Chapter 133.1: Phantom of The Past
◆Japanese Youth, Kuroki
「KUROKI~! WAKE U~P!!」
Someone suddenly barged into my room and woke me up.
The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was the ceiling of my room.
It was the ceiling of my room back in Japan.
I moved my head to the side…
And saw the figure of my childhood friend, Shirone, looking down at me angrily.
「Uuh, what now? Today is a holiday, right? Let me sleep a while longer.」
Shirone shook her head when she heard my protest.
「No! You made a promise to go shopping with me today, right? THAT has already woken up before you!」
Said Shirone while pointing at my lower-half.
I looked down at my lower-half and realized that the little me had peeked out from the hole of my trunk, fully woken up as if to say "Good Morning".
「WAH!! STOP LOOKING, SHIRONE!!!」
I covered my crotch in a hurry.
Shirone was by no means perturbed by such a sight.
「I've seen it so many times to the point that I’ve gotten used to it. Rather, wake up already!」
I had no choice but to grumble and wake up after all of this.
Shirone had been entering my room at her own convenience every once in a while like this.
And yet, never once did I get the chance to enter Shirone's room.
That was unfair right?
That was what I wanted to say, but it’s not like she would heed my complaint.
I changed my clothes.
「By the way, where are we going today, Shirone?」
I tried to ask Shirone while changing my clothes.
Hearing that, Shirone wore a dumbfounded look on her face.
「What are you talking about, Kuroki? Did you forget that we're going to buy swimsuits today? We're going to go shopping just the two of us.」
And then cocked her head as she replied so.
「Eh, is that so? Aren't you going to Reiji's villa?」
「Who's Reiji? I don't know someone with that name? Could it be that you forgot your promise with me because you already have other plans?」
Said Shirone with a sad look on her face.
「I'm planning to go to the mountain for training. Well, I don’t have any plans for now.」
Since Shirone would usually hang out with Reiji, I spent my summer holiday in the mountains training my swordcraft.
And then, I was planning to take a part-time job after finishing my training.
Though we did plan to buy swimsuits together, I had no plans to play with Shirone.
That was the truth.
「The heck, that sounds like a boring plan alright!? Come and play with me, Kuroki. In the first place, why are you going for training? Why do you want to become strong? You should stay as you are.」
Shirone smiled worriedly as she told me so.
I heaved a sigh upon seeing that.
The first part about this was real, but it slowly distorted before turning into a completely unrealistic situation.
There was no such thing as people who would accept me unconditionally.
Shirone wasn't such a convenient woman.
Maybe that's just how much I wished for Shirone to be like that.
「Yeah, I'm going for training. I'll keep becoming stronger and stronger. I also won't stop improving my appearance.」
I shook my head.
The black flame in me hadn't vanished.
That's why I replied as such.
「Why? Why do you keep pushing yourself even though it's painful? You should stop.」
Said Shirone as she revealed an enchanting smile.
「You're mistaken. Not making an effort and not doing my best is even harder for me.」
I replied to the fake Shirone in front of me.
Maybe because life itself was a battle for me, someone telling me to stop improving myself was equal with telling me to die.
The one who made me realize that was none other than the real Shirone herself.
I used to resent Shirone for that.
But then, I realized that it was an unjust resentment.
A beauty like Shirone was not suited for my mediocre self.
I trained and yet, I was unwilling to put more effort into it.
I studied and yet, I wasn't all out with that.
I should've persevered more, more than I had ever had.
If only I had done that, the end might not have been as bad.
I truly regretted my own laziness back then.
But, I couldn't turn back time. Thus I could only do my best so that I wouldn't regret it in the future.
That's why I wouldn't stop.
「Geez, why are you making such a scary face? Hehehe, the truth is, I'm planning to buy an extremely lewd swimsuit today, Kuroki. And I'll wear it later for you!」
Said Shirone as she clung to my hand.
EXTREMELY LEWD SWIMSUIT?! DAMMIT, THAT'S CHEATING!!
Just the thought of that made me want to stay in this dream a while longer.
Dammit, they even understand my weakness.
「What are you doing, Kuroki?」
The voice was coming from behind me.
When I turned around, Rena stood right behind me.
She had this dumbfounded look on her face.
Maybe because our heart was connected by some sort of thread of fate.
She appeared nonchalantly in my heart.
「Did you come to wake me up, Rena?」
「What else then, Kuroki? I know that you can handle this trivial illusion, but are you really going to vanish just for a piece of swimsuit?」
I shook my head upon hearing that.
「I won't, nor do I have the intention to do so.」
I brought my left hand to my lips.
Though I couldn't see the ring coiling around it, I could feel its existence.
I could also feel Kuna wearing the other pair.
She existed for me, that's why I couldn't just vanish, for her sake.
As long as this feeling exists, the black flame in my heart won't vanish.
I turned around and looked at Shirone's face.
That Shirone didn't say anything.
Her eyes were devoid of light. Her gentle smile was an empty smile.
This Shirone was created from my memories of her, a convenient illusion for me.
I had a dream the moment I leapt into Eclipse's mind.
Eclipse was a spirit that snatched power.
And they tried to snatch the power of my heart.
But, that power was insignificant before the flame in my heart.
「Then come out quickly. If it’s just a lewd attire, I'll do it for you as much as you want.」
「Eh, seriously?!」
"I mean, seriously!" That was what I thought as I turned around to see Rena.
But, Rena had already gone from there.
「Then I've to go back quickly.」
It seems I really was no match for the Goddess of Victory-sama.
Moreover, I felt a similar passion from my ring.
Well, I would be ashamed of myself if I got defeated by this paltry illusion!
The moment I felt that way, the black flame in my heart burned even brighter than before.
The Shirone before me, and the scenery around us got distorted by the heat.
Its true form was the heavy darkness that was trying to swallow me.
But I won't lose.
I sharpened my mind.
Zarxis couldn't completely subjugate Eclipse.
「I-WON'T-LOSE! HERE I COME, ECLIPSE!」
I held strongly to my heart, trying to reach my peak.
When the black flame had finally consumed the illusion, what I saw was a spider thread in Eclipse's heart.
I swung my demon sword of venous blood to cut the thread.
With this, Zarxis would lose his control over Eclipse.
All that was left was subduing Eclipse.
My black flame spread even further, painting Eclipse' darkness with mine.
I could hear Eclipse's roar.
It felt like a black torrent was rushing into my body.
When I opened my eyes again, I was already floating high in the air on top of the desert.
With Eclipse flying around me.
I shut my eyes and felt the connection between Eclipse and me.
That was exhausting but it was worth the effort to get Eclipse.
Numerous lines of sight gathered before me.
When I looked at Rena, Totona, and the others, I saw that they were still protected by a barrier.
When I looked at Rena, she had this exhausted look on her face.
That was only natural since she used a mind dive on top of erecting barriers to protect our allies.
She was exhausted and yet, that didn't affect her beauty at all, she really was a wonderful woman.
When I looked at Totona, her usual deadpan face was gone, she was smiling delightfully along with Nel.
After confirming everyone's safety, I landed right in between Gypseal's group and the Serpent Queen's group.
Totona was looking at Zarxis and Diadona.
Zarxis was looking at me with a completely dumbfounded face.
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