The nurses rushed after Hoshi, calling out in concern.
"Ma'am! You should take more rest! Allow us to check you up!"
Hoshi, terrified, kept running, her breath uneven.
"No! I'm feeling fine! Besides, I got no money to pay you!"
One of the nurses called after her, desperation in her voice.
"Ma'am, you don't have to pay!"
Hoshi skidded to a stop, her eyes wide. She turned and looked back at the nurse.
"I don't?"
The nurse finally caught up with Hoshi, gasping for breath as she leaned forward, hands braced on her thighs.
"Ye... yes... m-ma'am..."
With a sudden shift in energy, Hoshi stood tall, placing her hands on her hips with exaggerated pride.
"Well why didn't you say so!"
She turned on her heel and marched back toward the medical ward.
The nurse blinked, watching her go—completely confused.
The nurse stared after her, still catching her breath, a thought flickering through her mind.
"Ain't she even gonna ask who paid for her...?"
Meanwhile, Hoshi leapt onto her bed like a happy cat, wrapping herself tightly in the blanket. A huge, satisfied grin spread across her face.
"Wooohh~~ comfy~~~"
Another nurse approached cautiously.
"Ma'am... please allow us to perform a basic check-up on your condition..."
Still curled up, Hoshi turned to them with a bright, cat-like smile.
"Oh yes please!"
The nurse conducted the basic check-up on Hoshi. After a few minutes of examination and scanning her vitals, the results came in.
"You're perfectly healthy, ma'am. The reason you passed out is... overuse of wind power."
Hoshi blinked in confusion.
"Eh?..?"
The nurse looked at her curiously.
"Yes, ma'am. How often do you use your gift? Are you training for something?"
Hoshi tensed slightly.
"Eh... n-no... I barely use my wind..."
"What a horrible lie that is"
She thought to herself with a mental wince.
The nurse squinted, unconvinced.
"Eh?... You passed out because you're exhausted from your wind use."
Hoshi's eyes widened as something clicked in her mind.
"You mean..."
She sat up a little, thoughts racing.
"There's no way... I've mastered my stamina with wind already. It's definitely got something to do with that ronin... but... that's just not possible. He drained my stamina... using my own wind?.."
The nurse sighed and gave a polite smile, completely unaware of the storm behind Hoshi's expression.
"Well then... if you insist that's the case, ma'am, all I can recommend is more rest."
Without hesitation, Hoshi flashed another massive cat-like grin and flopped back into her bed, wrapping herself up again like a burrito of joy.
"Woooh~~ comfy~~"
A short while after sinking into the comfort of her bed, Hoshi stared at the ceiling, her smile slowly fading into a thoughtful frown.
"Using my own wind to drain my own stamina?... What kind of magic is that?... Is that an elemental gift?.. Or perhaps another scientific breakthrough..."
The warmth of the blanket wrapped around her couldn't shake the chill of that lingering question.
Then, a familiar voice echoed through the medical ward, calm and casual:
"We can go back now, right?"
A female voice replied brightly:
"Yes!"
Hoshi's ears perked up.
"Eh... that dude has a familiar voice..."
Driven by curiosity, she slowly sat up in her bed and gently pulled the curtain aside to take a peek.
The moment her eyes landed on the people across the room, her heart dropped. Her expression shattered.
She gasped softly and immediately ducked back under her blanket, pressing her face into the pillow.
"What the hell! It's that guy again!! Out of all places, why was he taken here too!!! HE'S WITH HIS COMPANIONS TOO— not good, not good, not good!"
She gripped the blanket tighter, trying her best to disappear into the bed itself.
She heard footsteps approaching—slowly, steadily. Her bed was right next to the exit.
"Shit... they're getting closer... hurry, leave, leave, leave!"
"Hoh?"
Kara hushed.
"What?! What is it?!"
Hoshi panicked, hearing Kara's footsteps suddenly stop.
"Is the person here okay?"
She asked the nurse, pointing to Hoshi.
"Eep!!! No no no!"
Hoshi screamed in her mind, trying to shrink even deeper under the blanket.
A nurse quickly replied.
"Yes, ma'am! She's just very tired!"
"Ok..."
Then, Itoshi called Kara.
"Kara, let's go."
Hoshi listened as their footsteps finally moved away, the door opening and closing behind them.
She peeked her head out from under the blanket, eyes darting toward the exit.
"Ah... they're finally gone..."
Her body relaxed all at once, the tension draining from her like air from a balloon. With a quiet exhale, she melted into the bed and drifted off to sleep.
~~~JAL Apartments~~~
Kara, Itoshi, Jayu, and Kirashi walked down the hall and entered the boys' room to regroup with Ayro, and Aldrin. A knock came first, followed by the door creaking open.
They were immediately greeted by Ayro, who sat calmly with a cup of black tea in hand.
"Oh... welcome back. You feeling better now, Itoshi?"
"Yeah..."
Itoshi replied, scratching the back of his head as they stepped inside and shut the door behind them.
"Apparently... it was because of heat,"
Kara added, glancing at him.
"Itoshi is getting weaker from his own flame,"
Kirashi teased with a sly grin.
"Oi!"
Itoshi snapped, his face twitching.
"I'm joking, I'm joking!"
Kirashi laughed, holding his hands up.
"Eh... that's strange..."
Ayro wondered, pinching his chin.
"I know, right?.."
Kara agreed.
Then, an unfamiliar female voice echoed through the room.
"Strange indeed,"
She said calmly.
Everyone turned sharply toward the direction of the voice—everyone except Ayro, who remained calm and unbothered.
They all spoke in unison:
"Eh?.. Who are you, ma'am?.."
Kirashi's eyes instantly lit up with hearts.
"IT'S A HOT WOMAN!" he shouted, unable to contain himself.
The woman smirked, her eyes glinting with amusement.
Just then, the door creaked open once more—it was Ryujin.
"Oh... everyone is here. Perfect timing."
Ryujin stepped forward and explained.
"Everyone, meet Miss Gigi. She'll be the one to arrange the papers for us. She works alongside Hachi, but she's out in the field."
Everyone bowed politely to Miss Gigi.
"Hoh? You're all very polite,"
She said with genuine interest.
"That's just the beginning..."
Ryujin sighed as he paused.
"Anyways, she'll be working in the rear, guiding us for the mission. Also... remember back in Cape Hedo?
The group exchanged confused looks.
They all replied in unison:
"Nope."
Ryujin let out a huge sigh.
"She's the person I mentioned we were going to meet."
"Ahh!"
They all said in recognition.
"The one who'll give us the regulations for this collaborative mission?"
Kara asked.
"That's right"
Ryujin confirmed.
Ryujin called out,
"Miss Gigi?.."
He turns to her.
Miss Gigi shouted proudly,
"Okay! I'm Gigi, not 'jiji' like the old man! Just Gigi. And starting today, I'll be guiding you on your missions!"
Kirashi frowned, confused.
"Eh?.. Ain't that far away dude we haven't met already doing that? Hachi, I mean..."
From somewhere in the dark room far away, a loud sneeze echoed. Hachi.
"Ah, that ugly bastard Hachi? He's out on a mission right now. I'll be the one to guide you for now!"
Another sneeze came from the shadows.
"Is this allergy?"
"Anyways..."
Gigi muttered, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Let me tell you more about this collaborative cleansing. You're aware that other squads are included, right?"
She asked, scanning the room.
The group straightened up slightly, attention sharpening.
"Yes ma'am!"
They replied in unison.
"Well... there are chances that your squad will converge or meet in a sudden place after cleansing their area. Other squads typically boast about their skill and teamwork to others..."
She gave them a knowing smirk.
"Essentially, yes—when different squads meet, it can quickly become a competition."
The room grew a little tenser, some eyes glancing around at each other.
"I ask you humbly—please refrain from doing so when you guys reach further north. If your success ends up being greater than the others... just keep it to yourselves."
She folded her arms, her tone more serious now.
"If possible, avoid contact with the other squads altogether."
A brief silence filled the room as the weight of her warning settled in.
"Any more questions?"
Kara raised her hand.
"What are the rules?.. Are they important?"
Miss Gigi smirked, muttering to herself as her eyes flicked across the group.
"What an interesting girl..."
She then spoke clearly.
"Well... the rules are mostly for the safety of the people around you. No large-scale attacks that could damage or risk the city and its citizens."
She glanced at Itoshi with a teasing grin.
"Sorry, Itoshi—but no fire tornadoes here."
"Always follow what I say—or what the squad leader, Ryujin, says—when you're deployed on the field."
Kara raised her hand again, her tone quieter this time.
"But... what if the field men are in danger?"
A sudden shift fell over the room. The lights dimmed unnaturally. Shadows crept along the walls like living things. The atmosphere turned cold.
Miss Gigi's voice pierced through the gloom.
"If you're told to leave them in a sticky situation... leave them."
Her eyes, sharp and unwavering, locked onto the group.
"The safety and success of the squad is the priority. Don't forget—the cost of a field man's life is for the future of everyone living on this planet... children and adults alike."
The room fell into a heavy silence, the gravity of her words sinking in like stone.
Miss Gigi's tone softened only slightly, but her words remained firm.
"But... the survival of you gifted squad members is a bigger priority."
She looked around the room, meeting each of their eyes.
"Yes, the field men are gifted too—but they're not as capable as you guys are. You're the elite. You're the ones who carry the mission's outcome."
Her voice dropped just a little.
"Sometimes... that means making impossible choices."
The silence deepened—no one could argue with the cold logic, but it didn't make it any easier to accept.
Suddenly, Miss Gigi smiled, her tone softening.
"Any other questions?"
Kirashi casually raised his hand.
"Cup size?"
Without hesitation, she answered.
"G-Cup."
BONK!
A loud smack echoed as Kara whacked him from behind with no mercy.
Jayu muttered under her breath.
"Pervert."
Unbothered, Miss Gigi continued with a grin.
"In addition—like what Ryujin said—I'll be handling the daily reports. I make mine 100% accurate, so if someone's slacking off... that's instantly going to the old man."
She raised a brow.
"But don't worry, I'm pretty considerate. Just don't abuse it."
Out of curiosity, Aldrin raised his hand.
"Umm... Miss Gigi? What's the difference between what you do and what a squad trochanter does?"
Miss Gigi slowly turned her head toward him, her expression immediately shifting into visible disgust.
"Aldrin... what are you doing here? You should be on a chopper right now."
Aldrin looked away with a mischievous grin, rubbing the back of his neck like he'd just been caught sneaking snacks before dinner.
Miss Gigi let out a deep, deliberate sigh before answering.
"I'm essentially a bridge between you and your squad trochanter from far away. You can think of me as a Squad Handler."
Her tone shifted to something more official.
"I'm not allowed to form close relationships with squad members to avoid bias when ranking your performance."
Then, her expression softened and she smiled.
"But of course... that won't stop me from getting to know you kids."
"My job and Hachi's job on this squad is essentially the same, except I'm on the rear when on the field."
"Anything else?"
She asked.
The squad responded in unison:
"No more!"
She clapped her hands once, smiling.
"Okay then... it's my time to do the questioning."
The air instantly shifted. The warmth in her tone vanished—replaced by something heavier, colder. The room dimmed ever so slightly, like a storm cloud had crept in unnoticed.
Her eyes locked onto Itoshi.
"Itoshi... you're a gifted flame, right?"
Her voice, calm but piercing, echoed unnaturally in the silence that followed.
~~~To be Continued~~~