"I can"t. I was totally unconscious during that event. My body is moving on its own. All I saw was their burned body," Raven said after trying to remember what was shown to him by that other guy."What I heard was that they were happy," Eureka said.
"That"s impossible!!" Raven exclaimed. What Eureka said was too absurd, why would someone dying, be happy.
"One of those receiving the arrangements was the nephew of one of your escorts. He said that those two were already beyond saving. When you lost control of your ability they actually smiled to the others, saying that their dream came true," Eureka started explaining.
"Dream?"
"To see their young master"s ability. They would protect their young master with their lives and that it would be wonderful to stay alive until you awaken your ability. That nephew said that those four were your closest guards and that you became their youngest brother and son. Knowing that war is still going on around the world, they know how unpredictable their lives are. So they had one dream. And that is to witness you use your ability," she explained just as the medics finished mending their wounds.
She helped Raven stand up.
"And that made them happy before dying? That"s ridiculous," Raven said.
"Ridiculous indeed. But the simplest things are the best things for others. In a world where the strong remains, attaining such simple accomplishments are more than enough for others to say that they had lived their lives to the fullest."
Raven remained silent.
"Stop imprisoning yourself in the past. In this world sacrifices are necessary."
"Are you telling me to forget it already and move forward?"
"No, I didn"t tell you to forget. Remember them, remember those who sacrificed their lives for you to live and keep on moving forward. Live and become stronger to protect those important to you. That is the only way you could say that you lived their share as well. That is the only way you can face them and say that you paid them back."
Raven looked at her as they"re nearing the exit.
"You do have a different kind of thinking," he can"t help but say.
"That"s how I live. Anyway, you really need to control your ability. You couldn"t even use 90% of your ability, losing control of it."
"That"s 90%?"
"Up until now what your using is 80%. I suppose you really are strong. Even though you"re still at level 2."
"Then how am I suppose to control it then?"
"*sigh* Strengthen both your mind and your body. You"ve been strengthening your body. But your mind crumbles easily. You"re too attached to things that you end up getting too emotional once others stir those bad memories up. You act cold and indifferent on the outside but you"re too soft inside."
"You"re watching me?"
"Don"t get too ahead of yourself. Anyone who stays with you for the same span of time I stayed with you would notice. Try asking your friends. I think they know it better than I do."
Just as they exited the stadium.
"Raven, the Head Knight wants you and your team to meet him in his office this afternoon," one knight, who was waiting for them, said.
"I understand. Come on, let"s get the others, eat something, then meet him."
*****
In the clinic.
"Are both of you okay?" Karen hurriedly asked just as Raven and Eureka opened the door.
"Eureka your hands!!" Feena, whose hands are already bandaged properly and had a sling on her right hand, jumped out of her bed.
"It"s fine. Those medics have bandaged it already," Eureka said nonchalantly.
"And you don"t need any painkillers? Your muscles are ruptured. How did you fight with those two? And how did you survive that fire with minimum burns?" Akito entered the clinic as well, asking her non-stop.
"I"m fine. These muscles will heal in time. And Inferno is not proportionate. There are parts where the fire is at the minimum while there are parts where the fire is at maximum. With my sensibility, I suppose you know that I can detect those parts?" Eureka answered.
"Geez, your group are too reckless. This is just a compet.i.tion, you"re taking everything too far," Akito couldn"t help but sigh.
"You should stop hanging out with Kaoru. You"re starting to sound like him," Eureka said as she opened the door ready to leave.
"I"m hungry, let"s go grab some food already," Hideyos.h.i.+ stood up from his bed ready to leave.
"How do you feel Mamoru?" Raven asked as he too prepared to leave.
"Good as new. I"ve slept more than enough."
"Then let"s go have some lunch," Karen said and followed the others.
Akito returned back to reality only when everyone left. He soon opened the door and shout at their retreating backs, "I DON"T SOUND LIKE THAT GUY AT ALL!!"
*****
After eating they went straight to Yukimura"s office.
"I suppose you know why I called you here?"
"The attack Hideyos.h.i.+ and Feena used was accidentally discovered," Raven was the one who answered.
"Accidentally?"
"Yes sir, while practicing they ended up using the same strength of ability and ended up creating such attack."
"How did you know they used the same strength?"
"I"ve noticed it, sir," This time it was Eureka who answered.
"And how did you perfected it?" Looking suspiciously at Eureka, he once again asked.
"When they accidentally created such attack, I had the habit of staying in the library. I found out that the body releases energy as a whole whenever one uses their ability in order not to give strain on that part of the body. By touching a part of each other they were able to familiarize with the strength of each other. I guided them on how they should release it and they practiced in order for them to be at ease in creating that attack," she looked at him straight in the eyes and answered.
"And that is the reason why their hands are broken? Cause you guided them," narrowing his eyes, he once again asked.
Seeing how the Head Knight is accusing Eureka of their injuries, both Hideyos.h.i.+ and Feena wanted to answer back but was cut short by Eureka.
"If you are displeased of how I guided them, then you don"t need to worry sir. Cause that is the last time I would guide them. After this compet.i.tion we will go on our separate ways already," she answered indifferently.
"If that"s all you"re going to ask us, sir, then please excuse us." Raven initiated before standing up and pulling Eureka at the same time. The others could only follow after giving respect to Yukimura.
Upon arriving at a place where no one is, "Why did you answer that way?!?" Raven furiously asked.
"What"s wrong with how I answered?"
"It was our fault. The reason why our hands are like these are our fault," Feena complained.
"*sigh* The Head Knight doesn"t trust me. Do you think he"d believe you when you say that? He"ll just a.s.sume that you"re covering up for me. Plus it doesn"t bother me, he can accuse me of anything he wants. I"ll still keep doing my best to be a knight."
"Don"t you trust us? Don"t you trust our words that he would believe us?" Karen asked. Pain crossing her eyes.
Eureka looked at them indifferently, "I"ll be fighting in the individual round tomorrow right? Then I"ll see you tomorrow."
She then looked at Raven, "Could you let go of my hand now?"
"Why do you still act so cold?" asking as he released her.
"Don"t you remember, we are just using each other. You need someone to complete your group while I needed a group to graduate. No more no less. Goodbye," said as she turned to leave.
"Does she not feel anything?" Feena couldn"t help but say.
"Raven why didn"t she want to let them know that the idea of the new attack came from her?" Mamoru then asked.
"She told me last night the same words she said to us a while ago. The Head Knight does not trust her. If he found out that the idea came from her, he"d never stop interrogating her."
"Why?"
"Eureka came here unexpectedly. She came without her memories but she knows a lot. She had a lot of secrets, thinking that way it"s pretty obvious that the Head Knight does not trust her."
"Isn"t that unfair?" Karen asked.
"If someone suddenly appears without any background and with lots of secrets. It is suspicious."
"But all she did in her stay here was for the kingdom and the people, she saved the headmaster, she allowed us to create a new attack, she saved you from that crazy Kyro," Karen couldn"t help but complain and point out everything she witnessed about her.
"This kingdom lost a very reliable knight because they trusted the wrong person," Raven who understood the reason behind the Head Knight"s distrust towards Eureka explained. Cause even he does not trust her fully yet.
"Come on we still have a battle tomorrow, you guys need to rest. Will you be able to fight tomorrow?" he then asked Feena and Hideyos.h.i.+.
The two can only nod. The atmosphere around them is far from the joyous atmosphere the winners should have.