This place… The shelter is just too vast. I was guided into an expansive area paved with mysterious stone-like materials.

Tenuto began to explain.

"This shelter has three main features. First, absolute soundproofing using a vacuum. Second, the temperature and humidity are always kept at optimal levels. And third, the flow of time is slow."

"Flow of time?"

"I don't fully understand it either, but it seems to resemble a dangerous celestial body like a black hole, yet it's maintained in a state of miraculous balance that keeps it safe. According to the theory of relativity, in this black hole, 30 minutes outside feel like 24 hours inside."

"24 hours!"

Probably, it takes 30 minutes for the enemies to reach the girls' dormitory, which feels like 24 hours inside. With that much time, I might be able to learn one new magical sheet music.

I quickly glanced through the sheet for "Regenesis Blues."

It heavily utilizes the syncopation and irregular time signatures characteristic of blues, making the rhythm itself difficult. Additionally, the range from high to low notes is wide, making throat control challenging. Can I maintain consistent articulation and touch? Furthermore, the chord progressions are complex, likely placing a high burden on Tenuto, who accompanies on the piano.

And perhaps the biggest challenge is the improvisation part. There's a section where you can freely play within the blues scale. In the sheet music that Eliza probably wrote alone, improvisation doesn't appear much, but in the sheet music where Akira is said to have intervened, it appears frequently. His commitment to musical freedom is evident.

The quality of the improvisation will affect the magnitude of the spell's effect. I realize now that I'm being faced with a daunting task.

"Can you do it?"

"Heh. You first."

It feels like a conversation between a man and a woman, making my heart race. If a man and a woman were left alone in a place like this, it might be possible to charm her, but Tenuto remains a proper gentleman.

We create a soundproof barrier with magic and start practicing our parts together.

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After the A part and B part, we need to properly perform the improvisation part to activate the magic, but starting with the A part at the entrance is difficult. I even thought that in 24 hours, I might only be able to complete the A part.

However, with repeated practice, I gradually improved the accuracy. It was a challenging piece with tricky rhythms, and having a reference recording would have been helpful, but there was probably no time to prepare one. I diligently worked on it, keeping time with a metronome.

After six hours, the A part and B part were reasonably well-formed. Should I synchronize with Tenuto? If that goes well, then the improvisation part. There's no time left. Will I make it in time?

By the way, how is Usamov doing? Although Lara said she could read the mysterious equation called the "Karma Point."

"What’s this about? Even if you give me something like this, I don’t understand a thing."

Since Usamov-kun handed me a piece of paper with strange equations, I couldn't help but complain.

"He said that if it were Forte, you might be able to decode it."

"Forte, really? You’re overestimating me. There's no way I can understand something like this. Besides, what even is a Karma Point?"

"Well, um…"

"You gave me something I don't understand? Fine! I'll look it up."

I use the search engine on my magic smartphone to investigate Karma Points.

"All the results are related to games or pachinko. Could it be a strategy for professional gamblers? Hmm, that can’t be. I'll exclude games using negative search terms and try other keywords. Maybe something will come up if I combine it with 'Edge Shadow.' Oh, here it is."

Among the search results, a minor personal blog appears.

"Edge Hope Corporation is a black company. Inside the company, they've created a shitty metric called Karma Points, and we're constantly forced to take actions that earn those numbers. We've been made to install an app called [Karma Teams], a ridiculous name, and our actions are linked to the app, being monitored continuously. The rules for how these numbers are calculated remain shrouded in mystery, but it seems that deceiving or pressuring people increases them. At this rate, people's minds will break."

"Hmm, I see. So the equation for these Karma Points is written on this paper. I understand, I understand."

For now, I grasp the overview, so I focus again on the equations.

"The symbols are used as if it's obvious, but I can't really tell what each represents."

"Even for you, Lara, it’s difficult," Usamov said, which really pissed me off.

"What can humans do without prior information? Even the most advanced computer can only compute with the information given to it. It’s the same here."

Although I pushed him away, there must be information that can be gleaned from the paper.

"I can’t understand the finer details, but this equation hinges on the variable D."

"D?"

"Here, it says '…+ kΣD +…'. What this means is that if all employees of Edge Shadow Holdings act to maximize their D values, Karma Points can likely be earned in substantial amounts. It’s no exaggeration to say that the organization operates based on D. If we can figure out what D really is, maybe… And if we can somehow hack and rewrite this equation, perhaps… Hey, Usamov, do you have any idea what D might be?"

"I have no clue. Even if you mention D, I’ve never had such a conversation with Akira."

Just as we were discussing this, there was a loud thud outside, followed by a scream of "Kya!"

And then the sound of a violin. It seems the enemies have arrived.

I need to call the two who have gone underground quickly.