Chapter 69

92. Emergency Mission

Kaoru Yanase took a bite of the white glutinous rice meatball.

The warm aroma immediately filled the tip of the tongue, the soft and sticky glutinous rice grains were fully mixed with the minced meat, and the perfectly steamed rice fragrance spread out with the meat.

"The food here is really delicious! Naoto, do you always eat such good food? It makes Mom a little envious of you."

"Yes, your mother and I live abroad most of the time, and it's been so long since we've tasted the flavors of our hometown."

Takuma Yanase also tasted a pastry filled with filling and praised it highly.

Efnir smiled slightly as she served food to her parents.

This restaurant wasn't exactly expensive; Efnir chose it entirely because the Asian food was quite good. Efnir 'd noticed her parents seemed to prefer the home-cooked meals she'd prepared for dinner the previous night, so she boldly opted for this place.

As it turned out, she made the right choice.

If her parents were happy, then her "family dinner" was a success.

"Sis~"

At that moment, Yukina called out to Efnir in a low voice, and then, taking advantage of the Yanase couple's inattention, she put a piece of steamed pork into Efnir's mouth.

"I think this is quite delicious, Naoko, you should try some too~"

Seeing that the tender piece of meat between Yukina's chopsticks was about to drip with juice, Efnir quickly brushed her hair aside, leaned slightly forward, parted her lips, and elegantly held the piece of meat between her lips.

"Oh no! It's about to drip... it's about to drip..."

"Hmm..."

Efnir flicked the tip of her tongue and successfully put the piece of meat into her mouth.

At that moment, Kaoru Yanase saw her two daughters interacting and suddenly laughed.

"Can't you two be serious and eat properly?"

"Hmm..."

Efnir blushed slightly, while Yukina laughed heartily, nonchalantly placing the chopsticks that had touched Efnir's lips back onto her own.

Just then, a sudden, urgent alarm blared in Efnir's and Yukina' minds.

Yukina had never heard such a strange sound before. She looked suspiciously toward the source of the sound and saw that Efnir had already composed herself and taken her phone out of her pocket.

The sudden silence from Efnir and Yukina also caught the attention of the Yanase couple.

All they could see was Efnir's phone vibrating.

"Naoto, what's wrong? Suddenly..."

The alarm sound was generated using energy Resonance, which they couldn't hear at all, but to Efnir and Yukina, it was a much more piercing alert than a cell phone ringtone.

This is a notification tone specifically for agents; once it sounds, it means—battle has begun.

Although she wasn't an official agent yet, she had heard a lot about agents from Efnir, and she quickly understood what the voice resounding in her mind meant.

Her heart skipped a beat, and Yukina subconsciously looked at Efnir.

Unlike Yukina, there was no particular expression on Efnir's face, as if she was already used to such things.

"Naoko..."

Yukina gently took Efnir's finger.

The warmth of Efnir, emanating from Efnir's fingertips, traveled through Yukina's palm and reached her heart.

Efnir did not answer her.

The Yanase couple also guessed something from Yukina's expression.

Efnir stood up, glanced at Yukina, and gently released Yukina's hand, a small gesture that startled Yukina.

"Elder sister..."

"It's okay."

Efnir smiled at Yukina, then looked at her parents, whose expressions were gradually becoming serious, and calmly said:

"Dad, Mom, I have to leave."

"Is this a matter for the agent?"

"Yes," Efnir said without hiding anything, "I'm very sorry I couldn't finish the meal with you."

"No, we're fine..." Kaoru Yanase hesitated, looking at her daughter, and finally just took a deep breath, "You must make sure you're safe."

"I will."

Efnir's eyes showed no particular emotion as she pressed the answer button and held the phone to her ear.

"This is Efnir."

("Efnir, I'm so sorry to have disturbed your vacation, but it's urgent, so I won't waste any more time. I have a new task for you.")

Judging from the voice, it was indeed Masaki Hina herself on the other end of the phone.

It is extremely rare for a commander to directly contact a proxy to issue a mission, but without a doubt, something very important must have happened.

("I've already sent someone to pick you up; they're on the hotel rooftop.")

Masaki Hina said.

"The rooftop... isn't that a bit too thoughtful...?"

Efnir sighed, glanced at her parents, and turned to leave.

Yukina silently put a piece of steamed pork into her mouth.

The food that had tasted delicious before suddenly tasted bland and tasteless. Yukina gently bit her chopsticks and stared blankly at the empty seat next to her.

The Yanase couple remained silent, and the private room suddenly became much quieter after Efnir left.

"Shall we go home first?"

Kaoru Yanase looked very unwell.

Although she and her husband had reached an agreement on the night Efnir revealed her identity and were mentally prepared for it, they had already made a consensus on this matter.

But watching her daughter head off to the battlefield, a strange feeling welled up in her heart.

Takuma Yanase looked at her silently without saying a word, only patting her shoulder reassuringly.

Both of them reaffirmed their belief: if they wanted to create a world where no one would die from Corruption, their research had to go further than what they had already done.

If they can do that, then their daughter will no longer need to fight.

Kaoru Yanase stood up, took her coat off the coat rack, and held it in her hand.

"Yukina, let's go back."

She said to Yukina.

At that moment, Yukina suddenly put down her chopsticks.

"Uncle, Aunt, I'm so sorry, I can't go back with you..."

Kaoru Yanase was taken aback and looked at Yukina.

Yukina bit her lip tightly and pushed open the door to the room.

Kaoru Yanase's eyes flickered slightly.

"Wait, Yukina? Where are you going?"

"I'm sorry, Auntie, I... I have to go find my sister..."

"But... Yukina! Wait! Yukina!!"

Yukina pushed open the door without looking back and ran out. Kaoru Yanase and Takuma Yanase immediately chased after her, only to find that Yukina had already disappeared.

On the hotel rooftop, Efnir put on the earplugs handed to her by the man in black and boarded the helicopter.

"Thank you for coming, Miss Efnir."

"It's alright, please take me there quickly, I'm afraid there's no time."

"Yes."

The pilot responded, the propellers slowly started, stirring the air, and a feeling of gravity came from the soles of his feet. The helicopter swayed slightly and slowly rose.

Efnir was about to close the side door.

At this time--

The phone rang; it was Yukina calling.

"Yukina?"

The call had barely connected when a familiar figure flashed before Efnir's eyes.

"Elder sister!!"

A familiar voice emerged amidst the raging wind. Efnir turned her gaze in surprise and saw her younger sister panting heavily, facing the onrushing waves, appearing in Efnir's line of sight.

93. Reckless

By this time, the helicopter was already two or three meters off the ground.

Upon seeing Yukina appear on the hotel rooftop, Efnir quickly put her phone to her ear.

"Yukina!? What are you doing here?"

"Naoko!"

Yukina recognized Efnir and shouted Efnir name, which was transmitted from the phone to Efnir's ears.

"I want to go with you!"

Upon hearing Yukina's words, Efnir's expression turned slightly serious, and the hand holding the phone froze.

"What nonsense are you talking about! You can't!"

"I want to go!"

Yukina, however, held her phone and retorted loudly and forcefully.

"I must go! Naoko, I'm going with you no matter what. I don't want to stand here, clueless and unable to see you, like before!"

"Yukina, you..."

"I have to go... Yukina finally got together with her sister, finally got to this point, and every time I see you hurt, it feels like a Yukina is cutting into my heart! Why don't you understand, sister...? I absolutely don't want to be thrown into a place where no one is again..."

Yukina tilted her head back, squinted her eyes, and looked expectantly at the figure of Efnir on the helicopter.

"Naoko, I'm your lover, aren't I...? I don't want to be pushed away by you anymore. If that's the case, it would have been better if you had treated me coldly from the beginning..."

The two were less than fifty meters apart, listening to each other through their cell phones.

Efnir gripped her phone tightly, staring blankly into Yukina's eyes. She gritted her teeth slightly, her face resolute.

Even so... I can't let you follow me into danger...

"Is that so..."

Yukina suddenly smiled... but a bitter disappointment appeared on her face, and she lowered her head.

"Yukina..."

"I knew you would say that, sister..." Yukina looked up again. "Sister, I know you well after all. Well then, Yukina will do it her way."

Then, she took a deep breath, her heart pounding in her chest.

She shouted into the phone, "Sister, do you remember four days ago? I was able to find you all by myself, and I will do the same today. Even if you try to push me away, I will definitely catch up with you!"