"Mochi!"
Miyu burst into the church headquarters, rushing toward her as if she had been searching for her in the desert for weeks.
Before Mochi could even process the encounter, Miyu was already in front of her, grabbing her hands with such enthusiasm that it nearly threw her off balance.
"I can't believe it! You're here too?! This is amazing!" Miyu exclaimed, her eyes sparkling like stars. "Thank you again for saving me! Seriously, I still think about it and get chills—you were like a movie heroine!"
"I-I…" Mochi tried to form a sentence, but the flood of words from the other girl didn't stop.
"And listen to this! They told me I have a special ability—can you believe it? I didn't even expect it! I always knew the supernatural existed. So when they offered me a spot in OHRA, I accepted right away! There was no way I was letting that slip by!"
Mochi simply smiled, feeling like she was facing an overexcited puppy that had just discovered its own tail. It was impossible not to be swept up in that energy.
"Oh! And look at this! I've got a weapon!" Miyu squealed, letting go of one of Mochi's hands to grab something from behind her.
With a dramatic flourish, she pulled out a wagasa—a traditional Japanese umbrella. The paper was a vivid red, decorated with delicate floral patterns, while the black wooden handle carried an air of old elegance.
"Isn't it beautiful? It looks like a normal umbrella, but it's super durable! They told me it has special properties and can act as a shield," Miyu said proudly, spinning on her heel as she raised the wagasa over her head like a scepter. "I have no idea how to activate its powers yet, but I've been practicing every hour!"
Mochi nodded, still being held by the other hand. She was starting to wonder if this was a dream—or if she had just found the loudest teammate in the world.
"Oh, sorry! I'm talking too much!" Miyu suddenly stopped, realizing her own monologue. "I'm just so excited… You're on my team, right? Tell me yes."
"Y-yeah…" Mochi finally managed to answer, letting out a small laugh. "Looks like we'll be working together."
"Then this is going to be the best thing ever!"
For a moment, all the nervousness Mochi had felt just minutes earlier vanished completely.
"Hey, Mochi… now that we're on the same team… that makes you my senior, right? Can I call you senpai?"
Mochi blinked in surprise. It was the first time anyone had given her that title. Her ears twitched with a mix of pride and confusion.
"I don't mind—"
"Perfect! Let's take a picture, senpai! To immortalize the moment."
Before she could protest, Miyu had already pressed herself against her side. She pulled out her smartphone at lightning speed, stretched out her arm, and just a second after Mochi managed to force a smile, the camera snapped.
"Great! We look amazing. Can I upload it to my blog? My followers will love meeting my new mission partner."
"Huh? A blog? Hmm… I guess it's fine with me, but…" Mochi leaned closer, lowering her voice. "Miyu, I don't think that's a good idea. This is a secret organization… the higher-ups might get really upset if you post something like that. And it could be dangerous if people know who we are."
"Don't worry about that. When I joined, I specifically asked if I could keep running my blog. Photos of anomalies will make my views skyrocket! They told me it wasn't a problem at all."
Mochi looked at her with narrowed eyes, completely confused. Did they really give her permission for that? she wondered. Isn't OHRA supposed to be a secret, ultra-discreet organization? She decided she'd ask Haruka about this strange privilege as soon as she had the chance.
Clack.
The sound of the main door opening interrupted her thoughts. Both girls turned their heads at the same time to see who had entered.
A boy walked in, looking only two or three years older than them. He wore a dark jacket open over a simple white shirt and slightly wrinkled pants that gave him a laid-back appearance. But what stood out most were the traits of his demonic nature: from his messy blond hair emerged a pair of black horns curving backward, and behind him, a long black tail swayed lazily, moving with a will of its own.
"Huh? So you're my new teammates?" the newcomer said with a confident smile, raising a hand in a casual greeting. "Nice to meet you. I'm Zeke, a third-rank agent… and also your team leader."
Mochi and Miyu exchanged a quick glance of pure surprise.
"Leader?" they repeated almost at the same time.
"Yeah, they confirmed it just a few minutes ago. But don't worry, I'm not the type to boss people around for no reason," Zeke laughed as he approached with an easygoing stride.
"I'm Noa," Mochi introduced herself, giving a small bow, still a bit tense around him.
"And I'm Miyu! Nice to meet you!"
Zeke nodded, running a hand through the back of his neck as he looked at them with interest. His eyes seemed to be weighing their potential.
"Perfect. Looks like I got a good team."
"Senpai… what does 'third-rank agent' mean?" Miyu asked, tilting her head with her usual endless curiosity.
The question caught Mochi off guard. In truth, she didn't know either. She turned toward Zeke, seeking an answer, and he, noticing their confusion, smiled confidently.
"Relax, it's my duty as your leader to explain how this works."
He walked over to one of the benches and sat down, crossing his arms over his chest, adopting the posture of an informal instructor.
"In OHRA, there are five main ranks that determine an agent's experience and level. Fifth rank is the lowest: recruits. That's where you are right now. It's the starting point for all newcomers, where you learn the basics and survive your first missions."
"Ohh…"
"Then comes the fourth rank: operators. An agent at that level is considered fully trained. They receive standard missions and patrol urban areas on their own."
"And you're in the third, right?" Mochi cut in.
Zeke nodded proudly.
"Exactly. Third-rank agents are specialists. We've usually mastered our assigned weapons completely and can use a good variety of spells. From this rank onward, we're allowed to lead teams and take on medium to high-risk missions."
"Sounds hard to get there…" Miyu commented.
"It is. But from that point on, the gap in power becomes enormous," Zeke continued, resting an arm on his knee in a relaxed posture. "Second-rank agents are the elite. They're individuals with terrifying ability, capable of completing extreme-level missions on their own. Your friend Haruka, by the way, is one of them."
"I knew it! Haruka is amazing!" Mochi exclaimed, unable to hide the pride in her voice. Her ears perked up instinctively in admiration.
Zeke let out a soft laugh and nodded.
"Yeah, she is. And finally, at the top, are the first-rank agents. They're so powerful that many people don't even consider them entirely human anymore. To reach that level, they have to undergo an extremely dangerous surgical and spiritual procedure. If they survive, they gain incomparable power."
"A procedure?" Mochi asked, a chill running down her spine. "What kind of procedure?"
"Confidential." Zeke pressed a finger to his lips with a wink. "I don't know the details. I just know that each OHRA branch is led by one of them. In fact, this branch has two first-rank agents."
Zeke stood up, clapping his hands on his thighs as if to wrap things up.
"Alright, if you understand how the hierarchy works, we can call this meeting over. Today's goal was just to introduce ourselves and not scare you too much."
Mochi and Miyu nodded, taking in the scale of the organization they had joined. After exchanging phone numbers, Zeke assured them he would contact them as soon as the system assigned their first real mission. He waved casually and left the building, letting the silence of the church settle back around the two girls.
Mochi stared at the door for a few seconds, processing everything. She didn't have much else to do that day, and since her house was still under repairs, her plan was to return to Haruka's place.
Just as she was about to say goodbye, Miyu interrupted her with renewed energy.
"Senpai, do you have some free time right now?"
"Yeah, I'm free today."
Miyu's eyes lit up like a child in front of a candy display.
"Perfect! I transferred to a school near this area. There aren't any classes today, but I need to stop by and take care of some paperwork before I start."
Mochi paused, mentally reviewing the neighborhood map.
"A school near here?" she repeated. "The only one about ten minutes from the headquarters is… mine."
Miyu blinked a couple of times, processing the information in slow motion. Then, as if a spark had ignited a barrel of gunpowder, her expression exploded into pure joy.
"Really?! That's amazing! We're going to be classmates too! I'm so happy!" she exclaimed, giving a small jump and gripping Mochi's arm tightly. "Fate definitely wants us to be together forever!"
Mochi couldn't help but laugh at such an exaggerated but genuine reaction.
"If you want, I can walk you to the school."
"That's exactly what I was going to ask!" Miyu replied happily, linking her arm with Mochi's as naturally as if they had been friends their whole lives. "Let's go, Senpai! This day just keeps getting better!"
They left the OHRA headquarters together. The warm midday light greeted them with a golden glow, and a gentle breeze made the leaves around them sway softly. Mochi led the way with confident steps, following a route her feet knew by heart toward the school.
As they chatted about trivial things—from sweets to video games—Mochi remembered the question that had been nagging at her curiosity since they had reunited.
"Miyu…" she began, tilting her head slightly toward her, "what did you mean earlier about your 'special ability'?"
"Oh, that," Miyu replied, softening her usual energy with a calmer smile. "Leader Ofelia explained that my eyes are different. Apparently… I have the ability to see Ether directly."
Mochi stopped in her tracks, forcing Miyu to stop as well.
"See Ether…?"
"Yeah. It's weird, right? But it seems I was born with that ability. I had no idea what it really was until they explained it to me at the headquarters."
At that moment, the pieces of the puzzle clicked into place in Mochi's mind. She clearly remembered the incident in the tunnel: Miyu had pointed out the anomaly in the phone booth long before Mochi herself could sense it, even though Mochi had already received training from Haruka. At the time, she had chalked it up to panic—but the reality was far more fascinating.
"That explains a lot."
Miyu smiled with a hint of pride, though there was a trace of insecurity hidden in her eyes.
"I still don't know how to control it completely, but they're teaching me," she admitted, fiddling with the handle of her umbrella. "They say that if I train properly, I'll be able to see even the smallest fluctuations in the environment. Like a human radar!"
"Wow… that sounds incredibly useful for the team," Mochi admitted, genuinely impressed.
"Right? Although I'll admit it scares me a little sometimes," Miyu murmured, lowering her voice and glancing at the shadows of the buildings. "Sometimes I see strange things that no one else notices. But… I guess it doesn't matter anymore, because now I have a team. I'm not alone in this anymore."
That confession caught Mochi off guard. She looked at the girl walking beside her and, without meaning to, felt a warm smile form on her face.
"Then…" Mochi said, looking forward again with renewed determination, "we'll have to protect each other."
"Exactly, Senpai! Double protection!" Miyu exclaimed, her usual brightness returning as she raised her red wagasa toward the sky like a banner of victory.