The future in which my heart should've chosen you had already disappeared like an unfulfilled dream. So now, I'm in a place I can never return to... -- Florence Joyce
xxxxxx
Kourin finished saying goodbye to the monks at the Izumi Temple. Yes, she knew it was dangerous to do what she thought of doing just to save the rest of the people who were serving her family. But she had one compelling reason why she chose to "kill" her true identity. Unfortunately, not even her older sister knew that reason.
For now, it was even better for Kourin. She knew that her sister would still know it no matter how she hide it. That was how skilled her Mari-neesan was.
"Do you have to hide that even from us?"
Kourin stopped walking to her own study room in that area. Since the Shinomiya mansion was destroyed, they were temporarily staying in the vacation house owned by the Yumemiya clan in a secret place. It was laid in the heart of an unnamed forest somewhere in Kanagawa Prefecture. They said it would be good for them to hide there first while they were still arranging the necessities for the move that they would make.
Kourin knew who said that. Even when she was outside Mari's study room, it was easy for her to find out who the speakers were. It was a trait that she possessed and was trained to be used to its full potential with the help of her first shadow guardian Kisaragi Tetsuya.
"You know a Knight must not show any sign of weakness, Shigeru. Even though the world doesn't really know me as a member of the Shrouded Flowers."
"And now your sister had just done the same sacrifice you did for the Shrouded Flowers' sake, Lady Mari."
Kourin was right. It was Miyuzaki Shigeru who said that.
"I see that everyone had gathered." It was Kourin's sister who spoke again. And by everyone, it means that the study room also included the other Knights that made up the 12 Knights of the Sky.
They were the exclusive guardians and bodyguards of the Shinomiya clan, specifically the members of the main branch. And that would mean Kourin and her sister. Also, she and her sister were the only ones left in the main branch.
"We had to. Now that the princess had come up with this kind of decision."
It was Miyuzaki Takumi who spoke, Shigeru's younger and only brother.
"And to think you actually gave your consent for her to do this. Just what in the world are you trying to do, Lady Mari?"
That was one of the worrywarts of the Miyuzaki clan and Takumi's twin sister, Tsukasa.
"I know it's really shocking for the two of you. But I also know that you can immediately figure out the reason why I consented to my sister's decision despite its absurdity, as most of you would call it."
Kourin didn't hear anyone speak after Mari said that. There was only one reason she did not inform her older sister about her decision. As for the rest, she was truly surprised when her sister didn't even hesitate to agree with her plan.
"I have to admit, Lady Mari, that the princess was truly absurd for her to discard her identity as Shinomiya Kourin, as a family princess. Pardon me if I'm out of the line for saying this. But I think that... there is an even bigger reason for you to allow her to do that."
Kourin just smiled sadly at what she heard from Amiko. This was the youngest of the 12 Knights and her current shadow guardian. And this young knight was probably the only person that could tell other people, especially Mari, that Kourin was crazy. That her decision was absurd. But Amiko knew her as well as her sister.
Kourin heard a sigh as she continued to listen from outside that study room. But she just didn't know who did that.
"You're astute as ever, Amiko. My sister's decision was something that we need to take advantage of, especially at this point. But this is one mission that I'll be giving to all of us. I'm not sure how this will turn out for all of us. But..."
"But whatever it takes, we have to finish it. At least for the princess' sake. Am I right?" This time, it was the man who spoke. And Kourin knew that voice.
"This isn't just for her, Chrono. This is for all of us. For the sake of everyone's future that our parents and relatives had tried to defend with their very lives that night," Kourin heard Mari state to the half-Japanese man she referred to as Chrono.
"Ending those wretched Dark Rose members would be the answer to that, huh?"
It was Chrono's cousin Yumemiya Mamoru who spoke this time.
"Does this mean our mission has something to do with them? Is that what you're trying to say, Onii-chan?"
"That's right, Miyako. Of course, I could be wrong. We might actually be dealing with a different mission."
"No, you're not, Mamoru. It's true. Our mission will go exactly as you stated it a while back," Kourin's sister suddenly announced that she would expect to surprise the others. "We're not going to let another battle with them as our enemy end the same way again. This time, as we hunt for the Dark Rose and fight them ー eliminating them along the way, we have to protect what was left of us. We have to make them believe that the princess had truly died with the rest of my family. Whatever it takes, we have to eliminate them ー the same way they tried to eliminate all of us that night."
The way Mari had spoken those words was something laced with pain, bitterness, anger, and determination ー one that Kourin was sure the 12 Knights could tell that had originated from all that had happened since that night they lost everything.
The Shinomiya clan's honor had fallen, and the other three (Azuraya, Yumemiya, and Miyuzaki) were left torn and trampled upon by the enemies. Now they just had to implement the ultimate counterattack to end this battle ー once and for all!