"Tama!"
...
...
...
Ruko stared at her card forlornly. The battle at the partly finished mall still dominated her mind.
She lost.
Was there even a winner?
Her goal had been to stop anymore Eternal girls from forming, as well as release the ones that had no choice but to be under the illusion, losing their humanity and being forced into service.
It was a horrible price of being a selector. It was unfair secrecy. The moment you're told that you have the ability to make any wish you'd like, without all the significant details, you're hooked. For what? For everything to go your way.
When Ruko finally knew what she had gotten herself into, it had finally made a wish out of her; the wish that would end this ugly cycle of WIXOSS, sacrificing her life in the long run. It was a worthy cause. As long as no one suffered anymore, she would risk her life once over.
But Tama...
The plan had been perfect. She would become an Eternal Girl as soon as she met the right conditions, and that's exactly what happened. She would make the oath with Tama and that would be it. But, Tama... Tama evidently didn't agree. The plan failed and just like that, everything looked bleak.
Yuzuki was a still a LRIG...
Tama was gone...
She was gone.
"Ru?"
Ruko jerked at the voice, finally coming back to reality. She looked at the card in her hand. It wasn't bright with a beautiful blue night background, no. It was dark, sinister, cold, just like it's LRIG.
"There is no need to be upset. Isn't this amazing? With our instinctual desire for battle, we will be unstoppable. No one is like us, Ru; we can battle all we want."
Ruko looked at the card wide-eyed.
Iona.
Why did she do it? Why did she go through the ritual, knowing fully of what would become of her? She sacrificed so many lives, for what? To be stuck as nothing more than a card. Had she endeavoured to become an LRIG all along, needlessly destroying her opponents?
What a monster.
"Ruko!" Ruko looked to her side, noticing that Hitoe was running towards her.
Her whole body felt sluggish, dead. Ruko couldn't think straight. Everything was just a blur.
She stood up, head bowed, effectively covering her eyes. She felt so many things and didn't know which emotion to deal with first. Her anger for this whole WIXOSS farce? The sting of betrayal from Tama? Or the fact that she gained the most unlikely of LRIG? This didn't make any sense. Where was Tama?
"Ruko, are you okay?" Hitoe called worriedly.
Ruko didn't look at her, choosing to walk away instead.
"Ruko!" Yuzuki called.
Said girl froze, unsure of what to do.
"I know what happened," Yuzuki started. "The ritual failed because Tama didn't give you the entire oath."
"Tama," Ruko murmured, seemingly in a trance. "Where did she go, Yuzuki?"
Yuzuki flinched at the broken voice. "I...don't know. I've never seen a ritual fail. I'm not sure what happened to her."
Ruko nodded, although it was difficult for Hitoe and Yuzuki to notice.
"I'm...going home," she rasped.
"But, Ruko-"
"Let her go," Yuzuki cut Hitoe off.
Hitoe looked at her LRIG in uncertainty.
"Give her time to deal with this," Yuzuki clarified her selector.
Hitoe couldn't find it in herself to argue, so she watched as one of her best friends walked away.
"Ru? Come on now; you need to accept this for what it is. I am your new LRIG-"
"Don't talk to me," Ruko emotionlessly cut off Iona.
Iona sighed and folded her arms. It seemed like this wasn't the right time to talk to her selector.
Ruko walked through the streets. The buzzing of a busy night was absent in her inner turmoil. Before she knew it, she was home.
"There you are, you idiot!" her brother exclaimed. "Do you have any idea how late it is? Grandma didn't even eat because she was waiting for you!"
Ayumu shut his mouth when he gazed into his sister's glazed, unfocused, eyes. "Ruko, what's wrong?"
Ruko only muttered a weak sorry then went to the living room, finding her grandmother seated with two plates on the table.
"Ah, Ruko-chan! Grandma was waiting to eat with you." Hatsu said brightly.
"I'm not hungry. Sorry I made you wait, grandma."
And then, she was in her room.
She threw her deck on a desk and flopped on her bed. Gazing at the ceiling did nothing to ward off the pain she was experiencing.
Everything was so wrong.
"...Tama~"
A white woman roamed through a white plane in casual practice. She cupped her hands around her mouth. "Tama~. Where are you?" she called soothingly.
She finally stopped when she reached a cage like room. Putting her hands on the bars, she peered inside, and proceeded to sigh. "Now, Tama, there's no need to act like this place is your prison. You're free to walk around if want."
"..."
Mayu sighed again. The girl's depressive attitude was sure challenging. Tama didn't talk, didn't eat, nothing.
"I did warn you, Tama. Ruko could never be your friend forever. She wanted to sacrifice herself for her real friends-"
"Shut up!"
Mayu paused at the shout. It was obvous that Ruko was a touchy subject. All the more reason to press on.
"But, Tama, it's the truth. She was willing to leave you all alone."
A hate-filled glare was cast upon her, effectively reminding Mayu of the dangers she was creating for herself.
Tama was no ordinary LRIG. There was a reason why her memories were stripped from her. Although Mayu had given a little back, she could not risk letting Tama know the entirety of her past.
It could mean the end of everything.
"Fine," Mayu huffed. "Come find me when you feel better. Don't forget, Tama, I'll always be here for you. For no one loves you more than I do."
And with that, Mayu left the white-haired girl, huddled by the wall.
Alone.
...
...
TO BE CONTINUED...