Mayonaka no X Giten 7

Midnight Cross Method 7

p1: =====================================
[insert]: As he stands in Mikuni’s body, where does Kirishima Sachi’s gaze lie?

Written by Yamaguchi Mikoto
Art by BAREISHO
Midnight Cross Method
Chapter 7: And the Game Continues

p2: =====================================
[sfx]: Ding-dong!

Coming… Whoever might you be?
[sfx]: Unlock

Wh… What is it? Huh…? You’re Ai-chan’s friend…?
HUH?!
/ Wait! You can’t just barge in here!
*Pitter*
/ *Patter*

*Thud*
/ *Thud*
/ / *Thud!
What…?
/ You’re coming here?

p3: =====================================
[sfx]: Shove!

*BANG*!

Kirishima... Ai-san? Are you in there?
Hey! If you don’t put a top to this right now, I’ll call the police!!
…Who are you? I… can’t recall ever hearing your voice.

I have something important to tell you about your brother.
…A… About Sachi-niisama?

……….
[sfx]: Slowly

[sfx]: Swing

p4: =====================================
Thank goodness!
I got here before him!

…Who are you?

p5: =====================================
I met your brother earlier today.
You did?
When I did, sh—I mean, he told me something critical.

What was that?

I’m sorry, Auntie. I would like to have a conversation alone with him…
…!
It’s all right. If anything happens, I’ll be quick to call out.

[sfx]: Shut

So then… What was so important that you had to come tell me?

p6: =====================================
Kirishima Sachi escaped from jail for the purpose of killing you.

He escaped…?

And furthermore, to kill me?
/ Did he say so himself?
Not explicitly… but that’s gotta be it.

p7: =====================================
He said there was something on the outside he “forgot.”
/ And it seems that thing’s you, Ai.

But how did he escape from jail?
Well… I can’t give you any details… And, more accurately, it wasn’t he who escaped from jail, but rather just his soul, basically…

Don’t tell me… he swapped bodies with someone?
!!

You know about swapping bodies?
I do…

[sfx]: Creak
…After all…

p8: =====================================
I’m the one who taught my brother about it…

…Seems someone’s already here.

At any rate, for now,
I should hide somewhere until my sister falls asleep.

Found you!
[sfx]: Freeze!

p9: =====================================
Argh! I’ve been looking all over for you, Sempai! Weren't you the one who called a meeting today?
If I recall correctly, she… is a member of BKR.

Now then, let’s get going. Everyone’s already there waiting for you.
[sfx]: Grab

[sfx]: Briskly
[sfx]: Briskly

p10: =====================================
I’m so sorry, but I just can’t go right now.
[sfx]: Squeeze
……….?!

Wh… Why not? Aren’t you someone who puts the job first?!
………..

There is something I absolutely have to do.
No… no matter what?

Yes… No matter what.
Oh! Then let me help with that! Then we can finish quicker, right?

p11: =====================================
You know, you…
are rather… tenacious.

You… wouldn’t happen to know who I am, would you?
[sfx]: Slowly…

[sfx]: Squeeze
W… Well…

p12: =====================================
DARN WELL I DO!!!
[sfx]: Whoosh!
[sfx]: Miss!

Now then… Given that you know the situation, I trust you’re one of Kamiya-kun’s little gang?

So… What’ll you do? We might both be in female bodies…
but I’m a guy on the inside. Furthermore, I’ve dabbled in martial arts.
/ As for you… You’re a little violent, but you’re just a regular girl—
And with that little bit of extra fat around your chest, won’t you be weaker than me?
/ No matter how you spin it, I don’t think you have a chance.

p13: =====================================
[sfx]: Smirk
Thanks…
/ FOR THE HEADS-UP!!

[sfx]: Sweep!

[sfx]: Thud!
?!

[sfx]: Shocked!
My conditions... are the same.

p14: =====================================
After all, I’ve dabbled in martial arts myself.

Looks like I’m beat… So it’s Kamiya-kun inside there, I take it?
And furthermore… “Dabbled”? No. You’re easily good enough to have a black belt.

By the way, just how did you manage to find me? I can’t imagine you did so blindly.
Even if you guessed I’d be near Ai, you were too quick.

p15: =====================================
Now, would the answer happen to have anything to do with that body?
Th… That’s…

Several hours earlier
…So, what am I doing?

I’m in her body, so… now what?
[sfx]: Shudder
Her boobs are so heavy…

Didn’t I tell you? You’re using the trump card.
/ And that trump card is Kaede’s Cross Ability!

Listen. Don’t ask any questions—just take a whiff of this.
?

p16: =====================================
Uh… umm, these look like panties to me…?
I told you not to ask any questions!!

Kaede’s Cross Ability, Stalking Perfume—or as she calls it, “I LOVE YOU ONEE-SAMA”—lets her ascertain someone’s present location…
by smelling her underwear.
[insert]: Though there is one limitation: the person must’ve worn it sometime in the past 24 hours.
I see… This is definitely one ability you wouldn’t want to use.
[small]: Heck, what’s with that look? / It’s like you’re proud of it.

Good, you get it. Now quit nitpicking and smell!!!
[sfx]: Shove!
Mgh!

p17: =====================================
By the way, would you be so kind as to tell me what sort of ability you used?
Heck no!

Well, that’s fine. So? What are you planning to do now?
To make you give us that body back, of course.

Now wait one moment. I still haven’t finished what I need to do with the thing I forgot.
/ And breaking promises is just wrong.

DON’T SCREW WITH ME!
/ You think I’m just going to let you get away with murder before my very eyes?!!

Huh?
/ Murder…?
Who are you implying is killing whom?

…Obviously, you’re going to be killing your sister, Ai!
That’s the thing you “forgot,” right?!

p18: =====================================
[sfx]: Sigh
It seems you kids have terribly misunderstood something…

Well, I can’t say I blame you. After all, you don’t know the truth behind the Kirishima Family Mass-Murder…
/ Although, that said, I don’t know the truth, either.
Huh?

Only one person knows everything: my sister, Ai.
…….

Oh… would a friend of yours happen to be inside my aunt’s home right now?

…Yeah. Mikuriya went in there, wearing my body, in order to be Kirishima Ai’s bodyguard.

p19: =====================================
Did she now…
That might be a touch… dangerous.

Wh… What?
/ What’re you on about?
What are you trying to say?!

Hey, mister? Can you hear my voice?
…Did you fall asleep?

p20: =====================================
What a pity…

Oh well.
/ Now then, it’s time…
to continue what I started that day.
[sidebar]: Madness dwells in the girl!