Seventeen years ago, the fall of The Empire's First Archer had quietly changed many things.
For instance — the balance of power in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
It wasn't that Tokyo had ever been overflowing with Sixth Sequence fighters, or that Fourth and Fifth Sequence ability users had been a dime a dozen roaming the streets.
But... a single Fourth Sequence Aberrant.
Probably wouldn't have caused this much of a stir.
Yet... after that battle — a battle that could only be called annihilation — everything changed.
If Saint Michael hadn't happened to be in Tokyo on an exchange visit, and paid the price of shattering his own Word of Command and breaking his own wings to hold Kujou Iruka back in Chiba—
The Tokyo metropolitan area would probably, by now, have already become the territory claimed by The Abyss of Eternal Smiles.
Aberrants' abilities generally surpass those of Espers at the same Sequence level. Catastrophe Beasts even more so.
Someone like Su Yuzu — who could just pick up Behemoth and go punch Raven in the face — was a rare exception among rare exceptions.
That was precisely why she commanded such attention online. Such dazzling, luminous attention.
A Second Sequence Esper going toe-to-toe against a Third Sequence — even one hovering at the very edge of the Fourth Sequence — Aberrant. That kind of achievement naturally drew comparisons to... the Kujou Iruka of old.
[An average Fourth Sequence ability user would probably have a hard time putting Dai Ling down directly.]
"Rather than relying on those troublesome types..." Soga Yura bit her lip with quiet resolve.
Better to rely on herself.
She wanted to stand before Yuzu, resolute and unwavering, just as Yuzu had once stood before her — so that Yuzu could rest easy behind her back.
But then again... when it came to ability users at the Fourth Sequence and above, Soga Yura felt a different kind of worry creep in.
A worry that they might catch a whiff of the power clinging to Yuzu — that near-Catastrophe aura.
Tokyo had already endured one Kujou Iruka. It couldn't survive a second.
If they were to discover Yuzu's situation... Soga Yura didn't dare let herself think it through.
When the girl spoke the words — "It's just a Fourth Sequence..." — even Director Saionji froze where she stood.
She looked at the girl before her: lower lip caught between her teeth, gaze steady and unshakeable.
Her mind drifted to last night... to the battle that had unfolded at another point along Highway 107.
From satellite footage, all that could be seen was the earth heaving and roiling, stone serpents surging through the ground — and then, at the very end, a single radiant, magnificent arc of sword-light splitting the night open, severing the stone serpent's head clean from its body.
Last night... Soga Yura and Director Sakura had apparently come out on top.
Perhaps the girl really did have every right to say that.
Right at that moment — beep beep beep —
The notification chime from within the laboratory rang out. Yamabuki Nanako pulled up the message with practiced ease, skimmed through it at a glance, and then looked up.
"Director..."
"The one from the Fourth Action Division is here."
"The one?" Director Saionji paused for a moment before it clicked — Yamabuki Nanako was talking about Kujou Katora.
Normally, Yamabuki Nanako had virtually no goodwill toward Kujou Katora — if anything, barely concealed hostility.
But... the peculiar, delicate relationship between Kujou Katora and Su Yuzu made it genuinely difficult for her to use a derisive title in front of the girl.
"Is she here for Yuzu?" Even Director Saionji asked it almost on reflex.
"Yes..." Yamabuki Nanako nodded.
"But it's a proper matter to discuss."
"She'd also like the Director to join."
"Alright." Director Saionji glanced sideways at Yuzu and Soga Yura. "Then... shall we head over?"
Su Yuzu gave a small nod.
After giving Yamabuki Nanako and Unohana Chiyo a few instructions, Director Saionji led the girls out.
Unohana Chiyo didn't move.
She waited until the sound of their footsteps faded completely away, until the heavy clang of the laboratory's metal door slowly drawing shut rang through the air.
Only then did she look at the young girl before her.
"Yamabuki—" Unohana Chiyo began, as though she had something to say.
"No, no, no, absolutely not!!!" Yamabuki Nanako didn't even need to think to know exactly what this woman was about to say.
"You're retired — retired — do you understand that?!"
"Look at your hands—"
Soft, delicate hands... without a single callus on them.
[Because the original pair of hands had long since been destroyed.]
"Look at your eyes!"
Those ever-so-slightly unusual eyes — in the dim light of the laboratory, they were unmistakable.
[Because... the eyes she had once had were already pierced through.]
"What business do you have getting mixed up in Soga family matters?"
"Even Soga Retsu hasn't stepped in — what do you think you're doing?"
Her slight chest heaved. Yamabuki Nanako tilted her chin upward, staring at Unohana Chiyo — whose lips were pressed into a thin, stubborn line.
"You promised me——"
"You still have a debt to repay..."
"Don't you dare."
"Don't even think about dying."
—
The place where Kujou Katora was waiting for Su Yuzu and the others was the same place the two of them had first met.
Back then, Kujou Katora had been seated at the head of the conference table, legs crossed and propped up on the surface. She sat with her back to the window — technically bathed in sunlight — yet her pretty face was lost entirely in shadow.
That feeling... was perhaps the most fitting description of Kujou Katora you could find.
She stood in the light, yet had long since fallen into darkness.
Back then, Kujou Katora's voice had been so soft and languid — like a kitten kneading contentedly in someone's arms — and yet it carried not even the faintest trace of warmth.
No matter how enticing Kujou Katora's outfit was.
The moment you caught sight of those eyes of hers, a chill ran straight down your spine.
But now...
Su Yuzu had barely stepped through the entrance of the building housing the conference room alongside Director Saionji when she heard it — the rapid, crisp clack-clack-clack of leather boot heels striking tile, echoing from somewhere inside.
Kujou Katora came sprinting straight toward Su Yuzu.
Like a dog that had been apart from its owner for two weeks and had finally caught the scent of her returning home.
The only thing missing was Kujou Katora not having a loyal-dog tail of the cat-ear-clip variety attached.
If she did, the tail would probably be spinning at roughly propeller speed right about now.
Then again... with a tail like that, she probably couldn't have run this fast.
"Yuzu!" She was about to launch herself at Yuzu in a flying tackle — and then she caught sight of the pair of crimson eyes at Yuzu's side, already cold enough to cut bone, and her momentum screeched to a halt.
And then... Kujou Katora, right in front of Soga Yura, wrapped her arms around Yuzu.
As if she'd back down. If she backed down, would she still be Kujou Katora?
Soga Yura's eyes went wide as saucers. °°□).0.°
This woman... this woman is absolutely outrageous!
Kujou Katora, almost demurely, nuzzled her cheek against the curve of Su Yuzu's neck. After Su Yuzu had patted her on the head several times, she finally retreated one reluctant step.
At the conference room doorway, the female Superintendent who had come along with Kujou Katora and Hayabusa was staring with eyes even rounder than Soga Yura's.
[A scene like this...]
[Even if I went back and told the others at the Investigation Bureau, no one would ever believe it...]
Under a cascade of gazes — a sulking sister, an exasperated Su Yuzu, a dumbstruck female Superintendent, and Miss Hayabusa who desperately wished she could pretend she didn't exist — the girls settled into their seats inside the conference room.
Katora's visit this time...
"I want to—" Kujou Katora's expression suddenly turned grave.
"We've located where 'Mountain' is."
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