Kayama Esumi: Fallen Angel

Hours had passed since then.

Onikata Kayoko's body, having already been pushed to its absolute limits by running all over the Gehenna district even before the business with the celebration party and all the rest, hit a wall the moment she stepped out of the shower and collapsed onto the bed, instantly drifting off to sleep.

Between the exhaustion and the fact that she was reuniting with Esumi for the first time in two years, her body had clearly been bearing an unreasonable amount of stress from anxiety and nerves. She had likely kept going the entire day purely on sheer willpower.

Kayoko was sleeping so deeply she didn't even dream.

And then, just a little before dawn, with the sun yet to rise.

Perhaps because the hotel bed didn't suit her, or perhaps simply due to her short-sleeper constitution. Either way, long before it was time to wake up, Kayoko naturally fluttered her eyes open and sluggishly propped herself up.

"...What time is it?"

Reaching for her smartphone, still plugged into the charger where she'd left it before sleep took her, she checked the time and confirmed that it was still early enough that going back for a second sleep would pose zero problems. Kayoko let out a reluctant sigh.

Wishing she could have naturally woken up a bit later in the morning, Kayoko looked around with a troubled expression.

"...Surely even Esumi is asleep by now."

Before passing out, Esumi had been frantically drawing while alternating her gaze between her sketchbook and the night view outside. Now, she was fast asleep in the bed right next to Kayoko's, letting out soft, cute breaths.

The window where Esumi had been gazing at the night view last night was already sealed tight by thick curtains, perfectly shutting out the outside world. The sketchbook and the boxed pencils rested on the table, indicating that she was the type to tidy everything up properly before turning in.

"...So quiet..."

Her mind sharp even within the gloom, Kayoko briefly considered going back to sleep, but instead let her focus drift into the profound quiet of the early morning hours.

It was one of those rare, peaceful moments in Gehenna where gunfire and ruckus were an absolute constant.

Esumi had been utterly captivated by the Gehenna night view visible from the window, but to Kayoko, this stillness was the true scenery of Gehenna that captured her heart.

Driven by a sudden impulse, she turned her gaze toward Esumi sleeping in the adjacent bed and slowly clenched her fist.

"...Esumi... Esumi, are you awake?"

Her voice was soft—not meant to wake her, but simply to test if she was conscious.

She called Esumi's name a few times, but received no response.

She was fast asleep, literally. Right now, she could probably do *anything* to her and Esumi wouldn't stir.

“...”

Having finally made up her mind, Kayoko quietly slipped out of her own bed, crept over to Esumi's side, and sat down on the edge of the mattress. The bed gave a faint creak in protest, but the sleeping owner showed no sign of waking.

The sun still hadn't risen outside, and the room remained shrouded in darkness.

Yet, with Kayoko's eyes fully adjusted to the dark, the sleeping face of Kayama Esumi lay right beneath her.

"...Esumi."

She called her name once more.

Yet, just as before, Esumi was sound asleep and unable to reply.

Even so, Kayoko kept calling her name softly, almost affectionately. Then, she began to reach for the blanket covering Esumi.

Though she said she pulled back the blanket, she didn't uncover all of it—just enough to reveal her collarbone and chest.

Once exposed to the cool air, Esumi shifted slightly, a faint frown touching her brow as she moved her body in her sleep... but that was all. Deeply asleep, bordering on dead to the world, she wasn't going to wake up over something like this.

Kayoko stared in silence, letting her gaze drift slowly from Esumi's face down to her chest.

"...Beautiful..."

Clad not in pajamas, but in the lounge wear provided by the hotel, her voluptuous figure was impossible to ignore. Her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm matching her sleeping breaths.

And she seemed to be the type to wear any garment with total composure. Even clad in hotel loungewear that tended to slip open with the slightest movement, her clothes remained entirely undisturbed.

If anything, it only served to highlight her remarkable proportions. Combined with her stunning features, she looked like a gorgeous, handcrafted doll lying fast asleep on a bed—a bizarre and wondrous illusion.

And that was precisely why this was an act of pure inevitability.

As if to check whether the girl before her was truly a living human being like herself, Kayoko's hand gently came to rest on Esumi's chest.

It was the first time she had felt the sensation of Esumi's chest since that day on the train when circumstances had forced them into an embrace. Sinking her hand into something far larger and softer than her own, she felt the steady beat of Esumi's heart beneath her palm.

Thump, thump.

Her heart pulsed at a steady interval. Ah, there was no mistake. She was truly alive.

She was no mere doll.

Leaving one hand resting on Esumi's chest, Kayoko used her other hand to check the rhythm of her own heart. Esumi's heartbeat was remarkably calm thanks to her deep slumber, whereas Kayoko's own heart was beating wildly, driven by the tension and excitement of the situation.

In this overly silent room, her own heartbeat felt deafening and intrusive. It was only natural, considering she was essentially intruding upon a sleeping person.

Despite outward appearances of absolute composure, the body never lies.

"...Even when I do something like this, you don't wake up..."

Withdrawing her hand, Kayoko leaned forward, draping her upper body over Esumi.

The movement caused her long, pale white hair to cascade downward, acting like a curtain that shut out the rest of the world and forged an even more isolated space for just the two of them.

"...Why do you pull a face like that in your sleep? ...Why must you expose yourself so defenselessly right in front of me, Esumi?"

Gently cupping Esumi's cheek, Kayoko whispered words that were tender, small, yet heavy with suppressed heat.

"My heart feels like it's about to burst from tension... I'm so intensely excited by this whole situation... and yet you keep flashing such a cute sleeping face at me... Do you even know where you are?"

It sounded like a question, but it wasn't.

She was verifying it. As if trying to justify her own actions, pinning all the blame on the oblivious Esumi who still hadn't woken up.

Kayoko brought her lips close to Esumi's ear and whispered the rest.

"This is Gehenna... Gehenna, Esumi... A chaotic place where law and order are on the brink of collapse... The single most dangerous district in Kivotos, where you shouldn't just wander in casually... And yet, to keep sleeping soundly right in front of a Gehenna student... Honestly, Esumi, you have zero sense of self-preservation. Could it be... that you actually want to become a ‘fallen angel’?"

Come to think of it, Esumi had once mentioned in casual conversation that while working as an artist, she secretly operated as an information broker behind the scenes to keep her options open for her art.

Her alias back then had been Uriel.

Kayoko wasn't particularly interested in religious lore, but upon hearing that name from Esumi, she had looked it up out of sheer curiosity. Uriel was said to be an archangel who deeply loved art and foresaw the future, yet was later branded as a fallen angel and erased from history.

Ah, of course.

A student from Trinity General School—sometimes referred to as the school of angels—coming to Gehenna, the school of demons, and falling from grace. The current situation between Esumi and Kayoko suited that narrative to a tee.

Well, unfortunately, Esumi didn't possess any magnificent angel wings on her back, but her compassionate personality was undoubtedly angelic.

That angel... this deeply attractive angel who was still fast asleep from daily exhaustion and exposing her defenseless form—she could corrupt her with her own hands.

Let's confess. Kayoko's heart was racing right now.

"...It's your own fault, you know."

Was this the wild impulse of a student born in Gehenna?

Or had she harbored these feelings for Esumi all along?

Perhaps it was just a passing whim.

Unfortunately, there was no one around to prove it.

Kayoko whispered something ending with a breathless hush right against Esumi's ear, then pulled back slightly.

"...Zzz... mmm..."

Funnily enough, Esumi was still continuing her journey through dreamland.

Despite her busy schedule, she had flown in from Trinity, attended the celebration party with Kayoko, and then drawn in the hotel room without a moment of rest. Between the strain on her dominant hand and everything else, she clearly had a terrible habit of driving her body to its absolute limits.

Her sleeping figure was undeniably adorable, but the fact that she didn't show the slightest sign of waking up after Kayoko had done all that actually started making her worry.

"Just for now... please... don't wake up."

Yet, relief outweighed her worry.

She didn't want Esumi to see her like this—ugly and driven by raw desire. It was a selfish wish of Kayoko's, wanting to keep her ignorance intact, and as if in answer, Esumi's eyes remained firmly closed.

"...If you hate it... you should fight back properly..."

Knowing full well that a sleeping Esumi couldn't possibly do that, Kayoko muttered the words anyway.

Immediately after, gently stroking Esumi's cheek, she brought her face down to her neck... pressed her lips against her skin, and kissed her.

At first, it was a light, shallow touch against the skin. But gradually, Kayoko pressed harder, eventually parting her lips to gently sink her teeth into the flesh.

"...Nn... ah... ah..."

The only sounds reaching her ears were Esumi's ragged breaths and faint, whimpering moans.

Though asleep, she was being greedily bitten on the neck. She must have felt at least a little pain even in her slumber. But to Kayoko, this was the first time she had ever heard Esumi sound like this.

She wanted to hear more.

She wanted her to feel it more.

She wanted to touch her more.

Normally calm and composed, Onikata Kayoko found herself utterly incapable of reining in her impulses at this moment. Once reason vanished, instinct took over.

Before she knew it, Kayoko's upper body was pressed flush against Esumi's, crushing the girl's ample breasts beneath her own.

Even though she was trying her best not to place her full weight upon her, it didn't change the fact that the person underneath was suffocating. Coupled with the stimulation on her neck, Esumi's breathing grew progressively more ragged, and the breathy gasp escapes from her lips only served to captivate Kayoko further.

"...I suppose that's enough."

When Kayoko finally pulled away from her neck looking satisfied, there stood a clear, prominent bite mark stark against Esumi's fair, flawless skin... Kayoko felt something ignite deep within her chest.

Dominance. And a fierce desire for possession.

Kayama Esumi—a celebrity known throughout Kivotos. A charming girl admired by many, looked up to with high expectations, and someone everyone desperately longed to stand beside.

And right on the neck of that exquisite, beautiful girl was a bite mark left by Kayoko. Her own exclusive, special proof.

Though she had bitten her lightly to avoid drawing blood, Kayoko traced the mark—which stood out almost bizarrely against Esumi's pale skin—with her finger, a satisfied smile blooming on her lips.

She moved her finger from her neck upward, trailing it along her jawline... until she stopped at a very specific spot.

Her finger came to a halt right over Esumi's lips.

"You don't wake up even after all this. If I were to kiss you right here... would you finally wake up for me, Esumi?"

Suppose by sheer good fortune—or rather, misfortune—Esumi woke up right now.

It would literally be a sleeping beauty awakened by a prince's kiss. If things came to that, she'd have no choice but to drop her stubborn aversion to being treated like a princess.

Now, what would be the very first emotion felt by a newly awakened Esumi upon seeing Kayoko assaulting her in her sleep?

Fear, or confusion?

Or perhaps she'd just assume it was a terrible dream. If so, let's carve it in.

Let's plant the feelings Kayoko had harbored for years deep, deep into her body and mind. This was no dream.

It was reality—pure, unadulterated reality.

"Esumi."

Calling her name once more, Kayoko gently placed a hand on her shoulder and slowly lowered her face.

Esumi's lips—lips she had stared at in secret countless times before.

The lips that always tried to avoid deep involvement with others, yet would speak words that struck a chord straight through Kayoko's heart when they truly faced one another.

For years, she had lived in terror of the day someone would appear to capture her heart and claim the right to touch those lips first.

But no. Not anymore.

The one by her side was none other than Kayoko. Only Kayoko.

No other acquaintances of Esumi were here. No fanatical admirers were in sight.

There was nothing to fear. Nothing to worry about.

Standing before her... before Kayama Esumi... was only Onikata Kayoko.

“...”

Now, she was just moments away from brushing against those lips.

She could feel her grip on Esumi's shoulder tightening involuntarily, though she was too far gone in her runaway impulse to notice. If anything, she was leaning into that momentum.

And just as she was about to make contact—

"...Ki... ri... fu... ji..."

"...?!"

The mumbled words brought Kayoko's movements to an abrupt halt.

No, horrified by the sheer shock of it, Kayoko pulled her face away from Esumi and stared down at her with a look of utter disbelief.

Then, parting her lips with a look of absolute incomprehension:

"...Who... who the hell is this 'Kirifuji'?"

Never once had another person's name slipped past Esumi's lips in front of Kayoko.

Well, aside from being told about a student council president named Tsukusu two years ago, but for someone like Esumi who was a resident of Trinity—no matter how terrible her risk management was—she would never carelessly toss around the names of acquaintances in the territory of Gehenna.

That was precisely why it was such a shock. Of all things, another person's name had come out in a sleep-talk murmur.

Of course, that didn't necessarily mean the word 'Kirifuji' strictly referred to a person's name.

Even so, Kayoko knew. It was a completely baseless confidence, but she just *knew*.

The meaning behind why she had muttered that name under these circumstances.

"...This is the worst...!!"

Before she even realized it, Kayoko had scrambled off the bed and dashed straight into the room's washroom.

She wrenched open the faucet, letting cold water blast out at full force. Reaching into the gushing stream, Kayoko scooped up the water and splashed it directly onto her face.

Over and over and over again... scrubbing at her face as if desperately trying to wash away some clinging grime—or rather, to rinse off the lingering wicked thoughts with icy water. Her movements were frantic.

"...Hah... hah... hah... kuh...!!"

Finally deciding it was enough, Kayoko twisted the faucet shut and stopped the water.

Having repeatedly splashed water onto her face at full force, not only her face but her bangs were soaked as well, water droplets dripping endlessly from the tips of her hair. She silently watched as those droplets merged into a single trail and slid down the drain.

"...Seriously. If you have someone you're interested in, you could at least protect yourself properly... you art idiot..."

Uttering the words with frustration and sorrow, Kayoko forced a bitter smile.

She had come dangerously close to forcibly making Esumi her own, despite knowing full well the girl had someone else on her mind. It took a lot of nerve for Kayoko—who had just committed the absolute worst crime of assaulting a sleeping person moments ago—to say that, but she didn't have a shred of NTR fetishism that involved stealing away a heroine nursing a one-sided crush.

She had acted the way she did simply because she had mistakenly assumed Esumi held romantic feelings for no one.

However, and yet...

"Still... I just don't get it... treating me with such warmth... coming all the way from Trinity even though we hadn't seen each other in two years... picking out a dress for me, staying at a hotel together... anyone would misunderstand that kind of... that kind of... leading behavior... If it was going to make me feel like this, I'd rather you hadn't come at all, Esumi."

Before she knew it, the water droplets tumbling down her face picked up speed. Drip, drip, they fell, showing no sign of stopping.

But these... these weren't mere water droplets. They were tears.

Kayoko was crying right now out of sheer sorrow.

"...Haah... what am I even doing with myself... falling to my own desires and attacking someone while they're asleep, I look like an idiot..."

Pressing her forehead against the washroom mirror with a soft *thud*, Kayoko closed her eyes and muttered those words.

"As I thought... an amateur like me... has no business trying to 'corrupt' an angel..."

For a long while after that, Kayoko locked herself in the washroom.

Naturally, it was to heal her wounded heart. Above all, it was to deal with the overwhelming guilt of betraying Esumi's trust and to put her feelings in order.

For a girl who lived a lonely life and was constantly misunderstood, the girl named Kayama Esumi held a remarkably special and massive place in her heart.

[...]

≪1-2≫

"So, I guess this is where we part ways...?"

"Yeah. Right here is fine."

The next morning.

A short walk from the hotel, with a taxi waiting nearby, Esumi asked with a touch of loneliness, and Kayoko offered a small, faint smile and a deep nod.

"Knowing you, I figured you'd see me all the way off... color me surprised."

"Well... you'll be fine even without me sticking by your side anymore."

Kayoko muttered with a shrug and an exasperated expression.

Esumi stared intently at her face, tilting her head slightly.

"Right. You finally gave up on treating me like a princess. Frankly, I'm relieved."

"Just don't fall asleep on the train back. Make sure you keep your guard up until you're completely out of Gehenna."

"Retracted. You *are* still treating me like a princess..."

"Your self-preservation instincts are practically nonexistent. Ako has work today and couldn't be called in, which means you're heading back without an escort."

"Yes, yes. Onikata, you worry too much."

Pointing to the favorite sidearm holstered at her waist and hip, Esumi replied, "I can defend myself just fine."

"That won't mean a thing if you fall asleep on the train."

"Don't worry. Thanks to the hotel bed you booked, I slept like a log, so I won't be taking any naps. I'm more worried about you, honestly."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You woke up way later than me this morning, didn't you? Not that I'm one to talk, but try not to overdo it."

“...”

Indeed, Kayoko had slept in quite late that morning, and the reason was obvious.

She couldn't possibly voice it, though. That incident was meant to be buried in darkness as her ultimate dark history—the moment she nearly crossed a line she could never uncross—and it certainly wasn't something fit for Esumi's ears.

After pulling herself together and crawling back into bed under the guise of having sorted out her feelings, the psychological damage of 'unrequited heartbreak' had turned out to be far heavier than expected. Seeking comfort from the ache, she had fallen right back into a deep sleep, only to wake up to Esumi shaking her awake.

“Morning. It's morning already, Onikata. Hehe, you were sleeping so soundly.”

That pleasant voice. And looking at Kayoko with that beautiful, stunning face even first thing in the morning, Esumi had broken into a smile.

Honestly, Kayoko had felt an intense urge to grab her hand right then and there, drag her under the covers, and hold her tight. If she could only be bound to Esumi, maybe she could greet such wonderful mornings over and over again. In a life where she so often walked alone, maybe she could claim moments where they were always together.

She wanted that smile directed at her more.

She wanted those words, those eyes, focused entirely on her.

“...Morning... Esumi... Ah—”

However, upon seeing the bite mark on Esumi's neck, Kayoko had felt an immediate urge to vomit.

The bite mark she had left in her frantic pursuit of the girl. Standing out so vividly against her pale skin, it served as a more-than-sufficient reminder of her own grave mistake.

Perhaps staring at it had been a terrible idea. Noticing Kayoko's gaze, Esumi had casually touched her own neck, and a second later, her brows had furrowed in a troubled expression.

“Ah, this? I noticed it when I went to wash my face in the washroom.”

“Esumi, that…”

“Hehe, I wonder what on earth happened. I have 'no idea' why this mark is here, but I can easily hide it with my regular clothes, so don't worry about it.”

“...Understood.”

Had she really not noticed?

A bite mark on her neck. In a hotel room where absolutely no one else could enter besides her and Kayoko, a conspicuous mark left overnight.

No, of course not. That was impossible. Not only was she an artist who loved the fine arts, but she was also someone with exceptional powers of observation and vast knowledge, accustomed to dealing with swarms of powerful figures and politicians.

Therefore, Esumi must have realized. Who had left it. And even what it meant.

Yet she hadn't interrogated her on the spot, nor had she shown any sign of disgust; she had simply spoken those gentle words to let her off the hook.

Yes, exactly.

Kayoko had been pitied. Of all people, by the girl she had fallen for.

If she hadn't acted like that. If she hadn't harbored those romantic feelings.

She could have greeted this wonderful morning without a shred of regret or guilt, simply as 'just another acquaintance.'

"Onikata. Are you really alright?"

"Don't worry about it. I'm fine."

"Really? Why don't you go see your favorite band live sometime for a change of pace?"

"Sounds like a good idea. I'll consider it."

"You really should."

Even after leaving the hotel, acting completely normal without missing a beat was probably Esumi's own way of being kind. Surely.

And yet, Kayoko was at her limit.

Having suffered unrequited heartbreak over her, having her long-hidden feelings realized, and now being pitied like this.

It was pathetic. Beyond pathetic. She couldn't bear to let Esumi see any more of this miserable side of her.

That was precisely why they had to part ways here.

She worried whether Esumi would make it out of Gehenna safely, but honestly, staying by her side any longer was impossible.

Her heart just couldn't take it.

"Look. You've kept the taxi waiting for a long time already, you should get going."

"Right. Um... Onikata, if you'd like, why don't you come to Trinity some—"

"I won't... you don't need to worry about things like that..."

"Sorry. That was tactless of me."

"Don't worry about it. I know full well how kind Esumi is, and you've always helped me out."

"...I hope we can meet again someday."

‘Meet again someday.’ Not ‘see you later’.

Hearing that, Kayoko let out a dry, self-deprecating chuckle and gave a silent nod instead of replying.

"...Right. Onikata, take this."

With that, Esumi produced something and handed it to her.

Wondering what it could be... what was handed to her was a painting. Specifically, the very night view visible from the hotel window that Esumi had been drawing so desperately the previous night.

"...Why are you giving this to me...?"

"I want you to appreciate the beauty of Gehenna a little more. You don't get to lay eyes on a night view that gorgeous every day, you know? You'll probably keep living in Gehenna from now on, and I'm sure you'll find wonderful friends and companions... No, you definitely will. So until then, take in more of Gehenna's good points and let your heart rest. This night view is the first step toward that."

The artwork Esumi had drawn was of such superb quality that it didn't look out of place when compared to the actual night view.

Kayoko's sensibilities and appreciation for art were still underdeveloped due to her lack of exposure, but there was no doubt that a piece drawn by Esumi carried immense value. If word got out, anyone might kill to get their hands on it.

And she had handed such a masterpiece directly to Kayoko. A gentle warmth bloomed in Kayoko's chest.

"Thank you. I'll cherish it."

"If you ever run into money trouble, you're free to sell it, you know."

"I'd never. It's the first present I've ever received from Esumi, so it's a treasure."

Breaking into a genuinely natural and bright smile for the first time in a while, Kayoko asked one final question.

"Hey, Esumi... tell me the truth, just this once. Why did you come to Gehenna this time, two whole years later? From your perspective as a Trinity student, it honestly had nothing to do with you."

Hearing those words, Esumi looked momentarily startled, but the next instant, a soft *hehe* escaped her lips.

Extending her right hand gently, she answered.

"Isn't it obvious? Because I wanted to see you... Onikata Kayoko."

Hearing that, Kayoko clamped her mouth shut, chuckled with a helpless, exasperated sigh, and looked away.

"Honestly, the worst... why do you so casually say things that make people misunderstand..."

"Because that's nothing less than the absolute truth. It has been two years, after all. I was really looking forward to talking with you like this."

"...There you go saying embarrassing things again..."

Sighing once more, Kayoko extended her own hand and grasped Esumi's ‘right hand’ tightly.

"I was glad you came, though... thank you."

"I'm glad we got to see each other after all this time, too."

Neither of them added a "See you later."

Finishing the handshake, Esumi turned in silence and walked toward the taxi. Watching her retreating back, Kayoko let out another sigh. This one carried a heavy, sorrowful weight.

"...This is fine... this decision is the right one... I shouldn't be staying by her side anymore..."

The car door clicked shut, and through the window, her gaze intersected with Esumi's.

Kayoko lifted a hand softly and waved slowly and gently. In response, Esumi raised her hand and waved back. As if taking that as a cue, the taxi pulled away.

Its destination was undoubtedly the Gehenna station.

If Esumi had decided to take advantage of the moment and head somewhere else instead, or if Kayoko had hopped in alongside her, she would have almost certainly stopped her or accompanied her all the way to the end.

But that was no longer an option.

She could no longer remain by her side.

"...Looks like it's going to rain."

Glancing up at the sky, watching heavy rain clouds move in to swallow the heavens, Kayoko murmured to herself.

Come to think of it, whenever she acted alongside Esumi, the weather had always been bright and clear, reflecting the radiant, compassionate presence of the girl herself. Now that she had left, the appearance of these storm clouds perhaps mirrored Kayoko's current state of mind.

"...At least... I wish I could have told her 'I love you'..."

Words she would never get to say.

Kayoko smiled with bitter self-derision.

≪1-3≫

Inside the swaying taxi, staring blankly out the window, Esumi remained completely silent for several minutes.

“...”

From time to time, she shifted her gaze to her own neck, tracing the area where the bite mark lingered with her fingertips, but that was all.

She let out a small breath and pressed her forehead gently against the car window.

(...Did I... handle things all wrong with Kayoko…)

The luxury hotel was already far behind them. Thinking of Kayoko, whom she had just parted ways with just outside its doors, Esumi reflected inwardly.

To her, the student Onikata Kayoko wasn't just a popular character from the original Blue Archive work; she was a precious acquaintance of the same age with whom she could lower her guard, and a reliable ally.

Honestly, having spent so much time surrounded by political problems and the heavy atmosphere of Trinity, Kayoko's lack of hesitation and her total irrelevance to politics were a massive emotional relief to Esumi. She was well aware that she had ended up letting her guard down far more than usual around her. If Nagisa or Seia had witnessed that state, they would have undoubtedly turned green with jealous rage.

However, the person in question was Onikata Kayoko.

A calm, level-headed personality. A girl who possessed exceptional combat skills yet frequently found herself alone. Later on, she would find her place in an organization called the Problem Solver 68 and claim a home that mattered deeply to her, but back then, her solitary, lone-wolf aspect stood out much more.

Though Esumi now held the position of Art Club president, she herself had once shared a past where she disliked clustering with others, preferring to remain constantly isolated just like Kayoko. To Esumi, Kayoko was, in a sense, a kindred spirit and a comrade.

That was precisely why she had let her guard down too much around her.

Believing that Kayoko would never harbor strange feelings toward her, Esumi had been thoroughly shocked when she woke up the next morning and discovered a clear bite mark left on her neck.

An expression of possessiveness.

She had once been jokingly kissed on the neck by Mika on a whim in the past, but compared to that, a bite mark carried a rather massive impact, making it impossible not to guess Kayoko's true feelings toward her.

Well, even so, Kayoko herself must have been consumed by guilt. The moment she saw the bite mark on Esumi's neck, her face had drained of color right before her eyes, suggesting that leaving a mark on her neck was a step far beyond what Kayoko had intended.

Unfortunately, Esumi had zero memory of what happened while she was asleep—in fact, once she fell asleep, she was notoriously difficult to wake up, which was quite the troublesome constitution. Thus, she still had no idea why Kayoko had bitten her neck or why she was regretting it so deeply.

At the very least, she knew that Kayoko harbored romantic feelings for her.

Had something happened while she was asleep? What on earth could have given her such bitter memories?

Regardless, she could vaguely sense that Kayoko was intentionally trying to distance herself from Esumi, meaning this was likely their final meeting. There was zero chance of an invitation coming from her end anymore, and Esumi couldn't very well initiate contact either.

In a way, this meant her ties with one of the Blue Archive characters had finally been severed. The old Esumi would have welcomed this as good news.

"...Why did you have to fall for me... Kayoko?"

Yet she felt no genuine joy over this outcome. Instead, Esumi's softly murmured words, accompanied by a sorrowful sigh, vanished into the air, reaching no one's ears.

"...No use dwelling on it. I need a change of pace."

Never grow too intimate with Blue Archive characters.

That had been the philosophy Esumi lived by up until today. But setting aside the impact on the plot, leaving someone with an experience that could warp their youth felt deeply оставляющий a bitter aftertaste.

She was certain that someone like Kayoko would bounce back eventually, but she was the one who had dragged her around in the middle of her precious youth.

So much for being a fan who loved all the Blue Archive characters equally. She had ended up leaving a scar on the girl's heart.

(...Sigh... Ah, maybe I should follow that instruction now.)

At that thought, Esumi pulled a single message card out from her pocket.

A little earlier, while checking out at the reception desk in Kayoko's stead, the receptionist had handed it to her, saying, "This package is for Ms. Kayama."

Wondering what it could be, Esumi had briefly skimmed it on the spot, but the contents written on that message card had been surprisingly unexpected.

[To Kayama Esumi-san. On the outskirts of the Gehenna district, there is a town where people from Trinity once reportedly lived. Because many items of artistic value still remain there, I'm sure you'll love it. Do please pay it a visit.]

Penned in extremely polite language, it was a message from a mysterious individual wishing for Esumi to visit a specific town.

Naturally, Esumi had initially dismissed something so bizarre and sudden as suspicious. But now, her mindset had shifted: she didn't care what it was, as long as it offered a change of pace, she would gladly go.

Besides, hearing that there were items of artistic value there was enough to make her art-loving heart throb.

"Excuse me. Change of plans for this taxi—take me somewhere else instead of the station, please."

"Eh? W-Well, if that's what the customer wants... So, where do you want to go?"

Glancing down at the name of the town written on the message card, Esumi shrugged her shoulders and replied.

"Sodom... The name is Sodom."

≪1-4≫

Sodom.

In Esumi's previous life, it was the name of one of the two cities—famously known as "Sodom and Gomorrah" from the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament—that were destroyed by the wrath of God.

It was a city inhabited by deeply depraved people. The narrative, in short, was that when angels visited a man named Lot and his family, the townspeople attempted to commit sexual assault against them, and tried to harm even Lot when he refused to hand over the angels; consequently, God ultimately destroyed both Sodom and Gomorrah through the angels.

Famous as a den of vice, its destruction by divine will was a settled matter. Yet for the sake of Lot—the city's only remaining righteous soul—his uncle Abraham had desperately pleaded with God, extracting a promise that "If there are ten righteous people in the city, I will not destroy it." As noted above, it failed to meet even that count, and everyone except Lot and his two daughters was wiped out.

Incidentally, much like Noah's Ark, it was an immensely famous episode symbolizing divine punishment, inspiring a multitude of paintings by various artists throughout history.

Most depicted the rain of fire falling upon the city or Lot and his family fleeing the ruins. But the one that lingered most in Esumi's memory—and her personal favorite—was the masterpiece *The Angels of Sodom* created by Gustave Moreau.

Depicting two angels hovering above the city, it carried an overwhelming aura of dread, leaving it ambiguous whether the scene was set before or after the destruction of the city.

It was one of her absolute favorite scenes adapted from the Bible. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that, carrying the memories of her past life, she would actually end up visiting a town bearing that very name.

"...So this is Sodom."

However, upon setting foot in the town, Esumi let out a deeply disappointed sigh.

"They didn't have to follow the Bible quite *this* literally..."

Before her eyes lay the town called Sodom... or rather, the ruins that left only a ghost of its former self.

Had it been abandoned for decades already? While the town structure remained intact, nearly everything was rusted over, with entire sections of walls collapsed.

Vehicles and bicycles rotted away by the roadside, barely retaining their shapes. Left completely untended, thick weeds and overgrown shrubbery had taken over.

According to the taxi driver, there had been endless friction between the original residents who came from Trinity and those living in Gehenna, which frequently sparked trouble. Since its jurisdiction technically fell under the Gehenna district, students hailing from this town apparently all attended Gehenna Academy, but as time went on, an increasing number of young people attempted to move back to their ancestors' homeland of Trinity. The resulting depopulation led to it becoming an uninhabited ghost town, exactly as she saw it now.

"Sodom in the Bible was destroyed by a rain of fire, but here, it was destroyed because everyone simply packed up and left."

If anything, what on earth was the sender of that message trying to show her?

Surely they didn't expect her to find creative inspiration just by looking at a town that shared a biblical name and the literal ruins of a dead city.

At this rate, checking out any other ordinary ruins would have been a better use of her time.

"That said, since I'm already here, I hope there's something... going back empty-handed would be a drag..."

Mercifully, despite being a ghost town, it wasn't officially off-limits.

Of course, with Gehenna largely transformed into a lawless zone after the disappearance of the General Student Council President, lax management was likely part of the reason. After all, this was the far edge of the Gehenna district.

Esumi tentatively began taking a stroll through the town.

True to the fact that it was a settlement built by migrating Trinity residents, most of the townscape replicated Trinity's architectural style. However, given how weathered the buildings looked, the original settlers must have moved in a very long time ago.

"Shopping district... hotel... bookstore... It must have genuinely thrived at one point."

For such a town to end up in ruins like this—you never know what life has in store.

The ancestors who had worked so hard to build this settlement surely never imagined it would meet this kind of end.

As Esumi walked on, lost in thought, a certain building caught her eye a few minutes later.

"...Ah. Of course, since they came from Trinity, they'd have one... a church."

Though it couldn't compare to the grand cathedral at Trinity General School, a reasonably large and impressive church stood right before her.

Compared to the other buildings, the aging on this one wasn't quite as pronounced. Still, since anything could happen, Esumi cautiously stepped inside the church. Hoping, at least, that some surviving paintings or works of art might remain.

"...Such a pretty church."

Surprisingly, the very first impression she formed upon entering was how neat it was.

In contrast to the thoroughly overgrown and wrecked streets outside, the interior of this church had rows of pews sitting neatly in place, with very little weed growth in sight. It wasn't as though someone was constantly coming and going to clean it; rather, it looked as though it had simply been left completely untouched, as if no one had ever dared to step foot inside.

Esumi felt a slight twinge of doubt at the sight, but figuring such things happen, she continued walking.

"No paintings... I suppose those were all removed. No sculptures to be found either."

She kept her eyes scanning her surroundings as she walked, but as expected, anything of true artistic value had been stripped away. Or rather, none remained.

Well, that was only natural. Anyone would think to steal and fence old works of art if they found them, let alone in an abandoned church in a ghost town.

So the sender of that message had simply wanted to show Esumi the desolate state of this town after all?

Honestly, this didn't feel like an ideal spot for a change of pace, Esumi thought with a quiet sigh.

"...Hm?"

Suddenly, something caught her eye.

Someone's personal belongings? It was a slightly weathered booklet. Esumi picked it up, brushed the accumulated dust off the cover, and flipped through the pages.

"...Is this... written by someone who used to work in this church...?"

The booklet turned out to be the diary of a sister who had worked in the church long ago.

Naturally, because so much time had passed since it was abandoned, many characters were illegible, but she could make out enough to see that back when the diary was written, the town was still thriving, and the writer had dedicated herself to praying for the people and pouring her heart into charitable work.

"It all sounds so peaceful... oh?"

Skipping over the unreadable sections, Esumi stopped dead in her tracks when her eyes landed on a specific word.

"...Justina... Council... Why is this word in a diary?"

The moment she saw it, Esumi pulled her gaze away from the diary and looked up at the interior architecture of the church.

The pillars lining the corridor, the design of the ceiling, and the space itself. There was no mistake—this was a church built in the Romanesque style.

While the grand cathedral at Trinity Comprehensive Academy still stood as a hybrid structure combining Romanesque and Gothic styles to combat aging, this place was different. Romanesque architecture was the predominant style before Gothic architecture was established.

That meant this church, constructed entirely in the Romanesque style, had been built back during that era. If it dated back that far, the ruling authority of Trinity General School at the time would not have been the Tea Party, but the Justina Council.

The Justina Council of Saints, the precursor to the Sisterhood. Though the details of what transpired remained unknown, some students enrolled there may have drifted here in the past and built this church.

"Which means... could it be..."

A bad premonition crept over her.

Clutching the diary, Esumi began rushing around the interior of the church. Running.

She eventually reached a certain room. A place that could be described as a sort of archive room, housing all the documents related to this church.

Sensing that something major had to be hidden here since a diary was left behind like this, Esumi grabbed the aging documents one after another. Naturally, dust flew everywhere as she did, but she couldn't care less.

She flipped through the documents page by page, scanning them rapidly. Donation records. Worshipper counts. Food stockpiles, and so on. As she browsed through the meticulously detailed logs as well as the rougher notes, Esumi finally found it.

Or rather, she found something she almost wished she hadn't.

"...Arius Branch... and maps regarding the catacombs... Ah, I knew it..."

The 'Justina Council of Saints,' which would hold a critical key in the future main story of Blue Archive.

The truth—unveiled late in the story—was that long ago, long before the Tea Party organization was ever born, Arius had been persecuted and banished from Trinity, while the Justina Council of Saints had actively oppressed them on the surface while secretly sheltering and supporting them behind the scenes. For Esumi, who carried the faint memories of her past life, this was already common knowledge.

The problem was that these documents shouldn't have existed anywhere in the current Trinity General School, yet here they were, surviving as archival records in a church located in a long-dead ghost town on the far outskirts of Gehenna. Had they been ordered to preserve them down to the last generation? Or had they kept them securely stored away in preparation for something?

"...Why would they leave something like this behind..."

If these documents were discovered and made public, they would undoubtedly send massive shockwaves through the future events of the Blue Archive main storyline.

Could this be the 'item of artistic value' the message card's sender had wanted Esumi to see?

If so, it meant the sender knew about the Justina Council of Saints—the former rulers of Trinity, where Esumi was enrolled—as well as the secret ties between the exiled Arius Branch and the Justina Council. Who in Kivotos could possibly possess information from that far back...?

"...Gematria?"

The name slipped out of her mouth, fitting into place like a puzzle piece.

No doubt about it. It was them. Who else could possibly know this information?

However, one single question remained.

Why pass such information on to Esumi?

No, more importantly, why make her visit this place in the first place? Was it Maestro? No... she had made an agreement with him not to have any contact until she graduated. He wasn't the kind of person to break a promise like that.

The most likely possibility was that someone in Gematria wanted Esumi to come here. Knowing her love for art—and by extension, the fine arts—they had probably anticipated that she would naturally step foot into this church and desire to uncover these hidden documents with her own hands.

Or perhaps...

"...Haha."

Ah, she really hoped her guess was wrong.

Thinking that, a dry laugh escaped Esumi's lips, but the very next instant, something was hurled in from outside the room.

*Clatter, clatter*—the mysterious object rolled across the floor, coming to a halt against her shoes.

It was a grenade.

“Huh!?”

The instant she instinctively tried to brace herself, the grenade detonated slightly faster than her split-second reaction time.

The blast blew Esumi flying against the back wall of the room, instantly consuming the diary she had been holding, along with every single document she had just been looking at, in a sea of flames.

An incendiary grenade... no, this had a destructive power rivaling a thermobaric bomb.

Consequently, the room Esumi was in was instantly transformed into a tragic wasteland by the sudden explosive, and the aging, weakened ceiling began to groan and creak ominously.

"...Ugh... cough... g-g-cough...!!"

The intense blast wave and blistering heat.

In addition to the impact on her back, her head had also struck the wall hard. Grimacing in pain, Esumi tried desperately to regulate her breathing. But the air was too heavy. Intense heat dominated the surroundings, making breathing difficult.

Into the room, thoroughly wrecked by the explosion, someone walked in.

"...To think you'd actually come just like Madam said."

"...You... are..."

Ignoring the debris scattered everywhere and the burning documents, walking straight toward Esumi was a girl slightly taller than her, notable for her blue hair.

Though her face was obscured. Wearing a half-face mask and a black cap, only her sharp, piercing eyes were visible. But as luck would have it, Esumi knew very well who she was.

"...I see... so... this is a cleanup job, then."

"You catch on fast for a target. That's right. You're going to ‘die’ here."

Was it from the blast, or from being thrown against the wall?

Despite possessing a sturdy constitution, blood began to trickle down from Esumi's forehead as the girl pointed the muzzle of her assault rifle straight at her.

"Everything is vanity... no matter how far you go, everything is utterly empty..."

Uttering the motto of the Arius Branch, the girl placed her finger on the trigger of the assault rifle held in her one hand.

"Trinity General School... Kayama Esumi... Your time is up. The angel of Trinity has fallen, as good as dead."

"...Heh. So the angel is finally going to suffer assault right here in the city of Sodom?"

Unlike Nagisa or Mika, she didn't have any wings sprouting from her back; she was just a regular artist.

Of course, she knew that Trinity General School as a whole was sometimes memed about as a school attended by angels. But never in her wildest dreams had she expected to be counted as one of those angels. And right here in this land sharing the exact same name as the city destroyed for attempting to assault angels...

Esumi smiled with amusement and muttered:

"Good day. We meet for the first time... unknown student belonging to the Arius Branch?"

The girl's eyes widened slightly.

"You... how do you know my affiliation...?"

"Well... who knows?"

She actually knew the girl's name, too, but mentioning it probably wasn't the smartest move.

Either way, the girl clearly intended to kill Esumi.

Yet, strangely, she felt no fear. There was only one thing Esumi understood clearly right now.

"...Just as Madam warned. You truly are a dangerous element to our future plans. I'll put an end to you right here."

With those words, the mysterious girl—whose name would later be revealed in the main Blue Archive story as Joumae Saori—squeezed the trigger without a moment's hesitation.