The lead-up to our first mission was anything but smooth. It felt like we were strapped into a rollercoaster, hurtling through a blur of preparations, drills, and—most persistently—constant nagging from Diana and Freed. The moment Freed returned from wherever he had vanished to—Roger claimed it was the Annual Meeting of Japan's Strongest Companies—he began riding us hard. His mantra never changed: raise your performance, sharpen your edge, and above all else, outshine the Iroha group.
Seven long, intense days later, I finally ascended to EEE-Rank. That milestone allowed me to begin cultivating a Secret Art path—though for now, I kept my choice tightly under wraps. Shizu, predictably ahead of the curve, had reached the final stage of EEE-Rank. Zhong wasn't far behind either, comfortably seated in mid-stage EEE-Rank. We sparred frequently during that week, testing our growth and skills. Shizu and I finally clashed again—our first real match since that draw during our early training days. Of course, she still denied that result, her pride refusing to acknowledge anything but a win.
In our new sparring sessions, I lost the first round. Shizu overwhelmed both me and Zhong, her refined grasp of her Secret Art and natural power giving her a clear edge. But growth isn't always linear, and victory isn't final. In the second round, my understanding deepened, and my physical strength surged. I won that match. Zhong and I sparred as well—I claimed a win in one round and drew the second. He even managed to draw his second sparring match against Shizu, which was no small feat.
It was a cool morning when we finally gathered outside Roger's café. Freed's energy buzzed around us like static. Diana stood beside him; her arms folded but her eyes soft with concern. Inside, Roger was fielding a conversation with some old friends who had dropped in unexpectedly.
Freed clapped his hands, clearly thrilled. "And now, with all of this, you guys are ready for your first mission!"
Zhong rubbed his palms together, nervous energy practically radiating off him. "You sure we're ready? I'm... kind of nervous."
Shizu scoffed. "Don't worry. You've got me. Nothing can stop us now."
I looked away, half-smirking. "Funny."
Her eyes narrowed. "What's funny?"
Zhong shifted uneasily. "Honestly, I'm more worried about how Shizu and Deluke are going to cooperate."
"I wouldn't worry about it," Shizu said with a shrug, brushing off the concern like a leaf on her shoulder.
Freed, Diana, and I all stared at her. We knew Shizu's flair for stirring trouble—and that unpredictable fire in her often came at the worst moments. And yet, in a twist I still didn't fully understand, Freed had chosen her to lead this mission.
"I still think making Shizu the leader is a bad idea," I muttered, glancing at Freed and Diana for support.
"Then do you want the job?" Freed shot back.
I didn't even hesitate. "No."
"Exactly," he said with a smirk. "And we sure as hell aren't putting Zhong in charge."
We all looked at Zhong, who was too preoccupied with slurping down a milkshake Roger had handed him for the journey. He gave us a confused look, straw still in his mouth.
Diana stepped forward, pulling us into a gentle embrace. "This mission could take a week. Maybe a month. Be careful out there, all of you." Her arms wrapped around us with a motherly warmth. "And Shizu…" She locked eyes with her. "Behave."
Shizu grinned sheepishly. "Okay, okay. I'll do my best."
After a round of farewells, Diana and Freed walked us to the nearest bus stop. As the three of us boarded, I took one final look at the café, committing the moment to memory.
The hours stretched long as the road wound toward Kinugawa. Somewhere along the journey, Zhong activated a discreet Awaken communication method—an advanced mental link that let us converse without anyone noticing. To outsiders, we might appear silent, or even be seen speaking about unrelated things entirely.
"So, what exactly is this mission about again?" Zhong asked through the link, his mental tone carrying more curiosity than anxiety.
"Didn't Roger, Diana, and even Freed already explain it?" I replied with a tired sigh.
"It's not that I forgot," Zhong admitted. "I just don't get how completing this will earn us such high value points. Those are hard to come by."
Shizu, lying across her seat with a sleeping mask over her eyes, responded without even lifting her head. "Because there's a big difference between missions like this and the usual Order assignments."
Zhong blinked. "How so?"
"Value points," she said, "are rated by how important a mission is to the fate of Main Earth."
"The fate of Main Earth?" Zhong echoed, even more confused.
"No one really knows what that means," Shizu explained. "Not at our level, anyway. Only the top dogs in the Three Main Bodies and the Orders understand what that phrase truly entails. They're the ones who created the value point system."
She adjusted slightly, folding her legs beneath her while somehow remaining half-asleep. "But from our perspective, a request-based quest tends to carry more value than an Order quest. Like this one, for example. We're headed to Kinugawa, a place where our company once had a satellite branch to handle paranormal activity."
I nodded, picking up where she left off. "This mission came directly from the town chief. They've reported a sudden spike in murders. Normally, the police would handle that kind of thing—but the signs point to something... darker. The killer leaves marks consistent with a devil-worshipping heretic."
Zhong's eyes widened. "Shouldn't the Church handle that? Isn't that their territory?"
"Usually, yes," I replied. "But according to Freed, this killer isn't even Awakened. That's why we were cleared to take the mission."
"All we need to do is find the guy, take him down—dead or subdued—and we rake in massive value points," Shizu said, suddenly perking up and clapping her hands together before slumping back into her seat. A few passengers turned to glance at her, clearly puzzled.
Zhong thought for a moment. "So, we're getting more points because we're actually saving civilians—normal people. That's more important than just exterminating Hell-Borns, right?"
"Exactly," Shizu confirmed. "And since people have already died, there's fear in the town. We're not just Awakened now—we're heroes. They're counting on us."
Zhong leaned back with a thoughtful expression. "Well, this is going to be interesting."
Outside the bus windows, the landscape slowly shifted as we neared Kinugawa, the famous hot spring town now overshadowed by something dark and sinister. Somewhere out there, a psycho heretic was on the loose. And we were the only ones standing between him and more bloodshed.