Ok, here is next chapter!

Thanks to Crimson for edits!

Thanks for reviews/comment/faves and follows!

Hope you enjoy it!


Have you ever heard the sound of an empty field?

Blowing across the dry land and the wild grasses. The faint river's voice echoed around the sky. The wild flowers drifting through the wave of winds as their petals flew gracefully.

This place is amazing.

I have never felt this kind of sensation.

I know this might not be as comfortable as how it was at home, but I like it.

"Geeez… why are we all here…?" Niko complained,

I could hear the sound of dry land press as she moves.

"I told you I was going to a rice field to investigate…" I said.

"It's dirty and it's so boring!" she said.

"Eh–but we really aren't here for the fun of it-nya!" Rin said.

"S-shut up! I know that!" Niko yelled at her.

What's wrong with her, sigh… she has been acting so weird.

"Hhnmm…. Ah well…. Anyway—Maki-chan!" Rin called me,

"Yes?" I turn my sight to her,

"I think the last time the farmer work here is about three of four months ago. I doubt they will leave anything as a clue-nya…" Rin continued,

"True, but we should try to look anyway…" I said.

Then suddenly, the wind started to blow a little too strongly from behind.

I caught a glimpse of a crow feather fly across me—which I quickly grab.

Rin and Niko were looking at my hands as I held the feather in front of my face.

"Crow feather again…..?" I mumbled,

"Ah!" Umi who I invited to join the investigation quickly snatched it,

"Sorry…that was mine…" she said.

"Huh? Where did you get a crow feather? I have never seen any ornament from you that uses crow feather?" Niko said.

"I...It's complicated, but please, don't mind it…" Umi said a little shyly.

"Huh? That's strange! Right Nozomi?" I turned my eyes to Nozomi,

She seems to enjoy Eli's embraces now….

"Hmm…? What's so weird from having a feather fall off? She has a wing so why not?" she replied.

"Huh? I don't see any wing here…" Niko said.

Well, yeah, I don't see them…. but… does she hide something from our human eyes?

Umi turned her eyes to Nozomi and Eli, telling from the glance in her eyes, she seems to be slightly bewildered.

"A one winged crow who couldn't fly, isn't that kind of romantic somehow?" Eli said.

"Ah–Eli…. You…. you know about that…." Umi said a little sadly.

"Hmm? I know everything, I'm perfect…." Eli replied.

Heh—she does have that mysterious aura… along with Nozomi I mean…

"Huh? That doesn't make any sense; there never will be a crow that is born with one wing…" Niko said.

"When you said that, you're denying the possibilities while in fact, this world has a lot of possibilities. That's why your wish has never been valued more than reality…." Nozomi said.

Niko seems to be surprised for a moment there, and then she remained quiet like she was thinking of something.

"When you wish, I wish my father has never died, that was the time when your wish valued as zero. One soul for one soul is pointless, no matter how much it valued to you…" Nozomi continued again.

"W-wait a minute there, are you saying that Yazawa-san is really dead-nya?" Rin asked.

"Yup, precisely…." Nozomi replied.

"Nozomi! Shut your damned mouth! I wish you never said that to her!" Niko said,

"Nope, you still owe me 143 souls, there's no more wish you can ask…"

"The hell?! You're annoying! That's my life! Why are you screwing me up?!"

I feel pity for her… I don't think it's funny to say that kind of thing…

"Eli… can I wish you to tell Nozomi to have never said that?" I asked. Niko turned around at me; she gives me this surprised face.

Eli smiled gently at me,

"Of course… but, I want you to answer me, which one is better? To know a reality or to deny a reality?"

"I don't think it's related to that. There's a reality that we want to keep from others, and that means that not every one of it should be revealed to everyone…."

"Wise answer… then as your wish, she never said that…"

Then for some reason, it feels like the time reversed back into the time before Nozomi said anything about Niko's father.

I don't know if it actually will do anything, but….

"When you said that, you're denying the possibilities while in fact, this world has a lot of possibilities. That's why your wish has never been valued more than a reality…." Nozomi said, this should be the line before she said anything about Yazawa-san.

"You have to be more imaginative than trying to pay one soul for one soul. A life has more value than breathing with the time…" Eli cuts in.

"Yup! What Ericchi said!" Nozomi said cheerfully.

I know I can rely on her. But now I know a truth that will never be mentioned. I will try to not mention it in the future though.

"hmm… nya… it's really hard to tell what it means-nya… but I suppose, it must be hard to think of what is valuable to us, we humans have a lot of things that we value-nya…." Rin said.

"You must be lucky to own Hanayo…" I said.

"Hehe-yup! I really love Kayo-chin! Even though I might not be able to wish anything for now-nya!" Rin said.

I can see Hanayo averting her eyes as Rin said that, then Eli and Nozomi who seems to know something behind that strange behavior. I wonder what's actually happening here, but I hope it's nothing serious.

"By the way, Rin…." Niko called her.

"Yes, nya?"

"Why don't you just wish for unlimited rice or something?" Niko asked.

"You cannot wish for something endless, just as much as you cannot wish for an eternal life. You may wish for an eternal youth but it never will be an eternal life…. Because every human's life is settled in one limited line which connects from one to another… if it wasn't an old-age, then something will come up to end it." Hanayo said.

"Then, I just have to try and wish for something like, I wish you to grow this rice field and gather them as they're ready to be gathered, you can take a part of it as payment?" I said.

"Wish granted…" Eli said.

"Huh? I was just saying…" I said.

Though it was all too late… Eli grows back the field…

"W-wait a minute! If you do that, then we lost our point to come here! I mean…. I was here to investigate about the disease! Not for this!" I said.

"There's a reality that we want to keep from others, and that means that not every of it should be revealed to everyone…" she said.

Urgh!

She back fired me with my own words!

"But…don't you worry about it, Maki-chan... you can still do the investigation here… even easier because Ericchi left the spot that you need to investigate." Nozomi said.

"Huh? Alright? Where are those though?"

Eli and Nozomi smiled at me,

"Find them yourself!" They said together.

"Heh—ridiculous, I don't even know how big this field is" I said.

"That's why you're going to search that while we…." Eli turned to Nozomi,

"…will have our own fun!" Nozomi added.

"The heck? Didn't you two just do it this morning?!" Niko said.

"Heeee— what is this fun you're talking about-nya?" Rin asked.

"You don't want to know…." Umi said as she sighed.

"Yeah… you just…don't want to know…." I said.

"Now-now, how will we split the searching team?" Hanayo asked,

"I'm with-Kayo-chin!" Rin said cheerfully…"

"Niko-chan is going with you too Niko!" Nozomi said as she leaned herself to Niko— but she is… using Niko's voice.

"Huh?! I never said that!" Niko yelled,

"Niko-chan…that's bad… you shouldn't be changing your mind about it… you have to stay true to your words…" Nozomi said.

"What the heck?!" Niko yelled again.

I kind of wish that Niko would want to go with me…but…

I guess I can't say anything about that…

Not now at least…

Sigh….

Why can't I make a single complain about it…

"That will leave you to go with Umi…" Eli said.

"Yes… precisely, I will never leave my mistress…" Umi said.

"Fine by me…." I said— that was also the time when I realize that I have been spinning the tip of my hair ever since I was hoping that Niko can go with me.

I don't know why I prefer to lie about this…

I know something is wrong with me….

What is this feeling that's aching inside me though?

Disappointment?

I don't get it….


I walked around with Umi who seems to be pretty confident with her steps,

Or maybe… she is actually a little too nervous and ended up becoming stiff? I can't tell… I'm not good at reading someone's mind.

This place has become so beautiful just in a blink of an eye. The young rice paddy is growing so lusciously and there's even a sign that says 'Nishikino's farm field'…. I'm pretty sure that I didn't even buy this land to have the ownership of this field. Sigh… Eli….

I also kind of hope that it was Rin who owned this place instead of me…. but I believe Eli has her own purpose.

As we move, we also keep our eyes on the trio….While trying to prevent ourselves from finding the lewd lovebirds. I just hope we don't find them until we finish our task.

"…if you come to think of it, Mistress… Niko, Rin and Hanayo kind of fit together…." Umi said.

"Huh? I don't really see that…" I said.

"They are kind of giving me this pure childish feeling…" Umi said.

"Now that you mention it… I kind of see that…" I said.

"Have you ever thought of making some kind of song for them?" Umi asked.

Hmm…

What kind of song would fit them?

I tried to think of something….

But the only thing that keeps coming up in my mind is them singing about snacks….

And they are so loud about it too….

Heh—where do I get that bizarre image of them…

Maybe it was because they're yakuza which I assume to not look like kids that are going to school?

But… what if Yakuza are going to school?

Will they make some kind of gang and call themselves as Afterschool Navigator or something like that?

Hah—that sounded a little crazy…

It's funny though…

Suddenly, I can hear Umi chuckled,

"What's so funny for you?" I asked.

"I don't know why I was asking that question, but… somehow, I imagine them being so anarchy about their lunch… as in, they would scream out 'It's Delicious!' then start to try and act scary… they're young yakuza after all…"

"Heh, yeah… I feel like they're a little too cute to be called as a yakuza…."

"Don't be fooled though, they might be able to order their men to harm you… so I'll stick around as long as you're going with them…" Umi said in all seriousness.

Sigh..

Way to ruin the nice talk…I thought I'll be getting another image of Umi…. But I guess she can stay to look as that kind of stiff people…

"By the way… will you look at that, Mistress?" she pointed at a strange-looking fragment on the ground.

We decided to approach it,

There's some kind of familiar shapes on it, but I can't really tell. There's also something that looks a little off… I mean… I just don't think it belongs to a place like a rice field. Majority of the part looks like it was burrowed deep inside the ground.

"Can you dig that, Umi?" I asked.

"Of course, mistress…" she replied before she took out her knife that she kept under her hakama, and started to dig in.


After a while,

She managed to dig without harming the thing that we want to look at. Apparently… it's a human bone with some ceramic bottle fragment. It looks like the person was killed with the ceramic bottle in hand. We found the broken pieces, but for some reason, it's kind of strange that the position of the body is placed vertically, it's like either someone buried this person—or there was some kind of disaster that fell upon this field.

I tried to look around, but there are no hills that happen to be around this area…

Maybe there is but people already built terracing on it… or…maybe they haven't before Eli grews the rice field again. Sigh…

This is why I wish Eli didn't do this before we finished with the investigation…

"Ericchi! Ericchi! Ericchi! Look! I farmed them!" I could hear her voice from the distance.

I turned my eyes to them—and glad they're still well dressed. There's also one patch of rice field that seems to be ready to be farmed.

"Harasho…" Eli said. She is wearing a sakkat on her head.

"I'll go process it!" Nozomi said excitedly before she spawned something…

Uh…

What is that thing?

It looks like metal…

It moves on its own too?

Did she get something from the future or something?

Because, it feels like when she put the entire rice paddy in, it just simply turned into the white rice. That kind of thing looks very convenient and I believe it will also save up a lot of time. I also wanted to own such a thing if I ever manage this field for real…

I really wanted to approach closer, but….

I don't know….

If I do, will I bother them working?

"It's nice to see the future through them…." Umi said.

I turned my eyes to her,

"I don't remember when I had this talk, but… I remember that Nozomi once told me this; we're living in the end for some, a beginning for the other, and in the middle in our own. In other words, we already live in a limitless time and our soul values less than the history itself..." she continued,

"Perhaps that's why she seems to dislike the way Niko paid her with soul?" I asked.

"Maybe… I don't know what exactly she likes to tell, but she is not someone who wants to make it less complicated. She enjoys it when a person starts to guess… but…. how do you know that she dislike the way that little Yakuza pays with her soul?" Umi said.

"Uh… from what I grasped in their interaction, it feels like Nozomi is trying to make an excuse to make her think of what exactly she is wishing, just like what Eli did to me? I'm just guessing since… I feel like Nozomi and Eli should not be that far with each other? They're lovers after all…"

"Do you actually think lovers have to be a couple who have similar personalities with each other?" Umi asked.

"Uhm… yes? How else can they get a long if not because they have similar way of thinking?" I said.

Umi smiled gently at me,

"A similar way of thinking… huh? Perhaps it's not quite right to say that either… lovers are together because they love each other… and love… is not something that you can think about with logic. Sometimes two people with differences could fall in love and they might never be able to get back up even after they realize how different they are…" she replied as her eyes turn into the sky,

"You sound like you're talking from an experience…" I said.

"H-Huh?!" she blushed madly.

"N-No way! I'm single! I don't even plan to have any! S-Sheesh… Maki…" she continued as she averted her eyes from me,

"A-Anyway…. Nozomi and Eli are together because they complete each other, not because they're not different from each other. Get that right, ok?" she continued again.

Heh…if you're panicked like that, I feel like you actually have someone you want to be with…. Or perhaps you do have someone but you don't want to admit it?

Or maybe….

"Hey… tell me, what do you think of them though?"

"T-them?" she turns her face at me—now I can totally see the blush on her cheeks.

"Yeah…Eli…and Nozomi…." I said.

"T-They are alright…?"

"That's it?" I asked again.

"Well… Eli does have something interesting about her, though… maybe the image of her is kind of ruined ever since I saw her dangling her manliness…"

So Umi calls that as 'manliness' huh?

"It's scary…especially when her face looks so intimidating…. I really want to cut that down to make it less scary…" she continued.

"Heh, it's not like she will make anyone pregnant with that… maybe only Nozomi…."

"T-that can't be… Wish makers can't get pregnant unless someone wishes her to be…" Umi said.

"Oh…."

"That's why… there are plenty of them that are trying to escape from the boundaries by seeking protection from another Wish maker…"

That sounds a little scary now…

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Umi sighed,

"Even though Wish makers aren't human, each of them has a pride that they want to keep… while humans…especially males tend to abuse the contract as a way for them to grant their desire. They forget the most important part of being intimate is not the lust but the love..." she continued again.

I don't really get it…. but…

When she says it, I can sense some pain in her voice.

"Ah… just imagining it makes me feel so angry… maybe I really have to do it after all…" Umi said.

"Huh? Do what?" I asked.

"Cutting off her manliness …" she continued before she grabs both of her swords.

"W-what?!"

"Please wait here while I go do that, Maki… I'll help you to investigate again after…" she said before she dashed to where Eli currently stood.

"W-whoa! U-Umi! What are you doing all so sudden?!" I can hear Eli complain.

I'm glad she was able to dodge it.

"Aaa—Umi-chan! Don't cut that one! That's my precious!" Nozomi said as she tried to protect Eli.

"I'm sorry… Eli, I can't help myself. I need to cut that down…."

"W-what on earth happen to you all so sudden?!" Eli complained again.

"Y-yeah! Ericchi didn't even show that off to you!"

"It just happened to cross my mind…. And I want to put my mind at ease so I can focus on helping Maki…."

"W-what?!"

"In that case, Ericchi, you must run! I'll take care of her from here!"

"G-got it! Thanks, Nozomi!" Eli said before she hastily ran away.

"Hey! Wait!" Umi tried to catch up, but…

"Umi-chan! Look at me!" Nozomi called—which Umi stupidly obeyed.

When Umi turned around, Nozomi strip herself and showing her breast….

I wonder what that is for now….

Umi seems to be unmoving for a moment… then I can hear her saying…

"Your breasts are oversized; I'll cut that too…" Umi said before she attempted to cut her breast, Nozomi quickly dodged it, and then she began to run as well but to another direction from Eli.

"Hey! Wait!" Umi shouted before she tried to run after her.

What a bunch of idiots….

I guess that will take a while…

Maybe I should go look around by myself…

And maybe I can try talking to Niko again?

When I walk around,

I listened to my own steps as I tried to seek for their voice, I began to think. Maybe… I should try to be the one to convince Niko about trying to pay Nozomi with something else. For some reason, I doubt that Nozomi will actually tell her anything about her preference…

Maybe she will but… looking at how it is… I think she will play around more than talking. But maybe that wasn't actually the case?

Maybe Niko speaks more than she listens?

I don't know…

How she truly is?

I really want to know.

There are just so many things that are still hidden from me…other than the fact that I know about her father, who actually died. Sigh… I knew that rumor was going around before… I was just not aware that it was still a questionable rumor to many.

Honestly though….

How does it feel like to not have a father?

She is a yakuza, she might have a different way of thinking… but seeing from her reaction before, she must be grieving about it… but…why does she never appear to look like she is sad? I often see her angry face? Maybe she is angry about it?

Sheesh…

Why am I thinking too much about this, it's not like it has anything to do with me.

After a while, I finally could hear Niko and Rin's voice from a distance. I decided to approach them…but…..

"—Liar!" Niko yelled,

"I was really just asking for that! She said she wants to know more about the diseases!" Rin yelled back at her,

"Y-You two…please calm down…." Hanayo tried to calm the two.

"You don't need to hit around the bush, I know you want to get to know her!" Niko yelled.

"Yes that too! What's wrong with that?! I want to befriend her!"

"You're a gold digger!" Niko yelled again,

"W-what?! What the hell are you saying! Why are you even calling me that? I'm just trying to make a friend?!"

"You fail as a Yakuza! Yakuza's don't make friends! They make enemies!"

"That's your choice! I don't live my life to be a yakuza! I was just born in it!"

"If you don't like it, then just get your ass away from it! Start living on the streets or something!"

"You're mean! Niko-chan! So mean!"

I have to agree…

That's mean….

Anyway…

I walked closer to them,

"Hey—now… what's going on?" I asked.

"Ah—Maki-chan! Niko is so mean! She was asking me about what I asked you yesterday, so I told her that I was asking you to investigate this place… then she started to accuse me for trying to make you fund my family. I didn't even ask for that!" Rin said.

"Maki! Don't believe her! She is trying to trick you!"

"I know my family is currently struggling with the economy, but that doesn't mean you can just say that about us! I also know that I can't do anything about it and a part of it was my fault, but that also doesn't mean that you can make me feel worse about it! I'm trying to look for my own talents!" Rin started to cry,

Niko was silent. Her face was telling me that she feels guilty.

I could hear Rin sobbing before she started to run away as she cried louder.

"A-Ah! Ri-Rin-chan!" Hanayo started to run to catch up with her.

Sigh….

"Now… what about you…. why did you do that?" I asked.

"That because—….!" She paused… and then she bit her lips,

"M-Maki is an idiot!" she yelled at me as tears fell from her eyes as well,

"Wh-what? What did I do?! I was just asking! I don't get it!" I replied.

"Idiot!" she yelled again before she ran away from me.

What the hell is happening now?!

Why did she blame me for?!

Sigh!

What should I do now?!

I don't even know what to say if I ever have to catch up with any of them!

Sheeesh!

Where's Eli?!

Where's Nozomi!?

I need to talk with one of them about this!


I keep trying to look for one of the two Wish makers,

It's strange that even though the rice field has turned into a beautiful land, it doesn't interest me to look at them. Not like I don't like it… maybe it just that…I have been bothered with the latest thing Niko said to me.

Why am I an idiot for asking?

That question keeps flying around my head until I could finally see someone sitting near a well.

Well…

That's not Nozomi or Eli…

But…. I suppose… I can try it on my own this time.

I approached closer,

"Hey…"

She turned her sight towards me, I can see her eyes swollen from all the crying…

"What?! Are you here to laugh at me for crying?!"

"Why should I? I'm here just to ask you why you called me an idiot. I was only asking what happened…" I said.

"You are an idiot because you're asking!" she yelled.

"What's wrong with that?!"

"There's a reality that we want to keep from others, and that means that not every one of it should be revealed to everyone!" she said.

Now she is back firing my words at me!

"Why are you even saying that to me now?!"

"I was just saying what Erich—I mean, Eli said!

She should've known that phrase came up from me, not her… but I suppose she doesn't remember the time when I said that to Eli…sigh..if only she knew what I used that for…

Now I wish I never asked…I regret trying to help her…

"Fine! Then I'm not going to listen to you!" I said.

"That's fine! Who needs you to listen to me anyway?!" she yelled at me again.

"Hmmph!" I crossed my arm as I look away from her,

"Hmmph!" she probably did the same as me.

Then after we were quiet for a moment, she started again,

"….do you know, Maki….? That time…the first time I summoned her… I was so desperate to meet you…. so I couldn't think of anything but to offer my soul to her…."

Huh? Why would she?

I turned my sight to her,

I could see a hint of blush on her cheek,

"I was thinking…. Perhaps….. I fell in love with you…."

W-what?! Th-That's so bold of her to say!

"Perhaps I was so desperately trying to figure out if I could have a chance with you! So I couldn't care about anything other than to meet you!" she continued again,

"….and now I want you to fall for me too, but instead, you were having fun with Rin-chan…."

Rin-chan? Huh?

I don't get it.

Were they that close?

"That's why I was so angry and jealous! I couldn't think of anything else! I really want to tell her to stay away from you but I don't know how to tell her, so I…. was just being mean to her…." she said,

O-oh…..?

So that was the case….huh?

"That's it!" she said loudly,

"That's all I can say to answer your question…!" she continued again.

"Now…. will you tell me what you want me to do after all that?" she turned at me, looking angry,

"Are you going to tell me to get my ass off here or are you going to accept my feelings for you?!" she yelled again at me.

W-wow…..

Why is she so aggressive now?

"…well..I…." and before I could finish….

"I'm not going to accept just from your words!" she cuts in,

Huh?

"If you want to let me be in your life, you have to kiss me!"

"T-That's too much!" I complained,

"Why? I'm older than you! Besides, no one is too young for a kiss! It's not like you will be get laid or anything!"

R-Ridiculous!

"Are you scared?!" she yelled at me.

Huh?! Of course not!

Why would I?!

"Fine! I'll kiss you! But don't regret it, ok?" I said clearly.

"….I'm not going to make it easy!" she replied immediately.

Huh? That's silly! Why does she have to make things harder?!

"You also have to find me!" she continued again.

"What the hell?" I complained again.

"…if you can't find me before night fall, then I'll just give up my soul to Nozomi!" she said before she quickly runs away from me.

T-This is crazy! How am I supposed to find her in this kind of place?!

I guess I can only try to catch up with her...

Sighhhhh!

Why do I have to do this kind of thing!?

I don't get it!


Ok, thats it for now! Hope you enjoy this