Chapter 86 – A Special Rebirthed Friendship

Arle's POV

"Woah…this place truly is huge! I didn't think it even extended this far! So cool!"

"Wow, you've really never been to a city before, huh?" Lala asked me.

"Can you blame me, though? Our world had nothing but small villages, grassy plains, and dungeons around every corner."

"Yeah, true. I've been here for so long that I've already seen this place for all it's got. You could say that I have it all down like the back of my hand."

"*giggle* Well, good for you." I said with a smile.

Right now, we were heading for where Lala currently lives. Someplace called an…apartment. Whatever that is. It was a chance for us to catch up after 11 years of being apart.

And…to talk about what happened a year or two after I graduated.

I have a bad feeling about some parts of that story she told me…

"Hey, by the way…" Lala said. "…I kinda…made a huge scene in front of those people you were with. They don't…think I'm weird, do they?"

"No, no. It's fine. I explained to them what was going on and they understand completely. Right now, they're just not getting involved until the time is right."

"I see…and, uh…they're all your friends, right? People you became acquainted with in this world?"

I get it…because she secluded herself from everyone, Lala has no friends. And even though it was buried deep within her self-hated heart, she felt a hint of jealousy after seeing me with everyone during lunch.

She really has been through a lot…

"Don't worry about that now, Lala. Once you're fully ready, I'll introduce you to them all and they'll be your friends, too."

"R-Really? Y-You'll do that?"

"Of course. I am your friend, right?"

"Fr-Friend…" Lala went silent for a bit. Then gained a small smile on her face as she looked down towards the ground. "Th-Thanks, Arle. You really are a…a…good friend."

Good friend, huh? Well, it's something. With how she is now, it's going to take more than a single day to have her accept other people in her life again. Being just me is a start.

"Sure thing, Lala. Anything for a friend." I said with a smile of my own.

We arrived at this "apartment" place Lala lives in a few minutes later. On the outside, it was just this really tall grey building with multiple windows and such. On the inside, it was just long hallways of grey-colored doors each with a different number going up by one. With stairs that take you up to the multiple floors above.

It was all pretty bizarre…

"Wow…so, such a place like this really exists in this world?" I asked.

"Pretty much. There are buildings like this all over this city. Some of them look nice while others look like total crap. I was lucky to get one of the nice ones."

"I see…so, which one of these doors is yours?"

"None of them. My apartment's on the 5th floor."

"The 5th floor? Man, and we gotta climb all those stairs just to get there?"

"No, we can just take the elevator."

"Wh-What's an elevator?" I asked in pure confusion.

"A big metal box that takes you up or down in just seconds compared to taking the stairs. It's really useful."

"Woah…you mean such a thing exists here?"

"Y-Yes…it does." Lala gained a sweatdrop. "H-Hey, how long were you here again?"

"Hmm…" I thought about it. "…About three months. It was sometime in the beginning of June that the whole "Mirror Incident" happened. I still get conflicted just thinking about it."

"I see. Well…I guess with that logic, it makes sense that you haven't seen everything this world has."

"Well, I do know that someone out here is raping ducks for no apparent reason."

"Wh-What?"

"I don't get it, either." I gained a sweatdrop.


And so, after dropping that conversation before it got even weirder, took this "elevator" thing up to the 5th floor to where Lala's apartment was. Soon, we were standing in front of gray door #518. And once the door unlocked and opened…

"Woah…it's so…so…tiny."

"Yeah, that's how most of them are." Lala said. "Apartments are usually for people who either just want to be alone or just simply can't afford a house. And since I'm only 17, I fit in both of those categories."

"I see…well, it's still cool, nonetheless. Feels cozy, too."

"Yeah…you kinda get that feeling sometimes." Lala said with a small smile.

Lala gave me a full tour of her apartment…which wasn't much to look at. The kitchen and living room were in one area and a single hallway separated her bedroom from the one bathroom she has in here. This place really was built for only one person to live in.

No wonder she chose a place like this…

"Well…that's the whole place." Lala said. "Guess I should help you get back home, right?"

"Huh? You mean I can't stay?"

"Wh-What? Y-You…Y-You want to stay?"

"Well…I gotta go back home eventually…but I just got here. Let's talk a little bit, you know."

"T-Talk about what? We pretty much did all the talking we could on the roof of the school earlier."

Well…not exactly…

I took a deep breath and prepared to say something that I might truly regret bringing up.

"Lala…I wanna talk about Camus."

And just as I thought would happen, Lala froze up. she sunk her head down, grabbed me by the shoulders, and brought be closer as she started getting angry. Her traumatized emotions getting the best of her again.

"Why…Why can't you just drop it already? Why must you torture me, Arle Nadja?!"

"Lala, listen to me! I'm not trying to screw with you! I'm only bringing this up again because…well…"

"Because what?!"

Here goes…

"…Because I know the monster who killed him!"

"Wh…Wh-What?" Lala froze again. This time, with intense sadness and shock filling up her body.

"That monster…I know who it is. When you described what it looked like, I recognized it almost immediately. Which is why I'm bringing it up now."

"Y…You know? Y-You know who killed Camus? Pl-Please, Arle…I beg of you…tell me what you know! I-I'll do anything you want! Just PLEASE tell me!" Lala was in full tears at this point. Learning the identity of who viciously murdered her one true love right in front of her eyes was no doubt something she dreamed of happening. Even while continuously swirling down a decade-long depression.

"Alright, I'll tell you. But let's calm down a little bit first. Things got a little tense just now, don't you think?"

"Ah…r-right. S-Sorry…" Lala said as she had finally let go of me. Gaining a small blush of embarrassment on her face.

She's so shy and timid…almost like Seriri.

Only difference is…Seriri isn't traumatized by fear and sadness.


After we both calmed down together and had a small bite to eat, I began explaining to Lala everything I knew about this monster that killed our older classmate and her true love interest. This was based on what Amitie told me. And even though I only saw a single picture of him, his presence is truly the stuff of nightmares.

"That monster…he's known as Sphinx. The Soul King. He was obsessed with murder and power. Killing anyone he crossed paths with just for the hell of it.

He tried to kill two of my friends. One was years ago and the other just recently. And it was then that they both defeated him once and for all."

At least, that's what Amitie and Peruvis told me…

"No way…so, that monster…the King of Souls…Camus wasn't his first victim. There were many others, weren't there?"

"Based on what I was told…yes. I heard that an entire town was slaughtered by him. Just to fulfill his lust for sadistic murder."

"D-Damn…s-so that's how it was…" Lala looked like she was about to cry again. And this time…I don't blame her.

Geez…who would've thought that Sphinx was once in MY world killing people for his own sick amusement? And this was when I was still over there, too. I could've encountered him and met with the same gruesome fate Camus and plenty others had before.

Perhaps those multiple adventures were truly lifesavers in disguise…

"Lala…I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you had to go through nearly a decade of not knowing who did this to Camus…and changed your life forever. I feel like I have some blame in all of this…"

"N-No, Arle…it's fine." Lala said. "I'm done holding grudges. Now that I truly know what happened to Camus…how and why he ended up with the fate he got…I can finally try to move on."

"M-Move on?"

"For years, I blamed myself for Camus' death. That if I didn't sneak into the tower, he could've had a way bigger chance of defeating this Sphinx monstrosity you mentioned."

Lala then dug into her shirt and brought out her Soul Ruby hanging around her neck.

But now…now that I know the truth…and have been given a second chance at life…I'm gonna try to make full use of it. I may be a few years late with it, but…it's better than not doing it at all. R-Right?"

"I wholeheartedly agree, Lala." I said with a smile and thumbs up. "And don't worry. I'll help you along the way, too. Just like I promised."

"Arle…" Lala stared at me in silence for a bit before gaining a smile on her face. One that was bigger than the ones before. "…Thank you, Arle. You really are a…a…great friend."

Hey! I got upgraded to great friend! Maybe after a while, I'll become her best friend! I'm getting closer…

"Thanks, Lala. That truly means a lot." I said with a smile of my own.


The two of us hung out together at the apartment some more before it was time for me to head home. I'm still rather new to this whole city place. So, Lala walked with me to where the train station was.

She sure knows her way around this place…makes sense since she's been here for 9 years.

"Man…this was one eventful first day of school." I said. "I wonder if the rest of high school's going to be like this…"

"Well, they do say that high school's the best 3 years of your life. A lot of people I know around here say that they would do it all over again. It was THAT great for them, apparently."

"I see…well, I hope I can say the same thing when I graduate."

"Yeah…m-me, too." Lala went silent for a bit. "H-Hey, I've been meaning to ask…you still have your magic spells, right?"

"Yeah, I do. Although, I haven't been using them much since this world is a lot more normal than ours." I then thought for a moment. "Although…I did find a new way to use them again."

"A new way?"

"Well…I only just started, but I'm training to become a witch."

"What?" Lala gained a confused look on her face.

"It may sound crazy, but it's true."

"Where and how are you training to become a witch of all things?"

"As to where, it's in Primp Town. The next town over."

"Primp, huh? I've heard some interesting stories of that place."

Define "interesting"…

"And as to how…I'm actually helping out someone become a witch instructor. She needs to have 5 witch apprentices turned witches by the end of the year or else she fails the course. And right now, it's just me and another girl I know."

"I see…" Was all Lala said.

"You wanna…try it out?" I asked.

"H-Huh? Tr-Try it out?"

"It's not that bad, from what I've experienced so far. Plus, it's a chance to learn some pretty cool spells."

"Learn cool spells, huh?" Lala thought for a moment. "Well…I guess I can give it a shot. When are you going back?"

"I'm going back this weekend. We can go together and see what this witch thing is all about. Sounds good?"

"Yeah…sure thing. Give me your phone number and I'll contact you then."

"Okay!" I cheered before taking out my phone and…uh…messed around with the buttons again. Making it make more weird noises like it did this morning.

"Wh-What's happening?! H-How do I do this thing?! Lala, help!"

"Aw, geez…" Lala gained a sweatdrop. "Here, it's like this." She then brought her phone to my phone and after a few seconds, it made a simple small chime.

"There. Now, you have my number."

"Woah…that's so cool…"

"Have you not used a cell phone before?"

"N-No. I just got this thing today, honestly."

"I see…Well, just try not to break it, okay?"

"Hmph. As if I would." I pouted. Which actually made Lala giggle a little. A total first since reuniting with her.

A sign that she's slowly recovering…

"Hey, uh…I had fun today. Best day since coming to this world, honestly. I'm glad we got to meet up again, Arle."

"Same here, Lala. And we've got plenty more days like this to come along, too."

"Yeah…we sure do." Lala said with a smile. "Well…see you tomorrow."

"Yeah. See you tomorrow."

This was the last thing we said to each other before I hopped on the train heading back to Primp. In terms of crazy events…going to school here isn't all that different than going to school in my world.

But I can surely say that I prefer the events in this world. And I'm going to enjoy them all to the fullest.

"Oh! The Rubelcrack's glowing!" I said as took the special gem out from under my shirt. And continued to stare at its glowing red aura.

And after a while…clenched the gem tightly in my hands. As I grew a big smile on my tear-filled face.

Carby…please continue to look after me. As I do my very best!

Author's Note: Arle and Lala's once strained bond has slightly been restored. After the latter learns the true identity of her crush's killer…and uses the information to finally move on with her life.

Lala's still shy, timid, and a little self-loathing of herself. But this chapter shows that she's slowly recovering from the decade-long trauma she's endured. It's a process. For her…and for me to fully decide on her character traits. I'm still working on the kinks a little.

Thanks for reading. Later.