"Nngh!"
A wide strip of white cloth.
It was wound, layer by layer, across the girl's chest.
From a chest at the very bottom of a stack in the hallway, the girl retrieved an elegant yet practical furisode—a long-sleeved kimono. Combining tradition with convenience was the defining feature of this modified garment.
Cloud patterns, white cranes, shortened sleeves, and a bared midriff.
This furisode had been altered from one of her late mother's robes, a gift for her sister's Girls' Day festival. It was easy to move in, perfect for a fight.
However, for her to inherit it, the ill-fitting garment required the use of a traditional, formidable weapon like a chest wrap to even have a chance of squeezing into it… and also to prevent any wardrobe malfunctions during strenuous activity.
As for why she was digging out this particular outfit—
"The Taishan Grand Ceremony."
A time to honor the dead and pray for peace.
Today was the final of the three-day ceremony, a day when the other displaced peoples who had wandered here were permitted to hold their own traditional activities in conjunction with the main event. Spoken of optimistically, the festival symbolized humanity's proud and unyielding spirit in the face of hardship. Spoken of pessimistically, it could also be called a final, desperate carnival.
Knock, knock, knock!
"One moment!"
The girl had just finished dressing when a tardy but forceful knock came from the door.
Creak.
Tucking a hydrangea into her pinned-up hair, the girl hurried to the entrance, the sound of metal grinding against worn wood accompanying her—
"Granny Tsuruko."
"What brings you up here?"
Standing at the girl's doorway was a stooped-backed old woman, her hands clasped behind her.
The liver spots of old age and deep, distinct wrinkles had completely masked the beauty of her youth.
"The resemblance, it's just uncanny!"
The old woman studied the girl before her, her squinted eyes shining with a brilliance that did not belong to her age.
"Rin, you and your sister…"
The old woman's words paused for a fraction of a second, but she immediately followed up with the latter half of her sentence, as if the hesitation had been a mere illusion.
"You look exactly like your mother when she was young!"
The woman named Tsuruko was the administrator of this apartment building and also the organizer of the Yingzhou festival. That she had survived to such an advanced age in what could be called an apocalypse was a miracle in itself. However, the era she represented had vanished along with the departed souls of her generation.
As for the girl—
"Thank you, Granny Tsuruko."
Hearing the old woman's praise, Rin did not show the shyness of an ordinary girl, nor did she feign it. She simply used the opportunity to quickly hide her raised left foot behind her right leg—at least, it would be completely obscured from a direct forward view.
Rin hadn't yet found her tabi socks and geta sandals.
The former were a bit too short at the top. For such a formal occasion, as a shrine maiden—though not of the red-and-white variety, she was at least a legitimate successor—she still had to conceal certain parts. Just a moment ago, Rin had been wondering if she should wear a pair of high white socks underneath.
Considering the white socks matched her school leather boots, she might have to alter the style a bit.
With Rin's skill, this was hardly a difficult task for her.
"It should still be early, right?"
Rin glanced back at the tin alarm clock perched on the top shelf of the shoe cabinet. If one's eyesight was good enough, its position was perfectly visible from both the entryway and the living room, a perfect "ordinary" spot.
"The 'floats' and 'palanquins' should reach our area…"
Rin could see that Granny Tsuruko, who was usually the picture of calm, was exceptionally excited today. The fact that she, at nearly ninety years of age, could climb to the third floor just to knock was proof enough. After all, the only way to get between floors in these shantytown-like apartments was via the exposed metal fire escapes bolted to the sides of the building.
Neither the steepness of the steps nor the slightly rickety handrails were kind to the elderly.
"Not early, not early at all!"
Tsuruko's hearing was clearly sharper than her age would suggest. Hearing Rin's reply, she quickly waved her hands in denial.
"Besides…"
"Rin, I came here today specifically to bring you good news!"
"Good news?"
On the final day of the Taishan Grand Ceremony, high-ranking members of the Fire Moth would be in attendance.
There was nothing left to hide at this point; among the remaining members of the Fire Moth, the only ones who could be called "high-ranking" were the last thirteen Fusion Warriors. After the tragedy of the Herrscher of Binding, they had become known to the world as the "Thirteen Flame-Chasing Heroes."
Her sister wouldn't be appearing at the ceremony due to her unique status. If there were no surprises, the one coming today should be Brother Su.
As Sakura's younger sister.
Even if her sister rarely told her about Fire Moth affairs, her own intelligence was enough to piece together a great deal from their brief reunions and her sister's stray words.
The festival was indeed a happy occasion.
But if her sister wasn't coming… then for Rin, there was likely nothing that could truly be called good news.
"Yes!"
"At the main venue on the peak of Mount Tai, the Shenzhou side will be inviting representatives from all the other ethnic groups. The organizer, Mr. Yang, sent someone over specially to ask if you would be interested in participating in the closing ceremony as a representative."
"…"
Rin understood what Granny Tsuruko meant.
In truth, both of them knew perfectly well that the organizers were only doing this because of Rin's identity as "Sakura's sister." Compared to a mere functionary like a "shrine maiden," there were many more "respected elders" from Yingzhou who were far more suitable for the occasion.
But still…
"Alright."
Rin agreed to Granny Tsuruko's request.
Living under someone else's roof, she often represented more than just herself. Though still young, Rin had a firm grasp on the ways of the world. Despite the small size of her apartment, she knew that many of her peers at school were crammed eight to ten people in a room of the same size.
This was no era of peace.
With twenty million people living in a single city… the living conditions were imaginable.
"Good, good!"
Granny Tsuruko nodded, deeply satisfied, then nudged her chin toward the stairs below.
Directly in front of the apartment entrance.
A car with a body of black lacquer, reflecting the sunlight, seemed utterly out of place against the moss-covered, cracked gateposts.
A middle-aged man in a formal black suit was meticulously inspecting the characters on the apartment's nameplate. The sign was practically the newest object in or around the entire building, and also Granny Tsuruko's proudest work—the standard script, inherited from a master in Shenzhou, was the key to her maintaining her current status despite her fallen circumstances.
And beside this middle-aged man.
Two figures, clearly bodyguards, stood flanking him. With their obvious military bearing, they were not the sort of people petty thugs could approach.
However…
Rin was certain.
With the power she now possessed, "taking them down" wouldn't even require the blink of an eye.