[98] Visit

Yukikaze and Shiranui arrived casually, each carrying a bucket of fruit and flowers. However, their steps halted as they saw Kotaro and Hippo locked in an intense stare outside the room. The peaceful atmosphere quickly turned tense, and Yukikaze immediately put on her trademark flat expression.

Yukikaze glared at Kotaro with displeasure. "Why is he here?" Her voice was cold and full of disdain.

Shiranui, standing next to Yukikaze, merely raised an eyebrow, a slight smile playing on her lips as if she understood the tension between them. She was aware of the history between Yukikaze and Kotaro from their days at the Gosha Academy, where Kotaro had earned a reputation as a perverted and narcissistic student—one that was hard to forget for anyone who had dealt with him.

Kotaro, with his yellow left eye gleaming, gave a small smile, seemingly unaffected by Yukikaze's remark. "Well, nice to see you too, Yukikaze," he said with his usual playful tone, though his eyes remained sharp and calculating.

Yukikaze exhaled deeply, trying to suppress the sudden irritation. "I hope you don't cause any trouble here. We have more important matters to attend to than dealing with your disgusting habits," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Come on, you're still as cold as ever. I'm here for work too, and we haven't seen each other in ages—you're still the same," Kotaro remarked.

Yukikaze could see where this conversation was heading, and it made her eyebrow twitch.

"You're still as flat as ever, unlike your mother who's—"

THUD!

A loud punch echoed through the hallway, and Kotaro staggered back a few steps. His face contorted in pain from the sudden blow, though his lips still formed a wry smile. Yukikaze glared at him coldly, though her eyes flickered with a spark of anger she had just released.

"You still haven't learned to hold your tongue, Kotaro," Yukikaze said sharply. "If you dare mention my mother again, I'll make sure you won't be able to speak for a month."

Kotaro winced, rubbing his now slightly swollen jaw. Despite the pain, he still managed a faint smile. "Ouch... still as strong as ever, huh? But yeah... I guess I deserved that."

Hippo, watching the scene unfold, shook his head with a grin. "You really never change, Kotaro. Always playing with fire."

Shiranui, holding back laughter from the corner of the room, tried to maintain her composure, though it was clear she was enjoying the sight. "Well, this was predictable," she muttered under her breath.

Yukikaze took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "Don't even think about messing with me, Kotaro..."

Kotaro finally straightened up, adjusting his stance despite the lingering pain from the punch. "Alright, alright... I'll be serious. But that was just a joke, Yukikaze. You know I didn't really mean any harm."

"Humph," Yukikaze scoffed, choosing not to continue the conversation any further. She turned and walked towards Kaoru, making sure she was doing okay.

Hippo winked at Kotaro, as if signaling that he had just narrowly escaped a worse punishment. "You've got guts, man. But I like it. At least it livens up the mood."

Kotaro shrugged, rubbing his chin once more. "I just can't resist when there's an opportunity to tease Yukikaze. Besides, it's been a long time since we last saw each other."

However, despite the situation seeming to calm down, Kotaro remained in place. He knew that, although he had succeeded in annoying Yukikaze, his actions also showed that the tension in the room was still high. As a Taimanin, he understood when it was time to get serious.

As the mood shifted, Mr. Matsuda stepped out of Kaoru's room, his presence immediately drawing everyone's attention. The short, bald man was a respected figure, often seen as friendly and easygoing, especially by those who had served under his command.

Kotaro was the first to react, speaking quickly, "Sir, are you done?" His tone reflected a rare respect, something he didn't often show to others.

Matsuda gave a small nod, his smile subtle but firm. "Yes, I've finished here. Let's go, Kotaro. Ah, and you two," he turned to Yukikaze and Shiranui, "thank you for your dedication and service to the country."

Yukikaze immediately stood tall and responded politely, "We were simply doing our duty, Matsuda-sama."

Meanwhile, Shiranui seemed slightly confused. Her eyes hinted at uncertainty, as if she was struggling to recall something forgotten. Ever since the incident that caused part of her memory to fade, Shiranui often found herself confused by orders or formal statements. She knew she had exceptional abilities, but some important pieces of her past were still hazy. Nonetheless, she simply nodded slowly, hiding her confusion behind a faint smile.

Matsuda surveyed the room calmly before turning and walking out, with Kotaro following closely behind. Yukikaze and Shiranui remained where they stood, watching them leave.

As the tension finally began to fade, Yukikaze let out a long sigh, trying to regain her composure. "Damn Kotaro. He always makes things more difficult than they need to be," she muttered, rolling her eyes at Shiranui, who responded with a small smile.

"He's just being his usual self," Shiranui replied casually, though there was a hint of doubt in her eyes—something only Yukikaze could notice. However, Yukikaze chose not to comment further. They still had much to deal with, and Shiranui seemed capable of handling her confusion for now.

Approaching Kaoru, who was still lying in bed, Yukikaze looked at her with concern. "How are you feeling now?" she asked in a gentler tone than usual, showing her worry despite trying to remain composed.

Kaoru gave a faint smile. "Better than before, thanks. You really didn't need to come all this way to visit me," she replied, sitting up straighter, though she still looked tired.

Yukikaze shook her head. "What are you talking about? If it weren't for you, we might have gone into battle unprepared. If anything, we should be thanking you."

Shiranui, standing beside Yukikaze, smiled weakly. Even though her memory hadn't fully recovered, she felt a deep sense of gratitude towards Kaoru. In her heart, there was a warmth she couldn't quite explain, despite the scattered fragments of her past she was still trying to piece together.

"I don't know what else to say besides thank you, Kaoru. We all owe you," Shiranui added, though her eyes still reflected the confusion that plagued her.

Kaoru simply smiled. "Don't think too much of it. I was just doing what needed to be done."

A few moments later, sounds from outside the room could be heard as people started gathering, waiting their turn to express their gratitude to Kaoru. Yukikaze decided to give them some space, nodding briefly to Kaoru before leaving the room with Shiranui. They knew the appreciation from the Gosha clan and the people in the village would be overwhelming for Kaoru, who was always uncomfortable with praise.

After they left, Kaoru lay back down, trying to relax. Though her body felt better, and her Mana was about 40% restored, she still felt a heavy burden on her mind. The world wouldn't give her much time to rest, that much was certain. But one thing was for sure—she didn't want to be caught up in the formalities with the Gosha elders who would soon come to thank her. She felt trapped in a formality she didn't want.