Whistling permeated the area, the only sound to accompany the dragging of chalk across a stone surface. After several moments of checking and double checking, I stood up and backed away. My eyes darted from the distinct pattern on the ground before me and the notebook in my hand. Scrutinizing every detail to make absolutely sure that it was correct, I finally heaved a sigh in anticipation.
The sky was blue. The sole platform amidst a field of green meadows gave me a sense of nostalgia for a moment. It was everything like I remembered it – that day when I was first summoned.
All except the single white moon that hung above, faint as it was midday.
This was Earth after all. Not everything could be the same. But I had tried to make it as close as possible. Such care was needed for such a ritual. I had to put my heart and soul into it.
Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out a single object – a hair clip that glittered brightly in the sunlight. For years, I had held onto it, trying to recall why I emerged from the waters holding it. For years, I searched for an answer to the lingering desire I held in my chest.
And it led me here.
Placing the hair clip in the middle of the engravings, I stepped back and clasped my hands together in prayer. I poured my mana forward and called to the gods, whomever they were. I prayed for someone to show up at this very spot. And as if responding to my call, the engravings started to shine brightly.
A column of light burst down from the heavens, and as it started to fade, the form of a young girl could be seen from within.
Her hair was platinum and silky. Her eyes, fiery like the she had seen Hell. But a hint of surprise in her expression softened that gaze. It quickly went away and was replaced by a proud look, matching the armor that she wore. She drew the blade from her sheath, and the surroundings were instantly dazzled by the sparkling weapon.
"I am Eryn Faulkner. You have summoned me, and by the will of Kami-sama, I am here to help. How can I be of service?"
That look of professionalism, cold and unfamiliar. How suitable it was for a first meeting. That was how I imagined 'summoning a Servant' would be.
"If only my gacha luck were this good…," I joked, leading to confused looks from the girl.
Shaking my head, I decided to play along.
"Oh, champion from another world, please aid us in our time of need. I have brought an offering before you, in hopes that you will fight for our cause!"
Reaching into my Item Box, I pulled out a plate of apple curry and presented it before her. She held out her hands to accept it, but then, she shot me a dirty look.
"You spiked this, didn't you?"
"Why I would never-"
"Cut the crap, Claude. You remember, don't you?"
I froze for a moment before responding meekly. "That obvious, huh?"
"Well, if you went out of your way to present one of my favorite dishes, then I would say that the memory block failed."
"Oh, it worked for a while. But that didn't stop me from dwelling on it – what was missing. You may have been able to block the memories, but you were more than that to us. You were the reason that I thought extra hard when seasoning my meals. You were the reason I looked up to the skies each and every day. You were the shadow that I felt like I had to catch up to, even when there was no one there. No matter what happened, you had an impact on me, and on the others. So don't try to cut us away from your life, Eryn."
Eryn took a step back at my declaration. Words danced on her lips for a moment before she said them.
"But what if I don't want the past dragging me down? I wanted to start things anew and forget about all the misfortune that had befallen us."
"Misfortune? I think the greatest fortune I had was meeting you, Eryn. We won't let anyone say otherwise. We'll fight them tooth and nail. And at the end of the day, we'll make sure that you are deserving of this future just as much as anyone. No one wanted you to remain as a guardian that merely watched over us. Your place is at our side."
The girl before me dashed into my arms and hugged me tight. I hugged her back, glad to finally be reunited without any looming cloud over us.
In my arms was a girl whose destiny had taken many unfortunate turns. But time and time again, it was because she had things that she didn't want to lose. She had grown too used to misfortune, willingly giving up any chance for her own happiness to let others take it instead. All she wished for was a chance to see those that she made happy again, even if it meant losing all of her powers to come back.
And after I had found myself back on Earth, the missing hole that was Eryn was continuously in my thoughts. Katalina and the others had that same strange feeling too, so they helped craft a device that used Kaguya's divination powers to crack open the seal that kept us away.
While the world had forgotten the girl named Eryn Faulkner, those close to her were able to recover those memories. But that was enough. We were all that she needed, to regain her foothold on this world. We refused to leave her out any longer.
"So… what now?" Eryn asked finally.
"Hmmm… I guess some of us are planning to take a trip into space. Katalina located the star system where we believe Chrys originated from, so we were going to scout it out. You're free to tag along for the ride, or if you're inclined…"
I pulled out a holographic diorama and turned it on. Many planets dotted the area between Leguardia and Earth, places that Koujiro and his team noticed while traveling back and forth in their mobile suits.
"An adventure awaits, wherever you wish."
"As the one who summoned me, shouldn't it be up to you to choose?" Eryn looked at me skeptically, but I shook my head.
"No. You said it yourself. You wanted to start anew. What better way to do that than to choose your own path? Be the hero that you want to be. Carve the path forward as you like. We'll be there to back you up if you need, but from now on, we have our own paths to walk. Everyone has their own story to tell. I want to see what yours is."
"And what if I want my story to be entangled in yours?"
"Then, so be it. That's what you decided. One's path will move left and right and cross over others all the time. All we can do is make the most of those encounters and find what happiness we can."
Eryn devilishly walked over and grabbed my arm. In a low voice, she said with a grin, "Then, take responsibility for summoning me back here."
I reached over and flicked her forehead for that.
"Owww… I was just trying to mess with you. Since you always do the same to me!" Eryn rubbed the red spot that appeared.
"Sure, you are. You're just as bad of a liar as I am!" I chuckled at our antics.
This was how it was meant to be. The relationship that the two of us had. We were two people shouldering each other's burdens, complementing for our strengths and weaknesses.
"It is truly good to have you back."
Eryn blushed and nodded, likely thinking the same. I could tell that she wanted to be with everyone just as much. Her pride simply refused to let her say so.
"But before you go off on your own adventures…," I stuck out my hand for her to take, "we have a wedding to attend!"
Pulling out another device, I hit a few buttons on it. In a flash, the clothes around us morphed to those of formal attire – me in a dark suit and Eryn in a soft, purple dress. With another smooth motion, I switched to another device, the gun-shaped one that shot a portal.
Within the gate, a crowd of people awaited. Taking Eryn's hand, I led her through and into a place of happiness.
It was the perfect way to celebrate a long-awaited return.
Atk 0 Crit All – My Attack Stat is Negligible so I Can't Help But Rely on Critical Hits to Succeed!
~THE END~
**Disclaimer**
This story is published on WN/RoyalRoad/Honeyfeed/ScribbleHub/RaisingTheDead. If you are reading it on any site different from these, then it was uploaded there without my knowledge. If you paid for any chapters or gave donations, then you are paying the pirates.. All chapters of this novel will remain free, and the author rejects donations, so be warned.