In the High God Forest, the young girls trained as future Attack Mages of the Lion King Agency were mostly orphans brought in from the outside world.
Many of them had been abandoned by their parents due to their exceptional spiritual abilities, some had acquired special physiques after being caught up in certain incidents, and others had been recruited after accidentally learning some of the skills of an Attack Mage.
Yukina was one of the former—an orphan from the start. The Lion King Agency had taken her in and raised her after recognizing her extraordinary talent as a Spirit Medium.
On the other hand, Yuiri was a rare case in the High God Forest, as she came from a family where all members were still alive.
Her parents were employees of the Lion King Agency, and she also had a younger brother close in age. The entire family was connected to the organization, which was why she had entered the High God Forest to train as a Sword Shaman under the Lion King Agency's guidance.
Yuiri also possessed talent in this field. Though only a year older than Yukina, she was among the top students of her peers. In terms of skill as a Sword Shaman, she was not far behind Yukina.
If not for this, she wouldn't have been on the candidate list for the Divine Child's moniter or considered as a potential wielder of the Mechanical Demon-Purging Assault Spear Mark Seven.
However, in the end, because Yuiri's family held notable positions within the Lion King Agency, the higher-ups took her family into consideration and removed her from the dangerous mission of monitoring the Divine Child.
Thus, Yuiri missed out on the position, and Yukina—still ungraduated from the High God Forest—was sent to Itogami Island as a trainee Sword Shaman, carrying the Mechanical Demon-Purging Assault Spear Mark Seven to watch over the Divine Child.
This left Yuiri with complicated feelings.
On one hand, she was immensely relieved that she didn't have to take on such a dangerous mission.
On the other hand, she couldn't help but feel a faint sense of disappointment as her fantasies were shattered.
And then, there was also guilt toward Yukina.
Because...
"If I had been better at wielding the Mechanical Demon-Purging Assault Spear Mark Seven, or if Yukina had a family like I do, then she wouldn't have had to take on the dangerous mission of watching the Divine Child."
For a long time, Yuiri had felt as though she had pushed the dangerous task onto Yukina, and this weighed heavily on her conscience.
Her personality was surprisingly approachable, and she was kind-hearted—a stark contrast to the many unique personalities among the girls in the High God Forest. Perhaps this was because she had grown up surrounded by the love and care of her parents and family.
Shio regarded Yuiri with a gentle gaze.
But...
"That kind of thinking isn't good, Yuiri," Shio said sternly. "Monitoring the Divine Child is necessary. Someone had to step up, and even if it wasn't Yukina, it would have been another Sword Shaman. You were just one of the candidates. Thinking that someone else took on the risk in your place is arrogant."
"Shio..." Yuiri replied with a hint of grievance. "I get what you're saying, but the fact that I wasn't chosen was partly because my family works for the Lion King Agency. It feels like I was protected while Yukina was... discarded."
Because she was an orphan, it wouldn't matter if something happened to her during the mission.
No one would mourn her, and it wouldn't cause any trouble for the organization—that was the impression Yukina's situation gave.
In contrast, Yuiri, because of her family, had been spared. It was as if she was being told that her background granted her special treatment, which made her deeply uncomfortable.
"I understand how you feel," Shio sighed before offering comfort. "But you don't need to worry too much. Maybe Yukina is doing just fine and isn't in any danger?"
"Really?" Yuiri didn't seem convinced.
"Think about it. The Divine Child might be powerful, but he's not the Fourth Primogenitor—an incarnation of evil. Even if he's the Witch's younger brother, if he's blessed by a god, he probably isn't a bad person, right?" Shio speculated. "Besides, I've heard that before encountering the Fourth Primogenitor, the Divine Child was just attending a normal school. That means he's someone who can live in ordinary society. He probably wouldn't be violent toward Yukina, would he?"
Hearing this, Yuiri pondered for a moment and found it somewhat reasonable.
But then Shio's tone shifted.
"However... most people wouldn't have a favorable impression of a sudden, uninvited monitor. Having someone around who's ready to kill you if you lose control would naturally be unpleasant. And given that the Divine Child seems to have had a strained relationship with the Lion King Agency recently—even forcing Shizuka Koyomi-sama to reveal information under pressure—maybe Yukina has already been... you know..."
Before she could finish, Shio's voice grew quieter until it faded entirely.
Because...
"Ugh, I'm so worried about Yukina..."
Yuiri's eyes were on the verge of tearing up, making Shio panic.
"Ah—ah, I was just joking! Don't take it seriously! Yukina is definitely fine!" Shio quickly reassured her. "Think about it. Yukina's grades have always been outstanding. Even though she's a year younger than us, her skills surpass ours. The only one who could rival her was that Kirasaka Sayaka!"
At this point, Shio's expression twisted with displeasure.
"Ahaha," Yuiri chuckled awkwardly. "You're still the same as always, always competing with Sayaka."
"Who's competing with her?!" Shio snapped back. "I just find that man-hating lunatic unbearable!"
"Alright, alright," Yuiri soothed the agitated Shio while regaining her composure. "So, what should we do now?"
"Let's go check on Akatsuki Nagisa and Avrora Florestina," Shio said after a moment of thought. "The ritual is about to begin, and the guardian who brought them here is nowhere to be found. We need to take care of them."
"Mhm," Yuiri nodded.
The two of them then made their way to the depths of the main shrine, entering a room where two girls lay asleep on beds.
Looking at them, Yuiri couldn't help but speak up.
"Is it really okay to take them to the ritual without waking them up?"
She seemed uneasy.
"I want to object too. It feels like we're forcing them to assist us without their consent or consideration for their wishes. Even for the Lion King Agency, this is going too far, isn't it?"
Shio also frowned.
The Lion King Agency was, after all, a national intelligence organization. If necessary, sacrifices had to be made in dire situations. But blatantly exploiting civilians like this, disregarding their will entirely, left a bitter taste in their mouths.
Yet, Yuiri and Shio could do nothing about it.
After all, they were just low-ranking members—they had no say in the matter.
"I heard they're friends with the Divine Child. He even opposed Koyomi Shizuka and rushed all the way here for their sake."
Yuiri spoke these words with an unreadable expression.
"Yeah."
Shio let out a self-deprecating sigh.
"Compared to him, we're the ones who seem like the villains."
With heavy hearts, Yuiri and Shio stood there, unaware that the events to come would defy everyone's expectations.