To say that I was shocked at her blatant refusal could be a bit underestimating way to describe my reaction, sensing the insistent tone in her voice, I couldn't help but find this very difficult to accept, she also seemed to have thought this through, but how was she able to read my thoughts on this, I still hadn't discuss the matter with her, but to just say no like that, I needed to know at least the reason to why she wasn't willing to accept, so I asked :
" Was there a particular reason that made you want to refuse ? .
She looked at me and her expression was as normal as it always was for a few seconds, then a whole minute had passed and she seem to be still not willing to share what on her mind with me, but I did notice that even though she wasn't responding, she was still looking at the still lost in her own thoughts Haruka from time to time .
I more or less got what was going on, but wasn't completely able to understand why was they both acting like this, I nodded at her and told her that if she wanted to refuse then she certainly can, I wanted to make it clear that she was the most suitable for this role, but she most likely have already known that but she still still refused, so I let the matter go .
Even though I was a bit disappointed at her blatant refusal, I still forced myself to accept it, I told her to not worry much about it, but not giving up on them at least trying to sparr with one another from time to time, I asked her about whether she wanted to join the Strikers and explained everything related to what they do and how will it be beneficial to her in the future, once she graduate, she said in reply :
Do you want me to join, Ryuu-sama ? .
" If it was up to me I wouldn't have been asking you now, would I, I wanted to hear your truest opinions and thoughts regarding this ? .
The whole situation seemed to have become a lot more awkward than before, the girl didn't directly reply, she took a few seconds to think everything through, then she said :
My truest opinion on this might not be to your liking if I were to speak them out loud, so I need to ask about what you wanted me to say .
I looked beside me at Haruka to see if she was listening to us, but found that she was still stuck in her own world, so I turned my gaze back to Suguha and said :
" You are no longer entitled to do so, you have already become a new person, not the assassin you were before, so there is no longer a need for you to be like this, you have blatantly refused my request a few minutes ago, so keep acting in the same manner, you are no longer part of that organization, you are you, act with that thought clear in mind .
After she heard all this, she lowered her head and I noticed that her earlobes were reddened slightly so I thought she was embarrassed at me still holding a grudge or something like that, so I continued to say :
" Just speak your mind from now on, that's an order .
Since she was little, she underwent to a quite strict training regime, one that made her go along with what other wished for her to do or say, her personality was also affected by this and soon it began to dissipate, leaving her to become an empty husk, I guessed that I could use the seal planted in her to fix that .
The moment I gave the order, the girl funnily enough tried to cover her mouth with her hands, but her hands stopped moving, just as she tried to do this, even though the scene was quite comical, I couldn't help but wonder on whether were the thoughts on her mind really that dangerous to the point that made her react like this, so I become filled with anticipation to hear what she have to say as well .
I don't want to make Ryuu-sama sad, I also don't want to be the one to make Haruka-san sad, so I'm conflicted on what should I do, but I believe that it was better to stay beside madame and like that I would still be able to keep Ryuu-sama wishes in mind and should be able to safekeep Haruka's wishes and hopes as well, so I decided not to join the Strikers he spoke of .
As she finished saying this, the girl widened her eyes at me and I saw that there were even tears beginning to accumulate in the corner of her eyes as if in any second now the girl would burst out crying .
Seeing her like this, I once again cursed myself for misjudging her intentions, she wasn't enclosing on herself, but she was just being considerate, very very considerate of what other wished and hoped, I directly order her to act as she liked and her hands that were still hovering in top of her mouth, directly finished sealing her mouth .
I directly apologized to her for doing such a thing, but still told her that she should be more considerate of what she wanted to do and not what other wanted her to do, I told her that as for my mother's case, I would be able to find some other way to keep her safe, so she really didn't need to worry much about this .
As for the thing with Haruka, Haruka's wishes and hopes of me continuing to guide her, I told her that I will try to help, but that I will need her help, so as long as she agreed to help, then I in response will agree to go along with Haruka's wishes .
She hearing all that I have to tell her, she thankfully didn't let her tears dwell for long and directly wiped the tears in her eyes and nodded her head, seeing her nodding so hurriedly without a second thought, I couldn't help but shook my head and laugh bitterly at my inability to fix this problem with her personality .
" Hey Haruka, it seemed that we both will have a new sparring partner to join our training sessions, I hope you don't mind .
The girl that had a clouded face and seemed to be fighting storms inside of here, suddenly was woken up from her trance at my words, her face was more clear than before and she took a few seconds to process all that I was saying then she like Suguha nodded hurriedly .
I really can't help but think that they were a lost twin that had finally found themselves or something like that, even their replies were similar to one another in a quite weird way, Suguha was surprised at my words as she didn't agree to do something like this, but Haruka didn't gave her a chance to say anything to object .
The girl directly hopped from the couch and took Suguha's hands into her own hands, the two pairs of hands then intertwined with each other and the girl excitedly told her that was hoping that they will get along well from now on .
Suguha feeling the enthusiasm of the girl in front of her, didn't say anything more and just nodded her head, then the two hugged one another, Suguha still hadn't forgot to give me a glare, but it was a short one .
The girls were embracing each other peacefully, but then an airheaded girl seeing that they were hugging, forced herself into the hug, Sophia joined the two girls in a group hug, without even knowing what they were hugging for, quite typical of her I guess .
But it seemed that the girls wasn't against it, soon Tokiko joined the mix as well and my mom soon came out to join us here in the room, I really wondered what they had been talking about all this time, it had been almost an hour, she looked at the girls that were hugging in front of us and asked what was going on, I myself had currently no clue about what was going on, but told her that they must like group hugs .
She nodded her head and just as she seemed to remember something and was about to talk to me about, she was directly pulled by Tokiko and Sophia into the hug, she wasn't able to react in time and even if she did, she would still end up being pulled into the group hug .
I laughed at what her face looked like when she was pulled by them away, but just as I was laughing like this, my senses suddenly screamed at me to move which I did, then in the place where I stood before two girls that were gifted in terms of the ability to hide their presence appeard behind me and they were trying to pull me into the group hug, but their chances in doing so failed .
My senses were now much sharper and my casting speed had become inhumanly fast, so they ended holding each other hand and staring bewilderingly at me in the book, I shook my head and spread my hands towards them as indicating them to just go ahead and have fun, I didn't want to be included in all of this, I felt that it was a bit inappropriate .
They seemed not willing to give up at first, but in the end and after they failed to catch me off guard, they nodded and rejoined the others, I didn't continue to dwell here for long and went to the kitchen to get something to drink, but I was again stunned at my inability to find anything in this place without help .
So in the end I returned back to them and saw that the group hug was now over and that the girls were excusing themselves, wanting to go back now that night had come, my mother seemed to have enjoyed their company too much and she asked them to stay over and even said that she will be talking for the headmistress on their behalf .
But noticing my weird gaze, they seemed to have understood that they had overstayed and they told my Mom, that they will be meeting again tomorrow, so they will be saying each other soon .
My Mom nodded at their words and let them go, I wanted to discuss something was Tokiko, but it seemed that I won't have that chance, maybe I could text her later, the girl wished my mother a good rest and goodnight and Sophia wished her speed recovery again which made my mother look at me suspiciously .
I wanted to go and accompany them, but just as I passed by her, she held me by the back of my shirt, I looked at her and seeing her expression, I understood not to test her patience, so I bid those guys farewell and said goodbye to the idea of slipping away .
After the girls left, my mother first words almost made me spit blood, she said :
Tokiko is indeed a good girl and she seemed to share the same characteristics that she had in their past life, but that other blonde girl was a bit eccentric in a good way, but I was just surprised that she wasn't anything like her past self, I didn't try to open the subject with them now, but I will be doing that tomorrow, so I hope you will be prepared .
A misunderstanding, a complete misunderstanding was going on here, but it also presented me with a a chance, I could use this misunderstanding to my favor and make Mom continue to think of Sophia as Regina, then there will be no need to try and convince the real Regina to show up tomorrow, but this idea appeared in my mind, then I hurriedly buried it again .
Risky, it was a quite risky plan, not to mention that the girl herself might not be able to stop confessing everything without much pressure, there was the problem of creating more than necessary misunderstanding, if my mother thought that Sophia was Regina, then who should I introduce the real Regina as then .
Auugh, couldn't I describe Regina with more vividly than to describe her as a blonde girl when there's an actual blonde present here, I really brought this upon myself .
As if she completely disregarded of the troubles that I was currently dealing with, I saw that she shifted the topic of conversation to the previous topic regarding the mission that I will be going on, I was unable to think clearly and just blurted out the classified information about where we will be going and what we will be going to do .
Another grave mistake on my part, the moment I finished telling her about it, I saw that her expression that was already grave turned even graver, I tried to calm her down by telling her that I would be safe and that I had enough strength to deal with all the dangerous situations that might happen .
But all that her expression seemed to tell was her already imagining me coming back into a casket, I couldn't help but scold myself again for telling her about the content of the mission, she was hysterical crashing out, she no longer threatened to call Regina to call that mission off, no now she was actually calling her directly .
But it seemed that luck wasn't on her side, Regina didn't pick up the phone neither did Maya, I actually hadn't seen that little girl as often in these past days, I will need to prepare a good gift for her helping me out .
But I first need to deal with the threat of volcanic eruption in front of me, I tried to convince her that she didn't need to worry that much, but it seemed that my words wasn't reaching her, I decided to show her instead, I summoned Luminous and the sword was in its unsealed form, then I unsealed it and the moment the energy sword appeared, my mother feel into silent out of awe .
Then without a second thought, I swung my sword and the whole place was split in two, then using Paradox, I reconnected the mansion and restored it as if there was nothing that just split it to two just now, then turned to looked at my mother and found that she was so shocked that her eyes almost popped out of their sockets, taking advantage of the situation, I said :
" I will be safe Mom, in fact I will be going on this mission with the responsibility of making sure that my other friends will be too .
She was still just staring wide-eyed at the place where my sword slash struck just now .
" I hope that this is enough for you to reconsider .