The diminutive old man in monk’s working clothes was keeping his eyes shut tight. And yet he had been able to guess his visitor was Kiyoka without a moment’s hesitation. More incredibly, he walked up right up to where Kiyoka stood without bumping into anything, tripping, or feeling around him.
“I’m glad you look well.”
Few people knew the elder’s name, including Kiyoka. Everyone simply called him “Grandmaster.”
They called him that because he was a brilliant Gift-user and arts practitioner, not to mention a technical expert with the skills to repair arts catalysts. There were very few people who could properly tinker with arts catalysts they hadn’t originally produced.
This old man was one of these precious few.
He didn’t only strengthen catalysts, but also worked as an instructor to strengthen people, too. Any Gift-user or arts practitioner who intended to see real combat would learn techniques from the man at least once. In that regard, Kiyoka was no exception.
If he was going to revive the powers of his magical sword, this man was the only one for the job.
“Okay, show it here.”
Without any preface, the old man held out his hands, as if demanding Kiyoka surrender the blade. Kiyoka placed it atop the Grandmaster’s palms.
With his eyes still closed, the Grandmaster deliberately patted the sword using a wrinkled hand.
The man lived with his eyes closed because he could see the truth of all things with his mind’s eye. At that very moment, he was assessing the sword’s current state with senses beyond mere sight.
It didn’t take very long for him to reach a conclusion.
“Can you fix it?”
The Grandmaster loudly pondered Kiyoka’s question.
“Hrmmm, I can fix it. To be clear, though, ’twas never broken to begin with. Call back its dwindled power, and it should return to its former glory. However…” After pausing for a moment, the Grandmaster looked up. “I haven’t the foggiest idea just how long it’ll take to get it fully back to normal.”
“I see.”
Kiyoka had been prepared for this. He never regarded the restoration of the sword as being important—just thought it would be nice to have back to normal. He would’ve been a bit disappointed if the sword remained useless, nothing more.
The fact that it would almost certainly regain all its old power was enough for him, regardless of how long it took.
“If that’s all right with you, I’ll do what I can but… What d’you say?”
“Please.”
The more arrows in his quiver, the better. Kiyoka bowed to the Grandmaster.
Miyo wondered just how long she had spent happily chatting with Miyako and the others. The next thing she knew, a great amount of time had gone by.
She hadn’t paid any mind to the outside, and the sun was beginning to set.
During summer, it got dark late in the day. Since the sun was sinking, that meant it would be time for dinner soon.
Oh no. Is Kiyoka already back?
Her husband would be worried if she spent too long in the main house. The older women gave carefree laughs when they saw Miyo get restless all of a sudden.
“It’s fine, go ahead and make your man wait a little bit.”
“Yeah, if he’s really worried, he can just come here to get you.”
Or so they said, but Miyo stood up anyway, unable to bear the anxiety.
“I’m sorry, but I really should—”
Right as she began to speak, the sliding door to the parlor opened, as if one cue. In walked Kiyoka, dressed in his casual summer kimono.
“K-Kiyoka!”
Miyo was stunned by his perfect timing and froze. Seeing this, the other women all grinned and let out a gasp of surprise.
“Why, speak of the devil.”
“Look at you two, perfectly in sync. These newlywed lovebirds, I swear.”
“Mr. Kudou really is one handsome devil, isn’t he?”
Miyo couldn’t bear the stares from the swooning women and felt her cheeks flush.
Despite that, she really was at ease with Kiyoka beside her, and she was inwardly overjoyed he had come to get her.
“Hurry on back with your man, dear.” Whether they understood Miyo’s state of mind at the moment or not, the women, far more experienced in the ways of the world than Miyo, urged her one after the other.
“I was worried… It was getting so late, and you still hadn’t come back yet,” said Kiyoka.
“I-I’m sorry for making you anxious…” Miyo lowered her eyes to her feet in embarrassment, and Kiyoka took her hand in his. “Kiyoka…?”
“We’re going back.”
“Ohhhh!” Kiyoka ignored the elated screams of the other women and pulled Miyo by the hand. Miyo waved back slightly to everyone and followed Kiyoka.
Kiyoka slowed down to match Miyo’s pace, moving unhurriedly along the polished corridor facing the garden, where a summertime breeze blew.
They were still holding hands.
“Kiyoka, thank you so much for coming over to get me.”
“It’s okay. I finished up the business on my end rather fast.”
“Is everyone in the Second Unit doing well?”
“Yes,” Kiyoka replied briefly. “They’re the same as ever. Every last one of them told me they’d be willing to help me with the Earth Spider if I wanted.”
“Hee-hee.”
The commander of the Second Unit, Koumyouin, loved teasing his juniors, and Kaoruko was the type to join in on jokes like that. Even if the Earth Spider wasn’t in the picture, Miyo could easily imagine Kiyoka grimacing in displeasure from everyone poking fun at him.
Her husband glared at her slightly and heaved a sigh before furrowing his brow.
“Anyway…”
“Yes?”
“Did something happen to you, Miyo? You’re looking a little pale. You seem a bit out of sorts, too.”
With a start, Miyo looked up at Kiyoka.
She hadn’t expected him to point that out. She thought she had done a good job hiding her feelings. Indeed, none of the other women had picked up on them.
Kiyoka really is amazing. He’ll just see right through anything I try to hide from him, won’t he?
However, Miyo never intended to hide anything from Kiyoka to begin with. She wanted to talk about what she had seen with Kiyoka at some point, even if not right at that moment. She simply needed the courage to mentally prepare herself.
“Kiyoka.”
“What?”
“If I told you that I wanted to meet with Lord Komon, would that be possible?”
“With Lord Komon? Right away?”
“‘Right away’ may not be the right way to put it… This isn’t urgent. There’s simply something on my mind.”
A look of suspicion came to Kiyoka’s face.
“Something on your mind…?”
Of course Kiyoka was dubious. Here was his wife suddenly asking to meet with the Miyakouji patriarch. Normally, they wouldn’t have any particular reason to be personally involved with one another.
However, Miyo wanted to check with Komon about whether the things she saw in Izuko’s nightmare had really happened. If that wasn’t the case, she could put it out of mind. But if it was true…
In any case, though Miyo trusted Kiyoka, she hesitated go into detail about it since she hadn’t confirmed her suspicions.
Kiyoka sighed as Miyo stared him hard in the eyes.
“…Fine. I’ll talk to him.”
“Thank you very much.”
Immediately after thanking him, Miyo suddenly felt Kiyoka wrap his arms around her.
“Kiyoka?”
“Did you use your Gift again?”
With Miyo snug in Kiyoka’s arms, his body heat passed to her body, gradually warming her. It was a calming warmth, unlike the summer heat, like being wrapped up tight. This pleasant sensation was accompanied by the familiar scent she caught from Kiyoka’s kimono.
She hadn’t realized how emotionally exhausted peering into Izuko’s nightmare had left her. Her inner tension began to unravel. Kiyoka had immediately picked up on what Miyo unconsciously longed for and provided it to her.
Though Miyo wished to be Kiyoka’s support, she was always the one being supported instead. Truthfully, she didn’t want to only be pampered and coddled; she wanted to spoil him back.
Miyo wrapped her arms around him.
“Please don’t worry. It was entirely my choice to use it, and I thought it was the right thing to do. From now on…I plan on using it when I think it’s necessary.” Separating herself slightly from the snug embrace, Miyo looked up at Kiyoka. “If the time comes someday when you need saving with my Gift, I won’t give it a second thought.”
“Miyo…”
Kiyoka’s eyes widened, revealing a hint of sadness.
“If we had never come here, you wouldn’t have been forced to break your vow.”
These were the words of someone who would do anything to protect Miyo. However, Miyo now stood on her own feet and walked her own path. She couldn’t toddle along holding Kiyoka’s hand forever.
“It’s okay. Everything I’ve been through and everything I will experience from here on out—I need all of it. So if anything happens, please look for my helping hand, too, Kiyoka. If you do, I’ll grab it tight and pull you along.”
Miyo assumed Kiyoka was feeling some amount of unease.
Up until now, she had been constantly put in dangerous positions and even life-threatening scenarios. Kiyoka worried there was nothing stopping her from getting put in harm’s way again.
“No matter what happens, I’ll never leave your side. Whether I use my powers or not, no matter what anyone says to me or does to me, that feeling alone will never change.”
That would always be true, even if her other vows did bend.
Kiyoka was shocked speechless.
“So please, trust me.”
She brought her hand to Kiyoka’s pale, smooth cheek and caressed it. Kiyoka placed his own hand over hers and closed his eyes.
“I do. I trust you more than anyone else.”
“Thank you.”
The two of them spent a few more moments just like that, entrusting their bodies to each other’s warmth.