Aiji
Aiji woke up rather early—too early, in fact.
Maybe he shouldn't have eaten so late. He stretched, trying to shake off the
sleep. Lucy had shown him her new outfit yesterday; she looked amazing, but he
remembered how she kept tugging at her shirt. I
wonder what she's up to... she seemed really upset. Oh, right—she's training
with Himari.
Lucy
Lucy was currently
training with Himari. She couldn't use Yokai or the Ephemeral Barrier, but the
Unprecedented Glimpse could still activate. Her main goal was to learn how to
infuse her energy into her Kusarigama.
Lucy swung the
Kusarigama, which clashed with Himari's sword, sending sparks across the
training room. The chain of the Kusarigama wrapped around the sword as Lucy
pulled herself closer and swung the kama. In response, Himari caught Lucy's
wrist and flung her away.
Himari dusted herself off and looked
at Lucy with a subtle smile. "You're getting rather good at this, Lucy-chan,"
she said.
Lucy smiled back.
"Thanks, Himari-san. It's only because of you and Daikenji that I've learned it
so fast."
Himari rolled her eyes. "Stop being so
humble—you're a prodigy."
Lucy ran over and hugged her.
"Thanks."
She looked down, tugging at her
outfit. "Himari-san… do I look big in this?"
Himari blinked, taken aback by the
question. "No… of course not."
Lucy frowned. "So I am too skinny.
Okay, see ya later—I've got to train with Daikenji now," she said, a note of
sadness in her voice.
"Lucy-chan, wait!" Himari called, but
before she could finish, Lucy and Yuki shot into the sky, faster than light
reflecting off a mirror.
Himari sighed. "Geez… that damn bird
is fast."
She grabbed her phone and dialed
Megumi immediately.
The line rang four times before a
soft, "Hello?" came through.
"I… I think Lucy might be struggling
with herself—body dysmorphia, I think," Himari blurted.
There was a brief pause. Megumi's
frown was audible even over the line. "Yesterday she was tugging at her shirt…
asking if she looked big. I think that's why," she said softly.
"Yes! I thought she was asking if she
looked fat, but it's… it's that she thinks she's too skinny," Himari rushed
out, words tumbling over each other.
Megumi's voice tightened with concern.
"Crap. I totally misread her. She's not home yet… I'll check on her. Actually…
I'll have Aiji-kun do it."
Himari let out a shaky sigh. "That's…
that's good to hear."
Megumi stroked her chin. "How's Lucy's
training going? Can she infuse her Kusarigama with energy yet?"
"She's amazing… probably already
better than Aiji-kun. Not that that's a high bar," Himari chuckled nervously.
Megumi giggled. "Come on, don't do him
like that, besti."
"Yeah… yeah, whatever," Himari
muttered.
Megumi sighed. "I have to go, Himari.
Paperwork on the Saints and their locations won't do itself."
Himari's stomach twisted. "Do you
really have work, or are you just leaving me?"
"I really do. Don't take it
personally," Megumi replied softly.
Himari pressed the phone to her chest,
trying to steady her breathing. "Please… just stay a little while. I'm bored…"
Megumi's tone softened. "Himari-chan…
I really am busy. I'd like to stay, but I get distracted easily. I love talking
to you, but I wouldn't get anything done. Understand?"
Himari's ears tingled, but she
swallowed her disappointment. Changing the subject, she asked, "So… Lucy-chan,
Hayanobu-kun, and Tokihana-chan are going to Memphis tomorrow after a Saint,
right?"
Megumi blinked, caught off guard. "Uh…
yes. And… thank you. I really appreciate you helping train Lucy."
Himari giggled softly. "You're
welcome."
Megumi's voice grew serious. "I have
to go for real now. I'll call you later, I promise."
Himari sniffled, frustration and
sadness bubbling up. "No… please, stop being dumb. You can do it later!"
"I'm sorry," Megumi whispered, and the
line went dead.
Himari tried calling back, but it went
straight to voicemail. Her hand shook as she pressed the phone to her chest.
"It's not fair! I want to talk to her,
but she's always busy! Why do I have to be alone? I could join the Strikers,
but… what if they secretly don't like me because I'm snappy sometimes? I just
want to be loved! I want them to stay… Where's my dad? He's still not home!"
She slammed her sword against the
floor, the echo rattling through the room.
Lucy's location
Lucy sipped the juice handed to her by
Mini Yuki.
"I really feel bad about leaving
Himari-san… she's truly amazing," Lucy said.
Mini Yuki tilted his head. "Ahh yes,
she is rather extraordinary."
Lucy stared at him.
"What is it, my lord?" Yuki asked.
"Even though I was only created a few
days ago, you seem to know more than you let on."
"Well… that's because Nurari-hyon
assisted in creating me, even if he wasn't very clear about it."
Lucy's eyes widened. "Truly? I didn't
even notice."
"Yes. Remember—he dispelled himself,
not you."
Lucy stroked her chin. "Do you know
anything about the Seven Saints?"
Yuki shook his head. "No, not much.
But I do know of someone who fought them long ago—Tamamo no Mae."
Lucy's eyes widened in shock. "Hold
up… you mean Tamamo no Mae… the big evil fox from the stories?"
Yuki chuckled. "She isn't truly
evil—neither is Ōtakemaru. History painted them that way, but the truth… well,
that's a story for another time. History tends to go the way of the victors, or
so they say."
"Really?" Lucy asked, surprised.
Yuki nodded. "Yes. Most of it is just
propaganda."
Lucy nodded thoughtfully.
"Both of them teamed up against the
Saint of Diligence and almost won. Even Daikenji, as strong as he is, can't
seem to counter a Saint's power—but they could. Extraordinary, really. I wonder
if Yokai like that still exist today."
Yuki's eyes lit up with pride.
Lucy tugged at her shirt. "Have I
bulked up?"
Yuki shook his head.
"It's not fair… Megumi, Mamoriko,
Himari, and even Tokihana have muscles, but I'm still so small."
Yuki looked at her sympathetically.
"Well… they've been training for years, and they're all older than you. It's
only natural they'd be a little more buff."
Lucy pouted, touching Yuki as he
returned to his normal size, his landing shaking the ground. "Thanks… I guess."
Yuki nodded and bowed slightly.
As soon as Lucy opened the door, she
was lifted into the air. Instead of blushing like she normally would, she kept
a poker face.
Aiji giggled. "Someone's not in a good
mood."
"Put me down, please," Lucy said
bluntly.
Aiji gently set her down and draped an
arm around her shoulders, but she brushed him off.
"Oh… what's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing," she replied curtly.
Aiji hesitated, thinking about
something he'd seen on TikTok—"Are you on your period or something?"—but wisely
decided against saying it.
He tried a safer approach. "Am I
allowed to read your mind? I know most girls dream of having a boyfriend who
could do that."
"Sure, whatever," Lucy replied, eyes
on the floor.
Aiji concentrated, but all he glimpsed
was a show called Re:Zero. He sighed. "Alright… let's go on a date."
"I'm very busy. I have to train with
Daikenji-sama, you know," Lucy said, stomping her foot slightly.
Aiji raised an eyebrow. "Megumi told
me he canceled it—said there's nothing left to teach you."
Lucy's face hardened. "I need that
training!" Her voice carried both determination and a hint of jealousy.
At that moment, Mamoriko walked over.
"Hey, you two lovebirds—what's up?"
Lucy looked up and waved casually.
Mamoriko tilted her head. "What's got
your panties in a bunch, little girl?"
Lucy's face turned bright red as she
clenched her fists. "I'm not a little girl, Mamoriko!"
She stormed off toward her room,
leaving Aiji and Mamoriko staring at each other in silence.
Mamoriko finally broke it. "Shall we
consult Yuki-san?"
Aiji nodded. Together, they stepped
outside and saw Yuki asleep.
"Yuki-san!" they called in unison.
Yuki awoke instantly. "Yes? What is
it?"
"I… I don't know exactly. Something
about her weight, I think?" Aiji said, exhausted.
Yuki's face grew grim. "She looks at
Mamoriko, Megumi, Himari, and Tokihana and notices how fit they are, especially
for young ladies. She sees their toned arms and the slight definition of their
abs—muscles covered by just a thin layer of fat—and feels small in comparison,
even though she's perfectly average."
Mamoriko rubbed her stomach, feeling
the soft layer of fat over her abs. "Oh yeah… uhhh…"
Yuki chuckled. "Regardless, Aiji, I
trust you to handle it."
"Yeah, dork," teased Mamoriko.
Aiji walked slowly, opening the door.
He took the elevator, feeling as if a million years passed before he finally
reached the floor with Lucy's bedroom.
"Lucy… can I come in?"
"Sure," she whispered.
He entered. Lucy was wrapped in her
covers, but this time, as he sat next to her and draped an arm around her, she
didn't brush him away.
"Talk to me, Lucy," he said softly,
yet firmly.
She looked at him for a few seconds.
"Sorry for being mad at you… it's not your fault."
Aiji smiled. "Don't stress, Lucy-chan.
I love you either way. I just want you to be honest. I've heard bits already,
but I want to hear it from you."
Lucy softened, leaning against him.
"It's just… I'm so small. Big sis is so fit, and I'm… so skinny. Don't boys
like buff girls? Are you… going to break up with me one day—"
Before she could finish, Aiji wrapped
her tightly in his arms.
"Your hugg—"
"Shut it, Lucy."
She went silent.
"Listen… I'm not the perfect
boyfriend. Sometimes I don't understand girl problems. Sometimes I get
frustrated when you're distant… or mad at me for little reasons. But I will
never leave you just because other girls have more muscles than you. Do you understand
me, Lucy?!"
Lucy's eyes widened, and for the first
time in days, a vision overtook her. She saw herself in his arms, spinning
through the sky as laughter bubbled out of her. Light streaked around them, and
for a fleeting moment, it felt like they were the only two in the world.
When the vision faded, she blinked
back to reality—and saw Aiji glowing softly, a warm aura radiating from him.
"Yes, sir," she giggled, leaning into
him. "I love you, Aiji."
"I love you, Lucy." He pulled her
closer, their lips meeting in a tender, lingering kiss. This time, neither of
them pulled away—they stayed wrapped in each other's embrace, letting the
moment stretch.
Suddenly, a loud knock came at the
door.
"Lucy-chan, Aiji-kun better not be
making babies," Mamoriko teased.
Both Lucy and Aiji blushed as Mamoriko
stepped in, arms crossed, smirking.
Lucy quickly dropped to her knees and
looked up. "I'm so sorry, big sis, for snapping at you. Please forgive me."
Mamoriko raised an eyebrow. "Oh?
Begging already?" she teased.
Lucy puffed out her cheeks, lowered
her head, and pressed her lips to Mamoriko's foot without hesitation. "I'll be
a good little sister… forgive me."
Mamoriko blinked, her smirk slipping.
She crouched down and gently took Lucy's hand. "Dummy… you don't have to go
that far," she said softly, pulling her up into a hug.
Lucy's cheeks flushed as she hugged
her back.
Mamoriko chuckled, her playful grin
returning. "Fine, I'll let it slide this time. But next time, you're grounded.
Got it?"
"Yes, ma'am," Lucy giggled.
"Good girl," Mamoriko said, ruffling
her hair.
Aiji blocked Mamoriko with a hand.
"Stay away from my girlfriend before I have to beat you up!"
Mamoriko giggled. "Okay, little man,"
as she ruffled his hair.
Aiji shot her an awkward look.
"Is there a problem?" Mamoriko
pondered.
"I'm only slightly shorter than you,"
he muttered.
Mamoriko rolled her eyes. "Yeah-yeah,
whatever."
She exited the room, leaving the two
of them alone.
Aiji turned to Lucy. "So… where do you
want to go?"
Lucy smiled. "What about Shirahama
Beach?"
Aiji's eyes lit up. "Oh—you want to go
there?"
Lucy nodded.
Shirahama
Lucy and Aiji arrived at the beach,
bathing suits on, sunscreen applied. Lucy was being her usual mischievous self,
but Aiji reassured her with a gentle smile.
Lucy settled into a chair to tan,
feeling the warm sun on her skin.
Aiji tapped her shoulder. "Wanna go
swim?"
Lucy nodded eagerly and dashed toward
the water, tossing an oddly detailed flamingo float into the surf. Oh—that
wasn't just a float; that was Yuki. Lucy straddled its back.
Yuki floated them away from the crowd,
his voice unusually gentle. "Are you okay now?"
"Well, uh… I've gotten better.
Aiji-kun helped me… Aiji loves me," Lucy admitted, flustered but enjoying the
moment.
Yuki chuckled softly. "That's
wonderful. I'm glad things between you two are going so magnificently."
Lucy grinned, then remembered
something. "Oh, and I guess we forgot about these."
Yuki gagged lightly, then spat out a
bag of chips—surprisingly clean considering they'd been in his stomach.
"Oh yeah, we did."
Lucy grabbed the bag and opened it.
Just then, Aiji climbed onto Yuki's back.
"Oh! You have chips?" he said,
reaching in.
"Hey! I didn't say you could have
any!" Lucy protested.
Aiji laughed. "Like I care."
Lucy rolled her eyes, and the three of
them drifted along the water. Suddenly, something bumped into them with a dull
thud.
"Oww!" Lucy yelped.
"Oh god, sorry!" blurted a girl in the
water, clutching her head.
She had stark white hair—eerily
reminiscent of Nusumi's—and warm brown eyes. Her skin was paler than average,
though not fully Caucasian.
"Who… who are you?" the girl asked.
"I'm Lucy," Lucy replied.
"Aiji," he added.
"And this is Yuki, my companion. I
cherish him very much," Lucy gestured toward the enormous bird.
The girl blinked in surprise as Yuki
inclined his head. "I wasn't going to speak, but since Lucy-sama introduced me,
it would be rude to stay silent," he said smoothly.
The girl rubbed
her eyes, then hissed as saltwater stung. "Ahhh! What the—"
"You think she's yelling from the salt
or because Yuki-san just talked?" Aiji muttered.
"Honestly… probably both," Lucy
shrugged.
Finally steadying herself, the girl
whispered, trembling, "Listen… you Saints, please leave me alone. I already did
everything they wanted. You… you must be here because of Diligence."
Lucy frowned. "We're not Saints. We're
with the Strikers—an organization fighting them."
The girl's eyes widened in hope. "You
mean… there are people strong enough to stop them?"
"Of course," Lucy said proudly.
"Personally, I've already taken down two."
The girl's face paled. "Did one of
them happen to be Diligence? His real name is… Akuto Shiramine."
Lucy froze. "You… know his name? How?"
Aiji leaned forward. "And… are you one
of them? A Saint?"
She shook her head. "No… I'm just me.
Fifteen now. But I met him when I was thirteen." Her gaze fell, hands clutching
her arms. "He… he took advantage of me."
The group gasped in shock.
"I'm sorry…" Lucy murmured.
"You're safe with us, we promise,"
Aiji said firmly.
Yuki nodded, using one wing to lift
the girl onto his back.
Lucy turned to her. "So… what's your
name?"
The girl, still cuffing herself,
looked up. "Mitsuyo Nozomi."
Lucy's eyes lit up. "Oh, that's a
super cute name!"
Aiji laughed. "Okay ladies, let's go
on an adventure."
Lucy rested her head on his shoulder.
"Oki."
He stroked her hair as Yuki suddenly
shot forward, transforming into a flamingo-shaped pirate ship.
"Woah… I guess I shouldn't be
shocked," Aiji muttered, astounded.
Lucy and Aiji returned to their room
while Mitsuyo moved to another. Time passed, from roughly 10:00 a.m. to 8:57
p.m.—Lucy snuggled against Aiji, finally opening her eyes to see his comically
tired face. She began tickling him.
Aiji's eyes flew open as he laughed
uncontrollably. "Hey! Hey! Stop!"
"No no no, stop! I'm sorry!" Lucy
laughed, trying to push him off.
"Okay, okay, fine," he relented.
They noticed a mini Yuki sleeping
nearby. He quickly jumped up. "Greetings, Lucy-sama."
"Greetings," Lucy replied.
The trio walked to Mitsuyo's room.
Lucy knocked.
"Coming!" Mitsuyo called.
"Guess you didn't sleep?" Lucy teased.
"Nope, not a bit," Mitsuyo said.
"Well, we outta he—"
Suddenly, the pirate ship shook
violently, creating mini city-sized waves.
"What the hell!" Lucy exclaimed.
A giant black figure emerged, only
visible from the shoulders up. Its head was smooth and round, humanoid but
immense, with large round eyes. Its skin was inky black, nude, and shadow-like.
"Ahh… an umi bōzu. I suppose it
should've been expected on a calm night like this," Yuki said calmly.
The umi bōzu swung its massive hand
faster than light.
"Oh no, you don't," Lucy muttered.
She activated her Ephemeral Barrier to
block the strike.
"To bad I don't have my Kusarigama…
but I'll experiment," Lucy said.
She summoned a Yuki-onna, only her
hand manifesting an ice beam, which the umi bōzu dodged.
"Oh… seems like this fight is beyond
me. Not that I wanted to clash with the Living Rewrite anyway… You're strong,
Lucy Minami. No wonder Odamakura-sama wanted us all to obey blindly," the umi
bōzu admitted.
It sank into the water, nearly
flipping the pirate ship.
"Oh… well, that was anticlimactic,"
Lucy muttered.
She looked at Mitsuyo, still crying
from the encounter.
"Why didn't you use any of your
abilities?" Lucy asked.
"What abilities? To my knowledge, I'm
just a normal girl!" Mitsuyo sobbed.
"But you have white hair, lighter skin
than average, and even blue eyes," Lucy noted.
"I just have oculocutaneous albinism,"
Mitsuyo said.
Lucy blinked. "Oh…"
Suddenly, Lucy was lifted and spun
around.
"Whoa!!" she giggled.
"Good job, Lucy-chan… I'm so proud of
you. You've become so strong."
She giggled, realizing, This must
be what I saw in my vision!
Himari's house
Himari sat alone, eating ice cream.
Her tears had dried, but a lingering ache remained. Suddenly, there was a knock
at the door.
She jumped up. "Who is it?"
"Your besti, here for the rest of the
courses," came a familiar voice.
Himari's eyes lit up as she swung the
door open. There stood Megumi, holding a chocolate cake. "Thought I wouldn't
come?"
"My birthday isn't for another month,"
Himari sniffled.
"Oh, silly," Megumi giggled. "I don't
need it to be your birthday to eat cake with you."
Himari set the cake on her table, then
ran over and wrapped Megumi in a tight hug. "I love you," she sniffled.
"I love you too!" Megumi hugged her
back just as tightly.