“Hey Hana, it’s time for dinner…Hana?” Yukina gently opens Hanabi’s door. Hanabi approaches the door and walks by Yukina smiling, “Thank you, let’s go down now.” Normally Hanabi would be enthusiastic about the meal we are having that day, constantly asking Yukina all the dishes she makes and food in the human world, something is off. Hanabi has been like this ever since that day when she pushed me out, it’s my fault this is happening to her, I must take responsibility.
After dinner around 8pm, Hanabi wipes her mouth with a cloth and heads towards her room, I reached out and rest my hand on her shoulder. “Hanabi, I’m heading out for a walk, there is a newly opened arcade just around the corner, Sniffles still needs a playmate, right?” Hanabi looks back at me and nods her head quietly before heading back into her room to change. “Onii-chan, don’t screw this up alright? She’s a good girl.” Yukina glares at me with an evil smirk across her face. “I’m not going to hit on her…you’re overthinking too much…”
Minutes later, Hanabi walked back down to the main entrance wearing the blouse we bought that day at the mall and a pair of denim shorts. My eyes were glued onto her, I was definitely captivated by her beauty, even with such simple and casual cloths, she looks just like an angel sent from the heavens, the irony. “Is there something on my face?” Hanabi asks in embarrassment, “No, nothing, quick we should head out before it closes.” I grab onto Hanabi’s arm and we ran towards the arcade, from the corner of my eye, I could see Hanabi smile, even if it was a faint one, her smile was as pretty as ever, making me feel like I have been taking her beauty for granted.
“Wow! It’s huge Souta!” Hanabi stares at the newly opened arcade two blocks away from my house in awe and amazement. “The claw machine Souta! There! There!” Hanabi’s excitement seemed to have returned as she dashed towards the giant claw machine, pointing towards a unicorn at the edge of the machine. “You want that huh, this might be a little tricky…” I crouch down analyzing possible ways to get a shot at catching this unicorn, however, it was near impossible and would require a lot of luck. Maybe I should tell her to try another…no…she wants this, I have to get it for her, even if I die!
“It’s a piece of cake Hanabi, just sit back and relax!” One attempt soon turned into five, before long it turned into twenty. “Hey, Souta…if it’s too hard, it’s fine…” “No, I can do it, I have to, just wait.” I’m not going to give up, I want to make Hanabi happy, I want to see her smile again, I know I haven’t been spending time with her and I have been pushing her aside, this is my fault and I alone must clean up this mess. Minutes later, I was down to my last coin, I realized I have spent more than 3000 yen already… Come on, I just need one more try, I can’t let her down… Suddenly, I could feel a warm pair of hands cup over my own. “Let’s try to win this together.” Hanabi smiles and holds on tightly to my hands, yes, I can do this! “Alright, here we go!” I carefully placed the claw right at the head of the unicorn and angled the drop perfectly, there is no way we can miss this! “Go Hanabi!” Hanabi smashes down on the button screaming, “Let’s go!” *error* *error*
We both looked up and realized the machine started to beep like crazy, “Error! Error!” As we both looked back down, we realized Hanabi has accidentally smashed the button so hard, the machine’s control panel broke into two. “Souta…” “Hanabi…” We both stare at each other before the shop manager rushed towards us demanding us to pay. Hanabi grabs onto my waist as a pair of devil-like wings formed on her back, “Hang on tight!” Before long, she had flew into the sky holding onto me tightly. “Wait, you could fly all along? You never told me!” Hanabi sticks out her tongue and squints her eyes, “Because you never asked.”
After making sure there was a distance between us and the arcade, Hanabi landed back down and her wings began to disappear as she asked if I was hurt. “I’m fine Hanabi, you?” Hanabi nods and started laughing, “I actually broke the machine! Can you believe that? I’m so dumb.” Her face turned red whilst laughing, I couldn’t help but laugh along with her. “Well we couldn’t get the unicorn though, sorry…” Hanabi shook her head and wraps her arms around my neck, “I had a lot of fun, even if you didn’t win it, you tried your best. I know I have been down lately and that might have affected you and Yukina, I’m sorry…” I grab onto her waist and smiled, “You know, I realized lately, you changed me a lot, in a good way of course, the way you act, the way you look, your smile, everything about you. Without that, I might never be the same again, I should be apologizing, I am sorry Hanabi for taking you for granted. Hanabi, I…” My heart started to beat like wild and my head felt light and dizzy, should I say it? Hanabi looks at me as if she was ready for it, “I..I love you…” I could see tears forming in Hanabi’s eyes as she smiled brightly, “Me too…Souta…I love you too!” Hanabi wraps around my neck tighter as she pulled my face towards her.
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“Master I’m sorry to interrupt your lovely moment with this demon but my radar is picking up a hostile unit close by, whoever it is probably sensed her using her powers just now.” Kyo appeared out of the shadows and knelt on my knee behind me. “Kyo…what the hell…how long have you been stalking us…” I was taken aback and quickly let go of Hanabi, Hanabi quickly released her grip on me and looks away with her hands over her face. “I was just ensuring your safety Master, besides if this demon here were to cross the line, I will personally end her…” End her? Not again… “Besides that, is he or she Red Crimson’s?” Kyo nodded her head as the Tsukino-ha appeared on her hand again, “Master and Hanabi please be on guard, they might appear any moment now.” That’s right, I can summon Misashi to help us! I reached into my pocket for the pendant but it wasn’t there, oh crap! I left the pendant on my desk…how careless of me…
“So this is where my foolish princess was all along…come back home princess, the king wants a word with you. Please don’t make this hard for me.” A tall figure approached us, he was donned in a white cloak with black metallic armor, he looked towards me with a sinister grin, “You must be Souta-kun, right? I did some background check on you, it says you are half human and half…ooo…interesting…” Am I not human? What is he saying? The evil figure raises up his hand and in his palm, electric sparks started to form in, “Inazumai no yari…” Lightning strikes his body and races towards his palm, in a split moment, a spear forged of lightning formed in his hand and his eye lit up blue with sparks flowing throughout his body. “Master, this is bad, that is a Van Astrea General, he isn’t Red Crimson, the Lightning Warrior of Van Astrea…we are no match for him…retreat now with the princess while I hold him…” *clang* The lightning warrior charges towards Kyo with his spear interrupting her sentence by forcing her to defend with her blade.
“The legendary Moonblade against my Lightning Spear, this is a battle to behold! I will crush you girl and end you quickly!” The warrior slashes Kyo repeatedly left and right in quick repetition, the only thing Kyo could do was to defend herself from all the mighty blows she was receiving. There must be a way I can help… “Crimson Binding!” Hanabi raises both hands and channels a spell onto the warrior, red rings formed around the warrior and began to shrink, locking his arms together. “How dare you interfere with our battle!” The warrior stomps his foot on the ground sending a huge bolt of lightning onto himself breaking the rings hence setting him free. Kyo was able to space herself between her and the warrior whilst trying to catch her breath. Hanabi turns around and looks at me with uncertainty in her eyes, “Souta…we cannot defeat him right now, run! Get Yukina and Misashi here, we need backup! We will hold him back for a while but hurry please!” The warrior lunges at Kyo again this time grabbing her arm and pinning her to the ground, Kyo lets out a shriek of pain as the warrior bends her arm in an unorthodox way. “Crimson Fist!” Hanabi charges forward sending a punch towards the warrior forcing him to back off away from Kyo. Kyo gets back up instantly but her left arm was clearly injured as she dropped her blade, holding tightly onto her left arm. Hanabi places her hands on the injured arm and almost instantly, Kyo’s arm started to move naturally again. Exchange between blade and spear occurred once more as the two clashed again in a tight battle.
Am I useless? Is getting help the only thing I can do now? Kyo and Hanabi are fighting for their lives and mine but all I can do is to watch them struggle? Why…why am I so useless?!?! Suddenly I saw Kyo’s body fly past me and her blade fell right in front of me, I turned around to see her coughing out blood and there was a huge gash on her right arm. I turned back to see Hanabi being choked by the warrior as she gripped back tightly on his arm. “Crimson…” The warrior instinctively smashed her against the ground stopping her from chanting her spell. I fell onto my knees and pounded my fist on the ground repeatedly, “Let go of her! I will fucking kill you bastard!” Before I knew it, I felt a strange and powerful energy course through my veins, I could feel power and strength become one with me. Before me a blade of light appeared seemingly calling out for me, I reached out my arm to grab onto the sword and suddenly my body started to shine. What is going on? My mind suddenly blacked out…