-----

"So, how does it feel like to have a tail, Ren?"

"Hmm... I don't know, Aza. For one, it moves and wiggles on its own. It's pretty annoying, actually. Trust me, I've lost count on how much time this thing got my mom's vase broken."

"Hmm? So you don't like having it then?"

"Well... No. It's not that I don't like having a tail, but... It's just... Always acts up at the wrong place and time. Beside, Father said that a Kitsune's tails is their pride and joy, a symbol to their power and experience. And this year, guess what happened? Father got his seventh tail! No one in my clan has ever reached that number before... But just wait! I'll be the second to reach that number!"

"Huh... That's... Nice..."

"Hmm? Aza? What's wrong?"

"It's Nothing. Your dad just seems... Cool... Unlike mine... He's just... He's never home. Always out of town searching for ancient ruins and whatnot. Atleast, that's what he told me."

"You... You kidding!? That's way cooler! Is that why he always bring you gifts and stuff!?"

"Well, yeah... But, its not the same... I get that he has work to do, but... For this once, I just wish he could stay home for christmas."

"..."

"..."

"W-Well... Don't worry, Aza. I'm sure that he loves his daughter more than he loves his job. Even if that's not the case... Well, you still have me!"

"..."

"..."

"Heh..." She scoffs, "Thanks, Ren."

He smiles softly at her.

"..."

"..."

"Now, cuz of you, I really wish I had a tail."

"Huh? Why?"

"Hmm..."

"Hmm?"

"So that I could be as cute as you."

"..."

"W-Wha!? Aza!"

"Yes? What is it?"

"Don't tease me like that!"

"Ehehe..."

"..."

"..."

"So Ren..."

"Hmm?"

"Can I hug your tail?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Ren..?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Daughter.

"..."

Come home.

To a sudden whisper of that man's voice, her purple eyes snap open. She wakes on a soft pillow cushionning the side of her head, her hands curled in front of her as she lies on her side. With her breath low and calm, her black hair irritates her skin as her blurry vision slowly comes to focus.

In front of her is a bump of blueish white sheet. Strangely, it's blurry silhouette resembles a person's. Azayaka keeps herself still, lying on her side as she moves her hand towards the strange, fuzzy sight. Then, her index finger lands onto a soft and smooth surface, yet as she trail her finger along, the surface feels rough and coarse. Pushing some pressure, her finger bounce back and forth as if she's poking into a fresh pair of butt cheeks, prompting her breath to hitch for a second.

Then, a few moments later, her sight finally comes together. She discovers her finger has been poking a cheek belonging to a certain white fox.

He lies on her bed, facing towards her. With ears lying down, his snow-white hair is messily scrambled while his lips are slightly parted. His white eyelashes reflect the light as he keep his eyes shut. With every breath, he lets out a soft hum, wiggling his tail to what seems to be a pleasant dream.

"Ren..?"

To her weak voice, his ears twitch before rising up. He groans as he slowly opens his eyes, meeting her narrow ones with a slight blur.

"Huh..?" He squints his eyes for a second, "Aza..?"

"..."

"..."

Immediately, he raises himself up, looking around to discover himself still trapped within her confinement room, on the comfort of her small bed.

Frowning, he lowers his head, pressing his lips together, "L-Look... Aza, this is not what it looks like..."

Staring at him softly, she rises up to lean onto the wall behind her, letting out a quiet hum. Her eyes wanders away from his, towards the blackened window leading onto the viewing room. She then sighs before lowering her gaze.

"Last night..."

To her whisper, his ears perk.

"You were behind that glass, Right?"

To that, Ren let out a hum while he lowers his gaze, pressing his lips together as he slightly nods.

Azayaka widens her eyes for a moment, but hides them away immediately.

"So..." She whispers again, "What do you think?"

"What... What do you mean by that..?" He responds, braving himself to glance to her.

Her lips and eyes start to slightly quiver as she gives him a cold yet unsure glance.

"Tell me..."

"Would dying be better for me?"

Those past words creeps into his mind. Furrowing his brow, he agape his eyes before he clutches her arms.

"No, Aza... Do not... Ever... Think about that again... Please..." His stare peers through hers. Bold blues meeting cold purples, "No matter what... You must never give up."

"..."

"..."

She only let out a soft sigh as her eyes wander down, pushing away his firm hold.

"Knowing what I did... Everyone that has survived me would never step close to me," She pauses to look at him again, "But here you are."

"How are you..." Her voice quivering, she narrows her eyes, "Still able to trust me?"

"..."

"..."

"Haah..." A huff escapes his mouth. A small smile forms as he brushes her messy hair onto her ears, "Do you want me to proof it to you then?" He smirks, to her surprise, "Well," His huge, fluffy tail wiggles onto the bed, "Do you wanna hug my tail?"

Azayaka raises an eyebrow, her jaw slightly dropping.

"Um... What..?"

"You heard me," He chuckles, his tail swaying with his words, "You've always wanted to hug my tail, right?"

As his eyes drift to nowhere, a sigh escapes his lips, "Not even my mom dared to pet it..." He then tilts his head to give her a playful smile, "But... Since this is a trust offering, I'll let you."

"Just this once," He smiles.

The warmth of indifferent nostalgia flows with his gentle smile. His blue eyes glimmer with utmost sincerity as with each second, wholesomeness fills the entire room.

Azayaka could only be blinded by his familiar smile. Thus her lips stays shut as her eyes wander elsewhere. Her pausing for a few moments.

...

"Aza... Stop grabbing my tail so suddenly like that!"

"Heheh~ couldn't help it! It just looks too fluffy!"

...

...

"Pfft..."

To that, Ren raises his brow.

With a slight huff, she turns back to him, giving back his smile with her own small one.

"I guess... No matter how many times I scare you away, you'll stay chasing after me, won't you?"

Ren narrows his eyes, his breath hitching as his smile grows wider, "Of course, Aza," Slowly, his smile turns sly, stereotypical to a Kitsune like him, "But just so you know, I'll always keep up with you."

Silence then overtakes the both of them. Though that silence is filled by their smile and look into each other's eyes.

"So... Do you accept my offer or not?" Ren wiggles his tail, to Azayaka's surprise.

"Heh..." Her eyes sideline onto his tail, fluffy and snow-white, just like a cloud, "Well, this might be a once in a life time experience, so..." She smiles, "Yes."

She grabs his tail's tip, lifting its entire length into her embrace.

"Gah- mmph!" He muffles his gasp with a palm.

"Heheh... So soft..." Azayaka giggles as she strokes its length from its base to its tip.

Just like a fluff of cloud, his fur is as smooth as silk, not a single clumped ball of hair is present along its length. It is big enough to hug as a body pillow, the rest of its length hanging over her shoulder. With its qualities, It wouldn't be a surprise if Ren would cuddle and hug it in his sleep.

And now, Azayaka wants to do the same.

Azayaka could only hold it tighter as it curls around her shoulders. Repeatedly, she strokes it towards its end, digging her fingers deep with her movement.

"W-Wait! Don't hold it too tightly! Wai- Ah! Heheh... Heheh... It tickles..." The delicate stcratches of her fingers, sliding across his coat prompts him to cackle continuously. The sensation sending vibrations all over his body, causing him to jerk and fall to the bed, leaving him lying on his front.

Looking at him with a smirk, Azayaka keeps on stroking his tail, "You've never pet your own tail before?"

"W-Well... H-Heh..." He holds back his soft giggles, "It's different from when I do it myself... Ah! R-Right there..." With one soft stroke, his yelps and giggles turn into vibrations of delighted purrs, "Mmmrrrr... Aza..." He kneads the pillow with his knuckles as he continues his purr.

"Are you enjoying this more than I am? Hmm?" His tail now lies on her tight, letting her to run both of her hands simultaneously.

"N-No... Besides... That's enough proof for you r-right?"

"Hmm? So you want me to stop?"

"N-No! Just... Keep on petting me... M-Mmphrrrr... Your fingers feels... Good..."

"Pfft... Sure, sure..." She couldn't help but giggle, seeing his face, blushing bright tint of red, just like a tomato, "Heh... What a Knight you are..."

"S-Shut it!" His blush intensifies as he burry his face into the pillow.

"Hmm..."

"M-Mmphrrr..."

"Heh."

"D-Don't laugh!"

"!!!" The cell's door suddenly barges open, prompting both of them to glance with their eyes wide open.

Anastasia is standing there with her palms held together onto her chest, staring at them with a smirk.

Her brother, Samuel is floating out of her right eye, giving another sly smirk.

"So, how was your night?" They say simultaneously with a head tilt.

To that, Azayaka and Ren both look at each other.

"W-Well..."

-----

Wiggling his ears, Ren takes his steps along the the metallic hallway of the Intelligence Agency's underground levels, creating muffled clanks with each steps he takes. In front of him is the demonic sibling leading the way. Beside him is Azayaka, following along with silver handcuffs chaining her wrists.

"So, let me get this straight... You somehow locked me in there... Just for fun!?" Ren yells, directed to the petite figure in front of him.

As Anastasia keeps on walking onward, Samuel slithers out of his sister's eye cavity and looks behind, "Hmm? You enjoyed it, didn't you?"

"W-Wha!? That doesn't make any difference!"

At Ren's retort, Samuel smirks, "Just admit it... If you didn't, why would you sleep on her bed? There was always the floor..."

"The floor is literally coated with silver! It burns when I lay down for too long y'know!?"

"Oh, c'mon~ You can deny it all you want but we saw you all hot and bothered. Was getting your tail brushed felt that good-"

"!!!" Anastasia stomps the floor, creating a clank as she stops moving, "Well..." The host carrying the parasitic demon turns around, facing the fox and the butterfly.

The small and petite girl stares her empty, black eyes towards Ren. Then she turns Azayaka, keeping her empty stare.

"So..." Her blank eyes peer through Azayaka's soul.

"How does his tail feel? Hmm?"

Her deathly, softspoken voice brings chills along the dark fae's spine.

"Huh..?" Azayaka raises an eyebrow.

"Ignore her!" Immediately, Samuel grows a palm from his serpentine body. Then he bonks Anastasia's forehead, causing her to let out a cutely yelp, "She's just jealous."

"Hmph!" Crossing her arms, Anastasia turns around again, preparing to continue her path.

"Wait," Ren's voice causes her to stop, "Where are you taking her?"

Samuel looks up, twirling his head before snapping at Ren, "The Chief wanted to do an actual interview. Apparently she wanted to recruit her to work here."

"Huh..?" Ren widens his eyes.

"Yes. Recruit her as in, making her a Knight. Since I've validated her motives and memories, I can see that you have no reason to stay at your Father's organization. And considering the deeds that you have done, you have the utmost obligation to follow through with the law. Am I correct, miss Azayaka?"

At that, a shudder spreads throughout her body. Her gaze lower itself as her lips part away slightly.

...

If you want your mother to smile again...

...

Daughter.

...

Just trust me-

"!!!"

She immediately slaps herself with the back of her arms, prompting the siblings and Ren to slightly jump.

"If you've seen my whole memory," Her sudden coldness causes a wave of shudder, "Then you should know," She sharpen her eyes towards the blank eyed girl, "I have my reasons to be there."

Sighing, both of the siblings look at each other before turning back to Azayaka, "Knowing what he did... You know that... He's lying. Right?"

"Can you truly..." The siblings tilt their head, staring at her emptily, "Trust him?"

A shudder hits her heart as she clenches her fists, "Tch..."

"I understand that you do have a reason," The ink-like demon continues, "But would it be worth it?"

...

"Aza, don't worry. We'll beat that old man together!"

Yuu...

"Dear, I baked you some cookies... Now, be sure to share it with your friends... Kay?"

Mom...

...

She purses her lips as her fingers go limp. Her eyes staring at the floor with blank emptiness.

"Okay, Samuel, that's enough," Ren steps in front of her, blocking her from the sibling's view, prompting the demon to snicker.

"I'm sorry. I admit I was diving too deep into your personal affair," Samuel sighs, "Though, it is our job," Anastasia shrugs.

Samuel then elongates himself past Ren to look at Azayaka, "But just so you know..."

"We're only trying to help you. That's all," Samuel retracts back to his usual length, leaving Azayaka and Ren perplexed.

"Well then, we should continue. Can't keep the Chief waiting can't we?" The siblings turns around and goes on their way, leaving Ren and Azayaka to their lead.

The two stays still for a moment. Grabbing her chained wrists, Ren looks at her with his ears flipped back, eyes muddy with unsureness.

"Aza, do you want to... Follow through with this?"

She pauses for a moment, before sighing, "Well, I have no other choice do I?"

Pursing his lips, Ren looks at her handcuffs.

"But, Aza, I can-"

"Don't even think about helping me escape. I don't want to get you into more trouble."

His ears lie down as he releases a sigh.

"O-Okay then. If you're willing to stay, I'll be sure to help you whenever I can. Promise."

Pinning her cuffed hands to her chest, she closes her eyes for a moment before she turns at him with a small, unsure smile, "Thank you, Ren."

The two stares at each other for a moment, both with a little hint of awkwardness in their eyes.

In her eyes, he sees himself with a slightly frowned brow. The memories Samuel had seen... Is it really that bad? What has she really been through?

Aza... Will you ever tell me?

As his sight drowns into her eyes, he moves his right hand up, slowly going to cup her cheeks.

"You two! Are you coming or what?"

To Samuel's voice, Ren regains his senses and pulls his hand back. Ren and Azayaka looks to their left, seeing the siblings walking backward while observing them.

"You really do want to stay... Right?" Ren softly says, glancing to her as they begins to follow the two.

She huffs as she sharpens her eyes, keeping her silence for a moment.

"Don't..." She pauses, "Don't worry about it," She answers, pursing her lips as she looks down unsurely.

In quietness, the two keeps on following through with the siblings. Their steps impacting the metallic floor, clanking all throughout the seemingly endless hallway as they passes through rows of metal doors.

The siblings seems to be in a calm state of mind; Anastasia joining her fingers together behind her waist, while Samuel keeps himself comfortable within her eye.

Azayaka locks her sight onto the floor as her feet autonomously walk along, though they make no sound with their steps.

Ren himself keeps his eyes onto her, observing her with a slight frown. His tail sways with his movement, though it does so limply instead of its usual joyfulness.

As the four of them course through the endless tunnel that is the Intelligence Agency's prison sector, Ren's ears suddenly perk to a faint rumble.

Then, in time with their steps, a sudden, strong quake shakes the room together with a faint rumble, causing the three to stop and look around.

Rumble.

"Wha!? A-An earthquake!?" Azayaka looks down, noticing shaking floor.

Rumble.

Those rumbles make themselves known in between intervals of one or two seconds. Coming from above, the source of its noise becomes louder and louder with each rumbles. As if something is piercing through the building's floors, diving towards the bottom, causing an earthquake with each impact.

As the three looks around, eyes tainted in distress, pieces of metal start to fall around them, causing rhytmic clanks as they impact with the floor.

"[ALERT. ALERT. SECURITY BREACH DETECTED. SECURITY BREACH DETECTED.]"

Along with the repeating sirens, the agency's alarm blares throughout the hall as it conjures red blarring lights alongside it.

"Are you kidding me right now!?" Ren widens his eyes as he tries to keep himself steady.

"Rumble," A metal pipe falls right in front Ren, prompting him to flinch back.

"Shit! We gotta get out of here-"

"Rumble!" A particularly strong shake cuts him off, causing him to limp to his front.

Though, before he impacts the floor, Azayaka catches his flailing hand, then pulling him to stand.

"T-Thanks..."

She gives a slight glance as her welcome, going back to eyeing her surroundings.

Rumble.

As the quakes continue, Samuel jolts out of Anastasia's eyes into the air. He then flattens and widens himself into a shield, covering the three from the falling debris. Anastasia soon signals the pair behind her to follow her right before she begins running. The two following immediately.

"There's an emergency stair nearby, we should be close by now-"

"!!!"

With a loud crash, the ceiling in front of them suddenly collapses with an immaculate force, sending a quake so strong it causes all of them to tumble back. An explosion of dusts blowing alongside it.

The mist of dusts emanates from the debris of the fallen ceiling. Broken waterpipes pour their water as the red light reflects off of them, creating a bloody sight. Thus a big silhouette slowly steps closer and closer; a giant-winged figure making himself known behind the crimson mist.

As the figure approaches, Samuel retracts to his usual serpentine form, looking at the figure. Ren and Azayaka widen their eyes with their brow furrowed, though the latter have her lips slightly parted as she takes a step forward.

"Yuu..?" She whispers, a glowing green glare aswering her from the mist.

With rumbling steps, the figure comes out of the mist; from behind his crow mask, he gives his sharp, rageful glare. His black Archangel wings are spread wide with black-ish green flame engulfing its tips. His broad figure is covered in a black leather coat, though tattered on its arm and chest.

On top of the broken debris, The Fallen Angel— Yuu stands, eyeing all three of the figures he sees, stopping momentarily at Azayaka before he sharpen his glare to a certain fox.

His wings immediately quip the moment they share a glance, him preparing to dive in.

"Click."

To that, he immediately turns behind, meeting the Chief— dusty and dirty, standing perfectly stiff regardless of her missing right leg, aiming her gun at him.

"!!!" A bang explodes.

He tilts his head to his left, dodging a silver bullet by mere inch.

Clenching his jaw, he claps his wings towards the doppelganger, sending forth a huge gust of dark flame.

The Chief hops out of the way towards her still puzzled underlings, letting the gust of flame to scorch the wall instead. Though mid-air, a sharp whistle of air enters her ears as she feels something piercing her throat. Thus, she cups the sides of her neck the moment she lands in front of the siblings.

At that moment, her fingers goes stiff and unresponsive before her head rolls backwards like a stray soccer ball, meeting Anastasia's puzzled gaze. Her body then stumbles forward, turning to a woman shaped pile of dead leaves and newspapers on impact with the floor.

"Well, that was not what I expected," The Chief's radio-like voice buzzes. Anastasia nonchalantly picks her head up, holding her tight onto her chest. With her empty eyes, she looks up at the Archangel, who's still holding onto his rageful glare.

His feathers rustle as he makes his way down the rubbles of debris, "Aza..." Yuu whispers, his voice muffled by his mask, "Let's go home," He offers his hand, him now facing the group on the same floor

His voice seems to put her into a trance as she starts to step forward, keeping her eyes locked onto his now softened glare.

"Aza!" Ren takes her cuffed wrist, stopping her.

She then looks at him, meeting his pleading face that is begging her to stay by him.

"Ren..." She frowns, the same way as he does, "I-I..."

"Tch..." Yuu grits his teeth before she could answer. With utmost anger and fury, his wings widen their display as their black feathers grow sharper, "Get the hell away from her... You dirty fox..." He points one of his wing at him as if it's a giant sword.

Before the two could answer, Anastasia steps inbetween them and the Archangel, facing the latter with a small smile.

She then rolls back the Chief's severed head through the gap in between her legs, hitting Ren's ankle.

Ren and Azayaka stay speechless as they glance at the severed head. They blink twice before looking at Anastasia again.

"What are you doing? Pick me up," The Chief grumbles, though Ren stays focused onto the blank eyed girl.

"Leave, you two," She says calmly, going back to face the Archangel, "We'll take it from here."

"Tch..." Yuu grumbles, clatters of metallic clanks decorating his wings' bends and movements.

With confidence, Anastasia, along with her brother takes one last glance behind before approaching the Archangel.

The siblings strangely doesn't express anything but a slight, unsettling smile. Steadily, they slowly and surely close in, now a distance away from the group.

"!!!" A lightspeed and silent swing of his wing ensues.

With her blinking twice, Anastasia stops her steps. With utter silence, her head slides off of her neck, causing her body to kneels.

Ren and Azayaka's eyes widen, while the Chief's mask stays unchanged.

Yuu, who's now standing beside the sibling's body, unimpressed by the kill he just made, begins to make his approach, passing by the body without even sparing a glance.

Though then...

"Gurgle."

He stops in his track, glancing back to Anastasia's body.

"Gurgle."

He notices that it's not blood her neck is spewing.

"Gurgle."

But rather...

"Gurgle."

Ink.

"Gurgle."

"And... That's our cue," The Chief comments, before a dark, raspy and gloomy voice whispers:

"How."

"Dare."

"You."

Silence emanates for a moment. Before...

"!!!"

A loud, tsunami-like rumble roars as waves of black liquid escapes out of Anastasia's exposed neck, immediately drowning a quarter of her surroundings in pitch black. The liquid quickly gathers and builds itself into a giant, wriggling and waving blob of ink, completely engulfing Anastasia's body and head within it.

Pulsating and moving in wave-like fashion while emitting a continuous dark and phantom-like howl, the inkblob quickly rushes towards Yuu, Azayaka and Ren. The former braces for impact, his wings shielding him.

Yuu grits his teeth as the blob dives onto him. On impact with his wings, it quickly swirls itself around the Archangel, completely covering him in utter darkness, blocking him from view.

"No! Yuu!" Azayaka yells, reaching towards him.

"Wait! Aza!" Without thinking twice, Ren grabs the Chief's head with his tail before he catch up to Azayaka, lifting her by her stomach.

"No! Let me go!" Despite her cuffed wrists, she still tries to reach the engulfed Archangel.

Swallowing her begs with a gulp, he imbues his movement with his electricity magic, bouncing himself in between the walls to go across the swirling, inky blob that is Samuel's true form.

Lightning fast, he jumps on top of the ceiling that has collapsed and dashes through its hole, richocheting up within a tunnel before landing onto the floor above; a destroyed office space, empty and quiet.

Huffing, he falls to his knees as his limbs goes numb, releasing Azayaka from his hold and rolling the Chief forward and down from his tail's curl.

Azayaka looks around her surroundings, seeing herself sitting in a dark office, the hole which she came through is steep behind her. With her eyes puzzled and distressed, she peeks into it, seeing nothing but a dark tunnel filled with broken bricks and leaking pipes. Though soon after, the distressed purples of hers meet Ren's exhausted blues.

"Tch... Why... Why didn't you let go of me!?" Azayaka yells, glaring at Ren who's leaning onto a cubical, huffing and catching his breath.

"Hah. Don't be silly. You know that you won't be able to do anything with those cuffs right?" The Chief's severed head mentions, sitting comfortably on a mouse pad beside them.

Azayaka soften her gaze and lowers her head. She tries to wriggle her wrists, only to a nonexistent degree. Then, she tries to spread her wings. To her dismay, what manifest are only a few and mere sparkles. The silver cuffs is there to dampen her power, completely and utterly. They're quite bulky pair of cuffs as well; not using chains but rather a stiff yet somewhat flexible stick connecting them.

"Sorry... Aza..." In between his huffs, Ren whispers, "But it's... It's too dangerous... So I had to."

"Exactly," The Chief adds, "Samuel is very protective of his sister, you know? The same way you are of each other," She pauses in an unsettling quietness for a moment, "Or at least... Ren is. But you?" She looks at Azayaka, who gulps at her honesty, "But now, don't let that be of your concern. Finding a key to your cuffs should be your main focus," She continues.

At that, Azayaka grabs hold of Ren's fist, "Ren, do you still have enough power to break it?"

"W-Well... I could try..."

Grabbing the chains, Ren expels the remaining of his electricity magic onto his palms.

"Hmm..." He keeps on focusing, until...

"Gah!" A spark together with a sharp, stinging sensation that causes him to flinch his hands away.

"Hah. It's made out of silver for a reason. Like I said; a key is the only thing to break you out. Though finding one specific key in this likely a jail manager office we're randomly stranded in is quite outlandish as well," The Chief says, spouting out some more facts and logics.

"Then, what... What should I do..?" Her voice shakes as her breath hitches. Ren and the Chief stays silent, the former looking down with the same question, the latter staring with the same old, upsetting blankness.

"That blob thing... It's your friend, right? Will it... Kill him?" Azayaka mentions, looking for any relief to the sour situation.

"Well, judging by the fact that he decapitated his only reason for existing, maybe," The Chief answers instead of Ren, "You see, Samuel really wants to believe that she's still alive. But ultimately, he has to learn to accept the truth, don't he?"

The Chief's words does not relief her to the slightest.

"But worry not. I've thought him to at least... Control himself to not go to that extend. The Fallen Angel would be a huge asset if we managed to subdue him after all."

At that, Ren perks his ears.

"And look! He managed to do this to me. Granted, I was playing Chess when he suddenly crashed through the ceiling and brought me down all the way here. So, probably not the best scenario for combat measurements. But to decapitate me like this... It's still something. Clearly, that man must have a high chance of fighting back."

"Your attempt of encouragement are not working, Chief, stop it," Ren grumbles, lowering his ears with a huff.

"Hah," The Chief giggles, "Funnily enough, I was not trying to encourage both of you. I was just simply answering a question."

Neither Azayaka nor Ren answers back. They both could only stay silent as they look down, both avoiding each other's eyes.

Today has been... Something. Or at least, it escalated quite drastically. It started with a silly little quarrel between them. And that start ended with her petting his tail out of all things... He allowed her to do that because he wanted her to know that he trusts her... But... With how things are now...

Would he really be able to?

"Hey," Ren starts, his ears flipping up as he braves himself to look at her, "Is that guy... Important to you..?" A little quiver disrupt his voice.

Azayaka huffs as her first answer, glancing around to see a shattered photograph of a smiling, happy family lying on the floor. Then a sigh escapes her lips. Her knees move to her chest as she hugs them tight, burying her face within her own arms as she eyes her sight elsewhere.

"He's..." She pauses, her brow furrowing, "He's one of the few family I had left..."

The Chief somehow tilts her face in intrigue. While Ren continues to listen.

"He was always immature. Always acting like a brat..." Her lips curved into a small smile as her head faintly shakes, "He can't even handle a single shot of whisky... Heh... How did he even survive till this point..?"

"I don't know... I don't even know why I still care for that idiot..."

Her words leaves him slightly parting his lips as he soften his eyes, "It's not your fault that you wanted me to let you go then."

"You care for him. Even over your own safety," He grabs her shoulder, causing their eyes to meet, "If that's not genuine love. I don't know what is," He smiles softly at her, his tail starting to wiggle.

She leaves him with no answer aside from a slight smirk and a huff. Ren then finally garners enough strength to stand up again. Immediately, he stretches his arms and legs, before glancing at the Chief.

"Chief, what are the chances of Samuel not killing him?"

"Hmm... Perhaps forty-five percent? But... Samuel should be sane enough to recognize you at least. And adding the chance of backup from the other agencies arriving... I'll bump that chance up to... Forty-seven percent."

"Right," He then goes to peek the hole that leads back to where he left; the hallway where Samuel is releasing his rampage.

"No, Ren, what are you doing!?" Azayaka stands behind him, pulling his shoulder away from the hole, "You were huffing and puffing just a moment ago!"

"Well, I think I still have enough stamina to at least swoop him away to safety," He sighs, giving her an assured smile.

She swallows a gulp as she presses her lips together, "Are you... Really sure about that?"

"Yes, I am. Don't worry."

Azayaka clanks her handcuffs to her thighs before she shakes her head, unsure of what to say, "A-Alright then... But please, Ren... Please be safe..."

He slightly chuckles, giving her the lighthearted warmth he that he always used to give, "Relax, Aza. I'll make sure we both survive."

He then goes back to look into the hole. It is pretty deep, a tint of red light glowing at its end. The fact that the Archangel could burrow into the underground sector of the building confirms that he is not to joke about. But... Against something like Samuel... Well, he'll be there to confirm the situation at least.

Finally, as lightning once again swirls around him, with one last smile directed to his childhood friend, he descents back into the hole.

-----