"You're finally here. Took you longer than I expected."
Kotori opened the front door, looking somewhat surprised at the golden-haired girl before her. In her mind, Durandal wasn't the type to dawdle.
But as she spoke, her peripheral vision caught an unfamiliar figure.
"And this is?"
She'd initially thought it was Rita, but a closer look revealed their builds were completely different, prompting Kotori to shift her gaze fully onto her.
"My apologies, we were delayed by an unexpected matter…"
Amber offered an apologetic smile, then introduced, "This is Tobiichi Origami, captain of the 2nd Squadron of Immortal Blades. A Valkyrie who excels through both talent and hard work."
"I thought she was your temporary maid."
Kotori looked Origami's outfit up and down.
Compared to Rita's proper European-style maid uniform, Origami's attire fit more with the Japanese idea of a maid outfit—sleeveless, exposing her arms completely, and with a much shorter hem that put her legs, clad in white thigh-highs, prominently on display.
"I am also Lady Durandal's maid," Origami stated.
"It seems a misunderstanding fostered by Rita's... hobbies," Amber added with a sigh.
"Hmmmm—?" Kotori drew the sound out, her face full of scrutiny, clearly not buying the explanation.
After a moment, she teased, "No wonder you had no questions when I talked about 'conquering' Spirits. So that's your orientation, huh?"
"That's a separate matter…"
"So you're not denying the part about your sexual orientation?"
"…"
She really couldn't deny it.
A light instantly sparked in Origami's eyes. "As the strongest Valkyrie, Lady Durandal has the right to be promiscuous. An indulgent private life is permissible for her."
"Something like that shouldn't be allowed just because of one's combat prowess…" Amber sighed.
"To think a Valkyrie holds such ideas. I'll have Rita re-evaluate you on your cultural studies."
Though the golden-haired girl's expression was weary, her words and attitude impressed the other two girls, earning their greater respect.
Truth be told, while it was common for the powerful to be haughty, even arrogant—for supreme confidence to naturally arise from great strength—it was also undeniable that when such a powerhouse possessed the opposite virtue of humility, even those at odds with her would acknowledge her quality.
Kotori, who had initially been full of prejudice against the 'Strongest Valkyrie,' now mentally stamped Durandal with a very favorable impression, marking her as someone worth befriending.
Having a friend with immense power and an upright character offered a palpable sense of security.
"Kotori? Is that Durandal? Why haven't you come in?"
Shiori's voice carried from inside the house.
"Anyway, come on in. You took so long I'm practically starving waiting for you," Kotori said, stepping back inside to make way for the two.
After changing into slippers, they followed Kotori to the dining table in the living room. Soon, Shiori approached carrying two plates, shooting a displeased look at Kotori.
"Since you're coming in, you could have at least helped with the plates."
"You can handle that, baka-Shiori," Kotori retorted, equally miffed. "You wouldn't let me eat anything earlier, now I've got no energy left!"
"Who starts eating before the guests even arrive…"
"You even took my lollipop!"
"Sugar kills your appetite. You wouldn't be able to eat properly if you had it before the meal."
"Which is exactly my point! If I'd eaten it then, I wouldn't be this hungry now. The timing would've been perfect—I'd get hungry right as we started eating!"
Faced with her little sister's logical rebuttal, Shiori could only accept the criticism.
From a results-oriented perspective, Kotori had a point.
She hadn't expected Durandal to be this late… but surely Kotori didn't need to be this upset about it? If it were her white-ribboned sister, she'd have obediently stayed quiet by now.
"Pardon the intrusion. This is for you, black tea," Origami presented the prepared gift to Shiori.
With no parents around, it fell to the eldest sister to receive it.
"Thank you… Hm?" Shiori accepted the tea leaves, her eyes lighting up slightly—this was the very tea she'd seen on a TV program and had wanted to buy.
But as she was about to express her thanks, she noticed the other girl's gaze fixed on her with an unusual… intensity?
"What's wrong with you?" Kotori asked, frowning as she also noticed the situation. She glanced at Amber, hoping for some silent communication.
If it were Rita, she'd be using her eyes right now to either 'soothe' or signal that 'something's off.' But Amber was never the type to 'take a hint.'
Instead, she watched the interaction between the two with open curiosity.
Come to think of it, she never did learn the full details of what happened back then. Seeing how Origami and Shiori interacted was one reason she'd brought Origami along.
However, Origami's response wasn't as dramatic as Amber had anticipated.
"I remember you. You were in that sea of fire," Origami's expression remained calm, but her eyes held a probing intensity. "Do you know about the 'Phantom'?"
"Phantom?" The question came from both sisters.
Shiori's face was full of confusion—she had no memory of the event.
Kotori, however, reacted as if she'd been struck, her voice warping slightly.
This drew Origami's gaze to her.
"Phantom… the sea of fire… You lived in Tengu City five years ago too? Even on this very street?" Kotori asked, her brow furrowed.
"Yes. Do you know something?"
Seeing a potential lead, Origami's eyes brightened considerably. She hadn't expected this outing to yield such an unexpected clue.
She knew she was here to meet the commander of Ratatoskr, the anti-Spirit organization deeply entrenched in Japan, but she hadn't held out much hope.
Until they actually walked onto this street and she met Itsuka Shiori.
Origami truly hadn't anticipated such a coincidence.
"I can't say for sure if what I saw is the 'Phantom' you're referring to," Kotori said, thinking back.
"But it was indeed shrouded in what looked like blue static and mosaic patterns, its true form impossible to make out. If anything fits the description, it would have to be that."
"That's it! Do you have any information on it!?"
"Sorry. Aside from seeing it when it turned me into the Flame Spirit, it never appeared before me again. Shiori lost her memories from that time for unknown reasons, so she probably knows even less than I do." Kotori indicated they couldn't be of much help.
Had this been before joining Schicksal, learning that the flames were connected to Kotori, a Spirit, might have driven Origami to draw her sword on the spot.
But after receiving proper training and education, Origami understood clearly that a Valkyrie's fight against Spirits wasn't solely about revenge, but about preventing further casualties.
Moreover, her education over the years had given her the perspective to see that Kotori was also a victim, torn from her ordinary life, and that the true culprit was the Phantom.
"I see…"
She could only grit her teeth, her emotions churning, leaving her thoughts momentarily tangled.
The keywords were obvious enough.
Kotori clearly already knew about Origami's circumstances—likely another victim of that disaster.
And Kotori hadn't tried to hide her own role as one of the perpetrators in front of a victim, even if it was beyond her control and against her will.
Seeing Origami didn't press the matter, Kotori breathed a huge internal sigh of relief.
Quickly, she changed the subject. "Alright, Shiori, hurry up and bring out the food! We've got business to discuss after we eat!"
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.