[Completed] Legend of the Five Knights II: The Shadow of Justice

Episode 35: Pining for Love

"Hey," a voice called out. I turned around and saw our clan's second princess waving at me from below. She jumped and flew over to me.

"What did I tell you?" I said, glaring at her.

Damn, this girl is almost as bad as her older sister. The only thing that she has going for her is that she follows and believes what her father tells her.

Crossing her arms, she sighed. "I couldn't let you go by yourself."

"You're back to being part of Tetsuya's group," I said, turning my back to her. I narrowed my eyes. "Also, what if I were the one who attacked you?"

She stepped back and raised her angel tool in front of her. Her eyes were filled with blood-lust.

Sighing, I put my hands into the pockets of my jeans. "I know that you can't use that, you haven't been able to since the day of the ball. You truly have no sense of self preservation. It's worse than my brother's."

She lowered her arm and kept looking at me with stern eyes. "You won't attack me."

I stopped walking and raised an eyebrow. "How are you so sure?"

"Because if you were then you would've already done so by now." She scratched her head. "We did have other instances in which we were alone."

I sighed. "With cameras or others around us."

She shook her head. "You're forgetting about that time in the Abyss."

***

[Days Ago]

"We're heading out now," Eiichi said, flashing her a smile. He turned away and waved farewell. Hideo and I followed after him.

"Wait," Rosalba said, chasing after us. She gave us a hesitant look. "I. I... wish to come too."

"Setsuko already set off earlier this morning," Hideo said. He frowned. "Are you sure that you wish to come with us?"

She pulled her arms closer to her chest. "I'll... join one of you!" she said as she averted her gaze. "I...want to make myself useful. I... I can't allow what happened to defeat me..."

This girl, she's forcing herself.

Eiichi grinned and held out his left hand toward her. "We'll be happy to have you. At least, I would."

"No you don't!" Hideo said, slapping his hand. "She'll join us. Right?"

Eiichi scoffed. "Come on, my group is stronger and bigger."

Hideo pouted and glared at him. "That's just more reason for why she shouldn't join you!"

Rosalba glanced at me. "I think that I'll join Hyosetsu."

The two knights looked at us like a bunch of buffoons.

"Why?" Hideo whined, stomping his foot like an imprudent child.

She looked back at me. "It's just... I trust him more than you." I thought I saw a light blush in her face.

Such reaction would've been flattering if it hadn't been so common a sight.

Starting as far back as elementary, girls around my age would get close to me. Befriend me for all the wrong reasons. They would try to do the same with Kohri but he was immune to their charms, unlike me. If I had had such a gift then the pain inflicted by such vultures would never have happened.

Unfortunately, there was no way to set back the clock. Perhaps it was that inability to discern who is lying, that my mother ended up losing faith in me as her heir. A chief surrounds himself with vultures is one that is doomed to be eaten.