Chapter 26
To Adapt
The trio's next stop was the park. It was around noon when they arrived, so there were more people than during their last visit. However, they were still able to find their own space away from others. The way they distanced themselves did seem a bit odd though. Tokiya looked around suspiciously.
"What are we doing here, Karasu?"
Karasu slowly removed her coat, revealing fancy ruffles on the three-quarter-length sleeves of her shirt. She rolled her shoulders back.
"Well, you have a long way to go before you're ready for the tournament, and unfortunately, we only have a week to prepare. Starting now, your life will be nothing but training. I'm going to turn you into a fighting machine!"
To most people, this would've seemed too intense or like too much work. But to Tokiya, he wouldn't have it any other way. In fact, he had been waiting for a moment like this since Istar Forest. Because of this, there was absolutely no objection on Tokiya's end.
His eyes sparkled with excitement and determination.
"Karasu, you better not go easy on me. If you do, I'll hate you for the rest of my life."
Tokiya said this in a joking manner. He expected Karasu to react with her usual false hurt or in some other dramatic way, but she didn't. Her bright yellow eyes were somehow so dark at the same time. She sharply gazed down at Tokiya, and for a second he almost didn't recognize her. Tokiya had to stop his leg from subconsciously shaking.
"Very well. But just so you know, I never planned on going easy in the first place. I'll teach you exactly how I was taught."
Her gaze remained fixed on him, and her voice was cold and unforgiving.
"Karasune, regalia form, please."
The small girl nodded and took Tokiya's hand before transforming into her dagger form. Suddenly, he felt a cold pair of hands on his arms. Karasu adjusted Tokiya's fingers and arms into the proper positions.
"Just like that. This is your resting stance, an easy starting point to all other positions."
The fact that such a terrifying voice was coming from behind him with a completely invisible source unsettled Tokiya. However, there was something raw about Karasu's voice. That didn't make it any less frightening, though. She placed her frigid hands on his arms and adjusted them again.
"This is the most basic guard. Remember this motion. You'll be using it a lot."
She continued to show him a few more positions along with the movements to get from one to another. The whole time, Tokiya could only respond with a simple nod or grunt. It took him a while to remember that the woman next to him was still Karasu.
Once she had finished showing him all the basic moves, Karasu stood a small distance in front of him. She materialized a sharp purple feather in her hand. The atmosphere around them grew as dark as Karasu's keen, black pupils. Tokiya's grip on Karasune instinctively tightened.
"Now put those moves to the test."
His grip tightened even more.
"Fight me."
Tokiya's eyes widened in shock. He immediately dropped his stance in protest.
"That's not fair! I just started learning forty-five minutes ago. I told you to not make training easy, not make it impossible."
Suddenly, Karasu blitzed him, punching his head to the side. Tokiya instantly held his face in his hand as he yelped in pain. Karasu loomed over him.
"Throwing you into the deep end is simply the most efficient way of teaching. I'm proof of it."
Karasu backed up and created distance between them as Tokiya regained his resting stance. He scowled at her.
"Was your teacher as cruel as this?"
Completely ignoring his question, Karasu took a fighting stance of her own.
"I'll allow you to have the first move since you're so concerned about fairness."
Tokiya stared at the person in front of him. If it weren't for this person taking Karasu's appearance, Tokiya would've hated them. It was because of this that Tokiya had no problem charging straight at his target. Karasune cut through the air as Tokiya swung the dagger at Karasu.
CLANK
Karasu effortlessly blocked Tokiya's attack with a purple feather. The ringing sound of metal produced by the collision of the two weapons resonated with Tokiya. It was the sound of battle, a battle he was an active participant in. Tokiya pushed hard against Karasu's strength, and although her face didn't show it, Karasu was slightly impressed by his powerful resistance.
BAM
Karasu flung her knee into Tokiya's stomach with blinding speed, causing him to gag as his saliva flew onto the ground. Tokiya melted onto the ground and unwillingly released Karasune from his grip.
Karasu's tall form remained standing.
"Stand up, Tokiya. You're not done."
*****
Three hours. Three grueling hours of Tokiya getting physically berated passed. By the end of it, his face was covered in bruises, his nose was bleeding, and every part of his body was stinging. He was lying on his back looking at the sky. Karasu hadn't told him to get up yet.
"Damn, I didn't get a single hit in that whole time. Not that I was expecting to."
He slowly managed to lift his arm up to the sky. He flexed his fingers.
"I feel different though. In our last bout, I started to be able to see her attacks. It was only sometimes though, and I definitely couldn't react in time. However, I'd say it's a strong start."
His arm collapsed on the ground.
"Berserker, can you see me? This is me taking control of my life. Although, I probably look pretty pathetic right now. But you'll see. Just wait until I win that tournament."
Tokiya thought it was nice that he remembered Berserker at times like these. He was fearful of the day when he would just forget about Berserker all together. That would be more than just ungrateful.
Karasu crouched beside him, finally bringing herself to his level. He snapped out of thought and turned his head to face her. His eyes widened in shock. Her eyes were back to normal, and when she touched his cheek to caress his bruise, her hands regained their warmth. Tokiya was so shocked that he couldn't even bring himself to remove her hand. It was the first time in a while that he had been surprised by Karasu's personality shifts.
"Awww, the way you look is making me feel really bad, Tokiya. But you know what they say, there's no gain without pain."
Tokiya blankly stared at Karasu. He felt lied to. He couldn't tell who deceived him, the Karasu he was speaking to now, the Karasu who trained him, or maybe both. After realizing she wasn't going to get a response, Karasu stood up and began to put her coat back on.
"Well, I'm sure we're all hungry, especially the little one, so I'll go get us something to eat. Stay here and recover, ok? Karasune will look after you."
Once she adjusted her coat, Karasu waved and left Tokiya lying on the ground. He stared at her back until she completely disappeared. Left completely baffled, it took Tokiya a while to gather the mental and physical strength to move. Once he gathered himself, he began to stagger over to a nearby bench. When he was about halfway there, he felt a small figure support him.
It was Karasune. Despite her being the one supporting Tokiya, it felt like she was leaning in more than him. Tokiya lightheartedly scoffed as he collapsed onto the bench. Karasune hopped on beside him and began gently swinging her legs.
There was a large silence between them. Tokiya obviously had much to ponder, but it seemed impossible to know what Karasune was thinking about. Even up to this point, the two hadn't talked alone much, mostly due to the fact that Karasune didn't talk much at all. Suddenly, there was a break in the silence.
"She means well."
Tokiya glanced at her.
"You say that often."
Her legs began to swing just a tad bit faster.
"You know, you don't always have to defend her. I don't actually think she's a bad person or anything."
Karasune's hands gently tapped her knees. She turned her head to look at Tokiya.
"Don't you feel some distaste for her after your training?"
Tokiya didn't even have to think before shaking his head.
"Hell no. After all that she's done for me, I'd be a terrible person if I felt anything negative towards her. Although I am a bit curious about what that was all about. That was the most drastic personality shift I've seen from her yet."
Karasune nodded.
"Mother has many sides. Switching between those sides allows her to fit into any situation and counter any obstacle. She's grown so talented at it while making sure that none of her personalities blend. Mother is amazing."
Tokiya looked up at the sky thoughtfully.
"So, if she's always switching between personalities, how am I supposed to know who the real Karasu is? It's kind of unsettling knowing that someone I'm supposed to trust can't even show me who they really are."
He looked Karasune in the eyes.
"You know Karasu well. What is the real her like?"
Her big eyes stared back at him. He knew that Karasune wasn't an emotionless being, but it was almost impossible to tell when or what she was feeling. Her face was eerily blank.
"As a fragment regalia, I am a piece of my mother's soul. Therefore, I know all about her past and who she used to be. But now, I don't know who she is."
Such a somber claim created a heavy silence between them. Tokiya was going to console the young girl, but Karasune began speaking again before he could.
"However, I'd like to think that all of her personalities hold a piece of the real her. Although I have much to support that, I think it's a cute idea."
Tokiya let out an uneasy chuckle.
"Cute? That's an interesting description for anything related to Karasu."
Karasune shook her head.
"I think it's perfect for her. After all, Mother can be anything she wants. She can be cute. She can be scary. She can be powerful. She can be docile. My mother knows no bounds. That's what makes her amazing. There hasn't been a single person I've met who can compare to the greatness of my mother. That's why I won't let anyone defame or insult her."
For the first time since they met, Tokiya could hear power in Karasune's voice, even if it was slight. The girl hopped off the bench and faced Tokiya directly.
"She's my idol, Toki. I know that means I have a lot to live up to, but I'm ok with that. I want to be able to protect people like she does, to be able to be as smart as her, to be able to walk with confidence like her. I want to be just like her."
She stretched out her hand.
"In order to do that, I first need to be able to protect you. So, I'll try my hardest to be the best regalia for you. Please, allow me to protect you, Toki, just like her."
Tokiya frowned at this proposition.
"No way. There's absolutely no way. I've made it my goal to become strong enough to protect myself. I won't rely on you."
Karasune furrowed her brows.
"Let me protect you."
Tokiya narrowed his eyes and glared straight into Karasune's eyes.
"No. How about you let me protect you?"
"Let me protect you."
Although Tokiya acknowledged her persistence, he truly believed that his will could trump hers.
"No, let me protect you."
"Let me protect you."
"No, I'm going to-"
Tokiya stopped himself and sighed. He wasn't giving up, rather just finding a better solution.
"How about...we protect each other. After all, me keeping you safe should cancel out the fact that you're protecting me. I have no objections to that."
Karasune retracted her hand. She contemplated Tokiya's proposition before performing a small nod.
"I suppose that's acceptable."
Bringing her hand to her chin, she thought it over again even after agreeing. After a moment, she reclaimed her spot next to Tokiya on the bench. She nodded again.
"You're spectacular too, Toki. I won't let anyone defame you either."
Tokiya's eyes widened, for he was taken aback by Karasune's bold claims. He was impressed that she was already taking their pact to protect each other so seriously. Hesitantly, he began to reach for her shoulder. He had performed affectionate gestures towards Justin, Kiria, and Twist many times before, but he wasn't exactly sure how he should handle Karasune. When his hand landed on her small shoulder, it felt warm. Indeed, Karasune was just as warm as him.
"I'm sure we'll do great together, Karasune. It'd only make sense that two people who are doing their best for each other would make a good team."
She turned her head to look at him with her big yellow eyes. Her eyes then shifted to his hand that rested on her shoulder. Karasune stared at his hand for a long time before a small, almost unnoticeable smile appeared on her face. There was no response from her. She just returned her head to its original position and began gently swinging her legs again.
The two sat in silence. Karasune didn't seem to mind it, but it was quite a struggle for Tokiya. Simply sitting on a bench doing nothing didn't exactly fit with his way of life. Unfortunately, he was too tired from his "training" to actually do anything. Moving on his own wasn't an option, but he didn't want to bother Karasune. So, as he sat in unfulfilled boredom, he eventually fell asleep.
Tokiya couldn't exactly tell how much time had passed until Karasu had returned. It was still light outside, but there were fewer people in the park. Karasu brought a wide range of food, but in small quantities. There was bread, vegetables, fruit, and even some pre-cooked potatoes, which were cold by the time Karasu had arrived. He would've preferred it if there was some meat, but it didn't bother him. On the other hand, Karasune was quite upset by the fact that none of the items from Karasu's selection seemed to go together. Tokiya let out an internal sigh, for Karasune's picky habits were, in his mind, only a result of Karasu's bad parenting.
Karasu joined them on the bench, and the three spent a good forty-five minutes eating and conversing. However, the whole time, Tokiya couldn't help but feel a little distrustful of Karasu. He scolded himself for feeling this way, but it was futile. There were moments when he found himself intensely staring at Karasu in an attempt to figure her out. He really did want to trust her, but he also wanted to know who he was trusting. To him at this moment, Karasu was just a name attached to no person.
"Ok, Tokiya, I hope you're refueled. What I have planned for you next is going to be thrilling!"
Karasu sprung up and brushed a few crumbs off her coat. Karasune stood up as well, performing the exact same actions.
With good reason, Tokiya didn't necessarily want to return to training. However, he knew that this was essential to upholding his promises to Mr. Gaynes, Berserker, and many others, so he reluctantly removed himself from the bench.
The three of them gathered in the secluded spot they were training in before. Karasu looked around cautiously, causing Tokiya to become suspicious.
"What are you doing?"
After she confirmed the coast was clear, Karasu flipped her hair back.
"I'm obviously making sure no one's around. Parks usually don't have many people around this time."
Tokiya's mind began to fill with all the possible methods of torture training that would require no one to be around. There were a lot.
"Hey, wait a minute, Karasu! What-"
GONG
Suddenly, in the middle of his complaint, he was interrupted by a loud gong noise and was berated by a swarm of purple feathers. Tokiya swung his arms to combat the storm, but it was no use. One feather even got in his mouth.
When the storm subsided, he was no longer in the park, but standing in the middle of an expansive blue void. Tokiya recognized this space as the domain where he first met Karasu. Standing patiently beside him was Karasune, who held onto his arm.
Karasu sighed.
"For such a small technique, it's so flashy. Sorry about that."
Tokiya couldn't believe that Karasu could call an impressive technique like this small. However, he had bigger things to worry about.
"So, what exactly are we doing here? I feel less comfortable being in a space alone with you."
He pulled Karasune closer.
"At least I have Karasune."
Karasu scoffed, trying to ignore Tokiya's attitude.
"Well, Tokiya, I suggest you start sounding more grateful. After all, what we're about to do here is far above my non-existent paygrade."
Karasune nodded, agreeing with her mother's sentiment, but making Tokiya even more curious. He furrowed his brows.
"Can you stop being so elusive and just tell me what you plan on doing to me."
Karasu flinched, dramatically blocking her face with her hands.
"Don't make me sound so evil, Tokiya! All I'm going to do is teach you magic."
"Huh?"
"I'm going to teach you magic."
Tokiya raised his fist and stamped forward.
"Stop saying such big things so casually! Wait, I can't even use magic."
Karasu wagged her finger as she clicked her tongue.
"I thought that too, but after some of the things you've told me, I began to doubt your inability to use magic."
Trying to recall what he could've possibly said to make Karasu think he could use magic did nothing for Tokiya. There was the matter of his Divine Blessing, but he remembered being told by Mors that magic and Divine Blessings were separate systems.
"So, what exactly have I said that makes you think this?"
"Well, there are actually three things. The first is that your divine status was never confirmed, only assumed. Therefore, we can't say with one hundred percent certainty that you can't use magic."
Tokiya raised an eyebrow.
"Wait, how do you know about my divine status? The only person I've told about it recently was Berserker."
She sighed, tired of having to repeat the same details to him over and over.
"How many times must I remind you that I know everything about you? It comes with the job."
No matter how many times Karasu reminded him that she had been watching him his whole life, the fact never got any less creepy. However, with his recent revelations about her, his weariness was amplified tenfold.
"Ok, so what are the other two pieces of evidence to support your theory?"
"Well, my other two observations not only hint that you can use magic, but they also might tell us what type of magic that is."
The thought of what magic type he'd have if his divine status proved to be positive excited Tokiya. He didn't want to get ahead of himself, but his head was already swarmed with ideas. He always thought nature magic was cool and sometimes wished he could use it for farming. However, for his current situation, he would've preferred something strong like temporal or spatial magic.
"I wonder if I could even become proficient in something like spatial magic. No, of course I could! I wouldn't give myself any other choice. I'd train until my mana nodes exploded!"
Karasu continued.
"Do you remember our talk in Istar right after you escaped the regalia?"
How could he not?
"Yeah…"
"There was something you said to me that confused me for quite a while. You mentioned a creature that aided in your escape. I remember you saying that it appeared from a smoke cloud in tandem with the activation of your Divine Blessing. At first, I thought the creature might've been a product of the regalia, but with my second observation, the situation becomes clear."
Anticipation was building in Tokiya. He was getting extremely invested despite still believing that Karasu could be completely wrong.
"You tamed that giant dog in the Istar outpost, right?"
Tokiya rubbed the back of his head.
"I guess I did, but it feels a bit wrong to take credit like that. It kinda just happened."
With one confident clap of her hands, Karasu seemed to become more sure of her conclusion. This in turn made Tokiya even more internally excited.
"Yes, that's exactly how you explained it to me in the outpost. I'm certain of it now. Effortlessly controlling a beast and a smoke cloud that conjures creatures. Doesn't that remind you of someone?"
Tokiya's eyes widened. He felt stupid for not having figured it out earlier.
"The Existent of Solipsism!"
Karasu thrust her pointer finger at Tokiya.
"That's right! My theory should be clear to you now, Tokiya. Not only do you have animal summoning magic to conjure animals of your own, but you also have animal control magic to manipulate preexisting ones."
Tokiya let out a small gasp. Karasu's evidence was solid, and he could find no reason to outright call her theory stupid.
"I'll admit, all of this sounds pretty believable, but there's no hard proof. We can't be certain that I can use magic, let alone which type."
Karasu nodded along with Tokiya's statement.
"I completely agree with you. That's why I'm going to administer a divine status test right now."
Impressed by Karasu's claim, Tokiya raised his eyebrows.
"Wait, really? You know how to administer one? No offense, but I don't really take you for the type to be registered to handle an operation like that."
Immediately, Karasu began shaking her head and even formed an x with her arms.
"Oh, no, I'm no doctor, nor do I have any experience with divine status tests. Think of this as the premiere of the Karasu special!"
Tokiya jumped back.
"You must be crazy if you think I'm going to trust you after hearing that!"
Suddenly, Tokiya felt himself being held from behind. It was Karasune. Tokiya felt that he could break free of her grip with ease, but he didn't want to be rough with her. Karasu clapped her hands.
"Good job, Karasune!"
Karasune made a small nod. Still performing various dramatic and celebratory gestures, Karasu approached the detained Tokiya.
"Everyone give it up for our brave volunteer, Tokiya Hara! This is the grand debut of the Karasu special, and I'm glad you could all be here to see it!"
As Karasu continued speaking to her imaginary audience, Tokiya couldn't help but smirk. This was the side of Karasu he loved. This was the side he could trust. This was the side-
"Ah!"
SLOSH
Tokiya yelped in pain as Karasu's sharp hand dug into his upper arm. She stroked his hair soothingly as her fingers dug around, touching his inner structures. Her voice also gained a soothing quality.
"Shhhhhh, you're doing so well, Tokiya. Just a little longer."
Karasune tried her best to keep Tokiya's wriggling to a minimum, but she was definitely struggling. Tokiya gritted his teeth together and his muscles tensed.
"What the hell are you doing, Karasu?"
Karasu continued her internal massage as she spoke.
"I'm feeling for your mana nodes. Usually this process is much cleaner, but we're strapped for resources here, so I apologize."
He began to understand why they needed to be in Karasu's domain for this process.
"Ok, Tokiya, this might hurt a bit. Honestly, I don't know if this will work or not, so please bear with me."
With her abrupt warning, Karasu fired a small and simple mass of basic magic from her hand, which was still in Tokiya's arm. It was more like an injection than anything else. However, despite its minimal power, the shot of magic caused extreme pain for Tokiya. He instinctively broke free of Karasune's grip and fell to his knees while clutching his arm.
Karasu stood over him.
"I shot that magic straight into your mana nodes, forcing them to be exposed to magic. The hope is that it'll open up your magic system and make it easier for you to control your mana flow."
Tokiya writhed on the floor, clutching his arm even tighter.
"However, mana nodes aren't designed to interact with mana that isn't your own. In fact, it's actually quite harmful. But, I only used a bit of mana and it was only basic magic, which is essentially unprocessed mana. In short, you'll be fine."
Karasu and Karasune continued to stare down at Tokiya. Karasu let out a nervous chuckle.
"I hope…"
Eventually the pain died down, and Tokiya was able to return to his feet. Karasu used her temporal magic to return his skin and any other organs she might've tampered with back to their original state. However, Tokiya still felt a bit strange.
"It feels like something is flowing inside me. It's like I can feel my blood moving throughout my veins."
Karasu giggled.
"That's not blood. It's your mana system, and I suppose that means my method worked."
He scoffed.
"I don't care if it worked. That was a zero out of ten experience."
Waving her hand to deflect Tokiya's comment, Karasu didn't seem to take his rating into consideration.
"We can worry about your personal feelings later. Right now our main priority is getting you to use magic while your mana system is wide open. So, go ahead. Summon something for me."
Tokiya sucked his teeth.
"That's easier said than done. Animal summoning is one of the hardest magic types to master."
Karasu pouted.
"I'm not asking you to summon anything crazy. Even a fly will do. Besides, it should be easy given that you've done it before and the little boost I just gave you. Just go with what you feel inside of you. Manipulating mana is comparable to a baby learning to walk. It should come naturally."
Tokiya focused on the mana flowing throughout his body. He could feel himself controlling it ever so slightly. Karasu was right, it did come naturally. It was like moving a muscle, and the more he moved that muscle, the easier the mana manipulation became.
Karasu raised a finger.
"You'll begin to feel certain structures in your mana system. Those are your mana nodes. If you were to release your mana right now, it would just come out as basic magic. To summon something or use any other type of magic you'll have to process your mana through your nodes."
Tokiya concentrated even harder. He located his nodes and directed his mana towards them. As soon as the mana entered the node, Tokiya felt an uncontrollable burst.
POOF
A smoke cloud appeared out of nowhere, causing him to cough and swat the smoke away. When the smoke dissipated, Tokiya was met with a familiar sight. Floating in front of him was the same small creature that saved him from the Library of Ajax.
Karasune stepped towards the creature, and it floated down towards her.
"It's so cute, Toki."
Tokiya stared at them in awe. He couldn't believe that he really had just used animal summoning magic. Karasu patted his head, but he quickly flicked her hand away.
"So, how'd it feel, Tokiya?"
He shrugged.
"I got the hang of the mana control part, but the actual output part is something else. I couldn't control what I summoned. It kind of just happened. Although, I am curious about how I was able to do this before you opened my mana system."
"Don't worry. With practice you'll get better at actually using magic. In my experience with the Divine Root Blessing, I've seen it aid in mana output, so I wouldn't be surprised if that had something to do with what happened in the regalia."
Karasune was standing in front of them holding and petting the horned creature in her arms. Unfortunately, the creature suddenly disappeared into magic particles, leaving Karasune in a saddened state.
"I need to improve my magic, so Karasune can play with that thing indefinitely!"
Karasu clapped her hands.
"Ok, Tokiya, there's one more thing on our agenda for today."
With his attitude improved by his new feat, Tokiya was ready to accept his next objective.
"Sure, what is it?"
Karasu nodded towards Karasune.
"You'll learn how to use Karasune."
The young girl, seemingly still upset over the death of her new companion, sulked over to Tokiya. She transformed in his hand.
"Using a regalia is much simpler than using magic. All it requires is control over mana flow into the regalia, and from there, the regalia will process the mana."
Directing his mana into Karasune was easy for Tokiya, and at some point Karasu even claimed he had natural talent. Once he provided Karasune with enough mana, she was able to summon small purple feathers. Since the feathers were made of his mana, Tokiya could feel slight control over them. However, they quickly fell to the floor, making Tokiya realize that more practice was definitely needed.
He spent the next few minutes practicing his control over the feathers and his creature summoning. His progress with Karasune was coming along very well, but his magic was coming along much slower. Here and there, Karasu would give him tips, which were genuinely insightful. In addition, he felt a strong connection between Karasune and himself when his mana was inside of her.
Eventually, Karasu interrupted his training. She pointed to the clock symbols on the floor.
"The domain's time is almost up. You've done a lot today, so you should rest. We'll continue your training tomorrow, ok?"
Tokiya hadn't noticed that the hands of the clock on the floor were moving. They seemed to be approaching the twelve o'clock position, and presumably the domain would disappear when they reached it.
Karasu was right, it had been a long day, and a lot had happened. So much had happened that Tokiya couldn't let the day end without addressing it. He tucked Karasune into his pocket and mustered up as much resolve as he could.
"Karasu."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Hm? What's up, Tokiya?"
Their eyes met.
"Karasune told me about shifting personalities, how you change who you are depending on the situation."
Karasu's lighthearted expression faded. Her eyes remained locked with Tokiya's. Her voice became rougher.
"Oh, she did?"
"Yeah, but even I noticed it, especially during our training earlier. You were a completely different person, and it's been bothering me ever since. I just want to know, Karasu, which one is the real you?"
Karasu didn't answer immediately. In Tokiya's experience with her, she was usually calculated and prepared, but this time an answer didn't come right away.
"What does it matter to you, Tokiya? I'm still doing my job, aren't I? Or does this suddenly make it harder for you to trust me? If this is going to interfere with what I need to do then I'll be whatever you want me to be."
That didn't answer his question, nor did it reassure him.
"I want to trust you, Karasu, and I really do believe in your goodwill. After all, you've saved my life more times than I can count. But-"
BAM
A forceful fist lodged itself into Tokiya's stomach, causing him to cough up saliva and fall to his knees. Karasu towered over him. Her bright eyes pierced his soul.
"Let's be clear with each other, Tokiya. I will become anything in order for you to trust me, not because I love you or because of some deep connection, but because it is my duty. There is no goodwill to speak of. So, please, don't misunderstand me. Trying to bring humanity into this situation will only cause issues for our relationship."
She crouched in front of him and extended a hand. Her voice softened and became more playful.
"But at the end of the day, I'm here to help you, so feel free to use me in any way you want. Just be gentle, ok?"
Tokiya stared at her hand for a long while. Karasu pouted.
"Oh, come on, Tokiya. It was just one punch."
He smacked her hand away and stood up on his own.
"Let's leave here. I've trained a lot today, so let's find a place to stay so I can get some rest."
Karasu stared at his back unpleasantly. Her voice maintained its lighthearted tone. In fact, it seemed overly lighthearted as if to compensate for something. She bounced up.
"Sure thing! I'm pretty tired myself."
Within seconds they were back in the real world, but for Tokiya, it felt different. It felt colder, for a warmth was lost. The world felt more unsure and dangerous. Tokiya clutched onto the only small warmth he could find, which rested inside his jacket. He held onto Karasune's handle, and already found himself relying on her.
*****
Tokiya continued his training with Karasu for the next few days. During their combat training, Karasu maintained her cold and detached demeanor. However, during every other part of the day she was her regular cheerful self. Tokiya stopped entertaining her though. Except for when it was necessary, he hardly interacted with Karasu, not even through his usual sarcasm.
On the other hand, he felt his relationship with Karasune grow quite a bit. They made a great team. Eventually, Tokiya even became good enough to use Karasune's feathers in combat with Karasu. The two of them even developed a secret technique, that in theory, should've been enough to clear the tournament. Their plan was to use Karasune's feather compartmentilization skills to have Tokiya pop in and out of feathers at will. However, Tokiya was nowhere close to being able to use it.
Two days before the start of the tournament, after combat training with Karasu, Tokiya left to go get something to eat. Karasu had complained about how she was always getting the food, but Tokiya wasn't in the mood for banter, so he just left without objection. With Karasune in his jacket pocket, he didn't feel unsafe at all.
On his walk, he thought about all the progress he had made. Thinking about whether or not Berserker would be proud of him or not oddly led him to wondering about life after death. In a moment of nothingness such as walking throughout a city, Tokiya still couldn't simply just exist. Berserker would certainly hit him on the head for that.
However, also in that moment of nothingness, he saw it. A quick flash of short yellow hair. His eyes followed it, and soon he turned his whole body to get a clear view. It was a girl who was walking with the pace of someone who had nowhere to be nor anywhere they wanted to be. Her most notable feature was the large decorated sword on her back.
Yes, it was unmistakably Nemu.
It was so odd how Tokiya couldn't control himself as he bolted towards her. He felt almost possessed when he called out her name.
"Nemu!"
The girl slowly turned her head with no urgency at all. Before she could even see who called for her, Tokiya could already see the side of her face. He regained control of his body, but when he did his head began to ache. He closed his eyes and placed his hand on his head. Luckily, the headache was short-lived, but when he opened his eyes, Nemu had already disappeared into the busy Ardston crowd.
He stared forward in a trance-like state. Not even the forceful brushes of the people passing by could make him come to. It wasn't until he felt a warm pulse from Karasune that he was brought back to the real world.
"Sorry, Karasune, I know you're hungry."
He put himself back on track, knowing that he'd see Nemu again very soon.