One day after school, the Shogun went alone to the residence Funeral Parlor had prepared for the Samukawa brothers. It was a pleasant little apartment with convenient transportation, close to Tennoz High School. Most importantly, it was near the shopping district, making both travel and the purchase of daily necessities extremely convenient.
She had only just finished school. After saying goodbye to Hare and Inori, she had come straight here without even changing out of her uniform.
Knock, knock—
After climbing the stairs to the corridor, she stood before the door and knocked lightly, waiting for a response from the other side.
"...Who is it?"
Several seconds later, a somewhat wary voice came from inside. Perhaps because the door muffled it, the sound was slightly indistinct, but it was still recognizable as Yahiro Samukawa's voice.
"...Raiden Mio."
She simply gave her name.
"..."
Click...
Upon hearing it, the person inside did not hesitate. He opened the door at once, unhooked the chain connecting the handle to the frame, and stepped aside.
"Mio... it's been a long time."
Ever since she had saved his younger brother, Yahiro's attitude toward her had become exceptionally friendly. The look in his eyes carried the trust of someone whose family member's life she had saved. At this moment, the boy smiled at her.
"Mm..."
She nodded gently, walked through the space he had made, and entered the foyer. After removing her shoes, she slipped her white-stockinged feet into the slippers that had apparently been prepared for her, then followed Yahiro into Jun's room.
"Jun... Mio-nee is here."
Entering the room first, Yahiro called out to the young boy who had already awakened.
"Huh? Mio-nee is here?"
The long-haired young boy lying beneath the covers—Jun Samukawa—put down his book. The moment he saw the purple-haired beauty entering behind his brother, he instinctively sat up and tried to throw off the blanket and get out of bed. Before he could, however, the Shogun gently pressed him back down.
"There is no need for such courtesy. Lie down."
Seeing this, the Shogun helplessly eased him back onto the bed.
"..."
Yahiro smiled warmly at the sight, then looked toward the woman who had already seated herself in the chair beside the bed.
"You two talk. I'll go pour some water."
"Thank you."
The Shogun looked at the boy and nodded. Once Yahiro had left, she turned back toward the somewhat nervous young boy huddled beneath the covers. His hair had already grown down to his waist, and his delicate, pretty features made him resemble a girl. From time to time, he would quietly lift his eyes to glance at her, only to blush and lower his gaze again.
Now that she was seated, the hem of her short skirt rested higher along her thighs, making the graceful line of her bare skin between her middle and upper thighs more noticeable. Below that, black stockings hugged her legs from mid-thigh downward, outlining their slender shape.
For this young boy, it was his first time seeing such a stunning woman, and she was also his savior. His emotions were complicated, but what he felt most was admiration, along with the natural attraction a boy felt toward a beautiful woman.
"Why do you keep looking at me like that?"
Noticing his shy glances drifting toward her from time to time, the Shogun asked somewhat helplessly.
"It's nothing... I just think... Mio-nee is really beautiful."
He answered frankly.
"Is that so? I would rather you did not pay too much attention to my appearance. There is no need to be so nervous."
She spoke calmly.
"Mm..."
Jun nodded softly. Even his voice was light and airy, without any of the low resonance usually associated with boys.
"How has your health been recently?"
She asked.
"Much better... My brother told me that Mio-nee cured me without asking for anything in return. The virus that had remained in my body is gone too, and I no longer feel that piercing agony. Though I still get sleepy sometimes."
Jun gently played with a lock of his soft, feminine hair and smiled at her.
"Recovery takes time. You cannot heal completely in an instant, can you?"
The Shogun spoke to him gently.
"Mm... I know... And if it weren't for you, I probably would have—"
Jun lowered his eyes and hugged his slender body, still visibly frightened by the memory.
"Do not dwell on it. It is already over."
Seeing this, she raised a hand and gently stroked his head to comfort him.
"...Mm///"
Jun's face instantly reddened at her touch. He lowered his head, feeling the warmth of her hand against his hair.
"Um... Mio-nee..."
After she withdrew her hand, Jun pursed his lips and looked at her again.
"Mm?"
She prompted.
"Thank you! For both me and my brother, thank you so much! Um... I don't know how I could ever repay you. Neither of us has anything left..."
Jun bowed deeply to her, then became somewhat embarrassed. She had helped them so much, yet the brothers had nothing with which to repay her, and the thought weighed heavily on him.
"Haa... There is no need for that. Rather than thanking me, you should thank your brother. He went to extraordinary lengths for your sake. Although what he did was extreme, he still did it for you. People are selfish when it comes to family, and your brother embodied that perfectly."
"I'm sorry... about what my brother did..."
Jun apologized sadly.
"Treat your brother well from now on. Once you recover, take good care of yourself, attend school with everyone else, and grow into an adult. That will be the best way to repay your brother, and it will also repay me. All right? Promise me."
She instructed him warmly.
"Mm~! I will... I won't let you or my brother down."
Jun nodded and agreed with a smile.
Tap, tap...
At that moment, Yahiro returned carrying a glass of water. She accepted it, took a token sip, and rested it on her lap.
"Brother, when are you going back to school?"
Jun seized the opportunity to ask.
"I don't know. Maybe after you've recovered a little more. There's no rush with school."
Standing to one side, Yahiro smiled at him.
"Has anything happened recently?"
The Shogun looked toward the person beside her and asked.
"No... It's been peaceful. That's all thanks to the place Funeral Parlor arranged for us."
"Funeral Parlor is preparing for a major operation soon, and GHQ will strengthen its defenses in response. There will inevitably be more soldiers patrolling the streets than usual. Be careful when you go outside."
She deliberately offered him a warning.
"Mm, understood."
Yahiro acknowledged her words.
"Haa... That will be all for now."
With that, she rose slightly, placed the now-empty glass on the edge of the table, and lifted the schoolbag beside her legs with both hands, letting it hang in front of her as she signaled her intention to leave.
"Goodbye, Mio-nee..."
Jun waved to her. Although he wished she would stay a little longer, he was not a willful child.
"I'll see you out."
Yahiro followed her to the foyer and opened the door for her.
"One more thing... That child's body still needs time to recover. It would be best not to let him get out of bed and walk around."
After changing back into her leather shoes, she remembered something and paused, turning around to remind him.
"Mm, I'll keep an eye on him."
Yahiro nodded.
"And there is also... the matter of Kanon."
Her purple eyes flickered as she recalled something, then she looked at the boy again.
"...Kanon? What happened to her?"
Yahiro froze for a moment, then asked worriedly.
"Nothing happened to her. She is simply very worried about you. Although Funeral Parlor is protecting you now... as far as that girl knows, you are still missing. Contact her when you have the chance. Do not make her grieve for you."
She instructed him.
"I understand... I'll contact her later."
"Good. Then I shall take my leave."
Click...
She stepped through the doorway and closed it firmly behind her. Looking up at the sky, which was still painted in the colors of dusk, she could not help letting out a faint sigh.
"Haa..."
With a casual movement, she brushed aside the hair beside her face, revealing the beauty mark beneath her eye that had been partially concealed.
...
Meanwhile, at Funeral Parlor's headquarters—
Inside an armored vehicle parked by the roadside, Inori, still dressed in her school uniform, was staring at the sheet music and lyrics displayed on the terminal in her hands. Her crimson eyes were filled with concentration, along with a trace of complicated emotion.
"Study it carefully and memorize it. You'll need it later."
Sitting on the sofa opposite her, Gai gestured toward the score and lyrics in her hands.
"...No."
However, Inori, who had remained silent until then, suddenly spoke.
"...?"
Gai frowned slightly and looked at her in confusion.
"What's wrong?"
He asked in a low voice.
"...It isn't this song anymore."
The girl's delicate lips parted, and her soft voice filled the quiet vehicle. As always, there was little obvious emotion in it, but a trace of sadness could still be heard.
"What do you mean?"
"...I don't know either. My mind keeps rejecting this song, even though... I used to like it very much."
Recently, her thoughts had felt strangely muddled. She could not explain the sensation. She merely felt that something was wrong.
She lightly pressed her fingertips against her forehead and pursed her lips.
"Are you all right? Is your condition worsening?"
Seeing this, Gai stood and walked over to her in concern.
"No... I'm fine, Gai."
She shook her head, then held up the terminal in her hands.
"I'll... memorize this. Don't worry."
After all, they had already reached the final stage.