173. One Step Away
"A classmate, I knocked her out." Li Aozi said casually. "I don't know why you're here, but since you're here, come help me out—"
"…What do you mean by knocked out?"
Yavanna slightly tilted her head, her expression blank, and said:
"Your classmate looks young, tall, with healthy skin, not pale and aged like us Frost-Plated women from Azure Star."
"Eh, you even brought food? Perfect timing. She doesn't know when she'll wake up. We're both big eaters, so this is great…"
Before Li Aozi could finish, Yavanna interrupted:
"Oh, you know her likes so well. You both love to eat, huh? That's nice, Li Aozi. Dining with a beautiful classmate must be delightful, even if it's just in the cafeteria, right?"
"Our cafeteria's food is pretty great," Li Aozi said offhandedly.
"To be fair, you haven't seen her eat. It's honestly appetite-inducing…"
"Li Aozi!" Yavanna couldn't bear it anymore and shouted, "I… I… Am I completely useless to you?"
Li Aozi looked puzzled.
"What are you talking about, Yavanna? You've been avoiding me for months—"
"Ah, yes, I've been avoiding you! Surely it's because I can't compare to those bright, youthful, beautiful classmates who are always by your side!"
Yavanna bit her lip, lowering her head. The confidence taken by the [Secret Society] and her 'inferiority' trait as a [Tailor] plunged her into deep self-reproach at this moment.
"I'm sorry. I'm useless. Yes, I've always been unnecessary to you. I thought I was unique…"
Li Aozi stood there, dumbfounded, unsure what to make of her words.
Yavanna had come here out of nowhere, got angry out of nowhere, and now was saying a lot of inexplicable things.
"I thought: coming to space with you, arriving on an alien planet with you, following in your footsteps, that would make our relationship surpass that of others."
Yavanna's voice became increasingly forlorn, tinged with sobs.
"Why are you crying?" Li Aozi asked, still holding Diaran, as he stepped closer.
Thud.
Yavanna stepped back, lowering her head, and said:
"Am I crying? No, no… Haha… Hehe…"
Turning away, she said coldly:
"Li Aozi, I would never cry for you."
As she spoke, a crystalline streak slid down her cheek.
Li Aozi stood still, unsure of what to say as he looked at her.
After a moment of silence, he glanced at Diaran in his arms and said:
"If there's something to talk about, let's do it later. I need to take her to the infirmary."
As he turned to leave, Yavanna suddenly raised her head and shouted:
"Li Aozi—you idiot, I'm jealous of you!"
Thud.
Li Aozi stopped in his tracks. His gaze grew serious. He gently set down Diaran and slowly walked toward Yavanna, step by step.
"…Idiot."
Yavanna bit her lip, her nose tingling. She quickly strode forward, arms outstretched, shouting:
"You dumb, stupid, moronic, brainless, wooden-headed idiot! I really missed you, Li Aozi—"
"Stop right there!"
Li Aozi shouted abruptly.
Sshhh…
Yavanna froze, standing mere inches away from him.
"Aozi…"
Li Aozi held his breath, picking up a stone from the ground and hurling it at her head.
Pop—
Yavanna stared blankly as the stone flew toward her, vanishing a few inches from her face.
She looked down and saw the outline of the stone imprinted on the sandy ground.
"Dimensional Barrier." Li Aozi exhaled heavily, his expression grave. "It's the work of [Remaining Moon]."
"Li Aozi…sir?" Yavanna looked at him. "What's going on?"
"Someone's unleashed dimensional barriers around the campus. If you touch them, you'll become two-dimensional." Li Aozi frowned. "This is bad. Higgs field suppression is preventing me from breaking it, and if I use Omega Energy, the school will notice."
She couldn't hear him, so his stone throw had been to stop her.
No wonder the area was deserted… It had to be [Remaining Moon] attacking the school.
Li Aozi could guess their goal: the shard of the Eye of Discernment.
"Those bastards… Right now, of all times!"
Li Aozi clicked his tongue.
"Li Aozi, what are you saying? I can't hear you!" Yavanna called out. "I want to be with you… I want to stay by your side."
"Sound waves are mechanical by nature and can be disrupted. This is trouble; sound can't pass through, and I can't cross over."
Li Aozi shook his head.
"Yavanna, stay safe. Find a stick or something to probe your way. Dimensional barriers are invisible and will separate us. A misstep, and you'll fall into the nearby two-dimensional surface. Even a drop of water could kill you there."
"What… are you saying?"
Yavanna couldn't take it anymore. Her head spun, and she collapsed to her knees, quietly sobbing:
"Why… Why me?"
"I came all this way to bring you food, to tell you I've found a way to resolve the Ether Blood issue. I miss you."
"Why does it have to be like this? Right here, just one step away?"
Yavanna cried.
She knelt, letting out all the pressure she had been carrying. Her tears ruined her light makeup.
Li Aozi couldn't hear her and had no time to comfort her.
He could only say:
"Yavanna, find a safe place and stay there."
"…I don't want to go anywhere." Yavanna's eyes were swollen, her voice choked. "I've never mattered. Even to you, I'm just unnecessary."
"Yavanna—"
"Significant… That's just a lie, isn't it?" Yavanna murmured. "Without the Secret Society… citizens are nothing."
She covered her face. Her skin tore, and white spiders crawled out. Her tone grew chilling as her inferiority complex overwhelmed her. The Ether Blood coursing through her accelerated uncontrollably.
Her form became increasingly eerie and grotesque. Yavanna Huskisin's existence began to fade, replaced by the traits of a [Tailor].
In a haunting voice, she murmured, joined by a spectral echo:
"…I should've gone back to the Secret Society."
Buzz!
[What the hell are you thinking, Yavanna Huskisin?!]
An echoing voice swept through, piercing the dimensional barrier and resounding in Yavanna's ears.
"…What?"
The [Tailor] raised her head slowly. Half her face had turned into a spider. The remaining eye of Yavanna Huskisin glimmered with tears as she looked at Li Aozi.
Li Aozi removed his augmented helmet, revealing ripples of void space. This allowed him to fully utilize his echoing communication ability.
[Yavanna, I don't know what you've been through lately. I can't feel your pain. You may have endured suffering and torment, but I can't take that away. You may dwell in darkness, waiting for salvation, but I'm not capable of providing it. I'm not one to make grand promises.]
"Li Aozi…sir…"
[But you can trust me on one thing.]
Li Aozi's voice resonated in Yavanna's heart:
[No matter where you are in the shadows of Star Abyss, my voice will reach you before any light.]
[Move forward, Yavanna, and stay safe.]
[As you walk your path, listen for the echoes. This much, I promise forever.]
Yavanna looked at Li Aozi.
The spider legs crumbled away. The cracks on her body healed. She hugged herself, sitting quietly for a long time before turning to Li Aozi, mouthing slowly:
"I…brought…you…food. Now…I'll…eat…it…myself."
[We can share an even better meal together.]
Li Aozi said:
[When we go home.]