Chương 41: We Are Stronger Together

The intensity of Ayami's gaze made him feel like a cornered animal, and he couldn't process what to say or do next.

Backing off, Ayami's eyes were filled with frustration. "Fine! Don't tell me," she uttered, her voice trembling with emotion. "But you should know, I can't trust someone to have my back who keeps too many secrets."

She turned sharply, her footsteps echoing with resolve as she headed towards the exit. "I'll give you time until the festivities end," she declared, "If you don't clear all my suspicions by then, we'll go our separate ways, just like you suggested when we first met!"

Her words hung heavily in the air, leaving everyone stunned. Ayaka, panic written all over her face, quickly followed Ayami, trying to reason with her.

Maya stayed behind, concern etched on her face. She approached Ewaan hesitantly. "What should we do?" she asked softly.

Ewaan remained silent for a moment, lost in thought. Finally, he took a deep breath and said, "Let's go," his expression serious and resolute.

With nothing else to say, Maya followed him quietly, her worry evident in her eyes.

Together, they moved towards the festivities, which lasted until midnight. Townsfolk constantly approached the group, showering them with gratitude.

Some, shrouded in sorrow over the loss of their families and friends, drowned themselves in alcohol, drinking as if there was no tomorrow.

The distance between the Takagi twins and the Tempest siblings was evident throughout the celebration.

The weight of Ayami's ultimatum hung heavily on their minds, casting a shadow over the otherwise joyous occasion.

°°°

After they returned to the building, Ewaan tried to avoid facing Ayami. But from behind, Ayami, with her arms crossed, shouted, "Wait!"

Ewaan paused, but kept his back to her. She approached him, her eyes burning with intensity. "What is your answer?" she demanded.

After a moment's hesitation, he replied bluntly, "I have nothing to say."

Ayami stared at his back for what felt like an eternity, emotions flickering across her face. Finally, she began to walk, passes him and headed towards her room. "I guess it's goodbye then..." she said, her voice heavy with resignation.

Maya and Ayaka, panicking as they saw Ayami leaving and Ewaan doing nothing, exchanged frantic glances Ayaka grabbed Maya's arm, urging her, "Do something!"

In a moment of desperation, Maya shouted, "WE ARE HEROES FROM ANOTHER WORLD!"

Ayami turned back to look at Maya, shock evident on her face.

Ayaka and Ewaan were equally stunned, unable to process what had just been revealed. Ewaan facepalmed, feeling the weight of the moment.

Ayami, eyes wide with disbelief, aggressively approached Maya, shaking her by the shoulders. "Repeat, what did you just say?" she demanded, her voice tinged with desperation.

Ayaka, dumbfounded, muttered, "Heroes? You mean the heroes from the legends? The ones I've always admired?"

Ewaan broke the awkward silence with a sigh, his expression a mix of resignation and resolve. "You heard it right," he said, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside him.

Ayami's grip on Maya loosened as she stumbled back, trying to comprehend the revelation.

"You're joking, right? Haha... Trying to hide the actual truth?" Ayami's voice was trembled, her eyes darting between Ewaan and Maya.

Seeing the seriousness in their expressions, convinced Ayami of the truth. "Why didn't you tell us this before?" she demanded, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and confusion.

Ewaan stepped forward, his gaze meeting hers. "Because it's a burden we didn't want to place on you. We know our mission is dangerous, but even we don't know what even that mission is! It's complicated. And we didn't want to drag anyone else into it."

Ayami's eyes filled with a mixture of anger and hurt. "We're supposed to be a team. You should have trusted us."

Maya stepped beside Ewaan, her expression earnest. "We thought we were protecting you by keeping you in the dark. But we see now that we were wrong."

Ayaka, her voice barely a whisper, finally spoke, "Heroes... I can't believe it. I've always dreamed of meeting real heroes, and now..."

Ayami's fists clenched, her anger palpable. But she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

After a moment of silence, she spoke, her voice softening. "I get it, I know... But it still hurts to know you kept this big of a secret from us!"

Ayaka's words laid a sense awkwardness in the atmosphere, when Ayaka, still in shock, took a hesitant step forward. "So, you're really heroes? The ones from the legends?"

Ewaan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "We never had a choice in this matter but, apparently, it seems that we are..."

Ayami took another deep breath, her anger slowly giving way to understanding. "Alright. But from now on, no more secrets. We face everything together."

Ewaan felt relieved. "Fine. No more secrets."

As the atmosphere finally calmed, Yuuna appeared, dragging a bound man behind her. The girls stared in shock while Ewaan remained composed.

"I didn't mean to intrude on your moments of reconciliation, but," glancing at Ewaan, Yuuna continued, "you should at least check your surroundings before you speak."

"Who's that?" Ewaan asked calmly.

Before Yuuna could respond, Ayaka spoke up in shock, "Wait, this looks like the uniform of those Ninja's in our nation!"

The man was dressed in a loose-fitting jacket designed for silent movement, pleated pants for ease of motion, and leggings protecting his shins. A belt cinched the jacket, and a hood concealed his face, all adorned with distinctive yellow lining.

Ewaan instructed Yuuna to release the man's bindings.

Once free, the man didn't run; instead, he calmly sat in a seiza posture, though his inner turmoil was evident. He kept thinking,

– He's the hero. He won't do anything to me. I'm safe. I'm safe...

Ewaan approached him, his tone steady as he asked, "How much did you hear?"

The man panicked, his eyes darting nervously. "I—I heard n—nothing!"

Ewaan's fury was palpable, and the man immediately bowed, yelling, "Please don't kill me! I only followed the two miss behind you per order of General Takagi and I never would've thought I'd hear such a revelation."

Ayaka and Ayami, shocked, both uttered in sync, "Wait, father?"

Still bowing but raising his head a little, the man glanced at the twins and said, "Yes, General Takagi misses the two of you and is worried sick. He sent me to inform you to hurry back to the Yamato Kingdom as soon as possible."

Ayami furrowed her brows and replied, "We set out on this journey with a goal, father knows this, and it hasn't been completed yet. How can we go back now?"

Ayaka added to the man, "Tell Father that we'll visit him soon, but it'll still take a while."

The man, relaxing from his bowing position, said, "Yes, yes, I'm sure if I tell the General about the two miss traveling with the Hero, he will surely be less tense."

Instantly, Ayami shouted, "No, don't tell Father about the Heroes! Just tell him we're fine and—" She approached Ewaan, tapping his shoulder, and with a wide smile continued, "—have great and reliable people as companions."

Ewaan closed the distance, towering over the man with an intimidating expression. "I'll let you go since you know these two," he said, his voice low and menacing. "But if any rumors about heroes leak and reaches my ears, no matter where you'll be, I will find you, and I will kill you!"

The man's face went pale, his eyes wide with fear. He gulped audibly, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

"Y—yes, sir! I swear, I will take this secret to my grave!" His voice trembled, and he bowed even lower, his entire body shaking with terror.

With that, the man swiftly left, gratitude flooding his heart for getting out alive as his form disappearing into the night.

However, unbeknownst to anyone, as he reached a safe distance from the building, a small magic square oozing a sinister black aura appeared beneath him.

Confused surged, he exclaimed, "What is happening??"

The dark energy wrapped around him, pulsating with malevolent intent. "NOO—" Within moments, he vanished, swallowed by the mysterious force.

°°°

In the hallway, Ayaka excitedly swarmed Maya with questions, her enthusiasm spilling over as they chatted in a corner.

Meanwhile, Ewaan, Ayami, and Yuuna stood together, the air tense with unspoken questions. Ewaan broke the silence, his voice steady. "Where did you go?"

Yuuna looked at him, her eyes calm. "I had a quest to take care of."

Ayami, trying to keep things casual, chimed in. "So, I heard you want to join our party?"

Yuuna stood there silently for a moment, then nodded.

Ayami's suspicion was evident as she continued, her brow furrowed. "So, what made you decide to join us in particular? I mean, you're an A-rank while we only have two B-Ranks and two newbies in our party."

Without hesitation, Yuuna bluntly replied, "I want to be as close to Ewaan as possible... Since I belong to him now."

The calm atmosphere rippled violently, the shock evident as the girls were taken aback.

"HUH!?" Ayami, along with Ayaka and Maya exclaimed in unison, their voices echoing in the hallway.

••• ••• •••

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