IV: Reunited

May 27, 2023

5:52 AM, Fukuoka Prefecture

Pekora's POV

"Argh..." Waking up and sitting on my bed, I saw Moona sitting on the railing of the balcony, humming while gazing at the sky.

"Hey Moona, get out of there! We're on the fourth floor of the hotel. You might fall down!" I yelled at her.

"Okay shachou," she's about to set her foot back on the floor when unexpectedly, her hand slipped from the railings...

She fell from the railings..

It was all too late when I tried to chase her...

Everything seemed like it was in slow motion as I saw her falling on the ground.

"Moona..."

This can't be happening right now. Not now...

Suddenly, a burst of light coming from her blinded my sights.

"MOONAA!!"

"Hey shachou what the hell?!" Moona started shaking my body.

I realized I'm still lying down on my bed.

It's just a dream...

"Did you dream of your family again?" Moona asked worriedly while holding my shoulders.

"Uhh, yes," Not wanting to make her worry, I gave a redundant lie, which she easily bit.

Well, I'm getting more worried instead.

"Okay, I'm going to grab some coffee for you. Be right back," She went to the kitchen, leaving me alone, sitting in my bed.

What was that dream??

Left with a facepalm on myself, I decided to start to find something distracting to occupy my mind. And the first thing that took my attention was the guitar case where I hid my sword. Opening the case and holding the sword, I began checking its details that I probably missed.

It's a longsword. Not commonly used in Japan since they always use katana. The word Righteous (正道) carved onto the upper part of the hilt was found when I examined it. That probably explained the sword's name. After unsheathing it, the text "Truth and Justice shall prevail at all costs" printed on the blade near the hilt made me think of its poeticness.

When I gave the sword a swing with a single hand, its lightweightness only made me hum in astonishment. That's different for a longsword, which is known to be a heavy sword. Regardless of that, I could still swing it with ease, like holding a light pillow filled with feathers. Well, I'm not that physically strong, but it felt weird...

"I'm back, shachou. Toying with a sword, eh?" Moona came back with a cup of coffee, leaning on the wall.

"No, uh... Well I'm just checking the sword. Checking for details in it," I sheathed it back and stood.

"Here's coffee for you," Moona gave the coffee to me.

"Thanks, Moona," I accepted it and took a sip.

Her latte never failed to impress me. I don't even like coffee, yet her style of blending the ingredients made me enjoy it every morning. It helped me cleanse the worries in my head. Ever since those trauma-induced nightmares always troubled my mind, she stepped up and worked hard just for me. Her latte was enough for me to forget that bad dream earlier.

"Yeah. It's just a dream..."

--

9:02 AM

"We're going up top through these stairways? Isn't that a bit high?" Moona asked, doubt heard from her tone.

"Yeah," A response came out of my mouth as a reflex

Are you here, Miko? I hope you'll fulfill our promise. I need you in these trying times...

"Let's get started," I said as I started sprinting through the stairs.

"Wait for me!" She yelled and followed immediately.

It was just a piece of cake climbing the bottom part, but as we reached halfway through the stairs, I felt fatigue kicking in my body. The long trek went for several minutes before we arrived at the top.

"No shit...." My struggling voice made me realize my mistake on running up these sky-high stairs.

"Are you okay, shachou?" Moona doesn't sound tired and breathless at all. What the heck?

"I'm fine...," My body gave up on me when I fell on the ground, feeling like I'm about to lose my consciousness.

"Just like when I saved you, tried outrunning me and ended up being carried again," Moona gave a smug face.

"How.... are you not... losing your stamina..." I asked, struggling to speak. Moona refused to answer me and gave me a bottle of water instead.

"Thanks," I immediately chugged down the bottle of water, cleansing my thirst.

"It's a shrine. We're visiting a shrine?"

"Yeah, yeah," Returning the bottle to Moona, I stood up and started walking towards the shrine.

There's no much people here, except me, Moona, and a shrine maiden-

Wait...

That pink hair...

Could it be?

My gut is telling me it's her as my feet ignored the pain of hiking earlier on, eager to see her face.

When the distance between us became miniscule, my mouth yelled out her name, "Miko-sen-"

But just as my open arms were prepared for a hug, she suddenly grabbed my left arm and flipped me on the ground, slamming me butt first.

"Ow, my butt.." Gazing at her face, a P90 was already pointed towards my forehead.

"P-Pekora???" She uttered with shock on her face.

"Miko-senpai.." Even though I expected her to be waiting on a shrine, my lips were unable to get a word out of it.

"Pekora!" Miko threw her P90 and hugged me which left me lying on the ground, with her on top of me.

I hugged her back in response, "Miko-senpai."

"Shachou, are you hurt?" Moona rushed in, checking if l got any injuries. Well, I'm not stabbed or anything.

"No, I'm okay. But my butt," Miko then lends her hand. I immediately accepted and she helped me stand up.

"Sorry for what I did, Pekora," Miko apologized

"It's okay. Let me say, you have a great reaction time," I gave a thumbs up.

She looked away, "I-it's nothing."

When I realized Moona was still standing there with a frown on her face, the idea of introducing each other went inside my mind

"Right. Miko-senpai, this is Moona, my partner-in-crime. Moona, this is Miko-senpai," I introduced both of them to each other.

"Nice to meet chu, Moona," Miko-senpai offered a handshake.

"Nice to meet you too," Moona replied with a cold tone and accepted the handshake, which lasted for like, a while.

Well... This is awkward...

Deciding to break the silence, I threw a question at Miko, "So Miko-senpai, what are you currently doing, like, do you have a job or work?"

Miko grabbed her P90 from the ground, "I'm working in a private military company. And if recalled correctly, you're leading a military army. Am I right, nye?~"

"Yeah- Wait, don't tell me.." Is she going to help us??

"Sure thing," Miko smiled, "But I'm going to ask the CEO. Don't worry, she'll accept your offer. Follow me."

10:52 AM

"God, are you going to kill us?" Her driving skills almost threw my soul outside of my body. It's like our destination is heaven, or hell.

"We're here," Outside of the car, a big building can be seen.

Shiranui Intelligence Corporation

"Are you sure about this, shachou?" Moona whispered beside me.

"She's my childhood friend. I trust her," I gave her shoulder a pat.

"If you say so," she left the car and started stretching.

"Oh god, I think I almost threw up my intestines," her murmurs can still be heard from a distance.

Miko went outside the car and opened the door beside me, "Let's go."

We went inside the building, took an elevator to the 4th floor, and headed to the office.

"Hey Flare, you here?" Miko yelled when she opened the door.

"Quit yelling!" A blonde girl with tan skin stood from her chair.

Looking from the room and her desk, I think she's the CEO.

"Well, here's my childhood friend, Pekora. Usada Pekora. Pekora, she's the CEO of Shiranui Intelligence Corporation, Shiranui Flare," Miko introduced.

Flare shook my hand, "So you're the one Miko's telling me before," Miko looked away.

"You don't have to say that," Miko uttered.

"Anyways, what can I help you with?" Before I could reply, Miko jumped beside her.

"She wants to sign a contract, maybe you could help her, nye~" Miko laid her arm over Flare's shoulder.

"But Miko, we alr-" Before she could finish her sentences, Miko covered her mouth. She then whispered something.

There's doubt seen in her face before she only sighed in defeat.

"Uhm, okay.." She then grabbed something from the desk. A paper and a pen.

"This is the contract, sign it and we will start supporting your needs," She gave me the contract and the pen. I immediately signed and gave it back to Flare.

"That's it, supplies and equipment will arrive within 2 business days," Flare then sat on her chair while holding the contract.

"That's it? That was fast," Moona stated.

"Yeah, that's it. We had a lot of equipment yet we had a small amount of demands incoming," she responded.

"Okay, then. Let's go, shachou," Moona then held my hand.

So that gives us another asset on our team. That wasn't enough against a nationwide opponent but we could still work it out.

"Miko, please assist them," Flare requested

"Aye, aye!" Miko saluted.

Miko escorted us outside the building.

"I'll drive agai-"

"No, no. We're good," Oh well, another trauma acquired from that ride.

"Okay then, if you say so," She then hugged me, "I missed you..."

"I missed you too.." I gave a pat on her back.

Miko parted from the hug, "Well... uhh, gotta go back,"

"Let's meet again," I waved my hand.

"I hope so," she ran back to the building but stopped at the doorway and muttered something that was incoherent.

"What?!" I didn't hear a shit from what she had said.

"Nothing!" Miko entered the building, leaving me and Moona beside the road.

"Should we wait for a taxi?" Moona asked.

"Nah, I'll just call a personnel to fetch us," I grabbed my phone in my pocket and started dialling.

"Hello, Usada-san?" A manly voice answered the call.

"Can you fetch us up, we're in Shiranui Intelligence Corporation. Do you know where it is-"

"On the way, ma'am," he cutted my sentences and heard him slamming the car door.

"I'll be waiting for you," I turned off the call just to find Moona staring at nothingness. Something's probably baffling her.

"Something's bothering you?" I tried to ask her.

"No, nothing," She sat down on the cement ground and hugged her knees, "Well if you trust her, I'll trust her too."

"Are you jealous or something? You're too cold earlier."

"No, I'm not," Moona looked away.

I hugged Moona just to comfort her, "Don't worry about me, I can handle everything."

She's not responding and still looking away. I totally lied about handling everything on my own. That's why Moona's always by my side.

"Come on, look at me, Moona," I nuzzled on her shoulder, wanting to hear her response.

A loud horn nearby caught my attention. The car's here. That was fast.

"Get in my teleporting car," the driver said.

"The wha-"

"No questions. Hop in," As we entered the car, Moona was still looking away, staring at the window. She's definitely ignoring me. What did I do wrong?

"Where are we going?" He asked while looking at me through the mirror.

"At the hotel, we're going to grab our things. We're going home."

4:10 PM

With my belongings in my hands, I went outside the hotel only to see the driver opening the car window, preparing to show something

"Ms, Pekora, I got a call from the airport," he then waved his phone, "Someone's waiting for you at the airport."

I smirked, "You finally accepted my offer."

--

6:59 PM

"We're here," he turned off the engine.

Just as I stood outside the car, Botan could be seen waiting near our private jet.

Before she can say anything, I already laid a finger on her lips, "I know, you can start tomorrow." Botan gave a nod but her gloomy face showed doubts in her decisions.

"Am I forcing you?" Botan shook her head.

"I don't know your motives for joining, but I know you can do it, no matter what it takes. Supplies will arrive within 2 days. I wish that would help you," I gave her a pat which she just responded with a nod.

"Hey, Moona!" She was still in the car until she decided to leave the car, brought our baggages and entered the private jet without saying anything.

"Well, uh.. Gotta go. Good luck, Botan," I gave her a thumbs-up, just to lighten her mood. "Oh, Mr. Driver, what's your name?"

"Saiki," he responded.

"Can you accompany Shishiro-san?"

"Yes, ma'am," he saluted and escorted Botan to the car while I went inside the jet.

The jet flew and Moona still didn't saw a single thing. This worries me. Did I actually did something wrong?

--

8:21 PM

Third Person POV

"Why did you forced me into having an agreement with Pekora-san?" Flare scoffed, slamming her desk.

"Why didn't you disagreed then?" Miko shrugged.

"But we already had an agreement with Min-"

"As I said earlier, why didn't you disagree? Oh, I know why. Money. When I told you earlier they would pay, you already accepted the offer. You shouldn't side with either of them at the same time but because you know you can double your profit, you still did it. I didn't force you. Money forced you. You smelled the syrup and took it, even if it's not going to end up well with your other client," With her clenched fists, Miko faced the door, only to look back at Flare.

"You helped Pekora because of money, I helped Pekora because she's my friend. We are not the same," She then left Flare alone, who was still pondering her decisions.

--

11:51 PM

"Hey Aqua, why are you here, sitting at the port? You should sleep now, y'know," Choco sat beside her.

"I'm waiting for someone," Aqua replied while looking at the vast sea.

"Eh? You haven't told me about that person, you should've told me. I'm your secretary, duh," Choco rolled her eyes.

"You know the Battleship Aquamarine? The one you always tease me because of its name?" Aqua curled her hair with her finger.

"Yeah, why- WAIT. ARE YOU SERIOUS??" Choco jaw-dropped in shock, which only responded with a nod by Aqua.

"I thought they sided with the government??"

"They gone rogue and is now siding with us," Aqua then noticed a light across the sea. She stood with a smile on her face, "She's here."

--

May 28, 2023

6:09 AM

Pekora woke up and noticed her surroundings, realizing she's already at her room on her military island.

"Didn't I fell asleep at the jet?" She sat at her bed.

"Did Moona carried me here?" The door suddenly opened, revealing Moona who seemed like she ran on a long distance

"Hey, shachou. Sorry about how I acted yesterday. It's just that I doubted them at first. Maybe I should've trusted you," Moona bowed as an apology.

"No, no. It's okay. Anyways, why are you in rush?" Pekora asked

"The Resistance Army..."

"...They started their invasion."