Chapter 32: A Rare Glimpse of Daily Life

"Now then, we shall begin the grand cleaning."

Esil stood at the head of the room, presiding over the operation. She was clad in an apron with a black cat pattern and a bandana tied over her hair, armed with a rag and a spray bottle.

The rest of us were dressed similarly... though in Scarlet's case, she had been forced into a frilly, 'dreamy-cute' apron, and a vein was visibly throbbing in her temple.

When Esil had first arrived in this room, her opening remark had been: "Is this... a prehistoric landfill?"

I don't keep raw garbage lying around, but it’s true that things were scattered everywhere—mostly unused supplies that I didn't know what to do with. I wanted to think her phrasing was a bit harsh, but I couldn't exactly argue.

"I wonder if cleaning counts as training," Yellow remarked, looking at Esil with expectant eyes. I could only offer her a faint, "No, that’s not it" smile.

"Maybe she just enjoys cleaning," Blues chimed in. She was wearing an apron that was clearly several sizes too large, and for some reason, she had armed herself with a ladle and a spatula. What exactly did she plan on doing?

The sound of teeth grinding reached my ears. It was coming from Scarlet, standing right next to me.

...Was I just imagining things, or did she actually look like she didn't mind the outfit as much as she let on?

"First, we sort everything into three categories: things to keep, things to throw away, and unused items. Don’t worry about the mess; just place them into these boxes for sorting."

She produced an extra-dimensional box—a high-end piece of tech capable of storing objects several times its own volume.

"I get it! Once we've gathered it all... we twist and shred it into oblivion, right!?"

"No, that is not the procedure."

Esil gave a small sigh.

"Then let us begin. In the words of my sister: 'Three, two, one... Good luck.'"

POV - Alter

"You summoned me?"

"Ah, you’ve arrived, Esil."

I had been waiting in a private room within the cafeteria for several minutes. When the target of my summons appeared, I immediately gestured for her to take a seat. Being a mass-produced model, she would remain standing indefinitely if I didn't explicitly tell her otherwise.

"So, tell me. How is the atmosphere in the Amane Squad?"

"I believe they are a wonderful team."

"My apologies... I phrased that poorly. I want to hear your personal opinion."

"Acknowledged. To be perfectly honest, I find it difficult to believe they possess the record of having repelled Burnatville. They lack any sense of professional tension."

"I suppose there is a discrepancy between their behavior in a peaceful environment and their conduct during an intense battle... but I won't deny they carry a peculiar air about them. Do you remember what I asked of you?"

"Yes. To become a vital figure within the Amane Squad."

"Exactly. You may act as you usually do, but do not forget that mission."

A sharp crack echoed in the room as I involuntarily clenched my fist. The Phantasm Girl before me was infuriating. My blood felt like it was boiling with the urge to split her head open right now and rip out that 'impure' brain memory.

The bitter taste of the medicine on the tip of my tongue—where I had bitten it this morning—and the stinging headache from a lack of sleep were the only things keeping me tethered to my sanity.

"Commander Amane told me that Asuna spoke of 'sisters.' Assuming you are one of them, do you know who the others are?"

"I do not have the authorization to answer that question."

The fact that she wouldn't say it meant it was Asuna’s will. I recalled her message and forced my rising fury to subside.

'Do not lose sight of the truth.'

Naturally. How many decades did she think we spent together?

Something irregular must have happened to Asuna. That was why she vanished without saying a word to me.

If this turned into a 'Save Asuna' campaign, the story would deviate too much from the main axis. In that case, I would simply have to make Esil into something even more special than Asuna ever was.

My role right now is to keep fixing the tracks.

To ensure there is no derailment, no deviation.

I will faithfully trace the future Asuna saw, and if something goes wrong, I will step in to fix it myself. For that purpose...

I will endure even the blade of the guillotine, should it fall upon my own neck in retribution.