Our journey back to Kazamatsuri is not without interruptions. The three of us look like a ragtag team of RPG protagonists, so it's natural that we look so conspicuous. Guardian agents are attacking us from left and right, and their attempt to pin us down seems more organized and focused than your average ambush. I assume Hitomi-san knows something about this?
"Ask me later! Just clear a path for us!" Hitomi-san gives an order, and I follow as the contract demands. I raise my hand, and the trees bend themselves to my will. I come up with every creative way to kill using tree roots, from impalement to constriction to asphyxiation. The latter means choking to death, by the way, either from simply strangling the neck or reaching inside to blow apart the air pipe.
With every death piling up on my account, I reflect on how little control I have over this. I hate killing, but I lost the freedom to act upon it when I lost my earthly flesh. The vessel I reside in is a creation of the Earth, a near-perfect replication of the human body. What it lacks is the ability to rebel against the contract. It's a miracle I've retained everything else, and perhaps it is a fair trade. But I fear what my mistresses will ask of me...
Hitomi-san and Chizu-san, however, are putting far more effort into their fighting than I am. Chizu-san seems to be juggling around her metallic bird familiar like a yo-yo, mowing all enemies in her path. It looks more like a carefully choreographed dance than any kind of battle training I've seen. Hitomi-san, on the other hand, prefers brute force over finesse, dicing opponents as quickly and brutally as possible with her combat knives. It hasn't changed at all since the last time I saw her fight, which worries me. I want to help her, but my priority is clearing a path to escape. I push away the enemy with a wall of wild roots, giving us a clear shot to Kazamatsuri.
"Go!" I yell to the others.
We immediately break for the opening, fleeing from the pursuing agents. I send a shockwave back to shatter the roots apart, turning them into petrified debris. It should slow them down for a short while, so we have to make every second count.
"Hah...Hah..." Hitomi-san pants heavily, moreso than Chizu-san usually does after running for this long. We aren't quite out of the forest yet, and Guardian Hunters will find us if we don't hurry.
"I'm surprised...we haven't...run into any...summoners yet," Chizu-san observes as she catches her breath. "Perhaps...we're too close...to Guardian territory...to interfere."
"Getting caught by either side is dangerous right now," I warn them. "As soon as you catch your breath, I suggest we move fast."
"I wanna go home..." Hitomi-san squeaks.
"The hotel room is also too dangerous," I tell her. "We need to find better shelter."
"How about we stop by my house first?" Chizu-san suggests. "I can at least get Hitomi changed, and you can borrow some of my father's clothes."
"We can't stay there," I answer her. "Once we get the clothes, we leave."
Chizu-san nods in response. We hear the rustling of leaves nearby, and immediately start running again. Kazamatsuri has to be close by...
By the time the first light rises in the sky, we catch a glimpse of the outskirts of Kazamatsuri. Perfectly exhausted from all the running, the girls stumble inside like moths to a flame. Guardian must have expected this, because a perimeter is set around Guardian territory. We can't cross without fighting more agents, so either we take the long way around or flee to another town.
"What do we do?" I ask.
"We walk around, of course," Chizu-san answers.
It feels like forever before we reach the Gaian entrance, and as soon as we step in, Hitomi-san falls over like a ragdoll. I rush to her side quickly. "Hitomi! Are you okay?"
"Uhhhnn..." Hitomi groans. Patches of dirt and blood are splattered all over her body, and I assume everything that's happened over the past couple days has exhausted her.
"She needs a rest and a shower," I conclude. "Does your bathtub still work, Chizu-san?"
"It should still be there," she answers. "But I don't think we have running water anymore."
"We'll have to draw water from a nearby lake, then," I whisper to myself. I hoist Hitomi-san's light body over my shoulder, and turn to Chizu-san. "Can you lead us to the house?"
I remember the halls of the Hanaoka residence like I had visited it yesterday. They were largely the same as my father's own house, but with the obvious difference in decoration and furniture arrangement. I remember the Hanaoka family as fairly functional, although Chizu-san had a bad habit of avoiding the sight of my face when addressing me. I assumed for the longest time that I was ugly or lazy or incompetent to her, but now I know the real reason. We could have been mistaken for brother and sister otherwise.
"Chizu-san, where's the bathroom?" I ask.
"Down the hall, directly on your left," she tells me, stoic in tone. "I'll clean her up."
I find the bathroom soon after. It's a fairly small and plain-looking Western-style bathroom, but like the family that lived here, it works. I lay Hitomi-san's limp body in the white porcelain tub, and rest my eyes upon her sleeping face. An exhaustive sorrow runs through the vessel I inhabit. We've been through so much, and yet we've only just met again. There seems to be no rest for the wicked, and Hitomi-san has succumbed to the pressure. She's a strong girl, but I fear she overestimated her strength.
"Are you going to come out or what?" Chizu-san steps in, now cloakless. It's been a while since I've seen her short red hair, and the blue eyes shine far more without the cloak. Taking into account the dark long-sleeved shirt and dark jeans she's wearing, she looks like a different person entirely.
"Yeah," I respond, moving out of her way. Chizu-san shuts the door firmly behind me.
I decide to look out the window for a bit to pass the time. Clouds seem to be gathering in pretty thick, anticipating to release their accumulated water onto the earth. The Earth needs a bath and rest as much as Hitomi-san does, I think to myself.
Looking away from the window, I catch a glimpse of a family photo resting on a doily upon a small glass table by the TV. I reach over to pick it up, and take great care not to break it. The plain wooden frame showcases a photo of the Hanaoka family in a large grassy field with a clear blue sky, with a younger Chizu-san...smiling.
"How did I miss this picture?" I utter to myself. I have never seen Chizu-san smile honestly before. Her smiles were rather uninviting and cunning, so it's a surprise to know that she once had something to smile happily about. I don't know what could be in this picture that she would smile about...
That's when it hits me. There's only one thing in this picture that could possibly matter to her: her parents. I remember her anger at Suzaki's rejection to her request; it was legitimate rage, stemming from betrayal and disappointment. She must love her parents very much, if she's going out of her way to do all this. As much as I would like to see my own mother again, seeing Chizu-san so emotionally tied to her parents makes me wonder if I wasn't raised properly...
The bathroom door opens, and Chizu-san steps out. I quickly set the picture back on the table before she can face me.
"She's done. Don't go in until I've dressed her, though." I nod silently at her request, and she heads to another room to find a change of clothes for Hitomi-san. I feel compelled to follow her.
"Chizu-san?"
"What is it?" She asks.
"This might be a stupid question, but...how much do you love your parents?"
Chizu-san stops gathering clothes, and turns to face me with eyes of fierce hatred. "The two people who gave birth to me...they are the center of my life. My parents are my best friends." Without warning, she punches the wall hard with her free hand. "That stupid Suzaki! He let my father rot in Guardian's interrogation chambers, and now I don't know whether he's alive or dead! I can't just sit here..." She slumps down to her knees and starts crying loudly, letting Hitomi-san's change of clothes fall to the floor. "Mom won't come out of her isolation...I've tried several times...I have nothing to work with anymore...!" She inhales before screaming at the top of her lungs. "WHY DOES EVERYTHING HAVE TO WORK AGAINST ME?!"
I can't help but look away to avoid tearing up myself. I check my eyes for tears before suppressing my own feelings. I care for Chizu-san, which inevitably led to caring for her parents. I knew the Hanaoka family, but never talked with them as much as I did with Chizu-san. I always got the impression her parents were strict, but it seems her anger is self-made. I don't want to antagonize Gaia or Guardian, but the people that turned us down and attacked us are hard to forgive. Chizu-san is a true Gaian, blaming everything but herself for her problems. But her love for her parents is what makes her not Gaian. She's just a person like everyone else, with her own view of life and her own baggage to carry. If anything, I would like to help carry that with her. I want to help her free her father and restore her family. I walk forward, and speak a simple truth.
"Chizu-san...I'm here for you. You don't need to be alone in this. You've worked hard enough already."
Chizu-san turns to me with teary eyes, and replies in a whimpering voice. "...You're full of crap...but you're right." She attempts to stand, but doesn't seem to find the strength. I take her hand out of reflex, and pick her back up. She looks at me again with teary eyes, and embraces me, her lower jaw resting on my left shoulder. It kind of hurts, to be honest. But I have to remain strong, for her sake.
"Say, Chizu-san," I ask, softly. "When we rescue your parents...can I be your brother?"
"...That's all you want?" She asks, sniffing. She giggles a bit, making me assume it's out of the question.
"I'm sorry," I apologize. "It was a stupid request..."
"No, no," she relaxes. "I was just expecting you to ask something else." She stands back on her own two feet, releasing the weight off my shoulder. "You don't really have a family anymore, so...I guess we can work something out."
I never got to see her smile, but at least I managed to make her laugh a little bit. I try to imagine her laughing, and it warms my heart. When this is all over, I want to see her laugh again. No matter what it takes...
Hitomi-san is still unconscious after Chizu-san dresses her in a black t-shirt and boyish shorts, so I decide to watch her sleep on the couch while Chizu-san showers and changes herself. I can hear her soft breathing, and I see the rise and fall of her abdomen. She has a lot to process, and I think she deserves this rest.
But her soothing, peaceful breaths are so distracting. I honestly wish there were more people in this house I could talk to, so I wouldn't have to clear my head of perverted thoughts. Her clean body really emphasizes her external beauty, and it's making my blood boil.
"I need to go to another room..." I leave Hitomi-san behind and walk over to the front door, resting my head against it. I need to find something to talk to, something that will keep myself sane. I close my eyes, as if praying to some unknown god.
"Mom," I start, imagining what my mother might look like if she met me now. "I've taken upon myself so much. There are two girls who need my help, and I want to help them. I feel a bit distracted, though. They're both such beautiful girls, and my feelings for them have not changed since I died. I feel the need to comfort their troubles. Please, Mom...can you help me decide? Can you tell me where I should go from here?"
I never expected an answer, at least not an immediate one. But I hear something akin to a whisper, or a subtle thought that pierces my heart and soul.
Stay the night, and go to the Harvest Festival tomorrow.
The Harvest Festival? Wouldn't that be too crowded? We might get suddenly overwhelmed by summoners, or even worse, we might get separated. I want to dismiss it as just a thought, but it's so powerful an impression that I can't help but feel I must do it. Together, with Hitomi-san and Chizu-san.
"...Imako?" I turn around upon hearing Hitomi-san's voice, and I see her standing just a small distance from me, wearing her new clothes. She seems worried about me.
"What is it? Did you sleep well, Hitomi-san?"
She nods. A soft smile manages to form on her face. "I feel like a new person...Did you wash me, Imako?"
"Ah, no," I deny quickly. "Chizu-san did. She would have had a fit if I did it." I chuckle dryly, but Hitomi-san seems a little dejected at this revelation. My smile vanishes into a look of confusion. "Wait...did you actually want me to wash you?"
"I would have liked it," she admits, blushing a bit. "But I guess Chizuru still did a good job." I couldn't agree more. I don't know how to wash a girl, so Chizu-san did a much better job than I could have done. Besides, I don't think that's really appropriate for me to do unless we get married, and she's already turned me down in that regard.
After an awkward silence, Hitomi-san gathers the courage to say something. "So...why were you talking to the door?"
"Oh...well, I needed something to talk to," I answer honestly. "And for some strange reason, it talked back."
"What did it say?" She asks.
"To go to the Harvest Festival tomorrow," I answer. Her eyes widen in surprise.
"The Harvest Festival?! You mean the Gaian celebration in the middle of the city? We can't be caught dead going through there!"
"I know," I try to appease her. "But I have a strong feeling about this. So now..." I walk past her, eventually settling back on the seat I left earlier. I breathe a deep sigh and ruffle my hair with my right hand. "I need to figure out which one of you I need to take for a date."
"It should be obvious! Not even Chizu-san would go with you!" Hitomi-san yells at me.
"Go where?" Chizu-san steps out wearing two large white bath towels, one wrapped around her head and one around her body. The towel around her head is distracting enough to warrant not looking down.
"We're...going to the Harvest Festival tomorrow..." I utter while perplexed at the sight.
"The Harvest Festival?!" She shakes off the towel around her head, revealing a scruffy, wet mess of red hair on her head, along with a serious yet passionate expression. "If she isn't going to the festival, I'm coming with you!"
"Guess that's settled then," I shrug. As much as I want to go with Hitomi-san, if Chizu-san is more willing to go, I have no choice. Hitomi-san scowls at Chizu-san, aware of this fact.
Interlude: Hitomi
"Do you need anything before I turn out the lights?" Imako looks at me with a concerned but still pleasant demeanor. I'm starting to feel like I'm his surrogate child now, rather than who I would like to be. Imako means so much to me, and if I don't see this to the end, Chizuru will get him instead. Who knows what they've done while I've been unconscious?
"Can you sit by me for a while?" I want him to grant me this one mercy before I lose him to the night. He walks over and kneels by my bedside, gazing at me with a warm smile.
"Did you want to talk about something?" He asks me.
There was a question that dwelled in my mind for a long time, ever since he brought the topic up. A lot has happened since then, but I don't think there's anything to decide anymore. So, I bring it up again, taking a deep breath before doing so. "...Do you remember the day when you proposed marriage?"
A dry smirk stretches across his face as the thought comes back to him. "Yeah...I guess it was a stupid idea to suggest that. We're honestly still too young, and you have your limitations, and I have to respect that."
"Well...that's actually not what I meant," I explain. "I didn't feel mentally prepared to answer that question. You hit me with a brick I couldn't dodge because I didn't think you had one."
"So, you didn't feel ready yet?" He asks me.
I nod. "When you...turned into a tree, I had to accept how much I missed you. It took a great deal of strength to bring you back, and I decided that, when all this is over, I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
"...What are you getting at?" He asks, clearly curious.
"Can you...propose to me again?"
Imako's eyes widen in shock, which leads me to believe I broke him. "Um...Imako?"
"Huh?! Oh, right," he snaps out of his trance, kneeling on one knee and clearing his throat. "...Hitomi, we've been together for a while now..."
"Just get to the point," I glare at him. Nervously, he recollects himself and clears his throat again.
"Hitomiwillyoumarryme?!" The confession comes out high-pitched and too fast to catch. But I get what he's trying to say.
"Yes," I say firmly. Again, his eyes widen in shock and awe. A wide smile slowly stretches across his face, which soon explodes into a joyous laugh. Suddenly, he starts dancing around the room like a child on Christmas morning. When he finally stops spinning, he turns to me and calms down.
"Oh man," he breathes out. "This is...this is wonderful! You've saved me a bunch of trouble."
"Really?" I ask, puzzled. "How?"
"I was split between you and Chizu-san for a moment," he explains. "But this changes everything."
"You were actually considering marrying Chizuru?!" Perhaps I'm overreacting, but the fact that Chizuru almost bested me in something other than combat or logic is jarring. But this soon gives way to relief. I breathe out again in silent gratitude for the courage to ask Imako.
"Well, I guess this also decides who's going to the festival with me," Imako concludes before turning to me with a great big smile. "I hope you're ready."
...Oh, crap.
End of Interlude
Ayy~! EisenKoubu here. Did you guys like this chapter? This one's more of a character development chapter than anything, trying to improve the characters' bonds with one another in time for the final leg of the journey, occurring next chapter. It's hard to believe that this story is drawing to a close soon. We've been with these characters for so long, and honestly, it's hard for me to end this story, too. Maybe I should adapt it into a fifty-volume manga or something... :P
Anyway, thanks for reading so far, and I hope you look forward to the penultimate chapter of Messiah! :D