December 31, 2199 — 13:58
Her arm moved at the sense of someone's presence.
With blurry eyes and a hazy mind, she recognized the clean white sheets and the long, camellia red hair scattered on them—her own hair. Then the warm blanket draped over her shoulders and her own white hand gently held within it.
It took Tsubaki a few seconds to understand that she was lying on a bed.
… A bed?
But why was she sleeping in a bed? A question popped up in her mind, but her head wasn't working well enough to do anything about it. She sighed. Her consciousness was unclear.
No, I can't do this. I have to be strong...
Without voicing it, Tsubaki told herself to steady her sluggish mind. Slowly, she sat up.
"... Huh?" Suddenly, she realized the strangeness of her situation.
It was a place she had never seen before. The walls were a yellowish white, the ceiling and floor were made of brown wood. The oddly latticed windows were round, and the view outside was clearly that of a lower-class district with a dimly lit, cluttered cityscape. There was a sharp smell of disinfectant in the air.
Tsubaki blinked her clear blue eyes a few times. This was not her room. Of course, it wasn't a facility of the NOL either.
"Where am I...?" Her weak voice expressed her confusion. And then…
"Meow!" Suddenly, a pair of large triangular ears popped out from the foot of the bed where Tsubaki was lying. Then, a large, round hand was placed on the edge of the bed, and a head slowly peered over, as if to observe the situation.
It was a strange-looking creature. It resembled a stuffed cat made of sewn-together cloth, but the face peeking over the edge of the bed was not adorned with buttons or embroidery thread. Instead, it had a pair of red circles floating in a pitch-black space, which seemed to be its eyes. Its mouth seemed to be a white triangle floating below the red circles.
It was strange, but rather than being creepy, it felt endearing, perhaps because of the tail, which was the only part that was white and swayed gently behind it. It was long and slender, more like a real cat than a stuffed animal.
It... it's not a cat, is it...?
She tilted her head awkwardly, staring at the red circles that were staring back at her. The cat-like creature with the triangular ears also tilted its head. It might even be cute, she thought. But that thought was short-lived.
"Ohh here it is!"
"Huh... what?"
"Boobie Lady, Boobie Lady! The sleeping person woke up!" Suddenly, the creature with the triangular ears and tail jumped up and shouted loudly, waving its hands towards the outside of the room. Startled, Tsubaki hugged the blanket on the bed, and she could hear the sound of several people running towards her.
"Oh, you're awake! Well, that's good!" The first person to rush into the room was a large man. As soon as he entered, he shouted so loudly that it seemed to vibrate the air in the room, and then he strode over to the bedside where Tsubaki was lying.
He was dressed in something like an Ikaryu ninja outfit, with a red cloth wrapped around his neck like a muffler. There was a large scar in the shape of an X on his face.
Next came a small girl. Pushing aside the big man, she slid to the side of the bed and placed her hand on Tsubaki's forehead with a slightly sullen expression.
"You don't seem to have a fever. I'll check your temperature properly later, but how are you feeling?"
"I... I'm fine... I think." Tsubaki replied, confused.
"You think? What does that even mean? Be clear about it." The girl pursed her lips in dissatisfaction. She had bright, spirited eyes and skin as smooth as the hand that had touched Tsubaki. She had her neatly combed black hair tied up at the back of her head. She was wearing clothes that were easy to move in. If she hadn't heard her voice, Tsubaki might have mistaken her for a boy.
"Linhua, you shouldn't speak like that to someone who's just woken up." A new voice spoke softly, with a hint of sensuality in its tone. The large man stepped aside to make way. Behind him appeared a beautiful woman carrying a pitcher and a glass on a tray.
Tsubaki was instantly captivated by her refined features, supple limbs, and curvaceous figure. Her skin was smooth and white, and the thin lenses of her glasses and the black eyes twinkling behind them conveyed a gentle intelligence. Yet, the thinly painted red lips were oddly alluring, and whenever she smiled, it was impossible to look away.
It wasn't just Tsubaki who was drawn to her captivating appearance. The large man with the red scarf seemed similarly entranced. When she thanked him for clearing the way, he visibly blushed and gave a wide smile.
Passing in front of him, she flicked the long hem of her red dress and placed a tray on the bedside table. The beautiful woman with glasses poured water from a pitcher into a glass and offered it to Tsubaki.
"I'm Litchi Faye-Ling. This is a hospital in Orient Town, and I'm the doctor here."
"A doctor? Oh..." As she accepted the glass, Tsubaki wondered why she was in a doctor's office. Then she remembered.
That's right. It was raining. She had parted ways with Hazama, the intelligence officer, at Kagutsuchi's fifth port and came to Orient Town alone. And then she'd spotted a man working on something. The Red Devil from Sector Seven. She was supposed to contact the Kagutsuchi branch of the Librarium to apprehend him. Or was she? Her memory was hazy and unclear.
Just then, the Red Devil had suddenly reached out to her, and as she braced herself for the attack... or perhaps just before that moment, sparks flew in front of her eyes, and she had no memory of what happened after that.
"That's right, I... at that time..." Tsubaki gripped the glass in her hand. She realized that she had lost to the Red Devil. And it had been with just one blow, so easily that she couldn't even remember it.
It was pathetic, even though she was a soldier. While scolding herself inwardly, Tsubaki tried to put on a calm expression and looked up. ...However, she couldn't say that she was successful.
"Litchi-san... ...right? You saved me."
"Oh, no. I simply took you in, gave you some basic treatment, and lent you a bed. Someone else brought you here." Litchi lowered her eyebrows slightly, looking a bit troubled, and waved her hand in front of her. Suddenly, the alluring and enchanting atmosphere around her became warm and friendly. Next to Litchi, the girl with a boyish appearance pouted and crossed her thin arms, looking dissatisfied.
"…If it weren't for this place, you probably would've been dumped somewhere nearby. You should thank the doctor." "Now, Linhua." Litchi quickly chided her with a sharp tone. Linhua didn't argue, but she snorted and turned her face away from Tsubaki and Litchi.
Litchi pushed up the end of her glasses with her finger and gave Tsubaki a wry smile.
"I'm sorry about that. This child is my assistant, Linhua, and she was born and raised in this town. So... she has complicated feelings about people like soldiers." Tsubaki nodded, sensing the complex emotions contained in the single word "complicated."
The NOL was a huge organization. But the world was even bigger, and even in the Hierarchical Cities, there were inevitably parts where the government's reach was effective and parts where it was not.
Kagutsuchi's Orient Town was a good example. The NOL did not have enough manpower to maintain the city's infrastructure or public safety, and support for the poor was insufficient. Therefore, it was not uncommon for people in these lower-class towns to resent the NOL.
… Tsubaki had heard rumors about this in the NOL. This was the first time she had seen this resentment firsthand. Somehow, she didn't know how to put it into words.
Seeing Tsubaki's somber expression, Litchi smiled again and, as if to cheer her up, introduced the other two people in a bright voice.
"This is Taokaka, and this is Bang. They're both my friends." She first pointed to a strange girl with a triangular hood covering her head and a swaying cat's tail.
Taokaka thrust her arm towards Tsubaki with a bouncy motion. "If you're a friend of the Boobie Lady, then you're a friend of Tao too! Nice to meet you!"
"I'm Bang Shishigami. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance!" Bang, the large man with the scarred face who was introduced next, greeted her with as much vigor as Taokaka. Their excitement was enough to blow away the tense and strained atmosphere with Linhua just a moment ago.
Tsubaki involuntarily drew back slightly on the bed. She had heard that there were all sorts of people living in the lower levels of the city, but she was truly experiencing it firsthand now. As if seeing through Tsubaki's confusion or admiration, Litchi smiled slightly and amusedly.
"If you don't mind, may I ask your name?"
Only then did Tsubaki realize she hadn't introduced herself. Thanks to her Librarium uniform, her role as a soldier was apparent, but that alone wasn't enough to show her gratitude to the person who had helped her. Hurriedly, Tsubaki straightened her posture, clasped her hands neatly on her lap, and bowed to Litchi, Linhua, Taokaka, and Bang.
"My apologies. I am Tsubaki Yayoi, Second Lieutenant in the Fourth Thaumaturgist Squadron of the Novus Orbis Librarium. I am truly grateful for all your help."
"Oh, you don't have to be so formal. I just wanted to know your name because I thought it would be rude to keep calling you soldier forever." Litchi waved her hand hurriedly and smiled gently. Tsubaki couldn't help but relax her cheeks at her easygoing manner. Perhaps she was more cheerful than she looked.
Next to her, Bang grabbed his chin with his thick fingers and groaned thoughtfully.
"It's rare to see a soldier from headquarters in such a lower level. Even the Kagutsuchi guards don't come down here very often."
"Well..." Tsubaki hesitated and took another sip from the cup she was holding. She wanted to be honest and tell him everything since she had been helped, but the command that this was a top-secret mission came to mind.
Just as she was about to say that she was sorry but couldn't talk about the mission, Bang suddenly clapped his hands.
"Come to think of it, I saw a strange soldier yesterday. Could that blond woman be your companion?"
"A blond... woman?" For Bang, it was probably just a casual thought. But those words pulled Tsubaki's attention like a magnet.
There were countless blond-haired women in the NOL. Considering that there were a considerable number of them at headquarters alone, the total number, including all the branches nationwide, was unimaginable.
But for Tsubaki, only one person came to mind.
"That woman! Who was she?! When and where did you see her!?" Suddenly throwing off the blanket, Tsubaki pressed herself up from the bed towards Bang. Even Bang seemed taken aback and leaned back, spreading his arms in front of his chest as if to calm her. But Tsubaki didn't see any of that.
"Please tell me, what was she like? Did you talk to her? What was her name? Was she injured...?" Before Tsubaki could finish her rapid-fire questions, a dizziness distorted her vision. Losing her balance, she pressed her head and dropped her raised bottom onto the bed mat.
Litchi touched her shoulder and forehead soothingly. "Don't push yourself, Tsubaki-san. You've been asleep all night. Even though there are no visible external injuries, you did lose consciousness once. You should rest first..."
"I—no, I'm fine... wait, all night!" Tsubaki's voice cracked in belated realization. She accidentally slapped Litchi's hand away, causing her to gasp in surprise. Tsubaki realized that she had been rude and became flustered. "I-I'm sorry, but… the whole night...?"
"Yes, yes. You were brought here yesterday... around six thirty in the evening, I think. It's the next day now, the 31st, around two o'clock." Litchi answered, looking at the clock in the room while still a little shaken.
Seeing Tsubaki's face turn pale, Linhua frowned worriedly.
"What's wrong? Did you have a date?"
"Are you hungry, meow?"
"Tao, be quiet for a moment."
"Okay, meow?" At the foot of the bed, Taokaka's large hand began to knead the crumpled blanket. Normally, Tsubaki would have smiled at the sight, but she didn't have the energy.
"No, what should I do? I'm on a mission..." Oh, but that's not what's important right now. Even as the shock of reality caused another dizzy spell, Tsubaki looked up at Bang pleadingly. "Please tell me about that blond-haired woman. When and where did you meet her?"
"I saw her yesterday morning in a vagrant town below this one," Bang replied with a serious expression, instead of his usual bold smile, seeing Tsubaki's unusual state. "I didn't get her name, but she was a young woman. She was rather thin, with green eyes. She had sharp eyes and was wearing the same uniform as you. She also had a sword with a blue sheath."
Tsubaki's eyes widened at the words "blue sheath." Naru's beloved sword. Tsubaki didn't know its name, but Naru had never let anyone, especially Tsubaki, touch that sword with its cold blue sheath.
It had to be her. There was no doubt about it. Thinking that, Tsubaki's heart began to pound like a drum.
"Where... where was she going? Didn't she say anything?" Her voice trembled as she asked.
Bang replied in a clear, low voice. "She didn't say where, but she said she was going up. And she said she was looking for a man with white hair and a red coat..."
The words "white hair and red coat" had become synonymous with a certain man in the current NOL.
"The 'Grim Reaper'... Haru the Bloodedge." The words slipped from Tsubaki's lips before she even realized it, bringing with them a deep understanding.
"Tsubaki-san?"
"Yes, because Naru-nee… she said it herself. But why… why didn't I realize it sooner?"
No, wait… it wasn't that she didn't realize it. It was that she hadn't wanted to see it.
Without paying any attention to Litchi, who was peering at her with concern, Tsubaki touched her trembling lips with her fingertips. Her fingertips were also trembling slightly.
Naru Kisaragi, who had disappeared from the NOL, had come to Kagutsuchi to pursue Haru the Bloodedge. That meant she must also be searching for Haru the Bloodedge in Kagutsuchi. How would she search? Would she wander around the vast Kagutsuchi aimlessly, like Tsubaki?
Naru was a calm and intelligent person. She knew how to achieve her goals. Haru the Bloodedge was a vicious criminal who went around destroying branches all over the world. So, if she waited at a branch that was his target, the Grim Reaper would eventually come. After all, his purpose in coming to Kagutsuchi was the branch itself.
"I have to go!" Tsubaki slid off the bed as if she had been shot. But Litchi immediately stopped her.
"Wait. I told you, you still—"
"I have to go! There's someone I'm looking for. Someone important! I have to go quickly..." She didn't know what would happen if she didn't go. She didn't know why she felt such a burning sense of urgency. Tsubaki pleaded with Litchi as if she were spitting out words.
Suddenly, the look of anxiety, apprehension, and worry, typical of a doctor, disappeared from Litchi's face. Her gentle eyes were now stern, and she looked at Tsubaki intently.
"Did you come here from headquarters for that person?"
"Y... yes. I don't know if I can do anything. But I have to find her no matter what."
If she didn't, Naru would be pursued by the NOL as a traitor. It wasn't because of the mission. It wasn't because of an order. She couldn't let Naru be accused of something she didn't do.
Litchi took her hand off Tsubaki's shoulder and went to a machine at the end of the room, flipping the hem of her long dress. There, neatly folded, were Tsubaki's gloves and the removable parts of her uniform. There was also a beret-like hat and a holster with a small gun.
"If you still feel dizzy, don't run or overexert yourself. If you overdo it, it'll be counterproductive." As she spoke, Litchi handed Tsubaki the gloves and sleeves and put the hat on her head.
Tsukaki clenched the items tightly and nodded deeply. "Yes. Thank you very much." She quickly put on the sleeve parts and gloves, then stepped into her boots. Her body swayed slightly when she stepped down, but she didn't feel any pain.
"Thank you so much for everything. Excuse me!" Bowing deeply, Tsubaki turned around and ran out hurriedly. Her steps weren't light by any means, and the door slammed loudly behind her, echoing through the clinic. Litchi, watching the whirlwind of activity, looked back toward the door with a faintly troubled expression.
"Is that okay, Dr. Litchi?"
"She doesn't have any injuries, and her health seems fine for now, so she should be okay for the time being. Even if something happens, she's a soldier. Once she reaches the upper levels, there are plenty of facilities that can help her if needed." With one arm around her chest and her fingertip touching her mouth, Lychee looked back at the door, just like Linhua. Her expression was half-dazed, but that daze was not directed at Tsubaki herself.
"Besides, she seems to have very important business." She's looking for someone important. When that thought was directed at her so straightforwardly, Litchi couldn't deny it. She couldn't refuse. She was also here because she was looking for someone important.
"Kuu, Litchi-dono is so kind! I, Bang Shishigami, am deeply moved by Litchi-dono's words of love!" Bang grabbed Litchi's hands tightly with both of his, tears of emotion streaming down his face.
"Oh, Bang-san, you're so dramatic..." Litchi's gaze was directed straight at him, just as it had been with Tsubaki. But when it came from this man, she didn't know how to react. While smiling wryly, she felt something nostalgic in the warmth of his touch.
Litchi turned her head to the left, towards the bed.
"Nyuuhh... Nyaaah... Meow…"
"Come on, Tao. That's not a bed for napping, so get down. Another patient might come, and I'll have to change the sheets right away."
"Five more minutes, meow..." Taokaka rolled over, and a hard object she had been holding in her paw fell under the bed. At the same time, she kicked the side table with her foot, causing the cup and pitcher on the table to almost topple over.
Litchi quickly reached out, and both the glass cup and the ceramic pitcher were saved from falling. But because of that, no one heard the small sound of something falling into the gap between the bed and the wall.
What had fallen? It was the small gun that Tsubaki, in her rush, hadn't noticed slipping out of her holster. The gun that was issued by the NOL.