Silence filled the room as Chirashi walked over to Kairo's bed and sat on it. Crossing her legs and smoothly resting her chin in her right hand.
"Chirashi Yasagi, who or what are you exactly?" Ingrid asked while Kairo and Marin continued just watching her.
Chirashi smirked as she looked at Ingrid.
"Observant for someone who's only an ember. You've got quite the group here, Kairo Neru." Chirashi stated as she looked over at Marin as well.
After a faint chuckle, Chirashi removes her head from his hand and leans back, using her arms to hold her up, her kimono opening a bit more around her chest.
Kairo and Ingrid looked away instantly, but Marin continued to stare.
"Whoa, that's a big scar you've got between your boobs, Chirashi!" Marin shouted without hesitation.
This caught Chirashi off guard as she looked down at her scar.
"Oh? This old thing? It's nothing but a memory of the past." Chirashi says as she spreads the top of her cleavage a bit more to show the rest of the scar.
Kairo and Ingrid huddled and turned the opposite direction as Marin hovered around Chirashi as she showed off the scar.
"W-What's happening right now, Ingrid?" Kairo questions as his head starts spinning. Ingrid, however, turns around calmly and examines the situation.
Chirashi caught his glimpse with a mischievous smile.
"Do you wanna look at it too?" She smirked, causing Ingrid to turn right back around with Kairo.
Unsure of what to say, he raises his left thumb up and holds it to Kairo. Kairo's thoughts are screaming as he questions what that means.
CLAP
Suddenly Kairo and Ingrid turn around to see Chirashi standing up with her hands clapped together.
"But in all seriousness, it's time you learn a little bit about what you've stepped into." Chirashi, she says as she reaches her hand out towards Kairo.
"However, in order for that to happen, you'll have to come with me." Chirashi expresses herself as she waits for Kairo to accept her offer.
"How do I know I can trust you?" Kairo questioned as he held his sword tightly.
"Because if it wasn't for me, your entire school, your friends, and even your family would all be dead by now." Chirashi spoke bluntly, her eyes serious and directly set onto Kairo.
"You're lying..." Kairo refused to believe her.
"Kairo, had I not unleashed only a fragment of my Soul Strain, your school would've been overrun by Fissure within hours. Not only that, had I not given you that bracelet, you would've brought them here as well. Ever since you became a proxy, you've been unconsciously leaking out your soul." Chirashi lectures as she lowers her hand.
Her hair was flowing as wind from the window started breezing in.
"So you can either trust me and let me turn you into a proper Sentarii. Or continue putting others at risk with your reluctant heroism." Chirashi expressed as she turned towards the window and crawled into it as she was ready to make her exit.
"Think about it. I'm sure you'll come to a decisive conclusion." Chirashi says as she vanishes instantly, not giving Kairo a chance to reply to her.
The room fell quiet as Kairo continued holding his sword. Marin and Ingrid looked at each other in concern.
"Kairo, are you okay?" Marin asks with worry in her voice.
"Because of me..." Kairo whispered.
Marin was concerned as she tried to look at Kairo's face. However, the moment she caught a glimpse of it, her face went pale.
Kairo was furious, and this level of anger was something Marin had never seen before in him.
"Because of me! People almost died!" Kairo shouted as he gripped his sword even harder. The blade lacerated through the cloth and dug into his hand. Causing him to start bleeding from a gash.
"Kairo, please breathe. It'll be okay. So please just breathe." Marin gently pleaded as she placed her hands onto his bleeding one.
As Kairo felt himself venting as he breathed, Marin looked over at Ingrid. Ingrid gently nodded back as she stood up and left the room to grab medical supplies.
While these events continued, we noticed a crow watching through the window from across the street. Perched on another house, its eyes are an unusual glowing purple.
Solnera Village—Another Realm
"Shiyama, how are the new senior wardens this year?"
A woman with long, wavy orange hair that reaches her waist and low-hanging, black-framed glasses asks as she is concentrating on paperwork.
Beside her was the one she spoke to, Shiyama Sakadani.
"So far we've had quite a few who seem to have potential; however, some of the others could use more work with Shuzen." Shiyama spoke as she held several papers in her hands with info on several individuals.
"Well, it is as they say, Shuzen is one of many walls most senior wardens struggle with. Just keep making sure they keep at their training. We don't want the Medic Division to fall behind in numbers, now do we?" The orange-haired woman said as she continued sifting through the paperwork.
"Absolutely not, Sentinel Yurino!" Shiyama stated with a direct and respectful tone.
"Haha, you're absolutely right, Sergeant Shiyama." Yurino chuckled as she set down the last of her papers and leaned back in her chair.
However from the entrance of her office, another new face entered. The mans arms linked together and covered by his Hakama's sleeves.
"Ah Sentinel Yurino! You're still here."
"Of course, Sentinel Takahari, I've got work that needs to be taken care of." Yurino says with a stern and blunt response.
"Oh, come now, what's wrong with taking breaks from time to time?" Takahari replies with a swift rejection of her cold tone towards him.
"I agree that breaks should be taken from time to time, but in your case they seem to be the only thing you do," Yurino bluntly expresses as she continues sifting through papers.
"Your words wound me, oh sweet Yurino, and all I wanted to do was come and offer you a drink." Takahari sarcastically pretends to be wounded as he leans over his arms.
"Shiyama, please see Sentinel Takahari out so that I may continue my work in peace," Yurino instructs as she keeps her eyes focused on the paperwork on her desk.
Then, without hesitation, Shiyama approaches Takahari.
"Sentinel Takahari, I will gladly drink with you if you allow Sentinel Yurino to continue her work." Shiyama asks politely as she begins walking him out.
"Oh, Yurino, I'm sure some day you'll have a drink with me." Takahari says with a smile as he pats Shiyama on the head.
"I'll be leaving now; please keep doing such a wonderful job, Sergeant Shiyama. I look forward to what you achieve in the future." Takahari smiles brightly before removing his hand from Shiyama's head and walking out of Yurino's office.
Shiyama's face was a bright red as she stood paralyzed at the now closed door.
"Shiyama, avoid that man at all costs." Yurino demands as she finally looks up from her desk.
Shiyama turns towards Yurino with confusion.
"If I may ask, is something the matter with Sentinel Takahari?" Shiyama questioned with concern in her voice.
"The only thing wrong with him is he's a lazy womanizer. He's a threat to all women in Solnera Village." Yurino puts it strongly while locking eyes with Shiyama.
"WHAAAAAAAT?!!" Shiyama yelled in surprise at Yurino's answer.
But from outside the door, as Takahari continued walking away, he had nothing but a smile on his face.