Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball (Z/Super/GT) or its characters.
- Chapter 18 -
Pacing through the corridors of the massive building, the infamous Tuffle scion barely registers the stuttering voices beckoning towards him; soldiers, and civilian employers paying their respect towards him with their suspicious gazes.
Yet their distrustful eyes and empty courtesy is the last thing in his mind for the past few days.
For someone that was drowned in this suffocating atmosphere for his entire life, Ichigo has found a new guiding light to drive his mind. And this new precious object of his fascination is just behind the heavy door now standing in front of him.
Raising his right arm slowly and timidly, Ichigo stopped his hand in quiet anticipation just before he could knock at the metallic surface. Taking a simple calming breath, he diffused his racing heart back into a proper state; then putting on his usual and charming smile, he knocked away and announced his presence.
Few moments of silence followed the ringing sound coming from the door, but it last only enough to let Ichigo gather his composure better.
"Come in." Replied a masculine voice, one that despite its deeper tone it yet brings a rush of feelings to the red-haired man.
Pressing the button at the side of the doorframe, Ichigo patiently watches as the heavy door slides itself open, revealing the grand and luxurious room he has arranged to his guest. Taking a set of steps inside the room, he stopped in mild surprise, his eyes settling on the form of the other person standing in front of the giant window on the other side of the room, his back turned to the entrance.
"I presume you're feeling better now." Ichigo said calmly with his velvet voice.
Coorin turned his head to the side, giving the other person a casual side-glance. "Yeah… I barely feel anything now, my body still moves like a log tough." He said with a sheepish smile.
"The fact that you can move so freely is outstanding. I've seen many great warriors reduced to powerless ragdoll, useless as an infant, because of their ki constantly being repressed." Ichigo eyed at Coorin with a mixture of wonder and uneasiness. "Saiyans are truly terrifying."
Strange as those words may have sound, they still managed to make the small Saiyan smile. "You can bet your ass that we are. If anything, this room is serving as a training room for me. The more exhausted we get, the more powerful we become. That is the Saiyan way. With this stupid room making so hard for me to even walk, I will get out of here stronger than even Cabba."
"The Saiyan Hero?" Ichigo asked, one hand going to his chin with one finger grazing over his lips. "That would be quite the accomplishment, I heard he is one of the strongest beings on the universe."
Turning around in his spot, Coorin gave Ichigo a contemplating glance. He then arched forward and busted out laughing. "What kind of weird image you people have of Cabba?!" Spat out the young soldier, one hand wiping stray tears from his eyes. "It's not like he is this giant of a mountain, while the rest of us are just tiny little cliffs. Oh, so just we are clear, I am an Elite Soldier too. Without this stupid ki draining thing going on, I could whoop your butt in the split of a second."
"There's no one doubting that here." Ichigo promptly raised both arms in the air, but a sparkly grin is shining on his lips.
Seeing that bright smile on that man's lips made Coorin smile too, sincere and warm. Like many other times, he finds himself getting drawn to this friendly image Ichigo gives him. But just as the other times, he reigned in his racing heart and shifted his gaze away.
Looking for a diversion from this troubling path that his mind always tried to go to, Coorin looked for anything to pull him and Ichigo away from this cozy mood settling down. His eyes traveled down and an idea instantly popped on his head.
"What's the deal with this?" He grabbed the sides of his new vestment, raising the silky fabric slightly up in the air. "Why the hell I'm getting nothing but stupid dresses to wear?! Are you trying to imply something with this crap?"
Ichigo's eyes drifted towards Coorin's image, his mind began to wander to places where the young Tuffle so fervently tried to stay away from. However, this is a battle that his consciousness has no hope of winning. How beautiful this person looks still baffles Ichigo out of his words, and despite the muscles and well-trained body, Coorin manages to wear the feminine attire with such grace and figure that puts many nobility-raised ladies to shame.
"Hey! I am talking with you. My eyes are up here, moron." Coorin barked with this normal and harsh way of speaking, always managing to include one or more insults in his vocabulary.
"I-I… My apologies, it was not my intention to offend you in any manner." Ichigo politely bowed in front of his guest, an act that always manage to put Coorin in a slightly uncomfortable position. "However, about your concern with the clothes provided to you… I share not the blame for this misunderstanding. The people responsible for your provisions are also responsible for everyone's quarters, mine included. They've probably mistaken you for a girl, seeing how pretty and small you look."
Unknown to him, Ichigo has just stepped on Coorin's toe. Anyone familiar with the small but unruly soldier would've known not to compare or insinuate that he is female; a complex that he has to this day due to his appearance.
So taken by surprise, Ichigo almost fell on his back when the Saiyan quickly dashed across the room and practically jumped on top of him with fangs baring menacingly.
"Wanna fight, Asshole?" Coorin barked out loudly. "Let me pack a good punch on that face of yours and let's see who is the girl here."
"W-Wha?! I beg your pardon. It was not my intention to offend you in any way." Ichigo had to duck backward to escape a left hook coming from the fuming Saiyan. "Please, there is no need for violence. I only spoke what may have happened in the process of sorting your new clothes." He raised a hand in a peace offering, managing to calm Coorin enough to a state where the Saiyan is only glaring at him. "I am sure the working staff also had no ill intent in their minds. You see, Saiyans are a topic of myth to my… people. Most Tuffles who have encountered Saiyans in the past are gone, either dead or hiding away. So, to them, Saiyans are big bad things that exist only to kill and destroy."
"Then a small guy like me appears and they think 'Oh, that must be a Saiyan woman then'." Coorin spat out angrily. "To hell with that… And to us, the big bad things are you Tuffles."
"I will not debate the nuances of war with you, but I will not disagree with your concept either. Truly, is not important, is it?" Ichigo stepped forward, risking the wrath of the smaller man standing in front of him. "In here, just the two of us. I don't see a Saiyan, not anymore. I rather see you, Coorin, instead of putting a label on you and treat you with prejudice."
Coorin scoffed, one hand going to his waist as he looked at Ichigo with indifference. "Big talk, coming from the guy who puts the label of a girl on me just because of my face."
"It did not such a thing." Ichigo quickly replied. Taking another step forward, the daring red-haired Tuffle brought his hand to Coorin face and calmly grazed the Saiyan's right cheek with the back of his fingers. "I see you for what you are. Beautiful, strong, and a bit of a dirty mouth. Even if you are male… to me that is…"
"S-Stop…" Coorin held his hand forward, pressing it against Ichigo's chest, stopping the red-haired inches away from his lips. "This is wrong. I told you before, we can't. I love Janola too much to do this to him."
"Ringo… huh?" Ichigo lowered his head, hiding his eyes behind his bangs. His lips quivered painfully, his brother's name echoing silently yet again through his lips. "At-At least tell me… if was not for him, if you had no feelings for my brother. Would I have any chances?"
If Coorin had any anger left in him, it vanished as soon as he saw the longing look in those yellow eyes. Deep down he wanted to just nod his head and give at least this solace to this person desperately trying to reach out for affection.
But his hesitation overwhelmed him, robbing Coorin of the chance of speaking anything and Ichigo the chance for a response.
Soon the heavy door slid open again, this time revealing a dashing young woman with a piercing glare stuck on her features. Quickly stomping inside the room, Mikan stopped mouth open and frowning at the scene that she landed onto.
Clearing her throat loudly in an exaggerated way, she made sure to make her presence clear, prompting Coorin to step away from Ichigo and turn away, glancing back to the giant window at the back.
"Father is calling you." Mikan said to her brother.
Holding his gaze firmly down to the ground, Ichigo replied first with a rasped grunt. "Did he say anything else?" He slowly moved his eyes towards his sister, his gaze cold and distant.
A soft gasp escaped Mikan's lips. She knows this look on her brother's eyes, she hates it, she fears it. But the thing that scared her the most is that Ichigo always made his best to hide this side of him away from her, and now…
"No… father only asked for you, he didn't say any more than that." She replied meekly, taking her eyes away from her brother, refusing to look at him on that state again.
Ichigo sighed deeply, his empty yellow eyes drifting towards the open door. "I see… I must apologize, Coorin. It seems our small conversation will have to end here." Sparing a glance towards the Saiyan, Ichigo's features grew heavier and colder as he caught only a small shrug on the boy's back. Biting his lower lip in frustration, the tall red-haired man turned his back to the Saiyan and quickly began to march towards the exit.
"I-I…" Coorin's voice traveled around the room, making Ichigo stop instantly in his tracks. "Maybe… That's my answer."
At that moment the emptiness vanished from Ichigo's eyes, his lips parting into a soft but bright smile. Without turning back to look at Coorin, he nodded only once and then stepped away, leaving towards his duty but now with a clearer mind and with his confident grin back on his face.
With his back turned, Coorin failed to see the impact that his words had on the young Tuffle. Yet, even if he has not seen that huge change in Ichigo's behavior, someone else did.
Mikan locked her gaze on the Saiyan, a deep frown taking hold of her features. Her indifference for the Saiyan growing into distrust and spite.
"This is the first time I see you, Saiyan." Said the red-haired girl, her words coming out with all the bitterness she could muster.
Coorin noticed the tone of her voice and the ill-intent coming from the girl, which made him turn and look at her with a frown of his own.
"I will admit, it was a lack of courage that made me evade this room for this long. You've been here for what. one week? Maybe one and a half?" She continued. "It's about time I face reality, isn't it?"
"Your point?" Coorin's normal behavior quickly began to quick in again. He was never one to shy away from confrontation, and he has never had a bias towards women either. Contrary to his friends, Coorin never held himself even if the other person was a girl. "Are you going to glare at me all day long or are you going spill whatever bullshit you have to say?"
"I despise you… you filthy ape." She growled at him angrily. "You… you may have taken Ringo away from us, away from me…" Striding forward fearlessly, Mikan stepped right in front of Coorin, their heights almost identical as they glared at each other.
"Is this about Janola again?" Coorin raised an eyebrow seeing how she trembled in anger after hearing that name.
"RINGO! That is his real name!" Mikan yelled with enough force to make her cheeks get red. "I saw how Ichigo looked at you… I will not allow it, never! You will not take away another one of my brothers."
"Yeah, like I came along and kidnapped him when he was a toddler." Puffing his chest out, Coorin scoffed away as the girl looked ready to jump at him and claw at his face with her nails. "Janola is his own person. I did shit to him, you hear me? Oh, and your brother is his own person too. Don't put this on me, like I go around mind-controlling half-Tuffles like that is my superpower."
"You may as well have it, you harlot!" She shrieked the words out.
"The hell?!" And Coorin bared his fangs at her, outraged by the insult.
"I don't know what kind of breed you are, but are clearly not a normal Saiyan with that stupid cute face of yours." Mikan got a slight tint of red in her cheeks as she blurred the words away without thinking of them. "But I am warning you, stay away from my brother."
As Mikan tried to stay in her tiptoes to get a height advantage on him, Coorin pushed her away with both hands, shoving the girl to the other side of the room. "Get out of here before you get hurt. I will mess you face even you are daddy's little girl."
Mouth agape and arms protectively pushing against her breasts, Mikan glared at Coorin with her face completely red. "Y-Y-You perverted fiend!" She yelled in accusation, turning her gaze away from the confused Saiyan that didn't even notice where he had touched to push the girl away. "This is not over, Saiyan harlot!" Teary eyes glossing her vision, Mikan ran out of the room, tapping it closed shut as she jumped into the hallway.
"What is wrong with this family…" Coorin watched dumbfounded the closed door as the room faded back to its peaceful silence. Taking a slow look at himself, the young soldier went back to his spacious bed, frowning quietly with his woes after the sudden confusion shoved upon him. "Do I have Tuffles pheromones or something?"
The past few days have been not kind to the young Saiyan Hero. Pilling up as much work he could in front of him, Cabba has his face buried in a towering stack of papers. His mind and focus sorely put into handling the matters that he can resolve, while doing his best to forget everything else or he would risk losing his mind to the chaotic stream of bad thoughts locked away on his consciousness.
Fighting his best friend the way he did would never feel good to him or anyone, but the worse part is the aftermath of all that.
More than a week now has passed since the incident that brought them all to that strange purple planet. For more than seven days Asparus has been missing with no sign to his whereabouts.
To Sadala this is as messy and troublesome as it could get. The defense force in a strange state of disarray, with the higher-ups wreaking their heads in the search for the missing king while the big mass of soldiers left to do nothing more than the standard command of standing alert and be ready to battle at any moment's notice.
With the help of the other members of the Elite, or the ones that are in condition to help, Cabba has been trying to get a reign over this problem. This was never the job he had signed up for, taking care of the entire planet, better yet, the entire Defense Force.
Just thinking about his position is enough to make Cabba sigh deeply in frustration, and no amount of burying his face on paperwork will take away this sentiment.
"Have you been sleeping these past days?"
Cabba jumped startled on his seat after hearing someone speaking. He was so focused on his problems at hand and the ones in his head, that he didn't notice Janola opening the door and walking in the room.
Taking his tired eyes towards the newcomer, Cabba saw his friend walking towards him holding two steaming mugs in his hands.
"You should drink it." Janola gave one of the mugs to him, sparing a sympathetic glance to his friend. "Coffee will never replace a good night of sleep, but will keep you going for a little longer."
Not need to convince him to take it, Cabba gladly accepted the hot mug in his hands. His tired eyes glancing down to the mesmerizing steam coming from the hot dark liquid. "Thanks…" He replied with a shy nod, then took a small sip without caring for borderline burning sensation filling up his mouth.
"Keep working like that and you will be out of commission too." Taking a seat on the other side of the large round table, Janola tried to jest in a lighter mood, but his mind is so heavy right now that his attempt sounded just as exhausted and rasped as Cabba's grunt of reply. "Any word about him?" Janola asked before the awkward silence could get any worse.
Another long sigh flew out, followed by a slow shaking of head.
"Anything on the Tuffles?" Janola tried another one.
"Vanished like ghosts…" Cabba replied quickly and in a dried tone. "I went back there… found nothing but flying rubbles of a destroyed planet. Tried to reach out to the more secluded side of the galaxy... not a whisper. It's like they were just things of my imagination."
Both soldiers frowned quietly, Cabba burying his head on his papers again and Janola gripping his hands into fists.
"Is he… you think he is dead?" The half-Saiyan almost choked on his words as he asked the question nobody wanted to ask these past days.
"The first priority on my list was to check on that." Cabba brought his head up again, his eyes diverting back to his friend. "I called in a few favors with some people involved with the gods. I know for a fact that Asparus is not dead. Now where in the Kaioshin's name he has disappeared to, that's the damn mystery." Pushing his back against his chair, Cabba looked to the ceiling in exasperation. "Not even those divine tools could find him."
"Did you—"
"Coorin is alive as well." Cabba answered before Janola could finish the question. "The same problem with Asparus, but he is alive, that is for certain."
Janola's mood changed rather quickly, from a deeply concerned and frustrated mood to lighter one with his worries still present on his features even if to a lesser degree. But with his immediate concern out of the way, his gaze went back to his friend but with a new worry showing in his eyes.
"I heard some of it from Lettu…" He started as gently as he could and even then, he saw Cabba flinch at the words. "That bad?"
Cabba could do nothing but nod, a flicker of shame appearing on his features. "We almost killed each other… if Kefla didn't come when she did… maybe both of us would have died there."
"I don't get it. Why would you two jump at each other's throat like that?" Janola quirked his eyebrow up. "Was it because of… you know, her?"
One loud scoff escaped the young hero. "Anyone would imagine that the most fucked up thing would push us from that cliff, but no… The 'problem' with Kefla was much simpler to resolve." Cabba brought his mug to his lips, taking another sip from the hot liquid to try and clear the clouds over his head. "That sword, the one Asparus uses to teleport everywhere. That thing is not normal, that blasted weapon is messing with his head."
"The one displayed at the wall behind the throne?!" Janola almost jumped out from his seat, his eyes widening up quite a lot in his surprise. "Is it safe to keep that thing there? Wouldn't it mess with everyone's head?"
"It does nothing to us… at least I don't think it does." Cabba shrugged away, his calm response making Janola calm down too. "I tried to make it work a few times, spent more than enough time with it, and nothing. No whispers, no evil feelings, and no super silver power either."
"If you say so… at least we have one last thing to worry about." Even after breathing out in relief, Janola still kept his gaze on Cabba. "What about… you know."
"Kefla. You can say her name Janola, it's not cursed." Cabba growled quietly, this time swallowing half of the liquid in the mug in one shot, the strength of the taste, and how hot it is making him cringe and gasp. "She… I'm not gonna lie. These days have been a bit hard. At first, she was so shaken and angry that we could barely speak for more than a few minutes without her lashing out in some way. Now she is quiet most of the time and needy too. As much as I like the way she calms down with me, it feels almost eerie to have her acting that way."
"Because that is not how Caulifla is, right?" Janola added in, to which Cabba nodded in silence.
"Caulifla can be quiet too, at times." Cabba shuddered, his entire body shivering in place. "But whenever she is quiet like that… It's like the calm before the storm. You add Kale's somewhat unstable outbursts."
"I heard of them, never saw it. Almost thought Lettu was pulling my leg with that one. Lady Kale seems so reserved and calm all the time, hard to see her exploding with anger like that." Janola is not the only one to share this sentiment. Any other Saiyan, soldier or not, that hears the old stories about Kale thinks that the person telling them is nothing but a liar.
"It was before she married Asparus. She was quiet, way more than she is today. Kale used to bottle all her worries and fears deep inside of her to the point that she would snap and berserk out in violent outbursts." Once again Cabba shuddered in his seat. Just the memories of the first time that he saw Kale transform and lose it, he still has nightmares about that. "Don't even want to imagine what Kefla would do in one of those episodes."
Both soldiers became silent after that one. Cabba going back to scanning the papers in front of him and Janola brought his gaze down to the mug on his hand, now with the coffee lukewarm at best, there is little to no steam for him to focus on.
"Everything will be fine… right?" Janola lifted the question in the air, his gaze never moving from the black liquid.
"I don't know… no point throwing soft words anymore." Cabba frowned at his answer. It sounded like he was giving up, ceding to pressure. But that is far from the truth, the fact that he has holed himself in this office only proves how committed he is to fixing things up. "But I will give my everything to try and get things back to normal. Even if I have to die trying."
The half-Saiyan looked up towards his friend, a dumbfounded look in his face as he stared at Cabba. But quickly his surprised features warmed up into an agreeing grin. "Don't be stupid, little Cabba. Nothing can kill you, and if anything tries, they will have to get through me first."
A playful chuckled escaped the young hero. "Almost forgot your hero complex." Cabba teased his friend, this little jab directed not only at his friend's demeanor but also for his choice of clothing, more accurately to the very flash long coat he always wears when trying to show off.
"That bit lost its spark years ago… You're literally called the hero of Sadala now." Janola was quick to point out the irony of life. For so long Cabba and Coorin teased him about this hero complex thing, and Cabba was the one ending up being called a hero by everyone.
"Feel free to keep the nickname, I only want the special paycheck at the end of the month."
"Ha?! You get a special one?!" Now Janola properly jumped out from his chair, one arm shooting forward as he pointed one finger to the other man. "Never heard of that! What kind of schemes are you running in the background huh? That's called unfair favoritism."
For the first time in days Cabba laughed his worries away, he laughed so hard that his stomach started to hurt. Outraged at first, Janola could not help but laugh himself. It felt right, it felt nostalgic.
Just the two of them, two friends, laughing away with no worries to hold them back.
"CABBA!" A very distressed Lettu came crashing inside the room, his widened eyes scanning the room for his brother.
Both Cabba and Janola jolted up to her feet, instantly turning to look at the boy.
"Lettu! What happened?" Cabba rushed to his little brother, taking one hand to the small boy's shoulder.
"I-It's Cau… Kefla!" Lettu blurred out in panic. "She is out of control! If she keeps going like that, the entire palace will crumble to dust."
Both adults shared a worried look between each other, with Janola clearly in panic after hearing about Kale from Cabba, and Cabba looking even more tired than before.
"Take me to where she is." Cabba gave the order to his little brother. "This goddamned week just keeps getting worse."
From the office wing of the palace, no one could hear a bit of sound different from the usual serene silence of the long halls. But after getting to the large hall that makes the cross between wings and the echoes of the mayhem are already very present.
The sound of cracking stones, people screaming and the floor trembling. Cabba had to stop for a second, close his eyes and breathe deeply to remain calm and collected despite everything else happening around him.
Stepping inside the eye of the storm, or more accurately the throne room in the middle of the palace, Cabba witnessed with his own eyes the source of the rampage threatening to collapse the entire building.
Cabba stepped over to the middle of the giant room, Lettu and Janola standing right behind him. The only other ones with courage enough to still stand in the room are none other than the mother-queen Arula and her older brother Greeno.
"Kefla!" He yelled out her name, raising his voice so loud that his throat tingled with a pang of pain. "What… are you doing?"
The marble floor cracked with an explosive sound and a giant ball of dirt-filled dust flew up as a metallic object crashed harshly against the surface.
Cabba clicked his tongue and jumped forward, diving straight onto the raising smokescreen starting to spread to the entire room.
"Kefla!" He called out her name again.
"What?!" She replied with a loud and agitated tone, her eyes snapping onto him.
"This! What is this? You're scaring everyone." Ignoring the enrage look Kefla is giving him and everyone looking towards her, Cabba stepped forward and tapped her on the left arm. "Care to explain why are you tearing the palace down?"
"I ain't doing nothing to this stupid palace!" She spat out angrily again. Then her right arm shot right up, showing the long object she is holding in her hands. "Is this that I want to trash into bits! This damn thing, this… this piece of crap of a sword!" She yelled even louder than before, then took a long swing with her arm, smashing the tip of the Omega Blade against the already broken floor.
This, however, did nothing to even scratch the weapon. And with the force Kefla used to bash it against the ground, the entire palace began to shake and tremble.
"Kefla, stop it!" Cabba decided to be more affirmative in his tone, going as far as to grab Kefla's arm and make her look at him. "It's useless, you can't break that sword. I… tried it. Please, just stop this madness and let go of it."
Cabba's words resonated with her, or at least it looked that way as Kefla shifted her gaze down to the floor and lowered her right arm ever so slowly.
"I… I don't care!" Her ki exploded out from her body in a powerful aura, the pressure coming from her getting so big that a massive shockwave erupted in the room, cleaning all of the raising fog away. "No matter how hard it is, how durable this stupid thing may be… I WILL CRUSH THIS SWORD!" Forcefully pulling her arm away from his grasp, Kefla pushed Cabba away, giving her space to jump in the air and smack the side of the sword against one of the giant pillars scattered around the throne room.
They all witnessed in shock as Kefla continued to bash the sword from one place to the other, gathering her ki in her hands in an attempt to break the cursed object from within. At each strike she delivered against a wall or a pillar, her features grew more pained and desperate, to the point that a few tears began to gather at the side of her eyes.
"Bring him back!" She ordered in a powerful shout. "Make everything go back to the way it was!" She jumped to the middle of the room, throwing the sword on the floor and then diving with her feet at the side of its clean surface. "This is all your fault, everything! Asparus would never do those things, he…"
With her lips quivering, Kefla stopped with her fist trembling midair, her eyes closed with the emotional turmoil ravaging her mind.
Biting her lips in an explosion of anger, she shot her eyes wide open in a full heated glare towards the sword laying down on the floor. And at this moment, as if the weapon had a will of its own, the metallic surface of the sword glittered with a sparkling glow, shining a flash of light onto her face, almost in a show of mockery.
"GRAAAH! I WILL BREAK YOU!" Kefla raged in a full outburst. Her right fist, still trembling next to her, began to glow with a shining stream of red and green energy. Responding to her burning anger, her ki exploded in full force pushing her arm forward with more speed than it would normally move.
Gritting her teeth in the motion, Kefla unleashed a crushing ki-infused punch onto the godly sword. As her fist crashed against the weapon clean surface, a bright stream of silver light erupted from its blade, pushing and clashing against Kefla's duo-colored ki.
It last only for a few moments, a small dispute of power between her and the sword, a complete standstill as none of the two was caving in against the other. Then a violent explosion of light came to life, forming a spinning ball of energy that enveloped both Kefla and the sword.
Startled by the explosion, Cabba saw with widened eyes as the fused Saiyan-woman disappeared inside that ball of energy. With a stream of bad thoughts rushing to his head, the young Saiyan soldier moved in a rushed panic towards that stream of energy. After almost losing so much in such a small period, he could not risk losing her too, so without total disregard for his own safety Cabba jumped headfirst into the explosion.
As his voice gathered in his throat, as her name was forming at the tip of his tongue, two violent shockwaves exploded on opposite sides of one another. Two forms went flying away from the explosion and then the violent display of light ceased to exist.
The clinking of metal echoed in the silence as the Omega Blade fell to the floor again, its light quickly faded away and leaving behind only the clean surface of the weapon.
With mouth wide open, and falling to say anything past stuttering gibberish. Cabba looked to the side and saw the form of Kale lying on the floor. His eyes traveled to the other side and saw Caulifla lying down in the same position.
It felt surreal in every shape of the word. In one moment, he was racing onto an explosion to save Kefla and in the next, he is standing speechless in the middle of the room while looking at his wife and his friend.
"Ca..Cabba?" Caulifla called out his name, her eyes slowly opening up as she pulled herself into a sitting position. "What happened?"
"Caulifla…" His expression quickly warmed up, changing into the loving and calming look he always has when looking at his loved one. "You're back."
Seeing her again, just the act of looking at Caulifla's sharp and beautiful eyes. It melted away the pile of negative energy that was weighing at Cabba's back. He never felt tired of Caulifla, not once in all these years, but after 'losing' her even for just a week. It finally dawned on him how much she is important to him, how much of his life she is.
Now looking at her again, it's like his life is finally back to where it should be.
- Chapter End -