Chapter Text
Yanagi is, first and foremost, an intelligence officer. Yes, she is part of the last surviving Obsidian Defense Force but she specializes in intelligence. Most of her comrades don’t know this because it would make her sound like a tattletale for the higher ups. Which she is.
Yanagi is not talented in direct combat, only covert missions and intelligence-gathering, although that doesn’t mean she is incapable. Her superiors must know this. Which is also why they sent her to assassinate the oni leader as punishment. She did not realize standing up for human lives contradicted with her mission to sniff out what the relationship between HAND, the Hoshimis and TOPs was. She gave them a full report on the eradication of Hollow Agros and was dragged through the mud for it.
A dead end: she might succeed with the assassination, but her chances of retreating are slim. In the case she fails, she can be publicly and politically scapegoated as a rogue agent, and the ammunitions would still do their work.
Good gods, the onis are still using wooden fences and communal tents while her team brings tanks and cannons. It makes her sick.
Her heart is thumping in her chest, the ground shakes and rumbles beneath her feet, tremors of explosions hit the back of her head like a bat swinging. She is sent on a suicide mission and they’re exploding both her and the tribe regardless of whether she succeeded by dawn. The snow feels like mud above her knees and her goggles are fogging up.
Then she saw a child in the battlefield.
—--
“Are you sure about her?”
Miyabi sips on her tea, biding time to put her thoughts into words. Her father took her silence as an admission and went on the offensive. They never had much time to talk before for her to expect her father to understand her.
“She’s military, Miyabi. I’m fine with your decision in Asaba-kun because he has no vested interest. Recruiting military is inviting wolves into your home.”
Miyabi might not be politically astute in the way that is so integral to her family’s survival, but instincts of a fighter is enough to buffer her through. The Tsukishiro woman came prepared at Argos hollow that day, her words are sharp and her eyes are shrewd. However, Miyabi knows her father’s words are not unwarranted, so she stays silent.
Hoshimi Souichirou rubs the bridge of his nose at her silence, exasperated, but it’s a sign he’s conceding, “If you needed an advisor, I can give you mine.”
Her ear flickers, “I already asked of you such an important favor. I can’t take any more.”
He shakes his head and hands her two paper files. Putting down the tea cup she didn’t realize has already gone cold in her hands, Miyabi takes a look.
“Asaba Harumasa. Exceptionally high Ether aptitude, graduated with outstanding merit and join HSO shortly after school.” Souichiro reiterated with what she gleaned with the first file, “He’s an ace for HSO, but his commander owes us a few favors. I imagine having him transferred to your new section should be easy enough.”
Miyabi flipped a few more pages on Asaba’s files and found his achievements as well as his monthly screening. An ace indeed, but his medical history is rather complex. She supposes since he passed anyway, there’s not much to worry about. She closes the files.
“As for Tsukishiro-kun, there is something you must know about her,” her father tipped his chin and Miyabi is curious, “It’s been making the rounds in the upper circle lately, though I imagine the press would get a hold of it soon once the Force sort themselves out.”
Tsukishiro Yanagi looks the same in her ID photo as the day Miyabi met her at the Argos Hollow subjugation. Pink hair in a tight bun, searing pink eyes and serious, although without her goggles on.
Sergeant.
When they met in Argos Hollow, Tsukishiro was a footsoldier of the Obsidian division since before the Capital’s fall, mostly domestic deployments working on the frontlines as well as Hollow subjugations in hand with HSO. If Miyabi was to be honest, this woman’s extensive military work does bother her. For all the combat prowess Miyabi possesses, she doesn’t specialize in combat with other humans. This woman doesn’t have ether matter in her hands like Miyabi does, she has human blood instead.
Her latest achievement caught Miyabi in her tracks. Well, too much for human blood.
“I suspect some internal scuffle took place, but she was suddenly deployed to the Oni border front some time ago on an assassination mission. She came back a leader of the Onis instead. Something about an honor killing that transferred leadership to her.”
A clink of her father’s tea cup on the table startled Miyabi out of her trance. Her father’s eyes look pained.
“The Oni rebellion has gone on for so long. How the Strategy HQ did not take this into account could be because all our records on them were lost during the Capital’s fall.”
They took a moment to reminisce. Miyabi thinks of gentle hands and sakura petals, butterflies and tea ceremonies.
“Now the Defense Force is scrambling to figure out what to do,” he heaves a sigh. “Tsukishiro is now a war hero and she is making rounds in politics at the moment, likely to find backing for the Oni people. Her joining your section would mean a de facto endorsement from the Hoshimis or at least, a Void Hunter like yourself. Are you prepared for the political repercussions of that?”
Miyabi realized something is blooming in her chest at the tenacity of this mere foot soldier who just deferred to her a few months ago. She steels her resolve.
“I am, father. But what of our family?”
Her father chuckles and the tension dissipates.
“We support you no matter what, Miyabi. You are our pride and joy.”