As he walks through the dimly lit underground tunnel, the man's confident presence fills the space. His appearance suggests he's in his late thirties, with piercing eyes, a well-built physique, and sleek, slicked-back grey hair.
Reaching the end of the tunnel, flanked by two soldiers, he issues a direct command. "The daughter of Baron Kagenou," he instructs.
With a respectful bow, one of the soldiers quickly responds, "Right away, sir." Unlocking the door, he leads the way into a stone dungeon where a girl is shackled to the wall with formidable magic chains.
"You must be Claire Kagenou," the man asserts, his voice strong and commanding.
Claire lifts her gaze upon hearing her name, looking directly into the man's eyes. She is stunning, clothed in a delicate negligee that reveals her alluring figure, while her long black hair falls elegantly down her back.
A defiant gleam appears in Claire's eyes as she retaliates, "I've seen you around the capital. You're Viscount Grease, aren't you?"
With a hint of humility, the man responds, "Oh, well, I used to be a royal guard... or maybe you caught sight of me at the Bushin Festival."
A smirk dances across Claire's lips as she recalls the past. "Ah, yes, the tournament. Princess Iris really handed you a defeat, didn't she?"
Dismissing her remark, the man displays confidence. "Tournament rules can be deceiving. I assure you, I would never lose to her in a true battle."
Claire counters with her own taunt, "But you would have lost then and now, Viscount Grease... a first-round flunker."
Annoyance creeps onto the man's face as he retorts, "Enough of your insolence. A young one like you could never understand the struggles it takes to reach the finals."
Unyielding, Claire maintains her defiant glare. "I'll prove you wrong within a year."
However, the man's response carries a foreboding tone. "I hate to break it to you, but time is not on your side."
Suddenly, the chains binding Claire rattle violently as she lunges toward the man, her teeth grazing the back of his neck. A quick movement saves him from a potentially fatal injury, as she narrowly misses severing his carotid artery.
In a chilling challenge, Claire provokes him, "Shall we see who won't see another year? Care to test it out?"
Determined to take control, the man firmly declares, "You won't be testing anything, Claire Kagenou."
Claire's laughter fills the stone dungeon as his punch lands, forcefully slamming her against the wall. Undeterred, her unwavering gaze never leaves the man.
As his second punch fails to connect, a smirk emerges on Claire's face.
"Jumping backwards now, huh?"
Fearlessly, she taunts, "Oh, I thought you were simply trying to swat a fly."
"Hmph. I guess you're not letting your strong magical powers overwhelm you," Grease remarks, observing Claire intently.
"I learned that it's all about how you use magic, not how much," Claire replies confidently.
"Your father taught you well," Grease acknowledges.
"Baldy didn't teach me a thing. I'm talking about my brother," Claire reveals mischievously.
"Your brother...?" Grease is curious.
"He's a cheeky one. I win every time we battle, but I'm the one learning from his techniques, not the other way around, but I still bet he'd beat you. " Claire explains, a playful grin on her face.
'𝘐𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦?'
"Enough chitchat..." Grease pauses, his gaze intense.
"Claire Kagenou, has your physical condition... felt off recently? As in, has it gotten harder to use and handle magic? Have you experienced any pain when you use it? Is your body starting to turn dark with rot? ... Do you have any of these symptoms?" Grease asks, his tone serious.
"Did you abduct me to play doctor?" Claire responds with a sly smile.
"You know, I used to have a daughter. I don't want to knock you around more than I already have. Answering honestly would benefit us both," Grease states, his tone firm.
"Is that a threat? When I feel threatened, I tend to get hostile... even when I shouldn't," Claire warns.
"Are you saying you won't tell me the truth?" Grease challenges.
"We'll see," Claire retorts.
Grease and Claire lock eyes, glaring at each other in silence. Finally, Claire breaks the silence.
"Fine. I'll answer your dumb question since it's no big deal. What was it? About my condition and magic, right? Well, everything's fine now. If I wasn't chained up, I'd be doing pretty darn good," Claire responds confidently.
"What do you mean by 'now'?" Grease probes further.
"Well, I first noticed the symptoms a year ago," Claire answers.
"What? Are you saying it got cured... on its own?" Grease is surprised, as he has never heard of a case where such symptoms healed spontaneously.
"Yeah, I didn't do anything to... Oh, right. What was it? A 'stretch'? I don't know what that means, but my little bro asked me to stretch with him, and I felt better after that," Claire shares, recalling the incident.
'𝘈𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳? 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴.'
"Stretch? I've never heard of that before... but if you had symptoms, that means I wasn't mistaken in thinking you're compatible," Grease remarks, his curiosity piqued.
"Compatible...? What does that mean?" Claire questions, confused.
"Nothing that should concern you. Either way, you're going to break soon enough. Oh, and I'll make sure to look into your brother..." Grease's sentence is cut short as Claire lands a blow to his nose.
"Wha—?!" Grease exclaims, stumbling back. He holds his bloody nose, shocked that Claire managed to free her arm from the chains and attack him.
“You scraped off your own flesh and dislocated your finger…?!”
These are no ordinary chains. They’re sealed with magic. In other words, she unleashed the full extent of her physical strength to slice the flesh of her hand, break her bones, and slide out of the chains to punch Grease. This rattles him to his core.
“If you do anything to my... I- I'll make sure you fucking regret it! I'll make you watch as I slice off the limbs of all your loved ones slowly as they scream in agony then I'll feed you their heart— Ngh…?!”
Grease clobbers Claire in the gut with all his might. There’s no way she can defend herself from his spells, especially when she’s strapped down by chains like that.
“You insane bitch…!” spits Grease.
"Ironic coming from a guy like you... I just.. adjusted to the atmosphere." Claire manages to spout weakly.
"You're still conscious? I see... then I should've hit harder!—"
“Viscount Grease, we’re in trouble! Intruders!”
“Intruders?! Who the hell are they?”
“We don’t know! There are only a few of them, but we don’t stand a chance without you!”
“Ugh, I’ll take care of it! The rest of you, stay on guard!” Grease clicks his tongue in irritation before turning on his heel and making his way from the cell. Of course, not before giving Claire a bombastic angry side-eye.
'/
|
\'
By the time Grease arrives on the scene, the area is already smeared with blood.
The soldiers who protect the major facility aren’t weak by any means, and some even rival the royal guard.
“Why? This can’t be…!”
Illuminated by a single light streaming in from the outside, countless dead bodies litter the ground of the underground hall in the facility.
Each bears a single slash—sliced by an unimaginably destructive force.
“Son of a bitch…!”
Grease glares at a group of figures dressed in black bodysuits. From their curves, he can guess they’re petite girls—seven in total. Under the dim light of the moon, they’re stealthy enough that it’s easy to lose sight of them without a concerted effort. These women are using a rare technique to control their magical presence, and Grease recognizes this group might just rival him in strength.
There’s one who’s drenched in blood, eyeing him under the moonlight.
“Nnr…!”
In this moment, instinct overtakes Grease—not for any explicit reason, but he can sense danger.
Blood drips down her bodysuit and onto the floor, and she lets her katana drag behind her apathetically, creating a trail of gore.
“Who the hell are you? What’s your purpose?” he asks, attempting to suppress his unease.
But he’s faced with seven rivals as powerful as him. To fight would be asinine. Grease curses his bad luck as he searches for a way out.
The blood-splattered girl isn’t listening to him. She laughs, snickering from behind her bloodied mask.
She’s going to hunt me down…! Grease thinks, just as he hears another voice.
“Back off, Delta.”
The girl halts in place before retreating without resistance. Grease lets out a huge sigh of relief.
Another girl walks forward to take her place.
“We are the Shadow Garden.”
If they were anywhere else, her angelic voice would have entranced him.
“I’m Alpha.”
He realizes she’s revealed her face at some point, and her pale skin gleams under the moonlight. She steps forward.
“Nn…!”
He sees she’s an elf with golden hair and beauty that leaves him gasping for breath.
She takes another step.
“Our purpose…is to eliminate the Cult of Diablos.”
He doesn’t take notice of her black sword until it slices through the air and parts the night sky. Or at least, it seems to create that illusion, and Grease is overcome with intimidation by the force of her swing and the wind that follows it.
How did she acquire such power at this age? He trembles with jealousy and fear—but more than anything, he’s petrified by her declaration.
“How…how do you know our group?”
The Cult of Diablos. Grease is one of the few people in the facility who knows the name of this organization.
“We know everything. We know all about Diablos the demon, his curse, and the heroes’ descendants. And…the truth about the possessed.”
“H-how did you…?”
Grease was only recently informed of this top secret information, which couldn’t— No, shouldn’t have been leaked.
“You’re not the only ones after the Curse of Diablos.”
“Ksh…!”
He knows he can’t forgive them for getting access to classified information. But would slaying them prevent it from spreading?
No, no good.
Which means he needs to live—to survive to inform headquarters about the girls, which is why Grease moves forward.
“Aaaaaaaaagh!!” he shouts, unsheathing his sword and swiping at Alpha.
“How reckless,” she notes, dodging and countering it with ease.
Her blade grazes his cheek, where blood pours from the fresh wound.
And yet, that doesn’t stop him. He continues to pursue victory, even as none of his attacks land. Grease misses by a hairbreadth each time.
On the other side, Alpha is focused on eliminating unnecessary movements and calculating the trajectory of his sword to sidestep oncoming assaults.
Grease's moves become increasingly frenzied as he desperately tries to land a blow on Alpha. With each strike, his arms are slashed, his legs cut, and his shoulders sliced. Yet, despite the accumulation of wounds, none of them prove to be fatal.
As Grease realizes that Alpha won't deliver a killing blow until she extracts information from him, a glint of cunning crosses his eyes.
'𝘐𝘧 𝘴𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦?'
Too bad he didn't manage to do much, in a moment of opportunity, Alpha delivers a swift and precise slash across Grease's chest.
The pain surges through him, causing him to retreat and kneel, clutching his wounded chest.
However, a twisted smile spreads across his face as he swallows something. "Ha... you-!"
Alpha watches with a mix of curiosity as Grease's complexion darkens, muscles bulging a tiny bit and eyes glowing red. His magical capacity skyrockets, filling the air with an intense aura.
With a sudden rush of power, Grease's steel sword zings through the air.
She manages to block the attack instinctively, but the impact causes her arm to tingle with pins and needles albeit slightly.
Utilizing the momentum, she swiftly leaps backwards, creating distance between them.
Alpha observes the situation, her analytical mind working quickly. "That wave frequency... you induced a forced magical overload."
Despite the pain and discomfort, she doesn't let it faze her. But, it seems Grease has a trick up his sleeve.
"Raaagh!" What a Viking scream that was as he struck the ground below him, dust covered the surroundings.
When Alpha turns her gaze back to Grease, there is an empty space where he once stood. However, what catches her eye is a rectangular hole—the result of a trapdoor leading to a lower level of the facility. It becomes apparent that Grease has escaped.
An exasperated sigh escapes Alpha's lips. "He got away," she declares, her disappointment evident.
Beta, determined to pursue Grease, is about to leap into the hole after him.
However, Alpha intervenes, stopping Beta in the nick of time. Her voice exudes confidence as she asserts, "That won't be necessary. He'll take care of it."
Confusion fills Beta's voice as she recalls Master Shadow mentioning something. "He...? Now that I think about it, Lord Shadow said he'd go ahead of us... No way."
Alpha responds with a knowing giggle. "Yeah. I have to admit I was worried he'd get lost when he sprinted through a bunch of routes. He knew this would happen... He must be furious right now, huh?"
"... Lord Shadow really cares for his sister, you noticed too right?" Beta mentions.
"Yes, He seems really happy by her side..." Alpha drifts off thinking about something.
"..."
"Have you seen his smile with her?" Epsilon suddenly brings out of nowhere.
"..."
"I have, it's certainly quite the sight," Alpha says while clearly not hiding the fact she's imagining Lord Shadow's warm smile.
If only he could smile like that every second of the day without carrying such a burden. I swear... no.. we swear to help you, no matter what happens.
'/
| 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲
\'
"Sp- Spare me!-" Dead.
"Wh- what ar-" Dead as well.
"Argh-!" Stomped.
"Who are yo-" Oh, where's your throat gone to?
"MONSTER!" For that, I'll be borrowing your bones.
After all that, I end up in the place where she is. My sister, Claire Kagenou. She's alive and breathing but injured. I know what I'm going to do after this.
"Who..." she starts to speak, conscious but clearly confused.
"...," Hearing her voice like that, I swiftly heal her wounds.
"Huh? I'm... wh- what are you?" Claire asks, her eyes fixed on me.
What she likely sees is a swirling mass of dark black mist with dense magic around it instead of a child in hooded clothing. I can't let her get involved; I must keep her in the dark about all of this.
"𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐭," I state, using a small amount of magic to make her drowsy and fall into a natural sleep.
The current appearance of me as a dark mist is also a precautionary measure by the way.
It's necessary; she knows me too well, even down to my exact proportions. I once asked her for my size while shopping, and she recited the entire Declaration of Independence.
If I can find a way to modify my proportions and whatnot with my slime suit, perhaps I could appear before her as Shadow without raising suspicion.
"Wha- but... I... who are..." She's growing increasingly drowsy, I'll carry her back home after the mission. I'm relieved that she's safe.
Ah, right, she asked me a question.
"𝐌𝐲 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬... 𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧. 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥."
"...at least... tell..." She's too sleepy now to hear me clearly, yet I still mention a random name.
"𝐌𝐲 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐎𝐟 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫."
"...I see..." And like that, she drifts into a peaceful slumber. She looks so endearing when she sleeps like that. I'll ensure no strange men ever have the opportunity to approach her.
Placing my palm on her forehead, I proceed to erase some parts of her memory. Since I'm not yet at my full potential, there's still a chance she may recall this one day. However, I don't foresee significant consequences unless I'm overlooking something.
But now... I can rest well knowing she's safe.
...it seems someone has forcefully induced magical overload or something upon themselves.
Let's see what that's about.
I dash away, but obviously not before putting Claire in a place where she's safe and comfortable in her sleep.
'/
|
\'
I sense someone running towards me from the other side of the tunnel. It takes a moment for the figure to notice me, leaving a wide gap between us.
"You've been expecting me..." he assumes right.
He's insanely muscular, his eyes glowing crimson for some reason. Not sure but he looks slashable.
"But if it's just you, this should be a breeze," he says with a twisted smirk.
Then he disappears, or rather, moves so fast that an average person would think he vanished.
But I parry his attack with one hand. As long as I can track the trajectory of the attack, the speed doesn't scare me. It's all about how you use your power, even if it looks impressive.
"Nnr!" he yelps in surprise.
I push him away at the shoulder and step back.
His magic is incredible, much stronger than Alpha if I'm being honest. But his control over it is abysmal. He's just a musclehead relying on magic.
I absolutely detest half-baked strategies that bank solely on physical abilities - relying on power alone, speed alone, or reaction time alone.
You see, strength comes naturally, but mastery requires hard work.
My techniques can enhance my strength. My ingenuity can dictate my speed. And my reaction time can allow me to anticipate potential attacks. Physicality is important, but I'll never jeopardize a fight by relying solely on it.
If I'm being honest, this bulky brute is starting to piss me off. Not only that but... I can smell a tiny scent of Claire on him... So he's the one.
I grip my slime sword tightly as I step forward—one, two, three. On that last step, he swings at me, signalling that I'm within his fighting range and it's time to pick up the pace. I gather the tiniest amount of magic, focusing it in my feet, compressing it, and then releasing it in one explosive burst. It's a simple yet effective technique, harnessing the smallest magical force for maximum impact.
His sword slices through the air, but now he's within my range.
I don't rely on speed, power, or excessive magic. With my ebony blade, I graze his neck, slicing through the top layer of skin while leaving the veins untouched.
I quickly retreat as his blade grazes my cheek.
As he readies his sword again, I make my move. I forgo magic, allowing his movements to be faster than mine. But what he fails to realize is that he can't attack and move simultaneously, no matter how fast he is.
This gives me the opportunity to close the distance and take a tiny step forward.
It's a distance that's too far for me and too close for him.
A moment of silence hangs in the air. He seems uncertain about his next move but ultimately chooses to back away, revealing his hesitancy.
I anticipated his retreat, sensing the shift in magical energy within him. Without wasting any time, I close the gap before he can fully escape.
This time, my sword scrapes against his leg, cutting a little deeper than the previous laceration.
"Gah...!" he groans in pain, continuing his retreat.
I don't give chase. Little does he know, I'm just getting started.
'/
|
\'
Has Grease ever felt this outmatched before?
He wonders as his ink-black sword continues to penetrate his skin. Even in his battles against Alpha the elf, or when the princess claimed victory at the Bushin Festival, Grease never felt weak.
In fact, the last time he experienced such a power imbalance was when he was just a child.
Back then, he wielded a sword for the first time, squaring off against his mentor - an adult versus a novice. It wasn't much of a fight to speak of.
And now, Grease is feeling that same sense of powerlessness.
The boy standing before him doesn't appear tough in any way. He lacks the menacing aura that Alpha possessed during their fight.
He seems completely natural, effortlessly displaying his stance, magic, and swordsmanship. His strength and speed are nothing remarkable, honestly, nothing special at all.
Yet, his strategy enhances his swordplay, allowing him to hold his ground against Grease's destructive powers.
And it leaves Grease feeling overwhelmingly defeated.
He knows that the only reason he's still alive is because the boy allows it. If his opponent desired it, Grease would be dead in an instant.
But Grease possesses the ability to regenerate his body as long as he avoids fatal blows, albeit with limits and unpleasant side effects. He has shed buckets of blood, endured broken bones and shredded flesh, all of which require time to heal.
Even in this dire situation, Grease somehow survives.
No, it would be more accurate to say that he has been spared.
In the face of this, Grease poses a single question: "Why...?"
Why are you letting me live?
Why are we enemies?
Why are you so strong?
Why?
The young boy, cloaked in darkness, gazes down at Grease.
"We thrive in obscurity, prowling the abyss to extinguish every lurking shadow. Unyielding and relentless, this is our very essence, our reason for being," he replies.
Grease could feel it... a hint of distant sadness in that voice. And with those words, Grease comprehends the situation.
"Are you going up against them...?" he asks.
There are certain individuals in this world who remain untouched by the law.
Grease understands this, considering himself to exist above that threshold, with special privileges and hidden personas. After all, the light of the law does not reach every corner of the world.
Yet, despite the privileges he enjoyed, Grease was trampled and crushed by those at the top, leading him to yearn for more power and ultimately contributing to his downfall.
"Even if you... Even if your gang becomes stronger, you'll never defeat them. The darkness of this world... it's a deeper abyss than your wildest dreams," Grease states, not as a warning to the boy, but to express his wicked desires.
Grease wants the boy to be crushed, to lose everything, and to become utterly disillusioned with society. Yet, consumed by petty envy and spite, he fears that this wish may be beyond his reach.
"Then we shall plunge fearlessly into the abyss, venturing to its very depths, pushing boundaries that defy the limits of daring. And we won't stop until we reach the bottom." the boy offers, devoid of eagerness or ambition.
But Grease can sense the boy's unwavering determination and unshakable confidence.
"It won't be easy."
Unacceptable.
Utterly unacceptable, thinks Grease, who is doomed for daring to take on their might.
This becomes the moment he chooses to cross the final threshold. Retrieving a pill from his breast pocket, he swallows it whole, realizing that survival is no longer an option.
In that case, he thinks, I'll use this life to teach him the truth. The truth about the darkness of this world.
Suddenly, after the transformation, I suddenly feel something weird. Probably nothing-...
I look at the boy in black and see him holding a heart. Immediately I put my hand on my chest to feel my pulse and... How am I..? When did-? How did-?
He stole my heart without me noticing!?
"No more games." I look at the boy in black and see the most creepiest smile I've ever seen. The Aura around him has changed. I see... He's decided that I'm not worth sparing, hasn't he?
Suddenly, my limbs were torn, and I was left on the ground. Even with my power up, I'm still powerless. He's... strong. If it's him then..
"Mmh!-" He suddenly put something in my mouth. Skin? It was quite hard too, and long... wait... this texture...
"How is it? Your finger, I mean." He smiles gently.
𝘞𝘩- 𝘸𝘩𝘢- 𝘞𝘏𝘈𝘛!?
I tried to spit it out but he shut my mouth close and suddenly touched my forehead and-
"MRGH!-"
My whole body is in pain. It hurts. I have never felt anything like this... Every part of my body that I still have is in the worst pain Imaginable, please... make it..
"..mmrgh..."
"What was that?" He says while giving me the warmest of smiles and letting me speak while taking my finger out.
"Stop..."
"...fine."
At that, my body relieves and-
"Only if you eat I feed you."
"...what?"
I look at him and I see a smile sharper and deadlier than whatever can exist. This boy.. he... he can't be human...
"Hurry up... Open your mouth wide and I'll feed you this." He shows me one of my toes he cut off.
"What... what... no... no... I- AGHH!" He's doing it again, giving me pain all around my body. It's... he's going to make me suffer this... unless... I...
I managed what little strength I had while screaming in pain to bite what was in his hands and swallow it, it tasted disgusting, but he stopped the pain.
"Good boy..." He proceeds to pat my head.
Then I remembered... "My.. heart... how..."
"Oh, this?... you wouldn't understand how." He smiles gently. Yet that face is the clear meaning of psychopath.
"Anyway... since you seem to want your heart back, how about you 𝗲𝗮𝘁 it?" He says while smiling at me.
"I..."
"Don't forget to chew it."
"..."
This is it for me... Millia...
'/
|
\'
I head up to the girls with Claire in my hands.
"How'd everything go?" I ask them with a voice of authority.
"Perfectly, Lord Shadow."
"...alright, you all may go back and rest now, I'll bring Claire back."
"...Understood." They all said as they dispersed.
'/
|
\'
I am currently in my shadowy mist form, you know, the 𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚 persona? I can never be too careful.
I'm in her room. I checked around for anyone watching and... none. I fixed her room, I used magic to attempt and make the bed a bit more comfortable and I lay her carefully onto it.
I then tuck her in slowly. Afterwards, I immediately begin to pat her head. I almost seem like a siscon... haha, what a funny joke I just said...
Anyway, I immediately disperse around Claire. As if I vanished into nothing. After probably a week, It'll be the last time I see Claire until after 2 more years. But even then, I'll keep you safe, even if the physical distance between us tries to get in the way.
...It's time I head over to my room.
'/
|
\'
After an eventful week of thorough follow-up investigations, my sister successfully was being sent off to the prestigious capital.
She was with me almost every second of that week and I'm not complaining. It was as I said, quite the eventful week.
As she walked towards the carriage, she looked at me one last time. I couldn't help but give a smile I still couldn't get used to. But apparently Claire says it's precious.
In return, she gives me her smile. The last one I'll see until after 2 years. I never told her this, but her smile was just as precious. Well, this is goodbye, for now...
Claire Kagenou, My Dearest Older Sister.
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𝗛𝗼𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗽, 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲- 𝗔𝗹𝘀𝗼, 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿!
𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝟰𝟲𝟬𝟬 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗜'𝗺 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵-
𝗛𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 (°▽°)