Division X

Chihiro and Yuto stepped out of the tatami room and back into the long hallway...

As they walked together, Yuto instinctively grabbed his left hand, rubbing it with his thumb. The golden Angelic symbol that had been engraved there earlier was already fading from sight, slowly sinking into his skin... Even so, he could still feel it vividly...warm, beating steady, with the rhythm of his heartbeat...

“Don’t worry,” Chihiro said to him, without turning back. “You’ll get used to it.”

Soon after, they stopped in front of a large inverted door reinforced with steel and aluminum bindings... Chihiro raised her hand and pressed her palm against the surface... A golden sigil appeared underneath her fingers, glowing brightly for a brief moment before the door slid open on its own...

Yuto let out a quiet sigh... "Jesus Christ—what is this, James Pond, meets, Harry dotter and train to pusan..." Yuto murmured to himself... 

Beyond the large door was a very spacious hall. Several people were already gathered there, standing nonchalantly.Yuto’s eyes momentarily scanned the hall, before entering...But as soon as he and Chihiro stepped inside...

"Divine Captain Chihiro!" Everyone stood upright... Except for one person...

“Chihiro!” Hana shouted from the far end. As she rushed forward and wrapped her arms tightly around Chihiro's waist. “I missed you so much!”

“Hana—” Chihiro started wiggling her back.

“You know your senior sister has been terribly lonely since you suddenly disappeared and went to who-knows-whe—” Hana froze up and squinted her eyes... “…Huh?”

Suddenly noticing Yuto standing at the back of Chihiro...

“Yah!” she shouted, pointing at Yuto. “The sick boy!”

Yuto kept looking at her with an unserious eye...

“Ehhh—Yuta? Ah—no—Yuti? No, no—” Hana rubbed her forehead twice, clearly struggling to remember his name... “Why am I forgetting your name?!”

Chihiro clapped her hands twice..."Hana. That’s enough.”

“No, wait, I almost got it—”

Chihiro ignored her and turned to the rest of the group... “Everyone, listen up. This is Yuto Sato. He’s been officially granted angelic authority by Akira-sama herself... so as of today, he is now a part of our team—Division x.”

“Wait… Captain Chihiro,” a man spoke up. “Isn’t he the guy we rescued from the burning university building a few months ago?”

“Yes, Bruno,” Chihiro replied, folding her arms over her chest.

“Wow… he survived that?” Another girl in the group exclaimed...

“He’s cute,” she added. “Back then, we couldn’t even recognize him because of the burns.”

Yuto stood there awkwardly, unsure where to look as they talked about him like he wasn’t there.

Chihiro cleared her throat twice...“Himari. Enough.”

The girl immediately straightened up. “S-sorry, Captain!”

“Now,” Chihiro continued talking, in an authoritarian tone, “introduce yourselves.”

One by one, the four group members stepped forward...

“Hi, Yuto, kawaii! I’m Himari Noboru!” she said energetically, hugging him before he could even react.

“Sup, Yuto-boy,” the man who questioned him before said with a wide grin. “Bruno Kenzo.” He gave Yuto a light tap on the shoulder.

“Yuto-kun,” Hana said, smiling proudly. 

“We’ve already met before, but I’ll say it properly this time. I’m Hana Aiko—Chihiro’s lovely elder sister.”

Chihiro sighed and continued as if Hana hadn’t spoken...

“I’m sure you’ve all heard the news.”

Hana raised her hand. “What news?... I'm not sure I have heard anything."
Himari leaned over and whispered into her ear, “Senpai… It’s about rescuing Akira-sama’s angelic brothers.”

“Oh!” Hana laughed awkwardly. “Right. I forgot.”

“…You forgot?” Bruno uttered.

“Don't blame me, I’m getting old,” Hana sighed dramatically.

“But senpai, you’re only twenty-three,” Himari responded quietly.

"Focus...Everyone.. this isn't the time for jokes." Chihiro's character got a lot more serious...

"Sorry, captain." Everyone apologized.

Then she continued, her expression becoming more hardened as she explained.

“In one week, we move into Central Tokyo—once considered the safest stronghold, protected by several military bases, but now the most dangerous area on record.”

Her eyebrows frown slightly...

“Over the past three months, the level of angelic radiation in the area has risen rapidly. As a result, high-level zombie anomalies have overrun the zone. On top of that, the military has tightened its control.”

She exhaled slowly...

"According to our intel, they also possess a divine squad—one that has been blessed with angelic authority...They are far from weak.”

“What? No way!” Himari exclaimed.

“It was to be expected,” Bruno responded to Himari's tantrum. “They also have an angel with them… Akira-sama’s brothers.”

“They were probably forced to give them the authority,” Hana joined the conversation.

"Don't be scared, the Intel says we are as strong as them, if not stronger," Chihiro said... before turning towards Yuto...

Her blue eyes softened the moment they landed on him... “Speaking of strength,” she said, “Bruno, you’ll be in charge of training Yuto for the next week raid.”  

Yuto’s eyes briefly widened—not from fear, or shock, but excitement, thrill.

“Yes, Captain,” Bruno replied...

“Good,” she said. “Then I think that’s all.”She turned around and began walking toward the entrance. “Hana, follow me.”

“Okay… Chihiro-chan, where are we going?” Hana asked as she followed after her.

"To the meeting room,” Chihiro replied. “We’re going to discuss the strategic plan with the other captains.”

Her voice slowly faded out as she walked away, while Yuto remained standing there, watching them go...

Immediately, Bruno wasted no time. Whatsoever...

The moment he saw Chihiro and Hana's body figures disappear down the hallway, he cracked his neck once and turned toward Yuto with a wide smile.

“Alright, Yuto-boy,” Bruno said. “Follow me.”

Yuto nodded once and followed him without a word... 

They headed in the opposite direction from where Yuto had entered earlier, and after a short walk of silence, Bruno stopped in front of a medium-sized elevator. The doors slid open, and they stepped inside...

The elevator began to move upwards...

Yuto remained at alert the entire time. His shoulders were tense, and his eyes were constantly moving around. He still didn’t fully trust them—not yet. And there were too many things he didn’t understand about this place… about them.

“…Eh?”

The elevator slowed down, and then stopped... The doors opened up wide. And Bright sunrays flooded in...suddenly, they emerged from the ground, and in front of Yuto was a very massive metal fence—fifteen times the height of an average person. All around them was grass, almost like a park.

Yuto slowly turned around, taking it all in, and then realization hit him... "So… we’ve been underground this whole time,” Yuto shouted involuntarily.

“Hm, yah, man,” Bruno responded casually.

Yuto let out a very short, nervous laughter. “But we’re still in Japan, right?”

Bruno looked at him with an unserious expression... “Yuto-boy, this is Yoyogi Park.”

He exhaled deeply in relief, his shoulders finally dropping the suspense.

“Testing testing, this is Divine Officer Bruno speaking, eh, can you please send up a vehicle… and while at it, open the front gate.”

While talking, Yuto could see Bruno’s own angelic symbol glowing as he communicated the same way Chihiro did back when he first met her.

Seconds later, a red Toyota Land Cruiser rose out of the ground on a lift. The engine was already running.

Bruno grinned weirdly, salivating, at the sight of the car. “Come on… get in. We’re heading out.” He climbed into the driver’s seat and waved at Yuto.

Yuto quickly got into the passenger seat, closing the door behind him...

Ahead of them, the massive front gate began to open...

Bruno kicked the accelerator, and the vehicle quickly moved forward, passing through the opening gate—and just like that, they were out...