Chapter 43: Clearing Skies Beyond the Mist

Ciel-san wants me to save Shion. That, apparently, is her one and only wish.

For his sake, she'd probably do absolutely anything—literally anything. But in return for that devotion, I don't even know what I can do for her. Even if I try to act, I lack the strength to accomplish any of it.

Learning the truth about the "Spear King" only drove that realization deeper into me. A being who had lived for five hundred years, accumulating experience and honing himself all that time—if someone like that seriously tried to take Shion away, was there really anything I could do?

Even my full-strength resistance would probably mean nothing to the "Spear King." Thinking that way was probably proof that my mood had sunk so low that my thoughts had turned entirely negative.

"Haaah... what am I supposed to do...?"

I stretched my legs out in the bath and let myself drift, releasing a deep sigh. Ciel-san had already left the bath area, so now I was alone.

When I told her I wanted some time alone to sort through my thoughts, she silently left without making a sound. Just from that alone, I could imagine the kind of hardships she'd endured until now. An environment where simply making noise while moving around could earn you punishment for being "annoying."

All I can do is imagine it, and even then, my imagination is probably far gentler than reality ever was. Whether my assumptions are accurate or not, thinking about it won't change Ciel-san's past. Nor will it change the current situation.

"I know deceiving him was wrong... but it's also true that she didn't have any other choice. At the same time, she deceived Shion and took the place of his mother..."

If I tried to uphold one side, the other side collapsed. I couldn't abandon either of them, yet I didn't even know what I could do. My thoughts kept spinning in circles.

To reach the best possible ending, I lacked strength. I lacked time. And above all else, there was a past that could never be undone.

Nothing felt solvable on my own.

For the first time, I understood how frustrating it was to reach for something you simply couldn't grasp. No matter how far I stretched out my hand, it felt like trying to seize mist itself—like all my effort would end in futility.

I dipped my head beneath the hot water.

I could feel my brain overheating, useless thoughts consuming my mind. I wanted to reset everything, even for a moment.

I floated there limply beneath the water, thinking maybe I'd find an answer if I relaxed enough.

But if solutions came that easily, nobody would struggle.

As expected, I came up with nothing.

I pulled my head back out and shook hard, scattering water everywhere. In the end, no good ideas came to mind.

Still, there was one thing I knew for certain.

I needed to become stronger.

And I resolved to devote everything I had toward that goal.

"Man, you're carrying another heavy burden again."

"Yeah... Even if everyone's circumstances are different, there are just too many things I want to fix—Wah!?"

I heard a splash, followed by a voice, and only then realized someone was beside me.

When I looked over, Hikari was in the bath.

Her long silver-white hair—normally tied at the nape of her neck—had been gathered up so it wouldn't dip into the water. Her skin was healthy and flawless, nothing like mine, and she showed it off without hesitation, wrapped only in a towel that barely concealed the important parts. Letting out a long breath, she relaxed into the warmth of the bath.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!!! Why are you in here!? What if someone sees us!?"

"It's fine. I put up the 'King Currently Using Bath' sign. I also told Captain Richard, so the knights' training is going to run a little longer today anyway."

She said it as though there were absolutely no problem at all.

Despite her lovely appearance, she was way too cool for her own good. Why was my childhood friend both this cute and this handsome? Clearly my mother had been a terrible influence on her. I silently apologized to Hikari's parents up in heaven.

"More importantly, why are you bathing with me in the first place...? You knew I was in here, right? Seriously, you need to be a little more aware of how gorgeous you are."

"I'm not planning to show myself to anyone but you, and I made sure nobody else was in here. You just didn't notice because you were too busy overthinking things. Besides, we bathed together all the time when we were kids. Your mom used to say sharing bathwater saved time and money."

"That was when we were children... We're adults now..."

Back when we hadn't even been conscious of things like gender, sure—but now?

This was way too stimulating.

I couldn't stop glancing sideways at her, and Hikari watched me with an amused grin, so she definitely noticed where my eyes kept wandering. But her cheeks were also red enough that it clearly wasn't just from the bathwater. This was probably some kind of self-destructive attack on her part too.

"..."

"..."

The silence between us, both of us red-faced, was unbearably awkward.

And yet, at the same time, I wanted this moment to last longer.

I definitely had feelings for her—this attractive girl who was also my lifelong childhood friend. The girl I loved was baring her skin in front of me while blushing, and I had to endure it all without doing anything. This must be what people meant by torture.

The only reason I could still restrain myself was probably because of everything we'd just discussed.

"So, what're you brooding over this time? Something happened again, like with Alicia, didn't it?"

"...I really can't hide anything from you, huh?"

"How long d'you think we've known each other? We've practically been together since birth."

Even our birthdays were almost identical, with me only barely being born first. Our houses were close too, and while interaction was normal in a village community, the amount of time we spent together far surpassed anyone else.

For me, having Hikari by my side was simply natural.

And I was sure she felt the same.

Maybe that was why we could sometimes tell what the other was thinking. Not the details, of course. But even when we tried to hide things, we'd notice the subtle differences and realize something was wrong.

That's probably why Hikari noticed the tiny change in my expression—something nobody else would've caught beneath my embarrassment.

She stared straight at me as if declaring she wouldn't leave until I talked. The bashfulness from earlier was gone. All that remained was genuine concern.

"Ciel-san... isn't actually Shion's real mother."

And so, I gave up and told her everything Ciel-san had revealed to me earlier.

If I reported this to the upper ranks of the kingdom, they'd probably prioritize my safety and choose the safest option possible.

Which meant abandoning Shion and Ciel-san—the same two people we'd been laughing together with only days ago.

I understood that would be the most reliable way to protect ourselves. I knew they'd only be acting out of concern for me.

But I couldn't accept it.

"Shion's real mother died five years ago, and when she did, Shion completely broke down. Apparently, that was inconvenient for the 'Spear King,' so he prepared the current Ciel-san to take her place."

"Huh. So that's why she seemed off earlier. She just bowed quietly and left when we met. I figured something had happened."

"Apparently, that's her real personality. Shion's attachment to his mother was too strong. They could alter his perception of appearances—things like hair color—but not his perception of personality. So she always acts like that."

"So she's forcing herself to play a role all the time."

"Maybe at first. But I think she genuinely enjoys it now."

That was true.

At first, Ciel-san probably hadn't cared about Shion at all. She may have even seen him as someone to exploit.

But not anymore.

She truly loved him now.

Even if it started as a lie, the feelings she'd developed after spending so much time together had become real. That's why someone who once cared about nothing except herself was now desperately trying to protect the first treasure she'd ever found—Shion.

Desperately enough to cling to a man she'd only recently met and barely knew.

"The 'Spear King' is after Shion. Even this upcoming 'King's Battle' challenge is really about him. She predicted that, which is why she begged me to protect Shion."

"...Not to sound harsh, but I don't think you need to push yourself this far for them. You only got close recently. Before that, they were strangers. Heck, when you first met, they were enemies."

"Hikari, you know exactly why that won't work on me. Once I become close to someone, I can't just coldly abandon them."

I wanted to save them.

Shion, who had finally found peace only to become targeted by the "Spear King."

And Ciel-san too, who pressed her forehead to the floor and revealed the painful truth that she was a fake, all while begging me to protect someone she loved.

I knew abandoning them would be easier as a king. I knew it'd probably be the correct choice.

But the fact that I couldn't make that choice felt like a fatal flaw.

I didn't have the overwhelming power of some protagonist who could solve everything perfectly.

And yet my desires alone were absurdly selfish.

It almost made me laugh.

"This isn't like what happened with Alicia before. This time, they're seriously after Shion. Even if we accept the 'King's Battle' and Minister Depron negotiates things so someone other than the 'Spear King' gets sent out, they'll probably still try something. And even if we manage to stop it this time, it'll probably happen again and again in the future. I don't know how long I can keep fighting. I don't know how long my heart can endure it. It feels like visible ruin is waiting for me with its jaws wide open."

"But you still don't want to abandon them, right?"

I listed all the downsides of protecting them. I spoke about the dark future waiting ahead.

And Hikari answered with something incredibly simple.

"If you don't wanna abandon them, then all you can do is fight. So just keep trying your hardest. If it's too much alone, then you've got me. You've got Alicia. Tell Shion he's being targeted and get his help too. You're not alone, so rely on people."

"But then..."

"What? You think we might get hurt? I don't care about that. As long as you can keep smiling and stay true to yourself, that's enough for me. Staying by your side is my choice."

"Even if you don't care, I do."

"Then you can protect me."

I stared at her in surprise.

At some point, I'd lowered my gaze toward the bathwater without realizing it. But now, seeing Hikari—beautiful enough to make everything else seem unimportant—it felt like the black fog clouding my mind was slowly disappearing.

"I'll protect you, Toma. I'll work hard so you can stay yourself. So you don't have to carry everything alone, I'll stand beside you and help carry the burden too."

I could easily imagine how difficult that would be.

And yet she said it so casually.

"I want to repay everything you've done for me. You've always stayed by my side, laughed with me, held my hand... I want to help the Toma who's always helped me. You've given me too much to ever repay completely, but I still want to give something back. If you stop smiling, then I won't be able to smile either."

"...I don't want Hikari to stop smiling either. I always want to see you happy."

"Yeah, I know. I just feel the same way you do. You're always making a racket like an idiot, staring at couples with weird expressions, grinning creepily at dogs and cats..."

"Isn't that a little harsh?"

"And I love that you're always trying your hardest for someone else's sake."

The confession came at the same moment she grabbed my hand.

I hadn't prepared myself at all.

And yet somehow, I accepted it naturally.

I'd always thought someday I had to confess first. But then I became the "Sword King," and because I loved her, I thought I needed to protect her first. I panicked, believing I couldn't allow myself anything until I was strong enough to keep her safe, and I'd desperately tried not to let those feelings show.

She shattered all those walls in an instant.

"You've always put yourself second. Even when your own father died and you were hurting too, you still came to my house every single day to cheer up your rude childhood friend who could only say awful things. You hid your tears and kept trying so hard. Honestly, you haven't changed at all since then."

"...You can just honestly say I haven't matured, you know?"

"That's the part I love. If you hadn't stayed with me back then—when both my parents died—the person I am now absolutely wouldn't exist. You saved me and protected me. That's why I was able to become friends with Alicia too."

Her confession sounded like she was laying bare the most precious thing in her heart.

I never realized how much it had saved her.

Because from my perspective, I'd only done what I wanted to do. I wanted her to smile. I thought if I cried beside her, she'd never smile again.

"So just be yourself, Toma, and do what you want. You're the king, aren't you? You're allowed at least that much selfishness. And if you can't do it alone, then I'll help you. I'll support you."

They were just words.

And yet somehow, those words carried incredible strength.

So I squeezed her hand back.

Making sure never to let go, I looked directly into Hikari's eyes.

"I'm weak."

"...Yeah."

"I'm so weak that I don't even know what I can accomplish on my own."

"Yeah."

"And even so, I'm greedy. Whenever there's something I want, I keep reaching for it. All I can do is desperately struggle forward. I might drag everyone around me down because of my selfishness..."

"That's fine."

"I want to save Shion and Ciel-san. Even if the enemy is the 'Spear King,' I want to protect their happiness. I want to see a future where both of them can smile. I don't want to give up. I can't give up."

"That sounds like you."

"So... I want you to help me. I want you to walk beside me—the me who'd probably wander aimlessly alone. I want you to hold my hand and never let go."

"Obviously. Even if you told me to let go, I wouldn't."

"If you're with me, Hikari, I feel like I can't lose to anyone. No matter who the enemy is, I feel like we can win. Like we can reach the ending we want."

"I feel the same way. If I'm with you, I can believe in a future where we keep smiling."

"I love you. Probably more than you realize."

The words I'd always wanted to say—yet somehow never could—finally left my lips.

The stunned look on Hikari's face was so cute and funny that I couldn't help laughing.

Yeah.

As long as I was with her, smiling came naturally.

And if I could smile, then maybe I really could face everything head-on.

I raised the corners of my mouth and looked into the eyes of the girl I'd chosen to walk beside.

I wanted to keep trying.

And for the first time, I truly believed I could.

Both of us blushed bright red, but neither of us let go of the other's hand.

We decided to move forward together.

To do whatever it took to grasp the future we desired.

I am the "Sword King."

With that conviction, I resolved to push forward with my selfish wishes. Because Hikari accepted that part of me, I chose to live as myself.

No matter how painful the road ahead might be, I knew I could fight—as long as Hikari, Alicia, and everyone else stayed beside me.

My first kiss with Hikari tasted impossibly sweet.