Kaguya was efficient.
Barely ten minutes after the phone call ended, she arrived at the restaurant.
At the sight of her, the tall, skinny man's pupils shrank.
"Kaguya-san," Kamisaka Yuto greeted with a smile.
Faced with his smile, Kaguya-sama's heart grew restless as a faint heat rose to her cheeks.
However, the moment her gaze found the captive man, her expression shifted into one of satisfaction and quiet delight.
"I'm sorry for causing Kamisaka-kun trouble. I'll take this person away and deal with him, so please forgive the inconvenience." She offered a slight bow.
To Kaguya, this subordinate of her elder brother was quite useful.
"It's nothing serious." Yuto waved a dismissive hand.
Watching Yuto and Shinomiya Kaguya converse with such natural ease, the skinny man's expression shifted.
He already knew Yuto and Tohru were far from ordinary.
Witnessing this friendly exchange sent countless thoughts surging through his mind like a tsunami.
No wonder... No wonder the eldest daughter's side, which had been the weakest faction, had begun growing stronger.
She had people like this backing her!
Thinking back to Shinomiya Un'yo's recent fate, the man looked at Yuto with terrified eyes.
In his mind, he had condemned Yuto as the culprit.
An unexplained fall without warning, resulting in a vegetative state... That was abnormal.
It had to be connected to this man!
In that instant, Yuto took on the unfathomable aura of a demon or god, and a cold sweat broke out across the captive's body.
Upon reflecting on his own situation, a sense of relief washed over him. Being caught and beaten was getting off easy compared to Un'yo's vegetative state.
Yuto paid no attention to the storm of thoughts brewing in the man's head.
He and Kaguya continued chatting, allowing him to learn about the latest developments within the Shinomiya family.
The struggle over succession, for example, was reaching a fever pitch.
The batch of jewels Yuto had traded to Kaguya earlier had played a role.
One thing became clear: Kaguya was gaining the upper hand.
The succession dispute had little to do with him, but as her friend, he felt happy for her and maintained a steady smile.
Kaguya had no intention of being secretive or cautious. Ever since learning the true nature of the restaurant, she had let go of many worldly biases.
The Shinomiya family might stand above others like a massive giant, but in the eyes of the restaurant's patrons, they were not even worth ranking.
There was no need for deception.
Communicating like an ordinary person was the best approach, and Kaguya understood this fact.
"By the way, Kamisaka-kun, if Ainz-san and Rimuru-san come to the restaurant tonight, please tell them that the weapons we discussed before have already been arranged. Please have them prepare storage items."
Kaguya had promised to provide arms to Ainz and Rimuru, and the two had offered her some form of assistance in return.
Yuto had never possessed much interest in the details, paying little attention to their exact arrangements.
With her preparations complete, he did not mind passing along a message.
"Why not tell Ainz and Rimuru in person tonight?" Yuto asked.
Kaguya glanced at the skinny man on the floor, and Yuto understood.
It seemed Kaguya intended to use this captive to make a move tonight. He gave a small nod and asked no more questions.
"In that case, I'll take my leave for now." Kaguya prepared to depart.
Yuto nodded, but there was one thing left to do.
"Tohru, erase his memories according to what we discussed earlier." Yuto spoke with a calm tone.
Tohru had exposed too much in front of this man, wiping those memories was the safest choice.
The skinny man recoiled in shock.
Memory erasure sounded ominous!
He tried to run, but Tohru pinned him down with a few fingers.
"Don't struggle. If you struggle, it'll be easier for you to turn into an idiot."
Tohru's serene warning sent the man into a deeper panic.
...
Ultimately, Kaguya and Hayasaka took the skinny man back with them, unconscious by the time they departed.
Yuto asked Tohru to handle their transportation.
Sitting inside the restaurant, Yuto reflected on his conversation with Kaguya and noticed a glaring detail.
From beginning to end, Ai Hayasaka had not said a single word.
Furthermore, her expression had remained grave.
Yuto recalled the events at the Shinomiya estate a few days prior.
"There is nothing you can run away from."
When Shinomiya Un'yo spoke those words, Hayasaka's expression had contorted, as if something vital had suffered a strike.
Yuto harbored a vague feeling that her silence today connected back to Un'yo's statement.
A hidden secret lay beneath the surface.
Tohru returned. She stretched, paused as if remembering a detail, and tilted her head in confusion.
"Boss, if the Shinomiya family is fighting over succession rights, wouldn't getting rid of Oko Shinomiya be more beneficial for Shinomiya Kaguya? Why did she refuse?"
Tohru was innocent, but not stupid.
She had overheard Yuto and Kaguya's conversation from beginning to end, understanding the gist of it.
Human power struggles bored her, yet eliminating Oko Shinomiya made sense for Yuto's interests.
Shinomiya Kaguya had asked her to refrain. She agreed after Yuto's persuasion, but the reasoning eluded her.
Yuto offered a small smile.
When he joked over the phone about Tohru's intended actions, Kaguya urged him to stop the dragon maid.
He understood her decision.
It was like a bridge. If a bridge relied on two supporting pillars and one suffered destruction, the entire structure would collapse, taking the remaining pillar with it.
To replace a support pillar without damaging the bridge, new pillars had to be built piece by piece.
Rushing the process was impossible.
Although Oko Shinomiya stood as Kaguya's "enemy," he served as a "support pillar" for the family. If he disappeared, the bridge known as the Shinomiya family would grow unstable.
Kaguya wanted to avoid that outcome.
Yuto explained this reasoning to Tohru.
The dragon maid blinked her large eyes at him, her clear pupils broadcasting a single message: Don't understand.
Yuto smiled and rubbed the dragon girl's head. "If you don't understand, then don't worry about it. It doesn't have much to do with us anyway."
Tohru nodded.
Using her head was not her strong suit. Breathing fire suited her better~~~
"Want to watch TV?"
"Mm, mm, mm!"
With time to spare before the restaurant opened, Yuto decided to watch some television.
During his last trip to Akihabara, he had purchased a pile of unwatched anime.
This offered a perfect chance to catch up.
Tohru nodded with enthusiasm. In truth, technological products like televisions fascinated her.
Before heading upstairs, Yuto paused and walked to the counter, taking out a pile of "little toys."
These were the cursed tools Fafnir had provided.
He had assumed he would never use them. However, since Oko Shinomiya had sent someone to investigate him, he needed to return the favor.
A swift execution felt like an overreaction.
Cursing him into a serious illness, on the other hand, felt appropriate.
"Boss, take this one. This one works well!"
"Oh? Tohru, you really know your stuff."
"Hehehe..."
Beside him, Tohru helped him select a tool with great care.
The dragon girl wore the expression of a bystander eager for a good show, careless about the resulting mess.
...
A luxury car bearing the Shinomiya family emblem drove down the road, unchallenged by other drivers.
Silence filled the cabin.
The skinny man lay in the trunk. Kaguya sat in the back seat, while Ai Hayasaka drove.
Kaguya stared out at the tall buildings, their reflections mirrored in her pupils.
She caught Hayasaka's gaze through the rearview mirror.
"Hayasaka, what's wrong?"
Kaguya's question sent the maid's heart into a panic, and she near-missed her grip on the steering wheel.
"No, nothing is wrong, Kaguya-sama."
Her answer failed to convince Kaguya. Instead, it invited suspicion.
"You haven't said anything this entire way. Are you really all right?"
"Kaguya-sama, please don't overthink things. Must I be talking all the time?"
Kaguya's eyes shifted, her gaze filling with sincere concern. "If something really happened, you must tell me. No matter what it is, I'll definitely help you."
Hayasaka held the most special position by Kaguya's side. She had appeared the earliest and stayed with Kaguya through everything.
When others rejected Kaguya, Hayasaka stood beside her.
To Kaguya, Hayasaka had become the closest family member she possessed.
"Please rest assured. I really am fine." Hayasaka spoke with a composed tone, sounding as if Kaguya were overthinking things.
"Hmph! Don't come begging me later. If you do, I'll laugh at you!" Kaguya snorted.
This kind of joke was reserved for friends.
Hayasaka was one of the few people beside her who shared this dynamic.
"Yes, yes. Please be quiet, Kaguya-sama. Don't distract me while I'm driving."
Hayasaka's helpless reply settled Kaguya's nerves. If Hayasaka wanted to stay quiet, so be it.
Kaguya understood, everyone kept secrets.
She had hers as well.
If Hayasaka asked about them, she would want to remain quiet too.
For now, she chose to let it be...
In the front seat, Ai Hayasaka continued driving. Her face remained neutral, but sweat gathered in her palms.
'Kaguya-sama... I... I really can't say it...'
'If... if... if...'
'If you knew the truth... would you forgive me...?'
Sigh...
Hayasaka's heart turned bitter and heavy, as though she had plunged into a boundless sea.
Lonely, sunken, and dark... there was no light left in it.