Chiba City, Chuo Ward, Leon's Manor.
Inside one of the rooms in the manor's mansion, Yukino Yukinoshita was lying on a luxurious large bed, covered by a finely made quilt, sleeping very peacefully...
Well, actually, Yukino Yukinoshita was anything but peaceful.
Her face was pale, and her brows were tightly furrowed, as if she were trapped in a painful nightmare. Even her body was curled up in a ball.
In the dream, Yukino Yukinoshita was once again back in that moment, seeing the Fallen Angel whose expression was full of arrogance and malice.
"You, must die today."
Following the familiar declaration, the malicious Fallen Angel hurled the Light Spear in her hand.
Yukino Yukinoshita could only watch helplessly as the Light Spear shot through the air and pierced her body...
"Ah!"
A scream rang out in the room. Yukino Yukinoshita abruptly opened her eyes and sprang up from the bed, breathing rapidly.
"I… I'm not dead…?"
With trembling pupils, Yukino Yukinoshita subconsciously reached out and touched her abdomen, but felt no wounds or blood.
"…Was it a dream?"
Having finally calmed down, Yukino Yukinoshita began to mutter, but the fear in her heart lingered.
"Wait… where is this?"
It was then that Yukino Yukinoshita belatedly realized something was amiss and looked around.
What met her eyes was not the familiar sight of her apartment bedroom, but a strange, unfamiliar room.
"Did someone save me?"
Yukino Yukinoshita couldn't help but have this thought and lifted the quilt covering her.
The body that appeared beneath the quilt was completely naked, startling her. She immediately grabbed the quilt and covered herself again.
Being stripped naked in a strange room… this scene was quite frightening for a girl, forcing Yukino Yukinoshita to have some strange, unsettling thoughts.
"I hope nothing weird was done to me?"
Carrying this worry, Yukino Yukinoshita bit her lip, struggling internally for a moment. In the end, she didn't want to lie here and fret, choosing to get out of bed.
Naturally, she didn't release the quilt, wrapping the thin sheet around herself before stepping onto the floor with her bare, fair feet.
To figure out where she was and whether she was safe, Yukino Yukinoshita did not leave the room immediately but first went to the window and pulled back the curtains.
But just as Yukino Yukinoshita was about to look out the window, soft sunlight streamed in, falling upon her.
"Ugh…"
Yukino Yukinoshita, bathed in the soft sunlight, did not feel comfortable. Instead, she felt an unbearable discomfort, as if her skin were being scorched.
"Why… why is this so uncomfortable?"
Yukino Yukinoshita couldn't help but retreat a few steps, moving out of the sunlight's range.
She realized that not only did she want to stay away from the sun, but she also felt weak all over, as if she were repelled by the daylight.
"What exactly is going on?"
Have I become a vampire?
Yukino Yukinoshita's expression was volatile.
"Knock, knock, knock…"
Just then, a knock sounded on the room door.
"Who is it?!"
Yukino Yukinoshita's heart tightened. The hand gripping the quilt tightened, and she couldn't help but raise her voice.
However, the person outside the door didn't respond at all. The door was simply opened, and they walked in.
It was a pretty young woman in a maid uniform, probably around twenty years old.
The woman was holding a pile of clothes—Yukino Yukinoshita's uniform, which she should have been wearing.
The uniform seemed to have been washed clean, giving off a refreshing scent, and was presented before Yukino Yukinoshita.
"Who are you? Where is this?"
Seeing that a woman had entered, Yukino Yukinoshita felt a sense of relief, then immediately began a barrage of questions.
"..."
The woman did not answer Yukino Yukinoshita's questions, silently handing her the clothes.
This made Yukino Yukinoshita frown. She asked a few more questions but still received no response.
Left with no choice, Yukino Yukinoshita could only accept her uniform first and quickly put it on. Only then did the maid turn to leave, apparently wanting to lead her somewhere.
Yukino Yukinoshita hesitated in place for a moment, then followed the maid's footsteps.
Guided by the maid, Yukino Yukinoshita left the room, walked down a long corridor, and finally reached the first floor of the mansion, heading towards the main door.
"Ugh…"
Coming outside, Yukino Yukinoshita once again felt uncomfortable under the soft sunlight, but she was relieved that she didn't turn to ash upon exposure to the sun. She likely hadn't turned into a vampire.
However, it was certain that her body had become strange.
Eager to know what had happened to her, Yukino Yukinoshita was led by the maid to a corner of the garden outside the mansion.
There was a gazebo here.
Inside the gazebo, a person who made Yukino Yukinoshita's eyes widen was sitting there like a noble young master. While sipping tea poured by the beautiful maid beside him, he looked at her with a smiling face.
"Good morning, Yukinoshita-kouhai."
Leon greeted Yukino Yukinoshita with a brilliant smile.
"It's you?!"
Yukino Yukinoshita's expression drastically changed as she spoke.
"It is indeed me." Leon nodded matter-of-factly and laughed, "Besides me, who else do you think would show up after you got involved in some inexplicable incident?"
The statement was… truly impossible to refute.
At least, Yukino Yukinoshita's mental state was completely different from yesterday, so much so that when she thought about it, she couldn't deny Leon's words.
"So… you saved me?"
Yukino Yukinoshita confirmed that what happened yesterday wasn't a dream.
"You don't need to thank me." Leon looked at Yukino Yukinoshita's complicated expression and continued to smile, "In any case, I've already received the appropriate reward."
Saying that, Leon pointed to the seat in front of him.
"I know you have many questions right now, but you should sit down first, have a cup of tea to calm down, and then we can talk."
The maid standing beside Leon immediately came forward at precisely the right moment and brewed a cup of tea in the seat opposite Leon.
Yukino Yukinoshita stood in place for a while, then walked into the gazebo and sat down in front of Leon.
"Give it a try. This tea is brewed with very precious black tea leaves, you know?" Leon leisurely stirred the black tea in his cup with a spoon, saying, "Though I know absolutely nothing about black tea, I trust Sona's judgment. She wouldn't keep substandard black tea in my house."
Who is Sona?
Yukino Yukinoshita swallowed the question that almost escaped her lips. She quietly picked up the black tea in front of her and took a small sip.
With just one sip, Yukino Yukinoshita was captivated by the taste of the black tea.
She didn't know how precious this black tea was, but she could say with certainty that all the black tea she had ever tasted before was not as delicious as the cup in her hand.
Whether it was the fragrant aroma or the sweet yet savory taste, it was undoubtedly a top-grade black tea. Even someone as picky as her couldn't find a single flaw.
"Where did this black tea come from?"
Before she realized it, Yukino Yukinoshita couldn't help but ask.
"Who knows?" Leon, however, seemed uninterested, saying, "I already told you I haven't done any research on black tea. Maybe it was brought from the Underworld?"
What kind of dark humor is this?
No, given the current situation, perhaps this wasn't really a joke?
Yukino Yukinoshita held the teacup, her expression complex.
Silence immediately fell over the gazebo.
After a long time, Yukino Yukinoshita finally spoke.
"Yesterday… did you really save me?"
Yukino Yukinoshita asked the question with a complicated expression.
"What? Is it hard to believe?" Leon glanced at Yukino Yukinoshita, smiling faintly, "Or are you still unable to accept that fact and feel like you were dreaming?"
"…I don't want to escape reality." Yukino Yukinoshita lowered her eyes, completely lacking her usual assertiveness, and said somewhat weakly, "Even if I don't want to admit it, reality doesn't bend to my will, so I can only accept it."
"As expected of Soubu High's Winter Flower, you have a higher sense of awareness than ordinary people." Leon clapped his hands, praising and smiling, "Seeing how courageous you are, ask any questions you have. I will answer them one by one."
"Then I won't hold back." Yukino Yukinoshita didn't miss this opportunity and asked very directly, "Who was that person yesterday? Why did he want to kill me?"
This was the question Yukino Yukinoshita wanted to know most.
"He was a Fallen Angel, a being born when the Angels who once served God fell from grace by succumbing to their own desires. They are one of the three factions that have opposed Angels and Devils since ancient times. Even ordinary people should have heard legends and anecdotes about this race, right?"
Leon didn't try to be mysterious and explained smoothly.
"As for why he wanted to kill you, the reason is actually very simple: it's because a power called Sacred Gear is dwelling inside your body, and you are a dangerous element in their eyes."
Sacred Gear?
What is that?
"It's a unique power created by God, you see."
Leon answered as if he could hear Yukino Yukinoshita's thoughts, before she could even ask.
"Many famous figures in history were Sacred Gear wielders. They used the power of Sacred Gears to make a name for themselves in history. Even now, many people are becoming celebrities by relying on the Sacred Gear dwelling within them. You are one of them."
Then why am I considered a dangerous element?
"Because the Sacred Gear in your body is extraordinary and could potentially cause unprecedented harm." Leon continued to see through Yukino Yukinoshita's doubts, saying, "Do you still remember anything strange that happened around you on the first day of school?"
Yukino Yukinoshita was stunned for a moment, then recalled what happened that day…