Chapter 3: Strangers are a helpless choice

Yukina had been adopted by her parents when she was only three or four years old.

Because they weren’t blood siblings, Yanase Naoto was conscious of the fact and never bossed Yukina around from the position of an “older brother.”

Most of the time, Yanase Naoto simply maintained a gentle silence, quietly and dutifully playing the role of her “older brother.”

He looked after his sister, helped her, and stayed by her side.

In return, Yukina was also very sensible and considerate, expressing her gratitude and concern for Yanase Naoto in her own sisterly way.

When they were younger, their relationship was wonderful and enviable, but this dynamic came to an end just over a year ago.

Yanase Naoto was an “Agent.”

Combat and training missions from the organization had pulled her into a world that should have been completely unrelated to her—the battlefield between humanity and the Erosion.

She dedicated most of her time to the city.
Yanase Naoto, who had never missed a moment in her sister’s life before, now had to choose between her sister’s school festival invitation and the city’s battle against an Erosion Disaster.

Before she knew it, she had broken her promises more than once.

The time they spent together had suddenly been reduced to a simple “good morning” each day.

The paths of their lives gradually diverged, and they no longer had any common topics to discuss.

Sometimes, growing distant is something that just happens without you realizing it.

What catalyzed that sense of unfamiliarity was the despair and helplessness Yukina felt when she faced an Erosion organism’s pursuit all alone.

At that moment, the one who came to her rescue wasn’t her “older brother,” but her, as “Ephnel.”

If “Ephnel” had arrived a minute later, Yukina would likely have become a cold corpse.

The situation had been that dire.

So, in Yukina’s mind, the position of the reliable “older brother” she had always depended on was, to some extent, replaced by the “Ephnel” who had saved her.

Incidents like this piled up like snowflakes, freezing into a layer of ice between them.
The once inseparable “siblings” had now become “roommates” living under the same roof, their home no longer filled with laughter.

Part of this was Yanase Naoto’s own doing, and part of it was due to circumstances beyond her control.

She had no choice, nor was she willing to choose.

She held a secret about Yukina, a secret even Yukina herself didn’t know.

She deliberately avoided Yukina, dismissed the people secretly protecting both of them, and had Yukina transfer to Yuzumi Girls’ Academy in the West District.

All of this was to completely isolate Yukina from the “world on this side” where she belonged.

Over the course of more than a year, this distancing had been quite effective.

Without much effort, Yukina had stopped following her around, calling out “Onii-chan.”

[TL Note: Onii-chan — a cute/affectionate way of saying “older brother” in Japanese.]

Ultimately, all the bitter consequences were of her own, deliberate making, so there was nothing to complain about.

Yanase Naoto was well aware of this.

Faced with a fate that felt like a joke, she had no room to say much.

But Yanase Naoto never regretted doing so, even if it meant destroying the relationship with her beloved sister.

She had already steeled herself for this over a year ago, when she first picked up “Ephnel’s” long spear.

She fought for this city, and all these choices were ultimately to protect Yukina.

Putting an end to her useless thoughts, she let out a lazy sigh as exhaustion surged up her spine to the top of her head.

The wound on her waist stung as if chili water had been poured on it; it was a piercing injury from yesterday’s battle.

“Tsk…”

She clicked her tongue lightly.

For an Agent, this kind of injury wasn’t minor, but it wasn’t severe either—just something that would heal in a week.

For Agents, medicine was merely a trivial aid, so it didn’t really matter where she recuperated.

That was why Yanase Naoto hadn’t chosen to stay at headquarters to recover, and the doctor hadn’t insisted on keeping her.

Moreover, and more importantly, Ephnel disliked the oppressive atmosphere of the headquarters’ medical department.

Compared to sitting around in a daze in a hospital room, being at home was far more comfortable.

At least her sister was at home.

Just seeing Yukina made Yanase Naoto feel that everything she did was worthwhile.

To Yanase Naoto, her sister alone was thousands of times more important than anything else.

Her sister was just that indispensable to her.

Although, in the end, her sister was doing just fine with or without her.

Her sister had grown up; she was no longer the little child who couldn’t live without her “older brother.”

This was a good thing, and she was very relieved, but she couldn’t help but feel a touch of loneliness.

She propped herself up with one hand, leaned back slowly against the chair, and picked up the remote to turn on the television.

The news was reporting on the “Erosion Disaster” that occurred in a small town on the outskirts yesterday.

The screen showed people evacuating in an orderly manner, and amidst them, the figures of “Magical Girl Ephnel” and “Saggitarius Fina” actively fighting against the “Erosion.”

Reporting on local and regional “Erosion” disaster situations was a regular daily program.

She watched for a moment before changing the channel.

On the table, steam gently rose from the oatmeal milk, but she had no appetite at all.

Before long, Yukina came to the table and sat down.

Her expression remained impassive, and she made no comment on today’s breakfast, quietly picking up a piece of bread and chewing it in small bites.

Yanase Naoto also picked up her spoon and began to eat at a leisurely pace.

Their time together was always quiet.

“Onii-chan.”

A voice like the chime of a wind bell broke through Yanase Naoto’s thoughts.

She looked up and saw Yukina looking straight at her, holding the warm oatmeal milk in her small hands.

She seemed hesitant, as if she had something to say.

For Yanase Naoto, after such a long period of minimal interaction, being called “Onii-chan” after so long was truly a joyous occasion.

Though, as a girl now, she felt a little strange about it.

“Yukina, what’s wrong?”

She put down her spoon, her expression unchanging.

She glanced at Yukina, her mind having wandered for a moment, and failed to decipher the hesitation in Yukina’s eyes.
Yukina was much harder to read now than when she was a child.

She glanced at the milk in Yukina’s hands, recalling how Yukina had always loved sweets as a child.

“Not enough sugar?”

She asked faintly.

Yukina shook her head, looking directly at Yanase Naoto’s face.

There was a patch on her “older brother’s” face—a stark white piece of gauze.

Yukina had noticed this “patch” when Yanase Naoto came home yesterday.
Compared to last night, the bloodstain on the gauze was gone, clearly replaced with a fresh one this morning.

Yukina had been bothered by this gauze for a long time.

“Onii-chan, what happened to your face?”

Only then did Yanase Naoto realize.

It was the gauze on her face.

Being such a conspicuous thing, it was indeed hard not to notice, but Yukina’s long-absent concern still took her by surprise.

This gauze was from a battle wound.
Of course, Yanase Naoto couldn’t tell Yukina the truth.

“This… I wasn’t paying attention while walking and accidentally scraped it on a telephone pole.”

Yanase Naoto averted her gaze, deliberately making her tone sound nonchalant.

To Yukina’s eyes, this came across as a clear sign of “lying.”