PHASE 22 - KEEPING A SECRET FROM YOUR FRIEND WILL GET YOU KILLED

I was slightly relieved when Tiara moved, forcing herself to stand. She made an angry glare to the cloaked man and gritted.

“J-Just who are you…”

The cloaked man revealed his right hand, which was covered with a black aura. The skull-masked man slowly reached Tiara, who is currently frozen in shock!

“Tiara!” Adrenaline rushed through my veins as I bolted forward, reaching and carrying her on my arms in the nick of time!

Thanks to my ability , I know what happens next if she gets hit by that cursed hand. She’ll get toasted by black electricity.

“R-Rikkun!” Tiara exclaimed.

“I’m sorry if I kept secrets from you...”

Tiara shook her head. “I-I understand. I wanted to say that I’m sorry for overreacting too…”

Suddenly, her face went full crimson as she realized that I’m carrying her like a princess. My cheeks did the same blush, so I decided to let her stand on her own. No injuries, good. She removed her blazers and that revealed her white shrine maiden kimono.

I swiped my fingers in the thin air, and a Gate opened. Everything we know from the world evaporated as we transferred to another reality.

Here in Yami, the general studies building of our school turned into a gigantic withered tree of five hundred feet in height. The school grounds look like a wide plain on top of a mountain. I can see from afar that there is lava splashing at the end of this continent. The sky is blood red, but there are black columbus clouds everywhere to make this place a little more gloomy.

The skull-masked man hid his arm under his cloak. He just had a dead stare at us two. Is he an Eidolon? No, because he has a physical body back in Earth Realm. Maybe he’s a Gate Guardian too, but I sense The Outsider’s aura in him.

Tiara drew her pen-like hairpin from the back of her head, and it turned to dust. The magical dust covered Tiara’s hands and then shaped itself into a metal gauntlet.

I pulled my watch to become a magical katana.

“H-He paralyzed me earlier with his super duper scary hands. N-No matter what you do, don’t let him touch you, Rikkun!” Tiara said.

“Roger that!” I answered.

I raised my arms and gathered all the energy from the surroundings! The particles of light formed into a wide plate made of ice!

“!!!” I threw it like a frisbee straight to the enemy! But the masked man responded by revealing his open left hand. With that gesture, giant blocks arose from the earth, which prevented my  projectile attack!

Tiara didn’t waste any opportunity to have a detour and find an opening from the right side! She dashed forward with the speed of a formula 1 car! But the masked man answered by using his other hand to command more giant bricks to rise! Tiara used her steel fist to crush all the obstacle that comes on her way!

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Now that the enemy is busy defending against Tiara, I took my sweet time to go to the enemy’s behind! I made a stabbing sword stance as I use my charged attack in a point-blank range!

“!!!” A horizontal tornado rushed towards the enemy. I thought it was a clear hit until there was a strong gust of wind that cancelled my spell!

That gust of wind… came from a gigantic sword from this mysterious man’s hand. This buster sword’s blade is a humongous chainsaw!

The whole weapon is enveloped with a dark aura that comes from the wielder’s hands.

I was briefly stunned due to his surprise counterattack, and the enemy used the opportunity to disarm me by grabbing my hand and pinning me to the ground by a harsh stomp on my face! It was so powerful that I left a small crater upon kissing the ground!

“Rikkun!” Tiara shouted. “!!!”

Tiara flew five meters above and her arms became black claws of a dragon. She was about to make a grand smash to make a significant damage but she underestimated the reaction time and the skill of the enemy.

The skull-masked man already had stolen my katana and positioned the edge so that Tiara will certainly land to it. The edge of that blade is pointed to Tiara’s heart. If that happens…

It’s what my vision told me.

Tiara will die.

That katana will surely pierce her heart. I wanted to save her, but I was heavily pinned to the ground. All I can do is watch my friend meet her horrible doom.

<>

Several flashbacks played on my mind.

I can hear her soft voice inside my head. I can remember her beautiful smile as she shakes my hand with the Friendship Handshake Song.

“A-la-ric is my friend~ Oh, I’m glad that I met him~”

I can remember her worried face when she healed me with the warmth of her soft hands.

“I don’t trust guys who say they’re okay when it’s obvious that they’re not!”

I can hear her adorable voice when she first uttered my special nickname.

“Thank you, Rikkun!”

I can hear her soothing voice when she sang an acapella for the Idol Club auditions. I can hear her cute cries when our heads collided with each other. I can hear her snore that sound like a puppy whistle.

I can feel the warmth of her soft white hands, like a blanket full of motherly love. I can feel her silky smooth hair that flows like a river that reflects a serene moonlight..

I can see her golden brown eyes, with the sigil of a glowing yellow cross at the center. Those eyes are made to melt my heart. I can see her bright smile with those white even teeth, the smile I pledged to protect.

Our time together was short, but I know that losing her will break me. Deep inside my heart, there is a burning will with only one wish…

… A wish to spend more time with her.

I have to save her!

<>

“!!!” I cried out loud.

In an instant, Tiara and I swapped positions. is a spell where you teleport and exchange positions with another person within five meters of distance. Because of this, Tiara is now the one being pinned on the ground, and I’m the one rushing to the blade!

“...Ah!”

Blood splattered on the dusty floor. It also sprinkled on Tiara’s face, much to her surprise. I felt that my chest tightened, and something is blocking my windpipe. It made it hard to breathe.

“R-Rikkun!” Tiara’s tears went flying as she shouted my name.

I coughed with my full force to prevent myself from suffocating, and dark red liquid came out from my mouth. I got my hand on my chest, and then I realized that my heart has been impaled by my own sword.

The masked swordsman pulled out the katana on my chest, and blood went gushing like a broken faucet.

I felt a lot dizzier than before, probably because of the lack of oxygen in my brain. I think I’m already losing enough blood that I can no longer see on my left eye. My strength has completely abandoned me.

Tiara immediately kicked the ground to catch me and gain distance from the skull face. And then she used her healing hands to give first aid to my literally broken heart.

“Hang in there, Rikkun!” Tiara had her tears flowing like a waterfall. But whether she used her or cry my name, it would be no good. I felt that my eyelids are closing at any moment.

Swoosh! There was a golden flash that entered right before my eyes.

I realized that it was the tall blonde named Freya. She opened her mouth as if she’s talking to me, but I can no longer hear her properly. I can only hear inaudible choppy sounds from her lips, but I can read it with no problems.

“I’ll take care of Ric.” She said.

Tiara turned away from me as if she is leaving me under the care of this blonde beauty. She faced the skull-masked assailant with her eyes on rage and gritting teeth. She’s clenching her fists so hard that her metal gauntlets are already tainted with her own blood.

“You… You will pay for this!” Tiara shouted with all her might.

A sudden surge of power went to her as her long black hair turned to silver. Her irises went glowing red, and a long fluffy fox tail spawned from her back.

That’s the last thing I saw before everything in my sight went black.