[Yukikos POV]
{[Halberd of the valiant hero] is adapting to user prerequisites}
I knew that this was my chance to advance into a higher realm, even mightier than the other heroes, while being made possible simply thanks to Rin, a person I have never even met before.
As soon as the skin of the halberd transformed into its new form, an incredibly painful surge of power coursed through my veins. It was as if I had just grown a new limb.
{[Unique Active skill: Tempest] unlocked}
{[Unique Passive skill: Freezing temperatures] unlocked}
{[Active skill: Reality cut] unlocked}
{[Active skill: Aftershock] unlocked}
{[Passive skill: Debuff resistance] unlocked}
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Taking a dazed look at the surplus of notifications, my entire body still rendered stunned, my mind was the last to give up, yet eventually, it did.
My vision blurs and eventually darkens, leaving me unconscious on the frozen ground.
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.
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My vision seeped back into my senses, yet seemed to remain blurry, leaving me defenceless, my senses weakened and stripped.
Breaking the silence, that I interpreted as loud ringing, a familiar, yet unknown voice hums my ears back to life. The tone was clear, making me relax even if just by a little.
"Hey, it's been a while, hasn't it?"
I did not recognise the voice, yet my heart reacted to the smooth sound of her calming voice.
It left a deep regret in my chest, hurting more than anything else ever could.
"You're right… a while has passed. I-I missed you.", escaped my lips.
"I still remember, we used to spend every day together… It was the happiest you had ever been."
I couldn't control my body, it was as if my subconscious took the wheel, rebelling against its mind.
"W-When you left, that was the day everything turned to shit. I don't remember the last time I actually felt fulfilled since then."
"You isolated yourself, leaving even your own sister to slowly distance herself from you. It must have been hard, Hero of the Halberd."
Those words materialised an extremely sharp pain, coursing through my body. I was angry, yet more than anything, I was shocked.
"D-don't call me that… MY NAME IS YUKIKO TAKAMURA! How… How have even you forgotten me."
"Where has the time gone… You used to be so happy. What happened?"
'Can't you already see by looking at me? The will to live has long left me. And… it's all your fault.'
"Don't look at me like that, Yu, it hurts me."
Who… Are you talking to me?
.
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Immediately, I shot up from my previously unconscious state.
I felt the intense feeling in my chest slowly escaping me. Panicking, I hold tight onto the fading memory. If-If I were to forget that dream, I would never forgive myself.
This unknown but yet familiar presence, I just knew that it was something important to me. It was the first time I felt such intense emotion since… since when?
I had lost it. I… I don't remember, slowly pulling me back into reality. I was somewhere i couldn't recognise, with a girl at the bed I had been transported to.
Slowly, the girl opened her eyes and looked up at my body, which was drenched in sweat.
Slowly taking on a more shocked look, the girl suddenly springs her hands in front of her eyes, her ears turning red and an extreme blush covering her face.
"Umm, I-I know you have a lot of questions but… this seems a bit inappropriate.", she says, slowly separating the fingers covering her sight, taking a light peek.
I look down to find my hand tightly gripping my chest, leaving me with a short moment of enlightenment: I must have subconsciously done it, yet I was unsure why.
Not bothering to explain myself, I decided to finally ask what is actually going on.
"So, where am I exactly?"
The girl, that seemed to at least be in my age range, was an incredible beauty. Her puffy reddish cheeks and shiny blonde hair didn't go unnoticed in my trained eyes, that learned to discern who was in- and who was out of my league over the course of my school life.
Without doubt, she was the latter. The type to attract all the stares, the type that makes others feel bad for how they pale in comparison.
When she finally lifted the curtains, that were her hands, I witnessed an almost surreal sea-blue stare, that radiated an aura of curiosity. I was left mesmerised within the few seconds that it took her to answer my question, snapping me out of it.
"I saved you, so… can I please join your party?", she said bluntly.
Her lips perked in anticipation. It was clear that she was anxious about my answer, she probably meant to ask this from the very beginning.
Misunderstanding my usual dazing as disapproval, she starts shaking, "I swear I won't hold you back! My mother told me I'm strong enough, so please?"
Although I wanted to accept, I felt intimidated, making me hesitate even if only for a bit.
"How do I know that I can trust you?"
Slightly narrowing her eyes, she loses the tension she had held in her shoulders, "My mother was a member of the previous halberd heroes party, so you can be sure to believe in the her, that believes in me."
'Solid reasoning, yet I still don't know who the hell your mother is. I mean, her kind personality rules out Namphal. Her kids would never be this cute and kind, definitely.'
Seeing as I was not in the mood to argue, I agreed without double-checking. If she was the one to bring me here and nurse me, her intentions can't be all that bad.
So I lifted the sheets from my sticky wet body, anticipating to get out of the uncomfortable clothes, bed included.
"W-Wha-Wait! You should take the time to rest. Laying unconscious for so long, mother was worried. You should at least hold off on missions for today."
The girl quickly stood up to support my waddling body, that couldn't even walk properly.
She didn't seem to mind being this close to me, getting her clothes dirty. Although it was a shame for her neat-looking robe, that reached to her knees.
Being guided by the girl, that I hadn't even learned the name of yet, we finally arrived at the shower.
"Um, You can leave your dirty clothes here, I'll fetch some of mine while you wash up.", she said, leaving the room and quickly striding off somewhere.
'I wonder if I can consume sponges and then transform the halberd into a cleaning tool… Is that too far fetched?'
Trying it out, it ended in disappointing failure.
.
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'So I guess I have a party member now,…'
Actually, the original reason for why I wanted a companion, was so I could spar with them. Improving my skills was so addicting, yet risking my life, fighting monsters, kind of took the fun out of it. I wonder if she would be up for that? Is she even a fighting class?
Then a wave of disappointment hit me: She wore a robe and her muscles weren't exactly impressive from what I could feel while she supported me. She must be some sort of magic-related class.
After washing up in the burning-hot bath, I lightly tilted the door to grab the spare clothes.
To my surprise, the girl was stood right outside the door, locking eyes with me for a moment, causing me to standstill.
"E-Eh?"
She quickly puffed up in an embarrassed smoke and rushed to close the door as soon as I grabbed the clothes.
"Y-You should've told me that you were done… Sorry, this is the second time I've already defiled you."
'Wow, what a way of putting it.'
"By the way, what's your name? It's getting annoying to write girl all the time."
"Um, my name is Elisa. Your name is Takamura, right?", I could practically see her blushing through the slim bathroom wall.
"You can call me Yukiko, I don't mind."
"So you have two names? Mother called you Takamura but her guest kept calling you Yukiko, so I was confused."
Opening the door in a swift motion, I came out to see her cautiously fiddling her thumbs. Then she looked up at me, who was slightly taller than her, "Did I say something wrong?"
"Elisa, are you up for sparring?", I said, ignoring the draggingly long conversation.
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So here we are. It seems the house I woke up in wasn't a house, but much rather a whole mansion with several sparring places and guards roaming around. is this what being a previous member of the heroes party does for you?
Placed on one of the several sparring places, Elisa readies her long staff, anticipating me to take out the weapon, that she has been anticipating to see the whole time.
Enlargening the halberd, I hesitated to, but ended up transforming it into the form, that caused all of this. The [Halberd of the valiant hero].
All of a sudden, a cold wind started brewing around me, slightly leaving the girl to shiver, while the halberd began its transformation once again, taking on the pristine look, that it previously harboured. It seems the cold winds are a side effect of the [Unique passive skill: Freezing temperatures], yet it didn't affect me.
"Are you ready?", I said, plotting which skill to test out first.
Yet the girl just stood there in awe, "WAAAA, I MIGHT DIE IF YOU HIT ME WITH THAT!"
Realising the truth in her statement, I dismissively transformed the halberd back to its original form. I guess testing the skills will have to wait.
Now let's see what this girl can do.