Hello! Shidesu here.

Sorry for the delay guys, it has been a really busy….. end of year….yeaaaaaah, but fortunately here are the new updates :v

Anyway, hope you like the new chapters, see ya at the end!

SHIDESU! OUT!


Sakura just looked at her sister with a blank expression. Although she was still a little sleepy, she was awake enough to hear her sister in need, but she couldn't believe what she just said, was she still dreaming and this was product of her stress? Or perhaps it was a joke? She rubbed her eyes, trying to shake off her drowsiness, blinking a couple of times just to be sure that it was Hinoka in front of her. Some cowlicks on her head, still same color of eyes and hair, although there were tear marks on her cheeks she was smiling, she gulped trying to choose wisely her next words, but there was just one phrase Sakura could say. "….um….c-could you r-repeat that again?"

Hinoka chuckled, scratching her own head with a nervous tone in her voice. "I guess it´s strange after all, huh?" she sighed, closing her eyes for a moment before looking directly into Sakura's eyes. "I…..I think I love Kamui."

"Uh.. W-Well…. Yeah, of course you love him," Sakura chuckled nervously. "H-He´s our brother after all, and after wh-what happened yesterday I d-"

"No, you don't understand, I love him, more than a brother, I mean, I really love him."

"…..eh?" Sakura blinked a couple of times before falling from her chair on her butt. Hinoka tried to grab her but hesitated when she saw her sister bright red face. "EEEHHHH?! B-B-BUT W-W-W-WE A-ARE S-SIBLINGS! W-WE C-"

"W-Wow, hold on Sakura, you´re getting all flustered…" she took her sister hand helping her to regain her posture on the edge of the bed, taking out her letter, "…here…."

Sakura looked at her dumbfounded, then took the letter and started to read it, her lips curled in such ways Hinoka never saw before as her eyes widened with each part she read. The moment she finished Sakura mumbled some words that her sister couldn't hear.

"U-uh? S-Sakura?"

"I….I….. mmmm…." she returned the letter looking away with her hands on her chest 'So that´s why she was so happy the other day?' Sakura thought as Mikoto's figure appeared in her mind, her former mother in law with some glee in her step weeks before the incident at the plaza. The letter could be fake, but she clearly remembered the moment Mikoto gave the letter to her with a small curl on her lips when Hinoka was dumbfounded. Now she understood those strange moments with her mother when Kamui was around, and how happy she was every time they spent time together. It would be a beautiful memory, but her teasing giggles and smiles were somewhat showing how much that woman liked to prepare that kind of surprises. She sighed with her hands on her temples. "…I….I don't know what to say."

"…..I know….. I just wanted to be honest with myself, I… I wasn't expecting that you could help me with this…. I just…."

"…..wanted someone to talk about it?" Sakura asked placing her hand on her sister's as she nodded.

"Yeah….I'm…..weird?"

"Well….I can´t say its common….or even standard…but…." Sakura looked away for a moment, playing with her bangs. "….I-I´m not sure if I should be the one you should be speaking to, what about Reina? Orochi? E-even Rin and Miyu are better choices…. They know Kamui more than I could right now….." a hint of sadness in her voice made Hinoka frowns for a moment.

"…I know… but you´re my sister, and I want to hear your opinion, I just need to hear from someone else what they think, about….this…."

"….w-well….I think….why not?" Hinoka looked at her sister with sincere surprise "I-I mean, sure, it´s sh-shocking at first, but I doubt that someone could go against this, with Mother's letter."

"…" she sighed letting herself fall in Sakura's bed as she yelped the moment she felt her sister kicking on the bed. "Aaarg! Why is this so hard?!"

"uh?"

"Mother always made it look so simple!" Hinoka said with her hands on her head "she always said 'listen to your heart' and stuff like that, but it's not that simple!"

"Ahh…a-ahahaha…. Yeah, I know…."

"…..geez, I don't know what I fear most, telling Kamui or telling the others…."

"Well, first of all, we need to heal your hand, otherwise it could get infected," Sakura said, taking her hand and cleaning it with her napkin. Hinoka flinched when she poured some of her medicine in the wound "….why did you have to punch your mirror anyway?"

"eehhh…..for…..reasons."

"Mmm…..well, y-your reasons needs to improve, I don't think Kamui will be happy if he finds out that you´re hurting yourself like this."

"…fine…" Hinoka groaned, perhaps she couldn't get honest with her own sister yet, but at least it was better that bottling everything inside her, and hopefully, she wouldn't need to wait any longer to express herself, she just needed the right time.


"Remember recruits, there won't be a 'perfect time' in the battle field" Reina said as Miyu was writing on a parchment. The maid wrote as quickly she could, the kinshi warrior was passionate about her work, and never stopped talking when she was giving her speech for the new recruits. The only reason she wasn't in the barracks, the albino who was sleeping in the bed as a certain lancer had a nervous curl on her face, covering Kamui's ears so Reina wouldn't wake him up. After a short pause looking at the albino, Reina resumed her speech. "..You need to be cautious but bold, seize your moment when you create your own chance, miss luck doesn't favor the shy ones, aim for their hearts as they don´t use their brain. You´ll need to strike them down, do it or die, remember, the battlefield isn't a place for the weak ones," she sighed satisfied for her own words, looking at the maid she barely had time to ink again her pen, as she finished she sighed as well "….did you get it all?

"Uh? Oh! Y-yeah, most of it," Miyu chuckled nervously. "I-I just did some…..changes, we don't want to uh…. Ehem, 'force determination' in the new recruits, you said that they have to discover it by themselves, right?"

"I suppose…. I just want to make sure that everything is in order, I won't be there for a while until we solve this…. And after what happened, I hope they can understand."

"Believe me. Reina, they understand, actually, Saya has been taking part of your work right now," Oboro said referring to one of the commanders of the kinshi guild. Although it was a small military force, the Kinshi knights had enough reputation to have their own standards and barracks to train, a thing that Reina always tried to establish as a 'gift' instead of a 'right', hopefully they wouldn't slack off until she was back.

"Yeah, anyway, Miyu, you need to deliver this as soon as possible, they must be waiting for orders, after that they need to follow the normal rules of training, understood?"

"A-Ah, yes! Of course!" the maid said, packing her stuff and walking to the door. Reina coughed on her fist.

"I said, as soon as possible, Miyu."

"Oh, yes of course" she apologized. At that point it was silly to act as a 'normal maid', so she kneeled and before they could say anything she disappeared in a faint cloud of smoke. Reina sighed as she massaged her forehead.

"I guess it is what you could expect from ninjas, too serious on their job….even if they´re not."

"Can´t blame her, at this point I thought that she would discard her maid clothes and start dressing like Rin, you know, ninja-like."

"I guess that she just like her job…..task….whatever," Oboro sighed as she leaned on the wall, still playing with Kamui´s hair as he was still sleeping. "soooo….what now?"

"Aside from kicking Yukimura´s ass?" Reina huffed, sitting near the bed, legs crossed and her hands on her knees. "I believe that with enough time we can find out a way to tip the scales against his stupid schemes, for good."

"I hope so, I don't think I can handle this anymore, not with the winter festival just around the corner."

"Uh? That´s weird," Reina smiled as Oboro looked at her "….I know you and I'm pretty sure that you´re enjoying your time with him."

"Eh? W-well, it´s not like…." Oboro blushed looking away for a moment with a huff. "I'm just making sure that he´s ok until we solve this whole mess. I…. I don't want to disturb him any further…."

"Right…..well, you have the same face when you were with Takumi," Oboro rolled her eyes with a smaller blush.

"Wh-what? What´d you mean? I w-"

"Oh please dear, it was obvious for everyone, well, everyone but Takumi."

"….that obvious, uh?" She sighed looking at the albino with a tired expression.

"…..so, why the change of heart?"

"…It was….everything…..Takumi..…Yukimura…. Kamui…." She sighed. "Since the moment he was held prisoner, Takumi did nothing but torture him….I ….I don't know what changed….or if that was really him all along, but seeing how easily Yukimura and Takumi discarded their….. humanity….I thought that I hated the Nohrians above all….but after what happened….I just….don't know…."

Reina remained in silence for a while. Oboro looked conflicted and her voice was broken. They did a real number on her, unfortunately she wasn't around to witness what happened, for what she heard from the others, it wasn't even something that the Nohrians would do to their prisoners, or at least something that Garon would admit openly as the same way Yukimura spilled the beans when he was asked. Before she could say something they were surprised as how Kamui suddenly stood up, not with fear or terror in his face, but dumbfounded, with his hand on his face he grunted as Oboro was ashamed of their position. He didn't mind as he was still trying to figure out what was happening.

"Kamui? Are you alright?" Reina asked as she got closer to him. With her hand on her shoulder as with a look to Oboro the lancer quickly nodded and got over her embarrassment to left the bed and pick up the music box "Are you ok? Talk to me, we can help you," regardless of how much she insisted, Kamui just stared as his free hand, his right fingers touching and leaving his palm as he was trying to hold something. He slowly looked up and around the room, although it was a little dark his eyes were able to see his surroundings.

"….what…where…..ugg…." he grabbed his head as he felt a sharp pain both in his chest and eyes, a buzzing sound as Reina quickly opened the box Oboro handed her, "…..where….where is El…" he blinked a couple of times looking the face of the lancers who were confused, his voice was barely something lower than a whisper as his throat was dry "…..it was…a…..dream…?" he questioned himself as they looked each other.

"Kamui? Dear? Do you feel something? Do yo-" Reina tried to place her hand on her shoulder but he pushed it away, losing some balance and immediately being held by her. "It's alright, Kamui, just take your time, you have been asleep for a while."

"…..I…" he blinked a couple of times, still dazed, feeling a sharp pain on his chest "….what…..what happened?"

"You….were out for a while, but everything is fine now, just let us handle it, ok?" Oboro said, sitting beside him, still with the music box in her hands as the slow tune of the device could be heard, it was a low but calm sound of the small metal roll, he narrowed his eyes somewhat as the music box calmed his mind.

"…I…." he stumbled the moment he looked at Oboro, his vision was blurry as behind the girl he could swear that the shadow of a pair of pigtails and the form of a black dress appeared behind the lancer. He hesitated as the hallucination just lasted a couple of seconds, but again that laugh lingered in his mind. "…..I…. I need water" he sat in the chair as Oboro quickly grabbed the nearest jar and left the room to get what he wanted, he sighed, looking how the girl left the room. He blinked a couple of times as again he heard her giggles resonate in the room.

"Kamui, dear, wh-"

"Stop calling me that," he spat angrily, looking at Reina. "Stop for a moment, would you? I don't….I don't want to hear that from you."

"Wh-What? Why? There´s no harm in that, it´s just a w-"

"No harm? Camilla, my….my older sister called me like that, so please, don't call me so casually…." He frowned as Reina looked down for a moment with a sigh, "….just….. forget it….." he calmed down, hearing the sound of the music box, the fog in his mind refused to dissipate, the more he tried to focus, her insistence smile, voice, warm, refused to leave his thoughts "…"

"…so, are you hungry then?" Reina tried to cheer him up, clapping her hands. "I'm sure we can order something of your liking, y-"

"Well, I see that you´re being pampered, and so early in the morning," both of them looked at the door, just to see Orochi with a glee in her voice, some parchments and cards on her arms as she snickered. "I'm glad to see that you´re getting along, buuuuuut, I'm afraid that he can't eat yet!" as soon she got close to the albino and left her trinkets on the desk, with a devilish smile and before he could react, she started to take his clothes off until his torso was exposed, placing her hand on his stomach and taking a close look to his skin, Kamui and Reina were dumbfounded as her strange behavior. "Fufu~ As always, an outstanding work"

"WH-WHAT THE HELL?!" Kamui exclaimed as he fell off the chair on his butt as he tried to grab his shirt, Orochi laughed as Reina quickly tried to help him up.

"What was that for?" Reina asked as she took a sheet to cover him "Wh-"

"Oh, sorry, is just that as soon Miyu told me that he was awake, I wanted to see if my magic was enough to heal him, good thing that the curse doesn't affect his ability to receive healing magic."

"If you wanted to know how am I, you should´ve asked," Kamui groaned. "I have a headache and I would like to be alone, so could y-"

"Sorry, but no, I need to make a full medical examination, and I don't think Sakura is ready to see your naked body for this, so if you want to end this quickly, I´ll suggest to you that the sooner you cooperate, the sooner you can be gloomy. So let´s get started," Kamui frowned as Orochi giggled.

"…Fine, let´s get it over with, then…." Kamui groaned as with a clap from Orochi, a pair of maids entered with different garments. He just let the maids take his measurements, changing his worn clothes and making sure that everything was in place, as Orochi with Reina looked away while Kamui groaned.

"First of all, I would like to see your condition in general, so some jogging would do fine while I prepare other medical stuff," Orochi gestured one of the maids as she took the music box, the other two gently pushed Kamui out the room.

"Medical stuff? You don't sound very….professional….." Kamui looked at the diviner who chuckled and made a 'shoo' gesture.

"Details~ small details~ tiny, bity, small details" she gestured the maids as Kamui was much obligated to leave the room, "C´mon Lord Kamui, it´ll be fun! You´ll spent time with your favorite diviner~"

"Yeah yeah….sure" Kamui followed the maids as Orochi giggled again one last time before he left the room waving her right hand, stopping when he was out of sight and after some seconds of silence, she sighed.

"Can you tell me what the hell that was?" Reina asked as Orochi sat on the chair with another long sigh.

"We can't let him see us like….you know….defeated" Orochi sighed for the third time leaning on the table massaging her temples "we need to keep a close eye on him, and to make sure that he´s relaxed as possible."

"I thought we already had his outbursts under control," Reina commented, sitting in front of her, "The music box d-"

"I don't know how long it will work…." Orochi interrupted with the first serious face Reina ever saw on her. "Yes it´s working now, but it wearing off quicker than I thought," she took one of the papers from the table showing its contents, as Orochi´s writing style was present. "I tried to remember everything I could from the early years, before Kamui was kidnapped, I still need to check Oboro´s findings and scavenge as much info I can, but for what I know about the curse, is based in how the 'target' is feeling, Yukimura is using Kamui´s guilt to drain his energy, and with the orbs to force him to feel like that….."

"….so we are out of options then? Just to see how he withers and dies?"

"….more likely."

"Orochi!" Reina slammed the table with her palm "there´s no way I´ll let that happen!"

"Neither me, I assure you, I want to follow my final oath to Lady Mikoto, but in the situation we are…." She bit her lip for a moment before continuing "….the only method against the curse is to stick with him as close we can, I can make more potions to try to stop it, but as long he doesn't want to stay 'happy' or at least 'calm', there´s no much we can do, the music box was supposed to bring some of Mikoto´s memory back, to make him 'dreamy' for some days, but it only lasted for a night….I don't want to say it but… Yukimura doesn't have us in checkmate, Kamui does."

"Wh-What do you mean?"

"….. I can't….. Save him if he doesn't want to live anymore, if he lose his will again to live then….. I don't think this time we can work a miracle again…."

"A miracle? I thought you had under it under control after the music box."

Orochi flinched "….I….I lied" she could feel Reina gaze on her, "…..the truth is….. I'm opening with you because I don't have more options either."

"Uh?"

"Last night, when I was helping him, I took some samples after he was stable, and tried some potions or spells, something to boost his endurance….. but…."

"….but?"

"I….did nothing last night…."

"Wait, what?" Reina stood confused "What´d you mean with 'I did nothing'?"

"Just what I said…my spells…. The potions… everything I tried last night….were ineffective….." she was playing with her thumbs with shame in her face, it was the first time she was so heartbroken "…..I don't know what brought him back last night, but it was neither you or me…..our actions were a good hook AFTER he got his 'will' to live again, not before… I thought th-"

"W-Wait, hold on, how are you so sure about that? How did you conclude that?"

"….I have a small prototype of the curse, I used it with the samples of hair and blood, and tried to create a barrier to block the curse, but even that prototype was resilient to my spells…I had to be careful last night with the potions and charms, otherwise I could´ve killed him if I wasn't careful, but after doing some tests this morning and using ALL of it at the same time, I had little to less response from this prototype of the curse…..so from that I'm quite sure that it wasn´t my doing or yours what stopped the curse…."

Reina gulped as her throat was dry. She couldn't believe what she just heard, after all this time they were so powerless from the beginning? It was really that hopeless? "….Are you sure about this?"

"As Yukimura is a jerk, yes…. As long he remains with 'happy' memories and in a good mood, it will be harder for Yukimura to activate the curse, but after that foul attack with that dammed coin…he put us in checkmate…"

"….And why are you telling me this?"

"Because now you´re the closest thing he has as 'family', Kamui's is too distant from Hinoka and Sakura, he hates Ryoma and Takumi. Oboro, Miyu and Rin are less than acquaintances from my point of view…. And since you were his guardian when he was little…..if someone has to know that we can lose him any moment…..it has to be you….."

Reina frowned, withe fist as she feel again Yukimura grasp around her, just when she was thinking how to continue with their day, Orochi threw those harsh words "….and any chance to know how he 'saved himself?'"

"H-Hardly…. I don't know if in his last moment he was thinking of us, or of the Nohrians, or if he was even thinking at all, perhaps another night terror like the last time, I… I don't know, I need to study Mikoto´s notes to be sure, an-" she stopped when Reina placed her hands on her shoulders.

"Then starting from here, I won't let Yukimura have the initiative again. One of the good things that Oboro did was to ensure he will be more careful next time, meaning that he wont make his next move soon, we have time to counter attack….please….." she now bit her lip with a broken expression on her face "…. Help me save him."

"…..I´ll do my best," although Orochi was beaten she wouldn't like to break her oath, she thought that Reina would crush as her, but now she needed to concentrate and look for an opening in Yukimura's schemes.


(Four days later after Kamui's breakdown)

As a fair maiden was hopping in her step, she quickly kneeled with a wide smile on her face, her eyes gleaming with excitement and curiosity. "Oh! So pretty!" the girl playfully took three carefree steps as the other behind her were hesitant to say or do something. "I like this! These are so neat!"

"Umm….. Lady Peri… I don't….really recommend to get close t-" one of the Nohrians guards tried to comment as Peri cast him a look, shooting daggers at the man.

Flora coughed in her fist. "As much you love those flowers Lady Peri, I don't think getting pass the barrier would be wise, we don't know what could happen afterwards."

Peri puffed her cheeks as her lips quivered for seconds. "Siiiiiiiiiilaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas" she called the knight who laughed nervously.

"She´s right. After all, King Xander will be sad if something happened to you on this mission," Silas injected as Peri just glared for a few seconds before groaning again.

"Meanie," she looked back at Silas while she was still kneeling near the barrier. "These are so pretty thought, are you sure I c-uh?" Looked confused as Silas with the others quickly prepared their weapons, she heard something and before she could react the flowers near her were already in front of her.

"Here miss, I hope you like Hoshidan sun drops," a lady in front of her kneeled at her level as she offered the flowers. "Oh, and I assure you that nothing will happen to you if you cross the barrier…. As long you don't have ill intentions."

"YAY! THANKS A BUNCH!" Peri quickly grabbed the improvised bouquet as she giggled with the flowers in her hands. "Seeee Silas? They say it´s fine."

"May I ask you who you are?" Silas inquired, preparing his lance as the young woman chuckled. It was weird to see that girl so carefree around them, as they got closer to the border, the help from the farmers or neutral cities started to hesitate, and now out of the blue this woman approached.

"L-Lady Akemi! You shouldn't get close to strangers!" Another man shouted a few steps away of the blonde girl, accompanied with another girl at his side.

"Don't worry, Haru, they have a smell I felt before, well at least that man with the big cowlick does smell with a similar scent that I perceived from that rude lady and the maids," Akemi said with a faint curl in her lips and an odd aura around her, liking the fingertips of her right hand her smile became wider "as we heard from her, I think we can help each other."


AAAAAAAAND THAT´S ALL FOR NOW!

Phew, im so sorry for the delay, but i had barely any time this month ; x ;

I hope you enjoyed this update, lets see if i can bring you a small holiday gift

SHIDESU! OUT!