77. OutMission (16)

77. OutMission (16)

It all started a few hours before Lex and Aria ambushed the Lich

"She was a 'Furuhashi!' they can see the future! She knew, and she let Max die!!" Cleos roared

"I Know! And calm down!" Arthur said, "talk that later. We are still in danger now!" he commanded

"Kuh!" Cleos finally gave up.

"are you alright?" Arthur asked

"I'm okay," Mio replied like there's nothing before now, but at the same time, they can't see Mio's usual uniqueness when she's with Lex.

The three moved a bit more distance from there "okay, let's hide here," Arthur said, then he dug the ground and made an artificial cave with the help of Mio and Cleos.

The three hid inside the artificial cave in silence. At the same time, Arthur was busy contacting Aria and Lex. You can easily see the heavy air around Mio and Cleos, or it's more like Cleos alone glaring toward Mio like she was her parent's revenge. But, on the other hand, Mio was like, and unlike her usual self, she sat in place silently.

*tap *tap *tap

Cleos' finger voice was tapping around. Cleos was irritated. Still, Cleos couldn't do anything about it because of the situation, to Cleos Mio's looks similar to [that girl]. They both have the power, the talent, the strength needed, but they never use it properly.

It was an insult to him and Max, who's working hard to get into their place now. That's how Cleos think. And because Mio didn't use it properly, Max has died too. It's already a miracle that he can hold himself back now.

After a few minutes, Arthur stopped trying to contact Lex and Aria. "I can't contact them," he said. "I can't get signals from here. It might be because of the Power-Spot."

""…"" no one replied to Arthur. ('haa~") he sighed internally. The situation was worse, even made Arthur sigh, who rarely do that. Like Aria, Arthur had his share of Outmission, this wasn't his first time losing a party mate, and at the same time, Arthur only knew Max recently too. He looked toward Cleos, who was obviously irritated. Next, Arthur looked toward Mio, ('I knew Mio wouldn't let Max die as Cleos said, she wasn't that kind of person). But he didn't know what she was thinking too ('and why she didn't tell us sooner about the ambush too? No, it's not important for now).

A small question appeared on his mind ('haa~'). He sighed inwardly again ('what to do with this group'). While Arthur was still puzzled about disentangling the heavy air around the party, Mio suddenly stood up.

"I don't care whether you believe me or not, but I didn't see that ambush," Mio declared.

"Ha! Do you think we believe that!?" Cleos immediately snapped with Mio

Yet Mio didn't bother to talk to Cleos more than this ('didn't I say I don't care) she thought as she slowly walked,

"Wait!" Mio heard someone call her, and it was Arthur who called her.

"What?" Mio replied

"No, no, what are you doing?" Arthur panicked refuted her. It's because Mio was slowly walking toward the entrance. "It's like you were trying to go outside…." Arthur muttered

"… you're not wrong, I'm going outside."

"Wha-!" Arthur was stunned

"How selfish!" Cleos roared from behind Arthur "do you want to run away on your own now? Unlike us, you can escape safely with your power." he said

"Shut up for a moment" it's not Mio who stopped Cleos, but Arthur he glared toward Cleos different from the gentle him,

"!?" Cleos was startled and dissatisfied, but he didn't cross him.

('I knew I can't do anything to dissolve their enmity, but losing another party after this was out of the question') Arthur thought, "why?" he asked

"It's not your problem" Mio brushed him away, and the next second, Arthur stood between the entrance and Mio.

"No, can do, it's my problem if you were in danger, at least I'm responsible for you two safety now."

"I-" before Mio can refute back.

"From Crimson Eagle, Aria and I were instructed to guide you four as a senior. Now that Aria wasn't here, it's my responsibility," Arthur explained.

"…." Mio thought for a moment. "I see. Suit yourself then" Mio tried to pass-through Arthur.

"Wait! It's dangerous outside!"

"It's been a while since we hid in here. I'm only seeking fresh air outside in front of the entrance. If you were that worried, you could come with me," Mio said. Then he pushed away Arthur's body, her expression it's like she won't accept any more than this. Finally, without waiting for Arthur's reply, she stepped outside.

('Tch!') Mio inwardly clicked her tongue. She was annoyed ('to think that I would do this by my own will') in front of the cave under the strong moonlight of the full moon. Mio started to move her body.

Arthur was late by a few seconds before He followed Mio to the outside. "…." He was speechless and entranced by the sight he saw. Once he stood outside the cave, There was Mio… dancing under the moonlight. Her body moves beautifully and perfectly. It's like the moonlights were dancing with her becoming the note for the music, becoming her partners, becoming her stage….

('I didn't know how I got this power to see the future, but I know it was after my father brought me to someplace when I'm not even five years old.)

('The power to see the future, precognition, seer, fortune-teller, diviner, many names for it. The woman of the Furuhashi always had this power from generation to generation.)

('It was a miracle-like an unbelievable power, a blessing, but the price for the ability was tremendous too. It's known to all the women of Furuhashi house the longest can only live to 25 years old. Many were dead before that time or became crazy before they could die.)

('It's understandable if you went through all of that, no wonder many went crazy, I would become insane a long time ago if I were normal')

('The first time I got this power I was happy, a child who didn't even know left or right, got this justice and wonder like power, 'I can help many people with this' what the child me thought')

('It started with me helping others avoiding small accident and misfortune, then when I noticed the event and the misfortune I saw with this eyes can no longer be said a small one')

('More than a year, finally the first big accident, I saw someone's death with these eyes, it was only someone who I met on the road, a stranger I saw on the street. It was only from my side who looked toward his face, and I'm sure he didn't even know who I am)

('It's impossible what I thought this power wasn't able to see something like that. His death was so vivid that it almost made me puke on the spot, unlike the usual vague sight, that's why I didn't believe it)

('But… the next minute that person died like how I saw in my vision, I was shocked, and I regretted not believing it, I fell sick for more than a week after that)

('More than two months after that, I saw the death of another stranger, this time I definitely saved her what I thought at that time but the result was… devastating to me')

('The future I saw included my movement to interfere in it. The stranger died the same I failed to save her. Her death happened because of me interrupting, maybe… if I didn't do anything, she wouldn't have died? But no one can answer that question)

('It struck me, but I still didn't give up. On the contrary, I tried it again whenever I saw the vision. again and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again….)

(But it was futile, not even one success, they died if I didn't do anything, they died if I do something which even because of my action that leads them to die')

('It was then… when the next accident happened, I saw many people death whether I wanted or not, once I saw I can't help them, and I even can't forget them. I know they will die, but I can't do anything about it. I have despaired. I was already in elementary school at that time, she was someone who can be called my childhood Bestfriend we have known each other since kindergarten school, and she was dead by car accident')

('And I… didn't see that future at all. Ah… this wasn't a blessing at all. It was a curse from the very beginning, was what I thought at that time)

('Since then I made my next move, it wasn't something holy or justice like helping another people, it was to get rid of this FUCKING CURSE!')

('I started to look for the Furuhashi house, I searched and searched but was unable to find a thing about it)

('Right after I almost out of option, the answer came right in front of my door')

('It was my birth mother who told me the answer. Thanks to her loving me, I didn't become crooked too much. She wasn't someone from Furuhashi, so that she could live long. I was told before that Furuhashi house has had this power from generation to generation since a long time ago. But it was wrong. According to Mother, Furuhashi only had this power 100 years ago, or 200 years in the past at most. It was information she got from outside the house')

('The Furuhashi house started to increase in power after the house got this power, its power increasing at an unbelievable rate. Their way to increase was only one. It was a political marriage. Other houses wanted the Furuhashi's blood that could see the future. Many political marriages which increased the Furuhashi influenced and strength to the point becoming number one now')

('The one who suffers were the women of the Furuhashi house, and the houses which the women married to. It's already more than 100 years, More than twenty houses had a marriage and gave birth, but no one had the power of the Furuhashi. the Blessing to see the future')

('Of course, the other houses were angry. It's like they were tricked, but when they realized that the Furuhashi house is already big enough and can't be shaken by that kind of small problem. Then the only thing they could do to retaliate was the only person who once had the Furuhashi name in their own houses. And once again the woman of the Furuhashi houses suffered')

('something snapped inside me when I knew that… haha I can only laugh at this situation at this fate born as a woman of the Furuhashi house, My Mother told me all this because she wanted me to survive to be happy, she can't do anything to help me)

('I would become insane a long time ago if I were sane if I were normal. The Furuhashi house was called a Prostitute house on the outside. With how they sell their daughters to increase their power')

('I knew the answer would be the place father brought me when I was a child. But I can't ask him. Once I asked him about that, he would definitely hunt how I got this information, and My Mother would suffer too. I have many mothers. Father, He has many wives. I almost puked when I knew he had many wives to increase the woman of the Furuhashi house, more wives, more children, and women… I swear you fuc-! ….. My Mother was the only one among them. There's no way he would have mercy to her')

('I don't know it's lucky or not, because of my action that already looked like crazy in other people's eyes. I was sent here in the Crimson Eagle, and it seems they can't lose me even if they had many other women of Furuhashi house. There's something that makes me different than others that I didn't know yet)

('And this dance was what we obligated to learn, it seems it increase the power of our Future-vision which I didn't know how it works, to think I would do this damn Dance on my own will…') Mio then slowly closed her eyes to see the future.

"M-Mio!" Arthur shouted out loud. He was worried about her condition. At first, he was entranced with Mio's beautiful dance till… blood slowly flowed out from her seven orifices, ears, eyes, nose, mouth. Then like a puppet string whose string has been cut, Mio collapse on the spot after that.

Arthur rushed toward her "Oi! Mio! Are you alright!? Answer me!"

Mio still closed her eyes. "Noisy!" she said, but her voice was very hoarse. "Please carry me inside," she said. Arthur obediently did as she said.

"!!?" Cleos was shocked when he saw Mio's situation. However, he calmed down too in the meantime. Arthur and Mio were outside too. Cleos knew he went overboard before and was trying to apologize next time. But seeing Mio's condition, "what happened!?" he was panicked.

"She…" Arthur didn't know whether to explain or not. What he knew Cleos had enmity toward her

"Unimportant!" Mio replied. "more importantly, I don't care if you two believe me or not. If you two want to escape alive along with Dear and Aria, do as I said" then Mio explained what to do. Cleos role was making the fog with his almost endless Mana [Angel's characteristic]. And how Arthur would create a breakthrough for Aria and Lex, but her power is not enough to see what happened after Lex punched the Lich. Still, she believed her dear would do something about it. After she explained all of it, she fainted.

That's how Aria and Mio could move effortlessly, and Arthur's reinforcement came at the perfect moment. Why Lex thought everything was orchestrated. Aria, who knew Mio's power, could guess that it was all Mio's credits.

***

"Leave it to me."

Lex shot up his face turned the voice. There was a beautiful pink-haired girl in front of him in her usual uniform.

"!! …Livia…" Lex slowly said her name

"Un," she nodded with a gentle smile, "Well done, rest and leave it to me" Livia made a small step

*boom

All the Undead around their surrounding was blown away and obliterated at once. Only Arthur Aria, Lex, and Max are left in the vicinity.

""…"" Aria and Arthur were left speechless by that spectacle, both of them couldn't hear anything from Livia. They couldn't hear anything from the blown away undead too. Instead, they felt an instant burst of mana which disappeared in the next second along with the Undead.

"I'm going," Livia said as he gently stroked Lex's cheek. She controlled her Silent World so only Lex and her could talk, then Livia flew toward the direction where the Lich fled.

After a few second

*BOOOOM

A big explosion occurred a bit away from them. Still, the three of Aria, Arthur, and Lex can feel the ground vibrating even from their side. It was terrifying, but Lex was relieved to see that sight. (It's done) he saw the slowly crumbling Max's corpse. He reached out to Max's pendant and brought it to his hands with his last strength before he lost consciousness.