Chapter 53: Chapter 51

“Wow… it’s beautiful…”

Hibiki’s eyes were shining as the coach came to a stop outside the main entrance. The castle and its grounds were a notorious tourist destination back in the day, but since the Cataclysm, most sites such as these were maintained for historical purposes rather than profit.

It had just turned to December, so the winter’s chill had turned away most curious eyes who may have decided to visit for the day, and their surroundings were peaceful. Despite the time of year, there were no clouds in the sky, and the open blue sky made a serene setting for the ancient castle.

“Everyone~! This is a treat to pay off all of your hard work. I’ve cleared everything in advance so you can manifest your spirits, but if you cause any problems just come to me and I’ll deal with it~!”

Aoi gave a gentle ‘Ufufu~’ as she smiled towards them. Yuuji shivered slightly, as the kind gesture only served to make sure he kept himself out of trouble more than a threat ever would.

“...This is just a school field trip.”
“And what’s wrong with that? You can stay in the coach if you don’t wanna come. Moron.”
“The hell!? I-I was just saying!”

Mitra’s wry comment hadn’t sat well with his sister, who snapped back without hesitation. Even with his sardonic words, he had been watching out of the window eagerly and clearly seemed to be looking forward to the welcome change of pace, though he wasn’t the most excited among them.

“Truly exquisite!! Another piece of fantastic architecture - I can only dream of what exceptional historical knowledge lies within those walls!”

Akil had his nose pressed against the glass as well, his breathing becoming heavy as he sank into his imagination. The only issue was that he was facing the wrong way, and was enraptured by the Blarney Library that stood across the street from the location they’d come to visit.

“...Dude. We just came from a library.”
“I was torn from betwixt its comely walls with nary a chance to indulge! The work was done, now let me frolic within the pages of rare local literature!”

He had perhaps taken it the hardest when the group was told to pack up and leave, though his reasoning wasn’t necessarily in line with the others. Sensing that it would be pointless to argue with him further, Wang Bao volunteered to join him and enjoy the peace and quiet of the library, as well as check out some of the local shops while everyone else bustled around the castle.

The Phoenix Academy students slowly began to split up and filter out amongst the grounds, each picking some highlight to focus on first. Aoi smiled to herself as she watched them, a warm motherly feeling welling up inside her.

She recalled when she had first decided to join Phoenix Academy, back when it was being constructed and the mobile island Heliopolis was still very barebones. The small, local clinic she had helped run in her hometown was simply unable to keep going on its own, and pressures from larger medical giants hadn’t made matters easier as they constantly sought to poach her.

Her talents and spirit were unrivalled in the area, but not only that, she was a heart-stopping beauty to boot. Almost every job offer she had received contained clauses that she would be doing advertisements for the hospital, and many of the ones that didn’t were for private corporations or bigwigs with less-than-respectable reputations.

Helios was an escape for her. Her goals weren’t noble, and she didn’t have dreams to become a world-renown figure standing on the world stage, but she simply wished to get away from the claustrophobic little town she found herself stuck in. Everyone she knew had called it career suicide at the time, but nonetheless, she left without looking back.

At first, not much was different. Most of the time when someone visited her it was a construction-related injury, but gradually word spread of her abilities, and soon it wasn’t just the workers, but their families and loved ones too.

Aoi began to see the community forming around her, and remembered what compelled her to join the medical field in the first place. Her family had run a hot spring before the Cataclysm, and even as a child, she loved seeing the joy in the faces of people who left the springs with their bodies and minds soothed.

So much had happened since those days, but now her time was spent looking after a class of misfit youths from across the world. Everyone had their own reason for coming to Phoenix, and in seeing their resolve to fight she strengthened her own, swearing to do anything that she could to look after them.

As she was taken by her thoughts, most of the students had long since disappeared in their rush to get to whichever destination seemed most interesting to them, but there was something that caught her eye.

“Oh~? What do we have here…”

With curiosity welling up from inside, a foxy smile crept along her face, and she decided to follow along and see how this situation would play out.

******

“Even in winter, this place feels so vibrant…”
“Yeah! Aren’t the trees pretty?”
“Mmm. Nature is beautiful.”
“Arf!”

The so-called ‘Enchanted Dreams Party’ (name courtesy of Elis) chattered amongst themselves as they wandered the tree-lined paths. Their destination was the ‘Rock Close’, said to be related to ancient druids, witches and fairies.

Elis and Sidheag were used to wandering through greenery as they made a regular habit of going on walks within the parks of Heliopolis, but for Valeriya, the concept of following these routes just to enjoy the verdant surroundings was a novel one. She saw the two of them regularly on her jogs, but for her, it was only exercise, and she didn’t think much of taking in the world around her at the time.

While both the other girls had donned winter coats, Valeriya remained in her uniform, unfazed by the frigid air. As she stood deep in thought, her striking beauty stole Elis’s gaze for a moment, but the girl shook any weird ideas out of her head and averted her eyes when Valeriya looked over.

“Elis.”
“Ha-! Yes?”
“Are you sure you want to head over to this place? Didn’t we just run into trouble with fairies?”
“Mmm. It’s fine. Even if they are here, they’re friendly if you don’t disturb them.”
“We’ve got Sid and Lanlan with us too! They’ll look after us!”
“Lanlan…”

Valeriya peeked over towards the grey wolf who was happily trotting through the brush, sniffing away at whatever caught his fancy. While it wasn’t up to the standard of Hibiki’s newfound power, he could still sense spirits, and if he was so carefree then there wasn’t much to worry about.

Their speed was slow and meandering, but surprisingly, she quite enjoyed it. There were times she had to catch herself from speeding off to reach their destination promptly, but as she grew more and more used to taking each step as it came, it all felt more fulfilling to her. Though she couldn’t bring herself to ask them directly, she secretly hoped that her companions would invite her to join them on walks more often.

The girls made the most of their time in the woodlands, but it wasn’t only them that were experiencing the joys of nature.

******

“Behold! The cruel and deadly secret that lies within these ancient grounds! The Poison Garden!”

Elsewhere, Claire puffed out her meagre chest in pride as she presented her grand reveal. She had dragged Leona along without giving away any details on what she was so keen to see, but now that they had arrived, she was in full swing. 

The hot-headed battle maniac did not seem impressed, and bent over to read a sign that stood by the entrance to the area.

‘Do not touch, smell or eat any plant. Children must be accompanied at all times.’ 

“Hmph. Such a sign does not seem particularly cruel, or secret.”
“Kukuku. Beast woman, do not be deceived. Wolfsbane, Nightshade, Mandrake - vile poisons of legend all inhabit this place. It is truly a den of death and dark magic!”

Claire grasped at her face with one hand as if she were wearing a mask, and the other stretched out towards the neatly arranged flowerbeds. The gardens looked lovely at a glance, but as Leona began to sweep her gaze across the countless informational signs with skulls plastered over them, it became clear that Claire wasn’t simply delusional.

“...I should burn this place down.”
“N-No don’t! Don’t!”

Claire wrapped her arms around Leona’s waist, desperately using all her strength to hold the girl back from causing irreparable damage to the blameless plants. As she was small and thin, her frantic tugs barely slowed Leona an inch, but thankfully her friend saw reason and wafted away the fire that lined her hand with a sour expression.

“Tch. Fine.”
“Kukuku. The concoctions I could devise in this place may shake the world to its core!”

Within moments, Claire was back to her normal abnormal self, spouting off nonsense without care for whoever was listening. As it was just the two of them, Leona let out a loud sigh, and while hiding a soft smile, continued to follow her friend dutifully as she toured the garden in full.

******

“I told you that was the wrong way, you idiot.”
“How was I supposed to know that the Blarney Stone is in Blarney Castle and not Blarney House? Don’t make the damn names so confusing!”

Bickering as they climbed up the narrow stone walkway were the bigmouthed siblings. Hema had refused to stay with the rest of their usual entourage back at the village, and Mitra had rattled off about wanting to go to the famous stone enough that she finally gave in and joined him. For the amount they constantly argued and fought, the two often found each other’s company, and it was rare to see just one of them alone.

“Here. Here, here! There it is!”
“Wait, isn’t that just a rock with some poles attached?”
“It’s called the Blarney Stone, dummy. What did you expec-”

Mitra’s words were cut short by a swift punch to the gut, and he gasped faintly as the last of his breath escaped his lungs. While he leant on the wall to recover his composure, Hema continued alone to the part of the old castle battlements which held the legendary spot.

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“...What the hell am I even supposed to do here?”

She stared at it for a minute, trying to decide on a plan of attack. She was aware that visitors were supposed to kiss the stone, but there wasn’t a nice big pair of rocky lips to aim for, so she paused in confusion.

“Tsk tsk tsk. Tourists.”

Having finally recuperated, Mitra smugly walked past her, and laid on his back while grabbing the poles before giving the rock a good smooch.

“...You’re as much a tourist as I am. What’s this even for, anyway?”
“Kissing the stone gives you ‘the gift of the gab’. With this, I’m sure I’ll find some sweet local girl… hell, if it can work miracles, it might even help you find a partner!”
“...”
“GU-HAKT!”

Perhaps it really was magic, as Mitra wrote, signed and dated his death warrant within a single breath. After delivering her killer knee-into-elbow-drop combo, Hema paused for a moment and decided she might as well still kiss the stone: it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, after all.

“...”

Following the same posture her brother had taken, she pecked the stone and waited - but nothing happened.

“...This is stupid.”
“Pfft. Don’t be so glum, sis! The magic just takes time. What, did you think you’d give it a quick kiss, and the next minute you’d suddenly be in a lovey-dovey relationship? As if that would ever happen!”

Feeling irritated that she’d been sucked into her brother’s pace, she gave him a hefty punch once more, and the two of them moved on to their next destination.

******

“Yuuji, look! The sun’s shining over the water… it looks so pretty…”

Hibiki pulled his hand as she ran along the quiet wooden jetty. When they had first set out from the coach he asked what she wanted to see, but the list included almost every single attraction within the premises, so they had sped through all of them without a break. Clambering up and down the castle battlements to kiss the stone was exhausting, but even so, he couldn’t bring himself to complain, as it gave him the chance to see her joy-filled smile as she talked about what she had read on the guide for each area.

For Yuuji, the location didn’t matter much anymore, as he was content to just be with her. Since leaving the school his thoughts had all begun to form into one, and it played in his mind on repeat as he watched Hibiki rush from place to place in delight.

Finally, they arrived at their last stop, Blarney Lough.

It was a tranquil lake that calmed the mind, and the distant rolling hills glowed a gentle gold as the sun gradually set over them. Birds chirped happily amongst the trees, and the wind caressed his face as he watched the wondrous scene unfold before him, unsure whether or not it was a dream.

The peaceful atmosphere, the picturesque backdrop, and the girl who had stolen his heart. He knew that if he didn’t speak now, he may never have the courage again.

“Hibiki.”
“...Nn? Yes?”

As she turned to him, her lashes fluttered softly. Her large lilac eyes met his, and the world around them stood still.

His heartbeat thumped loudly in his chest, but he refused to run away. As he gazed upon her beauty, the sun cast a heavenly aura across her divine features, and it threatened to steal his breath from his lungs. Even still, his mind was set, and for the person who stood in front of him - the one who saved him from his lonely despair, the words rose from within.

“I… have something that I want to say. Something that I have to say.”
“Yuuji…”
“Since I met you, I’ve changed. I’ve started to learn what it’s like to truly be alive… and for a while, I was afraid of what that meant, and whether or not I even deserved it.”
“...”

When he faced his mirror, his fears came to light once more. He was raised only as a weapon to kill demons, but when the time came, if a person stood in his way… he had not hesitated. It was always for the sake of humanity - at least, that was what he told himself, but could he truly call himself human after all he had done?

“Seeing you makes me want to be better. To become more than what I was.”

Ready to take a step into the unknown, he left all hesitation behind and spoke his feelings clearly.

“I wanted to tell you… that I love you. That I want to stay by your side not as a friend, but as a soulmate.”
“!?”

Her eyes widened in surprise, and for a brief moment the world crashed down on top of him. He’d finally said it, despite it all, and only now did he realise the depths of the affection he’d buried deep inside - and the pain he may yet feel if she didn’t feel the same.

“...Yuuji!!”

She rushed into his arms, and their lips met. The instant their skin collided it was like the universe collapsed and was reborn into a kaleidoscope of colours, each more shimmering and radiant than the last, casting light into the darkness of his heart in a flash of infinity.

His mind froze. His thoughts stopped.

All he could do was pull her tight and kiss her deeply, the softness of her touch melting away the last of his reason. Her slender hands traced his back, and he prayed that this entrancing moment would last a lifetime, unwilling to let her go even to catch his breath.

Time passed around them.

“...”
“...”

Neither of them knew how long it had been when they finally opened their eyes once more. Their faces were flush red with emotion, and Hibiki giggled softly as she admired his face, before burying her head in his chest. He didn’t have any words to say, but none were needed. The warmth of their bodies spoke in a language only they could understand, and as he hugged her tight away from the cold winter’s breeze, their hearts were as one.

They remained in their silent, loving embrace as the lake water gently lapped along the shore.

******

“...”

Ji-Hye’s knees trembled slightly, and she felt weak. Pajeon circled her neck and brushed up against her caringly, but even as she stroked him softly, the pit in her stomach would not disappear.

She knew. She knew from the way they had looked at each other. She knew she should have told him how she felt a long time ago, but now it was too late.

As she crouched behind a tree on the lonely hillside overlooking the lake, tears rolled down her face, and she scrunched herself up into a ball on the hard ground.

“...It’s alright.”
“-!?”

A soft voice called to her, and as she looked through tear-stained eyes, the figure of Dr Natsumi stepped out from the nearby treeline. From her affectionate expression, she’d seen the whole thing, it seemed.

“It’s alright to feel sad. Here, come on over.”

She had known the doctor ever since she first joined, and had a good impression of her. Though she could be sly and crafty at times, she was truly caring, and Ji-Hye took her open palm and hugged her tight just happy to have someone to hold.

“...Poor girl. Love is difficult, isn’t it? Let’s talk together for a while, me and you.”
“...”

Ji-Hye nodded quietly as her tears sank into Dr Natsumi’s chest, and the older woman held the girl tenderly.

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