Chereads / Mage's Sign X / Chapter 24 - The Receding Actions of Despair: The Hero Triumphs

Chapter 24 - The Receding Actions of Despair: The Hero Triumphs

Eliot has risen back to being ahead in this battle. He surely believes that he has won, even though he was only supposed to test the strength of Dazai Nieto's child. But let's get into how this battle finally came to an end. We start with Eliot saying his final words to Mitsuya before delivering the final blow.

" I don't know what the hell that was, but it wasn't good enough. You could have done more if you used your martial arts skills. I'm sorry for this." The three swords flew at the motionless Mitsuya, who was incapable of movement. Everything happened so fast. Eliot couldn't even notice the wall crumbling behind him, or the fact that a figure had swooped past him in time to touch both his shoulder and each one of the swords. Mitsuya opened his eyes to reveal Himura standing over him. The swords fell down to the ground in a matter of moments. Eliot was also frozen, only able to look on.

" It took me a while, didn't it?"

" You came just in time. But where were you?"

" I took Remy home first because Mayomi was angry. Then I had to fight off like 50 guys in black hoods with machine guns. I took my time because I knew you would be alright." Mitsuya doesn't laugh at this remark by Himura.

" Do you have enough magic left?"

" Only a little."

" Hurry up and open a portal to Tsubasa Manor. He's gonna be able to move in like 15 seconds."

Mitsuya did as Himura instructed. The black void peered into the unknown, and they quickly jumped in. At the same time, Eliot was now able to move again. He called out to Mitsuya, but seeing as the portal was about to close, he talked really fast.

" Mitsuya, I guess I have a lot to report about your strength. It looks like you passed the test. But remember, I was only number 5. You should be relieved that you didn't fight number 3. Although you might have won if it was against your precious Angel. It was fun."

And with that, he aimed the final sword at the portal. Luckily, it closed just in time and the portal fell to the ground. Eliot whispered to himself. " It was worth a shot." He then looked at the copy of the Great Gatsby, as well as his glasses, which had both been utterly destroyed. He looked at his watch. " Angel, I guess you're glad that he made it out, aren't you? We can't even trace that stupid space magic."

Behind the screen, Angel was secretly smiling and sighed a sigh of relief. But it didn't last long. For in a few moments, she would cough up blood, and a strange mark would appear on her arm. A raven's claw.

" Mitsuya, just wait. I'll find you soon. Then I can be with you, Kaoru and hopefully Aito's brother."

Himura and Mitsuya jumped back. They are now in the family room of the Manor. Everybody was there awaiting their return, besides Kaoru. The first thing that Mitsuya said when he saw everyone's faces.

" How's Kaoru ?" he said frantically.

" She's fine for now. She's sleeping." Julianna said.

" That was a pretty dangerous errand to run, wasn't it?" Keiko said in a sarcastic manner. Mitsuya rubbed the back of his head and produced a relieved laugh.

" I guess you could say so. It really did take a while, didn't it." Mitsuya laughs, but Keiko is almost in tears. " You're such an idiot, you know that ?"

" Mitsuya, your injuries. Do you need to be healed?" Mayuri said.

" No, I don't think I do. I don't feel any pain."

" Yes, that's typically what happens when you get possessed." she said.

" Oooohhhh, you know about that ?"

" Everybody knows about that. You can't keep it a secret." Mayomi said. She walks closer to Mitsuya. " If you don't have any injuries…." Mitsuya gets a slap right to the face, followed by a hug. " YOU IDIOT. YOU HAD ME SO WORRIED. I HAD TO TAKE DOWN A SNIPER FOR YOU. A DAMN SNIPER. I RIPPED OFF A MAN'S ARM TODAY. I COULD HAVE BEEN CHASING YOU THROUGH THE FOREST INSTEAD OF DOING THAT." Mayomi sobs while still holding Mitsuya. " I'm fine. Thanks for your concern. I appreciate it. But please, don't tell me that you really thought I would die. I'm the one and only Mitsuya after all. You can't get rid of me that easily." Mayomi laughed over her tears and ruffled his hair.

" Wait, did you find where I put the vase?"

" It wasn't hard. You gave us some good instructions. We planted the flowers. And we also ran into a reporter along the way, but that's a story for another time."

" An investigator. Did she talk to you? About what?"

" She said something about how her bosses at the agency didn't appreciate all of her hard work, and that she's been working for months to find out about the disappearance of the family that used to live around there. She even treated us to coffee and everything. It was all going well until that stupid cat of yours jumped on her."

" Oh, that poor thing."

And for the rest of the day, since he didn't have any threatening injuries, Mitsuya was still able to get chased through the woods by fox form Mayomi with Keiko and Kaoru. During the break between that and Himura's defense class, he visited Kaoru's room while she slept. He sat away from her bed, and sighed a sigh of relief. He began to monologue, because he often remembered that Kaoru had a habit of hearing things while she slept.

" You've been asleep ever since I got back. I know sleeping should restore your stamina, but it worries me when I don't hear your voice." Kaoru is still sleeping while Mitsuya continues talking.

" The Mage Exams are in less than four weeks. I healed physically, and I think I've gotten a little bit stronger, even if I lost my time magic. And I'm still trying to synchronize with the sword that Ms. Elle gave me. Keiko, Casanova and Julianna are coming too. Having those three with me gives me confidence and if Himura lets you, you might go to the Mage Academy in a few years. But knowing that it's only two years at most, I'll already be gone when you enter. But you'll be fine. Right, Kaoru? You can be fine on your own." In his head, he's thinking about a lot of things. " I still have to defeat all of the government mages and save Angel for Haruko. I need to find Nariko. And I need to find the leader of the family controlling the Organization. The one who ordered mom's death. Above all else, I need to find the dark entity, and get your sight back. I have less than ten years. Am I capable of doing that?"

" I'll be fine. And I know you can do it." Kaoru says. Mitsuya turns around in surprise.

" WAIT, YOU HEARD THAT?"

" Your soul hue is cloudy. I couldn't help but notice. Plus, you talk really loud when you think I'm sleeping."

" Well you wouldn't hear me if you were actually sleeping."

" But then again, I only need 4 hours to operate. So I would have heard it either way." They both laugh, and Mitsuya hugs her, sighing in relief again.

Unbeknownst to them, Himura , Mayuri and Mayomi were listening to the conversation through the crack in the door. Himura even shed a tear. " That… was … adorable." Himura said. Mayuri began to cry too. " That's gonna be Remy and our daughter in a few years."

" Ah hum. Son." Himura says.

Mayomi is just shaking her head at the both of them disapprovingly in the background.

Himura composed himself. " I have new information on Kingston and his heir. I think we should talk about it."

" The person who came after the kids was a member of his." Mayomi says.

" I assumed so. We need to solve this problem fast."

It was almost sunset, and Mitsuya was sitting on the patio of the manor, looking at the fountain when Julianna came to join him.

" Mitsuya, I'm worried about you. Not just about how you're going to achieve this goal of yours, but also about how you're doing mentally. Are you okay ? You need to think rationally about this."

" I feel like I had this same talk with somebody a few years ago. Would you believe me if I told you that she looks just like you?"

" Yes, in fact. Casanova told me about her. You went looking for her ?"

" I met her today. She's one of the government mages." There was silence.

" What did you say to her ? What happened ?"

" Well I guess I should tell Himura and the others about it. She took my time magic. I can't use it anymore."

" Were you happy to see her?"

" After what Aito said, not really. The feeling was neutral. But I don't know why you're asking that. You know that I'm fine."

" Is it not okay for someone to be worried about their friend ?"

" You consider me a friend even when I'm in this state? Depressed, miserable, I'm a monster if you could even go that far."

" I would still consider you my friend even if you abandoned all of us. I don't give up on people that easily. You're not a monster. Stop trying to be all philosophical."

" Julianna, there are many types of monsters. You don't have to have violent tendencies or a broken down mental state to be considered one. There are those who show themselves and those who lurk in the shadows. There are those who haunt your dreams, haunt your memories, monsters who kill and take away that which you hold most precious. The untrustworthy ones are the worst because they're usually the ones that keep up with their schemes until they meet their end. They pretend to know you, but in truth they don't understand you and are only focused on achieving their goals. They only observe how to understand the human heart, and manipulate their way into the hearts of others. They don't seek friendship for the purpose of knowing how to love. There are monsters from fairy tales and then there are those from real life who have these qualities. In truth, if I met a monster, it wouldn't kill me just because I'm teetering between light and darkness. It would just run away because it realized that I was a far bigger monstrosity than it could ever be. The only thing that has stopped me from killing the monster inside me forever is Kaoru." He pauses and looks into her solemn eyes and nonchalant expression. " Sorry for that long speech. It was just mostly nonsense."

Julianna sighs. "That may be true, but whatever monstrous tendencies you may have aren't going to survive. As long as you have me and everyone else, we can both survive." She grabs his hand. Julianna realized that she was not in love with Mitsuya like Elle had said. She just wanted to be close to him. He was her comfort, and she couldn't live without him. He was her friend, a true one. Mitsuya didn't need love either. He just needed a friend. For now, she could be certain that she didn't like him. She should treat him like a little brother.

" Mitsuya, I've been meaning to tell you. I have-"

" I know about the disease. Don't ask how. I just know." At that moment, his phone rang. He picked it up to hear Casanova almost shouting in his calmest voice. " The winged angel is flying. I repeat, the wing Angel is flying."

" I know Casanova. It's complicated. I'll tell you tomorrow." Julianna and Mitsuya both laughed at him on the other side.

" I'm gonna go prepare dinner with Himura. I'll be back to watch the sunset." And so Mitsuya was left alone. He lifted his hand in front of him, and paid special attention to it.

" The Ring of Masir. Nice." He got up and went to make dinner as well. Kaoru was in the kitchen, too. Mayomi patted him on his back along the way and questioned him about the ring.

" Where did you get that ring from? You didn't have that on this morning." His response was a common Mitsuya phrase.

" As Socrates said, the only thing that I know is that I know nothing."