Cold Steel - Inazuma Gaiden

Collected Miscellany - "Hinode Nobutada: A Pocketful of Rainbows"

When the news first came that a certain individual of less fortunate background broke into our manor during the dead of cold winter night, I was not all too surprised. I know full well that - some may view the Kamisato family manor as a vault filled with riches of the nation. Truth be told, despite being the designated to lead the Yashiro Commission, our small family is but a modest bunch, especially compared to the wealthy members of clan Hiiragi and the powerful warriors of clan Kujou. Yet, I will not deny that the items stored within our halls may hold some high monetary value within the complicated markets of the underworld.

It wasn't the first time that someone of a brave heart, yet misguided conscience tried to relieve us of our belongings, and it certainly won't be the last. I wasn't all too concerned either. I knew that my younger sister was more than a capable lady when it comes to her proficiency with the blade, and she's always accompanied by our clan's retinue and our dearest companion. Thoma and the other capable members of the Commission would usually make short work to those who dared to trespass and threaten our own.

I knew of the thief's successful attempt in stealing the Commission's sensitive documents and his collusion with our former adversary, the very same ones that'd tried to dismantle our nation, our very way of living and the very same ones that'd toyed with Inazuman lives like we're some sort of expendable currency. Though it's not necessarily the particular circumstance that earned my surprise, no.

It's the fact that this very same thief essentially came back crawling to our manor, with a barely beating heart after some sort of minor scuffle and unfortunate treachery from his employers - and the fact that Ayaka had not only accepted his presence, but also proposed to form an uneasy cooperation between herself and our lone thief. She was deathly determined to resolve this emergency to the point of foregoing her own safety, while our intruder had the desire to secure a group of children that had been taken captive by the Fatui.

One thing seemed to have led to another during their journey towards Yashiori, since by the time my sister and I convene in our estate, with her bringing the intruder's dying and unresponsive body in tow... let's just say that within fourteen days since they first met - Ayaka had become a changed woman.

A very changed woman.

Though in hindsight, perhaps I should've seen the signs when she first refused my suggestion to go into hiding for the sake of her own safety.

At first, I didn't try to pry much into the shift in her disposition as she seemed to have been incredibly shaken and very visibly distressed after her long and arduous journey. I was more than willing to give her some space and had merely asked her to recount some surface level details on what'd happened during her expedition.

As it turns out - the sparse yet dark rumors that our Shuumatsuban cells had gathered were indeed real. The assault on the excommunicated clan Kujou - which resulted in the near extinction of the family, the plan to use the Tatarigami to both control the local populace and subsequently unleash untold chaos throughout not just the mainland but also the entirety of the main island chains, all the way to the shores of Watatsumi Island. The Fatui, citing some cryptic yet grim scenario of humanity being severely judged by forces unknown due to the unification of our people would go as far as to essentially desecrate Inazuma to achieve said goal.

I was ready to stop her then and there, Ayaka was exhausted and unsettled - then there was the fact that her chosen companion for the journey had received some mortal injuries and in need of immediate medical care.

However, she told me that there was still much work to be done.

My sister revealed, or rather reiterated the exact same story that was already told to me by the one other survivor from the Fatui's sudden assault on their temporary laborer.