In the middle of the night, Kanzaki Kaori was standing on the rooftop of a certain building.
The night scenery in front of her included the Church of Orsola that was being built. The building was so much different from what someone would expect of a church: not quiet, and filled with growls and sounds of things breaking.
Although she was standing far away from the church, her sharp ears could hear everything. She heard a group of people stepping forward to save a girl.
From the start, Kanzaki had never intended to help her fellow Amakusa members or attack the Roman Catholics who the Amakusa were against. Although she snuck away after this situation happened, she never thought of using violence to settle this.
She just wanted to witness it for herself.
Even when she was gone, the Amakusa hadn't changed.
She had wanted to witness that.
Right now, she was seeing a truth that she had always believed in.
She narrowed her eyes.
That gentle expression seemed to be reminiscing something.
It was a place where she could no longer go to.
But because of that, it was a precious place to her.
Not trying to hide, a set of footsteps could be heard as someone approached Kanzaki from behind.
"Haha! What a touching scene, Kanzaki-neechin! Very good, very good! Your former comrades didn't kidnap Orsola for the power of The Book of the Law!"
"Tsuchimikado!"
Kanzaki hastily made a long face, and turned away. But Tsuchimikado was still grinning as he looked at Kanzaki. Seemed like Kanzaki's feelings were written on her face.
In order to hide her embarrassment, Kanzaki coldly said,
"Is your mission over? Didn't you say that you were going to seize this opportunity to steal the original Book of the Law?"
"That? Hm, do you think that I succeeded or failed?"
"…"
"I'm joking, don't stare at me like that. Aren't you also clear with what's going on? The Amakusa never stole The Book of the Law; this is all planned by the Roman Catholic Church. In other words, the Roman Catholic Church never had the need to bring the original Book of the Law to Japan. Right now, the one in Japan is a fake while the original is still inside the Vatican."
Tsuchimikado announced that his mission had failed, but he sounded extremely happy. Did he think that his mission's unimportant? Or was he saying a lie, and The Book of the Law was already in his hands? Which was the answer? Kanzaki didn't know.
Tsuchimikado walked beside Kanzaki, placed his two hands on the metal handrail used to prevent people from falling, and stared at the scene which Kanzaki's looking at. After a while, he said,
"Are you satisfied now?"
"…Yes, and they even exceeded my expectations."
Kanzaki again turned to look at the church, saying,
"As long as they're around, even without me, the Amakusa will walk on the right path. They became stronger."
"Un, seems like they're in a tough battle. You're not going to help them?"
"I have no right to stand in front of them now, and they don't need my power now. I'm like an auxiliary wheel of a bicycle."
Kanzaki proudly said, but there was some loneliness in her tone.
There was not even the faintest sign of perplexity or hesitation.
Although Kanzaki was saying this rather seriously, Tsuchimikado was trying really hard to hold back his laughter.
"What are you laughing at, Tsuchimikado?"
"Nee-chin, seriously, you never expected Kami-yan to be involved in this, right? The Angel Fall incident last time, and when you were retrieving Index... you owe him quite a few favors, don't you? Right now, you got him involved in your own personal issue, and you're thinking of how to say sorry to him after this, right?"
"No, it's nothing like that… that scenario you thought of will never happen…"
Kanzaki sternly replied.
Tsuchimikado seemed to have remembered something, and let out a huge laugh. His laughter was extremely loud, so loud that one may worry that his voice could reach the Church of Orsola. He laughed until tears rolled out of his eyes, and after a while, said,
"Let me ask you: why are you holding bandages in your hand? Don't tell me you intend to bandage the wounds of your unconscious comrades after the battle? And after bandaging their wounds, you'll gently stroke their faces, give a slight smile, and stealthily leave? Ehehe! Nee-chin, you can do such an old-fashioned thing? Don't you feel ashamed doing this with such a stern face?"
"…!?"
"Ugn? Whoa, whoa, Nee-chin, what's wrong with you? Why that deadpan look, and your temples are still moving… wait a minute! Wait a minute! I'm unarmed! Your Shichiten Shichitou isn't to be used for play! I don't want to be bandaged earlier than them, WA—!"