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[Kealthar's Point of View]
Night had fallen over the garden, and the stars above were clearer than ever.
Kealthar sat quietly under the sakura tree, the grass cool beneath him, a plate of food resting untouched by his side. The air smelled faintly of jasmine and starlight—a scent only this realm could produce.
Beside him, Yasaka sat in silence, her plate in her lap, barely touched. Her golden eyes stared at the sleeping figure nearby.
Kunou lay curled up in a thick blanket, peaceful and unaware. Her little breaths were soft, her fox tails wrapped around her like a cocoon. There were no nightmares tonight. No whispers of corruption.
Kealthar had made sure of that.
But even now, Yasaka hadn't spoken a word since they sat down.
"…You haven't eaten," he finally said.
She didn't respond at first. Her grip on the plate tightened slightly. Then, she slowly set it down on the grass and hugged her knees to her chest.
"I thought I was strong," she whispered.
Kealthar turned to look at her.
She was staring at the stars now, but her voice trembled with something deeper than sadness.
"I've trained. I've fought beside you. I've survived battles no normal person could imagine. I thought I had grown stronger." She exhaled shakily. "And then today… I didn't even know I was affected."
She laughed bitterly, without humor.
"I didn't even know Kunou was hurting. I thought she was just tired. I thought she was just having normal dreams." Her eyes welled up, but no tears fell yet. "If you hadn't been here… if you hadn't sensed it…"
She turned to him now, eyes wide with fear she couldn't hide.
"…What would've happened to her? To me?"
Kealthar didn't answer.
Because the truth was simple.
They would've fallen.
Vorath's infection was silent, hidden, patient. By the time it fully awakened… even he might not have been able to save them.
"I'm not strong enough," Yasaka whispered. "Not for this. Not in the grand scheme of things."
She looked down at her hands.
"These hands have protected Kyoto. They've held Kunou since the day she was born. They've thrown barriers, summoned flames, wielded magic older than most civilizations. And today…"
She opened her fingers like they were fragile.
"They couldn't even feel the corruption wrapping around my own daughter."
Kealthar listened silently, letting her speak.
Yasaka wiped her eyes with the edge of her sleeve.
"I hate this feeling," she said, voice cracking. "I hate knowing that no matter how hard I train, I'm just… small in the face of what you deal with. That you're out there cleansing entire realities while I can't even protect my own daughter from a nightmare."
Then, quietly, almost like a confession:
"…I want to walk beside you."
Kealthar looked at her.
She turned, finally facing him fully. Her voice steadied—not strong yet, but honest.
"I don't want to be someone you protect. I want to be someone who protects with you. I want to defend this place… and what we've built together."
She hesitated. Her hands clenched into fists.
"I don't want to be helpless the next time IT or something worse comes."
Then she moved closer.
Without a word, she leaned into him—resting her forehead against his chest.
"I want to get stronger," she whispered. "Even if it's hard. Even if it breaks me. I want to earn the right to stand by your side."
Kealthar wrapped his arm around her gently.
"You can become stronger," he said quietly. "But it will be difficult. Training like mine isn't something you walk away from unchanged."
Yasaka nodded slowly against his chest.
"I'm not asking to be like you. I just don't want to be powerless anymore."
Kealthar looked down at her. Her tails wrapped around his leg instinctively, her body warming against his.
"Tomorrow," he said. "We begin."
She gave a quiet smile, her voice muffled as she pressed against him.
"…Okay."
Then she pulled her legs up and curled into his lap, arms wrapped around his waist. She didn't ask for permission—she just knew she needed this.
Kealthar didn't move.
She closed her eyes, her voice soft.
"I always feel safe like this," she murmured. "Like nothing can touch me."
He rested his chin lightly atop her head.
That was the point.
Nothing would touch her again.
Because now, she wasn't just someone he cared about.
She was someone who chose to rise.
---
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