A few days later, I started to feel comfortable in this place. I wake up every morning hearing that voice then attend Ryota's training. It was very tough, but after a few days of practice, I am getting better, stronger, and smarter. To be honest, Ryota is a very strong and clever man for his age. But I don't like how he trains me everyday with his brutal method and his cold reaction.
Today's training
As usual, Tsuki with his wooden sword in his hands is ready for Ryota's Brutal training. On the other hand, Ryota, with his cold and calm face is also holding his sword. Ryota swing his sword but Tsuki can handle it quite easy.
"Not bad. You're getting quicker." Said Ryota calmly.
"Well thank you for your apprecia—"
SWISH
Before Tsuki could finish his sentence, Ryota struck him immediately. Fortunately, Tsuki could dodge the sword.
"Are you insane?" Tsuki said angrily
"In a real war, enemies won't give you a chance to speak." Ryota replied coldly.
Once again Ryota swung his sword very fast. But now he is aiming for Tsuki's chest. Tsuki couldn't handle it. He felt that his heart was stabbed by a knife. Although it was just a wooden sword.
"Are you trying to kill me?" Tsuki complain
"Stop arguing. I thought you're getting better. Just keep focus."
SWUSH
TAK—
Ryota went to the left and aimed at Tsuki's left ribs. And the sound of wooden woods are colliding. But Ryota reached quickly by moving to the right side and he managed to hit Tsuki's right shoulder then kicked him and knocked him to the ground.
All air forced from my lungs in a whoosh. A wet cough sprayed spit across the training yard dirt as my body rebelled against the impact.
"Same mistake. You're not fast enough to react. It's been a few days and you haven't learned from your mistakes and still haven't completed the basics of sword skill. If you don't take it seriously, do not ever comeback here again." Ryota warned, with little intimidation.
[After the training]
The training was done, I was left in the ground and then Yumi greeted me from a distance, bringing a cup of tea for me to drink.
I had a close relationship with Yumi these day, it kinda weird approach tho—
Few days ago
Yumi is the house chef maid. She has long brown hair and dark-brown eyes. She's not that tall, but Lia said that she is good at combat fighting. At first I thought, she was a shy girl. My first tea with Yumi was awkward. She set the cup down so hard it nearly cracked.
"Drink," she ordered. "You're shaking."
I gulped it too fast, burning my tongue. She sighed and looked down at me.
Next day, she noticed my bleeding knuckles. Without a word, she bandaged them, "Ryota's too hard on beginners," she muttered.
By the third day, we were talking - about the garden roses, how she'd been head maid since she was sixteen. She even wanted to teach me how to sew.
"You'll learn," she said, thrusting a threaded needle into my hand. "Start with this tear."
Sometime if Lia wasn't at the house. She teaches me to mend clothes while sharing stories of her mischievous little brother back home.
[Present time]
After finishing drinking the tea, Yumi goes to the kitchen while I read a leather cover book that I borrowed from the library in the stone benches.
"So you start learning about magic huh" said Lia behind my back.
"Yeah, what i learn is that mana is not just an energy — it's life itself
Mana is a life force energy that uses as magical fuel and vital energy
Mana has a mana pool which is the maximum safe mana capacity. If a magician uses all their mana, their body will die of exhaustion and if the magician mana is more than the mana pool their body will cause catastrophic feedback which causes death too.
Zensha is something that determines the type of magic, it's the mediator and also the former from mana to magic.
Magic is the final output, which gets weaker as mana is depleted."
Lia: "You're getting better and improving"
Tsuki: "Thanks—"
A moment of silence once again.
Then Tsuki asked "Lia what is your type of magic and when Waganaki touched the orb it turned light blue."
"Waganaki has ice magic where he can summon ice out of any parts of the body that he desires. While I had a magic void caller, it's a type of magic where the user can summon a red orb that causes destruction or an orb that can pull a target toward its center of the mass for a short period of time and it only work at a radius of 1.5 meter, this orb can also absorb anything, even magic output. This type of magic requires so much mana and I can only use it once for the void orb."
"That is a good type of magic, it can catch someone that has an incredible speed," said Tsuki.
Lia: "Yeah—anyway there is something I wanted to tell you, tomorrow we planned on going outside to celebrate the town anniversary, there are many events like dancing, drinking and much more . Would you like to join?"
Tsuki: "Sure, is Yumi also invited?"
Lia: "Yeah we are inviting Yumi too to come at this anniversary, prepare yourself for tomorrow. See ya"
Tsuki: "See ya!"
Lia left him. Tsuki felt very excited and couldn't keep his emotions under control.
In the afternoon, Tsuki was in the clothes changing room trying out outfits to wear at the town anniversary. He tried on so many outfits and took measurements, which took two hours.
"This looks very good," said the boy, wearing his white shirt, black tie, black leggings, and black boots that were modified to suit his size.
Yumi stood beside him. "Yeah, it looks good on you. Now that we've decided on your outfit for tomorrow, it's already late at night, so go to sleep."
Tsuki went to his bedroom. At first, he couldn't sleep because he was too excited and couldn't wait for tomorrow. But then he fell asleep.
The voice of the shadow still clawed into his consciousness.
After waking up, he went outside and prepared for today's trip. He wore his outfit and was ready to go.
"So, are you ready for the festival?" Lia asked with a happy smile.
"Of course! We're so excited for the festival! I can't wait to see food stands all along the road!" Yumi answered. She was so hyped.
Tsuki was confused about Yumi's behavior, so he asked, "Why are you so excited? It looks like a normal festival."
Yumi became upset, but she then realized that Tsuki had never come to the festival before. So she replied, "Well, just wait and see."
They went to the front yard. The carriages were ready, and Ryota, with his serious and intimidating face, was always ready to guard them.
Long story short, they finally arrived. And as Yumi had mentioned before, there were food stands all along the roads. The festival was crowded and a bit noisy, but people were enjoying it. Lanterns were hung on the stands' roofs. In the middle of the area, a short but wide platform was installed. Many people were singing and dancing on it, followed by some musicians playing guitars and flutes.
"So, what do you think now, Tsuki?" Yumi asked.
"For my first experience, this festival is amazing! Look at the crowd and the view. It's so gorgeous!" Tsuki replied.
Yumi laughed. "Well, everyone knows that the anniversary festival is always like this. Don't you know that?"
"Well, I've heard some people talking about this festival before. Some of them said that everyone must go to the festival once in a lifetime, but I just ignored it. I thought this festival was just a simple tradition. But now I was wrong," Tsuki answered.
Yumi smiled and said, "Lucky for you, you still managed to visit the biggest festival in this town."
Lia saw Tsuki and Yumi close together, so she assumed that they both were going to be together for the rest of the festival.
"Alright, so I think you two can take care of each other. I'm leaving you guys because I must attend the festival's private meeting with my father."
"No worries, Lia. There are many people right now, so if we need any help, we can ask the festival guard," Tsuki answered.
Lia then left them at the festival.
While the others were attending the private meeting, Tsuki and Yumi spent their time in the festival, singing, and dancing on the platform together. They visit almost every food stand and try every type of food. Eastern food, Western food, even Asian food. They were very happy. Until,
BOOM
There was the sound of an explosion in the distance.
"AHHH!!!" People were screaming as something bad had just happened.
"What's going on??" Yumi asked one of the guard.
"The forest has just exploded. I don't know how, but we need to evacuate this area. Stay away from the forest and go away from this area!" The Guard ordered them.
"We need to find the others first. We can't leave Mr Waganaki and Miss Lia. We also need to find out what happened to the forest."
"Alright then. But what happened to the forest? Is it really that dangerous?" Tsuki asked curiously
"I sensed something was off. You're staying here and don't go anywhere! I will go by myself, protect Miss Lia and Lord Waganaki!" Said Yumi.
"But—"
"I'll be fine, I know how to fight better than you."
I trust her words.
Yumi left and went to the jungle.
Lia, Ryota and Waganaki came out and I saw them and approached them.
Tsuki: "Lia, Ryota, sir Waganaki, there might be a problem here. You guys are not going home? We're done for today."
Lia: "We're fine, where is Yumi?"
Tsuki: "She checked on the explosion, she will be right back."
Lia: "Is she gonna be okay?"
Tsuki: "She'll be fine."
Ryota: "We will wait here until Yumi is back."
An hour passed. The sun was about to set.
Lia paced near the trees. "Yumi should've been back by now."
Tsuki nodded, uneasy. "She told us to wait here."
Ryota stepped between them, voice sharp. "So what, little boy? Are you planning to stand here 'til dawn?"
Tsuki: "She said she'd be fine—"
Ryota exploded. "FUCK THAT! I'm supposed to sit on my ass and obey orders while she might be out there bleeding? What are you gonna do, little hero?!"
Tsuki took a breath, jaw tight. "If something happened, then I'm the one who should go. I've got nothing to lose... and I don't have the skills to protect Lia. I'll take the responsibility."
Ryota shouted, "Take responsibility? How the FUCK do you even do that, huh?! Wait here until she's dead and call that honor? That is the most BULLSHIT thing i ever heard." he grabbed Tsuki by the collar and yanked him close, their faces inches apart.
Waganaki stepped forward, voice like steel. "ENOUGH, RYOTA."
Ryota: "Fucking hell! You think playing a hero makes up for letting her go alone?" He release Tsuki collar
Tsuki: "I'll go then."
He turned and walked into the jungle without looking back.
The shadows swallowed him whole.
Tsuki moved deeper into the jungle, his breath shaky, heart pounding louder with every step. The sun was nearly gone, the forest swallowed in shadows.
"YUMI!" he yelled, voice cracking. "YUMI, ANSWER ME!"
Only silence answered. The kind that felt like it was listening.
It was getting darker.
He pushed past thick vines, his boots stomping through underbrush and mud. leaves whispered above him. Still no sign of her.
"Come on... please," he muttered, eyes scanning wildly. "Where are you…"
His foot landed on something soft. Wet. Not earth.
Squish.
He stopped cold. Looked down.
It was dark, but the remaining sunlight through the trees gave just enough to see-
A chunk of flesh. Still fresh. Still bleeding.
His stomach twisted.
He stepped backward, slow. And then he saw it.
"Yumi…"
What was left of her.
Her body was mutilated-arms gone, one leg twisted at the wrong angle, her chest torn open.
"Ugghh…." Heart beating fast, his chest tightened as the coppery stench of blood filled his nose. He felt a wave of nausea wash over him. He took a step back and vomited while crying.
"Yu–Yu–Yumiiiii…." the word was barely audible because his voice was shaking and filled with fear.
I saw the shadowy figure that haunted me every morning, standing behind Yumi's corpse, staring at her.