Erika stepped into the classroom just as the interrogation reached a natural stopping point. Whether she had been waiting for the perfect moment or it was mere coincidence, Tatsuya couldn't say. He didn't mind her presence; even if she had been eavesdropping, the conversation had taken place via active telepathy. No matter how sharp her ears were, she would have only heard his half of the questions.
Still, he wished she had entered with a bit more composure.
"I don't mind talking, Erika, but could you dial back the bloodlust? I'm not exactly insensitive to these things."
"Oh! Sorry," she blurted out.
"It's fine, as long as you understand."
Erika hadn't realized how much of her agitation was leaking out. At his correction, her face flushed with a bashful red. Tatsuya offered a small, weary smile, which only deepened her blush.
"Pixie, lock the door."
『Understood.』
As Pixie moved to the entrance, Erika took her place in front of Tatsuya. Even when he gestured for her to sit, she remained standing, looking down at him. Tatsuya didn't press the issue; he understood the restless energy driving her.
"So," he began. "What did you want to discuss?"
"You know what."
"I have a guess."
"Right... let's start with the pathetic display my brother put on last night."
Her answer was expected, but Tatsuya knew Erika's concerns were rarely singular.
"Is that all?"
"For now, yes. That comes first."
"I see."
"So? Who was the opponent?"
Her question was blunt, stripped of any preamble. Tatsuya watched her, noting the frantic edge to her posture.
"Angie Sirius. STARS Base Commander, USNA Military."
Tatsuya's answer was just as clipped. Erika let out a small breath of surprise, clearly taken aback by how easily he had handed over such a high-level secret.
"And now that you know," Tatsuya asked, "what do you intend to do with that information?"
Erika opened her mouth to snap back, but the weight of his question gave her pause. She quickly recovered her bravado. "Isn't it obvious?"
"I can imagine what you're thinking. But don't do it, Erika. Stay away from her."
"Are you saying I can't handle it?"
This wasn't the unconscious irritation from before. This was a deliberate challenge. Erika released a wave of pressure that would have made a lesser student buckle, but Tatsuya didn't so much as blink.
"You can't. Not because of a lack of skill, but because of the outcome."
"...What does that mean?"
The anger she had been stoking vanished, replaced by a cold sense of doubt.
"Did you see the news this morning? Digital or print, it doesn't matter."
"I saw it. Which story?"
"The one about the USNA naval vessel found drifting."
"I saw that, but... wait. You don't mean...?"
"You're quick on the uptake. 'Sirius' won't be showing her face again. Nothing good will come from digging into this—for anyone involved."
Erika fell silent, weighing his advice. She didn't agree, but she didn't refuse. Instead, she looked at him with a gaze that seemed to try and peel away his skin to see what lay beneath.
"Tatsuya-kun... who... what are you?"
She stared at him as if he were some unidentified, monstrous anomaly.
"A cleanup like that... it's impossible. Not even the Chiba could pull that off."
"Is that so?"
"It's not just us. Not the Isori, the Chiyoda, or the Juumonji. I don't know how you did it, but to produce a result like that... that's the work of the Ten Master Clans. And not just any of them..."
"Erika. Drop it."
Tatsuya's interruption was short, carrying the heavy subtext that this was a line he would not allow her to cross. But Erika, driven by her momentum, failed to catch the warning.
"It would have to be a family with immense power. Someone with a foothold in the capital, or someone who can operate anywhere without restriction."
"Erika, stop."
"We can rule out the Ichijou in Hokuriku... so that leaves the Saegusa. Or the Juumonji. Or... the Yotsuba. Tatsuya-kun, don't tell me you're—"
"I told you to stop."
Erika froze.
He hadn't raised his voice. It wasn't the volume or the pitch that silenced her; it was the absolute, crushing weight of the will behind the words.
"Anything beyond this will only lead to an unpleasant outcome for both of us," Tatsuya said quietly. "I have no desire to eliminate you, Erika."
Erika had survived her fair share of life-and-death situations, but this was different. She wasn't silenced by fear alone, but by her own sharp instincts. Her experience told her exactly what she had just done: she had reached out and brushed against the "Reverse Scale" of a dragon. She had tried to step over a boundary that led to a very dark place.
"...I'm sorry."
"As long as you understand. Erika, there's no profit in prying into who Sirius is anymore. Let's consider the matter closed."
"...Fine."
"Then, let's move to your second point of business. I assume it's about the remaining Parasites?"
Erika managed a weak, habitual smirk. "I'd say 'correct,' but that would be an insult. You wouldn't be Tatsuya-kun if you couldn't follow a conversation at this level."
"Is that a compliment?"
"I'm certainly not trying to insult you."
Seeing her regain her usual rhythm, Tatsuya felt a small sense of relief.
"I don't intend to let them run loose either. I'll let you know the moment I find anything, so rest easy."
"You promise? In exchange, I won't keep any secrets from you regarding this case."
"Yes. You have my word."
The fact that she added the condition "regarding this case" was very typical of her. But for Tatsuya, that specific distance was exactly what made their relationship workable.
"See you later, Tatsuya-kun. Sorry for interrupting."
"Yeah. Give my regards to your brother."
Erika flinched as she reached for the door handle, her back tensing for a split second. She left the room without another word.
Erika walked briskly down the hallway, leaving the quiet laboratory wing and heading back toward the Course 2 area of the main building. The moment she reached the safety of the crowded corridor, she leaned her back against the wall and exhaled a long, shaky breath.
Only now did a cold sweat begin to bead on her temples. Only now did she realize how reckless she had been. Usually, she was smarter than this. She would never have dreamt of stepping on a tiger's tail so blatantly.
(That wasn't just a tiger's tail... that was a dragon's scale. And thanks to my big mouth, I've learned something I really didn't need to know... God, I'm the worst.)
She understood exactly what Tatsuya meant when he said he didn't want to "eliminate" her.
(Tatsuya-kun is dangerous enough on his own, but if he's backed by... that. Argh, what am I going to tell my brother?)
She knew exactly why Tatsuya had issued that warning.
(Then again, even if I did let it slip... I feel like Tatsuya-kun would just laugh and forgive me.)
Let sleeping dogs lie, Erika whispered to herself as she straightened her uniform and headed back to her classroom.
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