Outside the Seventh Squad's base, Himari sat languidly beside Yuko, cradling a steaming mug of hot chocolate. Clad in their comfortable sleepwear, the two shared a quiet, listless moment, having woken up at the exact same time.
"It's finally happening, Himari-chi," Yuko said, turning to look at her. "You're finally going to get payback against that sister of yours."
Himari could only manage a nervous, breathy laugh in response.
They had pushed themselves to their physical and mental limits during the precious few days allotted to prepare for the upcoming tournament. Their teamwork, which had been undeniably clunky on their first day, had improved by leaps and bounds. Yuko was gradually acclimating to her new Slave Form, constantly running through a multitude of tactical variations they could deploy against Himari's older sister, Yachiho.
"No matter how many angles I try to calculate for our attack, the execution of our tactics will be far more crucial than our raw offensive power when facing her," Himari remarked.
Yuko nodded in agreement, letting out a wry, heavy sigh. Wiping that smug, arrogant grin off Yachiho's face would be an incredibly satisfying victory for them both. However, achieving that was easier said than done. Their greatest obstacle was the nature of her older sister's Peach ability.
Golden Hour
True to its name, the ability granted her a limited authority over time itself. Specifically, it allowed Yachiho to stop or rewind time by a maximum of five seconds. The only caveat was its activation requirement: striking a ridiculous, theatrical pose that Yachiho stubbornly referred to as her "noble pose."
It didn't matter how critically injured a person was or how thoroughly an object had been destroyed; as long as the target remained within her area of effect, Yachiho could simply rewind time, seamlessly resetting them to a state where the wounds had never existed in the first place and restoring matter as if the damage had never occurred.
On paper, it was an overwhelmingly powerful ability—and in practice, it was just as formidable. Yet, it possessed one fatal flaw: it consumed an absurd amount of stamina.
She couldn't use it consecutively without suffering exhaustion. The visible signs of her fatigue, though small, served as a clear indicator to anyone knowledgeable about her powers that Golden Hour had just been activated. During those intervals, if she left herself vulnerable, she had absolutely no defensive abilities to protect herself.
To exploit that exhaustion building up, Yuko and Himari would need immaculate, flawless teamwork. There was zero margin for error. Closing the distance to strike would be their primary hurdle, but if they could somehow bridge that gap by draining and tiring her out, Yachiho's physical body wouldn't be able to withstand the offense of Yuko's Slave Form.
All they needed was for a decisive attack to connect.
"Putting aside your current squabble with your older sister... is the rest of your family as foul-mouthed toward you as she is?"
Yuko's brow furrowed in deep disapproval. Regardless of whatever Yachiho might think of Himari's capabilities, Yuko firmly believed that she had crossed a line. There were limits to how anyone should treat their own flesh and blood.
"Yuko, I'm not exaggerating when I say that Yachiho is probably the tamest of them all," Himari replied, her voice eerily neutral. "My eldest sister couldn't care less whether I live or die. As for the family head, she still thinks entirely too little of me. I have no doubt she spends every day talking behind my back."
"They're your family," Yuko hissed, her tone laced with venom on Himari's behalf. "The way they act... it's vile. No one should ever treat their own kin like that."
A soft, genuine chuckle escaped Himari's lips.
Seeing Yuko get so fiercely defensive, openly cursing her relatives, sparked a strange warmth in her chest.
Had Yuko spoken such treasonous words to any other member of the household, the consequences would have been dire. But to Himari, the Azuma surname was nothing more than a cursed shackle she despised wearing. If the rest of the clan loathed the fact that she carried their name, the feeling was entirely mutual—only amplified to a massive, suffocating degree.
Yachiho was constantly demanding that she return home. But as far as Himari was concerned, setting foot in that disgusting residence again was something she would never, ever do of her own free will.
Over time, Himari had cultivated a profound sense of detachment toward her relatives. Harboring an active, burning rage every single day was simply too exhausting to sustain. However, that didn't mean the fury was gone; it lay dormant, simmering dangerously close to the surface. At the mere sight of an Azuma, or even the passing mention of their name, her blood would instantly begin to boil.
She intended to use this impending duel with Yachiho as her ultimate crucible. She would show those arrogant bastards exactly who she had become—prove that she was no longer the worthless girl they had so casually looked down upon. But more importantly, this fight wasn't just for her own vindication. It was to prove to her Chief that taking a chance on a broken girl at her absolute lowest hadn't been a mistake.
"What are you two whispering about?"
Speak of the devil. Kyouka appeared behind them, resting her hands gently atop both of their heads with an affectionate smile.
"Just stating the obvious," Yuko answered casually, not even bothering to look back. "Mainly that Himari's family is comprised entirely of insufferable people. Oh, and the fact that I want to punch her sister's face in during our fight later. Giving her a proper beating is an absolute must."
"It's good to know you're fired up, but don't let your temper run away with you. Let yourself get too heated, and careless mistakes will follow," Kyouka warned gently. She let out a soft sigh, her smile turning wry. "As I always say..."
"Careless assumption is the mother of all fuck-ups," Himari and Yuko recited in perfect, casual unison, not missing a single beat.
"Nice to know my wisdom is actually penetrating those heads of yours," Kyouka chuckled, visibly pleased that her core tenet hadn't been forgotten. She rounded the wooden bench and sat beside them, casually leaning against the backrest.
"Do you remember the day I made you my second-in-command, Himari?" Kyouka's gaze drifted, caught in the undertow of reminiscence. "It was honestly frustrating, seeing you carry around such agonizingly low self-esteem all because of what the Azumas drilled into you. When I looked at you, I didn't see a failure. I saw a brilliant girl, chained down by her past."
Himari could only sit in stunned, reverent silence as Kyouka continued.
"You were so terrified when I announced your promotion," Kyouka recalled with an easy shrug. "You were practically shaking, worried sick about how the others would judge me for choosing you. But who gives a damn? I was the one who saw what you were truly capable of. Their opinions held no weight over me then, and they still don't."
To Himari, meeting Kyouka was the single greatest gift life had ever bestowed upon her. When her own flesh and blood would do nothing but snort in disgust at her perceived weakness, Kyouka had been there. She had stepped into the darkest, lowest depths of Himari's life and welcomed her with open arms. She had given her a purpose, motivating her to stand up and grow.
For the first time, Himari had felt true, unadulterated happiness. And that was exactly why she would never, under any circumstances, tolerate anyone who dared to sully her Chief's name. No matter who they were.
"I'm not telling you to leave your past behind, Himari. Because I certainly never did," Kyouka said, her tone softening into something profoundly reassuring. "Sometimes, I just close my eyes, and I can almost feel my late younger sister gently ruffling my hair when I least expect it. The memory of her face—that fierce blend of anger and sadness that it made me feel—is what lit my way forward through the trauma. The memory of my hometown burning like hell isn't exactly something you can just forget."
Kyouka's expression shifted, the gentle nostalgia hardening into something resolute. She stood up, turning to look down at the two of them with unwavering conviction.
"But that fire led me here. To all of you," she continued, her voice echoing with quiet strength. "If it was my fate to be shattered into pieces as a person, then you, Yuko, Shushu, and Nei... you were the ones who took those broken pieces and made me whole again."
She leaned in slightly, locking her gaze directly with Himari's.
"So, if you could do that for me, then expect me to be right beside you, putting you back together until you become the true person you were always meant to be. If you go into the fire, we go together. You are a part of me now. What kind of Chief would I be if I didn't take care of my own—especially someone who looks up to me the way you do? I will help you defend yourself. I will help you defend your honor."
The sheer intensity of Kyouka's words sent a tremor right down to Himari's fingertips—a shudder of anticipation that she knew would last until the dawn.
She was bigger than her trauma. Kyouka wasn't going to fight her battles for her; she was going to guide her, giving her the strength to finally shatter those suffocating shackles, break out of her shell, and scream her heart out to the sky. Her Chief was making the path forward blindingly clear. She was giving Himari the courage to throw her fist into the air and watch the bleak, oppressive sky finally begin to brighten.
"Let that fire shine, and never back down," Kyouka said softly, her smile returning like a steady beacon. "Let yourself fly, Himari. You know every tear is going to dry eventually, and the stars will always be there to shimmer."
Himari slowly rose to her feet, her vision blurring as hot tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. Beside her, Yuko watched in quiet reverence, witnessing the burden being lifted from her friend's shoulders.
"I promise... I won't let you down, Chief!" Himari vowed, her voice thick with emotion but anchored by a fierce, unshakeable resolve.
A bright, melodic laugh escaped Kyouka. She stepped forward and opened her arms wide. "Come here, you."
Without another word, she pulled the trembling girl into a warm, grounding embrace.
Yuko remained seated on the bench, watching the tender moment unfold with a faint, almost wistful smile.
Over Himari's shoulder, Kyouka caught Yuko's eye. She offered an inviting tilt of her head and playfully gestured with her hand, silently urging the other girl to join them. Yuko stiffened, a flicker of stubborn reluctance crossing her features. But the expectant in her Chief's gaze left absolutely no room for argument.
With a soft sigh of feigned defeat, Yuko finally surrendered. She stood up, closing the distance to wrap her arms securely around them both.
"Good luck, you two," Kyouka murmured, holding her subordinates close for a lingering second before finally stepping back. She looked at them with a deeply proud smile. "I'll be eagerly anticipating exactly what you have in store for me out there."
"Yeah!" Himari and Yuko shouted in perfect unison, their voices ringing out into the air, blazing with undeniable passion.
__________
Author's Note:
Another late upload because I am currently on a short vacation. Sitting alone at night by the seaside, looking at nothing, made me realize how lost I am on my academic path.
Sitting alone while eating a bowl of kalamari with a beer in hand, with the sound of the sea and a small speaker playing Chasing Pavements by Adele was the wake-up call I needed.
Also, if you don't like this type of chapter, I'll just say sorry in advance.