"Stop right there!" the referee declared. "The winner is Kazuyuki Yanagi!"

Currently, a young boy and a young girl, the girl had only just entered the double digits in age while the boy was two years older, had just finished a spar in the dojo used by the Origami family. The girl had been soundly defeated and found herself sitting on her butt with the boy's wooden sword trained on her neck, her own wooden sword on the floor a meter away from her after having been spectacularly disarmed, ending a close duel. The girl looked up at the boy who held her at swordpoint. He returned his sword to its imaginary sheath (which was really just holding it with his left hand) while bending over slightly and sticking his right hand out.

"Are you alright?"

"Uh...!" The young girl yelped as she felt the blood rise to her face. This was the second time in her life that her blood had boiled in such a manner. The first time was two years ago when she had fallen ill, having been diagnosed with a lung infection induced by tuberculosis. She had already spent eight months in the hospital, her career as a Toji inevitably cut short (she had received a compatible okatana at the age of five and began attending Ayanokouji Martial Arts School in April of the same year). As she found herself wasting away, she met Nanae Origami alongside the principal of her former school, Kotori Nekoyanagi. Leaning against the wall with his arms crossed was a boy, his name being Kazuyuki Yanagi.

One look was all the girl needed for her to instinctively know with her entire soul: she will accept the deal with the devil orchestrated by Nanae and Kotori offered her so that she could live.

Live and be Kazuyuki's bride.

And again, after having been so decisively beaten that the girl definitively steeled her resolve. She accepted the boy's hand up but refused to let go after she was standing. With an audience consisting of Nanae, the four members of the Elite Guard she had on her person at that time, and a mishmash of students from the Five Traditions, teachers, and parents, she squeezed the boy's hand and pled with all of her heart.

"Please make me your bride!"

Yume Tsubakuro opened her eyes as the light of the half-past-seven morning sun filtered in through the shouji of her room in the Origami mansion. It was a washitsu, or a traditional Japanese-styled room 50 tatami, or 75 square meters, in size. It was quite a large room, especially considering that there was only one occupant. Pushing aside the covers of her futon, she sighed. "Dreaming of the past, huh..." She sat up in her futon and looked over at the small table next to her which she used the previous night to drink a cup of tea before bed. Sitting next to the clean tea set was a morganite ring.

It was a gorgeously crafted product bought with love and presented to her with love although that already was nearly two years ago. The gemstone of the engagement ring was a set en pointe cushion-cut morganite, a form of beryllium aluminum cyclosilicate (otherwise known as beryl) that gets its colors from impurities in its chemical structure where the element of manganese substituted for some of the existing atoms. The morganite is framed by round diamonds while the ring itself is vintage-styled and made out of rose gold; the ring is also decorated with additional round diamonds that brings the total weight of diamonds to half a carat.

Picking it up, Yume replaced the ring onto her hand, her fourth finger proudly displaying it. As it was a part of a set of rings, it was incomplete. After all, this was only the engagement ring that her loved one had given her ten months after her heated confession. That confession occurred two years ago but Yume could still remember it as if she had poured out her heart like it was yesterday. The ring on her finger was proof of her promise to her beloved that when he reaches the age of eighteen, he will take it upon himself to complete the ring set. With that promise held deep in her heart, Yume waited for her beloved to mature and take her into his arms. However...

Yume smiled forlornly as she muttered, her voice rife with loneliness, "Oh, where could you be, my beloved...?"

9 hours earlier.

2124.

The southwest section of Yoyogi Park.

It was at this location where the aradama was defeated.

Currently, specialists of the Special Sword Administration Bureau were wearing hazmat suits as they hauled special devices and containers to retrieve and transport the yousai in. Despite being soaked by rain, the yousai did not get wet as it was sucked into the containers. Honami stood off to the side and watched the men work as overlapping voices riddled through the air. Speaking into the microphone attached to her headset, she stated, "I encountered an aradama while searching for the two fugitives, Suzuran Arisugawa and Noa Hiiragi, and successfully managed to exterminate it with their help. However, I regret to inform you that I wasn't powerful enough to force them into custody. As such, the fugitives are still on the run. I sincerely apologize."

"No, you did a great job already by ascertaining both of their locations," Chikage replied. "You may return to base."

"Yes, ma'am, understood."

Chikage sighed, leaning back against her chair. She looked over at Suzuka who quipped, "If only we were given deployment orders..."

Maya, on the other hand, was less-than-eager as she said, "It's been 34 hours since the incident; currently, there has been a gag order concerning the incident so as to not cause panic. I've also done some investigation into the two perpretators but was unable to come up with any evidence of accomplices; it seems the two managed to pull off such a stunt simply by themselves."

Chikage shrugged in resignation while Madoka mumbled, "Sheesh, how many more charges do those girls want to add against them...?"

Before Maya or Suzuka could give a smart answer, a loud voice burst into the room as the double doors were thrown open. "Hey! What the hell are you doing, Elite Guard?!"

"Azusa." "Azusa-chan."

Indeed, the woman who had just entered the room was the principal of Renpu Girls' School, Azusa Hachimiya. She yelled again, "If you've already pinpointed the locations of the traitors, why aren't you sending out the military units!?"

Maya internally sighed as she kept her face as neutral as possible in her reply, "With all due respect, Principal of Renpu, while they may be only junior high students, they are still Toji with extensive battle training. On top of this, they are in possession of okatana. Normal military units won't-"

Azusa cut her off, swaggering straight into Maya's face and screeching, "Then why aren't you two sending yourselves out to defeat them!?"

"As much as we want to do exactly that, we are unable to," Suzuka replied.

Maya added, "Nanae-sama has given us strict orders not to deploy."

"Tch." Azusa made no attempt to hide her contempt as she demanded, "Investigate through the footage of the security cameras in the area and make it snappy." She then turned around to walk out of the room, like a spring gale.

Chikage got up out of her chair. "Azusa..." she began.

Stopping in place, Azusa scoffed, "You two are equally to blame. After all, you're the ones that raised the traitors who pointed their okatana at Nanae-sama." With those as her final words, she left the room, slamming the doors shut behind her.

"She's impossible..." Maya mumbled.

"Ahaha," Madoka giggled, overhearing Maya's complaint. "Back in our school days, she used to be the cutest kouhai we had, calling us Senpai, Senpai as many times as she could daily. I wonder when she became so infuriatingly blunt."

The woman in question had already moved on to her second goal, speaking to the orange-haired girl and giving her deployment orders: "Sayuki, head to Shibuya in Tokyo and defeat those cowardly traitors."

".... Yes, ma'am."

Azusa took an affectionate tone as she rubbed the girl's cheek with her hand. "You may have lost the match to her yesterday but my opinion of you hasn't changed. You and you alone are the pride of my Renpu Girls' School and the greatest Toji." Her tone changed as she smirked scathingly, "Unlike those elite guards, you aren't a prototype." Leaving the girl alone, Azusa marched straight towards Nanae's office. Respectfully opening the door, she demanded, "Nanae-sama, why have you not given me any deployment orders!?"

Nanae internally sighed as she forced her face to stay neutral. Like the others, she found it difficult to deal with this woman who was incredibly annoying and aggravatingly overachieving. She replied, "I don't remember ever summoning you."

"I came here of my own discretion!" Azusa declared. "If the elite guard cannot deploy, then I will deploy my own students of Renpu in their place!"

.... Ah, jeez, here we go again. Nanae thought to herself as Azusa turned around, yelling at Yomi, "You're freaking useless despite being given the privilege to stand beside Nanae-sama!"

Yomi, being expressionless by default, did not even flinch. ".... I sincerely apologize."

2147.

The stairwell connecting the second floor with the third floor, Tachikawa Station.

".... Are you sure this is the right place?"

"Yes, that's what the person on the call told me."

After Honami had let them escape and Suzuran had found the number in the bag of cookies Honami gave her, she immediately called the number listed. After a five-minute conversation, Suzuran told Noa that they would meet up with her at Tachikawa Station and so, the girls took the train there from Harajuku Station. They arrived a bit earlier than the promised meeting time and were simply waiting for the person to come. Suzuran looked at the note again, her brain turning. This note... It isn't in Honami's handwriting... But it was in her bag of cookies...

"Well, be on guard," Noa said. "It might be a trap."

"Hmm... I really don't think it is because Honami gave me this letter... but, I can't deny the possibility, huh?"

Noa looked at her then silently nodded in agreement. She suddenly tensed, her hand poised over the zipper of her guitar case, ready to pull out her okatana at any moment. "Ah, there you girls are! Whew, you sure are absolutely soaked!" Eyeing each of the girls as she talked, she added, "You must be Noa-chan and that would make you Suzuran-chan."

A bit surprised at how all-smiles the lady in front of them was, Suzuran could only stutter her reply, "U-Uh, yes, that would be us."

"Alright," the lady beamed. "My name is Kyouko Nagamine. Nice to meet you! In the meantime, have this to bowl you over."

The lady handed Suzuran a plastic bag with two brown paper bags inside of it. She looked over at Noa and back at the paper bags. This must be food, right...? she asked with her eyes.

Noa replied, Probably... For now, she seems harmless; let's go with her. She's the only one that can help us right now.

Suzuran and Noa sat next to each other in the second row of the sedan-styled car that Kyouko was driving. In her lap was the plastic bag of what was most likely food. Mulling over whether or not to speak, Suzuran worked around the saliva in her mouth. Swallowing, she steeled herself and broke the ice. "Um, would you happen to be acquainted with Principal Serizawa?"

"Yup," Kyouko replied. "I'm an alumnus of Osafune Girls' Academy after all."

"E-Eh!? Wa-Wait, then that would make you my senpai?"

"Uh-huh. Since I'm still on good terms with Principal Serizawa even after having graduated for several years already, she came to me on the phone and asked me to take care of you girls in her place."

"Wait... Then that means the note..." Suzuran started.

"... is from the principal," Kyouko finished, turning around and smiling due to having stopped at a red light. After a few more minutes of silence, Kyouko turned off the car and said, "Alright, girls, we're here."

"It's... big," Suzuran mumbled. It was a high-rise apartment building and it seemed to have a high rent due to how modern it looked.

"Alright, now come in, it wouldn't do good for us to stay outside for any longer."

" "Thanks for having us over." "

Suzuran and Noa thanked her at the same time, looked at each other, then stifled a simultaneous laugh. They followed Kyouko through the building and into her apartment. Opening the door and leaving their shoes behind and entering (not before a simultaneous "Excuse us for entering..."), Suzuran offed her hoodie and asked, having noticed the plastic bags stacked in the corner of the room of what she assumed to be trash, "Do you live by yourself?"

"Yup," she replied. "It's a pretty good place to stay although it's a tad far from the place I work."

While Suzuran had lowered her guard, Noa hadn't relented yet. She was calmer than before but her hand was itching to open her guitar case. "If you're an alumnus of Osafune, then that makes you..."

"Yes, I'm a former Toji," Kyouko asserted. "I'm already retired though so I've returned my okatana."

At that, Noa immediately unzipped her guitar case, her hand grasping the okatana inside. "Don't tell me you're from the Sword Administration...!?"

"No, no," Kyouko said in perfect English. "I'm not related to them at all so don't be so stiff, Noa-chan."

Suzuran then used the break in the conversation to squeal, stars glowing in her pupils, "What swordsmanship school did you practice while you were on active duty, Kyouko-senpai!?"

"Ahaha, you don't need to call me senpai, I'm not a Toji anymore after all! In any case, aren't you girls cold like that? Go use my bathroom first. I'll leave out a fresh pair of clothes-"

"Ah, no, it's fine," Suzuran said, cutting her off. "We both have changes of clothing."

"Okay, then after you shower, we'll eat." Kyouko pointed to the table where she laid out all of the healthy food choices she had picked out from restaurants before picking up the two girls. There was quite the selection of salad, ramen, and udon.

Suzuran went first and came out first, reporting to Noa after doing so. "The bathroom is really nice!"

Having not yet loosened up, Noa grumbled, ".... You should be more suspicious. You should've taken your okatana with you to the bathroom."

".... Um, what? I really don't think that's necessary..."

"The situation is what it is," Noa insisted. "I will be taking my okatana with me."

"...." Suzuran could only hang her jaw open in slack surprise.

"The National Swordsmanship Tournament, customary of the Five Traditions and hosted by the Special Sword Administration Bureau and the Origami family, was again held in Kamakura this year. Now, we shall move on to the weather. Today, cold autumn rains are dousing the Kanto region. Thankfully, this squall is predicted to not be around for long and should stop tonight."

With an open can of beer as a reward to herself for a good days' work, Kyouko observed the two girls, diligently watching the screen of the television. Even if she was retired, she was still a former Toji and she was able to immediately tell that Suzuran had lowered her defenses and was relaxing somewhat while Noa still kept herself extremely vigilant. This was especially true due to Noa refusing to part with her okatana which was resting firmly in her lap. Suzuran proceeded to change stations with the remote, trying to find the thing she was looking for.

Kyouko stated for her, "It seems that the police hasn't issued an arrest warrant for you two yet."

With that statement, Noa prodded, ".... How much do you know?"

"About as much as I was told by President Serizawa," she replied, adopting a cool smirk. "I can't believe you'd actually turn your okatana on the great hero, Nanae Origami-sama. Ah, don't worry, I'm not particularly interested in your motive for doing so." Kyouko continued chattering away, "I need to sleep now since I have work tomorrow and I need to wake up early. I'll leave out a spare key on the dinner table so feel free to use that when you need to."

For an instant, Suzuran had no idea how to react as she blinked, "Ah... Uh, thank you very much!"

"In that case, good night," Kyouko called, peeking out from behind the bedroom door she was about to close.

"Good night," Suzuran replied cheerfully. She then turned warily to her partner-in-crime. ".... Okay, I'm starting to see where you're coming from. Her doing so much for us is suspicious as heck."

"That aside, I need to talk to you," Noa stressed, leaning in. Suzuran blinked several times at this sudden invitation for a long chat.

Retiring to their shared washitsu bedroom, the two girls hung their hand-washed student uniforms on the portable closet rod Suzuran had set up in the room (this was one of the items that she bought that raised Noa's eyebrows). The girls sat across from each other in the formal seiza position. Both girls had their okatana across their laps as Noa began, "I need you to tell me exactly what you saw hiding in the shadows behind Nanae Origami."

"Oh, uh, okay..." Suzuran stammered. "It really was only for an instant so I can't remember it exactly but I saw the aradama open one eye and glare at you, Noa-san."

"... It... glared at me?" Noa blinked. "An aradama? What was its form like?"

"Uh..."

Noa narrowed her eyes. "Spill it already."

"Well... yes, I did see it but it didn't have a form. I only saw one eye and it was leering at you."

"Eyes, huh... And you're sure you're not mistaken?"

"Yes."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Hey, don't look down on me. I am a full-fledged Toji myself."

Noa smirked slightly and backed down. She crossed her arms as she continued, "You said that you only saw it for a moment. Does that mean that it disappeared?"

"Uh... No, I wouldn't say it 'disappeared', per se... The aradama did a something that was similar to how we Toji generate utsushi... Yeah, like it slunk back to the Netherworld..." Suzuran added. "I think I saw it when she extracted her okatana."

Noa's eyes widened. "She... pulled them out from the Netherworld...?" She closed her eyes, racking her memory for the instant in which Nanae Origami defended from her attack. Indeed, she definitely remembered Nanae simply yank her two swords into existence and slashing at Noa's perfect attack. So those two swords are Ohdenta and Onimaru...? I see, it'd make sense if she pulled it out of the Netherworld considering she is an aradama...

"This is merely a suggestion but how likely are we to get help or some form of assistance if we spill the truth about the Origami head's."

"It's no good," Noa immediately denied. "Both the Sword Administration and the Special Religious Military Units are under the complete control of Nanae Origami. We would essentially be pebbles to be stepped on."

"I see... You're going to attack the Origami head again, right?"

"Yes, of course," she replied instantly. "I now have a witness. Nanae Origami is not a human but an aradama in the guise of a human. It is my duty as a Toji to exercise the being pretending to be Nanae Origami. I didn't think I'd ever get a second chance but as long as I'm alive, I will keep trying."

Suzuran sat in silence for a few minutes until she wet her lips and said, "Even if you force her into a one-on-one, I don't think you can win."

".... What?"

"I don't know. My sixth sense is telling me that her power is in a different level than our powers." Not wanting to anger Noa any further, Suzuran finished her statement and turned off the lights before turning herself into her futon.

Noa, on the other hand, understood where Suzuran was coming from. As she tucked herself into her own sheets, she thought, I put everything I had into the fastest jin'i I could muster. I broke the sound barrier with my thrust 24 times over. Even if she had the same level of jin'i, that woman shouldn't have been able to see my attack, let alone defend against it! As if she was taking a walk in the park, she so easily avoided my attack...! Actually, wait. My entire body was accelerated yet I was unable to see that woman's attack patterns. She shot up in her futon and stared at the sleeping body of Suzuran Arisugawa. I couldn't see it but she can...?

I could tell I was dreaming since everything was white.

The scenery was familiar. I was standing at the foot of the stairwell to Kibitsu Shrine, the shrine in the neighborhood of my house. It was completely empty which only proved even more that this was a dream. Looking up the stairs, I saw a young teenage girl. She carried herself similarly to how my loving mother carried herself while she was training me when she was alive but the girl in front of me was far younger and except for hair and eye color, did not look the same as the mother I knew so I thought to myself, This can't be my mother.

The woman descended down from the stairwell and carelessly sat on the railing. She said, "Well, let's see..." It seemed she already knew what I wanted as she then launched into a lecture about my sword style, the Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu. "It seems that you've diligently kept at your training but you still need some work on your standing iai kata. In any case, you're here now so how about a spar?"

"Yes, of course, Master," I replied. "But... before we start..."

"Eh? What's up?" the girl prodded, instantly figuring out that I am feeling down. "You don't look well."

"Well, I'm just not sure if I did the right thing..."

"Hmm?" the girl was still confused so I took the liberty of explaining the events up until now. The explanation went on for so long that we both elected to sit down on the stone stairs. "Aha, I see... You got yourself into one complicated situation, didn't you?"

"Yeah... I'm sure I've caused Honami a plethora of problems with my decision."

"Okay, sure, but your actions saved another person, right? If anything, I'd say you made the right decision because after all, this is the decision that best suits you, Suzuran. Plus, since you're like this, your friend is understanding and sent you off with a smile, didn't she?"

"You really think so?"

"Yeah, of course! Anyway, I'm itching already! Come on, let's go a round!" the girl excitedly suggested, impeccably spinning the sword in her hand and returning it to her sheath, as would a practitioner of the Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu would do to resheathe their sword after finishing an iai kata.

"Sheesh, that's all you ever care about, Master..." I didn't have any complaints, however, as we both stood up at the same time and took our positions across each other, our swords out.