The Archsaint's private quarters, usually a bastion of austere order, had been transformed into a haven of comfortable chaos. Plush, fur-lined cushions were scattered across the polished stone floor, and a magically enhanced fireplace crackled merrily, chasing away the chill of the night. Yukio, stripped of her formal robes, was curled up on one of the cushions, clad in an oversized, soft tunic that swallowed her slender frame, her black hair a silky cascade around her.
Lin, ever the pragmatist, had opted for a loose-fitting, chrome-grey shirt and comfortable shorts, her short green hair a vibrant splash against the muted tones of the room.
Astra, meanwhile, was a riot of color in a baggy, tie-dyed t-shirt and equally vibrant leggings, her shifting blue-purple hair a halo around her grinning face.
The air was thick with the scent of spiced tea and the easy camaraderie of women shedding their public personas. Lin, ever the instigator, leaned forward, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"So, Yuki," she purred, drawing out the name, "about your 'L'..."
Yukio instantly flushed, burying her face in her hands.
"Lin! We agreed!"
Astra giggled, nudging Yukio gently.
"Come on, Yuki. Lin's got that look. She's not going to let it go."
"It's just… it's so embarrassing," Yukio mumbled, her voice muffled.
"Embarrassing?" Lin scoffed playfully. "That's hardly the word I'd use for a secret romance. Especially when everyone in the temple already knows."
Yukio groaned, peeking through her fingers. "They do not!"
"Oh, they absolutely do," Astra chimed in, a wide grin on her face.
"I've heard the whispers. 'Archsaint Yukio is looking rather… soft-eyed lately because of a certain something.' 'Did you see Commander Leonard looking forlorn after morning prayers?'"
Yukio sat bolt upright, mortified. "Leonard? Gods, no! It's not Leonard! He's… he's like a brother! A very, very stiff brother who lectures you on the correct angle to hold your spoon! I prefer someone who's not like that. Someone...."
Lin and Astra burst into laughter.
"See?" Lin managed between giggles. "Everyone knows you have a type, Yuki."
As the laughter subsided, Lin's gaze lingered on Astra.
"You know," she began, a thoughtful frown creasing her brow, "I never expected you to be an actual… otherworlder. It's just so… wow."
Astra shrugged, taking a sip of her tea. "Yeah, well, life's full of surprises. Besides me and Yuki, Quami's also an otherworlder."
Lin's eyes widened.
"Paladin Quami?"
Astra nodded.
"But how did you even get here?" Lin asked.
Astra leaned back, a nostalgic, slightly mischievous look in her eyes.
"Well, for me, it was a bit of a… dramatic exit. I grew up in this place called Britain, a country in my world. My dad was a business tycoon, super strict. Wanted me to be the epitome of a 'prim and proper young lady.' So, off I went to this all-girls boarding school." She shuddered dramatically.
"They taught us everything. How to curtsy, how to hold a tea cup without looking like a barbarian, the precise angle to faint gracefully, the difference between a polite cough and a discreet clearing of the throat, even how to embroider a perfect rose on a handkerchief while reciting ancient poetry. It was soul-crushing."
Lin made a face. "Sounds… tedious."
"Tedious doesn't even begin to cover it," Astra agreed.
"So, me and a few friends, we decided to break free. We linked up with this wandering musician who happened to crash over at our school for a bit, unknown to the authorities, of course." She flashed a smile.
"Her name was Liv and she was amazing, played her own songs, traveled all over with her guitar as her only companion. We formed a band, called ourselves 'Astropunk.' It was glorious. Freedom, music, no more curtsies!"
"A band? What's a band?" Lin asked, genuinely puzzled.
"And what's a guitar?"
Astra paused, a slight smile playing on her lips.
"A band is like… a group of people who make music together. And a guitar is… well, it's an instrument for making music." She gestured vaguely.
"It's hard to describe without actually showing you. I could, but I can't. For certain reasons."
"Sounds… intriguing," Lin mused, filing the information away.
"Anyway," Astra continued, "one night, we were doing a pop-up concert on this street, totally illegal, when suddenly, sirens! Police chase! We all scattered, agreed to meet up at a certain spot later." She sighed.
"I was being chased down this narrow alley and came out the other side, only, instead of the street, I appeared right in the middle of a battle! Knights in shining armor, weird-looking blokes in dark robes throwing fire and lightning at each other. I was dazed, thinking I'd stumbled onto the set of some crazy movie."
"A movie?" Lin interjected. "What's that?"
"It's like… a moving picture story," Astra explained, gesturing with her hands. "Like a play, but recorded, and you watch it on a big screen. With special effects and everything."
"Fascinating," Lin murmured, not completely getting it.
"Yeah, well, it wasn't fascinating then, I was so confused." Astra said, grimacing. "This one ugly-looking, half-naked bloke, all covered in weird symbols, yelled something and charged at me with this strangely shaped dagger. I could've played along for the act, but I wasn't in the mood. Remember, I was being chased. Plus, I figured getting caught by security on set was probably better than getting arrested by the police. So, I just… whacked him. Right on the head. With my guitar." She mimed a swing.
"Heard his head crack, and he went down in this really odd, crumpled position. I thought it was part of the act, but then I was instantly surrounded by knights with spears, all shouting in harsh-sounding gibberish."
Yukio nodded, a faint smile on her face. "That's when I arrived. She said something in exasperation as she walked towards me and I recognized the language she was speaking: Japanese. I had to study all kinds of languages from my world in the academy I was in. It was… quite a curriculum." She chuckled softly.
"After, I was blessed with grace, I found I could understand and speak any language I encountered. It was a rather convenient side effect."
"So, you saved her?" Lin prompted.
"More like I explained she wasn't a demon," Yukio corrected.
"Those were some zealots trying to open the Gate in Adonis, and the man Astra took out was their leader/sacrifice. Anyway, we tried to settle her somewhere safe, but she insisted on staying. Well, it's not like we could send her back to her world, and she received the Grace of the Goddess, so we made her a knight. She's been a handful ever since."
"And your friends?" Lin asked Astra, her voice softer. "The band?"
Astra's smile turned wistful.
"I think about them almost every day. I hope they're okay. I hope they're living their dream, playing their music and having fun. Though, they're probably furious I ditched them. I took on the name '
'Astropunk' after our band, and my armor is actually styled after my two favorite musicians from my world, called DaftPunk. They wore these really cool helmets."
"And Quami?" Lin asked, her gaze turning serious.
Yukio's expression darkened.
"Quami… he was summoned here, through a breach in space. Not willingly. He was… enslaved. Used for the unique abilities he acquired." She glanced at Astra.
"Astra found him in her first solo mission. She saved him."
Astra nodded, her usual cheer momentarily subdued.
"He was in bad shape. But he's free now. And he's family."
"Oh, don't tell me you have a thing for him?" Yuki said, partially covering a sly grin with her palm.
"Why not?" Astra replied. "He's got a good character, and while he's not as good-looking as your other half, he's quite handsome."
Astra leaned forward.
"I also hear he's quite big, if you know what I mean." She whispered into Yukio's face, causing her to blush.
"Astra!"
"Hey," Astra raised her hands. "I haven't seen it myself, but based on what I've been hearing from the nuns..."
"How do they even know that?" Yuki asked. Astra shrugged.
"You know he's got a terrible sense of direction. He probably enters the women's baths by accident on the daily. The bottom line is, I wouldn't mind being with someone like him; he's calm and cool."
"But...." Yukio interjected.
As Yukio and Astra talked, Lin's mind reeled. Otherworlders.
It wasn't just Kojo, then. She had heard of them, but they were increasingly rare. So rare that it had been centuries since one was recorded among them, though the Glory Paladins probably had something to do with the spread of that information. Kojo, who was so different, so unlike anyone she had ever met.
His nonchalant nature, as if he wasn't really concerned about what happened around him, his strange knowledge, his casual disregard for their established norms – it all clicked into place. So he's not from their world. The realization was strange, unsettling, yet undeniably exciting. It was a thrilling validation of her intuition, a confirmation that the world was far larger, far more complex than she had ever imagined. It meant Kojo wasn't just powerful; he was unique in a way she hadn't fully grasped. A new piece of the puzzle, a vital one. She had to tell Sharone and the others.
But first.
Lin turned to Yukio, her expression shifting to one of focused intensity.
"Yuki," she began, her voice low and serious, "with the strength and power the Paladins possess, eradicating the Khaos Nocturni and the criminal empire they've created should have been done a long time ago with relative ease. Unless there's something else. Something they can't fight directly."
Yukio hesitated, her gaze flickering to Astra, a flicker of reluctance in her eyes.
Astra, sensing the shift in mood, placed a comforting hand on Yukio's shoulder.
"It's okay, Yuki. I have a feeling we can trust Lin. She's… got a good heart, even if she hides it behind a lot of sarcasm."
Yukio nodded, taking a deep breath.
"Alright, Lin. You're right. While the Saints protect the gates from dangers that exist outside our world, the Paladins have a different, more internal mission. They hunt for items of great power.
They hunt for 'Relics.'
Ancient artifacts of great power. The Four Kings of Khaos Nocturni… they possess some of these."