A late-night visitor had arrived. There was no panic because she knew in advance. Seia looked with half-open eyes at the person standing beyond the door. It was a girl with pure white hair and pale purple eyes. She had a firearm slung over her shoulder and was holding a bomb in her hand.
Seia said nothing and simply stared at her with a dazed expression. That appearance seemed like someone who had lost the will to live, or like someone with no will to resist. Whichever it was, it wasn't a matter for the assassin who came late at night to consider. Rather, it was something to welcome.
But contrary to Seia's thoughts, the visiting girl was not an assassin. With a serious expression, she approached the bed where Seia was lying with steady steps.
"Are you…… Yurizono Seia?"
A beautiful voice slipped from her lips. Seia gazed at her blankly, then answered with a bitter smile.
"Indeed I am."
"I see…… that's good. I've found the right place."
"Do you intend to kill me?"
Seia asked in a flat voice. The intruder, as if that wasn't the case, shook her head side to side and answered.
"No. But that's what is publicly known."
"What does that mean……?"
"I won't kill you, Yurizono Seia. I came here with a different purpose."
She spoke while maintaining a certain distance from Seia. However, Seia couldn't quite understand the current situation and was frowning.
An intruder who suddenly appeared in the middle of the night came with a purpose other than assassination? Does she intend to rob or kidnap? If so, the best course would be to handle things as quickly as possible and leave; there was no reason to exchange questions and answers like now. Could there be some other purpose? She thought so, but no answer came to mind.
Eventually, Seia let out a deep sigh and asked the intruder with eyes filled with deep shadows.
"What is your purpose that you're taking your time like this? Wouldn't resolving things as quickly as possible be better for you too?"
"Right. So I'll be direct."
The intruder cleared her throat once, then stared straight at Seia and uttered.
"Help us."
"……?"
Seia's face twisted in confusion. She couldn't understand what she was talking about from the start, and now even more so. Suddenly appearing and saying, not a threat or coercion, but asking for help? What on earth does that mean. But the intruder's mouth opened faster than Seia could ask.
"Kenji."
"……!"
That name. At the name she could never forget, Seia jerked her body up from the bed. Then she pulled her fox ears back and twisted her face like a demon.
"You, how do you know that name—"
"It's our teacher's name."
"……Teacher?"
"The teacher who taught us many things and left. We're separated for now…… but I'm certain we'll meet again someday."
"……."
"That person mentioned you."
Seia's eyes opened wide. She hurriedly got down from the bed and approached the intruder. The intruder didn't push her away, only stared with pitying eyes. Such violent emotional change must be because she was broken. There were quite a few such children in Arius too. Now they've all been 'disposed of'.
"Ke, Kenji. What did Kenji say about me?"
"A precious person. Someone he's sorry for and loves. A child who liked being petted, who liked sitting on his lap."
They weren't words heard directly. But it was certain he said such things. Since Atsuko directly told her, it was definitely true.
"Kenji, Kenji……."
Seia muttered that while looking at the intruder, that is, Azusa, then began shedding tears drop by drop. Soon after, word fragments that couldn't form proper sentences sputtered out from her mouth. Azusa did nothing until she could calm down. She just took a few steps back, leaned her head back, and stared only at the ceiling.
'Teacher…….'
For no reason, the tip of her nose stung. But Azusa tightened her eyes and stopped the tears that were about to flow.
In contrast, Seia lay face down on the floor and shed tears endlessly.
A name she missed every day, without fail. To not forget his face, voice, and way of speaking, she constantly recalled the past. Yet reality was冷酷, and the future was frightening. How good would it be if she could remain forever in the past, in fleeting dreams. She had thought that many times. The only reason she didn't act on it was simply because she didn't want to be in an ugly state when she met him someday.
Right, someday.
When I meet him someday.
"He's alive, he was alive…… He still thinks of me as precious…… Ah…… Heu-eu……."
Her wandering hands wildly flailed in the air, and her beautiful blonde hair, drenched in sweat and tears, clung to her cheeks. It was a miserable sight. But the tears Seia shed were not of sadness but filled with joy and delight.
The positive news of a loved one she thought was lost brought change to the life of the girl who had given up everything.
Thus, Seia shed tears for quite a while longer, then wiped her face with her sleeve and raised her body.
"……Thank you for telling me. Then…… are you Kenji's disciple?"
"Yes. We parted half a year ago."
"Why did you part? Did he disappear without a word like before this time too?"
"No. Someone held our lives as collateral and tried to kill him. So he had no choice but to leave."
"Tried to kill him……?"
Seia's gaze sharpened. She looked at Azusa with a slight frown.
"Who did such a thing."
"The Student Council President of Arius. She planned everything. And we intend to take revenge on her."
"……Arius. Are you, by chance, also from Arius?"
"Yes. All of my 'family' are from Arius."
"And yet you'll raise a hand against the Student Council President?"
"Yes."
An immediate answer. There was no sign of lying. Seia gazed at Azusa for a moment, then nodded.
"Good. So, you're asking me to help with that revenge?"
"It would be good if you did, but I don't intend to force you."
"No, I shall help. I cannot overlook the crime of trying to kill Kenji. Do you have a method in mind?"
"I've made plans, but I don't know the exact timing. But I have a guess."
"……Don't tell me."
"It's probably what you're thinking."
Azusa continued in a calm voice.
"The Eden Treaty."
"……."
"The day it's signed, I'll move in earnest."
"……This is insane."
Seia let out a hollow laugh and clutched her throbbing forehead.
"I hope you have a proper plan."
"I can explain."
Azusa uttered with a serious expression. Seia carefully scrutinized her face, then let out a deep sigh and nodded.
"I see. Go ahead."
"You trust me?"
"If you're Kenji's disciple, I should trust you. And you? Can you trust me?"
"Yes. You're the person Teacher directly called precious. I can trust you."
"I see. So the plan is?"
Azusa approached the table placed in Seia's room, took out various plans, and began explaining. Seia supplemented the ones that seemed weak and discarded the ones that were nearly impossible. They also coordinated opinions to create better proposals.
Thus, the rough meeting ended. The two shared memories they had with Kenji. Azusa was the one who first brought up stories, but the one who talked more was Seia. It was natural since the time spent together was different.
Azusa's eyes widened when she heard that Kenji used to be very weak in the past. The Kenji she remembered had never lost a sparring session using live ammunition and was an amazing person who could collapse an entire building. His body may have been like paper, but no one could match him in close combat.
In contrast, Seia was surprised to hear that Kenji frequently used strange power. He was someone who could overpower anyone with force whenever he wished, but hearing the story, it seemed impossible now.
She didn't know how he obtained such power, but it certainly wasn't through moderate means. Perhaps the reason he had to leave was also because of that. Of course, without hearing the story directly, it was all speculation, but she could roughly guess.
"I wish he had given some hint in advance."
She understood logically. If Kenji had explained his condition in various ways, she would have definitely held him tight so he couldn't go anywhere else.
Confinement. Surely not only herself but Nagisa and Mika would have participated to imprison him so he could never escape. Seia knew her own personality very well, and thus she couldn't judge Kenji's choice as right or wrong.
Still, feeling hurt is feeling hurt. Even if he had to go, couldn't he have at least left a letter? She let out a deep sigh and leaned her forehead against her neatly gathered knees.
"……We'll be able to meet again, right?"
"Of course. Because he promised."
"He didn't with me."
"……Still, we'll be able to meet."
"He'd better. If he doesn't meet me, I'll chase him to the ends of hell."
A ghostly aura lingered in Seia's gaze. Azusa flinched with momentary fear. Be that as it may, Seia brushed off her clothes and stood up, looking at Azusa.
"Let's start soon."
"Y, yes. I'll be waiting outside. I'll follow when preparations are done."
Seia nodded.
Thus, a few minutes later. In the dawn with a full moon high in the sky.
-KWAHAAANG!
A huge explosion occurred in Seia's room.
The next day, her death was reported to the Tea Party.
-CRASH.*
The teacup Mika was holding collided with the floor. Its contents soaked the white marble, and broken fragments scattered messily. The executive from the Pater Faction who delivered the news flinched in surprise and tried to clear the debris, but Mika reached out her hand faster. She grabbed the executive's wrist tightly, her lips trembling.
"Mi, Mika-sama? Aah......!"
"Wh, what did you say? Huh? I didn't hear properly. Yeah. One more time, could you say it one more time?"
Strength increased in Mika's grip. The executive screamed in pain as if her wrist was being crushed, but such screams didn't reach Mika's ears.
Her head hurt. Tinnitus rang. The tea scent brushing the tip of her nose was bitter. She twisted the corner of her eyes and muttered softly.
"Seia-chan…… is dead……?"
It was an event that occurred in summer, before the Teacher arrived.
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