Division

For the first time in my life, I have never felt frustration and desperation as great as this.

While on one hand, I think those feelings should be unwarranted, considering that I haven't thought through my game plan in the first place, on the other I would still feel the same way regardless if I found out there's someone who can just reappear themselves anywhere in the world in an instant, like a ghastly apparition. Not just one, but two.

I am gambling with the unknown, and right now, I am about to get broke.

"Hm? Still shocked, aren't you?" Tiger Guy asked. "If you keep your jaw dropped like that, it might get stuck forever. Perhaps I could wait until you get over with it."

"E-Eh? Eh??" I looked at him with a confused stare, my mind still couldn't catch up with what happened just now.

I don't know what is going on right now. Aren't we in a race right now? If they knew that they could easily catch up with us no matter how great of a handicap they give to us, shouldn't they leave us behind here and go head-to-head with each other in finding the tower instead? Shouldn't they fight us instead if they don't? What's with this condescending treatment they're giving to us?!

"Heh," Tiger Guy then glanced at the eerie knight, who's currently using his greatsword to cut huge swaths of growing crystal that are continuously coming after us. "Look at that guy. Even he is not trying to take advantage of your situation and instead decided to showcase his sword swinging skills instead. Do you know the reason why?"

"No..."

"Because your 'game' is all nonsense," he said bluntly.

"Ah."

"Right? In my case, why would I play your game seriously, young lad? I admit—racing with other people is fun—but it gets tiring quickly and I couldn't find any other incentive in participating in your race aside from a few minutes' worths of excitement. I would rather directly snatch the girl away from you than play stupid games with some naively optimistic lad, to be honest."

As he spoke he peeked inside the carriage and saw Aoi also looking at him with a sour expression. With her mood already on dangerously low levels, Tiger Guy immediately took a step back, as he couldn't endure the dark aura emanating from the little girl for too long.

"A-Ahem. Anyway, I won't play your game anymore young lad, for I have a tower yet to find. As for that guy over there, it's your choice to leave him alone while he is still occupied, or fight him. Just a piece of advice, though—that guy becomes uncontrollable once provoked."

As he said that, Tiger Guy then leaped far ahead and went on his way to find the tower. I didn't stop him from going because I thought that if we're going to look for the same thing then it means that we're bound to meet again sooner or later.

Another confrontation averted.

"Uuuuuu..." Lerish, who has just recovered from the mind-breaking vibrations a whole ago, looked around to see what's going on and asked, "W-What happened, Ren? Why are we..."

"I don't know," I shrugged my shoulders, "they just decided not to proceed with the race anymore."

"That was...an unprecedented turn of events..."

"You can say that it's anticlimactic too," I added.

Hearing that, she nodded and said: "Nn. Very anticlimactic, indeed."

Not long after that, we decided to use this opportunity to leave and continue looking for a way out of this place, while the eerie knight is still occupied whittling down the crawling crystals. Given this being's appearance, we took that Tiger Guy's word as the law, and it will be foolish for us to prove that otherwise.

Yeah, not this time. Fighting a deity in this place and time is most definitely not included in our schedule.

-----

The fog cleared up after almost four hours of aimless travel, revealing much of the landscape we couldn't see before. A vast land covered with crystal formations, devoid of any man-made landmark or any signs of life. It's also too quiet here, that unless one of us would speak it would feel like we're in a silent film.

"Please do not feel bad about it, Ren. In the end, we managed to get away from those two people without needing combat. That in itself should be a good thing, right?" Lerish spoke to finally break the silence.

Even though her eyes are on the road, Lerish kept on cheering me up, who is sitting while hugging both knees together. Just like what she said, it should be a good outcome for us, but why am I sulking here instead?

"That's...not it, Lerish."

"Then, what is exactly on your mind that bothers you?"

When she asked that I immediately glanced inside the carriage, looking at Aoi who's currently snoozing without any care in the world. Because of what happened between us, she lost any confidence in me and decided to not give a damn whatever the results might be.

"It's my first time seeing her with that much antagonism towards me, and I was caught off guard by it. I don't have any idea how to deal with this situation, that's why I'm anxious right now."

It's useless even if I talk to her right now. Such an attitude of hers means that she will not listen to me no matter what, and if she does she will simply choose to refute anything I say. We'll just keep on running in circles until one of us gives up.

"I don't want this journey to be the reason for our schism. Even if we don't succeed in finding the tower, I'm fine with it as long as the two of us would reconcile again. That's what's more important to me."

Lerish, who chose to have a relatively neutral stance until now, placed her hand on my shoulders. With looked at me with a smile, she said:

"Should I act as a mediator between you and Miss Aoi?"

"I don't mind but...I don't think Aoi would listen even to you."

"It is not a question of whether she will listen to me or not," she shook her head. "It is all about her capability to remain steadfast in her beliefs."

Stead...fast...wait, are you saying that...

"That is right. I do not condone resorting to this method, but there are times that I will just force my way into other people's business and have them listen to what I say, whether they like it or not. I have done it seven times before, and all of those instances ended up in my favor. Fufu."

Hearing her say things like that...made me shudder deep inside. Is this the same elegant and peace-loving Princess Lerish who's been with us for quite some time now? Why is she so hardcore all of a sudden?!

"...Fuwaaaah...it looks like I slept for way too long this time. Hmm, are we losing already?"

While the two of us were talking, Aoi woke up feeling a bit more energetic than a few hours ago. She scanned her surroundings and instantly got confused as she noticed that the fog has already disappeared.

"...What's going on? What happened to the race?"

Lerish and I looked at each other for a moment and then...

"Miss Aoi, about that...—"

"The 'race' has been canceled."

"...Eh?" her jaw dropped in disbelief.

"It is what it is. They said that they don't want to race anymore, so each of us participants went on our way instead."

No winners, no losers—everything was settled in a rather unexpected way. It seems that they aren't even that interested in Aoi in the first place, so I think that they let us go for real all this time.

If we can convey to her the fact that she does not need to worry about the consequences anymore, maybe she'll finally return to her usual self.

That is if she would just listen.

Scratching her head, she asked, "...So you're saying...those two went away scot-free?"

"Well, technically yes, but you see—"

"...YOU LET THEM GO WITHOUT FIGHTING THEM!!! Do you think I'm happy with that kind of result?! What kind of a coward are you, huh???" Aoi angrily stomped her feet as she yelled at me again.

"Aoi, listen—"

"...Yada, yada-yada-yada! I won't listen to whatever explanation you say!!!"

As she's about to go back into the carriage, I bit my lip and—

"If you're so adamant on fighting them, why don't you go find and kill them yourself?"

"...HAAAAAHHH?!!"

"All this time, I never questioned you asking me to kill those so-called 'gods' and monsters who you consider as 'bad'. I swore that I'll do everything to keep you safe from harm, even through ways that don't require fighting. But now, you're despising me just because I am keeping that oath? Are all my efforts until now just a waste in your eyes???"

"R-Ren?!!"

"You want to make sure they're gone, right? Then leave! Leave and don't come back! Why am I even involving myself so much with the issues of some ungrateful girl who only knows how to kill people?! As if I gain anything from it!!!"

It hurts a lot. I never meant to say that, but with her disregarding my efforts to protect her, my lips just moved on their own and spoke what's inside my mind to her. If only I knew this was going to happen I would've stopped myself from saying it, but it's all too late now.

"...You...want me to leave...?" completely taken aback, Aoi stepped on something that caused her to stumble and fall on her butt.

"I don't. But if you don't appreciate what I'm doing for you, then we might as well part ways. It's for the best of us."

Lerish, unable to endure it any longer, stopped the carriage as she stood right between us.

"Ren, Miss Aoi, we can still fix this..."

"It's no use, Lerish. I can't take back what I said now."

"...That's right. If he wanted me to leave, then leave I must. I don't want to last long in a place where I'm not welcome anymore."

"Well, I don't want to be in a place where my words fall into deaf ears either."

"Both of you, stop it!"

""No!!!""

After that Aoi jumped out of the carriage, carrying nothing but a few MREs in her pockets. She said that she'll go in a direction opposite of us, where we'll never find her again.

"Miss Aoi, please...is there anything I can do to convince you not to leave...?"

"...I'm sorry Lerish, but I've already made up my mind. I can't and will never die anyway, so there's no need for you to worry about me."

She smiled brightly at her. Lerish has never received so warm of a response from her, so it made her emotionally conflicted considering the circumstances.

On the other hand, she didn't waste any time glancing at me as it's already clear that it's all over between us 'siblings'. She then harrumphed before going on her way.

Pulling my hand vigorously, Lerish pleaded, "Ren, are you going to let the times you two have spent together down the drain? Please, do something to stop her!"

"..."

"Ren..." frustrated, Lerish gripped on the hem of her clothes as she spoke, "I cannot tolerate this. I will bring her back regardless of your decisions."

Without hesitation, she also jumped out of the carriage and went after Aoi, who's already several dozen meters away from us. She's trying what she can to preserve our bond, unlike me, who's already somewhat given up.

"Miss Aoi! Wait!"

"...Y-You woman?! What are you doing here?!"

Panting lightly, she said: "I will never give up on the two of you. I will make you two reconcile, in one way or another."

Unamused with her stubbornness, Aoi replied, "...What are you going to do then? Beg on your knees for us to make up?"

"If that is what it takes for you to go back, then I will certainly do that."

"...Tsk. Just give up already. I have lived almost my entire life alone anyway, so this isn't much of a difference for me."

As she said that, a thick wall of black smoke came emerged from between them, completely blocking Aoi from sight. Lerish tried to go after her one more time, but painful blisters quickly formed on her hand when it came into contact with the smoke.

"Lerish!!!"

In a hurry, I grabbed the first aid kit inside the carriage and leaped a long distance towards her, immediately taking care of her injury.

"My apologies, Ren. It seems that I was not as forceful as I claimed to be this time."

"No, don't say that," I said as I washed her hand with water. "You already did so much for both of us. There's no excuse for me to get mad at you at this rate, no?"

Lerish writhed in pain as the cold water touched her blistered hand. The blisters then popped one by one while letting out putrid black smoke, until her hand returned to its original, remarkable state.

"Is your hand okay now?"

"Nn. I believe so."

At the same time, the wall of black smoke finally disappeared. Aoi might've used it to cover her escape, which she managed to do, as I can't pick up her presence anymore.

"Miss Aoi..."

The two of us only stared at the last spot where we saw her, feeling exhausted and downcast. We started on our journey with the three of us, and now we're not sure if we could even continue now that Aoi's gone.

"Aoi..." kneeling on the ground, I looked up and saw gray clouds gradually clumping together, as they're about to completely cover the skies.

The skies the color of bright blue, the color whom the little girl I cared much all this time was named after—

—the color I'll be longing for the rest of my life.