Arifureta: SPECIALZ

Chapter 20: Looming Darkness

Six days has passed ever since they returned to Erisen from the Deep Ruins of Melusine. Y/n and his team are relaxing by the port with Shin and his daughter. The girls are playing in the water while the males are preparing meals.

Dan Heng is grilling seafoods while Y/n is cutting fruits with Shin. The sorcerer prepared a watermelon, and he swiftly cut it clean with a chop of his hand.

"You're truly amazing, Y/n-kun..." Shin chuckled nervously.

The sorcerer continued to cut more fruits and carved into a shape of his Shikigamis just to entertain Rio. He then gazed to Rio enjoying herself with the rest of the female companions, and he quietly sighed in disheartened manner.

He and his team have been staying too long due to his selfishness. He recalled again the day his sister left for college, and he was sad to see her go. He doesn't want that to happen on Rio.

"Y/n-kun." Shin snapped the sorcerer out of his trance by tapping his shoulder gently. "I want to say thank you."

"What for?"

"You care so much for my daughter. As a father, I can't just not say thank you."

Y/n huffed with a smile. "I'm not even trying to hide it."

"Rio really met some wonderful people." Shin added. "Y/-kun, you and the other have been kind enough to Rio. So please continue your journey. There's no need to worry about us."

"I wonder about that.."

Shin smiled gently with a giggle before gazing to his daughter. "My little girl has grown so much after meeting everyone. Though she has always been on the receiving end, she has started to think about other people..."

Y/n went quiet while clenching his fist to hide his frustration. He recalled the day he and Krul met her, and how she's always been a spoiled little girl. And now, that same little girl has grown and started to leave his side.

"That girl knows it as well. That you and the others will have to go." Shin continued. "However, since she's still a girl, she ended up getting spoiled by your kindness, but.. that being said.. she never asked you to not go, not even once, right?"

Y/n nodded quietly in understanding. He has to leave. Not just for him but for Rio as well.

"I'll tell her tonight that we're going to leave tomorrow morning." The sorcerer declared.

"Then, let's have a feast tonight." Shin suggested. "It's your farewell party, after all."

Y/n nodded to him before calling the girls to take a break. The girls hopped up onto the dock and walked over to them with water dripping down from their skins. Dan Heng handed them towels for each, and the girls covered themselves with it. Then, Y/n served them a skewered fruits and the girls, especially Rio, are amused by the animal shapes.

"Where did you learn to do this?" Krul asked.

"My old man once served a toast with a shape of a bear on it when I was a kid. He loves bread toast so much that he even eat the crust." Y/n narrated.

"What's your old man do for work?" Stelle asked while eating the fruits.

"A house-husband."

.
.
.

The sun is setting down. Everyone is in the living room. Rio is quietly crying because she knew that Y/n, who she called her brother, is going to leave.

"We can't see each other anymore..?" She broke the silence while sobbing. "Even when we are apart.. will Onii-chan still be my Onii-chan?"

Y/n looked at Rio with a sad gaze. "Of course.."