Chapter 140: Departing the Island

After hearing Riku’s account, Hiroyuki fell into deep thought. Pega, not quite understanding what the two were agonizing over, didn't interrupt their contemplation and instead just followed along, kicking small pebbles on the beach.

"By the way, what did the Captain mean by 'special'?" Hiroyuki asked. He looked at Riku and Pega. The Captain had said Riku was special, and that Pega was special too—did that mean they shared some common trait?

As for the team the Captain had mentioned, it certainly wasn't the current unit operating under the Department of Unknown Affairs. After all, when Hiroyuki had joined, he had signed a thick stack of "indenture contracts"; it wasn't a matter of just agreeing and signing nothing.

"If there has to be a common trait, I suppose it's that... neither of us is from the Land of Light?" Riku conjectured. "If the Captain wanted to assemble another team, there are nearly a million active members of the Inter Galactic Defense Force. He could certainly select suitable candidates from there, given how many powerful individuals there are..."

As he said this, Riku’s voice trailed off, realizing he had inadvertently implied that "power" was a selection criterion, and that he himself was one of those powerful individuals.

"That's possible." Hiroyuki had no leads, so he could only agree it was possible. Yet, with Hikari having already concluded that "Hiroyuki equals Taiga," this theory didn't fit him.

"So, Riku, what is your decision?"

"I'm actually..." Riku furrowed his brows, hesitant.

"Riku wants to say yes to the Captain, doesn't he?" Pega asked. He was almost certain Riku was moved by the offer. Having listened along the way, he understood the situation well. He knew Riku too well and knew what he was worried about. Seeing Riku turn to look at him with eyes full of hesitation and worry, Pega quickly added, "Accept the Captain's offer! I want to accept it too, because the Captain said Pega is special as well!"

Pega’s small eyes seemed to glow at that moment. He was still savoring the way the Captain had leaned down and told him in a gentle, expectant tone that he was special—it had moved Pega deeply.

"Since the Captain invited me too, it must be because he needs me."

He was not just a "buy one, get one free" package deal with Riku, nor did he want to be seen as a burden. Since the Captain had extended the invitation personally, the Captain surely had proper arrangements in mind.

Riku was taken aback, then realized the truth. He rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. "I understand. In that case, I'll go give the Captain my answer."

Hiroyuki looked back, but the Captain and Taro had already vanished from sight.

"Don't rush. They're probably talking amongst themselves too; let's discuss it tonight."

Seeing the sky darkening, Riku, Pega, and Hiroyuki headed to the cafeteria. There were no staff members there now; it was a vast, empty space, though it was fully equipped with cooking utensils.

Pega, having stayed on the island for three days, navigated the area with ease. He led his two companions to rummage through the refrigerator, busied himself in the cooking area for a while, and finally, the three of them gathered at a table with various instant meal boxes.

The Captain had never counted on their ability to cook from scratch; the supplies brought to the island were all instant products that required only hot water or a microwave, making cleanup easy.

After lingering on the island for another day, the trio of Hiroyuki, Riku, and Pega packed their things, ready to depart.

Riku went to find the Captain, while Hiroyuki, having nothing to do, glanced at the still-sealed temporary laboratory. Knowing there was nothing for him to do there, he took a walk around the island. On a seaside reef, he encountered Taro, who was sitting there fishing.

Taro had changed his clothes. When he first arrived on Earth, he had worn an out-of-season black turtleneck trench coat that wrapped him up completely—it looked stiflingly hot for late June. Now, he wore a loose white short-sleeved T-shirt, which looked much more appropriate for the season.

Even his tense aura seemed to have relaxed a bit.

Hiroyuki crept over and peeked into the red plastic bucket.

Empty.

At that moment, Taro pulled his rod back with a swish. Naturally, the hook was empty; he hadn't caught a thing. He didn't seem disappointed, as if he were used to it, and simply continued baiting the hook with a sea worm.

"Are you feeding the fish?"

"Heh, I suppose so."

Taro couldn't help but laugh at the remark. He patted the empty space beside him, and Hiroyuki sat down.

"You're leaving the island tomorrow?"

"Yes. Aren't you coming with us?"

"Me? I'll stay a while longer..." He cast his line out with a swish. "I'm on vacation, after all. I can go wherever I want and stay as long as I like."

So Taro had decided to spend his vacation here, waiting for the day the sealed laboratory would open again.

"Besides, I heard from the Captain that Earth hasn't been very stable lately. It’s possible this place might come under attack."

In fact, they had been attacked just a few days ago. While the monster's appearance might have been a coincidence, it certainly posed a threat to the island.

"By staying here, I can just happen to protect the island."

Hiroyuki nodded. After all, the two "frail" scientists were already locked away in the lab, and leaving the Captain alone outside was indeed unsafe. Taro's presence would make things much more secure. With this thought, the trace of disappointment in Hiroyuki's heart dissipated. He looked at the distant horizon and said, "I'll probably come back at some point, since the Light Key is still in the lab."

When he had handed the Light Key to Hikari and the others, Hiroyuki had already adjusted the settings, but it was still somewhat inconvenient not having the key with him for further modifications.

This inability to adjust or enhance his power without the Light Key was an important phenomenon. Hikari had inferred from this that the key acted like a "valve," which explained why its own energy level wasn't particularly high—one didn't need immense power just to turn a valve.

If the Taiga Spark was a "valve," then the two ends connected to it must be "channels," and at the end of those channels lay...

"Be careful when you get to the mainland."

"Yes, you too. Please take care."

*

The next morning, the trio met at the dock to depart.

Riku didn't bring up the outcome of his talk with the Captain, so Hiroyuki didn't ask. However, Hiroyuki’s keen eyes noticed that both of them were wearing silver chains on their right wrists. The style seemed similar to the one the Captain wore—very thin. If they hadn't caught the light as they slipped from their sleeves, Hiroyuki would have missed them entirely.

Though they looked similar to the Captain’s, they lacked the oversized, flashy square diamond that adorned his.

Does that mean these chains don't serve as energy storage? Or perhaps, they don't need to store energy?

These thoughts flashed through Hiroyuki’s mind for only a second. On the distant horizon, a small yacht cut through the water, kicking up rows of white spray as it sped toward them.