System check...

Heavy damage sustained.

Unable to boot up the self-repair program.

Entering low-energy mode...


The morning sunshine enveloped all without a cloud in sight. Cheerful goodbyes were said at the front-gate of Nambu Middle School. The senior graduation ceremony was succinct, wherein the school took priority of the students. A select few of first and second years were tasked with giving a farewell present as per the school's tradition. All seniors and their partners were there and accounted for, but there was one pair missing from the fray.

A girl checked on her wristwatch. Her mouth had grumbled ceaselessly in silence. It was ten minutes past showtime for her partner.

"She's late."

She didn't think it was possible for a senior student to be lost at her own school graduation. She had perished the thoughts ten minutes ago. Her doubt which settled after an intense leg-tapping session had told her to move away from her spot and to search for her missing partner. One final grumbling before she went to where her partner would be.

"She's so utterly late!"

The girl screamed under her breath as she rolled her eyes.

The sound of footsteps echoed through the main hallway of the school building. From the first floor of the main building to the club building at the western part of the school. The two buildings were connected by a single walkway that passed through the courtyard. The pair of feet and their owner knew where they were going.

The school was big, as expected of a specialist school. Nambu Junior High was built as an institution of industrial education, where every student would be taught the basics of machineries. With the main school building, the club building, and a small factory placed at a small detached part of the schoolground, where would her legs take her?

The girl was on autopilot. She let her mind sit back as her instinct guided her way to the automotive club's garage. The shutter was closed when she looked from the outside, so she took the route toward the indoor entrance. With each step she took, she could hear the sound of machineries humming from her destination. As she got closer to the door, the sound became louder and louder, until it escaped into the hallway when she opened the door.

There was one person inside the garage, drilling screws inside a motorcycle on maintenance. She was crouching to inspect the engine at the back, with a roaring stereo that played club music. When that person noticed someone was at the door, she turned off the stereo and paused her work.

Standing up from the other side of the single cradle bike. She pulled down the towel hanging on the bike and rubbed the sweat off of her face before settling the towel around her neck. With a bright smile, she waved at the person outside of the room.

"Yo, Hinna."

Stopping what she was doing, the person inside the garage greeted. Her voice broke the silence, though her tone was laid-back. Her sharp-slanted, emerald eyes met with Hinna's widened black. With a commanding presence, she waved her free hand toward the girl looking dumbfounded from the entrance.

To that callous response, the girl casually named 'Hinna' responded back. Her voice was loud and with a tint of irritation.

"Mikki! Why weren't you there at the entrance?"

'Hinna' asked as she walked closer to 'Mikki'. She pulled the towel from around Mikki's neck and wiped a few more missed sweat from around her face and her nape.

What was in her mind when Hinna had waited for her?

If her answer was unsatisfactory to Hinna, she would blow a fuse. Mikki knew that, and so she chose to give her answer truthfully. She had known Hinna well enough that lying to her would be pointless.

"Because I'm busy tuning up the club's bike. I can't just stand around gawking and taking pictures, you know. That's just not for me."

"But it was for me..."

Mikki stopped. Her hand was cleaning the side of the bike. A silent grumble escaped her lips.

She peeked at Hinna, who stood listlessly.

"...Sorry, I'll fix this up in a bit, and then we'll talk."

Hinna nodded, a sad smile on her face.

Finishing with her wiping, she wiped the sweat by her neck before she tossed the towel onto the pile of laundry by the corner of the garage.

Hinna sighed. Her mouth shaped a dejected frown.

"At least tell me where you are so I can give you the school's farewell present."

Mikki, who was now finishing her work behind the motorbike, blinked twice before she realized what was going on. In truth, she had completely forgotten about said tradition, and now she felt a little bit guilty. But just a little teeny-tiny bit.

She checked her cell and sure enough it was on silent mode. There were at least twenty missed calls under Hinna's name. Unsure what to say, the sense of guilt inside her began its growth.

"Sorry, my mistake," she scratched the back of her head. "Forgive me, Hinna. Oh merciful one."

Mikki couldn't help showing a nervous grin. Her eyes had darted to the side, as if she didn't want to acknowledge her guilt over it. In her mind, she knew Hinna had waited for her to show up, only to be disappointed when an hour later she didn't show up. The guilt only grew bigger when she hadn't planned to show up in the first place.

Unsure how to process Hinna's emotion, aggression was her only option.

"Haa?! You ungrateful jerk! You'd better make it up to me today somehow, or else I'll stick this badge between your nose!"

Hinna shouted as her face contorted into something which resembled a ferocious tiger. A shadow of a giant animal loomed behind her as her spirit lit a haze behind it. Her words were not without weight and her threats were not empty. In her mind, she had a few plans to punish her senior two years older.

Today, she was in a fancy mood of ice cream, after all. She had been eyeing the gelato store since last month. If she played her cards right, Mikki could take her there to appease her.

With the ball in Mikki's court, the first thing she did was scratch the back of her head in frustration. Hinna knew of said behavior after a year of knowing her. Mikki usually did that particular motion whenever she was thinking of something difficult. For once, Hinna was looking forward to what Mikki was about to say or do. Maybe just this once, she would be able to see the clumsy side of her senior.

After a minute of deliberation, Mikki grumbled and tossed a spare bike helmet to Hinna who promptly caught it. While cleaning the side attractions, she pushed a button on a wall which made the garage shutter open in a slow and dramatic manner.

The light began to crawl inside from the gaps of the rising shutter as the wind intruded themselves upon the room. One word perfectly described Mikki's figure as she rode the motorbike. Her shoulder-length blonde hair billowing slightly with the wind, her slender yet curvy figure as she climbed up the bike, and her inviting smile as she looked at Hinna with expectations. They were all, to Hinna's eyes, beautiful.

She had her feet touch the ground to balance herself. Her eyes looked toward Hinna's with confidence. The atmosphere around her shifted slightly, as it drew out the calm and collected personality from inside Mikazuki.

"Don't just stand there," she reminded. "Hop on already."

Her brows furrowed, Hinna squinted her eyes at Mikki. She was on guard, not taking any chances for Mikki to potentially destroy their alone time . "Where are we going anyway?"

"First, the ice cream store. That one fancy gelato store you kept bugging me about. Second, a special place to make special memories."

To that, Hinna beamed a hearty smile.

"How did you know where I wanted to go?"

"Stupid. We've been together for almost a year. I know you as much as you know me." She tapped her feet on the ground, slowly reconsidering if Hinna was even worth the pricey gelato. "Now let's go before the sun sets."

To the sound of the bike's engine, Hinna snapped back to reality. She hastily put on her helmet and checked on her belongings. She placed the few essentials into the bag and sealed the zipper tightly.

"Right. I'm ready now."

Hinna slowly climbed up the bike and sat behind Mikki. Her full weight was now carried by the bike and Mikki, which made her conscious before Mikki started the engine. With each roar of the bike, her fear was slowly washed away. Now in her element, she tightly wrapped her arms around Mikki's waist.

Because the front gate was occupied, Mikki drove through the back. The back gate was watched by a teacher, but she waved at the two of them instead. From a distance, they could hear her say "Don't stay out too late, Mikazuki! Hinana!"

The two girls waved their hands to the teacher without looking back. The last thing clearly visible from afar was Hinana's wavy purple hair.


"That ice cream shop was nice, wasn't it?"

Mikazuki nodded. "You really know your stuff, Hinna."

Hinana couldn't help but beamed.

After their visit at the ice cream shop, it was time for their second destination. The city was oddly crowded today. The street was full of cars coming and going and the streets were slowly filled with more people by the minute.

A passerby hurriedly ran past them, talking about a surprise show by an idol singer. Was it the same idol group that was all the rage nowadays? Even then she wouldn't know. The thing she remembered the most out of them was Hinana's cute face when she talked about them.

It was easy for the world to remind them who they were, as billboards and screens in the city constantly cycled around the promotional images for their next concert. A woman with fiery red hair and ocean blue hair. Even as she looked at them again and again, she couldn't remember them fondly.

Not like it mattered, as they were about to exit the city and into a more open road.

Hinana clutched her grip on Mikazuki a little bit tighter. She strengthened her hold onto Mikazuki as the motorbike became faster. Visions of her surroundings moved as if they were passing her at breakneck speed.

The sun hung over them as birds flew below it onto the open sea. The southern wind blew landward as the trees swayed, as if they were dancing, by the wind.

The two of them rode against time which breathlessly flew past them. The trip to the gelato store was exquisite, and now would be the time for post-dessert workout.

Not missing a single beat, Mikazuki dodged a slowing car and passed it by without braking.

Taking the opposite lane was risky, for there was an incoming six-wheeler about to run past them. Even knowing the risk, Mikazuki went through with it, and safely dodged a road accident.

Mikazuki did not stop there. She kept her hands on the handles with her right hand pulling the grip to accelerate faster. She saw herself as a force of nature. A strong gust of wind traveling above the asphalt.

Her passenger, whose hands were wrapped around her, quickly strengthened her hold.

"Is it too fast for you, Hinna?"

Mikazuki had to shout because they were moving so fast along the cliffside road.

She kept her sight forward, with both hands at the ready to brake. Knowing the risk, she waited for Hinana's reply.

"No," she shouted back at Mikazuki. "In-fact, I quite enjoyed the ride."

A grin was formed on Mikazuki's face, though a bigger one had formed on Hinana's face. Without even looking at her face, Hinana knew how happy Mikazuki was. She was always able to read the air around her, as if the atmosphere had a sense of sound and smell. Right now, Mikazuki was exuding smells of happiness accompanied by an upbeat tempo.

The road they were traversing were two-lanes of asphalt along a cliffside. As they were driving on a Wednesday afternoon, the road was close to empty. A few four-wheelers passed them by with a few occasional eight-wheelers. The route they were traveling in wasn't new, it was quite old and uncommonly used outside of vacation traveling time was about to be cut short by a one-third of how long it would usually take them.

Not a moment too soon, they entered a tunnel. Rather unusual for a tunnel far in the countryside, it had a split which led up a certain hill used for stargazing. Without even asking Mikazuki, Hinana knew she would take her there. If it was the last time they would be together in quite some time, then Silver Hills were the most appropriate place.

"Did I ruin the surprise?"

"No way! This is just perfect."

Hinana couldn't contain her squeal as it echoed throughout the rest of the tunnel. Mikazuki, who heard her, couldn't contain her laughter and pulled down hard on the handlebar.

"Then hang tight. I'm about to go faster."

Passing 150 kilometers per hour, the bike was afloat as they exited the tunnel. This was already calculated inside Mikazuki's head. There was no threat of collision or driving mistake, so she was confident in her dangerous behavior. Mkazuki slowed down after the thrilling exit, and the two carried on their cruise uphill as safely as possible.

Their remaining journey consisted of trekking a gentle hill. As they held hands, they walked up the incline with their goal a few minutes away from their parking spot. Feeling each other through their palm, the coming spring air smelled a bit sweeter and the warmth of the sun a bit gentler.


The quiet rustling of the forest was quickly swallowed by a gust of wind. An invisible air scattered the fallen leaves and pierced through the silence. There was something lurking behind the trees, but now they were gone.

"That should be the last one."

A figure of a girl stood amidst the settling dust. Her figure was clad in shining white armor, and her red hair stood out as if they were flickering flames. With her senses at full awareness she closed her eyes in anticipation for something new, but it never came.

With a flash of light, the girl exchanged her armor for a set of casual clothes. A green hoodie jumper over a red vest and a pair of black cargo to cover her waist to knee with a pair of white sneakers to complement her wild fashion. With the air left in stillness, she could feel the air drying even through her windbreaker clothes.

"Something's not right here," she quietly mused.

From her pocket, her hand pulled out a black square-like device as her feet walked further onto the forest's peak. There was something forming inside her chest.

She often felt something of that sensation. Often it was a premonition, as if something bad was coming. She would never let that sensation vanish, as it had helped her many times before.

If she had her way, however, she would rather not have it sting at her chest as often.

"This is Kanade," she said with the transceiver pressed against her cheek. "I'm going to stick around. Something's not right here."

"We appreciate it," the voice which replied had an air of toughness behind his masculine tone. "Remember, Tsubasa won't be here with us today. Be safe. If anything bad happens, don't force yourself and come back, alright?"

"Much appreciated."


As she heard nothing else from the transceiver, she looked around. The atmosphere had turned different, as if something was spying from somewhere she couldn't track. Trusting her gut, Kanade continued her trek upward.

On a bench under a pavilion's roof, Hinana and Mikazuki spent their afternoon together. They held their hands with each other, both fingers locked, as their palms touched the wooden seat below it.

The sun was undoubtedly hotter today, so they rested under the shade. The wind coming from the sea had a taste and smell of saltiness to it. If they were to wait for another month, the cherry trees would blossom and greet them, but they were fine with what they had right now.

Pressing her right cheek onto Mikazuki's left shoulder, Hinana quietly made herself cozy to the pleasant feel of Mikazuki. With a beaming smile and tints of red forming around both of her cheeks, Hinana quieted down to soak Mikazuki's warmth inside her body.

"Say Mikki."

"Hmm?"

Mikazuki turned to her left and met Hinana's face up close. The distance between their noses were less than a centimeter, and a slight nudge forward would link their lips together. With how close they are, they could feel the exchange of their breath more apparent than before, and that by itself made their hearts beat even faster than before.

Closing her eyes, Hinana revealed what was on her mind.

"How long are you going to stay in Britain?"

"Close to two, no, maybe four years," Mikazuki replied. "Considering I'm continuing high school and doing my apprenticeship there, that's considered short, no?"

A brief pause from Hinana, who was collecting her thoughts. It was a difficult pill for her to swallow, but it seemed that time was not at her side. Hinana sighed heavily.

"To think you got scouted by a metalwork organization overseas. I must say I'm jealous."

"Give it time and you'll be at my level in two years," Mikazuki firmly believed. "For now just focus on differentiating those bolts and gears."

In-between their talk, Hinana had planted her head on Mikazuki's lap.

"So plump yet muscular," Hinana said. "What a perfect thigh to sleep on.

Without a doubt, her thighs were the best in the world.

Mikazuki quickly and playfully ruffled her hair, letting out a shriek from her. "Hinna, quit being such a spoiled girl."

To her ire, Hinana gave her a big grin with her pearly whites.

"You loved spoiling me though," Hinana teased. "You do, don't you Mikki?"

Mikazuki quietly pinched Hinana's nose and blocked her respiration. Her action was born not of malice, but of playfulness. A small smile was formed as she watched Hinana laugh as she breathlessly flailed her head around like a dying fish.

Hinana was right, she loved spoiling her rotten.

Breaking free from Mikazuki's finger trap was not easy, but she did it. Hinana slid forward with her behind and landed on her legs. With a smile of playfulness, she quickly moved behind her and began the tickling. Echoes of laughter could be heard all over the pavilion and out into the hills.

In return, being the taller one by ten centimeters, she lifted Hinana up with her raw arm strength and tickled her in the air. Hinana's legs began to move erratically, unable to contain the sensation penetrating her sides, and uncontrollably swung toward all sides with impunity. It was fun until Hinana let her right pair of shoes slip off her foot and smacked its sole against Mikazuki's face.

As the shoe slipped down her face, what was revealed to Hinana was her calm but angry face. It was the kind of face that screamed "Demon-like". Her quiet smile and her nearly closed eyes which stared her down had sent shivers down Hinana's spine.

Hinana was in danger. Murderous aura seeped out of Mikazuki. Her long pause at that moment felt like a predator eyeing her prey. The predator was waiting for her to do something, no, she was letting Hinana do something.

In her mind, there was only one thing she thought of in sequence.

Quietly, Hinana picked up her removed pair of shoes before slowly backing away from Mikazuki. She silently put the shoe back on at the edge of the pavilion, her other foot touching the grass by its shoe's sole. Then she rose up on the grass, her mouth letting out a sheepish giggle.

"I'm sorry. It was an accident, Mikki."

Hinana said.

"Apology accepted. But I'm still going to chase you down."

With that warning, she dashed toward Hinana. As her stride took her four steps closer toward Hinana, she quickly turned around and ran three steps ahead of her. She just wanted to go as far away as possible from the demon behind her.

Although her resolve was firm, her heart wavered. Unsure of going deep into the forest, Hinana turned to the right and headed for the gentle downslope. She had planned to turn another right and then one more to run around in a circle, and her plan was foolproof, except she didn't account for one thing.

A pair of hands grabbed Hinana by her shoulders. They were strong, firmly grabbing her and placing her down like a statue. In-fact, she couldn't move. The monstrous strength those hands had shown to her was closer to something a mechanical arm was capable of instead of what humans were meant to achieve.

Hinana looked up from the pair of hands and onto their owner. It was a girl sporting red-colored hair, burning as if they were bonfire lit against strong winds.

Her eyes were fierce, shaped like that of a beast, but the reflection in her eyes were pure. Hinana saw herself calmly reflected by the red-haired girl's pair of eyes. The deeper Hinana drilled her eyes inside of that girl's pupils, the more she was drawn to look even deeper. There was something locked up inside the girl's unknown unconscious.

It looked as if the red-haired girl was about to destroy Hinana in one strike. Subverting Hinana's fear, however, the once fierce face transformed into a kind and welcoming one. With a bright, wide grin, the red-haired girl didn't bare her fangs, but bared her smile. Quietly, she stepped back from Hinana and quietly asked her, "Are you okay?"

The tense air dissipated. Mikazuki slowed down and paused herself. She quietly placed herself in-between Hinana and the red-haired girl before pushing away the girl from Hinana.

"Thank you for that, Ms. Red Wolf, but you've felt her enough, no?"

The red-haired girl raised her brow before her expression turned to a surprised one.

Never before had anyone called her Red Wolf before. Not to mention very politely at that.

"Oh, I'm sorry if I did something I shouldn't. Didn't mean to do that. Honest. But what's with the wolf nickname?"

"What I see before me is a wolf with a red mane," Mikazuki added. "So you're Ms. Red Wolf as far as I'm concerned."

Did she look that much like a carnivore?

Kanade looked at Hinana, who raised her eyebrow.

It seemed this was something that didn't warrant questioning. Safe to say, Mikazuki had always been one for nicknames.

Now that she knew, Kanade wondered if 'Hinna' and 'Mikki' were Mikazuki's own originals.

Kanade's eyes returned to meet Mikazuki's eyes once more.

Mikazuki tilted her head to the side with her eyes locked to the red-haired girl. She was suspicious of the girl, who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. There shouldn't be anyone here at this time of the day, especially on weekdays. If she were someone dangerous, Mikazuki had her ways to make her turn tail.

On the other hand, the red-haired girl was wary of the unknown factors before her eyes. For all intents and purposes, these two were anomalies. Nobody had told her that a simple subjugation task would result in a quirky encounter. No one had called her a wolf before, or at least someone which she remembered, so the sudden remark threw her off.

And yet, the red-haired girl kept her guard up. There was just something about the girls before her that made her on edge. To look further into it, she had to choose between two options. Should she deal with them here and now and reduce her workload, or should she observe and find more things about them? The longer she thought about it, the tenser the atmosphere became.

When Mikazuki was about to speak up, a voice from the red-haired girl stopped Mikazuki's mouth from continuing. Her presence was greater than she had anticipated that Mikazuki had no choice but to let her speak. She hoped it was good news for the both of them. An outcome where nobody would get hurt.

Taking a deep breath, the red-haired girl prepared herself. "Stop it, alright. It was my bad," the red-haired raised her arms and showed both hands above her head. "I was just having my training here in-between shootings."

Hinana peeked from behind Mikazuki and asked. "Shooting? Like a movie?"

The red-haired girl shook her head. "Close. It's a commercial shooting. I'm going to star in a shampoo ad."

"And who is the name of our rising star?"

Mikazuki slid her right arm between them. Hinana made a small yelp as her vision was blocked by Mikazuki's slender arm. If the red-haired girl was someone she or Hinana didn't recognize, then she ought to be faking it.

"Kanade Amou," she said as she rubbed the back of her head. "I should've mentioned that first, huh?"

"Who?"

Mikazuki was in a bind. She didn't know if Kanade was telling the truth. She could have heard the name from somewhere but she didn't remember where.

"Ah!"

The loud sound came from Hinana's mouth.

Hinana's gasp startled Mikazuki. She peeked from below Mikazuki's arm and fixed her sight on Kanade. "You're the singer from that idol group! I saw your posters on the music shop's entrance!"

Kanade smiled wryly. She was unsure of what to say. "I'm with another person in the group, and we're called the Zwei Wing. I hope you'll buy our singles next time."

"Only if you'll autograph them," Hinana quickly responded with a big grin. "I'm Hinana. Hinana Kohina. This sweetheart beside me is Mikazuki Miyuki. Nice to meet you, Kanade!"

Kanade extended her hand and Hinana met her with a handshake of her own. Something mutual had seemed to form between them, as if flowers had sprouted around them. However, Mikazuki wasn't sure she agreed to this particular arrangement.

So, once again, she placed herself in-between Hinana and Kanade while embracing Hinana. She scooped Hinana with her left arm and turned around, as if leading Hinana away from Kanade. "That's all well and good, so I hope you'll get out of our hair now."

"Mikki?" Hinana questioned her with a blank expression, unsure of what to say. "What's gotten into you all of a sudden?"

Kanade opted to stare silently as the conversation played out as if she was a part of the background.

The air was surely turning awkward because of her, and she was unsure what to do. Should she walk away slowly and out of the picture, or should she say her goodbyes right now? She chose to follow up on what Mikazuki would do and hoped for the best.

"Well, it's just... Do I have to spell it out?" Mikazuki's face turned red as she finished her question. Twirling the bangs above her right eye, she bashfully glanced at Hinana. "I wanted to spend more time with just the two of us."

Steam escaped out of Hinana's head like a small explosion. Her mouth agape, Hinana looked downward with a fully flushed face. Twiddling her fingers, she slowly turned toward Kanade and bowed. "I guess we'll be going then. See you later, Kanade."

"Oh, yeah, please come to our concerts too!"

As they returned to the pavilion, Hinana and Mikazuki snuggled into each other as if they were sharing a single jacket under a cold night.

Just seeing them act their hearts out made Kanade a little bit warmer inside. Unsure of what to think about that, Kanade turned toward the top of the hill to the opposite of the pavilion and went there.


A golden badge was proudly glimmering between the top button and second to the top button of her school uniform. The moonlight quietly embraced the two of them from above as they shared one long hug with each other.

Hinana felt Mikazuki pushing her back. Their time together was almost over. Her eyes looked upward, longingly pleading at Mikazuki, with her eyes like that of a lost puppy.

To that invitation, Mikazuki couldn't refuse.

Closing in her head toward Hinana, Mikazuki let her face move closer toward Hinana's. Hinana, entranced by the moonlit face of Mikazuki, closed her eyes and stood with her toes. There were no illusions, as their meeting lips could be seen even from afar.

The clouds dimming the moonlight parted ways, exposing the moon at its fullest. From their connected lips came a spark which traveled to the other's body in an instant. Bathed by the moon, their first kiss was undoubtedly magical.

After a few seconds of silent kisses, they broke away from each other. Their eyes captivated each other, inviting them to stare at each other for as long as the other wanted. Their breathings became ragged, taking seconds of pauses before they breathed normally.

Hinana pushed herself forward, but Mikazuki stopped her.

It was not a sign of distaste or discomfort, but it was a sign of unpreparedness. Seeing Mikazuki's face fully flushed like a ripe tomato made Hinana back away. For she too had the same color stuck on her face and to the tips of her ears.

Another silence approached them. The long three seconds was broken by Mikazuki, who looked Hinana in the eyes and quietly said. "Your lips taste like mint, Hinna."

"Yours taste like lime, Mikki."

"You were expecting this would happen, weren't you?"

Hinana looked downward, face still flushed and eyes darting elsewhere. Almost ashamed to admit it, what escaped her mouth was a quiet "Yeah, I sorta did."

Unable to contain herself, Mikazuki pecked Hinana on her right cheek.

Hinana showed her full teeth with a cute grin, while Mikazuki couldn't help herself but twist her mouth to a sheepish smile. At the same time, the both of them thought that their partner was the cutest in the world.


A new candidate sign has appeared.

Diverting all energy to propulsion.

All system green...

Geminius, launching.


"Oh, they kissed."

Several seconds passed. There was no reply. Then suddenly, a voice rang out from the speakers.

"They what?"

Kanade lowered her binoculars and set it to her side. "They kissed."

"Oh, like, on the cheek? Maybe the forehead?"

Pausing herself for a moment, she tried really hard to find the right word for it. The one waiting patiently at the other side of her transceiver would be her partner in Zwei Wing. Would it be for her interest if Kanade told her partner a lie? She wouldn't think so.

"No, Tsubasa, they locked lips. Their mouths smooched."

There was a loud crashing sound at the other side of the transceiver. It seemed that Tsubasa had fallen down from her chair or had made her entire desk slam against the marble floor. Kanade had expected that reaction, and now she had the right things to use to tease Tsubasa.

"I'm sorry, I slipped off of the chair. So what happens now?"

Ignoring the concerned yet investigative tone of Tsubasa, Kanade replied as she pulled up her binoculars. "I'll have to observe them some more. I'm not sure why, though."

"Was Ryoko being unclear with her explanation again?"

"...She left a few bits and pieces, but I got this."

"Sorry I couldn't be there with you. If only I didn't have that solo concert tomorrow I'd be able to accompany you."

Contrary to the tone she had from the start, Kanade picked up a hint of meekness from that. It seemed she had caused Tsubasa some unfounded concern, and she wasn't about to leave a big girl who had a big concert tomorrow with some unnecessary baggage. "I can manage some babysitting duties. I'll be there to watch your concert tomorrow."

"You promise?"

Kamade wanted to instinctively respond, but was taken aback by how cute Tsubasa's reply was. Unknown to Tsubasa, Kanade was sheepishly grinning at the sudden shift in Tsubasa. "Of course I promise. Now you'd better rest well, young lady. You don't want to be late for your solo concert, no?"

With a giggle, Tsubasa replied. "See you tomorrow, Kanade."

The call had ended when the beep came. Tsubasa really knew how to keep her accompanied, and she definitely knew how to make Kanade stay awake. With her heart beating so fast, there was no way she could fall asleep now. "Good night, Tsubasa."

Without giving a minute for Kanade to catch her breath, another line called her. What came out from the other side was a different voice than Tsubasa's.

This one was a mature but mischievous voice. Cheerily, the voice started the conversation with a suspicious greeting. "Sounds like you had a good chat with Tsubasa."

The tone and the gait of the voice coming from the transceiver was no other than the person who had instructed Kanade to stand by on that location. And to top it all off, there was no way Kanade would mistake the smugness she exuded even from across the wireless network.

"Zip it, Ryoko," Kanade sighed. "Shouldn't you be sleeping instead of wiretapping?"

"I'm your commanding officer, you know. Talk about rude! And you must've known I'd rather get some beauty sleep than do some overtime!"

Kanade couldn't see Ryoko as they were separated some kilometers away, but she knew that Ryoko would be pressing her knuckles on her hips and sternly yelling at the microphone just now. However, what Ryoko had just mentioned peaked Kanade's interests. What was causing such potential problems that Ryoko had to station her up a remote hillside?

"So, mind explaining what's the problem here?"

Ryoko went silent from the other end, before responding with a curious tone.

"And why exactly do you want to know?"

"No evacuation orders, no red-taping the location, lack of safety..." Kanade listed. "It's as if you're begging for something bad to happen."

"You don't have to make every ant hill into mountains," Ryoko explained. "Not like I didn't consider more protections, but everyone at base was preoccupied."

Kanade hardly believed that statement.

Something was still missing. She just didn't know what it was.

"You don't believe lil' ol' Ryoko?"

"No," Kanade said bluntly. "You're hiding something, aren't you."

Ryoko didn't try to argue. Instead a loud sigh was heard from the other side of Kanade's transceiver.

"How are you so perceptive on these kinds of things but so clueless on Tsubasa?" Ryoko sighed, her exasperation boldly announced.

"I'm sorry?"

What was that about Tsubasa? In any case, Kanade wasn't sure where this discussion was going. There were nagging feelings at the back of her mind, so she had to press on.

"What's actually going on?"

There was another silence. The minutes when no sound could be heard was terrifying. Kanade expected the conversation to end there, being totally fine with the usual silent treatment, but it seemed Ryoko finally relented.

"I'm not about to mince words. A satellite picked up an unidentified object above Silver Hill's skyspace," Ryoko explained. "That object is slowly being pulled by Earth's gravity and is man-made in design."

"...Is it a relic?"

No answers from Ryoko, so Kanade assumed a positive.

"And I'm here to make sure it's not behaving badly?"

"Bingo."

Kanade could see Ryoko nodding her head in approval, but the secrecy of her organization made her want to tear her hair out.

"So why me?" Kanade pressed. "Why not Tsubasa? I can't exactly fly and grab it, you know?"

"Not like Tsubasa could fly herself you know," Ryoko chuckled. "She has the name for it, but not the skill. That girl is simply just too green and you're the one I trust with the snappy judgements."

Kanade wasn't exactly flattered, but she would take it if it was a compliment.

"Anything else?" Ryoko offered.

"Who requested this mission?"

"One of our military sponsors requested it. Our sponsor had requested that we take care not to make a big deal out of it."

Kanade should have known that was happening in the background. Though she could feel something else was in the mix, hidden in plain sight. She wanted to ask more, but she sensed that Ryoko had nothing else to say.

"Was that all?"

"Yes," Kanade stopped. "I can see that whatever it is we're trying to hide is going to appear here."

"Yeah, so I'm counting on you to observe."

"Copy that, Miss Ryoko."

Kanade focused her sight on the pair of lovebirds under the pavilion, who were now walking toward the open grass area north of the pavilion. "I'm keeping my eyes on them, don't worry. No amount of Noise would be a problem right now."

There was no immediate reply from Ryoko. Kanade picked up that brief silence and braced herself for the worst. If Ryoko was silent about the involvement of Noise, then it would be the same enemies that she had faced this afternoon.

"It's not going to be another misshapen human-beast blob again, is it?"

"We can only hope, Kanade."

There was an audible grunt coming from Kanade. The unknown enemies she had faced today were easy, but they were large in numbers. Just remembering how endless it felt compared to fighting a group of Noise made her roll her eyes in frustration.

With the topic finished, there was silence. Five minutes passed and Kanade was quietly watching the two lovebirds naming the stars in the sky. Maybe someday Kanade would be able to invite Tsubasa on a stargazing holiday, or so she thought.

"Any changes on the girls?"

"Well, nothing unordinary so far," Kanade replied. "They're just stargazing like a lovey-dovey couple would."

"Huh, is that so?" Ryoko's voice was toned with confusion. "Girls nowadays are so bold."

"Guess it's a product of age," Kanade calmly said, grinning all the while. "It's pretty bold of them to kiss though, that's for sure. Especially when they're doing it with their lips."

"Really now?"

"Yeah."

Silence fell once again, only to be broken by a screaming Ryoko.

"Hold on a minute, missy. I'm not that old yet and I expect an apology from you, Kanade."

Kanade could just imagine Ryoko turning her head with rejection and letting out a loud "Hmph!"

To be fair, it was rude of her, and she was about to apologize...

But something in the distance caught her eyes. It was a spark of golden that twinkled in the sky, which quickly traveled from the horizon all the way near her location.

Kanade surprised herself once again when she was able to catch the split-second in which the golden spark appeared. Almost instantly, the golden shine had traveled from its position above Earth as an aimed ray of light. The speed wasn't instantaneous, but at her readiness it would be a close shave.

Her surprise became shock when the object shot itself toward the two girls in her binoculars. Ryoko was right. Something bad was about to happen in Silver Hills. With the situation that she had now, she didn't think it would be proper to neglect her duty to save people when she would be able to.

There was no time for her apology speech. She quickly placed her transceiver near her mouth and yelled to the microphone. "Something's going to happen. I'm going in so I'll apologize later!"

Leaving the transceiver behind, she leapt into the air. From underneath her shirt, she pulled out a necklace with a red gemstone and whispered to it. Not a moment later, a ball made of light appeared and engulfed Kanade in the color red. As the shining light disappeared, Kanade had transformed into a girl in armor and an orange spear at hand.

"What do you mean something's going to happen?" Ryoko's voice from the transceiver was angry and a little bit frustrated. "Hello? Kanade? Oh, darn it all! At least bring the transceiver with you!"

Kanade hoped she was fast enough to save the two girls.


From a twinkle in the sky, a shining spark appeared. Its position was far from everything. Its presence was a dot of light above the clouds, out of reach and out of sight. That golden light, seemingly unreachable, instantly fell from the sky at a speed which humans couldn't react to.

The golden line which was shot from the sky left a bright trail of light behind it. Its speed was so fast that it made the trail look like one single straight line. As it pierced through the clouds, its target was right before the tip of its blade.

Hinana, with her body moving on reflex alone, pushed her body in-front of Mikazuki. A part of her chest felt hollow, as there was no sensation coming from there anymore. As her eyes gazed at the blade of light that had impaled her, not even a scream managed to escape through her mouth.

Mikazuki watched as Hinana fell to the ground. Her body made a limp sound against the soft grassy soil. Her eyes had widened and her pupils had shrunk. Her skin turned deathly paler by the second. It was as if Hinana's soul had left her body.

Her eyes widened as her mouth went silently agape. Her body trembled as her mind turned her vision upside down. Quickly, Mikazuki picked Hinana's body from the ground. Then, without a moment of pause, she screamed. "Hinana! Talk to me, Hinana!"

Hinana's eyes slowly reverted back to her normal eyes. She quietly looked at Mikazuki and placed her right palm against Mikazuki's left cheek. For now, Hinana ignored Mikazuki's painful expression.

"Mikki, thank goodness you're safe."

"All thanks to you," Mikazuki said as she grabbed Hinana's hand. "Now stay calm and try to stay awake. You're not looking alive right now."

"That bad, huh?"

Hinana eyed the blade of light which had impaled her body.

"Strange. I don't feel like something has been thrusted that deep into my chest." She looked at Mikazuki as her mouth spoke with a weak voice. "All I feel right now is that my chest is turning hollow."

"Hollow?"

"Like a hole is slowly forming inside me." Hinana quietly said. "Even stranger, it doesn't feel like it hurts. My body feels like it's going through a rapid change, but this blade of light doesn't hurt me at all."

Mikazuki's thoughts were too preoccupied with Hinana's state to even try comprehending what she had just said.

Yet, instead of denying what Hinana felt, Mikazuki knew that it was the truth. Looking at the blade with its hilt jutting out of Hinana's chest, she could see that the blade itself seemed holy. For now, she had no choice but to trust the blade and Hinana's willpower.

"So, what should I do right now?"

"Mikki, pull the blade." Hinana said. "I think I get what's happening now, more or less. The blade wants you to use it."

"...Fine."

Mikazuki moved closer to the blade. Her hand was inching closer toward it. Before her hand was about to touch a single bit of the blade, a claw suddenly appeared from the shadow to her left.

The claw was shrouded in darkness. It was darkness materialized. Mikazuki saw it and stopped herself in place.

The shape was that of a claw, but only its shape. It consisted of blades posing as animal nails jutting from a deformed human hand. The hook at the end of it looked more like a twisted thumb than a bird's common feature.

What was the rest of it, however, was defeated in a blink of an eye.

A warrior in red threw a metallic object and pierced it from its head. Not wasting a moment, the armored figure drove the spear deeper into the ground as if her hand was a hammer and her spear a nail. Her red hair a bright flame in the dark, the noticeable presence turned toward Mikazuki.

From above them, Kanade appeared and landed between them. Joining the conversation between them, she quietly picked up her spear for safety. "Don't get hasty with these kinds of supernatural objects. It's better if you calmly think about it first. Sort your feelings out and whatnot."

"You're... Red Wolf!"

That nickname again.

Kanade didn't know which to comment. Did she chose to ignore her change or clothes or didn't notice her change of clothes?

She wasn't in her casual clothes anymore. Kanade had changed her clothes into something knight-like. Her skin was more exposed and mostly covered by a skin-tight suit. Her limbs and torso were protected by gears and pieces of metallic armor. Her hair looked as if it was burning brightly. Her radical change in appearance made her almost a different person altogether.

Furthermore, Mikazuki didn't see that there was something Kanade had defeated prior to her appearance. A creature of sort that was hiding in the darkness. The remains of such entity could still be seen floating to nothingness all around Kanade.

And yet Mikazuki not commenting on that change simply baffled her.

Either way, Kanade was not too late. Her gut told her everything was going to be alright.

"My name is Kanade." Kanade was having none of Mikazuki's antics at the present. "Now I want you to tell me what happened here. The play-by-play. If things go south, we'll do as the blade said."

"But Hinna is in pain!" Mikazuki shouted.

Kanade nodded affirmatively. "I understand that, but the way I see it, she's relaying a message from that weapon."

"Relaying a message?"

"If the weapon wants to communicate with us, that means it's going to keep Hinana safe for now."

"How do you know all this stuff? And were you spying on us?"

"Observing. Not spying. My line of work requires me to do something like this once in a while."

"Are you with the Clock Tower?"

Kanade stared at Mikazuki. A thought ran through her head, but for the moment she refused to pursue it. With that idea sorted out, she shook her head. "I'm afraid not. Our organization is strictly Japanese."

Mikazuki stared back at Kanade. She had no choice but to trust her words. At least for now.

Before anything else could be said by Mikazuki, a voice rang out. Their conversation was paused when Hinana winced in pain.

Mikazuki immediately placed her hand on Hinana's own.

"Hinna. Speak to me!"

Through her pain, Hinana looked back at Mikazuki.

"I'm okay. It's just that something's rapidly changing inside me. Seems like the weapon is willing to keep me alive, but it wants you to grab the blade. It'll be fine no matter what your decision is, Mikki. I completely trust you."

How could she say that when she looked like she was suffering so much?

It seemed there was no other option that would lead to their mutual victory.

Mikazuki took a deep breath, then she looked at Kanade. "Red Wolf, I'm going to pull that blade. I want you to watch in case anything happens to me or to Hinna."

"Gotcha," Kanade nodded. "I'll make sure nothing happens while you do your stuff."

"Thanks."

You want me to wield you, right? Then I will do it.

Mikazuki's thought exploded as imagination had been given form.

With a light that bright, it was not a surprise when darkness gathered around her. They looked like a creature born in the shadows and raised by darkness. The creatures that surrounded them numbered in the dozens and all of them otherworldly.

They looked like a small bull. Each and every one of them sporting something which resembled a war soldier's outfit, although tattered by fights and stained by blood. They wielded different kinds of weapons in their hands. Some were holding giant swords, some were sporting crossbows, and each of them were undoubtedly deadly.

Taking the blade by the hilt, Mikazuki paused. She stopped before she pulled away the sword from Hinana's chest. She wanted the experience to be quick, and she wanted to end it as quickly as possible.

She could feel it inside her, thousands of knowledge bursting in an explosion.

Everything had happened in an instant, but to both Mikazuki and Hinana it felt longer than that.

"Stay with me, Hinna," Mikazuki said. "I'll finish this fight quickly."

Hinana nodded.

The moment the blade was separated from Hinana's chest, a blinding light engulfed everything near it.

At that moment, a thought went inside Mikazuki's head.

My chosen one... I shall give you my power. Call upon my name and unleash my power.

Calmly, she raised her blade above her head and called.

"Unite our souls... Geminius, the Guiding Star!"

When the light dissipated, Hinana was gone.


There was only a single figure standing where the two were before. That person neither looked like Mikazuki nor Hinana. The blade remained in her hands, now adorned with radiant jewels and sparkling stones.

Her school uniform had disappeared, and in its place was a set of armor with metals, belts, and frills. On her head was a golden tiara that merged with her set of earpieces. A coat of arm, a roaring lioness revealing its fangs, was proudly placed on the brigandine covering her modest bosom. The battle dress under the brigandine was covered in belts which linked the armors together. Her frilly skirt covered as far as the middle of her thighs, and the rest of her legs covered by a pair of golden grieves. Mikazuki had never felt such sensation before.

Her entire body was light. The change was drastic enough that she thought it wasn't her own body. She felt her entire body liberated, from the tip of her toes to the tip of her hair which were now in purple and yellow.

Her head piece, along with the tiara, made her silhouette that of a regal princess. The back end of the ear pieces jut out into a sharp pair of spikes upward like a lion's ear. Her pair of eyes had turned fiercer, exhibiting a shape of a golden cross inside her pupils.

Every part of her body was as hard as steel. Her battle dress coated with a mystic power she could not comprehend. It was so far removed from the knowledge she had understood before.

Our souls have now united. Victory is now in your hands.

A smile began to form, its shape brimming with excitement.

Her heart was full of confidence.

"Here we go, Hinana, Geminius," Mikazuki got down as her body readied for a sprint. "Angel Geminius, launching!"

Mikazuki dashed the opposite of Kanade to cover her, but she put too much power on her feet and rammed a shadow creature.

She reflexively let out a scared shriek. Her speed on foot was now faster than her motorbike.

With her knee caving in the creature's nose, it was sent flying and slammed against another of its kind. Both of them were hurt, tumbling down like a ragdoll, but they soon got up, although very weakly.

It was eerie, as if these creatures were without souls.

Thankfully, her newfound powers alleviated the fear.

Here comes another one. Prepare yourself.

A voice rang inside her head. The monotone operator-like voice was readily recognizable as Geminius'.

"Geminius?" Mikazuki asked. A look of surprise was on her face. "You're here?"

I am the Guiding Star, so it is within my duty to lead you to victory.

One of the smaller bulls charged at her, but the attack was easily countered.

Mikazuki stepped to her side before stabbing the bull by the neck. Then, just to make sure it was defeated, she pushed the blade downward and sliced its neck open.

Black ooze sprayed from the open wound and nothing else. The bull-like creatures had no internal organs, but an open wound impeded its regeneration. Now the creature was on the ground, slowly dissipating into ooze.

A bigger bull suddenly appeared from the shades of the forest. In its hands was a halberd as tall as the bull's body. Finding its prey, it rushed toward Mikazuki with its halberd readied behind him.

When the bull cleaved a half circle from its back, she took advantage of the attack's verticality and swayed to the side.

The blade was close to hitting her feet. An explosive burst of dirt bursted above their heads. The bull had pulled out the halberd, but it was too late.

Her sword was raised diagonally, eyes looking straight at her enemy, ready for her next move.

Her movement was rough, as she was swinging a sword without much experience in it, but the sheer power of her swing had bisected the bigger bull from its shoulder.

The creature shrieked as its body was split into two. Its eyes turned bloodshot as its decaying mouth screamed in confusion. When the two body pieces bounced limply against the ground, they disappeared as if eaten by nothingness.

Kanade looked behind her with awe after crushing an enemy with her spear.

One enemy to your right

"On it!"

Another big shadow bull jumped at Mikazuki, this one trying to hack at her with its rusted blade, but she disappeared before its eyes.

A second later she was behind the creature and completely unharmed. This time she was more in control of her powers. She switched the grip of her blade to backhand and stabbed the creature without looking at it, knowing where the creature stood.

Not even a group of the same creatures held a candle to her. With three rushing at her in a straight line, all Mikazuki needed was to throw her blade through the three creatures in one go.

"Piercing Ray!" She cried as her blade pierced through their heads.

Her blade was not lost, however, as it stopped when she moved instantaneously to where the blade flew and caught it in mid air.

Tonight, a new magical girl was born.

The sudden appearance of another warrior caught the creatures off guard. Quickly, they tried to regroup into a big group. It seemed they knew a semblance of strategy, but it only worked to Mikazuki's advantage.

Mikazuki soared into the sky. The propulsion from her steel wings took her above the forest. As she hovered in the air, she could see everything down below.

If her field of range is a clock, Kanade was fighting at her sixth. A large number of dark creatures had formed a group at her twelfth. With her blade pointed to the sky, a large amount of energy began to gather at the tip of her blade.

It was time for night to turn into day.

Mikazuki had visualized it clearly. A gigantic ball of light; a miniature of the sun. Warmth began to flow from under her, as balls of light floated from thin air.

Proudly to the enemies down below, she declared. "Gather my magic to me. Transform into the burning flame of the sun to destroy my enemies!"

At that moment, above Silver Hills, there was a small ball of light. What it was couldn't be discerned properly, but it was something close to a miniaturized version of the sun. From below, it looked like a nondescript shining ball of plasma.

Its diameter was small, not even close to a centimeter. Its color was a mix of yellow, orange, red, and blue. Strange things should not happen with a phenomenon that small.

And yet, various unbelievable things started happening all at once.

The tree started shaking with its tip and branches turning toward the plasma ball. Electricities from the nearby lamppost and the lights inside the pavilion flashed uncontrollably. The wind itself roared from everywhere toward the miniaturized sun, converging around the plasma ball like a shell.

"Energy accumulation at: 68-percent... 79... 86... 95... Charge complete. Commencing attack."

Geminius' voice echoed on the battlefield, declaring an attack about to come.

Sensing danger, Kanade quickly planted her spear into the ground. Turning her head toward the sky, she angrily protested. "Tell me these sort of things first, stupid!"

Ignoring Kanade, Mikazuki proceeded with her plan. She calmly used her blade to divide the plasma ball into a few portions. All of it, however, was for her enemies.

"Bloom, Sunflower Blossom!"

The divided part of the sun split off and rained down on the grouped up enemies. The rain of light fell down in a petal-like pattern below Mikazuki.

Their enemies were none the wiser. Simply idling about as if in awe of the sun in blooming. Soon, the sun's warmth washed down upon them, sealing their doom.

The power itself was ridiculous, but controlling it well was unbelievably difficult. Yet, Mikazuki was able to control her attack perfectly. The light even destroyed the enemies around Kanade without being close to hitting her.

Surface signatures destroyed. Commencing cooling down process.

"Thank you, Geminius."

No further reply.

It seemed her battle was not over just yet.

With everything around her returning to light, Mikazuki slowly hovered down.

When she touched the ground, Kanade screamed at her.

"What the hell was that attack?!" Kanade berated. "You could have killed me!"

Mikazuki glared at Kanade, and she glared back. Their eyes looked at each other, sparks flying in the background.

"But I didn't," Mikazuki said. "And you're not even hurt. Grow some spine, Red Wolf."

That nickname again.

Kanade glared at Mikazuki. Although she was in a different form close to her own, it seemed that they still couldn't get along.

Mikazuki didn't bother trying to get along with Kanade either.

Nevertheless, they had to fight.

Kanade pulled back her spear, ready to attack.

Mikazuki reacted slower than her, but she was able to assume a thrusting stance.

In a single beat, both of them thrusted their respective weapons forward. Before their weapons could touch each other, Kanade leaped above Mikazuki while Mikazuki ducked under Kanade. Their weapon stabbed something unusual hidden inside both of their shadows, waiting to ambush them.

"Nicely done," Kanade groaned as she reluctantly lowered her guard.

"Same to you," Mikazuki clicked her tongue before she sheathed her weapon.

Do not sheathe your blade!

Geminius warned, but it was too late.

A gigantic bull appeared from inside the forests. It had bided its time in the darkness for the moment one of them let their guard down. With its arms above its head, the bull was ready to bisect Mikazuki with its tree-sized broadsword.

She wasn't able to respond in time. Her knees froze, as if her legs were nailed to the ground. The sharp blade was moving ever closer, but she couldn't do anything but gaze listlessly at death.

"But not good enough, it seemed."

Kanade was now before Mikazuki, her spear stopping its attack.

The tip of her spear clashed with its blade, stopping the blade in place. Wind blew from the point of impact, creating a powerful wave.

Even fighting against a foe six times her size, Kanade's defense remained impregnable.

Her eyes locked with the gigantic bull, showing a pair of eyes hungry for victory.

"You're the one I had sensed before in the forest," Kanade smirked. "Now all your minions are gone, you're here to claim the spoils? Not on my watch!"

Kanade pulled the spear, readying every power she could muster into it, before thrusting it back toward the bull in a powerful thrust.

A pinpoint explosion of force erupted before the bull's eyes, a large force ruptured the air behind its sword.

The sword itself had split into two pieces, the surviving pieces shorter than the original sum. The part of the blade fell on the ground without much force. Compared to the sword, its owner fared a much deadlier fate.

The gigantic bull was now without its head. Kanade's last attack had blown away the upper torso and beheaded the bull. Without any head it began to fade, as if blown away by the night breeze.

With the danger avoided, Mikazuki fell on her knees. Exhaustion began spreading all over her body, her joints were sore and her muscles stiffened. Her breathing became ragged, unsure how to process what were about to happen if Kanade hadn't saved her.

She would have died... and with that so would Hinana.

She felt unbearably sick.

All enemy signatures destroyed.

Mikazuki fell silent, annoyed by Geminius' notification.

"That should be it," Kanade sincerely grinned. "Alright, the both of us can rest now, but are you Mikazuki or Hinana now? Or are you both?"

"I'm still... Mikazuki," she slowly caught her breath. "Thank you for the save."

"Us magical girls have to stick real close," Kanade offered her hand. "Come on, it's your first rodeo, Angel Geminius. Don't be so hard on yourself."

She was right, but Mikazuki felt she could do much more.

The name also had a nice ring to it.

Being a magical girl was something entirely different than what she had done before.

When Kanade pulled Mikazuki up, she had reverted back to her normal clothes.

However, something happened when Mikazuki was about to revert.

The sword in her hand shone brightly, just like it did before. This time, the length was shorter, but she could feel her strength leaving her body. When she let go of her sword, the sword floated in-front of her before turning into Hinana.

When Hinana returned, she wasn't conscious. The wound inside her chest was also gone, replaced by a scar shaped like a blade pointing downward.

With the tension released from the air, Mikazuki fell down once more. This time it was to catch Hinana.

She caught Hinana with ease, but did it gently so as to not shake Hinana in her arms. Her fatigue was apparent, but she wouldn't spare her energy if it was to keep Hinana safe. Her breathing hardened and became sparse, tightening her grip on Hinana as she lowered herself to the ground.

Kanade's eyes widened, now in disbelief. What was before her was something she hadn't seen before.

"That sword... it was Hinana all along?" Kanade gasped.

Mikazuki weakly nodded. The toll of her transformations had finally caught up to her.

Kanade scratched her head. Now was not the time for impromptu interrogation. "You two stay here and catch your breath. I'll grab my transceiver and call for back-up."

This time, Mikazuki didn't respond. Kanade wasn't waiting for answers. She could sense that the new magical girl was tired, even if she insisted it was the opposite.

Mikazuki saw Hinana' eyes twitching, and her breathing had stabilized. Now that Hinana was safe with her, her consciousness tuned out every sound around her. She tightened her grip on Hinana, not risking losing her again.

With Hinana held tightly in her arms, she could finally rest.


A single sparkle of light formed within the darkness. Slowly, the sparkle multiplied before forming a body made of light. That body belonged to Mikazuki, but her form was see-through, akin to a ghost..

As she had expected, her psyche had traveled to this familiar place once more. A landscape of nothingness, the ground she touched an endless ocean.

She looked at her back, focusing on the string made of light. When she followed the trail of white, it led higher and higher until it couldn't be seen anymore. It seemed she had dove deeper than expected.

With the condition met, she called out to the darkness.

Geminius...

Can you hear me, Geminius?

Mikazuki tried to call for the object inside her mind. Her astral projection looked inside the tranquil void all around her.

As she expected, there was no reply.

It seemed not even in the depth, the root of her consciousness, were Geminius found. Her time was running short either way, and she wouldn't want to risk traversing to the edge of her center for now. It seemed her only option was to postpone her search for later.

Finishing what she had to check, Mikazuki's spirit floated before flying backwards, as if her back was quickly pulled by a string. Her body went through various realms, both colorful and monochrome filled with reflections of Mikazuki's inner secrets. With her escape through the front entrance of her mind, Mikazuki's return was a success.

When she opened her eyes, she was in a white room. Signs of medication were beside her bed, but the room was empty now. It had a few beds, but only hers was occupied and attended to.

Not waiting any longer, she called out. "Hinana?"

There was no reply.

"...Kanade?"

The silence stretched longer.

She was wearing a hospital gown, but her clothes were there, neatly folded on the trolley. She closed the curtains around her bed and changed. The emblem Hinana gave her remained intact, and she was glad for that.

Now that she was done changing, she didn't know what to do. No one seemed to come pick her up, not even after she had waited for ten minutes.

That was it, she remarked to herself, from now on she was obligated to leave.

If there were someone here telling her to wait, that would be another thing.

The door was there, so she had to move.

Grumbling, Mikazuki walked toward the exit door and left. If no one was there, then all she needed to do was find someone, anyone. Had she been there any longer, she would burst in cursive.

The hallway split into two, but Mikazuki followed the sign which said "Exit". She figured the plaque was planted there consciously, as a way to lead her to where they want her to be.

A standard ploy, but she knew now that she was not alone.

Geminius hadn't responded to her calls, even after she had walked a long hallway. The hallways had its doors locked from the inside, protected by card scanners. It seemed her hunch was right; the fact remained, someone was guiding her.

After a long walk, she arrived at her intended animation. Looking back, it seemed it didn't matter where she forked. Left or right, it should still lead her here.

The door unlocked automatically and slid open. She was now in a huge room, with lit up computers and unknown apparati everywhere she looked. It seemed she had walked into the control room.

Four confettis popped from around her, startling her still. A group of people quickly circled around her with party hats and a welcoming banner with them, clapping their hands together all the while. She was even more surprised when Kanade and Hinana were there to surprise her.

"Congrats on your recovery, Mikki!" Hinana ran and hugged her mid-air. "I knew you'll make it!"

Mikazuki caught Hinana below her arms and spun her around, with each spin turning slower before stopping her to a swivel. She was laughing alongside her, happy to be together once again. Quickly, she pressed her lips against Hinana's cheek and kissed her.

"I'm so glad you're alive, Hinna."

Mikazuki was in the verge of tears, her arms wrapping around Hinana.

"Come on, Mikki," Hinana protested, though a wide grin was on her face. "A lot of people are watching."

"Oh."

Her realization was late. When she looked around them, everyone was busy smirking at them. The thrill of romance seemed to be the spice they were waiting for.

Still, there were no hints of rejection from them. The people who gathered at the bridge had openly welcomed them. Though aside from Kanade she had no idea who they were.

Kanade herself waved calmly at the two of them, and another person closely stood beside her. That person had dark blue hair, which from afar looked like the color of the deep sea. The way she tied her hair to a ponytail reminded her of someone, but she couldn't figure out where she had seen her before.

One burly red-haired man stepped forward, towering over the two of them. A bright smile was on his face, his eyes were full of hope. He extended his hand, hoping that the two girls would not mind his invitation.

The man himself was built like a rock. His form was that of an absolute unit, a gigantic powerhouse. Yet his mannerism was gentle, and his smile was sincere. His set of simple clothing stood out the most, especially as his red suit and white pants contrasted with the staff's navy blue work outfits.

"My name is Genjuro Kazanari, the commander of the Special Disaster Response team section two," the man's voice was calming, like a martial artist teaching his student. "With everyone present, I wish to formally welcome the both of you into our team. Let's do our best together."

"A team?" Mikazuki nervously asked, unsure of how to respond. "Why wasn't I told about it in advance?"

"Sorry, Mikazuki, but..." Hinana sheepishly laughed. "I'm not really sure there are any other options other than joining them."

Before Mikazuki could ask Hinana what she meant, someone cleared her throat. It drew the two's attention, with Hinana beaming at her but Mikazuki couldn't help but wonder about her ridiculous attire.

She wore a white lab coat over a pink and cream short dress. Her legs were there for everyone to see save for a pair of sandals with x-shaped straps. If it was not ridiculous enough, Mikazuki saw the amount of care her hair had gotten, as it was put into a top-combed beehive-shaped dome on her head.

She adjusted her red-framed, yellow-tinted glass before she spoke. That part of her attire being the least ridiculous of them all. She stepped forward in-front of Genjuro and lowered his hand. Now at the center of attention, she explained to Mikazuki and Hinana.

"Mikazuki Miyuki and Hinana Kohina," she began. "To tell you the truth, I was at a loss, no we were at a loss of what to do about you two. Two civvies suddenly entrusted with an unknown artifact of power and now we have no choice but to give them shelter... the top brass is asking too much out of us again."

She sighed, her expression fatigued and stressed. "That is why I want to propose a beneficial contract, where the two of you could get as much help as all of us. A give and take relationship!"

Her expression when she spoke looked like a prideful cat, but her attire could not be more eccentric. From how she carried herself, she seemed to be the one partly responsible for the team's decision, yet from how she looked Mikazuki's only thought of her was a simple scientist. Her conclusion was that the woman before her was surprisingly harmless.

Her proposal wasn't bad either. She was more willing to listen when the strings attached were visible on her end.

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions about this... arrangement, but let us start with introductions first." The woman before them calmly lightened the tension, as if she was already used to their situation. "My name is Ryoko Sakurai, I'm the head scientist of the Special Disaster Response team section two, and my job is to study and manage supernatural artifacts."

Ryoko pointed at Hinana's chest, where the sword-shaped scar had marked her body. "That thing slumbering inside her is also an artifact. If you leave Hinana with us, we'll make sure to take care of her so that nothing bad will happen."

"...And what makes you think Hinana would be harmed by the artifact inside her?"

"...Call it a hunch, but that artifact had assimilated with her body," Ryoko's eyes looked straight at Mikazuki. "Would you risk her safety for something that you might not know?"

She had a point. Hinana's safety would be priority number one for her. However, she still wasn't sure about this arrangement.

"Um..." Hinana spoked up. "Mikki, I know it's a lot to take in, but I wish to stay with Section Two. Other than what Ryoko had promised you, there was another thing that made me want to stay with them."

Mikazuki was skeptical, but she figured she should ask. "And what is that?"

"You've graduated, right? In five months time you'd be on the other side of the world, all the way in Britain. That's why I want to spend the last few months here with you," her voice was nervous and her face gave out a sad smile. "You can call me selfish, or whatever you like, but I want us to be together before your departure."

Kanade was watching from afar, a blue-haired girl standing beside her. Not even them could help but form a smile on their face.

Genjuro couldn't help but scratch his back, his heart moved by their friendship.

Mikazuki sighed.

If Hinana had set her mind on something, she wouldn't take no for an answer. There was nothing else she could do at this point, but relent to her partner's decision. She was sure the environment would be good for both of them, what with Hinana's confidence in Ryoko and her own friendship with Kanade. Genjuro felt like a warm teacher and the blue-haired girl, while quiet, seemed friendly.

"Fine," Mikazuki confidently relented. "But I want absolute secrecy of our conditions and a full coverage of our new living expenses. Also, in the near future, I want to have all of my excess expenses in Britain paid for unconditionally."

For those conditions, Ryoko couldn't help but blink. "Well, well, this girl can surely bargain. Are you sure we'll be okay with her arrangement, Genjuro?"

Genjuro nodded. "Ogawa had prepared the necessary requests to the Clock Tower. It seemed they were willing to agree if we shared our findings with them."

"Again?" Ryoko sighed. "First the top-brass and now our sponsor. When can I catch a break?"

Genjuro laughed, though Ryoko's laugh was of a weak and defeated woman, and his enthusiasm caught on as everyone in the room laughed with him.

Not missing a beat, Genjuro extended his hand to Mikazuki once more. "It's going to be great working with you two, Mikazuki, Hinana."

The two angels readily grabbed his hand and shook on it together. The road of adventure opened up before them. Truly, their magical horizon had begun expanding.