...
[Yare yare, like I said—if you'd just stayed calm from the start and talked properly, none of this would have happened.]
Saiki looked down at Kurano Kiriha pinned under his foot, along with the two smoking clay dolls collapsed nearby, and calmly said,
[I'm not some irredeemable villain. I just want to ask a few questions.]
"Then get your foot off me first!"
Kurano Kiriha lifted her head and twisted her body, but she couldn't budge at all.
[That could be dangerous. What if I let you go and you attack me again? Maybe I should just break both your legs to be safe.]
"No no no! I was only testing you just now! Even if you hadn't dodged, I wouldn't have actually hurt you!"
Kurano Kiriha panicked when she heard about having her legs broken again and quickly tried to persuade him: "I just wanted to see how strong a surface dweller like you really is! I seriously had no intention of harming you!"
Kurano Kiriha [This surface dweller is terrifying—he took me down in an instant.]
[See? If you'd said that earlier, things would've been fine.]
Saiki jumped off Kurano Kiriha while stepping on her, spun several times in the air, and landed perfectly on a two-meter-high rock in a flawless diving pose.
"Ow, my poor waist!"
Kurano Kiriha clutched her waist and struggled to stand up.
Kurano Kiriha: "Can't you be a little gentler? My waist is about to break."
[Alright, shut up for now. From here on, I ask—you answer.]
"Oh!"
Kurano Kiriha kicked the two clay dolls lying on the ground—Karama and Korama—who looked up at Saiki.
"So, what do you want to know?"
[Good. You're underground people, right? So where's the robot you're building that can destroy surface dwellers?]
"Robot? What robot?"
[The destructive robot you're making to invade the surface world.]
Kurano Kiriha's expression kept shifting.
"Karama, Korama—what's this about? Is there any truth to this?"
"Big Sis, we've never heard of anything like that!"
"We don't know!"
Kurano Kiriha nodded after hearing their response.
"We don't know anything about a robot."
(That's impossible.)
Saiki stared intently at Kurano Kiriha in front of him.
[Really none?]
"None."
Kurano Kiriha [I've never even heard of it…]
(Okay, looks like she really doesn't know.)
[Fine then. Take me to your headquarters.]
"To headquarters! Are you planning to wipe out all us underground people?!"
Kurano Kiriha asked nervously.
[No. To be honest, I'm only here to deal with something that might affect my life. I have no plans to wipe out all of you underground people. Whether you invade other countries later or do whatever—as long as it doesn't affect me, I won't interfere. Just like ten years ago.]
"Ten years ago…"
Kurano Kiriha suddenly remembered that ten years ago, a group of radicals had planned an attack and sneaked up to the surface without telling anyone.
They came back within half an hour, tails between their legs, each one looking like they'd seen something horrifying, and swore never to go to the surface world again.
"Could it be…"
Kurano Kiriha seemed to realize something unbelievable as she looked at Saiki.
[Ten years ago when you tried invading the surface world, you picked the worst possible starting point. You popped up right in front of my house's entrance. I had no choice but to send you all back early.]
"It really was you. Are you some kind of monster?"
Kurano Kiriha stared at the unfathomable Saiki.
"No way—this isn't happening. I can't just take you there casually."
How could she bring a stranger to headquarters without knowing his intentions? Especially someone with this kind of strength—Kurano Kiriha didn't dare.
[I already said—as long as everyone stays calm and doesn't start fighting, I won't do anything extreme. But you won't take me? Fine then. You can all just sleep here.]
Saiki gathered power, looking ready to act, which made Kurano Kiriha tense up again. She waved her hands frantically.
"Wait, wait—maybe we can talk this over properly."
Kurano Kiriha [What's with this guy? Always ready to throw hands.]
(You're one to talk.)
"Mm mm. Although we do plan to invade the surface world, we don't want to start a war."
[That's debatable. Maybe some other underground people do want war.]
Those words reminded Kurano Kiriha. After thinking for a moment, she spoke.
"I can help investigate that. But first, can you tell me—how did you know someone here is building destructive robotic weapons?"
[Simple. I dreamed it.]
Saiki said calmly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"D-Dreamed it!"
Kurano Kiriha froze, then shook her head and forced a smile: "You're joking, right?"
[Who's joking? I'm serious.]
Saiki puffed out his chest.
[No matter how I explain it, you won't believe me anyway. Bottom line—this is my ability. When I dream something, it becomes reality. It's a precognitive dream.]
Kurano Kiriha's expression kept changing. She still had some doubts.
[Yare yare, looks like you don't believe me. Guess I'll just knock you all out then.]
"Wait wait wait—I believe you!"
Kurano Kiriha: "Then can you tell me more about this dream in detail? Who exactly is building those destructive robots, and who's controlling them?"
[I saw a vicious-looking middle-aged man.]
"Vicious-looking middle-aged man."
"Big Sis, Big Sis—maybe it's those radicals!"
Kurano Kiriha nodded in agreement.
"Maybe it's Chi."
In Kurano Kiriha's mind appeared the image of Shiromaru Chi looking vicious and menacing.
(Yeah, that's the guy.)
"Oh, Kusuo—you might not know, but he's from the radical faction. He previously wanted to conquer the surface world through war but was stopped. I'm the commander for invading the third world. I advocate peaceful invasion, but…"
Before Kurano Kiriha could finish, Saiki cut her off.
[That… I'm not really interested. Just tell me where he is.]
"You want to confront him directly!"
Kurano Kiriha's pupils dilated. She quickly tried to dissuade him: "You can't. If you go to him, he'll find every way to incite the people and start a war."
[He won't do that. Just tell me where he is.]
Kurano Kiriha bit her lip, seemingly making up her mind: "No way. Even if you knock me out, I won't tell you."
[Really? In that direction, huh?]
Saiki ignored her and turned to walk in the other direction.
Kurano Kiriha watched Saiki leave, stunned for a moment, then realized he was heading straight toward the radicals' leader—Shiromaru Chi's headquarters.
"Wait… wait! How do you know he's there?"
Kurano Kiriha blocked Saiki's path.
Saiki pointed to his head.
[Your inner voice told me.]
"Inner voice! You can even hear other people's thoughts… Are you a god?"
[I'm not a god. Anyway, you don't seem like a bad person either. I don't plan to hurt you. Just leave.]
...