Ai sat cross-legged at the edge of my bed, hugging my pillow tightly to her chest. Her posture was sideways, casual—but the weight in the air said otherwise.
After asking something that bold, in my room, on a night like this, it was no wonder she'd buried half her face behind the pillow. Only her eyes peeked out—wide, glassy, and trembling.
"Are you… being serious?" I asked.
She hummed, the sound sharp with mock offense. "Of course, you dummy." Then she jabbed the pillow at me—playful, but her eyes stayed locked on mine.
"I mean… why?" I said, keeping my voice steady. "We're not that close, are we?"
"You're rejecting me?" Her voice faltered—just barely.
"That's not what I meant." I sighed. "Let's say… if the summer heat cooked your brain and made you ask that on a whim, then maybe we should cool off first."
She dropped the pillow, lips pushing into a dramatic pout.
"Seriously? We're literally on vacation—just the two of us. It still counts, even if Miyuki's here for family stuff, right?"
I chuckled under my breath. "You've got a point. Especially since we're living under the same roof."
"Exactly!" she huffed, crossing her arms. "So why are you suddenly acting like some kind of stupid protagonist? Oh by the way, I heard you were a total perv back at school."
I blinked. "Wait, what? Who told you that?!"
"Doesn't matter~" she sing-songed, grinning now.
I clicked my tongue, "That girl sold me out, huh?"
Lying flat on my bed with a sigh, I stared up at the ceiling, arms spread wide, mind adrift in silence. The room held its breath.
Then—a sudden shift.
The mattress dipped beside me as something pressed softly against my left arm. I turned my head.
Ai's hair spilled like ink across the sheets, her face gently aglow in the pale silver of moonlight.
"You've got firm hands," she murmured, tilting her head, her eyes lingering. "You've gotten taller… more defined." A faint smile ghosted across her lips. "Every day, I watched you working on the dorm. And when I saw how far you'd come… I thought maybe I should catch up. So I started working harder too."
I let out a small chuckle. "What are you talking about? I've just been doing grunt work. You're a rising star—an idol. Don't gaslight yourself."
She moved closer—closer than before—her hand and leg resting gently across my body. Her breath ghosted against my ear, and her cheek pressed against the inside of my arm. Warm. Delicate.
"I'm not lying," she whispered. "Although… I hate that I use lies." Her voice wavered. "Every time I say 'I love you' on stage, I'm not even sure if it means anything. But when I'm here… when I'm home… it doesn't feel as hollow."
She nestled her face deeper into my arm. Her voice dropped to a near-whimper.
"This is home for me. You're my home. And today… I thought I was going to lose you."
Her fingers curled into the fabric of my T-shirt, trembling.
"I hated it," she said. "Seeing you go down into that boat—risking your life like that. It scared me."
And just like that, I understood.
She didn't come here to flirt. Or tease. She came here because she was shaken. Because beneath the idol persona, Ai was still just a girl—young, vulnerable, and not at all ready to stare death in the face the way Miyuki could.
I raised my hand and gently cradled the back of her head, running my fingers through her hair. She clung to me tighter, arms circling my chest like she was afraid I'd disappear.
"I'm here," I said softly. "You saw it—I'm fine."
"I know you're strong…" Her voice cracked. "But can we just go home?"
"What about Okinawa? We haven't even—"
"I don't care." She didn't hesitate. "Let's just… go home."
I turned my head to look at her. She hadn't shed a single tear. But her eyes—clouded, distant—told me enough. She was overwhelmed, holding it all in.
"Alright," I said. "First thing tomorrow. We go home."
She smiled—just barely—and gave a quiet nod. "Thank you."
For a long moment, we just looked at each other. Her eyes slowly closed, and her lips—parted just slightly—seemed to wait. Expecting.
I sighed inwardly, drawing her closer, pressing my lips to hers. It was awkward. A little clumsy.
But she didn't pull away.
Instead, she slid her arms around my neck, and we found each other's hands—fingers weaving together.
As we broke the kiss, I dipped down, trailing my lips gently along the curve of her neck. Her scent lingered—soft, clean, something faintly sweet. Her warmth pressed into me.
Then, close to my ear, her voice barely a breath.
"Be gentle with me."
---
When morning came, I opened my eyes to the ceiling.
The pressure against my arm was still there—unchanged from the night before. I turned my head.
Ai lay beside me, half-swaddled in a white blanket, her eyes locked on the glow of her phone. That same quiet concentration again. The kind she wore when she wasn't trying to charm the world.
"You're finally awake, Sasaki," she murmured, not glancing up. Then—click—she snapped a selfie.
"Gotcha. Your ugly face, first thing in the morning."
"…Tch. What time is it?"
"Six."
I groaned, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. "Did you sleep okay?"
She nodded, then leaned in and kissed my cheek. "Yeah. Honestly? It's been a while since I slept that well."
"I'm glad." I paused. "Then… should we start getting ready?"
She nodded again—slower this time. Her gaze drifted down.
"I feel bad… about Miyuki and Tatsuya. What if we stayed just a little longer?"
I knew what she meant. I felt it too.
"They've done a lot for us," I said. "Leaving like this doesn't sit right. But I won't gamble with your safety, Ai. We made the right call. It's time to go home."
"…Okay." She wrapped her arms around me. "Still… I had a great time. I'll carry that with me."
"Me too."
It really was unfortunate. But the world wasn't waiting for us to play tourist. The tension was rising, and with it, the scent of war hung heavy in the air. We couldn't afford hesitation.
When we told Miya, she didn't protest. In fact, she urged us to leave immediately—before the airport shut down. She still had her own family matters to handle, but for us, evacuation came first.
Or so we thought.
.
.
.
.
"What do you mean there won't be any flights?"
"I—I'm so sorry, sir. All outgoing flights have been canceled due to the invasion. Please… just wait. Help will come."
I was trying everything—scouring for even one seat back to Tokyo. But it was already over. Every option had vanished.
We sat in silence in the terminal. Ai was next to me, her posture quiet but tense. I stared up at the flickering flight board, then to the news overhead.
The worst had happened.
The Great Asian Alliance had launched a full-scale invasion of the Okinawa archipelago.
It had already begun. Faster than I expected.
"Sasaki…" Ai's voice was small. Unsteady. "Are we safe here?"
"The fighting should stay near the outer islands," I replied. "Okinawa itself should be safe enough… for now."
She gripped my hand. Her fingers trembled. Even without Haki, I could feel her fear pressing into me like heat.
"…Do you remember that contract you signed?" I asked.
She blinked. "Huh? Why bring that up now?"
I gave a low chuckle. "Because it says that as dormitory owner, I'm responsible for the safety of all residents. At any cost."
She stared at me. "Wait, seriously?"
"Yeah. You really should read what you sign next time."
"I see…" Her eyes softened. "But why? I'm just a freeloader. Why go that far for me?"
I clicked my tongue. "For god's sake, I'm just trying to look cool in front of my girl. Don't ruin it."
"Ehh? For real?" She laughed. "You bring up a contract just to impress me?"
Eventually, her head rested on my shoulder. The tension in her frame eased. Not gone, but less than before.
And then—of course—someone had to ruin the moment.
"Apologies for interrupting, sir!"
Boots echoed across the terminal. A squad of soldiers approached, uniforms crisp, their movements sharp.
The man in front saluted.
I knew him immediately.
"Lieutenant Joseph? What's going on?"
We'd met before—He'd apologized for the shit he had done. But the others hadn't.
"I'm here under orders from Captain Kazama," he said. "He's requested we escort you to Onna Base for security reasons. Madam Miya personally made the request as well."
"…I see." If Miya was involved, then this wasn't just a formality.
"Ai," I turned to her. "Let's go to the JSDF base. They're expecting us too."
She nodded without hesitation. "I trust you. Lead the way."
I looked at Joseph. "Lead the way."
"Yes, sir!"
And like that, we were moving again—loaded into a convoy of military SUVs, headed straight for the JSDF's main base in Okinawa.
---
(Shiba Miyuki)
The alarm kept screaming through the base like a warning no one wanted to hear. Even with the reinforced magic barrier surrounding this room, I could feel the pressure—thick, tense, and crawling beneath my skin.
They said Okinawa had been invaded.
We were lucky enough to evacuate. Surely, the Yotsuba ensure our safety inside this facility. But for how long?
"Honami-san, do you have any news about Sasaki and Ai?" I asked, trying to keep my voice from shaking. They were still out there.
"I'm sorry, Miyuki-sama. There's been no word yet. They may still be en route. Tatsuya-kun, can you tell what's happening outside?"
"Negative," he replied calmly. "This room—no, the entire base—is protected by barriers that block magical reconnaissance."
I exhaled quietly. A flicker of relief stirred in my chest—brief, but enough. So, even his Elemental Sight had limits when facing a high level barrier.
"I feel the same, Miyuki-san," Mother added gently. "I hope they're alright."
She turned, her voice firming just slightly.
"Tatsuya. Go. Survey the area."
Her voice was cold, but her command was absolute.
"Yes, Ma'am."
I watched him leave, expression unreadable as always. I still couldn't tell what went on in his head… or why someone like him was chosen to be my guardian. Especially with that kind of magic.
The door slid open with a mechanical hiss. A group of fully armed soldiers marched in.
"Apologies for the intrusion!" the lead man shouted. "I am Private Kunjou Dick from the Second Airborne Squadron! I've been ordered to escort you all to the underground bunker. Please follow me."
My stomach dropped.
That man… He's the one who slapped Sasaki. We're supposed to trust him?
"Excuse me," Honami-san stepped forward. "One of our people is still outside investigating."
I nodded in agreement. Even if I had just recently come to understand my brother's true strength… I couldn't bear the thought of leaving him behind.
"The situation has changed," Kunjou snapped. "It'll be more dangerous if you stay. Cooperate."
He clearly didn't care. Neither would Mother—except…
"If that's the case," she said coolly, "please take the others to the bunker. I will never abandon my precious son. Not even in the worst of times."
My breath caught. Precious son? Since when did Mother ever say something like that?
"Madam, I believe Tatsuya will be fine. Shouldn't we—"
"That's just an excuse, Honami-san," Mother interrupted. "I'm saying: we should never trust these men."
I knew it!
"I'm sorry, but those are my orders," Kunjou said, almost apologetic. "Please cooperate with us."
Mother smiled at him — that calm, unreadable smile that could either melt hearts or freeze them.
"I refuse."
That's just like her. No fear, no hesitation. With the kind of power she holds, she never needs to back down.
Kunjou let out a breath. "Hah…"
Then he raised his hand.
Dozens of rifles snapped up, aimed directly at us — not just at me, Honami-san, and Mother, but at everyone still inside this room.
"Yield, or we will open fire."
My body tensed. Honami-san had already completed her spell. A shimmering barrier enveloped us just in time.
I reached for my CAD, activating it—
"Ahhck—!"
Pain jolted through me like a needle to the skull. The barrier blinked out in a blink. My hands went cold. No magic. Nothing. Just pain and silence.
They had Cast Jamming stones?! The psion signals were being scattered by them, choking off our magic entirely.
We were helpless.
Magicians with no magic—we are more fragile than normal people.
"Do anything stupid," Kunjou warned, "and we shoot. On the count of three—drop your CADs!"
This can't be happening.
I never got to say everything I needed to… to my brother. To Ai. To Sasaki. My friends.
"One…!"
No. Not yet.
"Two…!"
Not like this.
"Three—"
"Four."
SMACK!
Something blurred past me. Wind? No—a shape.
I turned, and there was Kunjou.
No, what's left of him. He slammed into the far wall like a puppet with its strings cut.
That voice—
"Fire!"
I snapped my eyes shut.
Clack!
Clack! Clack!
Empty shots. Rifles misfiring. Panic rose with the clicks.
"Damn it! It's jammed!"
"My hand—!!"
I forced myself to look.
Fingers lay scattered across the floor—frozen solid, white as marble, then crumbling into dust. The rings they wore—Cast Jamming rings—had shattered along with them.
The men were screaming now. Dropping their weapons. Falling to their knees.
And in the middle of the chaos stood him.
His hair—once red—was now streaked with frost. Ice clung to one side of his face like a frozen scar. No CAD, no activation sequence. Just presence. Pure, suffocating presence.
Even my breath came out as mist.
The temperature had dropped so low… this place wasn't just a room anymore. It was his domain.
"Ice Time," Sasaki muttered.
From his feet, ice exploded—racing forward like a living thing. The men didn't even have time to scream properly. They turned to ice statues in an instant.
Fragile. Beautiful. But deadly. I felt something sink in my chest. Pity? Fear? I didn't know. But the person that trembled my heart in fear. I couldn't stop staring as he walked past them, and with one stomp—
Crack!
They shattered like broken glass.
"Y-you… what kind of monster are you?!"
Private Kunjou, still conscious somehow, backed away. His eyes were wide, filled with disbelief and terror.
All he saw was ice.
All that remained of his squad… was broken ice.
"NO! Do-Don't come closer!"
"Sasaki, please…" My voice cracked. "That's enough."
But he didn't even flinch.
"A traitor deserves worse than death, Miyuki," he said flatly. "Clearly, these men had ties to the country that ruined everyone's holiday."
"What are you talking about—?"
"The Great Asian Alliance," beside me, mother with her shaky voice said, "They've been using Cast Jamming stones, which are supposed to be rare minerals. Now I know why a mere lowly soldier had one."
I barely noticed Mother trying to stand.
"Mother, don't—please don't move right now—"
"It's fine, Miyuki-san," she said softly. "More importantly—"
And then I saw it.
Private Kunjou turned to dust.
No ice. No flame. No sound. Just… gone.
He reduced to atom.
I froze. What was that?
"Hmmph," Mother muttered, looking past the bodies, toward the entrance. "You're late, Tatsuya."