With lunch passing, the time limit for the Survival Recreation is only a few hours away.

“Yosh, done.”
Takigawa finishes making a simple tent out of some branches and ivy.

“Incredible!”
“Woah!”

Everyone in our group, including the class representative and myself, are astonished by his abilities. If this were the usual Takigawa, he’d say something along the lines of, “Worship me more! Praise me!” while getting carried away. Instead, his expression is quite somber.

“Yo- You made a tent, desu. That’s amazing, desu. Although…”
“One of the groups, we just spotted them constructing a small hut.”

Owl-chan and Uruna-chan, having returned from their reconnaissance and gathering materials, report their findings with uneasy expressions.

Thanks to Takigawa’s knowledge of the outdoors, our group was able to dominate the 1st day, on the 2nd… things started getting doubtful.

Ishida and Aihara-san go to investigate the situation and return to report various things.

“As expected, it looks like they are collaborating with one another.”
“They seem to be gathering materials and building tools when the teachers aren’t looking.”

Somehow, the Mizukami, Uruna-chan, and Owl-chan fan clubs who are facing off against us started cooperating behind the scenes. Of the teams, 4 can’t be said to be doing alright, but 1 team is unmistakably pulling ahead.

“While collecting heaps of branches and ivy, they are also producing a terrifying amount of earthenware and stone tools. They’ve clearly exceeded what a group of 7 amateurs should be capable of.”

Ishida gives a calm analysis.

Our teachers should also be aware of what is happening, but probably can’t say anything since there is no clear evidence of them cooperating nor is there any rule against it. Even with Takigawa’s knowledge and skills, making up for a 5 factor difference in manpower isn’t possible.

“Looks like I’ll have to say something. This is just too sly.”
“I’ll go too, desu. This is unfair, desu.”
“Hold up you, 2… We’ll be fine.”

Immediately after the infuriated Uruna-chan and Owl-chan turn to voice their complaints, Takigawa stops them.

“Class representative, if food is collected, can it be submitted for evaluation?”
“Yes, local hunter-san are cooperating with this Survival Recreation. They should be able to determine if wild grasses and mushrooms are edible.”
“Got it.”

While asking the class representative that question, Takigawa slowly stands up.

“Takigawa, what just happened?”
“…I used to hate, and I mean hate, survival with jii-chan. Each trip was unreasonably severe. No joke, I even almost died a few times.”

It must have been more fierce than I thought. The everyday lively Takigawa seems to have a past that goes beyond anything I can imagine.

“Except, that’s why, only when it comes to survival, I’m confident I won’t lose to anyone. Even against a difference in numbers, I absolutely won’t lose, but…”

Takigawa, while muttering to himself, looks deep into the forest with an expression of resolve.

“I’m going out for a bit.”

With a stone ax and some ivy in hand, he takes off.

““Stop!!””
“Gahaa!”

That Takigawa, I promptly bring him down with Ishida.

“Stop, stop! ¹ Violence isn’t good!”
“That’s right! Their way of doing things makes me sick, but that’s exactly why resorting to violence makes it all pointless!”
“Eh, what? Violence? Gefuu.”

Takigawa explains while being restrained by us. Turns out he only intends to build a trap to catch some river fish.

“Sorry for misunderstanding.”
“My bad.”

Without a doubt, I thought he was going to tie up those fan club members.

“Alright then… I’m off.”
“Yeah.”
“Be careful.”

Takigawa, while wiping off the dirt from being captured, disappears within the forest.

“Yoshi, let’s also do our best so Takigawa’s hard work doesn’t go to waste!”
““““Ye-ah!”””desu!”

There is plenty to do, like making stone tools, earthenware, and improving the tent. But before all that, time for a bathroom break.

––Where is the noble diamond? – –

“Wa–! Smoke, so mu–ch!”
“Kaka– ka!”

Rin and Shiro, clinging to the car window, stare with glittering eyes at the white smoke plume billowing from a massive chimney.

“That is smoke from the paper mill. As it’s quite conspicuous, it’s come to be Asahikawa’s most renowned place.”
Wako, from the driver’s seat of a lustrous black, imported car, joyfully talks about the outside scenery to Rin and Shiro.

“Does this car too belong to our venerable host?”
During the middle of that, Kuro, while sinking into the soft passenger seat, asks Wako a question.

“Of course, it is my personal belonging. I have even properly acquired a license.”
“Seeing our venerable host, it makes me contemplate the present existence of youkai.”
“Youkai or not, the way things are change with the times. It’s just like how you chose to serve a human.”
“Fumu, as you say.”

After spending a night in a hotel managed by Wako, Kuro and his group proceed to the training institute where the Accommodation Recreation is being held in order to join up with Kousuke. Yesterday’s battle against the mysterious and formidable Chrome still weighs heavily on their minds. They cannot ignore such a dangerous being who was able to fight all of them on equal terms completely on his own. They also have to prevent any danger from befalling Kousuke.

As for the others, they are out searching for Chrome. Iwa is leading the security forces in placing an encirclement around Asahikawa, Koro is patrolling from the skies, and Sei is manipulating the corpses of mice and cats within the city.

“Well then, let’s hurry and meet up with your Shujin-sama. Chrome may already be enroute to him, wa.”
“Umu, Near hasn’t made an emergency contact, so I believe everything is fine. Regardless, I am a bit worried.”

Kousuke himself is unaware, but should something dangerous that requires the help of Kuro and the others approach him, Near will use the internet to hack into close by electrical devices to send out a distress call. Even if Near is out of range, spiritual thread can be extended and used as an antenna. As such, Near can access the internet anywhere save for undeveloped regions and inside sealed rooms where radio waves are blocked.

“While Iwa’s permeation and Sei’s corpse manipulation are strange abilities, the abilities of your companions are no different.”
“There is nothing I can say in regards to that.”

Kuro, aware of Shiro’s ability to manipulate oscillation, Rin’s ability to cut, and Near’s ability to dominate computers, answers with a smile.

“Now then, we’ll soon be entering the forest, wa. As long as nothing happens, we’ll arrive within half an hour, wa.”
“Umu, I was saving it for battle, but I’ll use [Pseudo・Detection] to… hm?”
“Ka–!?”

Immediately after Kuro and Shiro invoke their abilities, they sense the presence of someone approaching at a high speed.

“Wako, stop the car. Someone is coming.”
“Understood, wa. [Serene Barrier(Ruptured Growth)].”

Wako, upon parking the car along the side of the road, deploys numerous barriers the size of origami paper. Those barriers, which are practically transparent, are difficult to notice due to their nature, and are great at obstructing and hindering the actions of others. As such, Wako’s basic tactic is to deploy that barrier up in advance when she doesn’t know if the other party is an enemy or not.

“Please wait, Great Wako-sama! I am not an enemy!”
“……Ara, it’s been a while.”

After a moment, a woman in gray robes jumps out of the forest. While she seems to be an acquaintance of Wako’s, neither Kuro, Shiro, nor Rin are familiar with her and thus carefully watch her movements without lowering their guards.

“If I am not mistaken, you are the practitioner-san of the Mizukami clan who is stationed in Asahikawa. Why are you here?”
“The circumstances are a bit complicated… but at this moment, Mizukami clan practitioners and magicians from England are jointly establishing a security perimeter around the forest.”
“That does sound complicated.”
“Yes, therefore in consideration of the current circumstance, I would like to inquire about your reason for having come here, Wako-sama. That is my reason for having come here to you.”
“A fair point. In the case that your circumstance and our goal have some overlap, I am not reluctant to exchange information, wa. However, before that, I wonder, might I ask you a few questions?”

Wako, having personally witnessed Chrome’s ability to change his appearance, wants to confirm the person before her is who she claims to be before exchanging any information.

–Noble Diamonds are not Cute Stars–

---

T/N: This chapter was so long >.>

~Lyfe

<51. If You Give, the Game Will End Here
52.2 Violence isn’t Good!>

1. these stops are said in English.