"Yura? Where on earth do you want to go...?"
After a chilling encounter with Eleona that almost drew me in completely, I found myself returning to the capital. Out of the blue, Yura said she wanted to visit a place and started leading me by the hand.
"Hmm... Should I call it a secret? It wouldn't be fun if I told you!"
I asked her about our exact destination, but she kept playfully refusing with a cheerful voice. Despite her clear steps, I had no idea where we were heading, so I just went along.
"Ha ha...!"
And then... there was something unnaturally forced about her laughter. It was like she was blatantly saying, 'I'm up to something suspicious!' Even her usual inability to lie well contributed to my growing suspicion. She might not be my biological sister, but her audacity was enough to raise doubts. It seemed she was hiding something almost criminal.
"I think I need to know where we're going... Yura... something seems off..."
Narrowing my eyes and lowering my voice a bit, Yura looked shocked and flustered.
"Eh... Huh? Why...?!"
Her response was even more unnatural than before, and she began to pull me along with more force.
"It's just... if you at least hinted where we're going, I wouldn't be suspicious. But you're acting strange and hurrying me like this... it makes me wonder..."
"No... it's not! It's nothing...! Nothing big!"
Her voice became more and more shaky, turning my suspicion into near certainty.
"Then shouldn't you tell me a bit about where we're going? Why are you so anxious to get there?"
I was already suspicious since we hadn't been in this place long enough to know our way around or what was here.
Under a sky that, unlike the bright sun, began to feel ominously cold and unwelcoming...
"Yura?"
Sensing something was amiss, I tried to let go of her hand, despite her being my sister. But she held on too tightly, and I couldn't break free.
"Brother..."
She called me with a voice that matched the somber mood, her eyes darkening a shade too... "What on earth were you planning to take me?!"
Although the context was different, the fanatical atmosphere felt familiar, and my heart raced with apprehension. But it was already too late. I was completely at Yura's mercy, unable to move forward or back.
She ignored my question and just silently brought her face closer to mine.
"....?!"
Our lips drew nearer, and even as I tried to pull away, she forcibly pulled me towards her.
"Yura...?"
It was clear that nothing good was about to happen, so I braced myself for whatever was coming, my teeth clenched in anticipation.
"Pfft..."
Suddenly, the heavy atmosphere vanished, replaced in an instant by the lightness from before.
"Hahaha..."
She burst into laughter out of nowhere.
"That tense atmosphere just now was a joke! Curious about where we're going? It's just... I have a little errand at the temple of Abne."
It was as if all this had been a play - the sinister madness, the malevolent intent that seemed ready to devour me at any moment - all were gone.
Just a thoughtless laugh... It was all a cruel joke, enjoyed at my expense.
"Brother, aren't you just too cute? Hehe... ♡ Honestly, your slightly scared expression makes me want to hug you right now."
It was bewildering to see Yura, younger than me but in many ways more mature, behaving like someone else entirely.
Her gaze was half playful, half seriously strange.
"Temple of Abne...? But why do I need to come along?"
"Just thought it'd be nicer to go together than scatter apart."
Even hearing her reason, it wasn't anything significant... If she had been honest, it would have been an understandable situation.
"Sorry if you felt bad! I just... wanted to play a slightly mischievous prank... is that the right word?"
Her unnatural expression, dark, hollow eyes, and a voice that matched them...
Realizing all this was just a scheme to tease me sent shivers down my spine.
"Ah... ♡ Your expression, brother, was really something... ♡ Sorry to say, but sometimes you're so cute that I can't resist playing these rough jokes."
What must the nature of the fox deity have been like... New habits emerging in Yura naturally brought about doubts. Influenced by the power of the fox deity, both Yura's appearance and inner self seemed affected. It appeared that, albeit mildly, she had developed a sort of sadistic pleasure in seeing others in a state of confusion and excitement. I had tried to ignore it, but now, I seriously needed to consider finding a way to bring Yura back to her original self.
"Then let's get going~"
Her enticing yet irritating smile made the day ahead seem daunting.
"Eh?!"
"Brother...? Why are you suddenly like this...?"
As I was about to walk back into the capital, a sudden chill ran down my neck, genuinely startling me.
"?!"
I quickly turned around, but the street was empty; nothing unusual caught my eye.
"It's nothing... just..."
I had felt a piercing gaze on the back of my neck, but now there was nothing. Was it just my imagination...?
"Let's head back to the temple of Abne. Is there something strange?"
Although I felt a bit suspicious, Yura's urging made me suppress my unease and take a step forward.
"In an unknown forest, a solitary black-clad girl exists..."
"Neuahhh?!"
The last high dragon, Mir, despite her noble appearance, let out a scream of confusion and agony, mixed with pain.
"Haah... Haah..."
She thrashed as if in a fit, then gasped for breath as if she had been repeating some strenuous movement.
"Ugh... The darkness is proliferating again..."
She was acutely aware of her own problems and knew the solutions too well.
"I need Harold..."
Muttering the name of the man she had set her sights on, she looked up at the dry sky, almost as if praying.
"More women are appearing... In the time I spent creating artifacts, their number has ridiculously increased..."
She used to feel his presence and could control the darkness trying to engulf her mind to some extent.
But... that was a situation of the distant past. The last time she felt the aura of a woman from him was too overwhelming. "Harold looking at other women besides me..."
Thump!
"Eugh?!"
Once again, she groaned in a violent spasm, trembling so pitifully that it was distressing to watch.
"Just the thought of it is unbearable... If his traces remain to that extent... if I don't make an effort to stay in his sight, I'll be forgotten in no time..."
Mir had known from the time she dragged him from his world that he had other women. Her draconic senses were so sharp that even gods would struggle to match them. Back then, she had ignored the presence of other women, thinking she alone would monopolize his attention. But that hope quickly turned into futile longing, worsening her symptoms.
"Where is Harold right now...?"
She murmured to herself and closed her eyes to concentrate. Secretly, she had placed a special spell on Harold, which allowed her to roughly locate his position.
"He's in the capital... I'll find him soon...!"
It might sound selfish, a statement made for her own sake rather than his, but it was a necessary action to prevent herself from being consumed by darkness.
"Eugh...?"
Once again, she felt a piercing gaze. Was someone following us?
But, looking back again, there was no one suspicious. Everyone was busy with their own affairs, walking with purpose, making it impossible to pinpoint any suspect.
"Brother, why are you doing that again? Is there really something?"
This time, even Yura looked back, searching for any unusual figure, but she too seemed to find nothing and quietly turned back.
"By the way, you found the temple of Abne so quickly, even though we haven't been here long?"
"Hmm... well... I have a good memory...?"
Giving a somewhat vague answer, we finally reached the temple of Abne. The building, with its dreamlike design, always felt too mystical to get used to.
"What promise did you make with Abne to come here so eagerly... Well, since we're here, let's go in quickly."
"Wait!!"
However, just as I was about to enter the temple as Yura wished, she suddenly grabbed my hand with a desperate and despairing voice. "Yura...?"
Gone was the light, playful expression from just moments ago, replaced now by a face so serious and somewhat sad it almost seemed tearful.
"Well... I can't tell you about the promise until we go in... I did want to come here, but... I also need a little time to prepare myself..."
What kind of promise had she made to react like this upon arrival?
"That... you did really love me, didn't you, brother?"
She suddenly brought up a somewhat embarrassing memory, looking anxious.
"Well, I can't deny that, but... why bring this up all of a sudden..?"
"No... it's just... to be honest, I really don't like the idea... That... that... you being with other women... doing intense things? It doesn't sit well with me."
Her words were baffling, seemingly evasive, not wanting to get to the heart of the matter, making it impossible to understand her true feelings...
"What are you talking about...?"
"Really.... Euh!!"
Suddenly, Yura threw herself into my arms, pressing her body against mine with all her might.
I couldn't understand her sudden, unpredictable actions or her heart.
"Brother...! Kiss me before we go in..!!"
And now, in this crowded street, not only had she embraced me unexpectedly, but she also made an absurd request.
"What?! "
I was taken aback by the suddenness and absurdity of it all, but my first reaction was to prevent Yura, who was already leaning in for a kiss.
"Uh...?"
In the midst of this, I caught a glimpse of a girl in the corner of my eye...
"?!!"
Despite the distance, the murderous aura emanating from her was palpable.
A girl with black short hair, dressed in dark attire that stood out among the people on the street...
Mir..?!
There she was, an encounter I had hoped to avoid, now facing me...
Mir, the consumer of darkness...
She was emitting an overwhelming aura, staring at us with an intensity that defied description.
Could it be... the piercing gaze from earlier was hers?
"Yura?! Can you step back for a moment?!"
Sensing something ominous, I tried to push her away quickly, but she seemed determined not to let go... "No... I'm not ready yet... I can't let you go like this... Euh...!!"
Yura continued to utter incomprehensible words, refusing to let go of me.
The growing sense of menace was palpable. Instinctively, I knew that if I didn’t distance us immediately, something terrible would happen.
Glancing back at Mir, I saw an even greater threat than before. She was like a volcano trembling dangerously on the verge of eruption - an intimidating and unsettling presence.
"Eugh!!"
Before I could fully process my thoughts about Mir, I felt a soft touch on my lips. Caught off guard, Yura had succeeded in stealing a kiss.
At that moment, my mind went blank, as if time itself had stopped, and my world fell into silence.
"?!!!"
Realizing something irreversible had just happened, I said, "Yura... Excuse me for a moment!!"
Seeing no sign of Yura intending to move, I picked her up and started running wildly. Driven by the clear sense of danger behind us, my mind was filled with nothing but the thought of running madly.
There was no time to hesitate.
"Brother?! "
I continued to sprint, holding Yura in my arms. If we didn't put distance between us now, there would be no escaping.
The only thought was to run if I wanted to live.
"Craaaaahhhh!!!"
Soon, a massive roar echoed throughout the capital, as if to confirm my fears. The earth seemed to shake, the intensity of the roar nearly deafening, heightening the tension.
"Ah...?! It's a dragon!!!"
"A dragon in the middle of the town?! "
"Sa... Save us...!! A giant dragon is attacking the town!!!"
The people of the capital plunged into panic, frantically running for their lives, creating a scene of absolute chaos.
"Brother?! Suddenly, a black dragon in the middle of the street!!"
Ignoring Yura's words, I kept running, but the immense presence of the dragon didn’t seem to fade away.
"Craaaaahhhh!!!"
Only the dragon's roars filled the sky and the streets...