"Are you just going to keep staring like this?"
That was the first thing Ryouma asked Crimson Moon when he came before her.
It was a fact he already knew.
But as an opening line, he asked it anyway.
"..."
For a moment, Crimson Moon's cold expression wavered.
For thousands of years, she had gazed upon that star called Earth, and never had this happened before—
another lifeform, besides herself, had spoken to her.
Truthfully, she had never considered how to deal with Ryouma. Her perception of him was little more than dust, a stone underfoot.
And now, he had chosen to disturb her.
Her heart stirred with the unpleasant sense of her domain being intruded upon—
alongside a faint, irritating restlessness.
"I'll apologize for intruding on your private space," Ryouma said calmly. "But I don't intend to just walk away.
On this planet, there are only the two of us. Do you really plan to sit in silence, staring out like this, without saying a word?"
He pressed the issue, sitting down not far from her, ignoring the faint furrow of her brows.
From the start, he understood that Crimson Moon bore him no malice.
She had already said she had no reason to harm him.
Which meant—as long as he didn't cross her bottom line, he could stay.
He had no intention of interrupting her long vigil over Earth. He only wanted to speak at her side.
That was why she felt only mild displeasure, without true hostility.
It was like a shut-in girl, suddenly finding a stray puppy wandering into her room—
instinctive wariness, a prickling sense of rejection.
It was only natural.
And Ryouma understood that if he could avoid provoking her dislike, then they could coexist.
Thanks to the Moon's memories he had glimpsed, he was confident he could seize this chance.
"…And if I don't?"
Her crimson lips parted at last, cold words slipping out.
It was almost accidental—her territorial instincts had been stirred.
And yet, a stronger feeling than displeasure pulsed within her heart—
the yearning she held for that azure star.
Since he had touched upon it, she gave him a response.
"Then that's fine," Ryouma said with a faint smile. "I won't disturb your view. Just think of it as me talking to myself."
"…Strange fellow."
Crimson Moon muttered in puzzlement.
But her response was already proof.
She didn't despise him. Nor did she favor him.
For Ryouma, that was the best information he could ask for.
She had been on the Moon far too long. To stir any positive emotion within her was no easy task.
It couldn't be rushed.
"Well then, where should I begin…
Ah, yes. That blue star there. That's the Asian continent. And over there…"
Ryouma propped his hands on the ground, looking out at the azure Earth.
He spoke with a casual ease, as though he were the one at home here.
It should have been an attitude that provoked annoyance.
But Crimson Moon's thoughts were drawn away, captured by his words.
Her Rainbow Mystic Eyes were the highest order of all Mystic Eyes, yet even they could not make out Earth's surface.
At best, she could sense that life existed there.
They were eyes for combat, not for observation.
"..."
She listened silently to Ryouma's narration.
Her statue-like posture did not change, but in her crimson eyes there glimmered a faint light.
At first there had been lingering irritation.
But her heart already longed for that blue star. Unknowingly, she was drawn in by his words.
She learned that the Earth was home to a primate species called humans.
That there existed beings called gods.
That the planet's ecosystem knew the turning of four seasons.
These were things Crimson Moon had never known—things her imagination alone could never conjure.
"—From what I know, the life of that planet call it 'Earth.' And aside from humanity, many others have lived there: dragonkind, fae, giants, even beings from beyond."
Ryouma bore her gaze without flinching.
For no other reason than to see a different expression upon this statue-like woman.
Here and now, with no other purpose, no other life around, he thought—perhaps he could erase the loneliness clinging to her.
Right or wrong didn't matter.
He didn't know how long he would remain on the Moon. He had no confidence he could endure eternal solitude as she had.
So from the depths of his heart, he simply wanted to talk with her.
Crimson Moon, as a lifeform, was perfect.
And Ryouma? She had been right—he was a flawed being.
Her perfection lay in how easily she could accept solitude.
Time passed as Ryouma spoke on, his voice filling the silence.
He didn't know how long it had been.
"…Haa. I ended up saying so much. Honestly, I haven't even sorted out what to say next."
It felt as though he had been speaking for a full day.
Even with the Fantasy Tree seed processing information for him, he still felt drained.
At last, he paused, resting his voice.
The instant he did, the dead stillness returned.
It spread thick through the air.
Only Crimson Moon seemed to feel it.
Ryouma did not notice it at all.
The silence stretched on.
Finally, as though she couldn't stand the strange comfort of it—
Crimson Moon spoke first. "...Talk."
"Eh? What?"
"You wanted to talk to me, didn't you? Then do as you like. After all, you've nothing else to do here, do you?"
This time, she was the one who broke first.
Her long-rusted emotional machinery sputtered back to life, flooding her chest with a restless ache.
The woman was inviting the man.
She didn't understand what these feelings were. She only knew she wanted to keep hearing his stories.
"Well, if the Queen herself insists, then how could I refuse? I'll keep you company to the end."
Ryouma grinned openly, as though victorious.
His expression held no concealment.
"..."
For an instant, human emotion flickered in her eyes.
It was something like… flustered shame.
She didn't know why she wanted to be angry.
She wanted him to keep talking. He was obeying her will and doing so.
Yet the ambiguous emotion in her chest refused to settle.
Just looking at his self-satisfied grin made her restless, made her wonder if she should lash out.
And yet, she didn't.
Instead, she let herself sink into his stories.
Until, at last, Ryouma said, "That's enough for now."
It wasn't a ploy to keep her waiting.
He had truly reached his limit—forcing his body to keep speaking for days without sleep.
Even with the Moon sustaining him, he wasn't like her.
He was not so strong.
A living being still needed rest.
"…Wait."
"Hm?"
As he turned to leave, Crimson Moon called out.
When he looked back, he saw her face tinged with visible conflict.
"…You'll talk again, won't you?"
Suppressing the strange feeling in her chest, she spoke.
She had taken a step she had never taken before.
A perfect being who needed no one to survive—yet now she found herself expecting something from another.
"Yes. I will."
Ryouma didn't play games.
He knew scheming would only alienate her. So he only smiled, sincerely.
Looking at that smile,
for some reason, Crimson Moon turned her face aside, falling into silence.
She couldn't even meet his eyes.
The Moon, once content in perfect solitude, now shifted—
because the Sun had cast its dazzling light upon it.
[End of Chapter]
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