By her own admission, Bell was not a brave person. Most of the 19 years of her life had been spent being intimidated or ignored by her friends, her parents, and everyone around her.
Until one day, the day arrived when she received her Peach Blossom Blessing.
At first, Bell was overjoyed. For the first time in her life, she had something that made her special. She was finally recruited by the Anti-Demon Corps to join their ranks as a Chief!
Unfortunately, that joy didn't last long. It would become a devastating blow to the little confidence Bell had managed to rebuild.
Spending day after day surrounded by women just as powerful as herself—or even more so—had truly made her realize that she wasn't special after all.
And then there was Yamashiro Ren, the Supreme Commander she so deeply admired.
Bell genuinely looked up to her, but Ren was relentlessly insistent that she improve herself. Perhaps that was what had put her in such a difficult position now.
She was always nervous and anxious whenever the Chiefs' Assembly came around. Her heart had been pounding since the night before, her hands were cold with sweat, and her mind was filled with worst-case scenarios.
"Hey, how long are you two planning to stand in the doorway?"
At that moment, a hoarse but commanding voice cut in before Bell could say anything.
Bell nearly gave a small jump, then bowed her head more deeply.
As the voice spoke, a short, hunched figure approached with hands folded behind her back.
She appeared to be at least seventy years old, with a square, deeply lined face and long snow-white hair tied into a bun at the back of her head.
Though her body bore the marks of age, her spirit remained sharp and vigorous. Her eyes shone with piercing intensity, and her steps were steadier than those of many people far younger.
"Sensei!"
Kyouka's face lit up with delight at the sight of the woman, and she bowed to her at a perfect angle with full respect.
"It has been far too long since I last paid my respects!"
"It has indeed been a while since you last greeted me, but I understand—the Seventh Unit is famously busy."
The old woman dispensed with pleasantries and directly acknowledged Kyouka's neglect, yet she also expressed understanding with a generous manner. Her tone was firm, but there was warmth within it. She was an honest, straightforward old woman.
Kyouka let out a hollow laugh and glanced behind the old woman.
Standing there was a girl who looked to be no older than fifteen or sixteen, with long reddish-brown hair tied into a pinwheel-style ponytail at the back of her head.
"Senpai, it's been a while!"
The girl looked at Kyouka, her greeting brief and a little stiff, but there was a restrained quiver of enthusiasm at the edge of her voice.
"Konomi, you've started high school before I even realized it!"
Noticing the subtle discomfort visible in the girl, Kyouka offered a gentle smile and greeted her casually, as one would speak to a junior.
"How is your training coming along?"
"Thank you for asking, Senpai! I've made some progress lately!"
Konomi relaxed slightly, the tension in her shoulders beginning to ease. Her eyes looked at Kyouka with admiration, clearly regarding the Seventh Unit's Chief as a role model.
"Hmph, Konomi is my final student. Her talent is no less exceptional than yours."
The old woman beside them—Myouga Riu, Chief of the First Unit—gave a soft snort, looking at Konomi with a satisfied smile. The wrinkles on her face deepened as she smiled.
"With her talent, she could even become Supreme Commander someday. Kyouka, don't neglect your training and end up being surpassed by your junior!"
"Understood, I'll keep that in mind, Sensei!"
Kyouka answered respectfully, her eyes bright. There wasn't the slightest trace of offense in her voice.
After the brief exchange, they opened the door and went inside. Bell walked at the very back, nearly dragging her feet, wishing she could melt into the shadows.
Inside the room, four people were already present, all of them Chiefs.
Yuuki quietly observed them one by one. During the journey, Kyouka had shown him photographs and given brief explanations, but seeing them in person was an entirely different experience.
His eyes settled on one of them—Ezo Yakumo, Chief of the Fifth Unit.
Yakumo looked like an attractive young woman with a full figure, short black hair tipped in purple that appeared deliberately cut in a tomboyish style, and sharp violet eyes.
She wore a modified version of the standard Anti-Demon Corps uniform—her jacket was a shorter, open tunic that revealed the white shirt beneath and showed off her slender midriff, paired with a skirt and long boots.
(Kyouka-san said she likes women and dreams of having a harem. I thought it was just a joke—turns out it's true!) Yuuki thought to himself as he noticed the way Yakumo was looking at the women in the room.
(So that's Himari's mother? She looks so young! How old was she when she had her?! I heard Himari has two younger sisters!)
Yuuki watched as Yakumo blew a kiss toward a beautiful, full-figured woman with long dark blue hair neatly braided and yellow eyes.
That was Azuma Fubuki, Chief of the Ninth Unit.
Fubuki wore the standard Anti-Demon Corps uniform, with a significant portion of her chest on display and long gloves reaching up to her elbows.
Next, Yuuki observed Varvara Pilipenko, Chief of the Eighth Unit.
Varvara looked like a cute foreign young woman with long blonde hair braided on the left side and pale, ice-blue eyes. She had a red hair ornament above her braid—a striking contrast. She also wore the same Anti-Demon Corps uniform, with a cap tilted at an angle.
Her expression was so utterly emotionless and composed that she only glanced at Yuuki briefly before returning her gaze to her phone, fingers typing busily. As though Yuuki was no more interesting than her phone's wallpaper.
Yuuki then felt someone tap him on the back. He turned to Kyouka and heard her words in a voice barely above a whisper.
"She's here."
It was then that Yuuki saw a chair floating through the air, drifting toward the head of the table to face them all. And it was then that he felt a profound depth of power emanating from its occupant.
"That is the Supreme Commander."
Yuuki saw a beautiful young woman with black hair adorned by a red ribbon on the left side, a neat square fringe on the right, and violet eyes that seemed to look straight through the soul.
She wore the standard Anti-Demon Corps uniform, but with shorts in place of a skirt, white gloves, and a short dark crimson cape draped over her shoulders, along with black stockings and heeled shoes that added to her height.
Yuuki felt the silence settle around him, the air going rigid, and the overwhelming presence of the figure who embodied humanity's absolute pinnacle. Yamashiro Ren, Supreme Commander and Chief of the Tenth Unit.
All the Chiefs took their seats. The sound of chairs scraping against the floor rang out clearly in the hushed room.
Bell nearly knocked her chair over as she sat down, her face flushing red.
Konomi stood behind Riu with her hands clasped behind her back, posture perfect, while Yuuki stood behind Kyouka, uncertain of where to direct his gaze.
"...!!!"
Yuuki hadn't expected it. He had only snuck the briefest of glances, carefully trying to observe the Supreme Commander—and was immediately met by Ren's sharp stare, as though she intended to kill him on the spot.
For a moment, Yuuki felt his heart stop.
But as quickly as it had appeared, Ren's demeanor softened at once into a charming, warm smile. The lines of her face relaxed, her eyes that had been so piercing now shone with warmth. None of the other Chiefs seemed to notice the small exchange at all.
"Pleased to see you all here. Let's go ahead and begin this leadership meeting."
"Hold on!" Mira cut in sharply, her hand pointing to an empty chair beside Kyouka. "Tenka isn't here yet."
Kyouka's brow furrowed, sensing something off about the situation. Tenka was rarely late. Especially for an important meeting like this.
"This Chiefs' Assembly concerns her." Ren's smile didn't fade in the slightest—if anything, it may have widened just a fraction. Her eyes shifted to the door. "Tenka, come in, and bring him with you."
The door opened with a soft creak. Every pair of eyes in the room turned toward the entrance.
Tenka's figure walked in. Behind her, a young man could be seen following.
With the sole exception of Ren, everyone showed a reaction of surprise. Even Varvara couldn't maintain her air of indifference.
The one who reacted most strongly was Yuuki.
"Kamikawa?!"
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