Part 27: The IBN 5100's location is revealed

Not even five minutes from the start.

"Okarin's weak! Too weak!"

Obviously! I've never played RaiNet AccessBattlers before! There's no way I can win if I don't even know the rules!

By the way, not just me, but all 8 of the round 3 contestants faced total destruction. And thus, the 28 VS 1 war ended with Faris's complete victory.

"Mayshii is disappointed..."

"So in the end that was all a bluff?! What was Operation Sweet Side supposed to be?!"

"It was almost like Kyouma committed suicide nya."

"Wait, don't tell me..."



Video: All according to plan

I make a daunting pose on top of the chair, looking around the losers in the store. Why, it's as if everyone's making a miserable face!

"Operation 'Sweet Side' was, in other words, a suicide attack!"

"So it's a pun in every respect. Thank you very much."

Since I don't know the rules, that's all I could do.

"Why is Kyouma so proud even though he lost nya?"

"Heheheh, have you still not figured it out, Faris NyanNyan?! Winning and losing made no difference to me in this battle."

"What do you mean, nya?"

"Do you remember the conditions I presented to you?"

"Umm, if Faris lost, then she'd tell you everything--"

"Wrong. That's not it, Faris. What I said was this: 'If I face you, you'll tell me everything you know!'. If I face you. Understand, Faris? Not once did I say 'If I win against you'! This operation was possible because it was me.
Everyone was lured with the prospect of Faris's home cooking, obsessed with winning. But I was different. I'm not interested in Faris's home cooking at all. That difference in motivation is what allowed this failure mission to succeed!
Heheheh, fuhahahahaha, fuuhahahahaha!!"

My loud laughter echoes through the store. Everyone has their mouths half open, dumbfounded. Mayuri alone applauds for me.



"Th-That's dirty..."

"Call it an intellectual strategy! That is the core of Operation Sweet Side!"

I get off the chair and walk to Faris.

"No, Faris. Answer me. Where is the IBN 5100!"

"Nya? IBN 5100?"

"Don't play dumb. I have information from a reliable source."

There's the IBN 5100 image I got from Masseuse. I bring it up on my phone and show it to Faris.

"Without a doubt, you know about the IBN 5100."



"Wh, What does this mean? You're well-acquainted with retro PCs, aren't you?! That's what Mayuri said!"

"Wah, you divulged your source..."

"Yuppers. Mayushii is a reliable source!"

"I'm not that well-acquainted nya. My papa collected them, so even now, there are tons of them in storage at home."

"So in other words, the IBN 5100 sleeps there, right?! So, show me the way there right now!"

"I can't nya."

"What?! Why not?!"

Then Faris puts on a bewitching smile.



"The only ones who may enter are the cat-eared daughters of Faris House, those who pursue the knowledge of the miko nya. So basically, nobody except Faris can enter nya. If you try to force your way in... you'll grow dog ears nya!"

"Like hell you will! What do you mean, dog ears?!"

"I-It's true, nya... Faris doesn't lie nya..."

At once, the frightened catgirl makes a crying gesture. That gesture stirs up the bloodthirst that had become skill. It starts swirling around me. I noticed it too late: I'm already surrounded by Faris fans.

"Tch, Faris, you coward... using your believers against an ally..."

"Faris is only telling the truth nya..."

The defeated lot is now being completely manipulated by Faris, grumbling something or another at me.



Ugh... these guys are serious... I planned to use any means necessary to gather information, but... I'm at a great disadvantage against this overwhelming pressure. To say nothing about my low affinity with Faris. At this rate, I might be converted into the Faris cult. Tch... what should I do...!

"Gwaahhh!"

I raise a strange voice while grabbing my right wrist with my left hand.

"Dammit, n-not now... don't awaken...!"

My right hand trembles. I show agony on my face as I desperately hold back the trembling.



What the hell is that backstory? Of course not!

I ignore Faris's words and totter over towards the store exit. All of the believers who were surrounding me until then suddenly open a path. It feels as if everyone is giving me cold stares, but I don't have time to check. Nearly collapsing, I roll out of the store.



I click my tongue as I slowly go down the stairs. The throbbing in my right arm settles as soon as I leave the store. I guess I'll ask Daru or Mayuri about Faris some other day...

It seems like all my fatigue came out at once. Also, it's so hot it's almost boiling today. The sun's getting even stronger as we enter August. Fed up with it, I wipe the sweat of my brow.



"Okariiin!"

"What happened, did the Faris Cup already end?"



"More importantly, about that IBN 5100. I showed Faris the picture once more, and tried asking her..."

"Good work, Mayuri! Completely different from a certain useless supah hakah! So?"

"Faris said it might've been around the time she was in elementary school."
"On a cold autumn day, while Faris-chan was shivering from the cold, her butler Kuroki came to help--"

"Your introduction's too long! Please, just get to the point!"

"Umm, so basically, she dedicated one of her father's retro PCs from his collection to a shrine. And she said it looked like that PC!"

"To... a shrine?"

That's an unexpected combination. PC and Shrine. Consumer electronics and ancient Shinto precincts. They don't even seem tangentially related.

"Which shrine?"

"Dunno. Where could it be...?"

You didn't ask Faris?

"Whatever. It's not a bad hint."

The shrines in Akiba are Kanda Myojin and Yanagibayashi. I don't know if Faris resided in Akiba when she was little, but what I can do now is visit those two shrines.

"Alright, Mayuri, keep up the good work on your espionage."

"S P N hodge?"

"If you don't get it it doesn't matter. Bye."

"Yup. Okarin, bye bye♪"

Mayuri slipped out of work, yet she keeps waving her hand to see me off until I can't see her anymore.



With that prediction in mind, I headed there first, but the shrine officials said they never heard anything about it. Reluctantly, I head to Yanagibayashi Shrine.





"Who is it?"

What? All I can hear is noise. Wrong number? No, perhaps...

"It's The Organization, right? Is this a warning? You telling me to stop getting involved with SERN?"

"Huh?"

Hmm? It's a woman's voice. Furthermore, she's responding to my words with a dumb voice.

"You're not from The Organization?"



"Makise..."

Who? I think I remember this voice from somewhere...

"Sorry, but I don't remember. Tell me where we met. Paris? London--"

"Akihabara. And we just met yesterday."

Yesterday? Makise... Makise...



"Not your assistant! Makise Kurisu!"

"If you don't say Cristina, then I have no way of knowing it's you."

"I'm not Cristina either. How many times do I have to tell you?"

"You're yappping your trap off like always."

"Whose fault is that? Whose?"

"Wait, why do you know my phone number?"

This is unnatural... Kurisu hasn't cleared any doubts that she might be a spy--

"I got Hashida to tell me."

"Oh, that's boring. So what is it, Assistant?"

"I said I'm not your assistant, but... it's stupid to object. Where are you now?"

"I'm about to head out to Yanagibayashi Shrine."

"Ah, okay. Bye then."



How dare a mere assistant look down on me...! I need to be careful next time I meet her. She got her thesis published in 'Science' after all.