Aiko doesn't look back immediately; she swings her axe with as much force as possible; however, Rin catches it effortlessly.
"Quite the feisty one as well, I see… Relax, there's no need to be so hostile with me." Rin said with a smirk.
"What did you do to our senior… TELL ME WHERE HE IS!!!"
Rin's smirk turns into a playful grin. "Your senior? I don't know who you are referring to…"
Aiko gets even angrier at his words, "Don't give me that crap! Kazu Hidemi, the blind man! What did you do to him!?!!?"
"Oh yeahhh… Mr. Blind Man… He was a pretty relaxed fella, I'll tell you that." Rin said while putting a finger on his chin.
"You're dodging the question! If you don't tell me where he is, I'll have you arrested!" Aiko declared, angry tears flowing.
Rin looks down at her, his towering 6'5'' figure seeming like a skyscraper compared to Aiko's height.
"You dare insult my line of power? I have immunity from prosecution; you can't 'arrest' me." Rin said with slight irritation in his voice.
Aoto and Fumiko watch the confrontation between Aiko and Rin with confusion. They didn't expect Aiko, the most kindhearted of the group, to be this angry at anyone.
"Sis, what's going on? Who's this guy? Is he bothering you?" Aoto walked over to Aiko, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"He's the guy who attacked Kazu-san, but he isn't trying to tell me anything…" Aiko seethed.
Rin puts his hands up in mock surrender.
"Relax, I'm not here to cause trouble. And besides, I didn't know you guys were unaware of the situation your so-called 'senior' was dealing with…" He muttered the last part.
Aiko finally lets her guard slip just a bit.
"What situation…? You mean his disability? I'm pretty sure we all know about it."
Rin chuckles softly, "You know, being blind and having a blindfold at the same time is a bit sketchy, don't ya think? I know the real reason why he has it."
The three of them looked at each other, quite uncertain about whether they wanted to hear the answer or not.
"Tread lightly…" Fumiko said while crossing her arms.
Rin leaned against a large chunk of rubble from the Skarp fight.
"Well, for starters, Mr. Hidemi isn't an ordinary person. He possesses something dark within the depths of his soul. He isn't blind naturally; he has something holding him back, as if he was execrated (cursed) by a strong curse or Summon."
Rin paused before continuing.
"I keep forgetting to bring this up to people, but what I'm about to say might make more sense in context. I am Rin Zeusu, also known as 'The Holy Headsman.' I am the one responsible for the execution of Kazu Hidemi.'" Rin declared with full authority in his tone.
And just like that, Aiko drops her axe, her expression completely changing.
Aoto and Fumiko also looked absolutely aghast. They never expected to hear something like that ever in their life, especially about Kazu.
"What… What d-did you s-say…?" Aiko said in a dangerously quiet tone.
"Don't get angry with me, I was just doing my-" Before Rin could finish talking, Aiko grabbed Aoto's sword out of his hands and slashed at Rin with terrifying force.
Rin managed to weave in time, but there was still a slight nick on his face.
Aiko sent out multiple slashes towards Rin, but Aoto and Fumiko held her back, and she began to bawl.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!? I'LL KILL YOU!!! I DON'T CARE WHO YOU ARE, YOU KILLED MY SENIOR!!!"
Aiko's face is covered in tears, her hair is a mess, and she is still desperately trying to escape their grasp.
"Aiko-senpai, you have to understand! He was doing his job!!! I get it, I'm upset too, but you need to-"
Aiko lets out a louder cry, which makes the other divisions turn to see what the commotion is.
"Isn't that Officer Nakamura? What's going on over there?" Recruit Takahashi tilted his head while looking at the situation.
Iyasu placed a hand on Takahashi's shoulder and led him away from the area.
"Let's give them their space… It's none of our business." Iyasu said with sorrow in his tone.
Eventually, the situation between the 3rd division and Rin calms down a bit.
Aiko is sitting alone, still crying softly while saying Kazu's name repeatedly.
"All this time I was right… The blind bastard was a curse after all. I never disliked him, but at the same time, I knew something was off about him." Aoto said while scratching the back of his head.
Rin shrugged. "Since I'm a divine executioner, I can sense execrational power way earlier than the standard curse hunter. From the looks of it, that Summon he bears has a commanding ability that can alter the reality of his opponents."
Fumiko frowned, looking down at the ground. "Why didn't he tell us sooner…? We would've understood his situation. Also, I know he was a cursed being and all, but he wasn't a bad person! I wasn't as close with Kazu-san as Aiko was, but I still cared about the old guy…"
"I know he wasn't… Buuut I still have to do my job. I execute what I examine; it's just rinse and repeat. Speaking of executing, that Summon you guys were fighting? I ended up destroying his core instantly when he did that large-scale hallucination attack."
Rin paused before continuing, "Get your squadmate some mochi in the inner city so she can feel better; she'll understand that I did what I did for the greater good."
He pats them both on the arm before walking a few feet and zipping away.
Aoto and Fumiko walk over to the weeping Aiko and sit down by her side.
"I'm sorry, Kazu-san… I failed to fulfill my promise to you. I'm so useless; I knew that I shouldn't have become a curse hunter…" She said sadly while staring down at her pendant.
"Hey, Aiko-senpai… We should get out of here. Let's go back to the E.S.C., get you a shower and a cute outfit, and let's get some mochi!" Fumiko said while trying to bring the mood up.
"Yeah, sis, we can do whatever you want for the rest of the day! I'll even go with you if you bug me about getting new clothes…" Aoto said with a playful tone, but Fumiko elbows him in the side.
Despite their efforts, Aiko remains in the same spot.
When they see that their attempts to cheer her up have failed, they resort to other methods.
"Alright, I lost my patience…" Aoto suddenly picks her up and puts her on his back.
The three of them make their way back to the E.S.C., alongside the other divisions.
The commissioner also spots them and notices Aiko's devastated demeanor.
"Welcome back. How was the commission? Did you all manage to find intel on Curse Specialist Kazu Hidemi?"
Just by hearing his words, Aiko whimpers and holds onto the back of Aoto's blazer.
"Uhhh… We'd rather not talk about it right now." Aoto said with a nervous laugh.
The commissioner immediately figures out the scale of this situation and nods.
"Ah, I see. You can take the next day off… When you have the chance, meet me in my office to discuss it."
After getting back to the facility, Aiko doesn't leave her dorm.
"Poor senpai… I can't imagine how much pain she's in right now. Kazu-san was more of a savior to her than The Priest himself-" Before Fumiko could finish, Aoto covers his mouth before she says something blasphemous.
"Never say that again. That's like saying she worships the devil!"
Fumiko moves Aoto's hand and frowns at him, "Kazu-san is not anything of the sort! If he was, why do you think he was out there exorcising curses with us!?"
Aoto crosses his arms, "That doesn't matter! The Holy Headsman said Kazu-san bears something similar to a Summon in power! If a historical figure acknowledged something like that, that cannot be normal!"
Fumiko tried to argue back, but she couldn't help but agree with Aoto.
"Tch… All I know is that my best friend is mourning over the death of someone she truly cared about. If you don't want to help comfort her in her desperate times, then I will."
She looks down at her loafers and fidgets with her fingers. "I don't want her to feel this way anymore; it's not like her. So please, Aoto-senpai… Help me help your sister in her desperate times."
Aoto notices her look, and he can't help but flush slightly while looking away.
"Fine! Let's go help her… Not because I want to or anything, but because it's my sister!"
Fumiko smiles and nudges his side. "Okay then, let's head into the eye of the storm tomorrow morning!"