Collaboration

A few days later, Unit 10 brought along three members: myself, Ren, and Ginna. This morning, we were waiting for someone who would come to pick us up. I had heard that she was the head of Unit 6, Tenka Izumo. Ren had mentioned that this woman possessed an extraordinary teleportation ability called Ame-no-Mitori (天御鳥命アメノミトリ, Ame-no-Mitori, meaning "Life of the Heavenly Bird"). With this power, she could manipulate space and teleport from one location to another with ease.

We stood in the courtyard of the headquarters, the cool morning breeze gently sweeping through our hair. The morning sun began to rise in the eastern horizon, painting the sky with a golden-orange hue. The atmosphere was still quiet, only the sounds of birds chirping and leaves rustling in the wind could be heard.

I glanced at Ren, who appeared calm, her hands in her pockets while occasionally stroking Miyabi, who sat beside her. Meanwhile, Ginna looked anxious, rearranging her equipment and making sure everything was in order. I, on the other hand, felt slightly awkward and impatient.

"Are you sure you consider me a member?" I asked, trying to break the silence. "Well, you yourself declared me as your 'dog'," I continued, playing with the dog tag hanging around my neck. The gleam of the metal dog tag caught the light, shining under the morning sun.

Ren turned towards me, displaying that slight smile that always made people feel at ease. "Jin, you know how valuable you are to us. The 'dog' label is just a joke. You are part of this unit, no matter what others say," she said, looking into my eyes firmly.

Ginna paused from her busyness, looking at us with a smirk. "Yes, Jin. We all know how strong and important you are here. Even if you have to wear a maid's outfit," she teased, lightening the mood a bit.

I sighed and smiled slightly. "By the way, I'm still wearing the maid outfit. Isn't there anything that can replace this uniform?" I asked half-jokingly.

Ren chuckled softly, then shook her head. "Maybe someday we can think of a more fitting uniform for you. But for now, you look good in that."

Ginna laughed at Ren's comment. "Yes, who knows? Maybe we can start a new trend with combat maid outfits."

The atmosphere became more relaxed for a moment, and we laughed together. But our laughter soon stopped when a bright light appeared a few meters in front of us. A portal slowly opened, revealing the graceful figure of Tenka Izumo. She stepped out elegantly, her sharp eyes scanning us one by one.

"Good morning, everyone," greeted Tenka with a soft yet firm voice.

We all nodded in response to her greeting. I observed her from head to toe, noting every detail. Tenka was a young and beautiful woman with bright blue eyes and short blonde hair with white at the top of her head. As the Head of Unit 6, she wore the Anti-Demon Corps uniform, consisting of a dark blue militia tunic, a hat with a red stripe, white gloves, short pants, and thigh-high boots. She also wore two different sets of earrings, a single feather earring in her right ear and an elegant blue pendant earring.

At first glance, she appeared as a calm, mature, and kind-hearted woman. Her face radiated tranquillity, but I wouldn't be deceived. As my grandfather said, women are like the open sea; sometimes calm, sometimes stormy.

Tenka stepped closer, examining us one by one. When her eyes met mine, there was a playful glint in them. She smiled slightly, moving a bit closer to me than to the others.

"So, you're the one they call the 'maid dog'?" she asked teasingly. "I must say, you look quite interesting in that outfit."

I smiled stiffly, trying to hide my embarrassment. "Well, this is all because of Ren and Ginna's idea. They thought it was funny."

Tenka laughed softly, her voice like ringing bells. "Oh, I agree. You do look quite adorable."

Ginna, standing beside me, tried to hold back her laughter but failed. "See, Jin, even leader Tenka agrees."

I sighed, scratching the back of my head awkwardly. "Yeah, yeah, very funny. Let's focus, okay?"

Ren, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke. "Tenka, is everything ready?"

Tenka nodded, returning to her professional demeanour. "Yes, we will head to the joint training location. This will be a valuable experience for both units."

We all prepared to enter the portal. I glanced at Tenka once more, this time with a deeper sense of respect. Behind her calm face and teasing smile, I could feel extraordinary strength and determination.

As we stepped into the portal, Tenka stood beside me, looking at me with a keen interest. "Jin, make sure you show something impressive, okay?" she said with a sweet smile that made my heart beat a little faster.

"Ah, yes," I replied, slightly nervous. My face heated up, and I felt awkward. It couldn't be denied that when a beautiful woman like Tenka teased me, I felt a bit uneasy.

Ren, walking ahead of us, turned with a sharp look. Her dark eyes glittered, full of something that seemed like jealousy. I could see her jaw clenching slightly, a sign that she was a bit upset, though I wasn't sure why.

...

We all teleported to a place that looked like the front yard of a traditional Japanese building. The building had typical architecture with curved roofs and sturdy wooden pillars, giving an impression of antiquity and authority. In front of the building, a group of people was already waiting, looking ready for the joint training.

In the front row stood Kyouka Uzen, the head of Unit 7. She was a young and beautiful woman with long silver hair reaching her thighs. Her hair had bangs on the sides of her forehead, while two long strands fell over her shoulders. Her pink eyes looked sharp, showing a calmness and firmness that reflected her militaristic personality. In battle, Kyouka was known to be fierce and serious. Her peach blessing, Slave, allowed her to unleash the potential of those she had enslaved, making her a very dangerous and effective leader.

To Kyouka's right stood Himari Azuma, a beautiful young woman with sea-green hair tied with a ribbon at the back of her head. Her eyes were bright yellow. Himari had a solitary and hardworking personality, driven by her family's reputation for strength. Her peach blessing, Learning, allowed her to copy other people's abilities after studying them and configure them on her smartphone. However, this ability had a drawback because if she wasn't compatible with the copied abilities, its effectiveness would decrease.

To Kyouka's left was Shushu Suruga, a young woman with short yellow hair with a greenish tint and matching green eyes. She often wore a ribbon on top of her hair that resembled bunny ears. Shushu had a cheerful and indifferent personality, always showing a bright and relaxed attitude. Her peach blessing, Paradigm Shift, allowed her to change her body size from small to large, as well as adjust her clothes and increase her strength. In her giant form, she became a terrifying titan.

Behind Kyouka stood a young girl of about eight years old, Nei Ookawamura. This young girl had fair skin, long pink hair with a headband, and bright blue eyes. Nei had a kind and hardworking personality, easily getting along with everyone. According to the reports I read, she was still attending elementary school on Earth. Her peach blessing, Promise, made her a rare seer, capable of detecting and finding Shuuki within Mato. This ability was incredibly valuable as it stemmed from her desire to find her missing parents, making her like a living radar.

I understood why a young girl like Nei joined this military organisation; her rare and great ability made her extremely valuable. I could feel the weight of the responsibility she bore despite her very young age.

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