1

It was not as troublesome of a deal that Kazuki had expected when he signed up to help his school counselor. Tiring, yes, but at times, he would rather have these monotonous yet consistently easy jobs to do.

"Here you go," he said before dropping pieces of paper beside the woman busy at work.

With his eyes half-closed, Kazuki looked around only to find himself amazed at the sight he saw. It was as if he was transported to a completely different apartment unit.

Sadohara's place did not become a luxurious residence or anything like that, but having clean pathways and neatly arranged files on the cabinets felt like an otherworldly experience. The dim, orange tint of the lights also seemed a lot brighter now, especially with the cobwebs and dirt out of the way.

Kazuki had little knowledge of how much time had passed since he started disposing of the cans of liquor and soft drinks, but it had to be quite late if the wind blowing from an open window had turned chilly.

Wow. When I get back home, I really should thank Hikari. I know this is tough, but actually doing it is a whole different experience.

"Gah! Why do I have the feeling that I just ended up doing house cleaning for free?!" he exclaimed in realization while wiping off the sweat falling down his forehead.

"Ohoho? You only realized now?"

Ms. Sadohara winked affectionately before turning her attention back to her laptop.

Kazuki shook his head after getting roped into doing errands for the school counselor again. "Unbelievable."

"To be fair, it's much easier to work now. The air feels a lot better, and working on data has become a lot quicker. In fact, I'm almost done now... after two hours."

"Two hours?!"

Kazuki's eyes widened before he checked his phone to confirm that, much to his chagrin, two hours had indeed passed.

He was really working for that long?

"I apologize if I inconvenienced you. I'll make up for it when school starts back up. Give it a week or two, okay?"

"What took you so long anyway?"

"Hmm, in addition to finding clues about what happened to the IRIS project all these years, I also went through some research in order to reunite with an old friend of mine."

"Old friend?"

Ms. Sadohara pointed a finger gun at him and smiled, and he quickly understood the gesture.

"Can't you use your connections instead?"

"Weeell... let's just say that my reputation took a hit after that incident three years ago. Causing a whole chunk of Elysium's facility to burn down does that to you. Despite everything, there are still things that the military and the tech sectors refuse to open to me again, so I have to do all the dirty work."

"You mean the gun?"

"Yeeeep... And any research regarding the IRIS was confiscated, so I've been doing my darnest these past days to recover data on those. My research back then was on point, so if only I can find information and reassemble the puzzle..."

"Then, we can find a way to reverse the host's dilemma and extract the powers of the Magna Arbiter. If the two keys were never to meet, Izaya would never be able to open the gate to Babel. But how are we going to go about it?"

"It's never been done before, but we have to take risks at this point."

Ms. Sadohara unplugged her laptop before stretching her hands. "Oh, it's also gotten a bit late. Sorry for keeping you here for so long."

"Ahh, it's fine. I just have to text Hikari, and we're cool. She must be worried."

"Texting Hikari? Now's a good time to tell her."

"Tell her what?"

"That this Sunday, you'll be excusing yourself and working as one of my assistants for the science expo."

"W-wait, science expo?"

Ms. Sadohara beamed. "Yep. The Ishidas will be holding their yearly large scale event, and I'll be able to... discuss matters with them. We'll procure materials for my gun, and we can see what they did to the IRIS."

Right, Saito did mention it.

"Yeaaahhh," her eyes rolled. "Apparently, they used some of the technology in creating some super awesome product. In layman's terms, think of it as an upgrade to the things they used in the Chronodome. Here's hoping nothing happens, but for safety purposes, I'll be bringing all three girls as well. Yep, an entire harem of assistants! Plus a third wheel."

Kazuki sank back to his chair, deep in thought.

"It will be in the same venue as Hikari's party, too," he mumbled to himself. "All the more reason to be there."

"I can hear you thinking out loud," snickered Ms. Sadohara. "Looks like Mr. Edgelord has quite the soft spot for his sister."

"The way it should be, right?"

"I just wanted to see your flustered face a bit to lighten up my mood."

"Give me a break..."

Ms. Sadohara then cleaned up her desk in one swoop before closing the lid of her laptop.

"More importantly, Guren might be headed there as well," she spoke in monotone. "With what he likely has right now, he should be looking for a way to replicate the IRIS' capabilities in a machine to open the gate to Babel. Watching the test run in the main event could give him ideas and all."

"So you're saying that I should be prepared for a confrontation," Kazuki cracked his knuckles. "I've never had the chance to get my hands on him for what he did at the Chronodome. Bring it!"

"I like your enthusiasm, but let's save that energy for this Sunday. Come, I'll drive you home tonight."

2

The very same weekend, Kazuki found himself staring in marvel at the huge hotel complex.

"First time?" asked Ms. Sadohara, who stepped out of her car with utmost confidence.

Kazuki nodded before looking back at the car just before Amagi and Uehara walked out from the passenger and back seats respectively.

"I know about the place's reputation and all, but I did not expect Samsara to be this grand in person."

"It's got a large convention hall, a theater, an indoor aquarium, numerous fine dining restaurants, and even a swimming pool at the rooftop," followed Uehara as she finished fixing her ponytail.

"H-hey, isn't that a bit too much?" questioned Kazuki, blinking in marvel. "I wonder where Hikari is right now."

"She's surely having fun with her friends."

The reassuring voice came from Amagi, who gently wrapped her arm around his. He felt his body reacting when said arm made contact with her soft, tender skin as she held him close. The strawberry fragrance was not helping the jitters.

Not too long after Hikari left the Arata residence, Ms. Sadohara had come to pick him up, and while they passed by the two girls' residences to pick them up, this was the first time that Kazuki had time to truly look at their outfits.

Needless to say, Amagi looked positively gorgeous in her low-cut dress that showed the upper part of her ample chest. Seeing her carry herself so confidently in that silky peach-colored cocktail dress made him happy. He had never seen her in formal attire, but she seemed to be acclimated to it.

Meanwhile, Uehara looked a lot more daring wearing her outfit this time around. Instead of the blue outfit that Kazuki last saw her wear, she had turned to wearing a black sleeveless dress that looked to expose quite a bit more of her pearly skin.

Finishing the look was a cross necklace.

A perfect combination to achieve the mysterious, elegant beauty look, huh?

Kazuki found himself nodding slightly before a touch on his shoulder caused him to flinch.

"Where are you staring at?" teased Ms. Sadohara, who came in a purple dress of her own.

"Aren't we going to a science expo? It just feels weird seeing all of you in outfits that are meant to be worn at a wedding," commented him, looking at his own simple shirt and hoodie combination.

"Uh-uh, that's no way to complement three gorgeous women," retorted Ms. Sadohara.

Despite her eye bags and general sleepy expression, she would have stolen a lot of hearts in a formal ball.

It's just that Kazuki was so used to her wearing loose clothing that emphasized her curves that seeing her like this had become commonplace.

"Amagi and I went shopping, and she helped pick this for me, okay? I-if you find it weird..." stammered Uehara, who had noticed Kazuki's gaze.

"N-no, it's nothing like that!" Kazuki replied just as he felt Amagi's grip tightening ever so slightly. "You look amazing in it, Uehara! Then again, you look pretty whichever attire you're in."

Uehara smiled in return, and Kazuki felt an immense load lifted off his shoulders.

Besides the current situation, another point of relief for Kazuki was the fact that ever since that strange cafeteria conversation, the black-haired girl had been acting quite normal.

"Well, if you're too awkward with each other, you can always stare at your favorite school counselor, you know? I'm all yours."

Both Uehara and Kazuki turned away at her callous joke.

"Not into older women."

"Awwww, so mean, Kazukiiiii."

Ms. Sadohara continued playfully whining when a voice called out from the other side of the open air parking.

"Yoohoo!"

When they all turned to face Yui Kimura, Kazuki could feel a sweat drop fall from everyone's heads.

Coming in without wearing one of her many wigs, Kimura's green hair, a low side ponytail, swayed back and forth as she made her run. However, she also wore heart-shaped shades coupled with a mask covering her lower face.

Needless to say, her appearance, along with the long jacket that she wore over a tank top, looked extremely conspicuous compared to everyone.

"Ehh? Why's everyone looking at me like that?"

"Um... I hate to break it to you, Kimura, but..."

"What's that, Darling? I thought we're going on an undercover operation, Ms. Sadohara!"

"I don't like siding with her, but I also don't think she expected you to take it so literally. Besides, with your getup like that, I don't think you can stand out any more even if you tried."

He could not tell underneath the face mask and the shades, but Kazuki was pretty sure that Kimura had a pout on her face right now. The redness showing in the little visible skin all but made that certain.

"Well... let's get the show going, shall we?" urged Ms. Sadohara.

3

The interior of Samsara was even more impressive than Kazuki had imagined.

Pristine hallways lit up by warm, inviting lights created an amazing atmosphere that would put even some of the luxury hotels to shame. The place was simply astounding for him.

They passed by various paths and forks on the halls that would have led to the other features that Samara management had long bragged about.

In fact, Kazuki was curious as to what the theater looked like. Apparently, some stage performances were held there, and while it likely couldn't compare to the Chronodome, it was surely no slouch considering the place's reputation.

While everyone walked in an orderly manner, Kimura's sidetail swayed along with her skipping. Posters of famous celebrities lined this particular hall they were passing through.

Kazuki noticed that she looked the most enthusiastic among them. Never mind the people giving them strange looks as they passed them by. Most likely, it was due to the conspicuous outfit that their de facto leader had on her.

Adding a fedora made her look even more conspicuous...

Coming across an LED map, the group tried to locate where the science expo was held.

"Wow, this place could have been an entire vacation spot in of itself," Kazuki commented as he looked at the map. They were near the tunnel that led to the chain of restaurants and food halls, but past that would lead to the aquarium. It surely won't compare to the city-run ones, but could it?

On the other side was a large sector, half of it notable for having several high-end shops not unlike those on Melissa Road. A logo indicated an escalator to the second floor with even more shops.

Then, there it was. Beyond that, the map indicated a thin line that connected to a separate building. A tunnel perhaps. In that separate building was the expo hall.

The path was decided, and in order to reach that part of Samsara, they would have to pass by another large sector, written on the map as a casino.

"Yeah, I sure could try my luck on those," said Ms. Sadohara, pointing at the large casino that came into view. "How much money would we have to spare once we finish our tour?"

"No gambling."

Uehara's answer was swift, drawing a few chuckles from both Amagi and Kimura.

The path towards the expo hall continued without a hitch.

The four of them soon reached the grand terminal, the main boarding site for the hotel's many elevators, exactly where Kazuki had seen the thin lines.

The four of them had to compress with everyone else due to how packed the terminal was.

From Kazuki's inference, he could tell that those were mostly tourists, with their luggage and all. Some people, wearing suits and formal attire, likely were headed to the convention they'll be in.

"There's a set of elevators that led straight to the guest rooms, but this serves as an alternative and more adventurous path to it. You also get to pass by a mall and all. As well as a casino," said Ms. Sadohara. "Now, you can see why the place is packed."

Kazuki listened on with curiosity when a person at the far end of the queue caught his eye. He was not sure whether it was the eyes or the shape of the body of the person peering from the corner. Heck, it could be the general aura that the person exuded, but the trench coat-wearing person made his heart beat quicker.

"Hey, that person..." he nudged Uehara before pointing in the general direction. "With the trench coat."

When the black-haired girl turned around, no one with a trench coat can be seen.

"What is it?" asked Amagi, but before anything else, the elevator let out a dinging sound, prompting them to proceed.

Kazuki gave one last look at the direction of the suspicious person before heading into the elevator with his four companions.

"Woah..."

Kimura's breath produced smoke on the glass that her hands pressed against, staring at the cityscape that slowly came to view as the elevator ascended.

Instead of going straight up, the elevator went up diagonally and in an almost circular path, giving an impression more akin to a cable car that comfortably fit all five of them.

"Okay, let's get over what I told you through the phone one more time," Ms. Sadohara started, looking at the time on her phone. "Roughly an hour and a half from now, the main stage in the expo will begin, and with it, the grand reveal of the expo's main event: the Ishidas' AR device. Yes, the one that, through some recent dealings, had been developed with the remnants of the technology that made the IRIS possible."

She then paused and cleared her through. After Amagi politely called Kimura's attention, the counselor finally had everyone's ears.

Ms. Sadohara opened her phone and showed everyone a map.

They all looked intently as the screen started showing a circle, which was marked as "Welcoming Lounge."

"The welcoming lounge is where we'll be entering, and from there," she brought their attention to a series of branching paths, all stemming from the central core. "All these pathways lead to the halls and numerous rooms."

Zooming in to a particular pathway, she each clicked on several diagrams of rooms.

"Most of those are where the panels are held, but I don't think that any of those are important for our mission."

While observing the map, Kazuki was more amazed by how intricate the network of rooms looked. The school had nothing on this. Whether by design or not, it's a labyrinth, but a network of connections seemed more appropriate of a description considering the theme.

"My main goal here is to get a way to study this new AR device as well as to try my luck with the big shots. We need to get that gun of mine back and running. Meanwhile, I'm almost certain that he's here. Somewhere."

"Guren Izaya."

Uehara's reply was swift and had little doubt behind it.

"Speaking of the guy, why don't you let me look for him? He might attempt something, knowing that the main event will involve something like what the Ishidas had at the Chronodome."

"Hmm... I'm not so hot on the idea of you going out there alone."

An audible click of the tongue was heard, but the school counselor recovered with ease.

"That's a great idea, though... Take Kimura with you?"

"Why?!" the two girls of concern asked in chorus.

"Well, for one, you glare too much or get flustered too easily. But you do have a knack for locating the right people. You'll have to do a lot of interacting, and you know the types of people these conventions attract. Kimura's upbeat personality will come in handy."

"Really? She'll just slow me down."

"You may be right, but for this situation, Kimura would complement you the best."

Tense silence followed.

For something so trivial at first glance, Kazuki felt that he was watching a classic teen drama play out. He never would have expected it to come out of Uehara or Ms. Sadohara. On the other hand, it was easy to understand Uehara's disappointment.

After all, Ms. Sadohara herself said the two of them went on similar missions in the past.

Could she be aware of what's going on and sent Kimura to rein Uehara back?

Meanwhile, neither of the other two responded to the truth that was spoken.

"Okay, okay," shrugged the black-haired girl, backing down in surprisingly quick fashion. "I'll normally tell her to stay out of my way, but I'll play along this time."

"Hey, who do you take me for?!"

"Nosy, overacting ex-idol who will blow my cover?" she answered with one eye closed.

It was a gesture that left Kimura jittery and scrambling for a reply before Ms. Sadohara stepped in.

"Now, now, it's like you haven't fought alongside each other in the Temple of Recollections."

In response to the concerns, Uehara bluntly replied.

"We needed Kimura's powers to win. It was all to protect Shiki and the rest of the students, and that's all there is to it."

"Well, you'll probably be seeing more action together in the future, so you better start cozying up to each other now."

That seemed to do little to comfort the two girls, but at least things quieted down.

"As for Amagi and Arata, you're both going together. You'll do better with a more direct dive into the world of Shiroki R&D."

Kazuki replied with a puzzled look.

"What I mean is that you'll be getting field experience to know what the world of science is like. Amagi has particularly good people skills when it comes to reading the mood, and I think that your straight-laced way of dealing with things will come extremely handy, Arata."

"I get to work with Arata? All alone with him?"

Kazuki felt the stone-cold stare of two other girls inside the elevator. Amagi's statement, hopefully made out of pure innocence, seemed to have riled others up.

At least, that's what he hoped. Part of him had the creeping feeling that it was worded intentionally, and given Ms. Sadohara's smirk, he knew that the counselor knew this would happen.

"Since I will also be guiding you two, you won't need Uehara's ability to find the right people as much. That's why I assigned the teams this way. Don't we make the best tandems?"

It sure was rare to see Ms. Sadohara get this hands-on with their missions, and it felt like a complete breath of fresh air.

On the other hand, Kazuki cannot help but be amazed at Ms. Sadohara. All her explanations made sense, and he could tell that despite being such a nuisance and a slacker at times, she knew of the team's talents and carefully made the assignments.

Of course, he kept everything to himself and merely nodded in agreement.

Right on time, the long elevator ride finally ended, and when the doors opened, a completely different look for Samsara awaited the team.

Gone were the cream-colored walls and the chandeliers. They were replaced by a carpeted floor and several LED monitors that lined up the wall, all showing commercials for the convention center's upcoming events.

They had traversed roughly the entire length of a strip mall within the hotel complex in a matter of a minute, give or take, and the show's only getting started.