Loading User Commands:
[X] Awaken from this nightmare.

---

"Hmm... the sequence is behaving similar to the Schrödinger-Yakumo wave function. Theoretically, this is only possible under special conditions. The resonance fields themselves will not be enough to significantly alter the synapse matrix. But there should be no other class A entities on the current..."

Ran suddenly freezes. Her eyes slowly widen. She turns around too quickly, this time knocking over one of the displays. But she seems too agitated to care about it.

"Vincent!" she cries. "Where is Lady Yukari's guest? Is he still -"

He blinks stupidly. The kitsune seems to be talking to him, but her voice just got cut off. In fact, he doesn't seem to hear anything at all. Not even the sound of his own breathing. The only thing he can hear is his own heartbeat.

It seems to be slowing down.

Something.. doesn't feel right. In the next second, he loses his balance. Ran manages to catch him before he hits the ground. She shouts desperately at him. He still can't hear her voice. She seems to be repeating the same few words again and again, but he doesn't understand.

"Tail~" he croaks.

Vincent doesn't hear his own voice, but Ran's red face is enough to confirm that she heard him. She quickly shakes her head, mouthing the word, "stupid", somewhere along the line. To his surprise, she doesn't get angry, and she only holds him tighter and closer. Her cold and calculating demeanor has all but broken down.

In the last moments of his consciousness, he smiles at the kitsune. Despite everything, it looks like she is still a girl, after all. It is a fresh, new look for her. She really does look cute like this. And she feels so soft.

Soft

He blinks slowly. Did he forget someone important?

Everything fades to black.

[ ] Eyes of the heart
[ ] Eyes of the sword
[ ] Eyes of the stranger

Loading User Commands:
[X] Ask Ran about the experiment.
[X] Custom

---

"The experiment," she says. "Do you need me to go through it again?"

"Huh?"

Vincent scratches his head.

"You said that you understood during the morning briefing."

"I did? Wait, what are you talking about?"

Ran nods thoughtfully.

"Master Yukari thought that it would be amusing to start the experiment without informing the subject. The subject being you, of course. Fortunately, Chen warned me of her plot before she could do anything foolish. Without her help, you might have been thrown into the data sequence without any warning at all."

"Data sequence? I don't understand."

The kitsune stares blankly at me. She sighs heavily and pulls out a sheet of paper from her dress. It looks like some kind of contract.

"Is this your signature at the bottom of this waiver?"

Vincent examines the sheet. The signature at the bottom is definitely his handwriting, but he doesn't remember signing this waiver. From the gist of it, the contract waives all damages, injuries and/or deaths that may be caused during the experiment period. The others who signed the contract include Yukari and Ran as Mayohiga representatives, with Youmu and Komachi as witnesses.

"I don't remember signing this," he mutters. "And what is this part about accidental deaths or dismemberment?"

"You signed it this morning," she says. "I was in the room with you when you did. What are you complaining about?"

"Sorry. I can't remember a thing about this. What is this experiment that everyone keeps talking about?"

Ran looks at him disbelievingly.

"Wait.. you really don't remember?"

Vincent shakes his head.

"I can't remember anything about an experiment. All I know is that I woke up from some strange nightmare where I killed someone important to me. The next thing I know, I'm lying on the bed with you guys in the room."

"..."

For a moment, Ran looks completely surprised. But in the next, she is already nodding to herself, as if she figured everything out in a split second.

"Ah.. so that would explain the wave flunctuations in data sequence 2-C. Maybe I can try adjusting the border synchronization settings in the next simulation and..."

Without another word, Ran turns around and starts entering new data into the system.

[ ] Interrupt her. Insist that she explain the experiment.
[ ] Watch her work from the side. Maybe you can learn something.
[ ] Head to the dining room. You could use some food and drink.
[ ] Return to your room. A nap is fine too.
[ ] Awaken from this nightmare.
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Clear your throat loudly. No need to surprise her.
[X] Custom

---

Vincent clears his throat loudly. Ran doesn't show any response. However, her tails stop waving around.

"Sorry to bother you. Are you busy?"

Ran nods slowly. She doesn't keep her eyes off the displays. However, she seems to be aware of his presence now.

"Give me a few more minutes," she says. "I want to run the data through simulation again. I've already set the adjusted variables. Now let's just wait until the system completes processing."

"Ah, sure."

Vincent just stands by the doorway as he watches Ran continue. She seems completely engrossed in her work, and a few moments later, her tails start waving about animatedly again. Perhaps they move around like that when she is concentrating?

There are so many questions in his head, but for some reason, he finds the movement of Ran's tails oddly hypnotic. They just seem so fluffy and warm. Surely, it wouldn't hurt to just touch it a little. Or maybe if he moves slowly, he can lie in-between the softness. Before he realizes it, Vincent finds himself drawn towards the nine tails.

"Tail~" he mouths silently.

Ran still seems to be busy. He continues inching closer until one of them is almost within reach. His hand is shaking, but he can't control himself. Slowly, he touches the very tip of her longest tail with his finger.

"W-wha!?" squeaks Ran.

All of her tails stop moving. Without warning, she turns around completely, almost knocking over the displays with her tails. She stares at Vincent with a piercing cold glare. Her cheeks are slightly pink.

"D-don't touch those!" she cries, covering her chest defensively.

Vincent immediately takes a step back and apologizes. An awkward moment of silence passes between them. Ran clears her throat and composes herself. When she speaks, her tone is completely neutral.

"You have some questions," she says.

Vincent simply nods. Ran shrugs to herself.

"I'll answer them to the best of my ability," she says. "But be quick about it. I still have a lot of work to finish."

Vincent can probably ask two or three questions.
[ ] Ask Ran about Chen.
[ ] Ask Ran about Youmu.
[ ] Ask Ran about Yuyuko.
[ ] Ask Ran about Komachi.
[ ] Ask Ran about the coin.
[ ] Ask Ran about the experiment.
[ ] Ask Ran about Yukari.
[ ] Ask Ran about the Grey Traveller.
[ ] Ask Ran about her tails.
[ ] Ask Ran about something else. (Specify)
[ ] Awaken from this nightmare.
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Excuse yourself and look for Ran.

---

Sitting alone with Yukari, Vincent can't help but feel uneasy. He quickly finishes his tea.

"Well, if you'll excuse me."

He gives her a wave before standing up.

"Wait," she whispers.

Vincent stops in his tracks.

"That coin is very special," says Yukari. "I still don't understand why he gave you one."

Slowly, he turns around. The gap youkai has a strange expression on her face.

"Didn't he give you several of these as well?"

"That was payment. I had won a bet. I've never seen him give those for free."

"Wait. What is this thing supposed to do?"

"..."

Yukari looks at him thoughtfully before answering.

"It is a special currency used only by the most powerful magicians."

"Huh?"

"To put it simply, what you have in your hands is a miracle."

...

After several minutes, Vincent finally found Ran. Seems like she transformed one of the guest rooms into a smaller version of her lab at Mayohiga. Several strange machines and instruments were humming and beeping. Ran herself was seated at the center of it all, with no less than six different screens displaying data sequences in front of her.

".. but the heat loss variable doesn't match up with the amount of radiation released. Minute traces of spiritual resonance fields add up here... and here... but that shouldn't be enough to..."

It doesn't look like she noticed him yet. She looks really busy with her calculations and analysis. Her tails wave animatedly as she stresses over her work.

[ ] Glance over her shoulder. What is she doing?
[ ] Clear your throat loudly. No need to surprise her.
[ ] You can't resist it. You must stroke her tails!
[ ] Awaken from this nightmare.
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Talk to Youmu, then Yukari. The one in gray robes, if you have the time.

---

"H-hey, Youmu! Wait up!"

The half-ghost stops in her tracks, but she doesn't turn around. Vincent slows down to catch his breath.

"Wha.. what's going on?" he manages.

"..."

Youmu doesn't respond. Komachi opens her mouth to say something, but Yuyuko signals for her to keep quiet. The shinigami gives Vincent a little bow in apology before walking off with the ghost princess. And before the two of them are out of sight, Yuyuko turns around to give him a playful wink. Vincent just scratches his head.

"What's going on?" he says again. "I don't understand what's happening."

Suddenly, Youmu speaks with a low, cold voice.

"Why don't you ask the others?" she says. "I have nothing to do with it."

"Nothing to do with it? But I -"

The half-ghost turns around, almost shouting.

"I said that I have nothing to do with it!"

Vincent just stays silent, shocked. Her eyes quivering and damp. He waits until she calms down. Slowly, she turns away.

"A different route," she whispers. "You already chose a different route."

"Huh?"

"So just... leave me alone, alright?"

The half-ghost sighs heavily. Then, she starts walking toward the kitchen. Vincent stands there for a few minutes, feeling confused. What the hell is going on?

...

"And so you came back to get answers," she says. "Isn't that so~"

Vincent nods slowly.

"Was it all a dream? What was that all about? Why was I fighting Youmu?"

"Oh! But if I tell you everything right away, then that isn't any fun, now is it?"

Yukari simply smiles a little wider. But before she can say anything else, the person in gray robes interrupts her.

"You were part of an important experiment," he says. "The simulation data that Ran collected will prove invaluable. The cause of this incident has almost been isolated."

The gap youkai almost chokes on her tea. After she recovers, she frowns hard at the man in gray.

"Hey! Don't get in the way of my fun!"

"Confusing him will only create new problems."

"Exactly! Don't get in the way of my fun~"

The man in gray sighs and puts his hand on his forehead.

"You never change, Yukari. Not even in this place."

"Hmph! You're no fun."

Yukari puffs up her cheeks, clearly irritated.

"..."

Vincent takes a better look at the stranger in gray. He wore thick robes that reached his ankles, and he had a long walking stick leaning beside his seat. His face was hidden by a hood, but for some reason, this person really felt familiar.

"I'm sorry," Vincent says. "But do I know you?"

The person in gray paused before answering.

"Maybe," he responds. "Maybe not. I'm just a simple wanderer who is in search of knowledge and truth."

Yukari snickers at the words "simple wanderer".

"You may call me the 'Grey Traveller'. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

He pulls something from his robes and hands it to Vincent.

"A token for a new friend," he says. "And now, I must be leaving."

"Eh?"

"If you need more answers, you can ask Yukari or Ran, though I believe that Ran might be a little more honest."

"D-don't talk about me that way! I was just -"

The person in gray suddenly whispers something in a language he doesn't recognize. In the next moment, he fades away without trace.

"Wait, what?"

"Hmph! He always leaves whenever he likes."

Yukari pouts as she finishes her tea. Then, she glances at the item in Vincent's hands. Her eyes widen slightly in surprise, but she doesn't say anything. Vincent looks down and stares at the odd gift.

It looks like an ancient gold coin with a raven engraved upon it.

[ ] Ask Yukari about the gold coin.
[ ] Ask Yukari about the experiment.
[ ] Ask Yukari about the Grey Traveller.
[ ] Excuse yourself and look for Ran.
[ ] Excuse yourself and look for Chen.
[ ] Excuse yourself and head for the dining room.
[ ] Awaken from this nightmare.
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Slash the opaque Youmu.

---

"W-w-whaa!?"

In the next second, Vincent is already standing beside the original Youmu. His whole body cries out in pain, but he steels his mind and stays focused. This is his only chance, and there is no other way. He clenches the hilt of his weapon tightly.

"Good bye," he whispers into her ear.

Youmu raises her short blade to block the attack, but her form is poor. Vincent drives his sword down in one swift motion, breaking her blade into two. Her eyes widen as the sword digs deep into her side. Blood pours out of the wound, dyeing the ground crimson under the moonlit night. She tries to speak, but she only manages to gurgle incoherently as she coughs out blood. The transparent Youmu crumples up in pain, then in the next second, it vanishes without a trace.

"I won't ask for forgiveness," Vincent whispers. "Hate me all you want."

"..."

He turns around slowly. Youmu lies on the ground, breathing her last few breaths. Their eyes meet once more. She smiles at him.

"...loved.. you," her lips say silently.

With those last words, her eyes close, never to open again. Vincent stood there in silence. He knew that he did the right thing. He was not sorry. And he would not be tied down by regret. Slowly, he starts walking back to Hakugyokurou. Lady Yuyuko would be waiting for him.

That evening, the blossoms of the cherry trees started to fall.

...

> Program Complete

"-ig brother?" says a familiar voice. "Big brother?"

"Has the subject regained consciousness?" says another.

"N-not yet. I'm trying to wake him up."

Can't sleep. Too noisy. Can't they keep it down?

"He'll be okay, right? He'll be okay if he wakes, Master Ran?"

"Call out if he doesn't get up in five minutes. I'll have to run the safety program to force him back."

Vincent slowly opens his eyes. The bright lights are painful, but he manages to keep them open. He seems to be lying on an unfamiliar bed. There is a small crowd standing around him.

"Chen..?" he whispers weakly.

Without warning, the nekomata girl hugs him tightly. A few tears roll down her cheek as she hold him. Then, he becomes aware of her unnatural youkai strength.

"Aaargh!" he cries out.

"Ha ha ha! That sounds like a healthy cry of pain, if I say so myself," says a red-headed blur that could only be Komachi.

"I've collected the sequence data for analysis. Will this be alright, Master Yukari?"

"That's fine. Send me the summary of the results after dinner. This should be interesting."

"Ara? Is it dinner time yet, Youmu? We have a lot of guests tonight~"

A familiar silver-haired figure nodded silently at the ghost princess. Youmu? Vincent forces himself up and looks around.

"What's... going on?" he asks.

Before anyone could respond, the half-ghost puffs out her cheeks and quickly looks away from him.

"Hmph!"

Youmu is the first to walk away. Komachi quickly goes after her, whispering something he can't hear. A moment later, Yuyuko winks at him before following after them. Ran stares emotionlessly at him for a few seconds, notes something down on her clipboard, then walks away without a word. Chen slowly pulls away and forces a smile before following Ran. Yukari and another person start walking away slowly, though he can hear them talking.

"I guess I win the bet," says the gap youkai.

"Don't know how you talked me into this."

Someone in grey robes grumbles loudly to himself as he hands Yukari a few gold coins.

"I told you he would do it," says Yukari. "He is a hero, after all."

"I knew I shouldn't have come."

"Ah, but you enjoyed it, didn't you~"

The person just shrugs in return.

Vincent blinks stupidly. No one has explained a thing to him, but it seems like the worst is over.

[ ] Talk to Youmu.
[ ] Talk to Yuyuko.
[ ] Talk to Komachi.
[ ] Talk to Chen.
[ ] Talk to Ran.
[ ] Talk to Yukari.
[ ] Talk to the person in grey robes.
[ ] Awaken from this nightmare.
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Try to catch her off-guard.

---

"First Card, 「Double Pain」"

The field around Youmu blurs violently. Vincent readies himself as he senses the danger. Then, a harsh wind blows into his eyes. He barely keeps them open. Something is speeding toward him from the left. He quickly sidesteps the attack, but before he can counter -

"What the -"

A second attacker is coming from the other side. There isn't time to avoid the attack. Vincent grabs his scabbard from his belt and barely deflects the sword strikes. His eyes widen in surprise. The second attacker is also... Youmu?

"Too slow," says a voice from his left.

Vincent doesn't have the chance to reply. The Youmu on the left uses the hilt of her katana to deal a heavy blow to his stomach. Then, as he cringes in pain, the Youmu on the right grabs his arm and skillfully throws him several yards away. He lands hard on his back, his lungs quickly emptied of air.

"D-damn it..." he mutters.

He forces himself up, but only barely. She only connected with a few blows, yet his whole body feels like it's been hit by a truck. Breathing has become difficult. Seems like he took some internal damage. And she hasn't even hit with her blades yet.

"Ugh..."

Vincent waits as his eyes focus. He blinks, shakes his head, then looks again. It isn't an illusion. There are two Youmus standing before him. What is this?

"Two on one?" he manages. "This isn't a very fair fight..."

He stares carefully. The one on the right seems to be semi-transparent, while the one on the left looks like the original. Both of them seem equally dangerous. If they rush again, he won't be able to defend himself. However, to his surprise, the one on the left speaks.

"It shouldn't have come to this," she says. "You should have stayed at the Human Village."

"Y-Youmu?"

She looks straight at him. For the first time, he notices a deep sadness in her eyes. Then, she looks away.

"I didn't," she says. "I didn't want to do this. I didn't want to hurt anyone."

The one on the right suddenly speaks.

"But now I don't have a choice," says the transparent one. "I'll have to end this tonight."

"Forgive me," whispers the one on the left.

Vincent steadies his breathing as he tries to think. After that attack, his crossbow got knocked away. However, he still has the gun hidden in his coat. He only has two shots left, but they might just be enough. Neither of them have noticed yet. He has to use this opening.

"W-w-whaa!?"

Their eyes widen in surprise as they watch their mainhand katanas fly into the air. In a split-second, Vincent shoots away the longer blades of the two Youmus. Then, he drops the gun as he rushes forward. They still have their short blades ready, but this might be his only chance. He only has time to target one of them.

[ ] Slash the opaque Youmu.
[ ] Disarm the opaque Youmu.
[ ] Knock down the opaque Youmu.
[ ] Slash the transparent Youmu.
[ ] Disarm the transparent Youmu.
[ ] Knock down the transparent Youmu.
[ ] Awaken from this nightmare.
[ ] Custom

---

"Why would you pity a sinner like me?"

Loading User Commands:
[X] Draw your sword. Defend yourself.

---

Vincent draws his sword and takes a defensive stance.

"Youmu! I don't want to fight you! What are you -"

"..."

The half-ghost suddenly vanishes. He loses sight of her, but only for a moment. Vincent steps to the right, barely avoiding her first attack. Then, he skillfully blocks her follow-up strike with his sword.

"Dammit," he mutters.

Vincent immediately jumps backward, landing several yards away. He can't afford to get hit even once. From the power of that blow, he can tell that Youmu isn't holding back. If that attack connected, he would be dead by now.

"Stop this! You are the retainer of Hakugyokurou. Can' t you remember?"

"Hakug... yokurou?" she says hollowly.

"That's right! Didn't we just enjoy sweet buns together yesterday?"

Youmu stands up slowly and pauses.

"We had a good time together with Chen and Komachi and Yuyuko. It was fun, wasn't it?"

"Lady.. Yuyuko..?"

Her face slowly forms a frown. Then, Youmu's eyes turn clear and empty. She speaks without a trace of emotion.

"Lady Yuyuko," she whispers. "Lady Yuyuko is dead to me."

She draws out a spellcard from her dress. Vincent steps back to gain some distance.

"First Card, 「Double Pain」"

Your combat stance...
[ ] Focus on defense.
[ ] Try to catch her off-guard.
[ ] Fight offensively. Use fatal strikes.

You can try to talk to her...
[ ] "..."
[ ] Custom

Optional:
[ ] Awaken from this nightmare.

---

"If things were just a little different, maybe we could have been friends...

Alternate: The Darkness in an Innocent Girl's Heart

"Human Sign, 「Blade of Memories」"

Vincent draws his longsword and slices at the enemy. A blinding flash of light fills the cherry tree garden. Komachi covers her eyes. Then, as the brightness disappears into the night, Vincent sheathes his blade.

"Hrggkkh?"

The seven swamp ghouls gurgle in surprise. Then, in the next moment, they fall apart like badly made meat puppets. Decomposing blood and flesh is everywhere. Komachi steps back gingerly to avoid the bloody drizzle.

"Seven in one blow," he says with a smile.

Komachi nervously returns his grin.

"N-not bad for a human," she says. "I see that you've gotten pretty strong now."

Vincent pauses to wipe of the blood from his coat.

"I had a good teacher."

The shinigami shakes her head.

"It's more than that. Even Youmu thinks that you're something amazing. I've never heard of a human or youkai who could learn so quickly. It's as if you were just remembering the skills that you have forgotten."

Vincent pauses for a moment. Skills that he had forgotten? Did he hear that somewhere before? He pauses to think carefully, but for some reason, his head aches when he tries to remember. But something feels familiar about -

"..!"

His eyes widen in shock. Someone is standing right behind Komachi. He opens his mouth to call out to her. But it's already too late. In the next second, the attacker stabs her from behind with a long katana. The blade pierces through her chest without mercy.

"D-damn it," mutters Komachi.

She swings her scythe behind her, but the attacker recovers her weapon and dodges the counterattack in an instant. The enemy lands several paces away without a sound. Komachi's eyes widen for a moment before she collapses to the ground.

"Got careless.."

"Machi!" cries Vincent. "You dirty bastard! I'll kill -"

He stops mid-sentence as the moonlight illuminates the enemy. There is no mistake about it. The person who just attacked is -

"Y-Youmu?"

The half-ghost stares back at him with empty eyes. In her hands are two katanas, each easily able to slice a human into pieces. She pauses for a moment, as if confused. Then, without a word, she starts walking towards him with weapons drawn.

[ ] Draw your sword. Defend yourself.
[ ] Draw your sword. Incapacitate her.
[ ] Draw your sword. Kill her.
[ ] "I can't fight her."
[ ] Awaken from this nightmare. (a.k.a. "exit game")
[ ] Custom

Alternate: A Flash of Silver

It was a mistake.

When he thinks back, he did set himself up to fall into this ambush. Why did he insist on walking around the village alone? Why did he trust a "gut feel" over Komachi's advice? Why didn't he take Keine's warning seriously? What was he thinking? But more than all that, why was this maid trying to kill him now?

"D-damn it," mutters Vincent as he catches his breath behind a tree.

He doesn't know how long he has been running. He has no idea how far he is from the village. All he knows is that if he stops, he is most definitely going to die.

"What the heck did I do to -"

His complaint is cut off abruptly when he senses the next attack. Three different knives fly toward him from different directions, each moving at a different speed. He immediately draws his sword to deflect the projectiles. Then, he maintains a defensive stance. Over twenty minutes have passed since this chase began, and he is getting tired of all this running.

"Damn it all!" he cries out. "Why are you doing this? I did nothing to you!"

At those words, over a dozen knives start flying at him. He easily deflects the attack with his weapon, though he can feel something even more dangerous approach. From the distant shadows, a familiar silver-haired girl walks into the open.

"Like I said earlier," says Sakuya coldly. "Don't take it personally."

"Don't take it personally?" repeats Vincent. "You're trying to kill me!"

"The cleaning never ends," says the maid. "Just stay still and die already. You are only delaying the inevitable."

"Why are you trying to kill me?" he cries. "Don't I at least deserve to know that much?"

Three knives appear in the maid's right hand. Vincent immediately prepares to block the attack, but Sakuya pauses at his question. Then, to his surprise, she answers.

"You are dangerous," she says. "If I leave you alone, you will most certainly hurt those around you. Even those you care about."

"What are you talking about?" he cries.

"I've seen it before," whispers Sakuya, almost sadly. "I won't let it happen again."

With those words, the chief maid throws several more knives at him. Vincent barely has time to block this attack, and before he realizes it, the chief maid is already standing beside him. From this distance, there is no way he can dodge or block her next strike.

He is going to die. His vision starts to blur violently, and time seems to slow down as Sakuya moves her knife-hand. The last thing he hears is a strange voice whisper from the back of his head.

"Not yet."

...

Vincent opens his eyes and blinks slowly. His brain takes a few moments to absorb his surroundings. All around him is a scene of devastation. Several trees are sliced cleanly at the trunk. Some of them seem to be charred black. The air smells like charcoal and burnt steel.

"Why do you hesitate?" whispers a voice from below.

He looks down to see Sakuya lying with her back on the ground. She looks badly bruised, and she has cuts all over. Her arms and legs are full of burn marks. Several strangely marked cards lie on the ground beside her, each of them sliced cleanly in half. Her left hand seems to be gripping a knife, though only half-heartedly. The girl stares defiantly at him, but he can see a glimmer of fear in her eyes.

Then, he realizes that he is standing right over her. At this moment, he is holding his blade over her neck, ready to end her life at any moment. Pain and exhaustion fill every part of his body, but more than that is the adrenaline. He must defeat this girl. He won't have this chance again. It will only take a little more effort to finish the battle.

"I was right," says Sakuya. "You really are monstrous. Even my ability isn't enough."

"You..." mutters Vincent. He can't think very clearly.

"That was careless," says the girl as she closes her eyes. "I hope Lady Remilia forgives my indiscretion."

"You...?" he repeats. Somehow, he needs to finish this.

"I guess I am going to die here," she says. "A dog's death, isn't it?"

"You." he whispers. He doesn't understand anything, and his body is moving without his consent.

"I haven't even told him how I feel," whispers Sakuya, her voice full of regret.

"You... look beautiful when you fight," says Vincent.

Suddenly, he feels himself press his lips against hers. He pushes his tongue roughly to part her lips. His hands feel the girl's delicate curves and soft skin through her uniform. His body, still hot from the battle, leans forward desperately against hers.

Then, his mind regains control. He immediately pulls away from her and drops his weapon. Was he just about to ravage this girl? What the hell is wrong with him? What is happening to him?

"W-what am I -" says Vincent as he backs away.

"Vincent!" cries another voice. "There you are! What happened here?"

"E-eh?" he says.

He glances behind to see Komachi running toward him, her face full of worry.

"What happened?" she cries. "Why are you hurt?"

"Ah!" says Vincent. "Well, that is..."

As he turns around, he finds that the chief maid is already gone.

...

After making sure that she is some distance away from the battlefield, Sakuya pauses behind a tree to catch her breath. Cursing at her own weakness, she straightens up her dress. Then, she starts examining her wounds. After finding that she isn't badly injured, she looks up to stare at the clouds.

"..."

Before she notices it, she puts a finger to her lips. More than the battle and the pain, she can feel something else burning warmly within. She can still feel every moment of that brief kiss. Sakuya has never felt anything so passionate. She stares dreamily at the clouds as she savors the feeling.

Then, she shakes her head as she returns to reality.

"W-what am I thinking?" she whispers harshly to herself.

It was a mistake.