Chapter 29 - OriginShiHiKaTsuChiGelTou PointRoRoEnBasaKaraDenWa

'What?''

That question popped in my mind, the word echoing endlessly without any answer, for I have none.

'Why?'

Her face look so peaceful in front of me, a sight that I rarely see before. Her eyelids closed, breathless, skin losing its warmth, mouth slightly ajar, and the hand that held me before, now not in my grasp.

'Why did it become like this?'

The tears that streamed down from my eyes fell onto the floor, the spot becoming darker than its surroundings, accompanying the other tearspots.

'If I arrived earlier…'

Would it change anything? I am not a doctor, nor I know how to heal someone, or prevent them from dying. Yuki, in all her stubbornness, would probably still insist to give birth to Natsu. I can't… no, I would likely not discourage her from the act, even if I know of the risks, for I would hope for the worst not to happen, until the very end. Even now, I'm still hoping for a miracle to happen.

But of course, the World hates me. It would not grant me any miracle freely.

'If only I did not met her…'

No! I pushed the thought away. Even if the girls can protect each other without my presence, and I would not lose anything from their absence, I still want to meet Yuki. Our meeting improved each other's lives, I want to believe it! I… I want to believe in it.

'Is it even worth it to live now?'

Right as I reunite with her and everyone else, she left me to somewhere I can't follow. This is not like before. I can still find them even if it took many months and an assistance that I dislike, but how do you reach the realm of the dead? The route to the underworld has long closed and the goddess Izanami would not allow anyone to leave the realm. Even for someone like me, I can't revive myself from death, much less bring along anyone else.

'This feeling… I've forgotten about it.'

It had been so long since Mom's and Ruiko's death that I feel this much sadness and grief. Being able to adapt to this ruined world so quickly, I would probably forget this feeling again in a few weeks. But… I don't want to… I can't, I won't allow myself to erase this memory from my mind, no matter how terrible this memory is!

'There's no rain coming down, huh?'

I looked up into the reddening dusk sky, through the large hole on the ceiling. The clouds march on slowly across the sky, not giving a mind to my grief on the ground. Usually, for a sad scene like this, the sky would be darkening with grey clouds pouring down torrential rain,a symbol of the character's sadness… but, I guess they refused to do so for me, huh? He he, even in a time like this, I can still think of something ridiculous.

'If the World took away this one joy I have in my life, I wonder… should I destroy it?'

I smiled, and though I don't know how I look at the moment, I'm sure it is the anguish smile of a person who had lost something precious to him. The cries of the others could be heard behind me, their grief transmitted to my ears through the air. But strangely, Natsu doesn't even make a sound at all this commotion, either he doesn't feel anything from this scene, or… he knows that everything is going to be alright in the end.

'Heh. Natsu, if you believe in your father, then you are a good son… and very correct.'

I hung my head down as my hand reached Tamashiha, the Sword that Reflects One's Soul, and grasped the handle.

'In this world, if you want something, you have to exchange something of similar price to get it…'

That, or forcibly obtaining it. Equivalent Exchange, the principle of things, small or big. From buying for a bottle of water to getting your hands on the country's ruling position, a similar price must be given, either through effort or material. Yes, if that is the case, then… even one's soul can be traded for something.

'If that is what the World so desires, then I will gladly give it, for the sake of returning what is lost to me.'

I drew the blade from its sheath, the sharp edge glinting even in the gloomy atmosphere. Holding the sword with both hands, I have no regret for what I was about to do, foolish-seeming as it may be.

"O World, I… GIVE MY SOUL TO YOU!"

Without any hesitation, I plunged the point of the blade towards my chest, the metal stabbing my heart and coming through the other side.

"RRRRAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

The painful and anguish roar of Yuuta echoed throughout the small room, somehow bringing with it a powerful gust of wind that reached Yuuri, Kurumi, Miki, Shuuya and the newborn Natsu.

""YUUTA!"

Shuuya screamed in the face of the wind, shielding his ayes from the torrent. Beside her, Yuuri closes her arm to protect the baby.

"YUUTA! WHAT… WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?"

The question of a confused Kurumi came out, but the person in front of her didn't respond apart from still roaring. Hiding behind the purple-haired girl, was Miki who eyed the situation, trying to process what is happening.

As the four friends blocked the powerful wind swirling around the space, a change could be seen around Yuuta's form. In the center of the room, his kneeling figure began to emit a bright light, though, there were different colours glowing. From his right side, white light as pure as snow exited. From his left side, black light as dark as coal flowed. Surrounding his body but not touching it, golden light of a royal colour shined. And, from his eyes, two beams of blue light emitted a radiance that seem to pass through the walls.

Brighter and stronger, the four colours of light around Yuuta's figure expanded, growing further away from him with each second, while he still roar in anguish and lamentation of the fate that befell him. Blood trickled from the blade of Tamashiha, the radiance of the metal blinded by the light surrounding it.

"WORLD!" Spoke Yuuta of one word. "I OFFER MY SOUL, MY LIFE, FOR YOU! I'LL DO EVERYTHONG AND ANYTHIMG THAT NEED TO BE DONE, SO, BRING BACK WHAT I HAD LOST!" The boy speaks of words directed to the World.

"I'LL TRAVEL TO ALL SPACE-TIME TO ACHIVE THIS DESIRE!"

White Shine

"I'LL DEFEAT ANY BEING TO AACHIEVE MY GOAL, EVEN GOD HIMSELF!"

God Hero

"ANY CURSE, I'LL BEAR IT, EVEN FROM ALL OF HUMANITY!"

Returning Flame

"ANY BLESSINGS, I'LL GIVE IT, TO EVERY HUMAN IF NEED TO!"

Unknown Wings

"THIS WORLD, I'LL RULE IT TO GREATESS AND PROSPERITY!"

Golden King

"TO ACHIEVE THIS DESIRE, I'LL CUT THROUGH HEAVEN AND HELL!"

Eternal Lightning

"THAT IS WHY… MY WISH… MY WISH…" a single tear fell on the ground, in its reflection before it splashes, the pendant on Yuuta's chest, the blue heart turning pink amidst the brilliance of lights. "BRING. YUKI. BACK!"

Yuuta's words echoed loudly in the room and towards the world outside, letting his desire known to the World, to grant his wish, a request of a person who would risk everything for one purpose, his soul and life to revive his wife.

And then, everything stopped. The glowing light were gone, so were the wind and Yuuta's scream, vanished. Opening their eyes and removing their hands, Shuuya, Yuuri, Miki and Kurumi looked upon at the scene before them. And their mouth gaped open, for now there were no obstruction for them to perceive what is happening before their eyes.

A scene as if from a magical world, one that surely contain fantastic elements, lies in front of them. Yuuta still kneeling at the center, his head hung down and sword somehow ejected from his chest. But what's more, was what surrounds him at the moment.

Lights. Little balls of light, like orbs lighting the way at the road side, manifested all over the room, their numbers uncountable but surely reaching hundreds. Those light all remained where they are, levitating in place without doing anything.

Among those multitude of orbs, nine stood out in Miki's eyes as she saw that they were bigger than the others, however slightly. In those distinctive spheres, the white-haired girl peered on and realised that inside those things were pictures, or more accurately, moving portraits of a person, each different from the other.

In one , a boy with hair and eyes as clear as the whitest snow flew in the sky.

In another, another boy with black hair and gold eyes befitting a royal pose dramatically with right hand outstretched.

The next one shows a male with cloud-white hair and eyes as dark as the abyss punching something.

White hair and eyes that shows nothing; black hair and eyes that denies everything; gold hair and eyes holding swords in both hands; black hair and gold eyes wielding a lightning spear; these were all that Miki saw of the other four orbs, as far as her eyes can see without getting closer. She spotted the other two orbs, bit before she could peer into them, they moved.

One of them quickly moved towards Yuuri, surprising her and Shuuya, but turned downwards and entered the body of Natsu. Meanwhile, the other levitated above Yuki's prone figure and slowly descended into her chest. Before it completely got absorbed into the girl, Miki briefly caught sight of someone with long flowing pink hair in the orb.

The two slightly bigger orbs finished entering their targets, that seemed to ba a signal for the others, as, one by one, the spheres of light disappeared slowly, neither flying outside nor returning into Yuuta's body.

Watching wistfully as the mysterious balls phased out of this world, Yuuri and her companions heard a sound that brought their attention to it.

*cough*cough*

In the center of the room, a person who should have left this world of the living made a noise and opened their eyes, staring at the ceiling and moving their feeble fingers. "Yuu… kun…" she tilted her head to the side.

The person who instigated the whole scene, Kiriha Yuuta, suddenly woke up from his trance-like state and gazed upon his surroundings. His sights landed upon the person before him, his wife who was previously gone moments ago, now staring at him, her pink orbs aimed at him. "Y-Y-Yuki…" the boy gasped, unable to believe his own sights. "You're, you're here, right?" He took Yuki's hand and held it tightly in his own.

Yuki smiled slightly, a bit weakly but cheerful in intention. "Yes, Yuu-kun. Where else would I be?"

That was all Yuuta need to hear as he lunged forward and captured Yuki in a tight embrace, new tears flowing from his cheeks and Yuki's, this time one of gratefulness and happiness. The couple stayed that way as their friends also approached quickly and grabbed each other in a group hug, thankful for this miracle that had happened, however it happened.

In the arms of his mother, Kiriha Natsu cried shrilly as Yuki gently kissed his forehead. The newborn life, the rebirth life, the reincarnate life, the static life; all the sign of that the conclusion is near.

Outside the building, the orange Sun sets down on the horizon, watching over the Earth and it's life.

What happened?