"So there was a secret base under the school the whole time?" Miku asked, looking around Sector Two.

She was walking around with the Tachibana twins accompanying her.

"That's pretty much the same thought I had." Rui admitted.

"Oh! Tsubasa-san!" Hibiki called, running down the hall. At the end was none other than the idol herself, along with Maia, Ogawa and Fujitaka.

"Ah, Tachibana." Tsubasa looked over Hibiki's shoulder to see Miku. "Is this the girl who wanted to help out?"

"Um, nice to meet you." Miku said, bowing. "I'm Kohinata Miku."

"Hee hee, she's my best friend!" Hibiki said, almost proudly.

"I'm thinking maybe a little more." Maia whispered to Rui, before tossing her a water bottle. The latter rolled her eyes, but didn't make any comments.

"I know Tachibana will be a huge pain as always, but please help her as best as you can." Tsubasa said.

"Well, she's painful by nature, so I've come to accept that." Miku bluntly admitted, as Rui hid a laugh behind her fist.

"Hey, since when did this become a roasting competition for me?!" Hibiki shouted.

"It wasn't already?" Maia joked.

"Well, it looks like these two have already found something they can agree on." Ogawa observed, referring to Tsubasa and Miku.

Hibiki pouted, clearly not happy about how her being a pain was something they agreed on, as the Tsubasa and Miku shared a laugh.

"Though, it is kinda weird being down here with Miku." Hibiki said.

"That would be thanks to me." Maia said, raising her hand. "Thanks to the Commander's connections and my expert persuasion skills, we were able to get Miku registered as an external collaborator of Sector Two."

"...who's balls did you threaten to crush?" Rui asked haphazardly.

"But, you may still run into a few inconveniences here and there." Maia continued, ignoring Rui.

"It's all been explained to me. I understand the full implications of my work here." Miku said. "Please, you don't have to worry about me."

"Oh, that reminds me, where's the Commander?" Hibiki asked, noticing he wasn't around.

"Now that you mention it, we were looking for him-" Tsubasa started, before a familiar voice rang out.

"Well, isn't that nice?"

"Oh God." Rui groaned, as Ryoko walked up to the group.

"I love a bit of girl talk." The scientist said.

"While your interests are of no concern of mine, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't act like I wasn't even here." Ogawa muttered, though Fujitaka said nothing.

"So you're into that kind of thing as well, Ryoko-san?" Hibiki said, excited.

"But of course!" Ryoko said, pointing a finger up. "Why, just listen to my epic tale of love, and you won't get a wink of sleep that night."

"S-Sounds more like a horror story." Miku lampshaded.

"Whoa, Ryoko-san's epic tale of love?" Hibiki said, completely oblivious. "I bet she met a rich gentleman at a fancy bar and…"

"They got blackout drunk, which is the only reason he, or anyone for that matter, bothered to sleep with her." Rui finished.

Maia wheezed at Rui's snark, while Tsubasa sighed in exasperation. Ryoko ignored Rui's comment, as she went into "serious mode."

"All right. It's a story from long ago." Ryoko started. "If you knew the depths of my passion back then, it would shock you."

Hibiki and Miku had stars in their eyes, while Rui sighed.

"Count me surprised." Tsubasa said. "I always thought you'd be too busy with your research to look for love."

Maia looked at her sister with an incredulous look on her face. Surely Tsubasa wasn't this dense to not have picked up Ryoko's signs… right?

"You know what they say; life is short, so make the most of it!" Ryoko said. "And the power of a girl's romance is truly amazing!"

"A girl, huh?" Ogawa said, before receiving a swift blow to the face courtesy of Ryoko's silent wrath.

"Back in the day, the reason I started researching the relics was-"

"Was what?" Hibiki and Miku said with enthusiasm.

Rui just watched in complete irritation as Hibiki and Miku ate up all the stuff Ryoko was saying. While Maia was used to Ryoko's antics, she was appalled that the other three seemed to be convinced.

"Oh but, you know, there's just too much going on to stop and chat here."

"But you were the one who came here…" Ogawa muttered, before Ryoko's high heel was driven into his face, to a concerned Fujitaka. It was a wonder that his nose wasn't broken.

"In the end, it just comes down to the purity of your heart!" Ryoko said. "You girls need to go out there and begin an epic tale of your own! Well then, bye-bye!"

Ryoko left as quickly as she had arrived.

"And we didn't even get to hear her story..." Miku noted.

"It's tough dragging secrets out of that one." Hibiki admitted.

"All the better." Rui said. "I'm not talking love tips from a nympho."

"But you better believe I'll get it out of her one day!" Hibiki said, determined.

"Please don't." Rui begged her sister.

After letting Ogawa recover and Fujitaka went to go do some more work, they sat down to talk some more.

"The Commander still isn't back." He noted, seeing that Genjuro still wasn't around.

"I should report the results of the checkup to him, but he's taking a while." Tsubasa said.

"Where is he though?" Hibiki asked. "And where's that girl that looked like Chris-chan?"

"He said he was going to take Shuri to get her some things." Maia said. "But it's been quite a bit of time since they left now."

"Oh, is that her name?" Miku asked.

"Yeah." Rui said. "And the craziest bit is that she's also Chris's twin sister."

Hibiki, Tsubasa and Miku all looked surprised at that.

"The exact same reactions Rui and I had." Maia said.

"But we should get going soon." Ogawa noted, looking at his watch.

"Are you back on an assignment already?" Hibiki asked Tsubasa, considering she had only recently healed up.

"I'm taking it little by little." She reassured. "Right now, I'm just trying to get used to it again."

"Don't." Rui said to Maia, who was really tempted to make a joke, as the two drank from the water bottles.

"Then, I guess your schedule won't be too busy yet, right?" Hibiki asked.

"Yes? But why are you asking?" Tsubasa said, a bit confused.

"Let's go on a date!"

Rui started choking while Maia spat out the water she was in the middle of drinking.

"Ah! Are you two okay?!" Miku asked, concern in her voice.

"Fucking peachy." Rui coughed out.

"A date?" Tsubasa asked at Hibiki's proposal.

"Damn, Hibiki. Didn't take you as one to be so forward." Maia said, wiping her mouth.

"Forward for what?" Hibiki asked. "Miku will be there, and you two can come too!"

Maia was about to make another comment, before Rui put a mouth over her hand.

"Y-Yeah. We'll be there." Rui said, briefly nodding, before she flashed Maia a death glare. Maia wisely kept her mouth shut, lest she wanted to be on the receiving end of one of Rui's hooks.

Genjuro closed his umbrella once he entered the abandoned building. Holding a plastic bag in one hand, he looked down to his left. "Are you alright?"

Shuri nodded. "Is she here?"

"Mmhm." He confirmed, as they started walking up some of the broken steps. Stopping at one of the rooms, Genjuro opened a door, with Shuri following close behind. Listening carefully, she heard some movement from inside the room.

"It's me." Genjuro said, holding out the bag as he walked in. "I brought someone you might recognize."

"What are you talking about?" Chris Yukine asked. "Who-?"

She was cut off once she felt someone hug her from behind. It was a familiar warm feeling, one that was irreplaceable.

"Shuri!" Chris turned to face her sister, returning the tight hug. "Are you alright? Did they do anything to you?!"

"N-No! I'm fine, oneesama!" Shuri said.

Breaking the hug, Chris took in her younger twin. Shuri looked much better compared to when she had last seen her. Her hair was cleaner, she had new clothes, and her expression was brighter as well.

"I took her to get an ID." Genjuro explained. "And after that, to the doctor's office for a checkup, before to the store to get her some new clothes. I was going to get her something to eat as well, but she insisted that Rui-kun's cooking was enough."

That name caught Chris's attention. "Wait… Rui Tachibana?"

Shuri nodded. "She saved me."

Chris thought back to the girl from that other night. She had the same face as the idiot, but was completely different. So she was the one that had helped Shuri?

"I'm the only one left to take care of you two." Genjuro said, before sitting down.

"How did you find me?" Chris asked, still a bit tense, but hugging her sister close.

"I used to work in the secret service, so I'm used to it." Genjuro said, before holding up the plastic bag. "It's food."

Chris looked hesitant, but then her stomach growled in response. Seeing that she was still hesitant, Genjuro took out an anpan. He was about to bite into it to show her it wasn't poisoned, but Shuri held out a hand.

"May I?"

Genjuro smiled, before giving her the anpan. Shuri broke it in half, before giving one to her sister. Biting into it to show her that it was safe, Chris reluctantly did the same with her half.

"The violinist Yukine Masanori and his wife, the singer Sonette M. Yukine, were helping refugees as members of an NGO when they killed in a civil way eight years ago." Genjuro said, pulling out a milk carton. "Their only daughter went missing as well. Then the UN Army's Val Verde intervention changed the situation. The girl was saved from the claws of a local gang, and was transported to Japan."

Shuri's eyes became saddened at hearing those names, as she took the milk and gave it to Chris.

"I see you've done your homework." Chris said, taking a sip of the milk. "But I'm tired of dealing with schemers like you."

"At the time, we had been looking for Attuned all over the world of professional music, so I volunteered to take care of that lonely girl." Genjuro said.

"Tch, how nice of you."

"But that girl vanished the moment she arrived in Japan. We panicked. The second branch tried to assist with the investigation, but most of the people who were involved died or even worse, went missing, and the case was closed. And yet years later, we find a girl that fits many of the traits of the one who went missing, only to discover that she was the younger twin of the missing girl."

"What do you want from me?" Chris demanded.

"I don't want anything from you." Genjuro said. "I want to help you."

Chris looked surprised at that, while Shuri smiled.

"It's an adult's duty to finish what he starts." Genjuro said.

Chris scoffed. "And adult's duty? I never asked for that! And none of you adults ever helped us before!"

She threw away the milk carton, before running at the window. But she felt a hand grab her. She expected Genjuro to have stopped her, but it wasn't him.

"Please… oneesama. I'll tell you what he told me." Shuri said, a pleading expression on her face as she clinged to her sister.

All the anger in Chris drained away as she calmed down. Genjuro smiled as Shuri spoke soft words to Chris.

"...I need some time to think about it." Chris said.

"That's fine." Genjuro said, standing up and turning to the door. "You can take all the time you need."

"I'll stay with you until you decide." Shuri said.

"No." Chris said. "Shuri, if you've been treated right, go back with him. You can't stay in a place like this."

"But-"

"I won't be going anywhere." Chris said. "I promise."

Shuri looked concerned, but trusted her sister's judgement. Giving Chris one more hug, she left with Genjuro. Gritting her teeth, Chris fell back against the wall.

What am I doing?

Tsubasa looked at her watch. "Where could those girls be?"

"Hard to say for sure." Maia said, hands behind her head. "You can never be too sure with those girls."

Almost as if on cue, Hibiki, Miku and Rui came running up, all of them out of breath.

"Sorry, Tsubasa-san, Maia-san!" Hibiki said.

"You're all awfully late." Tsubasa said.

"Sorry." Miku apologized. "I should have expected it, but Hibiki overslept again."

"I kinda expected it for you two. But what's your excuse, Rui?" Maia asked.

"I… honestly forgot about it until Hibiki woke up." She said, sheepishly.

"We shouldn't waste time." Tsubasa said, not noticing how impressed Hibiki and Miku were with her casual outfit. "Let's hurry."

She turned and started to walk.

"Looks like she was really looking forward to it." Hibiki noted.

"Yeah, she was crying me a river since you guys weren't here on time." Maia said with a grin.

Tsubasa stopped before turning around with a blush. "I just want to get back the time we lost because certain individuals here were late!"

Hibiki and Miku winced at the shouting, while Rui rolled her eyes.

"Now that's more like her." Hibiki said.

The first stop the girls made was at a souvenir store. It was fun looking at all the little trinkets they had, as they varied from antique to modern. Surprisingly, the only person who bought anything was Rui, having picked up a Kamen Rider Ex-Aid sleeping mask. Tsubasa thought it looked a bit ridiculous, and Rui insisted that it was because she needed one to sleep and it was the first one she saw. Hibiki, Miku and Maia knew the real reason though, but kept silent.

Next up was checking out a movie. They decided on a romantic one called "Happy Love." Hibiki, Miku and even Tsubasa were tearing up quite often at it, though Maia was bored. She had studied enough overseas about writing that she could figure out the formula quite easily.

"This is so cheesy." Maia whispered. "How you holding up, Rui? … Rui?"

Maia looked over and sweatdropped to see that Rui had fallen asleep. The Ex-Aid eye mask was on her face as she softly snored.

After the movie, they grabbed a quick ice cream snack, before going to the obvious place; the clothing store. They decided to have a bit of a fashion show with all the different clothing combinations they could find. Some worked out well, some looked absurd, but they had fun. Though they had to get out soon after, as Tsubasa started getting recognized by several fans. They all had a good chuckle about it afterwards though. Their next idea to maybe cool down a bit was go to the arcade… though Hibiki was mostly getting fired up.

"Just you watch, Tsubasa-san!" Hibiki said as they all stood at the crane game. "I'm gonna get the one you want!"

"That would be nice, but aren't you getting… a little bit too into this game?" Tsubasa asked.

"That's just how Hibiki is." Rui said. "She acts like this whenever we play video games together."

Hibiki scanned her play card before slamming the button with her fist, letting out a screech comparable to a pterodactyl.

"Though do you have to yell like that?" Miku asked, hands over her ears.

The crane clamped over a plushie and lifted it up… before it slipped out.

"This machine is rigged!" Hibiki yelled. "I think I must be cursed…"

She then had a look on her face that was an odd mixture of thoughtfulness, mischievousness and irritation.

"If the machine's already broken, then it's no problem if I damage it further, right?" Hibiki reasoned. "I'll just summon my Symphogear and-"

"Tachibana, let's sort this out peacefully!" Tsubasa said.

"Maybe this anger will finally summon my Armed Gear!"

"Don't yell so much!" Miku shouted.

Rui yawned, before feeling a tap on her back. Maia was standing there, having shown up suddenly.

"Yo, Rui. Wanna play a match of this?"

Rui looked over Maia's shoulder to see that the girl was pointing at a vs game. One that featured several masked heroes that she knew; Kamen Rider: Ganbarizing Neo. A card battling game that was incredibly simple. Place three cards, and hologram projectors would create those Riders on your side of the field, letting the two sides battle, with the outcome based on logic around weapons and power. It was essentially a heavily advanced version of rock-paper-scissors, but way cooler.

Maia pulled out a couple of cards. "You wanna borrow mine? That way we can-"

Wordlessly, Rui reached into her coat pocket, surprising Maia by pulling out a deck box. "Let's go."

Maia chuckled as they both went to other sides of the dueling field. The other three simply watched over.

"Kick her butt, oneesan!" Hibiki cheered.

"I plan on it." Rui said, as both she and Maia chose three cards.

"Here's my unbreakable strategy!" Maia said. "I'll go with this trio!"

She placed down the cards one by one, summoning a black-green Rider, a silver-blue Rider, and a red-silver Rider. All three of them had swords.

"The triple sword combo between Black RX, Blade and Saber." She said, chuckling. "With all of them being sword Riders, their attack power is tripled! And they get the double attack point boost since they're all from different eras!"

"As expected." Tsubasa said, arms crossed.

"You knew she would do this?" Miku asked.

"Indeed." Tsubasa said. "The three sword Riders from each generation is one of her favorite combos."

"You like this type of thing too, Tsubasa-san?" Hibiki asked.

"I have only heard about it thanks to my sister always telling me about it." Tsubasa explained. "But back to the topic on hand, I don't see a way your sister can win, Tachibana."

"Hee hee." Hibiki laughed with a grin. "Just watch this, Tsubasa-san."

They turned back to the game, where Maia was laughing just like an anime villain.

"You have no method of winning, Rui!" She boasted. "You should give up now!"

Wordlessly, Rui placed her first card on the table, summoning an iconic grasshopper hero with a red scarf.

"Kamen Rider Ichigo, huh?" Maia asked. "Iconic, but he won't be able to help you here. It's over."

The confidant grin on Maia's face disappeared as Rui placed two more cards on the field. The first one was of a rider that was gold and black, backed up by the spirits of two red and silver Riders. The second one was a neon green and red Rider, backed up by the spirits of a silver samurai Rider and golden Rider with statues all over his suit.

"I bring into play, Kamen Rider Kuuga Ultimate and Kamen Rider Zero-Two, empowered by Agito Shining, Ryuki Survive, Gaim Kiwami Arms and Grand Zi-O." Rui said, a smile forming on her face. "Because of how Ichigo, Kuuga and Zero-One are all the first Riders in the Showa, Heisei and Reiwa era, their attack power is doubled. Toss in the fact that they're all martial art type Riders, their attack power is tripled. And then the empowerment from their support multiplies their attack power by four."

"Wh-What…?" Maia stammered.

"In layman's terms, my team's attack power has just been multiplied by twenty-four!" Rui declared.

"N-No way!"

"The finisher!" Rui shouted, flicking her wrist and pointing forward. "Go!"

The holographic Riders on Rui's side of the field all jumped and kicked at Maia's, causing a massive explosion. Rui's Riders landed safely, while Maia's had been obliterated.

"Noooo! My fearless Riders!" Maia cried out in despair, falling to her knees.

"Train for a thousand years before even thinking of facing me again." Rui boasted, before pointing up. "The girl who walks the path of Heaven, and rules over all."

"...this is an odd side of your sister, Tachibana." Tsubasa said, watching as their twins were dramatically overreacting to the result of the game.

"Oneesan doesn't play to lose, she plays to win." Hibiki said. "But she… can be a bit full of herself when she does."

Rui and Maia had eventually escalated their banter until it was basically a shouting match, until Miku spoke up, louder than both of them.

"If you all want to scream your lungs out, I know just the place!"

Miku had brought them all to a karaoke lounge.

"Amazing! This is just amazing!" Hibiki shouted, expression shining.

"It's just a karaoke bar, Hibiki." Rui said as she stretched out on one of the seats.

"No no, it's not that!" Hibiki said, leaning over the table. "We're going to sing karaoke with a real pop star!"

"It's not that big of a deal." Maia said. "I sing with Basa all the time."

"Well, you're sisters, so that's kind of different." Miku said, as Tsubasa pressed the selection tablet and stood up with a mic, briefly bowing as the song started.

"I always wanted to try singing something like this one day." Tsubasa confessed, before getting into the mood.

The song Tsubasa was singing was noticeably different from the songs she normally sang. Yet, she made it work so well. Her beautiful voice was soothing and flowed well with the traditional instruments of the song.

"She's so cool!" Hibiki whispered.

"It's so… relaxing…" Rui said quietly.

When Tsubasa finished singing, they all clapped for her.

"Amazing…" Miku said.

"Thank you." Tsubasa said, with a small smile.

"Hey, Rui." Maia said. "What say you and I do a duo together? Can't let Basa hold all the spotlight."

"I'm… not really a good singer." Rui said.

"Lies." Hibiki said almost immediately with a grin on her face. "Should I tell them, oneesan?"

"Please don't." Rui said, face turning red.

"Oh hey Rui. They got "W-B-X ~ W-Boiled Extreme ~" here!" Maia said, a grin equally as mischievous as Hibiki's. "C'mon, you can get the part of the guy who sings less!"

"I refuse." Rui said, suddenly serious as she grabbed a mic and stood up. "I'm singing the main role."

"Well, at her Majesty's command." Maia chuckled, as she stood up with a mic of her own.

A jazzy J-pop theme started to play, but then Tsubasa asked them a question.

"Wait, what's this from?"

"Oh, it's musical artist Aya Kamiki collaborating with guitarist TAKUYA." Rui said.

"No, what's it from?" Tsubasa asked again, putting more emphasis on the last word.

"...Kamen Rider." Rui said, face turning red.

Hibiki and Miku hid a few laughs behind their hands, while Maia grinned. Tsubasa just stared at Rui while she and Maia sang. It was still so jarring to see Rui obsessed over what was nothing more than a children's show.

Still, it was nice to see that even Rui had soft spots. And her singing was pretty impressive as well.

Tsubasa was breathing heavily as she walked up some stone steps. She looked up to see Hibiki and Miku already at the top.

"How do you two have so much energy?" She asked.

"Same question I've had for years." Rui said, lower on the stairs alongside Maia.

"You just tire out too easily, Tsubasa-san!" Hibiki said.

"I suppose it's all unusual for her." Miku added.

"I am but a sentinel, watching over the field of battle." Tsubasa said, as she reached the top of the stairs.

While the others looked at Tsubasa with smiles (or neutral faces, in Rui's case), Maia's look was one of concern.

"Today, I felt like I saw a whole new world I'd never known." Tsubasa said, with a smile on her face.

Maia crossed her arms, and the frown she had slowly turned upside down.

"That's not true!" Hibiki said, grabbing Tsubasa's arm.

"H-Hey! Tachibana, what are you doing?" Tsubasa asked, as she was pulled over to the fence overlooking the city.

"Hibiki's always been the forward one, huh?" Maia asked, as Hibiki and Tsubasa talked.

"Whenever she gets an idea in her head, she will act on it." Miku said.

"Even if the idea is stupid, she will act on it too." Rui added. "But… that's just how my sister is, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

"You know…" Maia looked at Hibiki and Tsubasa conversing. "I can say the same about Tsubasa."

The older sisters and Miku smiled, as they all watched the sun set.

Over a week had passed since the outing. Tsubasa was scheduled to perform at the same arena she and Kanade did years ago. The one where only Hibiki and Rui had survived the Noise massacre. Yet despite the painful memories, Tsubasa was determined to perform, so she could overcome the painful past.

Hibiki and Miku both got tickets. While Tsubasa had offered a ticket to Rui, the girl declined. When she had been asked why, it wasn't because she was scared. Rather, Sector Two had given her a bit of a task that day.

"You know, I'm kinda surprised that you'd do this sorta thing." Maia said, arms behind her head as she walked alongside Rui down the apartment hall.

"Don't ask me questions." Rui said, carrying several shopping bags.

"But that wasn't a question." Maia said, as they stopped in front of a door.

Rui knocked on it a few times, before they heard some soft footsteps. The door opened, and behind it was a familiar white haired girl with kind eyes.

"Afternoon, Shuri." Rui said.

"O-Oh, good afternoon." She said, letting them in.

"You don't have to be so nervous." Maia said. "It's just us."

"S-Sorry, force of habit." Shuri said, nervously.

"But dang, this is the apartment that Uncle got for ya?" Maia said, looking around. "It's really nice."

"And clean too." Rui said, as she placed the plastic bags on the kitchen counter.

"Well, it was a gift from Kazanari-san, so I should treat the place well." Shuri said, rubbing her arm.

"You really are a nice girl, you know that, Shuri?" Maia asked, as she sat down on the couch.

"T-Thank you, Maia-san." She said, still a bit nervous.

"Come on, there's no need to be so formal!" Maia said with a laugh.

"S-Sorry…"

"Aw, stop apologizing." Maia said. "You're making me feel bad!"

"Sorry… uh, I mean sorry!" Shuri sputtered. "I mean, um-!"

"Just let her apologize, Maia." Rui said, as she was cutting up some carrots. "It'll make things easier for all of us."

"Fine." Maia said, leaning back on the couch. "Guess I can lighten up on the teasing."

"Can you just do what we came here to do?" Rui asked, peeling onions and wiping her eyes.

"You just had to ask. You don't have to cry about it." Maia said with a smirk.

Rui would have glared at her, but the stinging sensation in her eyes told her to focus on her own task.

"So, Shuri." Maia said as the girl sat down nearby. "How is it here so far?"

"It's… very nice." She said. "I can't really thank your Uncle enough, for helping me."

"That's just the type of guy he is." Maia said. "Heck, everyone at Sector Two is like that."

"I see…"

"Oh, right! Ryoko made a present for you!" Maia said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a light blue pen, with intricate designs.

"A pen?" She asked, as Maia handed it to her.

"Yup!" Maia said with a grin. "It's called Okami!"

"Umm…" Shuri turned the pen over a couple of times in her hand. "It's very nice, but why does it have a name?"

"Oh, click the button on the tip. Like, two times really fast."

Shuri looked confused, but did a quick double click. As soon as her thumb was off, the pen unfolded into a large silver-blue sniper rifle.

"That's why it has a name." Maia said.

"Uhh… it's very heavy!" Shuri groaned, pinned underneath the weapon.

"Maybe a heads up would have been a smarter idea before you told her to unlock the thing?" Rui suggested, as she dumped chopped up carrots, onions, potatoes and beef into a large pot.

"Yeah, you're probably right about that one." Maia said, rubbing the back of her head.

"Probably?" Rui repeated, watching as Shuri struggled to push the rifle off of her.

Chuckling a bit, Maia reached over and pressed a button twice on the weapon, and it folded back into a pen, landing on Shuri's lap. The girl picked it up, staring at it before turning to Maia. "Why give me this?"

"Well, the guys at Sector Two thought that it wouldn't be good for someone we're sheltering to be left defenseless. We can't patrol your place 24/7." Maia explained. "I ran this by you, in case you wanted something else. Something that would fit you more."

Shuri looked down at the pen in her hand, and clenched it.

"Like, I doubt that you want to fight alongside us." Maia said. "You don't really seem like the person that would do such things. I can-"

"No." Shuri looked up, determination in her eyes. "Let me fight alongside you."

Maia looked surprised at that. Rui looked up from tending the pot as well.

"That's… not the answer I expected." Maia admitted. "What makes you say that? If it's about feeling indebted to us, you don't need to force yourself-"

"It's not that either." Shuri said, shaking her head. "I'm thankful that you helped me, but… what you all do… it's the right thing, isn't it?"

"The right thing?" Maia asked.

Shuri looked down. "Mama… Papa… they always wanted to help people. I want to be like them. I want to help people too."

Maia and Rui shared a look. The former smiled, while the latter's expression remained neutral as they turned back to Shuri.

"Aren't you selfless?" Rui said, some sarcasm in her voice. "But… I can understand that. My sister's like that too."

"Well, I guess that makes it official then." Maia said, holding out her hand. "Welcome to Sector Two, Shuri Yukine."

Shuri took the hand, surprised by just how warm it was.

"I'm gonna have to hit up Uncle again." Maia said. "Ask him to teach you how to throw a punch and stuff. Or at least be able to hold your weapon."

Shuri laughed, a bit embarrassed about how she failed to lift the weapon off of her.

"Dunno if she might be able to take the training." Rui said, pulling out some plates. "It's pretty tough."

"I'll try my best." Shuri said, holding up her fists. "I know I can do it."

"Well, you won't be able to, on an empty stomach." Rui said, as Shuri's began to grumble.

"Whoa, what is that awesome smell?" Maia asked, sniffing the air.

"It's curry." Rui said, plating it up. "I told you I'd be making it."

"Well I uh, might have spaced off when you said that." Maia admitted. "Was a bit nervous about talking to Shuri."

"Oh, I wonder why?" Rui said, smirking at a blushing Maia while she put the plates down on the table. The other two sat down, thanking Rui briefly, before trying the curry.

"Oh my God." Maia said, hand over her mouth. "This tastes awesome!"

"It's so good…" Shuri said, eyes sparkling.

Now it was Rui's turn to blush. "It's just curry…"

"Can you teach me how to cook like this?" Shuri asked.

"Me? Teach?" Rui said, pointing to herself as Shuri nodded to affirm her question. "I mean… I guess?"

"Then it's a promise!" Shuri said, holding up her pinkie.

Rui blinked a couple of times, as she saw Maia grin (though she also had curry around her mouth), before shrugging and making the pinkie promise with Shuri. Jeez, this is something Hibiki would do, not me.

Dinner was a bit more lively for Rui and Maia, but for Shuri, it was something that she hadn't had in years.

A feeling of warmth and safety.

A/N: There were probably too many Kamen Rider references in this chapter, but eh. I got most of them out of the way. I'll be sure to tone the blatant ones down in the future.

Aside from that, I got nothing else to say to wrap up this year. Merry belated Christmas. Here's to 2021, everyone.