Walking Toward Tragedy

As I opened my eyes, I found myself on the tatami mattress, feeling a sense of déjà vu wash over me.

Ah... What happened while I was out?

I sat up, noticing Kiana's comical sleeping pose beside me. "Looks like Kiana's having sweet dreams about Mei-senpai again," I mused, watching as she murmured in her sleep, a contented smile gracing her lips.

Gently nudging her shoulder, I called out to her, "Hey, Kiana. Wake up."

She stirred, her eyes fluttering open as she blinked away the remnants of sleep. "Huh? What's up, Shin?"

I couldn't help but grin at her adorable confusion. "You were dreaming about Mei-senpai's cooking. Must have been a good dream."

Her cheeks flushed pink as she rubbed her eyes, trying to shake off the remnants of her dream. "I-I was? Oh, um, never mind that. What about you? You look like you've seen a ghost."

I laughed softly, waving off her concern. "Just a strange dream, nothing important."

With a sleepy yawn, Kiana stretched her arms and legs, "Well, I'm glad you're alright, Class Monitor and I found you on the ground."

As I rose from the mattress, I couldn't help but notice that my attire had changed from my usual Valkyrie uniform to a traditional haori outfit. Confusion flickered across my face as I glanced at Kiana.

"Hey, Kiana-chan, did you change my clothes?" I inquired, raising an eyebrow.

Kiana paused, feigning innocence as she whistled nonchalantly. "Hmm, I wonder..."

My eyes widened in realization as I caught on to her mischievous tone. "Wait... you... and the Class Monitor?"

"Eek!" Kiana squealed, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "Y-Yes! But don't worry, Shin! It's not like it's too small or anything!"

Heat rushed to my cheeks as I buried my face in my hands. "Oh god, Kiana, you didn't have to mention that!"

With a playful grin, Kiana nudged me teasingly. "Come on, Shin, don't be shy! Miss Yae was even surprised!"

"Enough with it already!"

As the door slid open, Fu Hua entered the room, her expression calm and composed. "Hm? What's with the ruckus in the morning?" she inquired, her eyes darting to Kiana, However, upon seeing me, a faint blush colored her cheeks.

...

Fu Hua nodded, seeming to understand. "Well, no matter. Breakfast is ready, so let's go. We should thank Yae Sakura for her hospitality."

Oi oi! What's with the silence

As we entered the main room, the aroma of freshly prepared food filled the air, instantly awakening my senses. My eyes widened at the sight of the oversized onigiri and sashimi spread out on the table, each dish more enticing than the last.

"It's... big..." I remarked, my voice tinged with awe as I took in the sheer size of the culinary masterpiece before us.

Kiana's face lit up with excitement at the sight of the giant onigiri. "Oh! I love Onigiri!"

she exclaimed, her eyes gleaming with delight as she reached eagerly for one of the oversized rice balls.

"Hehe, please eat lots," Yae Sakura said with a warm smile, her eyes twinkling with amusement at Kiana's enthusiasm.

"Yeah... But will we be able to finish this?" I wondered aloud, However, before I could finish my sentence, Fu Hua gestured towards Kiana, who had already begun devouring her meal with gusto.

Realizing that Kiana's voracious appetite would certainly make short work of the generous spread before us, I chuckled softly and joined in, picking up a pair of chopsticks and eagerly digging into the delicious feast before me.

"By the way, Fu Hua," I began, catching her attention.

"Yes, Watanabe?" she replied, her tone calm and composed.

"How will we be able to find the Divine Key?"

Fu Hua paused, her gaze shifting between me and Kiana before she stood up from the table. "Follow me," she instructed, gesturing for us to come with her.

"Hm? You two are already done?" Yae Sakura asked, a hint of surprise in her voice.

Fu Hua smiled at Yae, "Ah, no, we'll be right back," she reassured before leading us out of the room.

Once we were out of earshot, Fu Hua made sure no one was listening before she began to speak. "Watanabe, have you noticed something strange in this village?"

"Hm... No," I admitted, shaking my head.

"I see. It seems that you haven't visited the entire place."

"I... haven't."

"Then let me explain," Fu Hua continued, her expression serious as she spoke. "While you were out cold yesterday night, I noticed a few Honkai beasts roaming around the grounds, except for the village. There are a lot of them, actually."

"And?"

"Hm..." Fu Hua paused, considering her words carefully before she continued. "The presence of Honkai beasts is unusual, especially in this area. It suggests that something sinister may be at play."

My brows furrowed in concern as I absorbed her words. "So, you think the appearance of these Honkai beasts is somehow connected to the disappearance of the Divine Key?"

"It's a possibility," Fu Hua confirmed, her gaze steady as she scanned our surroundings. "We'll need to investigate further to confirm."

"Then may I ask, where the 12th divine key could be?" 

"The forests."

"Forests?"

"Well, It's just a possibility but... yes."

"When are we gonna start searching?" I inquired, eager to begin our mission.

"Now... After we eat. Get Kiana with you," Fu Hua instructed her tone firm yet composed.

"Roger."

Fu Hua smiled in approval. "Good."

With Fu Hua's guidance, we made our way back to the dining area, where Kiana was still enthusiastically enjoying her meal.

"Kiana, we need to talk," I announced, trying to get her attention amidst her fervent eating.

"Huh? What's up, Shin?" Kiana responded between bites, her mouth half-full with food.

What a glutton.

"We're going to start searching for the Divine Key after we finish eating," I informed her, hoping to convey the urgency of the situation.

"Really? Awesome! I'm ready!"

 couldn't help but chuckle at her enthusiasm. "Good. Finish up quickly, we don't want to keep Fu Hua waiting."

"Got it!" Kiana replied enthusiastically, redoubling her efforts to devour her meal.

And then, Kiana finished her meal almost as she finished a single XXXL Onigiri.

Once Kiana had cleaned her plate, we made our way back to Fu Hua. "Looks like you two are done?" Fu Hua inquired as we approached her.

"Yes," Kiana and I replied simultaneously, indicating that we were ready to proceed with the mission.

"Great, now let's start planning," Fu Hua said, taking out a device that projected a holographic landscape. "This is where the shrine is, meaning this is where we are. I want you two to explore the south side of the forest."

"Roger," I affirmed, understanding the task ahead.

"Good. We'll rendezvous back at the shrine before midnight," Fu Hua instructed, her tone decisive and authoritative.

Kiana and I nodded in agreement, ready to carry out our assigned mission.

"Good," Fu Hua concluded before turning to walk away.

As she departed, Kiana and I exchanged a glance, silently communicating our determination to succeed. "Let's go?"

"Yeah, we can't let Class Monitor take all the credit," Kiana replied with a competitive grin.

"Always competitive," I remarked with a chuckle. "But that's what makes us a great team."

"Right, right... Let's move," Kiana said, leading the way as we set off to explore the forest.

"Hey! Wait for me!" I called out, jogging to catch up with Kiana as we made our way toward the path leading into the forest.