Not a Tiger Cub, but a Tiger

Not a Tiger Cub, but a Tiger

The atmosphere inside the café changed completely.

Even though the air conditioning was on, the cold sweat running down my back wouldn't stop.

There was no murderous intent or hostility sharp enough to prick my skin; she simply overwhelmed me by being there. It wasn't merely a difference in ability.

It wasn't the quality or quantity of the life-and-death situations she'd survived. The "kind" was different. My instincts understood that.

Torimari-san, who had been watching me, unable even to speak, opened her mouth in a perfectly natural manner.

"Though it sounded like a question, your voice and eyes practically showed certainty. The Master over there also looked like she already knew. Am I wrong?"

For just an instant, Torimari-san's eyes turned toward the Master.

In response, she didn't lose her gentle expression. Torimari-san gave a small snort at the Master, who smiled quietly.

While they exchanged glances, I somehow tried to calm myself. It was all right. There was no reason for us to become enemies here.

What I had to do was obvious: confirm whether Torimari-san was a "good person," then establish "cooperation" or a "temporary alliance."

I didn't know whether I could do it, but I had no choice.

Torimari-san's gaze returned from the Master to me.

"Oh, my. You have the air of a 'survivor.' You're seriously one cool adult, aren't you? So? Where did you learn that I'm with Public Security? Did an overseas operative approach you?"

"No... Well, not an operative, exactly..."

"You're being awfully evasive. It's that girl, isn't it? Takanashi Miyu?"

"Why do you say that?"

"She has no parents, her legal guardian is always traveling abroad, and a high-school girl lives alone in a mansion, even if it's out in the country. It'd be stranger not to find that suspicious. Seriously, what's that girl's deal? She seems to have had military training, too. But I can't exactly call her a regular soldier."

She had already investigated that much?

Or perhaps she had more information in hand and simply hadn't revealed it yet.

Somehow, I had become the one being questioned. That said, I couldn't imagine turning the tables smoothly from here.

I was reasonably confident in my talent as an ability user, but I knew I was ordinary in every other respect. Even the Master probably couldn't go toe-to-toe with a Public Security agent.

So—

"Yes. Miyu-san told me there was a strong possibility that you were with Public Security."

"You're pretty direct. I thought you'd try to dodge the question more. Or is this what you wanted to consult me about—"

"But you're not a foreign operative. You're a soldier."

"...Huh. You look awfully young to be a soldier. Though I suppose I'm hardly one to talk—"

"A soldier from the future."

"...What?"

Torimari-san froze for an instant at my words.

What I was going to do wasn't take advantage of that opening to extract some sort of statement.

"I'm a soldier who came from a hundred years in the future. If things continue like this, Japan will be destroyed within a few years."

I was going to hit her with a flood of information.

I couldn't play mind games. In that case, I would first make her listen to what I had to say, then watch her reaction together with the Master. That was all.

I followed up by hitting Torimari-san, whose face looked like a cat that had seen the universe, with even more information.

"There is someone on the monsters' side within the government. I don't know whether they're human or a monster."

"Wait... no, hold on."

"No."

"Why not!?"

"Now that Japan—a country that could itself be called a powerful spiritual site—has fallen, apparently the monsters will launch a major offensive against humanity. As a result, in a hundred years, only parts of America and Britain will remain as habitable regions for humanity."

"Wait, wait. Stop for a second! Let me organize this information!"

"No."

"Why the hell not!?"

Because I wanted to rattle her. Otherwise, I felt there was no way I'd be able to read her thoughts at all.

When I looked at the Master as if to say, 'Can't be helped, right?', she answered with a matching expression that said, 'Right?'

"We want to avoid that future, but we don't have any connections. We know no more about the political world than what we've seen on television and the internet."

"I-I get it. I more or less understand what you're trying to say. You're asking me to use information from the future to—"

"We've been doing various things on our end as well."

"Thaaat's why I'm telling you to stoooop!"

As Torimari-san roared and banged both hands on the table, I continued.

It didn't matter, but her natural way of speaking was pretty casual.

"For now, we have no choice but to build up our strength. That's what we've been doing, but we've only clearly changed one thing in history so far: we managed to prevent Ishiyama Iwako-san—the twenty-something, single, self-proclaimed demon-realm noble and chuunibyou whose soul name is Rosso Vendetta-san—from falling to the dark side."

"Hold on. I feel like you just mixed some utterly nonsensical information in there. Though I already knew this clan was a nest of weirdos."

"Ghk...!"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the Master looking slightly hurt. Sorry. I couldn't deny that we were a nest of weirdos. The only sane people were the Master and me.

"So, that's why—"

"Why does that follow!? I heard the circumstances, but give me time to digest them!"

"Please help us, Officer."

I bowed deeply.

I pressed my forehead against the table for ten seconds, then slowly raised my head.

No matter how much of a Public Security agent she was, being suddenly hit with this much absurd information all at once had to make some emotion erupt.

She might become utterly exasperated, suspect me of mental illness... or turn her hostility toward us as someone on "the monsters' side."

I had to determine which. I wasn't especially perceptive when it came to the subtleties of human emotion, but even so, I had been exposed to "hostility" and "murderous intent" countless times in the thick of battle.

So I knew.

"...Good grief."

There was no negative emotion in her gaze.

Her face was a mixture of exasperation, bewilderment, and a tiny bit of "understanding." Her mouth had gone past a simple curve and looked more like Mount Fuji.

Honestly, I preferred this confused tiger-like expression to the face she'd worn while pretending to be harmless.

When I looked toward the Master, she nodded back. She, who knew far more about human emotions than I did, had judged that Torimari-san "might become an ally."

"...I see. You deliberately hit me with information, didn't you?"

When I turned my gaze back to Torimari-san, she was glaring at me with a sullen expression.

"I'm sorry for trying to test you. But it's also true that I wanted you to understand our circumstances."

"It's fine. I'm not petty enough to get angry over that. I'm not a kid."

Torimari-san settled herself heavily into her seat and leaned back.

She folded her arms in front of her chest as well, taking up a posture that made it difficult to enter a combat stance.

"To be perfectly frank, everything you've said sounds like 'delusions' to me. What do you mean, a soldier from a hundred years in the future? You've watched too many movies. No damn way."

"I understand that it sounds that way, but..."

"But you know... it seems I'm just as strange as you are..."

After sighing, Torimari-san looked up at the ceiling.

"I'm supposed to know a lot about psychology, but you don't look like you're lying. And you don't look insane, either. To top it off, I have some idea what you're talking about."

"You do?"

At that moment, the iced coffee and cheesecake arrived.

I nodded to the Master, then turned back to Torimari-san. She, too, uncrossed her arms and settled herself back into her seat.

"Well, let's exchange information at a leisurely pace. How much we share will be up to each of us, though."

"Yes. I look forward to working with you."

"...That face. You're still planning to continue with the no-guard strategy, aren't you?"

"Yes. It's the only method I know."

"Who knows? You seem surprisingly normal mentally, which makes you even scarier. 'Ordinary people' are the ones who explode in the most dangerous ways."

"I'm honored."

"That wasn't a compliment. Anyway, to be frank as part of our initial information sharing, my boss is suspicious for a particular reason right now. So information from this meeting will only go to me and one other person: Yasuda."

"Ah, so Yasuda-san is with Public Security too."

"That's right. She's my junior."

"...Did Yasuda Kimiko come up with that name herself?"

"She did. Even though I told her not to, she said, 'Wouldn't people be even more suspicious if a Public Security agent used such an obvious fake name?'"

After that, we continued sharing information.

Torimari-san's boss, a man named "Sato-san," had been acting strangely lately. He had probably been brainwashed or replaced.

One of his major connections was the secretary to the American president who had burned to death the other day. But there were many suspicious aspects to that death as well.

Interim Prime Minister Izumihara seriously intended to pull ability users from the Self-Defense Forces and police outside the Kanto region and deploy them to defend the area. There had been opposition from both the ruling and opposition parties, but apparently the opposition's actions had been sluggish.

The clan she belonged to, "Aegis," did indeed seem to consist entirely of Public Security personnel. But the only person who could clearly be called an ally was Yasuda-san. It was unknown whether the others were friend or foe.

As we talked, I too had been talking at quite a clip. Before I knew it, even the Master, who had apparently been listening from a slight distance away, had taken a seat and was listening to Torimari-san.

It was probably thanks to her excellent conversational skills. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't even have noticed anything strange.

The reason I was able to notice it here was—

"Oh, we started making magic-infused paper at a factory recently so we can mass-produce scrolls."

"What?"

Because Torimari-san occasionally turned into a cosmic cat.

The Public Security agent would genuinely freeze, let out a scream, clutch her head, stare into the distance, and swallow reality along with her iced coffee.

Torimari-san breaking down like that several times kept us from being completely swallowed up by it all as well.

About an hour after we began exchanging information.

"Huff... huff... I-I screamed so much my throat...!"

"Um, even though we've rented out the whole place, you probably shouldn't scream too much indoors..."

"Whose fault do you think it is!? Whose!? No, you realize it, don't you, with that look on your face!? Don't go teasing an adult like you think you're somebody, you little brat!"

I quietly looked away from Torimari-san, who was hissing at me.

Because I probably wouldn't get many chances to make someone like her freeze with information. I figured I might as well watch her reactions for now.

"Seriously... Young people these days... Master, how did you raise such a young'un when you're so young yourself!?"

"Kota-kun is a very good boy."

"Damn it. He's still within the range of an impudent brat, so the director of the Museum of Oddballs and Weirdos treats him like a cute kid...!"

"O-our clan isn't like th... th-that...!"

Master, the fact that you faltered says everything.

"Haaah... I'm exhausted. I'm heading home for today. Master, the bill."

With a quick motion, Torimari-san stood up, holding the check.

"Ah, no. Like I said, I'm paying today."

"Shut it, brat. Now that I don't have to pretend to be a high school student anymore, my pride won't let me accept a free meal from you. I'm an adult, you know."

Holding the check, Torimari-san pointed her index finger at me.

"I'm not going to tell you to act like a child just because you are one. I'll rely on you and your friends' strength. In return, I'll do what I can."

Saying that, she thrust out her nonexistent chest.

"For now, I'll act like an adult wherever I can. The 'officer' you asked for is that kind of woman. Any objections?"

"...No."

I stood up and bowed slightly.

"Thank you for the meal, Torimari-san."

"Good. Show your elders some respect, Kota."

She flashed her canine teeth in a grin, and I gave her a small smile in return.

But the smile soon vanished from Torimari-san's face.

"And one more thing. I have two things to tell you."

"Oh, yes?"

"First. As I said earlier, my boss is suspicious, so I'll continue monitoring you from now on. I'll act and speak in my 'usual' manner while I do, so don't get rattled."

"...Yes."

"Use your diaphragm. Speak from your gut."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Good. This is work for me too, so tense your abs and endure it. I'll cut you if you laugh."

"Cut me!?"

"Don't worry. I won't kill you instantly."

"That doesn't mean anything other than instant death is acceptable!?"

"You're right. So endure it. That's an order."

Torimari-san smiled sweetly, but this time it clearly contained murderous intent.

This meant that if I burst out laughing at school, she'd cut off some part of me...!

I frantically nodded my head up and down, and she nodded in satisfaction.

"Good. Second. So in the future, I'm known as a sexy dynamite beauty with the whole 'va-va-voom' package, right?"

"Y-yes."

"Good. Very good. I feel hope for the future."

...I didn't think an incorrect image passed down to future generations would affect her actual appearance, though.

The moment I thought that, Torimari-san's eyes narrowed. I hurriedly straightened my back.

"Y-your image a hundred years in the future was incredibly beautiful, Torimari-san...!"

"And now?"

"You're beautiful now too!"

"Good. Treasure that feeling from now on."

"Yes!"

"Too loud!"

"Sorry!"

How unfair!?

"Well, now I'm really leaving. See you at school."

"Y-yes. Thank you for today."

Without turning around at my words, Torimari-san waved her hand casually, paid the bill, and left the café.

I watched her go, then sank into a chair with a huge sigh.

"Haaaaaaaaah..."

"Good work, Kota-kun."

"Yes... Thank you as well, Master..."

I was exhausted. And tense.

Torimari-san had made it much easier to talk after a while, but I was still incredibly tired.

...When I thought about it calmly, I'd done something amazing. I'd managed to form a cooperative relationship with someone from Public Security.

It felt as though I'd become a character in an anime. This was a different sort of out-of-the-ordinary experience from dungeons and supernatural abilities, and it nearly made my legs give out.

As I slumped back in my chair, a glass topped with vanilla ice cream was placed in front of me.

"Compliments of the gentleman over there... Just kidding."

The Master winked at me like a mischievous child.

"Torimari-san ordered it secretly when she paid. She already paid for it, so go ahead and eat."

"...Thank you. I'll have some."

"Go ahead. Enjoy."

I sluggishly picked up the spoon and took a bite.

The sweetness and cold seeped into my exhausted brain. She must have ordered it anticipating that.

Somehow... She really was an "adult" after all...

Though I felt a little frustrated at having been "handled," I savored the joy of having one more reliable adult on our side.

I decided to accept her kindness and savor the vanilla ice cream.