New chapter up~ Please enjoy~ ^^
Chapter E10: An Awkward Date
"Mrs. Azura went out of her way to ask this of us. You should show her your kind-hearted and generous nature, and accept it like a man." (Elaine)
"I understand that. I understand that much. But I simply cannot help it." (Touma)
"Like a man!" (Elaine)
"Ugh…" (Touma)
I took a deep breath and proceeded to exhale it slowly. It helped me to calm down a little.
In the end, I couldn't turn down Azura's request yesterday. This was mostly because Elaine agreed to the proposal on the spot, which would have left both of us in an awkward position had I refused.
But that Seth b*stard would come too, you know?
I'd have to spend the whole day with a man the sight of whom was enough to fill me with thoughts of murder.
This was all so ridiculous I almost thought it was a nightmare.
...Unfortunately, it seemed to be the cold and cruel reality.
Currently, Elaine and me were in Vilnius— the liberated Alpha temple, waiting for Seth and Azura to show up.
Last night Anna had told me where and "how" we were supposed to travel to our date spot.
I really have to admit her ingenuity. While I was initially both worried and perplexed as to where she planned to have us go—
A place where not even Azura was used to.
—upon thinking in a much more calm and collected way, I was able to discern the location's identity on my own volition.
The only problem was: there was nothing there.
That was not a space meant to be assessed by mortals.
Yes, you heard it correctly. The date location Anna recommended for Azura was the Abyss.
I have only heard of the place. From what meager information I possessed regarding the Abyss, the very idea of entering or traversing it was stupidity incarnate.
It was like trying to take a dip in River Styx… maybe.
But if one were to accomplish the impossible and one were to manage to navigate it, one might be able to not only visit different phases but also completely separate and independent world-systems.
That impossibility is what the existence of temples have overturned.
Armed with relics that have the capacity to tear a hole in a temple's barrier, crusaders can have access to different phases.
The only problem with this approach is that: the result of whatever's on the other end of the barrier is completely random.
As such the only way to repeatedly visit a specific phase is to keep the hole in the barrier — the wound— open.
Because the moment it closes, undergoing a "reroll" the phase on the other side might change completely.
Therefore, to call this crude and rudimentary alternate phase-traveling mechanism "efficient" would be a stretch on the boundaries of language.
Nonetheless, it was still a form of world travel; it has allowed for our world's alchemists to chronicle over a thousand alternate worlds.
Anyway, back to the point…
While traveling to a specific phase repeatedly was borderline impossible (unless you are some god of luck), it was not so difficult to simply open a window into the Abyss.
But still, the main problem in our situation remained. There was nothing in there.
When I raised both this issue and the issue of Elaine's—a normal person's— safety with Anna, she just asked me to trust her on that.
Not to mention the overwhelming pressure I faced from an overly enthusiastic Elaine had forced me to capitulate and agree to this absurd proposal.
Although it wouldn't be needed according to Anna, Nika, who was oddly quite busy lately, gave us a little something to ensure Elaine's safety.
Anyway… if Elaine's safety was guaranteed and the problem of navigation redressed, then there was no longer any reason for me to stubbornly refuse the adventure.
With the tiffin boxes Elaine prepared for us, it shouldn't be impossible to spend a couple of hours in that place.
To chatter.
To enjoy the scenery?
Well, there was more than enough time for that.
Not that I was considering chatting with that man. No, thanks.
"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting." (Azura)
Here they were…
"Oh, Mrs. Azura. Good morning!" (Elaine)
Elaine waved her hand in Azura's direction.
If she was here, then that man was doubtlessly here as well.
"Hello. Um, I hope we will have a great time together." (Azura)
"…" (Touma)
"…" (Seth)
"Right. Let's have loads of fun~ Anyway, Anna told me Kamijou-san will show us where to go." (Elaine)
"All right." (Touma)
"Thank you." (Seth)
"Yeah… I'll show you where to go." (Touma)
Contrary to the cheerful girls, Seth and I had a funereal air about us. Seth's countenance showed no emotion; I had no idea what he was thinking. On the other hand, I had to make a conscious effort to hide my killing intent.
I truly, for no apparent reason at all, couldn't help but reject everything about the man's existence on an instinctive level. Unfortunately, today I had no choice but to find a way to endure him.
I took another deep breath.
I was getting tired of this ritual— I had to face reality sooner or later.
"Follow me." (Touma)
"You want us to take a stroll through this ghost town?" (Seth)
"…" (Touma)
"According to our sister, we're going someplace else. This "ghost-town" just happens to be in the way." (Azura)
"I wouldn't mind it here either. This is still a different scenery from what we are used to." (Seth)
"Um, my dearest Mrs. Azura?" (Elaine)
Elaine drew closer and began whispering in Azura's ears.
"Eh? Ah, yes. Lady Le Fay, what is it?" (Azura)
"Does Mr. Seth understand what a date is?" (Elaine)
"Hmm… I'm not sure if he does." (Azura)
"Well, we certainly are off to a good start." (Elaine)
A very good start indeed.
"But well, in our case, the end result is already set in stone, so we can take it easy on that part, I think." (Azura)
Result— in other words— the two of them getting married.
Whatever they did, they could not escape that end.
They could not break up. They could not die before completing the act. Nor could they separate.
"Maybe what we're doing here might look meaningless, but—" (Azura)
Azura gave us a lonely smile. Elaine, without a single word, patted her on the shoulder.
"It's not meaningless, Mrs. Azura. Don't you think it would be a big waste for people to simply exist without making fond, new memories?! Especially since the two of you are man and wife, after all." (Elaine)
"You think so?" (Azura)
"Of course!" (Elaine)
Elaine, her head held high, declared it with so much confidence it took from us the will to question details, such as the source and foundation of that unfaltering faith.
"I recommend that we start moving." (Touma)
I was just about to fly up into the air, when—
"WAIT!" (Elaine)
Elaine grabbed my right ankle almost reflexively.
"This is a perfect opportunity to enjoy a good stroll. And you know, I can't fly. And that flying's not good for my heart." (Elaine)
"But our efficiency will increase by 375.86% if we fly." (Seth)
"…I-I have to agree with him." (Touma)
"…" (Azura)
"Okay, I admit it might be more efficient, but… it has no passion in it!" (Elaine)
Walking requires passion? Hmm… I see…
"Mhm. Very well. I don't think I quite understand, but if it's an issue of passion then I suppose we have no choice." (Touma)
"Hmm. I do not mind either approach, but if you say there's no passion in flying, then we have no choice but to walk. Wouldn't you agree, Azura?" (Seth)
"Um… U-Um… I leave that decision to you." (Azura)
As Seth forced Azura to make a decision, she could only fidget anxiously. It appeared that she was not used to making decisions (or even voice her opinions) in front of Seth.
"Great. Then, let's head out… by W.A.L.K.I.N.G, alright?!" (Elaine)
Fortunately, Elaine never failed to have Azura's back.
"Yes." (Everyone)
And so, we were on our way.
Azura and Seth, a little behind us, walked shoulder to shoulder. I took my place up next to Elaine.
She stole a quick glance behind us and smiled gleefully.
"So nice. They look totally perfect for each other." (Elaine)
"Your thoughts are pouring out, Elaine." (Touma)
"…" (Elaine)
Now she stole a glance at me. What was up with her?
"Kamijou-san. This is a d-date, right?" (Elaine)
"As in you and myself?" (Touma)
She gave me a curt nod.
Well, this was supposedly a double date as per Azura's wishes, so in that sense, Elaine and I were certainly participating in it.
However, it was nonetheless Azura's suggestion. It wasn't like either Elaine or me decided to do this out of our own volition.
We were simply in the wrong (right?) place at the wrong (right?) time.
What kind of answer was she expecting from me?
Given my long and careful observation of her person, in this situation I would hypothesize she hoped me to say this was not a date.
"…S-Sorry, it seems I ended up troubling you." (Elaine)
Elaine gave me a weak smile.
It appeared I didn't make it through the time limit. I was a pitiful excuse for a human being.
But… maybe, it wouldn't be too late if I answer her now.
There was no point in trying to read her feelings. If people could fully understand each other, we wouldn't have wars.
And so, for once, I decided to learn from her for once, and provide an answer based on my heart rather than my rationality.
"We're on a date." (Touma)
"E-Eh?" (Elaine)
"I would like to think of this as a date. But if my inconsiderate words have hurt you somehow, I shall take them all back immediately and make a public apology." (Touma)
Hm? But who would be our public in this case? I grew a little confused.
"Ah, yeah. Um, you don't need to a-apologize, Kamijou-san." (Elaine)
Elaine, her face growing crimson, shook her head vigorously. It didn't seem she was angry at me. I took an easy breath.
"Touma." (Touma)
"E-Excuse me?" (Elaine)
"Please call me Touma from now onwards… if you don't mind." (Touma)
"I-I don't mind. B-But is it really alright?! I heard Japanese people h-hate it when they are suddenly referred to, you know, by their first name." (Elaine)
"That is indeed correct. But people close to the heart are exceptions to this rule." (Touma)
"I-I am close to y-your heart!?" (Elaine)
"Yes, Elaine. You're an irreplaceable existence both in my eyes and my heart." (Touma)
"Is t-that so?! I-I'm so happy~" (Elaine)
Elaine's voice was barely a whisper. Her face red as a tomato, I could almost see steam rising from her head.
"So… um, w-well… then… T-Tou…ma. W-Why do you wish it to be so? A d-date, I mean." (Elaine)
"I am not sure why too." (Touma)
I gave her an honest answer.
I truly did not know, so I decided against worrying and hitting the time limit again.
"Y-You are not sure?" (Elaine)
"I didn't know what kind of response you were wishing for. And since you provided me with not a single hint of what answer you expected, so… I, um, decided to go with, well, my own personal feelings." (Touma)
Like a normal human being.
Like a perfectly normal human being.
"…" (Elaine)
"Did I say something odd?" (Touma)
"Um. No… Nyahahaha~" (Elaine)
After letting out a cat-like laugh, Elaine proceeded to seize my sleeve. Though probably thinking not to obstruct me in any way, she clasped the cloth weakly with her two fingers.
"Touma, is this okay with you? I'm not troubling you, am I?" (Elaine)
"No, you aren't. If anything, your presence makes me feel comfortable." (Touma)
"…" (Elaine)
Hearing that, Elaine shyly directed her gaze at her feet. I felt a surge of bashfulness myself.
With her trailing behind me tugging my sleeve lightly, we merely proceeded to move forward in silence.
The two behind us, meanwhile, seemed to be perfectly alright.
Azura would start telling Seth something, the latter would give her a nonchalant response, and Azura, seemingly having expected exactly that, would proceed to chuckle.
They looked completely natural together.
The union of the ideal wife with the perfect man— theirs' seemed to be a world unapproachable by regular humans.
"Yeah, seems like those two are doing quite well." (Elaine)
It appeared like Elaine had spotted the direction of my gaze.
"But all Seth is doing is repeating "yeah" over and over again." (Touma)
I did not think he was doing a good job was what I wanted to say, but Elaine's nails dug into my flesh before I could finish. It hurt very much.
"How come you're always so hostile to Mr. Seth?" (Elaine)
"I wonder why, too. It's probably something genetic." (Touma)
It was like… I couldn't understand it myself.
"Hmm… They do say that people tend to hate those similar to themselves." (Elaine)
"...Elaine?" (Touma)
"Ah, um… Don't be angry, alright? I've just been toying with the idea of how you and Mr. Seth are kind of similar, you know?" (Elaine)
"Wait. How are we similar exactly?" (Touma)
"Uh… it's just a hunch, you know; you two just feel kind of similar to me. I don't have concrete evidence or anything if you're going to ask me for that."
Well, I was not going to, exactly. I trusted her words unconditionally.
Not to mention that I didn't "hate" Seth.
Rather, for some odd reason, I simply couldn't acknowledge his existence.
Kind of like how two virgin queen bees immediately fight to the death after they hatch despite the clear fact that both of them are perfectly capable of starting two new yet separate and independent colonies.
"H-Hey! Stop glaring at him like that! If you keep doing it, he'll—" (Elaine)
"Hm? What is it?" (Seth)
Noticing my gaze, Seth returned it with a quizzical look. Elaine's warning came a bit late.
…Great, now I had to talk with him.
"Don't mind it. I was just wondering if we were similar or not." (Touma)
"You and I?" (Seth)
Seth dismissed the remark with a smirk.
"We cannot possibly be more dissimilar." (Seth)
"Ah…" (Touma)
Wait.
If you considered the circumstances of Seth's making, and my own origins…
I didn't want to admit it… but the core of our being might have been, after all, quite similar.
"Yeah. I think you're right." (Touma)
"Of course, I am." (Seth)
"…" (Azura)
Azura seemed to be looking from me to Seth and back with confused eyes. We started talking to each other out of the blue which seemed to have taken her off guard.
"That aside, we have been walking for quite a while now. How far is this place of yours?" (Seth)
What he said was true. We have indeed spent a considerable amount of time walking. I tried recalling the exact location Anna had transferred to me through telepathy.
She said she had Nika destabilize a small part of the temple's barrier.
While it was a wound large enough to allow us passage into the Abyss, the rift wasn't significant enough to stick out like a sore thumb, lest it jumpstarted the world's mending process.
Um, first I should—
I began by fishing out the two objects that Nika provided us from my pocket dimension.
The first was a necklace.
It contained within its pendant a small piece of the [Omphalos] stone— a mythical object once believed to be the world's foundation.
According to Nika, this artifact contains the blessing of the Oracle of Delphi (one of her previous incarnations) and, as such, it will protect its wearer from the dangers of the Abyss.
This was just an additional precaution I took for Elaine's safety.
The other was a ring called the [Compass of Liahona]. I was told that it allows its wielder to "hold" space.
"Touma, um… can you, you know—" (Elaine)
Just as I was about to hand the necklace to Elaine, she began fidgeting awkwardly.
"Oh." (Touma)
"…" (Elaine)
It was not like I was unaware of why she was like this.
"Very well. Elaine, your, um, hair." (Touma)
"Y-Yes!" (Elaine)
Elaine, cheeks now flashing a blinding shade of vermillion, lifted her ponytail to reveal her neck.
"A-Alright. Here I go…" (Touma)
I wrapped the necklace around her neck. Due to our sheer proximity, a smell of citrus tinged my nostrils, and I was able to tell how delicate her skin was.
"…T-Thanks!" (Elaine)
I nodded.
Now that I had procured Elaine's safety, time to wear the ring and open the rift.
But… how was I to do that?!
I tried grasping the air around myself with the [Compass of Liahona] to no avail.
This exercise would have been a lot more easier if Nika was here. Alas, she seemed to be quite busy with something as of late.
"…Uuuu!" (Elaine)
Suddenly Elaine began to pout and squirm. While the reason for this phenomenon eluded me, I was suddenly reminded of her eyes.
"Elaine. Sorry for asking you to do this on a date, but could you try looking for a boundary line around here?" (Touma)
"Ah, the rift spot? Roger. Um… Boot!" (Elaine)
As I nodded, Elaine, reacting with "just give me a second," proceeded to activate the [Ankh of Thoth].
Her eyes, sparkling in golden glitters, went on to perceive the hidden mysteries of the world.
"Um… Ah, here. It's here!" (Elaine)
Elaine poked thin air a few times.
After a few seconds of very careful observation, I finally spotted a thin near-invisible fault-line stretching across the scenery at the tip of her finger. It looked like a subtle crack on a glass sheet.
"Got it, Elaine. Thanks. Now, um… First I should take hold of this space, and…" (Touma)
With the assistance of the gloves, my fingers sank deep into the membrane. Its texture wasn't something I could linguistically define, yet there was something.
"…then I should pull it off at 90 degrees to a maximum of 2 meters."
And so, I was able to rip open a hole in the seemingly empty expanse of space. The moment I did so, the sight of a boundless ocean and an infinite sky assaulted my eyes.
It was a world ruled by eternal dusk.
"WHOAAAA." (Elaine)
"So we were stepping outside, after all…" (Azura)
"You knew of this place?" (Touma)
"Not really, but I guessed my sister might have meant this place. It has this peculiar view and atmosphere, after all." (Azura)
Azura stated with a sigh. It seemed like she was not a bit fazed by the otherworldly sight sprawling before us.
As expected of one of the primordial humans. Her common sense was far removed from those of her descendants.
Anyway, since Azura was not surprised, it seemed like it was Anna's loss.
She had either seriously underestimated Azura's experiences or simply overestimated her own capacity to surprise her little sister.
"B-But just where is this place?" (Elaine)
"I don't know. But I'm sure that this is supposed to be the Abyss. My mental image of it looked a lot different, though."
A kaleidoscopic carnival of lights and alien dimensions collapsing in and upon itself.
A warped space(?) where every violation of physical law is possible.
A region where everything imaginable and beyond, no matter how perverse, existed.
A gorge between phases. A rift between cosmologies.
The Great Cosmic Backdrop.
These were the sort of words normally used by alchemists to describe the Great Abyss of Qlippoth.
But no one ever mentioned it to be a boundless sea with a clearly distinct sky.
Just what was going on? There was even a makeshift ground (like a short ledge) for us to stand upon.
Did Anna arrange for all of this?
This went way beyond what any human (even Awan) should be capable of pulling. Just who are you, Anna Sprengel?
"Is that so? How exciting! So, Touma, what do we do now?" (Elaine)
"According to Anna, there's someone here to pick us up." (Touma)
Anna told me it was going to be all right multiple times, all the while giggling meaningfully. Now that I thought about it, I should have realized there was something fishy about the whole affair.
"Hmm… Someone to pick us up? Here?" (Elaine)
Please don't ask me, Elaine. Even I don't know how someone could possibly have come to pick us up here.
"Someone to meet us on the shores of oblivion? Oh, could it be?" (Azura)
We all turned to Azura. Her face oddly lit up in recognition.
"You know who it might be?" (Seth)
"Yes, if I recall correctly—" (Azura)
There was no need for her to continue as a booming roar of splashing water reverberated across the huge seas. A moment later, a skyscraper-like structure emerged from the depths of the ocean below us.
Or at least I thought it was a structure; the notion was proven wrong on my second glance.
The rough dark green surface of the "skyscraper" looked like the hide of some animal.
To be specific, it was a snout. The thing was so huge it didn't quite fit into my sphere of vision.
"—he's the master of the Qlippothic Abyss. As the Red Dragon of the Revelations, he's the god of dragons and serpents lurking in the primordial oceans of Chaos surrounding the three Trees of Existence—"
"The Lord of "Ingenuity" —Rahab?" (Seth)
"What the hell is this thaaat?!" (Elaine)
Elaine's tone was bereft of its usual vivacity.
It seemed the sudden advent of the ancient being was enough to positively stupefy even her. Not that I wasn't stupefied by the display.
Just as we carefully tiptoed away from the edge of the ledge-like thing we stood upon, a deafening roar hit us from above.
"Gyahaha! Welcome to my establishment!" {Irashaimasse! Shin'en e youkosou! ^^} (Rahab)
"I-Irashaimasse?" (Elaine)
The fact that it talked was surprising enough, but the content of its words was even more flabbergasting.
"With that said, allow me to present the location of today's double date: this one's own humble back!" (Rahab)
"Oh, my~" (Azura)
Even Azura had a shocked expression now. Not even she could have predicted this. I could mentally hear the voice of Anna laughing her *ss off.
"Your… back?" (Seth)
"…." (Elaine)
"…." (Touma)
While Seth seemed only mildly surprised, Elaine and I had to recover from the initial shock.
"Eh, uh, um… seriously?" (Elaine)
"Dead serious, lassie. Faced with a personal request from that woman, not even I can ignore that."
The god of ingenuity and creativity spoke jovially.
"Oh…." (Elaine)
"But are you sure there's sufficient space for all of us on your back?"
"Who do you think I am, human?! I can coil around your little universe five times if I so desired. If I hadn't compressed my size this greatly, you wouldn't be able to make a single circumnavigation around the top of my head even if you spent a thousand lifetimes trying, hohoho~" (Rahab)
Rahab's cheeky laugh reminded me of that one specific sitcom.
"Hmph. I don't think you can declare that before we even get a chance to try." (Seth)
"Indeed." (Touma)
However terrible a sensation that was, it seemed I was in agreement with Seth on this matter.
"Ara~" (Azura)
"What's wrong with you guys?! We're on a double date here! Will it kill you both to play your stupid games some other time?" (Elaine)
"…" (Touma)
"…" (Seth)
Elaine placed her palms on my cheeks, and proceeded to force my gaze on her. Azura clasped Seth's hand in her own way to calm him down.
…I guess it was for the best if we postponed our exploration challenge for now.
"So, how are we supposed to get over there?" (Touma)
"Hold your horses, sonny~. Just give me a moment to make suitable arrangements." (Rahab)
With a humungous rumble, a vast island-like landscape emerged from the depths of the seas. It was enough vast that one could probably settle a city atop it.
"Well, let's go, Elaine." (Touma)
"Huh? But I can't fly—" (Elaine)
I picked up Elaine without waiting for her to finish.
"Uhyah?!" (Elaine)
"You can if we do this." (Touma)
"Th-That was a very sudden embrace, Sir! And, d-don't they call this posture a "princess hold"?" (Elaine)
"I'm pretty sure they don't." (Touma)
"Uhnya~ Unyaaa~" (Elaine)
The suddenness of my act seemed to have sent Elaine into a fit of delirium.
That aside…
"Um…" (Azura)
"Yes?" (Seth)
"*staaare~*" (Azura)
"Why? You can fly just all right." (Seth)
"Well, that's true. But… um… you know… I kind of don't wanna." (Azura)
"Hmm. I see." (Seth)
I turned back to see Seth take Azura in his arms, mimicking my actions.
"I wonder if she insisted on that." (Elaine)
"You mean Azura?" (Touma)
"Yeah… She probably grew a little envious. Ehehehe~" (Elaine)
With that, Elaine wrapped her arms around my neck, pressing her body against mine.
"Being hugged kind of reminds me I'm alive, you know." (Elaine)
"Well, if I went all out, I think I can crush a person's bones to the dust… Wanna see?" (Touma)
I'll do it on myself, though.
"D-Don't do that, please!" (Elaine)
"I was just joking. You didn't like it?" (Touma)
I thought it was pretty funny.
"Um. Your jokes are kinda bad for my heart…" (Elaine)
And so… we landed on Rahab's vast back.
Elaine sniffed the air a couple of times and released a relaxed breath.
"Thank goodness. I was worried it would smell like fish." (Elaine)
"You know that I can hear you, lassie." (Rahab)
Rahab seemed displeased by Elaine's preconceptions.
"Ahh, I'm sorry. It's just that, you know… A date in a fishy-smelling place is a little bit…" (Elaine)
"But what if you happened to visit a zoo on your date? Or an aquarium?" (Touma)
"Those are entirely different." (Elaine)
Denying my words with utmost confidence, she proceeded to trot on Rahab's back.
"Whoa, this crunchy yet fluffy sensation of the scales is so cool!" (Elaine)
Indeed. It felt like I was walking on frost.
"The sky's so high. The sea's so vast. And oh cr*p we're so high! It's positively terrifying!" (Elaine)
"Yeah, it feels like we're on a cliff or something." (Touma)
I gazed at the vast seas surrounding us.
"Do not peer too deep, for that sea is the Abyss. A wise man once said: if you gaze long into the Abyss, the Abyss will gaze back at you." (Seth)
Friedrich Nietzsche. But was Seth sure about bringing up that philosopher of all people here? He was the one who declared God dead after all.
"However, Abyss or not, the water's surface doesn't look any different from a regular sea. Wait, if this isn't runaway water, then it shouldn't be salty, should it…?" (Touma)
They say that God once caused a massive flood to end the wicked. Pouring continuously for forty days and forty nights, the Great Deluge was a punishment inflicted upon the descendants of Cain.
But if, hypothetically speaking of course, this water were to be the same as that water, then… this sea could really be a type of rainwater, couldn't it?
"It is said that God cleaved that water off the heavens. It's probably just as salty as the sea." (Seth)
"Hmm." (Touma)
Most curious indeed.
Should I give this water a taste? N-No, maybe that's a bad idea…
"Hey, you two. Let's have lunch already!" (Elaine)
Elaine and Azura had spread out a picnic mat and were readying lunchboxes already.
The display itself made my stomach grumble.
Now that I thought about it, I originally ate rations since coming to the new world.
But that changed after Elaine joined us. Now, she would prepare our breakfast, lunches, and dinners pretty much every day.
"Here you go. Since we were going on a d-d-date today, I tried preparing something a little bit special. T-Touma, what d-do you think?" (Elaine)
She had trouble pronouncing the word "date" and her voice fell to a whisper afterward. The presence of Seth and Azura might have made her feel really awkward.
Of course, I knew what was the best course of action here.
I had to praise her. I had to thank her. That much was blatantly obvious.
However, this was a date. I had to find words that would make her feel especially happy in this situation.
"L-Looks like a feast!" (Touma)
"That's it?" (Elaine)
"Looks delicious!" (Touma)
"…One more push." (Elaine)
"Looks heavenly?" (Touma)
"Ugh, it's getting further and further away from what I want to hear. Can you try coming up with something that'd make my heart race or something? Try one more time." (Elaine)
"Wh-What does that mean?" was the question I wanted to ask, but her deep and expectant gaze left me speechless.
"Hmm… I-I feel like you've already found the way to my heart?" (Touma)
Was that a bit too cheesy for her?
"I'm not sure about that question mark at the end, but I'll let you off the hook for today. Help yourself—" (Elaine)
I took the boxed lunch she stuck out to me and opened its lid.
…An apt way to describe it would probably be: meat.
Hamburg steak. Meatballs. Youlinjis. Souvlas. Neapolitan chicken. Braised pork belly. Tomato-baked chicken. Cold pork shabu-shabu. Roast beef. Bon Bon chicken.
"Hehehe~ I also managed to cram in some British spam."
Spam was not a British invention. In fact, the word itself was the abbreviation of Specially Processed American Food.
It was made popular in the UK in the 1940s, but I couldn't exactly blame Elaine for thinking that it originated in England: she must have seen that sketch, too.
"Is there nothing other than meat?" (Touma)
"Hehe~ The "very optional for today" salad's in this box." (Elaine)
Thank god.
The contents of the other box assaulted my eyes with colorful splendor— from refreshing green to enticing red— it was packed chock-full with delicious-looking fresh fruits and vegetables.
Cabbage, lettuce, napa, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, and eggplant sat in a separate section from fresh fruits like slices of tangerines, apples, pears, guavas, etc.
There was even a dedicated section for dried fruits.
This was indeed amazing.
Especially the size of the whole thing.
Not to mention that the vegetable dishes barely fit in the container which was already quite humungous as far as lunch boxes went.
"We have both plain rice and rice-balls in this one. I have made some naan and tortillas, too. And, oh… soup's in this thermos, so it's still warm. There's eggnog, bottled tea, milk, and other desserts, too."
She was pulling out one dish after another like some sort of magic show (well, a bit of magic was probably involved in making these, especially with procuring the ingredients part.)
"Phew, I really gave my all today!" (Elaine)
"It seems so. I'm truly awed. I'll make sure to eat everything." (Touma)
In the worst-case scenario, I could simply make use of [Biokinesis] to accelerate my digestion.
"Ehehe~ Thanks~" (Elaine)
"…" (Azura)
Huh?
The air on the other side of the sheet seemed to have been overtaken by a particularly dark mood. The be more specific: Azura appeared to be positively depressed.
"H-Huh?" (Elaine)
A dark aura of sorts seemed to be swirling around her as she had her eyes locked on Elaine.
"U-Um… Mrs. Azura?" (Elaine)
"…" (Azura)
"D-Did I do something wrong?" (Elaine)
"Nope. You haven't done a thing, Lady Le Fay." (Azura)
As Azura's barely audible whisper pierced Elaine, she jerked towards me, clutching onto my arm.
"I-I don't know what's going on, but I think this is a Pattern: Blue kind of situation!" (Elaine)
Pattern: Blue?! What was that?
If I could have a word, I'd say Azura's normally blue eyes were actually turning wet and red now.
But that wasn't what was important now.
What was driving Azura to direct all this particular attention to Elaine? It felt too weak for animosity, too feeble for killing intent, and too pure for malice.
"Azura." (Seth)
"…" (Azura)
"Azura, cut it out. She is herself. You are you." (Seth)
"I understand that, b-but…" (Azura)
"And I prefer your cooking." (Seth)
Seth's line made both Elaine and me realize what was going on.
In a small lunch box, there rested a plain loaf of bread, some thinly sliced venison, and shredded cabbage.
A portion for two.
That was the situation of their lunch box.
In other words, a sense of inferiority had taken over Azura the moment she saw the Qing-like Imperial feast Elaine had in store.
This was most troubling. What were we supposed to do to escape this gloom?
For the first time since battling Solon Ehrenstein, I was forced to stretch my mental faculties to the limit.
What about sharing our lunch box with them?
No, that was probably not a good idea.
This was something Elaine made for the two of us.
It would be unforgivably rude to her if I were to share it with Seth or Azura.
Not to mention that even if Elaine didn't take offense, I got the feeling it had the "we shall bless you with our superior cuisine, lowly wretches, xoxo" kind of nuance.
How about ignoring them, then?
A sensible strategy, but not very apt for this situation.
"Touma~ open wide!" (Elaine)
"Aaanh." (Touma)
"Ehehe~ How does it taste?" (Elaine)
"It's very delicious~" (Touma)
"Ehehehehe~" (Elaine)
"Ahahahaha~" (Touma)
"Boohoohoo~" (Azura)
Yep, definitely not a good idea.
Also, was it just me, or was my personality oddly off in the column above?
Helping ourselves to a quiet lunch while ignoring our guests… Could one call that a date?
Hoping that Elaine might have come up with something better, I gave her a glance—
"…" (Elaine)
Elaine was trembling; she looked like her brain had short-circuited.
Realizing her actions had hurt Azura's feelings, she herself seemed to suffer a deep shock.
I had to do something to salvage this awkward situation or this would end in a disaster.
"…." (Azura)
"…." (Elaine)
"…." (Touma)
As my mind was busy, awhirl with panicky thoughts, Seth suddenly clasped a piece of venison with his fork and guided it to his mouth.
"Very tasty." (Seth)
E-Eh? But… um…" (Azura)
"Tasty things are tasty. You made this from the scratch, didn't you?" (Seth)
"Y-Yes. Um… I did." (Azura)
Azura blinked a couple of things in confusion.
Having an idea of her personality, she probably grew the grain she needed to make that loaf of bread personally, which was seriously impressive in its own right.
Seth considered the depressed Azura with a serene and calm face.
"I do not understand why you would feel inferior. You made this lunch for me, didn't you? That action alone makes this much more meaningful than the most splendid of feasts." (Seth)
"…" (Azura)
As the realization of the words spoken by Seth began to dawn on Azura, color truly began to return to her eyes.
Seth meanwhile proceeded to take a bite out of the bread as if nothing happened.
"B-But… But I still could've… tried to prepare something a little bit more…" (Azura)
"Don't make any mistakes, Azura. Anything turns into the most delicious of foods as long as you're at my side, sharing the meal with me." (Seth)
I exchanged glances with Elaine and realized she was shaking. Both from being touched, and feeling a bit out of place in this dramatic and pure scene.
"Touma~ I'm in a pickle! I don't know how long I can withstand the repelling power of their love barrier." (Elaine)
Elaine began whispering from behind me.
"Love barrier?" (Touma)
"I made that word up, but it is kind of self-explanatory, don't you think?" (Elaine)
"Well, I guess I can tell what you mean." (Touma)
"What should we do? Wanna sit a bit further away?" (Elaine)
"That would be awkward, no? Let's just get the lunch out of the way first." (Touma)
"…But I tried my best to prepare it, you know." (Elaine)
A lonely expression set on Elaine's features. Ah… it seemed like I chose my words poorly.
"Don't worry. I'll make sure to savor the taste of every last bit of it, okay?" (Touma)
"Yeah!" (Elaine)
Energy returned to Elaine's complexion as she gave me a cheerful nod. Well, time to dig in, then.
"Open wide~ Aanh~" (Elaine)
"B-But I can myself—" (Touma)
"ANH?!" (Elaine)
A flash of killing intent pierced through my body.
"My deepest gratitude, Elaine-sama. I shall the help myself to your unending generosity." (Touma)
I opened my mouth, and Elaine used her fork to guide a meatball into it. Its salty-sweet flavor was out of this world.
"Ehehe~ Good. Try more. Aaanh~" (Elaine)
"*munch* *munch* How about you? Why aren't you eating?" (Touma)
"…" (Elaine)
Elaine directed her gaze towards my fork. I had an inkling of what she was thinking.
Did she really want me to do it?
Well, there's no choice…
"Elaine. Open your mouth." (Touma)
"Yeah! Aaaanh~ Um, Touma, would you mind making that hamburg steak piece a little bit smaller?" (Elaine)
"Ah, wait a sec." (Touma)
It seemed the chunks I was used to eating couldn't fit into her small mouth.
I divided it into smaller pieces and proceeded to do the "aanh" thing again.
"Aaanh… *munch* *munch* Oh yeah, it's really good! I did awesome! Yeah, I really did awesome…" (Elaine)
The hint of sadness in her tone probably arose from the fact she was forced to praise herself.
"Yeah, it is truly delicious. Where did you learn to cook? Oh, I suppose you can't answer that, sorry." (Touma)
"Mhm. I don't remember a thing… so it kind of almost feels like I could do this thing from birth, you know?" (Elaine)
"Able to cook from birth, huh…" (Touma)
Talk about being very convenient.
Though most gourmet cooks would probably cry at the notion.
"Well, but if I continue cooking it might help me remember something, you see. So, I'll be sure to make lots and lots of good stuff for you to taste. Aaanh~" (Elaine)
"*munch* *munch* I'll be looking forward to it. Open wide." (Touma)
"Aanh~ Ehehe~" (Elaine)
"…" (Azura)
"What is it?" (Seth)
"U-Um. Would it be alright if I tried what Lady Le Fay is doing, too?" (Azura)
Not waiting for an answer, Azura nodded, and with her eyebrows knitted in an expression of steel resolve, proceeded to guide a piece of venison towards Seth's mouth,
"*munch* Thank you." (Seth)
Seth bit into it without a shred of hesitation.
"…I would like to try what Kamijou Touma is doing as well. Would you mind?" (Seth)
"P-Please do! Aaanh~" (Azura)
Azura, a bit flustered, nodded fervently. Pulling a few stray strands of her hair behind her ears, she then closed her eyes and opened her delicate mouth. The action reminded me of a baby bird waiting to be fed.
"*munch* *munch*" (Azura)
"…" (Seth)
…?
Did I imagine it? It seemed like Seth's stone-cold expression changed for a second there.
"…" (Seth)
"…This is a bit embarrassing." (Azura)
"It was embarrassing for me, too." (Seth)
With that, the two of them began eating by themselves again.
"Mr. Seth is so smooth." (Elaine)
I very much wanted to object to that notion, but I couldn't quite find the words, given what we'd just witnessed.
"I'm not smooth. I am just trying to be as I should." (Seth)
"As you should? What do you mean?" (Elaine)
"I have to be Seth. As the perfect human, I have to be faithful to God's design. I might have been assembled by mankind, but the blueprint they used were the same."
Seth declared his origins with an indifferent voice as if it were no big deal at all.
"…" (Azura)
Azura fixed her gaze on the ground, looking troubled as if battling with something in her mind.
"Unfortunately, I possess no memories of the Original. So, the sole option at my disposal is to do what must be done." (Seth)
"And what would that be?" (Touma)
"Crusade. I have to reach God's side, and beg for His forgiveness. That is my role." (Seth)
"I knew about the crusade, but what's this about forgiveness?" (Touma)
Seth, his face emotionless, opened his mouth, and made his confession in a fashion most suited to someone discussing the weather.
"I shall become a sacrifice. I do not know if He will burn me alive, or strike me down with thunder, but I imagine I will meet my end at the last stage of my crusade." (Seth)
"…Eh?" (Elaine)
"Sacrifice…?" (Touma)
"Humanity's sins are far too great. It has already exceeded the level the Son of God cleansed for us. Maybe that's the reason why God unleashed this catastrophe upon humanity. As such, shouldn't be only imperative for us to seek His forgiveness? As long as the Creator does not reject me, I will bestow upon Him my life in exchange for Mankind's." (Seth)
"…" (Azura)
"Y-You mean you are going to um… die?" (Elaine)
"Yes. But what of it?" (Seth)
"…" (Touma)
"Th-That can't be right! Suicide is—" (Elaine)
"It is not a suicide. Do not confuse throwing away the precious life God has given you with willingly bestowing it to His grace." (Seth)
"B-But! That's…" (Elaine)
Tears started welling in Elaine's eyes. Seth, observing the phenomenon, cocked his head to the side in puzzlement.
"Why do you cry?" (Seth)
"I don't know… but… it's just…" (Elaine)
"Just what? Azura is not crying, you see?" (Seth)
"…Yes, and I shall never do so." (Azura)
She gave Seth a lonely smile.
"But… But are you alright with that?" (Elaine)
"Yes. If such is God's role for my husband, then as a wife I can only see him off with a smile."
There was not a tinge of hesitation in Azura's words.
Madness was the word that swirled in my mind, but I knew that was not the case.
They dispassionately accepted everything their given roles entailed. Discarding both hopes and desperation in the process, they had truly forgotten what it meant to rebel.
To think these two represented the best of humanity…
"Such is our destiny. Seth's is one of sacrifice, and mine's of eternally seeing him off." (Azura)
"B-But…" (Elaine)
"Elaine. Cut it out." (Touma)
Reacting to my cold tone, Elaine shuddered. Then returning to her seat, she then proceeded to awkwardly continue eating from our tiffin-box in complete silence.
Observing this outcome, I couldn't help but…
"Seth." (Touma)
"What is it, Kamijou Touma?" (Seth)
"I must say I can't stand you, after all." (Touma)
"…Hm. I never hoped for you to like me." (Seth)
"I hate the fact that you're going to make your wife undergo so much torment from the bottom of my heart." (Touma)
Seth cocked his head to the side in befuddlement.
"What are you talking about? Azura is not crying." (Seth)
"…." (Touma)
"Thank you for worrying about me. But, fortunately, I am not currently crying, Lord Kamijou." (Azura)
Seth gave me an absolutely infuriating "see?" kind of look.
"Before your so-called sacrifice, give yourself a moment to think about what I said." (Touma)
"I have no time to waste thinking about drivel." (Seth)
"…."
I gave up on trying to communicating with him at this point.
He would most likely meet his God eventually, and accomplish his sacrifice.
I had no right to stop him, nor did I particularly want to. He could do whatever he wished for all I cared.
So what if Azura falls on her knees crying once the deed was done?
That was a path of her choosing.
Their life-choices offered no real chance for outsiders to do anything about it except maybe offer a few words of condolences at the couple's eternal misery.
But still…
"Don't forget that humans, real humans, don't abandon thought till the very end." (Touma)
"…" (Seth)
"Aren't you a man? The perfect human? Then try using that head God has supposedly given you for a change." (Touma)
I eyed him intently.
He, however, took my glare straight on and looked back at me resolute as if there was truly not a shred of doubt in his soul.
"I cannot say I like how you make it sound like I have never taken time to ruminate our life choices." (Seth)
"Have you ever?" (Touma)
"I… All right, I understand. I shall heed your words and take some time to ponder, even if I already know the conclusion cannot possibly differ." (Seth)
"That's… a wise choice." (Touma)
We broke our gazes.
As I was about to dig into my chicken leftovers, Seth suddenly mumbled something as if to himself.
"Kamijou Touma, I am Seth." (Seth)
"I know that." (Touma)
"As the perfect human on earth, it is my duty to love each and every one of my father's progeny." (Seth)
"Is there any point for that?" (Touma)
"Yes, or at least I think there was. However, I have to admit: I detest you from the bottom of my heart." (Seth)
"…" (Touma)
"So much that your pain would turn to my pleasure. It appears that I have somehow come to absolutely loathe you." (Seth)
"Believe me, the feeling is mutual. There's but one reason I would pray for your safety, and that's because I do not wish for your partner to regret." (Touma)
"Then I shall pray for your safety, too, so that your partner— Elaine Le Fay can escape lament." (Seth)
"…" (Touma)
"…" (Seth)
"…Hmph." (The Two)
"…" (Azura)
"…" (Elaine)
Elaine and Azura looked at each other for a while, and once content proceeded to giggle.
And so, we gazed at the outside scenery.
Outside?
I suppose it was outside in a way.
"When one sinks deeper into the abyss of despair, the world's skeletal framework is demystified. Unraveled. Treasure the darkness, kiss the pain, embrace the loneliness. They all lead to Paradise dreamt."
I heard Azura's voice. Her words, it appeared, were not meant for me.
"Speaking of which, can't we use this Abyss to access the seventh temple directly? Traverse to it, and be done with the whole fiasco?" (Touma)
"Many tried doing that when the temples first appeared." (Azura)
"None returned?" (Touma)
"Yes. Back then we even hypothesized that Rahab might be shooting crusaders down." (Azura)
"Why in the blue blazes would I bother doing something so tiresome? They all went mad on their own right." (Rahab)
"This place isn't meant to be accessed by mortals. Even without the influence of the chorus, it is only a matter of time before it claims you." (Azura)
Chorus, huh?
Wasn't that that accursed siren song stated to pollute the temples with abnormal levels of mental contamination?
"Not to mention we had that telepathic hint. While we have no idea who that was, it was best not to lose hope. In the end, we decided against trying to cheat our way to the end of the crusade." (Azura)
"Azura is completely resistant to the effects of the chorus, and I am yet to observe any negative side-effects of mental contamination on myself." (Seth)
"Huh? What about us? Are we resistant, too?" (Elaine)
"No, you are not. If the song's taint touches your heart, you will go mad and plunge yourselves of a precipice like lemmings." (Azura)
"That sure was straight to the point! But, mhm… I can't say I like the idea of going mad very much." (Elaine)
"Well, we're still all right, aren't we? If it grows worse, we can always turn back." (Touma)
"Yes. You should do so." (Seth)
"But let's try to go as far as possible." (Touma)
"Your phrasing suddenly changed from pessimistic to optimistic suddenly, but the overall idea is still the same, right?" (Elaine)
Don't worry about it. It's a man thing.
"Still you should try to find your life's purpose. As things stand, it is the best tool to resist the call of the madness." (Azura)
"Life's purpose, huh… I tried thinking and looking for it, but… do you think someone like me would have one?" (Elaine)
"I'm sure you do. It's just that you haven't realized it yet." (Touma)
"What about you…?" (Elaine)
"I…" (Touma)
A blood-chilling thought ran through my head. I couldn't truly deny that someone like me might indeed not possess a reason to live after all.
"Have you two found your purposes?" (Elaine)
Elaine couldn't help but ask. The two nodded.
"Of course. As the perfect human, I was born as a representative of everyone to whom this earth belongs. My reason for existence is Mankind itself." (Seth)
"Mine is even easier. To serve Seth, and his ambition. Such is the purpose behind my life, and my own goal." (Azura)
Hmm.
The perfect man and an ideal wife, huh.
Well, I suppose it, too, was worthy of respect in a way.
But what kind of concept could my own reason lie?
Gazing at the boundless skies of the Abyss, I wrestled with the question in my mind.
We said our goodbyes to Seth and Azura in the first temple. The two thanked us, and took their leave, flying into the sky.
Walking through the empty city, I was deep in thought. Elaine, seemingly worried, lightly poked my arm.
"Still worried about it?" (Elaine)
I knew what she was thinking.
"Yes. It's bothering me a bit… Quite a lot, actually." (Touma)
Magic name.
"The purpose we have to live for, huh. It's about time we started looking for it seriously, isn't it?" (Elaine)
"Yeah." (Touma)
My voice was barely a whisper.
"I wonder what kind of things were on my mind in the past— I mean, when I still had like my memories and all." (Elaine)
"I don't think many people go out of their ways to ponder these matters like we have to." (Touma)
The purpose they had to fulfill in this world.
I doubted there were many people who could hold their heads high and confidently declare theirs to the world.
Not to mention I had to find a purpose so strong it could dominate the laws of the universe— the very world itself.
Sin. Punishment. Misdeed. Redemption.
All sorts of negative words would emerge, only to sink back down into the pitch-black ocean that were my thoughts.
Were those indeed the only reasons available to me in the end?
"Not quite! Touma, I think your purpose…" (Elaine)
Elaine suddenly sprang forward and, extending her arms in a wide arc, turned back to me.
"—is to bring smiles and happiness to those around you!" (Elaine)
"…" (Touma)
"…" (Elaine)
"No. I don't think that's it." (Touma)
I could not possibly possess a reason as pure as that.
"H-Hey, don't deny it outright like that! How do you think I feel now? I yelled out with such confidence, too. Can you imagine how embarrassing this is now?" (Elaine)
Covering her face with both of her palms, she proceeded to shake her head from side to side. Unfortunately, there was no way she could have been right.
"I'm not someone who can possibly make other people happy. Well, I'm not looking to bring others misfortune either, but…" (Touma)
Though I already did.
I have already brought misfortune and unhappiness to fifteen billion people. That much was an unarguable fact.
I am the paragon of misfortune.
"But… you made me happy." (Elaine)
As gloomy thoughts were about to overtake me, Elaine suddenly clasped my arm, returning my attention back to reality.
"I mean, without you, I would be stuck in that repetitive hell for all eternity. You saved me, and I couldn't be happier for it." (Elaine)
"But that's—" (Touma)
"You even went so far to keep me company afterward, didn't you? And you're still here, right by my side even now. I'm really, really happy. How could I not be?" (Elaine)
Elaine, seemingly overcome by an urge for theatrics, pointed her finger at me in an exaggerated sweep.
"I'm decisively happy! And I don't want to hear a peep out of that mouth if you're going to say otherwise!" (Elaine)
"…I see." (Touma)
"Yup. You see!" (Elaine)
Her beaming smile reminded me of the sun.
Well, I learned one good thing today.
My existence had indeed made at least one person happy.
And I couldn't help but rejoice at the fact that that person turned out to be Elaine Le Fay.
Author Notes:
Mr. X:
Thanks a ton for dropping a review as usual ^^
Now to answer the questions you asked this time 'round:
1) Many thankies~ The corrections are done :3
2) Well, it was kinda just a double date. Anna and Nika helped them, but it's mainly an off-hand approach. Nika isn't around this time because she's busy with some stuff off-screen (her usual issues in Book 1). She's quite often searching for her book in the background (in the library), but this time there is a specific reason why she is busy and not-present even there. Anna, on the other hand, just isn't ready to begin "hanging" out with Seth.
3) That grimoire wasn't killed by Azura (it appears to be so, but it isn't). It's life-processes were suspended by Coronzon, but she wasn't dead. In Book 1, she was eventually captured by Kanzaki. Original Grimoires can only be destroyed by Secret Chiefs, and Azura didn't possess that level of juice when she offed Regis, which Azura knew. There is another reason why she did what she did back then. There's some really spoiler-ish story behind Regis which will be explored in later parts of this book and even more in Book 3.
Once again, thanks a lot for reading my work... I truly hope you liked it.
That being said... let's move to trivia :3
Not much research needed to be done for this chapter. Just some insight into the OC couple's mindset and the situations revolving around them. As I said, since the endings of this story will explore the two extremes of the Seth- Touma relationship, you can say that this is an important point to that.
By the way, you might have noticed how everyone calls Aiwass- Rahab- instead of his Book 1 name.
Well, there's a reason for that. It is a spoiler... but still :3
Apart from all that, it's just another relaxed chapter based on two awkward couples trying to have a double date jaja.
Hope you liked it...
Oh. And I'm sorry for the slightly late update. Lately, I'm finding less and less time to write (man, my irl sucks)... but I'll still try to keep up with the schedule :))
See you all next time...
~VG outto~