PHASE 37 - SO I’M THE ENEMY NOW?

The sunlight shoved upon my face. It was already seven in the morning, and the first thing I saw is this familiar wooden ceiling. There are birds chirping nearby, which was immediately outsounded when a gust of wind rustles the trees.

I’m at the Kozukata Shrine in Heightsburg City. I felt a sudden jolt inside the nerves of my brain. Thanks to it, I remembered everything that happened last night.

Chrisprel, Ranley, Daughty. They’re all dead. I went haywire and activated a Fake God Core, tried to kill Diadem, but that bastard escaped because of Tiara’s help. I was so enraged at that time that I may not be in control of myself, but I’m sure of one thing.

It was not a dream. Oh, I certainly wish it was.

The door creaked open, and the face of an adorable petite blonde showed up. She was carrying a tray for my breakfast.

“You’re finally awake,” Amy muttered. Somebody’s telling me that she’s smiling but suppressing her agony. “You slept for twenty-six hours straight due to fatigue. Come to eat your breakfast, and after that, I’ll call an immediate meeting.”

My breakfast should make me a lot more joyful since it’s bacon, beef patties and thick-cut potato fries with spicy ketchup. It’s my favorite breakfast but I barely noticed that I’m eating it.

<>

After I ate my breakfast, I went to the conference room of the shrine. There was a wide round table in a tidy room. There, Amy was already discussing something when I took my presence. Helena, Asumi, Ayano, Tiara, Key, and Kristoff seems to be waiting for me.

“Sit,” Amy said. She was folding her hands and had her chin lean to it, making it a serious expression. I feel like I just got called in the principal’s office for questioning a bad deed.

“I’m sorry if we wanted you to delay your mourning for a second," Amy said. “But we need you to explain something. You had a , don’t you?”

“You’re a lot more perceptive than I thought, Amy.” I raised my shoulders and gave an empty smile.

“So you saw the death of Chrisprel, Ranley, and Daughty.” Helena had her hands crossed. “You should have told us earlier. If only you trusted us in advance, we could have prevented it.”

What the heck? Helena wasn’t like this! She acts like a freaking supervisor right now. I’m so irritated that I feel should slap her with a lot of spoilers ahead. “It was because it was too horrible!” I shouted.

“We are your comrades, so you should trust us most,” Ayano commented.

“But you didn’t. Maybe we should not have trusted you in the first place. You even tried to kill Tiara.” Asumi added.

All of them are glaring at me with contempt! Did I do something wrong? Why am I taking all the blame!?

Being on a frying pan has never been so stressful. I completely lost my temper and shouted to all of them.

“It’s because all of you will die!” I cried. “Everyone will meet their untimely end! Chrisprel, Ranley, Daughty! They’re all dead! I was just lucky to save Heushac and Mr. Kent! But there will be more deaths! Helena, you will be next! Amy, you too! All shrine maidens here in this darn mountain will be gone! Everybody will die, except me… and… ”

Everybody in this room became silent, except for my heavy breathing. The air was cold, but I’m drenched in sweat. I turned to Tiara, who has been bowing the whole time to hide her face. But she has no escape with my index finger.

“That witch,” I said. “I saw in my that Tiara… is a Cursed Guardian… In the end, I will be tormented by the Brightmore Witch for all eternity...”

“That’s impossible!” Ayano stood up and slammed her fist on the table, leaving a crack. “If there is a traitor here, that will be you! Alaric Eisenhower! You’re the one that hurt Tiara and Jeannette with your hands! There’s a tremendous amount of hatred in your heart that we’re not even sure if you’re possessed by an Eidolon!!!”

Somebody is pulling Ayano’s hand to settle down and cleanse her rage. It was Tiara, who was having this sad face all along. “Please stop, Miss Ayano.” She said.

This damned witch slowly stood up and raised her point.

“Yes… It’s true that I may be a witch, but… I will never betray my friends! You should know that I will never do a bad thing to you, Rikkun!”

“Stop calling me Rikkun! You’re nothing like a friend to me!” I yelled out. “You protected your genocidal twin on your own conviction!”

Tears started to flow, and I know it’s from the bottom of her heart. I did hit the bullseye but made me guilty at the same time. She tried to muster all the courage she got and raised her voice.

“...Diadem is still there!” Tiara hollered. “H-He said that he wanted to see me. He’s the only f-family I know. I may have done something wrong, but…I… I... I just want my twin brother back…”

“So you’re saying that the lives of Chrisprel, Ranley, and Daughty don’t matter at all?!” I clenched my fists and gritted. “They tried to fight even though they know they’re powerless. They tried to flee and hang on for dear life. But they got butchered and charred like an animal, unable to achieve anything! All I can do to honor them is to avenge their deaths! And they are my irreplaceable friends! Do you even know what ‘friendship’ really is!?”

“...I-I’m sorry… R-Rikkun…It’s all m-my fault...” Tiara is really crying right now.

She’s holding her aching heart, but she won’t fool me from those dramatic acting! Idols like her are experts in faking their personality after all!

“I should have let you die in the first place.” My icy-cold glare at the witch became the knock-out punch in this worthless debate.

“Stop it, you two!” Amy said calmly as she slammed the table.

Everybody mumbled with their seatmate, while I settle down in my seat. Tiara may be feeling a lot more like shit right now. Her eyes are full of despair and lifeless.

When she realized that her cheeks are soaked with her own tears, she covered her full face with her hands and ran out of the scene. The two shrine maidens Ayano and Asumi followed her.

There was a tap on my shoulder. It was Kristoff. “You went overboard there.” He said.

“Why do you friggin care?” I answered with the same cold glare.

I scanned the surroundings and noticed that the remaining people in this round table had their eyes on me as if I’m the enemy. I’m not dumb enough to be unable to read the atmosphere. Why are they looking at me like that!? They should focus more on that traitorous witch!

I don’t want to argue any longer, for it will be pointless. I stood up from my seat and walked away.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Amy asked.

“I feel like I’m in the frying pan right now. My friends just got murdered, and you guys look at me like I’m the bad guy. I would want to go home and take a break from everything that’s going on.”

“I-It’s not like that… Ric.” Amy held my cold hand. “We know that you’re having a hard time, but… Please don’t let hatred consume your heart.”

“Are you my nanny? Don’t tell me what to do!” I shook her hand off me and proceeded to the exit. But as I left the room, I can hear my childhood friend’s voice.

“... Don’t let your negative emotions flow through you… If you lose to your hatred, you’ll turn into a Cursed Guardian… “