With the appearance of Junishima Sakura, The problem that the girls couldn’t solve came crashing right in front of them. Confirming that Sakura was indeed here, Taiyou thought that he needed to protect the three girls, however even before he had the chance to react, the three girls let go of his hands.

  Suzune and Kazane went to the front of him and Kotone being the eldest was standing at the front of her sisters as if she was trying to protect/shield all of them with her body.

  Their actions weren’t planned out, however they did not show the slightest hesitation to jumping in front of Taiyou.

  Without wavering they jumped in front of their adversary, the girls had strong resolve and was willingly volunteering themselves to become his shield. Taiyou understood their kind intentions.

  However, He wasn’t going to let them do whatever they pleased. Taiyou believed that being protected by girls just because he was slightly injured, was not something he could accept, as a man he thought that he should do something.

  Thinking such thoughts, Taiyou gently pulled Kotone backwards and he stepped forward in front of the girls to replace their position.

  「Taiyou-san!」


  「I’m alright, thanks to you guys my bleeding has stopped 」


  After he gave a smile to the girls, his line of vision once again turned to focus on Sakura.

  Her appearance had not changed at all since he last met her. Her cold-hearted piercing smile, the tight skirt she was wearing and even the atmosphere she exuded were all the same. There was only one aspect of her that that was different from before.

  Her intimidation factor raised another level. It was as if he was facing some sort of boss character from an RPG that appeared to block his way whenever he reached a certain milestone.

  Taiyou was leading the vanguard and faced her head on.

  「You, Are you alone?」


  Whilst he said this, he was looking around his vicinity——-he was looking for Hera, after finding her he exchanged looks with her to communicate something.

  「Roger desu?!」


  After their secret exchange Hera saluted Taiyou and flew into the air and left. Hera seemed to have understood that Taiyou wanted her to scout around the area. After she flew around the vicinity, she looked at Taiyou and made a circle symbol on top of her head with her hands. (Note: a Circle in Japan is commonly used as a positive symbol meaning OK/good/all clear)

  「Yes, I am here by myself」


  「…….It would seem, that I don’t “sense” any of your bodyguards with you this time around」


  Making use of the information he obtained from Hera, He tried to intimidate Sakura.

  「Oh? I didn’t know you had such an ability」


  「You never know, what I just said may have been just a bluff」


  「That can’t be true. You seemed so definite about your statement. If you’re telling me that what you said was a bluff, then you certainly have the qualifications to become an actor」


  「I don’t particularly like Olive Oil, you know?」(Note: This particular expression is about how Japanese people drink a little bit of olive oil before going out for drinks, in order to line their stomachs to stop them from getting drunk. If you are an actor in Japan it would seem that going out for drinks and socializing with producers and such is the norm)

  「That is a shame, that is one of the critical aspects of the job」


  Both of them were “smiling daggers” at each other whilst exchanging a superficial conversation.

  「Don’t worry, I’m not here to fight with you guys. Actually, it’s more like I can’t interfere」


  「You can’t?」


  「All my subordinates are currently all injured and they aren’t of any use to me, moreover, the backer that was providing my organisation with funds has mysteriously disappeared without any reason. The girl’s father was screaming and complaining about something or other, but the fact is I don’t have any more chess pieces under my control, and there is nothing I can do about that」


  「Aren’t you giving up way too easily? 」


  「Who knows? I could just be playing a trick on you, whilst keeping something up my sleeve」


  「……………If what you said just now was all just acting, it would be my pleasure to get deceived」


  It seemed as though she was also trying to play tricks on his mind, and she was able to construct a believable lie in an instant. In terms of being able to physiologically manipulate one’s opponent, he thought that she was at least one to two times better than him at it.

  Although at first…..He was the one trying to befuddle her with his witty conversational skills, it was in fact him who began to get absorbed by her pace.

  Taiyou swallows down his worries and straightforwardly asks her one more time.

  「You’re telling me that you are really alone right?」


  「I swear it upon my family name Juniishima」


  「Your smile seems so untrustworthy that I don’t think I can believe you」


  「Fufufu」(*Laughter* in a lady like manner)

  「Then, please enlighten me as to why you’ve come alone?」


  「Aren’t I allowed to come by myself? Even if I am by myself, you never know……I might be able to defeat you and bring away the girls by myself」


  「……….You don’t really seem that strong to me」


  He once again, took a good look at Sakura. She had killer legs that could probably strangle you to death. Boobs that would burst out of her clothes at any given moment….. And to top it off, her overall style was like a model.

  Although it may have been too presumptuous of him to say it, her body looked nothing like a seasoned warrior.

  「I could say the same to you, your body does not look as if it could destroy walls」


  「Muuu……」


  Taiyou was once again at a loss for words. These were words which could also apply to the White Girl. (Note: white girl = shirokiyami) To begin with, the white girl appearance also looked frail and delicate, as if she could be blown away by the wind.

  That’s why he decided that people could not be judged by their appearance.

  In such a case, Sakura having a war potential was not so unrealistic anymore……….Taiyou re took his fighting stance and carefully watched Sakura’s movements.

  「Oh? Are you finally going to believe in my words? Don’t you think you are getting tricked way too easily? 」


  「………Even so, there is no disadvantage in taking precautions 」


  「That is also reasonable」


  For a little while, they were both just staring at each other in silence.

  Hera and the three sisters were all watching with suspense as to what would happen next.

  「Fufu, Let’s leave it at this for today」


  Sakura smiled gracefully.

  「Because I am truly weak. I don’t have any individual battle power. If I could do something, it would be to slap someone’s cheeks with a bundle of money」


  「What a cheap technique」(note: Taiyou is referring to her ability to bribe people)

  「If it can achieve a desirable outcome and achieve my goals, no matter the methods I believe it is good to use it」


  「I also agree with such a statement completely」


  「Fufu, Aren’t the two of us unexpectedly quite matching for each other?」


  「From the way it is now, It is more likely that we will grow to hate each other」


  「Even if that is so, that could also be a lovely development」


  Whilst saying such things, Sakura had a bewitching smile on her face.

  Taiyou suddenly notices that he was already sucked into the conversation led by Sakura once again. She had a way with people that was able to enrapture them with her words.

  Although it was a troublesome thing, he did not feel like it was unpleasant to converse with Sakura. In fact, he quite liked the witty conversations he shared with her.

  If only they were able to meet under different circumstances…. one where the three sisters weren’t involved, things may have been different between them—- As he was thinking such things.

  「Taiyou-chan, Taiyou-chan!」


  Hera begins to panic all of a sudden, and she flew in front of Taiyou. As he was unable to actually respond to Hera with words, He just looked at her with a glance that said “What’s Wrong?”.

  「Taiyou-chan you are being aimed at! There, there and there……..Even on the rooftop, there are so many people, with sniper rifles all aimed at you! 」


  「—tsu!」


  Taiyou’s expression changes, and he immediately looks towards the directions Hera pointed out to him.

  「Oh? It seems with the kind of face you are currently showing that you have realised what’s going on. What an interesting person you are—-Although it may be a little late」


  「You have snipers!」


  「You are correct. Then without the need for me to to explain…..You understand the position you are in right? 」


  「Your actions are way to exaggerated, using such an underhanded move」


  「It is you who is unable to see how important this matter is. If we can establish a method in which we can make a woman stay permanently youthful, the amount of money we could obtain is not in the mere hundred millions, it would result in profits exceeding a trillion. Facing such a large sum of money “it is unavoidable” that mere words cannot resolve the issue」


  「……..The fact that your argument is so persuasive makes me feel irritated」


  「Fufu, Now then, It seems that I have you completely cornered with all the snipers aiming at you, How do you wish to proceed, I wonder? Do you have the power to dodge bullets? 」


  「……」


  Taiyou was silent, that kind of power………right now he did not possess the ability to get out of his predicament.

  Seeing Taiyou not moving a muscle, the three sisters began to talk.

  「Taiyou-san, what does she mean by?」


  「A sniper….?」


  「—! Are you being aimed at?!」


  「You girls don’t have to worry, none of my men will aim their gun’s at you」


  Sakura said such things with her usual expression.

  「Since meeting you, this may well be the most trustworthy thing you’ve said」


  Taiyou thought, that Sakura was a very clever person, she was the type of person that would be meticulous in their approach to achieving their objectives and it was true that she didn’t want the girls to be hurt.

  In other words, because she wanted them as “test subjects” the safety of the three sister’s bodies were most likely guaranteed.

  「I can’t say that I dislike your way of thinking, as expected it would seem that we are quite compatible with each other. If you weren’t my enemy, it would be enough for me to want to go on a date with you」


  「That statement is a complete lie isn’t it?」


  「Oh? I couldn’t get you to believe me this time? Fufu, I guess, I’m reaping what I sow after lying so much」


  Whilst giving him a smile she quietly observes Taiyou. Her pupils seem to constrict themselves, as if asking Taiyou “Well, what are you going to do now?”.

  Taiyou was thinking.

  About what he could do to overcome such a pinch. He was desperately searching for a solution………However no matter how hard he thought he could not figure out what to do. He had absolutely no method of dealing with the long range specialists.

  In conclusion, there was nothing he could do in the current situation.

  He felt despair creeping in and his thoughts started to darken.

  Sakura’s objective is to kidnap the three sisters. Furthermore, he could not stop her.

  That is to say, he either got shot for resisting and the girls would get kidnapped, or he could just stand there and do nothing as the girls get taken away right in front of him.

  Those two miserable options were the only ones he could take right now.

  Although the things he could do were different, they both would result in the girls being kidnapped. If those were the only two options, he thought that it would be more logical to just suck on his thumbs and obediently hand the girls over…….

  (What am I thinking!?)

  Taiyou clears his head by shaking it, and he threw away such negative thoughts from his mind.

  Seeing such a reaction from Taiyou, Sakura let out a thin smile and raises her hand high above her head. Sakura joined her thumb and the middle finger together, and readied a pose to snap her fingers together.

  With that kind of signal, it was obvious that the bullet was about to arrive from the location Hera pointed out as soon as Sakura clicked her fingers.

  (What should I do, what can I do?!)

  「I will ask you one last time, Won’t you kindly hand over the girls to me?」


  Though he was asked, Taiyou had his lips sealed shut.

  He could not find the answer………He could not answer such a question!

  In that moment, the three girls as if trying to protect Taiyou, surrounded him from all sides. Their faces was filled with determination.

  「Fall back, you guys don’t have to do something like this—-」


  The girls did something that was unnecessary for Taiyou. Originally their safety was supposedly guaranteed by Sakura, and he didn’t want this to change.

  Therefore Taiyou was going to tell them to back off and gently push the girls aside.

  However

  「Taiyou-chan!」


  Hera suddenly calls out towards Taiyou, as if she had discovered something once again.

  「You must kiss these girls?」


  What he heard coming out of Hera’s mouth was a completely absurd proposition.