The fifth incarnation of the Blue King sprinted out of the stairs, unwilling to look back. When she was far enough, she crouched, leaning against a wall as tears started streaking down her face as she hugged her knees.
"Oh Kami," she whispered, "I was so scared." She wiped at the tears, recomposing herself, and she stood up, straightening her sweater. She put her SCEPTER 4 coat back on, the protection of the windbreaker swapped for the heavier clothing.
"Need to get back to SCEPTER 4," she mumbled, and took the train to Tsubaki-mon as fast as she could. When she arrived, she climbed the stairs in a fast pace, not realizing that color had drained from her face.
Aneko knocked on Munakata's office door, where the man was undoubtedly still working. As she heard Munakata let her in, she staggered into the room, her paleness contrasting with tanned skin.
"Munakata, reporting," she said before dropping heavily in an armchair that she distinctly remembered sitting on when she was younger. "I have a recent development, Munakata-san," she told the other Blue King, and the shock of saving Totsuka's life crashed down on her, making her tear up again.
"Aneko-san? What is wrong? You've been gone for hours," Munakata asked, the appearance of the woman haggard compared to how she was composed when they first met. Aneko looked dreadful, her hair in disarray and hanging in front of her face as tears made their way down. The zipper of her sweater was pulled down as her blue coat was hanging open. Her face was ashen, and it contrasted heavily with her tan skin, causing her to look like she aged since leaving.
"I…I think I'm definitely not okay, Munakata-san," she said listlessly, "I stopped a murder half an hour ago, and I am scared."
"A murder?" asked Munakata, and his attention was fully focused on the woman across from him, "Of who?"
"I saved Totsuka Tatara's life from the Colorless King," Aneko shakily revealed, "And I think I've skewed and changed the event that was supposed to happen. My presence here has already shifted your world's history."
"The Colorless King? Ichigen Miwa?" asked Munakata, but Aneko shook her head. Her hands wandered into her pockets, and found the rubix cube hidden within, and she took it out, scrambling it over and over to let the rhythmic clacking calm her frayed nerves.
"We don't know his name. Ichigen Miwa died months ago under unknown causes," she said, and already the shock was starting to wear off, color returning to her cheeks, "The Colorless King that comes after Ichigen-sama has the power to take over people's bodies through eye contact. They are very dangerous, and it heralded chaos."
Aneko stood up, and a panic shone underneath worried red. "I've already done too much. I cannot interfere with what happens next," she said gravely, shaking her head.
"I see," Munakata said, but Aneko really doubted he did, "Is there anything you can divulge without risking the destabilization of time?"
"The Colorless King does not know his own name," Aneko started, "The Silver King, Adolf K. Weismann believed it was because the Colorless King had taken over so many bodies that he forgot his name through nonstop assimilation of different bodies." She tossed the rubix cube in the air, the toy completed once more.
"After that battle was all said and done, my father abdicated his throne because the grief was too great," she said sadly, "The Colorless King is the first person who fell on his blade. The act threw him into a depression even my mother couldn't shake him from. He was the one to do it because it would've shattered Anna-chan if she killed him."
Aneko started pacing, relaying the lesser parts of the Colorless King's deaths, "I'm sorry I can't tell you more. I believe I know what will happen, and I want to lessen the possible number of casualties."
"Are you running away?" asked Munakata, serious as ever. He leaned forward as Aneko's head turned abruptly, stopping her pacing.
"Are you insinuating I am a coward?" she growled, red eyes hardening, "I am not a coward. I don't run from my problems, I run to them. If I alter your history too far, it will destroy your reality. Upholding order is more than just protecting innocents, its making sure events happen as they should, or chaos will reign."
Aneko brushed away her tears and straightened her attire, masking her feelings of panic and rage with a diplomatic smile that she practiced in front of her father.
"I am going to be perfectly honest, Munakata-san," she said smoothly, "I do not care if I sound like an unattended child in this brave world of yours, but I care deeply about my job. I started at SCEPTER 4 not because I seek my father's approval, but because I had felt trapped as a civilian. I felt that I could do more with my life than just be a pretty face in the company of men. I abhor people who chose to be just bystanders. Do not think for a moment, that I am one of them."
Blue aura had manifested around Aneko, leaving ice crusting the bottoms of her shoes. Her red eyes turned violet with her Sanctum, sharpening with seriousness. She looked every bit a King, her posture straightening as the blue of her hair was pronounced by her aura. The influences that Aneko had inherited from Suoh vanished, leaving her stern and unrelenting. Qualities that Munakata himself exuded were obvious, and it left no doubts that she was his child.
Aneko breathed in after her rant, closing her eyes, and let it out, the blue aura leaving her immediately. "I'm sorry. I find being implied to be a coward as distasteful and defaming," she said tersely, her wounded pride hiding itself. The woman sighed, and awaited Munakata's judgement.
To her surprise, he didn't appear to take offense to her posturing. On the contrary, he looked more interested than ever. "Very well," he said definitively, "If you are so certain that you directly interfering with future events will cause certain disaster, I will not press it upon you. However, if there is a matter that must be addressed, and you do not attempt to rectify it, I will have you imprisoned until Shiraki Sugita is found and you are returned to your rightful universe."
Aneko bowed deeply, tension replaced with relief. "Yes sir," she said softly, and her eyes wandered to where her saber was propped up along a wall. She walked to it, picking the weapon up, before replacing it, shaking her head.
"How will you explain my presence here, Munakata-san?" Aneko asked, "I can't just pop up out of nowhere." She walked back to the front of the desk, crossing her arms as she went.
Munakata thought for a minute, debating on how to insert the stray Munakata into SCEPTER 4. Explaining a Munakata wouldn't be too difficult, since little was known about his family. The only issue was having a relative suddenly appear in the building with little explanation would raise too many questions. It would be better if there was a logical reason for Aneko-san's presence, and an idea started forming in his head.
"Will you be willing to pose as a relative?" he asked the woman, and she looked taken aback. "A relative?" she repeated blankly, but she was able to connect Munakata's thought process. "That would explain the name, at least," she agreed, "A cousin or sister?"
Munakata leaned back in his chair, "Cousin would be more feasible. If anyone was curious enough, they would find out I do not have sister. The question is, why would you be here?"
"You can say I'm shadowing you, or something," Aneko guessed, sitting down in an armchair. She raised a hand to her chin, letting her head rest on her other elbow. "Maybe…what if I pose as an older cousin who's curious about your workplace? Or if I decide to hypothetically join SCEPTER 4?"
"That could work," Munakata approved, bringing up a holographic screen and typing on a keyboard emitting from his desk, "I would advise only showing yourself after my squad checks the SCEPTER 4 message board. This would ensure they have enough time to expect you."
Aneko sighed before a yawn bubbled up, the late hour taking a toll on her mind. "I'll have to wake up early to leave the building and return slightly later. Maybe mid-morning?"
"That will do," agreed Munakata, entering the alibi into the system as he spoke.
As Aneko stood up to leave, he told her, "You are welcome to reside in an empty dorm for the duration of your presence in this universe." Munakata reached into a drawer in his desk and pulled out a key with a tag attached, sliding it across the wood surface. "There are currently three dorms vacant."
"Thanks," said Aneko, reaching across to accept it, suddenly changing the topic, "In the future…in my world, I had to change the dress code. I was appalled of how impractical Aunt Seri's uniform was, if it could be called a uniform. Mom would've killed dad if I had to wear the same thing. Aunt Seri's the vice-captain, not a hooker."
The woman spoke as if she was contemplating the weather, not criticizing an awful excuse for dress. She smiled reassuringly, conscious of not giving a shark's grin as she excused herself, leaving Munakata to his duties.
Aneko found the room easily, having memorized Tsubaki-mon, not encountering any of the Blue Clansmen, seeing it was so late. She rummaged through the room, finding a man's uniform in the closet. Unfortunately, she couldn't find pajamas, but she did find a bathrobe in the bathroom, and she took a shower.
She removed her dress shirt, revealing a dozen daggers hidden underneath. The harness was made by Uncle Fushimi after she was taught how to utilize bladed projectiles, and she kept it as back up if her saber and dagger were unreachable. It saved her life many times when the Green clansmen nearly overpowered her men, or when the Grey King interfered with SCEPTER 4's operations with jungle.
It took an hour to get fully settled in, locking the door, and she welcomed sleep immediately.