"What is being discussed?" the mysterious girl asked.
The hall fell silent-unnaturally so.
Makoto and Yukie slowly turned their heads at the same time, meeting the girl who had leaned between them.
"I noticed her presence before she even spoke-but she's faster than I expected…" Yukie thought, her eyes widening slightly in quiet surprise.
Makoto, however, remained calm as ever.
"Sugihara Ryuuka," he said softly, a faint smile forming. "It's been a while."
"Sugihara Ryuuka…?"
Yukie echoed inwardly.
Ryuuka straightened from her lean and took a step back. She bowed. When she lifted her head, her eyes remained closed, her gentle smile unchanged.
"Good evening, Mr. Shirogane. Ms. Yukie," she said quietly. "I apologize for the sudden interruption."
She revealed her right arm, holding a red traditional umbrella adorned with dragon motifs spiraling across its surface. She wore a uniquely shrine maiden attire.
"It's fine," Makoto replied, maintaining his faint smile. "I'm glad you came. You were the nearest, so I sent an invitation."
Ryuuka straightened, tilting her head slightly as she rested her index finger against her lower lip. "The Moonsoon Estate is quite far, yet you still proceeded. How thoughtful, Master," she said, her eyes still closed.
"Master…?" Yukie whispered.
"Well.. Yeah,
" Makoto replied casually.
"She's one of the Seven Legendary Hunters. And the longstanding founder of Moonsoon Design. And... I mentored her back then."
"Ehh…" Yukie muttered, shrinking slightly, a bead of sweat forming at her temple-clearly surprised, and visibly exhausted from having not slept at all.
Kiss X Reaper
Chapter 13: A lesser in Need
An index finger lifted, straight and certain. "Right," Ryuuka said. The three of them were now inside the office where Yukie and Makoto had spoken earlier.
"The Theater's Encore will arrive this September-the most grand prelude the Opera House offers before the year's end. The grand lobby will be filled with royalty, the great hall walked by the brave, and the grand stage itself met by true nobility."
She spoke softly. As she did, images formed-three sections of the Opera House. The lobby and hall gleamed with gilded pillars, badge-like paintings, chandeliers above, and red carpets below. Yet the grand stage stood largest of all, shadows clapping from beyond its edge.
"Yes," Makoto replied. "That is why I'm inviting not only you, but the other two as well-Noctis and Cecilia." He paused, his voice lowering slightly. "Cecilia is currently in France, founding the Ivory Version of Youth-IVY. And Noctis is tied up with InkStar. Both seem rather occupied."
He trailed off, falling briefly into contemplation.
After a moment of thought, Makoto tilted his head. His bangs followed smoothly, his eyes still unreadable-yet his face, in that quiet angle, appeared undeniably handsome. He gazed upward.
"I wonder… how those two are doing…"
——
France, Paris - 10:30 PM
The city glowed beneath the night sky, bright yet mysteriously alluring. Despite the lights, the air felt quiet-unnaturally so. Panicked footsteps echoed.
A man sprinted through the darkness, his legs crashing into a door that led onto a high balcony. He ran straight for the edge-only to be stopped by an invisible barrier.
"No…" he whispered.
A bead of sweat formed and fell to the ground.
Then--
His body tensed. His eyes widened. His mouth froze open.
From the same doorway behind him, black sandals stepped into view.
In an instant, the entire area drowned in dark violet pressure. The air shook. Reality felt heavy. The ends of a black leather trench coat fluttered violently. Then, as the wind surged toward the man's face--
[Hard Transition]
England, London - 9:30 PM
Running footsteps echoed again-this time lighter, frantic. White socks slipped inside sandals as a girl rushed through a vast library. She stopped abruptly, breathing hard. Fear and irritation twisted across her face. Sweat was unmistakable.
She slowly looked up.
Bookshelves floated in a circular formation. Hundreds of books hovered in midair. At the center of it all-a blinding white light.
Then--
Slow, steady footsteps echoed.
A faint whistle accompanied them.
Black shoes stepped into view. A white robe fluttered behind the man wearing them. In his right hand, he casually flipped a brush between his fingers.
"Out of line, it seems," he said calmly.
The girl clenched her teeth.
"You…"
[Parallel Cut]
Back in Paris--
"You…" the man on the balcony whispered as well.
[Reveal]
As both figures stepped forward in their respective locations--
We pan out.
The woman in black was revealed fully: long black hair, dressed entirely in dark attire, pink lips, and piercing violet eyes. Her expression was completely silent-emotionless.
Cecilia Yvette.
Then--
The man in white stepped into full view. His robe fluttered gently, light green garments beneath it pristine. A pocket watch glinted from his right pocket. Brown hair framed his face, and his plain black eyes held a professional calm. A faint smile of interest rested on his lips.
Noctis Haland.
As Cecilia exhaled slowly, her eyes flared-glowing deep violet. The pressure intensified violently. Reality itself appeared on the verge of collapse. Her Spiritual Awakening was unfathomable.
"Curse you…"
The man muttered.
In London, the girl lunged at him in desperation--
But the moment Noctis flipped his brush-
The entire library erupted in a vast gray aura, space itself glitching and tearing apart.
This was the terrifying Spiritual Awakening of Noctis Haland.
"Curse you… Cecilia Yvette!"
"I hate you, Noctis Haland!"
They shouted at the same time.
The final frame showed them side by side:
Noctis, standing with composed professionalism, glowing in gray.
Cecilia, radiating terrifying lethality, engulfed in dark violet.
We cut back to the three.
Ryuuka bowed once more, preparing to depart. As she lifted her head, her eyes remained closed, as they always were.
"Good luck,"
she said softly, a faint smile on her lips as she tilted her head slightly to the side.
She turned and began to walk away.
Three steps in, she stopped.
Makoto and Yukie remained where they stood-Makoto offering a quiet acknowledgment, Yukie unreadable this time.
Ryuuka turned her head again, this time to the left, toward Yukie.
"Lady Yukie… please be careful," she said gently.
With that, she resumed her walk and disappeared toward the exit.
"Hm?" Yukie murmured. Her composure held, though a trace of surprised curiosity surfaced in her eyes.
Makoto glanced at her from behind, tilting his head slightly, sharing the same unspoken question.
Once Ryuuka had fully left, silence settled between them.
"I must attend to something briefly," Makoto said. "I will return shortly."
Yukie replied by lightly waving her hand, as if dismissing the matter.
Makoto squinted at the gesture, then turned and walked deeper into the hallway.
Left alone, Yukie watched his back for a moment-then felt it.
A presence.
She turned toward the entrance.
The glass doors opened.
A pair of dirty, unsteady feet stepped inside. A young boy followed-his clothes torn and stained, his wrists bruised. He lifted his head slightly, his vision blurred, blood running down from a wound atop his scalp.
Yukie's eyes widened, just slightly.
"Young one… what has happened to you-"
Her words cut short.
The boy collapsed at her feet.
The entire hall fell silent. A few of the lights flickered-subtle, uneasy, then everything went dark.
"Soul bearer… that's what my father kept calling me when he turned into a monster," the boy said. He now sat on a sofa, his bruises treated, his torn clothes replaced with something clean.
A deviant, Makoto thought, standing at the corner of the room, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.
"Hm. First of all," Yukie said calmly, her legs crossed and her hands resting atop her knee, her expression firm, "what is your name, young one?"
The boy hesitated. A faint red spread across his cheeks.
"She's really… Pretty..." he thought.
"I-It's Sui Mikoto, ma'am," he replied quickly, lowering his gaze in embarrassment.
"Mikoto Sui," Yukie repeated, leaning her upper body slightly forward. "Do you truly believe we will accept your words so easily?"
Sui's eyes widened as he leaned back slightly, tension seeping into his posture.
"Do not lose faith boy. Believe in yourself-but rely on others as well, Yukie thought. Great calamities have taken countless lives throughout history. Those who refuse to give up are rare. I want him to be strong… even at his age."
Her expression, however, remained unchanged.
Makoto continued observing silently from the back.
Sui pressed his lips together, then straightened himself.
"I understand if you find my story unbelievable," he said firmly. "But I will not give up. If I must make you believe, I will. And if I have to return there myself and bring my father back-then I will."
Silence followed.
Yukie closed her eyes. She rose from her seat, walked toward the door, and opened it. Sui stood as well, watching her closely.
"I will handle this boy's case," she said evenly. "For the time being, you may proceed with your objectives. To borrow your informal phrasing-'dibs on this one' "
A faint smile touched her lips-teasing, yet reassuring.
She stepped out, leaving the door open.
Sui hurried after her, but stopped abruptly beside Makoto. He bowed deeply.
"Th-Thank you for treating me, sir. I apologize for entering the Grand Opera House so suddenly…"
"Think nothing of it," Makoto replied, still leaning against the wall. A faint smile crossed his face. "I wish you luck. You may rely on her. As you have seen, she is as powerful as she is beautiful."
"Understood!"
Sui said with a bright smile before rushing toward the door.
Left alone, Makoto remained where he stood, eyes closed. Then-slowly-he opened them and turned his head slightly to the side.
As if he had sensed something beyond the room.