Best Friends

Kanami enters the floating tower; she ignores the scene around her, the bodies with missing heads, the broken armor. All Kanami cares about is seeing her best friend and saving her. She walks towards the stairs as her footstep echoes in the cold, empty room.

Unlike Albo, Kanami does not explore the tower. She walks through the floors as if it was just some ordinary room. Albo has not come for her yet; in the stories, she has heard, Albo usually attacks the intruders from the first floor. Kanami reaches the 18th floor to see Albo seated with her head down, shaking.

Kanami's mouth moves on its own out of concern for Albo, "Albo!" exclaims Kanami.

Albo looks up and smiles, with a weak voice she says, "Kanami; I'm so happy to see you, I'm so sorry about last time. I didn't mean it. I was just-"

"I know you were just trying to protect everyone."

Albo then leans back, still shaking, she asks, "So, why did you come here? I didn't want you to see me in this horrible state."

"I know you're trying to save everyone by keeping the monsters in check and preventing anyone from getting the Demon Lord curse. But I think it's time for you to rest."

"If I rest, people are going to get hurt." Tears then start to come out of Albo's eyes, "Look Kanami, I became a hero. My dream came true, and I'm saving people."

"How can you save people when you don't save yourself?"

"Saving one person means not being to save another, that includes me."

"I guess you're right, but you need someone to save you, right? I'll be the one to do it."

Albo puts her head down, and in a defeated voice, tells Kanami, "Kanami, if you do that, you'll suffer as I did."

"I don't care, as long as you're at peace. I'll do whatever it takes."

Albo then stands, "I don't want you to go through the same pain I have. But I've known you my whole life Kanami, and I know you won't stop. So the only way to stop you is to kill you."

"I swear Albo. You will find peace today."

As they both finish, there is an explosion of mana on both sides. Kanami points a dagger at Albo; her eyes turn purple and blue.

"Albo, we are here to defeat you!" As Kanami said that, Kos' voice could also be heard.

"I see, you have Kos on your side too, it looks like it's going to be tough for me."

Albo vanishes and attacks Kanami from being. Kanami dodges the strike and starts to dash around the room. Albo chases her, and they both clash weapons. Two daggers versus a giant disfigured stone sword.

After meeting blades a few times, Kanami realizes that the stone sword Albo is holding is not ordinary; it has been infused with strengthening magic. It will not break that easily.

Kanami activates Aiea's holy powers and, with one strike, sends Albo flying across the room.

Albo stands with dark lightning all around her, "If that's how we are doing things, then I'm not holding back!" Albo exclaims while yelling out in pain.

Both blades continuously clash, Kanami goes in to strike. However, Albo parries her blow and punches her guts. Filled with magical energy, this sends Kanami flying, the shock is so strong that it breaks the tower walls, and Kanami gets flown out. Mid-air Albo catches up to her and infuses her blade with the same dark energy. She goes in for a strike, although Kanami was able to block the bow, she gets slammed to the ground due to the sheer force.

Kanami gets up to see Albo still in the sky. She goes in to do a thrust attack from the air, Kanami then quickly leaves the area of impact. Once Albo lands, a loud crashing sound could be heard.

Before Kanami could do anything, Albo dashes towards her and barely blocking the attack, they both arrive at a standstill, with Albo severely overpowering Kanami.

As Kanami struggles, her eyes spot a faint color in Albo's arms. She activates her magical eyes, and suddenly, blades start to stick out of Albo's shoulders, and her arm gets sliced.

Albo yells out in pain for a second, without an arm, she has no choice but to fight with one. She puts down her massive stone sword. Using her feet and her healthy arm, Albo tears the weapon in two. Now with a lighter weapon, she resumes with her merciless attacks.

"Even with a handicap, I still can't find a way to beat her."

As Kanami is figuring out a way to defeat her, Albo's powerful blows eventually shatter both daggers Kanami has been holding.

Kanami leaps back, and as Albo follows, she throws two miniature daggers in her possession in the air. Albo, thinking it as a distraction, continues to head towards Kanami.

Kanami then leaps to the air; she uses her eyes to grow the daggers and strikes Albo from above.

Albo swiftly dodges, as Kanami lands on the ground, Albo casts multiple magic circles and shoots fireballs at her.

Kanami does not worry; however, she continues running, and as the fireballs are about to hit her, the magic resist clothing given to her by the queen creates a bubble that protects her.

Kanami counter attacks with her magic, she casts a giant magic circle in the sky, a giant fireball is created and Albo, unable to dodge, gets hit.

Albo gets up after getting hit by the massive explosion, once she does, however, Kanami rushes her and slams her palms on Albo's chest.

Albo, surprised it was not a killing blow, asks Kanami, "What was that? Why didn't you attack me head-on with your daggers?"

"I'm just making sure I can win."

Once she says that Albo rushes back to the tower to drain any remaining mana from the dead bodies. "I can't win like this, not with this pain and low mana."

Once Albo reaches the entrance, Kanami strikes Albo, and as both weapons clash, the floor underneath them starts to crumble.

"Sorry, Albo, but this is the end!"

Albo then pushes Kanami back and hits her weapon on the ground, shattering it in two. The floating tower then collapses, and both friends manage to escape the rubble; however, both are severely hurt.

Kanami looks at her shattered daggers and takes out two more, she enlarges them and prepares to face Albo once more.

Albo looks at Kanami with murderous intent and dashes towards Kanami head-on. However, this is what she wanted, as Albo comes closer, she activates her eyes, and multiple daggers start to pierce Albo's chest.

With the sudden shock of swords piercing her, she stumbles a little, Kanami takes this opportunity to stab Albo once more with her daggers. She then yells out with all her might.

"O Aiea! Unleash your divine energy!"

All the daggers start to shine bright, and Albo feels immense pain. Her blood boils and is reminded of the time she became cursed. Albo yells in pain as there is an explosion of light.

After the light disappears, Kanami takes the blade out of Albo's chest. Before Albo falls to the ground, Kanami catches her.

Albo looks at Kanami and starts to cry, "I'm sorry, I promised that I would be back soon." She then lets out a soft chuckle, "Some hero I am, I can't even save my best friend. I guess my dream was flawed from the start. I should never have been a hero."

Kanami then puts her hand on Albo's face, and she starts to tear up as well, "No, Albo, you were a great hero; people lived in peace. And it's all thanks to you. You never failed."

Albo starts to close her eyes, her time has come, "Thank you, Kanami, you are the best. I'm grateful to have a friend like you."

"I told you, I will always be there, until the end, you can rest now Albo, you've done well. I'll take over from here."

Albo's eyes then fully close, and her breathing stops. As her breathing stops, Kanami puts her down and stands up.

The curse starts to rise from Albo's dead body and head towards Kanami. The curse enters her system, and she starts to feel intense pain.

"If I can't get rid of it, I'll take advantage of it!"

With all her strength, she calls out, "KOS! HELP ME USE THE CONTROL MAGIC I HAVE AFFINITY FOR!"

As the curse spreads around Kanami's body, a bright green light appears in her body, which combines with the dark red curse. Kanami's pain lessens, but does not disappear completely, however, this uses too much of her mana, and she passes out.

She dreams, when she opens her eyes in the dream, she is in a grassy field, mountains can be seen in a distance. She walks for a few moments when she sees a blond girl in a white dress waving at her.

Kanami runs to her and Albo, greets her. "Hey, Kanami! I'm back!" Albo lets out a big smile, and Kanami starts to cry. "Welcome back, Albo! Let's go."

"Ya got it! I'm craving some fish right now! Let's go eat that!"

Kanami smiles and cheerfully replies, "Let's go eat fish!"

Back in the real world, Viera and her knights arrive at the scene.

"Your highness, the one without the arm, is dead, and the other one still breathes, but we don't know why she is glowing."

Viera looks at Kanami, green and red lines can be seen coming from inside her body.

"She's using her control magic to keep the curse in check."

"But my queen, she's unconscious, how could this be?" asked one of the knights.

"Remember, there is another person inside her. Take her to the castle, and put her on a bed. She won't wake up for a while."

"Yes, ma'am!" The knights then carry both bodies to the castle.

Viera then smiles and talks to herself, "Looks like you saved her kid. Good job."

Back in Kanami's dream, she happily eats freshly caught fish with Albo, both laugh and have a good time. Just like they used to before.

A few days pass, and Kanami finally wakes up from her dream. She feels no pain. She looks around to see that she is in a beautiful room.

A maid knocks, then enter the room to inform Kanami, "Miss Kanami, the queen is here to see you."

Viera then enters the room, she takes a seat, and Kanami asks, "What happened?"

Viera then proceeds to tell Kanami the whole story, from fighting Albo to her being cursed.

"So, the curse is still inside me, just controlled?"

"Yep, you gotta thank Kos for that, now that he is a spirit, he has unlimited energy to keep that thing in check, and it might be a useful power to use one day."

Kanami looks at her hands, with a weak voice, she says, "I see, what happened to Albo?"

"Rest up a few days, and you can go see yourself."

A few days pass by as Kanami is still bedridden. Once she feels better, she walks to Viera and requests to see Albo.

"Get ready then, we're going out."

Kanami puts on a dress and heads towards the castle entrance, where Viera is waiting for her. They both take a walk behind the castle where there is a beautiful garden. In the middle of the garden, there are multiple statues.

"This is the grave for all my fallen friends, although I don't know you or your friend that well, it's someone Kos trusted, and you did defeat her with his strength. I haven't seen someone care so much for a friend as much as you in a long time. So I thought that this was the right thing to do."

Kanami walks up to the statue of Albo with her grave underneath it.

"Look, Albo, you're in a beautiful garden. I'm going to miss you, ill try my best from now on. So you can rest easy."

Kanami starts to walk away and softly turns to Viera.

"Can I visit here often?"

Viera turns to Kanami and tells her in a firm voice, "Actually, about that. You have Kos' spirit in you and the curse as well. It would be a waste to go back to working at a flower shop after all that."

Kanami looks at Viera, confused, "What do you mean by that?"

"Join the Queensguard. If you become one, you're my special soldier, unlike normal soldiers, you go around on special missions."

"Where are the other Queensguard?" Kanami asks Viera in a perplexed tone.

"They are all out on missions, but I have to start traveling soon because of political reasons, and I don't have anyone to look after the capital."

"I would love to, but I have no combat skills, I barely held my own against Albo."

"I'll make sure you can be a great soldier, of course, if you don't want to its fine, I'll still let you visit your friend either way."

Kanami looks back at the grave of Albo, she turns back to Viera and motivated, tells her, "No, I accept your offer!"

Viera smiles, "That's great to hear! Welcome to the family Shini Kanami. Now, I have a month before I leave, I can teach you a thing or two before I go."

Both of them head back inside the castle, Kanami is now a member of the Queensguard.

"I'll fulfill your dream for you Albo; I'll become a hero."

"That is my oath to you."