A crowd was congregating in front of the new government building. On the terrace, Novius and Miguel addressed a message to the people of Mirathun.
—...and that is why the steel of the imperial chains no longer weighs upon our necks —Novius proclaimed from the balcony, raising his arms to the crowd—. For decades, the shadow of the Empire dictated to us how to live, how to bleed, and when to die. But today, that oppression has broken forever. Mirathun no longer belongs to any distant throne.
—Make no mistake —Miguel intervened, stepping forward with a raspy voice—. I don't know anything about laws or speaking pretty from a balcony. The only thing I know is that the blood of our people already paid the cost of this land. Nobody is going to come and claim from us what we recovered with our bare fists.
—The commander is absolutely right —Novius resumed with a calm smile, placing a hand on the veteran's shoulder—. The Empire is still out there, but we will not allow chaos to reign in our lands. Today a new king or tyrant is not born. Today, before the eyes of all of you, we officially declare the birth of the First Republic of Mirathun. A government of the people, protected by Miguel's strength and guided by the laws that we will build together. We will assume office as your first consuls, not to rule over you, but to hold up the shield of this new era where you will never bow your head before anyone again...
While both delivered their speech, Zein, Naoko, and Kiomi kept watch among the crowd alongside other soldiers, attentive to anyone who might ruin the event or make an attempt on the new consuls.
Among the people, a hooded figure began to quickly forge a path through, advancing toward the balcony. Kiomi was the first to notice them and quickened her pace to intercept them.
But the person accelerated even more. Zein and Naoko saw them seconds later and tried to reach them, but they didn't have time to react. Suddenly, the figure stopped a few meters from the balcony and reached their hand beneath the hood.
None of the three managed to approach in time to stop them. The person was already exactly where they wanted to be. The subject quickly pulled out a single-shot pistol, aimed at the balcony, and pulled the trigger.
Surprisingly, the bullet veered off in the last second and only grazed Novius's shoulder. Instantly, the crowd began to scream and run terrified in all directions, which the attacker took advantage of to break into a run and flee amid the chaos.
Naoko and Zein, who were closer to the possible escape routes, tried to cut off their path before they were lost among the people. However, the subject used magic to sink into the earth and reappear right behind them, evading them. Both went after him while Kiomi followed a few steps behind.
Seeing the attacker head into a narrow alley, Kiomi decided to take a detour and go around the buildings to wait for him right at the exit of the other street.
Zein and Naoko continued pursuing him down the alley. Being such a tight passageway, Naoko had to take the lead so that both could move at the same pace.
Suddenly, the subject turned a corner. Fearing losing sight of him, they hurried to follow, but upon turning around they stumbled into the fact that the man had knocked over several boxes stacked on the ground.
Naoko tripped head-on into the wood. Zein, who was coming right behind her and couldn't see the path well, couldn't brake and ended up falling on top of her.
Upon regaining their breath after the impact, both came to realize the position in which they had been left.
Naoko was lying face up and Zein had ended up on top of her, with their faces a few centimeters apart. Upon noticing how close they were, the color rushed to both of their faces immediately. Naoko, gripped by panic, let out a loud slap to Zein and shoved him back with force.
Zein remained sitting on the floor, holding his cheek with a face of bewilderment.
—I-I... have to go catch the assassin! —Naoko exclaimed in a huge hurry, standing up with her face completely red before fleeing at full speed.
Zein stayed sitting there a moment longer, rubbing his face and clumsily asking himself what had just happened.
Meanwhile, Kiomi was already waiting at the exit of the alley. Upon seeing her, the subject tried to submerge himself in the earth again to escape, but Kiomi got ahead of him: she launched her magical threads, entangled him, and pulled him out with a yank before he could disappear.
Seeing that there was no way out, the subject pulled out a second spare pistol. But instead of aiming at Kiomi, he placed it to his head and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Kiomi drew the body toward her, but to her surprise, what fell to the ground was only a human-sized wooden puppet with a hole in its head. Before she could analyze the decoy, Naoko came running and took refuge in her arms, almost on the verge of tears.
—What happened? —Kiomi asked, holding her by the shoulders.
—I think... I think Zein hates me —Naoko murmured, her voice breaking.
The rest of the day transpired between confusion and the investigation into the assassination attempt. Meanwhile, Zein attempted frantically to find Naoko to apologize.
«Where could she be?», Zein asked himself. «I need to apologize and clarify to her that what happened this morning was just an accident. I hope she isn't thinking anything weird about me».
But no matter how much he searched for her, he couldn't find her. It wasn't until nightfall, when the bar opened its doors again, that he saw her once more. Upon entering, Zein spotted her in the ring, as was customary. It was then that an idea occurred to him.
After several fights, Naoko was resting in her corner waiting for the next opponent. However, upon standing up for the new match, she froze upon seeing that Zein was the one standing on the other side of the canvas.
Immediately, she crossed both arms in front of her face in a defensive position, trying to cover her face out of embarrassment.
The bell rang, initiating the fight.
—Naoko, listen, I'm sorry about this morning. It wasn't my intention and... —Zein tried to explain himself.
—Just start hitting already! —someone suddenly shouted from the audience, interrupting them.
Zein got distracted for a second, turning to look toward the audience. It was a fatal mistake: when he returned his gaze to Naoko, her fist was already coming straight for his face. He didn't even have time to blink before the impact hit him dead-on.
Zein remained lying on the canvas, completely stunned.
«That hit hurt a lot... Does she hate me? But it was only an accident...», he managed to think before losing consciousness.
Shortly after, he woke up at one of the bar tables. In front of him sat Alexander.
—Damn, she really hit you with everything. What did you do to her for her to land such a punch on you? —Alexander asked.
Zein looked at the floor, embarrassed, and ended up telling him everything that had happened.
Upon listening to him, Alexander only let out a long sigh.
—You know? You should simply talk it over with her calmly —he suggested to him.
—And how am I supposed to do that? I tried to talk to her and the only thing I earned was a punch —Zein protested.
—Maybe you should try at a calmer moment and not in the middle of a fight —Alexander said—. Why don't you follow her everywhere until she has no choice but to listen to you? I did that with Mei when we had a fight a while ago.
In that instant, a hand delivered a smack to the back of Alexander's neck.
—Pay no attention to this idiot, Zein —Mei said, sitting by his side at the table—. That only worked because I was already in love with you, Alexander.
—And then what do I do? —Zein asked, confused.
—You should do something nice for her. Something so she sees that you are truly sorry and agrees to listen to you —Mei said with a smile.
During the following day, Zein tried frantically to approach Naoko, but every time he was about to speak to her, she managed to flee. It wasn't until late afternoon when he finally managed to bump into her near the entrance of the store.
—Naoko...
Upon seeing him, she turned around ready to run away again, but Zein reacted quickly and grabbed her shirt to prevent her from escaping.
—Naoko, please, listen to me. I have something for you.
Unfortunately, both tugged in opposite directions at the same time. The fabric of the shirt didn't hold the tension and tore from top to bottom.
Zein froze and began apologizing a thousand miles an hour. Naoko, red with embarrassment and holding her garment together as best as she could to cover herself, delivered a loud slap to him before running off in a massive hurry. Zein ended up lying on the floor with his face covered by his hands.
«Why can't I do something as simple as apologizing?», he lamented to himself.
From then on, every attempt by Zein to approach Naoko ended in a complete failure. With no other options, he had no choice left but to vent all his frustration training to the point of exhaustion.
Meanwhile, on the rooftop of Kiera's house, Naoko and Kiomi were talking alone.
—Why did I have to act like that...? —Naoko lamented, sinking into her chair while covering her face with her hands—. After everything I did to him, he surely hates me.
—And why don't you simply go and apologize? —Kiomi suggested to her.
—It's just not that easy! —Naoko responded, her voice breaking—. After how I treated him, I'm sure he doesn't even want to see me...
—But you don't want things to stay like this, right? —Kiomi asked her.
Naoko shook her head in silence.
—He is someone incredible... brave, kind, and thoughtful. And I... I am the exact opposite —Naoko said, completely discouraged.
Seeing her on the verge of tears, Kiomi approached and took her cheeks softly, forcing her to look into her eyes.
—You are the prettiest and most capable girl I know, so don't say that —Kiomi said, trying to comfort her.
—It's just that... when we ended up lying on the ground and I saw him on top of me... my head spun in a thousand directions and I panicked, I couldn't think clearly —Naoko confessed, turning red again.
Kiomi looked at her seriously, without a trace of mockery on her face.
—Tell me the truth, Naoko. What do you feel for Zein? What is he to you?
—I... —Naoko hesitated, squeezing her hands over her lap.
But seeing that Kiomi's look was sincere and without any intention of judging her, she finally gave in.
—I... I love him —Naoko admitted in a whisper, her face burning with embarrassment—. He is the best person I know and the one I truly want to be with.
Upon hearing her, a warm smile formed on Kiomi's face. She let go of her cheeks and took her hands firmly.
—And are you going to let things stay like this? Are you going to give up so easily?
Naoko shook her head slowly.
—But what can I do? I've already thrown two slaps and a punch at him... I don't think he's willing to talk to me after that —Naoko said, lowering her gaze as a tear escaped her.
—Don't you worry. Let your friend handle everything, okay? —Kiomi said, adjusting her clothes with determination.
Naoko, wiping her eyes, simply nodded.
«I wonder why I felt a pang in my chest when I heard her say she loved him...», Kiomi thought to herself.
The next day, Naoko and Kiomi left Kiera's house early, while Zein stayed behind training alone. Shortly after, Novius appeared at the entrance looking for the young man.
Zein, who still hadn't fully come to trust him, approached him to find out what he wanted.
—Good morning, Consul —Zein greeted—. Is there something you need?
—Well, you see... my swordsmanship is quite bad and I was looking for someone to teach me a little. Miguel recommended that I speak with you. Of course, I will pay you for your time —Novius explained.
Zein thought about it for a few seconds and, having nothing better to do, ended up accepting.
Both walked toward a quiet place. Novius assured him that he knew the perfect spot where no one would interrupt them. Halfway through the journey, they stopped at a small park.
—Wait for me here a moment, I have to buy something quickly before we start —Novius said, hurrying away.
Zein sat on a bench to wait, contemplating the landscape.
Suddenly, from among the nearby bushes, Naoko came out with a hesitant step, visibly nervous.
—Go on, come on, you can do it! —Kiomi whispered to her, hidden in the foliage, giving her a gentle shove.
—Hello, Zein... —Naoko murmured, approaching slowly.
Zein, who hadn't seen her coming, stood up with a start.
—Naoko! W-What are you doing here? —he asked, feeling his nerves betraying him.
—Nothing, just... I was passing by —she said, wringing her hands.
An awkward silence occurred between the two. Naoko feigned turning around to run away, but remembering the talk with Kiomi, she took a breath and faced him again.
—I'm sorry! —Zein blurted out first, bowing his head—. Forgive me for the other day and for having been looking for you when it was obvious you didn't even want to see me! I'm truly sorry!
—No, of course not! Don't apologize, please —she interrupted in a huge hurry—. It was an accident and neither of us was to blame. In fact, the one who should apologize is me for having hit you and fled from you all this time... I was so embarrassed that I couldn't bring myself to face you to talk to you.
Both stared at each other for a second, until the tension finally broke and they let out a burst of laughter at the same time.
—Damn, that was a huge misunderstanding —Zein admitted through laughs, scratching the back of his neck.
—Yeah... totally —Naoko agreed, smiling with genuine relief.
—I suppose this whole class thing with Novius was just an excuse to bring us together, right?
—To tell the truth, yes. He was very kind to lend himself to help us —Naoko confessed.
—Shall we go then? —Zein proposed.
—Yes —she responded with a warm smile.
Matching each other's pace, both undertook the walk together, leaving behind the stumbles and misunderstandings of the previous days.