BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Chapter 7

Illustrations

Prologue:Rebirth

Chapter 7: Siblings

Chapter 8: Thought and Felt

Chapter 9: Intervention

Chapter 10: Encounter

Chapter 11: Fusion

Epilogue

Extra Chapter: Fragments

Afterword

Part 1

In the sudden turn of events, Naoto was left speechless.

It was a Sunday afternoon, a peaceful day with a clear sky and a gentle breeze. The laundry, which had been slightly overdue, was swaying pleasantly on the sunny balcony.

Interrupting this ordinary, and therefore all the more precious, peace, a young girl arrived.

The unexpected visitor paid no mind to the entranceway; she knelt on the cold tiles where multiple shoes were lined up, sitting with her back as straight as if a wire were running through it.

Her long black hair, neatly tied up high, was glossy and without a single kink. Her white skin made her intense red eyes stand out strikingly. Those eyes gazed up at Naoto. Her kimono, in soft pink and pale purple fabrics adorned with gold dust, swirled with fan patterns, giving her the air of a princess from a period drama. Without even applying lipstick, she smiled faintly with her red lips.

The girl’s name was Saya Terumi. She was Naoto's biological sister.

"There's no need to be so surprised, brother. Or have you forgotten about your little sister?" Placing her very white hands together on her lap, Saya asked teasingly but fiercely.

"N-no, I..." Naoto managed to squeeze that out, then fell silent again. The tension was palpable.

A nasty, sweat-inducing sensation spread to his fingertips. His mind was in disarray, unable to find the right words or response. The surprise and confusion left him in a daze.

Just then, a small tug on his clothes caught his attention. It was Haruka, Haruka Hayami. She was Naoto's childhood friend and the daughter of the landlord who had graciously rented him his apartment at a low price.

“Naoto-kun, why don’t you come in for now? I’ll make some tea,” she said soothingly. Naoto could only nod in response.

With a reassuring smile, Haruka's large brown eyes seemed to encourage him. Her soft hair, tied up simply with a hair clip, made her look even more gentle and warm. Giving his back a light pat, she headed toward the kitchen.

Naoto couldn’t even afford to glance after her as he turned his face towards the entrance, furrowing his brow as he looked at Saya, who was still seated. He was reluctant. He wanted her to leave right away, but it felt too harsh to shout at her to go away. Besides, he didn’t want Haruka to witness anything too harsh.

With a self-deprecating sigh, Naoto nodded toward the interior.

"Come in. I'll hear you out," he said in a low voice, which he usually only used when he was bored. Dragging his heavy feet, Naoto returned to the living room with its out-of-place, open window. The window, which had just been inviting a pleasant breeze into the room, was now tightly closed, and even the lace curtains had been drawn to block out the outside world.

With his back to the setting sun, Naoto sat cross-legged on the living room floor. On the opposite side of the light brown coffee table, Saya sat in a formal posture on a flat cushion, ignoring the sofa.

Saya had a well-defined face. Rather than being glamorous, her quiet beauty made her look much older than her thirteen years. However, her petite frame was slightly below average for her age, and each of her composed movements made Naoto feel as if he were facing a doll.

Many might call Saya beautiful and adorable. However, Naoto couldn’t view his sister's demeanor with such fondness.

"Um, would you like some black tea?" Haruka asked from the kitchen counter, her voice full of concern. Naoto was about to say that anything was fine, but before he could, Saya turned and placed her own order.

“I don’t really like black tea. Could I have green tea instead?”

“Yes, of course.” To Haruka, Saya was still a child. With an affectionate smile, she opened a small tea canister.

As Haruka efficiently prepared the tea, something stirred at her feet. Naoto turned his gaze to that spot. From behind the counter, a girl with hair like golden ribbons peeked out. It wasn’t just her hair. The owner of that hair, Raquel Alucard, was watching them with distrust in her golden eyes.

(What the hell is she doing?) Naoto couldn’t help but mutter to himself. But at the same time, he quickly understood what was going on.

Raquel was a vampire with a life force beyond human comprehension, and she had an aversion to being around women. Despite her extraordinary nature, she was mentally weak when faced with them. Suddenly, an unfamiliar girl had appeared, and she was clearly on familiar terms with Naoto and Haruka. Being left out of the situation without any explanation, there was no way she could maintain her usual aloof attitude.

“Here you go,” Haruka said, crossing Naoto’s line of sight as she brought over a small tray with two teacups. Saya sat up straight and bowed at a perfect forty-five-degree angle.

“Thank you. I’ll enjoy this.” She picked up the hot teacup placed in front of her and took a sip. “It’s delicious, Haruka-san.”

“I’m glad. Feel free to ask for more anytime.” It was as if it were just a casual visit from a relative and the warm welcome of a family member. That was indeed how it appeared. But Naoto couldn’t shake the feeling of unease, and his mind was filled with anxiety and caution. The more Saya talked and smiled, the more a sense of crisis and caution pricked at Naoto’s insides. Because Saya…

“Saya... how did you get out?” Naoto asked, his voice stern as he intertwined his fingers. Saya, who had been sipping her hot tea, looked up and slowly placed the teacup down, her lips curving into a slight smile.

“‘How did I get out?’ You make it sound as if I were being held captive.”

“It’s not ‘as if’...” It was exactly as the words implied. But Naoto bit back his words just in time. Haruka was right there.

It took effort. Naoto couldn’t just blurt everything out.

Saya met Naoto's accusing gaze head-on, tilting her head slightly.

"Why are you so angry, brother? It's been so long since we've seen each other, and you're so cold."

“Y-Yeah, Nao-kun, you don’t have to look so scary…” Haruka, surprised by Naoto’s demeanor, spoke soothingly, but he didn’t look at her. He pretended not to hear her words. He couldn't afford to be so relaxed in this unexpected situation.

"Saya, just tell me what you want."

"Oh dear, what a hasty brother you are." With a mocking tone as if ashamed of her inept brother, Saya smoothed her pale purple kimono and took out a white envelope. She placed it quietly on the table. Naoto's eyes widened in surprise. There was no stamp or address on the envelope, but there was a seal in the center as if to substitute for everything else.

It read “Amanohokosaka.”

“It’s a letter from Lady Mei herself.” Saya placed her hands neatly on her knees again and slightly smiled, her red lips curving. At the mention of the name, Naoto instinctively looked up and stared intently at Saya, confusion filling his eyes.

The name Saya had just mentioned belonged to the current head of an old family called Amanohokosaka. Naoto had met Mei, the head of the family, a few times. However, they weren’t close enough to exchange personal letters. So why would the current head go out of her way to send a letter to Naoto through Saya?

Naoto’s brow furrowed deeper.

“Haruka, I’m sorry, but could you leave us alone for a moment?” Suddenly, Saya turned her head and spoke in a tone that allowed no refusal. Haruka, taken aback by the unexpected request, widened her eyes in surprise.

"I'm fine, but... is Nao-kun okay?" She turned to Naoto. Naoto nodded reluctantly, making a sour face.

"I'll be fine. I'll keep an eye on Raquel."

"Okay, I'll leave it to you. If anything happens, call me and I'll come right away."

With a nod, Haruka returned to the kitchen with the tray. On her way back, she pulled Raquel, who was still hiding behind the counter, to her feet and led her out of Naoto's house. As they left the living room, Raquel turned back to glance at Naoto once, her golden eyes filled with displeasure. Their gazes met, but she quickly looked away, pushed by Haruka.

As he watched them leave, Naoto felt a bitter taste in the back of his throat.

(This is getting complicated... damn it.)

Naoto never expected Saya to find out about Raquel. In fact, he hadn’t thought he would see Saya again at all—at least not outside the Amanohokosaka residence. When he was alone with Saya, the atmosphere felt heavy, as if it had thickened around them.Saya probably didn't feel that way. She might not even realize that she was the cause of this heaviness.

To shake off the unpleasant feeling of resistance, Naoto grabbed the envelope roughly. His fingertips tensed slightly at the solemn and imposing seal. A direct letter from the Amanohokosaka family. It was incredibly difficult to open. Even so, when he unfolded the thin paper, he found elegant, finely penned handwriting.

The letter itself was short. That’s why Naoto gasped at its contents immediately.

"What does Lady Mei say? I heard that Lady Mei's magic is on this letter, so apparently no one but you can read the contents," Saya asked curiously, though it was unclear if she was genuinely interested.

Naoto folded the letter back up, slightly irritated by her response. “You don’t know what it says?”

“Not really. But, considering it’s Lady Mei, I can guess a bit,” she replied, a hint of a smile playing on her lips as she sipped from her teacup.

Naoto glanced at the folded letter. It was true that Mei Amanohokosaka wouldn't tell Saya the contents, even if she knew Saya would guess. And she probably wouldn't have entrusted the letter to anyone other than Saya.

This letter wasn’t a pleasant one.

“By the way, brother,” Saya’s voice pulled Naoto out of his thoughts, as he contemplated crushing the paper in his hand. “Who was that unfamiliar person from earlier? The ridiculous woman peeking out from behind the shadows?”

She must be referring to Raquel. Calling her ridiculous was unexpected. Naoto couldn’t help but smirk at the thought. He wondered what Raquel would have said if she’d heard that. He was grateful to Haruka for taking her away.

"It's none of your business. Besides, is that all you have to say?" Naoto had no intention of telling Saya about Raquel. Or rather, he didn't want to involve her. He tapped the edge of the table with the folded letter, urging her to speed up her words. "So why don't you just go home? I don't have any more..."

"Oh, please," With a cool and composed face, Saya smiled for the first time, a full-blown smile. It was as if she found Naoto's words utterly ridiculous. “I’m sure you know why I came to your home, brother. I came to… collect something.”

A red tongue flicked out from behind her smiling red lips. Naoto let out a deep, long sigh.

Saya was right. He had known all along why she was here. It wasn’t just to deliver a letter. The letter was an afterthought. Mei had simply sent the letter along because she knew Saya would definitely come to Naoto.

So what was Saya's purpose? It hadn't changed since the beginning.

"Brother," she said cheerfully—no, gleefully—and then her form blurred. At the same time, there was a loud bang as she struck the table. The blur was a lunge.

By the time Naoto's eyes found Saya again, she was right in front of him. He tried to pull back, but for Saya, whose arm shot out with lightning speed, Naoto’s reflexes felt like they were moving in slow motion.

"Gah..." A crushed sound escaped Naoto’s throat before he even realized it. At that moment, his feet were no longer on the floor. Something white had caught his neck. It was Saya’s hand. Her arm, surprisingly pale for a human, lifted Naoto’s body effortlessly despite its slenderness.

From behind her black bangs, Saya’s red eyes smiled sharply. “‘The Hunter's Eye’… I’ll take your eyes, brother. I’ll kill you.” Her red eyes burned with murderous intent.

Part 2

She didn't like it.

Still unsure of the situation, Raquel was urged by Haruka and brought to the Hayami residence a few floors up, clutching a cushion and visibly sulking.

The reason was simple. That girl in the kimono who had appeared so suddenly.

"Haruka..." Raquel called out to Haruka, who was preparing tea in the kitchen, from the two-seater sofa. "Who was that girl?" Her tone was sharp, clearly revealing her dissatisfaction.

To be honest, being alone with Haruka, with no one else around, was quite a burden for Raquel. However, the weight of her discontent was even greater than that burden. ...Although she couldn't bring herself to look up at Haruka.

“Hmm…” Haruka hummed softly, searching for words as she placed tea leaves into the teapot. She closed the tea tin with a gentle clink against the edge of the counter. “That girl’s name is Saya Terumi, and she’s Nao-kun’s younger sister. Due to certain circumstances, she’s living at the main family house, the ‘Amanohokosaka’ family, instead of her own home. I had heard that she wouldn’t come out of there… but for some reason, she came to Naoto’s house today.”

Having said that, Haruka turned her back to Raquel and took out two mugs. The water for the tea wasn't quite boiling yet. Listening to the sound of the water approaching a boil, Haruka gazed at the electric kettle on the counter and tugged at her light-colored bangs.

"Nao-kun's family is quite old, you see. There are several branch families... and the Amanohokosaka is a very large family that oversees those branch families." Being a relative of Naoto's, Haruka wasn't completely unrelated to the Amanohokosaka family either. However, since Haruka was born much further from the old family than Naoto, she had never formed any particularly deep-rooted relationships with them. After Naoto's mother died, they had become quite distant. They didn't even exchange New Year's cards.

“Saya Terumi... Amanohokosaka…” Raquel murmured as if confirming, tightening her grip on the cushion in her lap. There was one puzzling thing. "...Her last name is different. Naoto called himself 'Kurogane'."

“Oh, that’s because of Nao-kun’s mother’s situation.” Haruka didn't know the exact details of why Naoto used the name Kurogane. However, she did know that Naoto had a very complicated relationship with his family. That was why Haruka couldn’t bring herself to ask further. She understood that the past was a painful and difficult topic for Naoto.

With a wry smile, she shrugged her shoulders and poured the boiling water into the cups and pot. “I can’t explain more than that. I don’t really know the details…”

If Raquel wanted to know more, she would have to ask Naoto directly. However, the slightly furrowed brows of Haruka hinted that she hoped Raquel wouldn’t pry too deeply.

“By the way, yesterday my mom brought back some baumkuchen. Let’s eat it together!” Trying to change the subject, Haruka spoke in her usual cheerful voice and turned to the shelf in the back of the kitchen. The back of Haruka's head, tied up in a hair clip, disappeared under the counter.

That's when it happened.

"Ugh..." A sharp, intense pain gripped Raquel’s chest, causing a dull ache. She instinctively stifled a groan, pressing down hard on her chest beneath the cushion. Raquel instantly realized what this pain was.

(My life... is being drained...)

It wasn't her life, but Naoto's. For some reason, the life force that Raquel shared and constantly supplied to him was rapidly diminishing. She didn't understand why. But she quickly thought of the most straightforward way to confirm it, exhaling the breath that had caught in her throat, and threw the cushion she had been holding onto the sofa.

“Raquel-chan, how much do you want to eat... oh, huh?”

As Haruka set a white box containing baumkuchen on the counter, she looked puzzled when she noticed that there was no one in the living room where the sofa set was placed.

—-

It didn’t take long for a thick fog to envelop Naoto's consciousness.

"Ugh..."

Groaning softly, he struggled to free himself from the small hands that held him. His toes kicked at the air in vain. But Saya's grip didn’t loosen. With the stability of someone dangling a puppet, she easily continued to constrict Naoto.

"Ugh, ugh... let... go..."

"Brother, I've been wanting to meet you. But it won't do, will it? You've become so careless. To let me touch you... You haven't changed in that regard. I'm relieved. Or perhaps you wanted me to kill you?"

"No way... ... ... you know... that's not..." With discerning eyes, Naoto read Saya and retorted in a barely audible voice. As he spoke, he clawed wildly at Saya's hands and wrists. But his fingers lacked strength.

Saya's fingers, digging into his throat, were like the claws of a beast that had captured its prey. Naoto's body trembled as he felt something being sucked away from him, as if her fingertips were about to tear through his skin and flesh.

It wasn't his breath that was being taken. It was something more fundamental. Life itself. And this was no mere figure of speech. Saya's hands were intentionally draining Naoto's life force. As if to prove it, Naoto's eyes saw it.

The "Hunter's Eye," as Saya called it, allowed Naoto to visually perceive people's life force as numerical values. In his vision, the number representing Saya's life force, which floated above her head, was gradually increasing.

"Ha... ... ... ha..." A hoarse rasp escaped Naoto's throat. His head felt dizzy, and the sensation in his limbs faded. Gazing up at her brother's face, distorted by his agony, Saya wore a sharp smile.

"’Naoto Kurogane,’ huh? Ha, it's laughable that you would call yourself Kurogane, brother. Are you trying to carry your mother's gravestone on your back?"

"Sh-shut up... ... it's none of your... business."

“Oh, or do you think you have the right to claim it? As proof of causing our mother’s death… I can understand that.” Saya’s tone was more playful than mocking, and Naoto’s expression twisted into something other than anguish. If he could, he would have screamed at her in anger. Unfortunately, he couldn't seem to get his voice out.

"Sa-ya-aaa... !" Naoto’s outburst was met with a short laugh from Saya as she pulled her brother’s neck closer. Unable to resist, his legs swayed as if being dragged, his toes scraping against the floor. Naoto awkwardly supported himself in an unsteady manner. Saya's hand, which had been gripping his neck, moved up to Naoto's cheek, tracing his temple and then gripping his skull.

File:BE2-2.png

With both hands, she clamped down on his head, parted his stiff, tea-colored hair, and forcibly pulled Naoto's face towards her. They were almost within kissing distance.

Naoto gasped, grabbed Saya's wrists, and pulled with all his might. No matter how hard he tried, her hands wouldn't budge. Grasping her slender shoulders with all his strength, he tried to pull her away, but Saya didn't even lose her balance. Instead, she ran her fingers through his hair, stroking it, and pulled her captured brother even closer.

“Stop…!”

Saya’s nose grazed Naoto’s as she leaned in. One of them let out a breathless sigh, lost in the narrow space between their lips. Saya opened her lips slightly. The girl's red lips sought out her brother's, as if to devour them. More than just a touch with her palm, she wanted to consume more of her brother's life force.

But just before their lips met, Saya suddenly halted.

“What… is this? You’re not… my brother?”

“Wha—” He tried to ask what she meant, but his voice was cut off. Suddenly, a gust of wind erupted from beneath his feet. Now it was Saya's turn to gasp.

The gust of wind exploded between Saya and Naoto, mercilessly knocking them both back. Saya slammed against a low shelf beside the television, while Naoto crashed into the dining table, both hitting their backs hard.

“Ugh…” Groaning from the dull impact, Naoto clung to the edge of the table to stand up. From his feet, a shadow suddenly sprang forth with the same force as the previous wind. A beautiful girl with golden hair wearing a white blouse and a black mini skirt—Raquel.

"Raquel!?" Naoto shouted in surprise, and Raquel glanced back at him over her shoulder. But her gaze was quickly pulled back to the front.

The air stirred. Saya, quickly rising to her feet, kicked off the floor and lunged straight at Raquel.

Unnoticed, her hand had already found the hilt of her sheathed sword, and she assumed a deer-like stance. As she made her purchase, she closed the distance. With a lightning-fast motion, she drew the sword, its hiss barely audible. The blade, swift as a streak of light, sliced through the air and struck Raquel.

“Dodge!” Naoto's warning was too late. By the time his voice reached her, Saya had already swung her sword. However, Raquel was no puppet that could move without command. She raised a gust of wind to deflect Saya's blade, then dodged, avoiding the cold edge.

A red droplet flew through the air. It was Raquel's blood. A single red line ran down her white, porcelain-like cheek, even whiter than Saya's. Naoto could see it. The grazing tip had sliced a gentle arc, and a thin stream of red flowed from it.

“How rude,” Raquel muttered with disdain as she took a step back. In that brief moment, the wound on her cheek seemed to absorb the surrounding whiteness and heal instantly. Seeing this, Saya paused for a moment, barely a breath. She jumped lightly and sheathed her sword with the grace of a dancer.

"The wound... it disappeared," she muttered to herself, her eyes narrowing sharply. She exhaled even sharper than her gaze and charged again. She slid her foot across the floor, lowered her body, and flashed her sword in a move to sweep her opponent's legs.

Once again, Raquel was the target. The unerring strike was deflected by Raquel's protective magic just before it could sever her knee. The sound of hard metal clashing echoed. Next, she jumped up from her crouched position and struck again. From a position higher than Raquel's shoulder, she swung the sword she had just sheathed down like a whip.

"Ugh..." Raquel groaned. This time, instead of defensive magic, she directly deflected the silver blade by blowing wind against it. As if to return the favor for narrowly avoiding a dangerous attack, Raquel kicked out sharply, her long hair and short skirt flying. The kick, with a force that rivaled a slash, plunged into Saya's open side.

Saya gasped softly. But she wasn't a girl who would meekly kneel. She swung the scabbard in her left hand, creating a sufficient distance between herself and Raquel. Immediately regaining her posture, Saya sheathed her sword again and assumed an iaido stance, lowering her waist.

"It's you. The foreign object that has entered my brother," she said, her hand already positioned to draw her sword immediately. She glared at Raquel, discarding her previous lightness and coolness and adopting a hostile intent.

But Raquel didn't try to retort. Instead, she took a step back, scraping her foot against the floor. Another step. And another. Finally, she retreated with the swiftness of a small animal and hid behind Naoto, her shoulders hunched.

"W-wait a minute...?" Naoto looked at Raquel in surprise. He thought she must have been injured badly enough to retreat. But when he saw Raquel's wide-open golden eyes completely lose focus and go rigid, he slumped his shoulders.

(Seriously… even at a time like this, she’s socially awkward.)

For a moment, he forgot the tension that had been in the air. Naoto reflected on the impact of what had just happened. He turned to Saya, who was caressing her side and standing warily. His eyebrows furrowed slightly at the sight of his sister.

Saya’s stance was not one of restraint or attack; it was a posture meant to kill, to end a life. That was the essence of Saya as a girl.

Naoto felt a wave of disgust. Swallowing his breath as if to suppress the unpleasant emotions, he resigned himself to several things. Ideally, he wouldn’t want Saya to know about their situation. But that was no longer possible.

Saya must have already sensed it. Or perhaps, tasted it.

Saya had “touched” Naoto with her own hands. She had devoured the life force within him. She had absorbed the life of Raquel, which constantly replenished and made the mutated Naoto immortal, through her hands.

“Saya, I died once,” Naoto said, and Saya’s eyes widened in surprise.

"Died? Brother?" Her voice was that of a girl her age, making Naoto feel slightly embarrassed. He wished she would stop making such unexpectedly childlike faces. Irritated, Naoto nodded several times.

“Yeah… I got caught up in something dangerous recently. So…”

“That woman… is it because of her?” Saya’s voice became cold and sharp, like the tip of a blade.

Naoto grimaced and shook his head immediately. “No.”

Saya was looking at Raquel. To block her gaze, Naoto took a half-step to the right.

“Raquel saved my life back then. But as a trade-off, it seems I ended up sharing my life with her.” He didn't know how to explain this situation to Saya, where he was essentially living on borrowed time from Raquel. It had become so normal that it sounded absurd when put into words. But how else could he say it? (I'd better not tell her that Raquel is a vampire. That would just complicate things further.)

Deciding against revealing any details beyond the main point, Naoto withheld that information.

For a few seconds, Saya remained silent. After a moment, she spoke.

“So, you’re borrowing the lives of others…” Her voice sounded as if it had been dragged up from the depths of her belly. It was unsettling, filled with something dark and foreboding. A shadow from her long hair fell over a crimson organ, staring into the void as if glaring at someone who wasn’t there.

“The life I drained from my brother was completely different because of that... So, there is someone who killed my brother. My... my brother." Saya murmured, though she didn't voice it aloud.

Naoto clenched his fist tightly behind his back, trying to suppress the emotions welling up inside him.

(Calm down. This is... Haruka's apartment...)

Like a woman, Naoto reminded himself. This wasn’t the time to let unnecessary emotions run wild. This wasn’t the place for that.

"As long as Raquel is alive, I won't die. I'm borrowing my life from Raquel, and I have no intention of dying. I won't give you the 'Hunter's Eye'."

With a strong sense of determination, Naoto looked at the 'Hunter's Eye', which showed a series of mysterious symbols floating above Saya's head. If these were read as numbers, they would be '7946'.

Despite having absorbed a considerable amount of life force from Naoto, the number above Saya's head was quite low. Saya had always been like this. Her body was weak, and she often caught colds, causing her life force to drop drastically, making Naoto worry that she might die.

Everything was different now, compared to those days. Saya had changed, and so had he.

“Go home, Saya.” Naoto said this firmly, almost as if pushing her away. A bitter feeling settled in his stomach. These weren’t words he was happy to say.

Saya sneered. The flickering anger she had shown earlier disappeared in an instant. “What a cold statement, brother.”

(Cold? You think so?)

Saya's hand went back to the hilt of her sword. As if to warn him, Raquel suddenly grabbed Naoto's clothes tightly. Peeking out from behind him, Raquel said to Saya, "If you draw that sword, I won't hesitate to attack you, no matter what state you're in. ...Wouldn't it be better for you if you stopped now?"

Though her words came from a position of safety, they carried a weight that was more than sufficient for a warning, reeking of her knowledge of the circumstances.

Saya looked at Raquel with accusing eyes. Raquel immediately retreated behind Naoto, not meeting Saya’s gaze. In a battle of intimidation, it was clear that Raquel was losing. But Saya smiled again and slowly released her grip on the hilt, undoing her stance.

"Indeed, I've been playing a bit too much. I came here today simply to greet you and deliver a letter from Lady Mei."

“Liar…” Naoto unconsciously muttered at Saya's sudden change of attitude. The feeling of her fingers on his neck was too full of killing intent for it to be just a game. Hearing Naoto's small voice, Saya nodded politely and respectfully, just as she had when she arrived.

"Brother. I'll come back another day."

It was hard to believe that this was the same person who had just tried to gouge someone's eyes out. Naoto was utterly disgusted.

Naoto grimaced and put his hand to his head as if to ease a headache.

“Don’t ever come back.”

“That’s not going to happen.” As if implying that there was some fault on his part, Saya sheathed her sharp weapon back into the scabbard that had fallen to the floor. After securely tying it with a thin cord, she turned to Naoto with a heavy gaze. "My mission is to restore the Terumi family. To that end, I must have your 'eye'. I will definitely make it mine."

It was essentially a declaration that she would definitely kill him.

With a pure-looking smile, she directed a creeping murderous intent towards him. A chill ran down Naoto's spine.

(This is what it is...)

“Then, I will take my leave for today.” With her ominous eyes covered by her eyelids, she performed a formal bow, holding the scabbard carefully to her chest as she quietly exited.

Part 4

Only the front door watched Saya leave, and when the living room was left with only Naoto and Raquel, they both let out deep, weary sighs. Raquel’s hand gradually released its grip on Naoto’s clothing. Once freed, Naoto languidly ran his fingers through his hair, messing it up before collapsing onto the sofa.

Saya had been there for only a few dozen minutes, but it felt like hours had passed. He was mentally exhausted. ​​As Naoto slumped down, he noticed a pair of white toes in his line of sight.

Raquel, who had been near the entrance to the living room, had somehow come to stand right beside him without a sound or presence, as one would expect from a vampire. He thought of it as a joke.

"Ah... sorry about that. I put you through a lot," Naoto said, still hunched over without raising his body, directing his words toward the white toes in the corner of his vision. Once again, he had been saved by Raquel. If he hadn’t been able to break free from Saya’s grip, he would have died two or three times over.

"She's your sister, isn't she?"

"Yeah. Haruka told you?" While responding to Raquel's somewhat displeased voice, Naoto unconsciously rubbed the back of his neck. He could still feel the sensation of a small hand that didn't seem capable of holding a grown man.

"What happened? No... what do you mean?"

"What I mean is, I almost got killed by her..."

“That's not what I'm asking!” Raquel's tone was sharp, prompting Naoto to reluctantly look up. Her voice was uncharacteristically emotional—like she was anxious or confused, as if she were trying to sort through her tangled thoughts. In Naoto's lifted gaze, Raquel appeared even more serious than her voice suggested, her arms tightly crossed as if hugging herself.

"That girl... the power your sister used. It's a 'Drive.'" Raquel glaring at Naoto as if demanding confirmation. Naoto instinctively looked away, placing a hand on his forehead to bear the weight of her words.

"I guess so," Naoto said, his words accompanied by a heavy sigh.

When Raquel had previously told him about a power called Drive, he had briefly wondered if Saya had it too. But he had thought it was irrelevant to the current situation and had tried to push the thought to the back of his mind.

And yet, here was his sister, showing up out of the blue at a time like this.

"And it's not just any drive. It's the 'worst' kind of drive," Raquel continued, her tone increasingly serious, adding to Naoto’s dread about his sister's bad timing.

“What do you mean by ‘worst’?” he asked, furrowing his brow in confusion. It was not a word he could ignore.

Raquel looked at Naoto with an unusually stern gaze. The small silver mark between her brows gave her an urgent impression that didn't quite suit Raquel, who was usually arrogant and overbearing. With her chin tilted up, Raquel nodded as if to affirm.

"Yes. It's a Drive that absorbs life - a 'Soul Eater'." Raquel’s words, light in color but heavy in meaning, cast a dark shadow over Naoto’s heart.

A Soul Eater.

Naoto placed his palm against his neck again, this time over the mark left by Saya's hand.

As the name implied, Saya had the power to absorb the life force of anything she touched, especially when she touched it with her lips. It was as if she were devouring them.

“Wha—” Naoto’s voice involuntarily escaped him, and he was about to ask something. But suddenly, the front door swung open, cutting him off.

Both Naoto and Raquel reacted instinctively. Naoto jumped up and rushed into the hallway, bracing himself as if ready to take on an ambush.

Naoto glared ahead, ready to face whatever might come. Behind him, Raquel crouched low, ready to leap over Naoto at any moment and launch a surprise attack. But that preparation was soon unnecessary.

In the short, straight corridor, at the half-open door leading to the entrance, was not the kimono-clad girl with a katana that Naoto and Raquel had simultaneously imagined, but Haruka, whose eyes were wide with surprise.

"Wh-what? Why are you making such a scary face...?" The door closed with a small sound. Naoto slumped his shoulders and looked back at Raquel, lowering his eyebrows.

(You startled me.)

“Oh, it’s just Haruka…”

"What do you mean, just? Oh, Raquel-chan! You're here. That's a relief. I was so worried about where you went that I went looking for you at the convenience store," Haruka's face shifted from a pout of discontent to a bright smile as she spotted Raquel behind Naoto, relief washing over her.

Naoto glanced at Raquel and saw her take a half-step back, shrinking and looking down.

“Ah… um, I-I’m sorry… Just don’t say anything…” Raquel stammered awkwardly, barely managing to get the words out.

(Is she starting to get used to Haruka…?)

Compared to when she couldn't even speak and was frozen in place, this was progress. Naoto smiled wryly as he watched Haruka walk past him and Raquel, who stiffened up when spoken to so closely. Even though she was getting used to it, it would still be a long time before Raquel could interact with Haruka normally.

"Hey, has Saya already gone home?" Looking around the living room and seeing that no one was at the table where the tea had been, Haruka said in a disappointed voice.

"Yeah. She said she had something to do."

There was no way Naoto could say she had been chased away after attempting to attack him.

As he replied casually and returned to the living room, he gulped down the remaining tea in his cup, which he hadn’t touched yet. He let out a sigh of relief.

In this moment, the world felt normal again. With Haruka’s arrival, Naoto’s surroundings suddenly regained their everyday light.

"Ah, I'm so tired, I'm starving..."

Forgetting about Saya, vampires, and the 'Hunter's Eye', he wanted to do something completely ordinary. Naoto lowered his eyebrows slightly in an exaggerated manner, and Haruka's expression brightened.

"Oh, we have baumkuchen. Want some?"

"Yeah, sure. Let's go, Raquel." Naoto patted Raquel on the shoulder, encouraging her, and she took a step forward. Haruka grabbed Naoto's hand and urged him to walk.

“O-oh, u-uh, okay, okay.” With that, Raquel, who had become as timid as a small animal, had no choice but to follow. After all, it was Haruka, and Raquel was already well aware of her personality. She wouldn’t do anything bad.

As Raquel reluctantly put on her shoes, looking somewhat displeased, and Haruka watched over her, Naoto began to walk behind the two girls. He discreetly shoved the letter from Mei, which had fallen by the table, into his pocket.

That single piece of paper felt heavy. He didn’t need to reread its contents. It had already been firmly imprinted in his mind. It wasn’t even that long. Written in a hurried handwriting, the contents were almost purely business.

“We can no longer keep Saya here. You must kill her yourself. P.S Don’t you dare die on me!”

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