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Asia looked at him shocked. Her green eyes widened and I could see there were unshed tears beneath them before her expression was replaced by a bitter smile.
"I... Hero-san... Do you know my story?" She asked me softly.
"Yes, I don't know any details other than that you were excommunicated due to the cure…that devil." I told her and notice her muscle tense.
"This this..."
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Gilgamesh cut her off again and I placed my hand on her shoulder, making her look at me. Giving her a small smile, I continued.
"I want to be friends with you. I don't care about your past. It's because you're a nice girl who also seemed fun to talk to."
"But I don't have common sense, I've never lived outside the Church before." Asia told me with watery eyes. It was if she was trying to reject me, but at the same time she didn't want to either.
"This is an easy thing to fix, you'll learn in time. I'll help you."
"I can't even speak Japanese, Hero-san."
"We're speaking Japanese now, didn't you notice?" Gilgamesh asked with a smile and his eyes widened.
"We are?" She asked back. "How?"
"Magic..." Gilgamesh replied simply and it was true. Gilgamesh had already learned a spell that allowed me to speak in any language.
Asia looks surprised by this before slowly letting out a small laugh. It sounded beautiful.
"However..." Gilgamesh spoke again and caught her attention. "Being friends with me won't be easy." Gilgamesh said, "As you see, I am a hero. And heroes will always have enemies. If you are my friend, my enemies can target you" Gilgamesh declared and his eyes widened.
"You want to have a normal life, don't you? I can tell you. But if you're my friend, you won't have any of that..."
In truth, Gilgamesh wanted to say more, but found his throat dry for a moment. Everything I said before was true, but it was just the tip of an iceberg. It wasn't even deep enough to get to the heart of my situation, but seeing his expression, seeing his eyes filled with hope of living a normal life like all students and teenagers...
However, during his break, Asia surprisingly gave him another smile. It wasn't as radiant as before, as it was filled with bitterness.
"I... I don't think I'll ever have a normal life Hero-san... Not anymore..." She spoke bitterly. "You're... like me, aren't you, Hero-san? You're talented..."
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Ah...
She understood... She understood what Gilgamesh was trying to say.
"Yes... Like you, I also have a gift from God. But unlike you, mine is not healing but destroying. Taking life..." Gilgamesh replied in a calm tone, his face twisted into a impassive expression.
Asia laughed: "It was really impossible to start wishing for a normal life, wasn't it?" She asked again in a voice of resignation.
"Yes... we are chosen people in Asia... Unlike others, we are born with this gift and power. And as people say, power will always attract other power. It is impossible to live like normal people if people want to around us would be in danger." Gilgamesh told her with a nod.
"But you already know that. Is that why you were reluctant to be my friend?" I asked.
"No…" She shook her head. "I knew deep down that I could be your friend. But I... I just..."
"You are afraid to abandon your dream." Gilgamesh finished for her and her eyes widened.
"If you are my friend, you will no longer have a normal life. You still had the hope of living like normal people, but that chance will be lost if you become my friend" Gilgamesh declared. "However, at the same time, so do you. You don't want to be alone anymore, right?" Gilgamesh asked softly and Asia lowered her head, sobs slowly coming out of her mouth.
"I...Gilgamesh-san...I...it's really impossible, isn't it?" She asked in a heartbroken tone.
She also used my name, indicating that she will finally accept that her dream of a normal life was impossible. It almost made me shed tears for her, but I didn't. I held on tight and felt strong, this girl needed me. I couldn't show any signs of weakness now.
"Yeah…" I confirmed as I looked at the girl beside me and looked at the ground like there was something interesting there.
We were silent. Seconds passed and turned into minutes. Then, five minutes later, she looked away from the floor and lifted her head to look at me again.
"I don't have a choice... do I?" She asked sadly.
"We always have a choice." I told her and closed my eyes. "No matter what, we will always have a choice. The question is, are we ready for the consequences of our choice? It can lead to our death, but sometimes death itself is better than the other option."
Asia looked at me with an impassive look. Then she tilted her head to one side before smiling - that smile was sincere.
"Then I choose to accept your offer." She said softly "Maybe I can't have a normal life but... That doesn't mean I can't have friends."
"Good choice." I replied with a small smile "Our adventures will not be easy, Asia..."
"I know…but I'll stay with you…" Asia said with a nod of understanding and I laughed.
We spent some time looking at the sky.
"I think you better go sleep Asia" I say to the girl.
"Yes, but what about you?" she asks as she gets up.
"I'll stay a little longer," I say to her who nods her head.
I continued looking at the sky for a while.
Seeing Asia reminded me of someone else.
"Gabriel…" I say, but my voice is a whisper.
"Awake Master" came a voice behind me and as I turned around I saw Mordred standing there eating a cookie.
Starving!
"Yes, and why are you awake?" I ask.
"Could I ask the same question?" Mordred says with a laugh as she sits beside me and starts gazing at the stars.
We were silent for a while until Mordred spoke.
"I think you were right about that conversation, master." said Mordred.
I hesitated until I remembered what she was talking about.
Gilgamesh and Mordred were talking while fighting in the dungeon.
"Hey Mordred did I hear your wish was to take Caliburn off the stone?" asks Gilgamesh as he unleashes a wave of Ice freezing the devils.
Mordred who was cutting them with Clarent stopped and looked at Gilgamesh.
"Exactly, so when I take her out my father should recognize me as King," says Mordred firmly.
"But what will you do when you become King?" asks Gilgamesh.
"I…don't know," says Mordred with her head down.
"I think you already know, you just don't see it" says Gil.
"I'm not seeing?" asks Mordred in doubt.
Gilgamesh nods his head before summoning a sword and starting to slay the devils.
I remembered that conversation I had with Mordred.
"I just wanted to become King to save my father from isolation, he was someone who couldn't laugh or cry. If I became King he wouldn't have to go through this anymore. I thought it was enough if I tried to pick up the things he left." Mordred talked as she looked up at the stars and I just listened to her.