/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>46557311
—
I laughed.

Yes, perhaps it was unwise to get up as soon as possible—reads two after midnight—and go train my Ki control, ignoring all those concerned fairies and Sakuya; at least Lady Remilia understood me and let me go without asking any questions—it's impossible not to smile while reminiscing about the moment I woke up in the makeshift medical ward and saw the often apathetic Lady Remilia, so cold and distant, tenderly caring for us along with the fairies and Sakuya.

Arms wrapped around me—arms that soon developed a flow of Ki; life.

'… A formidable and vital ally.'

Heh~

Seven hours have passed since I woke up, meaning Lady Patchouli, after all she did for me and against Sekai, slept only 20 hours in that healing spell and is already up! Magic is so incredible~ “What were you doing there, anyway? If I'm not misremembering, your favourite way to avoid work is slumber.” She asks, and me from one year ago—three months ago, but also not really as time still passed and, ugh… So confusing—would be all tense now. I remain calm as I perceive a note of good humor there; one slight lifted eyebrow says she already knows what I was doing.

“Training my Ki conduction.” She nods, humor fading as determination sparks behind those purple eyes, a mirror of mine. If this body is gonna bear—even if for mere seconds—the weight of the entire world, all to give one little girl the life she deserves…

… Then this body must be as ready as possible.

“Commendable actions, Meiling,” a familiar sigil opens above the table and I am quick to move the tea set—Lady Patchouli uncharacteristically freezes, eyes wide. Then she sighs, continuing her work, glancing at my puzzled eyes and the question forming there. “I have grown… accustomed to the HSE's seclusion; I didn’t even consider someone might try prying into our conversation—but then I remembered you exist.” She nods to herself, and, a little blushed, I smile at the subtle approval. From the edge of the Misty Lake to the lowest innards of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, with my Ki, I can feel the faintest changes. “Am not committing the same mistake twice.”

“But you never commit any mistake twice, Lady Patchouli.” I ponder.

Lady Patchouli simply smiles. “Indeed.”

As if punctuating her word, the massive book Sekai gave her fell out of the sigil and onto the table with a loud thud. It had no markings or identification and was as thick as the oak's bark that shadows the table, exuding into the air raw power, both magical and strings of Ki—it was as if the book itself were alive.

Narrowing my eyes, I looked around it, trying to find the core of the power that licks into the air with the same fury of a volcano spewing lava towards the sky. “Ho, this power… It was impossible to feel it inside Sekai's world.” Lady Patchouli remarks, another sigil opening and landing a small wooden stick in her hands, which she neared the book and minimally touched its cover—

—the entire stick abruptly evaporated. Wow!

My heart leaped out of my mouth, though, when Lady Patchouli boldly reached out to touch the book. “WHA—W-WAIT! DON'T DO THAT, PATCHY—”

“Settle down, Meiling.” She expressed calmly, hand firmly touching the book, a knowing smile on her lips… Wait, did she do that on purpose? “The book has a potent anti-theft spell. Only we two can touch it.” I blinked dumbfoundedly, just now realizing my hands were holding her wrist and trying to keep it from touching the book.

Embarrassed, I drew them back and sat down, really uncomfortable with being so tall and thus unable to shell myself away from the gallows that were her eyes. “… I'm very s-sorry, Lady Patchouli.” Still, I couldn't help but giggle lowly.

“… Hm, you are taking the new memories much better than me.” She says, studying the book without looking at me.

“I couldn't protect myself from the hit that was the merge, but deep in meditation and, well, that conversation of ours,” her smile heightens a little. “I managed to center myself—there are greater things than me in play.”

“You mean the life of one misbehaving child?”

“Yes.”

Patchy looks away from the book and towards me, her characteristic bored eyes analyzing my face. At this time, I expected a lot of things, remembering well Lady Patchouli before we got entangled in the mess that was the HSE…

But then she simply nodded, looking past me and at something in the distance, maybe seeing a sight only she could see. “She is really lucky to have us, that brat.” Her hands tightly grasped the sides of the book and, without hesitation, opened it, likely expecting to see the same things she saw back at Sekai's World…

Yet she stopped, curiously gazing at a… Letter? One simple white letter, neatly folded, rests innocently among the first pages. On its front and written in simple black ink: 'With love, from your misbehaving child.'

Five words, enough to make this tired and strained body fresh out of its biggest battle, followed by its near death, feel absolutely unbreakable.