Chapter Forty-One: A Grand Scheme, The Enemy Emerges

After the second cup of black tea went down, the preparatory bell rang. The four gathered their belongings and, in high spirits, continued their afternoon classes, laughing and chatting as they went.

In the afternoon, Qi attended classes and browsed the internet; as soon as class ended, he vanished without a trace, only to return punctually before the next lesson. Those who wanted to chat with him found no opportunity, and even Ayase, who sat in front of him, was intrigued. But as a model student, she would never resort to passing notes.

It wasn’t until after school that Qi was stopped by three girls. Ayase eyed him suspiciously, “Big Brother, you’re not up to something bad, are you? Why are you in such a hurry?”

Qi spread his hands, thought for a moment, then pulled out his phone and dialed Black Cat. “Black Cat, sorry, I can’t pick you up today. Go home early, and make sure Hinata, Zhuxi, and Mom and Dad stay inside tonight—it might be dangerous. ...Yes, I will. ...Alright, definitely. Goodbye.” Qi hung up and glanced at the two stern faces and one confused pair of eyes before him.

“Just as you guessed, the enemy this time is not simple. I’ve made some preparations, but tonight there might be a fight. Remember, don’t go out.”

“Is this the legendary ‘chuunibyou’?” Kanako eyed Qi with curiosity—he didn’t seem the type.

“There’s nothing we can do to help, so we’ll just wish you strength. Don’t die; I still owe you a favor,” Kirino said solemnly.

“If you really can’t win, brother, your life is most important,” Ayase said, worry clouding her gaze.

“Why are you two playing along with his chuunibyou games? This isn’t like you—”

The shrill ring of a phone interrupted Kanako, who grinned sheepishly as Ayase and Kirino glared at her.

“Hello, is this the Magician? ...I’m Charlie. The Wolf Pack Mercenary Group has arrived in Japan. Can you tell us the target?”

A gruff male voice came through the phone.

“My intel is limited. All I know is they’ll arrive near Chiba Prefecture sometime this afternoon or evening. Lay low in Chiba City or scout around, and I’ll notify you when I know the precise location.” Qi altered his voice, rendering it so strange that its gender was indiscernible.

“Okay, you’re the boss. Five hundred million dollars is already in our account—thank you for your generosity, dear Magician. With such a rich commission, I assume the target isn’t simple. Does it have anything to do with the two giant pythons rumored here?”

“More or less. They’re all the handiwork of a lunatic. This time, we’re up against an intelligent group, some of whom surpass humans. Be prepared for sacrifices or...total wipeout. Of course, the commission can go up. Kill just one and I’ll pay you a hundred million. The remaining five hundred million is yours at the end, and if you annihilate the target, I’ll add another five hundred million.”

For money, Qi felt he could source it anywhere in the world.

“Those are numbers to drive anyone mad. There’s nothing the Wolf Pack won’t bite. Did you really prepare the equipment we asked for? These aren’t just ordinary guns and artillery.”

“I promised you: anything on Earth except nuclear or other mass-destruction weapons, I’ll provide. Everything is stored in the warehouse at xxxx. My only demand—don’t harm ordinary people, don’t touch innocent lives. I’ve also hired the top assassin organization and local gangs to act as informants, and notified the Japanese military. Don’t cause unnecessary conflicts during the operation.”

“Oh, God, that’s a wild setup. Are our prey lions or dinosaurs? But the reward is worth our all-out effort. Such generosity, Magician—we await your orders. We’ll rendezvous at the destination. Bye.”

“How many people did you hire for your chuunibyou act? This is getting out of hand,” Kanako said with a forced laugh, half convinced.

---

“Ring, ring.” Qi glanced at her and answered again.

“Qi...Magician, as you requested, our eyes are now throughout Chiba Prefecture. With the generous funding, their enthusiasm is high, and they’ll spot any movement immediately.”

“Good. Another hundred million for you. This must not be neglected. I’ve also hired assassin mercenaries in Chiba—tell your men not to draw too much attention. If they die, don’t blame me. Another hundred million after, so give me two hundred percent effort, understood?” Qi transferred the funds from his notebook.

“Yes, absolutely.”

“If you mess this up, there’ll be severe consequences—for both of us.”

“Yes...yes.”

Kanako’s expression froze; she began to suspect whether what she’d heard was real. It wasn’t April Fools’ Day, and this surely wasn’t a prank.

“Ring, ring…”

Qi looked at them, his expression grave. “Remember, don’t leave home. Tell your families to stay in. If you hear anything, don’t go out to investigate. That’s all—I’m leaving now. Hello, it’s me…”

Watching Qi depart, Kanako forced a smile. “You really aren’t playing chuunibyou or pranking me, right? Right?”

“Kanako, go home early and stay inside. Kirino and I are taking the day off from work.” With that, Ayase hurriedly pulled Kirino away.

“Lord God, when and where will the enemy appear?”

“I won’t tell you.”

“Is Miss Misaka here?”

“I haven’t given her any intel. You can try…”

“Misaka is here. Long time no see—Misaka pretends to greet you upon meeting.” It had been ages since that distinctive tone, devoid of any emotional fluctuations, sounded.

“Um, we’ve never actually met. I brewed excellent tea today. If I survive after this is over, I’ll make you a cup as thanks for your care.”

“Misaka’s been craving tea all afternoon. Misaka will root for you—Misaka gives a wise smile.”

---

‘Even if you understand, don’t say it out loud,’ Qi smiled wryly, pouring a cup of black tea and a small plate of homemade pastries into the Qidian. “A little to whet your appetite—next time, I’ll let you drink your fill.”

“Hey, don’t act like I don’t exist. And Misaka Mido, don’t eat or drink food from strangers. You’ll end up kidnapped, happily counting someone else’s cash.”

...

Qi stood atop Tokyo Tower, quietly fine-tuning his peak state. What did that lunatic mean by ‘professionals’? Their collective strength must surpass the previous three waves of otherworldly visitors. Let humanity’s best assassins, mercenaries, and military firepower probe their depths—ideally, push them to oppose all of humanity. Tonight, who knows how many will fall.

Time ticked by, the sun slanting westward. The temperature high above dropped steadily, while crowds below gathered and the city grew lively. Yet news for which Qi waited did not arrive.

Turning westward, Qi watched the last ray of sunset sink into the sea, when his phone rang again.

“Magician, a strange group of seven was spotted in Akihabara. My men approached one of the girls, but a cold, frail young man struck him, sending him flying five meters and causing severe internal injuries. Four others rushed in, but the same cold youth dispatched them with a single blow. The other six paid no heed,” reported the gang leader, anxious yet delighted—the one hundred million was as good as his.

Qi narrowed his eyes, tapping rapidly on his notebook, which displayed an image of a spot in Akihabara. The scene matched the gang leader’s description.

“That’s enough, Snake Maru. This mission is different. Let’s find a quiet place to analyze carefully; there’s no need to fuss over these thugs.” The speaker was a dignified, imposing man, seemingly the leader of the group. The cold, frail youth spat at the fallen thugs, sneered, and followed the group out at a brisk pace.

“Captain, no new recruits this time, so the mission shouldn’t be too hard. In the last two worlds, we kept one new recruit each. No casualties among veterans. I thought the god of this world would assign us tougher missions,” said a bespectacled woman in her twenties, above-average in looks, her words betraying a hint of admiration for the man she addressed.

“Indeed, by usual logic, that’s how it goes. Either there are unknown reasons for the lowered difficulty, or… the challenge hasn’t eased. We may be facing a very formidable enemy, with only one target, whose strength must be exceptional. What’s strange is… we’re in the world of ‘My Little Sister Can’t Be This Cute.’ It should be an ordinary, modern world, with no mysteries—so why is such a powerful foe here?” The other female veteran, more beautiful and better built than the bespectacled woman, spoke up.

“Lord, should I scout for intel, see what’s different in this world?” A nondescript, short young man asked the imposing leader respectfully.

“Captain, though I’m new, as an otaku, I know this world well, and Akihabara too. We could try to approach key characters from the plot and see if they’ve changed. Our enemy will likely interact with them—it’s the inevitability of causality with the protagonist,” the newest recruit, an excited otaku who survived two worlds, suggested.

“I can also use the robot AI to hack this world’s network and gather intel,” another frail youth, the latest recruit from the last world with talents in robotics, timidly raised his hand. Eager to prove his worth, he forced himself to speak.

“Urgent notice, urgent notice. Seven terrorists have been found in Akihabara. All citizens are asked to evacuate to underground shelters immediately. Residents of Tokyo and surrounding towns, please lock doors and windows, and do not go outside, even if you hear anything, to avoid danger. Repeating the notice…”

(It’s raining, had some dog meat for dinner. Will explain tomorrow.)

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