My mind is stuck in a daze as I heard something unbelievable from Ichirou. The usual selfless man I knew wants something back to him for reason unknown to us. Shouko didn’t falter and only looks at Ichirou upward from her bowing position, however, Hasu is not the same as her. Hasu’s face is painted with anguish and despair upon hearing Ichirou’s answer.

I can’t interfere with his answer as it is not my right to dictate him whether he wants his soul back or not. After all, this is a matter of his life and death.

Hasu is unsatisfied, rather, he did plan to kill Ichirou since he knows.

“Bastard! Shouko is…Shouko…even bow her head and insisted! She needs it more than you right now! Her body is falling apart without anything to support it!”

“Shouta…it’s okay. This…might be the price of our past, a karma that was set upon us.”

Shouko consoled Hasu as he started shouting at Ichirou. She stands up and got closer to Hasu with a faint smile. Hasu immediately cease his words towards Ichirou as Shouko held his hand.

“I already knew right from the start that…it was you because no one will be that desperate enough to save someone like me…”

“Shouko…no! That’s not it!”

“Shouta…at that time, I was actually happy that you that for me, however, I don’t want you to think that…I am a twisted woman that wanted something like that…I…pretended that I was scared of you. I pretended that the scene of carnage you left was like a nightmare to me.”

“Shouko…”

“Then, you came back to me in that form, Shouta Murayama, the brother I love so much. Since you didn’t mention anything about it, I feel like it is fine to stay that way forever.”

“Even…even if you wished for something twisted, Shouko, I will never cease to love you. Even…even if you want the world to perish right now, I will love you.”

“I wouldn’t want that. This world has become our best getaway from the society’s prying eyes that always berates us on our relationship. This world is beautiful and clean. I want to share the same sentiment with you, Shouta.”

“Shouko…!”

“I might perish. I want to grow old and die together with you, however, the circumstances wouldn’t let us. We both hated our parent and everyone from our village and no less becomes oddly happy for their demise. That alone is twisted and that wrong happiness is now taking a toll on us.”

“Don’t say that! I…even if…you are happy or sad about it, you are the victim there, Shouko! They separated us!”

“That doesn’t change anything. That’s why, Shouta, if I ever won’t make it, at least, please, remember me…always.”

“Kuh…!”

They had such circumstances, they have such situation. They only have each other right from the start and all they wish for is to be together. Such selfish wish isn’t bad or evil. It is a proof that they are living beings that has desires, a desire to be with another one.

This is rather painful too…

I have already witnessed firsthand how circumstances, situations that cannot be help, or even such thing as karma separate people, such things torn Violetta and master apart, away from each other indefinitely by the boundary of life and death. Master and Violetta longs for each other for more than two hundred years.

However, time should not be a measurement of their longing for each other. Shouko and Shouta’s situation won’t allow it anymore. It is like they have spends all of their time together because someday, they will be separated.

Casablanca and Hibiscus are the same. Those two love each other so much that they are inseparable, however, at such age, they know that being apart from each other will one day, be an inevitability.

How would they feel when the time comes that they need to be separated through the mildest to a really harsh event.

I can’t bear to think of it anymore…

I can only look down and forbade myself to shed a single tear. I bit my lip to control the surge of sadness and bitterness. Even Mimi wears a blank expression, probably to conceal any emotions from leaking out.

Shouko, after grasping Hasu’s hands as if to remember each other’s warmth, head towards Ichirou with a calm and gentle face. She looks up to Ichirou as there’s a great difference in height and sprouted a smile that would fade anytime time now as it looks so frail, a smile that knows that it is facing its own demise.

“Ichirou, I am sorry for what Shouta have done. I feel ashamed not only to you but to him as he did everything to save me just to end up like this. We may not bring back anything that we destroyed or used but, I want still want to convey my thanks nonetheless.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Shouko bows one last time. Hasu’s face is on the verge of breaking down into tears as Shouko wishes to be removed from the only thread that kept her alive. It must be really painful to see what you’ve worked hard becomes like this. How many days or weeks did he endure such hardship for Shouko?

It was Hasu’s very own twin sister and lover that told him that she needs to die. Even after this, his heart will be beyond mending.

Ichirou then stare at Shouko’s eyes…

Suddenly, his blank expression collapses as he looks away and scratches the back of his head with a really embarrassed face.

Eh?

“Umm…I…just want to say something cool, you know? I really don’t intend to do that. I don’t have the heart to do so…umm…ah…”

“Yes…?”

“T-That’s right…I just want to say something cool, however…everything escalated so quickly and when you and Hasu started talking with each other…and…everyone got…dramatic…I kind of lost the timing to say something…”

“…”

“Sorry…”

My mind went blank.

Hasu’s face shows a blank stupefied expression.

Gria and Mimi are not spared from such idiotic faces.

Shouko was in a daze.

“……”

“……”

“……”

“……”

“……”

“……”

This idiot…he doesn’t know when to choose the right timing…

Ahh…I feel like choking him right now. I want to plant two or three swords on his face…

“Niyahahahahaha! What an interesting fellow!”

Mimi broke out in laughter after recovering from such blow. Her laugh is so loud that the whole forest might actually hear it. Tears start coming out from her eyelids as she finds the situation too amusing and comical. Oddly enough, I feel the same way too but I don’t even feel like laughing after having my feelings played like that.

“Ohohoho…well played. Such drastic prank deserves an award!”

Gria complimented as he laughs lightly. It seems that Gria was also fooled by the whole situation. I bet he wants to stay neutral to either side but as soon as he said that, it seems Gria really wanted for Shouko to live on.

“Damn it! You bastard…! Pulling that shit…! I am really going to kill you.”

Hasu commented as grit his teeth. However, it seems he can’t hide the relief on his face as tears of joy actually spilled from his eyelids. He rushes to Shouko and hugs her.

“That…surprised me. Ichirou…you’re such a tease, huh.”

“I’m really sorry…”

“No need. I am really happy. We should be the one thanking you. I…owe you this life and that’s a literal one.”

It seems that everything actually going went well from the start. Ichirou just…um…wanted to something but ultimately fails. I stand up from where I am and approach them. Hasu’s attention spanned to me as soon as his and my eyes met.

“Asagao! Wa--?! Your wound…?!”

“It’s alright. I am well now.”

“But…!”

“Shouko, Shouta, I hope that from today onwards, we will get along with each other…honestly…without any reservation.”

“Asagao…you must have experienced quite a lot. Seeing you here is a mystery enough.”

“Don’t worry. We will talk about that later. I just want to say that, I, together with Ichirou and all of our allies will help you find Shouko’s soul. I promise that.”

“Asagao, are you…serious?!”

“I am dead serious. We are going to save this world, right? So Shouko and you can live with each other for the rest of your life.”

“I see, thank you.”

“I thank you too, Asagao.”

Shouko said as she glances over to me. I can only smile back at her happy face. What I said about getting her soul back, I am serious.

Even without hearing most of their stories yet, I am aware that it must be one of the Order of Arcana. Only those people could do such feat with the help of Nil. Their goal is becoming hazier for me but I definitely know that…Nil wanted to save someone or something.

If so, then I definitely believe that we can take her soul back and fix everything.

As the happier mood settles, Gria approach with the same joyous face. His earlier demeanor seems like a bad joke as he shows his usual comical side. He looks at Ichirou with pitying eyes…

“Anyhow, you must be really desperate to get everything fix, boy. With a little fragment of your own soul left, you have burnt it several times now. I can say that your life is just hanging by a thread.”

Chill immediately crept to my spine from what I heard. Ichirou’s face becomes pale…

“I’ve been dealing with a lot of undead. Knowing about a soul’s condition has become a natural skill of mine. I know when a soul still has its owner or not. I know when a soul is suffering or not. Lastly, I know a soul when it is burned out. Most likely, those people use their own life force to do something beyond them. When they go over the limits of what their soul can, they will wither away with no chance of recovery.”

My eyes immediately shoot toward Ichirou who in response averted his gaze from me. His countenance becomes dim and grim as Gria spoke about him. He becomes oddly quiet as he prevented himself from looking at me as my gaze becomes more confused.

From the still and confusing atmosphere, even Shouko and Shouta stops from their happy cuddling and glances over to us. Gria seems to realize that he said something that he shouldn’t and sprouted a flabbergasted countenance. Mimi as always just listens.

Burnt soul…?

I slowly walk towards Ichirou as I talk…

“Hey…Ichirou…what did…Gria meant by that?”

“……”

“Your life is hanging by a thread? Burnt it several times now?!”

“Asagao…that’s…”

What is he hiding?

I feel really betrayed right now. He is actually the one in real danger here and he never spoke a word about it. It is like master. Master’s soul was beyond help when he told me about it and was just awaiting his death.

Ichirou’s face gave everything away. He knows that he is going to die and so, he awaits it. Maybe because right now, Ichirou is like master, I feel so vexed.

I have this weird desire to keep seeing him with a smile, to see him with a fulfilled life…

“Asagao…I…”

“Come…”

I wordlessly grab Ichirou’s hand and pull him away from everyone. I feel so angry with Ichirou right now and I don’t think I want somebody else seeing me vent out like a child, though I look like one. If it is something that he can’t talk about with someone else around, then I shall drag him away and force him to tell me.

It might a lie he thinks it is necessary to keep to himself. I know how lying for a cause feels but it won’t be good to get bottled up like that. I want him to trust me and likewise, I trust him with my life.

“Asagao…! This is…!”

“Shut up.”

Without heeding any of his words, I pull Ichirou deeper into the forest. He didn’t resist or voiced out any complaint, he just let me pull him as I please. I stomp my way throughout the forest until I found a tree with wide bark, far away from anyone’s sight. I pull Ichirou towards the tree and he willingly let me threw him there.

On the base of the three, Ichirou sits with a remorseful face but still won’t look at me. I feel much madder now that he won’t man up and straight say it to me.

“Ichirou…What was that? What did Gria meant by that!? Tell me!”

“……”

“You fool!”

In my anger, push Ichirou against the tree as I straddle on his legs. I grab his face and angrily made it turn to me. Ichirou’s eyes still swim somewhere and don’t want to look at me.

“Hey, look at me! Look at my eyes! Ichirou!”

“……”

“I thought that we won’t keep any secrets anymore! I thought that you trusted me! I thought that you and I will always rely on each other and yet, I found out something this bad!”

“……”

“Why didn’t you told me anything?!”

He still won’t look at me in the eyes. I further push my body towards his as I sprouted an angry gaze.

That’s when I realize…we’re in quite an obscene position…