The Crisis World XX

Chap. 97: Becoming a Small Organization

After accompanying Caramel to his old house, my trip this morning with him was still not finished because he was still taking me to the mall.

Though I do not have much money to shop, what else in the mall that is expensive. But Caramel calmed me down and said that she would pay for everything so I just accompanied her.

Whereas usually if shopping should be the man who pays for everything.

"Hey, Iraya," call Cecilia.

"What's wrong?"

"Do you feel like you're useless right now?"

"Don't put salt on my wounds, damn it," I said limp.

"What's up Iraya? You've been talking to yourself."

"Ah, no. I'm talking to Cecilia."

"Cecilia? The name of Subject C? Why are you able to casually talk to him anyway? Though he was a dangerous monster while still in the lab."

"If it was Nigiyaka-san who said that to me. But I still can't believe that this thing inside my body is a dangerous creature."

I don't know what happened to Cecilia before I met her. Then also what he did to Astaroth while taking my consciousness that night, so I still have not found the creepy thing of this creature inside my body.

"Heh .. Yes it's up to you if you want to believe it or not. It doesn't matter anymore."

"You're right."

"Oh! We've arrived."

And without us knowing it, we were already in front of the mall. Because the clock is still quite early in the morning so not many people have come, so we can freely to go there. But suddenly Caramel was dismissed by the security guard there.

"Wait a minute! What liquid is on your shirt? You can't go in if you're so dirty."

"really? Too bad, but this design is a model that is in trend right now."

"Design?"

"Right, does this look like real blood? Means this design is great because it can make you wrong."

Security was still confused by Caramel's clothes. He looked at me as if asking if it was true, while I just nodded with a smile to let us in. We were finally allowed in by the security.

"Your acting skills are terrible, you know?"

"Ehehem .. I take that as a compliment. Come with me to the dress shop."

We also went to a clothing store. Somehow I feel de javu for having felt this before when with Herlin and Hasuki-san, her name is also female so they like shopping, anyway. We were there for a few hours just to pick our clothes.

Caramel then brought some clothes into the dressing room.

"Let's tell me what you think, yeah."

"I-I don't understand about clothes."

"Have it, just try it first."

Caramel then closes the curtain. After a while he then came out again with a different appearance.

He wears a short-sleeved shirt with the addition of an armless Cardigan that extends all the way to his thighs. Then for the pants part he wears regular jeans.

"How's it?"

"Yes, that's fine."

Caramel moves on to the next outfit. This time he tried a short dress to the top of the knee with a lace decoration covering his chest while the arm to his shoulders can be seen.

"What about this one?"

"Hoo! I like this!"

"It's good that you like it, but I'm a little uncomfortable and hard to move around in these clothes. Continue!"

Caramel tried a third outfit, this time wearing a long dungarees jeans that he folded down to the bottom of the knee. And then combine it with a pale blue short-sleeved shirt with a simple motif.

"If this?"

"You look like an SD kid when you wear it."

"Ehh ..really? But I like this one" Caramel said in a disappointed tone.

Then the trial session continued and Caramel eventually bought about seven to ten new clothes. He also wears his new outfit that he likes, a combination of dungarees jeans and a pale blue t-shirt.

And of course he told me to carry everything, there are about five bags in both my hands right now.

"Why should I take him?"

"You're a man, right? Besides I'm just telling you to take it, not pay it so don't worry too much."

"Why do I feel like a messenger boy."

Tiiing…

Suddenly the Smartphone in my pants pocket rang. But because my hand was full of Caramel's groceries, Caramel quickly picked it up and lifted it up.

"Oi, don't play pick-up!"

"Hello, who is it?"

"Sound I don't, oi?!"

Caramel heard the voice of the woman replying to her in confusion. It was Herlin's voice and he began to speak.

"The caramel? Why did you lift it? Is Iraya there?"

"She's there, just busy lifting my groceries."

"shopping? Where are you guys now?"

"We're in the mall dating again."

"What date, oi?! I'm being made a messenger here!"

I then dropped all the groceries I was holding and immediately snatched my phone from Caramel's grasp. While Caramel just smiled like a sinless person after saying such a dangerous thing.

"He-Herlin .. Are you there?"

"I'm interrupting your date time, huh?"

"Ti-No! Everything Caramel said was just kidding, we weren't dating. He-Herlin?"

"Ishikawa-san told all the members of Black Rain to gather now, I just want to convey that."

"W-I understand. Oh yes, about that date—"

Tiii…

But before I finished my words, Herlin had already hung up on her first. He didn't even let me give him a reason, somehow I already knew what would happen later while there.

"Just be prepared to get some hard training from Herlin," said Cecilia expressing her thoughts.

"Hah .. I hope he doesn't break my bones."

"What news is it?" ask Caramel.

"Ishikawa-san told us all to gather at the Haiiro Cafe. We'll go home first to put your groceries after that just go there."

"Okey."

Caramel then walked first to leave me again. It seems that I have to get used to this ignorant nature, maybe in the future it will cause a big problem if I am not used to it. I also caught up with Caramel who had walked first.

**

After putting all our groceries away, we headed to the Haiiro Cafe. And after getting there everyone had arrived except the two of us.

Criating…

"You guys are finally here too" Ishikawa-san said.

"Sorry we're late. Hmm?"

I looked towards Herlin, but he immediately turned his face away from me. Looks like I'll have to convince her again that it's all not true, but how. Mei-senpai who noticed my resigned face also spoke to me.

"Iraya-kun, are you having trouble with Herlin?"

"Nothing, at least that's what I believe."

"Enough base. You must have had a reason to call us all here, right?" nigiyaka-san.

"Right, it's still about attacking three big monsters in three different cities."

So the problem is not completely resolved. I guess by defeating Astaroth, things will be happy but it's not that easy. Especially with the death of Oita-san which of course the impact is huge.

"We're going to Tokyo right now, to the Red Flame Dojo."

Our next destination today was to go to Tokyo, precisely to where Kurayami Ryuzaki was. He had appeared on TV before and after that Black Rain got an invitation coming from him.

We set off in a car driven by Ishikawa-san, although our numbers increased but one car still fit us all.

There was nothing interesting during the trip, so as usual I closed my eyes and fell asleep until we finally reached our destination.

When we got to the front gate of the Dojo, we were immediately greeted by several Dojo students and they directed our car to the Dojo parking lot. We then got out of the car and spoke to one of the people who greeted us.

"Are you from Black Rain?"

"Yes right."

"Please follow us."

We followed some people who were prepared to welcome us. During the journey many Dojo students were excited and noisy because they saw some people they knew.

"Me-They …."

"Aren't they Assassins targeted earlier? What are they doing here? Do they want to attack this place?"

"Isn't that stupid? Moreover, there is Kurayami-san here. And those who are with them …."

"The members of Black Rain?!"

Some of their conversations can sound us sensitive. In the end, we all ignored their whispers.

"Well ... turns out we're pretty famous here, huh?" caramel.

"You're a high-ranking fugitive, you see. Of course they know you."

"Heh .. so, yes."

"Just focus on our purpose here."

"They're all so noisy."

Nigiyaka-san and Akihito-san also seem to be distracted from being the center of attention. But Akihito-san is more able to reveal it than Nigiyaka-san. After we walked for quite a while, we finally arrived inside their leader's office.

He was sitting while talking to his trusted subordinate, Hayashi Satou. After seeing our arrival, Ryuzaki-san then told the person who was escorting us to come out of his room to talk to us.

"Welcome back to my office, Black Rain."

"We're happy that you invited us here again" Ishikawa-san replied.

"I think it's enough of a base. Because I want to know all the truth and the things my eyes are seeing right now."

Ryuzaki-san looked at us with a sharp gaze as if suspicious. While all of us can only be silent and vigilant about the questions that will be given by him.

"My first question is what kind of joke did you bring here? Bringing the three Assassins into my office, do you want to show off if you catch them in front of me?"

"No, they're no longer Assassins. They are members of Black Rain now."

"Member? Ahaha HAHAHA …!!!"

Of course he'll laugh. Only a silly person would accept an Assassin into his organization. We did not overreact, just waiting for Ryuzaki-san to finish laughing.

"I know this is a strange thing, but the one who advised them to enter was Murasaki Oita."

"Oita's? Oh yeah, there's one more thing I want to ask. But seeing that he's not here right now seems to have answered my question."

"Right, he's dead" Herlin replied clarifying.

Herlin made things clear. Ryuzaki who had previously expressed his expression was now calmer and quieter because he heard that. He stood up from his chair and wanted to do something.

Zwuush…

Ryuzaki suddenly darted very quickly and stopped right in front of Herlin's face. While Herlin also could not react perfectly so he could only stare back in the eyes with a surprised look.

"You let one of the strongest men in the country die, you know?"

Shiii…

Nigiyaka-san, who wanted to help Herlin by taking out her sword, did not have much of a chance as Hayashi immediately moved and pointed at Nigiyaka-san's neck.

"Don't move."

"Tch!"

"Everybody don't move. Did you forget you were in my office? I could have just reported you guys and made you all a target for Kuni no Hashira."

After being threatened like that, Nigiyaka-san finally moved her hand away from her sword and tried to act even more calmly.

"I just want to know about the rumors. And make sure that the rumors are not true. But …. Tck."

"Oita-san managed to kill the leader of these Assassins. So his death wasn't too bad, you couldn't beat that guy yourself, right?"

Herlin provoked Ryuzaki with his words but that was not enough to annoy him. He still looked calm and not hooked at all.

"I've never faced him face to face, so I can't answer that question. But do you think you—no, all the Black Rain members are currently fighting me alone, are you sure you can win?"

Ryuzaki responded to Herlin's provocation by challenging us all back. Although I can't answer how it will turn out anyway.

"I think with your new strength, you can be on par with him" said Cecilia.

"Be quiet, this is not the time to look cool."

While I was talking to Cecilia, my conversation was overheard by Ryuzaki and he walked towards me. Basic fucking Cecilia, put in such an unpleasant condition.

"Did you say something earlier?"

"Ti-No …." I turned my eyes the other way.

"You have something in your body, right? The result of their experiment, that Spirit. How is it now that the creator is dead?"

He knows where Cecilia is in my body. I had to distract him so that this conversation didn't go too far.

"It was dead, and he defended Astaroth and I killed him with my own hands."

"Oi!"

I answered him with a bang. Cecilia was also shouting inside my head, I don't know if this answer could fool her or not anyway. But surely Cecilia was angry because of my answer.

"Oh. I heard it was a powerful spirit. It can be killed by someone like you, no wonder you can conquer it and put it inside your body. He was just a weak spirit. And the sword I gave you …."

He took Tetsu's sword which was on my back. He was surprised because Tetsu's sword blade was only half left because it destroyed the former fight against Astaroth.

"You destroyed it. What kind of a fool are you? Though I thought you were a little special for being able to defeat Hayashi, but now I think it's just a lucky thing."

He threw the broken sword and I caught it perfectly. Ryuzaki again walked to his desk and the pressure he put on me decreased slightly.

"Do you understand that Black Rain is one of the members of Kuni no Hashira because of the presence of Murasaki Oita in it? But since he's gone, it's no longer relevant."

"So that means—?!"

"Yes, I invite all of you here to announce that Black Rain is no longer a member of Kuni no Hashira and is just an ordinary small organization under the auspices of the three main organizations of Kuni no Hashira."

We were expelled by them. No response or protest was made by Black Rain either Ishikawa-san, Herlin, or the others. Because they can't do anything anymore.

"But—!"

"If you resist or refuse, you will fight against this one country. Are you ready?"

That statement is like challenging and taunting us. But we don't have the right to be angry, so all we can do right now is get out of here and remove Ryuzaki's face from our view now.

No excessive conflict will harm us in the future. So we can only accept it with resignation. When we all left and left the room, Hayashi spoke to Ryuzaki.

"What are we going to do with the three Assassins?"

"For the moment we leave it alone, if they do something new we will move on and catch it.

**

After getting some unpleasant news while coming to Tokyo, me and the others came home gloomy. We decided to go to the Haiiro Cafe.

When we got to the cafe, we could all just stay quiet and sit down. There was absolutely no face of spirit coming out from our faces and it just so happened that Aiza-san was looking to close the Cafe because it was already night.

"Welcome, everyone" Yuuki-san said.

"Sorry that we came here all night, just chatting for a while" Ishikawa-san said.

"It's okay. Besides the cafe, this place does serve as your gathering place, right?"

"Thank you, Aiza-san."

Luckily there was Aiza-san who cared and cared for us. Although Oita-san is no longer there but she still notices Black Rain which could be a source of problems for the sustainability of this Cafe business.

Even so, it has not solved our problem now. Black Rain had just been expelled from Kuni no Hashira and was now nothing more than an ordinary organization, of course all of them were feeling confused.

"I want to ask." Mei-senpai suddenly spoke.

"What's wrong?" answer Ishikawa-san.

"What impact do we get if we get kicked out of Kuni no Hashira?"

"That's …."

"Our revenue will decrease. Our real source of funding came from the Kuni no Hashira organization that financed us. But if we're not part of them anymore, those funds won't be as hard as they used to be. We won't get the money unless we carry out the mission requested by one of the great organizations of Kuni no Hashira" Herlin explained.

"So all this time, the biggest revenue of this cafe comes from the funding provided by Kuni no Hashira?"

"That's right."

"This cafe is actually not too crowded, but it can magically survive because of it. And if there's no funding, this Cafe and also .. orphanage …."

So anyway. In addition to government fees, Haiiro Cafe is also the largest contributor to Himawari Orphanage, where Herlin and other children live. And if the flow of funds is stopped, then the orphanage will also feel the consequences.

Herlin clicked his tongue slowly and clenched his hands in annoyance holding back the anger. He can imagine what happens to his residence later if there is a lack of funds.

"Is there nothing we can do?" my many.

No one can answer that. Because they can't bear this burden. But suddenly Caramel spoke and advanced forward.

"Hah ... how else, basically we are indeed just a small and poor organization whose members are not even more than ten people."

"Oi Caramel! This is not the time to—!"

"Therefore, we may do as we please."

Caramel interrupted my words and said something that made no sense. Nigiyaka-san and Herlin were also visibly upset by Caramel's behavior.

"What do you really want to do?" ask Herlin.

"Don't look at me like that, I won't betray you. But when I get to work, maybe I won't carry the name Black Rain."

"worked? What kind of job are you talking about?"

"Ehehem .. don't you know, Nimis and Ardenter?"

"Back to Assassin ...," muttered Nigiyaka-san.

"That doesn't make sense!"

"That could have been me."

"Eh? Seriously?"

"Yes, we've been Assassins for a long time. If someone pays us, we're ready to kill anyone. But since I've been with you guys, I can reduce the number of requests."

Nigiyaka-san inexplicably agrees with the original plan uttered by Caramel. Return to Assassin. As if it was an easy matter, but do I also have to work as an Assassin? I heard being an Assassin is a job that makes a lot of money.

Wild thoughts are back on me at this time. But being an Assassin means I have to be ready to kill someone. Every time I heard that word my feelings instantly became strange, my little heart told me that it was a thing not to do.

Herlin accidentally saw me who was confused and approached me. I realized that in the approach Herlin immediately looked at him, but he even touched my head.

Tuks…

"Adu—!"

"You must be thinking weird again, huh?"

"Ti-No …."

"You can do the Assassin's work again, we'll both work here."

"Eh? Working here?"

"Truely, you can help me by working here," Aiza-san said.

"You're thinking of becoming an Assassin, right? If your faith is not strong enough to do that, it is better not to" Herlin said slowly.

My once disordered breath has now become calmer thanks to Herlin. He managed to calm me down while providing the right solution.

"Thank you, Herlin."

"Then I will find another part-time job to help you" Mei-senpai said.

"Hah .. It seems like I have to work even harder to find a mission for you. Moreover Murasaki-san entrusted me to replace her," Ishikawa-san said.

Suddenly we all got more excited. The gloomy feeling we had just felt instantly disappeared and changed into even more optimistic. And finally, I start tomorrow officially as an employee at this Haiiro Cafe.

The next day I started working here and came in the morning around 9 am. The cafe opens at around 10am so there is still time to get ready.

Criating…

The doorbell of the cafe rang indicating that I had entered the cafe. And it looks like Aiza-san and Herlin are preparing for the Cafe to open, but I am more stunned by Herlin's appearance.

"Sorry I'm terlam— .. bat."

Herlin was a little different at the moment. He wears a purple apron with the Haiiro Cafe logo on the front. Then he also did not wear his Hoodie, just a regular short-sleeved shirt and hair tied in the style of a ponytail, just like at school even without glasses.

"Ah, you've come. Quickly help me clean up, in an hour we'll be open."

"I-I understand."

Herlin gave me an apron as well and we helped Aiza-san. A few hours the store was open and there were only a few customers who came, probably because the clock was still morning. So I'm not too busy.

Only when around lunch break, this cafe began to crowded visitors. Although not swelled until crowded queue, but arguably not too little.

And in the afternoon, when the visitors have begun to quiet and the school children have returned from school. There were some school kids who came here and suddenly I saw three school kids that I knew.

Criating…

"I haven't been here in a long time."

"Finally you come too, please find an empty bench," said Herlin welcoming them.

"Herlin-chan, long time no see!"

"We'll meet again, Anna-chan."

They are Kudou, Hira, and Herlin's friend, Kuromichi Anna. I immediately left my post and ran towards Kudou and Hira then jumped up to hug her.

"Koudou, Hira! I can finally see you again!"

Guubraka…

But they both quickly avoided me and let me fall and hit the front door.

"Adu-du-duh .. Why are you guys? Don't miss me?"

"…."

"…."

They don't answer. They are silent expressions that raise questions and look towards each other. After that they compactly hit my head together.

Bonks…

"Ouch! W-Is that necessary, oi?!"

"How dare you hide something from us" said Kudou.

"Eh?"

"We already know everything, 'Exception'."

When Hira said those words, I was surprised not to play because they could know it without me telling.

"Where do you know that?"

They both looked towards Herlin. While Herlin looked in the direction and without guilt instead posed 'peace'.

"I-I'm sorry, I just don't want you guys involved with any of this. This is no joke and could endanger your lives. I'm really sorry."

There was a silent pause from the two of them when they heard my apology, but in the end they were able to accept it.

"Well, whatever, you used to love heroism."

"really so. Oh yeah, you work here, right? Make us some good coffee, huh?!"

"You are the best! Two of the best quality coffees are coming soon! Oh right, Anna-san wants to too?"

"Nn. Me too!"

"All right then. By the way, what about the latest class division?"

"Ah about that, we both went to class B, while you and Ririsaka-san went to class C."

Hearing that, my already overflowing sense of affection leaked out instantly and spilled out instantly. Why, why am I the one who just wants to have fun is always the unlucky victim of fate.

"FUCK YOU, YOU FATE!!!"

Seriate