Ouka
“…KIRIKO, there’s something I’ve got to show you,” Ouka started, handing Kiriko the black file. “A certain doctor stole this from the room of St. Rollins Academy’s dorm custodian.”
Kiriko accepted the file without resistance and scanned the contents. Documents including lists of Engrave Incantations, reports on trial-and-error results, and various graphs, were neatly tucked inside.
A long moment passed until Kiriko’s face stiffened. She must have caught on to what the file meant right away. Those documents detailed their failures, their mistakes. Inside was data that should’ve only been known to those involved—the Church’s most classified secrets, which were forbidden to be taken from Church premises.
Kiriko’s hands trembled. Wrenching the question out of her drying throat, she asked, “Why…did that dormitory custodian have this?”
“Apparently Grinzam’s aspirations haven’t been squashed. But what’s more troubling at the moment is how these documents got outside the Church,” he said.
Kiriko pondered the matter for a minute, then inhaled sharply. She was a smart woman—it wasn’t hard for her to understand what it meant.
Ouka stared at her as she fumbled for words and then told her, “You decide what to do with the information. But if you plan on returning to the Church with it, take me with you. It’s too dangerous for you to go at it alone.”
Kiriko didn’t answer him. Heavy, oppressive silence weighed between them. After what felt like hours, she held her head high and said, “…Let’s go, Ouka.”
Ouka solemnly nodded and stood. Kiriko held the file under her arm and slid off the couch. As he walked toward the factory door—a sudden sharp impact shot through the back of his head.
“Ngh!” Ouka pitched forward, landing on his stomach. Out of the corner of his blurring, swaying vision, he saw Kiriko holding the tranquilizer gun. She had bashed him behind the head with it. “Kiriko! Why…?!”
“I’m sorry, Ouka… I was happy you told me.” Ouka thought he heard her say through his rapidly fading consciousness.
✦ ✦ ✦
Kiriko
KIRIKO stealthily slipped out the back door, careful not to let Cliff and Lovel notice her out front. She walked the causeway out of Chest Island, heading straight for Head Island. Her thoughts went to Ouka as she crossed Neck Bridge.
She might never see Ouka again, even though they had finally made a breakthrough in their relationship and found it in themselves to talk about the past. She had to go regardless. The file he had brought to her revealed the truth she never tried to discover for herself.
It’s my job to bring the truth to light… I know he will take care of the rest if I fail.
The risk that they would be killed at the same time was too high if they went together, so her choice to go alone was the best course of action. With those thoughts, Kiriko headed to the Torah Church by herself.