Sorry for the slow update! I'm still busy with a lot of things _... hopefully it will be over soon!
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The train station, morning;
Nozomi, Eli, Maki, Umi and Kotori waited for the others to come by. Nozomi and Eli carried two bags, one for their clothes and the other one for their other needs. Maki didn't need to bring anything as she already have everything set in her vacation house. Kotori only carrying a small bag while Umi carrying a lot of bags— even a tripod and a camera bag. Nozomi, Eli and Maki keep staring at those bags she carries quietly until Maki decided to ask,
"Hey….. why are you carrying so much…." Maki asked.
"Kotori wanted to do a few nature Photos… so I had to bring them all to help her getting the best shot." Umi replied.
"Don't tell me… you also brought some artificial light with you?" Nozomi asked.
"Yup! I have them…" Kotori said.
"What about the generator and the socket? I believe you will need those too if you're going to use electronic stuff outside?" Eli asked.
"I have them in there too!" Kotori said.
"She is really prepared….." Nozomi said.
"Harasho….." Eli said.
"They all looks heavy, but I suppose it's light enough for you…?" Maki asked.
"Somewhat, yes…." Umi replied.
And in that very moment too,
"Umi-chan! Kotori-chan! Eli-chan! Nozomi-chan! Maki-chan!" Honoka shouted as she ran in. She is carrying a big bag with her
"Everyone-nya!" Rin followed as she also bringing a big bag with her.
"W-wait! Don't be so fast!" Hanayo said as she drags her bag.
"Hey, wait for me too…" Niko said as she carries her bag.
Niko is wearing a big hat, black glasses, pink scarf and black robe. Even though it's winter, she seems to be still bothered by the sunlight.
"There they are…" Nozomi said as she watches Honoka and the others arrived. Maki focused on Niko as she walks closer. She could see her skin somehow feels so pale and dry.
"Do you need help?" Maki asked her.
"Huh? No… I'm fine…" Niko said.
"Make sure you're using moisturizer and sunblock as you get in the train, ok? It will be a little warmer at noon…" Maki said.
"I know that!" Niko said.
"Using moisturizer and sunblock at the same time, isn't that weird-nya?" Rin asked.
"No, in fact, there's plenty of people trying to do so. They even got a confusion on which to be applied first…." Eli said.
"So which one to apply first?" Hanayo asked.
"A lot of experts said that the orders should be sunscreen first then moisturizer… though before all that, we have to make sure your skin is clean…" Eli said.
"You also have to think of the ingredients, some of the sunscreen product contains Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxi—…."
"Ahhh… what are those?!" Honoka cuts in before Maki could finish her words.
"Eh? Well, I thought you supposed to learn that already?" Maki said.
Umi sighed,
"That's Honoka for you…" she said.
"So basically, the sunscreen has to be the one closest to the skin to make it be able to give you their full protection…" Eli said.
"Yes… that…." Maki said.
"Poor Niko-chan! You have to spend so much for them!" Honoka said.
"Huh? You're talking like I'm going to use it all over my body…" Niko said.
"You are not?" Honoka asked.
"No… of course not, I will only apply it to the part that exposed to the sunlight, such as my face and neck…" Niko said.
"Oh…."
"Nikocchi not interested on streaking….?" Nozomi asked.
"God, Nozomi! No! Why the heck I want to run around naked?" Niko said.
"Showing off perhaps…" Eli said with a playful smile.
"There's nothing to show in her. She is flat…" Maki said with a teasing smile.
"The heck? What do you mean flat?!" Niko protested.
"As flat as the ground, Nikocchi…" Nozomi said.
"S-shut up! At least I didn't get stuck between cars like you!" Niko said,
"Y-You still remember that!" Nozomi said as she blushed slightly.
"I still remember that too-nya… it was exciting!" Rin said.
"Then shouldn't we go play tag in the mountain later?" Honoka asked with a playful smile.
"Huh? No way, someone might get stuck between trees!" Niko said with a teasing smile to Nozomi.
"I'll bring them with me then!" Nozomi said.
"No way, what are you? Monster?" Niko said.
"That she is….?" Kotori said.
"Rawr!" Nozomi playfully imitate a cute roar.
Everyone breaks into laughter.
The train, morning;
They split up the seats, Honoka once again sitting with no one but the stack of items while the others are sitting in pair— Nozomi next to Eli, Rin next to Hanayo, Kotori next to Umi, and Maki next to Niko. Niko is busy applying her sunscreen as Maki watch her intensely. Niko turned her eyes a bit, Maki quickly averted away.
"Why are you looking at me?" Niko asked.
"Huh? No one is looking at you…" Maki said.
"You did!"
"Did not!" Maki said.
They began to argue. Rin on the other side sighed weakly,
"They just never stop-nya…." Rin said.
"She is enjoying it…." Hanayo chuckled.
"But it does looks fun-nya…." Rin said.
"Rin-chan, are you jealous?" Hanayo asked with a sweet smile.
"Yup! Let's talk about something, Kayo-chin!" Rin said.
"Then, maybe we should talk about how cute Nozomi-chan is when sleeping…." Hanayo said as she turn her eyes to Nozomi who's been sleeping on Eli's shoulder.
"Ah, you're right-nya! She looks very innocent and cute-nya!" Rin said.
"Knowing her as a werewolf made me feel a little nervous at times… but then to remember how tame she is made me feel glad and secure… maybe that's why vampires don't like them?" Hanayo said.
"What do you mean-nya?" Rin asked.
"How to put it…. hmm… to be with someone who's big and powerful— one that looks furious make us feel scared, but to be friendly with them make us feel secure. At the other side, a vampire who works with lies, to be friendly or enemy with them will always make us feel nervous…so I think, maybe Vampire-chan is just feeling lonely and jealous since werewolf-chan take all the attention?" Hanayo said.
"Uhhnn…that make sense-nya!" Rin said.
"Hehe! I know, right?" Hanayo said.
"Ah-ah, by theway, Kayo-chin!" Rin started to chat about a few things with Hanayo
At the other side, Kotori and Umi enjoying the view outside the train…
"There's not much change, but it's still amazing to see the beautiful scenery like this…" Kotori said.
"I agree. It feels somewhat nostalgic too… but I wonder if Nozomi will be fine to miss this scenery. I believe she told me that she really loves this scenery…." Umi said.
"Eh? Uhm… I don't know…. but anyway, we should pay attention to Honoka this time, don't let her get left out like before!" Kotori said.
"Ah, you're right… I'll try to remember that…" Umi said.
"Yup…." Kotori nodded.
Meanwhile at where Eli and Nozomi's seat, Eli embraced Nozomi quietly as she watches the views outside the window…
Hnnnhh… She is very aggressive today too….
Eli said in her mind...
"Mmh… Ericchi, please hurt me more…" Nozomi whispered in her sleep.
W-what? She still can demand something? I thought I induced her dream perfectly…
Eli said as she tried to fix her position.
"Aahhhh….Ericchi….so good… fill me up…." Nozomi moaned softly.
Oh….she is just sleep talking….
Eli said in her mind before she sighed. She began to smell a specific scent that she knows well.
Hmm…. This is Nozomi's scent… where is it coming from…?
She thought as she began to sniff around and sensed a strong scent from her hand.
Her hands? How could that be? Hmm….
Eli sniffed her hand,
Whoa… it really is coming from here…. I wonder if the others know about this already… she'll be embarrassed if someone tells her she smells weird… even though I don't think her smell is weird…
Eli tried to look around, then she quickly took out her leather gloves and wear it on Nozomi's hands. Then she tried to sniff again…
Still smells like her, but weaker… hmm… I should get a thicker one later….
Eli said in her mind as she gives her a soft smile…
"Eli-chan!" Honoka called her all so sudden,
"W-whoa?!" Eli recoiled,
"What are you doing? I'm bored!" Honoka said.
"M-me? Eh? Uh… nothing?" Eli said as she glanced at Nozomi for a few second.
"Hey, Nozomi-chan is really cute when sleeping, don't you think?" Honoka said.
She isn't really sleeping… but… since you said so….
Eli laughed a little awkwardly,
"Yeah…of course…" Eli replied.
"Hey, maybe we should capture her sleeping face?" Honoka asked.
"Huh? What for? I've seen her sleeping face a lot of time…" Eli said.
"Well…. For memento! Hmm… let me get my camera…" Honoka search in her bag.
"There it is!" Honoka took out her camera. She quickly set up the screen.
"Here we go…." Honoka about to trigger the button,
"Wait! T-turn off the flash or she will—….."
And before Eli Finished…
Maki's vacation house, afternoon;
"Phew…. I was scared for a while there…." Eli said.
"Y-yeah…. What actually happen there…?" Maki asked.
Kotori and Umi taking care of Honoka who got a scratch on her face…
"Uhh…I think Nozomi-chan doesn't like flash?" Honoka asked.
"Next time, you should pay attention to your flash, no one like being flashed when they're asleep…" Umi said.
"I'm really sorry!" Honoka said.
"You should be careful with what you do too… Chimeras are like a time bomb which can explode at any time when triggered.." Niko said.
"There you go with time bomb again… we still have that as a mystery, you know…" Maki said.
"I know! I'll look for the answer!" Niko said.
"Yeah, and the way you get that bite is also still a mystery…" Umi said.
"I really don't know when that happens either!" Niko said.
"Either way, let's respects each other from now on, ok? You know some of us just can't actually act human at some points…" Maki said.
"I agree. Prank is fine but know yourself…" Umi said,
"hehe, ok!" Honoka said awkwardly.
Actually, it because I was giving her hypnosis and because you interrupted her dream— she is kind of lost it for a few seconds… I think she was close to the peak or her orgasm too before… but ah well… I'll give her another tonight…
Eli thought as she focused on Honoka's wound. For some reason… she feels like she is already getting a lot better than before. She believes she saw Nozomi swing her hands very quickly and scratched her face deeply. There was a bruise, but where's the bruise….?
Weird…. She isn't a Chimera isn't she?
Eli thought again as she placed her hand on her chin. She turned to Rin who's been concerned about her too.
Rin was said to be a human with fast regeneration, but I swear it isn't as fast…
Eli said again in her mind.
I'm very sure I'll have to see her again later… but as for now….
Eli turned to the door.
"I'll go see Nozomi…" Eli said.
"Ok! Please tell her I'm sorry!" Honoka said as Kotori help her with the medication along with Maki.
Eli smiled at her,
"I'm sure she want to say sorry too, get well soon, ok?" Eli said.
"Yup!"
Somewhere outside the vacation house, afternoon;
Nozomi sat next to Hanayo, she is sighing heavily before she asked,
"Hanayo-chan, isn't it scary to sit next to me? I might hurt you…" Nozomi said.
"If it's fighting a fear that you're talking about, I'm very used to such thing…" Hanayo said.
"Really? How?" Nozomi asked.
"Hmmm… how do I say it… I've been a shy girl… then you reached me, you made me be able to become what I want to be but scared to be. After all those years, I can't be always shy and scared, can I? So I decided to work with what I might be weak at…." Hanayo said.
"That's brave, Hanayo-chan… I mean, to work with what you're scared of…" Nozomi said.
"Hehe, thanks. I'm glad you think so… but…. right now, after seeing the µ's together again…. I realized that my courage won't do much. Maybe the best I can do for team right now is to gather information and to support others mentally… just like Rin-chan…." Hanayo said.
"What about her?" Nozomi asked.
"Hmm… Rin-chan really wanted to be a Chimera too, but knowing the way you all struggling with it made her feel wrong to wish that… She doubt if she could deal with what you're all dealing with— knowing herself always doing what she want to do and what she think is fun…" Hanayo replied as her sweet eyes glance into the clouds.
"I always do what I think is fun too…" Nozomi said.
Hanayo smiled,
"But Nozomi-chan knows what best and what not, Nozomi-chan have Eli-chan too who always do her best…. Rin-chan only has me and Maki as her friends… Maybe Niko-chan too…. but I doubt we all can control her…." Hanayo said.
"To begin with, it wasn't a control that she need…. But to be honest, Hanayo-chan, I think even if she is a Chimera, she will probably able to control herself. She is a lot more mature than what people expect her to be… just like Nikocchi…" Nozomi said.
"Just like, Niko-chan?" Hanayo tilts her head,
"Hmm… can you imagine yourself to be dying because of what you don't know...? Even though someone being kind to you by borrowing you a life time— it's still amazing that she could stay calm and collected, even act like she is really fine with it. If I'm in her place, I'll probably try to look for a way to not borrow the life time again…" Nozomi said.
"Maybe she is doing the same with you but not actually showing it?" Hanayo said.
"Who knows… but either way, I hope even if there's anything that cause her to turn into a Chimera, it's going to be at her will. It's a lot easier to control if she accept herself than to reject what she is turning into… Umi can be an example of it. At first she was giving everyone trouble with her protest. She even wanted to make Ericchi pays for what she did…"
"She isn't doing that anymore, though, yes?" Hanayo asked.
"No, gladly no… Kotori convinced her to try living as one and see if there's a benefit to it. If not, they will force Ericchi to tell them the cure…" Nozomi said.
"What is the cure? I've never heard it able to be spoken…" Hanayo said.
"Not that I know, but it seems less important for me… I like to live as one— after knowing what Ericchi is… without this power, I can't possibly keep up with her… I've felt her to be a lot stronger than before, but I also feel like it's not yet her full power…" Nozomi smiled, somehow her calm expression slightly changing.
"I want to feel her full power… I want her to break me…. I want her to dominate me…. I want her to bath me with her love…" Nozomi continued as she put her hands on her own cheek, giving a very obsessive looks on her face. Hanayo began to smirk wryly and making a distance.
"N-Nozomi-chan…." Hanayo said.
"A-ah! If only Honoka didn't flash me, I could've actually feels it in my dream…" Nozomi said again.
"S-Someone, help…" Hanayo said with frightened face.
Nozomi began to sniff something,
"Ah! I can smell— Ericchi!" She turned around, Eli is actually approaching them now. Hanayo turned around too,
"Eli-chan…" Hanayo said,
"Ah, Hanayo, nice to see you getting along with her after all that…" Eli said.
"Hehe, yup…" Hanayo smiled sweetly.
"I hope you're not scared of her?" Eli said.
"A bit…" Hanayo replied softly.
"There, Ericchi! Hanayo-chan is a lot tougher than what you think!" Nozomi pouts.
"I believe that so, I just wanted to make sure…" Eli replied with a cheerful smile.
Hanayo just replied with a soft giggles,
"By the way, Hanayo, you're needed inside, can you go check?" Eli asked.
"Oh? Okay…" Hanayo stood up and quickly ran in,
The two watch her running in until Eli decides to sit next to Nozomi.
"How is Honoka-chan?" Nozomi asked.
"Do you want to check on her?" Eli asked.
"Mm…no… I don't think so… I'm scared to see what I did to her…" Nozomi replied a little sadly.
"She is getting better so quickly… it feels like she is a Chimera or something… but I doubt we ever see her having trouble with it… or turning into one…" Eli said.
"Hmm… if you think about it, maybe there was a hint, but we just never realized it…?" Nozomi asked.
"Like what?" Eli asked.
"Like…hmm…." Nozomi began to think….
"Maybe it was the eating competition…?" Nozomi asked.
"There's Hanayo in there too… besides, we always know Honoka and Hanayo always eat a lot…." Eli said.
"That's true…. But, I just think it's somewhat feel so impossible for her to be able to eat that much… besides, the blackmail on her didn't do anything in her life while it actually did something to Umi-chan and Kotori-chan…. isn't that strange?" Nozomi asked.
"To think about it, yes, it is strange…Is there anything she did not tell us?" Eli said.
"For Honoka to hide something like that from us…. It's something impossible or hard to believe… maybe it's not what she did not tell us, it's more like what she did not realize…" Nozomi replied
"I think there's still a chance of that, you know… she might be having something on her mind and refuse to tell that to anyone for a reason. She isn't simply just an airhead leader who doesn't know what she is doing… sometime she knows what she is doing but pretend like she doesn't know— or unintentionally doing it…" Eli said.
"Putting up a fool mask like a jester… that's possible…" Nozomi said.
"But you might be right…. she might not be that smart…" Eli said.
Nozomi giggled,
"There, Ericchi… you just made me doubt again. You love doing it… aren't you?" Nozomi said seductively.
"Maybe?" Eli chuckled,
"Seriously though, the serial murder, the appearance of Chimeras and a hidden mafia who controls the law enforcement, a tragedy that takes many innocent lives, then a vampire invasion that never happened but somehow showing a hint of it, we surely have so many mysteries in our pocket…" Nozomi said.
"And we still don't know if they're all related…" Eli said.
"I just somehow believe they're related..." Nozomi said.
"Hmm… how?" Eli asked.
"Because— everything that take my attention means that it was what God wants me to see…. even if there's something I miss, then it must be what God want me to learn…" Nozomi replied.
Eli sighed weakly.
I always forgot no matter how she acts, she is still a religious girl….one that believes God works in her life…
Eli said in her mind. Nozomi noticed Eli's face changing slightly as she stares into her,
"What's up, Ericchi? Is there anything that bothers you from that?" Nozomi asked.
"No… it's nothing…" Eli smiled slightly.
"Are you bothered with my religious talks?" Nozomi asked.
"No… I'm not, I already know you always act that way…." Eli replied.
"Then, what makes you glance at me like that? I know there's something bothering you…" Nozomi said.
Eli sighed again.
"Nosy aren't you…?" Eli said.
"Of course, we shouldn't keep secret between each other, especially when it's about each other!" Nozomi said energetically.
Eli chuckled,
"Let me off this time, I don't want to talk about it… not yet…" Eli said.
"That's not fair! You're also forcing me to talk whenever I got bothered with something!" Nozomi said.
"Am I?" Eli smiled slightly,
"Yes you are!" Nozomi pouts.
"Then I'll not do that again if you let me go now…" Eli said.
"No! Not fair! I want Ericchi to tell me now!" Nozomi demanded as she drag Eli's arm.
"W-wow-wow, ouch… you're strong…" Eli said.
Nozomi noticed that, she smiled faintly before she pushed Eli to the ground and thrust both of her hands into the ground— pinning Eli on the ground,
"If Ericchi not telling me now, I'll rape Ericchi!"
Eli giggled,
"What if I'm willing? It's not going to be called as rape…" Eli said.
"Ah— well… hm… then I should look for something else…" Nozomi released her and began to think as she sat down. Eli gets back up and brushes off the sands off her clothes and hair.
"What about this… you can request me whatever dream you're wanting…." Eli said.
"Oh— That's right! Hmm… I want a special one again because Honoka interrupted the previous one, maybe you can bring me to somewhere where I can see you dominating me—wait…" Nozomi realized something,
"Ericchi you can't talk me out of it! You still need to tell me what you are—…"
"It's a compulsion…" Eli grabs Nozomi before she can finish her words.
"Magic…madness… heaven….sins… I can show you incredible things…" Eli continued as she gives out a mischievous smile.
The realm began to change again. The snows started to disappear and everything changing into a big hall with frozen glasses all over the place. Nozomi can see her own reflection, she wondered where Eli has gone into— but she would expect something big.
She stood up and started to walk around the area. She wondered what kind of dream she is brought into. She noticed that not every glass reflect her— most are just plain and unpolished. She started to wonder if there's anything different with the one that reflect her.
She tried to approach it and just right in the time she check out herself— the unreflecting glasses turned into a strange transparent liquid and grabs her hands and legs. She was then dragged to the wall— facing to a glass which shows her reflection.
The transparent liquid turn into solid glass and locking her on the wall, she tried to unhand herself though everything is too strong and heavy. She began to wonder what Eli plan to do until she realized— she has been staring at her from the reflection and she is right behind her…. but she is supposed to be locked on the wall? Then where is she standing?
"Ericchi….?" she called her.
Eli smiled mischievously. She began to approach her,
"Nozomi…." She whispered at her ears seductively as she somehow coming out from the wall behind her. She grabs her breast and started to play with her little as well.
"Ah— it was interrupted before… you're still up for it, right? I couldn't help myself to stop thinking about this…." Eli said mischievously as she gropes her lower part. Nozomi only could moan and enjoy her touches.
"Look at you, you're still awfully wet… tell me you're still desperate of this…. Because after all, you're the werewolf— the human one… you're one with desires… and I'm the one who grants your wish…" Eli said as she brushes her hands around her crotch.
"Are you forcing me to agree with you too, Ericchi?" Nozomi said between her moan.
"Did I tell you that you have an option?" Eli asked as she inserts her finger inside her.
"Ah—! Not yet! It's not yet ready!" Nozomi moaned and tensed as it happen.
"You've known me for long, Nozomi… you know how insisting I am when it is about you… because you are the person I want for my life… and you wanted me too, right? Tell me you do…." Eli said.
"Ericchi, it's not yet ready…. Don't put it in just yet…." Nozomi asked as she struggled about Eli's finger which penetrating her dry hollow.
"Oh— I'm sorry, should I lubricate yours first?" Eli said as she suddenly already sat in front of her, ready to lick her core.
"But you're ready inside, you just need to take it out…. but since I'm nice, I'll just treat you good, ok?" She said again before she began to lick her. Nozomi smiled as she enjoyed herself being treated by her.
At the real world, to be specific, inside the vacation house,
The others are chatting about what kind of fun they should do after taking the break.
"….so they who wants to go hiking go along with Umi-chan, then one who wants to relax to enjoy the air can stay at base-nya…?" Rin asked.
"yes… considering you might not want to go up there again…" Umi said.
"Ehh, well, I would want to go there since we are not doing anything here anyway…. But I think Kayo-chin want to stay here, right-nya?" Rin asked.
"Honestly, I do have thought that it will be fun to get all the way up there…" Hanayo said.
"W-wait! Kayo-chin, I thought you're going to stay?" Rin asked as she whispered at her.
"Hmm… well, I just think it might be a waste if we don't go up there… we're already coming all the way here… would be nice to reach the peak and take a picture of it…" Hanayo said.
"Then Hanayo coming with us…?" Umi asked.
"Yeah…" Hanayo replied.
"It will be hard, Kayo-chin! It's going to be heavy too-nya!" Rin said.
"E-Eh…. Well…." Hanayo scratch her cheek, flustered.
"I can help you to get up…" Umi said.
"That would be nice…" Hanayo smiled.
"Ahhh! Then, I'll come-nya!" Rin said.
Umi smiled at her.
"Hmm… I don't want you to get all the works, I'll come too…" Maki said.
"Then that means everyone come, right…?" Umi turned to Niko.
"Huh? Me too? Sure, after all, I'll be the master of the night from now on…" Niko said proudly.
"Yeah you are…" Hanayo said sweetly.
"Let's talk to Eli, she will probably want to come too…" Umi said.
"I think she won't be needing to climb up… she can fly, yeah? There's no point for her to climb…"Maki said.
"You're right…." Umi sighed.
"Niko, you should be able to fly too if you can turn into bats…." Kotori said.
"Huh? I don't even know how…?" Niko asked.
"She isn't an actual vampire too— just one with traits…" Hanayo said.
"Heh— she is still useless until now…" Maki said teasingly.
"W-what!? M-Maki! How dare you! I'll show you I'll do something great!" Niko said angrily.
"Ha-ha-ha…" Maki laughed sarcastically.
"Now-now, we should get ready…" Umi said.
"Ah yeah! I would need some of you to help me carry my stuff! Maki-chan and Umi-chan maybe? I really want to have a few photos shot at the peak…" Kotori said.
"No problem for me…" Maki said.
"I promised, so I'll do it…" Umi said.
"I can help too if you like…" Honoka said.
"Ah, Honoka-chan, that would be nice! You can carry the tripods and light-stand? I think you can carry those… but don't let it get bent, ok?" Kotori said.
"Ok!"
"Then for the others….."
They started to talk about what they should bring up there.
After an hour, at the outside of the vacation house,
Nozomi carefully open her eyes after all the excitement she had in her dreams. Eli smiled at her softly,
"Welcome back…" She said.
"Ah— Ericchi, you forgot to make out with me…. you know I'll always want that at the end…" Nozomi replied.
Eli chuckled,
"Then let's do that here…" Eli said as she lean to her and kissed her deeply. As they began to tighten their embrace on each other to deepen their kisses,
"Excuse me…" Umi said, she averted her eyes as her face blushed red.
Nozomi and Eli parted from each other. They turned their eyes to Umi,
"We're going to go hiking, are you two going to stay here…?" Umi asked.
"Everyone coming?" Eli asked.
"Yes, they're all coming… assuming you can fly, you might want to stay around here and meet us at the peak later… tomorrow's morning perhaps?" Umi said.
"You can leave the tents and everything else here, we will set it up at the peak for you…" Eli said.
"That was my plan too. We will only bring our portable bed with us, then a few items for the rest in our journey today. Kotori wanted to make a photo session at the peak tomorrow, so we will stay around the peak for a few days… if you don't mind…" Umi said.
"Ah, how spiritual, taking pictures on the peak of mountain… it's going to feel like taking picture with the Gods…" Nozomi said.
Umi smiled,
"You're still saying about Gods, I thought you'll never say about Him again… after everything I mean…" Umi said.
"There's no limit of one's believes…. I always believe in God and His works in my life…" Nozomi replied.
"That's good…" Umi said.
Eli giving her a little concerned looks, though she remained quiet for now.
"Anything else you want to speak about?" Nozomi asked.
"No, I'll see you two later…" Umi said before she waved at them and left. Nozomi turned to Eli and noticed that she give her the specific glance that bothers her,
"You're giving me that looks again, Ericchi… and I was talking about Gods too… is that really bothering you?" Nozomi asked.
Eli took a deep breath and turns her eyes away.
"No…. Really, it's nothing…" Eli said.
"You really need to tell me… I can stop talking about Him if you like…" Nozomi said.
Eli sighed,
"No, not that I want you to stop…. It just that…. well…." Eli smirked wryly,
"Is it still fine for you to talk about Gods, after everything you've done…? I mean… you are now bound with me… I'm a demon kind, I made you do sins, I took your chastity, and… more importantly, I fed you with peoples…" Eli continued.
"Hmm… Ericchi, no matter how much sins we've done, we will never be parted away from God. The time when we're parted away from God is the time when we forget about him, or not admitting his existence in this world. It's true that I've never visited the Shrine Again lately, due to my problem… but, I'm still active with praying to him, telling my gratitude and protecting them who I need to protect…" Nozomi replied.
"But you did killing, you did eating them as well… Isn't that a sin?"
"I did told you, for me to become a werewolf is like the calling from God Himself, then to meet you again is a miracle he wants me to have— to be with you is a path that He wanted me to show. If he is not willing, he will never let it happen, you know… He is the Almighty… he can do anything he wishes to…"
"So you think by you killing and eating them is His will too?" Eli asked.
"Hmm… not that it is his will, it's more like he let it happen— because perhaps, he have a scenario that he wanted to happen for a bigger plot in this world? We can never know his true intention. Though to make it much clearer to you, everything that I did is my will, but everything that happen is not… does that makes any sense to you?"
"A bigger plot… hmm…." Eli remained quiet for a moment.
"Those mysteries we gathered might be just a small part of the bigger event too… we just need to solve them or at least link them all into one line…" Nozomi said.
"Though trying to solve them right now will be too hard, isn't it? It feels like everything feels too vague… the details of the chain murders that you read to me also still too vague and I heard it's still keep happening until now… we just didn't give much attention to it lately…"
"Because we're disturbed by something else, right?" Nozomi said.
"Yes… but I have to admit, we need this kind of vacation… the fresh air on the mountain make my head feel a lot lighter to think of something…" Eli said.
"What are you thinking about right now, Ericchi?"
"About your hands… did you realize I put on a glove to them?" Eli asked.
"Yes, I thought you're just being sweet, is there anything else behind it?" Nozomi asked.
"Your scent somehow coming out from there and it's very strong too… I was thinking, maybe you will want to keep that covered… you don't want anyone thinking you haven't took bath, right?"
"Oh really?" Nozomi took off her gloves and sniff her own hands…
She widen her eyes and turns at Eli,
"Ericchi!"
"What?"
"It smells like me…"
"Of course! I told you it smells like you!"
Nozomi grab Eli's face then she rubs her hands on her face then trail down to her body.
"What are you doing?" Eli asked.
"Giving my smell to Ericchi…" she said as she keeps rubbing her hands on her.
"Why?"
"Marking my territory, you don't want me to do the other thing, right?" Nozomi said.
"The other thing….?" Eli flustered. Nozomi smiled then she stood up and when she is about to take off her pants…
"EW! GOD! NO NOZOMI! NO!"
At the mountain,
Everyone enjoy the gentle walk from the bottom of the mountain as the days slightly getting darker.
"I didn't expect it to be this calm and gentle to walk around the mountain. Maybe this is what Nozomi say about mountain is a spiritual place…" Hanayo said.
"It is feels very different than the casual walks, nya!" Rin said.
"Have you ever thinks of anything creepy, like the mountain ghost or something?" Kotori asked.
"The only thing I want to see right now is a mountain goat licking salt deposit as she climbs nearly 90 degrees angle…" Maki said.
"You're still into that!" Niko said.
"Huh? But I think it is very interesting to see them actually climbing like that…" Maki said.
"But Umi-chan has hands— even in her Satyr form… so I doubt it will be as fascinating…" Kotori said.
"I've never seen you in satyr form, are you just rarely turning into one…?" Hanayo asked.
"Well, not quite… it just that she just never come out of her room when in her form…" Kotori said.
"Oh…"
"What triggers your transformation?" Maki asked.
"I'm not sure… but… I think it was drinking Soda or being angry…" Umi said.
"Umi-chan doesn't like carbonated drinks…" Kotori said.
"That's different than Nozomi's or mine.." Maki said.
"What's yours?"
"By not moving for a few hours…" Maki said a little shyly.
"So you're hyperactive by nature… what a child!" Niko said.
"Huh?! Who do you call child?!" Maki said.
"Oh-mi-god-oh-mi-god, red-dot!" Niko said mockingly.
"S-shut up!" Maki yelled.
"Then what about Nozomi-chan? What does she need?" Honoka asked.
"She said by being hungry-nya! Or just angry!" Rin said.
"…if we split her from Eli by force, then she probably will turn into one…" Niko said as she smirks.
"Sometime I wonder, you know Nozomi is abusive and all, but you keep saying a lot of strange things about her… have you not learn from her punishment?" Umi asked.
"It's not a strange thing, it's a fact, right? She is that clingy to her— ever since we're in high school too. Except she was all shy about it before… she never want to admit that she was indeed madly in love with her… I think she regrets that and turning insane after… then as you can see now, she is all over her…" Niko said.
"Ah— well, it does make sense that she gets obsessed after being left alone and never get to say what she really wanted to say… but, what makes me wondering is.. why is she refusing to move on? Even though she knows she will never return— isn't that just tormenting herself?" Kotori asked.
"Hmm…. It's like she is under a spell…. Yes…" Umi said.
"Under a spell…. Hmm… her magic is always permanent…." Maki mumbled.
She shook her head,
"Ah..no…no way… that's too full of coincidence… that can't be true…" Maki continued.
"What's wrong, Maki-chan?" Hanayo asked.
"Well, please forget it… I was just thinking about something, but please forget it…" Maki said.
"Alright…." They replied, though their eyes still focused on Maki as they gets very curious about her thought.
"By the way-nya, I heard there's a hidden hot spring somewhere around this mountain, want to give it a shot to find it-nya?" Rin asked.
"We should get to the peak by morning, Eli and Nozomi will be waiting there…" Umi said.
"Ah, you're right nya…" Rin replied.
"Then maybe we can give it a shot after the Photo session tomorrow? I want to take pictures of everyone!" Kotori said.
"Everyone? What kind of articles you're planning to make?" Niko asked.
"The ex-idols to models! Even though we might be already too old for idols, but I'm very sure we will still be able to bring up our glory again by becoming models!" Kotori said.
"Oooh! That's very interesting, Kotori-chan!" Honoka said.
"It will also boost our program rating later on, so I believe it's good to do that…." Umi said.
"Yup!" Honoka smiled,
"But you still have to read the reports and check on the analysis, ok? We have a court to attend three days after our vacation over…" Umi said.
"Ahhh…Umi-chan! You're being a spoilsport!" Honoka said.
"Not! You're just lazy…especially in winter, you always-always lazier than the other season…"
"By the way…" Hanayo said.
"Hmm…?" Honoka turned at Hanayo.
"Honoka-chan, aren't you wounded on your face before…?" Hanayo asked.
"Yeah?" Honoka replied.
"Where's the wound?" Hanayo asked again.
Honoka touched her face… she couldn't feel the scar again.
"I…I didn't pay attention! Now that you mentioned it!" Maki said in awe.
"H-Honoka-chan? Are you….?" Kotori began to worry.
"Chimera?" Niko asked.
Rin pouts slightly, though she didn't say anything about it.
"Honoka, are you hiding that from us?" Umi asked.
Honoka remained quiet— she looks flustered too…
"When did anything happen to you? Do you remember?" Maki asked.
"Honoka-chan?" Kotori called her with concerned looks.
"I… I honestly don't get it myself… I never remember to have this kind of thing too…" Honoka said. Her face really tells that she is lost in this matter too.
"I-it might be just coincidence too-nya! Maybe she just has a very fast regeneration?" Rin asked.
"It can't be that fast…. It's impossible… she is healing herself completely within hours…" Maki said.
"You're not playing dumb now, right? How could you miss such detail?" Umi asked.
"I really don't get it myself, Umi-chan… I really don't… I don't know when or how things even happen… I don't remember to have anyone injects anything in me too…" Honoka said.
"That would be hard then, we don't even know when even you're turning into. There's absolutely nothing ever happened— not that what we know of…" Hanayo said.
"Hmm… who is the person who often go out with you?"
"Hmm.. Tsubasa-san often ask me to go out with her and the others… we're often having lunch in that fast-food bar…" Honoka said.
"Tsubasa-san….? This is getting a little fishy…" Niko said.
"Hmm… Tsubasa-san and Honoka-chan are good friends with each other. They've been that way ever since graduation… so I really don't think there's anything fishy about it…" Kotori said.
"Yes… she was the one who supported the idea of courtroom too. She took law studies after a year of studying nothing but idols and choreography…." Umi said.
"Hey, shouldn't we leave this kind of analysis to Nozomi-chan? We might be off tracking ourselves…" Hanayo said.
"You think-so too nya? Because I do think like that too… it feels like we won't be getting anything good out of that…" Rin said.
"There-there! You're just being negative thinking, aren't you? I believe we have plenty of smart brain over here. We are not stupid… we don't actually need her in anything like this…" Niko said.
"Surely, you're being positive about us, but I hate to say that even though I and Honoka have been working in criminal investigation— all we do is to find a verdict of guilty and not-guilty…we don't actually be very experienced on studying criminal facts or dealing with them from scratch like detective… we only collects information from them and find the truth…" Umi said.
"Oh-come on! Rin will be graduated this year, right? Maki and Hanayo too… We will have a police, a doctor, and a journalist…" Niko said.
"Eh? I'm not graduating this year… I still have a few more years to go to be qualified as a real doctor… medical study isn't going that fast…" Maki said.
"But you do know about them already, right? We can perform analysis on our own soon… with Nozomi and Eli as addition, we will have a lot of benefit and the world will remember us as the one who solve the mysterious serial murder and Chimerazation…!" Niko said.
"I still prefer leave that to the professionals…" Maki smirked,
"Sometime I feel like it was us who becomes an addition to them…. I mean like, look, Eli is almost perfect… she have a cousin like Lilith and Meg, then a girlfriend like Nozomi… I think even if we outnumber them, we will still getting outwitted by them…" Hanayo said.
"Oh come on! What kind of attitude is that? Don't just get chickened by their wit! We can stand against them if we like to!" Niko said.
"Hey, didn't you get a little too competitive…? I rarely see you like that again lately…" Maki said.
"W-what? No way, it's not that I want to compete with Nozomi or something… It just it somehow feels sad if we're always has to wait their decision… or plan…." Niko said.
"Hnn…. Nozomi-chan still depend on us… so I can't actually agree with your view… she still interact with us from time to time, asking for opinion and such, even though she spends most of her days with Eli…" Kotori said.
"Yeah… and I'm still asking suggestion and opinion from Eli via text… ever since I found her again, I mean... so I don't actually think her as rival…" Umi said.
"Too naïve!" Niko yelled.
"W-what?" Everyone flustered.
"We shouldn't depend on others like that— or letting them getting benefit from us! You see, Eli is in fact not our kind— she is not human! We shouldn't depend on her! What if she leads us to astray? What if she sacrifices us for her kind? That's going to be bad, isn't it?" Niko yelled.
"Huh? There's no way of her doing such thing to us… she has been our friend from long ago…" Maki said.
"That's why I said, you're all naïve!"Niko said.
"No-no… I don't think so… I think you're just somehow framing them like an enemy…" Maki said.
"Might be coming from her vampirism… perhaps they're just simply dislike other's charm? I know Eli giving out a strange charm and Nozomi—without question is a nemesis of vampires…" Umi said.
"Huh? My vampirism surely has nothing to do with it…" Niko said.
"That's what we thought when we're turning into a Chimera…. But either way, contain your thought, Niko… be more careful with your words or you might end up to be actually turning them into a villain for all of us…" Maki said.
"Them as villain… why it feels a little nostalgic?" Kotori said.
"Ah, right, it will feel like when we're trying to get permission for our idol club…" Honoka said.
"Let's not let that happen for now… I really don't know what they can do after… everything…." Umi sighed.
"Yeah-nya…" Rin sighed too.
"Let's just continue our journey, shouldn't we?" Hanayo said.
"Yeah!" Everyone replied cheerfully, except Niko. They continued to move on, Niko sighed weakly.
"If there's a day when they actually become a villain, I'll laugh at them…" Niko mumbled before she joins them to move on.
The vacation house, night time;
Eli resting her back on the couch while she held her phone, she reads a text that she received from Lilith. Nozomi sitting next to her as she snuggles herself on Eli's shoulder…
"Ah— Nozomi, We're actually shouldn't be worried with your strong scent… it only can be smelled by non-normal human…" Eli said.
"Did Lilith-chan tell you that?" Nozomi asked.
"Yeah… but she said, you should practice your transformation control from now on, it will be very hard to transform once you're fully become an alpha…" Eli replied.
"I see…. hmm.. I wonder why she knows a lot about that?" Nozomi asked.
"Ah, she has been studying about them… If Meg focuses on the undead, Lilith focuses on Chimeras and the true ancestors of the transformation…" Eli replied.
"I see, it feels like you're all getting a research of your own in your life time…"
"Hmm… maybe that's true… I'm trying to decide what I should study too… since I'll be living longer than what I expect…" Eli replied.
Nozomi giggled,
"Maybe you should study about me? You know I like to be…. examined by you…" Nozomi said playfully.
Eli chuckled,
"I already study you anytime you wish, Nozomi… I'm talking about the bigger study…" Eli replied.
"Oh? Then why don't you just study about human? There's a major of that in real, you don't have to blindly investigate like how they do it…" Nozomi replied.
"Anthropology, sure that is something I should consider… but I'm expecting something more difficult, something with more complexity... such as… maybe… the existence of them and the other creatures?" Eli replied.
"That could be linked with religions as well… you will have to study them too…. but I suppose since you want it complex, sure that can do…" Nozomi said.
"It will also help me on deciding on what I should do on the rules of our people later… we're in the time of the years where we have to update our rules about our interaction with human being… my parents asked me to make my opinion… said that my opinion about them will really affect it…" Eli said.
"Ah— interesting…" Nozomi replied.
"Do you want to pay a visit to our world? I can bring you there and introduce you to my parents… I'm sure they will be happy to know that I'll be finally having children… they were worried if I'll never mate with anyone…Especially after Arisa said she doesn't want to have one…" Eli said.
"Sure! Hmm… I wish I could bring my parents there too to discuss our marriage as well…" Nozomi said.
"Marriage… I doubt that… we don't have any culture that saying about marriage, it's more like mentally bond to each other or something… we're fine with multiple mate, remember?"
"Oh… right…"
"But, if you're expecting that, you shouldn't be worried. They'll absolutely say yes to it…"
"Nice… then I suppose we will only worry about what you will say to them? I don't suppose you can just side to human being… your kind need to be convinced to have more benefits as well…"
"True… I think it's fine with protecting your kind though… I already feel like you are all my friends—I can't possibly betray you and them…"
"I'm sure you'll have a solution to it, where we will have things adjusted for each other…"
"To be honest, I'm amazed that human can be so kind to each other as well, despite their stupidity at some points… I'm planning to make things a lot more merciful… with the current rules, our hunters are just killing whichever person that has fallen to their trap… I wanted to make them just hunt for the corrupt, like mafia gang members or something… wouldn't that make things a lot more peaceful?" Eli asked.
Nozomi giggled,
"I'm not sure with that, Ericchi, but I'll have to say… you can't simply achieve peace from removing the bad… or to begin with, peace isn't about all light or all dark… it's more like a balance of them…" she said.
Eli smiled at her softly,
"Then…tell me, if there's a way to choose, which part do you want to be in that balance?"
Nozomi giggled again,
"Didn't I already say that before? I want to be at wherever Ericchi is… to be the light or to be the darkness, to be bad or to be good…because… that is what my heart desires and about what happen to my life will be up to God…"
Eli embraced Nozomi,
"Then I'll make sure to give you the best on any path we ended up to…" she said before she leaned to her closer and pressed her lips on hers gently…
Ahh... It's soon going to be a chapter of story's turning points. I wonder which ending will favor you more? The Dark one... or the light one?
See you next chapter~
I'll do both endings as always~