Arc 2 - Chapter 24: Two Sword Fairies, One Lonely Apprentice (2/2)

He was laughing as if he had heard the funniest thing in the world. He kept laughing while his horrible laughter made people shudder.

He was gasping when he laughed, coughing, punching the floor.

And he kept laughing.

Yurine watched him with furrowed brows until Sharley suddenly stopped laughing.

"When you say gone... What do you mean?"

Sharley shook her head from side to side, trying to deny what he had heard. Sharley's lips were crooked, both trembling and smiling.

"Impossible... Neko, impossible... You never used to joke like this, what has changed you so much? Come on, this is no time for jokes. Where's Rie?" Sharley stood up and slowly approached Yurine, dragging her feet on the ground. "What Ne~ko, are you trying to say she's dead?"

Yurine would never accept her death. She would search, she would find a way, and if there was no way, she would be the one to make it. And then she would see her mother's beautiful smile again.

For him Rie was not dead, she was just not with her for now. Soon she would bring her back. Yu was a useless coward, but he was helping Yurine and she believed that together they would find a way.

"So... What to do... It's very simple..."

There was no sound except the birds singing and the wind whistling until Sharley closed the distance between them, walking heavily.

Nerissa stepped between Yurine and Sharley, preventing him from going any further, but Sharley ignored her and held out his hand to Yurine.

"We can't waste our time... We can't waste our time... Right?"

He was calm as if he had never experienced any emotion before. His voice was the worst it had ever been, he had to constantly pause and take deep breaths when he spoke.

"How did Rie die? Her Blessing... It was supposed to save her... Anyway..." The rustling of Sharley's deep breaths began to increase. "You can tell me about it later... Now... we have to find... the place Rie told me about..."

Her mother told them a story she had heard from her master. At a place called the Nekoverine, a place that even the gods could not perceive, it was possible to make any wish come true. They could turn back time and save her.

"Rie... She told me... You remember... What Rie told me was not just a story..." He had to interrupt himself because of a cough, he cleared his throat and continued. "It... was... someone's... memory... It is possible to bring... Rie back... in that place, it is possible to take... everything... back... it is possible..."

Yurine knew this. That was the reason for her refusal to let her mother die, the basis of her belief that they would succeed on the path they were on. Her mother's word was absolute truth, and if she said it was possible, it was absolutely possible.

That's why she forced Yu to bring Rie back. She was aware of Yu's disbelief, but it was possible to bring her mother and it was impossible for her mother to be wrong.

"Come on Ne~ko... What are you waiting for? Your mother... We'll bring her back..."

After a few seconds of looking into Sharley's eyes, Yurine gently pulled Nerissa aside and took a step forward.

"Sharley," she said. It was rare for her to call him by name.

"Yes?"

If Sharley had been with them and made this proposal on the day they met Yu, would she have accepted? Would she have chosen Sharley over Yu? If Sharley had been with Yu that day, who would she have gone on the road with?

She did not want to answer these questions. Because she was glad with the path that fate had laid out before her.

"No."

"What do you mean?" Sharley could not perceive the rejection he received.

"As you can hear, I say no."

"But why?"

Yurine's red eyes were determined, she would not tolerate or change her mind.

"You didn't understand me... I guess..." Sharley's voice was getting harsher and harsher. "Don't you want to get your mother back? I'm telling you... we're going to get her back..."

Sharley couldn't understand why Yurine didn't want to come with him. If he said he would bring her mother back, she should have come with him, Sharley thought like that.

"I know... I know... My body is not in a good condition right now..." Sharley started coughing again, this time his cough was the worst. "But... I would do... anything... to bring her back... as long as... I could... just... see her face one more time..."

"Low human, I don't need your help." Yurine was using harsh words, harsh enough to hurt Sharley. "I can get her myself. You go to your mother, she thinks you are dead."

If Sharley was healthy, both physically and psychologically, she could have gotten his help.

But as it was, he would only be a burden to Yu and Yurine. He would not be able to cast powerful spells and would need Yurine's support all the time.

Yurine was already worried about Yu and didn't want to burden Sharley on top of that. The best thing for Sharley to do would have been to go to her own mother.

Of course, she didn't know what her mother would think when she saw her son like this. Maybe she would be happy that he was alive, maybe she would be sad, Yurine didn't really care.

"Because of that Valarfin... guy? Who is he?"

"None of your business."

"You've been... brainwashed... Neko... you've been tricked. You don't know what you're talking about, you can't bring your mother back... alone... Come with me..."

"I'm not on my own. You'd better do as I say and go to your own mother. Don't do things that are not your place."

For Yurine, the conversation was over. She turned around and grabbed Nerissa's wrist. They had taken a few steps together when a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"YOU'VE BEEN FOOLED! TELL ME WHO THAT BASTARD IS!"

"Don't touch me, you disgusting creature!"

Yurine hit Sharley's hand with her hand, turned around and attacked him with a wind spell.

Since her magic, unlike Nerissa's, was intended to harm, Sharley flew a much longer distance, hit a tree without ever landing and fell to the ground, spitting blood from her mouth.

"He's none of your business, I'm none of your business, and my mother is none of your business! Do you understand what I'm saying? Don't act like you love her the most! I never want to see you again!"

Yurine was not sure if Sharley heard her words because he did not move until the guards arrived on the scene and lifted him up.

"We'd better get out before the guards turn on us," Nerissa said.

Then she grabbed Yurine's wrist and they left the park and started running towards the inn where they were staying.

***

"Who was that man?" Nerissa asked. They were far enough away from the park and neared the inn where Yurine was staying.

"Sharley was my mother's apprentice."

"Your mother?"

"She was the first person who was there when I was born, but I couldn't make a deal with her."

She didn't want Nerissa to realize that she was unnamed. So, as annoying as it was, she would twist the story a bit and make it look like she had made a deal with Yu.

"When my mother left, I made a deal with that man. He will help me bring her back." By that man, she meant Yu.

"Just out of curiosity, Mr. Valarfin didn't force you to do this, did he?"

For a moment Nerissa saw things from Sharley's point of view. In a situation like this, one would think that someone was trying to take advantage of Yurine.

"No, he didn't. I was the one who forced him."

"Did you force it?"

It was never thought that a sword fairy would force a human to make a deal. Even if Nerissa had made a deal without Galahad's consent, forcing someone to make a deal was unexpected.

"Can I not tell you about this?"

She didn't want to tell what had happened and she didn't want to expose Yu's illness.

"Okay."

When their conversation was over, they arrived in front of the inn. Nerissa was not staying at this inn, but she wanted to accompany Yurine to where she was staying.

"We may have exceeded the time Mr. Valarfin gave you."

"That human is not my boss, I am his boss. I can be where I want, when I want." Yurine puffed out her chest proudly.

"Don't leave his side for too long, just in case."

"I won't leave." Yurine turned around and waved to Nerissa before going inside. "Thank you."

At first she was angry at Yu for arranging this without her knowledge, but now she was happy to be able to walk around with Nerissa.

"You're welcome," Nerissa smiled.

Yurine ran into the inn, ran up the stairs again and stopped in front of her room and rubbed her cheeks. She didn't want Yu to realize that she had come running to him.

She knocked on the door and went in without waiting for an answer. The sun had set and his stomach was growling. She wanted to take Yu and go to dinner right away.

"What happened!"

But her plan for dinner was disrupted when he saw Yu lying on the floor in his own vomit.