The world was full of intelligent people, but it also had no shortage of those utterly devoid of brains. Yasuwaki Takuto clearly belonged to the latter category—an arrogant, reckless fool who thought Kikunojō Tendo's backing made him invincible.
No, calling him a fool was an insult to fools everywhere.
"Nani?! What did you just say?!" Yasuwaki roared, his face twisting in rage upon hearing Mahiro's remark. He immediately raised a fist, intending to smash it into Mahiro's face.
But suddenly, that fist froze inexplicably in mid-air. His entire body locked up, muscles seizing, unable to move a single inch.
"What's wrong? Not going to continue?" Mahiro said faintly, a faint, shimmering aura of psionic energy—Psion light—flickering around him like a heat haze.
"Bastard! What the hell did you do to me?! Oi! You two, attack him!" Yasuwaki yelled at his subordinates.
But no one answered his command.
His two lackeys were already frozen solid, their bodies encased in a layer of glittering, crystalline frost. No, it wasn't just frost; to be precise, their very forms had begun to crystallize. This was the effect of "Styx of Lamentation"—a magic that froze its victims from the mental level outward, manifesting as physical crystallization.
"You, too, shall sink forever into the River of Oblivion."
The words were a devil's whisper, softly echoing in Yasuwaki's ear. He felt an icy chill that originated from his very soul, and gradually, his consciousness solidified, locked in a single moment of terror for all eternity.
And then, with the activation of "Scattering Mist," his body, along with the crystallized forms of his men, dissolved into nothingness. Not a single trace remained in the restroom, save for a faint, lingering scent of ozone and something burnt that refused to dissipate.
Just like that, Yasuwaki Takuto's security squad was eliminated.
But for Yotsuba Mahiro, this was a trivial matter, less significant than deciding what to have for breakfast. By the time the Holy Residence staff discovered Yasuwaki's disappearance and launched a panicked, chaotic search, Mahiro had long since left the building behind.
However, just as he passed through the main iron gate of the Holy Residence's grounds, he saw a bicycle wobbling precariously directly toward him.
....
Ring-ring~!
Ring-ring~!
Tina Sprout had woken up unusually early today. Even though her mission required pre-operation reconnaissance of the location, and even though her Owl Factor made her naturally more active at night, she had persevered through the drowsiness.
She had dragged herself out of the comfortable soft bed in her safehouse apartment, grabbed a jar from her bedside table, and shoveled a handful of bitter caffeine pills into her mouth, chewing them grimly. After a rushed wash-up, she changed into her favorite pretty dress and left the apartment in what she hoped was a refreshed state.
To avoid attracting attention, she hadn't made a big production of it. She simply mounted her beloved bicycle and began her approach. But for some reason, the bicycle's performance was terrible today; it was disobedient and unwieldy, eventually leading to a complete loss of control. It kept circling a meticulously landscaped fountain in the plaza, trapped in an endless loop.
She couldn't stop...
And she couldn't leave, either.
It was as if a black hole was inexplicably pulling at her bicycle.
Is this some new kind of high-tech weapon developed by the Tokyo Area? she thought, her mind fuzzy with sleep deprivation.
So scary...
Tina Sprout didn't dare stop, only pedaling frantically, round and round in dizzying circles.
After an unknown amount of time, the bicycle suddenly broke free from the invisible force. The good news was that it didn't crash into the fountain and was finally moving away from that Mobius-strip-like black hole. The bad news was, it was now hurtling directly toward a person.
It was a kind-looking onii-san! He actually reached out and stopped her disobedient bicycle with one hand!
He saved her...
"A hero of justice…" she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep. "…The first one I've ever seen in my life."
Yotsuba Mahiro: "..."
Where did he even begin to complain? All he did was stop a wobbly bicycle from crashing into him and casually pluck the dazed girl off it. That made him a hero? A symbol of justice? It seemed the entire Tokyo Area's worth was less than that of a single bicycle in this girl's mind.
However, looking at the girl now—wearing an oversized nightgown, slippers on her feet, a messy, unkempt platinum-blonde bob, and staring at him with her mouth slightly agape in a thoroughly dazed expression—Mahiro immediately lost the will to complain.
Not to mention, the girl he was now holding by the scruff of her clothes, dangling like a sleepy kitten, seemed to be on the verge of nodding off right there in his grip.
"Oy~ Wake up, we've arrived!" he said, shaking his hand slightly to forcibly restart the girl who was about to fall asleep mid-air.
The blonde girl blinked slowly, her small mouth still open. She stared at him blankly for a long moment before finally speaking.
"Ah… You are… a hero of justice… My savior. We meet again…" she murmured, her words slurred. "…But why are you holding me in the air?..... If you could put me down… I would definitely thank you properly."
Pfft—!
The hell with 'meet again'! You just fell asleep again for a second there, didn't you?!
Mahiro took a deep breath, constantly telling himself not to complain, because complaining meant losing to this absurd situation. But he had to admit, it was genuinely impressive that this muddle-headed girl could string together such a long sentence while half-asleep.
In the end, all his thoughts just condensed into a weary sigh. He gently set the girl down on her own two feet.
Seemingly sensing the solid ground beneath her slippers, Tina Sprout's eyes widened slightly, letting out a soft "Woah~" of amazement, as if she had just discovered a new continent.
Immediately after, she looked up at him, her large, blue eyes blinking slowly.
"…Th-Thank you very much… Savior… Hero… Onii-san…"
But just like a cool act that lasts only three seconds, as soon as she finished speaking, her eyelids began to droop heavily again. Her head gradually lowered, bobbing up and down as she waged a desperate war against the sleep god, her words dissolving back into incoherent mumbling.
No, to be precise, she had indeed fallen asleep again. Right there. Standing up.
Although he had heard of people who slept with their eyes open, Mahiro had never encountered anyone who could fall asleep while standing upright and mid-conversation.
"Oy. Wake up. Don't you dare sleep now," he said, giving her shoulder a light poke.
This was the second time Mahiro had been forced to restart the girl. But this time, as soon as he lightly patted her back, her entire body went limp and tilted forward like a marionette with its strings cut. Fortunately, his reflexes were sharp; he shot out a hand and caught her, preventing her from doing a full slapstick faceplant worthy of a silent film on the pavement.
At this, Tina Sprout stirred, waking leisurely from her impromptu micro-nap.
"Ah... You saved me again... My savior... My benefactor...?" she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep. Opening her eyes and seeing his face so close, she blankly opened her mouth, which then curved into a haphazard, happy smile. "To actually... be able to... save me three times in one morning... Could it be... you are my destined guardian angel?"
"Yare yare... I've already lost all will to complain..." Mahiro muttered, his eye twitching involuntarily. He let out a long-suffering sigh and decided to begin a basic interrogation. "Alright, tell me. What are you doing here?"
A full ten seconds of silence passed before the girl finally broke free from her dazed expression, shaking her head slowly. "....I don't understand...?"
"Then, do you know what this place is?" he pressed, gesturing to the imposing Holy Residence behind them.
"...I don't understand...?" she answered, this time with a questioning lilt, as if she were asking him.
"Then why did you come here?"
"I don't understand...?" came the third identical, confused reply.
Three 'I don't understand' in a row, all delivered with the conviction of a lost sheep. Anyone else would have exploded with frustration, but Mahiro, with the patience of a saint dealing with a particularly slow-witted kitten, pressed on. "Then what's your name? Surely you know that."
"I don't understand... Ah, no.... I know this one...." she said, a flicker of clarity passing through her foggy eyes. "I'm called... Tina. Tina Sprout." She nodded seriously at the end, as if confirming the information to herself. Just how muddleheaded can one person be?
However, when she said her name, a momentary flicker of hesitation—a shadow of something deeper—passed through her drowsy gaze.
"Alright then, Tina-chan," Mahiro said, reaching out and pressing a hand onto the girl's soft, platinum-blonde hair. "This isn't a place for a kid like you to be hanging around. You should hurry up and go home."
Having said that, he prepared to finally make his escape. But before he could take a step, he felt a small tug on the hem of his coat. He looked down to see Tina Sprout clutching the fabric in her small hand.
"Is there something else?" he asked, his voice a mix of exasperation and resignation.
"...You haven't told me... your name, savior onii-san?" she asked, tilting her head in that characteristically dazed manner. But with her utterly muddled and absent-minded appearance, it was hard to find it cute; only a profound dullness remained.
"Hai, hai. My name is Mahiro. Yotsuba Mahiro. Do you think you can remember that?"
"Ah... So it's Mahiro-nii," Tina repeated, her half-open eyes staring blankly at him. A smile, as sudden and bright as a sunflower pushing through concrete, spread across her face. "Tina Sprout will remember it."
"Good. Now that I've told you my name, I'm leaving. You've delayed me so long I haven't even had breakfast yet."
"Wait... I have one more request...."
Just as Mahiro was about to leave for what felt like the tenth time, Tina Sprout's hand shot out and grabbed the corner of his clothes again. "Mahiro-nii...." she pleaded, her voice a sleepy whisper. "Can you... take me home?"
Troublesome.
Yet, for reasons he couldn't quite explain to himself, he didn't refuse. Instead, he bent down to her eye level, staring intently at the girl's slightly smudged face. "Then, Tina-chan, where do you live?"
Tina Sprout wearily drooped her eyelids, shaking her head slowly from side to side. She brought her index finger up to prop up her chin, thinking hard. "....I... forgot...." she finally admitted.
"Tch."
Perhaps it was a deliberate act, or perhaps her sleep-addled little brain genuinely hadn't booted up enough to access that file. Regardless, Mahiro found he couldn't just abandon her here.
He first led her to a nearby park bench. Wetting a handkerchief under a public faucet, he then proceeded to thoroughly clean her dirty face, the cool water also serving to jolt her system a little more awake.
"Sit still and don't move around," he instructed.
She obediently raised her chin, squinting her eyes and letting Mahiro do as he pleased, like a cat being groomed.
"Mahiro-nii... You look so skilled at this...." she observed, her words slightly muffled by the cloth.
"That's because I'm used to it," he replied flatly. Taking care of helpless girls—whether tsunderes, kuuderes, or in this case, a muddledere—was something that had been very unfamiliar to him at first. But over time, with ample practice, he had become proficient.
Once he was finished, Tina Sprout's true appearance was finally revealed. She had a very cute face. Unlike Kaya's emotionless doll-like features, and perhaps precisely because she wasn't fully awake, she exuded a subtle, natural cuteness at all times. In terms of pure beauty, she was easily on par with Asaka. It was like Kaguya and Alice in Gensokyo—one representing classic Eastern beauty, the other a delicate Western loveliness. If this girl grows up, Mahiro thought with certainty, she'll be the kind of beauty that topples nations and ruins cities.
"Thank you, Mahiro-nii," Tina Sprout said, getting up and giving a wobbly but polite bow.
But then something strange happened. She kept bowing, refusing to raise her head, and her heavy eyelids were already beginning to droop shut again.
"Oy~ Be careful, or you'll fall over," he warned, instinctively reaching out to steady her.
Tina Sprout immediately raised her head, her survival instincts kicking in. She quickly reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out a small bottle labeled in English. Just as she popped it open and was about to shake a handful of pills into her palm, Mahiro's hand shot out and snatched the bottle away.
In her current state, she didn't even seem to notice her hand was empty. She just stared blankly at her palm, uttering a confused, "Arare? Is it all gone already...?"
A moment later, her foggy brain processed that the bottle was now in Mahiro's hands.
"...Please return it to me, can you?" she asked, her voice a sleepy plea.
"No," Mahiro refused outright. "Kids shouldn't be eating this kind of stuff. You'll stunt your growth."
"But....."
"I know you're a Cursed Child with a nocturnal factor. But even with your enhanced physical recovery, you shouldn't be taking this. It's addictive."
Tina Sprout's eyes widened a fraction, a flicker of alertness cutting through the drowsiness. "How would Mahiro-nii know what I am...?"
"A girl as young as you, this muddleheaded so early in the morning? Besides a Cursed Child whose internal clock is scrambled, I can't think of a second possibility."
Hearing this, Tina Sprout looked at him, her half-lidded eyes conveying a sense of wonder. "So.... You understand me... even more than I understand myself..."
As soon as she finished speaking, the wave of sleepiness crashed over her again. "But..." she muttered, her voice fading, "if I don't eat this stuff... I'll fall asleep very quickly...."
"If you don't mind," Mahiro said, patting his thigh, "you can just sleep right here."
Tina Sprout: "..."
At first, she was a little hesitant, her assassin's training warring with her body's desperate need for rest. But the overwhelming fatigue, now devoid of its chemical crutch, eventually made her capitulate. She even forgot her mission entirely.
She let Mahiro guide her, and soon she was leaning against his solid thighs, using them as an impromptu pillow.
"So warm..." she murmured, snuggling in. "More comfortable than the pillow in my apartment...."
With that final, dream-like pronouncement, Tina Sprout gradually sank completely into the depths of dreamland.
And Mahiro found himself leaning against the back of the park bench, bathed in the gentle morning sun and a cool spring breeze. The air held a pleasant crispness within its warmth. It was so comfortable, so peaceful, that even he felt like taking a nap.
But he couldn't. He still hadn't eaten breakfast.
So, he first pulled out his phone, made a few quick calls to certain acquaintances to briefly explain the situation, and then settled in to order some takeout.
...
Time slipped by, and before long, the afternoon had waned into the soft, orange hues of dusk.
Tina Sprout finally began to stir, consciousness slowly returning. As she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was that somewhat familiar, yet strikingly handsome face. For a moment, she didn't react, her mind still wrapped in the fog of sleep.
After a few seconds, memory came flooding back. With a soft rustle of fabric, she carefully climbed off of him.
"Awake?" Mahiro asked, his voice calm.
"Hai… Thank you very much, Mahiro-nii..." she said, her voice still soft with sleep. "Your… technique was very good. It made me feel very comfortable…"
Tina Sprout stood up from the bench and gave him a deep, formal bow. Although her spirit wasn't yet at one hundred percent, the rest had done her a world of good. More than that, this sleep had been… different. It was the most comfortable, the most peaceful sleep she could remember having in her entire life.
The only regret was that she had completely forgotten about her reconnaissance mission…
It doesn't matter, she thought, pushing the concern aside. The Master still has his inside contact. I can just proceed with Plan B and approach from the Seitenshi's route.
"Since you're all slept out, I'm really leaving this time," Mahiro stated, standing up and stretching his legs with a slight grimace. "Sitting here as a human pillow for a whole day… even for me, my legs are a bit numb."
He didn't comment on her slightly ambiguous wording, instead muttering as he worked the feeling back into his lower body. But just as he made to finally depart, he felt the familiar tug on his clothes once more.
"What's wrong now?" he asked, a hint of a joke in his tone. "Still want me to walk you home?"
"Iie… That's not it." Tina Sprout shook her head. "Can you… tell me your phone number? To thank you for letting me sleep, I want to repay you properly later."
"It's really not necessary. It was just a minor convenience," he started to say, but Tina cut him off.
"please," she pleaded, her large eyes looking up at him with sincere insistence.
"Hai, hai… Alright." Mahiro let out a sigh of resignation and recited his number for her.
But Tina Sprout, after carefully inputting the digits into her phone, made another request.
"Then… can I try calling you now?"
"Is that really necessary?"
"Mahiro-nii might have given me a fake number…"
"..."
Can't you apply that level of caution to something actually important?
He watched, utterly defeated, as Tina Sprout turned her back and dialed. A moment later, his own phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and answered.
"Moshi moshi? Satisfied now?"
"Hai… There's one more thing I forgot to tell you," she said, a faint, knowing smile gracing her lips as she turned back to face him. "I actually… remember the way to my apartment now."
She leisurely folded her own phone, thanked him once more, and said, "Thank you for indulging my whims all day. I had a very… enjoyable time."
It seemed this entire, strange farce had become a happy, treasured page in her memory. Without even waiting for his response, she spoke again, her voice clear and direct.
"Until next time, Mahiro-san."
She offered one last, respectful bow, then turned, mounted her bicycle, and wobbled her way out of the park, disappearing into the gathering evening.
Watching her silhouette fade into the distance, a faint, genuine smile finally touched Mahiro's lips.
"As long as you're happy, Miss Tina Sprout."
...
On the adjacent street, vehicles began to speed past, their headlights cutting bright swathes through the deepening twilight. The temperature dropped noticeably, bringing a slight chill to the air.
Tina Sprout walked steadily along the sidewalk. Unbeknownst to her, the speeding vehicles had all turned on their headlights. Noticing the change, she looked up.
The sky was now a pitch black, the moon shining bright and cold overhead.
Night had fallen.
And with it, Tina Sprout's Owl Factor surged to life. Every cell in her body awakened; the fog of drowsiness evaporated instantly, leaving her mind razor-sharp and her body humming with vitality.
At that precise moment, her phone rang. She answered it, her voice now crisp and clear, devoid of its earlier sleepiness.
"Master."
"Proceed with your timed report," a gruff, electronic voice commanded from the other end.
"Hai. I have successfully infiltrated the Tokyo Area. I will return to the apartment first to retrieve the designated equipment."
"Any anomalies?"
"I encountered a minor complication, but it has been resolved. No operational security was breached." Tina Sprout pressed a hand to her chest, closed her eyes for a brief second, and slowly added, "A… kind person assisted me."
"Didn't I instruct you to avoid contact with locals? To prevent any information leak, you must use aliases and maintain cover."
"…Hai. I understand," she replied, her voice flat.
"Tina Sprout," the voice on the phone demanded, its tone hardening. "What is your mission? Report it."
Tina Sprout looked up, her blue eyes reflecting the cold, distant moonlight. Her consciousness was now fully, terrifyingly awake. She repeated the words mechanically, a perfect instrument of assassination:
"Eliminate the ruler of the Tokyo Area—the Seitenshi."
...
...
Tina Sprout finally returned to her temporary safehouse. It was an apartment that could only be described as dilapidated; the white paint on the door had long since peeled away, revealing patches of rust and grime. Inside, the walls were a spiderweb of cracks, and the air was thick with a musty, oppressive smell.
Her Master believed the people living in this district were a mixed bag of lowlifes and the desperate; the sudden appearance of a child wouldn't attract a second glance, making it the perfect hiding spot for an assassin. It offered maximum concealment, but absolutely zero comfort.
This mission will be over quickly, Tina Sprout comforted herself as she slipped off her slippers. I just have to endure until then.
She stood in front of a grimy, full-length mirror left by a previous tenant, and her face instantly flushed with color and embarrassment.
Had she really spent the entire day in front of that person dressed in these oversized pajamas?!
Next time, I absolutely have to wear something proper, she vowed to herself.
With this thought, Tina Sprout took off her sleepwear and stepped into the bathroom for a quick shower. The logical part of her mind, now fully awake, was crystal clear. She was merely a tool, a weapon. Once her mission was complete, she would have to flee the Tokyo Area immediately.
But this time… she wanted to linger just a little bit longer.
She wanted to see that person again. That handsome onii-san who, even after likely guessing she was a Cursed Child, had shown not a hint of disgust or contempt. It was the first time in her life she had been treated with such simple, uncalculated kindness.
So.
Although she knew it was an extravagant, foolish hope, she wanted to treasure this small, happy memory and hide it deep within her heart.
Even if they were destined to never meet again…
After showering and changing into fresh clothes, Tina Sprout left the apartment once more. Following the coordinates her Master had provided over the phone, she arrived at a newly operational dock not far from the frozen expanse of Tokyo Bay. The massive glacier, a permanent, unnatural landmark, was less than a kilometer away. She could feel its skin-stinging cold on the wind and see the waves listlessly lapping against its towering, bluish cliffs.
This dock had been hastily opened for business since the bay froze over. Now, all major cargo ships and supply vessels were forced to depart from here.
Her destination was a specific, unmarked shipping container deep within the maze of the dockyard.
"Master, I've arrived," she murmured into her comms.
Using a provided IC card, she unlocked the heavily encrypted container door. But the moment she stepped inside, she froze, her eyes widening.
"What do you think, Tina Sprout?" her Master's voice crackled in her ear.
"…It's… impressive, Master," she replied, her voice barely a whisper.
The container before her was a veritable armory. Assault rifles and sniper rifles were a given; the walls and shelves were lined with rocket launchers, auto-cannons, and even massive anti-materiel rifles. Deeper inside, crates of high explosives and corresponding large-caliber ammunition were stacked high. There was enough firepower here to start a small war.
"…Master," Tina began, her tone carefully neutral, "if the objective is only to eliminate the Seitenshi, this level of armament seems… excessive."
She moved further into the container, her hand instinctively reaching for a massive, heavy-caliber anti-materiel sniper rifle from a shelf. Its barrel was nearly as thick as her own arm.
"Your assessment is correct," the voice replied. "However, the mission parameters have been updated. There is now a secondary target."
"A secondary target? Who?"
"Yotsuba Mahiro."
"…!"
The moment that name reached her ears, Tina Sprout's eyes widened in shock. Her mind immediately conjured the image of that handsome face, always adorned with a gentle, patient smile.
Could it be… him?
No, it can't be. She had been so muddle-headed, she hadn't even caught his family name, only 'Mahiro.' It had to be a coincidence.
She quickly dismissed the terrifying thought, forcing her expression back into a neutral mask.
"Yotsuba Mahiro," the voice continued, cold and factual. "IP rank 134. The Promoter credited with eliminating the Zodiac Scorpio. Employed by Tendou Civil Security. Tina Sprout, in addition to the primary target, you are to eliminate this man."
"Hai. I got it," Tina Sprout answered, her voice flat and emotionless.
But internally, she felt a wave of relief.
See? It was just a coincidence of names.
Of course her Master wouldn't order her to kill someone she had no grudge against, someone whose death offered no clear tactical benefit. And that person… that kind, gentle, impossibly handsome boy who carried himself like a young noble… there was no way he could be a hardened Promoter. The world didn't work that way.