Editing BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Chapter 3 (section)

===Part 3===

The room was a mess. Except for a few specific places and items, everything else was in ruins, hardly suitable for anyone to live in. Yet here she was, entering without any preamble, completely unfazed by the chaos.

How many uninvited guests have barged in today? For a moment, Naoto wondered if this wasn’t his home at all, but someone else’s. 

"Naoto Kurogane-kun... right?"  Standing at the entrance to the living room, the woman in the red suit cupped her blushing cheeks with her hands, looking very pleased to meet him. Raquel, standing nearby, tensed up so much that Naoto thought he might hear a creak. 

(Is her social anxiety acting up again...?)

He recalled that Raquel had said she struggled with other women. Glancing sideways, he confirmed her pale face. If that’s the case, this guest must be particularly difficult for her. There was an undeniable "feminine aura" about the woman, both in a good and bad way.

“Yes, that’s right, but you…?”

"Ah~, I knew it! I just knew it the moment I saw you." Before Naoto could finish asking who she was, the woman interrupted him, cutting off the end of his sentence and, with it, grabbed his hand. She excitedly closed the distance between them, pressing in. Naoto was startled by her sudden proximity and recoiled. But he was unable to pull away. The woman had tightly grasped his hand and pulled it towards her chest.

"Hey, wait..." His hand sank into the softness of her ample bosom, the unfamiliar warmth enveloping him. A heat of confusion spread across his neck. He instinctively tried to pull his hand back, but she held on tightly, gazing up at him with a flirtatious look. Her pouting, pink lips, enhanced by lipstick, spoke in a voice that was sweetly teasing.

“I’m really sorry! That surprised you, didn’t it? But you see, I’m in a bit of a bind… those people just don’t know how to hold back. I keep telling them not to cause trouble for others.”

'Those people?' Naoto realized she was probably referring to Valkenhayn and Relius. It was possible Clavis was included, but that seemed unlikely. 

“Hmm, but I didn’t expect to meet you so soon. I’m so happy…” She whispered dreamily, rubbing her cheek against Naoto’s hand as if he were something cherished. It made Naoto instinctively pull back. In doing so, his fingers brushed against the rim of her glasses.

"So... who the hell are you!" Naoto glared at the woman in the suit, asking in a harsh tone. It wasn’t that he was disinterested in her body; however, even if she were stunningly beautiful, he didn’t appreciate being forced into such an intimate encounter with a stranger. Honestly, it felt unsettling.

The woman’s lips curved into an alluring smile. She struck a pose that accentuated her curves, her voice softening as she replied, “You’ll find out soon enough, don’t worry…” Naoto felt her hand reaching toward his head, as if to pat him. “Aw, you’re so cute when you’re shy.”

"Don't touch me," Naoto said, forcefully swatting away her outstretched hand.

"Ouch," she replied, but she didn't seem intimidated. In fact, she seemed to enjoy being swatted away, giggling softly.

“Well... ‘Nice to meet you.’ I’m Kiiro from the Mitsurugi Agency. Nice to meet you, Naoto-kun!” Kiiro took a step closer to Naoto and playfully poked his chest with her index finger. Then, suddenly, she turned to Raquel. “So this is Raquel Alucard, huh?” Suddenly called out by her name, Raquel's expression tightened once more. The tone of her voice sent chills down Naoto's spine. It was a cold, indifferent voice, as if she were looking at an inanimate object. As she called out to Raquel, Kiiro twisted her body and stood directly in front of her.

"Hmm... I see..." Kiiro appraised Raquel with a scrutinizing gaze. Raquel said nothing in response to the audacious stare, remaining as still as a delicate doll. She appeared outwardly calm, but Naoto could somehow feel that she was like a frog being hypnotized by a snake.

Tucking a strand of her long hair behind her ear, Kiiro leaned in close to Raquel. Raquel blinked. Ignoring the slight change in her expression, Kiiro whispered in Raquel's ear. "...It's troublesome having someone like you wandering around. I'd like to capture and dismantle you right away, but since Naoto-kun is here, I'll let you off this time."

It was unclear whether she meant for Naoto to hear her, but her voice was just loud enough for him to catch. With a cold tone, she looked up and turned a seductive, coquettish smile toward Naoto. "Naoto-kun, you're really troublesome too. Look at what a mess they've made of your room."

“Uh…” Naoto managed to squeeze out that much, furrowing his brow. He could think of many reasons why he disliked this woman, but beyond that, he had an instinctive aversion to her. There was something very unpleasant about her.

(It’s you who’s being a nuisance... just leave already.)

He wanted to tell her to get out, but there was something he wanted to ask her first. She seemed to know something about the situation. Forcing himself to calm down, Naoto opened his mouth.

“So, what do you want, Kiiro-san from the Mitsurugi Agency? You barged in here, so you must have a reason."

"Don't look at me like that, it makes me shiver."

“Hey!”

"The reason I'm here is to clean up the mess those people made... and to greet you... That's why," she replied, a mischievous smile playing on her lips as she ran her perfectly manicured fingers along her mouth.

"A greeting? Why?" Naoto demanded, his voice rising in anger.

"Of course, to deepen our relationship," she replied, her voice dripping with innuendo.

"So... what the hell..." Naoto ran his hands through his hair, ruffling it roughly. Kiiro watched him with a kind of dreamy satisfaction, her tongue darting across her painted lips.
“I’m serious. Naoto-kun and... that Raquel Alucard over there are very important for the Mitsurugi Agency’s objectives.” Her words, implying that she wanted him to ask for more information, irritated Naoto. He rubbed his temples.

“What exactly is that objective? Stop beating around the bush.” Even as he asked, he had an inkling of what Kiiro referred to as the ‘Mitsurugi Agency’s objective.’ Kiiro blinked her large, reddish-purple eyes, which sparkled ominously.

“The annihilation of the immortal monster, Clavis Alucard. That is the Mitsurugi Agency’s tragic goal.” Raquel reacted slightly at the mention of her father’s name. Kiiro crossed her arms over her ample chest and adjusted her slim glasses with her fingertips.

"You saw it for yourself just now, didn't you? The mere fact that such a monstrous creature exists is more than enough of a threat to the world." Naoto had no objections to the fact that Clavis was a monster. However, he was deeply dissatisfied with Kiiro’s dismissive tone. With a look of both dissatisfaction and resentment, Naoto glared at Kiiro.

“So, the Mitsurugi Agency is a monster-hunting group?”

“Hmm, something like that... Our job is to capture and dissect creatures like that one and create specimens.” Kiiro chuckled mischievously. It was an unsettling feeling. This time, Naoto openly glared at her. “Just kidding. Hehe, you look scary.”

With a voice as soothing as a cat’s purr, Kiiro laughed and leaned closer to Naoto, wrapping her arm around his neck and gently stroking his cheek with her palm. Feeling her warmth, devoid of any hesitation or embarrassment, only deepened Naoto’s frown. But Kiiro gazed at him intensely, as if finding his troubled expression endearing, while still drawing nearer.

“Our purpose is to uphold and manage the order of the human world. ‘The eternal peace of the world.’ That is the ideal that the Mitsurugi Agency advocates.” In a near-embrace, Naoto felt the plush softness of Kiiro pressing against his chest. Naoto tried to pull away, but Kiiro's arm, wrapped around his neck, refused to let him go.

“Sounds suspicious.” Both Kiiro's words and her presence gave him no desire to engage. Grabbing Kiiro's arm, he forcibly pulled it away. Even so, she remained close, placing the hand he had just pulled away on her ample chest as if to display it.

"My role is to eliminate the 'threats' that endanger that. And right now, at the top of that list is Clavis Alucard." That, of course, referred to the eternal peace of the world. Naoto's expression darkened as he turned his face toward the shattered window.

"What about Valkenhayn and Relius? I think they're pretty big threats too, don't you?" Compared to Clavis, they might be lesser threats, but they were far beyond what ordinary humans could handle. There was an insurmountable gap between them. But Kiiro shrugged and snorted, seemingly dismissive.

"Anything that can be controlled by humans isn't a threat. After all... we can kill them if we want to." The casual way she said it sent a shiver down Naoto's spine. That was it. This was the part of her that made Naoto uneasy—her sudden, casually violent remarks.

"So you're saying that anything that's beyond human control should be killed?"

"If it's for the sake of world order, then yes," she replied with a beautiful, almost innocent smile. Then, her voice softened.
 
"Hey, Naoto, do you know how many people disappeared during the 'mass disappearance' incidents?" Her smile remained, but her voice was ominous. Naoto spoke cautiously, as if he were being told a ghost story.

"Mass disappearances... you mean the abandoned apartment complex?"

"That place is one example, but it's not the only one. That apartment complex is just the tip of the iceberg. In total, '128,932 people' have disappeared in incidents around the world." Naoto was startled. He didn't know that so many disappearances had occurred in so many places, or that so many people had vanished. Naoto didn't clearly remember the events from that time, but if that were the case, it should have become a much bigger incident, making headlines worldwide. He had no recollection of it being covered in such a significant way.

Kiiro looked at Naoto with an unsettling gaze, her lips curled into a smile, as if testing him.

"What if I told you that Clavis Alucard was responsible for all of those disappearances? What would you think?"

"What...?"

"If it's just about making that many people disappear at once, human-made weapons can do it too. But weapons don't have will. Without a person to manage and use them, no matter how powerful, they won't be activated. They can even be dismantled. But Clavis Alucard is different." Kiiro continued, emphasizing her point. "He acts freely, without being managed by anyone, using his power as he wishes. He can wipe out a large number of people simply because he wants to. What else would you call that but a threat?"

"...Isn't that a bit too convenient? Just because weapons lack will doesn't mean the people using and managing them don't have their own intentions. Isn't that the same 'threat' you talk about?"

"That can't be helped. After all, this world exists for humans."

"For humans, huh..." Naoto still felt uneasy and bit his lip in frustration. Kiiro tilted her head in a coy manner, her hands clasped in front of her chest.

Kiiro clasped her hands in front of her chest and tilted her head coquettishly. "So, until we can eliminate Clavis Alucard, I'm afraid I'll have to keep an eye on you and your friends. It would be easier to just confine that little girl, but it's unlikely that Clavis would come to her rescue, and he might just abandon her and disappear." 

For Kiiro and the agency, Raquel's appearance in Shinkawahama likely presented an unprecedented opportunity to see Clavis. They couldn’t let this chance slip by.

"But don’t worry. Monitoring just means watching for any contact from Clavis Alucard, so you can go about your usual life as you please. The agency won’t interfere with your day-to-day activities, and we won’t let that happen. If anything happens, we’ll back you up."
 
At those words, Naoto had a realization. It had been nagging at him all along. "I see, so it was you who cleaned up the blood and bodies in the abandoned complex and fixed the roads."
It wasn’t the magical powers Raquel used that had cleared away the traces of last night's supernatural events; it was clearly the work of human hands. Such repairs and cover-ups had been accomplished overnight. Though the name and existence of the agency were not publicly known, it was evident they operated on a considerable scale.

Kiiro leaned in closer, whispering softly as she spoke. A faint, pleasant scent of perfume wafted from her. "That’s nothing. I’ll have this room fixed up in no time. Until then, I’ll prepare a hotel room for you to stay in."

"... I don't suppose you'll be staying at that hotel too, will you?"

"That's a secret," she replied with a knowing wink, her finger pressed to her lips.

"I'll pass. I don't need it." Naoto involuntarily took a half-step back. It might be overthinking, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was a moral danger in Kiiro's heated gaze. While his carefree friend Shinnosuke might have jumped at the chance, even though he found Kiiro's seductive gestures alluring, he couldn't bring himself to touch her. Closing his eyes and giving in might be the easy way out, but he absolutely didn't want that.

"Hey, Naoto-kun. Forget about that little castle and come with me... I'll make you very happy. And besides..."  Ignoring Naoto's open invitation, Kiiro's hand crept up his chest, tracing his skin and feeling his warmth. She leaned closer, her eyes filled with desire, as she stroked his chest. "I'll protect you," she said earnestly.

Naoto frowned, confused. He was perplexed not only by Kiiro's overly intimate behavior but also by the undercurrents in her words.

"... I'll pass on that." Grabbing the hand that was trying to crawl up his back, Naoto pushed Kiiro away. Kiiro didn’t resist much as she stepped back, but her expression remained provocatively playful.

“Too bad. But... I’m sure you’ll change your mind eventually.” She gave him a theatrical wink, her gaze intense and possessive. Then, as she turned to leave the living room, she paused. 

"Hey... what kind of 'Drive' do you have, Naoto-kun?" Her smile was sharp and calculating. Naoto didn't understand her question or the meaning behind her expression.

"Huh? 'Drive'? What are you talking about?" Kiiro smiled deeper and shook her head slightly. Her hair cast a shadow across her face. 

"It's nothing. Well, bye. See you later, Naoto-kun." The rhythmic sound of high heels walking outside the entrance gradually faded away. Finally, silence returned to Naoto's room. And then... Raquel collapsed behind Naoto.

"Whoa, what the hell!?"

“I can’t take it anymore... it’s impossible... the worst type...” Her voice trembled, tight with fear. Raquel’s eyes were completely vacant. Naoto had almost forgotten about her after she had been silent for so long, but it seemed that the double whammy of his father and Kiiro had dealt a significant blow. Her limp fingers sprawled on the floor as if they were about to convey some tragic dying message.

“What the heck is going on!? What happened!? What was all that noise!? Is Raquel okay!?” The sudden voice belonged to Haruka, who had woken up at the perfect moment. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she was looking around in confusion, her tousled hair framing her face. Next to her was Raquel, who had collapsed from stress. The room was a scene of panic with Haruka's disheveled state. Naoto placed a hand on his forehead, feeling the weight of the situation. This was just the beginning of a difficult time.

He tried to calm Haruka down, moving Raquel to the futon where Haruka had been sleeping. Naoto then attempted to explain the situation in the midst of the chaos of the half-destroyed room. However, there was no way he could tell her the full truth. As a result, he ended up giving a very fragmented explanation, and though Haruka listened, she wore a perplexed expression the entire time.

Just then, a man in a black suit, identifying himself as a member of the "Mikazuki Agency," arrived with a lawyer and began to explain everything unilaterally. He stated that the entire incident was due to the agency's mismanagement and that they would take full responsibility for the damages. There was no need to worry about the repairs for both the room and the shared areas of the building; everything would be restored as quickly as possible.

However, the complicated terminology and unfamiliar legal terms made the explanation difficult to grasp. Haruka repeatedly asked for simpler explanations, but the lawyer and the agents kept reiterating that they would restore everything and had to follow the set procedures. They managed to create an uncomfortable situation that hinted at "complex circumstances" without going into detail.

About an hour after their visit, when Haruka was thoroughly exhausted, the Mikazuki Agency finished their "explanation" and added, "Now we will explain the situation to the owner as well," before leaving Naoto's room.

Nothing had been dramatically resolved. Still, in terms of preventing Haruka from thinking too deeply about the matter, the Mikazuki Agency had achieved more than enough.

"…I wonder if my mom will hear the same story…" Naoto thought repeatedly, feeling guilty as he watched Haruka, who sighed heavily after sipping the special tea he had made for her.