Chapter 442: An Unexpected Hero.
"Oh, father! You're here?" Elizabeth's face brightened in delight. "You really saved me now, but I didn't expect to see you so soon!"
"Hahaha! Well, you shouldn't have expected any less from yours truly! I didn't think you'd underestimate me when it comes to matters you're involved in!" He laughed proudly. "Who's that to your side? A new friend? Or, are you maybe babysitting her."
"Father! Don't say stuff like that! Hikari and I are the same age! And yes, I would say we are definitely more than acquaintances."
"Oh, that's interesting!" He smiled further. "Tell me about her later along with everything else that you did at school okay? In the meantime, do you mind if I snatch you off her hand?"
"I suppose…" She sighed before looking down towards Hikari. "Apologies, but this is where you and I shall depart for the foreseeable future. It was truly a pleasure to know you. Thank you… Hikari." To Hikari, Elizabeth's words sounded more like a final will rather than a goodbye for now.
She completely understood, yet she could not help but feel a slight pain in her heart and dampness in her eyes as she slowly nodded.
"Thanks for understanding… And sorry for leaving you all alone with these guys… Bye!" Hikari attempted to catch Elizabeth's hands, yet her reaction speed failed her. Before she knew it, Elizabeth's hands slipped away as she left her side, the crowd of reporters parting to allow her an easy path to her father before closing once more blocking her view of the two pink-haired figures walking away into the night.
For once in seemingly forever, she was all alone. For the past year, Elizabeth had always been close to her, and now with her absence, she could not help but feel abrupt emptiness.
As the tenseness in the atmosphere calmed, the reporters regained their vigour, and with seemingly more ferocity than before, they pounced on the defenceless Hikari.
Her head swapped from camera flash to camera flash, voice to voice, question to question, yet no matter her efforts, she could not handle it all, nor did she know how to… All she wanted to do was run away and scream, yet even that did not seem like a viable option considering she did not want to bring shame upon Moby and his new guild.
But that was when suddenly, her consciousness began to slip, and her problem was left in the hands of another.
"Hey… What are you all? Mindless zombies?" A cold, sombre voice exited out of her previously shy, jittery mouth like she was a different person. Her hair turned dark, and her slight aura of white shifted into pitch-black darkness that exploded every camera in sight and blew back all the paparazzi as if they were standing at the heart of a tornado.
"Go find some other girl to pick on. I have no interest in your degenerate practices. Now… Leave me be!"
'Y—Yami…' Hikari mumbled watching from within.
"Ah— Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!" As the screams of pain pierced through the boisterous night, it left nothing but silence in its wake.
All those in the area previously enjoying themselves turned their complete attention on the aftermath, their eyes shifting from the girl who caused it to the victims reeling on the ground.
Those were the only sounds heard, the sound of whimpers and hushed breaths. Their pupils were frail, losing colour, and their entire bodies shook with as some crawled away.
"M— Monster…"
All those who looked could not help but be taken aback by the pure desperation on display, and how this little girl caused grown adults to break down like infants.
And in the midst of all this chaos, there was only one man who advanced from the gathered crowds. A man with unparalleled pride in his step, seemingly unphased, if anything he seemed rather amused. It was a man that all recognized.
A man that many could not tell where he was in his young twenties or his late thirties. He stood towering well over six feet tall, muscular and lean from head to toe. His medium-length black hair was parted away from his slightly darkened sky-blue eyes. His beard seemed lightly maintained, enough to seem almost effortless. Donned upon him was a black suit lined in gold, a golden star shining brightly on his heart for all to see.
"Hahaha! I'd recognize that voice anywhere! Hey there! HikariYami! It's been a while!" He cheerfully greeted with his hands waving in her direction.
"Ryker? What are you doing here?" Yami looked dazed for an instant only to return to her usual self in the next.
"I'd prefer 'High General Ryker,' but, I'll let it slide just this once." He amusingly noted.
"Whatever you say…" She sighed. "Anyways, why are you here exactly? Let me guess, you're gonna give me another lecture are you?"
"Lecture? Heavens no! If anything I gotta be applauding you for what you did to them! I don't blame you, they're damn annoying! No, I'm just here to spectate how my former students were doing, and oh boy was I surprised. Especially you, my former disciple! The way you fought was exceptional, it caught me off guard!" He gloated.
"Former disciple?" She raised an eyebrow. "I gained my strength on my own, I owe nothing to you, just know that…"
"Damn, you sure have gotten more honest in the past year. Care for a walk? I bet it sucks to be out alone at a time like this."
♦️ ♦️ ♦️
Alone, Yami sat at a bench overlooking a vast expanse of space and a single source of light that looked identical to the moon. Although all she saw was nothing but a virtual image, she could not help but let her mind drift within the clouds until the clouds ran out of space for her to wonder.
"Sorry I'm late," She heard a voice from behind.
"Took you a while…" She scoffed before looking rather perplexed.
"Want an ice cream?"
"An ice cream? Is that why you took so long? You know I'm not a child right?"
"I suppose," He nervously chuckled. "But, I assumed Hikari would have loved one no?"
"I… I suppose you're right…" Yami bit her lip and shook her head in realization. "But, she's still too shaken from those damn reporters."
"Yeah, I can imagine…" He sat on the bench and began to suck upon the very ice cream he brought. "You know, you actually haven't changed a bit from last year…"
"Huh? What is that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing…" He chuckled.
"Well, you're the one who hasn't changed at all. Same as always!"
"Excuse me!!" Ryker looked genuinely offended. "I'm completely different! Can't you tell by how much brighter my face looks! I have earned the respect I deserve and I'm not forced to sit through enough paperwork to fill up the entire ocean!"
"Hmmm… I guess you do look less like a zombie… And, you seemed to have lost that cranky, panicked look you always had. You might be a tad more laid back I do admit, but maybe it's because you have no real power over me now to order me around. But still, at the end of the day, you're still just a school principal."
"Not anymore," Ryker exclaimed.
"What? Did they fire you already! It's about time!" She laughed openly.
"It's not that either…"
"Hm? Then what is it?"
"Well obviously, I've been promoted! With war on the horizon, the military needs their brightest minds and strongest muscle working in headquarters."
"And what in that tells me how you've been chosen?"
"Ah! Of course, you've been in the dark about all my great achievements! I've made quite the name for myself! Want to hear some of my best ones?"
"No— I'm good, you don't need to—"
"So first, the grand beast on planet Wagilaou had suddenly sprung up after the planet had been tame for the past few decades. Many suspect the rise of these monsters has to do with the Shalkers trying to invade our sector discretely without putting our treaty at risk. The monster's power was growing exponentially stronger, many men had died on previous excursions. Only when I, and my expertise were put in charge of leading the attack did I manage to defeat the beast at its strongest and with minimal casua—"
"Okay okay! I get it! It's really true, you haven't changed at all! All you care about is yourself!"
"Ah! Of course not!" Ryker jumped out of his seat. "I'm doing this all for the greater good of mankind!"
"Sure…" Yami gave him the eye.
"You can believe what you want to believe, but my achievements don't lie, and the people sure do love me!"
"Enough of this none sense. I have something of actual concern to ask…"
"Okay, sure, ask away." He relaxed back onto his seat.
"The leader of the Eleonora household… How is he?"
"Fredrick Eleonora? Are you worried about that girl who was with you earlier?"
"Me? No! Hikari, yes. I do owe her a bit for keeping my sister company, but that's about it."
"Ahh! I see! So Shy little miss Hikari finally made herself some friends yes?"
"I suppose so…" A slight smile appeared on Yami's face.
"Well, if you're worried about that girl, I really wouldn't be. Frederick Eleonora is one of the kindest, most respected men in the world! He's almost like a superhuman with how he keeps so much under control. He is a man of discipline, calculated in his every move and utterly devoted to his work, but his family always comes first. I guess it's hard for you to understand, but as a father, he did not see your friend for over a year. Any parent would not yearn for anything but some quality time where they simply talk and relax with no care in the world. Almost like what we are doing now…"
"Yes… I hope you're right…" Yami sighed and looked up towards the mesmerizing light of the moon.
"Besides that, it's good to hear how Hikari has grown! She seems to have really grown!" He leaned back and closed his eyes.
"She still has much to work on. All she did was follow Moby Kane around, who was her only friend at the time. And he sorta led her to new people along his journey. Still, she was forced to break out of her shell and comfort zone many times which is good."
"Ah yes, of course, Moby Kane, he never fails to impress. Even I didn't expect him to come out on top today."
"That's where you and I differ. Kane would never be so confident if he could not win. He seems to be both the strongest and the brightest mind of this generation. He holds much of the future, and that's why I follow it."
"I see… So that's why you joined his guild… I also feel a similar way, especially after that last fight. If I'm ever in the mood, I might drop by the guild and inspect, maybe even lend a hand…"
"Suit yourself… …Also, what do you mean by what you said earlier? 'Like we are doing now'! I'm not your daughter old man!" Yami roared only to Ryker's amusement.
"Yeah yeah, anyways, let me tell you about how a few months ago, I saved a rescue team that got themselves stuck and in need of rescuing themselves! On a planet where—"