Chapter 7: Final Stage- Acceptance

Alcides walks back to Ai’s grave to find Kaguya paying her respects.

"Hm?" she noticed when he returned. "So how was her confession? Did you—"

"Do not speak such things before her." He said sternly.

"That’s my bad, but are you just going to kneel again?"

"No. Her resting place is on the way to her village."

"Whatever you say."

Alcides walks past her as she returns to pay her respects.

 

When he reached the village, he could see the rest of the Artemis Familia, minus Rethusa and the Astraea Familia.

"Have you come to a decision?" asked Ryuu.

"…No, I am going to speak with someone."

"I see. Whatever you decide to pick, know that I will understand. Even to this day, Ardi’s passing is still a wound that has yet to heal."

"…You have grown up well, Ryuu. I am glad you still held true to your ideal." He walked past as he headed to the village leader’s home.

"And I still hope you can stray from this path that your own... Cirrus." Ryuu said disheartened.

 

Inside their home, Aomi and Akeru sit with Alcides.

"I see…" said Aomi. "So they came to give you your punishment, huh?"

"I was wondering when it would come." Said Akeru. "When we received word of what had happened in Orario, we told you to run, or they would come for you."

"Yet you stayed for our daughter. Watching over her for 7 years." Aomi took a sip of her tea. "…But I think it has been long enough."

"Yes. We know how much you loved Ai, but as her father, I deeply appreciate the devotion you had for our little girl, but... seeing you there every day isn’t something Ai would want."

"It has been long enough, Alcides. You can move on."

"…I was hoping you wouldn’t say that."

They could hear the disappointment in his tone of voice.

"Are you afraid of moving on?" asked Aomi.

"I am afraid of losing her memories. All I have left of her is the memories we had together. I my be immortal but my memories are not, they like everything else in the worlds will erode or change so slightly. A ship of Theseus if you will. I regret not getting her sword from the Dungeon or any of her memorabilia."

"Don't know what a ship of Theseus us but… how about this?" Akeru reached into his sleeve and pulled out a lock of white hair. "A lock of her hair… when she left with Lord Susanoo. I want you to have it." he placed it on the tatami.

"…" Alcides slowly reaches for it and holds it in his hand. He touches it softly. "It had the same feeling."

"Alcides. My boy." Akeru walks up and places his hand on his shoulders. "Don’t worry. She will always be with you. There is no longer a need for you to grieve."

 

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

A few miles away from the village of Fuyukusa, Alcides stands at the beach looking out to sea.

"…Nox. Circe."

From his shadow, they appeared next to him.

"Alcides." They say bowing.

"It has been a long time since you called for us." said Circe.

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"I was just getting to a good part in my dreams." Nox said streaching. "Alcides, how long were we asleep?"

"Seven years. I'll send you the information."

"How are you--!?" Nox could feel information being downloaded into her brain. "Okay... So how are you feeling?"

"Hmm..." Circe rubs her head. "Alcides do you still feel her loss?" She asked.

"…Yes. Every day, my heart feels incomplete without her. Did you receive the information?"

"Of course." Nox rubbed her temples. "It does feel weird to get it downloaded into our heads, but... I think you should accept Artemis’s proposal."

"I agree. I think it would be good for you to finally leave. We also need to go and meet up with Hecton."

"Given your last orders, I assume he is still doing his job; if not, he would have returned to you."

"…" Alcides holds out his hand, which has a lock of Ai’s hair. He thinks long and hard on what to do. Ultimately he thinks to himself on what Ai would want. "…Then let us return to Orario and see what has changed with our own eyes." The lock of Ai's hair falls into the darkness in his palm as he clenches his fists. "But if it is unsatisfactory We will travel to the locations Artemis mentioned."

"Fair enough." Nox said.

 

He walked back, following Artemis’s divinity, with Nox and Circe following 3 steps behind him.

With each step he took, he could hear Ai’s voice in his ears.

"H-huh!? w-who are you!"

"Cirrus!"

"Cirrus!!!"

"W-what! n-no I’m just his-"

"Hm! I made these! Do you know what they mean?"

"Fufu I wanted to do that since I saw you, but we were around Nox and the others."

"Sorry…I just wanted to be near you."

"U-um I woke up and saw y-your chest a-and smell! T-then you pulled me in, and I couldn’t help myself!!"

"Say aren’t you enjoying baths a bit too much these days?"

"CIRRUS!!! PLEASE THEY NEED TO-Ahhhh!!! Ahhh!!!"

"I’m in front silly!"

"Hm! I’ll make sure I’ll beat her thoroughly!"

Before he noticed it, he was back at her grave. It was cleaned up with some flowers.

"Even in death, I am still drawn to you."

Tears began to build up and come down his cheeks. He swore he was seeing things as Ai’s visage appeared before him, sitting on her own gravestone.

She said nothing, as all she needed to do was give him the smile that lit his days, that smile that garnered her the title of Sunny Saint. It was full of love and compassion.

"…Goodbye, my love. May I hope my sins are absolved so we can meet again in the next life."

He turned around and walked away, tears streaming down his cheeks. A whisper reached his ears from her grave.

"Goodbye to you as well, my love."

He doesn’t look back. A slight smile forms and the mask slowly vanishes, revealing his face.

A face as pale as the dead. Dull green eyes with tears-stained cheeks.

A cool breeze passed by him and through his long snow-white hair as he took a step into the clearing where Artemis was still waiting for him alone.

He walks to her now with a lightened heart that has finally started to heal.

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