*
"... Then perhaps my role is now over." (Gerald)
"... Haha, if that's all it was, then mine was too. After this, there would no longer be any problems. A successor has been born." (Grail)
"...? Myuu? What are you doing here?" (Gerald)
A familiar golden brown figure in twintails and a new uniform entered her view from the left side. Kaede sat on her chair with the other 2 standing next to her, Gerald on the right and Myuu on the left. Her thoughts sped up to the speed of light, she finally understood all of Gail's words and past warnings. Everything has led up to this moment.
"Ah. I'm... Apart of her existence now. So as she is invited here, I could naturally enter too. As if I have half an invitation card." (Myuu)
Her porcelain unblemished face, her brilliant smile out glowing this dreamy bright sunshine world, the definition of the shadows and textures on her face stood out to pour her beauty into reality. Everytime Kaede looked at her, she felt an odd tug at her heartstring. She hated this feeling, she knew what it was. She didn't desire it, she hated it. 2 false existences seeing the other as the real deal, it was so convoluted and messed up that she didn't want tk ever fathom it.
But... Behind all the magic and irrationality, behind the chaos and insanity... There was always the rationality, the purity. The underlying fundamentality of her experiences... What she felt and what she went through... Everything was real! As such, she cannot deny her relationship with Grail, never! At the core of her being, was gratitude. For having stuck with her, for having kept her company her entire life.
"Hmpf, what the hell. No matter how much the world or you guys acknowledge me, if this is the result... Then I will never acknowledge myself. As the last person full of disapproval of this 'Kaori', you guys will still have your roles to play. You have to keep accompanying me. " (Kaede)
" Pff. I can't even leave you if I wanted to. Relax, I'll be here for a long time to come." (Grail)
No matter how long they talked, class hasn't started yet. The bustling streets and the chatter of the school corridor vanished at once, seeing that its facade has been seen through. But it preserved its own beauty. That was right, the last thing she remembered was the defeat of the unicorn... So why was she here now?
"You might wonder where we are... Or how you could meet the dead, me..." (Gerald)
"Yeah... How did you die? The last you were seen, that powerful Lizard guy took you." (Myuu)
With a single hand on her hip, Myuu posed another vital mystery. What happened to Gerald after she was captured?
"... Tortured for information on the Eye God. I had nothing, so they didn't let me live long. This is also related to this space.
We're in a pocket reality. A universe so small, so temporary that it could never sustain itself for long. 1 day? Maybe even less. That's the time limit.
It was created by the unicorn. Yiren must have heard my last wish. The thing was that Yiren was the 'horse' part of the unicorn's legend. He acted as a proxy for the 'wish granting' part to act, but that was all. He had never granted wishes before, because it required for him to die for the 'wish granting' part to deem a person worthy...
In due time, another Yiren will be born. Without the memories or knowledge of the previous, without realising he has died before... That's how he has always been granting wishes throughout time. His memories of when he lived was used as the fuel to make the wishes come through. As such, there is also a limit to how much he can grant wishes. " (Gerald)
They listened intently as she explained away. Their heads occasionally jolted up in interest as they nodded to the details. But something bothered her. So this place was the contents of Gerald's wishes? What were they...?
"... What was your wish?" (Kaede)
Her brows knitted in fear, her concern washed over her face as she hesitantly posed the question. She spoke softer than usual as if she didn't want to wake up a baby in the next room. Her gaze stood straight at Gerald, she was worried about how she should act with the information. But... They had limited time. It was best to be clear with her, and leave on a good note instead of a bad one.
"... Hahah... I wished to help Kaori one more time." (Gerald)
"Not to kill anyone... But to help... You've been... Very helpful..." (Kaede)
Once more, her tear ducts burst open as they began flowing down her cheeks. She couldn't hold it in any longer, her very own wish had also affected the form of this meeting. This was undeniable, after all, even if it was subconscious... Her wish had always been this...
"... I didn't convince the world that I'm Kaori... I tricked it... That was my wish, 'I want to be Kaori'. The world itself would continue to recognise me as Kaori... But honestly nothing would change. Even so..." (Kaede)
"Haa~... You are as much of a crybaby, I see nearly no differences. It's fine. Do not heed the words of the dead like me... Do not regret that your wish has been wasted needlessly like this. If you truly want to honour me and everything you cherish in this world...
Stick to you beliefs! Stick to your wishes! Pull apart everything that stands in your way! That is how Kaori would do it! So even if you caught up physically and magically... Follow in her footsteps spiritually! I, the last or Kaori's acquaintance who will know this secret, will take it with me to the grave. I, the last... Will acknowledge you.
So please... Smile and do what you've always done. If it has led you all the way here, then it won't go wrong. " (Gerald)
" Hmpf, this is just the usual. She'll just get up again and say something generic like 'I'll fight with everything I have and stop giving up!'. Heheh~" (Grail)
Grail interjected, a derisive smile adorned on her small face. But it has really been a while since Kaede saw her smile. They were having a conflict with each other for only a short while, but it felt like it had been years since they were this close. She closed her eyelids, deciding on her own words. Isn't it obvious? There is only one thing that she should be focusing on right now, what she wants and what she has to do... It all coincides into one grand goal. A single grand journey that has smashed through the end of its story with Yiren, and birthed anew the logical subsequence.
She took a deep breath, revealing her eyes as she bore her gaze into the other 2. They anticipated where she was going with her expressive antics, patiently awaiting her words.
"... This is no copy! This is no imitation of Kaori! So please listen, this is my personal wish as Kaede.
I'll save all of you! I'll get Grail a body. I'll bring Gerald and the others back to life. That has always been my goal, and my regret. So just wait for me, then you'll thank me later! " (Kaede)
A hubris of absurd proportions, resembling a certain someone, ironic of her first few words. She doesn't realise it herself, but it was as if Grail and Gerald were taken back to the past. A visible phantom to the side of Kaede vaguely flickers in and out of existence. They knew nothing was there, but it felt real even if it was irrational. A hallucination of their companion and their leader, Kaori.
The bell rings, a cold autumn blows through their classroom windows, marking the end of summer. Its vibrant chiming repeats, making its presence known to all. It was the bell for the first lesson, their wishes were no longer holding up in reality, it was steadily breaking down as time and space decomposed into magical particles. This place, this dream was only possible through a fantasy, a Prava Phantasia. The unicorn would definitely reincarnate as a new entity entirely, the day that it would be defeated would be the day that it grants another's wishes once more.
Since they are defeated, they have little to no magic. They could only fulfill the few most recent wishes, and to a small extent too. It's not conclusive if the Gerald here was even real, she could be the original who was reanimated temporarily from the dead, or she could be a recreation by the wish. But... If it was able to a match the original completely... Then there should still be meaning and worth to her words. That's because, in this short moment, she was at least as 'real' as how Kaede was Kaori.
Gerald begins to follow the world, slowly seperating into fluttering petal like particles that were blown away into the abyss, a backdrop of jett black the fracturing world. Her body partially dismantled, her cheeks release one final smile. Her remaining arm waved in the air high above her head, standing tall under the diminishing light. The sky was already gone and the 'sun's' brilliance was no longer reaching the classroom grounds that they stood upon.
"I'll be waiting!" (Gerald)
Grail dissolves into a mist that flows and phases into Kaede's body. Right as it happened, the world was blanketed with only darkness... Before Kaede lifts up her eyelids. The dim light of the castle corridor, right in front of the throne room returns to her sight, reflected into her iris as her body takes I the rest of her senses.
"... You alright...? You stalled for 10 seconds after we defeated the unicorn. I thought you died while standing up..." (Karell)
"... It was just the remnants of that unicorn. He granted a wish... In the form of a dream. So his 'wish granting' part must have originated from these useless fantasies.
Let's go. The heroes might be done, we did our job of preventing all of the Demon King's forces from interfering. " (Kaede)
They might have been sent as sacrifices for the greater good of humanity. Losing around 20 girls to save a total of 1.8 billion people... This was the most cost effective war in history. But... If truth be told, she wouldn't ever lie about expecting to live through this. We will prevail, we will save humanity and then return. We will win, I will get closer to returning Kaori. These were the thoughts that have fuelled her along this journey, they've never stopped not even once.
A horrid sight greets the two. Wizard had a large gaping hole in her abdomen, releasing blood in the buckets. Sease was sat at a wall of the room with a hole in her skull and a lifeless gaze. The only one still standing was Ruby who was barely hanging on. Noticing the two intruders, she released the tension inside her body and smiled in relief. The Demon King's sword effortlessly pierces through her armour and tears out her heart.
Blood leaked out of the ends of her lips revealing her crimson layered teeth soaked in a veil of her own blood.
"Haa~~~~" (Kaede)
"...?!" (Karell)
She released the deepest sigh she had ever done in her life, accidentally scaring Karell who had gotten to . She was clearly completely displeased by the circumstances. There was no end to the emotions bubbling over under her skin, awaiting the time for all of it to spill out. Over and over again... No matter what... No matter when or where...
"I'm seriously tired of this." (Kaede)
She had to keep fighting no matter the time nor space. She summons her rapier into her palm once more.
"DAMNNIT!!!! AND I THOUGHT I COULD FINALLY REST!!!!" (Kaede)
Her body felt much lighter than before, closing the envisioned distance in an instant as she swung her rapier. Unlike the unicorn, there weren't any space time shenanigans. That wa unique to his sword. Despite how the Demon King's armour was several times stronger than Yiren's muscles, her rapier managed to tear through it with relative ease.
"Kuhagh?!" (Demon King)
It was refreshing. Despite what felt like a long dream, the conversation with Gerald must have been somewhat enlightening. Her muscles only tensed up to the degree that is needed, her breathing was completely stable, her reaction was ready to intercept and launch attacks. Ruby was already horribly injured so she fell back. It turns out that the heroes' unique ability to enhance themselves to S grade when facing the Demon King was insufficient.
The Demon King was a roughly S grade, perhaps more dangerous enemy at the current situation. But Kaede who had reached A grade was still dealing well with his attacks. She promptly dodged the successive launches of the Demon King's long range claw and shot spears of her own. Karell went to help the heroes who were near death by carrying their battered bodies into the corridor right outside the throne room.
Once more, Kaede looks at her progress up till this point.