1

"And here we are. Welcome to the control room."

Facing a proud expression from the man, Uehara and Amagi looked in wonder at the gigantic screen in front of them. The vice-president leaned against the railings of the platform and spread his arms out.

Meanwhile, the two girls looked in wonder at the size of the room. Spanning several meters long and being several levels deep, one could mistake the place for a mini-auditorium had it not been for the rows of computer monitors on each descending level.

A laboratory observatory would be better used to describe the place, and people paid little heed to them as they typed away, causing lines of text to scroll up the gigantic screen that showed an overhead view of the stage.

From their spot, all three of them can see the stage being set up and observe the events in real time.

No matter how anyone would put it, the view in front was nothing short of spectacular. And complex.

Uehara knew little about the technical aspects of things, but she could tell that the characters on the screen somehow correlated to the lights and other settings, as the stage moved and the lights flickered with each interval of new text being drawn up.

A lot of stage settings were being adjusted on the fly, possibly in order to create the best experience for the audience later on.

However, on one end of the screen, a lone block of text remained unmoving.

"This is awesome."

"Isn't it? I'm glad you're finding it great, Ms..." The vice-president looked at his phone for a second before giving Amagi a sheepish grin. "Yukimura."

"Now, I would normally say that the tour ends here and that I would be handing the reigns over to Ms. Utara to take you onto a special part of the tour. Unfortunately, she's not with us right now. Since we got some more time, why don't you take a look around the area? You may go back to some of the places we've been to and take some pictures if you like."

"R-really?" asked Amagi.

"Yeah, all the restricted places have been locked with the card key that only employees and special persons have access to. You're free to go check some more things while I get to my spot down there and prepare for the show. You have tickets to it?"

"Um... no, unfortunately."

"Is that so? That's too bad."

"Excuse me," said Uehara, finally turning her eyes away from the screen.

"What is it, Himejima?"

"Pardon for the intrusion, but I'm just curious as to what those things on the screen are."

"Oh, those? Just some options being tinkered with by the best crew on the house," replied the man while proudly pointing at the busy employees at work. "They make the best experience anyone could ask for, and the perfect ambiance, too."

"I see."

"Oh, and before I forget, today's show will be extra special. A sponsor has helped us with setting up satellite drones all around the venue, and once Yuki-tan's performance reaches its climax, they would be there to record and enhance everything. It's such a shame that you wouldn't get to see the genius of our sponsors."

He looked legitimately sad that the two girls would not be attending Yuki-tan's performance, but something from what he said caught Uehara's attention more.

"Satellite drones?"

"Yes. Right now, the whole Chronodome is surrounded by those drones that aim to enhance performance and give the audience never before seen special effects in the show. I have seen it in action, and it's nothing short of magical!"

"Oh, right. I remember Yuki-tan promoting it on her app the other week or so. Don't you remember, Ue—"

"A-a-ah! Yes, I do! I remember now, Yukimura!"

The vice-president cocked his head back at the awkward exchange but easily loosened up and went back to his affable expression.

"Is that all that you lovely ladies would want to ask?"

Both of them nodded, and a few goodbyes and well wishes later, they found themselves back on the hallway outside the control room.

"What do we do now?" asked Amagi as the two walked back.

Uehara put a hand on her hip and began looking around. Her vision swung from the ceiling to the sides and to the paths that would lead them to the other exhibition rooms on the left and the right.

No security cameras in sight. Most important rooms can only be accessed with the card key anyway. No one else but a number of uniformed people walking around as well.

"You thinking what I'm thinking? The satellite drones look really suspicious," she said in a moderated voice.

Getting a nod, she continued. "I have an uneasy feeling that it just seems so coincidental that they'll be debuting new technology right here in Yuki-tan's show, with that woman at the helm, too."

"The Chronodome rolls out new features quite often, but you're right, Uehara. I do think that there could be something going on, especially after what we got told."

"The deal was for us to contact Arata and once the show started, meet him in the hallway outside the auditorium, but we haven't found anything yet."

"The manager left early, too."

"That's it! She went that way, right?"

The girls stopped as Uehara pointed at a path that they have not taken at all during the tour. It was where Yuki-tan's manager headed to, and it stretched on to the distance.

"I'll go check that place out, and you stay in the area and pretend to look around in one of the nearby exhibits. I'll get back to you ASAP."

"Um! Leave it to me!"

With their plan all clear, Uehara went down the hallway that the manager went to. She made sure to recall how to trace her steps back to Amagi while observing the people in uniform. Most of them ignored her, while some gave her friendly waves.

Walking down alone, faking smiles and greetings, and all this gave her a wave of nostalgia. Infiltration missions had been something that she had been accustomed to. She did not enjoy them in particular, but in helping her own and Ms. Sadohara's cause, someone had to do the dirty work.

As she walked down the hallway, she felt the distant voices of other footsteps slowly fade away, until all she can hear were hers. Strangely enough, in this area, the doors did not use the access key technology that a lot of other rooms had.

All save for one.

She stood in front of it, having navigated the side of the hall and taken various paths that led to empty rooms that seemed to be nothing more than conference rooms.

She wondered what lied beyond this door. She had no access card, so there was no way that she's opening it the regular way.

From beyond the door, she could hear the sound of furious typing and some loud talking. In particular, a conversation about new parts and venue-wide scans caught her attention.

However, as she tried to touch the door, something ticked and got her curious.

The supernatural energy that she felt did little to ease her doubts. Continuing her hold on the door, she finally figured out the source of the energy.

Looking to the side, her eyes located another room in the distance, right around a wider sector of the hallway. She walked near it and gave it a better look. It was just as plain as all the other conference rooms that she had passed through.

That all changed when she walked towards it. As she approached it, the ever-familiar sensation only grew stronger. Beside the door, she could see it.

To any other person, this phenomenon would not be happening. However, to someone like her who had full access to that world, beside the door was a second door that was slowly forming. It eventually materialized into view, and Uehara had to stifle her voice when she saw what it was.

The veiled door, the only known connection this world has to that world beyond.

She pondered whether to take the dive while her eyes remained fixated at the white veil. Just what is a Fragment doing here? In this seemingly ordinary room, too.

Then, it all came back to her.

What Kazuki Arata said about Reiya Utara. The theories they have been throwing around inside Ms. Sadohara's room.

It was very possible now that the woman called Reiya Utara was an Awakener, and her connections to Kimura and the super Nullity seemed closer than ever before.

"What do we have here?"

Her body stiffened, and she spun around with her leg ready to strike. Whoever this person was would receive a powerful swing from her leg, even if it was...

Reiya Utara.

Seeing the manager, Uehara just froze. She realized late that her leg remained suspended in midair before hurriedly putting it down. She soon felt the loosening of her shoulders, and she put on a smile and waved.

"Oh, there you are. I was wondering where you went off to."

"That's touching. Normally, people try to avoid me. You know, being the mean and strict manager and all. Now, I wonder where your friend is."

"I actually don't know. We're separated after she went looking for the toilet."

"Not exactly the brightest lie that I've gotten. Especially after I spent so long working with Yuki-tan. To your credit, you got it half right. Your friend did look pretty lost out there."

Uehara knew what that implied, and she cannot help but blurt out her response.

"What did you do with her?!"

"Nothing too serious. She didn't put up much of a resistance, so she did not get hurt. I cannot guarantee that to remain the same if you don't behave."

Uehara had no time to really think about this, as the very next moment, she saw herself flanked by a lot of the uniformed men.

Dammit. Were they the men that Arata was talking about?

She can fight. Scouting the men surrounding her, she figured out a plan of attack. However, the manager's words were what caused her to hesitate.

She realized that this woman may be telling the truth or not, but the risk was there. What if they really got Amagi? She could fend for herself, but where would she go looking for the brown-haired girl?

The risk was just too much, and she knew that the regret would kill her if she made a wrong move.

"For the record, unauthorized trespassing warrants severe consequences in the Chronodome."

Giving the manager a bitter glare, Uehara put her hands up. She gave one bitter look at the lavender-haired woman before resigning to her fate.

2

He had been in a place like this before.

Still, the event at Imperial Tracks was nothing compared to this. Kazuki felt his eyes bulge as he saw the sea of people waiting in front of the Chronodome. He knew full well that idol fans can be passionate, but seeing it live was a different feeling altogether. Imperial Tracks was nothing compared to this.

He felt his grip on his little sister's hand grow firm.

"That's a lot of people."

He could see his sister nod from his peripheral vision, and he continued looking at the antics of the people in front of him.

All the while, he never forgot the deal he made with his two classmates. They should be inside the Chronodome by now and getting some information about Yuki-tan and that manager of hers. They should be done right as the show will begin, and they would meet at a meeting place outside the main auditorium.

Looking at his little sister's smiling face, Kazuki felt a bit uneasy having to leave her behind once the show begins.

She had taken pure bliss at him taking interest at Yuki-tan. By just looking at her happy face like this, Kazuki felt glad.

While it was not the most pleasant feeling to be drilled all sorts of random trivia over dinner and well into right before bedtime, he felt that he had done his job as an older brother. That feeling of a responsibility being fulfilled was well worth experiencing Hikari's motor mouth in full overdrive at home.

Getting a ticket to this big event and hiding one to give him as a surprise was a bit too much. Not that it was really a surprise for him when he got home already. Still, he pretended like he had no clue in order not to possibly ruin his sister's mood. It's the last thing that he would want.

However, when the time would come later...

It is for the good of everyone. I'll just apologize once everything boils over, Hikari.

"Oh, there you are, Sana!"

Hikari's loud voice cause Kazuki to turn to the left, just in time to see her friend approaching from a distance. Along with her came an adult, which Kazuki assumed was her mother.

Yellow hair, a shy demeanor, and a petite frame with a dress that you would see a doll wear.

Hikari's friend Sana reminded him of that wallflower girl that you would often see as a library assistant in anime. In a way, he thought of her as a good complement to Hikari's loud and responsible personality. It's going to be an interesting story as to how the two met and became good friends, but Kazuki was almost a hundred percent certain that it was his little sister who initiated such friendship.

He glanced back to see his little sister breaking free from his grip and embracing the yellow-haired girl.

"Let's have fun today, Sana!"

To Kazuki, the yellow-haired girl looked positively shaken. She quivered visibly and simply returned the smile while her hand was being held by the hyperactive little sister.

"How about showing Hikari what you got a while ago?"

At the urge of the adult, Sana took out something from her pink backpack. It was an item that caused Hikari to react almost immediately.

"I-I-I got t-this by the way."

"Ehhh?! Where did you get that?" said Hikari as she saw the photobook full of Yuki-tan pics.

"T-they're available there..."

Kazuki knew what was coming next, and his expectations were not betrayed when Hikari quickly ran back at him and pointed at the stall with a long queue at the distance.

"Big Bro, we're going there!"

She's not taking no for an answer, not that Kazuki would even think of doing so.

"B-big Bro?" asked Sana.

"Oh, you haven't actually met him before right? Here's my Big Bro, Kazuki. Don't worry about him; he really loves little girls."

"O-oi! Don't say anything that could give her the wrong ideas!"

"You're the one who's dirty minded here, Big Bro! Did I say that you're a lolicon? All I'm trying to say is that you've been a great brother to a little girl like me," insisted Hikari while pointing at herself.

"You could have said it more clearly..."

Kazuki's shoulders drooped down, but he also heard some chuckles from the other girl. Sana seemed to have been entertained by their exchange.

"N-nice to meet you, Big Bro. Hope we become good friends."

"E-eh? O-oh, nice to meet you, Sana."

Despite being taken aback by Sana also calling him her big brother, Kazuki recovered quickly enough to come up with his reply.

"We'll be seeing you later, Sana!"

Hikari and Sana waved each other goodbye as Kazuki let himself get dragged by his little sister toward the line in the distance.

3

Uehara's vision returned but not before her face felt the impact of planting onto the cold floor. The sack over her head had been removed, and along with it came an audible gasp from her side.

"I'll handle this now. You go back to your spots and tell me when call time is up."

The woman's voice preceded the opening and closing of an automated door.

The first thing Uehara's blurry eyes saw was Amagi's worried face. Then came the white and blue walls and the bed that her friend sat on. She instinctively pulled at her own wrists, but the ropes holding them won't budge.

When Uehara saw that her brunette friend had her hands behind her back, she automatically knew that they're in a similar predicament, with one major difference for her.

Her mouth had been taped shut. Even now, her lips refused to part despite her best efforts.

She rolled around and sat herself up to look straight in the eyes of Reiya Utara.

"I figured you two are up to something. Clearly not tourists nor affiliates of some business group. So, mind telling me what your goals are?"

Uehara kept quiet, and the manager did not budge. All the while, her glare seemed to pierce through her.

It unnerved her, but the thing that disturbed the black-haired girl more was the creeping feeling that the manager was admiring her helpless form.

Following that, she walked forward and swiftly ripped the tape off, eliciting a wince from Uehara.

"What are you planning to do with Yuki-tan?!" Uehara snapped back.

Utara instead laughed. "I am the one doing the interrogating here, not you. You're trespassers, and I believe it's only right for you to spill the beans."

"Does it have anything to do with the satellite drones?" the black-haired girl continued, ignoring the manager's words.

"So that vice-president told you about it, eh? Figured that something like that must have happened. Fortunately, I'm a step ahead of you two. You're not going anywhere."

She then sat cross-legged on a chair at the other side of the spacious room.

"Still, you've impressed me with your guts, so I guess I can throw you a bone for now. Let's just say that today is the last the world will see of Yuki-tan. She will happily go out in a blaze of glory as the greatest idol the world has ever seen, and I want tools to preserve every second of that memory. The whole auditorium... No, the whole Chronodome, save a select few, will go down with her, too."

Uehara glared at the approaching woman, but she knew that immediately expecting a straight answer out of this woman was an attempt at futility. Perhaps she could make something happen if she could press the right buttons, but...

"Argh!" she grimaced as she felt her long hair getting pulled. Her hands instinctively moved, but they just dug deep into the ropes holding them.

"Now, it's your turn. Tell me who sent you here and what you're really after," echoed the cold voice of the woman.

"S-stop it!" pleaded Amagi.

Uehara felt uncomfortable to look at her companion's pleading face. Much more than the physical punishment she's enduring now, she pitied her friend who got dragged into this mess.

For her, it was not her first time being in this situation. It's no secret that it's a risk that came with operations that she had to go through. However, for a bright and innocent girl like Amagi, being caught and seeing a friend in this state must have been emotional torment.

"Are you talking now or what?!" shouted the woman straight to Uehara's face before turning to Amagi. "If she won't talk, you better say something for her!"

The last sentence obviously rattled the brunette. She opened her shaky mouth, but no comprehensible words came out of it.

"I-I'm fine. Don't..." said Uehara before she felt the full force of a backhand that sent her to the floor.

The black-haired girl braced for what's to come, and that was when the manager's phone rang, much to Uehara's relief.

Letting go of the long hair at last, Reiya Utara turned around and answered the call with a simple "Affirmative."

She turned to the girls again, and on her face was a disappointed frown. The manager fixed and patted her suit before letting out a sigh.

"Looks like you two got off easy for now. Don't worry, we'll pick things up again later."

The lavender-haired woman flashed her access card, and walked towards the door, but before she can do so, she stood in place before coming back and reaching to a closet.

"Wait a minute. I guess I have the perfect idea to soften you up so that you'll cooperate later."

Uehara's heartbeat quickened when she saw the manager get some rope and strips of cloth.

"If don't want to talk, have it your way," Utara smirked.

With that way she was, Uehara knew that resisting was futile. Still, she kicked and shook her head fiercely when the manager knelt down beside her, knowing full well what's coming. It was all ultimately useless, and after much struggling, Utara managed to pull the cloth between the bound girl's teeth.

"Mmmph!" grunted Uehara as the cloth was tightly fastened.

Moments later, she helplessly looked on as her friend suffered the same fate, and the two of them soon found themselves seated on the floor, tied back-to-back with rope above and below their breasts. 

Despite their flailing, it took little time for their ankles and knees to be secured as well.

Utara smiled at the two girls, seemingly proud of her work.

Uehara gave the woman a glare, her only available act of defiance.

"Let's see you get out of that when you can't even talk to each other. Actually, even if you get out of those bindings, the door to this room can only be unlocked by someone with the Chronodome access cards. You're going nowhere."

Those words stung, but Uehara had to concede.

"I'll be back for you later, and I'll be enjoying you two to my heart's content," the manager said while licking her lips. "Have fun, girls!"

The black-haired girl's lips quivered as the door to the room slid shut.

There was no hint of a lie in the manager's words, and she had all the intention of coming back for them once everything's done with.

"Grrrr."

Wasting no time, Uehara grunted as her body and legs struggled against the bindings. The bindings were firm, and the cloth muffling her was too tight, but experience told her that eventually, they should all give.

However, she found it hard to concentrate when she's continually getting pushed around by the thrashing girl behind her. Physically stronger than her, Amagi pushed and pulled her around.

Calm down! I can't help us get free at this rate!

Entire minutes passed, and Uehara's frustrations and her furious attempts at getting loose would halt when Amagi finally stopped. Then, she heard sobbing from behind her.

Of course.

Amagi had likely never experienced something like this before, and for an innocent victim, this will forever be one traumatizing incident.

Hearing the muffled cries distracted Uehara, and at this moment, more than anything, she wanted to comfort Amagi and ease her anxiety. With the way she was right now, she cannot even physically comfort her friend.

Instead, she leaned her back against Amagi's neck, the closest she can do to a hug from her position.

It's not over.

Uehara had been in much worse situations before. She was not a stranger to being bound and gagged in enemy territory and having to rely on her wits to escape.

Still, infiltrating a criminal gang's base and getting caught will not lead to a disaster relating to Mu and the entities that she had sworn revenge on.

Furthermore, those previous instances were all missions that she had done with just herself and Sadohara.

Now, things have changed. She had many more people involved with her. It just wasn't the same.

She then furiously tugged at the ropes and let out a grunt of frustration. It would take time, but she swore to herself that she would find a way out.