Chapter 18: Reality, or Illusion

Sylphie caught the naked Emily in her arms and the group gathered in the middle to check up on her.

“How’s the princess?” asked Reimuz, his face still somewhat pale and he reeked of death.

“Unconscious, from the looks of it,” the beautiful woman with sparkling green hair said with a smile. She turned to his right and accepted the cloak that Celes handed over to cover the girl in her arms.

Reimuz’s eyes widened when he saw the bulging region jiggle in front of him. If only her ears were long and pointed, she would be like an adult version of Celes, which he found so damn attractive.

His eyes tarried at that exposed opening of her dress and he took a big gulp. “I really am thankful that you three came. I feel like I would be a goner if you hadn’t.”

Cliona slumped on his arms and buried her face on his neck. “When we get home, I need my reward,” she looked up to him with a devilish smirk. “I’ll go for now. I am so exhausted.”

“Alright, you did well. Have a pleasant rest,” he patted her head and Cliona shook her head to enjoy his palm. Then she dissipated into spirit particles while licking her lips.

Reimuz never knew if she was serious or she was just teasing him. He felt pleasantly embarrassed, as he always did when Cliona clung to him. But because he did not deny her, it made things bad on the other end. As usual.

Celes folded her arms and curved her lips to a childish pout. “How close of you.”

Reimuz held his head with one hand and shook it as he sighed. “What are you getting jealous for?”

“I am not,” she denied with flushed cheeks.

“Yes, you are—” he wanted to rebuke her even more, but a sudden noise on the pile of rubble prevented him from doing so.

They turned their heads simultaneously and looked in the direction with dread in their heart. A figure emerged from the rocks, with a half chipped mask, revealing her dark brownish eyes and pale white face.

Reimuz wobbled and picked up the spirit sword lying on the ground. He held the sword forward and confronted the familiar figure with Celes by his side.

“Should I subdue her?” Sylphie suggested as she carefully laid the unconscious troublemaker on an even surface. With her strength and speed, it would no doubt be an easy task.

But Reimuz raised a hand to stop her. “It’s fine. I’d like to have a proper conversation with her first.”

His lingering feelings aside, he wanted to know her reasons and even continue their conversation that had been interrupted when the monster appeared. Then again, he hoped it was only because of that.

The girl tottered, trying to regain her balance. It would seem that she took a considerable amount of damage from that monstrous fall. Her hair was bloodied and even though her lower lip was bruised it curved into a bitter smile.

“Cyn, were you the one who caused all of this?” asked Reimuz, wishing that she would say no, even if it was a lie.

“What would you do if I am?” she replied nonchalantly, reloading her compact pistol at the same time. She pulled out the half-emptied magazine and slid it back in her pocket. Reaching out from the other pocket of her robe, she pulled out a fully loaded magazine and sealed it back into her gun with a click.

“I won’t do anything. I’m planning to let you go either way. I just want to know your reasons,” he felt Celes clenched his shirt the moment he declared that, but he was firm on his decision.

“When will you stop being naïve, Kei?” She grasped the top of her gun and slid it backwards.

“Until you tell me a proper reason why,” he chided, and it was damn effective.

The girl rolled her eyes. “Let me ask you a question then. Where were you before all of this began?”

He understood her question. “Me? I was living in my Mom’s hometown, Fuji.”

While fiddling with her gun, the girl threw another question. “How long ago was that?”

Reimuz smiled wryly. “A year before I asked my Father if I could live by myself.”

“Interesting…” The girl regarded his words with amusement, as if she discovered something by herself. “Have you ever felt something is amiss? Like something is missing?”

He scratched his head and wondered. “What’s the purpose of these questions?”

“Just answer me,” the girl forced the conversation her way with a dismissive tone.

He started thinking about how she regarded things with great importance. Things that appeared too difficult for him to understand. He did not know her reason for asking such obscure questions, but whatever her reasons may be, he wanted to help her. Somehow.

“Well, it’s hard for me to say,” Reimuz clutched his chin and tilted his head. “But don’t we all have that feeling ourselves? What about you, Cyn? What were you doing before you arrived here?”

“Shouldn’t you be asking what happened to me right after your bullet pierced my skull?” She reminded him of something unpleasant. A distant memory they both kept deep inside.

“It wasn’t me who did it,” a small yet tragic memory flashed in his head. But it was all in the past. “I-I was positive you died.”

“So they told you I died.”

“No, I saw your coffin entombed underneath the earth myself.”

She clicked her tongue. “Bastards… Let me ask you a different question then.”

He nodded. “Go right ahead.”

“What do you think about this world?”

“This world, eh?” Reimuz shot a quick glance over his shoulder, and there he saw his answer. “I love it,” there was no hesitation in his voice.

“Not in regards whether you love it or not!” She stomped on the floor, her hands curling into fists at her side. “Don’t you feel it? This world is too gamey, you’ve played games, and you should feel it too.”

Reimuz shook his head. “I understand where you’re coming from. It was my biggest fear. What if this world is but a virtual reality? I kept asking myself those questions, however, after living here for almost a month, those worries went away. These sensations are too real to be artificial.”

“But you’ve seen it in movies. Government pulling the strings, backing up a weird shady organization.”

“You’ve watched too much sci-fi,” he snorted at her.

“And you’re dumb for not thinking outside of the box,” she snorted back with her arms folded over her chest, her pistol pointed sideways.

“Well, I guess I am… So, what will you do now? Won’t you join me?”

“I can’t,” her expression turned grim all of a sudden.

“Why not?”

“Because I can’t,” she shrugged, throwing her personal feelings aside.

Reimuz did not push the matter any further. She must have her reasons, reasons that she could not tell or explain, but he wanted her know that he was there, if she ever needed his help.

“I’ll see you,” the girl murmured, ending their closed-lip silence. She started to leave, walking past the other two who kept their tongues and opinions to themselves.

For a moment, something tightened around Reimuz’s heart. He attempted to resist the urge, but it was futile.

“I’m sorry,” it left his mouth like a whisper, but the girl stopped, as if she felt his heartfelt emotions.

He knew she had little trust in words, because words were incapable of expressing the ultimate truth. And whether it created a starting point for them, he could not tell. Not when half of her expression was masqueraded behind that mask.

The girl clutched her arm holding the pistol. She turned sideways and offered a sad smile. “Now it makes sense why I started with such a ridiculous title. Broken Hearted Childhood Friend—I guess I’m still broken even now,” she laughed softly, and went her own way.

Reimuz watched her until she disappeared in the distance, then he stood in front of Celes, showing a smile free of judgment and artifice. “Well, let’s go back?”

Celes returned his smile. “Let’s not forget your friend too.”

He knew that she was holding herself back from asking. From asking a multitude of questions he never had an answer for since it was undoubtedly a mystery for him too.

“Ah, he’s still alive?” said Reimuz with a grin.

“I think so,” she grinned with him too.

Reimuz then glanced at the wind spirit and Sylphie nodded with a wry smile. Sylphie picked up the sleeping beauty, while Reimuz sprinted at full speed to pick up his dying friend. It was about time for the four of them to get out of that blasted place.

Spoiler : Chapter 18: Reality, or Illusion

Sylphie caught the naked Emily in her arms and the group gathered in the middle to check up on her.

“How’s the princess?” asked Reimuz, his face still somewhat pale and he reeked of death.

“Unconscious, from the looks of it,” the beautiful woman with sparkling green hair said with a smile. She turned to his right and accepted the cloak that Celes reached out to cover the girl in her arms.

Reimuz’s eyes widened when he saw the bulging region jiggle in front of him. If only her ears were long and pointed, she would be like an adult version of Celes, which he found so damn attractive.

His eyes tarried at that exposed opening of her dress and he took a big gulp. “I really am thankful that you three came. I feel like I would be a goner if not.”

Cliona slumped on his arms and buried her face on his neck. “Then give me my reward, when we get home,” She looked up to him with a devilish smirk. “I’ll go for now. I am so exhausted.”

“Alright, you did well. Have a pleasant rest,” he patted her head and Cliona shook her head to enjoy his palm. Then she dissipated into spirit particles while licking her lips.

Reimuz never knew if she was serious or she was just teasing him. He felt pleasantly embarrassed, as he always did when Cliona clung to him. But because he did not denied her, it made things bad on his other end. As usual.

Celes folded her arms and curved her lips to a childish pout. “How close of you.”

Reimuz held his head with one hand and shook it as he sighed. “What are you getting jealous for?”

“I am not,” she denied it with flushed cheeks.

“Yes, you are—” he wanted to rebuke her even more, but a sudden noise on the pile of rubbles prevented him from doing so.

They turned their heads simultaneously and looked at that direction with dread in their heart. A figure emerged from the rocks, with a half chipped mask, revealing her dark brownish eyes and pale white face.

Reimuz wobbled and picked up the spirit sword lying on the ground. He held the sword forward and confronted the familiar figure with Celes on his side.

“Should I subdue her?” Sylphie suggested as she carefully lay the unconscious troublemaker on an even surface. With her strength and speed, it would no doubt be an easy task.

Reimuz raised a hand to stop her. “It’s fine. I’d like to have a proper conversation with her first.”

His lingering feelings aside, he wanted to know her reasons and continue their stalled conversation before the monster appeared. Then again, he hoped it was only because of that.

The girl tottered, trying to regain her balance. It would seem that she took a considerable amount of damage from that monstrous fall. Her hair was bloodied and her lower lip bruised, which also showed a bitter smile.

“Cyn, where you the one who caused all of this?” asked Reimuz, wishing that she would say no, even if she had to lie.

“What would you do if I am?” she replied nonchalantly, reloading her compact pistol at the same time. She pulled out the half-emptied magazine and slid it in her pocket. Reaching out from the other pocket of her robe, she pulled out a fully loaded magazine and sealed it back in her gun with a click.

“I won’t do anything. I’m planning to let you go either way. I just want to know your reasons,” he felt Celes clenched his shirt the moment he declared that, but he was firm on his decision.

“When will you stop being naive Reimuz?” she grasped the top of her gun and slid it backwards.

“Until you tell me a proper reason why,” he said to chide and it was damn effective.

The girl rolled her eyes. “Let me ask you a question then. Where were you before all of this began?”

He understood her question. “Me? I was living in my Mom’s hometown, Fuji.”

“How long ago was that?” she threw another question while fiddling with her gun.

Reimuz smiled wryly. “A year before I asked my Father if I could live by myself.”

The girl regarded his words with amusement, as if she discovered something by herself. “Interesting… Have you ever felt something is amiss? Like something is missing?”

He scratched his head and wondered. “What’s the purpose of these questions?”

“Just answer me,” the girl forced the conversation her way with a dismissive tone.

He started thinking how she regarded things with great importance. Things that appeared too difficult for him to understand. He does not know her reason for asking such obscurity, but whatever her reasons maybe, he wanted to help her. Somehow.

“Well, it’s hard for me to say,” Reimuz clutched his chin and tilted his head. “But don’t we all have that feeling ourselves? What about you, Cyn? What were you doing before you got here?”

“Shouldn’t you be asking what happened to me right after your bullet pierced my skull?” she reminded him of something unpleasant. A distant memory they both kept deep inside.

“It wasn’t me who did it,” a small yet tragic memory flashed in his head. But it was all in the past. “I, I was positive you died.”

“So they told you I died.”

“No, I saw your coffin entombed underneath earth myself.”

She clicked her tongue. “Bastards… Let me ask you a different question then.”

“Go right ahead.”

“What do you think about this world?”

Reimuz shot a quick glance over his shoulder, and there he saw his answer. “I love it,” there was no hesitation in his voice.

“Not in regards whether you love it or not!” She stomped on the floor, her hands fisting on her sides. “Don’t you feel it? This world is too gamey, you’ve played games, you should feel it too.”

Reimuz shook his head. “I understand where you’re coming from. It was my biggest fear. What if this world is but a virtual reality? I kept asking myself those questions, however, after living here for almost a month, those worries went away. These sensations are too real to be artificial.”

“But you’ve seen it in movies. Government pulling the strings, backing up a weird shady organization.”

“You’ve watched too much sci-fi,” he snorted at her.

“And you’re dumb for not thinking outside of the box,” she snorted back with her arms folded over her chest, her pistol pointed sideways.

“Well, I guess I am… So, what will you do now? Won’t you join me?”

“I can’t,” her expression turned grim all of a sudden.

“Why not?”

“Because I can’t,” she shrugged, casting her personal feelings aside.

Reimuz did not push the matter any further. She must have her reasons, reasons that she could not tell or explain, but he wanted her know that he was there, if she ever needed his help.

“I’ll see you,” the girl said, ending their closed lip silence. She started her pace, walking passed by the other two who kept their tongue and opinions to themselves.

For a moment, something tightened around Reimuz’s heart. He resisted the urge, but it was futile.

“I’m sorry,” it left his mouth like a whisper, but the girl stopped, as if she felt his heartfelt emotions.

He knew she had little trust in words, because words were incapable of expressing the ultimate truth. And whether it created a starting point for them, he could not tell. Not when half of her expression was masqueraded behind that mask.

The girl clutched her arm holding the pistol. She turned sideways and offered a sad smile. “Now it makes sense why I started with such a ridiculous title. Broken hearted childhood friend—I guess I’m still broken even now,” she laughed softly, and went on her merry way.

Reimuz watched her until she disappeared in the distance, then he stood in front of Celes, showing a smile free of judgement and artifice. “Well, let’s go back?”

Celes returned his smile. “Let’s not forget your friend too.”

He knew that she was holding herself back from asking. From asking a multitude of questions that he never had an answer of since it was undoubtedly a mystery for him too.

“Ah, he’s still alive?” said Reimuz with a grin.

“I think so,” she grinned with him too.

Reimuz glance at the quiet spirit and she nodded with a wry smile. Sylphie picked up the sleeping beauty, while Reimuz sprinted at full speed to pick up his drying friend. It was about time for the four of them to get out of that blasted place.

Many thanks to DemonWing for helping me proofread this chapter! Cookies to him please!