Shin really doesn't get flustered easily

"So, about that "my dear Shiho" part..." started Ann.

"Ah! J-Just forget about it!" stuttered the girl in question.

She covered her face with her hands, so that the blonde wouldn't be able to look at her. But despite her efforts, Ann knew how she was feeling.

Thinking back on how Shin took offence on the way Yusuke addressed Shiho made the blonde feel somewhat envious, though she immediately snapped out of that line of thought.

The 2 girls wordlessly decided to patiently wait for Ryuji and Morgana to arrive.

Meanwhile, Shin was freaking out.

"WHERE THE FUCK AM I?!"

The last thing he heard before falling unconscious was Shiho shouting about some pose.

Now, he woke up in some... snowy forest. Shin, who only had the casual wear from before, should've been freezing.

Unfortunately, it seemed as though fate wouldn't allow him to ponder more on the meaning of the not-cold snow. The teen could hear footsteps approaching his location, so he decided to go safe and jumped up in one of the trees.

From his elevated position he could see one lavender-haired beautiful lady followed by several soldiers in gray armour.

"You said he'd be somewhere around here, did you not?" asked the woman.

"Y-Yes, he should be." said one of the soldiers, nervously.

The taller woman grabbed the soldier by the head and brought him to her eye level.

"Then, why isn't he here?" she asked coldly.

"I-I-I don't know, ma'am!" said the trembling soldier.

The woman clicked her tongue and clenched her hand, crumpling the metal armour as if it was paper.

"Useless." she said, discarding the soldier's corpse.

She took out a handkerchief to wipe the dead guy's blood off her hand.

"We're going back to the fort. The target wasn't in the predicted location." she told the other soldiers.

Said soldiers wordlessly followed her, too scared to say anything.

Shin, who was trailing them, saw that near the back, one soldier whose armour looked less used asked the one next to him about something. Whether he was a newbie or just ignorant to the mood around, Shin didn't know.

The teen hopped from one tree trunk to another as silently as possible, trying to get within earshot of the 2 soldiers' conversation.

He couldn't follow them on foot, as the sound of snow being stepped on would most likely be heard by the soldiers. Alternately, going higher would mean thinner branches, which had the risk of shaking and possibly even collapsing under the combined weight of Shin and the snow.

"Do you want to get us both killed, new guy? I don't know what Lady Olga can do, but even if I knew, why would I tell you?" said the other soldier.

Shin could realize that this "Lady Olga" they were talking about was most likely the woman in front.

Sadly, for the curious soldier, the woman heard them from the beginning. She was merely waiting to see how the more experienced soldier would react. Deeming one more missing soldier as acceptable, she moved towards them so fast, it looked like she teleported.

"A little spy seems to have infiltrated our ranks. Tell me, who do you work for? Is it that fatass Laug? Or that little bitch Deah?" said the woman, practically spitting out those names.

"Huh?" the soldier looked as confused as Shin when he got here.

"Actually, never mind. I'll just find out on my own."

At that moment, something more shocking than Shin's appearance here happened. The stupid soldier started bloating more and more, to the point where he looked like a bundle of balloons.

Then, without any warning whatsoever, he simply... popped.

Blood scattered everywhere, but strangely, not a single drop fell on Olga.

'Perhaps that is her ability. Certainly concerning.' thought Shin.

At that moment, Shin started getting dizzy. Just for safety, in case he's still here after he wakes up or if he appears in the exact same position as before when he returns, if that happens at all, the teen placed himself in such a way that he won't fall off the branch.

It seemed as thought Olga could sense Shin somehow, as she turned to look at him, even though he was pretty sure he didn't make any noise.

Luckily for the teen, he had vanished before the lavender-haired woman could make her move.

"Dammit! He was so close!"

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Ann's japanese VA also voiced Moka Akashiya in Rosario + Vampire and Hinata Hyuuga. Need I say in what anime?

Her English VA is amazing too. Elizabeth Liones, Kurapika, Yumeko Jabami, Shinobu Kocho, Crusch Karsten, I could go on and on, really.

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Confidants:

Igor (The Fool) - Rank 2

Morgana (The Magician) - Rank 3

Takuto Maruki (The Councillor) - Rank 1

Makoto Niijima (The Priestess) - Rank 1

Sojiro Sakura (The Hierophant) - Rank 3

Ann Takamaki (The Lovers) - Rank 6

Ryuji Sakamoto (The Chariot) - Rank 6

Tae Takemi (The Death) - Rank 4

Saki Yoshiko (The Moon) - Rank 2

Sae Niijima (The Judgement) - Rank 1

Shiho Suzui (The Hope) - Rank 6