Preparations (Pt. I)

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|| CHAPTER 28 | Preparations (Pt. I) ||

"On the battlefield, one must be prepared for all of what may happen–– may it be the deaths of their people or even the death of their own.

"It is an inevitable thing when you decided to step foot on the land of the dead.

"A land that has been stained with blood for many years.

"War isn't something that could be stopped so easily. From my past experience, it took years of suffering and endless exhaustion for one to subside. Even so, no lives could be taken back from what had been done. The dead...

"–– well, they're dead."

––

They went home after a tiring day at school.

With the setting sun by the west, slowly giving goodbyes to the once blue sky it basked in.

It's not exactly that tiring since they were only signing some stuff regarding their info and for the school books, they need for the school term. Other than that, they have the whole week off until next week.

Opening the door of her room, Shizuka flopped down to her bed immediately without changing her uniform again.

The tranquillity of her room remained preserved.

Pinkish-orange rays of the dusk outside climbed in through her clear windows. The curtains did nothing to stop them from dying Shizuka's skin the same colour, giving another contrast to her blue room.

One, two, three...

Lively chirps of the roundish Canarichts echoed through the hollow space, giving Shizuka a feel of nature within the comfort of her own room.

Chilliness kissed her skin cold when the windows flung open slowly.

The breeze came flying in with a soft howl. Several seconds in and the young female already felt cold. Shizuka sprung back up and shook a little, rubbing both her forearms in an attempt to warm herself.

"Well, nature sure doesn't seem to want me to enjoy the warmth of summer..." she grumbled and walked towards her room.

Summer this year didn't really feel like summer at all in the evening.

Where the night fell and all heat was gone, the season would usually provide warmth for the livings to rely on. Perhaps, it had something to do with the change of moons? The silver globe had been off track lately, she noted.

Sighing, Shizuka stretched herself and took a quick bath.

And of course, the bathroom was everyone's place to let their imaginations go wild.

In Shizuka's case, she was determined to give life to them on papers later on.

Not a moment after, she came out of the steaming hot shower with drenched hair and an oversized shirt–– much larger than her slim figure.

Shizuka made a beeline and sat by her desk, getting her sketchbook out as she began sketching random things.

The pencil held firm in her right hand, striking the paper grey and black, textured with different sizes of lines and shapes formed.

A demon.

–– with two big horns and equally big wings.

Claws on the demon's feet and hands. Black flowing hair and red-shot eyes, and yet, it bored human-like features with a hint of a pale skin tone.

It was adorned with fantasy-like clothes that could not be explained through words.

Heck, even Shizuka, the artist herself, couldn't explain what she drew from just mumbling 'a demon' over and over again.

Flipping the page into anew, she drew a different one, being a landscape of a cave. It wasn't often that she decided to draw views of nature, seeing how Shizuka had always liked drawing individuals rather than the content of a globe.

Giant crystals scattered everywhere and white wildflowers dangling from the ceiling–– making them look a lot like stars.

A tall tree stood proud in the middle with butterflies as its 'leaves.'

Blue, flaming orbs were circling the trunk, with one gold-tinged sphere burning in the middle of it. Chains of silver surrounded its body lightly.

The place was quite similar to the cave she had been to before–– the nature's den to a whole other room for confidential meets amongst the Spirit Wielders.

Shizuka had already known of the place before she even visited it, but seeing it in person was much more mesmerizing than stories the ears could hear.

Sketching, colouring, and flipping pages back and forth, drawing things she had seen yesterday. Giant foxes, various demons, attack poses, and other stuff. Yes, she observed every one of them. She may not look like it, but she's an observant one.

She kept drawing and sketching until it was time for dinner.

Of course, being the artist she was, she quickly gobbled her dinner and went back upstairs. Along the way, she met Shiroyuubi and Fuyukiku walking towards Eito, but she ignored them and went into her room again.

"Hmmm..." Shizuka put her hand under her chin, trying to decide whether it'll be better to outline the first demon sketch or not.

Tapping the '0.1'-sized black, drawing pen oh her hand and an eraser in the other, a figure appeared in her room as they attacked her from behind.

Slowly, their shadow loomed over her figure and darkened the portray of her sketchbook, making her unable to see the soft sketch lines she created.

A bit annoyed by the action of the unknown soul, Shizuka chanted a quick spell.

"... Dream Weaver Magic: Time Reverse - Static."

The figure stopped when she chanted her spell calmly, not looking up from her sketchbook even for a little. She started outlining her sketch quietly, ignoring the figure behind her.

"Arghh...!!! Let me go, you! Annoying! Little! Human...!!!" they demanded of the girl. Their voice was so loud that everyone in the neighbourhood could probably hear it.

But in reality, none did.

Even the ones downstairs didn't comment about it.

The platinum-blonde-haired girl grabbed two, tube-like things, translucent and light-weighted. Their shape was flattened and their colours were similar, electric blue. Shizuka wore both of them on her ears and a screen filled with lists of harmoniously composed melodies, it seemed, appeared in front of her.

She scrolled through it before finally clicking on one.

The girl continued to outline her sketch while moving her head to the tune. The volume was probably enough to make her forget about the outside world, including the figure behind her.

"Hey!! Don't ignore me, Princess!!!"

However, she kept ignoring them the more they yelled.

––

"Hng...? Did you hear something, Kazuto...?" Mitsuru suddenly asked from the side of his shared room with Kazuto, tearing his gaze away from his book.

The said brunet could only shake his head in confusion. "Hear what? It's pretty quiet here if I do say so myself," he replied, still immersed in reading his own book.

"Huh, strange. I thought I heard some yelling."

"Probably just your imagination–– oh! Ohhh!! Mitsu, look, LOOK!! He finally confessed!!!" Kazuto stuck his book right on Mitsuru's face, causing him to sweat-drop.

"I... see you like romance..."

"Of course, I do!! What kind of guy would you be if you're not interested in these kinds of things?"

"I–– you know what? Never mind my query."

––

"OI! ARE YOU DONE YET?! AND WHY ISN'T ANYBODY COMING EVEN AFTER ALL MY YELLING??!!"

Finally finished outlining her sketch, Shizuka didn't even bother to erase the messy pencil lines as she got on her feet, dusting away imaginary specks of dust and walked towards the figure.

"Are you done screaming your lungs out, Akuma-san~?"

Shizuka leaned forward towards the red-headed demon and mischievously fluttered her eyelids, knowing full well that Avrean was one that she would be able to tease easily.

"I'd say, your throat was strong enough to not end up hoarse after all that shrieks."

"Huh? What do you mean, 'done?!' You literally just kidnapped me back there!!" Avrean retorted with a scowl, backing away from the human female. His eyes gleamed redder than the flames, reflecting his anger–– and yet, it was filled with the confusion he decided to ignore.

"Hmm?? From what I see back there, the KING didn't even bother to save you, and I know very well that he knew that you're with me~"

Shizuka teased the figure, which turned out to be the red-haired demon from before.

Avrean clicked his tongue and looked away in annoyance. "Tch! Just let me go would ya? I'm too old for this."

"Oh? You look so young to me though, Akuma-san," the girl commented flatly with disinterest in her voice whilst the demon was able to move freely again. She didn't have her guard up and this confused the demon greatly.

"Oi, why did you let me go so easily, Princess? I could just kill you right here and now. And I'm over 18.000 years old, so I'm counted as old in your time."

Avrean hovered over the human girl leisurely as she brought her sketchbook with her on the bed.

"Because I can easily stop you any time I want to. My room is made from a piece of my Magic Space, so it makes sense if I'm able to control everything inside it." The tone she used reminded Avrean of an obvious fact.

Of course. How could he forget about Magic Spaces?

These Spirit Wielders were the masters of using those annoying little pocket-dimensions.

"Also, how old are you exactly, Akuma-san?" Shizuka queried casually while scribbling random eye sketches and faces on her book.

"First up, I have a name. It's Avrean Llioes––"

"Then, Rean-san!"

The redhead didn't even get the chance to finish his introduction when Shizuka had already decided on a nickname for him. It WAS easier to remember than the demon's possibly long name. It was too bothersome for the Ichijou.

"Did you just give me a nickname–– never mind, do what you want." Avrean huffed a defeated sigh and crossed his arms.

"Next up, in my time, I'm probably eighteen years old or something–– I don't even remember anymore. Just know that our time moves much slower than you humans, that's probably why you die so easily."

"You know I'm an immortal right?" Shizuka deadpanned at the floating male above her.

"... Whatever you say, Princess. Also..." Avrean pursed his lips. Biting the bottom part, he sighed heavily. "... why in Gaia's name did you save me?" he asked curiously, but serious at the same time. Shizuka stared at him for a while before answering,

"I didn't save you for no reason you know."

"And your reason is..."

"Form a contract with me, Rean-san," Shizuka stated out of the blue, all the while smiling at him.

The sudden proposal of forming a contract with a demon that was once her enemy–– an underling of the man who had been the Spirit Wielders' archnemesis–– shocked Avrean greatly. He didn't expect his kidnapper to want to form a literal Blood Seal with him.

He looked at her wide eyes before backing up far away from her, into the corner of the room.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!! Hold it right there, little Princess!! YOU...? Want to sign a contract... with... ME???" Avrean questioned, pointing at himself, staring at the girl like she's the scariest thing in the world.

"Yup!"

"Why?"

"Just because."

"That ain't an answer."

"No particular reason. Let's just say... I've seen what you've been through."

"... oh, you don't mean my––"

"Magic~ My family IS representing the spirits. It runs in our blood, where we can see others' pasts. So, let's just say I have 'accidentally' seen yours."

Avrean's whole figure shook upon seeing the female's lax attitude.

"ACCIDENTALLY?! How on earth did you accidentally slip into other people's past?!"

"Uhhh, so what do you say?" Shizuka asked once again, changing the topic quickly, fluttering her eyes at the male, earning a deadpan from him.

"... And what do I get from it? I don't want a one-sided agreement from this," Avrean countered back, crossing his arms. He floated in a sitting-like position in front of her, looking down at her with his chestnut brown eyes.

She didn't hesitate and answered almost immediately after he asked the question, "Well, you and I can both benefit from it. You can tell me everything about the KING and I'll ensure your life, just like I did with the others."

"You know demons don't die easily, right?"

"And yet you almost did yesterday~" Shizuka retorted back quickly, giving him a closed-eye smile. "... Even those who have more than one life would have to die one day."

⠀

–– but he knew there was something else behind it.

⠀

Something scarier.

⠀

This thought sent shivers down his spine as he rubbed his arms in an attempt to comfort himself. Thinking about it for a while, he finally decided that it'd be best if he cooperates with the girl.

Don't want to release that 'monster' again now, do we?

"All right then, you have a deal."

Avrean shook his hands with hers as she gave him a satisfied hum.

"Then let's do the blood thingy~"

"'Blood thingy?' Pfft–– It's called a Blood Seal, Princess. Bwahahahha, you don't even know that?" the red-haired demon explained in between his laughs.

The girl blushed a little at her little mistake, "W-Well, I was never told what its name was, so bear with me! ... Let's... just finish this quickly."

"BWAAHHAHAHHAHAHAAHAH!!! How could you not know such a simple ritual? And you call yourself a Spirit Wielder!!"

The demon still laughed hysterically at the girl's honest mistake, rolling on the ground while clutching onto his stomach, crying tears of amusement with a sprinkle of joy.

Shizuka blushed furiously at the male's laugh and statement, hiding her face into her pillows and wrapping herself with her blanket, grunting at the male.

"Oh, shut up!"

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Saturday, 18th of July, Lunar Year of 3020

The days went on by smoothly as the five clans were busy preparing for something.

One after another, the festivities of the Spirit Clans never came to an end. Their exhaustion ceased not to obliterate their peace of mind, and yet, they kept on going.

A piece of the softest fabric–– rivalling a jorogumo's sturdy, silky threads–– woven into the most beautiful kimono one had never seen before.

With the lanterns floating around and the flickers of wisps dancing by the calmest of lakes, the Spirit Festival awaited the chosen generation to begin this year's renewal dance before the moon was at its zenith.

⠀

⠀

⠀

In the platinum-blonde-haired Ichijou's room, was a calendar on top of her desk.

A few days later, exactly midnight on Saturday, was circled red with the same-coloured words written on it:

'Spirit Festival.'

They had been going back and forth to the vast Plains of Viraciyan. At the end of the plains, were ruins with a clear river flowing down the middle of them.

They were all wrecked and destroyed, but some buildings still stood tall.

The ruins looked like a bunch of towers and temples if you put the pieces together. Never mind that–– a mossy white crystal was seen floating in the middle of all those ruins. It floats on what seemed to be a stone platform with carvings on it.

Chatters were heard from afar as they came closer to the crystal.

"Hmm... So, this is the entrance?"

"Whoa! This is the first time I have seen it!!"

"Don't get too excited. We're supposed to be prepared for what's to come."

|| CHAPTER 28 | Preparations (Pt. I) - To be continued… ||

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