We have an extremely important goal to accomplish: End the war.
Staying focused was the number one most important thing for all of us to remember. We can't let anything distract us from our objective. I'm a warrior, so I've lived my entire life always remaining vigilant and focused. Nothing could ever distract me.
SO WHY THE HELL CAN'T I STAY FOCUSED NOW?!
"Hey Leonna, are you ok?" Kagashi asked.
"Huh?! Oh, yeah, I'm fine." I said with my best looking fake smile.
"You don't look or sound convincing."
I suck at lying.
"Well, whatever it is, I hope you can sort it out properly," Kagashi said. "And if you need anyone to talk to, then let anyone of us know."
I nodded and we continued walking.
I couldn't help but keep remembering that "special night" that me and Hiro had about five days ago. We've kissed a few times, but, despite that, not much else has happened. I'm starting to feel jealous again because I know for sure that Hiro and Xylvia have been doing it like crazy.
...
WAIT, WHAT THE HELL AM I THINKING?!
I felt like banging my head on a wall until I went unconscious.
"Come on Leonna," Kagashi shouter to me. "You shouldn't fall behind!"
"Oh! R-Right! I'm coming!" I shouted back as I ran after him.
Seriously. I have to stop thinking about these things. I see Hiro everyday, so why do I feel like I'm so far away from him?
Is it because I feel like I don't get enough attention from him?
I really don't want to upset Xylvia because of my selfish feelings. I mean, she did fall in love with her first after all.
But, I really...love him.
"Look alive guys," Jaden suddenly said. "We're right in the heart, well, our half of the heart, of the castle. Be on the look out for any Strays."
Everyone nodded. I followed a little late.
The interior of the castle was completely covered in ice and snow that looked like ashes. Paintings, chandeliers, tables and chairs, beds, and many other fancy decorations that might've looked nice back then were completely wiped out by the blizzard.
"I can only imagine how beautiful this place used to look." I said.
"It was very bright and colorful," Sora said. "This is the place where Kaen lived."
"The fake goddess?"
Everyone nodded.
"I've been in this world for only a year, so I didn't really know how things worked," Jaden said. "But one thing that I was confident in was my trust in Kaen. When I found out that it was betrayed, however, I felt like I lost a part of myself."
"Now that I think about it, Kagashi and Sora appear to be the ones who've been in this world the longest," I said. "How long have the others been here for?"
Kagashi appeared to be in a deep thought for a brief moment.
"Jaden has been here for one year. Norman's been here for three years Aria, Sora, and I have been here for four years. However, Yuno is actually the one who's been here the longest. Five years I think."
"Yuno's the one who's been here the longest," I asked, completely surprised. "I always thought that she was here for the shortest amount of time."
"She spent the first year here in a hospital after being reported of 'losing her mind'," Norman said. "They said that she flipped out and screamed about her dying, never getting to see her family again, and also about never getting the chance to see her first love again."
"Her first love?" I questioned.
"Yep. She didn't tell us his name, but she said that he fell for him because they had so much in common and that she felt a connection develop between them. But she also said that they lived really far away from each other, so she thought that she would never see him again."
She must really love this boy. I hope she meets him again someday in the future.
"STRAYS!!!" Sora suddenly shouted.
Before I could even draw my sword, we were suddenly completely surrounded by horrifying looking people that they referred to as Strays.
"Why do they look like that?" I asked.
They all had a strange liquid pouring out of their skin as if they were bleeding. The liquids differed from each individual. Some had eyes that bulged so much that they looked like they were about to pop out. Some had horns growing out of their heads. Some had hair that completely covered their faces and some of their bodies.
All of them, however, had pulsating veins that flowed the same color as the liquids that each of them poured.
"That liquid is basically their version of Magic, or, as you call it, Mana," Norman said as he pulled out what appeared to be a short and smooth stick. "Most of the demons that follow the Sins that fight for war became Strays. They got their power after they swallowed a drop of a Sin's blood."
"A drop of their blood...?"
It's just like how my world worked. Consuming a drop of monster blood gave you an insane amount of power, but drink too much...
"...then you'll end up getting corrupted, Kagashi said, finishing my thought. "Only this time, some of them don't mind losing their humanity. Hell, they probably like that. Their attacks are uncoordinated and inconsistent, but if they get ahold of you...then you'll most likely die."
"So I just have to kill them before they touch me huh." I said, a little fired up.
"Exactly." Kagashi said as he pulled out two swords as well as a smile.
I just now noticed the different weapons that everyone used. Jaden had two blades that extended from his forearms, Kagashi had two swords, Norman had a short stick, Sora pulled out chains, and I drew my sword.
"Learning how you guys fight might actually be fun." I said to myself as I charged at the first Stray.
I felt a bigger smile on my face develop as I was about a few feet away from the Stray. A sudden feeling of confidence surged through my entire body.
I wonder if this is the same feeling that Hiro gets when he fights.
Maybe...we aren't as far away from each other as I thought we were.