Eternal You (Premium)

by Yuri Kitayama

  Latifa nodded uncomfortably. “Yeah, I could. Those people are Japanese people, too, aren’t they?” she asked timidly.

  “Yes, they’re Japanese.”

  “...Does that mean you told them about how you used to be Japanese, too, Onii-chan?”

  Rio nodded with a bitter smile. “That’s right. If I didn’t tell them, they’d wonder about how they were able to communicate with me.”

  “Hmph... But it was a secret just between Onii-chan and me.” Latifa pouted her lips somewhat unhappily.

  “Are you mad?”

  “It’s not that I’m mad, but...”

  Rio smiled in faint amusement. “I see.”

  “Mgrr! What are you laughing at?”

  “At how cute you are, I guess?”

  “...That’s not fair, Onii-chan,” Latifa mumbled quietly, giving Rio an admonishing glare.

  “What is?”

  “Nothing...”

  “Listen, Latifa. Just because other people who know about Japan have appeared doesn’t mean that our relationship will change. Isn’t that right?” Rio offered persuadingly with a smile as he watched her sulk.

  “...Yeah.”

  “Nothing will change how special you are to me.”

  “...Yeah.”

  “...That’s why I hope you won’t be too shocked by this. Do you remember how I told you about my past life before? About the childhood friend I loved, and the little sister that moved away when my parents divorced.”

  “Hm? I remember that...” Latifa inclined her head curiously.

  “The truth is, two of the three people I’m looking after right now are those two people.”

  “...Huh?”

  “Ayase Miharu. The person I always loved when I was Amakawa Haruto. Well, she probably doesn’t remember me anymore... Also, Amakawa — no, Sendo Aki... We only lived together for three years, but she was my little sister. I doubt she remembers anything about me, either. I’m not sure if it’s a coincidence, but they’re two of the three people that are currently in my care,” Rio explained slowly to a confused Latifa.

  “...Eh... T-Then, did you t-tell them?! Did you tell those two about yourself?” Not long after Latifa understood the explanation did she start firing back questions in shock.

  Rio shook his head calmly. “No, I didn’t tell them I had the memories of someone named Amakawa Haruto. I didn’t think it was the right time to tell them that...” he said in a somewhat troubled voice.

  “O-Oh, okay. But... why...?” Latifa asked hoarsely.

  “I don’t want to confuse them too much right now — their mental state wouldn’t be the most stable, having suddenly been brought to an unknown world. You used to be the same too, Latifa. Right?” Rio answered with his sound reasoning.

  “That’s...” Latifa was at a loss for words. Rio had a point.

  However, Latifa didn’t believe that Rio was being honest, despite the fact that he hadn’t lied to her. Was Rio really fine with things that way? She didn’t know.

  “That’s why I’d like to ask you to hide your past life from these three people for a while, too. Of course, I won’t forbid you from telling them if you insist on doing so, but... I’d like you to stay absolutely quiet about my past life. Can you promise me that?” Rio asked, showing her a glimpse of the guilt he felt.

  “...Onii-chan, you actually want to tell them, don’t you?” Latifa murmured, asking after Rio’s true feelings instead.

  “...That’s not true.” Rio shook his head with a bittersweet smile.

  “Tell me how you really feel, Onii-chan. Otherwise, I won’t promise you,” Latifa persisted.

  “...I want to keep my previous life a secret, just between me and you, I guess,” Rio said with a strained expression, speaking truthfully.

  “...That’s unfair. That’s so unfair of you, Onii-chan,” Latifa murmured in a trembling voice, appearing as though she was on the verge of tears; she was unable to decide if Rio was lying or not.

  ◇◇◇

  Two days later, Rio departed from the village once again to make his return trip to the Strahl region. He chose the square before the town hall as his departure point, with Latifa, Sara, Orphia, Alma, Ursula, Syldora, and Dominic there to see him off.

  “All right, everyone — I’ll be going now. I should be back in roughly two weeks,” Rio said cheerfully to the seven of them.

  “Take care of yourself,” Ursula replied on behalf of the head elders, supported by the nods of the other two.

  “We’ll clean up the house where your guests will stay,” Sara said.

  “And make the preparations for their welcome,” Orphia added.

  Alma chimed in. “I’ll take care of the daily necessities.” The three girls seemed excited to meet the humans that would be coming.

  “...Have a safe trip, Onii-chan,” Latifa offered quietly.

  “Thanks. I’ll be back soon. Don’t worry — there’s nothing to be scared of.” Rio petted Latifa’s head gently. She stepped forward and buried her face into his chest.

  “Hoho, it seems like she’s still at that age where she wants to be doted on,” Ursula mused, watching Latifa with a smile. Naturally, Ursula had also noticed that Latifa was acting strangely after Rio’s discussion with the elders, but she had refrained from intruding, and left the two to solve it amongst themselves. It was how the two of them had always done it, after all.

  “She might be worried that her precious big brother will be taken from her by these newcomers. There’s a girl the same age as her, too,” Sara giggled. The others gazed at Latifa.

  “...I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Latifa mumbled quietly, tightening her grip around Rio. He made a torn expression as he hugged her, patting her back gently to calm her down. Eventually, her grip loosened.

  “Okay. I’m going now, Latifa.” Rio slowly stepped back from Latifa and spoke kindly.

  “...Yeah. I’ll be waiting.” Latifa gave a small nod.

  ◇◇◇

  Two weeks later, in a forest on the western outskirts of Amande...

  A creepy-looking man in a black robe stood in an area off the road, somewhere no regular citizens would ever pass through.

  His name was Reiss.

  Surrounding him was a swarm of creatures that had humanoid shapes. Eight had ashen-colored skin and four had skin that was dark to the point of appearing black, each groaning in eerily low tones.

  “Fufufu... As expected of the city home to the Ricca Guild — the adventurers working here are all of excellent quality. I’ve obtained some good material thanks to that,” Reiss said to himself proudly as he looked at the grotesque creatures.

  “Go, now. Form groups of three and search the forest outskirts of Amande for people that have as much essence as possible. Capture them alive and bring them here. However, make sure to avoid attacking those that have a higher essence than you. Kill as many witnesses as you need to avoid drawing unnecessary attention. I will take care of the western side, so you lot split off into the other directions to search. Your time limit is until sunset tomorrow.”

  The strangely-shaped creatures began to move as though they understood Reiss’s words.

  “Gruugh.” They formed four groups of two gray-skinned creatures to one dark-skinned leader, then set off at an unbelievably light and fast sprint.

  “...Now, once I reach the necessary number of material bodies with this next run, the time will be right. After this last batch, I’ll have to make sure to lie low for a while,” Reiss said with annoyance in his voice, left alone by himself once the figures of the creatures had melted away into the forest. His eyes were completely vacant.

  Chapter 8: Operating in the Shadows

  Two weeks after Rio departed from the spirit folk village...

  Left behind in the Strahl region, Miharu and the others lived a completely peaceful life, leisurely waiting for Rio’s return. Presently, they were in the middle of a break from their language studies. Aishia and Masato were both taking a nap
, while Miharu and Aki sat on the living room sofa sipping tea.

  “I wonder if Haruto will be back soon...?” Miharu mumbled to herself. While her words were formed as a question, she was more or less speaking to herself. Nonetheless, her mumbling still clearly reached Aki’s ears.

  “Miharu, you’ve been saying the same thing for a few days now,” she said with a strained laugh.

  For some reason, Miharu flinched. “Eh...? R-Really?” she asked in a high-pitched voice, inclining her head.

  Miharu wasn’t quite sure why she flinched, but now that Aki had mentioned it, she had been finding herself thinking about Haruto out of the blue these days.

  “...What’s wrong, Miharu?” Aki picked up on the delicate change in Miharu and watched her doubtfully.

  “Nothing at all. Why?” Miharu put on a calm air and met Aki’s gaze. Aki didn’t seem entirely convinced, but changed the subject anyway. “It’s nothing... But I do wonder how long we’re going to live like this, yeah?”

  “Umm, what do you mean by ‘like this’?” Miharu asked.

  “We should have been middle school and high school students, you know? Masato only just reached the sixth grade, and our new school lives were meant to start... But now Takahisa and Satsuki are both gone, and we may never meet Mom and the others ever again. I don’t really know, but the longer this life continues, the more I feel like we won’t be able to go back anymore.” Aki’s expression fell helplessly.

  “So you’re worried...” Miharu slowly stood up and moved next to Aki, stroking her back. Aki leaned into her to be doted upon.

  “...Aren’t you worried, Miharu?” she asked nervously.

  “I am... a little uneasy, but probably not as much as you.” Miharu shook her head with a faint smile.

  Aki looked up at Miharu’s face curiously. “Why?”

  “I have you and Masato with me, as well as Ai-chan and Haruto. I feel safe. That’s why I’m wondering if there’s anything I could do in return, because I feel sorry that you’re worried,” Miharu answered. Her smile was bittersweet this time.

  “...You’re strong, Miharu.”

  “I’m weak. If I didn’t have you and the others, I wouldn’t be alive right now.”

  “I don’t believe that... If anything, I should be saying that. I don’t know where I’d be right now if I didn’t have you with me.”

  “Hehe, thank you.”

  “Yeah...” Aki said shyly, still seeming to be a little unsure.

  “Aki. Thanks to Haruto, we’ve been able to live so peacefully. I think that’s an amazing blessing, don’t you? So... how about you try to think a little more positively?” Miharu asked gently, trying to persuade Aki.

  “That’s... Yeah. I think so too, but...”

  “I guess you still want to return to Earth, right?”

  “Yeah... Don’t you want to go back, Miharu?”

  “If I said I didn’t want to go home... that would probably be a lie, but I don’t think there’s any need to hurry. Haruto’s willing to help us out, after all.”

  “Haruto...” Aki murmured Haruto’s name, her expression turning gloomy. She was much better about it now, but she still couldn’t help but think of someone in the back of her mind whenever she heard the name. In particular, when it was coming from Miharu’s mouth, it sometimes left her feeling quite conflicted.

  “What do you think of Haruto?” Aki suddenly asked Miharu. She had noticed that Miharu’s mind had been on Haruto lately, so she was curious.

  “Hm? Umm... What do you mean by that?” Miharu asked in return, watching Aki’s expression with uncertainty.

  “Nothing, really... It’s just — even though you’re normally bad around boys, you seem to act really natural when you’re around Haruto... Being totally in sync when you’re cooking together and laughing with each other. That’s why I was just wondering... So, how do you feel about him?” Aki explained her question hesitantly, but directly, so that Miharu couldn’t avoid answering her.

  “H-How, I wonder? He’s reliable, and a really nice person, I think. And...” Miharu replied timidly, searching within herself with a contemplative expression.

  “...And?” Aki pressed.

  “I don’t know if it’s because his name is the same, but he kind of reminds me of Haru-kun... I guess? Maybe?”

  “W-What are you saying?! Miharu!” Aki’s expression changed with a gasp, her tone of voice immediately turning rougher.

  “...Huh? Ah! S-Sorry! That wasn’t my intention!” Miharu belatedly processed what she had said out loud and shook her head in a fluster. While she had always made sure not to mention Haruto in front of Aki, thinking about the Haruto in this world made his name unintentionally slip out of her mouth.

  “Hey, Miharu... Do you really still remember him? Even though you might never see him again? He probably doesn’t remember you anymore, either, so don’t confuse him with this Haruto. That would be rude,” Aki snapped. She was filled with regret as soon as she finished speaking, because she had been the one overlapping this Haruto and Amakawa Haruto in her thoughts.

  “...I’m sorry — I got too heated up about it. I’m going to go clear my head.”

  Aki stood up and went out the front door for some fresh air, her words filled with guilt.

  ◇◇◇

  I’m such a fool...

  As soon as Aki stepped through the door, she immediately crouched down outside the house in shame. She didn’t want to be inside; despite being told not to leave the house for any reason, she wanted some fresh air.

  I don’t have any right to blame Miharu... Aki regretted bitterly, heaving a deep sigh. Even Miharu, who was typically of a warm disposition, might have become angry with her this time around.

  Maybe Miharu still likes him after all? Then... should I apologize for saying such terrible things? But... A complicated emotion filled Aki — she wanted to apologize to Miharu and go back to the way things were, but whenever Amakawa Haruto’s name came up, she couldn’t help but recall everything about him.

  “Argh, enough!” Aki yelled loudly after some time had passed, her head filled with too many thoughts to process.

  “Uurgh...” A small groan sounded from a short distance away, but it was too soft to reach Aki’s ears. The front door of the house opened and Miharu’s hesitant figure appeared.

  “U-Umm, you know, Aki. ...Huh? Kya!” She tried to shyly call out to Aki, but spotted two gray creatures instead. They were shaped like humans but clearly not human, and they sauntered about the forest roughly 20 meters away from the house. Miharu couldn’t hold back her scream.

  “W-What’s wrong, Miharu? Eek! W-What is that?!” Aki had flinched in surprise at Miharu’s scream, then followed her gaze; she recoiled in horror at the sight of the monstrous creatures.

  Miharu snapped out of her fear with a gasp. “A-Aki, hurry inside the house! Now!” she called out in a fluster.

  “B-But it’s weird... Shouldn’t there be a barrier keeping them out?” Aki observed the movements of the creatures carefully — it didn’t seem like they had noticed her.

  “No! Hurry and get Ai-chan, quickly,” Miharu said fretfully, when Aishia materialized right beside her.

  “It’s okay... I’m already here.” She had a somewhat sleepy expression and seemed to have just woken up.

  Miharu let out a sigh of relief. “Ah, Ai-chan...”

  “Aishia... W-What is that?” Aki asked her timidly.

  “Monsters, probably. They can’t enter the barrier, but they may be drawn to the essence of the barrier itself. I’ll take care of this quickly — you two get inside,” Aishia instructed Miharu and Aki as she vigilantly stared at the strange creatures.

  Understanding they would be nothing but a hindrance, Miharu quickly ran over to Aki. “O-Okay. Let’s go, Aki.”

  She pulled her by the hand toward the house. Once Aishia confirmed that they had left, she slowly started to walk forward.

  “They’re person-shaped, but don’t seem to be human...?�
�� Seeing the strange monsters gave her an eerie feeling, making her incline her head.

  Their eyes were filled with madness, but other than their skin tones, they looked just like humans. That much was clear now that Aishia was closer to them... Though once she readjusted her thinking, the truth was that none of that mattered.

  I’ll find out if I defeat them... I must protect the others in this house. That was the role Haruto had given her.

  With that in mind, Aishia held her right hand out toward the monsters. The faint light indicative of spirit arts started to flow from her hand as a sign of her refined ode manipulation.

  Aishia fired a shock wave bullet at the monster — the invisible attack made direct contact, and a sound reminiscent of the impact of a hammer echoed as the monster’s body was sent flying through the air. Boom!

  The force was enough to turn a human’s bones to dust.

  Aishia adjusted her sights onto the remaining monster mercilessly.

  “Uuuuuargh!”

  Just then, another one leaped out of the forest. It was similar to the other two in terms of its humanoid shape, but its skin was darker. For some reason, the darker monster was able to easily slip through the barrier and rush straight for Miharu and Aki, who had retreated to the front door. It moved fairly quickly.

  “Aki, get down!”

  Miharu saw the black monster closing in on them and, as a last minute resort, used her own body as a shield to cover Aki, hugging her close.

  “Eh?!” Aki was thrown off balance at the sudden movement, unsure of what was happening, though she could immediately tell that Miharu was covering her by holding herself close. Once she noticed the black monster approaching them, she understood why Miharu had done such a thing.

  “M-Miharu?!” Aki couldn’t help but yell. Miharu was in danger — it was evident there was nothing they could do, but Aki struggled and squirmed anyway.

  Meanwhile, Aishia had reacted by aiming her right hand at the black monster, but she soon lowered it. The monster’s death was certain, even without her lifting a hand.

  There were several meters left until the black monster would reach Miharu and Aki, when a black shadow descended from the skies gracefully. Held in Miharu’s embrace, Aki was able to see the figure from behind.