Howdy, everyone~ Another chapter for you :D
Please enjoy…
Chapter E3: Training Regimen.
"Then, shall we begin? Don't be shy and come at me with everything." (Kanzaki)
"As you wish." (Touma)
I concentrated my energy into my palm, and stuck my hand into the nothingness around me. Grasping the hilt with my fingers, I pulled my weapon out.
It was a neat trick that Nika taught me. It allowed me to make use of my scant magic power to store things. The invisible and imaginary space it made use of was not very much unlike an inventory.
The sword appeared out of thin air.
"Hm? Nice blade! Dante Alghieri's Sword of Dreams— Joyeuse, huh?" (Kanzaki)
"Ah, yeah, it's alright if he uses it, right?" (Anna)
"Roman Catholic Church asked me to look for it. Well, whatever, I suppose since its supposed owner Noah is MIA, there's little point in letting it collect dust in our vaults. Better if someone capable uses it, I guess." (Kanzaki)
"Thanks." (Touma)
"Don't mention it. But do you know how that thing works?" (Kanzaki)
"Well, Anna did briefly explain it to me once." (Touma)
I took a deep breath, then let it out…
Grasping the hilt of the divine sword with both hands, I pointed it at Kanzaki.
The chilly sensation on the back of my neck, the fat drops of sweat on my brows, and the nauseous feeling in the pits of my stomach told volumes about the frightening power held by my opponent.
As such…
…letting the air out of my lungs, I instantly closed the distance between us.
The blade fell where I directed it to, fully intent upon crushing the girl's cranium.
I did not hold back at all.
The Saint-Leader Kanzaki Kaori was not someone I could underestimate.
"Hum…" (Kanzaki)
Kanzaki barely moved at all. Instead [Hauteclere] caught it before it could even reach the intended target. As if made from liquid metal, its flowing blade coiled around my sword.
"[Joyeuse] is a peerless sword said to be wielded by Archangel Uriel itself. It holds near-limitless magical power... But if you don't master its full potential… even a second-rate sword can…" (Kanzaki)
Kanzaki jerked her arm, and the Joyeuse slid out of my hands.
"…render it useless." (Kanzaki)
I see. That was indeed correct.
"What's wrong? Not going to catch it?" (Kanzaki)
Even before her words could reach my ears, I was already in full flight towards my weapon.
I caught the hilt, and glanced downwards— Kanzaki seemed to stare at me, her eyes a little bit amused by my struggles. Arms locked underneath her chest, she was the epitome of calmness as Hauteclere softly floated in the air besides her.
Nonetheless, this was a perfect opportunity to try out one of the tricks Anna taught me.
[Summon— Gluttony!]
Rather than simply summoning the colossal beast, I decided to drop it on Kanzaki.
The mountain-sized monstrosity tore the ceiling away as it fell upon the Saint-Leader, its power comparable to small meteor—
—or at least that's what should have happened.
"What the…" (Touma)
The beast didn't touch the ground.
Instead, the Saint-Leader held it up by one of its giant tusks— with just one hand. The cracks covering the whole floor under her feet stood testament to the immense volume of strength she was casually exerting.
"Haaaaah!" (Kanzaki)
KABOOOOM!
The beast exploded into chunks of gore as Kanzaki smashed it into the ground with laughable ease.
"This thing lets me know everything you are planning, Kamijou Touma. I suppose that's what they call predicting the future." (Kanzaki)
Kanzaki stated with boredom coloring her countenance.
…Yet she didn't attack.
It was obvious why.
Being on the defensive works much in the favor of the one capable of predicting the future.
There was little point in lunging at your opponent when you know how he'd move, where he'd strike.
…Be it as it may, I couldn't do nothing as well.
For we didn't come here to practice our fiery glares. Not to mention a stalemate would probably anger Kanzaki greatly. I could predict that much of a future myself.
"What, then, is the best course of action in the present moment, Kamijou Touma? You have five seconds to order your thoughts, analyze the situation, and come up with a solution." (Kanzaki)
Predicting the future.
Solution number one: move at a speed faster than her predictions can keep up with.
…It probably was a tall order. Beating someone like Kanzaki Kaori in sheer speed.
But this was practice, after all. It's best to try everything I can come up with.
"Have at you!" (Touma)
I readied the Joyeuse and lunged towards her at my full speed. Putting everything into my single fastest attack, I aimed at her chest.
"Hm." (Kanzaki)
Unsurprisingly, it didn't work.
For even the fastest of my movements could not quite exceed that of Kanzaki's almost-hypersonic reflexes.
With barely any effort at all, Hauteclere parried my attack. It then proceeded to transform into a whip, striking my jaw with the jagged metal ball on its tip.
"Gh…" (Touma)
I expected a counter, but still, my head went blank for a moment. Not caring to pursue, Kanzaki regarded me with silence.
Solution number two: if speed didn't work, maybe numbers would. To predict the future you needed time to both comprehend the future action, and come up with a way to counter it.
If I launched a great big number of attacks simultaneously, it should, atleast technically, overload Kanzaki's mind, thus allowing me to turn the tables.
"Not yet!" (Touma)
I unsealed the power of the Joyeuse once more. This sword, seeping with magical energy, had the power to summon the avatars of seven deadly sins— the seven beasts.
Like Kanzaki said earlier— learning to properly control its power was also part of today's exercise.
[Summon: Gluttony]
[Summon: Golden Sloth!]
[Summo…]
I summoned the beast of Gluttony again… this time with molten gold to support it. I was about to summon a third one when rending pain assaulted my whole body.
I was out of mana.
While the Joyeuse held a near-bottomless reserve of magical energy, I had to use some of my own as a catalyst to perform the summoning ritual.
While I was busy staggering around, Hauteclere passively took care of my summons, transforming into a curtain-like object and veiling them from sight.
I held very little magical energy in myself, so it seemed like two beasts were my current limit. Trying to summon the third one would likely make me lose control over my own body.
"It won't work. I imagine you planned to launch a variety of multiple fast attacks, but I could still predict everything you thought of trying." (Kanzaki)
"Hey, Touma! Summon at least five beasties next time~" (Anna)
Anna, who was safely observing our bout from the sidelines, offered me some very useful advice.
"I highly doubt he could do that. With the current stock, he'd probably go full empty by the fourth summon. Not to mention that'd probably kill him, too." (Nika)
"Don't coddle him too much, Nika! He won't last long in this business if he's unable to challenge and exceed his limits." (Anna)
"Not necessarily. Magical energy is just a small supplement in battle. What truly matters is physical strength, technique, decision-making, analytical-skills, and, most importantly…" (Kanzaki)
Most importantly what?
I gulped down in anticipation of Kanzaki's next words.
"And most importantly… your willpower!" (Kanzaki)
She declared it with such passion I could almost see the letters "BANG" hovering over her head.
Willpower?
"…Willpower?" (Touma)
"Yeah! Your will to press onwards. Your will to never give up or succumb to despair. That is the most important part!" (Kanzaki)
"Wait, K-Ka-chan… There's simply no way anyone can win a fight with just willpower!"
Anna begged to differ.
"That's where you're incorrect, Anna." (Kanzaki)
Kanzaki turned to face me.
"Listen, brat. Willpower is your strongest asset. As long as you have sufficient willpower, the very laws of this world will bend to bring you victory." (Kanzaki)
"But would you not need a plan first to—" (Touma)
"What are you talking about? Of course you need a plan. I'm talking about what comes after. Know that it takes willpower to follow through with any plan." (Kanzaki)
…Oh, she wasn't trying to preach a willpower-only approach. Looks like both me and Anna were mistaken.
"Not to mention the chorus grows pretty strong past the second temple. You'll need a very strong mind to deal with that." (Kanzaki)
The chorus?
"…Wait, they didn't tell you?" (Kanzaki)
"Um… it seems they did not." (Touma)
Kanzaki let out an exasperated sigh, and then shot Anna an angry look.
"U-Um… It's, y-you know… I kinda forgot. B-But I was totally planning on explaining it all to him before we set off to the second temple!" (Anna)
"Of course, you did, fool! I can't believe you haven't even told him something this basic!" (Kanzaki)
"So what is this chorus?" (Touma)
"Hm. It can be best described as a "song" you start hearing once you advance past the second temple." (Kanzaki)
"A song?" (Touma)
Doesn't sound all that terrifying, to be completely honest.
"And it's a very pleasant song. Maybe calling it a "lullaby" would make this point clearer to understand." (Kanzaki)
"I think I understand the gist of it." (Touma)
But where was the problem?
"Good, then. Anyway, everyone who's listened to that song for too long has gone mad. It's like a siren song, but probably much worse given the circumstances." (Kanzaki)
Oh.
So it was a song that violated your mind.
Then I can see why that is considered very dangerous.
"Every crusader that has returned to St. Maurice alive described it as such. In effect, it is similar to an Original grimoire's mental contamination, yet every single one of them couldn't help but crave to hear it again." (Kanzaki)
"I see…" (Touma)
"Be careful not to get too distracted by it during battles past the second temple. That would be a really pathetic way to go." (Kanzaki)
"…Yeah, I suppose." (Touma)
Killed when paying attention to a weird song. That was a pretty sad way to go, indeed.
"Everyone who has reached the fourth temple and beyond ended up being bewitched by the chorus, either going mad or dying on the spot. Be careful, all right? So remember to wear your willpower on your sleeve!" (Kanzaki)
"I shall keep it in mind. And I will try to do my best… with my willpower." (Touma)
A warm smile appeared on Kanzaki's face in response.
"Good. Then let's continue. You surely can't topple someone that can see into the future without willpower. So come at me!" (Kanzaki)
I mustered my strength and lunged at Kanzaki.
With no plan in mind, I slashed at her neck with all my strength. She dodged, of course. But I knew she would, and threw a kick in the direction she slipped into, but she dodged again.
Refusing to think about anything else, I continued slashing with my sword, throwing all the techniques I knew at her.
Thinking only about going faster, I continued to slash.
I gave up on summoning any more beasts. For it was meaningless at this point. All that was important now was landing a direct hit, however menial.
That was all I let remain in my mind.
I continued slashing as if possessed.
Her future reading powers were peerless. I received counters, counters of my counters, and counters for the counters I launched in their response.
Every time, however, I failed, thus, needing to start my pursuit back from scratch.
Nonetheless.
"Mhm." (Kanzaki)
I relentlessly bombarded her, carefully aiming for her vitals— selecting movements with most swiftness I'd continue to attack, forgetting to even breathe.
I recovered some of my mana in battle.
A part of this was passively used to reduce air friction, thus allowing my movements to slowly exceed the speed of sound.
Yet...
"Not even… close…!" (Kanzaki)
...I still could not overcome her future-reading powers.
But, at the same time, I could sense a slight tension in Kanzaki's voice.
I was close. Just... a bit more... and...
I called for one of the seven deadly sins…
[Summon: Lust!]
Kanzaki shattered the glass beast with a single swing of her Hauteclere.
All was going as per my plan.
The glass beast shattered, transforming into dozens of full-sized mirrors that enveloped us both in a completely reflective glass cage.
"…!" (Kanzaki)
And in that moment, my movements finally toppled and overthrew her future-reading.
For she was assaulted by countless strikes from numerous reflected mirror images of myself.
She couldn't differentiate the illusion from the real.
As such, Hauteclere, in its wielder's moment of confusion, deemed all targets as real, thus overloading Kanzaki's mind.
All the conflicting future possibilities each one of my mirror images would make, jammed Hauteclere's powers.
"Got you…!" (Touma)
A single hit. It barely grazed her shoulders, much less come close to being a fatal strike.
…But it was still a hit. An unmistakable proof that I had managed to breach her defenses.
"Good. That was certainly a good one!" (Kanzaki)
Kanzaki praised me, a friendly smile on her face.
"Hip hip hooray~!" (Anna)
"Congratulations…!" (Nika)
Anna and Nika applauded me from the sidelines.
"Oh, um… thank you." (Touma)
I wasn't much used to being praised, it felt kind of embarrassing.
I diligently bowed my head to Kanzaki, Anna and Nika to show my appreciation.
"All right. I see you finally got the hang of it. I suppose we should set a quota for you now. Hit me another hundred times, and I'll sanction you crusade-worthy." (Kanzaki)
"…Roger." (Touma)
I smiled at her and nodded.
Another hundred strikes.
A despair-inducing request indeed, but now I at least had a goal.
I went berserk, stabbing and slashing at her without a second of rest, hoping to outspeed that future-seeing of hers.
I got hit. I got bashed. But gritting my teeth to endure this terrible pain, I continued with my onslaught.
Ah, so this what she meant by "willpower."
My mind wandered.
And so… time passed.
"You managed to reach sixty-three, but I can see you're at your limit already. Let's continue this tomorrow." (Kanzaki)
"All right." (Touma)
Unable to withstand the exhaustion any longer, I just slumped down to the ground like a marionette with its strings cut.
My body hurt all over. My skin felt hot as if on fire, yet my innards seemed to be freezing to ice.
It felt as though I fought her over twenty-four hours, but it appeared it was still evening.
Either my inner clock was completely off the charts, or there was something wrong with this gym.
"Goody. Then we'll be off for today." (Anna)
"Elaine should be about finished by now, too. Though I doubt she could find anything new in a single day at this point." (Nika)
"Hold your horses. I can't just let him go without fixing him up." (Kanzaki)
Saying that, Kanzaki crouched down, and started wrapping a bandage around my injured foot. I could even spot a bottle of antiseptic nearby too.
Yet… seeing someone like her, crouching on the floor, doing something so menial, for a grunt like me, was a sight I found incredibly strange. It was almost as if she didn't care all that much about her dignity as the Saint-Leader.
"But I can heal this much of a wound very easily with my abilities." (Touma)
"Well, if magic or abilities are used, I'm sure these wounds can be fixed in no time. But consider this as a yet another part of today's training." (Kanzaki)
Training?
"You'll have to heal naturally. Without relying on your abilities at all, that is. People with superlative healing abilities tend to ignore the safety of their own bodies, thus endangering themselves and their teammates. Not to mention that this approach will only help bolster your natural regenerative powers."
Kanzaki had a point.
Pain was an indication of danger. With pain being immediately suppressed by sedatives and wounds getting healed instantly, it was very easy for someone like me to develop a sense of false-invincibility.
Such a thing will dampen my senses and battle instincts.
Which might prove incredibly fatal against Saint-level opponents like temple guardians.
As a solution, Kanzaki barred me from healing my own wounds using supernatural means. It was a way to make me avoid cozying up to dangers.
But that being said… I was sure that my wounds would still recuperate fully with a night's worth of rest.
"You're good at this…" (Touma)
I was kind of impressed, actually.
"Been doing it a lot." (Kanzaki)
"I don't know what to think of a Saint that's been "bandaging" a lot, frankly." (Anna)
"Leave me alone. It's a weird thing to do, I get it…" (Kanzaki)
Kanzaki proceeded to wrap bandages around my foot in silence until—
"So… why do you do so?" (Touma)
"It is nothing, really. I simply hate relying on anything else other than my own self— including magic." (Kanzaki)
What an odd thing to say.
"Please don't worry about it." (Kanzaki)
Kanzaki intently continued her work, a melancholic smile subconsciously gracing her lips. It seemed like she really had reasons to come to that odd conjecture of hers.
Maybe, magic failed her once before. Made her feel powerless in a time of great need.
Anyway, she seemed to be a person with a great sense of responsibility.
"Done! This much should be fine." (Kanzaki)
Kanzaki stood up, and I promptly bowed down to her in gratitude.
"Thank you." (Touma)
"Oh, think nothing of it. See you around, then. Don't forget to take proper rest, too" (Kanzaki)
"Yeah." (Touma)
And so, she was off.
Well, I'd better start thinking about how to catch up with her tomorrow, considering how she forbid me from regenerating myself using my abilities.
If I took too much damage, it might even prove fatal.
I have to survive the training, after all.
"Oh, shit. I forgot to submit our crusade plan to Laura. Nika, could you come with me?" (Anna)
*grumble* *grumble*
Nika didn't seem too pleased with all this exercise.
"Touma, can you catch Elaine and take her back to the dorms?"
"Roger." (Touma)
Thus, we split up in the gym hallways. Now, where could Elaine be…
"Oh, there you are. Heeeey~ Kamijouuuu-saaan~!" (Elaine)
Hopping into the air like a rabbit to catch my attention, Elaine approached me.
"Did you find something new?" (Touma)
"Mhm… I can't say that I did." (Elaine)
Elaine gave me an apologetic look, which made her notice the bandage around my leg and narrow her eyes.
"Are you alright? You seem… hurt." (Elaine)
"Ah, yes. But it is nothing severe. It will heal naturally by the night." (Touma)
"I see. Thank goodness. Ahaha~ wounds just don't look right on you." (Elaine)
"…Is that a good thing or bad?" (Touma)
"A good thing, of course, duh. I meant it as in you have an air of invincibility about you." (Elaine)
"Invincibility… huh." (Touma)
"Oh? You don't believe it?" (Elaine)
"I cannot. How can I? When this world is full of mind-boggling monstrosities that can end me in an instant." (Touma)
"Yeah. I can see where you're coming from. But, y'know, you have to be invincible nonetheless." (Elaine)
"Why?" (Touma)
"Umm…" (Elaine)
Elaine stole a glance at my eyes, and let out a jovial snicker.
"Not telling~ It's a maiden's secret~!" (Elaine)
She then proceeded to walk down the corridor.
I couldn't suppress a smile from appearing on my lips, and was about to follow her…
"…?" (Touma)
…when a sudden chill drilled through me.
A fated encounter.
The kind of miracle man seldom experiences.
I may have my head in the cloud at times, but even I— Elaine Le Fay— could comprehend the sheer improbability of a force like "fate" miraculously guiding people to each other.
Labeling everything as the work of "fate" was akin to entrusting all aspects of one's life to God, or rather… the whimsy of an invisible, unknowable being.
Take my meeting with Kamijou Touma, Anna Sprengel, and Nika Kurylenko, for example.
While that encountered may have bordered on the miraculous, what truly counted as such was the fact that I had been in the right place, at the right time. Our meeting itself was inevitable.
Had I not ran all across that campus in panic, I would never have been rescued.
Had someone else been in my place, they would have been saved just the same.
In other words…
That meeting could hardly be labeled as a "fated encounter." It was anything but.
And so my line of thinking went a bit like this.
Such an encounter would only occur once in a person's life.
A fated meeting with a person who would entice you in mere seconds. Someone to kindle a flame in your heart; someone you could readily yield yourself to.
Or perhaps a rival.
A person who would set your wrath ablaze in mere seconds. Someone to fuel your animosity; someone you could never find common ground with.
On this day, fate would grant such an encounter not to me, but rather…
"…Seth." (Touma)
…to Kamijou Touma.
The man's eyes shot straight ahead, brimming with unparalleled confidence. A young woman trailed behind him with a downcast gaze, occasionally stealing a look or two at her companion.
I felt thoroughly overwhelmed by their very presence, though not due to our prior meeting in Lizzy's dreamscape.
Quite the opposite, in fact
These two were nothing like their counterparts from my dream.
It almost felt like comparing fool's gold to the real thing. Or gazing into the glitter of a scientifically created artificial diamond.
The difference between a worm that crawls on the earth and a falcon soaring the high skies.
Seth. And Azura.
They were beings far beyond my comprehension, that much I could understand.
I gulped.
My entire being was assaulted by a rare feeling of unrest as I observed the pair making their way down the hallway. For once, my heartbeat picked up pace, and I felt it impossible to shake off the waves of unease creeping up on me.
No one told me… but with a mere glance, I could tell…
Having a reason for existence is a must for a magician or a Saint. Without a compelling reason, there will be no wanting. And with no wanting, there will be no need for magic.
One would need to properly articulate it into a word— to sculpt their longing into a phrase called a magic name— in order to imprint their desire upon the world.
Otherwise, it was doomed to failure. Yet the person before me was different. He was a sole exception to this rule.
He simply existed. And through that fact alone, he had asserted his very being— he was his own reason for existence given flesh.
That was Seth.
"…?" (Seth)
Seth glanced in my direction; I stood petrified as he sized me up with a colorless gaze.
"Pardon me, but… have we met somewhere before?" (Seth)
Seth opened with those words, to which I replied by shaking my head. I had never met him before.
I had only heard of him.
"I see. My name is Seth. Who do I owe the pleasure to?" (Seth)
"Kamijou… Touma." (Touma)
Seth's expression changed into genuine surprise upon hearing my name. Hm. So he did know of me.
"I see… we have yet to meet face to face." (Seth)
"It would appear that way." (Touma)
"Nonetheless, I'm confident we would have eventually run into each other somewhere in this wide world." (Seth)
"As enemies?" (Touma)
Seth knit his brows.
"What reason would we have to antagonize each other, exactly?" (Seth)
None. There wasn't any.
But I couldn't help but want to have one.
"None… I think." (Touma)
"Get in my way, though, and I shan't stay my hand; that's the only rule we ought to operate by. Do you not agree?" (Seth)
"I do…" (Touma)
"Then we have nothing more to discuss." (Seth)
Seemingly having lost all interest in me, Seth proceeded to direct his gaze at Azura. She stayed at the side of the hallway a short distance behind him, possibly in an effort to not stand out.
"Let's go." (Seth)
"Okay…" (Azura)
Azura curtly nodded in Elaine's direction, then hurried off after Seth.
That man was blind to the world.
Surrounded by his mission, his duties, and his goals… my existence was of no greater importance to him than a pebble in the sand. In his mind, the moment we parted, I ceased to exist…
"Kamijou-san? Kamijou-san? Earth to Kamijou-san!" (Elaine)
"Ah, sorry. What is it?" (Touma)
Elaine's words jolted me back to reality.
"Nothing much. Your expression turned awfully grim for a second is all…" (Elaine)
"Grim…? Me?" (Touma)
It did?
Elaine nodded, much to my surprise. It would appear I had been agitated enough to let my feelings show.
"Chin up, Kamijou-san. I'm mostly basing this on my feminine intuition, but I have a feeling the two of you will meet and confront each other again someday." (Elaine)
"You think so?" (Touma)
I'm a pacifist. I would rather avoid violence if possible.
But the feeling just now…
Was that my blood boiling? Did I long to confront him that much? To do battle with him? To… fight him to the death?
"Yup. I mean, he's your…" (Elaine)
Elaine went on, her expression grave and serious.
"…fated rival. I can tell." (Elaine)
Fate?
I recalled what I felt in his presence— a sensation transcending dread, awe, or sheer animosity.
Yet there was no reason for me to hate him, or to seek his hate. I just hated him simply for the reason of hating him. That was the reason in and of itself: like how two newly hatched queen bees always duel each other to the death just to assert their complete dominance over their hive. I felt it was simply evolution at work.
A fated rival…
To me, Seth was indeed a man deserving of such a title.
Elaine's words had inevitably made me realize that.
I continued staring in the direction the two had strolled off in, long after they had faded from sight.
Unpleasant. Irritating. Sickening.
I could not contain my aversion when in front of that man no matter how hard I tried.
…Who could have known that I still harbored emotions of that kind?
"Are you alright…?" (Elaine)
She looked at me hesitantly. I returned her gaze, trying to act as if nothing had happened.
"Yeah, I am alright. Do not mind me." (Touma)
"Don't lie. You don't look alright one bit. Seth's presence totally affected you… didn't it?" (Elaine)
She was quite perceptive.
I tried to look away from her, but she circled around me in response to catch my eyes.
I gave up trying to escape.
"I am not certain why, but it seems I cannot stand him." (Touma)
"I see. Well, there're people like that." (Elaine)
"…Really?" (Touma)
Was there such a person for me, of all people? I found that very hard to believe.
"Yeah. Either way, they are our comrades. Let's take it easy, alright? A frown doesn't suit you, y'know?" (Elaine)
Elaine tried to lighten the mood.
In response, I shook my head to deny her odd observation.
"Ghm… I was not frowning. I was simply thinking that he might be somewhat difficult to get along with." (Touma)
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, Chief." (Elaine)
"Elaine. The way you phrased that sounds like you're dismissing my statement. Let me make it perfectly clear so we can both understand the situation: I was neither angry nor irritated in any shape or form, okay?" (Touma)
"Yeah, yeah. You were neither angry nor irrita—" (Elaine)
Elaine suddenly cocked her head.
"Huh? Wait… you suddenly sounded awfully different there for a second, didn't you?" (Elaine)
"It's just your imagination." (Touma)
Elaine gave me a long scrutinizing stare.
"No way. No way. I swear I heard it right!" (Elaine)
"I did not. I swear I did not." (Touma)
"C'mon, what's the big deal? It did actually occur to me before, you know. How the way you talk doesn't suit you sometimes." (Elaine)
I felt as if someone struck my head with a hammer.
"...Really?" (Touma)
"Yeah. You don't need to sound so formal all the time. Not that I'm saying you should sound like a jock; the way you spoke just now fits you perfectly, I think." (Elaine)
"…I didn't always talk like this." (Touma)
"So what made you change?" (Elaine)
"A man of your stature ought not to talk so frivolously. Please, exercise more caution when you choose your words."
"Personally, I like it when he sounds more casual. It makes him sound adorable, like a little puppy dog, y'know?"
"Director, I believe you do not have a choice on this matter. He is a subject of vital strategic importance, so keep your fetishes out of this. He's not your personal toy… I hope you do not forget that."
"Hai Hai… There you have it, Touma."
I recalled a conversation that took place in my presence. It was in a long bygone age.
"…There were circumstances." (Touma)
"Who'd care about something like that so much?" (Elaine)
"A few select people did, apparently." (Touma)
Elaine let out an incredulous snort and proceeded to walk forward, her head still cocked on her shoulder. Suddenly, it appeared she came to a revelation.
"What would you do if I asked you to speak in a more relaxed manner from now on?" (Elaine)
"I do not believe that is something for a third party to decide." (Touma)
"Th-Then… what if I promise you to do anything you'd ask for in return?" (Elaine)
"Anything?" (Touma)
"W-Well… Um… I mean…" (Elaine)
Her cheeks flushing the hue of vermillion, she proceeded to awkwardly play with her fingers for a few seconds and, finally mustering the courage, looked back at me.
"A-As long as it's nothing weird…" (Elaine)
For a European girl, she was pretty introverted when it came to issues such as these.
Well, I would have never thought of asking her something of that nature. It was not much of an issue to change the way I talked; there was no longer a reason to be hung up on that old promise.
I wondered what I should wish from this flushing girl though.
"Anything. Anything…" (Touma)
"Is there something you'd like to eat in particular? I could make it for you… As long as it's something within the expertise of an average girl, that is." (Elaine)
I considered many options, but I realized that none of them were really anything I should even ask her for.
"Just be yourself. That's all I ask." (Touma)
My words made Elaine hop in the air in surprise.
"Mhm… It doesn't feel right to just make you do something without returning the favor, you know…?" (Elaine)
"Then let's keep it for later. I'll ask something of you, someday." (Touma)
"Hmm… Well, I guess that works, too. Just make sure to come up with something before I forget about it." (Elaine)
"I certainly hope that you remember it come tomorrow or the day after." (Touma)
"Ahaha—" (Elaine)
Elaine suddenly looked towards me.
"Hm? What's wrong?" (Touma)
"N-No, it's just that I thought we were having a very school-like, but not really kinda at the same time, weird conversation." (Elaine)
"Well, unlike you, I've never attended school. I just know of it from records, and I'm trying to emulate school-like behavior to the best of my abilities as long as I'm here." (Touma)
"…I see. You had your circumstances." (Elaine)
She silently murmured to herself.
I nodded, returning her whisper with a whisper.
"Yeah, I had my circumstances." (Touma)
A brief silence.
She didn't pry any further, nor did I want her to.
I forgot all about her for a moment as my mind wandered back to the past. The time when my newborn hope was overridden by despair of the world. When a curse in form of blessing painted my future black.
I had nothing left from that time.
I did not have a single thing when Anna picked me up.
Now though, it seemed I had actually found someone I should protect. And someone I should topple.
A simple, feeble reason to exist, but at least it was easy to understand.
"Oh, so beautiful." (Elaine)
Elaine's eyes were fixed on something outside the window. I followed her gaze, and…
Ah, it was beautiful indeed.
The glow of the setting sun.
The warm orange light touched my heart in a way no other natural phenomenon could.
Nostalgia.
Or maybe something a little bit different, something lacking a name but brimming in forlornness.
Strange.
I never had much of a home to feel nostalgic about. There was no reason a simple sunset should fill me with such melancholy.
I did not know why, but the empty athletics field just seemed so sad. A tug at my sleeve suddenly roused me from idle thoughts.
"Hey, let's go outside for a bit." (Elaine)
I hesitated for a moment, but, realizing that I myself was curious about how that sunset would look without the glass window in the way, ended up agreeing to her proposal.
Two lone goal posts jutted out of the brown soil of the football field, now glowing a faint red.
It was strikingly beautiful, but, at the same time, I felt as if this sight could somehow crush me from inside.
"You like sunsets?" (Elaine)
"If I had to choose between like or dislike, I would say dislike." (Touma)
Sunset— the end of light.
It paved the way to decay. To the end of everything, and the start of the night.
So I couldn't say I liked it.
"Really? All things have a start and an end. If the sun rises, then isn't it natural to expect it to set eventually as well?" (Elaine)
"You wouldn't like an eternal morning?" (Touma)
"Mhm. I love the morning, and I love the evening, and I love the night. I don't think it's right to prefer one above the others." (Elaine)
I could see where she was coming from.
"But… can you truly say you comprehend the true horror of the night?" (Touma)
"Uh. I don't know if I can answer that." (Elaine)
…She was brought up in a peaceful world, unlike mine.
Well, her world (even if it was this one) should have had its share of global problems, but at the very least the concept of expecting a better future from tomorrow seemed to be a common-sense matter there.
My world was not like that.
My world was that of eternal night, a world where morning would never come no matter the amount of time you spent waiting.
It was a world where everyone desperately longed for the light: for a strand of hope.
Oh.
So that was why this sunset looked so loathsome to me.
I could not forgive the sun for not showing up in my world.
So this emotion… was it envy? One of the seven deadly sins?
"Something wrong?" (Elaine)
I could hear Elaine's voice reach me from somewhere above. I turned back to see her balancing herself precariously on the exercising bar.
"I was just thinking about something." (Touma)
"Philosophical kind of thinking?" (Elaine)
"More of a philodemic kind." (Touma)
"Oh, something like the cloud over yonder looking like an awfully delicious looking chocolate tart? I was totally thinking that." (Elaine)
Not really, but…
"Something like that, I guess." (Touma)
In the sense that we both were thinking about something unattainable.
"I see. I see. How about I make you some tarts, then." (Elaine)
"You can actually make it?" (Touma)
"As long as I get a suitable mold." (Elaine)
"I don't think we have one." (Touma)
I didn't think Anna would have something like that in her room.
"Don't worry. I have a plan. Anyway, it's being late, we should probably go back…" (Elaine)
"Yeah, we should." (Touma)
Guest Reviews:
Mr. X: Thanks a lot for the review. I hope you enjoyed the chapter ^^
Moving on,
Just some reminiscing and nostalgia in this chapter… nothing too major jaja. Anyway, I hope all of you enjoyed it.
Till next time then :D
Sayonara~
VG out~