“You belong to Onii-san.”
Kokoro Hattori wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and stood up from her seat.
“Boss, Jiang Jian Yue.”
Jiang Jian Yue raised her hand and pressed Kokoro Hattori back into the seat.
“…It will be fine.”
She wasn’t good at comforting others.
“Thank you for taking care of my brother.”
Kokoro Hattori’s voice was thick with sobs, but she still managed to say the polite words with difficulty.
Kokoro Hattori lowered her face, hiding her exhaustion beneath her long hair.
A mother collapsed, a father went mad, an older brother seriously injured…
Jiang Jian Yue couldn’t imagine how painful it must be for this sister, who was much older than her.
Jiang Jian Yue stood silently in front of her.
Words of comfort were stuck in her throat and wouldn’t come out.
She hated this feeling of powerlessness, and hated even more projecting it onto others.
The “meaning” of Koji Hattori was now wandering at the edge between life and death.
And his family was enduring the most direct pain brought by the Heart Worm.
She moved stiffly and sat down in the empty seat next to Kokoro.
The plastic chair let out a slight creak.
She didn’t look at Kokoro, just stared at the tightly closed operating room door, her blood-red eyes swirling with thoughts.
What should she say?
What could she do?
“Onii-san…will be okay, right?”
Kokoro Hattori suddenly spoke, her voice a little hoarse.
“He is…a Superpower User…stronger than…ordinary people…don’t worry.”
Though she said so, Jiang Jian Yue herself was uncertain.
“Mm, thank you.”
Kokoro Hattori thanked softly, but couldn’t lift her spirits.
Silence once again enveloped the two.
No one knew how much time passed before the operating room door finally opened.
A doctor in a green surgical gown walked out, exhaustion on his face.
Kokoro immediately sprang from her seat.
Jiang Jian Yue stood up as well, her gaze sharp as she looked at the doctor.
“Doctor! My Onii-san!”
Kokoro’s voice trembled slightly.
“We did everything we could to save him…”
Jiang Jian Yue clenched her fist, but then heard the doctor continue,
“So now he’s out of danger.”
“…?”
Doctor, with a way of speaking like that, it’s a miracle you’ve survived this world so far.
A huge wave of relief crashed over Kokoro Hattori.
Her legs went weak, and she nearly collapsed to the floor.
Jiang Jian Yue reacted quickly and caught her.
The girl’s body was light and still trembling.
“Tha…thank you, doctor! Thank you!”
Kokoro sobbed.
Jiang Jian Yue also let out a slight sigh of relief, her tense shoulders easing just a bit.
At least, Koji Hattori’s life was saved.
“Young Lady.”
A member of the Dark Crow Unit approached Jiang Jian Yue and spoke softly,
“There’s important news from Tokyo that requires your decision.”
Jiang Jian Yue nodded and spoke to Kokoro Hattori.
“If you have any difficulties…contact me…”
She took a piece of paper from the storage space, her phone number written on it, and placed it in Kokoro Hattori’s hand.
“Thank you…”
***
[EU Announces Boycott of GSAC, Bans Domestic Superpower Users from Competing in Japan]
The Council of the European Union today passed an emergency resolution, citing the “protection of European Superpower User safety and rights,” and officially announced a boycott of the “Global Superpower Competition” led by Japan’s Dawn Resources Group.
The resolution required member states to prohibit registered Superpower Users from traveling to Japan for competition, and warned that “there may be potential ties between the event organizers and extremist organizations.”
This move is seen as retaliation against DRG’s recent aggressive expansion in Central Africa.
[Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Statement: Strong Protest Against Unreasonable EU Sanctions]
In response to the EU’s sanctions, the Minister of Foreign Affairs issued a stern protest, stating:
“The EU’s weaponization of visas seriously undermines the global superpower cooperation framework and previously agreed visa-free policies.”
DRG’s spokesperson in Japan also stated:
“Event security is jointly managed by the Japanese government and DRG, and the EU’s accusations are baseless.”
This incident is one of the subsequent effects of DRG’s occupation of Rwanda and the overthrow of the sitting government.
For some reason, Shang San Chang has remained silent on the matter.
Since the exposure of the Ikebukuro Monster Incident, diplomatic activities have generally shifted to a low-profile mode.
Logically speaking, Europe isn’t the only party with interests at stake in Africa.
But for Dawn Resources Group, it’s a good thing—they only have to deal with enemies from Europe.
“Because this involves Central Africa and Europe, we can’t make decisions lightly.”
By the time the plane landed at Haneda Airport, it was already early morning of the next day.
After getting into Morita Aoya’s car and listening to the report, Jiang Jian Yue nodded slightly.
“Negotiations?”
If it were before, Jiang Jian Yue would have simply told the European lords to get lost—come or don’t, whatever.
However, the more successful the GSAC is, the more it showcases Dawn Resources Group’s influence and voice in Japan, which is only beneficial for future plans.
“That’s what we’re preparing for, but on the headquarters side, regarding European affairs…there may be conflicts.”
Morita Aoya replied with some difficulty.
“Ignore Central Africa.”
“…Understood.”
“If…negotiations fail…is there a backup plan?”
Jiang Jian Yue asked.
“The main backup is to directly contact participants from each European country, and have them form an alliance outside of their respective associations and organizations to collectively protest to the EU.”
Jiang Jian Yue swiped her phone screen, lost in thought for a while, and casually asked, “Is there a way to contact the Olympic Committee?”
Morita Aoya paused, understood what the Young Lady meant, and nodded.
“We’ll try.”
“And the prize money isn’t enough.”
Jiang Jian Yue shook her head.
“Is there a way…to prepare a prize with enough weight…?”
“…That would require cooperation from headquarters. If it needs to be significant enough…”
Morita Aoya stroked his chin.
“Test Model Battle Armor?”
That big killer?
That might not be appropriate.
“You handle it.”
Jiang Jian Yue answered casually, browsing the reactions of Japanese people to the incident on social media.
[The EU fears Japan leading the superpower era! GSAC has already attracted 70 participating countries including the US, China, and Russia, with an estimated economic impact of over 3 trillion yen. The EU will be left behind by the times!]
–This is the Order of the Winners.
[So why let DRG host it? Wasn’t Japan the first country to establish the International Superpower Forum? Now with the civilized world refusing to participate, we can only play house by ourselves!]
–This is the Order of the Losers.
[The EU is repeating the 1980 Moscow Olympics boycott farce. Ridiculous!]
–Isn’t that a misuse of analogy!?
Overall, public opinion leans towards DRG, mostly criticizing Europeans.
The recent Saiyonji incident silenced Japanese social media, but the GSAC event has since transformed DRG’s image into “good friends of the Japanese people.”
On anonymous boards, opinion is split—on one hand, mocking European lords, on the other, saying DRG isn’t great either, referencing documentaries about lack of human rights in Central Africa.
Anonymous boards are always so “clear-eyed about the world.”
“There’s another important matter. Our liaison office in Australia was raided by the police. Our people are detained, and the situation is unclear for now.”
The way that’s said, it sounds like a yakuza hangout got busted by the police.
“But based on inference, it’s related to that transport…event.”
Helping transport something and this is the reaction?
Jiang Jian Yue felt a headache coming on.
“I’ll ask.”
She sent a message questioning Long Yin on LINE, but there was no reply yet.
She sighed, shifted her gaze outside the car window, and gestured for Morita Aoya to stop so she could buy a late-night snack.
She hadn’t eaten dinner yet.
Night had deepened, and Tokyo’s neon lights flowed past the window in blurry streaks.
Dragging her exhausted body, Jiang Jian Yue opened the door to Room 2103.
The entryway sensor light flickered on, illuminating the chilly silence inside.
A faint aroma of food lingered in the air, reminding her that tonight was supposed to be a continuation of a Christmas dinner.
In her hand, she carried a pork cutlet bento and several rice balls with beer bought from the Convenience Store—even though she had a storage space, she still instinctively carried them by hand, only realizing after returning home.
Damn, was she so tired her head was spinning?
The living room was empty, and no light shone from beneath the second bedroom door.
Probably asleep?
She walked softly, placed the pork cutlet bento in the microwave to heat, and then returned to the master bedroom.
Pressing the switch, warm white light gently filled the room.
Her gaze habitually swept over the computer desk by the window, and then she froze.
On the desk, a palm-sized box wrapped in deep blue patterned gift paper lay quietly, tied with a simple silver ribbon.
Beside it was a folded note.
A present?
Jiang Jian Yue’s heart skipped a beat.
Christmas—she had completely forgotten about it!
Work, the Fukuoka incident, the heavy thoughts brought by the Heart Worm—they filled her mind, pushing out all thoughts of the holiday.
She hadn’t even prepared anything for Yuki Asahi.
A sour regret surged in her heart—at this age, children cared about things like gifts the most.
“Is it really that big a deal?”
Meiguan, silent for a long time, muttered.
She ignored Meiguan, walked to the desk, set her food aside, and with some hesitation picked up the small box.
It was light.
She untied the ribbon, peeled off the wrapping paper, and opened the simple cardboard box inside.
A pendant lay quietly on the dark velvet cushion.
Its design was simple yet powerful—an abstract sun, polished to a smooth sheen.
The material seemed like a warm golden metal, reflecting a soft glow in the light, as if it truly contained the warmth of sunlight.
A sun, huh…
Hehe, idiot.
It wasn’t an intentional couple’s item, but Jiang Jian Yue liked it.
“Tch.”
She placed the pendant and box on the desk, her eyes landing on the note.
She picked it up and unfolded it.
The handwriting was a little stiff but neat—Yuki Asahi’s.
Moon:
Merry Christmas, and happy birthday.
I hope you like this.
–Yuki Asahi
Jiang Jian Yue took a deep breath, suppressing the swirling emotions in her heart, and turned toward the second bedroom door.
The door was ajar, not fully closed.
“Asahi?”
She called softly, her hand knocking lightly on the door.
No response. The room was silent.
Asleep?
Sleeping that soundly?
She hesitated, but still reached out and gently pushed the half-open door.
As the corridor light spilled into the room, Jiang Jian Yue saw that it was empty.
The bed was neatly made, the blanket folded in one corner.
The newly bought desk was set up exactly like Amuro’s, and more luggage was stacked in the corner.
Everything was tidy—except for Yuki Asahi’s absence.
Not here?
This late…where did he go?
Tokushu Jishou Taiou Honbu?
Impossible.
If they needed him this late, it would mean the world was ending tomorrow.
Kaori Onishi?
She immediately dismissed the ridiculous thought.
Yuki Asahi wasn’t that kind of person, and Kaori Onishi couldn’t do it either!
Could it be…something happened?