Miki's POV
"Hey Miki, have you heard? Meiko Kingdom had been winning these previous wars because of Piko! The soldiers here said he was much stronger than before!" Miku said with a worried face. No wonder the soldiers from our previous wars always come back with a disappointed face.
"Really? He is now our great threat at the battle of the Lily Province then." I said. "If he is that strong I don't think we could win…"
"We should be positive! Aren't we the Three Female Warriors? I know we can do it!" Miku replied with a cheerful face.
Miku is right. We are the Three Female Warriors, defeating the Fighting Duo wouldn't be very hard. But I don't think I could fight him at a war, knowing that I am in love with him. It isn't easy to act like nothing happen and keep fighting like I use to.
By the way I never seen Piko in the holidays, at the usual place we hang out or around the streets. I guess he don't want to see me anymore and is spending his time training at his place.
I kind of missed the days we hang out together like that, but I was still very embarrassed that time when I told him I was in love with someone and I cried while hugging him!
But I wonder who the person from Kaito Kingdom he is interested in; he said she is a strong and pretty girl. It must be someone like Miku or Gumi! No doubt!
Oh well, I guess I was talking too much… I don't want to lose from Piko, I want to train more and be stronger than ever!
At the war to get Lily Province, I fought as hard as I can. So far everything is as planned like Gakupo's strategy. As I got nearer to Meiko Kingdom's base, I saw Piko fighting. I ran to the nearest bush to him and hid, planning to escape from him and go straight to the base.
But before I tried to escape from the bushes, Piko knew I was hiding from his sharp eyes. "Don't you try to escape to the base! I'll kill you before you can escape!" he shouted. "If you're really a warrior, prove it by fighting with me!" he continued with a fierce face I have never seen before.
I decided just to surrender and go out of the bushes. "Piko…" I said slowly.
Piko's fierce face turned into his gentle face I usually see when I hang out with him. He smiled and said, "Long time no see, Miki. I'm sorry we can't hang out like usual again… Queen Meiko and the others knew I hang out with you, so I can't go out the palace on holidays. By the way, you look cool with that armor as always."
"I see… Thank you, Piko. You too." I smiled too. "But we should fight here, not chat like we use to do…"
Piko pulled my hand and we ran to a place far behind the bushes. "Now nobody can see us, we don't need to fight here…" he said calmly.
Piko hold my hands and looked at my eyes. "Miki, there is something important I want to tell you since we can't meet and hang out anymore…" he said as his cheeks started to blush. "The person I am interested in or in love with from Kaito Kingdom is you, Miki. Although I know you are in love with someone like Len, you are the person I love the most."
As Piko said those words, tears started to trickle down my cheeks with happiness. I never thought Piko was in love with me too. My cold heart suddenly became warm and it was almost going to explode. I looked at blushing Piko. "You're wrong… You're wrong, Piko…" I said as I sobbed. "The person I am in love with is not Len or Yuma or the others, it's you too… The person I was talking about at that time was always you, Piko…"
Piko looked surprised and then he hugged me, trying to comfort the crying me. "I'm happy, Miki… This is not a dream after all…" he said with a soft voice as he rubs my head.
After Piko hugged me, I pushed him away from me and rubbed my eyes. "We can't be seen together like this… It is a shameful thing being in love with someone from another kingdom… " I said sadly. "I'm sorry, Piko. I have to go and fight…" I said as I ran away from Piko and went back to my base. I know that I am a coward, running away and unable to face the reality.
On the way I went back, I met Mizki.
"Miki, what happened to you? Why are you crying?" Mizki asked.
"Huh? I'm not crying, Mizki… I'm okay…" I replied. "Mind if I switch places with you, me guarding here and you going to the Meiko Kingdom base?"
Mizki looked surprised. "I don't mind, but I'm afraid I would lose if I go there…"
I smiled and try to persuade her. "Don't worry, Gakupo and Gumi should be there too. If you fight with them, we can win!"
Mizki's worried face become a spirited face. "Okay then! Leave this job to me, Miki!" she said as she ran to the Meiko Kingdom base.
I stayed at the place Mizki guards and not a long time after that Luka came. She was running as fast as the speed of light. When she saw me, she smirked.
"Look who we have here. One of the Three Female Warriors." She said. "Prove it to me you are a great warrior!" she said as she swing her scythe and started to attack me. I defend her attack with my spear as hard as I could.
As I fought with Luka, I tried to concentrate and do my best. I don't want to lose with Rin like I do before.
I am one of the Three Female Warriors. I want to win.
I must fight, harder!
As a warrior, I have to do my job and not disappoint everyone who counted on me.
After a long time fighting with Luka, she finally fell and was defeated. With an angry face, Luka ran away and started swearing at me.
After fighting some soldiers coming to my base, Gakupo came back with a smile on his face with his warriors. "We won everybody! We won!" He said as he marched with joy. Gumi and Mizki followed behind him and everyone in the Kaito Kingdom was cheering with joy.
Miku and Gumi ran to me happily. "We won, Miki!" Miku shouted. "Lily Province is finally ours!" Gumi followed happily.
Usually I was also very happy when we won a war. But I wonder why this time I could only feel emptiness…
People in Kaito Kingdom were cheering with joy while people in Meiko Kingdom were filled disappointment. It is funny how our happiness is another's misery. I now could understand this because I wasn't the selfish me I used to be, only thinking about winning and never caring to the enemy.
The next months all most of the soldiers of Kaito Kingdom spend their time training for the battle at Yuki Province. Gakupo said that the battle will be much harder than usual, we will be attacking Mount Oliver that belongs to the Meiko Kingdom while we defend Mount Sonika and to go to Mount Oliver needs to cross a river with ships and we will be burning Meiko Kingdom's ships while we fight there.
A day before the war day almost all of Kaito Kingdom soldiers rode their horses to Yuki Province. When we arrived there, we managed all our ships the people from Yuki Province prepared for us and tried practicing to fight on top of the boat. Miku and I fell a lot of time at the boat so we will just guard our base and fight Meiko Kingdom soldiers who are able to cross the river and tried to take over Mount Sonika.
On the D-Day, all of us began fighting with Meiko Kingdom. Everything went well at first, but not long after that our first ship was burned by Meiko Kingdom before we even succeed to burn their ship. It seems that soldiers from Meiko Kingdom were more skilled at using ships and burning enemy ships than us.
Kiyoteru who was supposed to guard our base became worried. "Miki, I'll be going into the next ship which will cross the river." He said with a serious face.
"You are supposed to guard here with me, Kiyoteru…" I replied.
Kiyoteru smiled. "It's okay; I'll help those whose ships were burned to take Mount Oliver. I'm counting on you on guarding this place!" He started running to the ship. "Wish me luck!" he shouted spiritedly as I ran to follow him, trying to stop him but it was impossible.
Kiyoteru went up to the ship and not long after that the ship departs. But when it was halfway crossing the river a small ship from Meiko Kingdom crash our ship and then the soldiers started throwing flame torches to our ship. It was very windy that day so in a short time the ship with Kiyoteru inside was already fully burned.
"Kiyoteru…" was what I could only say as I fell on my knees looking at the burning ship with my teary eyes. The bright sight of the flames burning the ship Kiyoteru was in was unbelievable and I couldn't do anything else to save my friends inside that ship.
Not long after that it started to rain and the flames burning the ship started to disappear. All I could see after that is a black, burnt ship with no one alive inside it.
After looking at the burnt ship, I stood up and went back to where I guarded with my soldiers. Not long after that soldiers from Meiko Kingdom started to rush in to where we are and all of us started to fight.
As I fight, I saw Piko fighting my soldiers. I suddenly asked all my soldiers to stop fighting him and go fight somebody else. "Miki…" he said slowly.
"Piko, let's fight. We have to settle this." I said with a serious face like I was never in love Piko.
Piko's face also became serious. "I accept your challenge." He said as he ran and attacked me swiftly. I defend his attacks and we keep fighting as our sword and spear clashes at each other. It was the first I ever fought so hard, Piko was so far the strongest enemy I have ever faced and it makes the fight quite enjoyable.
But I wasn't fighting for fun, I have to throw away all these 'love' feelings and achieve victory for Kaito Kingdom.
I have to fight for Kiyoteru who counted on me. For Gumi and Miku. For everyone in the Kaito Kingdom. For everyone in the country so this war could end and everyone can live in peace.
But it's no use at all. I can't do it.
After a very long time fighting with Piko I stopped and and fell on my knees. I started to cry, my tears mixing up with the rain as I looked at Piko. "I can't fight anymore… I actually don't want to fight you…"
Piko's serious face changed into his calm face like when we were hanging out. He smiled and said, "I understand what you mean, Miki…"
While crying, lots of emotional thoughts came inside me and I finally 'exploded.' "Piko… I'm tired of all of this… The war, the suffering, all the feelings I felt…" I took a deep breath. "I admit that I lost. Please defeat and kill me, Piko."
Piko's face becomes very surprised. "What? Kill you? I can't do that…" After that he sat in front of me and touches my cheeks while looking at me in the eye. "It's no use killing the person you love. My life would be very dull and boring without you here besides me…"
I touch Piko's hands. "Piko…" was what I could only say. I was confused, sad, angry, all those emotions mixed with me and I guess Piko felt the same.
Piko thought for a while and then he finally made a decision. He stood up and took his sword. "Miki, if that is what you want, then I'll kill you… By killing you I can help make a victory for Meiko Kingdom… I was never supposed to fall in love with you anyway…" he said coldly without even looking at me.
When he was about to stab me, I took my spear quickly from my reflex and at the same time we stabbed each other through each other's chest.
After we stabbed each other, the both of us fell down and I leaned my forehead to Piko's.
Piko smiled. "You did the right thing, Miki… I guess this is goodbye then…"
"Piko… I'm sorry for stabbing you back… Goodbye…"
"I love you, Miki…"
"I love you too, Piko…"
Right after I said I love you to Piko, the great pain in my chest disappeared and everything became totally dark.