YUKI kept her back turned to Selena while she bathed in the bubbling river. The initial reason for not looking was to respect Selena’s privacy, but the real reason Yuki didn’t want to admit was how scared she was to look at her. Merely closing her eyes and the spine-chilling carnage replayed. The number of deaths she witnessed since coming to this world increased a hundred times from the few funerals for relatives who had passed away while she was in Japan.
I can never get used to people killing people. Especially when they are people I’m traveling with. But death is normal in Aridol. If you don’t kill your enemy, they will kill you and your friends.
Yuki kept her eyes closed and tried to convince herself there was a meaning behind all the death. The rustling trees, bubbling river, and sound of Selena splashing water over her body had taken the place of the screams she had heard earlier. Who would think a terrible tragedy had taken place in the serenity here?
Maybe I’m the weird one? The horror of their battle isn’t counted as a tragedy or disturbance here. They consider the stillness of the forest and the ferocity of the battlefield one and the same. That’s why…that’s why they can all be so calm while bathed in blood and taking lives.
The bile she kept down with sheer willpower threatened to come back up.
A cheerful voice cut through the images of severed arteries. “Hey, Yuki, did I scare you?”
“Huh?!” Yuki croaked, jumping at the sudden question.
Selena laughed aloud. “Looks like I shocked you pretty bad. I heard from Vigo that you were worried about me. Silly girl. I told you to only think of yourself.”
“How could I?!” She wanted to protest against Selena’s laughter, but couldn’t find the right words to get her point across. But as the frustrated feelings weighed down on her, the anguish and shame boiled inside her gut.
“It’s been ages since someone last worried about me. It’s kind of nice to know someone cares.”
“R-Really?”
“Really. I’m sorry for scaring you. You must have come from a country with little war, huh?” Selena’s calm voice blended with the sound of flowing water.
“I-I did. We went to war with other countries in the past before I was born, but I think it was fairly peaceful while I was there.”
Crimes still occurred in Japan, but the Swords and Firearms Control Law prevented any major incidents from coming to her attention in her lifetime.
“I never really liked cutting people much. Regardless of those feelings, I had to train and get stronger, so I forced myself to view it as something fun until my mind became twisted enough to believe it. Before I knew it, everyone started calling me Mad Dog! Once I take my sword in hand, I stop thinking about anything else. Disgusting, aren’t I?” she laughed self-derisively.
“You know, my commander used to love bloody fighting styles. The bloodier, the better. And they grinded that method into me too… There’s no need for me to kill anymore, but once you’re dyed with blood you can never get it off. It sticks with you… Ahaha, what am I even saying to you?!” Selena added forceful cheer to her tone. Yuki’s heart dropped. “Silly girl. You shouldn’t come near me.”
Why did Yuki think their tragic world was the norm for them? Guilt ridden and ashamed of her earlier thoughts, the blood went to her head.
I really am a spoiled child. The foolishness of believing everyone was okay with being covered in blood was the epitome of her naïve thinking. There’s no way they are fine. Selena is in so much pain for what she has done and even admitted she doesn’t enjoy hurting people. Why didn’t I notice something so obvious? I just assumed they were okay with it because they can do it. I’m so sorry.
Further shame assaulted her for not being able to apologize aloud and tears threatened to spill from her eyes.
“If only war didn’t exist,” she muttered to herself, blaming war for her naïveté.
How much happiness would have been in this world if war hadn’t brought them despair?
What Yuki failed to realize at the time was that despair was the predecessor to war, which only bred more despair.