Right after Takeshi saved Yukari from the assassins, both of them open a portal to Takeshi's apartment with the purple stone.
And since then, they have become much more viral.
The topic of The Flame Bearer and The Mysterious Woman becomes a discussion in all of the media.
Meanwhile the assassins whom Takeshi defeated are arrested by the Phantom Hunter Association.
A lot of journalists hurriedly went to the location and surrounded the association's team.
They ask a lot of questions towards them, but the association refuses to answer.
They only answer, "We don't know about the details of the incident, but we will do an immediate investigation with the police regarding what happened. For now, we have arrested these people who caused a scene at the public street."
But then, one of the journalists asked a question, "How about the other two people who were involved in the tragedy? An eyewitness claims that there's a male with a grey jacket and a female with pink hair."
The association staff just replies, "We don't have any information regarding that as well. But we'll investigate them as well. We'll inform the public when there's further information. That's it for now."
"Wait! Wait! Is there any important information?!"
Meanwhile, Takeshi and Yukari are safe and sound in Takeshi's apartment.
Takeshi then asks, "By the way, are you alright?"
Yukari replies, "Oh yeah, I'm fine."
But then, he looks at her from head to toe, it's all wounded.
"No, you're not. You have a lot of wounds on your entire body."
Yukari insists, "No! Look, it's fine!"
"NO, YOU'RE NOT! Have a seat on the sofa."
He takes the medical bag from his room and takes care of her wounds.
As he does that, Yukari remembers the time where Galadriel takes care of her wound on her leg when they have a hangout before.
Galadriel treated her wound and said, "Mo, you should be careful next time."
As she remembered that, she shed a tear.
But then, she wipes it out.
"Okay, done!"
"Arigatou Gozaimasu."
"Doumoitashimashite."
Then Takeshi gets up and says, "Alright, for now. Just relax on the sofa and don't move too much."
Yukari nods.
Takeshi then says, "Okay, so do you like water or tea or coffee?"
"Water is fine."
"Okay, I'll get you a glass of water."
Then as he pours water on the glass.
Yukari asks, "So, what are you?"
Takeshi replies in confusion, "Huh?"
"I mean, you just easily defeated those guys like it was nothing. So what are you? God? Demigod? Superman?"
Takeshi chuckles and replies, "No, I'm not. I'm neither of those things. I'm just a nobody who willingly helps a damsel in distress."
Yukari replies, "That sounds like what a superhero would say."
Takeshi laughs, "Hahahaha, no, I'm not a hero. I'm just a guy."
"If you're just a guy, why are you so strong?"
"Well, it's complicated."
"How complicated?"
"Very."
"How very?"
"Very, very complicated."
"How very, very complicated?"
"OKAY, STOP IT!!"
"Come on, I'm curious."
"No, you won't understand."
"Try me."
"Seriously?"
"Yes, tell me."
"Hmm...…"
"TELL ME! TELL ME!! TELL ME!! TELL ME!! TELL ME!! TELL ME!! TELL ME!! TELL ME!! TELL ME!! TELL ME!! TELL ME!!"
Takeshi gets annoyed and replies, "ALRIGHT, I'LL TELL YOU!! GEEZ!"
Yukari answers, "Okay, spill it."
"But before that, promise me that you'll believe me. Don't think that I'm a crazy person."
Yukari nods.
"Actually I don't know how exactly I got this power. But I think it is because a certain old man tells me that I'm the chosen one in my dream."
"Old man?"
"Yeah, the man has messy gray hair, a gray beard and a bent body with a gray hat on his head, gray robe and he holds a brown staff. I think he's a...…"
Yukari then replies, "Shepherd."
Takeshi was surprised, "Wait! You knew about him too?"
Yukari answers, "Yeah, I've met him before."
Takeshi asks, "When and How did he meet you?"
"Well, It's a long story."
"How long?"
"Very long."
"Tell me all about it."
"Are you sure you want to hear this?"
"Try me."
She sighs and says, "Alright. When you hear this, I beg of you, don't think I'm crazy."
"I won't. I promised."
After that, Yukari tells her entire story.
As the story progresses, Takeshi feels a lot of mixed feelings from surprise, anger, fear and sadness.
And when she finished, he said, "You must've had a hard time. I felt sorry for your friend."
Takeshi looks at her and is surprised.
Yukari shed a lot of tears.
Then she begins to cry.
"I…..I…..should've…..save her."
Takeshi looks at her with concern.
"It's…..it's…..my fault."
"No, it's not."
"IT'S MY FAULT!! IT IS BECAUSE OF ME THAT THRAIN DIED!! AND EVEN AFTER LOSING HER LOVE ONE, GALA…..GALADRIEL STILL WANTS TO SACRIFICE HERSELF FOR ME!!"
Takeshi replies, "Yeah, but you're not the one to blame."
Then Yukari stands up and replies, "SHUT UP!! WHAT DO YOU KNOW?!! IF IT'S NOT ME, THEN WHO ELSE?! THAT MAD PROFESSOR?!! HE WANTED ME!! NOT HER!! IT SHOULD'VE BEEN ME!! HE SHOULD'VE CAPTURED ME?! NOT HER!! SHE DID NOTHING WRONG!!"
Yukari continued, "All this time, she has always helped me through tough times. When she is disguised as a human, she always assists me at work, she always clarifies misunderstandings about me, she always spends time with me even when people think that I'm weird. She's the only one who looks out for me, she always stays by my side, when I'm at my lowest point and even when everyone forgets my birthday, she's the only one who remembers, she always protected me and she doesn't run away when I'm in trouble, she'll try her absolute best to help me. And even when I turned into a monster, she doesn't look away and run or even feel afraid, instead she hugged me and that's when she says that I…..that I….."
Galadriel's voice : "Yukari, please come back. I want to create more beautiful memories with you."
Yukari continues to cry and shed more tears.
"Even when she's held hostage, she still…..she still…..prioritizes me."
Takeshi then gives a tissue to her.
Yukari takes it and uses it.
"That's…..that's why I wanted to lend her a hand as well. I used everything I got to help her and the others escape. But…..but…..in the end…..I…..I…can't…..I'm still the same girl who needs other's help. I'm still dependent on Galadriel. Even when there's a chance for me to help her as well, I still can't do it, I failed."
Then she slaps her face and says, "I'M STILL THE SAME GIRL WHO CAN'T EVEN HELP MY OWN FRIEND!! I'M WORTHLESS!! PATHETIC!! USELESS!! WEAK!! FAILURE!!!!!!!!!!"
Takeshi grabs her hand.
"STOP!! ENOUGH!! I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU FEEL GUILTY, BUT DOING THIS TO YOURSELF WON'T DO ANY BETTER!! IT WON'T EASE THE ISSUE!!!!!"
Yukari replies, "Hah, What do you mean you understand? YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND MY GUILT!! YOU EVEN NEVER SEE PEOPLE DIED IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE, RIGHT?!!"
Takeshi screams, "I SEE MY SISTER DIED IN FRONT OF MY FACE!! I SEE IT WITH MY VERY OWN EYES!! AND SAME LIKE YOU, IT'S ALSO BECAUSE OF ME!! I FAILED TO PROTECT HER!!!!!"
Yukari is surprised.
"AND OF COURSE I FEEL GUILTY ABOUT IT!! SHE'S THE ONLY FAMILY THAT I GOT!! AT THAT MOMENT, I ALSO FEEL THAT I'M THE MOST PATHETIC PERSON IN THE WORLD!! SO SINCE THEN, I SWORE TO MYSELF THAT TO ATONE FOR MY SIN, I'LL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO PROTECT PEOPLE WHO'S IN TROUBLE!! I KNEW THAT NOT EVERYONE WILL THANK ME!! I KNEW THAT I'M STILL WEAK!! I KNEW THAT I CAN'T PROTECT EVERYONE!! I KNEW THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO'S STRONGER THAN ME!! BUT I STILL WANT TO DO IT, YOU KNOW WHY?!!"
Yukari can't answer.
Takeshi continues, "BECAUSE DEEP INSIDE MY HEART, I STILL FEEL I DON'T DESERVE TO LIVE!!!!! I SHOULD'VE DIED WITH MY SISTER BACK THEN!! BUT INSTEAD, I'M STILL HERE TODAY!! WHY?! WHY?!!"
He touches her arms and says, "ANSWER ME!! WHY?!!"
Yukari answers, "I…..I don't know."
"Exactly. Yet, even if I felt guilty, I still want to try my best to help others and save lives. Because I personally feel that to atone for my failure of saving my sister in the past, I have an obligation to save others. And that's the reason why I saved you just now."
Yukari faces down and replies, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I got mad at you."
Takeshi bows and answers, "I apologize as well. I apologize for losing my temper."
"Yeah, it's fine. I'm also in the wrong."
After that, she sits back on the sofa.
"I don't know that you're going through that as well. I thought you lived a perfectly normal life."
He sighs and replies, "It's alright."
"And just for your information...…"
"Hmm?"
"Don't ever think that you're the only one who feels pain. Everyone who lives in this damn world does ever feel pain and they all suffer as well. So don't think everyone lives a perfect normal life. Because life is not all about colors and rainbows, instead it is imperfect."
"Life is a blessing, but yet is also a curse."
TO BE CONTINUED............…..