Airi’s POV
“This is my home.” We arrived at a small cottage just on the other side of the field. It looked like a very peaceful and sturdy home, good for living in.
“You live alone?”
“Yes.”
This girl is really something.
She opened the door and let me step in.
“Wow. This place is very well made. How long have you been here?”
“Hmm… A few years now...”
“How did you even find this place? It’s amazing…” I dusted off one of the tables. Laying on it was a pocketwatch and an old music box. “Antiques?”
“Those are mine, actually.”
“Sugoi, they look so old...”
Rena took the music box and pulled something out of her pocket. It was a key attached to a chain. She placed it inside a hole in the box and winded it up.
It played a very gentle melody. It sounded almost like a lullaby and relaxed me.
“I would always play this whenever I felt lonely.”
“Really..? It does feel like an isolated place.”
“Y-Yeah, it does, doesn’t it?”
Being alone… it really is….
“Hey, R-Rena….”
“Yes?”
“Do you… Love anyone?”
“E-Eh?”
“I-I….love you…” I could only murmur the last part.
“Hm?”
“Uh, I-I… I mean, I.. I think you’re.. very beautiful.”
“Oh, thank you… I guess…”
God, I feel like I’m going crazy.
“I need some fresh air, if that’s alright with you….”
“Yeah, sure.”
Walking outside, I saw the tree and walked towards it. Sitting down, I wanted to sing a song to let everything out.
Don’t panic
No not yet
I know I’m the one you want to forget
I was never wanted by anyone in my town, because I was so different. Being the only mage in a large town made it hard for me to fit in.
They all feared my ice powers…
Flashback
It was when I had first found out…
“F-Furukawa…! W-What is this…?!”
“I-I don’t know..!”
I couldn’t control it at first… Everything I touched turned to ice and snow.
“Oh God, she’s a monster!”
When I heard that comment, it made me want to cry. I didn’t know what was wrong with me then…
It just hurt… So badly…
Flashback End
I hated it, I hated it all…. I wonder what would’ve happened if I was gone from the world….
Cue all the love to leave my heart
It’s time for me to fall apart
I’ve never been loved, nor have I loved anyone. This world is complicated….
Besides, how can anyone love me?
Before I could continue singing, I felt something tap me on the shoulder. It was Rena, looking at me with such a sad face.
“Airi, are you ok?”
“Uh, yes...”
“Come on, you tell me. I can tell you’re not okay…”
She pulled me in, with our faces just inches away from each other.
“Rena...”
“Just tell me. I’m here.”
God… I can’t resist it anymore!
I pulled her closer and kissed her lips, creating tension between us.
She grabbed my shoulders and pushed me away after a few seconds.
“W-what are you doing?!”
“I’m sorry, I-I…”
She blushed heavily, covering her mouth.
“I… I know we just met, but…. God, I’m so, so sorry...”
“N-no, don’t apologize!”
“But, I k-kissed you.”
“To be honest, that wasn’t the first time I had someone steal a kiss from me.”
Ah, so it wasn’t her first kiss… Thank God…. but.. it was mine.
“U-Umm...Rena…”
“Hm? What?”
“I have something to confess….”
“What is it? Now you intrigue me, Airi~”
“T-That kiss… it was.. my first.”
“Eh?! Really?!”
“Un...” Now I’m blushing. “You’ve probably had more experience than me. You may even have a boyfriend and have kissed him plenty of times….right?”
“Well… Not exactly…”
“Huh..?”
“I don’t have a boyfriend. I’m single. And, my first kiss wasn’t exactly a person of opposite sex. And it was also something I never intended.”
“W-What..? So, your first kiss, too, was a….”
She nodded silently.
Woah… This sh*t just got real…..
“Well… I mean, that’s good, it’s not a problem.”
“Yeah...”
I bowed to her apologetically. “I really am sorry I rushed into all this… I barely even know you.”
“Maybe… you should try to go back home, get some rest.”
Wait…. home… I better ask now…
“Wait… Rena… Can I ask you a favour?”
“What?”
“I have an .. acquaintance back home who’s fallen into a coma… Do you know of any way to wake her up?”
“Sorry, like I said, I can’t do anything… but, I have heard somewhere there is a very powerful healer.”
“Then we should go find her.”
“Alright then.”
Rena’s POV
What is this girl thinking? Just kissing me randomly like that. Did she really fall in love with me at first sight?
“Nee, Airi..”
“Eh..?”
“Are you in love with anyone?”
“E-Eh?! I-I don’t… know… Have you?”
“Hmm… I don’t know…”
“Where are we going?”
“We have to find where the mage lives… except….”
“Except..? Don’t tell me you don’t know where they live?”
I covered my face.
“You don’t know?!”
“I’m sorry, Airi!”
“Mou… what do we do now?”
As we were trying to think, I began hearing someone’s footsteps coming closer to us.
“Airi…. What was that….?”
“It isn’t a thing,” she retorted, “It’s a person.”
She suddenly grabbed my hand and we started walking.
“Eh? What are--”
“Don’t turn around.”
“Wha…?”
“Whoever it is, they know we sense them.”
“But where will we go?”
“Just keep walking!”
“Stop, before I shoot you!” The person yelled at us, before cocking a gun, “Whoever you may be, just give me what I want.”
We turned around to see a person, dressed in a different outfit from ours. I can’t see their face clearly, but I saw piercing black eyes.
“Wh-what do you want..?”
“What I want?”
They slowly walked up to us, before grabbing my hand tightly.
“Le’ see~...” They pulled me closer to where I could feel them breathing. “I want you.”
“W-Who are you…? W-What do you want from me…?”
“How unfortunate. You really don’t remember me, Rena-chan?”
“Eh?” I felt my head being held as they pulled me forward and we locked lips.
That moment, I suddenly remembered, as I saw them pull away and reveal a cat-like smirk.
J-Jurina…?
“Rena, who is this..?!”
“I’m just wondering the same thing about you, shorty.”
“O-Oi..! What was that, you brat?!”
“Haa?! Who you calling brat?!”
“Airi,” I stopped the two arguing. “This person is Jurina. She’s…. um…”
“What?”
“She was my first kiss…”
“EH?! This annoying brat?!”
“I told you, don’t call me that! I’m not a kid!”
“Really? How old are you?”
“I’m old enough to fend for myself, unlike you.”
“You…..!!!!”
“Stop! Why are you two acting like this?!”
“Because she kissed you!” / “Because she’s annoying!” They had answered simultaneously.
“Just shut up, you immature idiots!” I suddenly snapped. As I said this, both of them went silent.
Oh no…
“Rena, are you okay?”
“Sorry. Did we upset you?”
“N-No, I’m fine…”
Don’t lose control.. don’t let her out…
“Jurina… I need your help…”
“With what, little kid?”
“....” I bit my lip.
“Rena?”
“I need help with someone in a coma.”
“Oh...” Her eyes suddenly changed to ones of sympathy, “I can see what I could do, but I’m nothing more than a bounty hunter.”
“Anything will do for me… I just want her to be okay.”
“Show us where she is.”
“Okay. Follow me,” Airi started walking eastwards from where we were. All me and Jurina could do was follow her.
As we did, she began talking to me…
“How have you been, Rena-chan?”
“Fine. You?”
“Good, I guess. Does the midget know about… her?”
“N-Not yet… Nor do I want her to...”
“Who is this, anyway?”
“I’m not sure myself, we just met. But she has ice magic. Her name is Airi.”
“Ice magic, eh? Could she be that infamous ice mage?”
“Infamous?”
“Yeah, she’s very well known around these parts. She’s a very powerful mage, equally praised and feared for the strength of her magic. Well, I guess you can say she’s more feared, honestly.”
“Wow… She really is that strong..”
“Un…” She said, “Oi, midget!”
“What?! Before I punch you in the face!”
“Can you do something for me in exchange?”
“Huh? Why should I do something for you?”
“Well, because you’re dragging us somewhere to heal your unconscious friend, maybe?”
“Airi….”
The ice mage groaned. “Fine. What do you want?”
“Well, I need your help to contain a rogue bandit.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ve heard things about you, Furukawa.”
“H-How do you know about me?!”
“Everything, really~ Orally and physically.”
“Is that so? Fine then, I’ll help you track this guy down.”
“Right then.”
“Where are we headed to?”
“We’re heading north.”
We were walking for a straight 25 minutes to what seemed like a desolate village. The atmosphere in this village was completely different from back home.
“Let’s go.” Jurina hurried us further.
There were wanted signs for criminals almost everywhere. The houses were abandoned, dilapidated to the point where everything would collapse in one go.
“This is place is…”
“Horrifying? Exactly my words….”
“I was gonna say gloomy, but yeah, I’ll go with that.”
“Where is the bandit supposed to be?”
“Somewhere around this area...”
*Crash*
“E-Eh?”
In before the other two could reply, a dark figured dashed past us.
“There he is!” Jurina started running.
“Let me try something,” Airi said as a frost cloud appeared in her hand. She blew it and caused it to hit the bandit’s feet, freezing him from his spot.
“W-What is this?!” His shout echoed through the isolated, abandoned town. “What are you?!”
“You’re coming with me!” Jurina grabbed the man, about to punch him, but someone came from behind and knocked her out.
“Jurina!”
The man pushed me to the ground. “Outta the way, girly!”
“Why you…!” Airi created a large shard of ice and threw it at him, but he barely dodged.
The other man broke free from the ice and stood up.
“You may be one of those mages, but do you really think you can beat more than one person on your own?”
“I’m willing to try.”
With her hand, she created a transparent ice sword and rushed up to the man to attack.
“Come at me!”
As she was fighting, I looked over to Jurina, who was still out cold.
Jurina…
“They hurt her… you must be really mad…”
Yes… yes, I’m mad… really mad…
“You want revenge for them hurting her, don’t you?”
I do…
“Then, let go.”
*Snap*
Airi’s POV
“Come at me!” I swung my sword, trying to slash one of them, but they kept dodging.
One of them took out a knife and attempted to stab me.
The same kinda thing happened to Akane…. But please… do not let this happen to me…
Before I could react, the knife was right at my face.
“Say goodbye.”
Oh God…
*Snap*
“Hn..?” I looked and saw Rena still on the ground, her head hung low, “Rena?”
Silence…
“Rena? Can you hear me?”
“...hehehe… Hehehe.. hahahahaha...”
What? Why is she laughing?
“R-Rena…?”
“Hahaha… nee, okotteru?”
“C-Could it be…?”
“Hey, you wanna pick a fight, girly?”
Then her manic laughter continued. The guy got annoyed and try to throw a punch, but she grabbed his fist.
“Wha--?”
“Hahahahaha… I wanna break you..!”
She then clenched it so tightly, a loud clicking sound could be heard.
“Oh sh*t!”
She kept laughing as she kicked him and knocked him to the ground. By the time she was finished, the guy was laying there lifeless, with blood pouring out of several places.
“Oh God… what are you?!” the other man screamed. He tried to run, but Rena tackled him and grabbed his throat.
She’s almost… inhuman.
“Hahahahahaha! HAHAHAHAAHA!!! Just break everyone… just let go! HAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAHA!!!”
“Rena, what are you doing?! Stop!!!”
“Ufufu, Rena’s gone… only Gekikara!!!”
“Gekikara…?”
“Nee… Okotteru?”
She dropped the lifeless man, that she had just strangled to death, before walking towards me. She kept giggling as she bit her nails.
“Come on… answer me… okotteru..? Hahaha! Okotteru?! Hahahahaha!”
“I-I...”
“You look scared~. That’s a good face… Nee, Airi~ Hehehehe…”
I backed away as she got closer. The look in her eyes was… terrifying.
“R-Rena…"
She continued to walk towards me, with her hands that were drenched in blood.
“S-stop… you’re scaring me.”
“Hehehe, I know~. Hehehehe...”
“Why…? Why are you like this..? Rena, please say something!”
“I told you, Rena’s not here. It’s Gekikara now.”
“I-I….”
“I’ll show you, who I really am.”
She then gave me a dark look and charged forward. I clutched my sword tighter, making sure that I had it prepared.
She grabbed me and continued to laugh. I was struggling to get free from her grip the best that I could.
“I-I’ll kill..you…!”
“Hehehehe…. I don’t think so… Hehehehehe…”
“....Rena...”
Someone came up from behind and grabbed Rena’s shoulder, making her turn around. Jurina was there, looking at her with some blood running down her forehead.
“Jurina… How are you going to stop her…?”
“I’ve been with her for a long time, I have my tricks.”
She pulled Rena forward, their faces inches from each other. She then kissed her in the cheek, with a grin to finished things off.
I saw Rena’s eyes change and she blinked before blushing.
“J-Jurina..?”
“That’s enough now.”
“Wha.. I… Oh no, did she come out? Did she kill anyone?”
“Well...” The two then looked at the two bandits who were murdered. “To be honest, I was wanting to kill them myself.”
“Oh my God, I can’t believe this happened!”
“It’s fine, it was--”
“Guys,” I interrupted the conversation. “Can one of you explain what just happened?”
Rena’s gaze suddenly averted from me, to the ground. I looked at Jurina, who gave me a serious gaze back.
“It’s been awhile since she’s come out.”
“‘She’, as in...”
“Gekikara. She is a demon that is inside Rena and has been for as long as either of us can remember. The only thing that Gekikara can do is to kill, to kill anything in her path.”
“Woah… that’s.. awful. I’m so sorry… I didn’t know--”
“I didn’t want you to know…” Rena had interrupted me, on the verge of tears, “I’ve been left by everyone who met me…Who knew of my secret...”
“So that’s why you live alone, in that isolated place...”
She nodded.
“Everyone was afraid of me because I had a demon inside me. Because I was a monster...”
That’s… just like me.
“So, I left. Where no one could find me, and I couldn’t hurt anyone… But even so… I was incredibly lonely…”
“Rena… I know how you feel…” I said, trying to calm her down, “I was forced to leave my home because everyone was outraged by the sheer force of my powers, because no one needed them, they only wanted to be villagers who worked hard to get what they wanted. They didn’t want a protector with powers such as me, they didn’t know anything about magic and sorcery.”
“They were scared…” she suddenly said. “It’s because they didn’t know anything about us that they became afraid. Afraid of what might happen. So, they decided to drive us away. So that they could continue living their peaceful lives in ignorance, not having to bother with us, or even care.”
“All of them… they were fools. They don’t know what we go through. What we are or how we think. Every living person is ignorant, so much so that they do not realise feelings other than their own.”
“They live in the dark, not seeing what’s real, living off lies…”
“They’re idiots, every last one of them…”
We looked at each other for a moment. We thought the same. Jurina, however, was just standing there, speechless.
“Ah, we don’t mean anything against you, Jurina,” Rena suddenly said. “You understand us, and you… you were the only one who didn’t leave me.”
“I would never leave you, Rena, even if it meant death on my part. Your pain is my pain too.”
She kissed her on the cheek and made her blush again. I smiled, those two look like the perfect couple. I guess Rena was destined for Jurina from the start, not me.
“Umm… We need to go back as fast as we can…. I don’t know what’s happened to those two…”
“Uh, yeah…”
------------------------------------
We finally left and got back to Tsugumi’s home. I started thinking about Akane again and if she was alright.
Rena, upon seeing me in a state of emptiness, turned to me.
“Airin, you okay? You seem a bit off…”
“O-oh, yeah… I’m just worried about my friend.”
“Oh? What’s her name?”
“Akane.”
“Ah… What happened to her?”
“She was stabbed and mortally wounded. Currently, she’s in a coma and we’re trying to save her.”
“Me and Jurina will do all we can to help.”
“Thanks Rena…”
Once we approached the house, I saw Tsugumi sitting next to Akane, glancing at me angrily.
“Tsugumi...” I walked over to her silently as she continued to glare at me. “I’m sorry...”
I closed my eyes as she came closer. I was afraid she was going to slap me, or punch me… but instead, I felt her arms wrap around me.
“You idiot! I was worried about you when you ran off! How could you?!”
“I’m sorry, my emotions just washed over me and I just didn’t know what I was thinking…”
She then looked at Jurina and Rena. “Who are these people?”
“Matsui Rena and Matsui Jurina. Jurina’s a bounty hunter and Rena… I guess you could say she’s our friend. They can help us save Akane.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. You can trust them.”
“Okay.”
“Rena, help Tsugumi-chan, if that’s okay with you.”
“Un.” She walked over to our healer and started to talk to her.
Before I could walk up to them, Jurina grabbed my hand roughly, “Jurina? What’s wrong?”
“Furukawa Airi… I challenge you to spar with me.”
Huh?!
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I'll edit it properly later, just sit tight, I'm hungry, so... Bye for now.
Topic: Rendezvous of Fire and Ice (Main Pair: FuruYanagi) Chapter 4 15/5/16 (Read 4409 times)