The following day.
Yuuki had gathered with the girls of the Seventh Unit—Shushu, Himari, and Nei—on the living room sofa, snacking together.
Then, without warning, Kyouka appeared and delivered news that stunned them all.
"Yuuki! You're coming to the Chiefs' Assembly too!"
"Eh, me as well...?!"
Yuuki pointed at himself. After all, he wasn't even considered a proper member of the Anti-Demon Corps—at best, his status was that of a Seventh Unit headquarters manager who happened to be able to cook and clean.
"This is a sudden request from the Supreme Commander. Himari, you'll be in charge of the headquarters while we're away." Kyouka glanced toward Himari, who immediately sat up straight.
"Leave it to me!" Himari declared earnestly, clenching her fist in front of her chest.
Yuuki left the living room and followed Kyouka into the corridor, his steps a half-jog to keep up with her brisk pace.
"W-What am I supposed to do at the Chiefs' Assembly?"
"You can change into the clothes you'd normally wear when going out. Every Chief carries an immense presence—don't let yourself lose your composure!"
"Yes!"
Having never met any Chief other than Kyouka, Yuuki had absolutely no frame of reference for what the others might be like.
Were they all as powerful as Kyouka?
Or perhaps even stronger?
Or maybe they all had peculiar personalities?
His mind churned with all manner of possibilities.
"..."
At the entrance, Yuuki crouched down to tie his shoelace. With her arms folded across her chest, Kyouka stood beside him and delivered an important reminder.
"First, a word of warning. Do not make eye contact with Commander Yamashiro."
"Is that because of her Peach Blossom Blessing?"
Kyouka shook her head, dismissing his guess.
"It would be bad if she took an interest in you."
"Gulp."
Seeing Kyouka's serious expression, Yuuki swallowed hard.
The image of the terrifying figure of the Anti-Demon Corps' Supreme Commander grew clearer and more daunting in his mind.
And so, they departed from the Seventh Unit.
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
The Anti-Demon Corps' general headquarters, situated within the Tenth Unit, was visibly larger and more magnificent than the headquarters of any other Unit.
As they stepped into the grounds of the general headquarters, a young woman emerged from behind a pillar near the main entrance.
"Hey, Kyouka. You took your time."
They came face to face with a tall, beautifully built young woman with long dark-golden hair that reached her back, tapering to sharper ends, with three black lightning-bolt markings on the side of her hair. She had orange eyes, earrings, and a black collar.
She wore the Anti-Demon Corps uniform—a long dark navy militia coat, a cap with red accents, white gloves, loose trousers, and calf-high boots. Her coat was open at the front, revealing her midriff and a chest wrapped in white cloth.
The woman was spinning her cap on her index finger, leaning casually against the wall with one leg bent, before she pointed at Kyouka with the cap in her hand.
"Congratulations. I hear your Peach Blossom Blessing, «Eternal Chains», has been progressing rapidly."
The woman was the Chief of the Second Unit, Kamiunten Mira.
But before Kyouka could respond, Mira stepped forward abruptly, closing the distance until their chests nearly touched and their faces were only inches apart. Her orange eyes stared straight and sharp into Kyouka's.
"But don't go getting complacent."
Yuuki held his breath behind Kyouka. He could feel the charged intensity between the two of them.
"I am far stronger than you. And the seat of Supreme Commander will be mine."
"You're wrong. The next Supreme Commander is me."
Kyouka didn't yield an inch, meeting the sharp gaze with one equally fierce. Her eyes burned with iron-clad resolve. For a long moment they stared each other down, neither willing to look away.
Mira held that challenge with a gaze just as piercing, until at last she shifted her attention to Yuuki.
"Hey, you. The rumored slave."
Her focus landed on Yuuki as she looked him up and down. Her eyes narrowed, and Yuuki felt a cold sensation crawl down his spine.
"You idiot, you're going to 'die', you know."
"What?!"
Yuuki flinched, his shoulders jerking up instinctively. Mira's sharp stare was genuinely intimidating.
Unexpectedly, Mira suddenly crouched down in front of him. Yuuki nearly leapt out of his skin. With quick, practiced movements, she began fixing his shoelace, which had been slightly loose—something he hadn't even noticed himself.
"In Mato, even the smallest mistake can land you in serious trouble."
Mira didn't look at Yuuki, her focus entirely on the knot. Her white-gloved fingers moved deftly, tying the lace into a neat double knot.
Once she finished, Mira lifted Yuuki's chin with her index finger until his eyes were level with hers. For the first time, Yuuki could see her face up close—quite striking, even if her expression was hard.
"Keep your eyes forward!"
"Thank you."
"Hmph! I'm going ahead!"
Tugging her cap down slightly to shade part of her eyes, Mira turned and strode into the building without waiting for a response.
Kyouka watched Mira's retreating figure.
(Did she actually go to all the trouble of waiting for me?) Kyouka thought to herself.
Whatever Mira's rough appearance and blunt words might suggest, she was in truth meticulous and kindhearted. That much was evident from what she had just done—personally tying Yuuki's shoelace and offering him advice.
Kyouka knew this side of Mira well, which was why she suspected that Mira had likely been waiting for her arrival all along, simply to offer congratulations on the progress of her Peach Blossom Blessing's development.
Mira would never admit it openly, but her actions spoke far louder.
"Let's go in!"
Kyouka led the way forward, entering the building. Yuuki followed close behind, still somewhat dazed by his first encounter with another unit's chief.
"..."
Kyouka walked straight ahead without glancing around. No matter how breathtaking the grand and sweeping surroundings were, she treated them as though they weren't there at all. Her upright posture carried her in a straight line through the long front hall until she reached the main building.
The first-floor hall of the main building was indeed decorated with magnificent grandeur. Valuable paintings hung on the walls on both sides—landscapes, portraits, even several beautiful abstract pieces. A soft red carpet stretched underfoot, so thick and plush that footsteps were nearly soundless. Golden chandeliers above cast a gentle, warm light.
Rather than a large mansion, it was closer to a classical castle that arrested the eyes.
"The headquarters looks stunning. Keeping it all clean must be quite an undertaking." Yuuki murmured quietly, his eyes sweeping across every corner of the room.
His own job was managing the Seventh Unit's headquarters, so the very thought of cleaning a place this size by himself made him anxious. Not to mention the antique furnishings that would surely require special care.
"Fortunately, this place has three gates to our world." Kyouka replied, as though reading his thoughts. "Cleaning staff from our side rotate in shifts. So don't worry."
They walked deeper into the hall, and soon spotted a cute young woman standing somewhat awkwardly near the main staircase.
She had long blue hair that flowed beautifully, a neat fringe covering her forehead, two small braids on either side of her head adorned with gleaming blue beads, and orange eyes that looked distinctly uneasy.
She wore the Anti-Demon Corps uniform—a dark navy militia tunic, a slightly tilted cap with red accents, white gloves, a short skirt, and thigh-high boots that made her legs look gracefully slender.
"Bell?"
Kyouka called out to the young woman, who stiffened immediately at the sound of her voice.
It was the Chief of the Third Unit, Tsukiyono Bell.
From the way she carried herself, it was plain to see that Bell felt deeply out of place and was desperately wishing she could disappear from this pressure-filled gathering.
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