To Begin

Warm light descended from the sky, cloaking everything in a golden embrace.

“Haaah~ Yina, what are we eating today?”

Yisha stifled a yawn, her voice weak and devoid of energy.

How could she not be? Last night, Yina had once again snuck into her bed in the dead of night. Treated as a human pillow, Yisha hadn’t slept a wink.

Even the rare dreams she managed to catch were nightmares of being ensnared by octopus tentacles. The mere thought of those wet, soft, and utterly disgusting tentacles coiling around her sent shivers down Yisha’s spine, raising goosebumps instantly.

“Are you awake, Sister?”

Though it was a question, the certainty in Yina’s tone puzzled Yisha for a moment. Then, a thought struck her, and she understood.

“Yes~ I’m so sorry to have woken up at your pre-ordained time. Can we finally eat?”

Yina’s certainty wasn’t due to hearing Yisha’s voice. Rather, she had precisely calculated Yisha’s waking and preparation times.

This was evident from the breakfast spread, perfectly ready and waiting on the table.

“When will you change your habit of sleeping in, Sister? Didn’t that almost spell disaster the other day?”

Yina finished spreading jam and then offered Yisha a piece of cheese.

“How was I to know a second sleep would be so utterly delightful? I slept straight until noon! It’s a miracle the principal hasn’t fired me yet.

“Skipping an entire morning less than three days into the job—if it weren’t for the fact that neither Mr. Uesugi nor I had classes this morning, the classroom would surely have exploded.”

Yisha took the cheese, bit into it, and savored the delicious taste while shrugging helplessly.

“Mr. Uesugi is being discharged this afternoon, Sister. Don’t forget our appointment tomorrow.”

Yina, who was eating slowly and methodically, a chopstick full of vegetables followed by a chopstick full of rice, offered a gentle smile.

“I’ll ask the principal for leave. We get one opportunity to take leave each month, and it looks like I’ll be using it.”

Finishing the last bite of cheese, Yisha licked her fingers clean before getting up to wash her hands.

Yina watched Yisha’s actions, but said nothing.

She knew Yisha’s past. When they were new, ‘they’ had granted Yisha those memories. It seemed laughable now that Yina had once called her an unwanted child.

Reflecting on it, was it merely the ignorance of youth? No, Yisha had simply been living in her own world, merely seeking an outlet for her frustrations.

“I’m off, Yina. Take your time eating.”

“Mm.”

A brief exchange, the sound of footsteps, the opening of a door, then its closing.

After all this, only she remained in the large house… No, that wasn’t quite right. The potted plants were still there to keep her company.

‘Sister, when will you truly see me as family?’

Watching Yisha’s figure disappear past the window, Yina silently posed the question in her heart.

Today, just like any other day, she arrived at school about thirty minutes earlier than required. Having organized her teaching materials, she found herself with nothing to do but admire the scenery outside.

“Every day is so peaceful. This feeling is truly wonderful.”

The playground teemed with the lively figures of middle school students. They romped freely, their boisterous play unrestrained, cushioned by the soft grass.

“Alright, that concludes today’s lesson. Class dismissed.”

Yisha finished her last class, then clasped her neck and twisted it, a satisfying ‘crack’ echoing from her bones.

She somewhat regretted covering for Mr. Uesugi, but at least all of that would end today.

Yisha returned to her office.

‘I should tell Yina I want something nice to eat tonight.’

With that thought, Yisha dialed Yina’s number.

– “Moshi moshi, is this Sister?”

The girl’s light, clear voice came through, immediately lifting Yisha’s spirits.

– “Yina, could I ask you for a favor?”

– “For you, Sister, anything.”

Yisha suddenly felt foolish for having been so easily relieved by Yina’s voice just moments ago.

– “Don’t drive, I want to eat tonight…”

“Wooooosh! This region is experiencing…”

Alarm bells blared, echoing across the sky. Yisha’s eyes widened involuntarily, her gaze fixed on the city outside.

Her vision swept past skyscrapers and towering buildings, until it settled on the rooftop of a distant structure. There, a peculiar object stood, entirely shrouded in a mosaic-like distortion, rendering it unidentifiable.

“You!”

She slammed the phone down. Yisha’s spiritual energy erupted, and she burst through the window.

“Annihilation!”

Calling out its name, Yisha reached the top floor of that tall building with almost unparalleled speed.

Her cannon barrel aimed directly at it, vast amounts of spiritual energy were drawn away. Just as Yisha’s finger hovered over the trigger, the mosaic distortion vanished.

“Tch, Shuttle!”

Yisha aimed at a spot in the distant mountains and pulled the trigger. Almost simultaneously, a fierce explosion erupted at that very location.

Squinting her eyes, Yisha searched for its whereabouts. Yet, neither in her sight nor her spiritual perception could she locate the entity.

“Did it still manage to escape?”

Yisha sighed. The blast wave from the distant explosion only now reached her position, ruffling her clothes and making her appear like a spirit dancing in the wind.

“What a cunning creature. I truly wouldn’t want to make an enemy of something like that…”

After a moment of contemplation, Yisha understood why the entity had appeared in her line of sight at that specific moment.

As if sensing something, Yisha scanned her surroundings. No immediate danger presented itself, but she felt a distinct sensation of being watched—a feeling she had always detested.

She sped towards the city, her figure disappearing from sight after just a few leaps. Everything returned to normal, save for the charred patch of forest in the distant mountains.

Without that evidence, no one would have known such an explosion had originally been intended for the city center.

“Commander, what do we do? That was undoubtedly a Spirit.”

Nakatsugawa, the Dimensional Analyst, exclaimed in a panic.

His panic was understandable. A Spatial Quake was about to erupt here, and now another one had appeared there. Two bangs to start the show?

However, Kotori had no mind to pay him any attention. Her gaze was fixed on the person on the screen, her hand even rising instinctively to caress the face, only for her to snap back to reality when her fingers met the cold glass.

“Which Spirit was that?”

“Dancer.”

Reine swiftly provided the answer. Such speed suggested she had been cross-referencing data the moment the entity appeared.

“Why did she appear here, and why did she attack the mountains?”

Had it not been for the immense spiritual energy that erupted below, they might still have been preoccupied with their other preparations. But that power had directly triggered the Fraxinus‘ alarm system, and at its highest level.

‘Did something threaten her, or did she lose control of her emotions?’

“Commander, should we…”

Kawagoe, anticipating a rapid burnout, began to ask. Kotori, however, waved a dismissive hand.

“No need. Commence the operation as planned!”

Watching the bustling crew below, Kotori’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Now then, let’s begin our DATE!”