Cay
Cay probably would have suggested Faith herself if L hadn't, but it was apparent that the condition wasn't just a matter of agreement. This was the final stretch of L's trust that Cay had to cross. Without hesitation she nodded. "That's acceptable." she said, meeting L's gaze. There was nothing untoward hidden in her eyes. There was a hint of self-doubt, but such always plagued Cay. She was far from a confident person. If anything was strange, it was how strong her recommendation had been.
Kirari
"After you got knocked out," Verna began, ignoring her own role in the matter, "she beat General Camilla in a fight. She and your other friend had the chance to run away. But after ordering the other one to run away, she surrendered herself. I don't think someone like that would ever hate you, at least not for very long."
Monika
The halberd felt everywhere and nowhere at once. Strangely, it felt most like it was above. Such a thing was impossible, of course, not even Neridus had cracked flight yet. It was probably just the proximity messing with her instinct. Whatever direction it was coming from, it had almost arrived.
"I'm still not sure it was the right decision." Doc said before she could stop herself. She sighed. "I guess I should explain. No more beating around the bush."
Monika could no longer sense her holy weapon. It was close enough to count as being in her presence again.
Unaware of Monika's weapon fast approaching, Doc continued, "I don't know how to tell you this gently. Kirari isn't just involved with Kira. Kira is Kirari."
An explosion rocked the outdoor cafe. Kirari, Verna, and several other bystanders were flung from their seats. Aside from a few scrapes and bruises, they would all be fine. Doc and Monika were much closer to the blast. Doc was flung several feet and a loud crunch indicated that something had definitely broken. The metal bird that had accompanied her dropped from the sky, indicating that she'd been knocked out. She wouldn't be getting up without medical attention.
Despite being just as close as Doc, Monika was fine. The explosion hadn't so much as singed her. A quick glance at the source confirmed the obvious reason why. Her halberd had embedded itself in the pavement, still glowing bright orange from the heat it had gathered reentering the atmosphere.
It wasn't entirely unheard of for holy weapons to up and fly to their meisters, but it was unheard of enough that Monika had never encountered the idea before. Holy weapons were mindless entities, they couldn't fly themselves. And despite many meisters trying, none had discovered the ability to actively summon their weapons. The few who had attempted to study the phenomenon unanimously believed some third party was involved in the act. Perhaps fate itself, as such movements only happened when danger loomed. In other words, it was as much a miracle to them as it was to Monika.
There was one other person who managed to be unaffected by the blast. A strange woman with blue hair and mismatched green and white eyes. Having just entered the cafe right as the halberd landed, she'd protected herself by stitching an emergency barrier out of her own skin. Wordlessly, her needles snatched up the nearest person and took their skin as a replacement. The victim screamed in pain and terror, but the woman seemed completely unfazed. Her head turned in a stilted, crooked movement to face Monika. Her face was utterly expressionless, devoid of any humanity. If there was somehow still any doubt as to her identity, that inhuman stare made it clear. Marionette, in the flesh.
The flesh of her now deceased victim.