2-8 The Mysterious Figure
1: Hiyori's Reflection (1)#
Hiyori: .........I'm sorry, mother. I...
One week ago. At Hiyori's home.
Gojou Iroha: --Say, Hiyori-chan. Are you unsure about whether you'll quit being a toji?
Hiyori: ...On that night four months ago, I accomplished what my mother had wanted for so long.
Hiyori: Even if it's only temporary, I forced Tagitsuhime back to the netherworld. I might not have finished the job like I wanted, but with all that noro scattered, most of its power is gone.
Hiyori: The Special Ritual Squad will eventually exterminate all the aradama left behind across Kanto.
Iroha: Your fight is over, isn't it, Hiyori-chan. Is that why you're thinking of retiring?
Hiyori: ...I'd rather stay until Tagitsuhime's true body is destroyed. But...
Iroha: We haven't found a trace of it, have we?
Hiyori: ......
Iroha: You know, Sana-chan got in touch with me from Kamakura not long ago.
Hiyori: You mean... Director General Maniwa?
Iroha: She wanted your help again; asking for you personally. But the situation is a bit complicated, you see...
Hiyori: Why's that?
Iroha: After defeating aradama, I've heard the noro retrieval teams have been attacked in several places.
Hiyori: You mean, by aradama?
Iroha: That's the problem... It seems there's a toji behind it. A strange toji covered by a hood.
Academy Intercom: Aradama have been identified in the area of this academy. Toji, make preparations for emergency sortie. I repeat, aradama have been identified--
Hiyori: ...Aradama, huh.
Kanami: Hiyori-chan! There's aradama! Are you ready to go!?
Hiyori: ...Kanami, at least knock first.
Kanami: Ah- sorry! I was right by your room when they made the announcement, so I...
Hiyori: ...It's fine. Let's go.
Kanami: Okay!
2: Hiyori's Reflection (2)#
Hiyori: .........
Hiyori: ...Sorry, mother. I'm going to be a toji for a little longer...
Kanami: Nn? Hiyori-chan, did you say something?
Hiyori: --You're hearing things. I'm going back to the dorm.
Kanami: Huh? Are you mad or something? Is this because I didn't knock when I came in your room before?
Hiyori: I am not mad.
Kanami: Ehh, you're definitely mad. Were you maybe doing something in your room you didn't want me to see?
Sayaka: Doing something in your room you don't want others to see...?
Hiyori: ...Kanami, just shut up.
Kanami: But, what would you be doing that you don't want anyone seeing? Were you using chocolate mint for something?
Hiyori: ...Kanami. A while ago, you said you wanted to settle things with me, didn't you?
Kanami: Eh-, hey, Hiyori-chan, why're you drawing your okatana...?
Hiyori: Listen up, Kanami. I am not mad about anything. I just want to settle things with you.
Kanami: You're making a really scary face, Hiyori-chan! I knew it, you are mad!
Hiyori: You won't mind if I use fourth layer jin'i, do you?
Kanami: The one you used to suppress Tagitsuhime!? You're going to bury me at the bottom of the netherworld!?
3: What We Can Do (1)#
Kanami: It's been over four months since the leakage issue happened, right...?
Kanami: I wonder if there's anything we can do to help settle it faster...
Hiyori: Sharpen your skills, so when the missions come you can destroy every aradama you see. That's all there is for us to do.
Sayaka: Kanami, you shouldn't think too much about it.
Hiyori: You heard her. There's nothing wrong with leaving the complicated parts to others.
Hiyori: At the tournament, when I went to kill Origami Yukari, you followed after me. You don't need logic when you know you're right.
Sayaka: It's not like you to think so much, Kanami.
Kanami: Okay... Okay! You're right, I shouldn't be getting lost in my thoughts like this!
Academy Intercom: Aradama have been identified in the area of this academy. Toji, make preparations for emergency sortie. I repeat, aradama have been identified--
Hiyori: Sounds like there's more aradama. Let's sortie.
Sayaka: Let's do our best suppressing aradama.
Kanami: Shoot first, ask questions later, right? Thanks, you two!
4: What We Can Do (2)#
Hiyori: --Mission complete.
Sayaka: The three of us have gotten used to fighting together.
Hiyori: That's true. Compared to when I first transferred here, our coordination is much better.
Kanami: I know! With you two with me, I feel like we can handle any mission, no matter how tough!
Sayaka: ...Mm.
Hiyori: Still, don't get too comfortable. Carelessness is the greatest enemy.
Kanami: I know! We'll work just as hard tomorrow!
Aoto Hina: ...Sayaka-san. Can I talk to you for a minute?
Sayaka: ......?
Hina: There's an order for you to be transferred to Gunma, starting tomorrow.
Kanami: Eh...!!
Sayaka: ......
Kanami: But we were just starting to work together better...
Hiyori: There's no helping it. Getting transferred is a part of a toji's work.
Kanami: You're right! There's aradama all over Kanto, after all!
Kanami: Sayaka-chan! As long as this mission goes on, I know we'll run into each other again! So until then, let's both keep at it!
Sayaka: ...Mm.
5: Personnel Reinforcements (1)#
In the mountains of Gunma Prefecture.
Here, where Mashiko Kaoru was commanding a unit that Itomi Sayaka was deployed to, an incident occurred causing the other toji to be hospitalized. One week has passed since.
Presently, the unit of two toji and one pet led by Mashiko Kaoru consists of herself as captain, Itomi Sayaka, and Nene--
Sayaka: Kaoru... Captain. I look forward to working with you again today.
Kaoru: Yeah, sure. But stop acting so formal with me.
Kaoru: ...You keep calling me captain, but right now this unit is just you and me.
Sayaka: That's because the others were injured and had to leave.
Kaoru: If you hadn't shown up, I'd be the only one here now...
Nene: Ne-!
Kaoru: Ahh, me and my pet, I mean.
Nene: Nene-!
Kaoru: Ever since we fought Tagitsuhime, they've been passing me around for months nonstop. They owe me a vacation already...
Kaoru: ...Though it's no use complaining to you, huh. We should get started with our mission for today. Even including Nene, it's just the two of us, but let's call roll.
Sayaka: One.
Chie: Two.
Kiyoka: Three.
Nene: Ne-!
Kaoru: Great, we're all here. --Wait, we doubled!?
Kaoru: You two... You're the ones who came to help in the raid on the Origami house, right?
Chie: That's us. We've been deployed here as your reinforcements. I'm Setouchi Chie, a third year high schooler from Osafune Girls' Academy.
Kiyoka: And I was deployed here for the same reason, Musumi Kiyoka, a second year middle schooler from the Heijou Institute.
Kaoru: Thank god... My unit got some reliable new faces...
Kaoru: Alright, good news. Today's mission has been postponed. We're gonna get right to giving our new members a welcoming party.
Chie: Are you being serious, Kaoru-san...? We can't just put off our mission like that...
Nene: --!! Ne-!! Ne-!!
Kaoru: Huh? What's wrong, Nene?
Aradama: GURURUUUUUUUU...!
Kaoru: ...Aradama? Guess we don't have a choice. I want to start the party, but it looks like it'll have to wait until we clear this place out.
6: Personnel Reinforcements (2)#
Kaoru: 'kay, that's all of them are taken care of.
Nene: Ne-!
Chie: Hyah!? This little guy jumped right into my chest...!?
Kaoru: Figures Nene would like Chie's breasts the most. Well, it goes without saying she's the best on offer here.
Chie: What...!? He's so cute, but, somehow I'm not very glad about him growing attached to me...
Kaoru: Having big tits is a virtue, right? You should be happier.
Chie: Well I'm not!!
Kiyoka: Did you know, Shichinosato-san calls her "Chichie"...
Kaoru: Chichie...? --Ah, cause she's "SetouChi Chie". She's got good tastes.
Chie: Kaoru-san! Don't go along with it so easily! Besides, it isn't in good taste at all!
Kaoru: It's been a while since it was this lively around here. Nene seems happy about it too. Setouchi Chie, Musumi Kiyoka, I'm glad to have you aboard.
Nene: Nenenne-!
Chie: That happiness doesn't feel very innocent, though...
7: Welcoming Party (1)#
Kaoru: Okay, today for sure we're having Chie and Kiyoka's welcoming party. Though, just so nobody thinks we're slacking off, we'll be doing a leisurely patrol of the area for fun.
Kaoru: This way, even though we're just taking a stroll through the mountains, they'll still think we're searching for aradama.
Chie: You don't even try to hide what you're after, do you Kaoru-san...
Sayaka: Captain Kaoru is very lazy, so it's rare for her to offer doing a patrol.
Kaoru: Well there's nothing to do for fun around here besides get in the hot springs and play table tennis. We already get in the springs every night, and I've never beaten Sayaka once at table tennis, so screw that.
Kiyoka: I didn't think you were so selfish, Kaoru-san...
Kaoru: Huh? Want to say that again, Kiyoka?
Kiyoka: I didn't mean it!
Kaoru: Anyway, our scouting mission starts here. I know it all looks the same, but at least try to remember the terrain and where there's spring water.
Kaoru: So long as you can get the gist of the mountain, you can get an idea of where you are without checking your phone. It's tough looking at your phone in the middle of fighting aradama, after all.
Chie: I see! You're so knowledgeable, Captain!
Kiyoka: That'll come in handy...!
Kaoru: Fufu, you know it. Now let me show you the shortcuts you can take using game trails.
Nene: Ne-!! Ne-!!
Kaoru: Nn? What is it, Nene?
Aradama: SHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
Kaoru: ...Oh man, we'll have to put our stroll on pause. We're suppressing this aradama!
8: Welcoming Party (2)#
Kaoru: Alright, back to our stroll.
Sayaka: ...Captain Kaoru. Are we really doing this for fun?
Kaoru: Huh? What are you getting at?
Sayaka: You're teaching us about the mountain, Captain Kaoru.
Kaoru: ...So you're on to me.
Kaoru: I mean, even if I'm the captain, there's a good chance I could get transferred away at any time.
Kaoru: So I thought I'd teach you the tricks to fighting aradama around here while I still can. In my own way, it's still a welcoming party.
Chie: Thank you for throwing us such a wonderful welcoming party, Captain.
Kiyoka: I'll do my best for you after you get transferred, Captain.
Sayaka: Captain Kaoru, take care. When are we having the going away party?
Kaoru: Hey, I never said for sure I was going to get transferred away.
Kaoru: Or wait, are you saying you want me to go...? You don't mean it like that, right?
9: The Hooded Toji#
Kaoru: ...Chie, Kiyoka. I should warn you about something serious that happened here, about a week before you two came.
Chie: Something serious?
Kaoru: This is highly classified stuff, but you'll find out about it sooner or later, so I'll tell you while I can.
Kaoru: Lately, there's been this strange hooded toji going around attacking toji and taking the noro they collected. Not long ago, our unit was attacked and our noro stolen.
Kaoru: The reason this unit is just me and Sayaka is, when we were attacked, everyone else was too injured to stay.
Kaoru: --And we found out who the hooded toji is: the former elite guard member, Shidou Maki.
Kiyoka: Eh-!?
Sayaka: We got there after everyone else had been beaten...
Sayaka: ...Kaoru, there. Everyone's on the ground.
Kaoru: What happened! --Oi! Guys! Tell me you're still breathing!?
Kaoru: ...Good. Seems like they're just unconscious.
Maki: ......
Sayaka: ...Kaoru. That's Shidou Maki...
Kaoru: What-!? Don't tell me, you did this!?
Maki: ......
Kaoru: Ah-! Hey! Get back here!
Sayaka: Kaoru... I don't see the noro anywhere...
Kaoru: Shit-!! That bitch...!!
Kaoru: ...And that's what happened. Chie, Kiyoka. Be on the lookout for the hooded toji. You never know when you might get attacked.
Kiyoka: I don't believe it... A former member of the elite guard, stealing noro... Why would she do that...
Chie: ...By the way, Kaoru-san. Why would you tell us that story now?
Kaoru: Well actually, me and Sayaka got orders to transfer to Kamakura. So we'll be saying goodbye to you two today.
Kiyoka: I had... No idea. We were just starting to get along, so that's too bad.
Kaoru: We knew we wouldn't stay together here forever. That's why I tried to teach you everything I could about this mountain.
Kaoru: Chie, Kiyoka. I'm counting on you to look after this place.
Kiyoka: R-Right!
Chie: You're leaving it in good hands.