Chapter 7
========
"Hi Maimi!"
"rghgrhdsswhllll!"
"Hi Maimi!"
"Hello Airi. You need something from me, don't you?"
"Not really. I just wanted to ask you a question."
"Go ahead."
"Do you...do you think she's a spy?"
"A spy? In our camp? Who?"
"You know...that new girl..."
"The new girl? The one that follows Miyabi around?"
"Yeah. Ever since she arrived, a lot of bad things happened to the camp. The crops got infested...one of the wells where we get water to drink got contaminated...and one of the supply shacks got burned. I think it's her fault!"
"How can you be so sure that it is indeed her doing?"
"Hmmm...you know that Miya let her borrow some of her old stuff right? Like her old hairclip? I found it near the well that was poisoned. I returned it to her but then I found it near the burned shack the other day."
"Maybe she's just clumsy and keeps losing that clip. And what if someone took it from her and left it in those places to set her up."
"Are you taking her side?"
"Let's just say that I know how it feels to be in her place. I bet a lot of people here, including you, thought I was a spy the first time I arrived. They even thought that I was one of those 'Kings'. I had to earn their trust first before they accepted me. You should give that girl a chance. I don't think she's capable of doing anything bad...well except maybe seduce Miyabi away from you."
"If that's the case then I'll have to investigate further...."
"You know what...I think you're just jealous."
"ME?! JEALOUS?!!! NO WAY!!!" Airi shouted as her face turned red. "I'M NOT JEALOUS!!!"
"You're reaction just proved otherwise. No use hiding it from me because it's obvious. You don't like how Miya gives her attention and how Miyabi lets her cling to her arms and calls her master. Miya never lets you call her that way, doesn't she?"
"I'm not jealous..." pouted Airi. "Whatever. I'm going now Maimi. See you later." she said as she started to walk away.
"Oh, and Airi...can you do me a favor?"
"What is it Maimi?"
"Next time, if you want to ask me something, please make sure it doesn't interfere with my bath..."
Airi didn't say anything but her face became redder. It was only then that she asked herself why she couldn't have picked a better time to ask Maimi. But she knew the answer exactly: It was only during Maimi's bath time when Miyabi wasn't around.
"...if I wasn't that good at controlling myself, I would have pulled you here in the water with me already."
"..."
"Come on. You know you want to..." Maimi said as she splashed some water on Airi's feet. "The water's great...and so am I..."
Airi walked closer to Maimi and splashed some water onto her face before running away.
Maimi laughed as she submerged into the spring again.
===
Airi wouldn't admit it, but what Maimi said was right.
She was jealous. Jealous of the new girl. Jealous of Risako.
She had every reason to.
Miyabi had been giving her a lot of attention lately, and Airi wasn't used to that, for she has always been the center of Miyabi's attention. And what bothered her most is that Miyabi lets Risako call her 'Master'. Airi joking called her that the other day and Miyabi replied by giving her a stern look, somewhat telling her never to call her that again.
But she was also right that some of Risako's things, things that Miyabi lent her, were found near the poisoned well and the burned shack.
They have been sharing a tent for quite some time but they rarely talk. Risako would try to engage her into a conversation but Airi would ignore her. She didn't like being called 'Master's Friend'.
On the night when the supply shack got burned, Airi saw Risako sneak out of their tent, further increasing her suspicions.
That night, Risako sneaked out again. This time Airi decided to follow her....
===
Airi didn't know anymore how far they were from the camp. Risako kept on walking and Airi chased her, using the trees in the forest as cover. Only the moon was the source of illumination so Airi tried to be as close as possible to Risako, or else she would lose her. She kept telling herself that Risako is going to meet up with the enemy to give them information. She kept telling herself that if she can prove that Risako is indeed a spy, Miyabi will come back to her, and drive Risako away from the camp.
Suddenly, Risako vanished from her sight. It was an open field in the middle of the forest and there were no tress obstructing the moon to light even the ground. Airi stopped hiding and went to the last spot where she saw Risako standing, trying to figure out which direction she went.
But it was impossible because Risako didn't leave any footprints, which bedazzled Airi. The soil was soft, and even a leaf falling from the tree would leave a mark. Airi noticed that Risako didn't leave any footprints since they left the camp at all. She could only see the ones made by her feet printed on the ground, and it was her means of finding her way back to the camp.
The night was already deep. She was tired and sleepy so she decided to head back to camp. But before she could take a step...
"M...Master's friend?"
"Risako?"
She turned around. It was not Risako.
But it was another of those things that she and Miyabi would argue about.
It was the mythical beast that Miyabi kept talking about when they were younger:
A unicorn.
"Wait, did you just call me Master's friend?"
"Y-yes."
"I see. Only Risako calls me that…so that means you're Risak…"
That was all Airi could mutter before she lost consciousness...
~~~
"W-wake up. Please wake up."
Airi opened her eyes and felt something caressing her cheek.
"R-Risako?" she asked as she rubbed her eyes.
It wasn't. It was a unicorn. Not a full grown one, it was more like a filly.
Airi crawled away from it until her back was against the nearest tree.
"D-don't hurt me."
"I won't. I could never do that to you. Master will be angry if I did."
"R-Risako? Is that really you?"
"Y-yes."
"What are you?!"
"I...I dont know...but there are times at night that I cannot stop myself from turning into this. P-please, please don't tell Master. I'm begging you."
"Why shouldn't I?!! Miya should know about this! Even if you're not a spy, you...you're not human!!! You're a beast!"
Even if it was a unicorn, Airi felt that she hurt it with what she said.
She was torn. But Miyabi deserved to know the truth. She knew that if Miyabi found out that Risako was a unicorn, she will surely give it a lot more attention. She didn't want that.
Airi hated unicorns, but after all the years Miyabi has been talking about it, she has developed some kind of affinity for it.
Unlike Miyabi who wanted a pure, white unicorn, she wanted one that had a light, golden brown mane, just like the one in front of her.
"Can I...can I touch you?" asked Airi.
The unicorn walked close enough for Airi to be able to pet her snout. She also touched its horn, the thing that makes the unicorn distinct from other creatures.
"You should stop calling me 'Master's friend'. I have a name you know. Call me Airi." she told her.
"Airi? Can I really call you that? Can I be your friend too?"
"Of course! There's nothing stopping you from doing so."
"Thank you!" the unicorn said as it started to lick Airi's cheeks. "Thank you!"
"Hey! Stop! That tickles! Hahaha!" Airi told her. "And please, never, ever do that to me whenever you're in human form."
"Why?"
"It would be awkward."
"But how come Master lets me do it?"
"She does? Hahaha! Miya really is a...wait, what? Did you just tell me that she lets you lick her cheeks?!!!"
"You can ask her about it."
"Grrrrr...Anyway, I have a lot of questions to ask youuu!!! Can you tell me more about yourself? Where did you come from? Who are you parents? How did you find your way to our camp?"
"I will answer the ones that I can. But there are a lot of things about me that even I do not know."
"Alright. But before that, tell me...are you a spy sent to infiltrate our camp? Were you responsible for poisoning the well and burning the supply shack?"
"No. I would never do that. Please believe me."
"I..." Airi was interrupted before she could continue.
"She wasn't responsible for that Airi. That was all my doing..." said a voice from the woods.
Airi and Risako looked for the owner of the voice. The voice wasn't new to Airi's ears, but she had to make sure that it was really who she thought it was.
Someone tall and lanky stepped out. She wore a suit of armor, but it didn't look as heavy and intimidating as the one Maimi wore. The moon shone on her face, and Airi's familiarity was not deceiving her.
"Yu-Yurina? You're the spy?!" shouted Airi. "You were the one who poisoned the well and burned our supplies?!"
"Yes. I did all that. I was also the one who set those insects to destroy the crops. And I put that clip you found near those places so you would suspect Risako. Thanks to you, I finally confirmed that she is indeed the one that escaped Asami's laboratory. There's a huge bounty on her head and if I can capture her, I'll be wealthy!"
"You betrayed us..."
"No I didn't. It's your fault. You trusted too much."
"Mast...Airi, we should split up. I'll try to distract her so you could escape." Risako whispered. "Let us meet back at the camp."
"Will you be okay?"
"I will be fine. This form will still last for a few more minutes. And I doubt if she can keep up with my speed."
"Alright."
Risako galloped to the east, but she was not able to go very far, for a bear trap clamped tightly to one of her legs, causing her to tumble.
"Risako!"
"You cannot escape. I have placed a lot of those traps around the area. So you better stay where you are, Airi. Unless you want your leg to get cut." said Yurina.
She took out a whip and started lashing the injured beast.
"I won't kill you. The bounty will be higher if I bring you back alive." Yurina said as she kept on hitting the downed unicorn. "I have to soften you up though, so it'll be easier to carry you around."
"Get away from her!" Airi said as she went in front to protect Risako.
Yurina flicked her whip, hitting Airi in the face and sending her down on the ground, bloody and unconscious.
"I can't kill Risako but I can kill you, Airi." said Yurina as she prepared to lash her. "I will tell the people in the camp that you are the spy and I had to kill you because you threatened to silence me, for I knew a lot already..."
But before she could hit Airi with her again, the unicorn used what's left of its strength to cover Airi with her body, protecting her from any more harm. Yurina laughed as she kept on flogging. The sound of her whip repeatedly hitting Risako's body echoed across the forest. After a few more hits, Risako slowly reverted to her human form. But still, she used her body to protect Airi from any more of Yurina's attack. It lasted for a while for Yurina didn't stop until she got tired.
Finally she stopped. But she was not satisfied, and she prepared to strike them again.
"I would not do that if I were you."
"Hmmm. Miya. I knew you would come. It's too bad you weren't here earlier. You missed a lot of things."
"I have seen enough. If you try to hit them any more, you're going to regret it, Yurina."
"Stop me."
Yurina raised her whip in the air and aimed it at Risako and Airi. As she motioned her arm to strike them, Miyabi started to run towards her. Yurina grinned because Miyabi fell into her trap. She manipulated her whip to head towards Miyabi's direction.
The end of the whip coiled around Miyabi's wrist and Yurina reeled her in. Miyabi held her ground and resisted. Meanwhile, Yurina revealed a small dagger in her other hand and prepared to stab Miyabi as she pulled her closer.
"How long have you been a spy, Yurina?"
"I have always been one, Miya. Even before I knew you, I was already working for them."
"I trusted you, Yurina. I even told you some things that I've never told anyone, even Airi."
"Of course. You weren't brave enough to tell her that you can only be friends, that you only see her as a younger sister, nothing more."
"I've always thought of you as a friend..."
"You still can Miya...in the afterlife."
"..."
"Hahaha! You're weak! You always were. I'm not part of Straight Flush yet I can defeat you easily. It's a shame that you have to die today. The King of Clubs told me to keep an eye on your progress. She wanted you to become stronger so she will have someone to fight someday. "
"Is that so?"
Miyabi stopped resisting Yurina's pull, causing Yurina to lose her balance. With the whip still wrapped around her wrist, she grabbed it with her other hand and now it was her turn to pull Yurina towards her. Yurina was ready to stab her but it only grazed Miyabi's cheek. She attempted to cut her again but Miyabi caught her wrist and pointed the dagger to her neck.
"I have all the reasons to shove this into your throat Yurina. But I won't." Miyabi told her. She knocked the dagger away from Yurina's hands and removed the whip from her own wrist. "I still consider you as one of my friends. I don't want to use my sword against you. Just...just get out of my sight."
"You will regret that you set me free Miya."
"No. But if try to hurt any of my friends again, I will make sure that you won't be leaving alive. Tell those Kings that I'm not afraid of them. I am going to defeat them!"
"Tsk. I'll make sure what you said reaches them, Miya."
With that, Yurina vanished into the night, leaving behind the marks of her whip on Miyabi, Airi and Risako's bodies the last memory they will have of her…
~~~
"Wake up Airi..."
Airi could feel someone lightly tapping her cheek. She rubbed her eyes and saw who it was.
"M-Miya!!!"
She outstretched her arms to embrace her friend, but it was met with a thunderous slap coming from Miyabi.
The sound it made echoed throughout the woods, even startling the birds that were asleep.
Airi touched the part of her face that received it. It was bleeding from a cut made by Yurina's whip, but the pain from Miyabi's slap hurt more than that.
*sniff* "W-w-what did I...what...M-Miya?" *sniff**sniff*
Before Airi could burst into tears, Miyabi wrapped her tightly in her arms.
"Why do you always do this to me?! How many times have I told you not to wander away from the camp! I'm going to die worrying about you, Airi!" she said as her tears fell even before Airi's. "You're the only one I have left. I don't know what I'm going to do if I lose you too."
"Miya..."
"Promise me that you'll never going to do this again." she told her, wiping off her tears and Airi's as well.
*sniff* "I promise. I'm sorry."
"Good." Miyabi said as she embraced her again.
"W-what happened to Yurina?' Airi asked.
"I beat her. I can feel that those training sessions with Maimi are slowly starting to show its effects."
"Did you kill..."
"I let her go. Even if she's an enemy, she's still a friend. I know deep inside that she's not really an evil person."
"I think so to." said Airi.
Miyabi let her go and helped her stand up.
"Miya, did...did you see the unicorn?" Airi asked.
"Unicorn? What are you talking about? I only see you and Risako here."
"But Risako is..."
"She's what?"
"She's a...she's...she saved me."
"She did. And she is not wearing anything. You two weren't planning to do anything naughty here in the woods right?"
"Hanging around with Maimi turns you into a pervert…"
"Right. Now let's get you two back home..."
~~~
The sun was already up when they arrived at the camp.
Miyabi took Airi and Risako to Chisato's tent so that she could tend their wounds. After Chisato told her that they will be fine, Miyabi reported all that has transpired to Yuko before heading to her tent where Maimi was waiting for her.
"Rough night?" asked Maimi as she followed her back inside.
"A bit." replied Miyabi while she was taking off her armor. "You're up early."
"Yeah. I've got something for you." Maimi said as she tossed something that landed in front of Miyabi. She didn't have to give it a closer look to realize what it was.
It was a whip.
Yurina's whip.
But there was an arm still holding on to it.
Yurina's arm.
"..."
Anger. Disgust. Sorrow. Miyabi gave Maimi a look that could pierce the body. Though she was one of the enemies, Yurina didn't deserve that.
"Hey, don't look at me like that. I'm just trying to help you out. I thought that if you wanted to send a warning to the enemy, you should do it with finesse. Words are empty threats, Miya. Your enemies will not be afraid unless you show them what you can do. "
Maimi saw it coming but she didn't bother to evade Miyabi's punch.
"I didn't kill her. I just cut her arm. Yurina can always get another one. Have you forgotten what those two you fought before said? There's someone back in their headquarters that can revive the dead! If what they are saying is true, then you can expect them to go after you again soon."
"Shut up."
"You'll never be a good warrior unless you become ruthless like your enemies Miya. It's always kill or be killed in the battlefield."
"I will not turn myself into something like them. If I can't be a good fighter as they are, then so be it..." Miyabi told her as she left.
===
Chanponchan
"Asami? Are you there? Can I come in?"
No one answered the King. She opened the door and wandered around the prodigy's chambers.
It was clean. Everything was organized. Even a blind mouse would have a difficult time getting lost in it.
"What brings you down here, King of Spades? This has been only the second time you visited me."
"Well...I don't think I would be welcome here again, after what happened the last time. You don't have a grudge against me, do you?"
"Oh? You mean the time when I lost all my research materials and had to start from scratch? When one of my experiments, which I haven't been able to control yet, wrecked everything here and escaped? Wait, she didn't escape...you let her out! That one?"
"Err...yes. That one."
"I've forgotten about it, and I have forgiven you. There's nothing more I can do but to move on." Asami answered her smiling.
"I would like to apologize for that. I'm sorry for releasing that one. You were able to retrieve it, right?"
"No. I wasn't able to establish a psychic link with it before it was able to escape. Tracking her is impossible. She was imperfect and her human form was unstable...but I have fixed all of what she lacked in the next one."
"I'm sorry." the King told her as she shamefully bowed her head. "I'm really sor..."
"Let's get to what you want. You didn't come here just to say that right? And stop pretending to be all apologetic, it doesn't suit you."
The King's face turned devious, like it always was. She wasn't very good at pretending so Asami saw right though her.
"How long before Eri and Sayumi are back?"
"A few more days. I still need to extract the contaminated blood from their bodies."
"I want them back by tomorrow."
"That's impossible. Even with my powers, I couldn't..."
"Tomorrow. You said that you have forgiven me but I haven't forgiven you yet, Asami."
Asami couldn't say yes. But she couldn't say no either. She knows what the King of Spades is capable of.
The incident that happened before didn't end up pretty well.
They exchanged harsh words and even reached a point where the King drew her sword out. If not for the King of Diamonds' intervention, one of them would have been killed. And Asami knew that it would have been her."
"I..."
"Up to now, I still don't understand why they think highly of people like you. Prodigies? Hah! You're just a bunch of freaks that think you're special! That girl we scarred before had a lot of potential than you. Maybe I should go look for her. Wait, doesn't she live in that camp where the chimeras are getting killed?"
"Chisato doesn't have anything to do with this. Leave her alone."
"I won't. Unless you revive Eri and Sayu."
"I told you that I will! But I won't be able to finish it by tomorrow! What part of that do you not understand?!"
"Very well, I will give you a week to bring them back. Goodbye Asami."
The dreadful atmosphere vanished as soon as the King closed the door. Asami let out a sigh of relief, but she knew it was not the last time the King will be paying her a visit.
"That kid scares me." said a voice from the other side of the room. "Why don't you just lobotomize her or alter her personality? A psionic blast might be enough."
"I want to Makoto, but I couldn't. Everytime I try to read her mind, something shuts me out. There's even a backlash almost strong enough to knock me unconscious. Her body is emanating this terrible blood lust. She is dangerous. I do not know how Ai can keep her in check but I'm glad that she could."
"Then you should be more careful when talking to her. It looked like you were about to lose your temper when she called you a freak."
Asami responded by puffing her cheeks.
"By the way, have you told Ai that...she's alive?"
"I haven't. I have to find her first before she learns about it. The signal is faint, but I'm sure that it is her. It belongs to Risa."
"That is good news. I am sure that Ai will be glad when she finds out."
"Please don't tell her. I want it to be a surprise. For all that she has done for me."
"I understand. Well, I guess we should get back to work. I don't want to see that kid here again…"
Asami and Makoto returned to their activities but they were unaware that someone was eavesdropping and heard the entire conversation.
The King of Spades, who was leaning against the other side of door the whole time bit her lip in excitement...