Both Taiyou and Shirokiyami was running back from the road they came from.
Taiyou carried the fainted Sakura on his shoulder as he dashed away.
He was literally kidnapping her in broad daylight. Although they were fleeing from the scene with Sakura in tow, there were absolutely no pursuers, this is because Shirokiyami made sure to get rid of any loose ends.
Whilst they were running away, Taiyou glances at Sakura and asks Shirokiyami a question.
「So, what is this plan that you were talking about earlier? Is there a relationship as to why we need to kidnap her? 」
「Yeah.....It's so we can make it, public」
「Making it public? What are you talking about, how are we supposed to do that? 」
「What these people...Are doing, is human experimentation. Even now, they are in the middle…..of conducting experiments」
「That's true! The girls known as the "Eternally little"! 」
At first Taiyou couldn't understand what she was implying, but after the word "experimentation" came out he suddenly remembered the fact that they were experimenting on a group of people called the Eternally Little.
As if he guessed correctly, Shirokiyami merely nodded quietly.
「Is that so…..I guess we can use this. Though I have been completely sucked into the pace of these people, in actual fact no matter how ideal or desirable being able to create a serum that would make you eternally young is, it is still illegal to do human experimentation, especially if it is leaked out to the public. No matter how much people are bribed in this world, there will also be those that will strongly oppose such a violation of human rights」
「That, is exactly, it」
Taiyou hit himself in the head and thought, "how come I didn't think of such a simple fact?"
Up until now, all he thought about was the three sisters. The idea's he came up with always revolved around the girls.
Though the three people were consistently exposed to dangers, he wasn't able to come out with a concrete way to protect them. In a word, he was just attempting to fix the problem without cutting it at its roots.
Even if it crossed his mind that he could call on the police force to take them into protective custody, it never crossed his mind that he could use the public's opinion to potentially resolve the issue.
The fact that they were already in the process of experimentation, changes everything.
Whilst running at a speed that a normal human being probably couldn't achieve...Taiyou glimpsed at the face of the unconscious Sakura who was on his shoulder.
When he first met her, Sakura wanted him to "Cooperate" with her for the Eternally Little project. Although he didn't really understand the implications of the words at that time, it was a critically factor which indicated she was already experimenting on humans.
「"The poor girls, who...Are vulnerable and weak". Or maybe another title for the newspapers could be, "The Company behind the scenes of…." Or maybe "the young girls who have been abused and taken advantage of"? 」
「Although I don't really understand what they really do to the bodies of these girls...…I can still imagine the horrific acts they may have done」
「Yes」
「In that case, all we need to do is to get the information out of Sakura」
「Yeah, we bring her....Torture, the info, out…..of her」
「Torture….?」
Taiyou frowns.
「Her body, or…..Her mind...or her woman's dignity...If we break one of those things–」
「Uuu....」
Taiyou suddenly braked his gears, Shirokiyami also stops running a little bit behind him, and he looks behind to face her.
「Is that…..Really effective? 」
Taiyou puckers up his eyebrows and asks Shirokiyami.
「If it's done in the right way...It's extremely, effective」
「...」
Hearing this Taiyou knit his eyebrows more and more.
His goal and the means to obtain it, he was considering which one should take precedence/priority.
For Taiyou, he has always considered the means to be of high value. In other words, up until now, in order to achieve his goals, he would not use despicable means to achieve them.
Thus, the word torture caused him to become restless.
Her body, mind or her woman's dignity.
What Shirokiyami wanted him to destroy/break, was too overwhelming for a 16 year old boy like him.
He couldn't decide which of the three actions he preferred. Taiyou quietly looks at Sakura.
「Isn't there any other methods?」
「There is」
「!」
Suddenly a voice came from the front. Taiyou turned back towards the front whilst still carrying Sakura on his shoulders, and stared in the direction of the voice.
Before her noticed it he already arrived at the intersection of where the entrance to Ohashi Town was. There was a girl standing there with one hand on her waist.
Her height seemed to be around 150 centimeters? A hair that was long and not inferior in length to Shirokiyami's hair. And she had her hair tied to the left and right of her head, in other words it was the hair style known as the twin tail. Her eyes were really big and bright, and she gave Taiyou the feeling that she was overflowing with youthful energy. (Illustration: Yurikago the Cradled Princess)
She puts down her hand from her side, and slowly faces Taiyou.
Taiyou becomes a little cautious and takes a step backwards.
「Ah- don't worry, it's alright, you don't have to be scared. I'm not someone who is suspicious」
Whilst walking casually towards Taiyou, her twin tail shakes to and fro.
「She does not have...Knowledge of military arts」
Shirokiyami talked in a quiet voice so that only Taiyou could hear.
「There is no enemy's in the surrounding desuyo〜」
Hera who just finished scouting the area confirms the area is clear.
It wasn't like he was completely convinced that she wasn't an enemy just from that. However, Taiyou did loosen up a little after hearing such information from the two people.
「Then, who are you exactly?」
「Before you ask for someone's name, it is polite to introduce yourself first you know? Natsuno Taiyou-kun」
「There's no point telling you my name if you already know it!」
「tsk, tsk, tsk」
The girl shakes her finger and stuck her tongue out.
「The politeness to introduce oneself has no connection with the fact that I already know your name right? What I'm talking about is your manners/etiquette. Introduce yourself」
The last word that came out of her mouth held a lot of pride in it. Although he was puzzled Taiyou decided to introduce himself.
「….. I am Natsuno Taiyou」
「Yeah, well said. I am...let's see, you can call me 『Yurikago』」 (TL; Yurikago also means Cradle)
「Yurikago?」
Taiyou mutters as he glimpsed at Shirokiyami.
For a second there Taiyou started to think that names which were fancy were becoming the norm around here, however when he thought back to how Shirokiyami was also a codename, he kind of understood that Yurikago was something akin to a code name.
「If you want to shorten my name, you may call me by 『Yuri』」
「...….uu」
When the name Yurikago was mentioned, for some reason Shirokiyami reacted.
When he glimpse at her, interestingly enough, she had a normal expression on her usually blank face, and a sulky expression could be seen.
What is going on? He wondered…..But, he didn't really have time to think about this in detail. The person known as Yurikago continued to talk.
「Well, I suppose you can call me whatever you like. The main issue for you is finding out why I have come here, and why I wanted to meet with you」
「You…..Out of the girls I've come across so far you are quite eccentric」
「Even if you try to hit on me, its NG, or more like its futile. That's because I don't like the type of guy you are」 (TL: NG = No good)
Seeing how frank/candidly she was speaking out her emotions, Taiyou thought to himself "Yeah she really is unusual".
For some time now, all of the women around him were the type to talk about extra details and be really long winded in their conversations. If he was to talk to them, the main topic would soon be forgotten/derailed, and it was really difficult to control the direction of the conversation.
This was the fact for Hera, the three sisters, Shirokiyami and even the girl on his shoulder. All of them would talk in their own pace, and in a sense, they didn't really listen to what other people were trying to say.
In this kind of sense, Yurikago's frank way of speaking was refreshing for Taiyou.
「I understand. Then let me ask…..What is your objective for coming here? 」
「I wanted to teach you about the thing known as 『Blood Soul』」
「Blood Soul?」
「Ara? (Oh), you haven't heard of this name before? It is the project that you are trying to crush right now」
「—!」
「You don't have to be so alarmed all the time, it's a really bad habit you know? Moreover, how can we advance our conversation if you're like this? 」
「...」
「Well, if you want to act like that I suppose it's fine, in that case, I will continue the conversation from this distance. Ahh that's right, before we proceed with the conversation there is two things that I have to do first」
「Something that you need to do?」
「Yeah, The first thing is…..this」
As she said this Yurikago, fumbled about and pulled something out, and she presented this to Taiyou.
「What is this?」
「Blindfold, Earplugs and a mouth gag. Please put it on that woman」
Yurikago placed her glance on Sakura as she directed Taiyou.
「Put this on Sakura…..? Why? 」
「If she was to find out about my existence, it will be troublesome later. For this particular matter, we are mutual enemies. Moreover, if she was able to hear the plans I am about to tell you, then she may be able to formulate a variety of counter-measures later, is that alright with you? 」
「...…I understand」
Taiyou nods. Her reasoning is logical, she doesn't want to reveal herself to her enemy and she also doesn't want to disclose any details which could be used against her. There doesn't seem to be any problems in listening to her.
「Alright, go on, make it quick. If you don't do this, we can't proceed to the next thing」
「The next?」
「Didn't I just tell you that I had a second thing that I have to do? Hora hora (Look look), quickly, move it」
Yurikago urges Taiyou to hurry. As he expected, she was really different form all the women he had met so far.
He endures letting out a wry smile, he slowly placed Sakura on the ground and started to get to work by applying the things he got from Yurikago.
He blindfolded her eyes, her mouth is bound and her ears were plugged, moreover so as to ensure that Sakura would be unable to take it off herself, he tied her hands around her back with the rope he got from Yurikago.
After he finished doing that, he faced Yurikago.
「Is this good enough?」
「Yeah, yeah, Alright, the next thing is...…Yes, yes, it's—Al—right—now!」
She raised her jaws and bends her backside at an extreme angle and shout's out those words.
When she finished doing that, he started to hear the pitter patter footsteps...of three people who were familiar to him, as they called out his name.
「「「Taiyou-san」」」
When he turned around, the three sisters jumped into his bosom at the same time.