Fire and Ice

by Raphael Comet

A story about when Koko and Yuri first met and when they started dating.

1. Chapter 1

Yuri snapped out of her daydream as she saw a small village in the distance. She felt her stomach rumble slightly and decided it was as good a place as any to stop for a bite to eat. When she reached the town, she looked for a place to eat and found a local tavern. She made her way over and went inside. As soon as she stepped inside, a local townsperson came frantically storming in behind her.

"A wyvern! A wyvern is attacking!" he said before leaving the tavern to find safety.

Yuri stood dumbfounded, unsure of what was going on. "A what is attacking?" she asked to the people in the tavern.

Suddenly, she heard more screaming outside followed by a thunderous roar. Yuri then looked to the door and opened it to see what was happening outside while the tavern patrons began panicking. Down the road, she saw a wyvern heading towards the village, spraying fire all around. It then screeched again as it directed its attention towards the tavern. Yuri was about to head back indoors until everyone that was already inside came bursting through the door, knocking her down as they fled for their lives. After she was able to prop herself on her hands and knees, she looked up to see the wyvern headed straight for her. She froze in place, unable to move her body as fear flooded every part of her being.

As the creature came within fifty feet of her, a large fireball came hurling towards it from above, striking it right in the face. The bright flash of light from the fire broke Yuri out of her paralysis as she managed to stand up. As she did, a knight in armor came jumping down from on top of the overhand Yuri was under, putting herself between Yuri and the creature while drawing her sword.

"Knights of the Sacred Fire, kill the bloody beast!" said the female knight as three more knights came out and surrounded the beast.

Yuri remained under the tavern's overhang, watching as the knights engaged the beast in combat. The female knight, which Yuri figured launched the fireball from before, seemed to be in charge as she gave orders to the other three knights while they fought. They appeared to have the upper hand, managing to disable the creature's wings and depriving it of its ability to fly; however, it only seemed to make the wyvern angrier as it lashed out in an unpredictable rage. It swung its tail and caught two of the knights off guard as they were knocked unconscious by the blow. As the female knight looked to her downed comrades, the wyvern turned to the other remaining knight and used its wounded wings to blow him off his feet. The knight couldn't stand up to the intense gusts and was blown backwards, hitting his head and knocking him out.

Finding herself as the last one standing, the female knight prepared to end the fight before any more casualties happened. She readied her sword as she faced the wyvern one-on-one. The beast stared her down, smoke emanating from its nostrils as embers seeped through its sharp teeth. Yuri continued watching them from the sidelines, afraid to make any sudden movements to escape while the wyvern was still active. As she was watching the fight, she noticed the wyvern began to ready itself for a large fire attack. The odd thing was, the female knight didn't seem to be worried and stood her ground. She didn't even have a shield or a helmet to protect her from the fire; she was totally exposed in the middle of the road. If she was killed, then there'd be no one left to defeat the wyvern and Yuri wasn't in the business of butting heads with large, dangerous beasts.

As the wyvern was just about to let out a large breath of fire at the female knight, Yuri sighed with extreme displeasure and decided to act against her better judgement. She jumped out from behind cover and tackled the knight, pushing her out of the way just as the fire engulfed the spot they were just at. The fire singed Yuri's cloak as she fell to the ground along with the knight. She then winced in pain as she sprained an ankle on the way down.

"You idiot! Stay out of this!" said the female knight as she quickly got back on her feet. She was about to relocate to a better position but then noticed Yuri was injured and couldn't move. The knight sneered then held her ground, looking to the wyvern as it eyed her and Yuri. As her foe let out a frightening shriek, the knight lunged forward with her sword at the ready. She then jumped into the mouth of the beast, using her legs and left arm to keep the jaw open. With her sword in hand, she thrust her right arm straight into its mouth, piercing the wyvern's brain from the inside. As the wyvern let out its last breath, a puff of fire escaped its throat, engulfing the knight as it left its mouth.

Yuri was still crippled on the ground, watching everything unfold. She was worried that her efforts were in vain as the knight was lost in the flames, but to her surprise, the knight remained and exited the wyvern's maw unscathed. Her armor was singed and burned, but other than that, the knight seemed perfectly fine. She then climbed up on the wyvern's head and plunged her sword straight down into its head to make sure it was really dead. With a satisfied sigh, she jumped down and sheathed her sword. Once everything was safe, she looked towards Yuri and walked over to her.

"Are you injured?" asked the knight, outstretching her hand to help Yuri up.

Now that everything was calm, Yuri was able to get a better look at the heroic knight that saved the day. She had short, dark-red hair and bright-orange eyes that almost seemed to burn with a certain intenseness to it. She had a light-tan skin tone and seemed to be much taller than Yuri was. Looking to the knight's gloved hand, Yuri reached out and grasped it, allowing her to help her up. She stood with most of her weight resting on her good leg while pressure off the injured one.

"I seemed to have sprained my ankle," said Yuri as she winced in pain.

The knight looked to her then glanced off in the distance, looking to her fallen comrades still lying on the ground. "Here, have a seat. I'll take a look at your leg after checking on my knights," she said, helping Yuri take a seat on a bench. Once Yuri was taken care of, the knight left her to make sure her teammates were all right. She went over to the pair of knights that had been knocked out by the wyvern's tail whip and helped get them back on their feet. Other than a few scrapes and bruises, they were in good condition. The pair of knights then went to check on the third knight while the female knight returned to Yuri.

"Are your comrades okay?" asked Yuri as the female knight came to her aid.

The female knight knelt down next to Yuri and began inspecting her injured leg. "They'll be fine," she said as she gently held Yuri's left leg. As she slowly began to move it, Yuri let out a whimper in pain. "What's your name, miss?" she asked as she looked up to meet Yuri's gaze.

Yuri looked back then glanced away, caught off guard by the sudden eye contact. "My name? It's... Yuri. My name is Yuri," she said.

The knight gave a nod and returned to giving Yuri medical attention. "Well, Yuri, I just wanted to apologize for my earlier outburst when you pushed me out of the way of the wyvern's fire. Even though the act was utterly futile as I am immune to harm by fire, thinking back on it, it still wasn't an excuse to berate you the way that I did," she said, sighing as she swallowed her pride. "My name is Koko, Specialist Koko Stormare of the Order of the Sacred Fire, and as a paladin who's sworn an oath to the Oath of Vengeance, I cannot leave without repaying the selfless act that caused your injury on my behalf... even though it really wasn't necessary for you to do what you did in the first place," she said as she carefully took off Yuri's boot and half-chap.

Yuri blushed slightly from embarrassment, keeping her gaze locked elsewhere rather than on Koko. "Oh, well... I'm sorry for causing you such an inconvenience," she said.

Koko held up a hand to put Yuri at ease. "Don't worry; what's done is done. Just tell me where you live and I'll help you back home and continue tending to your injury until it's completely healed," she said as she began wrapping Yuri's ankle in a bandage.

Looking down to Koko, Yuri paused, remembering why she was there in the first place. "I live in the town of Yoitz, but I was actually on my way to Patsio for a book signing. I would really still like to attend," she said as Koko finished wrapping the bandage.

"Patsio, huh? That's at least a three-day journey by foot and even more so in your condition. We were actually headed in that direction anyway, so we could drop you off there on the way to our next destination," said Koko as she stood up.

Just then, Koko's knights came over to report in. "We've secured the area and notified the village leader that everything's safe. We're ready to head out when you are, ma'am," said one of the knights.

Koko acknowledged, turning to her team to congratulate them on a job well done. "Understood. Good work overall, but the execution was sloppy. We'll address that when we return to camp," she said, giving her knights a stern look. "You three continue on horseback to Patsio. I'll be taking the supply cart and meet you there."

"Do you want one of us to accompany you, ma'am?" asked one of the other knights.

"No need. I owe this woman a debt and intend to pay her back in full for her heroic deed. I'll be escorting her to Patsio while attending to her injury. There, I'll meet up with you and we can continue on," said Koko.

"Understood. Safe journey, ma'am," said one of the knights, giving her a salute along with the other two.

Koko returned the salute then watched as her team went on without her. She then turned to Yuri and handed back her the boot and chap that she took off in order to apply the bandage. "Is there anything you need to do in this village before we move out?" she asked.

As soon as she said that, Yuri's stomach rumbled with hunger. "I wouldn't mind getting something to eat. I was about to get some food here at the tavern, but… you know, wyvern attack," she said, her cheeks slightly red from embarrassment at her noisy stomach.

"I see. Well, we need to wait for the townsfolk to return, but that shouldn't take too long," said Koko as she looked around the town. "In the meantime, let's wait inside to get you off your feet." She then took one of Yuri's arms and placed it around her neck while wrapping one of her own arms around Yuri's waist. "C'mon, let's get you a seat," said Koko as she helped Yuri limp her way inside the tavern.

After finding an empty table, they waited around for the staff to return to their posts. Soon enough, people began trickling in and once everyone had returned, service continued like normal. When Yuri and Koko ordered their food, the barmaid recognized Koko as the knight that saved their village. She offered to have their meals compensated by the tavern, but Koko declined saying she was only doing her duty. The barmaid insisted anyway and had their meals be on the house in gratitude for her service.

Once the barmaid left, Yuri looked to Koko. "How come you didn't just let her pay for it all? I mean, you did defeat that wyvern basically all by yourself," she said.

Koko sighed and gave Yuri a tired look. "Because our order works to accomplish its goals in the name of the greater good. Its knights require nor desire any means of compensation for the sacred work they do. The safety of the realm is all we need… along with the basic necessities, of course," she said.

"Oh…," said Yuri as she looked down towards the table.

Seeing Yuri looking so dejected, Koko decided to ask a question of her own. "All right, my turn," she said, prompting Yuri to look back up at her. "Why did you decide to save me earlier from the wyvern's attack? You had absolutely no obligation to do what you did, yet you did it anyway. Are you a soldier or something? Maybe a mercenary? Not likely, but you never can tell," she said.

Completely caught by surprise, Yuri paused to choose her words carefully. "To be honest, it was all for the sake of self-preservation. You seemed to be the best chance of getting rid of the wyvern, so I saved you so you could save me… if that makes any sense," she said.

"Sooooo you put your own life in grave danger… for the sake of self-preservation?" asked Koko with a furrowed brow.

Yuri gave a nod and a nervous smile. "Yeah, pretty much. And to answer your other question, I'm neither. I'm just a traveling nun who likes to read books," she said.

Koko gave Yuri a guarded look then scoffed. "You're an odd one, you know that?" she said as she leaned back in her chair, her arms crossed over her chest in bewilderment.

Just then, the barmaid came by with their food, so they took a break from their conversation to eat. The two remained silent other than the sounds of them munching on their food. Yuri took advantage of the pause in their talk to collect her thoughts, wondering if it was wise to be traveling with a paladin, and a very strong one at that. Once they had gotten a bit of their food in their stomachs, Yuri decided to strike up a different conversation to turn the attention away from her.

"So, um, how come you can't be harmed by fire? Is it your armor or a magic spell that protects you?" asked Yuri.

Koko swallowed her mouthful and looked to Yuri. "Honestly, I don't know. I've always been that way," said Koko as she gave Yuri a plain look.

It seemed to Yuri that Koko didn't want to talk anymore, so she just focused on finishing her meal. After they were done eating, they prepared to head out. As Yuri tried to get up from her seat, Koko quickly went over to her and helped her stand up.

"Here, let me help you," said Koko. While Yuri was standing there with all her weight resting on her good leg, Koko picked her up in her arms in one swift motion.

Yuri was caught off guard as she suddenly found herself cradled in Koko's arms, her boot and chap clutched tightly in her hands. She looked up to Koko, her cheeks red with embarrassment. Koko kept her gaze forward as she began walking towards the front door, her expression still stoic. As Yuri remained in her arms, she rested her head against Koko's breastplate, a slight smile tugging at the sides of her mouth.

Koko carried Yuri outside and gently sat her on the front bench of the carriage. "Here you are. You can just rest here during the ride," said Koko before taking a seat on the bench next to her.

As Koko took her seat beside her, Yuri scooted over slightly to make sure there was a comfortable distance in the middle between the two of them. She carefully put her boot back on before getting comfortable for the carriage ride. Keeping her hands in her lap, Yuri remained quiet as she kept hidden behind her hood. She wanted to say something to keep the conversations going, but she was at a loss of words.

The initial portion of their trip was spent mostly in silence with neither Yuri nor Koko saying a word to one another. Koko focused on driving the cart while Yuri just watched the countryside as it slowly passed them by. From time to time, Koko pulled the cart over to check on Yuri and applied some healing magic to her injury. Every time she did that, Yuri couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

As it got late in the day, Koko stopped at the next inn before it got too dark to travel. They came across a small town and decided to check into the local inn. It was a small establishment and it was attached to the town's tavern as well, but it'd have to do. Hopefully it wouldn't be too loud and rambunctious. Koko parked the cart around back then went around to help Yuri get down from the carriage. Before they headed inside, Koko rummaged around the supplies in their cart and found a crutch for Yuri to use. Once Yuri got used to using it, she and Koko made their way to the front and headed inside.

Yuri followed closely behind Koko as they approached the innkeeper. Koko booked them a simple single room with two beds and basic amenities. When Koko asked if their arrangements were all right, Yuri said it was just fine. Since Koko was paying, Yuri had no excuse to complain. After getting their room key, Koko helped Yuri get up the stairs and to their room. The room they had was simple enough, consisting of two beds, two bedside tables, and a table set off to the side with two simple chairs. It wasn't much, but at least it was better than sleeping outside, vulnerable to any wandering creature or bandit.

After opening the door and stepping inside, Koko looked to Yuri. "Have your pick of the beds. I don't mind either one," she said before closing the door behind them.

Yuri gave her courteous nod and hobbled on over to the one on the right, having been used to sleeping with the wall to her left. She took off her satchel and placed it on the table before reaching her bed. Once there, she leaned her crutch against the wall and slowly lowered herself onto the bed, sitting down and sighing with relief before transitioning to lying on her back.

"It's still a bit early for dinner, so when it's time to eat, I'll get some food from the tavern downstairs and bring it back up so you don't have to move," said Koko as she removed her sword from her side and setting it next to her bedside table. She then walked over to Yuri while bringing over one of the chairs and setting it next to her bedside. "In the meantime, you can just relax and focus on keeping your ankle still. So, is there anything I can do to make things more comfortable for you at the moment?" she asked as she stood behind the chair with her hands resting on the back of it.

While Koko was talking, Yuri positioned her pillow to support her back as she sat upright on her bed, leaning against the back wall. She then took a moment to see if she needed anything without taking too much advantage of her knight-in-shining-armor. "Well… if it wouldn't be too much trouble…" said Yuri as she looked down to her feet. "Could you please remove my boots for me? I can't quite reach them without agitating my ankle."

Koko followed Yuri's gaze and acknowledged promptly. "No problem," she said before scooting the chair down to the end of her bed. She then sat down and gently removed Yuri's boots, starting with her good leg before moving on to her injured one. Koko was extra careful to not hurt Yuri as she finally got it off, taking her boots and neatly setting them on the floor beside her bed. "There. Is there anything else?" she asked while standing back up.

Yuri thought for a moment but shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Thank you, brave knight," she said as she got more comfy. She took off her gloves and removed her cloak, setting them beside her on the bed.

As Yuri continued to settle in, Koko moved over to her own bed and began to doff her armor, starting with her bracers. She sat down on the edge of her bed and exhaled tiredly, going through the motions of her removing her armor. Once Koko started, Yuri couldn't help but notice and watched her from her bed. Koko removed her bracers followed by her gloves, setting them next to her before unfastening her breastplate. As she was undoing the fasteners, she happened to meet Yuri's attentive eyes as she was watching her from across the room.

"Is there something you need?" asked Koko while finally removing her chest and shoulder armor.

Yuri had been unaware of her obvious staring so her cheeks immediately reddened as Koko's question broke her out of her daze. "Uh! No, I'm okay. I just… never seen how a knight removed their armor so, I was just curious. Sorry," she said as she quickly diverted her gaze elsewhere.

Koko smiled slightly at Yuri's timidity and continued on to removing her shin guards. "Is that so? Well, I don't mind if you watch. And if you really want to learn, I can show you later how to properly don and doff armor up close," she said.

Yuri tried her best to hide her embarrassment behind her long hair and kept her eyes looking forward and away from Koko. "No no, that's okay. I'll, I'll just- Is it really okay if I… watch?" she asked, almost choking on her words.

Koko looked at her with a quizzical look as she placed all her doffed armor aside. "Yeah, I already said it was okay. It's not like I'm undressing or anything like that and even if I was, we're both females. But… I'm actually done, so… yeah, nothing else to see here," she said.

Missing her chance at spying on the knight as she shed her protective layering, Yuri turned to Koko with a brief disappointed look before pouting slightly, looking to the floor. "Oh…" she said under her breath.

After removing her heavy armor, Koko got up and stretched her arms up above her head. As she did, Yuri discretely looked back towards her and saw her in just her shirt, pants and boots, giving her a better view of her true physique. Yuri bit her lip slightly as she gazed upon Koko's fit body; she wasn't too muscular or too lean, but just perfect.

With a tired exhale, Koko relaxed and stepped towards Yuri, moving her belongings from her bed to beside her satchel on the table. Once the spot was cleared, Koko returned to Yuri's side and sat down on the bed beside her. Seeing her so close, Yuri got a better look at Koko's more striking features. Her luscious, deep-red hair first caught Yuri's eye as it flowed down to her shoulders in no particular fashion. Even though it wasn't styled, it still looked stunning as it swayed. Moving down, Yuri got lost in Koko's gorgeous light-orange eyes, almost seeing a burning passion residing within.

As Yuri was captivated by Koko's good looks, Koko just stared back with a clueless look. "Umm… is there something on my face?" asked Koko, unaware of Yuri's growing attraction towards her.

Yuri shook off her trance once more and smiled meekly. "No! I was just… uh, admiring your- Uh…" Yuri then grew silent as her words got caught in her throat, causing her to blush again.

"Oh no. Are you getting sick? You're getting red," said Koko as she leaned closer and felt Yuri's forehead with the back of hand.

With Koko moving closer and their faces just a couple feet apart, Yuri nearly passed out from the tension but managed to keep a grip on things. "I- I- I'm fine. Just… tired is all," she said with a weak smile as she fumbled on her words.

Not sensing a fever or anything, Koko withdrew her hand and sat back upright. "That's a relief," she said.

Yuri calmed down and just looked at Koko sitting in front of her. "Was- was there something you wanted?" she asked.

Koko gave her a blank look then remembered what she came over for in the first place. "Oh. Right. I was actually going to ask you what you wanted to eat," she said.

Taking a moment to think it over, Yuri tried to decide on what she wanted to eat for dinner. She was still somewhat full from lunch, so she couldn't come to a decision. "I don't know. Isn't it still a bit too early?" asked Yuri.

"I suppose. I just wanted to get your answer now in case you wanted to take a nap or something. Then I could get the food without having to wake you up," said Koko.

"Oh, in that case…" Yuri took a second to ponder her options, but couldn't come up with anything. "Just get me whatever you get. That should be fine. I don't want to be a hassle since you're paying," she said.

Koko gave her a plain stare then said, "Uh, you're still paying for your food. I'm just putting the order in and picking it up. This isn't, like, a date or anything." She then gave Yuri a smirk and stood back up. "But, since you did attempt to save me, I'll take care of it just this once," she said, holding up her index finger.

Yuri's fragile being couldn't take all the embarrassment she was experiencing in such a short time span. She just wanted to roll over and die -that was how horrible she felt- but instead she just sat there on the bed, completely silent as she kept her eyes down and away from Koko.

"Don't worry your pretty, little head about it. I have plenty of coin to cover the cost of a single meal. I'm more than happy to assist a member of a religious order since I know how little you get paid, if at all, for your services. Believe it or not, I was an adventurer before joining the OSF and accumulated a modest bit of wealth," said Koko as she tried to cheer Yuri up, thinking she was upset rather than embarrassed.

"You… were an adventurer?" asked Yuri as she finally managed to look up towards Koko.

Koko smirked, thinking back to her time adventuring after leaving home and the memories spent with the crazy members of Sabot Draconis. "I sure was. Do you want to hear about some of those adventures?" she asked, her hands resting on her hips as she stood in the middle of the room.

Yuri only managed to give a small nod, prompting Koko to take the chair by her bedside and scoot it closer. For the next stretch of time, Koko sat down with Yuri and told her about a couple highlights from her escapades with the crew of Sabot Draconis, a rag-tag bunch of individuals. Even with their vastly differing ideals and personalities, they somehow managed to work together to accomplish their mission. Although Koko hadn't actually gone on any of the adventures she told, she had the memories of the alternate timeline Koko fresh in her head. When it was time for dinner, Koko left to head downstairs to get some food for the both of them.

As soon as she left, Yuri sighed with relief and immediately started to undo her hidden blade bracer from her arm. It was going to be hard to explain if Koko had discovered it, since she was supposed to be masquerading as a nun and all. Once she had it removed, she used her crutch to hop over to the table where her bag was. She quickly hid it inside then returned back to her bed. With the room still to herself, she took a moment to daydream about Koko's appearance and their recent interactions. Her lovely red head of hair, her intense eyes, and her alluring body. The very thought of her made Yuri feel all warm on the inside. It was like nothing she had ever experienced before. She continued to indulge in her daydream until Koko returned to their room.

Koko barely managed to get the door open as she carried a bowl of soup in each hand. She nudged the door all the way with her foot and went over to the table, dropping off the two bowls. "Dinner has arrived," said Koko as she took out the utensils from a pouch on her belt.

Yuri snapped out of her fantasies and perked up, trying to get a better view of the bowls. "What is it? It smells nice," she said.

"It's the tavern's specialty, chicken and potato soup," said Koko as she headed back towards the door. "I'll be right back. I need to get the jug of water and cups from downstairs." She gave Yuri a wave then left the room, leaving the door cracked open.

Finding herself alone again, Yuri sighed happily. Her vacation was turning out a lot better than she could have imagined. She even wondered if she was dreaming, but that notion quickly faded as she moved her injured ankle, causing a slight surge of pain. She winced at the pain but soon smiled again as she realized that everything happening was real.

Soon enough, Koko returned with their drinks and set everything down on the table. She took one of the bowls and brought it over to Yuri, setting on her bedside table. She then went back and retrieved a spoon and cup of water, placing it beside the bowl of soup. "There, that should be everything. Is there anything else I can get you while I'm still up?" asked Koko.

Yuri looked over everything and found everything in order. She shook her head then reached for her spoon, eager to dig in to her meal. Koko gave a nod and sat down at the table where her own dinner was waiting for her, also eager to begin eating. Yuri took the wooden spoon and plunged it into the bowl of soup, getting a nice piece of chicken along with some broth. The angle at which she was sitting in relation to her bowl on the table made it somewhat difficult to eat. She had to lean over in an awkward position then had to guide the spoon all the way back to her mouth from the bowl. She thought about just placing the bowl in her lap, but it was still much too hot for that.

Seeing Yuri struggling from out the corner of her eye, Koko stopped eating and turned to her. "Do you… need some help?" she asked with a smile and slight tilt of the head.

Yuri didn't want to admit defeat, but she was really hungry and indeed needed some help. "Yeah. It's a bit hard to eat without having to move my entire body just to reach the bowl…" said Yuri as she set her spoon down.

Koko got up and sat down on the chair beside Yuri's bed. "All right then. Let's try this," said Koko as she took Yuri's spoon and scooped up some of her soup. She blew on the spoonful to cool it down a bit then proceeded to bring it up to Yuri's mouth.

"Are you- Are you going to feed me?" asked Yuri as she hesitated to open up her mouth to receive the soup.

"Is there a problem with that? You wanted some help so this is what I thought I'd do," said Koko as she inched the spoon closer.

Yuri swallowed nervously, never thinking her simple cry for help would turn into such an unexpected situation. She looked at the spoon then to Koko who was waiting patiently with a bare expression on her face. Not wanting to pass up the opportunity, Yuri slowly opened her mouth until it was wide enough for Koko to properly feed her.

With a swift but careful motion, Koko guided the spoon into her mouth, waited a moment as Yuri's lips closed over the utensil, then withdrew it as the spoon came out spotless. "There you go. How's it taste? I hope it wasn't too hot," said Koko as she waited for Yuri to finish chewing her food.

The food wasn't anything spectacular or memorable, but since it was spoon fed to her by a beautiful woman, it seemed like it was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted. "It was, uh, good. Just perfect," said Yuri after swallowing. She then looked back to Koko who was already preparing her next bite. "Say, you seem rather… comfortable with this. Have you done something like this before?" she asked out of the blue.

As she was blowing on the food, Koko paused and suddenly grew silent momentarily before responding. "I have done this before, but it was years ago," said Koko as she guided the spoon back to Yuri's mouth. "My mom. She… was sick and towards the end of her days, she wasn't able to feed herself. So, I… had to do it myself," she said as she withdrew the spoon once again and set it in the bowl.

While Yuri was chewing, she suddenly felt bad as she saw the brief moment of sadness on Koko's face before she regained her composure. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring back painful memories for you," said Yuri after finished her mouthful of soup.

Koko was soon back to her old self and picked up the spoon again. "It's okay. It's not your fault. I've already come to terms with it," she said.

For the remainder of dinner, Yuri remained silent as Koko continued to feed her until the bowl was empty. Once she was done, Koko finished her own meal then went downstairs to return the bowls and utensils. As she sat alone, Yuri couldn't help but feel guilty for dampening the mood during dinner. At least before she carelessly brought up Koko's mother, Koko seemed to be in a good mood, but after that, Yuri could tell Koko was saddened even if she was hiding it behind her normal expression. Not wanting to think about it anymore, she wanted to do something else to take her mind off it. She then remembered the book she was reading. Just as she was about to get up from bed, Koko returned and entered the room.

Seeing Yuri trying to get out of bed, Koko stepped in before she aggravated her injury. "No, don't get up. Is there something you need?" asked Koko as she approached Yuri.

After getting caught, Yuri returned to her spot on the bed and looked to her satchel. "I was just going to retrieve my book to get some reading in before bed. Do you mind getting it? It's in my bag on the table," said Yuri.

"Right away," said Koko as she went over to the table.

As soon as she saw Koko heading for her bag, Yuri tensed up, remembering her hidden blade also within the bag. "W- Wait!" she said as Koko was about to lift the flap to her knapsack. "I- I just remembered that I have- have some uh, personal items in there. Yeah. Could you just instead bring me the whole bag, please?"

Startled by Yuri's sudden outburst, Koko removed her hand from the flap then retrieved the entire bag, bringing it over to Yuri. "Here you go," said Koko as she gave it to Yuri.

Relieved that she avoided a potential calamity, Yuri thanked her and reached into her bag to get her book.

Seeing Yuri rummaging around her bag, Koko couldn't help but give in to her curiosity. "So, what are you reading?" she asked as she sat down on the edge of her bed.

Yuri froze as she finally found her book and opened to the page where she had last stopped. "Uh, nothing. Just a book. A piece of fiction," said Yuri as she apprehensively looked to Koko.

Koko smiled and continued to press the issue. "I can see that, but, like, what's the title? What's it about?" she asked.

The content of her book wasn't exactly the easiest topic to talk about, but at least the title was inconspicuous enough. Yuri hid her face behind the book as she tried her best to come up with a response. She wanted to give Koko enough information to satisfy her curiosity but also seem simple enough to not warrant anymore questions. "It's, uh, called Bittersweet and it's about… two gir- characters… on a da- journey." Yuri tensed up as she almost slipped up and revealed too much. "It's basically… a romance story," she said.

"Oh, romance. Is that your favorite genre?" asked Koko.

Yuri exhaled deeply. "…it is."

Koko could hear the slight annoyance in Yuri's voice and got the hint. "Oh, I'm sorry. You were trying to read, weren't you? I'll leave you alone then," said Koko as she ceased asking questions.

Yuri wasn't so much annoyed as she was nervous, but either way, she was glad Koko stopped talking. She took a deep breath then looked to the pages to find where she had left off. She began to read contently but soon stopped as she had an odd feeling take her over. She peeked over to see Koko just sitting on her bed and watching her. "Uh… aren't you going to get some sleep? It's getting late," she said as she placed her book on her lap, keeping the page she was on marked.

"I need to be available in the event that you should require assistance. So until you decide to sleep, I'll remain awake by your side," said Koko.

"Oh, well I usually stay up late to read and don't turn in until I'm dead tired. Right now, I got lots of energy left so it'll be a while. I also need to catch up on my reading before we reach Patsio," said Yuri.

Koko sighed with discontent on the inside as she was actually beginning to get drowsy herself. "Before Patsio? What's the rush?" she asked.

"This is the book I'm going to get signed there. I haven't finished reading it yet, but I planned to finish it before I got there," said Yuri.

"I see. Well, allow me to keep you company then," said Koko while stifling a yawn.

Yuri smiled but her hair obscured it from Koko's view. "I appreciate your concern, but I'll be fine. Really. Please, get some sleep. I'll need you at your best tomorrow," she said.

Koko couldn't help but let a small yawn escape her mouth as she looked to Yuri. "All right then. But if you need anything at all, and I mean anything… don't hesitate to wake me up," said Koko as she got up to check the door to their room. She locked the door and made sure it was secure before returning to her bed and removing her boots and belt. She gave Yuri one more check then laid down, getting underneath the covers as she rested her head on her pillow.

"Goodnight, Lady Koko," said Yuri as she watched Koko get comfy.

Koko snickered at that, not ever having been called that before. "Please, Koko is just fine," she said before closing her eyes.

Yuri blushed slightly then resumed reading. "Goodnight… Koko," she said softly to herself.

After spending a bit more time reading, she finally decided to call it quits and set her book down on her bedside table. She took off her jacket to get more comfortable and loosened her belt and pants fasteners. As she got under the covers, she made sure to keep her ankle as straight as possible which was no easy task, but she managed it with minimal wincing. Once she was lying on her back under the sheets, she leaned over and blew out the candle on her bedside table.

The room went near pitch black as Yuri laid there in the dark, staring blankly at the ceiling as she took a moment to reflect on the day's events. She could hardly believe the series of events that landed in her on a three-day trip with a lovely lady. She was so lucky. She then began to think about her knight-in-shining armor and decided to indulge herself a bit before falling asleep.

#

When Yuri woke up in the early hours of the morning, she felt completely rested, almost forgetting about her injured ankle. Her sleep was very peaceful and uninterrupted, something Yuri always treasured. As she opened her eyes to the morning's rays of light, she turned her head and looked to the bed next to her. Koko was still soundly asleep in her bed, lying on her side and facing Yuri. Yuri couldn't help but stare for a few moments, soaking in the nice view of a tranquil Koko. Since the sheets had moved down to her abdomen, Yuri could see her lovely hair, face, and upper torso. Seeing her like that without her armor, she looked like any normal woman, so delicate and serene. Yuri could easily forget Koko was actually a combat-hardened knight who fought in countless battles and ventured all over.

As Yuri was watching her, Koko finally stirred awake and immediately met Yuri's gaze when she opened her eyes. Yuri froze for a second then turned her eyes away, looking up to the ceiling instead.

Koko's vision was still a bit blurry and didn't catch Yuri creepily watching her as she slept. She yawned and sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes before glancing over to Yuri. She noticed that Yuri was awake then moved to the edge of her bed. "You're awake. Do you… need anything?" she asked, yawning halfway through her sentence.

Yuri covered her embarrassment by hiding most of her face with the sheets, but when she realized Koko didn't catch her staring, she loosened up. "No, not at the moment. I just woke up," she said as she sat up in bed as well.

"Were you able to sleep well?" asked Koko as she leaned forward and rested her forearms on her thighs.

"Yes. Very much so," said Yuri after remembering the very pleasant dream she had. "How about you, La- I mean, Koko."

Koko took a second to think and said, "I slept all right. Don't think I woke up in the middle of the night or anything like that. In fact, I think I was even able to dream, though I don't remember it at all.

"Oh, what a shame. I remember my dream," said Yuri.

"Is that so? Care to share?" asked Koko as she began putting her boots on.

Remembering her dream, vividly in fact, Yuri shook her head and pretended not to recall. "A- Actually, now that you mention it. I, uh, don't remember," she said while diverting her attention away.

"That's too bad," said Koko as she stood up and fastened her belt. "Well, once I'm ready, I'll help you up so you can take care of any morning business that you need to do."

Yuri removed the covers and moved to the side of her bed. "I think I can manage on my own. I'm feeling a lot better thanks to you," she said as she reached for her shoes.

Before she could put them on, Koko went over to her and got on one knee. "Before you put your shoes back on, let me see your ankle," she said as she gently grasped Yuri's injured leg. She inspected her ankle and noticed a big improvement from yesterday. It wasn't as swollen and was beginning to look more like her uninjured one. "It's healing nicely. Just give it a day or so and it should be back to normal." She then stood back up and returned to donning her armor.

"That's good to hear. It's all thanks to you after all," said Yuri. After Koko was done with her examination, Yuri went about putting her shoes back on. It took her a bit longer than normal but once she had them on, she reached for her crutch and stood up, keeping the pressure off her bad ankle.

Yuri and Koko spent the early morning light getting ready for the next day of traveling ahead of them. They had a quick breakfast then returned to the cart. Koko helped Yuri onboard then guided the horse and cart back onto the main road. Once they were out in the open, Koko got on the bench next to Yuri and began driving the cart onward towards Patsio.

The day and pretty much the rest of the trip went by without a hitch or anything interesting happening. The trip was mostly spent in silence with the occasional conversation occurring between the two of them. There were a few hijinks here and there, but they were pretty minor and nothing compared to the first day they met. They stopped for breaks from time to time to allow for the horse to rest and eat. During the breaks, Yuri and Koko also ate a few of their meals which consisted of rations gathered from the supplies on the cart. Koko also did some minor healing spells to help accelerate the healing process for Yuri's ankle.

It was the last day of their journey and they were getting close to their destination. Only a small town was between them in the town of Patsio, so they decided to get a small bite to eat before they continued on the final stretch. Along the road they were on, they came across a small tavern which claimed to serve the best food around. Koko was getting pretty hungry, so they stopped there to get a meal. Koko parked the cart and went inside along with Yuri. Yuri's ankle was just about fully healed by then and she was able to move around on her own unencumbered by the crutch.

When they went inside, the tavern was empty besides the barkeep behind the counter. They had no trouble finding a spot to sit, so they sat at the counter where the owner was. Koko took a seat first and Yuri sat beside her.

"What can I do for you, lovely ladies?" asked the barkeep with a welcoming smile, giving them his full attention.

Koko looked to Yuri, signaling that she could go first while she figured out what she wanted. Yuri smiled then turned to the barkeep. "Hi. Can I just get a chicken pot pie, please, with a jug of water?" asked Yuri.

"Sure. I can get that started for you. And you?" asked the barkeep as he looked to Koko.

"Yeah… I'd like a chicken pot pie as well, but could I also get some of that peach mead as well?" asked Koko.

"The peach mead, eh? Fine choice. Let me go tell chef to get off his lazy ass and get cooking," said the barkeep before disappearing into the back.

Hearing Koko's order, Yuri looked to her with a surprised look. "I didn't know you drank," she said.

Off put by the sudden question, Koko turned to her replied. "Not often, but I'm trying to enjoy myself a little before we get to Patsio. When we get there, I'd have to meet up with my men and return to business as usual with the formalities and the professionalism. And that means no drinking on the job," she said with a disappointed sigh.

"I guess that makes sense," said Yuri as she snickered a bit. "At least you got have a little fun for a few days, right? I mean, I wasn't too much of a burden, was I?"

Koko shook her head with a smile. "Of course not. You're weren't a burden in the slightest. In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed your company which made my break all the better."

Yuri couldn't help but nearly smile from ear to ear as her cheeks reddened slightly. "That's… awfully nice of you to say…" she said while turning her head away.

Koko was about to say something but the barkeep returned carrying a jug of water and tankard of peach mead. "Here you go, ladies. Your food should be out in a bit," he said, placing the drinks on the counter before them.

Koko forgot what she was going to say to Yuri then redirected her gaze to her drink. Seeing the tankard of sweet, peach mead right in front of her, Koko took the drink in hand and downed a hearty swig, sighing with relief. "Damn, that's pretty good," she said while wiping her mouth with her sleeve.

"I'm glad you like it," said the barkeep while wiping the counter with a cloth. "So, where are you ladies headed?"

Koko took another long drink from her tankard before answering. "Patsio. It's just down the road and passed the next town, right?" she asked.

"Indeed it is," said the barkeep. "You two… traveling alone?"

Seeing Koko with her mead sort of made Yuri want to order something alcoholic as well, but one of her rules that she adopted from Monika was to never order alcohol from a place she wasn't familiar with. With a sigh, she retrieved an empty cup and poured herself some water from the jug. "Yeah. Just the two of us," she said before taking a sip of water.

"Is that so…" said the barkeep as he tried to stifle a smile.

As Yuri took another drink from her water, she could sense the mood shift slightly and began scanning her surroundings discretely. Something wasn't right to her ever since they entered the tavern, but it wasn't until then that her instincts started to really kick in. The tavern was still empty despite it being located on a main road and it being a prime time for people to eat. Yuri instinctively reached for her sword, but she forgot she didn't have it with her. Her hidden blade was also not with her and instead still hidden within her bag. She cursed under her breath then looked to Koko who was still indulging in her mead and seemingly unaware of what was going on. The barkeep was acting a bit too friendly for her liking and she couldn't hear the usual sounds of a busy kitchen where food was supposedly being prepared. It all screamed something wrong but she couldn't put a finger on it. Suddenly, her fears were fully realized as the door to the tavern burst wide open.

Yuri tried to remain calm as she spotted three very dangerous looking men enter the tavern out the corner of her eye. She glanced over towards the barkeep who was looking at the three men before giving them a slight nod, motioning to her and Koko. As Yuri tried to get a handle on the situation, the three men approached her and Koko from behind and stood just a few feet away.

"Okay, miss knight. If you don't want anything to happen to your little friend here, you'll get up and remove your weapons," said the bandit that appeared to be the in-charge. He drew his sword and placed it on Koko's shoulder while one of the other bandits moved closer to Yuri, drawing a dagger and holding it to her neck.

Koko slammed her tankard down and looked over her other shoulder at the bandit. "Excuse me? And who do you think you are threatening a knight of the Order of the Sacred Fire so brazenly." She then stood up while drawing her sword and facing the bandits all in one swift motion. As she stood upright, her head began to spin as she suddenly began to lose her balance, barely able to keep her sword up. "What- What is happening to me?" she asked as she stumbled backwards, leaning against the counter to keep herself from falling completely over.

The bandit leader smirked and tapped the tankard of peach mead Koko was drinking. "Have a bit too much to drink, did we?" he asked in a mocking manner.

Yuri looked to the tankard then to Koko. She thought in her head that there was no way Koko could have gotten drunk after only a half a tankard of mead. She could easily take out the three bandits if only she had her weapons with her, but she didn't and was instead playing the part of the damsel in distress.

Koko's state continued to deteriorate as she looked over to Yuri. "Yuri… I'll- I'll hold them off. You need to run and get out of here…" she said with a shallow breath.

Upon hearing that, the bandits all laughed as the bandit took a step towards Koko. "Hold us off? And how do you plan to do that?" he asked.

Koko sneered at him then lunged at him with her sword, but by then, her coordination was completely compromised. When she swung with her sword, she stumbled forward and fell to the floor while losing her grip on her sword.

Seeing Koko in such a vulnerable state, Yuri couldn't help but frown at the grim situation they were faced with. As she looked away, she saw Koko's sword lying right in front of her on the ground. She began to think of a plan to get them out of that sticky situation but was suddenly interrupted by the pained cry of Koko.

"This could have been so easy and painless if only you had cooperated!" said the bandit leader as he kicked Koko.

Yuri looked back to her to see the other two bandits kicking her on the ground, the leader landing a solid hit to her stomach. Not wanting to see Koko get any more hurt, she couldn't wait any longer and had to act now. The bandit that had the knife to her throat was watching the other two and wasn't paying any attention to her. It was the perfect opportunity to strike so she took the opportunity and launched her attack. She exhaled deeply and cleared her mind. The first bit was going to be the trickiest part, so she had to focus.

While her target had his focus elsewhere, Yuri jerked her head back and struck the bandit's face with a backwards headbutt. As the bandit reeled from the initial blow, Koko grasped his knife arm with both hands and skillfully got out from his hold. She then took the arm which was still firmly in her grasp and used it to jam the knife he was clutching right into his neck, penetrating his jugular. Not wanting to waste time, she delivered a forceful sidekick to launch the fatally wounded bandit away before bending down to pick up Koko's sword. By then, the other two bandits had stopped kicking Koko and had turned their attention towards Yuri.

Surprised by the sudden turn of events, the bandit leader forgot about Koko and pointed his sword at Yuri. "Just what do you think you're doing, girl? Your knight friend here can't help you and you're outnumbered. Put down the sword before you get hurt," he said as he began to step towards her.

Koko coughed up a bit of blood and propped herself up to see Yuri standing calmly before them with her sword in hand. "What are you doing? Just get out of here! You can't defeat them on your own," said Koko.

Having ceased an advantage, Yuri remained composed and undeterred. "Don't worry, Koko. I'm not going anywhere without you," she said as she gave her a reassuring smile. She then looked to the bandits and readied her sword, her expression returning that of determination and pure focus. Koko's sword was heavier than her own rapier, but with the amount of adrenaline pumping through her veins, she hardly noticed it as she wielded it expertly.

"You there. You were correct in assuming that my friend here, all clad in plate armor with a sword at her side was the most obvious threat. That's why the barkeep drugged her instead of me, the innocent looking girl with no weapons to bear," said Yuri as her demeanor fully changed to that of a killer, allowing her to advance fearlessly towards the two bandits. "But as my wise master once told me…" She swung the sword with a flourish and stared down the bandit leader. "Assumption is the mother-of-all-fuck-ups…" She then lunged at the bandit leader and swung her sword at him with all her might. The bandit leader had barely enough time to block the attack as he raised his sword to defend, the blow causing him to step backwards a bit.

All the while, Koko managed to crawl off to the side and watched in awe as Yuri fought the remaining bandits all by herself. She was completely amazed by the skill at which Yuri wielded her sword. The movements and techniques she implemented, it was almost like a dance and Koko couldn't look away.

Yuri kept up the assault and didn't give the bandits any chances to rest or counterattack. She kept her focus on the leader and eventually saw an opening to put him down for good. She lured him into a false state of security and purposely made an opening for him to attack. The bandit leader took the bait and made a foolish swing towards her, not knowing that his attack would seal his fate. Seeing her opponent act the way she wanted, she grinned an evil grin and easily parried the attack before striking with a lightning fast horizontal swipe across his neck. She then followed up with her signature finisher starting with a downwards diagonal strike followed by an upwards diagonal strike and then a downwards vertical strike. The three slashes formed a "Y" in his torso and she decided to finish it all off with a mighty thrust, plunging the sword right through the middle of the "Y" as she got up close to her target. She watched bandit leader's panicking eyes as his last breaths left him. After he ceased moving, Yuri kicked him away with much disgust as she withdrew her blade before looking to the other bandit. The final bandit was scared stiff but finally managed to step backwards before fully turning tail and running out the front door along with the barkeep.

Victorious, Yuri spate in their direction before hurrying to Koko's side. "Koko! Are you all right? How do you feel?" she asked as she knelt down beside Koko.

Koko was still conscious and saw the entire thing, but her coordination and movement were still impaired. "I'm… okay. Just… a bit tired is all," she said through shallow breaths.

Remembering the drugged drink, Yuri got up and inspected the tankard, using a finger to taste the mead before spitting it out. She immediately identified the drug used to incapacitate Koko and fortunately it wasn't fatal or even harmful. It just was a common substance used by people with ill intentions in mind to make potentially troublesome targets easier to handle. "The drugged they used isn't anything to be worried about. You should be back to normal after a good night's rest," she said after squatting back down to where Koko was. She helped Koko back on her feet and guided her to the door. "Let's get you out of here. There's no telling when those bandits might return."

As Yuri helped her walk, there was so many questions that Koko wanted to ask her. Things like how she was able to easily defeat the bandits and where she learned to fight like that. Unfortunately, her impaired state made it difficult to talk, so she kept quiet until she was back to normal, then she'd get the answers she wanted.

When they got back to the cart, Yuri helped Koko onto the bench then tossed her sword in the back with the supplies. She had no idea how to drive the cart, but after watching Koko the past few days, she managed to get the horse moving and started heading down the road to the next town. There, she hoped to find a more reputable inn to check in so Koko could get some sleep. Yuri was worried about Koko and kept looking over to her to see if she was okay. Fortunately, it could have been much worse but all things considered, Koko was going to be just fine. Yuri couldn't help but constantly be concerned but focused on getting to the town ahead.

It was getting dark out but they managed to reach the town before it became too dark to travel. Yuri looked around and found the local inn. She did as Koko had done before and parked the cart around back. She then helped Koko down from the bench and walked with her inside the inn.

Yuri quickly talked with the innkeeper then helped Koko up the stairs and inside their room. The room was much like the others they stayed in and had two beds. Yuri guided Koko over to the side she usually took and carefully laid her onto the bed. Koko was barely awake and sweating from exhaustion. To make her more comfortable, Yuri started to doff her armor and stripped her down to just her pants and shirt. After having watched Koko doff her armor the few times she did, she managed to get all her armor off with relative ease, neatly placing it all on the floor beside the bed. Yuri then got a jug of water and placed it on the bedside table along with an empty wooden bowl. She poured some water into the bowl and soaked a simple cotton cloth in it, wringing it out before placing it on Koko's forehead. By then, Koko was out cold, so Yuri did her best to make her as comfortable as possible. She brought a chair over and sat by Koko's bedside, keeping a watchful eye on her in case her condition got worse, but the chance of that happening was slim. Still, Yuri didn't want to take a chance and continued to take care of her brave protector until she herself succumbed to her tiredness and fell asleep.

#

When Yuri finally awoke the next morning, she found herself slouched over and resting on a bed. She was still sitting in her chair and remembered where she was and what she was doing. She immediately sat up straight to find Koko sitting upright in bed, awake and looking right at her with a perturbed expression. "Koko! You're… awake…" said Yuri who was excited at first to see Koko okay, but then sobered up as she saw her disillusioned gaze penetrating her very being.

"Yes, I am," said Koko with a weary sigh. "But, I shouldn't complain. It's all thanks to you that I'm safe and sound."

Yuri smiled at that, resting her hands in her lap. "Oh, it was nothing. I'm sure you would've done the same for me," she said.

Even though everything was all right, Koko still had a concerned look on her face. "Of course I would have. I'm a trained knight with years of experience. But you… you're just a nun, or so you say, yet you managed to fight off three bandits all on your own. You wielded my sword so expertly and gracefully that I could've mistaken you for a seasoned fighter. So… who exactly are you?" she asked, keeping her eyes focused on Yuri.

Having been found out, Yuri began to panic internally as she struggled to figure out a way to explain herself to Koko. She finally decided that being honest was the best course of action, so she buckled down and told Koko what she wanted to know. "You're right. I'm not actually a nun. I'm-" Yuri fidgeted in her seat as she tried to come clean. "I'm… an assassin." She kept the details to a minimum and definitely didn't touch on her background as the true heir of Gilderland.

After Yuri confessed, Koko closed her eyes and leaned back, trying to process everything that Yuri had told her. She was completely irritated, fuming on the inside after having been duped and lied to. Koko exhaled deeply through her nose then said, "I see. So you make a living by taking the lives of others. Not exactly the most noble or virtuous of occupations for a nun." She then opened her eyes and looked to Yuri. "Now I can see why you kept your identity a secret when we first met. Being an assassin isn't exactly something one in your position would go about openly revealing to a person like me. Fortunately for you, I hunt demons, devils, and other threats to society which don't include assassins like you, so… I forgive you for deceiving me."

Yuri looked up and met her gaze. "…r- really?" she asked.

Koko gave a solemn nod. "However, that being said, I think that we should go our separate ways starting immediately," she said, her expression serious and unyielding.

Seeing the intensity in her eyes, Yuri couldn't help but divert hers. "But… but why?" she asked.

"I am a force for good and peace, though it hadn't always been like that but that's who I am now. You work for yourself and skirt the line between law and evil so… I cannot be seen associating myself with the likes of you," said Koko, a hint of venom interwoven into her words.

Yuri was completely heartbroken at that. Koko was making it seem like she was pure evil incarnate which couldn't have been further from the truth. Sure she may have killed a few people here and there, but her targets were all evil and wicked. It wasn't like she killed for fun or took on jobs to kill the innocent. She remained silent for a moment before she could muster enough courage to respond. "Does- Does that mean you don't like me?" she asked.

Koko was caught off guard by such an innocent question but kept up her sternness. "As a person, I find you rather… amusing. Perhaps in another life, under different circumstances, we could have even been friends. But as it stands, you're an assassin and I am a knight," she said.

Yuri hung her head low, feeling like she was being scolded by her mentor. "Oh, okay…" she said with a quiet voice.

Koko could see that she was torturing the poor girl, so she decided to get it over with to spare her any more pain. "We're even now, okay? I cared for you and you cared for me. So now, if you don't mind, could you please leave me alone and get out. I assume we're in Patsio or the town right before it, so you should be able to manage on your own," said Koko as she motioned for the door.

Yuri was on the verge of tears as she looked to Koko, but Koko wasn't having any of it. Koko continued to point to the door as she kept her head turned away from her. Yuri could see she wasn't going to budge, so she reluctantly got up and began retrieving her things. Before she left, she reached into her bag and pulled out the book she was going to have signed. She went back over to Koko and placed it on her bedside table, saying that it was for her to read if she ever got bored while she recovered. She figured she'd just buy a new one once she got to Patsio. After placing the book down, she gave Koko one last look only to see that she was still avoiding eye contact with her. With a defeated sigh, Yuri made her way to the door and left, gently closing the door behind her.

After Yuri had left the room, Koko exhaled regretfully as she didn't want desire outcome either but she had to adhere to the rules of her order. Finding herself alone, she felt her forehead and was almost completely back to full strength thanks to Yuri's diligent care. Koko looked to the door and frowned, remembering that she forgot to properly thank Yuri for staying by her side. She wanted to jump out of bed right there and then and run after her to thank her, but she didn't. She couldn't. Not after the front she put up when she told her to leave in the first place. She grumbled as she clenched her hand into a fist, beating herself up on the inside for being so curt and unsympathetic.

Koko then looked to the book Yuri left behind on her bedside table. She reached over and picked it up, looking at the cover before opening to the first page. On the inside of the front cover, she noticed that Yuri had written her name there: Yuri von Lucatile. Koko did her best to remember the name as she thumbed through the book, not stopping to read any section in particular. Once she reached the end, she closed the book and set it back on the table.

Just as she did, Koko felt a sharp pain in her head as the vision of her and the mysterious girl with long, black hair flashed in her mind. As the memory faded, Koko began to think about the girl and wondered if that was supposed to be Yuri. She closed her eyes and tried to picture the person again. When she did, the similarities were striking, though, she looked older. Then again, Koko looked older as well. Thinking it could've been a possible sign, Koko quickly jumped out of bed and hurried downstairs in search of Yuri, but alas, she was long gone by then. She sneered to herself then exhaled angrily, cursing herself for being so stupid. She looked around her immediate surroundings one last time before returning back to her room. What did it all mean?