The weather was pleasant, and the scenery flickered outside the window, blurring in greens and blues as we sped along the road. Reina had fallen asleep next to me, her head slumped to the side with a little trickle of drool slipping from her slightly open mouth. Her lips were slightly parted, giving her an uncharacteristically innocent, vulnerable expression that was nothing like her usual sharp, combative self.
"Hmm… Dewishwesh…" she mumbled, a soft, garbled nonsense in her sleep. I snorted, trying to stifle my laughter, and took out my phone, snapping a quick photo of her silly snoozing face. It would serve as fantastic blackmail material for later—something to pull out if she ever pushed her luck with me.
"Serves you right," I muttered under my breath, suppressing a grin. This momentary victory was small, but it did the trick. Honestly, anything to distract me right now would do. The mission briefing was complete, but all that was left was to wait and scatter our team when we arrived. We needed to locate the ritual site—a task as vague and massive as the Basilica itself.
The intel we'd received was troubling. The "Sacred Omen" sect had plans to summon something—something monstrous and terrible. Even with the chiefs' explanations, the sheer scale of it boggled my mind. To call forth this creature, they needed the blood of a particular lineage, an ancient bloodline that Maria apparently shared. My friend Jin had kept her secrets safe; he wouldn't spread rumors that she was a vampire, and I doubted any other student knew. Only a select few of us—Miss Kyouka, Jin, the president, and myself—were in the loop. So when the intelligence report referenced "a special bloodline," I could only assume they had found an indirect way to frame Maria's unique heritage. This meant she was at risk, though, and it was our job to stop the ritual before it could even begin.
"You must stop this ritual at all costs."
That was the order. Alongside it was the added objective of rescuing a "classmate," as if that were somehow less daunting than stopping the end of the world. Who in their right mind thought students were capable of this kind of mission? This was nuts. At this rate, I was ready to just doze off myself, slumping in my seat like Reina.
I glanced out the window again. The landscape outside had softened into endless stretches of green, rolling out to meet the horizon. Breathing the air here, even through the thin crack in the window, felt fresher than anything back on the island. The clouds above drifted lazily, casting shifting shadows across the fields.
The bus rolled over a bump in the road, jolting Reina, who murmured and shifted closer to me, her head now landing squarely on my shoulder. How defenseless could she get? I almost chuckled. The valley between her half-exposed curves was dangerously within view. Every nerve in my body screamed to wake her up, to shove her back into her seat and lecture her about situational awareness. But… the softness of her form against me, the rise and fall of her breath, lulled me into a weird sort of calm. This kind of vulnerability reminded me of someone else—a certain cheeky woman who always seemed to find ways to unravel me.
Last night, I'd stopped by Shinra's apartment before heading home.
"What do you mean I can't go with you?" she'd asked, her voice a low, sulky murmur. Her arms had been crossed over her chest, a sullen expression coloring her usually playful features.
I'd shrugged. "This mission's beyond you. Besides, I'd rather keep your identity under wraps from the other divisions. Something strange is stirring within HARMONIA, and when the time is right, I'd rather have you as my ace."
A soft spark lit in her eyes. Simple-minded as she sometimes appeared, she always took a sincere joy in any responsibility I trusted her with. She'd hopped up and started bustling around the small kitchen to make tea. The aroma filled the room, warm and inviting.
"Have you eaten yet?" she'd asked, her voice casual but her eyes fixed on me with genuine concern.
I felt my stomach give a traitorous growl. I was hungry, no denying it, but the timing couldn't have been worse. If I accepted, someone would be very, very angry—someone I didn't want to cross.
"I'd love to eat with you, but not today," I'd said with a slight, regretful smile.
Her face soured, and she shot me a knowing look. "Your sister, huh? Thought so." She pouted, her eyes flicking away in a way that told me she was feeling hurt, even if she was trying to hide it.
She mumbled something under her breath. "And here you are, off with other women again. How can I not worry?"
Her words were low, but they'd hit their mark. Pretending I hadn't heard, I shifted in my seat, hoping to steer the topic away. But just as I was opening my mouth to speak, she started unbuttoning her blouse, her fingers moving with a surprising purpose.
"W-what the—?!" I gasped, my voice almost a yelp. I took a step back, completely caught off guard. Shinra let her blouse slip down her shoulders, revealing a sliver of lacy black fabric snug against her skin. My brain went blank, and I felt my face heat up.
"Look closely," she said, her face flushed, eyes barely meeting mine. Her cheeks were dusted with red, and she looked mortified, as if second-guessing her decision but too stubborn to back out.
Her skirt followed, and soon she stood before me in a matching black set, her stockings held up by delicate garter belts. I tried to calm myself, to look anywhere but at her, but I was frozen. I wasn't made of stone, and she had to know that. Her flushed cheeks, her nervous fidgeting—it all had a strange way of burning itself into my memory without any effort on my part.
"Now…" Her voice softened, a tremble hidden beneath the confidence. "Remember this… every detail. With this, I'll be humiliated if I try to wed anyone else. After this, I can only belong to you."
My mind blanked. Her words tumbled around in my head, refusing to connect with anything logical. What was she saying? Was this some kind of declaration? And why…?
But before I could process, she leaned in close, her face inches from mine, her breath warm on my skin. Her lips brushed mine in a soft, lingering kiss. It was a small gesture, but familiar—something we'd shared in rare, unguarded moments. Her kisses always tasted sweet, a fleeting warmth that lingered even after she pulled away.
This was Shinra's way of saying, "Be safe." Or at least, that's what I hoped.
"Take care of yourself," I whispered, my hand coming up to cradle her face. "I'd rather not have you stealing the map again in my absence."
She gave a soft laugh, her shoulders relaxing, and a glimmer of satisfaction crossed her face. Despite how it started, Shinra and I had formed a bond neither of us fully understood, a partnership wrapped in layers of shared trust and silent promises.
Before I could leave, she'd plopped down onto my lap, draping an arm around my neck. "Take Sofy with you, okay?" she murmured, her voice quiet, almost drowsy. Her lips met mine again, this time in a kiss that held both need and a certain inevitability, as if this was how it had always been.
The memory lingered, lingering even as I refocused on the present. Outside, the landscape was changing, the endless greenfields giving way to urban sprawl. Reina stirred, her eyes fluttering open, and she quickly wiped the drool from her mouth, cheeks flushed as she glanced around to see if anyone had noticed.
I kept my face impassive, pretending not to see, though her embarrassment was almost comically endearing. Finally, she composed herself and glanced out the window, noticing the change in scenery.
"We're here," Miss Kyouka's voice echoed from the front of the bus, adjusting her posture. I straightened in my seat, eyes focusing forward as the shining skyline of our destination rose into view.
Golden spires and shining rooftops stretched upward, the entire city gleaming in the afternoon sun. It was a city with a history as ancient as the gods, a place steeped in myth and legend.
"So, this is it, huh?" I murmured, more to myself than anyone else. I felt Reina shift next to me, her gaze tracking the skyline with an equal mix of awe and determination. She'd dropped her usual mask, her face softened by an uncharacteristic hint of wonder.
It was the Vatican City—the heart of our mission, a place where destiny and danger waited in equal measure.
All the thoughts and emotions from earlier—the quiet moments with Shinra, the camaraderie with Reina, the responsibility I felt for our mission—all of it crystallized into a single resolve. Whatever was about to happen, no matter what dangers lay ahead, I would face it. For them. For all of us.
And with that, as the bus rolled into the golden city, I knew this was just the beginning.