(16 years and 8 months after reincarnation)
[Takina's POV]
After our day off, we returned to the inn where one of the people from our clan told us that we'll be departing for home tomorrow....
It's a bit of a hurry, that means the meeting is a failure?
But regardless, Sora and I went to bed early for that night since we were both tired from playing around the city for the entire day....
Just as I got into my futon getting ready to sleep, Sora talked to me.
"Hey Takina-san...."
"What's wrong, still hungry?"
"Listen.... I wanna go home."
"That's what we are doing tomorro-"
"I want to go back to MY home, in Edo."
"The reason that your family sent you away is because those Takedas wanted to hurt you. It'd be like walking right into the lion's den...."
"I know... But I want to see mother and father. It's been months since I last met them and they've not even sent letters to me out of fear that they'll track down the couriers...."
"Nah, too risky. I was tasked to protect you and I'm not going to deliver you right to the enemy's doorsteps.... Go to sleep and forget about this."
"....."
"....Sigh." I pulled my blanket over my arms and switched to the other side to sleep.
Go home huh...? Fucking ridiculous, does this kid not have a sense of self preservation...?!
....But.... Home huh...?
"....Mother...."
Mother.... Sister.... I miss them...
Shit, his words hit a bit too close to home.... Better calm myself down first.
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The reason I protect this boy is because he reminds me of myself.... Of Kyrielle Buffet, a cute fire magical girl sent to the demon continent because of a magic accident. Well save for the magical girl part, it's mostly correct... Just let me indulge in my fantasies a bit alright?
For a time in my life I'm completely by myself just like this boy.... It's not like there's no one who loved me, quite the opposite in fact. It's just that most of these people are not my family or someone that's intimate to me.... Friends and Family is not the same thing.
I've always been alone, that's right.... I'm used to it by now.
So then why...? Why do I feel so empty now?
Haha.... Who am I kidding? I've never gotten used to being alone, I've only numbed myself of the pain that comes from solitude....
All these years that I've been traveling.... It takes so much effort from me that I have no time to introspect about myself. I guess this just resulted in me burying these emotions huh?
....Sora deserves better... He doesn't need to grow into someone like me.
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(Morning)
"Yawn...." Sora got up from the bed, stretching his arms up to loosen it.
I already got out of bed before the sunrise.... I was just sitting at the corner reading the Martial Arts book that the Monk handed to me.
"You're finally awake. Get dressed, we'll leave in an hour along the rest of the caravan."
"Mmm...."
"And one more thing.... We need to get you a coat, or a cloak. Something to cover you up and disguise you."
"Hmm...? Why's that?"
"How else are we going to sneak into Edo without it?"
"...! You're going to help me find mother and father?!"
"I never said anything about that.... I just happened to have something that I wanted to see in Edo, that's all!"
"Yatta! Takina-san, I love you!"
Sora lunged at me and hugged me.... Is this guy deliberately burying his face in my chest?
"H-hey, behave yourself!"
"Thank you, really! I thought you'd never go to the trouble of helping me get something so selfish but.... thank you."
"....Sigh. Yeah yeah, I get it...." I said as I pats his head gently. "Now get off, you're too clingy."
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(Later that day....)
Like how we came here, we go back the same way - by train.
We didn't need to arrange our lodgings or anything like that because it was already done during the last session, everything went smoothly and quite fast.
Once everything is done and the train started moving, I wanted to ask Genji how the meeting turned out but he was no where to be found.
And so, I went to do the next thing that I've got planned.
(Engine compartment)
'Knock knock'
"Come in."
I walked into the control room of the engine cart.... "Satou, it's me."
"Taki... you're here again."
"It's Takina! It sounds better!"
"Its just a name, don't be such a baby... At least we can talk for real this time, without you getting your ass drunk like an old man."
"Hahaha.... Well let's start by getting the heavy topic out first."
"I meant to say the same thing. Take a seat."
I sat myself down on the co-driver seat and begun talking to him....
"First off, let me get this one straight. How old are you?"
"24."
"I'm 16."
"Wait you're that young?!"
"Hmm? Yeah I am."
"Damn.... So you're a minor who tempted me to have sex?"
"Don't get confused, idiot! Girls my age back on earth might still be highschool girls, but in this world the adult age is 16. I'm not illegal!"
"Right right.... This unironically makes you sound like a child molester."
"I'm talking about something serious here!"
"You're going off on the age of consent being 16 but then you tell me it's serious...?"
"Sigh.... I'll get straight to the point. We died at the same age - 17. In spite of that however, we were born almost a decade apart. Now you understand my point?"
"....So there might be classmates of us who are old men now.... Or even others who are already dead."
"Exactly. But I have another thing to say.... This is largely speculation now, but the age of us 17 classmates might not be too far apart. I have a proof for this."
"Which is?"
"Fujimoto Amemiya is my little sister. She's 2 years younger than me."
"Hahaha, that was a funny one I'll give you that!"
"Ahem, should I teach you some respect with my sword?"
"Hahaha.... What?! That Amemiya who always hang out with a bunch of guys?!"
"Yep. She's my Imouto, and I'm her Onee-chan."
"Damn...."
"Indeed, 'damn' it is."
"....Sorry, it took me a while to process this information. If Fujimoto-san is your sister then where is she now?"
"Well.... She's lost."
"Are you fucking with me? First you tell me your father was killed by a demon, then you have a personality disorder that might cause you to become a dragon, and now you tell me your sister is lost?! Just how many problems do you have?"
"Excuse me for being the protagonist of a tragedy story!"
"Oh.... Actually, I'm sorry. That was very rude of me."
"Hmph..."
"So what happened to her then?"
"...I trust you've heard about the teleportation incident in Klada right?"
"Enlighten me please."
"Very well-"
Amemiya Fujimoto and I are sisters, we are born into the Buffet Family. I am Kyrielle Buffet, and she's Marielle Buffet.
I gained the ability to manipulate fire magic.... Although I'm adept at magic in general, I was extremely talented with fire.
Marielle on the other hand is just a normal girl. She doesn't have any talent, but she's somewhat better than me at martial arts....
But that's only in the past. I've now became a master at using a sword and lost my ability to use magic at all, for all I know Marielle might've learned to use magic or became a capable warrior, I just don't know her situation now.
When I was 12 and she's 10, our home city were attacked by a demon by the name of Aamon.
The Magic Pioneer Lynn, trying to save the city from Aamon's attack by teleporting him out to somewhere else, but because of my interference the teleportation magic were screwed and teleported a large portion of the city's people outside.
Marielle Buffet is also one of the victim of this teleportation incident.... Her whereabouts is unknown, but I have theorized that she's either here in Japan or in Australia - the Weyn Continent.
"Get it?"
"Clear as water."
"My mother searched for her throughout the entire Centralia Continent, but she has not found a single clue as to where my sister could've been teleported to."
"It's like searching for a needle in a haystack.... You said she might be in Japan?"
"Indeed, I think that most of us Other Worlders are bound to Japan by fate or something like that. Ever noticed how both you and my name is extremely similar to our names back on earth?"
"Damn, you're right! I didn't notice it but we practically have the same name as our past life!"
"Yes. This might be a coincidence of course, but I think that to search for a person who might be Marie, we should start by finding women that have names similar to 'Amemiya'. "
"I see.... How can I help?"
"It might be impossible for us to contact each other quickly in case of finding her.... As such, if you find her then at the very least can you tell her about where she can find me? Uesugi Kenshin is a famous man and I will always be by his side, she'll be able to find me very easily."
"I'll tell her if I do find her."
"I'm counting on you."
"By the way, you're not the only one searching for our classmates. I heard about news of a rather.... suspicious person from Ataraxia, your home land."
"What of it?"
"I don't get their names or anything like that, but it seems that is manufacturing guns out there seperate from myself. You understand what this means right?"
"They are our classmate!"
"It's no guarantee that they are our classmate of course, but since you'll be returning there into he future anyway I want you to at least find this person and identify them."
"I will.... But Ataraxia is a big country, can you at least give a specific location of them?"
"Simple enough, they are at the Holy Capital City Delloyd, where Queen Alicia lives in."
"Ah.... I know that city."
"Have you visited it before?"
"Nope. Ataraxia is far too big, I'm a country-side girl. But I do plan on going there someday."
"If you meet our classmate then do give my regards to them, alright?"
"Alright."
"Phew.... Now that's out of the way, we can finally have a casual chat. I'd tell you about how much trouble I've faced but let's just start with one simple thing.... Do you work as a dancer?"
"So you were at the dinner party that night.... Yes, I do work as a Blade Dancer for my part time job."
"I see, then that's perfect! I have a specific dance in mind that I wanted someone to perform for me.... Don't worry though, I've memorized it despite the fact that it's not meant for a guy."
"Hmm? Is it belly dancing? Pole dancing? Or... Strip dancing?!"
"Hahaha what?! I am not that kinky! Well, have you heard of B Komachi?"
"That idol group? I've watched them a few times but it's almost two decade now...."
"Can you perform an idol dance for me?"
And I did his request.... It's embarrassing, but it's also fun to learn how idols did their performances. Perhaps I could even use this in my own performance?
This guy recreated the entire dance from his memory alone, somehow he's even more talented than me.
Now I am a big fan of Michael Jackson. I wonder if I can...?
(AN : Yes, she can.)
(Chapter End)