The faint light of dawn filtered through the curtains into the not-so-spacious 1DK apartment. The bedding wriggled for a short while before a delicate and adorable black-haired girl with a black tear mole beneath her eye lazily sat up.
"Kukukuku~~! Another new dawn has arrived. Very well, enjoy these final rays of light while you still can. Before long—no, perhaps even tomorrow—everything shall be destroyed in the name of this Fallen Saint Demoness! Then darkness shall rule the world and eternal night shall descend."
The black-haired girl sat on the bed in her pajamas, one hand half-covering her face as she declared dramatically. Yet within the cramped and simply furnished Japanese-style room, there was no response at all.
It was as though this were merely her own personal stage play.
No, perhaps there was at least one tiny response.
"Meow~!"
A clingy cat's cry sounded out as a completely black cat rubbed its tiny head against its owner.
"The familiar of darkness, my servant—Night—has once again come seeking sacrifices?"
The black-haired girl looked warmly at the black cat beside her and skillfully scratched beneath its chin.
A moment later, the already impatient black cat stretched out its sharp claws and scratched at the blanket.
"Meow meow meow~!"
"Ah~ I know, I know already! Seriously, Night, you're going to ruin the blanket again~ I've already patched it more than ten times. Just wait a moment, I'll prepare breakfast for you."
The black-haired girl quickly picked up the cat while grumbling in dissatisfaction. The old-fashioned blanket on the bed, which clearly did not match the girl herself, was covered with numerous patched-up marks.
...
—My name is the Fallen Saint Demoness of Chiba. My mundane name is Gogyo Ruri, while my name in the fantasy realm is the Fallen Saint Black Cat of Chiba.
—You ask why I suddenly introduced myself? As the destroyer of worlds, the witch beloved by darkness, the protagonist who has traversed countless epochs, should I not announce my name to this lowly world?
—In the mortal realm, I was born in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. I was always an ordinary girl, living an ordinary life and spending a dull high school youth without companions.
—Now I have come to Tokyo, Japan's most prosperous city. I believe that here I will find my mission, and also the one who guides my destiny.
—But right now, the most important thing is...
"That interview~ I just hope I can pass."
She muttered softly while brushing her long black hair.
After graduating from high school, she had come to Japan's most famous metropolis in search of suitable work. Yet after living there for some time and changing jobs several times, Gogyo Ruri remained lost.
She did not know why she was here.
Nor what she was doing here.
Perhaps she was simply living, that was all.
"It shouldn't look strange, right? It kind of feels like proper office wear, too."
The black-haired girl, Gogyo Ruri, stood before a full-length mirror and forced out a smile.
Her appearance was delicate and lovely, yet for some reason, she always gave people a gloomy and out-of-place feeling.
Her petite body wore a fitted black women's suit. Even though she was dressed like a working adult, she still gave off the impression of a high school girl secretly wearing an adult's business suit.
An unmistakable immaturity lingered around her.
—Well~ that's basically how it is.
—It may not be appropriate for me to say this myself, but I know that I'm a chuunibyou completely disconnected from society.
—Pretty laughable, isn't it? Even after graduating from high school, I still haven't changed this habit. Those embarrassing words and actions have probably become embedded deep into my bones by now.
—Whenever I recall those memories, I feel unbearably ashamed.
—Talking to myself alone. Striking cool poses by myself.
—How did these habits form?
—I'm not entirely sure. They're probably something similar to loneliness. Before I knew it, while growing accustomed to loneliness, I also grew accustomed to using these words and actions to make myself—and the world around me—seem a little more interesting.
—Clearly understanding that I'm a chuunibyou, yet still indulging in it.
—Because I've always been alone, the opinions of people outside my world, the outside world itself, and how others see me never really mattered.
"Have I... really become a mature adult already?"
Looking at her petite reflection in the mirror, Gogyo Ruri fell into a daze.
The loneliness of coming alone to a major city surged over her, making her nose sting with emotion. Compared to the fast-paced life of the city, she missed her hometown days far more.
At least back then, her younger sisters were always by her side.
When she acted chuuni, her sisters would even praise her.
*Smack!*
"No, this won't do. I can't let them see such a pathetic side of me. I have to work harder."
Gogyo Ruri forcefully slapped her cheeks and encouraged herself.
Looking toward the photograph of her younger sisters playing together on the nearby table, she thought of how the sisters she once needed to care for were now attending high school back in Chiba Prefecture.
Unlike her, her sisters' cheerful personalities would probably allow them to enjoy wonderful high school lives.
That thought was the only thing capable of comforting Gogyo Ruri whenever loneliness struck.
After finishing the Japanese-style breakfast she had made herself, Gogyo Ruri opened her laptop and repeatedly reread a recruitment advertisement displayed on the screen.
Not long ago, she had submitted her resume, and only yesterday she finally received a response inviting her for an interview.
'Yosuganosora' Animation Studio?
Compared to other job seekers, she had known this company's name from the very beginning.
As for why—
Ever since she first encountered the 'RWBY' character promotional trailers online, she had fallen in love with the series.
One could say she was among the very few diehard 'RWBY' fans on the Japanese internet.
Yosuganosora.
The name of the creator—or perhaps the production team.
Even before watching the 'RWBY' movie, she had already memorized that name.
Then, not long ago, after resigning from her previous job, she discovered a recruitment advertisement from 'Yosuganosora' Animation Studio on an online hiring website.
The romanized pronunciation of [缘之空] was Yosuganosora.
Combined with the fact that 'RWBY' itself had been produced by some unknown Japanese animation studio, everything connected together.
Eventually, she confirmed that the listed contact person was none other than one of the names shown in the movie credits:
Production Director Morishita Aoi.
At that moment, Gogyo Ruri could hardly believe her eyes.
Excited beyond words, she immediately submitted her application resume.
Honestly speaking, she did not have much confidence.
Would a studio capable of producing such an outstanding 3D animated film like 'RWBY' really want a rookie animator who had only been employed for less than half a year?
No matter how she looked at it, they surely had far better choices.
Her personality was gloomy.
She was shy around strangers and poor at interacting with coworkers.
Most importantly, her understanding of animation had never undergone professional training. She had only studied it out of personal interest.
"Hey~ Night, what do you think?"
Gogyo Ruri gently stroked the black cat, which was now full and preparing to sleep, while muttering to herself.
Joining an animation studio that one admired was probably one of every anime enthusiast's dreams.
"Meow~"
The black cat flicked its tail and completely ignored her.