Standing before me is not Kuri Ashella but Cleared High Commander Ailsherad.
With silver hair, pointed ears, a mask covering the upper half of her face and silver armor matching her hairpretecting her torso, her arms from the elbow down, and legs up to the knees glisten like boots.
Except for the armored parts, alluring tanned skin peeks through. I know that even those parts offer no compromise in terms of defense due to the color-coded force field covering her entire body.
(No way…!)
A shiver runs down my spine, and I can’t help but gaze at her beautiful and imposing figure. Recalling her combat prowess, I also shout in despair.
///
scene transition
///
“Green Cloth Activate!”
Surrounded by green light, I transform into Banshoku Green. However, the difference in power is overwhelming.
(We barely managed to defeat an opponent with five of us. How am I supposed to handle this alone?)
There’s no choice but to create an escape route, but turning my back on her would be suicidal. I need to somehow dodge her attacks and find an opening.
“Get ready, Banshoku Green!”
With a step forward, a right fist comes at me. Remembering the weight I once felt, I desperately try to evade while taking the hit.
(Did I manage to block it somehow?)
Perhaps due to the experience gained from previous battles, I successfully evade the punch that once sent me flying.
“Grass-Equipment!”
Aiming for her side, I thrust my enhanced fist.
“Ugh!”
Although she blocks it with her opposite arm, it forces Ailsherad a few steps back. Unexpectedly, it creates a momentary opening. I seize this opportunity to search for an escape route.
(Jump through the window…!?)
Before stepping forward, I turn my gaze back to the opponent, and an unexpected sight unfolds.
“Damn, ugh…!”
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Ailsherad is holding her arm, squatting down. Even through the mask, I can see the agony on her face, and she’s sweating.
I involuntarily stop and feel bewildered.
(Was it…? Did I really hurt Ailsherad with a single punch?)
The answer to my doubt comes from the side.
“Geez. That’s what I told you. Did you really think we have enough power for a fight now?”
In a somewhat disgusted voice, the whole body of Ailsherad briefly emits a faint light and unravels like it’s collapsing.
“… to be defeated by this much…”
With a frustrated voice, the figure of Kuri Ashella reappears. Her clothes and ears are back to normal.
(I see… The reason I could withstand the attack wasn’t because I became stronger after the final battle.)
Simply put, it’s because Ailsherad—no, Ashella’s power hasn’t fully returned.
In front of me, Kuri Ashella is sweating and crouching.
I──against all odds, untie my Green Cloth.
(What am I doing? I should be finishing her off…)
Even though I think that in my mind, my body doesn’t move that way. Instead, my mouth moves.
“Leader──uh, Taratatt.”
“I’ve gone through a lot. Can we continue the conversation?”
“Yeah. Uh, that──please explain properly. Why you guys, and why with me──”
Something feels off. Taratatt explained their background, but it still doesn’t add up. It doesn’t make sense. And this girl──Ashella, why?
“Wait! I won’t allow you to get any closer to Taratatt-sama!”
Regaining her composure, Ashella steps in between us.
“N-No, wait, just wait a moment!”
“You look stunned… Are you really that Banshoku Green! Fine, even in my current state, if you’re that spineless…”
” Take this!”
She lunges at me again, but this time, Taratatt grabs her collar and stops her. With non-combat form and her neck tightly squeezed, she rolls her eyes.
“Is there something you want to ask, Green… no, Midori Kusama?”
With a flick of his hand, the Grand Commander was dismissed, as the Grand Leader spoke up.
“Nah, I’m talking about that one, the high-ranking officer over there, writhing and rolling their eyes.”
“Well, you mean the subordinate strutting around with her big bust and swaying hips, making a fuss even on the floor.”
“………………! (grumbles)”
After we both gazed at the wriggling officer on the floor, I inquired.
“First of all, if you didn’t know who I was, why did you approach me in the first place?”
Now I understand. Without any ulterior motive, a beauty like her wouldn’t have approached me—a tired old guy.
(Sad as it may be! However, if she didn’t know my true identity and wasn’t harmful…)
“Well, that’s because it’s derived from our nature.”
Nodding, Taratat fluttered his fingers to indicate himself.
“We, and those like us—former Cleared executives—are not human.”
“Ah… normal humans don’t shoot beams or grow giant.”
I had suspected as much. I nodded and urged him on.
“We, or rather, former Cleared high-ranking members like me, feed on emotions that living beings emit, in human terms, a kind of spiritual existence.”
“It’s getting sketchy.”
“It’s serious. While we can create a physical body like the current one and eat regular meals, it’s necessary for sustaining our fundamental existence. Cleared is entirely composed of my subordinates, and their nature hasn’t changed. That’s why──”
We looked back at Ashella again. Although she had calmed down and sat back, she avoided eye contact.
“From me, umm…” It felt embarrassing to say it outright. I raised my glasses and tried to play it off. “Uh, those emotions… like love or romance. Did you approach me for that?”
If Ashella managed to entangle me and we ended up getting married, according to my speculation, Taratatchan, who was playing the role of her daughter (or in reality, the relationship was the other way around), would direct her affection towards me.
“Maybe that’s it. Affectionate feelings are quite delicious, depending on the preference.”
As we conversed, Ashella reflexively looked back at us.
“N-No… that’s not…!”
“You probably did.”
Sighing mostly in exasperation, Ashella shrunk her shoulders in embarrassment.
“Ugh… yes…”
For now, regardless of the details, I could accept it. It seems my suspicions weren’t entirely unfounded.
“Oh dear. …… What’s that? “
But immediately, another question popped up. In the first place, even if it’s to direct emotions, entering into a romantic relationship has many constraints.
(And, Ashella herself didn’t know that I was Green…)
So, with my head held high, I met Taratat chan’s mischievous smile.
[Did you notice?] Her expression seemed to say.
“Well, she simply liked you as Kusama Midori—” “Taratat-sama!”
A shout cut into the boss’s words. Looking at the voice, I inevitably met Ashella’s eyes.
“……………………………………….”
Both of us could feel our faces turning red. Taratat chan was visibly restraining her laughter at the edge of our vision.
“That’s not it!”
Ashella was the first to shout. Her tan skin turned even redder, baring her fangs as she barked threateningly.
“Y-You! If I knew you were a Green, I wouldn’t have done such a thing…!” Perhaps remembering the earlier kiss, she blushed for a moment, shaking her head vigorously. “If only you weren’t there, if only you weren’t here, we would have won…!”
Surprised by the content of her pointing finger, I was taken aback.
“Me?”
“Of course! If it were just sheer strength, we would have won! Even the strongest Red among you couldn’t match my output! If you didn’t have that annoying power to amplify the abilities of your allies…!”
Exhaling, Ashella seemed to recall the humiliation from back then.
(…………………………Me, of all people.)
“Stop it, it’s pathetic.”
Taratat chan scolded. She looked at her subordinate with an expression of disbelief.
“We lost. That’s all there is to it. It’s not just the power of this Green san. It’s the combined brilliance of all the others. With that spectrum, our Cleared lost.”
Ashella slumped down, her shoulders drooping. Tears shimmered faintly in her blue eyes.
“Well, anyway. Let’s get back to the topic.”
After giving a helpless smile to her subordinate who seemed like a troubled child, Taratat chan looked at us.
“When this guy unknowingly targeted you, I thought it was fate. We’ll leave our fate to you, the one who defeated us,” said the big boss, Taratatt.
“Wait, Taratat-sama!”
The big boss shook his head slowly.
“Green. Midori Kusama. As I mentioned before, we leave our fate to you. You can choose to kill us, hand us over to the Banshokuger, or pretend like nothing happened. Well, this is quite convenient for us.”
“…Hmm…”
I was honestly undecided.
The suspicion that they would engage again in invasion or doing bad things again had already become quite thin.
Even Ashella from earlier seemed powerless, unable to do much with just a few seconds of movement.
Moreover, if they wanted to harm me, they had plenty of opportunities.
(And the big boss is offering her life to me…)
It’s likely that they’ve almost lost their power.
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