For weeks, Reimi would always sneak out at night and enter the forest to meet Kyuu. They will talk and do so many things. On the daytime of those days, she always meet with Hideyoshi underneath the biggest tree to train. She learned a lot of techniques already. To be able to remember all of them, she kept them in a special box.
She have improved so much that even Hideyoshi proclaimed her as the strongest.
The sun already went down. Reimi decided to pay a visit to her friend. She quietly ran all the way to the forest and went to the place where they will always bond. But the cursed spirit was nowhere to be found.
She heard a scream from somewhere near. She held her sword and rushed to where she heard it. She was unable to move when she saw what happened.
She quickly hid behind the tree. She was thankful that she discovered how to conceal her cursed energy. However, she have to use a special glasses that can help her see cursed spirits.
"Kyuu..." she mumbled before running away.
Later that night, she tried to act normal in front of Kyuu. She pretended that she saw nothing. Maybe she will talk to her about that some other day.
"You do really like him, don't you?" Kyuu teased her. Reimi let out an awkward laugh. "Too bad, he is married. But what if his family vanished? Do you think you will have a chance to him?"
"W-What are you saying, Kyuu? Even if they disappear, I am pretty sure his feelings will never change. One more thing, maybe... this is just a phase. Most of the girls at my age always dreamed of being with someone. Once I became an adult, I will probably laugh on my thoughts right now."
"Are you really okay with that? Your feelings being not reciprocated?"
"I was hoping that maybe he likes me, too, but it's not like we always get what we want, right? I'm contented with this. At least... he doesn't hate me yet."
"Why would he hate you? You are a lovely girl, brilliant, smart, cheerful, responsible. I really think you are a lot better than his wife. She probably did some black magic so he fell for her."
"Kyuu," Reimi pleaded. "Promise me, you will not kill any human."
"For you, Reimi. Then you should promise, too, then. Live your life to the fullest. Do not abandon it, even if you are all alone." Their pinky fingers interlocked with each other. Reimi tried to smile but no matter how many times she tried, she cannot move her lips.
"Don't leave me, Kyuu!" she cried.
"I won't leave you for I will always be a part of you. Remember that. You are the best person I met. You have always protected other people, prioritizing their lives over your own one-even if they would always hurt you."
"Kyuu, let's achieve your dream. Let's create a world where everyone, everything can live in harmony," Reimi declared.
"That sounds great. I am glad I found you. Thank you for being my friend."
Reimi thought that there was something wrong with Kyuu except to what she saw a while ago. She felt like she's saying goodbye to her.
Tomorrow came and she was right, the conversation they had that night is the last time she shared with her.
She woke up to the sound of panic from everyone. She went out and asked one of the sorcerers.
"Hideaki and his mother are nowhere to be found!" Reimi froze when she heard that.
The incident she saw yesterday flashed before her eyes.
The crushed headless body of the child laying on the ground and the bloody body of the mother on Kyuu's mouth. She clenched her fist and excused herself.
She went to the forest and searched for Kyuu. She spent most of the time looking for her but she was nowhere to be found. The sun have set and she never saw even a single glimpse of her friend.
She hated herself. She saw it but she did nothing. She saw it but she chose to be silent. She should have talked to Kyuu! Even if she got mad to her, she shouldn't held back because it was the right thing to do.
She came back to the camp where she stays but oddly, it seems like no one was there. She tried to check the cabins but no one was there. She went back to her room and found a letter on her bed.
She opened and read it, "Meet me at the usual spot."
Even if there was no signature, she already knew who wrote it and the usual spot it mentioned.
She sighed when she saw that no one was there. She waited for few more minutes but no one arrived. She decided to wait for a little longer. She leaned against the tree and closed her eyes.
She thought of the times she had with Hideyoshi. If he discovered that it was the nine-tailed fox who did it and he knew her relationship with it, he will surely despise her.
He will hate her even more once he knew that she knew their death all along but she chose to shut her mouth. It was her fault, that's why she's reminiscing the moments she had with him because it will never happen again.
"If we only met under other circumstances..." Reimi hurriedly opened her eyes and stood up when she heard him "...we could have been lovers. In another life, maybe, we'll meet again and once we do, I hope you still feel the same."
"Am I... going to die?" she asked him with a smile on her face. He simply nodded to her. "Well, I am glad it was you. Thank you, I love you."
She felt his palm on her stomach. She closed her eyes and bit her lips before stretching it into the widest smile she could be able.
"Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue. Cursed Technique Reversal: Red..." Reimi gulped, she didn't expect he will use that "...Hollow Purple."
"Thank you for making it painless," she spoke. She felt her body getting weaker. She fell on his chest. She wanted to be happy, he deactivated Infinity so she can touch him but she doesn't have enough time. “You know, I was hoping that you'll be able to help me achieve my dream.”
"A world where non-sorcerers, cursed spirits, and sorcerers live in peace and harmony. Me, too, wish for that but to be able to do that, you must survive," that was his last words before she let him go.
As she fall to the ground, she watched him walk away from her. Her eyes widened and she tried to call his name but her throat became dry. All she can do was to extend her right arm as her left palm touched the hole on her stomach. She tried to reach him but he was too far away and she was slowly losing her sight.
Sorcerers were ganging up on Hideyoshi who wasn't fighting back. Tears started to stream down on her face as the last thing she saw before she lost her consciousness was the fall of Hideyoshi who, just like her, tried to reach her before dying.
"Domain Expansion: Garden of Flames, Fourth Level: Paradise."
Reimi couldn't believe when she was able to open her eyes again. She immediately stood up, her mouth hung open on the view in front of her.
"I'm sorry, I broke our promise," Kyuu's last words before a sorcerer sliced her head. Her head rolled to the ground beside the lifeless body of Hideyoshi.
Reimi fell to the ground, unable to process what was happening. Her hands were on her mouth. Tears running down from her eyes while she was continuously shaking her head sideways.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't control her emotions anymore. She shouted, she screamed and cried their names. Telling them to not leave her alone. She wanted to be sad, she wanted to mourn but her anger was overwhelming.
Hideyoshi called her the strongest yet she wasn't able to do anything for them. She didn't manage to save them. She thought that if she died, they might survive.
It was her weakness, she was too confident that her death will be enough. She didn't expect that their lives are sacrifices, too.
She's mad and she can feel a lot of power stirring inside her. It was too powerful that she cannot contain it anymore. The only choice she have is to let it out.
In one sorrowful scream, she spread it.
Flames started to surround her and every people caught in fire would cry for help but she would just laugh at them.
"What should we do?" someone who looks just like her asked.
"Obliterate everyone," she ordered.
That night, the existence of Ancient Sorcerers was erased. They were either burned alive or beheaded. No one survived the massacre. The fall of the sorcerers happened and the feared Black Foxes rose in power.