— Asagi's narrative, 10 years ago —
Kirsaki and I knew each other for a long time.
I remember meeting her during my stay in Qufarg Namuzan, the Nation of Healing.
During his teenage years, my father, Juno Gumao, studied in Qufarg Namuzan under a certain master before moving to Wyumatsui Island for work. As for my mother, well... she's been long gone. Not because she died, but because she went missing after my birth.
Back in Wyumatsui Island, my father told me that his master was an Invoker with Healing Mana and that he was visiting her from time to time. And in this visit, he brought me along.
The streets of Qufarg Namuzan were lively. The high buildings shadowed the narrow alleys, and the joyful laughter of the people echoed everywhere.
As I walked around with my father, my eyes lingered on the open park, where I saw a bunch of children playing ball.
And there came a yellow-haired kid, sitting at a bench not far away from the kids, who looked gloomy with her head hung low.
"Papa," I called out to my father as I pointed to the yellow-haired kid, "that kid looks lonely, can I approach her?"
Gumao looked at me in surprise before glancing at where I was pointing; he hadn't expected that I would say such a thing.
"Oh, Asagi, you want to make a friend here during our trip?"
I nodded.
"Well, Papa, she just looks sad. I want to cheer her up. But if she wants to be friends, then I'll befriend her!"
Gumao chuckled at my answer; I'm sure he found it cute. A smile tugged on his face as he replied:
"Go on ahead, little Asagi. Make someone happy."
I gave him the warmest grin before running over to the park.
"Thank you!" I shouted over my shoulder, waving at him.
I walked over to the bench that the yellow-haired girl was sitting on. With a closer look, she was smaller than I am, and she had almost no presence.
My arm moved forward, hands open as I wiggle my fingers to catch her attention.
"Hey, hello!" I cheerfully greeted.
The girl lifted her head to look at me. She was not only silent but also unexpressive. She gave me an empty stare, her hands clenched against her knees.
"H—hello..." she whispered.
"What's your name?" I asked, flashing her a bright smile, my head slightly tilted to the side.
"Uh... It's Kirsaki... Maname Kirsaki..."
"Oh, cool! Nice to meet you, Kirsaki! My name is Juno Asagi!"
As soon as I introduced myself, I moved to sit beside her. "Can I sit here?" I asked beforehand, my fingertips touching the edge of the bench.
Kirsaki didn't look me in the eye, but still replied, "I guess, if you want to..."
With her consent, I hopped on the bench beside her, making sure to keep a small space between us to not make her feel uncomfortable.
"So... why are you sitting here alone? I see many kids around. Are they your friends?"
Kirsaki didn't reply, her lips quivering.
"If you don't want to answer, then that's fine—!"
"No-no!" Kirsaki blurted out, looking at me for a moment before darting away. "They... don't want me. I'm not allowed to play..."
I stayed silent, observing her expression and body language. Her knees pressed together, fingers twisting, and she looked as if she were about to cry.
"I can play with you."
Her head flicked in my direction.
"Huh? Y—you will?"
"Yes, I will play with you! We can play anything!"
"A—are you sure...? Am I not troubling you?" she asked, but her gaze was expectant.
"Of course not, what are you talking about? You're so lonely, and I dislike seeing lonely people, because it's sad!"
Before she could have a say, I grabbed her hand and intertwined it with my own, standing to pull her up.
"C'mon, I know you want to play!"
Kirsaki's tears trickled down her cheek as she followed along. She wiped her tears with her other hand and replied:
"Okay!"
A hesitant smile was on her face, her quiet nature slowly crumbling in my presence. I ran around with her and brought her to the other parts of the park.
We played together for a good while, and we were surrounded by laughter and joyful smiles. She was so energetic! A complete contrast to when I first saw her!
When we played tag, I couldn't catch her, not even once! She was the fastest kid I've ever played with.
I looked to my left and saw my father standing on the sidewalk, watching me play with Kirsaki.
He looked so happy, and it made me so proud of myself.
I looked back at Kirsaki, and she was shining so bright. It's like the sun radiating through the clouds, piercing and enlightening. This won't change, would it?
I don't know why it feels so compelling to make her happy. I've never seen anyone so lonely before... Maybe it's because I don't see people alone.
***
For the next three days, Kirsaki visited the house we were staying in. During this time, I learned more about Kirsaki.
The Maname Family consisted of only three members. Kirsaki, her mother, and her father.
She told me that she was born in Sailzlovaria, The Ocean Star, and she lived her life in the Nation of Kasanova. Though they had recently only moved here in Qufarg Namuzan, just three months ago.
It was a smaller region compared to Baofuming, but the sheer amount of beauty it had was overwhelming, unlike here. Kirsaki stated that there were many things that resembled stars, like the trees, plants, and even the land.
The people there enjoyed swimming, stargazing, swordsmanship, and theatre arts. Not only that, but people there were very peaceful and well-disciplined, to the point that the crime rates were extremely low.
They also held a regional event once every two years, which was the Black Festival. Kirsaki said that the Black Festival was very energetic, that there were several activities, but the best part was the number of popular individuals that gather together to compete in many skills.
She told me about having a crush on a certain black-haired man with piercings in his lips and ears. He was like an idol, very popular and skilled. Whenever he showed up at the colloseum, he always dominated, winning almost every match.
But what Kirsaki admired the most about him was how fast he was. With elegance, he swiftly defeated his opponents—like a black flash.
However, his strongest opponents were the Pengororo Family. The Pengororo Family was so powerful and influential that they hadn't faced a single defeat over the course of a hundred years.
Kirsaki told me how much she disliked the Pengororo Family, how they always left every match of her crush in disappointment.
...
A week has passed, and my father and I are going to return home.
However, a great coincidence occurred!
Ever since I've been playing with Kirsaki, her parents decided to move to Wyumatsui Island just so we could stay together. This is so exciting! I can't wait to introduce Kirsaki to Sanna.
Now, the Maname Family joined me and my father in the sail back to the island. I'm so glad I have a friend on the ship now; it gets quite lonely when you're surrounded by adults.
But the thing is, it is raining. I stayed in an empty spot with a roof so I wouldn't get wet.
On the ship, I saw my father talking to Kirsaki's parents. I wonder what they are talking about.
At the starboard, Kirsaki leaned over the bulwark, watching the sea. She was soaked. I pondered for a moment before standing up to walk towards her.
Then, I raised my hands and gripped her shoulders.
"Bwah!"
She jumped back in surprise, almost stumbling to the ground. Her eyes widened so much like they were about to pop out! Her grip tightened on the bulwark as she yelled out:
"Ah! You stupid! Don't do that out of nowhere!"
I laughed wholeheartedly. "Oh, that was priceless... I didn't know you could make that kind of face!"
She's pouting... Oh no, such a cute face!
"Mmh... I would've tipped over, never that again."
I shook my head, the grin on my face deepening.
"Oh, c'mon, I was holding you. You won't fall unless I push you off—unless you don't trust me?"
Kirsaki flicked her head away before replying, "It's reflexes. I might accidentally jump forward."
I giggled sheepishly. "Right, sorry about that."
She raised her hand, and before I could even react, she smacked my head lightly with a chop.
"Dummy," she muttered, her lips curling slightly.
We stared at each other, both our minds blank. As we stood, the ship distinctly trembled, as if a strong wave pushed it. Shortly after, a voice from the bow echoed.
"Captain Espeninza! This is urgent! The Leviathan is surging from Point Weyu!"
"Goddamnit, not that thing again!"
Kirsaki's and my attention immediately rolled to the crew on the rear deck. I felt something claw in my heart, as if there was an impending doom.
The captain, Espeninza, with a firm voice, shouted:
"Everyone! Brace for impact!"
As brave as he sounded, I couldn't help but notice the undertone of fear in his voice. Even the most composed men can tremble in the face of doom.
Bang!
The ship's bow was struck, tilting violently from the impact, almost tipping over. The shock sent everybody off balance, except for the experienced Espeninza.
"Hold on tight, everyone, I'll get us out of this!" Espeninza yelled out, veering off from the route to shake off the Leviathan.
Panicked voices rang in my ears, and many people crashed to the floor.
I was on my knees, holding on to the bulwark so I wouldn't roll off the ground. I held Kirsaki's wrist tightly, pulling her close to me.
"Kirsaki..." I called out weakly, my legs trembling as my heart pumped rapidly.
I looked at her face. Tears trickled down her cheeks, snot coming out of her nose. For this moment in time, she became the slowest.
Then I caught a glimpse of my father near the mast, struggling to stand up as he desperately crawled towards us.
"Asagi?! Kirsaki?! Get away from the starboard!"
Gumao stretched his hand out, and so did I.
The Leviathan leaped into the air before suddenly flapping its flippers like a wing, charging forward at a speed almost incomprehensible by the naked eye.
Before I could even touch my father's hand, the Leviathan crashed into the ship's middle section, splitting it in half like a twig.
The broken ship flew in the air, bringing the passengers along. Several pieces of wood, chunks of the ship, and even the supplies were flung in the air.
And not long after, everything turned upside down.
The frightened screams that once vibrated my eardrums suddenly got muffled. I hit my head on the deck, which was now above me.
I was buried alongside several others. I opened my eyes and was stung by the salty sea, forced to close them again.
Where's Kirsaki...? Papa? I'm scared...
I blindly swam around, prodding against the heavy wooden platform above me.
My breath was shortening, and I felt like my lungs were crushing. Fortunately enough, I managed to pass the upside-down bulwark and rose to the surface.
I took one deep breath and rubbed my eyes with one hand. My eyes open, and in front of me was the hull, now facing the sky.
I heard yells from the other side of the hull. I turned my head from side to side and saw no one else.
I'm alone on this side.
Crash!
Thunder clapped not far away, and the sound rang in my ears longer than it should have.
"Ah!" I squealed, my head jerking downwards as a response.
My lips quivered, and I didn't know what to do. I was lost, my father was nowhere to be seen, not to mention that Kirsaki might be drowning underneath the broken ship!
I froze, unable to move. It was like it was my body's only response, nothing else.
But no, I was simply hesitating.
I pushed myself and swam back down, forcing myself to see despite the stinging pain.
And there she was, Kirsaki, floating near the bulwark, unconscious, drowning. She must've passed out from the shock...
I immediately pushed myself towards her, trying my hardest to reach her as soon as possible. When she was within arm's reach, I swung my arm and held her wrist before immediately pulling her by my side.
My other hand touched the bulwark's edge. I pulled myself into it, giving myself momentum to swim back up.
I gasped for air as I reached the surface, raising Kirsaki so she could subconsciously breathe. The large waves rocked everything, and I looked for a large platform I could put Kirsaki on. My strength was running thin; if time held out longer, I wouldn't have enough strength to even support myself up.
However, fortune was on my side. I turned my head around and saw a large piece of the deck that floated near us. I swam towards it and pushed Kirsaki on top. While pushing Kirsaki up, I accidentally swallowed a few of the seawater.
I coughed, unable to breathe for a moment as the salty taste spiked in my tongue, my throat drying up. Nevertheless, I managed to climb up beside Kirsaki, water dripping off my clothes and hair.
"Kirsaki...?" I voiced out as I leaned into her face to check her breathing.
I felt a wave of heat brush my cheek, and I heard a faint, shuddered hum from her lips. It's great to know she's breathing.
Before I could let out a sigh of relief, a low-frequency sound vibrated from deep within the sea, shaking everything on the surface like a seaquake.
The surface of the sea rumbled violently, waves rolled, and the platform we were on almost turned over. I held Kirsaki tightly, my breath hitching as I shivered.
And then, the Leviathan surfaced once more, swimming in the water between us and the ship, its weight pushing us further away.
My eyes shifted to where its eye was, and it was looking straight at me. I froze completely, and the Leviathan acknowledged my existence.
It flapped its enormous flippers right after, pushing us even further away from the adults on the other side. Not only that, we were drifting off in the opposite direction from the island.
I gasped before rising on my knees.
"Father! Father!!" I shouted desperately, my head turning everywhere to look for my father.
Another thunder struck in the distance as the Leviathan dove back down. Kirsaki and I were far from the wrecked vessel, and there was no longer any hope.
I saw one person swimming from the ship towards us. His voice faintly echoed, dimmed by the noise of the rain. But I could vaguely piece out what he said:
"No! My daughter! My daughter is going to be devoured by the Leviathan!"
My heart sank as the platform we were on continued to drift away.
I stared in the distance, unable to do anything.
Crackle!
Thunder snapped right in front of my eyes, my vision flashing white.
I jolt up, startled, causing the platform to shift. The side I sat on was submerged. I squinted my eyes, and suddenly, the platform felt lighter.
Oh no... I had been careless!
Kirsaki slipped off the edge and fell into the water!
As she descended, the platform continued to drift away. I had no choice but to jump off to save her. I couldn't have possibly left her.
I swam in her direction, but she was already too deep in for me to reach. My breath shortened, and I mistakenly gasped for air.
The salt burned my throat, and my stomach suddenly felt full. It was followed by a deep vibration that rattled my head, causing painful nausea.
Kirsaki was within reach, but my strength ran out. I kicked once, but it was futile. My vision tunneled as I drowned, as my whole body trembled violently.
I looked at Kirsaki's face one last time—and darkness closed in.
*
I felt the cold water envelope my entire body, my back resting on something both soft and hard. I slowly opened my eyes and was met by the bright blue sky.
Then, I propped my elbows and felt the wet sand stick onto my skin. I looked around the familiar shore and saw Kirsaki beside me, peacefully sleeping.
I've arrived in Wyumatsui Island with Kirsaki.