
Aoba
Night Chains security crew member, she isn't armed and doesn't usually ride the train alone. Aoba is quiet and doesn't interact much with others on the train. Her sole duty is to protect her younger sister, Yoizuki, the future head of Mugenryu. A more Night Chains-style codename for Aoba would be "Shadow Dancer of Yoizuki". She obeys her sister's orders without question. Standing alone in the shadows, Aoba is like a shade unwilling to exist.
Mugenryu was a massive, long-established family that not only emphasized passing on combat techniques and ninjutsu, but as they gradually attained power, they naturally had to select a successor capable of wielding this power as well. Sometime after Solstice, the world was in a state of unrest, and the same was going on within Mugenryu. At the time, the family head's wife gave birth to a pair of sisters, Aoba and Yoizuki, which was an unexpected surprise for the family head and the entire family, as that meant they now had two people to depend on for their future.
Yoizuki was an undeniable child prodigy who could already read and write fluently when children her age had only just been exposed to it, and she picked things up a mile a minute, thus gaining her the approval and anticipation of their family's elders. In contrast to her baby sister, Aoba might not have been inept, but she simply couldn't measure up to Yoizuki's competency. The pressure young Aoba had to bear was overwhelming, for people couldn't help but compare her with Yoizuki through the years.
Amid her misery, Aoba initially assumed she'd soon be ditched by everyone, but to her shock, Yoizuki appeared before her, clutched her hand, and said, "I'm only able to deal with the stress because you're around. I'm happy as long as you're with me. I hope we'll always stay together..." Aoba was moved to tears.
Just these words from Yoizuki were enough. Aoba was glad simply to be trusted and needed by Yoizuki. There was nothing she wouldn't do for her sister.
Aoba doesn't have a weapon that she habitually uses or likes most. Her strong suit is the art of turning anything into a weapon, from the hairpin on her head to a piece of napkin she offhandedly gets. The numerous skills she picked up from various channels have made things like restraining enemies or rapidly knocking out someone a total walk in the park for her.
Observing the way she does things, you may easily be reminded of an overly devoted ninja in movies. Truth is, she has indeed learned a thing or two from Mugenryu's traditional combat techniques, but Mugenryu's ninjutsu was succeeded by someone else, for she wasn't up to the mark... This didn't matter to her, though. So long as she's capable of utilizing the combat techniques of other factions, Aoba will always earnestly learn them, all so her useless self won't end up burdening Yoizuki. That is in spite of the fact that others already think she's more than impressive.
Yoizuki doesn't mind joining in on the entertainment activities on the train, whereas Aoba generally just observes in silence from afar. There has only been one instance when Aoba passed by Eliot and Fran, who were practicing dart-throwing, and asked softly, "May I give it a try too?"
Afterward, according to Eliot's recountal... "Save for nearly swiping the dartboard off the wall the first time, she hit bullseye consecutively the next few throws!"
Yoizuki's favorite snack is Rakugan, favorite place is somewhere quiet that overlooks the city, and favorite thing to do is to make people obey her—these are things that Aoba has deeply imprinted in her mind. But when someone asked her what she liked, she was lost for words. That had happened after a hair-raising combat mission concluded, and The Eternal's crew planned to prepare a gift or cake for Aoba according to her preference at the celebration party.
"There's nothing I like," was Aoba's eventual response. To her, "like" and "love" were both needless emotions. Even if she had them, she had long given them all to Yoizuki.
As such, the crew could only do their best to list out cake types and flavors and request Aoba to select one. They even comforted her by saying that Yoizuki couldn't make it to the celebration party this time, so Aoba could feel free to choose something she preferred, even if it were a flavor she "least hated"!
In the end, Aoba picked a pink cake embellished with cream flowers and some decorative leaves. Everyone teased grinningly, "So Aoba likes pink too, huh!"
Only Aoba knew that the cake had reminded her of a time when she shared snacks with Yoizuki as children. The snacks they had at home were always the few that Yoizuki liked, and only Yoizuki would take note of whether Aoba had eaten, as well as hand Aoba a snack with a smile. In Aoba's memory, as long as it was a snack given to her by Yoizuki, it would taste the best in the world.
The place where Aoba lives alone in the city is also home to a little dog. She had met the dog on one of the rare nights when Yoizuki gave Aoba time off. With a smile, Yoizuki tenderly told Aoba that Aoba could rest for the night, saying "You must also be tired after our long day outside, right...? Leave the rest of the negotiations to me," before gently shutting the door. Aoba had hoped she could help Yoizuki in some way, only to achieve nothing.
As she walked back to her residence, Aoba came across a filthy little dog with a missing patch of fur and scrape wounds on its legs. It was extremely fearful of humans yet cautiously and piteously whimpered at Aoba. For some unknown reason, Aoba squatted down by the roadside and spent some time to earn the dog's trust before taking it to the vet. It goes without saying that it eventually went home with her.
Yoizuki didn't like animals and detested dogs, in particular, for dogs would sniff around and bark randomly, making them a menace if not trained well. If Yoizuki were to find out Aoba had adopted a stray dog in her small apartment, Yoizuki would undoubtedly get mad and might even punish Aoba, so Aoba never told Yoizuki about the dog, feeling simultaneously guilty about having to hide something from her baby sister and reluctant to part with her new pet. With that, she lived every day in fear of ultimately getting found out by Yoizuki.
These days, whenever she returns to her apartment in the time-worn residential building, the now spotless, fluffy, and healthy dog will happily welcome Aoba at the door. "Even I deserve to have this little bit of joy, right...?" she ruminated each time she petted the dog.
I am Aoba. I only follow Yoizuki's orders.
Is there "something" I need to deal with? ...I see. I'm glad everything's alright.
What's the matter? ...Work to be done? If you need me, you must get Yoizuki's permission. Otherwise, I won't budge.
Yoizuki is so kind. She's willing to let a family disgrace like me accompany her and serve as her blade... My heart is filled with gratitude.
I'm just a disgrace to the family... But Yoizuki told me she needs me. I've devoted my life to fighting just for Yoizuki ever since.
Vacation...? I don't have that. Even if I did, I wouldn't know what to do...
Entertainment is unnecessary for me. If I indulge in those illusions and become even more useless, Yoizuki will reject me. Absolutely it can't happen.
I'm... strong? How's that possible? I'm average at best. I only look strong because the enemies are weak.
Although everyone calls me the "Shadow Dancer of Yoizuki", I feel unworthy of the title... I'm just basking in Yoizuki's glory.
As long as Yoizuki praises me, I feel at ease. It means she still needs me.
I don't know why, but talking to you alleviates my inner turmoil... Remarkable.
Um... Can we... talk for a while longer? Sorry for taking up your time. My apologies...
Please don't tell Yoizuki about me keeping a dog. She... doesn't like living things aside from humans.
I'm... being self-deprecating? Not at all. Besides wielding blades and guns, I am truly worthless.
I shall be the one to terminate Yoizuki's enemy.
I will never let you... get close to Yoizuki.
...Move.
...It's too late. I've got you!
Any enemy of Yoizuki will be mine!
Yoizuki... Please forgive me...
Have I failed...? So, this is the ending a good-for-nothing like me deserves...
It's not that I'm a big deal of any sort; the enemies are simply too much of a joke...