After their brief exchange with Pontiff Seraphel, Sora and Null excused themselves and headed for the Mission Hall.
The bureau came into view—less blinding than the Seat of Radiance, its architecture more grounded. It featured wide stone counters, heavy notice boards layered with parchment, and the steady hum of clerks recording assignments and merit tallies.
Sora approached the primary counter and presented her unique insignia alongside the mission sigil. "Requesting completion verification."
The clerk adjusted his spectacles, eyes widening at the classification. "This is the mid-rank mission that escalated?"
"Yes."
"And the Greater Demon report is formally attached?"
She inclined her head.
The clerk swallowed and immediately signaled for a supervisor. Low murmurs rippled behind the counter, accompanied by discreet, assessing glances toward Sora—and then toward Null. Tactical details verified, and a heavy stamped seal struck the parchment with a decisive thud.
Mission Cleared.
"Merit recorded, Saintess Sora."
"Thank you."
-
They stepped back out into the open courtyard beyond the administrative hall, where the late afternoon light painted the stone corridors in deep amber hues. For a moment, they simply stood there, absorbing the quiet transition.
"Well," Null said, "that concludes my debut as a battlefield assistant."
Sora exhaled. "You did well, Null-san"
"Are you praising me?"
"Yes."
Null looked faintly amused.
"So, I suppose this is where we—"
"Where did you two disappear to?"
-
The voice arrived bright and uninvited.
A girl of their exact age was striding toward them with effortless familiarity. Her short orange hair caught the light like a lit match.
She halted a few paces away, her sharp eyes darting between them. A slow smile curved her lips.
"So?" she crooned, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Where have you two gone? On a secret date?"
Sora froze. Null blinked
"Illiana," Sora said flatly.
Illiana clasped her hands behind her back and leaned forward. "What? You vanished together. For two days."
"It was not a date," Sora said with red ears, "I took Null-san on a mission. He needed live combat experience. That is all."
Illiana's smile widened into a knowing smirk. "Live combat calibration?"
"Yes."
"Exclusively the two of you?"
"Yes."
"How intense was it??"
Sora's left eye twitched. "Does it matter."
"My, my. Just look at you." She waved at Sora's face. "Getting flustered over a minor inappropriate remark."
"I am not." Sora denied, her tone unconvincing even to herself.
"You are."
"Illiana."
"This," Illiana continued, undeterred, "is the first time I've ever even seen you flustered, let alone over a boy. How could I not draw conclusions?"
Sora opened her mouth, closed it, and opened it again. "That is not what this is. We completed a mission that nearly cost our lifes."
Illiana's grin softened into something mischievously knowing. "Yeah. Of course it was."
She leaned sideways to peer at Null. "You are very fortunate, Null-kun."
Null stepped aside. "Hello. Nice to meet you again, Miss Illiana Carlana."
The orange-haired girl blinked, her eyes narrowing into a playful scowl. "Miss? We've already met. Why so formal?"
-
Null recalled their initial introduction a few days prior. Illiana had accompanied the Saintess during one of her self-proclaimed supervisory visits to his supernatural training.
For a while, She had observed his regimen, which had translated to continuous, real-time commentary for three minutes, ostensibly for "moral support".
Only afterward did she step forward to introduce herself with socially fearless familiarity.
Illiana Carlana—Half-elven, with delicate ears tapering beneath loose orange hair, and sharp green eyes.
Sora's closest compatriot, a fellow student of Eden Academy's freshman echelon, and the direct disciple of one of the Sanctum's high female elders.
Objectively, Null had already filed her under a specific behavioral taxonomy: the classic Heroine's Best Friend archetype. Bright. Perceptive. Constitutionally incapable of minding her own business in the most infuriating way possible. Within ten minutes of their first encounter, she had dissected his sword form, offering a sharp critique followed by a bright wink: "Don't worry, I won't mention the part where you nearly tripped to Sora." And she did immediately, no less.
Which returned them to the present.
-
Null regarded her. "Well, Miss Illiana, I know I am fortunate to have Saintess Sora concern herself with my welfare."
"But," he continued, "I suspect that is not what you are implying."
Illiana grinned. "Oh? So you do know you're fortunate."
"You see," Illiana groaned. "The academy took us on this outdoor training session for advanced practical combat a while ago. However, a group of cultists attacked us on the last day. Their objective being, kidnapping a few high scions for shady purposes." She pointed at Sora. "Our saintess is one of the primary targets."
"It was handled." Sora looked nonchalant.
"Handled." Illiana repeated the word as if it had personally wronged her. "The cultists cornered our field team completely. Just when it seemed dire—one of the boys on our team awakened his incredible potential under pressure. His aura surged dramatically and he overturned the engagement and kept us safe alongside sora until the professors arrived." She placed a hand over her heart. "His unexpected power surge resolved our crisis. In that moment, He truly looked like the protagonist of an ancient epic."
"Oh? Quite an interesting guy, I guess." Null remarked
Illiana swung an arm toward Sora. "And what did this girl do. She gave him a brief nod and just said, 'Thank you.'"
"That seems appropriate," Null tilted his head in confusion.
Illiana stared. "'Appropriate?'"
"His unexpected assistance was a great help. Therefore, She expressed gratitude. Natural, isn't it?"
"No, no, no. You are missing the point entirely, Null-kun. A boy heroically saved her from abduction," Illiana said with gravity. "Under dire circumstances. In front of everyone. That's not a transaction—that's springtime. And She drops a two-word acknowledgment and leaves. Just walks away." She cupped her cheeks, a blush touching her half-elf ears. "If it were me, I would have been beside myself with overwhelming gratitude."
Null quietly shook his head. 'This girl seems to have a concerning fetish for being a damsel in distress.' He wisely kept that to himself.
Sora gave a tired exhale. "Illiana. I need to correct you on one thing. I was entirely capable of resolving the situation by myself. I permitted the dire escalation to evaluate my teammates properly under pressure. The boy demonstrated admirable resilience and growth. That was the objective."
Illiana stared at her, then pivoted to Null. "Do you understand now?"
Null scratched his cheek. "I am unsure which conclusion you're guiding me toward."
Illiana pointed at Sora with cheerful provocation. "Look at how this cute Saintess reacts to your every word and action as if they dictate her entire emotional stability. Almost like a girl who's paying very close attention to her cru—"
"ILLIANA—"
Sora lunged forward and clamped her palm firmly over Illiana's mouth. Illiana produced a muffled protest.
Null blinked.
Sora's face turned crimson to the roots of her white hair. "You will refrain," she said through clenched teeth, "from completing that sentence."
Illiana made a frantic attempt to pry the slender fingers off her face. "Mmph—! Mmmph!"
Sora pressed harder. "I mean it." Her mouth curved into a sweet smile.
"You're proving my point!"
"I am doing no such thing."
"You can't escape from blooming!"
"Stop speaking nonsense."
"See how you're panicking!"
"I am not—"
"You are!"
A few passing clerks noticed, glancing their way.
Sora immediately released Illiana, and straightened her posture in one fluid motion, her expression resettling into practiced composure. "My apologies. A momentary lapse."
Illiana coughed heavily, smoothing down her orange locks with wounded dignity. "Yes. A lapse. Very subtle."
Null's dark red eyes moved between the two of them, with an immense wave of silent amusement.
Sora avoided looking at him.