If defined by its true meaning written in the dictionaries of her world, was a pure and strong feeling that you feel towards someone whose happiness has suddenly become more important to you than your own. The most notable example of this sensation was that of God, a being who loved his children more than he loved himself.
According to the tales inscribed in the books of the Underworld, the infamous God of Heaven was supposed to be the creator of this feeling and bestowed it upon his children so that they too would be able to relish the elixir that was love. It was because of him and the emotion known as love, that entities of his world were finally able to settle down in a false peace. If not for love, then they would have been fighting with each other for eternity.
"Then why is my life completely devoid of it?" Rias whispered to herself, her face contouring into a scowl as she gazed at the stars in the skies above.
They were looking as beautiful as ever and just like the old times, she couldn't see a flicker of defect there. They were flawless and why wouldn't they be? They were supposed to be serene and strong after all.
"Strong…"
Sadness overwhelmed the admiration as she remembered the deception she was put in by the members of her family. "They ruined my life." The red-haired girl whispered to herself, clearly recalling the injustice that was done to her for no rational reason. "For my entire life they scolded me to be a strong devil like them, but before I could become one, they threw me with that monster like I was some sort of a worthless object." Tears welled up in her eyes but before they could fall and taint the ground, she wiped them away. They were of no use now. If they couldn't change her life in the past then she was sure they won't change it now either.
Now her whole life was in control of someone else, someone who she barely knew anything about. The only thing she knew about him was that he's a strong devil and if she wanted to stay safe under his care then she needed to control her emotions and follow his orders. These trivial emotions like sadness and anger were her biggest enemy and would make her life a living hell if she didn't learn to control them sooner.
Rias could still remember what her mother-in-law had told her when she had first met her.
'If you want to be happy like me and your mother, then you have to understand that you are a part of Riser's life from now on. Understand that and he will always be nice to you.'
Rias knew her mother-in-law was lying when she uttered those words to her. There was no way she could be happy under a man who saw women as if they were some sort of rare collectibles. Never. She could never be happy with him.
"But what other choice do I have?"
Her current life was nothing more of a tragedy. Never in her scariest dream did she imagine that she would be forced to live a life with a man that viewed her as an object created to satiate his lust. Rias hated it, she hated it with all her heart. Yet, she couldn't run away from it as it was her only way of surviving now. What used to be a girl embellished with bright feathers of freedom and contentment was now turned into a creature that wanted nothing but a sweet release from death.
"It's all because of me. I should have never backed off that day." Rias admonished herself for the thousandth time for not having the courage that day. "I should have jumped off that bridge. At least then I could have been free of all the troubles and my past." Her soft-spoken words went unheard as usual and her heart sank even deeper into the vale of sadness.
'Thud…'
Every thought left her mind as soon as the odd sound of footsteps reached her ears.
"Lady Rias, how many times do I have to tell you that you shouldn't leave your apartment without notifying me?" A familiar voice made itself known to the girl. "I was given the duty to look after you and when you vanish like that, everyone holds me accountable for it." The monotonous voice of the individual made Rias even sadder as they were the living proof of what her life was slowly turning into.
A hell.
"I didn't want anyone to follow me here, Mihae. Just tell me why you are here and leave."
The incoherent sigh that Mihae let out didn't go unheard by Rias, but after living with her for so long, she had gotten used to it. They were like fake threats that meant nothing. "Don't act like you are the one in control, Lady Rias. We both know Master Riser controls everything and when he hears that you have left your apartment without me, he gets very possessive." Unlike her warnings, the fear in Mihae's voice was genuine but still, it had no visible effect on Rias as the girl continued to stare at the beautiful dark skies.
"Hmm…"
An almost invisible smile appeared on Rias' face when she heard Mihae sigh in defeat. If there was one thing that made her boring life somewhat positive then it was annoying Mihae for no reason. It was always nice to see the poor girl shiver and seethe because of her. "Anyway, I just wanted to inform you that Lord Beelzebub has granted your wish to move your peerage members under your mother's care. They no longer belong to you which means that they are no longer included in the marriage contract." Now that shocked Rias to her very core.
Did she hear it right?
"Lady Rias?"
Did her beloved brother actually do something by going against their father?
"Lady Rias you there?"
'Kiba… Gasper… Koneko… And Akeno…'
Tears welled up in her eyes again and this time she did nothing to stop them from falling to the ground.
"Lady…" Mihae stopped midway through her sentence when her ears picked up the sound of Rias' sobs. '...' Eyes down in remorse and respect, she turned her face away from the girl in order to hide her shame. Slave or not, she was still a girl and could feel everything that Rias was feeling at the moment. 'I'm sorry, Lady Rias.' With that thought in mind, she began to walk away from the girl, only to be stopped by her mid-stride.
"T-Thank you for informing me about it, Mihae."
Mihae's lips quivered as she tried to hold back her whimpers.
"Your welcome, Lady Rias."
-Rias' Apartment-
"What are you going to do with your daughter, Lord Gremory?"
"I… I don't know, Marvin. She is good for nothing without that power."
"I know, that's why I asked, Master. Without that power, her importance in that contract is almost nothing. She brings nothing of value to that union."
"I know but there is nothing we can do about it, my friend. Her uselessness has brought nothing but shame to our house in the past few years. I'm afraid that she will only tarnish our reputation further after the marriage."
"That is somewhat-"
Slam!
Silence claimed the room after the sound of glass shattering echoed from the walls of the large and lavish chamber.
"Just look at her, Marvin. She is so pathetic."
"Master-"
"Please don't interrupt me this time. I want to vent out my frustration. So let me have a moment with my daughter."
"As you wish, Master."
"Rias!"
A pair of beautiful blue eyes looked away in shame and fear as they found themselves cornered by the cold gaze of an individual who once used to see as her own with fondness and admiration.
"Why are you so weak, Rias? Why aren't you like your mother and brother? Tell me… Please tell me."
Tears began to well up within them, bestowing them with an unusual charm of innocence and guilt.
"Look at me, my child."
She didn't. She couldn't.
"Look at me… Please…"
A sliver of hope and courage sparked inside her when she heard her father's vulnerable voice. Maybe… just maybe for once, he was being nice to her.
"Look at me, you pathetic excuse for a devil!"
Pain surged through her mind as the cold words of her father entered her ears.
"Do you know how ashamed I feel whenever I meet my friends and talk about you? It always ends up with them making jokes about me and my position in our society. Your weakness is ridiculed everywhere I go."
Rias whimpered as the bitter words of her father settled inside her mind. He was right. It was all because of her.
"They say that you are nothing without that power and that fact makes me angry."
Her eyes turned towards the ground and glanced at her small hands. 'If only I had that power.' She thought as she tried to suppress her cries from her father. Without the power of destruction and strong magic, she was nothing. They were the pride of her family, a symbol that had made them so commendable in the underworld. That is all she had, nothing more. Nothing less.
"Sometimes I think, I should have sent you somewhere far before anyone could have known about you and your weakness. At least then I could have saved our family from embarrassment by telling these people that I have no daughter."
'N-no daughter?'
Tears began to fall from her eyes and stained the bright marble floor beneath her as the bitter realization finally dawned upon her. It was all futile, wasn't it? Her pleas, her cries, and even her precious tears meant nothing to anyone. For them, she was nothing but a pathetic weak girl who should never have been born into their family.
"Maybe after your marriage, I'll be able to live a life devoid of shame."
Pain and grief got replaced by fear as soon as Rias heard those unpleasant words. 'Marriage...' She was going to be married to someone she didn't even know. She would become a slave, an existence worse than death itself. From what she had heard from her caretaker, the boy she was going to be married to was the worst of the worst. He was everything she despised.
'He's just like my father.'
"From what I have heard, the younger son of Lord Phenex is a brilliant lad. I think he'll be able to control you better than your mother and brother."
Control.
Rias' remaining will crumbled down in a second as flashes of her once feasible dreams began to appear in front of her eyes. They were beautiful and were the source of her conviction. It was because of them, she continued to live a life devoid of love and happiness. They were more important than everything for her, as accomplishing them meant being on the same level as her brother, something for which she was ready to sacrifice everything.
'But soon in a few years, I'll be left with nothing but despair and remorse.'
Her lips began to quiver as thoughts of her future life began to fill her mind. They were vile and vicious, completely opposite to what she wanted her life to be.
'No!'
"No!"
-oOo-
"No!"
Draped in a thin layer of sweat and tears, Rias' face tightened a little as her dull blue eyes snapped open in shock, and began to stare at the white ceiling above.
The white plaster wall, the cold blue floor, and the white ceiling above, they were all looking menacing and brazen. It was as if they were taunting her for her failures, dreams that she couldn't achieve.
Even the colors mocked her, the pureness and innocence of white, robbed from her life by her husband. The serenity, stability, inspiration, wisdom, or health of blue, walked upon just like the floor.
"You will be free from this contract, Rias. I promise you that."
Out of all the painful memories hidden inside her brain, a long-forgotten one decided to make itself known again after so many years. 'Brother!' A spark of anger flared within her heart as she recognized the owner of the voice in her mind. It was him, an individual who she used to adore the most, one who had promised to free her from her shackles.
It was because of him, she began to dream those false dreams. He was the one who promised to help her earn the freedom she so much wanted to achieve. If not for her brother, Rias would have never been what she was right now. He gave her false hope and she adopted it without a second thought. "I should have never told him about my dream. Maybe then I could have been like Yubelluna. A puppet without dreams." Rias shook her head and muttered something under her breath.
'What am I thinking?' She whispered. False as they might be, her dreams of freedom were still the only thing that had helped her endure her sad childhood. If not for them, she would have given up the hope a long time ago. So instead of being angry at her brother, she should be thankful to him as he was the one who gave her that hope.
In her sad and depressing childhood, her brother and mother were her only anchor that kept her safe from drowning in the sea of death. Unlike her, who hated her very presence, her mother and brother both loved her to no end. For them, she was their Princess, someone they needed to protect at every cost. Unfortunately for them, by the time they could even help her she was already far gone from their grasps.
"No need to think about them now. It will only deter my mental health more." With that said, Rias left the comforts of her bed and began to walk towards the washroom. "I need to meet Sōna too. Now that my school time is almost over, I think it's time to finally cut off ties with the human world once and for all." Rias whispered to herself while slowly rubbing away the sleep from her eyes.
-oOo-
Kuoh Academy was huge, Rias noted idly as she stared at the huge building of concrete that was standing tall in front of her. It was beautiful, large, and full of life. The children that were going in and out of the building were only giving the establishment a more friendly touch.
Although she had seen the building countless times in the past few years, no matter how much she looked at it, the view of the building could never get old in her eyes. It was and would always remain incredible and invaluable to her.
"Wonder where Sōna is right now," She whispered to herself, eyes still not moving away from the building. There was something serene about it, something that had always made her calm no matter how panicked or sad she was. "Maybe it's because it used to be my second home..." Her statement made her flinch as she realized that she no longer would be able to call it one soon. "But it still gave me many nice memories to live with." That calmed her down a little so she decided to drop the subject for the time being.
As she strolled closer to the building, her heart began to beat faster due to anxiety. She was sad, Rias wouldn't lie about that. And why wouldn't she? She had been a part of this place for so long and now she was being forced to say goodbye to it by people who didn't even know anything about her life and dreams.
"Issei-kun, you are such an impolite individual!"
Sōna's distinct voice immediately brought Rias out of her stupor and forced her to spin towards the direction of the sound.
"Huh?" Rias blinked at the odd scene in front of her, a smile daring to blossom on her lips as she saw the forced smile on Sōna's face. The girl was having a hard time with the boy, the expression on her face was a clear giveaway for that. 'Poor Sōna…' She wanted to laugh at her but even if she tried to, Rias knew she wouldn't be able to muster up a laugh now. The times when she could laugh at or with her friends without a care in the world were long gone. Now, the only thing she could do was flash a fake smile at them.
"Buchou, you are embarrassing me in front of Rias-senpai. It wasn't that big of a deal anyway. I just complimented her breasts."
Rias' focus turned towards the boy. "Issei…" As soon as she laid her eyes on him, a wave of familiar energy blinded her vision. 'He is even stronger now.' She couldn't help but notice as she tried to recollect her thoughts. 'I'm glad he is doing fine with his life. The last time I saw him, he was rather indecent and was having various problems in his life. Maybe Sōna helped him sort out things.' Rias' thoughts then took an unusual turn as she recalled the time she had avoided the chance to get him into her peerage. It was a rather effortless opportunity to capitalize on but for some reason, she didn't.
Rias couldn't bring herself to include another individual in her peerage, only to see him suffer later on in the match against Riser. Sure he had a sacred gear inside him but even that would have changed nothing. Her defeat was inevitable and she wanted no one else to be a part of it. 'But now that I look at him, I can't help but think… Did I make a mistake by not getting him in my peerage?' Her eyes turned towards him again but this time instead of getting thwarted by that energy, she was welcomed by nothing but a shallow pond of lust and sinful thoughts.
'Maybe not…'
"What are you looking at, Rias?" Rias' thoughts were yet again obstructed by Sōna, who was now walking towards her with Issei closely following her behind. "Are you looking at Issei? If yes, then please don't. Issei-kun already has a huge problem with girls and I don't want you to give him any second thoughts by staring at him like that." The way Sōna phrased that statement was odd considering she was supposed to be a calm and well-mannered individual. At that moment, she sounded like she was being cold to her, something that confused Rias a little as she had never seen her friend do that.
"I was not staring at him, Sōna. I was just thinking about something else."
"By something else do you mean your marriage with that man?" Sōna's words were full of contempt and anger. "Or leaving this school and us alone to live somewhere you don't belong to?"
"S-Sōna?" Rias didn't know what her friend was trying to achieve with that change in her behavior but fortunately for her, everything became clear when Sōna opened her mouth again and began to speak.
"President. Call me Student President, Rias. I'm no longer your friend. Our friendship broke up the moment you refused to accept my help that day." Sōna's eyes momentarily turned over to the opposite direction where lots of students were standing and talking to each other. "If you had considered me your friend, then you would have seized Issei before me but you didn't. You rejected him, just like everyone else who I had offered to you before him."
Rias, who was listening to every word, lowered her head in shame.
"Don't act all sad now Rias. We can't change anything now so it's better to move on from it."
"Hmm…
Sona sighed at the girl. "If you are here to collect your graduation certificate then don't worry about it. I'll send it to your home with someone from the department."
Rias' eyes dilated with despair and grief as her ears picked up the sounds of Sōna's footsteps. She was going away from her and she could do nothing but stare at her back hopelessly. 'I'm sorry, Sōna.' She was about to leave too but stopped when Sōna decided to speak out of nowhere.
"Also, since you have nothing to do at your home, I'll send some flyers with your certificate."
Rias was about to ask why but got her answer immediately.
"That will give you a reason to enjoy your last day here without that girl following you. Just tell her it's an assignment from me."
With that said, Sōna left the vicinity with Issei, leaving a sad and somewhat glad Rias all alone to herself.
-oOo-
'N-Naruto-kun!'
'Naruto b-baka!'
'Goodbye, my one and only friend…'
A pair of blue eyes snapped open, staring at the vast brine of vibrant blue that was swashing beneath him wildly, just like the blood inside his heart.
Blood?
He knew that thing. It was red, just like their lips and eyes. He had seen that thing, flowing like an untamed river alongside the corpses of his friends, left behind to decay and be eaten by scavengers that roamed the land. Their lives held no values, at least not in the eyes of the higher authorities who, when the time came, threw them aside like disposable tools on their path to victory.
Those who were left alive to fight soon perished in what could be called one of the worst battles of his life. A battle that held his world at stake and with the world at stake, sacrifices were inevitable. And so they were made and made very quickly. Thousands lost their lives to keep what they deemed to be precious alive. Some held their families precious while others considered the safety of their village the topmost priority.
He was one of them too, fighting alongside those to protect what he considered precious. His friends. They were his everything. His whole life revolved around them, especially those two, his beloved teammates. 'Sasuke and Sakura.' Even the mention of their names brought up those painful memories that he had been trying to suppress for all these years. Why? Because those memories reminded him just how badly he had failed as a savior, as a shinobi, but most importantly as a friend. He was supposed to protect them.
"My life is no longer worth living. I don't deserve to after letting everyone down." He whispered in a steel voice, daring not to step back from what he was about to do. There was no reason to continue on anymore, especially in this entirely different realm. He had achieved what he was delegated to do in his own world. Now, the only thing that was left for him to attain was death. A sweet and cold slumber that would take him to the beautiful place where his friends and family were waiting.
"I hope this time, I'll be able to meet everyone." His dull and damp eyes looked over the huge body of water for the last time before getting concealed behind the curtains of darkness, leaving behind his senses to feel the coldness of this unusual night. "I'm-" Words vanished from his mouth and his eyes snapped open when he heard someone's voice from behind.
"Man… I mizz those oohld daez, Shero."
Naruto blinked as he wiped the tears away from his eyes with the help of his sleeves.
"Ywahhh… Yamatooo… those daeezz were the besstt."
From the sound of their voice, both men appeared to be drunk and clueless about their surroundings; that made Naruto breathe a sigh of relief. For a moment, he had thought that those two were the night patrol guards but was glad to know that wasn't the case.
"Sitingg awwlongside our maathers and enjoying the fuud."
Naruto was getting impatient now.
"Espeshiially raa..mayn. Hakata raamayn is bezzt man. Itzz out of tis wurld!"
That particular statement caught Naruto's attention instantly. 'Ramen?' He thought to himself as he slowly sat down on the solid embankments of the bridge.
"Itzz a must tryy befuer you die, Shiro!"
Blue eyes widened in surprise as they followed the men until they slowly vanished into the darkness of the night, without batting an eye on him. It was as if he didn't even exist for them but that wasn't what shocked Naruto. Instead, it was their words that attracted his attention and ignited the flames of curiosity within him. "Hakata Ramen…" he recalled the name that man had given to the ramen. "What's so special about it?" His mind couldn't help but wonder how amazing the flavor of ramen could be that a man declared them to be a dish one must eat before dying. While he was busy thinking about the amazing dish he had just learned about, a gust of cold wind flew by his side and brought him out of his stupor.
His mind was no longer distracted to learn more about that dish. Instead, it was back to reminiscing about the losses that he had endured during that tragic war. "No… I can't waste any more time. They must be waiting for me on the other side. I can't be late. Not this time," with that unwavering conviction in his heart, Uzumaki Naruto again stood on the boundary and closed his eyes, waiting to take the last step that would emancipate him from this hell.
"I'm sorry, everyone." Winds picked up the pace and waves began to rise in the river as Naruto lifted his feet, aiming to jump as high as he could for one last time. It would be his last jump, a jump that would release him from the bindings of his past.
'Hakata Ramen. The most delicious ramen in the world!'
'It's a must try!'
'Ramen…'
With shame shimmering within them, Naruto's eyes unfolded to look around his surroundings. "I want to eat it…" Was the first thing that left his lips as he retracted his feet and sat down on the cold surface, feeling nothing but empty on the inside. "I'm not sure if there's ramen on the other side. Why not try it before I go?" He whispered, his voice devoid of any emotions whatsoever.
Was it wrong to ask for something like that while you were committing suicide? He did not know. He had never tried to kill himself before but what he knew was that his broken heart wanted to have this ramen before dying. "It can be my last wish," A small smile dared to appear on his face at that comment but his grief filled mind murdered it before it could even accomplish anything.
"Hakata Ramen…"
-oOo-
It'd been a while since Naruto had touched a book, let alone read one thoroughly to get some information about what? A very popular variety of Ramen.
From what he had read, Hakata Ramen was not a regionally limited variety of ramen and was available throughout most of the important cities of Japan. Although it first originated in the Hakata industrial area of Fukuoka city, this ramen soon became so popular that shops all around Japan began to serve it to their customers, and luckily for him, the city that he was in right now also had a shop that served this ramen too. "Now where is that shop?" Naruto murmured as he began to flip through the glossy pages of the massive travel guide.
Countless minutes passed by but Naruto was unable to find anything about that particular ramen shop. It was as if the shop didn't exist at all in the first place. "Where is it?!-"
"Shhh… you aren't supposed to yell in a library, young man."
Naruto paused and turned around to look at the person who had just interrupted his search. He was an old man, maybe in his mid 80s or something, and had a face that radiated an aura of confidence and experience. The young man was confused as to why the elder insisted on maintaining silence when the librarian wasn't near them, he knew those rules were only to be looked after if the staff was nearby. Even staff didn't follow it wholeheartedly, as the librarian girl squealed whenever Shikamaru was nearby but an apology was given. "I'm sorry." In the end, it wasn't his world. It was an entirely different world and he had no clue what was going on here, nor did he care to know.
"No problem, my child." The old man smiled at him, a gesture that caught Naruto by surprise. There was something familiar with that man's smile, it reminded him of someone special, someone very close to his heart.
'Ero-sennin!' And just like that, his already broken heart shattered into a billion more pieces as his mind scampered through the precious memories of that ignoramus pervert. Moisture started to amass inside his eyes but before it could fall out, Naruto took a sharp breath and peered away from the man's nostalgic smile. "I-"
The man surprised him yet again by putting a hand over his head and gently ruffling his bright blond hair. "What happened to you, boy? You look sad." Every word that man spoke pierced Naruto's heart like a sharp edged needle.
"No…" Naruto wasted no time in answering because the last thing he wanted was to have second thoughts about his ultimate objective. He might have toughened up on the outside but his heart and mind were still as fragile as they used to be when he had first participated in that bloody war. "I'm fine, just a bit tired from traveling." His answer wasn't enough to satisfy the man as he continued to stare at him with those warm honey eyes.
"Sure." Finally, the man looked away and glanced at the book that he was reading. "Are you an avid traveler?" He asked in his elderly voice.
"Yeah. I have been traveling from city to city for the past few years." It was a lie and Naruto didn't think the man would fall for it but he was thoroughly surprised when instead of laughing at his answer, the man began to flip the pages of the book. From the looks of it, it seemed like he was trying to find something inside those glossy papers. 'But what?' He thought.
His answers came in the form of a boisterous laugh from the man, a laugh that contradicted the earlier statement of the old man about being silent in the library. "You were searching for Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen right?" The man asked.
"Yes, but how-"
"I was listening to your ramblings for a while now." Another muffled laugh escaped those dry lips of the man, making Naruto upset by the fact that the man was eavesdropping on his private matter. The man had a lot more in common with Jiraiya than he had previously guessed. "Anyways, I don't think you will like Hakata ramen, boy."
Now that took Naruto by surprise. What did the man mean by that? Why wouldn't he like Hakata tonkotsu ramen? They were supposed to be the best in the world according to those drunk men and as far as he knew, drunk people never lied. "What do you mean by that?" He asked with an urgency in his voice. If this man was right then there was no reason for him to waste any more time in this strange world.
"I mean, there's no competition to the original Hakata ramen that is served in Fukuoka. Nothing can beat that, not even the ones that are served in Tokyo."
The words of the man finally began to make sense in a way. 'He is right.' Naruto thought as he recalled the origin of the delicious ramen. They were first created there, so it was natural for them to taste spectacular in their home but that didn't mean-
"Fukuoka's Hakata ramen is different, boy. They are a must try."
'Ok. They are different.' Depression began to kindle inside his mind again. "How am I supposed to eat them now?" He was defeated yet again, by no one but his own luck.
"You can visit Fukuoka. It isn't that far from here." The man's voice brought him out of his sad thoughts.
"Really?"
The man nodded. "Only around 1500 km or something." Old wrinkled eyes curved down when they saw the disappointed look on the boy's face. For some reason, it made him sad. "You can travel by Shinkansen, my child. It won't take that long." He tried to lighten up his mood but unfortunately, the sadness only worsened.
"I don't have money," Naruto answered, surprising the man.
"I see." Now everything clicked inside the man's mind. The boy was poor. "Then I can't help you, boy." He said, appearing truly sorry for the lack of assistance from his side. He wanted to help but sadly didn't have the money to share.
Naruto nodded his head solemnly. "No problem, it isn't that big of a deal anyway. I just wanted to taste it." He tried to smile at the man, he really did, but happiness was something that had left his side a long time ago. Now his lips could not even form a fake smile. What used to be a sky full of kindling smiles was now nothing but a swamp of tears. The descent of grief and pain had washed away those smiles.
"Well, you can try earning money. You are young and healthy, I don't think you'll find it hard to get a job here in this city. What is your age?"
"19."
A smile materialized on the lips of the man. "Excellent, you can easily get a part-time job, boy!" The happiness in his voice did not last long when the boy abruptly stood up and began to walk away from him. "Hey-"
"Thank you for your time, sir."
At that moment nothing more was shared between the two but the elderly man saw everything in those blue eyes.
'Hopelessness.'
"WAIT!" The old man shouted out, making Naruto stop in his tracks. "I'm sure that you must have suffered greatly to have eyes like that, but know this. The past does not exist to remind us that the future cannot be changed. It exists to remind us what the future can be. Don't lose hope lad, you will find your happiness one day."
Naruto did not respond, and continued walking out.
-Later that night-
The air above the mountain top was cold, so cold that even Rias was finding it difficult to stand against it.
Maybe it was because of her current mental condition or maybe it was because the nights were always colder than the days. Whatever it was, Rias was finding it hard to stand against the winds today.
'Speaking of nights...'
Nights were dark too and the darkness that they brought with them was always dreadful, so dreadful that they made her realize how lonely she was now. What used to be her favorite time of the day had now turned into a moment that she desperately wanted to ignore every time.
The Moon above, the stars beyond, and the stillness around no longer pleased her heart how they used to do in the past. In the past, they were her valued treasures but now they were nothing more than reminiscences of her suffering.
"I wonder what my friends are doing right now?" Rias whispered, hoping to get an answer from someone but was met with nothing but heart wrenching silence.
'Hhahhh!'
Rias blinked when the distinct sound of teeth chattering entered her ears. Confused by the abrupt interruption by the sound, she slowly turned her head to her side and was surprised to see a boy sitting a few meters away from her.
From the sounds that his mouth was making, Rias could easily deduce that he was not doing well against the cold winds. His whole body was shivering and the clothes that he was wearing could barely protect him from the cold.
A part of her wanted to tell him to leave or at least get some clothes that could withstand the cold winds but the reasonable part stopped her from doing so. "Well, I'm not wearing any good clothes either." A small smile bloomed on her lips as Rias took notice of her own clothes.
Ordinary and modest, they were nothing more than a basic set of a white t-shirt, black leather jacket, and navy blue shorts. They were doing their job of concealing her intimate parts but other than that everything was almost exposed to the cold winds.
"Haaahhh!"
Her ear perked up when the identical sound from before infiltrated her ears again. Looking to her side, Rias' lips formed a scowl when she saw him again, this time shivering even more than before. The sight was hard to watch, especially when she knew that the boy would not be able to survive this night with how cold it was.
"Hey, stranger!" She finally decided to help him.
Dead and cold as she might appear on the outside, she was still Rias Gremory and Rias could never let innocent people suffer in front of her no matter who they were. "Hello?" Her eyes squinted a little when she got no answer from him. "Hey, stranger!" She yelled again, this time a little louder but the results were the same.
Confused and concerned, she began to walk towards the boy, all while being on her guard for any uncalled attack. Thieves were a lot common in this part of Kuoh, so him being one won't surprise her much. After finally reaching her destination, she began to evaluate the boy, taking note of any harm on his body and thankfully found none. "Hey!" She whispered, not trying to surprise him with her presence.
'...'
A cold gust of wind clashed with their bodies, making their hair dance wildly in the air. Between that dance, his deep blue orbs met her greenish blue eyes and froze her to her place.
Whatever she had in her mind perished away as the emotions that were illuminating within his eyes silenced her. Just like hers, his eyes were almost barren, filled with nothing but helplessness and suffering. They were like an endless ocean of sadness and for a moment made Rias wonder whether or not she was looking in a mirror.
"Yes?" The boy whispered as his bright blonde hair fell back to its original state
Rias gulped, still stunned by what she had just witnessed. "I-I… W-what…" Her mind was running wild and refused to form any words to aid her in the situation she found herself in. She wanted to see them, her mind wanted to see his eyes again. The beautiful yet similar eyes that were now concealed behind those blonde tresses of his, she wanted to see them.
For a moment her mind couldn't understand what was happening to her but eventually, the sad realization began to settle down on her.
He was just like her.
Rias sighed to herself and sat down beside the boy on the wooden bench, blinking slightly when the boy recoiled away from her. "Are you ok?" She finally asked her as she noticed that he was still shivering.
"Y-yes…"
His answer might have been short and insignificant but his fake tough and shaky voice told Rias everything she wanted to know. "I see…" Yet she made no effort to help him.
Why?
Simple, she did not know what to do. The situation she was stuck in was rather unusual and how was she supposed to help him with his troubles when she herself was also suffering from the same problem. So disregarding the subject entirely, she went silent and turned her eyes towards the dark sky to gaze at the endless brine of stars and darkness.
'Huh?'
She tilted her head in confusion when she noticed something unusual. 'It is looking a little bit more bearable than before. But how?' She asked herself because a few moments ago, the sky looked soul crushing, just how it always had been for a long time now. But now, it looked different, it was the same sky but something about it was different.
Rias' eyes widened when another gust of wind made contact with her skin and before she could even understand what was going on, her eyes unconsciously swiveled to look at the boy's face, hoping to get another look at his eyes.
"..." She almost gasped when the boy's hair flew high in the air and moved away from his face, rewarding her with a fascinating view of his eyes again.
Within those few seconds, she saw everything. His eyes, the sadness hidden within them, the tears, she saw everything.
"W-what are you looking at?"
Rias snapped out of her stupor and immediately looked away from the boy. "N-nothing!" She answered, shame evident in her voice.
"You are already married," The boy whispered, pointing at the beautiful and expensive ring that was shining brightly on her finger. "So don't try to… achoo!"
Rias, who was staring at her ring with sadness in her eyes, moved her attention back to his concealed face when she heard him sneeze. "Here," She immediately unwrapped her jacket from her body and offered it to the boy.
"..."
The two went silent for a while before the boy spoke again.
"I don't need that."
Rias was fast to question back. "Why?"
"Because I like these cold winds."
Now that rendered her silent. 'How could he like these winds when he is clearly suffering because of them?' Rias' mind went awry again but this time she controlled it before it could go any further. 'There is no need to worry about him.' She finally concluded. He knew what he was doing and she had no right to stop him from doing that.
With that, the two went silent again, doing what they were doing before they had indulged in that awkward conversation.
"Hey, stranger!"
After what seemed like an eternity, the boy opened his mouth again, tugging his beautiful hair backward so that he could see her clearly.
"Hmm?" Although surprised by his sudden call, Rias still didn't turn her head towards him. She did not want to look like she was interested in him or anything similar to that.
"How can I earn a lot of money in a short time?"
Although it was a question from his perspective but for Rias, it was all she needed from him. That simple question made her understand what she so dearly wanted to know from him. 'He's poor and has a lot of debt.' Humans were like that. Unlike devils, they didn't have an unlimited source of money, so finding themselves trapped in a financial crisis was common for them.
"Are you listening?"
Rias blinked and glanced at the boy, only to lower her head in shame when she realized that she forgot to answer his question. "Yes, I was listening." She blurted out to amend her previous mistake. "As for your question, I'm sorry I don't know any job that can pay you a lot of money in a short time."
Her shameful expression and remorse-filled tone earned her a small smile from the boy. "It's ok." He whispered and began to gaze at the stars again.
Rias, who was watching his face from the side, couldn't help but feel bad for him. From what she had seen till now, the boy seemed like a decent human, and to see such a being in so much pain reminded her of herself. "If you don't mind me asking, can I know why you want such a job?" She asked him, no doubt interested in knowing the cause behind his troubles.
The boy glanced at her for a moment before he turned his head away from her. It was as if he was contemplating something in that brief period. "I want to visit Fukuoka." His answer was short and it only made Rias more curious.
"For what?"
He went silent for a few seconds. "To taste the ramen there." He whispered, completely missing the conflicted look on Rias' face.
"Ramen?" Rias hummed to herself. That wouldn't cost that much. If he really wanted to visit the place, then all he needed to do was get himself a part-time job for a month or two. "You don't need that much money for it, Mister. You can earn enough through part-time for that." She informed him in hopes that it might uplift his mood but strangely, nothing happened. The boy remained as stoic as he was when she first saw him.
"I need to go there right now."
"Why?"
Rias frowned when the silence claimed the atmosphere around them again. She was expecting another answer in return but all she got was the all familiar silence.
"B-because I want to try Hakata ramen before dying."
Whatever she had in her mind vanished from there as soon as she heard his answer. "W-what?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Did this boy just say that he was going to die after eating that ramen? She hoped not because if that was true then it meant he was just as broken as her.
"I said I'm going to die soon. So I want to eat Hakata ramen before dying."
"I-"
"Lady Rias!"
Rias immediately moved away from the boy as soon as she heard Mihae's voice from behind. "Mihae…" She responded, trying to sound as natural as she could at that moment.
"What are you doing here, Lady Rias?"
"Nothing," Rias answered.
"Then let's go back to your house. Dinner is ready."
"Hmm…"
-oOo-
"Who was that boy, Lady Rias?" Mihae's question nudged Rias into a vast ocean of diverse memories, some good, others bitter.
'Hey, stranger!'
Her lips almost curved up when his voice rang inside her mind again, making it tingle with sensations that she had long forgotten.
Who was he?
She did not know but he possessed something that she was very well accustomed to.
Pain.
When the wind blew fast and made their hair flap wildly, she was able to get a glimpse of his eyes and there she saw them.
Sadness.
Grief.
Defeat.
Just like her, he was suffering too, maybe even more and that made her heart resonate with his. In a small and unexpected meeting, he was able to gain her interest that her husband had failed to do in all these months.
"Lady Rias?"
She blinked and stumbled upon her feet when Mihae's sharp voice surprised her. "Huh?" For a moment she couldn't understand what was happening around her but after a while, she remembered everything. "I don't know who he was, Mihae." She answered the girl.
"Ohh…"
Rias nodded her head slowly.
"He was sitting very close to you so I thought you must be his friend or something."
Rias blinked.
Friend?
Aside from a few, Rias never had any friends. They were very hard to get and even harder to keep.
In the past, she did try to make some friends and was even able to succeed in it but ultimately decided to leave them alone when she realized that all they always did was make fun of her and taunt her. That was not how friends were supposed to be, at least not according to the book her mother gave her when she complained about not having any friends.
"We have reached your apartment, Lady Rias."
Rias looked up and nodded her head, staring intently at the door of her apartment.
It was the only place where she truly felt at home and it broke her heart knowing that she was going to leave this place soon.
"Aahh!"
Rias didn't even flinch when she heard Mihae's cry of pain and the sound of a body hitting the floor right behind her. 'Huh?' She blinked when she heard someone's footsteps and slowly turned around to face whoever had made such a ruckus.
-oOo-
Dead bluish green eyes met lifeless blue as the two stared at each other, neither making a move.
"Give me all your money, now." Naruto whispered, his voice holding threat enough to terrify most of the people around but to his immense surprise, instead of being shocked or weeping for her life, the girl simply stared at him for a while and then reached into her purse and pulled out a stack of that green currency.
"Here," She mumbled with a face as vacant as a blank paper. "Take it. You look like you need it more than I do." She added, maybe trying to justify her weird behavior.
That threw Naruto out of the loop. How could someone just give up their money like that? He was clearly robbing her, and instead of fighting back or crying, she just gave up everything with no reaction! 'Maybe she is one of those rich girls who doesn't give a shit about money.' In the end, he decided to not look stupid and hastily swiped the money. 'Done.' He was about to leave before the voice of the girl halted him in his tracks.
"If you want, I have some more money stored in these drawers."
Naruto, once again, was surprised by the strange behavior of the girl in front of him. Why was she actively offering him more money? Didn't she want to keep some for herself? What sort of person would do something like that? Not even the extremely rich do that. "What do you mean?" He asked, stepping a little closer to the girl.
Rias blinked at the boy who was now standing exactly in front of her. "Oh. I knew you wanted to do something to me the moment I saw you on the mountain. Come on, let's go to my bedroom then." She whispered and made no attempt to push the stunned boy away from herself.
At this point, Naruto was seriously starting to get freaked out. Just what was wrong with this girl? First, she was sitting alone on the top of that mountain, then she just offered him more money than she should have done in the first place and now she was practically offering herself to him. "Look," He spoke, barely managing to keep his thoughts in order in front of her. "I don't want to do anything with you. I just want some money, that's all. So please, give me the money and I'll be going." He finished in hopes that the girl would finally understand his situation and let him go. He did not want to be near her anymore because if he did, the guilt inside him would kill him.
For the second time that night, his words sparked something inside Rias, something that she had not felt in months and that was confusion. A moment earlier, she had just basically given herself to him but he did not care? From what she could deduce from his appearance and clothes was that he looked like one of those people who lived on the streets. So it only increased her confusion more because she knew she was beautiful enough that any one of them would instantly ravage her if offered, as she did to him.
Getting out of the train of useless thoughts, she decided to initiate a proper conversation for the first time in a long time. "How odd?" She murmured with that dead voice of hers. "Traveling so far, just to die in the end?" Her eyes gazed at the boy and for a moment, she saw guilt within them.
By now, Naruto had stopped questioning what was happening. The girl clearly was not in the right state of mind, and he wanted no part of whatever madness she was in. He just wanted the money and once he had it, he could finally taste the ramen and die in peace. "It's none of your business. Just give me the money already."
Rias nodded and began to walk towards the counters, occasionally stealing glances at him just to make sure he did not try anything bizarre on her back. "So, how are you planning to visit Fukuoka?" She asked him while going through the documents stored on the counters.
"Huh?"
"I mean by plane or train?"
Naruto went silent for a while, unable to form any sort of response to her question. What was he supposed to say anyway? He did not have any documents to travel by any means either. The entire journey would have to be taken by foot. "Ehh… I'll be walking mostly…" He completed his answer with an awkward expression on his face.
Bluish green eyes widened a little. "Walking 1500km… It'll take you months to complete this trip then, stranger." Her words earned her an annoyed look from the boy.
Naruto blinked at the familiar term. She had used it on the mountain to call him out. "I-I know, but you don't have to worry about that. It's my problem how I'll complete this trip." Anxiety began to show up on his face again and he knew it would not be long before he would turn back to the confused guy who met her on the mountain. He needed to get away from here as soon as possible otherwise, his mind would start questioning her about stupid things.
"No, I was just wondering whether you would like to travel to Fukuoka with me or not?" Rias countered his argument with a stoic face. For her, it was a win-win situation. If the boy agreed, then she would get a chance to explore and see Japan before inevitably being found and brought back to the hell that was Riser's house. If the boy disagreed, then it would not matter. She would go back and accept her fate.
While Rias was busy thinking about her future, Naruto, on the other hand, was staring at her in shock. Not a moment ago, he outright told her that he was intending to commit suicide, and she still had the nerve to ask if she could accompany him? Unable to contain his curiosity anymore, he asked the girl in an inquisitive tone.
"Why? Do you want to kill yourself too?"
In answer, Rias shook her head in denial. "No, I don't plan to do anything like that. I'm happily married and have a good life. It's just that I have someone special living in Fukuoka whom I want to visit very badly." She answered and flashed him a fake smile.
If Naruto was in his right mind, he would have instantly called out the lies that this girl was obviously spouting. However, he was not in his right mind and he truly just did not care. He was going to die anyway, so why would he care about what this strange girl wanted? If she wanted to hide her reasons, then whatever; it's not like she could do anything more to him.
"Fine," He acquiesced with a nod of his head. "But you have to bring extra money for yourself. I won't share anything with you."
Rias blinked in confusion. "But it's all my money-"
"Fine… just get your stuff and meet me outside. The girl can wake up at any given moment."
Rias did not need to be told twice. There was no way she was going to miss this Golden opportunity. It was a chance of a lifetime for her. "Sure. Just wait a minute and I'll be ready. I only have a handful of things to pack."
"Hmm…"
-Outside the Apartment-
"What the hell is wrong with my life?" Naruto murmured to no one in particular as he recalled the events that had just transpired a while ago. "First I fucked up the dimensional travel, then I fucked up the suicide on that bridge and now I couldn't even perform a robbery without getting something unwanted from it." Life was playing games with him and he, like the broken man that he was, could do nothing but suffer.
"I swear I'm going to take all her money and then will leave her-"
"I'm ready." Her distinct voice made him turn in her direction.
"O-" For the second time in a single day, Naruto found himself appreciating the unearthly beauty of this married girl. He didn't know why but she just looked very different from others. Maybe it was because she was rich or maybe it was her genes, he didn't know. Overall, she was someone who although appeared to be a human but at the same time looked nothing like a human. "Where is the money?" He immediately noticed the lack of a purse in the hands of the girl.
Rias smiled at him but this time, Naruto saw right through it. It was fake. "I brought a credit card instead. It is a lot more convenient than carrying a huge stack of money and it will also make sure you don't abandon me midway through our trip."
"Ohh…" Naruto whispered, unable to hide the anger that was beginning to show up on his face now. For someone so rich, this girl was incredibly smart apparently.
"So shall we begin our trip now?"
Naruto nodded his head.
"The name's Naruto," He murmured after a long pause.
"Rias," Rias immediately replied.
The two fell into silence once again as they began to walk along the empty streets of Kuoh.
-END-