Take Back a Twinkling Christmas Eve!

1: Take Back a Twinkling Christmas Eve! Prologue

--On the night of Christmas Eve, the streets, which every year were covered in twinkling lights, were looking strangely empty this year.

Yui: Whyyy!? Why are all the lights off this year!?
Old Salesman: W-Well, you see, we tried turning them on, okay?
Old Salesman: But you know, as soon as we did, it started attracting aradama.
Yui: B-But in that case, we can get rid of them! So please, if you have a heart, turn the lights back onnn!
Old Salesman: I wish I could help you out here, but... Look, when we put the ornaments up, the aradama got tangled up in them and dragged them away.
Old Salesman: So we're out of ornaments, and I don't want any more aradama coming round. Maybe it's better just to give up on it this year?
Yui: ...I'll get... Them back...
Old Salesman: Eh?
Yui: I'll get back every last one of the ornaments! And I'll get rid of all the aradama myself-!
Yui: Then you'll turn the lights back on for me, right!?
Old Salesman: L-Look, I'm not the only one responsible here... Anyway, were you really looking forward to the lights that much?
Yui: Take a look at that!
High School Girl Returning from Cram School: Aww, there's no lights up this year. This is the worst.
High School Boy Returning from Cram School: I remember you loved seeing them last year.
Yui: And look over there!
OL Returning from Work 1: Last year's lights were the prettiest thing to a lonely girl on Christmas, but it's even sadder if they're not doing them...
OL Returning from Work 2: Come on now, let's go to the bar together~ Hey mister, pour two for us!
Yui: Do you see!?
Old Salesman: ...Uh... See what??
Yui: This part of town is loaded with girls coming round to see the decorations!!
Yui: And they need to see those shining lights!! So I'm going to save Christmas!!!!
Old Salesman: O-Ohh, I guess you're right...
Yui: Then I'll be right back after I hunt down those aradama! I'm counting on you to turn those lights back on!
Old Salesman: Ah, hey! ...She's gone already. I don't have the authority for something like that though...
Old Salesman: I guess I can try calling up the local officials and commerce association at least...

--At the same time, a few streets away...

Mirja: Sigh... No sign of the Akabane sword here either, it seems.
Mirja: I suppose it won't be that easy after all.

--Earlier on the same day, shortly after noon at Aoto-kan.

Aoto Youji: Yo, missy. I'm glad as can be you decided to pay me a visit today, but...
Mirja: What is it, Aoto Youji-san.
Youji: Well, I mean, it's a bit sad seeing a pretty young lady like yourself hiding away looking at swords on Christmas Eve.
Mirja: I don't find it sad in the slightest. I'm off duty today, so I thought appreciating swords and their mountings would be a perfect use of my time.
Youji: Haha, there's no stopping you, is there, missy.
Youji: Oh right, speaking of Christmas and winter days, I wonder if you've heard this one before?
Mirja: Heard what?
Youji: There's an okatana said to be as fleeting as the snow itself. Name's "Sekka".
Mirja: This is the first I've heard of it... Is there anything more you can tell me?
Youji: Course. The blade itself is a pure blueish white, like snow crystals, and there's a rumor that, during the winter season, this okatana'll show a divine power one time if its owner asks.
Mirja: I see, that's an interesting story. If there is an okatana like that out there, I'd like to be able to see it for myself once.
Youji: You know, it's part of the rumor that, this time of year, Sekka's one of those Akabane swords they find out of aradama.
Mirja: FWHA-!?
Mirja: ...Excuse me, is that true? Does it have to be any specific aradama, in any specific place, or will any do?
Youji: Y-Yeah, I think anywhere'll do. Every couple of years you hear about someone coming across Sekka.
Youji: I've never been able to witness it myself, but... Well, even if someone does find it, it doesn't seem to stick around for them to use it very long.
Mirja: I can't afford to waste any more time. I'll begin suppressing aradama right away.
Youji: Sekka's nice and all, but don't you want to take a look at this? It's these special "Holy Night" mountings we've got just for the Christmas season, and...
Youji: ......
Mirja: There's no use complaining about it. So long as I continue defeating aradama...
Mirja: Oh, more have appeared.
Mirja: Yamashiro Yui! What are you...
Yui: Ah, it's Mirja-san! Nnnn~, I'd love to stay and share my love with you, but I'm busy right now, so it'll have to wait till next time, sorry-!!
Mirja: Yamashiro Yui should have had today off as well... Could she be after Sekka too?
Mirja: Heh, then I have no intention of losing here. I'll be the first to find Sekka!
Yui: Pant, pant... There's still a ton of aradama left. I've gotta get those lights turned on soon!
Yui: Haah-!

2: Take Back a Twinkling Christmas Eve! Epilogue

Yui: Pant... Wheeze... Not yet... Aradama... Gotta get rid of... All of them...
Yui: Ughh...
Yui: Guess that's it for me.
Yui: I'm falling apart. I can't get back up.
Yui: The lights still aren't on though... I can't let today end without finishing this.
Yui: There's no time for me to rest here.
Yui: So get up already!
Someone's Voice: ...shi...i!
Someone's Voice: ...mashiro...i!
Mirja: Yamashiro Yui! Can you hear me!?
Yui: Mirja... San...?
Mirja: You've regained consciousness. That's good.
Mirja: Just as I was impressed with how aggressively you dealt with those aradama, you suddenly collapsed in the street. I was worried, so...
Yui: Mirja-san was worried about me... I might faint!!
Mirja: Though it seems my concerns were unnecessary.
Mirja: Ahem... Anyway, have you found what you were after?
Yui: Huh? What I'm after...? Ah, the lights still aren't on, are they?
Mirja: Huh? Lights?
Yui: Right, once I remove all the aradama around here and get back the Christmas ornaments, they'll turn the Christmas lights back on!
Mirja: O-Ohhh...?
Mirja: (Does this mean I jumped to conclusions and unnecessarily made Yamashiro Yui my rival...?)
Yui: What's wrong, Mirja-san? You're blushing?
Mirja: I-It's nothing. More importantly, what about the lights? The aradama in the area have been largely cleared out...
Yui: I got a lot of the ornaments back too, so I was thinking it can't take much more...
Mirja: Hm... To tell the truth, I was here suppressing aradama for another reason... Why don't we combine forces to finish the job?
Yui: Ehhh-!? Just you and me in a tag team, Mirja-san!?
Yui: Hnng~! If only I knew there was a reward like that waiting for me! Hard work gets repaid after all!
Mirja: ...I feel like I'm losing more than I offered, but I'll let it slide. Let's move out.
Yui: Sure thing!
Yui: Mirja-san! Don't you feel like we're totally in sync today?
Mirja: It's true that our coordination is smoother than usual today. But I'm more surprised by that perseverance of yours, Yamashiro Yui.
Yui: I know, right! I thought I was at my limit back there, but now I feel like I can just keep on going!
Yui: It must be the power of our love that let us bust through those barriers!
Mirja: I'm certain that isn't the case, but let's keep up this momentum and continue the attack!
Yui & Mirja: WOAAAAH!!
Yui: Pant... Pant... Was that... All of them...?
Mirja: Pant... Yamashiro... Yui... Take a look... Around us...
Female Student: Ooohh. For real, they turned the lights on? That's perfect!
Drunken OL: Wh-What, what!? They're doing the lights again? Ahhahaha! This's the best! Being single's the best!
Yui: Mmmm~, this is it! This energy! This is the real Christmas spirit! We did it, Mirja-san!
Mirja: Yes, seeing everyone pleased makes it all worth it.
Yui: Now that's what I call mission complete!
Yui: Oh, my phone. Sorry, I have to take this...
Yui: Mm, it's Onee-chan. Are you okay being up this late?
Yui: ...Oh, so you can see the lights from the hospital?
Yui: That's great. I know you were looking forward to it. Yeah, I can see them too.
Yui: They sure are pretty~... I hope we can see them together next year.
Yui: Mm... Okay... Oh yeah, for your present, you still want the same thing, right?
Yui: Yep, I already told Santa about it.
Mirja: I see... The power of love, wasn't it?
Yui: Ah, sorry that took a while. So what do we do now?
Mirja: Hm. More aradama could appear, so perhaps we should walk around and patrol the area, so they don't turn the lights off again.
Yui: Wait, that sounds like... Are you asking me out on a Christmas date!?
Mirja: I am not. Maybe we should patrol separately just to be sure.
Yui: I don't wanna, I don't wanna, I want to be with you, Mirja-san! Let's go!
Mirja: Hang on, who said you could wrap your arm around mine?
Yui: Just let this be my reward for saving everyone's Christmas! Just for a little bit!
Mirja: Honestly... Fine, for a little bit.
Mirja: And that's what happened... What's wrong, Aoto Youji-san? Are you crying?
Youji: Yamashiro-chan, what a good girl, thinking of her sister.
Youji: Oh right, what happened on your end, missy?
Mirja: With Sekka? I found it, and had it restored and polished. Like you said, it's an okatana with a dreamlike beauty...
Youji: Ohh! Well I'm glad to hear it.
Mirja: Unfortunately, I wasn't chosen by Sekka, but other members of [your unit name here] are able to make use of it.
Youji: At least that worked out. Ah, right, bring it by here sometime and I'll make some special mountings for it.
Mirja: I'd appreciate that.
Youji: You might only have it for a short while, but you'll want to use Sekka the best you can!
Mirja: Right.

3: How Those Two Spent Christmas

Kofuki: Damnit... I've been looking all over, but she's not even at the Christmas party, is she.
Mai: Oh? Shichinosato-san?
Kofuki: Hey, it's Sayaka and her keeper. You two done with the party already?
Mai: Sayaka-chan's keeper...
Sayaka: We were going back to the party. ...Kofuki, what are you doing?
Kofuki: Ahh, just looking for someone. Seeya.
Mai: Did she lose one of her friends?
Sayaka: I think so... The research lab is that way.
Tsugumi: That should be it for the database of aradama that appeared during the Christmas Unified Mock Battle.
Tsugumi: With Shichinosato-san's help, collecting this information became much easier. I'll have to maintain that relationship.
Tsugumi: She must be enjoying herself at the party right about now.
Tsugumi: Fufu... There's aradama nearby?
Tsugumi: I had heard that, while the party is ongoing, the elite guard would be responsible for aradama countermeasures, so everyone's busy at the moment.
Tsugumi: In which case, I suppose I get to handle data collection here myself. Let's see, where's my okatana... Ah.
Kofuki: Oi, you planning on keeping all the aradama-chan to yourself?
Tsugumi: Oh, did the party finish already?
Kofuki: ...Of course not! Besides, you're the one who invited me, so why aren't you there!?
Tsugumi: ...?
Kofuki: What're you looking all confused for! If someone invites you somewhere, you'd expect them to go too!
Tsugumi: By any chance, were you looking forward to going to the party with me?
Kofuki: That's not... Whatever, I give up. Anyway, you're going to play with some aradama-chan, right?
Kofuki: Then I'm going with. It'll sure beat some lame party!
Tsugumi: You've changed, you know, Shichinosato-san.
Kofuki: I don't want to hear it from you of all people. You were bouncing up and down when you got that new sample before.
Tsugumi: Fufu, how perceptive of you.
Kofuki: I can figure out that much.
Tsugumi: You can? That's a little surprising.
Kofuki: So, where's the aradama-chan at? Let's go already.
Tsugumi: Don't be in such a rush. There should be enough aradama for the two of us tonight, probably.
Kofuki: The elite guard have been hogging them all day, so I wanna fight some as fast as possible. Got it?
Tsugumi: That's more typical behavior for you. Why don't we get to it then?