head again.
But the story wasn't over yet.
The real fun was only beginning.
"Today's opponent was just a small fry. Next time, I'd like to be matched against someone of a higher caliber. Here's their contact information."
She placed a piece of paper with an address written on it and a card-shaped device in front of me.
The device was the type that communicated by directly transmitting magical energy without going through a base station.
It had apparently been designed to prevent eavesdropping and maintain anonymity.
Leaving aside the question of why they possessed such a thing so casually, they said that they could use it to contact the bunny-eared girls directly.
Even if they said that, I didn't know what I was supposed to say.
To begin with, I didn't understand the structure of the Ten Rakshasa clan.
I knew a little about Colors, another large-scale raiding clan, because it had appeared in the game's story.
But even Colors was as huge and complex as a major corporation.
The scale of the Ten Rakshasa was many times greater.
I didn't know how many tiers of organizations they had, how much authority each person possessed, or even what their backgrounds and philosophies were.
I needed more information.
But how could I gather it?
While I was thinking about that, the person sitting across from me, who was licking the cream from around his mouth, operated the terminal without hesitation.
The communication connected without even waiting for a single ring.
"..."
"Do you remember the promise, poor little rabbits?"
"...W-what?! Who are you?!"
Lowering his voice, Mamiya put on a villainous voice that sounded as though he had practiced it somewhere.
The person on the other end of the line, wearing rabbit ears, became wary because an unexpected person had appeared, and her voice trembled slightly.
Seeing precisely the reaction he had wanted, Mamiya pressed on.
"We have one demand. Put your boss in the next match. Otherwise—"
"Hey, what?! Are you EEE too? Where are the Cutie Sisters?! Bring them out right now!"
The voice on the other end changed to that of a different girl.
It was probably the other bunny-eared girl who had been paired with her.
She was saying something about the "Cutie Sisters," but when I quietly asked what that meant, Kano and Chi-chan pointed toward themselves.
Apparently, that was the name of their unit.
Chi-chan softly cleared her throat and replied to the terminal in a dignified voice, just like her brother.
"Thank you for your hard work today. But let me be honest with you. You are no match for us. We need stronger opponents to accomplish our great ambition."
"A great ambition... a sacrifice...?"
"So hurry up and call someone strong and important!"
Just as they were going in a wired direction Kano delivered the final blow, she threatened them.
They immediately panicked.
"What should we do? What should we do?!"
They even began sounding desperate.
"We might not be able to handle this on our own anymore..."
The bunny-eared pair seemed to be much easier to manipulate than we had expected.
After thinking for a while, the name they came up with was—
"...That's our boss. But there's no way even you guys can defeat him—"
The Beast King.
"Please summon that person as our next opponent. We'll beat them to a pulp. I'll contact you again soon."
"W-wait—"
The other party was about to say something, but Chi-chan mercilessly tapped the terminal and cut off the communication.
Kano was already operating the terminal on her arm and retrieving data.
When I took a look, it displayed:
B-rank fighter.
Level 26.
Martial artist.
There was also a picture of an old man wearing a fluffy hood resembling a lion's head.
At level 26, he was already skilled enough to qualify as an A-rank fighter.
While Chi-chan might be fine, it could be a difficult fight for Kano, who was around the same level.
Naturally, we couldn't allow her to participate in such a match.
"For the time being, the two of you are banned from competing."
"Why?! I can easily defeat a Beast King like this!"
"Are you really going to throw away the lead we've finally managed to grasp?"
At the same time, both sisters leaned forward and began venting their frustrations.
They argued while banging their fists on the table.
There was no way they could lose to such a bizarre creature.
Didn't I understand how many more years it might take to get the maid back if they missed this opportunity?
But their arguments were dismissed.
Considering the risks, there was absolutely no way I could allow them to participate.
"Player-versus-player combat is very complex. I think it's still a little too early for you to be fighting at this level in the arena. I'm against it too."
"No way... even my brother..."
When even Mamiya's older brother opposed Kano and Chi-chan participating in the arena, Chi-chan's eyes, which had previously been filled with confidence as she tried to push forward, began to fill with despair.
But perhaps this was actually a good opportunity.
I should take a proper look at their PvP matches.
And I could point out their weaknesses.
Otherwise, they might rush into battle on their own like they had this time, which would be extremely dangerous.
Kano had only been in the dungeon for a few months, so she had very little experience with player-versus-player combat.
She was particularly vulnerable to attacks that caught her off guard.
Chi-chan was relatively better, but if I considered her experience in Dungeon Explorer, she still had some weaknesses.
Both of them seemed to be picking up techniques surprisingly quickly, so they might be capable of handling more difficult training.
That said, it would be a shame to let that cosplay beast king guy we'd gone to all this trouble to lure out simply get away.
He might even be close to the upper ranks of the Ten Rakshasa.
What could we do to make sure he didn't escape?
...Sigh.
I guess there was no other choice.
"I believe there's a rule that if you're from the same clan, another member can step in as a substitute. So, would you mind joining me... Mamiya-san?"
"Me?"
"My brother... with Narumi-senpai? I-I want to see this! Please let me come and watch!"
I wasn't particularly enthusiastic about it, but as another member of EEE, I would take their place.
This was the safest and quickest option.
As for who I would partner with...
The man sitting sloppily across from me, holding the menu, was a formidable opponent who could directly challenge even the executives of Colors.
No matter who appeared in the arena, he would almost certainly never find himself at a disadvantage.
He would make an ideal partner.
As I suggested this, giving him a look that said, "Surely this is better than making your own sister stand in the arena," Chi-chan repeatedly exclaimed that she wanted to see it, excitedly looking back and forth between us.
Even I wasn't particularly confident about fighting in the arena, though.
It had been ages since I had fought as part of a pair, even counting my time as a player.
I wasn't sure whether I could keep up with Mamiya's tricky movements.
I should probably practice our skills and coordination whenever I had some free time.
For the time being, Mamiya and I would handle the arena-related activities while giving Kano and Chi-chan some one-on-one PvP training in between.
Above all, we needed to keep an eye on Tenma-senpai's curse-removal event.
That alone would be quite a challenge.
There were simply too many things that needed to be finished this summer.
I let out an especially large sigh in front of the sisters, who were completely unconcerned and excited about our participation in the arena.
All I could do was hold my head in my hands over my overwhelmingly packed schedule.
It's all good bro. It seems like showing off to his classmates is going to be the last thing on his packed schedule.
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