-Vol 6: Dusk of An Era-

-To Tokyo(4)-

“Its alright, Yuki. Everyone has their right to do everything they can for their dreams. You are no different… though your choice clearly ruined your future, I still won’t blame, at least not you.” Kenshin said. He had a lot of thinking to do, but right now it wasn’t a good time. He calmed himself down, for the time being, that is. He recalled that he was an owner of a system that defied all logic of this fantasy world, and he was pretty sure a solution or two must be there to reverse Yuki’s situation.

In this kind of heavy atmosphere, Yuki and Kenshin reached Tokyo after a few hours. A kind of silence was maintained even when they unboarded the train and headed for their respective destinations. Before they moved though, Kenshin stood with Yuki silently, waiting for her pick up car to arrive. He didn’t say any comforting words to her and only choose to stand beside her in silence.

Sometimes, silence is more effective than a thousand words of consolation, after all. Kenshin wanted to convey to Yuki that he would stand beside her no matter what circumstances they were in.

Yuki smiled and gave Kenshin’s hand a gentle squeeze. Her soft and gentle finger crossed across Kenshin’s calloused ones, feeling the strength within them. She felt energized and strengthened. She also felt a sense of peace in her heart. All those repressed feelings and the guilt of hiding her situation to her beloved was getting on her conscience a lot.

“Anyway, I am going towards Hunter’s University. There might be a chance that I will be spending my whole day with my sister and her friends… would you like to come with us after your meet and greet are over with?”

“Pfft!! Meet and greet! What is this, a PT meeting? You are funny, Kenshin… but no, I will not go. Thank you for the offer, but I don't like to be a third wheel between you guys’ ‘brother and sister’ bonding time. Also, this is a head office, and I have worked here for a year. I know a lot of people and even more acquaintances here… I will be spending my time with them.” Yuki said with a smile before her eyes widen when she saw Kenshin’s approaching lips. Getting panicked at the suddenness of the attack, she could only let it touch her’s. A few seconds later, she felt a soft organ touching her tooth… as if asking permission to open her ‘door’ so to speak.

While kissing her all of a sudden, Kenshin snaked a hand around Yuki’s waist and gently slide it from top to bottom of her back, feeling the shapely tenderness there. Caught off guard once again, Yuki could only silently scream in embarrassment, and opening her mouth as a result.

Kenshin’s tongue invaded and explored inside like a rogue thief in a treasury.

The kiss lasted for a while before they both separated. Yuki took deep breaths to get in as much oxygen as possible to her lungs. Then she glared at Kenshin’s calm face and ground her teeth in anger. She angrily stomped on his feet, before crab pinching his waist.

“Do you know what a time and place awareness is? How can you do this kind of thing in broad daylight? Are you insane?” Yuki hissed in anger, firing one question after another like a Gatling gun. Her face was red, resembling the color, not unlike that of a tomato.

Ping!! Ping!

She would have loved to dish out some more punishments, but her car arrived just in time as Kenshin backed away from her arm’s reach. Giving her a smirk of taunt, Kenshin said, “Look, your ride has arrived… see you later, hahaha!!”

Not bothering to look back anymore, he started to steadily walk away from Yuki, fully knowing that she was currently drilling holes with her stare to his back… he could… kinda feel it.

Giving Kenshin’s retreating back one last look, Yuki smiled as all her anger vanished to thin air due to his shenanigans and calmly boarded the car, adopting her ‘Foreign Affairs Director’ persona.

…

On the other hand, Kenshin walked through the familiar road of Tokyo, which was half broken and destroyed due to an untimely monster attack, feeling heavy in his heart regarding Yuki’s case. As he walked, he didn’t give the half-destroyed city any attention. He had already seen worse in Yonezawa. That city… was bound to be removed from maps forever.

“Are you thinking about the matter with that girl?” Tar’el’s weirdly snarky but cool voice came as her translucent figure appeared on his shoulders. Now she was back to her bone structure, feeling no need to hide her true self to her contractor.

“mmm,” Kenshin nodded, giving her a positive answer. He was, indeed, thinking about her.

“Sigh… Kenshin, let me be honest with you… the solution to her problem, you won’t find it in your world. You should give up and let her live her remaining life with happiness. She wants to be with you, so you must spend her time with both care and love. You can even make her give you an offspring before she passes away.” Before becoming an undead, she was once a Fairy. Fairies were known for their empathetic and naive nature. After becoming undead, she, although lost her naïve self… the empathy she held towards everyone didn’t vanish, and neither did the undead’s instinct of hating everything with life vanquish it. This contradictory feeling shouldn’t have existed in the first place, due to which she was very special.

Special enough to one day get sealed in one of these dungeons… despite not committing any heinous crimes.

“you mentioned that such things aren’t available on earth… does that mean it is available on other places?” Kenshin asked as if he didn’t hear what she just said.

“Well, that’s not the part I wanted you to focus on, though. And yes, I know a few things that could restore her vitality. First, by continuously leveling her up as a hunter, it would restore her vitality… but she couldn’t become one due to those runes. She couldn’t access the mysterious energy or the Magic energy even if it were to be forced into her body.” Said the fairy as she changed her sitting position before continuing, “second, make her drink a few vitality potions. It’s the same as that red liquid you drink, only much stronger. But that’s not a permanent solution; it will only prolong the inevitable, not cure the source.”

Kenshin didn’t butt in, he knew she had a few more ways to speak of.

“Then there is the way to make her an undead like me after she dies… but obviously, you won't want that.” Tar’el finished, looking at Kenshin’s glare.

“Of course, I won't agree. Anything else you have in your mind?”

“Yes. But let me warn you, you can't do it, at least for now. There is a certain monster whose heart, if consumed under a ritual, your mate not only would recover her vitality, she would also gain her ability to become a hunter. Even her life expectancy would be enhanced greatly.” Said Tar’el mysteriously, which got on Kenshin’s nerves for some reason.

“And…” Kenshin gulped a mouthful of saliva, feeling the anticipation building up, “what is that monster?”

“The species of that monster is… a Dragon!!” Tar’el revealed the name of a single most overused but still genre-savvy name one could hear in a fantasy setting.