Arc 7: The Goddess Squad Deployed
Sand tickled against Yuichiro’s face. As he flexed his fingers, the sand sifted through his grasp. Parting his eyes a bit, he observed a whirl of pale sand carried by the wind, all beneath an unending, silver-tinged sky.
Bracing himself on his palms, Yuichiro gradually stood up. He found himself surrounded by a glaringly immaculate white desert. As he squinted against the glaring landscape, a gentle voice greeted him.
“You’re back, eh?”
The voice was tender, akin to how a parent might speak to their offspring. Yuichiro swiveled his gaze toward the source of the voice and found Izrael. The massive being was in a coiled position, its eyes fixated on Yuichiro. A sense of warmth filled his heart; he knew he had successfully returned to this world once again.
“Yes, I’m back.”
“You’re happy with that?”
“With what?”
“Returning to this world.”
“Absolutely,” Yuichiro confirmed without hesitation, still positioned on the sandy ground. Elevating his eyes to meet Izrael’s, he stated, “This is where I wanted to be.”
On hearing this, Izrael’s eyes narrowed slightly, appearing somewhat wistful. He hummed softly and extended his neck closer to examine Yuichiro’s eyes more closely.
“I’m pleased you’re back.”
A swell of emotional relief nearly brought tears to Yuichiro’s eyes as he met Izrael’s golden gaze. His eyes grew damp and a subdued smile adorned his face. As he petted its elongated snout, Izrael emitted a satisfied growl.
“Izrael, would you escort me to the castle?”
At the query, Izrael nodded languidly.
“Of course, I’ll take you anywhere.”
Izrael’s tone was buoyant as he lowered his long neck to the ground. Once Yuichiro had climbed on, Izrael gently ascended into the air, spiraling swiftly upwards toward the silvery sky.
Gliding through the air as if he were swimming, Izrael carried Yuichiro, who lost himself in the comforting sensation of floating. After a period, Izrael posed a question.
“Do you still resent God?”
Hearing Izrael’s somewhat anxious voice, Yuichiro answered with his eyes closed.
“I no longer hold resentment. However, I’ll never be able to forgive what he did.”
While he wondered if his words seemed paradoxical, Yuichiro sensed a difference; it wasn’t resentment anymore but a contemplative reflection on a heart once fueled by hatred.
“Still, there are parts for which I am grateful. He gave me a second chance at life.”
In that jungle, he should have died a pitiful death. Yet here he was, in another world, loved by someone and loving someone in return, having been granted a new life. If he had died back then, Yuichiro would have cursed everything until the very end. He would never have gained someone so precious.
“Did I grow weaker, Izrael?”
Izrael snorted softly at the question. In a voice tinged with tears, Izrael responded, “Yes, you’ve become weaker.” But then Izrael continued. “But you’ve also become much stronger than when you first arrived here. You are still the greatest goddess.”
“My goddess,” Izrael whispered, snorting softly again.
Caressing the creature’s scales, which felt both warm and cool to the touch, Yuichiro directed his gaze ahead. Before him unfolded a city of sheer white, centered around a colossal chalk-made castle. As they reached the castle’s zenith, Izrael made a lap in the air.
Shortly after, two figures materialized on the balcony of the castle. As they came into view, Izrael began his gradual descent. The instant Yuichiro dismounted from Izrael and set foot on the balcony, he was met with emotional cries.
“Yuichiro!”
“Yuichiro-sama!”
Hearing their voices made his heart quiver. Standing before him were the two men he deeply loved.
“Noah, Temeraire.”
As he uttered their names, Noah charged toward him with remarkable speed. A mild discomfort struck Yuichiro’s lower abdomen as he was tightly enveloped, yet he had no intention of relinquishing Noah’s embrace.
“You’ve returned… Yuichiro, you’re back!”
Noah’s voice wavered, on the verge of tears. Big droplets of water fell from his eyes, soaking Yuichiro’s shoulder. Noah looked as if he had grown taller since their last meeting.
Rushing over, Temeraire hugged both Noah and Yuichiro, his voice shaky as he whispered, “I’ve always believed that you were alive. Thank you for coming back.”
Tears also streamed down Temeraire’s face, cascading uninterrupted along his cheeks. Moved by the emotion in Temeraire’s tone, a deep feeling surged within Yuichiro. Enclosed tightly by the arms of the two men, Yuichiro’s voice rasped as he spoke.
“I’m sorry for being late…”
In response to Yuichiro’s words, both Noah and Temeraire vigorously shook their heads.
“Being alive is all that matters, Yuichiro.”
“I was constantly anxious, fearing you were enduring hardships alone somewhere.”
Both men conveyed their worry, and Yuichiro felt his own eyes growing damp. His lips quivering, he softly inquired, “Can I… stay here?”
Hearing his question, Noah and Temeraire simultaneously lifted their heads.
“Of course you can stay.”
“Please, don’t leave again. Stay with us.”
Both Noah’s resolute voice and Temeraire’s imploring tone converged. A wave of warmth spread through Yuichiro’s chest. Extending his arms, Yuichiro firmly embraced Noah and Temeraire in return.
“I won’t go anywhere. I’ll stay here.”
The moment Yuichiro affirmed this, tears overflowed from his eyes. Like spring water seeping from a source, transparent tears trickled down his cheeks and fell.
* * *
Close to three months had elapsed in this realm since Yuichiro showed up after his disappearance. Since then, Noah and Temeraire did not leave Yuichiro’s side for a moment, and when he sat on the bench, the two men stuck closely to him.
“A lot has happened since you were gone, Yuichiro,” said Noah, grasping Yuichiro’s hand.
Though only a short period had passed, Noah seemed more seasoned, as if the experiences had weighed on him both physically and emotionally. Temeraire appeared similarly affected; his handsome features looked a bit worn.
“The rebel army that gathered in Duke Gail’s territory has expanded to tens of thousands. While you were gone, they have attacked the royal capital several times but have been repelled by General Kiehland. Both armies are currently in a stalemate at the Am Edge Plains, situated between the Duke’s territory and the royal capital.”
“Although we’ve been able to hold out, tens of thousands of soldiers have already died. We can’t keep this up,” Noah added, his face lined with seriousness. Sensing the strength in Noah’s grasp, Yuichiro gently tightened his hold on Noah’s hand, who then relaxed his grip.
“What about the situation in Goldar?”
“What’s the situation in Goldar?”
This time, Temeraire addressed Yuichiro’s query.
“Goldar is experiencing its own internal strife. There’s significant dissatisfaction with the reigning king, and the insurgent forces led by Nika and Yulia are gaining traction. Factories are going up in flames one after another, and the current king is on the ropes. It seems they’re unable to offer any support to Prince Edward as planned.”
Upon hearing this, Yuichiro nodded thoughtfully. Now, there was no longer the threat of weapons from Goldar. What remained was to strategize on how to suppress the rebellion.
“Though Goldar’s intervention is no more, the balance of power between our regular army and the rebels is still tight. Rumors of your death have spread, demoralizing the regular army. They wonder if Prince Edward, who has the goddess Aoi, is the real king blessed by the gods…” Temeraire spoke with a bitter voice.
Yuichiro just nodded and then continued to ask, “What happened to the Goddess Squad?”
“Right now, the squad leaders are taking command.”
“Where did Goat go?”
The instant the question was posed, a fleeting tension crossed Temeraire’s features. Noah also seemed to tense up momentarily, but quickly subdued his emotions, lowering his gaze. “He’s locked in the underground prison.”
“Did you catch him?”
“No, he turned himself in. He confessed to stabbing you and pushing you off the cliff.”
Upon hearing this, a dry grin appeared on Yuichiro’s face. The irony of turning oneself in after such actions is palpable.
“You did well not to execute him.”
Yuichiro then gently patted the knees of both Noah and Temeraire. At this, Noah’s face contorted into a bitter expression.
“I really wanted to behead him. Goat betrayed not just Yuichiro, but everyone around him.”
“Still, we’re not so rash as to thoughtlessly kill a man who came willingly to meet his end,” Temeraire added, his voice somewhat flat. Briefly exhaling, Temeraire placed a hand on Yuichiro’s thigh, “We combed the lake exhaustively but couldn’t locate your body. Nonetheless, we clung to the belief that you were still alive.”
“In that case, it’s not up to us to decide Goat’s fate. It’s up to Yuichiro.”
At their words, Yuichiro felt a warmth in his chest. As Yuichiro tugged at his lips in an attempt to hide his embarrassment, a palm was suddenly placed on one of his cheeks. His face was turned toward Noah, and he was stared at intently from below by those blue eyes.
“Yuichiro, where have you been all this time?”
For a moment, Yuichiro hesitated over what to say. After pausing a few times, he finally started to speak, “I had returned to my original world.”
“To your original world?”
Yuichiro confirmed with a nod, after which Temeraire gripped his arm and interrogated him.
“You were able to return to your original world?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Complex emotions bled through Temeraire’s already puzzled voice.
Why was I able to return to my original world? And why did I choose to come back here?
Yuichiro answered, looking back into Temeraire’s weaving eyes, “I’ll explain properly when this war is over.”
“Explain now,” Temeraire retorted in a strong tone, the depths of his eyes smoldering with a lurking anger.
“We never know when you might disappear again. I thought about jumping into the lake to follow you many times when I lost you three months ago. Although I believed you were alive, the agony of thinking that you might not return… a world without you holds no value…”
As anger seemed to give way to moisture in Temeraire’s eyes, Yuichiro silently observed him. The man’s blue eyes quivered like the ripples on a pond. “Why did you return, Yuichiro-sama? Is it out of compassion for us? Because the rebels are on the brink of defeating and executing us?”