Chapter 166: Ayane and Nozomi will compete for Noah.

Three girls were approaching along the park path toward Ayane’s group.

Nozomi Kurayami walked in front at a leisurely pace, wearing a smile that was far too satisfied.

To her right was Aoi Kurotsuki and to her left, Rina Aoyama.

The three of them were carrying bags, quite a few bags with food, drinks, new supplies, and one of them was even carrying a box with the logo of a specialized equipment supplier.

Reina looked at everything, then looked at her noodles, then looked back at the bags, and her expression turned very serious.

Nozomi stopped in front of the table, glanced at Ayane’s notebook, Misaki’s used bullets, and Reina’s noodles, then smiled again.

"Looks like you’re not doing so well financially."

Ayane answered immediately.

"It shouldn’t concern you."

Reina slurped her noodles, but the sound was too loud and Ayane looked at her, so Reina raised her hands.

"What?"

Nozomi observed the cup.

"Whatever you say."

Ayane crossed her arms.

"We’re managing our resources."

"Sure."

Nozomi looked at Misaki.

"And her?"

Misaki held up a bullet.

"Maintenance."

Nozomi tilted her head slightly.

"You reuse ammo?"

"Yes."

Aoi looked at Rina, who tried not to smile, and Reina pointed at them.

"Don’t laugh."

Rina answered.

"I wasn’t laughing."

"Your face gives you away."

Nozomi set one of the bags on the table. Inside were several containers of food, so Reina looked at them and Nozomi noticed.

"Want some?"

Ayane answered before she could.

"No, she’s fine."

Reina turned immediately.

"Don’t answer for me!"

"We won’t accept anything."

"I will!"

"I told you no."

Nozomi smiled.

"I can give you something."

Ayane looked at her.

"We don’t need charity."

"I wouldn’t call it charity."

"Then what?"

"Support for a unit having difficulties."

Ayane narrowed her eyes.

"We don’t have difficulties."

Reina was still eating plain instant noodles, so Nozomi pointed at her.

"She looks like she’s having difficulties."

Reina raised a finger.

"Don’t drag me into this."

Ayane spoke.

"We’re perfectly fine."

Aoi set another bag on a bench and the contents made a sound, so Reina looked at it.

"Is that meat?"

Aoi answered.

"Yes."

Reina closed her eyes.

"I’m suffering."

Ayane gave her a light tap on the arm.

"Behave."

Nozomi watched the scene with clear satisfaction.

"I heard they pulled almost all your support."

Ayane smiled.

"You’re a little too interested in our unit?"

Nozomi smiled back.

"I just care about fellow members of the organization."

"We’re not comrades."

"We work for the same organization."

"That doesn’t make us friends."

"I never said we were friends."

The atmosphere shifted and Reina stopped eating while Misaki raised her eyes.

Aoi and Rina also watched both leaders.

Nozomi rested a hand on her hip.

"Anyway, I’m surprised."

"About what?"

"That a unit led by Ayane Kagetsu ends up counting pennies to buy noodles."

Ayane answered without changing expression.

"And I’m surprised that a unit with so many resources still hasn’t gotten any important results."

Aoi frowned while Rina stopped smiling, but Nozomi kept her smile.

"We have results."

"Which ones?"

"Information."

"So do we."

"Resources."

"We already saw those."

"Access."

Ayane leaned forward a little.

"And Noah?"

There was a silence and Nozomi’s smile faded while Ayane continued.

"You had the chance to capture him."

Reina raised an eyebrow while Misaki watched Nozomi more closely and Ayane went on.

"He was with you."

"That was different."

"And where is he now?"

Nozomi didn’t answer and Ayane smiled faintly.

"Exactly."

Reina tried to hide a laugh behind the cup, but Nozomi looked at her and Reina immediately lowered her head.

"I’m eating."

Nozomi looked back at Ayane.

"At least I managed to take him somewhere private."

Ayane lost her smile and Reina stopped eating.

Misaki looked at Ayane, who answered.

"You kidnapped him."

"Those are details."

"You tried to force him to marry you."

Nozomi shrugged.

"I had a contract."

"Which he rejected."

"He could have changed his mind."

"He didn’t."

"Because the magical girls and you interfered."

Ayane spoke at once.

"It wasn’t me."

"Your unit."

Nozomi took a step toward her.

"Maybe next time you won’t make it."

Ayane stood up as well.

"Maybe next time you won’t get the chance."

The two of them stood face to face.

Aoi took a small step toward Nozomi while Misaki put away one of the bullets and Reina looked from one side to the other.

"Are we going to fight?"

Ayane and Nozomi answered at the same time.

"No."

Reina sat back down.

"What a letdown."

Rina sighed and Nozomi crossed her arms.

"Anyway, it looks like we’ll be competing for a while."

Ayane raised an eyebrow.

"Compete?"

"For results."

"Then you need to start getting some."

Nozomi smiled.

"We can also compete for Noah."

Ayane froze while Reina’s eyes widened and Misaki looked straight at Ayane.

Aoi and Rina seemed immediately interested.

Ayane took a moment to answer.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about."

Nozomi observed her reaction.

"Of course you don’t."

"Noah is an organizational target."

"Is that all?"

"Yes."

Reina lowered her gaze to hide a smile while Misaki made no effort to hide that she didn’t believe her.

Nozomi stepped a little closer.

"Then you won’t mind if I’m the one who captures him."

Ayane kept a serious expression.

"I won’t allow any unit to act irresponsibly."

Nozomi smiled.

"That wasn’t what I asked."

"That was my answer."

For a few seconds neither of them spoke and, finally, Nozomi stepped back.

"Fine."

She picked up one of the bags.

"We’ll see each other."

Ayane answered.

"Surely."

Nozomi started to leave with Aoi and Rina, but before getting too far she turned her head.

"By the way."

Ayane looked at her.

"If you need food..."

Reina raised her head, but Ayane answered.

"No."

Nozomi smiled.

"...I can recommend a cheap place."

Ayane closed her eyes.

"Leave."

Nozomi laughed and kept walking.

Aoi and Rina went with her.

Reina waited until they disappeared into the distance and then looked at Ayane.

"We should have taken the food."

"No."

"There was meat and chicken."

"I said no."

"Also something that looked like pork."

"Reina."

"I’m just saying pride doesn’t fill your stomach."

Misaki spoke.

"She’s right about that."

Ayane looked at both of them.

"Are you two on her side?"

Misaki answered.

"I’m on the side of efficient nutrition."

Reina held up the empty cup.

"I’m on the side of anything that isn’t these noodles."

Ayane sat back down and opened the notebook again.

"Then we’ll learn to cook better with the budget we have."

Reina dropped her head onto the table.

"This can’t be happening."

"Yes."

"I don’t want to."

"We’ll also cut unnecessary expenses."

Reina lifted her head.

"More?"

"Yes."

"What’s left?"

Ayane checked a column.

"Entertainment."

Reina went completely still.

"No, anything but that."

Ayane kept reading.

"Prepared food."

"Don’t keep going."

"Drinks."

"No."

"Impulse buys."

"No!"

Misaki put the recoverable bullets into a small box.

"This is going to be fun."

Reina looked at her.

"For who?"

Ayane continued doing calculations, but her concentration was no longer fully on the numbers.

She remembered Nozomi and her comment about competing for Noah.

Ayane tightened her grip slightly on the pen.

’Ridiculous.’

She wasn’t competing for Noah, so Nozomi could think whatever she wanted.

Ayane was only trying to make sure Noah didn’t fall into the hands of dangerous people and that was all.

Reina spoke.

"You’re breaking the pen."

Ayane looked at her hand.

The plastic casing had a small crack, so she let it go.

"We need to buy another one."

Misaki answered.

"It’s not in the budget."

Ayane looked at her and Reina started laughing.

The reduction in resources was already annoying enough.

Now she also had to put up with Nozomi, and something told her that encounter wouldn’t be the last.