Byakko Monogatari
[Byakko] Chapter 10
Byakko's Servants
[Previously on Byakko Monogatari::
"Let's play~ Xiu~nii~"
"Ne~ Xiu-nii~" in a blink of eye Lenalee disappeared from their sights but not mere second past when she suddenly reappeared right in front of Xiu with eyes that holds bloodlust, "Can I kill you for the sake of Sairo?"
"Who are you, cursed one?"
"I'm one of Celestial Warriors of Byakko, Kokie; not so pleased to meet'cha Princess."
'If I am really your servant, please! I am begging you! Give me an ability to help them! Anything would fine! I'm just wanted to help them!'
Heavily injured Xiu and Allen landed right in front of Chiharu and Miranda; unconscious.
Green light burst out from Miranda and covers Chiharu, Xiu, Allen, and herself.
]
["Tatara opens his eyes that make the young lady from another to feel relief as she smiling down on him. Kokie wake up as well and saw the elder woman who has his head on her lap."]
[Inside the Book]
"Miranda-san…" Allen recognized the elder who have tears slowly coming out from the corner of her eyes.
"THANK GOD YOU TWO WERE ALIVE!" Miranda cries.
The three teens smile at her.
As Allen is trying to calm Miranda without living his position, Xiu noticed the green energy that surrounding them.
"What is this?"
"We're inside of Miranda-san's barrier." Chiharu informed the celestial warriors, while stroking the raven hair. She feels fulltime relief seeing the two lads safe.
"Lenalee?"
"She's out." She answers, "Ne Xiu… I'm not your priestess since I rejected that role but could you tell what kind of relationship you have with Lenalee?" Chiharu requested.
Chiharu only thinks that at least Allen and Miranda have rights to hear the truth behind his relationship with the princess; after all Chiharu doesn't have any rights since she's not their priestess, but she sees Xiu and Allen as friends, but she have doubt that they feel the same.
But then she realized that she really shouldn't ask it anyway, especially with their current situation.
"Hey Xiu, can you feel it too?" Allen asked after he'd successfully—not at all—calming down the elder warrior. Xiu turns his head on him, and then nodded.
"Yes, my wounds and broken bones were being healed as time passes we're staying here." Xiu's words make the other two flinch,
"Healing?" Miranda asked out of curiosity.
"No. it is actually our time is coming back before we injured."
"What do you mean?"
"Miranda-san," Allen calls making her to look down on him "This isn't just some sort of barrier. You are really Subaru, Byakko's servant who can control time."
"Look carefully on those things." Xiu told them; Chiharu and Miranda did look at their bodies and shock to see small clock faces flying out from the two warriors' bodies.
"Clocks?" Chiharu recognized, and finally noticed that each clocks that leaving their bodies, wounds would heal. "It's like it taking its time."
"Right… the wounds' time."
"Amazing." Miranda for the first time in her life has shown another emotions aside to her usual ones; amazement fulfilling her whole being. "Is this my power?"
"Yes Miranda-san, this is your ability given by Byakko." Allen answers the whisper question, "Thank you Miranda-san." the three teen smiles again to her.
'Thank you—?'
"Thank you Miranda." Xiu thanked.
For the first time in her life Miranda felt really happy that makes her cries in joy;
Allen then sighs "Well seems like our recovery would take some more time, we have so many wound and broken bones after all." Allen started, he then turn towards the other Celestial Warrior. "Xiu, why won't you answer Chiharu?" he said while having a gentle smile "I'm also curios you know and I'm sure Miranda-san too." Miranda stops crying then.
"I really hate that sharp ears of yours, Allen." Xiu said with narrowed eyes but only chuckle at him.
Xiu heaved a sigh then look up beyond Chiharu's.
"I told you that I'm a former general in Sairo's palace right?" Chiharu and Allen nodded. "Lenalee-sama is the youngest and only princess of Sairo, and Lavi…"
Both flinch after hearing their other enemy's name coming out from his lips. They didn't expect that Lavi is part of Xiu's past.
"… he is a Bookman that staying in the palace to record the events."
"I didn't know that Bookman Clan actually exist." Allen stated as he and Xiu tries to sit up.
"They did." Miranda and Chiharu only stare at the ravenette. "Those two are my friends."
Chiharu cover her mouth in shock—no, she's beyond shock; and Allen isn't different.
Both remembered the last time they saw the said enemy; it was Xiu whom land the final blow… on his friend! And that makes them feel sympathy—no, terrible for him; he might feel guilt and regret every time he remembers his fight to Lavi.
And their current situation isn't helping at all; because this time Xiu is fighting against the princess he'd served before.
"Stop it, don't make weird faces." He said with sad smile.
They are so worried for him, but then felt terrible now for themselves; despite what had happen between Xiu and Lavi they never saw him in his bad state, always seeing him with gentle smile.
"Right, it is La—" Xiu smile sadly, deciding not to continue. "A friend's."
Allen's eyes widen remembering their conversation about Xiu's sudden optimist side.
Right, they realized that Xiu almost says Lavi's name back then.
It's must be really painful for him, remembering his past with his friends who are now against him.
"You two were getting ugly." He told them "Look you making Miranda feel worry."
"But Xiu—"
"It's alright. I already accepted my fate when I escape in the palace." His and Allen's wounds were all finally healed "I know that one day those three will going to use either Lavi or Lenalee" he started to stand up while the others are following his movement "to kill me." Smile curved as green light shone on the right side of his head along with the mark of Tatara that on his forehead.
Xiu feels the warm sensation on his ears and touch it, strokes the flower style ear cuff that attached on his ear. Xiu then heaved a sigh then summon his pact of vines that forms a shape: Scythe with thorns that acting as blade.
'I already accepted it when I failed to take them away from the palace…'
The memories of beaten Lavi and Bookman, then Lenalee as Road's doll flash back to his mind.
'I already accepted it and yet why did I hesitate?' this question that runs into his head is something that he cannot bear to have an answer when he actually knew what's beyond it.
Xiu bitten his bottom lip until it bleeds; the blood from his mouth fell down to his weapon that become the cause of its thorny blade changing into real sharp blade and the long handle turns into metal.
Chiharu and Miranda felt awe after witnessing the improvement of Xiu's weapon; while Allen smirk in delight and he then stands up and jogged towards his friend whose back facing them.
Allen tap Xiu's shoulder making the other lad looks at him, and give each other a nod before they glance on faint silhouette of the fierce princess.
"Chiharu!" Xiu calls,
Chiharu flinch startled on the sudden call "Yes?"
Xiu turn his head on her direction with gentle smile plastered on his face "Priestess or not, you are part of us." He declared before departing to their fight.
And that actually left a strong impact on the said girl; but it made her felt worst instead.
Part of them, despite that she rejected the role.
All she wanted to do now is to cry to her heart's content.
Miranda only looks at her.
"Are you alright?" the elder asked, completely concerned on the lady whom keeping herself from crying. Chiharu nodded but that didn't ease the anxiety on Miranda.
Outside of Miranda's time zone, fight ensues as soon as Xiu and Allen came out.
Both lads were doing fine but with Lenalee's speed of sound they couldn't land an attack on her; and as time passes that they out on Miranda's zone their wounds has started to come back.
"Go back first Allen, I'll handle her till you come back."
"Don't fall till then, Xiu." Xiu smile to him before he went back to Miranda's Zone.
"Now then it is just the two of us for a while, My Little Princess." Lenalee giggle creepily before their one on one battle starts.
"Waltz!" Lenalee stirs up a destructive tornado with a whirling kick of her Dark Boots "Mist Wind!"
Using his improved scythe Xiu able to cut in half the tornado; resulting of its disappearance.
Lenalee giggles in delight "You're truly amazing Xiu-nii!" she praise as she throw more tornado on Celestial Warrior.
"Crown Belt!"white ribbons wraps around Xiu's torso and pull him up in the air, "Crown Edge!" Allen attacks Lenalee but then with her immeasurable speed she dodges the attack but that becomes her mistake.
From behind her, an insect bites her waist, these stops Lenalee and Allen. Both look at the source and found the only person that Allen knows as a total jerk.
Lenalee's eyes widen in shock, questioning no one in particular about the man's presence; she fell on the ground while the insect disappeared.
"How? How is he alive?" she question all over again, as a past where the long haired man is lying in the ground, death and swimming in his pool of own blood. "Impossible… Impossible! Impossible!" she yells repeatedly like a broken doll.
"Kanda!"
On the mean while Xiu fell inside of Miranda's Zone and landed hard in the ground.
Xiu rubs the back of his head as he sitting up, "It hurts Allen!" he whined, while his wounds started to heal or his wounds' time sucks out from him.
"Are you alright Xiu? You came from above…" Chiharu asked, already stop with keeping her tears.
"A litt—yes, now." He answers after feeling his body back to its shape, while the two women tries to hold back their laughter, "Allen threw me using his crown belt." Both women winced as they imagine painfully it is to be thrown and received that hard impact.
"Xiu, you're really out of yourself today." Chiharu commented, seeing Xiu in different manners today feels like she slowly learning of he really is.
He is always a collected and cool person, always smiling gently and would go patting either her or Allen.
But now Chiharu saw Xiu whined for the first time since she came in this world, putting a sad face, making him reveal some secrets, and his unusual optimistic side that Lavi successfully rubbed on him.
"Now then, I shouldn't make my little princess wait for far too long." Xiu stated as he standing and preparing to come back to the battle.
"Xiu!" Chiharu calls, deciding to say something she been keeping before Miranda's power activated. Xiu turns to her, "Lenalee is…"
"What is it regarding Lenalee-sama?"
"She is…"
"Double Illusion Sword!" Thru his command, Kanda covers his sword and scabbard [sword case] in a coat of energy and generates an energy blade, creating two sharp weapons. "Eight Flower Mantis!" Kanda quickly eight slashes to Lenalee but the said fighter has able to dodge these attacks.
"Oi, oi, oi you can easily dodge my Eight Flower Mantis but can't dodge a mere insect? Heh, Interesting." Kanda observed as he dispel his double illusion sword and instead summon the same insect that got Lenalee when he arrived; this time, the insect aren't just one but full swarm that surrounds the princess making her not able to dodge any attacks from those.
"That's for the present you gave me four years ago."
Allen suddenly got curious as of what Kanda were talking about. 'Is he saying that the princess actually fought him four years ago?'
Xiu then came out from the zone and feel amazed after witnessing the swarming insect that surrounding the fierce princess. His honey-brown eyes found the long hair katana user standing next to the albino warrior.
"Hey Kanda!" Xiu greeted while jogging towards the two.
Kanda and Allen turn to him as soon as they heard his voice.
"You—where did you go? Leaving Moyashi to deal with this demon." Kanda stated that made Allen stirs,
"It's Allen, Bakanda!" Allen pouted as he declaring that, both of them stares at him for a while then back to each other, completely ignoring the childish act from the eighteen year old teen.
"Well, a little there." Xiu answers, "By the way Kanda are those are your pets?"
"Not totally pets. Those are netherworld insects; with Mugen I can call them and make them fight."
"Ah! Amazing!" Allen has sweat drop on his head as he listening to the two's conversation with Kanda in normal tone, completely different to the ones he using when he was talking to Allen.
"So, are those insect of yours would kill Lenalee-sama?"
"Hm? Why are you addressing an enemy with such a suffix?"
"She's my princess before the breakdown of Sairo."
"Tch, foolish Celestial Warrior."
"I don't want to hear that from someone with same matter." Both of them were fool and surprisingly Kanda is aware of that. Letting out a 'tch' he answers his question,
"With that many: yes."
"Ah'cha… we can't afford to lose her."
"Eh why?" Allen asked, suddenly get curious.
"Well you see…" Xiu avoided an eye contact on either of them, while summing the reason why they cannot kill her.
First reason is: what Chiharu discover regarding the princess.
Second reason is: if Lenalee dies then Lord Komui might commit suicide.
Now they cannot afford that right?
But how come he will tell that to this two, or better to say to Kanda?
Meanwhile as the three Celestial Warriors having their conversation, Lenalee who's in the middle of insect squad has—for some reason—her mind went blank for a second then remembers her times with Lavi and Xiu during the peaceful days of Sairo, but its gets all jumble with the dead corpse of their citizens that she killed with the Dark Boots she currently wearing. The fallen Celestial Warrior she killed with Wisely. The weeping faces of the victims and the image of her world that started to crumble in pieces.
Despite the bites from the insects, Lenalee's mind jumbles were giving her pain more than it those; she scream in agony and pain that she started to cry with blood coming out from her eyes.
The corpses of the victims were repeatedly calling her name; asking for help that the princess couldn't able to give.
"Stop it…" She pleads "Stop…" tears of blood continue to flow "I Begging You!" the images of corpses continues calling her name "STOP!" a fierce tornado manifest from Lenalee's dark boots destroying all the netherworld insects that Kanda had summoned.
The three warriors turn to her and watched the strong huge tornado that circling while she's in the middle of it.
Chiharu—whose inside of Miranda's zone—and Xiu catch a glimpse of small green light coming from Lenalee's left ankle despite the distance in between; it, as if, Byakko informing them about her real entity.
"Xiu, Lenalee is… she has mark of Byakko on her ankle."
'Chiharu was right after all.' Xiu step forward with smirk on his face. 'Now then, let's see who you are, oh my little princess~'
Xiu summoned his improved scythe; Kanda pressed his fingers on his blade, swiping down the length of it as coating the blade with blue aura; and Allen readied his claws. All of their marks shine from their respective places, raising their powers as Celestial Warriors.
"Waltz!" the tornado leaves the users behind "Mist Wind!" Lenalee kicks with her dark boots sending the tornado towards the three Celestial Warriors.
Lenalee repeatedly doing the same technique all over to prevail the three from approaching her; as tears—no longer blood—coming out from her eyes.
Regrets, guilt, sorrows reflected through her eyes but no one could see them.
"I'm sorry, Xiu-nii." She muttered her memories of fight against Xiu and Allen plays on her head.
She doesn't know of what going on with her; the last time she knows is the time that Road is telling her about killing the former general as Lavi is incapable from doing it.
From there, she no longer has her self-awareness; and the next thing she knows she was surrounded and being attack by swarm of insects with unknown species.
After throwing a handful of tornado towards the three, Lenalee uses this chance to leave.
Just right after clearing the tornados, Kanda let out a frustrated 'tch', Xiu shows sadness on his face and Allen sighs.
The three went inside of Miranda's zone, greeting Chiharu and Miranda but something is odd upon further inspection on the elder.
"Miranda?" The woman clutches her chest with both of her hands, her head is in bow while her face holding pain and panting heavily; Chiharu—whom supporting the elder since she started to act like this—turns to the three.
"She been like this for a while now, Xiu." She informed, worried.
Allen approached the woman, sit in front of her and land his hand to her shoulder.
"What's wrong Miranda?" he gently asked.
"If I stop this zone then everything will be back to normal!" Miranda explained while still bringing her breath "Your wounds will come back!" under her bangs is her eyes that aren't taking a single blink, and she's about to cry "With that, it won't mean a thing!" and finally her tears swell down
Allen looks at to Xiu—who have same number of wounds with him—and both nodded with smile.
"Miranda, you can stop it now." Allen said looking back at the elder Celestial Warrior which makes her flinch.
Miranda turn up to Allen that have warm smile displaying on his face, behind him is Xiu who baring the equal face as the albino warrior.
"It was thanks to you that we still here, that we're still alive." Allen stated to her,
"That's right Miranda, if you didn't use your power as a Subaru is it questionable what would come out of us when this fella over here came." Xiu added while pointing with his thumb the warrior behind him. "We must bear our wounds ourselves."
"Yup, as long as we're alive, they'll surely heal gradually." Allen followed, "All the wounds would heal with time."
Looking at their faces, Miranda nodded before stopping her zone.
"Ah, Kanda please while we're out protect Chiharu and Miranda." Xiu ask to the long hair warrior whom didn't able to give his answer in time as Allen and Xiu loses their consciousness while all of their wounds and injuries came back; all Kanda could do is letting out an irritated 'tch' towards the fallen warriors.
["The two warriors whom fought furiously against the other warrior of their Sovereign has fall into deep slumber, leaving the young lady and two other warrior to handle the rest.
After of their fight, Miranda also able to ceases the repetition of the whole village bringing it back to normal. Aside to the five of them no one ever remember what happens half a year till the present.
Kanda carries Allen after commenting: 'I didn't know that a beansprout could be a burden.' While Miranda and Chiharu supported Xiu and brought them into nearby doctor named Tiedoll with assistants named Marie and Daisya."]
"Aww you don't need to worry that much, those Celestial Warriors were doing their jobs to protect Chiharu-chan~" Hevlaska purrs while she rampaging over her stacks of old book.
"Hey Hev-sensei…" Luca ignored her, while he is sitting on his chair with his butler standing behind him. "Since Chiharu rejected the role for becoming Byakko's priestess, will there be a chance that Byakko chose another girl to send in his world?"
"None. Byakko or any other Sovereign would never choose another priestess other than their first choice."
"Then Lady Chiharu is…"
"Yes, want it or not, Chiharu is already the Byakko's priestess, as soon as she made a contact with his stars."
