[ Wolkenritter hideout, Earth / September 21, 0078 09:33 ]
Agito tried to stop her, but Signum needed a little time for herself again. She set off along the empty street with a good walking pace and it wasn't long before the dilapidated buildings ended. She didn't plan on walking very far but suddenly found herself near a four-lane state road just outside the town.
Things were livelier out there. A car passed her by every other minute. She watched them pass for a long time before raising her hand. Almost immediately a large truck came to a screeching halt near her.
"Good morning, pretty young lady!" A middle-aged driver opened the door, leaning over the left seat to greet her. "What happened to you?"
"My car died, Sir," Signum smiled again. It wasn't the smile Agito received earlier but it was good enough for the trucker. "And I need to get to Iwaki soon."
"Hop right in, young lady!"
If the driver hoped for a pleasant conversation in return for his generosity, he received none.
She disembarked at a train station. In her casual, if worn-out clothes, she blended in with the passengers easily. An almost empty train took her to an almost empty city of Taira.
She wandered the streets until a gleam of familiar gold that shouldn't have been there caught her eye in the distance. She contemplated turning around and fleeing but decided against it.
She mustered Testarossa as she approached. How long had it been since she had last seen her wearing a skirt and a simple white top under a black jacket instead of uniform or her armor?
"So it was you, after all…" she said, without looking at her.
"Testarosssa. How did you find us?"
"Shari traced the picture you uploaded to Earth."
"We got careless."
Testarossa raised her face to stare her in the eyes.
"How many lives will be lost because of your actions this time?"
"Hundreds, maybe thousands. Don't think they don't weigh on my conscience."
"Then why do you do it?"
"We don't have much time left."
Testarossa's gaze dropped for a second. Signum knew what she was thinking. The memory of veins pulsing within her translucent flesh must have still been vivid.
"Without Hayate-chan…"
"…we live off what little mana we can gather ourselves. It is not enough to sustain a living being for long."
"How long… have you got?"
"Weeks, maybe. Maybe, days. The more mana I expend, the shorter I have."
Testarossa's head and arms sunk helplessly.
"You are forcing a choice on me that I cannot make."
As her shoulders began to tremble, Signum stepped closer and hugged Testarossa tenderly, pressing her face towards her chest.
"I am sorry," she whispered in her ear.
Now the passersby started turning heads towards them.
"Can we forget everything, just for one evening?" Testarossa's voice was muffled but Signum understood. "For just one evening, I don't want to have to be strong."
"Do you want to go somewhere quieter?"
"Yes."
