In a quiet farmhouse in Kumatou village, Yukari woke with a start, her breath catching in her throat. The morning sun, soft and golden, streamed through the paper windows, the sounds of a peaceful village morning—the distant crow of a rooster, the gentle rustle of leaves—a stark contrast to the storm raging in her mind.

  Where am I? she thought, her heart pounding. It felt so long since she had gotten a decent night's sleep. She scanned her surroundings, and the familiar sight of the small, clean room she shared with Raito slowly brought her back to the present. She looked down at her hands. In the soft morning light, they were just hands. But in her mind, all she could see was the phantom stain of blood, a stain that no amount of scrubbing could wash away.

  She shivered, a bead of sweat running down the side of her forehead despite the cool morning air. It was the right choice, she thought, the words a desperate mantra she clung to, a single line to justify the choices she had made.

  Then, it hit her. The familiar, comforting smell of Raito's vegetable stew, a scent that had once brought her so much peace, now a painful reminder of the life she was slowly losing. She was drawn to the smell, and with a heavy heart, she moved to the main area of the farmhouse.

  There he was. Raito, standing by the stove, humming a tuneless, happy song as he cooked a large pot of stew, just as he always did. The young man she liked, the one she wanted to protect, safe and in one piece. This is the right choice, she thought, a fresh wave of resolve washing over her. What I do... it is justified.

  "Oh, you're up," Raito said, sensing her presence.

  "Yeah, I am," Yukari replied, her voice softer than she intended.

  "You were pretty tuckered out," he teased, turning to her with a warm, easy smile. "Seems the vacation really took a lot out of you."

  "Yes, it was," she said, the lie coming more easily this time, a bitter taste in her mouth. "The scenery, the walk... everything was beautiful."

  "Well, sit down," he said, gesturing with his ladle to the small wooden table. "I want to hear all about it."

  Yukari just nodded, a fake smile on her face as she sat down, the weight of her second lie a heavy, cold stone in her heart.

  Raito quickly served her a bowl of stew and a cup of warm, steaming tea. "Try the tea first," he said, a proud, expectant grin on his face.

  Confused by his sudden enthusiasm, Yukari did as he asked. After the first sip, her eyes widened in surprise. "This is different," she said, taking another, deeper sip. "It's much more fragrant than usual."

  "Yes! It was a success!" Raito pumped his hand in the air, the feeling of victory washing over him. He puffed out his chest proudly. "I modeled it after Grandpa Sun Yoon's tea, but I didn't get the tea leaves from him. This is my own creation."

  A small, genuine smile finally broke through Yukari's carefully constructed mask. "Seems like someone's been busy," she said, her voice a little warmer now.

  "Well, I had to get busy somehow," he replied, his tone a little softer. "You left me all alone."

  "Ohhh... do you miss me?" Yukari asked, a teasing glint returning to her silver eyes.

  "No," Raito said, a faint blush on his cheeks as he quickly looked away. "It's just... a bit empty here, without your annoying voice."

  "Well, I miss you too," Yukari said, the words coming out before she could stop them, simple and honest.

  The statement made Raito speechless. He just stared at her, his own teasing demeanor completely gone. Yukari, realizing what she had just said, her first genuine, unguarded words in days, turned a deep shade of red.

  "A-anyway," Raito stammered, breaking the sudden, intimate silence. "How was your trip? You said it was tiring, what did you do? You know, the more important details."

  "Oh, right. It was so fun," Yukari said, the mask of cheerfulness snapping back into place, her voice now a little too bright. She launched into a detailed, enthusiastic, and entirely fabricated story. "Ms. Akira took us to Takafushi Island to try all the different Hanyuun desserts. Then we went to the hot springs on the island north of that. We saw so many different animals, and walked across all the wooden bridges. The beaches were beautiful, and the coconut drink was amazing."

  "Sounds like fun," Raito said, listening intently, a happy, genuine smile on his face. "We should do that together someday."

  "Ye-yeah," Yukari stammered, her own smile faltering for a second. "We should."

  "Was everything alright during your trip, Yukari?" he asked, his brow furrowed with a hint of concern. "I thought Hanyuun still has that civil war going on. You know, which is why we're hiding out here in Kumatou."

  "Yes, everything was alright," she replied quickly. "The islands we visited are far from the main battlefields, so no worries, Raito."

  "Well, as long as you're safe," he said, his smile returning.

  "How about you?" Yukari asked, quickly changing the subject. "Other than experimenting with tea, of course."

  "Well, not much really," Raito said with a shrug. "Mostly just farming like usual, being bored, playing this white tile game called Mahjong, and walking around."

  "Mahjong? What's that?" Yukari asked, her curiosity piqued.

  "No idea," he admitted. "Just a game that Grandpa Sun Yoon seems to like. Something from his hometown, he said."

  "Oh, okay," she said, a small smile on her face at the thought of the old hermit.

  "Well," Raito added, his expression turning a little more dramatic, "there was also the part where I was almost eaten by a two-horned boar."

  Yukari slammed her hands on the table, her eyes wide with shock and concern. "Two-horned boar? You know they're carnivorous, right? Are you okay? How did you stay in one piece?"

  "Relax," he said, holding up his hands in a calming gesture. "Grandpa Sun Yoon saved me. He's a Gust Core user, and an ex-soldier, it seems. You should have seen him in action, he was so cool."

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  A Core user... and an ex-soldier, Yukari thought, a new wave of unease washing over her. Someone so strong and mysterious has been living near us all this time. She panicked a little, but quickly pushed it down. The old hermit had only ever been kind to them. She couldn't afford to be wary of everyone, not now.

  "So," Raito asked, breaking the quiet as they sat at their small wooden table.

  "So what?" Yukari replied.

  "Are you staying here today, or are you going hunting?"

  "Hmm..." Yukari pondered for a moment, a flicker of her old, playful self returning to her eyes. "I think I will stay at home today. I think I deserve it. I want to bother you while you're farming." She smiled teasingly.

  "Please don't," Raito said, his voice full of a mock-defeat. But then a genuine, relieved smile spread across his face. This is the usual Yukari, he thought, the concerns from the night before melting away. All those worries must have just been in my head.

  Meanwhile, back at Takayama Castle, a loud, booming laugh echoed through the main chamber. It was Takayama Godai.

  "Have you seen this, Min Eun?" he said, handing multiple scrolls to the kneeling cheetah Sacred. The scrolls were detailed reports from his spies.

  Min Eun inspected the contents, a sadistic smile spreading across her face. "Chaos... pure chaos, my lord," she purred.

  "They said a 'phantom killer' has left the Izumi and Imagawa camps in disarray," Takayama said, his voice full of a triumphant glee. "It has ruined their operations, and they still don't know who this mysterious killer is." He laughed again.

  "Indeed," Min Eun replied. "The effect has been better than we expected."

  "I am indeed the chosen one," Takayama declared, his voice ringing with authority. "Those filthy Imagawa and Izumi will soon bow before me. I will be the one to unite all of Hanyuun under my banner."

  His laughter stopped abruptly. "So, where is she?" he asked, his voice now a low, dangerous whisper.

  "Where else, my lord?" Min Eun purred. "That small farmhouse, in that small village."

  "Her... humanity," Takayama mused, a flicker of irritation in his eyes. "It is a problem for us. Is there a way we can eliminate it?"

  "Not without breaking our new toy, my lord," she replied. "The girl is too attached to that boy."

  "Can't we just take him prisoner and force her to work?"

  "We can, but she might defect. And she knows a lot from just the few days she's been with us."

  "Then we'll work her to the bone," Takayama said, his voice cold and calculating. "Influence her, little by little. Make her accept us. Take the long route."

  "Indeed," Min Eun purred. "That seems the most efficient way right now, my lord."

  "Then what are you waiting for, Min Eun?" Takayama asked, a cruel smile on his face. "You have my permission to take her on more 'vacations'."

  "Gladly, my lord," she purred, bowing her head. With a quick, sharp whistle, she ordered her four-winged crow to fly to the small farmhouse, a new mission in its claws.

  The sun was high, its heat a comforting weight on their small farmhouse. Yukari was sitting peacefully in a lawn chair, her expression still as she watched Raito spraying water on the rows of carrots and potatoes in their backyard. Though she looked calm, she still occasionally glanced down at her own hands, unable to let go of the phantom feeling of blood that wasn't there.

  Raito, meanwhile, was a mess of quiet anxiety. He kept fidgeting, his hand occasionally drifting to his pocket where the small, velvet box was still hidden. Should I do it right now? he thought, his stomach twisting into knots. Later today? Maybe some other time? He was completely, utterly indecisive. Will she even accept? We used to live in such different worlds. I think I might throw up.

  He let out a long, slow exhale. The sound was just loud enough to catch Yukari's attention.

  "Hey, Yukari," he said, his voice a little shaky. "Later tonight, do you want to go for a walk?"

  "Uh, sure," she replied. "Why are you fidgeting so much?" she asked, her silver eyes narrowing with a hint of concern. "Did you catch a cold?"

  "No," he said quickly. "I just... want to get some walk with you. It's been a while, right?"

  "Right…..," she said, a teasing glint returning to her eyes. "...idiots don't catch colds, anyway."

  Hearing this, Raito immediately aimed the water hose at her, dousing her with a spray of cool water.

  "Hey!" she yelped, jumping up from her chair, her earlier quiet mood completely gone. She angrily approached him, water dripping from her hair.

  "You started it first," he said, a triumphant grin on his face.

  "No, I was just stating facts," she countered, trying her best to look angry but failing to hide the smile that was tugging at the corners of her lips.

  As they laughed and played around with the water hose, a shadow fell over their small backyard.

  Caw.

  The sound, sharp and unnatural, cut through their laughter. A four-winged crow, its feathers a deep, inky black, croaked as it landed on one of the wooden fence posts.

  "Hmm? What is this?" Raito said, still smiling. "Shoo, shoo." He tried to shoo it away, but the crow didn't move. It just stared at them with its intelligent, beady eyes.

  Yukari's expression turned grim. The playful light in her eyes was extinguished in an instant, replaced by a cold, hard dread. She knew what this meant. She had been summoned.

  She quickly ran past Raito, heading for the front of the farmhouse without a word.

  "Hey," he said, but he was left speechless, a confused, hurt look on his face as he watched her disappear.

  Yukari ran, following the crow as it guided her through the dense, tropical thicket of the island. Her heart pounded in her chest, a frantic drum against her ribs. She finally arrived at a quiet, secluded beach, the turquoise water a stark, beautiful contrast to the ugly feeling in her stomach. Min Eun and her three masked underlings stood waiting for her.

  "What do you want?" Yukari asked, her voice cold and devoid of all emotion. She changed, wearing her 'work clothes,' the black mask hugging her mouth.

  "A mission, of course, darling," Min Eun purred, gesturing to a small, unassuming fishing boat. "This time, our target is a secret rendezvous between Izumi and Imagawa delegates at sea. We're going to crash it."

  "Make it fast, I have somewhere I need to be." Yukari said, taking a step toward the boat.

  "Oh, I like your enthusiasm," Min Eun said, a triumphant smile on her face as she gestured for her crew to start rowing.

  Later that same night, Yukari walked limply back to the farmhouse. Ugh... what a blunder, she thought. She was back in her farmer's garb, but she held her shoulder, scrapes and bruises covering her knees, legs, and arms. During the skirmish, a soldier had managed to strike her shoulder with his spear. She had bandaged it already, but she was afraid the red blood mark would be discovered by Raito.

  Tired, she thought. But this is for him. The thought brought a small, sad smile to her face.

  As she quietly opened the door, she found Raito waiting for her, his arms crossed, a frustrated look on his face.

  "Do you know what time it is?" he asked, his voice sharp.

  "Uh... midnight," Yukari replied, her voice a little too quiet.

  "Exactly," he said, his frustration growing. "Where did you go? You suddenly left, no words, no 'Hey, Raito, I'm going here.' Nothing."

  "My bad," she said, forcing a cheerful smile. "I was told to come and help Mr. Akira. Apparently, some of the hunters actually got a cold."

  "Really?" he asked, his brow furrowed with suspicion. "How did you know? There was only a crow, and you just left."

  "I just... have better ears than you," she said, the lie flimsy and weak. "You might not have heard it."

  "And what about those injuries?" Raito asked, his gaze sweeping over her.

  She gestured to her own injuries. "I tripped. The boar, you know which one, almost got me. Thankfully, Mr. Akira came through."

  "You got me worried, you know," he said, his expression softening with concern. "If you have things on your mind, just tell me."

  "I know... I know," she said, the guilt a sharp blade in her heart. "But I really have nothing on my mind. Just a genuine mistake. Sorry about missing our walk. Tomorrow?" she asked, a hopeful, pleading look in her eyes. "Let me make it up to you."

  Raito looked at her, at the scrapes and bruises, at the exhaustion in her eyes, and he relented. "Not tomorrow," he said, his voice gentle as he helped her sit down. "You're injured. Maybe the day after that?"

  "Deal," Yukari said, a wave of relief washing over her, though she had no idea when, or if, she would be summoned again. I need to make it up to him, she thought. This is the right choice. It has to be. Just make sure he won’t notice.