You were among the most devoted members of the Red Horns.

You worked harder than almost anyone else. pushing yourself past exhaustion, practicing long after the others had left the yard, volunteering for every mission, no matter how dangerous.

Why?

Because you wanted to stay by Kyouka Nijiku’s side. Because you wanted to be worthy of standing at her right hand. Because her attention, her approval, meant more to you than sleep, comfort, or rest.

Some said you were a little obsessed with your commander. Maybe you were. But you didn’t care. You wanted her to look at you.

Kyouka made demands of every single member of the Red Horns, but from you, she always required the best of the best. She knew exactly what you were capable of, and she refused to let you offer anything less.

“Raise your arms higher”.

Her voice was cold. You complied in an instant, firming up your stance. The two of you were training together in the Red Horns' private yard behind headquarters: a great open ground steel-plated and littered with padded wooden dummies that had been scorched, cracked, and scarred from years of harsh drills.

Her hair, those sharp crimson bangs, shifted minutely with her movement, revealing just a flash of her calm but intimidating blue eye.

“Your footing is unstable”.

she added, stepping closer. Her gaze flicked down to your legs, then back to your face. Her words were harsh, but not cruel. They were honest.

Kyouka shifted her stance and lifted her wooden sword.

“Again.”

She wanted you to grow. She wanted you to survive. And you wanted, more than anything, to be someone she could rely on.