"HAHAHA! Take that, sucker! Oh yeah... and THAT too!"
The creature closed its jaw and moved its chin, forcing its tail and charging straight at the girl. But quickly, the girl clutched the creature's sharp tail and swung it like a lasso, tossing it several meters into the air, kicking and dancing.
"This is FUN!"
While Chloe and the boy were confused about the mint-haired girl's actions, Asahi darted to his injured sister and asked, watching the wooden armor dissipate from her body.
"Are you okay, sis? What happened?"
Aletha's eyelids parted, and her arms lifted, revealing a different color in her pupils.
"Eh?"
Instead of Aletha's iris being a dark gray, it was chipped in an emerald color, matching the hues of the grass. She quickly hopped over and exclaimed at Asahi with a sparkle shimmering in her vibrant eyes.
"I have NO idea! But, whatever I did... It made me feel one thousand times better than before!"
"What...? How does that even work--
"ALRIGHT!"
After being physically harmed and broken just a second ago, a sudden burst of copious amounts of joy, exhilaration, and energy exploded in Aletha, forcing her to leap several kilometers off the ground like a kangaroo on steroids.
Asahi saw her floating in the sky, smiling and screaming like a drunk child.
"WEEEE!"
The mysterious boy, wearing a green coat, and the energetic, mint-haired girl tilted their heads to the blue sky and noticed a white-haired girl plummeting down into the creature.
"What the..."
The mint-haired girl snapped her fingers and broke out into an infectious smile of pride.
"OH YEAH! Now she's gettin' it!"
Asahi sneered at the mint-haired girl and questioned, while Aletha rapidly struck the beast with powerful green explosions.
"What is she doing? Why is she like that? Who are you?!"
She smiled and threw back her head, laughing like a chihuahua as her red skirt and white scarf flew with the whimsical winds.
"HA HA HA! She's just having fun! I think we have met before. Aren't you that boring guy I've seen back in that snoozy, smelly room?"
Asahi's face flushed crimson in embarrassment.
"B-Boring?" He said, shaking the thought away. "Hold on, you're that girl we encountered before, aren't you? Pridia, correct?"
Her pink eyes widened; she slapped her thighs, pushed her red skirt into the air, and snapped her fingers while winking at Asahi.
"BINGO! Yes, that's me!" She said as her glare shifted to the energetic, white-haired girl. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw the radiant bristles fluctuate under the passing sun. With an enthusiastic tone, Pridia leaned over to Asahi and questioned. "Ooo, is that your sister, too? My, she's pretty… Look at her and that bright smile on her face! She's having the time of her life!"
Abruptly, Pridia removed her scarf, grasped Asahi's legs, and hurled his entire body toward the creature, his eyes, including those of Chloe and the boy, widening in absolute shock.
"AHHH!"
Pridia slapped her thighs and teared up, unleashing her chaotic red lasers toward the monster. Aletha blasted up into the air and couldn't help but chuckle, feeling invincible from her blinding joy.
"WOO, HOO!"
Aletha and Pridia teased the living crap of the beast by twirling, cartwheeling, and screaming like lunatics. The white-haired girl teased while squeezing her nose and mocking the poor robotic creature, jumping up and down like a buffoon.
"Aww, are you going to cry like a baby? Wah!"
Its wires were strangled and torn apart, gears fallen over on the ground, with sparks of electricity shrouding all over its disjointed metal jaw. As Pridia and Ecstasy-Consumed Aletha taunted the creature, Asahi's body unexpectedly plummeted onto it, crushing it into a flat rectangle.
Pridia tripped over a twig, fell onto the ground, and burst out in laughter, wheezing and laughing like a monkey. She stared at the destroyed mechanism and expressed in a loud tone.
"Hmm, that chocolate cake is dull. Here… let me see if I can… SPICE it up for ya."
Pridia pulled a seasoning straight from her back and dappled the glittering spices onto the quivering mechanical beast, smirking.
"Mmm…"
She licked her lips and smiled, grabbing a fork and giggling while Chloe, Asahi, and The Rope Boy stared at her with a confused expression.
"This will be one fine treat for me!"
Asahi's face fumed in anger, just a centimeter away from bursting out in frustration. The very act of eating a cake in the midst of this situation was so out of place and zany for him that he couldn't really find a proper reaction to this occasion. And so, without any thought behind it, Asahi shouted at Pridia.
"That robot is not a snack! "
She was absolutely aware of what was happening. But despite that, Pridia ignored it, bit her bottom lip, and grinned menacingly.
"I know it's not…" The careless girl replied, grinning radiantly. "But you know who is a snack?"
Her eyebrows raised suddenly as she noticed Asahi's fist tightening in trembling motions.
With an ignorant laugh, her hair swung upward as she tossed the silver fork into the air, landing straight on her back.
"Me!" She said as she delivered a striking squat.
Being confident in her own gesture, Pridia giggled and tossed the fork onto the ground, comparing herself to them.
"HA HA! Don't be such a whiner! People should know now that I will always find a way to tease in moments such as these. Sigh, Anyways..." As she cast her gaze at the chaos that transpired before them, Pridia snapped her fingers and sighed, mumbling with a considerable drop in her voice.
"I guess if you are all let down, we can just get this over with. The robots are annoying as they are. However..." She hollered as she snapped her fingers. "I will do it under one condition."
After the robot delivered one last, dying scream, Asahi looked down and mumbled.
"What?"
"Stop being boring," Pridia replied, still holding Asahi by the wrist while staring at the meadows below. "Your appearance alone is very unique and interesting, so it's strange to see you act this way." As she guided Asahi up the hill, displaying the vast panorama of green to him, Pridia leaned over to his ear and whispered.
"See, here in Linuxinia, you can let your guard down and relax. You don't have to stress about anything. You can just be yourself and do whatever makes you happy."
Her face was filled with delight at what she had done. Her expression didn't falter even as Chloe and the rest stood there, staring back at her, confused.
She turned her head, grinning.
"You know, if you all traveled to the other nations, you would agree with me. This nation is by far the most enjoyable place you can come across!"
After another silence boomed in, Pridia shrugged her shoulders, dropped the cake, and sprinted away from the group toward a pond, happily smiling as she did.
"Well, I'll be taking my leave now." She hollered to them as her long, mint-colored hair fluctuated with the warm wind. "If you need me, just know I'll be there."
Asahi was left speechless, his mind swirling with confusion as if a storm of chaos had crashed over him all at once.
His energy leaked dry. Asahi felt he couldn't move another centimeter without collapsing onto the ground. He sighed and lay down, hearing Telos' voice speak in Asahi's mind.
(Although you have never asked, I feel you need to know this. Your sister experienced the manipulative powers of Ecstasy and The Sealed Beatific. For some reason, it found its way inside her and had noticeably amplified from some sort of outside figure.)
Asahi slowly peered at Pridia, mumbling quietly to Telos while she introduced herself to the green coat boy and Chloe.
"So, you say my sister never chose to absorb that energy? It wasn't her fault? I know I have seen Aletha jumpy before, but what she did right now was on a different level."
Telos' voice replied while Asahi saw Pridia playing rock-paper-scissors with Chloe.
"That's the Sealed Beatific's power. Manipulative energy could consume minds and shroud them in intense feelings of ecstasy. Some have rumored that Combat Magic in Linuxinia is based on one's level of happiness. Even powerless people can use magic if they are happy enough…."
Asahi reeled back in surprise.
"Interesting, so that means, even though I'm powerless… if I'm happy enough, would I share the same power as my sister?"
Chloe walked to Asahi and glanced at him, staring at the S tattoo flashing on and off his front. She analyzed him while her chains jingled.
"He looks so different compared to the people I saw."
Telos' voice continued as Asahi noticed Chloe standing in the background.
"Yes, but your happiness must be genuine for you to manifest its incredible power. It may take time before you can gain the ability to wield The Sealed Beatific. It's not an easy task. And judging by how your mind works, it would be a daunting effort for you to do so."
Asahi sighed and scratched his head, watching Chloe approach him.
"Y… Yeah, ever since the day of the calamity, I could never truly feel happy. If only…"
Chloe kneeled down and bent over, asking in her native language.
"Hey? Are you the guy who answered me before?"
Asahi nodded.
"Yes, I am. Who are you again? Didn't you say you were lost or something?"
Chloe's face flushed.
"Y… Yeah. Um, do you know where we are now?"
Asahi half-shrugged.
"Nope, I'm just as clueless as you are."
Chloe beamed with excitement.
"OH! So, did you get summoned into this world like me? I have noticed that you speak my language fluently. So…"
A quiet wind blew across the patch of turquoise flowers in front of them. Asahi turned to his attire and scratched his head, expressing confusion and surprise.
"No… not at all." Asahi scratched his head, mumbling while the excited look on Chloe's face faded. "I don't recall being summoned here…."
Chloe's bright mocha eyes peered upward, staring at his eyes.
"So, did you just forget?"
Asahi raised a brow.
"No. I was never summoned here. But I was born here. Anyway, where did you come from? I have never known people could get summoned into my world."
Chloe fiddled with her grey skirt, took a deep breath, and replied with an anxious tone.
"I come from... Earth."
"Earth?" Asahi repeated. "What's Earth?"
"Yes. Um... how do I put it?" Chloe paused in uncertainty. She tried to think of all the things she could recount. And so with a vivid voice, Chloe continued her explanation.
"It's a world where humans rule, well... after these creatures called Dinosaurs roamed around. I don't know what they're doing now. There are cities, communities, planes, cars, televisions, and cellphones everywhere."
Asahi leaned over to Chloe, showing genuine interest in her life.
Despite meeting her just now, Asahi had discussed with her as if they were close friends. The very idea of someone being summoned into a world fascinated him.
"...cell... phones? That's a strange name. Perhaps that's some sort of cell and photon mixture with it? Is it some sort of place?"
Chloe's face turned pink, and she giggled, shaking her head.
"Ha ha! No, not at all! How can I explain this to you...?" She twiddled her thumbs, thinking of the tool.
"Um, it's some tool that can... erm..."
As Chloe thought about a way to describe the strange alien device called a "Cellphone" to Asahi, she gave up and said something different instead.
"U...Uh... never mind that." She scratched her head.
"I ran down to you because I wanted to talk to someone like you for a long time. Ever since I was summoned into this world, I have had difficulty socializing with others because I never knew their language."
Asahi fell silent.
"I couldn't ask for help, I couldn't trade with anyone, I couldn't make alliances. I was practically all alone for a couple of years. Not to mention, I was also stuck wearing these clothes. Sigh, role-playing. Why did I wear that before? Stupid, stupid me..."
. . .
"A-Anyways, now that I have finally found someone I can communicate with, can I ask you something?"
Asahi leaned over, seeing Aletha, the roped boy, and Pridia walking over to him. He replied swiftly.
"What?"
Chloe bent her head to the grass.
"Can you... Be my teacher? I want to learn this world's language so I can finally communicate with people and do stuff like you and all other people in this world do."
Telos's voice sounded in Asahi's mind.
(It's all up to you, Asahi. Every single person in this world has their own story to tell. If it makes you any happier, I will be willing to assist you with your teaching.)
Asahi bounced up.
"Really?"
(Absolutely. Even if it doesn't include anything with my goal, I will be delighted to assist you. As long as it helps you become a better person in the long run.)
Asahi grinned and nodded his head. Even though he had never asked to be a teacher, changing someone's life could be the very thing that could make him happy.
"Okay."
Chloe turned over.
"Huh?"
"I'll do it. I agree to become your teacher."
* * *
But as something silently flowed with the tame winds of the present, something arose in Telos.
(*gasp* It... it can't be...)
Asahi mumbled.
"What?"
(I feel a presence lurking in here. An aura that I'm very familiar with. It can't be... is that... Asahi, look over to the forest for a moment.)
He agreed and turned to the forest, where he saw what looked like a woman with long, dark hair, wearing a dark robe, and gray eyes, adorned with chains all around. Although her appearance was difficult for Asahi to see, Telos knew precisely who she was.
(Morwenna. My beloved wife, I found you...)
But just as Asahi could catch another glimpse at the woman, she sprinted back into the forest and dropped an earring on the ground. Telos gasped in shock.
(NO! Asahi, grab your sister and chase that dark-haired woman now! You don't UNDERSTAND how long and far I have gone searching for her. SHE is my goal!)
"Okay."
As the group was discussing, Asahi hurriedly pulled Aletha and yelled.
"Sis, follow me!"
"But, why?! I was in the middle of talking--
"Just... listen to me. It's important!"
Racing up the hill, passing through the forest, Asahi forgot to ask if Pridia and the others would come with him. However...
"Hey, where are you going?!"
The three were already following him.