She never knew that the sky was so high up. She never knew. She never knew that the world was so full of color. She never knew… “I’m having…so much fun right now…” …that being alive could be so much fun. At long last, Mayoi understood the mysterious feeling in her chest. Spending time with Jade was returning what she’d lost. Her world had color and flavor again. This magnificent place was where she lived, and she was starting to care about it again. All the emotions Mayoi had lost years ago were returning in force, and when she recognized this, tears came with no way to stop them. Mayoi sat on the ground, paralyzed by the weight of her feelings…and felt Jade take her hand. “Hey, you know what we say when we’re trying to turn a frown upside down?” He hoisted Mayoi back to her feet… “Hurrah!” …and shouted. It was the phrase he taught her weeks ago. The one that she never quite comprehended. At the same time, though, it always managed to cheer her up. “Whoo-hoo!” Mayoi shouted as well. She needed to release everything bubbling up inside her, and although she remained ignorant of the word’s meaning, she spoke it as loud as she could. And through her tears, a smile blossomed. Three days later, Kaguya’s coronation was set, and with it, the day Mayoi would kill herself. It had been several years since Mayoi last saw Kaguya, but her sister came to hand down the order in person. For generations, Yamato had diligently carried out the sacrificial rite. The system made one small sacrifice to secure national peace, and now the time had come for another to be offered up for the good of the state. Mayoi was their tool, and this was the task assigned to her. That was the imperial family’s code, and up until recently, it would have been no exaggeration to say that dying was the sole reason for her existence. Now that she’d regained her will as a living individual, however, she couldn’t possibly fulfill her duty. She wanted to see more of the sky. She wanted to feel more of the wind. She wanted to smell more of the earth. She wanted to go more places—and she wanted to do so with him. To that end, Mayoi prostrated herself before her sister with her forehead pressed to the tatami mat floor and begged for clemency. She promised to leave Yamato. She swore to harbor no interest in usurping the throne. In return, she pleaded only for her life. But her entreaty fell on deaf ears. The imperial family’s tool was broken, and she could no longer execute the customary performance. However, this upset fell within expectations, and there was a backup plan for just such an eventuality. If convincing the tool to commit suicide was no longer an option, they would instead pin a fictitious crime on her and have the new emperor personally execute her for it, and pursuant to Yamato law, they would use an incredibly painful form of capital punishment referred to as death by sawing. Judging their own flesh and blood like that would serve to demonstrate the Yamato ruler’s virtuousness. As soon as her sister expressed resistance to the idea of killing herself, Kaguya sentenced her to death and incarcerated her in Azuchi Castle. Thanks to the Special Forces’ covert work, Mayoi looked unquestionably guilty. In her jail cell, Mayoi pushed her voice to its limits screaming for help. She wore out her throat, then tore at it, yet even as blood dribbled from her mouth, she shrieked with all her might that she didn’t want to die. None came to her aid. Finally, Mayoi realized the harsh truth—she had no inherent worth as a person. The pain and the sorrow were too much for her, and she collapsed into sobs. “Pleeaase…” Why her? Why was all of this happening to her? Being born slightly after Kaguya was the only thing she’d ever done wrong. So why? “Don’t make me…stop being me…” That was all she asked. It was her deepest wish to be granted permission to live. A new guard entered and relieved Shishi, and although Mayoi was barely able to choke out words anymore, she made the same impassioned plea to him, too. The guard didn’t so much as stir. As a matter of fact, he remained motionless… …even as his head rolled from his shoulders. “Eek!” “Hey there, Mayoi. You okay?” “J-Jade… But why?!” As Mayoi froze at the shocking turn of events, a man called out to her—the very one she’d thought of so often in her cell. She spoke his name in surprise, but he quickly silenced her. “Shhh, keep it down. There are more guards outside.” The decapitated watchman remained perfectly upright, and Jade rummaged through the corpse’s pockets as he explained. “Listen, when word arrived at the embassy that you’d killed some maids and were gonna get executed, I got mad spooked. I knew you’d never do anything like that, and I kinda freaked out a bit. But it was obviously a frame job, so I sneaked in here to bail you out. Real talk, I would’ve come sooner, but that punk-ass Sasuke was shaking in his boots.” “Shishi was here a moment ago. I can hold my own against any other, but that man is beyond my ability.” Mayoi searched for the latest voice and discovered that Jade wasn’t alone outside her cell. The middle-aged ninja named Sasuke, who always helped him sneak into Mayoi’s residence, was there, too. Sasuke wound his hands around each other and spooled back the thread he’d used to silently behead the guard. “Sheesh, dude. Considering what I pay you, I figure you could at least try. I swear, you’ve gotta be the most useless fugitive ninja around… Ah, found it.” While griping about his ninja accomplice, Jade finally located the item he was looking for: the key to Mayoi’s cell. “There we go. Now we’re all peachy—” “Y-you can’t!” Jade began to unlock the door, but Mayoi stopped him. “You’ll get in big trouble!” If Jade went through with this, he’d share Mayoi’s fate. The prospect of him dying was so horrible that merely imagining it left Mayoi feeling like she would lose her mind. The warning did nothing to give Jade pause, though… “You’ve got a heart of gold. For real.” …and he unlocked the cell. “Oh no…” “But see, that’s why out of all the people in Yamato, I wanted to at least save you.” “At least…?” There was something peculiar about Jade’s remark. Mayoi was still sitting on the floor, so Jade lowered himself to her eye level to answer her question. “I need you to listen close. Pretty soon, Freyjagard and Yamato are going to war.” His expression was normally so chipper, it bordered on insincere, yet there was no doubting the severity of this statement. “What…? A-a war…?” “I heard it straight from Grandmaster Neuro. The Four Grandmasters have been pushing Emperor Lindworm to conquer the rest of the continent for a while, and now that he’s finished getting the nation under his thumb, he’s formally decided to adopt their plan. And that means attacking Yamato. The army’s already mobilized, and it’s ready to begin the invasion at the drop of a hat.” “It can’t be…” “…To be honest, they wanted to storm the border today, but I went to Grandmaster Neuro and got him to hold off. I told him I needed enough time to rescue you.” “Huh…?!” To rescue her? Mayoi couldn’t begin to make sense of it. Jade was on the Freyjagard Empire’s side. What did he care about someone in Yamato? “Why…would you go so far…?” “What do you mean, ‘why’?! It’s ’cause you’re the most important babe in my whole life!” “” Jade grabbed Mayoi’s shoulders and spoke with more passion in his voice than he ever had before. This time, Mayoi was at a complete loss for words. Not long ago, back when she was just a tool, she might not have understood the significance behind Jade’s statement. Now, though, his meaning came across loud and clear. She felt the same way, after all. Mayoi was surprised, flustered, and thrilled… Feelings whirled inside her, intermixing and throwing the girl off-balance. Jade rubbed his neck. “Here’s the problem, though… Grandmaster Neuro didn’t exactly agree to sit on his hands for free. The empire’s got this scheme it’s cooking, and the GM said that if you want Freyjagard’s protection…then you have to help out with the plan.” “What…do you mean?” “You know that grody-ass belfry, right by the inner castle?” Mayoi nodded. She came to Azuchi Castle infrequently enough that she didn’t recall every detail, but the moss-encrusted belfry was distinctive enough to leave a mental impression. “According to Grandmaster Neuro, that belfry is actually a secret magical artifact, and if you load it up with magic, it can amplify that spell and spread it across all of Yamato. He wants you to cast a spell that’ll put all the Yamato soldiers to sleep.” “A-a spell?!” Mayoi was surprised to hear about the bell’s true function, but what shocked Mayoi most of all was the empire’s plan. That her using the artifact was a condition for securing her clemency meant that it had to be possible, but there was a problem. “But I…I don’t know how to use magic…” She had never so much as studied the subject, much less actually cast a spell. There was no way for her to meet Freyjagard’s demand. However… “Don’t you worry. Grandmaster Neuro gave me something nifty to help out on that front.” Jade’s expression was downright dauntless as he retrieved an object from his pocket—a large black crystal that nearly filled his whole palm. “This thing’s an artifact called a Philosopher’s Stone, and when you stick it in someone, it makes them ‘evolve’ by forcibly drawing out their potential… You might be wondering why Azuchi Castle has the bell if they never use it. Well, back in the day, they actually did. Grandmaster Neuro told me that long ago, the Yamato imperial family had this Administrative Authority magic they used to control all the native spirits in the nation. The magic’s gotten weaker over time, and nowadays, it’s totally shriveled, but that doesn’t mean it’s gone for good. If we use this Philosopher’s Stone to draw out the power sleeping within you, you’ll be able to use magic just fine!” “I will…?” Was it really that simple? Mayoi lacked the knowledge to answer that question with any certainty. The situation was shifting rapidly, and she had no time to consider her choice. It was all so abrupt that Mayoi felt her head spinning. And yet… “The thing is, not even Sasuke has the skills to get both of us out of the castle. This plan is the only way to save us both. I’m beggin’ you here, Mayoi… Please, come with me. I want to be with you. Now, and for the rest of time.” …Mayoi could see herself reflected in his eyes. He was looking straight at her. She didn’t understand what was going on, and it was impossible to know the right decision. However, if it meant a chance to be together with Jade, the man who was willing to let her live within his gaze, then Mayoi had no reason to refuse his proposal. The plan Neuro entrusted to Jade went off without a hitch. Part of Mayoi’s job was to act as a spare for Kaguya, so all it took was a change of her clothes, and the castle guards—few of whom had ever had any meaningful interactions with her—were none the wiser as to her true identity. She didn’t even need to rely on Sasuke’s disguise techniques. By combining the bell’s power with the ability to communicate with spirits the Philosopher’s Stone awakened in her, Mayoi successfully instructed the spirits all across Yamato to go to sleep. The tolling of the bell also served as the signal for Lindworm’s army to storm the Yamato border, and with the Yamato forces unable to fight, the Freyjagard soldiers annihilated them. Yamato lost a full third of its army in the span of a single night, and though their warriors’ strength bought back some ground, the losses proved too much to overcome. The Freyjagard Empire overran Yamato with sheer numbers, and eventually, the nation lay in ruins. Mayoi watched her homeland fall from the safety of the imperial army’s protection with no regrets. And why should she have any? After all… “You people…took everything from me!” The castle tower was engulfed in flames. Angry cries thundered like an earthquake, but Mayoi was unshakable, and she met the shouts with equal fury. Why should she have to die for the likes of them? How dare they criticize her for not doing so? It didn’t make a lick of sense. I’m not an idiot, you know… Mayoi knew that Jade was an agent who’d been explicitly dispatched to win her to Freyjagard’s side. His story had been fishy from day one. After all, what sort of respectable diplomat went and visited a sequestered princess’s bedchambers just because he didn’t get a chance to introduce himself? It was part of his plan. Jade had heard about the imperial family’s code and the way Mayoi was treated. His goal was to rise in station by playing a key role in the war effort against Yamato. To that end, he’d shown Mayoi kindness to make her into a puppet that would dance on his strings. Jade’s compassion was calculated, and every sweet nothing had been a lie. None of it meant a thing to him. Mayoi knew as much long before she betrayed her country. But so what? Jade’s words were hollow and his kindness false, but his hand was the first she’d ever been offered. His kind words were the first she’d known. Those lies showed Mayoi the fun of living. She didn’t care if it was all a lie. She didn’t care that he didn’t love her. She was fine with him using her. Living solely for Jade’s ambition was enough to sustain her heart. It was sufficient. Yet now… “~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!!!!” Tears of frustration streamed from Mayoi’s eyes, and she kicked the floor even as the flames scorched it black. Ultimately, she’d failed in being useful to Jade. Her life for him was unsuccessful. That knowledge was so heartbreaking she couldn’t help but sob. Mayoi harbored little hope that Jade would forgive her. He was going to hate her. He would never look her way again. He would never think of her. He wouldn’t even remember her. Once again…she would be alone. The world was vast, yet Mayoi was going to leave it by herself. When she realized that, it hurt so much that her chest felt likely to rip apart. She was abandoned, tormented by agonizing pain. After finally meeting someone willing to see her as an individual, Mayoi knew the joy of living within his gaze, and she wanted to die in it as well. “Darling… I miss…you…” “What’s that? You called?” “………………What?” Someone answered her. Her plea that should have been lost amid the fire and chorus chanting for her death had reached a man who shouldn’t have been there. Mayoi nervously raised her head. It couldn’t be. There was no way. She looked out into the raging sea of fire. He was there, just beyond it. Standing at the room’s burning entrance was Jade von Saint-Germain. “Heya there, Princess. ’Tis an honor but to be in your presence. That’s what the kids say, right?” He wore the same irreverent smile he had worn during their very first encounter. “D-dar…ling… But why…?” “Whaddaya mean, ‘why’? Whoa, c’mon, you can’t be serious, right? What the hell kinda guy doesn’t drop everything and come running when his girlfriend’s in a jam, huh? I’m from the land of knights, for crying out loud!” Mayoi was struck speechless. She’d believed his visage would never grace her eyes again, yet against all odds, they were reunited. Jade, for his part, strode forward with his asymmetric grin… “Whoops…!” “Darling!” …and tripped, tumbling to the ground by Mayoi’s side. When Mayoi got closer, she noticed something. “Ahh! Y-your leg…!” Jade’s right leg was burned raw. Most of it was little more than charcoal now, and it was obvious at a glance that it was well beyond saving. “Yeah, I tried to come through the hidden tunnel all gallant and badass, but, like… Apparently, shit’s on fire? We’re talking some reeeeeal nasty stuff. I got roasted on my way up here.” With a big grunt, Jade crawled his way to a seated position across from Mayoi. From this distance, she spied that his shoulders were heaving and his forehead was slick with sweat. Burns dotted his entire body. Jade must have climbed like a man possessed to endure the flames. “Listen, Mayo-Mayo. I wanted to save you, but it looks like this is as far as I’m gonna get.” “Wh-why?! Why would you come here?!” Mayoi shrieked. What purpose was there in Jade willingly endangering himself as he had? Jade flashed her his usual smile. “How many times are you gonna make me say it? It’s about chival—” “LIAR!!!!” Mayoi wasn’t going to excuse his obvious deceit this time. “You’re lying! I know it, and so do you! You don’t love me one bit, and I’ve been aware of that this whole time!” “Wh—?” “So why come for me?! You’re going to die!” Mayoi screamed. How could he make such a stupid decision? Truthfully, Mayoi didn’t care about Jade’s reason. He was going to die, and that unacceptable reality drove her into a frenzy. Upon seeing her reaction… Wait, seriously? She found out? …Jade was secretly shocked. Not once had he considered that Mayoi knew. Mayoi had accused Jade of not loving her, and she was correct. Jade didn’t care for her one bit. On the contrary, he loathed the girl. She reminded him of his old self—his life in that mansion. Back when I was weak, when all I could do was suck up to the people around me and go along with whatever they said… Jade was a child of the Saint-Germain family, a lineage of renowned aristocrats. The name alone carried prestige. However, that was only on Jade’s father’s side. His mother was a commoner and a prostitute. Although he was the offspring of the family head, Edgar, Jade was also the son of a whore. Imperial nobles had a tendency to be selfish, but Edgar was a comparatively reasonable sort, and he took responsibility for Jade’s mother’s pregnancy by keeping her on as a mistress and moving her and Jade into his mansion. However, Jade’s mother had an affair with one of the servants, then absconded and abandoned her child. Being the son of a runaway mistress, Jade suffered terrible mistreatment. It would have reflected too poorly on the Saint-Germain household to kick him out altogether, but the abuse he endured was horrific. Surviving that hellish crucible taught Jade his inherent lack of worth as a person. That was what drove him to seek fame and status so desperately. He wanted to become valuable, such that none would harm him again. Reading people had always been a talent of his. It started out as a way to protect himself, but in time, he developed it and formed connections to rise in the world. His ascent was meteoric, especially for the Freyjagard Empire, and after he enticed Mayoi into aiding the invasion of Yamato, he was named Yamato Dominion Administrator, a title on par with a dominion lord’s. Without him, the empire had no way of holding Yamato. Jade had assumed that meant he’d changed. The worthless wretch was gone at last. No more would he cower and suck up to those around him, agreeing to whatever they said. Mayoi’s weakness reminded him of his own, though, stirring something in him every time he saw her. And yet… …he’d returned to her all the same. Jade had scraped and clawed through searing flame to save her. No…that wasn’t it. The effort was only another attempt to show off. A lie to conceal the pitiful truth. I was running away… After losing to the Resistance and forfeiting everything he’d worked so hard to build, Jade had nothing but his own worthless existence puffed up with fiction. It was more than he could bear. Thus, he’d fled to the woman who would never turn on him. God, I’m such a piece of shit… Jade was sick of himself. He never changed, and he’d failed to become a person of renown. Were that true… “Wait, you think I don’t like you? C’mon, Mayo-Mayo. That’s crazy talk.” …then he wanted to at least see his final deceit through to its conclusion. In all the world, there was one woman who desired the man Jade genuinely was, and as a liar, this was the closest he could come to doing right by her. “C’mon, what’re you getting all neurotic on me for? Aside from the JK Game, I’ve never tricked you in my whole life. Plus, you think I really woulda come anywhere near this gnarly disaster if it weren’t to save the lady I love?” Jade wrapped Mayoi in an embrace. The hug was a falsehood, the kind he’d fed her countless times before. And yet… Huh? …Jade could feel his arms tighten around her slender frame. He was squeezing Mayoi so tightly that it was probably hurting her. Not once had he ever held her this roughly. Jade hurriedly tried to loosen his grip and discovered he was unable. And as he sat boggling at his own actions… “You’re such a liar…!” …Mayoi returned his embrace. She folded her arms around him, dug in her nails, and hugged him dearly. “I don’t care if it’s fake. I want you to stay with me to the end! Don’t leave me all on my own!” “” The heat of their bodies against each other felt hotter than the fire, and between that, Mayoi’s scream, and the intensity with which she needed him, Jade realized something. He’d been laboring to build his worth for so long, pursuing it with single-minded devotion to the exclusion of all else. Yet now that his life was on the verge of ending, he had someone he could hold with all his might, and who would hold him with all of theirs. Surely, there was value in that. No noble. No lord. No emperor. Nothing. Jade’s feelings for Mayoi were so strong that he couldn’t control his strength, and she felt the same. And if that was the case… I’ve been worth something this whole time… It may have only been in a single person’s eyes, but to Mayoi, Jade was more precious than anything else in the world. If only Jade had realized it before the point of no return. He’d always prided himself on being sensitive to matters of the heart, but when it came to his own, he was as dense as they came. He had given Mayoi nothing but lies, and he’d hurt her repeatedly, but if she was willing to forgive him for all that, then starting now, they could share something new—the first true love in all Jade’s life. There were only seconds left, but they were plenty. To Jade, every moment they spent holding each other was so joyful—so fun—that it was worth more than the rest of his existence. “Hey, you know what I’d like? To see the lotus flowers again, just me and you.” “…Yeah…that sounds nice…!” And with that, Azuchi Castle’s tower came tumbling down.
Chapter 106
20 min read