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A short while earlier.
Near Kuoh Academy, Anos and Koneko found Le Fay setting up a magical formation along the perimeter.
"So, what do you think of my proposal, Le Fay?"
Anos smiled warmly.
They had only just met, yet somehow they had already progressed to calling each other "big brother" and "-chan" with surprising ease.
"Mm... I think it's a great idea, Very constructive!"
Le Fay gave him a bright thumbs-up.
This big brother she had just met…
He was definitely a good person.
The magical girl silently awarded him a mental "good guy" badge.
"So, are you in?" Anos asked gently.
According to his calculation, there was a greater than ninety-five percent probability she would agree.
When predicting outcomes like this, all he needed were clearly defined conditions. Just like locating someone's position earlier, it was a matter of structured elimination and probability assessment.
"Of course! I think it's a fantastic plan! I'm totally in!"
Le Fay's voice rang out, full of energy.
"Then let's complete step one."
Anos produced a coil of rope with a calm smile.
This was the method he had thought of after discovering the treasure chest.
If both sides held hostages, negotiations would at least begin on equal footing.
Fair, wasn't it?
…
A few minutes later, Le Fay stared down at the rope binding her body, her cheeks flushed pink.
Something about this…
Felt a little strange.
"Senpai really is Senpai."
Even Koneko could not help but mutter.
If she could remain completely composed in a situation like this, she would not be Koneko. She would be a fully grown cat.
"Um… Anos-oniichan, does it really have to be tied like this?"
Le Fay's large blue eyes shimmered faintly, making her look heartbreakingly delicate.
"Yes, of course... Don't worry, just a few final adjustments."
Anos nodded with complete seriousness.
It was his first time attempting this particular harness style.
Le Fay would simply have to bear with him.
He had convinced her this far already, A little more persuasion would not hurt.
May the divine protect her.
Or rather—
May he.
"Snk—"
"Eek—!"
With one final pull from Anos and a soft cry from Le Fay, the intricate harness binding was complete.
[Ding.]
[Purple Treasure Chest opened.]
[Reward obtained — Ittō Shura.]
[A skill originating from Chivalry of a Failed Knight. Once per day, condenses all of the user's power into a single minute. Forces total magical concentration and amplifies physical capability dozens of times over.]
[After use, the body will enter a severe state of weakness.]
"Hmm…"
Anos narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
"It pairs rather well with my Sacred Overdrive Mode."
Sacred Overdrive drastically increased his computational capacity. His perception accelerated, decision-making time shrank, and he could push his physical body to its theoretical limit with perfect control.
Ittō Shura, on the other hand, specialized in explosive enhancement compressing magic and physical strength into a single overwhelming burst.
Combined, the two would create an effect far beyond simple addition.
"One minute of absolute dominance."
As long as his memory domain retained a template of his physical parameters, he could refresh his body's state once per day.
Strictly speaking, using the technique would not render him completely helpless.
Not once.
Twice.
With assistance from the Ark Sphere, he could rapidly reconstruct his physical condition, effectively resetting the cooldown one additional time.
This was one of his hidden cards.
He had never intended to confront Kuroka unprepared.
Now things were even better.
Invoking the divine core of the Biblical God was far too risky. With Ittō Shura, he could continue developing quietly without exposing himself.
"Coming here was the right decision."
The purple chest had appeared on Le Fay.
This was the reward.
"So… this is good enough, right, Anos-oniichan? Let's finish this quickly. I still feel a little strange…"
After he finished tying her, Anos had simply stood there looking at her.
It made Le Fay feel oddly warm all over.
"Thank you for helping us, Lady Le Fay."
Koneko gave her a small bow.
There were things Anos had told her that she intended to confirm for herself.
"No, no, it's fine, I wanted to do this."
Suppressing her embarrassment, Le Fay smiled bravely.
…
And that led to the strange scene unfolding now.
"Don't call me 'you there.' I do have a name, it's Anos Kanzaki."
Facing Kuroka's threat, Anos responded with a polite smile.
"If you do anything to them, I can't guarantee what might happen to this young lady."
He answered the threat with a threat.
"You should understand that the number of hostages doesn't really matter. I won't accept a one-for-one exchange."
He added this deliberately, cutting off Kuroka's intended argument.
He was right.
When it came to hostages, one was enough.
"What do you want?"
Kuroka narrowed her eyes.
She was worried.
From the elaborate way he had bound Le Fay, she had already reached a conclusion.
This man was absolutely a pervert.
"A fair exchange," Anos replied calmly. "Hostage for hostage."
"Deal."
Kuroka agreed instantly.
As long as Le Fay remained unharmed, nothing else mattered.
Once Shirone was in her grasp, she could always recapture anyone she released later.
Her objective was simple.
Shirone.
And Shirone was already here.
"Oh, before we exchange them, there's one more important thing."
Anos' tone shifted slightly.
"Hm?"
Kuroka's twin tails swayed restlessly behind her.
Her patience was thinning.
Why was this man so troublesome?
It did not matter.
Once she secured Shirone—
She would disappear without looking back.
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