'How is she here?'
Seeing the stunning beauty before him, Hayashi was clearly taken aback.
He had expected headquarters might send someone to accompany him, but he never imagined that person would be Ilhei.
This breathtaking girl, like Arima, came from the Sunlit Garden.
As a half-human, her strength was extraordinary. She had once stood on the frontlines of the One-Eyed Owl suppression battle — back then, she had been only sixteen.
Now, Ilhei's power was second to none within all of CCG headquarters.
And most importantly… she was unbelievably beautiful.
Even when Hayashi had only seen her in the anime, he had thought so. Now, standing face-to-face with her in reality, the impression was even stronger.
"Eh?"
When her gaze fell on Hayashi, Ilhei let out a soft sound of surprise, a flicker of interest flashing in her bright eyes.
"You actually know who I am?"
Her slender, pale fingers touched her chin as she leaned forward curiously.
"Of course. Your name is famous within the CCG."
As she leaned closer, Hayashi caught a faint fragrance.
It wasn't shampoo or body wash.
It was the pure scent of her body itself — the natural, delicate fragrance unique to a young woman.
"Really~"
"I didn't expect I was that well-known."
Her flawless face lit with a sweet smile, clearly pleased by his words.
"Your reputation is also quite large, Hayashi. I've heard about you before."
Her eyes gleamed with amusement, her languid voice stretching the syllables.
"All right, enough chit-chat for now."
At that moment, Arima cut across their exchange.
"Ilhei, starting today you'll serve as Hayashi's temporary partner until the mission ends."
His calm eyes landed on her.
"Understood, Arima."
Ilhei nodded lightly, a faint smile playing on her lips, beautiful as a painting.
"Hayashi, I want you prepared to depart as soon as possible. Tomorrow would be best."
Arima's detached gaze turned back to him.
"No problem."
Hayashi nodded, shrugging casually.
"I've said all I needed to say. The rest is up to you two."
"I have work to finish. You may leave."
With that, Arima lowered his head and returned to the file in his hands.
Taking the cue, Hayashi and Ilhei gave a polite nod and left the meeting room together.
...
"About tomorrow, Ilhei…"
Walking down the hallway, Hayashi turned his head as he spoke—
But the sight that greeted him startled him: Ilhei was standing so close he could almost feel her against him.
"What's wrong, Hayashi?"
Her clear eyes blinked innocently, her gaze wide and pure.
"Nothing, it's just… you're standing a little too close."
With her breathtaking face only inches away, Hayashi instinctively stepped back.
At this distance, he could feel the warmth of her breath against his skin.
"Too close?"
Ilhei chuckled softly, her expression carrying a gentle smile.
"Sorry. My eyesight isn't very good. If I don't lean in, I can't see clearly~"
Her words reminded Hayashi of a fact:
Half-humans born from the Sunlit Garden — shared certain traits.
Their physical capabilities far surpassed those of normal humans.
But their aging was accelerated. Their lifespans often ended in their thirties or forties.
As that thought crossed his mind, her flawless face suddenly leaned closer.
"Mostly, it's because you give off a special aura. I find it… intriguing."
Her eyes glimmered with curiosity.
For some reason, this white-haired boy before her drew her attention in a way she'd never experienced before.
"This feeling… it's the first time."
"Is that so?"
"To be noticed by you is an honor for me."
Hayashi was already used to this.
After all, this was just the natural effect of his succubus-angel constitution.
"You really are a gentle person, Hayashi~"
A breeze stirred the tips of her pink hair, her every smile breathtaking.
"From today on, we're partners…"
"I'll be counting on you."
Hayashi nodded at the sight of this soft, sweet beauty, a twinge of emotion in his chest.
It was hard to imagine that this delicate-looking girl could, in battle, so casually snap a ghoul's neck.
It was proof of an old saying: The pinker the hair, the harder they hit!
...
The two eventually reached Hayashi's office.
Inside, his team was hard at work, completely focused.
Hayashi stepped forward and explained the situation.
"That's the situation. Arima even assigned Ilhei to work alongside me."
He gestured at the pink-haired beauty standing behind him.
Only then did the others' attention shift to her.
"Hi~"
Ilhei waved with a charming smile.
"The 11th Ward… is it really that bad already?"
Nashiro bit her lip, clutching the file in her hand, looking stricken.
Beside her, Kurona patted her shoulder in comfort.
"So tomorrow we finally get to kill some ghouls?"
Suzuya's eyes lit with excitement at the mention of the 11th Ward's dangers.
"Since joining the CCG, I haven't had much chance to face ghouls head-on."
"I can't wait to carve them all down, every last one~"
Suzuya smiled sweetly as the harshest words flowed from his lips.
"Don't worry, Hayashi. While you're away, we'll handle the workload here."
Akira spoke without looking up from her papers, still working diligently.
After all, this was a critical mission. Surely Hayashi wouldn't take rookies along, right?
"No, no. I plan to bring all of you with me."
Hayashi shook his head and smiled.
"All of us?"
Akira's hands stilled for a moment, her eyes filled with surprise and doubt.
She couldn't understand why he would bring rookies on such an important mission.
"That's right. You're my important companions. How could I go on a mission without you?"
Hayashi's lips curved in a faint smile.
"Don't worry. With me there, no one will lay a finger on you."
"Even if the enemy were a god, I wouldn't let it harm you."