"Huh? Me?" Katsuragi Reimi asked with surprise on her face.

Arashikaze Manami simply closed her eyes and slowly spoke.

"Well, I can't say exactly why, but Katsuragi has indeed changed from before."

"...How is she different?"

"Well... if I have to put it into words, it would be that the Katsuragi I knew before always felt unreal to me."

"Unreal?"

"Yes, even though she existed in that place, it felt like she didn't."

"..."

Seeing no response from Katsuragi Reimi, Arashikaze Manami continued.

"But now, Katsuragi seems less unreal. Although it's just a little bit, there seems to be a sense of reality."

"..."

Though there was no verbal response, her brain was constantly thinking.

Unreal? Sense of reality? While understanding the literal meanings of these words, she couldn't grasp their true significance. Even with an IQ over 200, she was unable to find the answer, as it seemed to not exist in any book.

Moreover, despite not understanding, she couldn't deny that this feeling was the first of its kind in her life. No, perhaps it was simply that she didn't want to deny it.

Because if she wanted to find a reason to deny it, it wouldn't be difficult for her at all. No, it would be quite simple. She could easily find thousands of reasons. But right now, she couldn't do it.

It wasn't because she couldn't find a reason, but because she didn't want to find one. Her mind was refusing to search. Why was it refusing to search? Why didn't she want to deny it?

She didn't know the answer to that either.

Hmph...

In the end, were the so-called geniuses with IQs over 200 in this world only capable of this much? Even though they could easily remember vast amounts of knowledge or effortlessly solve things that others thought impossible, in the end, they didn't even know about this. Even someone like the "modern-day Holmes"...

She truly was weak. She couldn't accomplish anything.

Thinking this, she couldn't help but let out a self-deprecating smile.

But now wasn't the time to think about that. Solving the present matter was more important.

"Hold on."

Speaking up, Katsuragi Reimi stopped in her tracks at the front.

"What is it?"

"We've arrived."

Facing Arashikaze Manami's question, Katsuragi Reimi replied indifferently.

"Arrived?"

"Yes, there are no surveillance cameras here, and I didn't plan on relying on them all the way there either."

"Which means?"

"That's right, from here on, we'll do things my way."

From this position, they could see the situation in the corridor through the ventilation opening.

Just then, a person dressed in a monkey puppet costume passed by below.

Katsuragi Reimi timed it right and threw something from the gap in the ventilation opening.

"Boom—"

The sound of something hitting the ground could be heard.

"Who's there?"

The person in the monkey puppet costume quickly turned around upon hearing the sound.

But what I saw was...

"Hmm?"

No one was around, not even behind me.

"No one? Was it just my imagination?"

Muttering in confusion, I found something on the ground.

So naturally, the person dressed as a monkey doll walked over.

"Hmm? A coin?"

While murmuring softly, they naturally bent down to pick up the coin on the ground.

"Now is the time."

As a signal, the cover of the ventilation vent opened.

Immediately after, several figures jumped down.

The invasion battle began with this slogan.