Don’t Worry About Me. Just Cook the Egg! – Part 01

Sera shut herself in her room, clearly shaken by the harsh words from her fellow Vampire Ninja.

I didn’t know what to say to her. I couldn’t even bring myself to peek into the room.

Lately, once school ended and night fell, I’d made it a habit to jog around looking for pseudo-Megalo. But today, I didn’t feel like moving at all. I just laid around in my room.

The King of the Night came at us like it was some kind of game, trying to kill us just for fun.

He probably figured he didn’t need to go all out. That’s why he let us live. And he wasn’t wrong. He could probably squash us like bugs without even trying. No wonder he didn’t bother hiding, just worked a part-time job like nothing was going on.

Seriously. How the hell were we supposed to beat someone like that?

Say I kept chasing these pseudo-Megalo, and somehow, I managed to track down Kyouko or the King of the Night.

Then what? Pat myself on the back for finding them? Feel proud of a job well done?

I wouldn’t be able to do anything after that. Damn it!

My chest started aching again, that sick, gnawing feeling I couldn’t shake.

“Eu. Eu. Eu!”

I caught myself whispering her name over and over without realizing it.

That was it. That was why Eu left us. Because I was too weak to protect her. She couldn’t stand watching me struggle, unable to fend off the threats around her.

What I lacked—what Eu couldn’t trust—was power.

If I couldn’t even manage to take down the King of the Night, then no matter what promises I made, she’d never believe I could keep her safe. And someday, she’d leave me again.

As I lay there, Haruna walked into the room.

“What’re you doing?” she asked.

“Isn’t it obvious? And at least knock, will you?”

“You’ve got better things to be doing right now, don’t you?”

She probably meant I should be out searching for the King of the Night, for Big Teach’s sake.

“Yeah, I know. But now that I’ve faced him, I know even better. Chasing him down won’t matter. I’m no match for him.”

“Exactly! So what? Just get stronger!”

Easy for her to say. There was no way I could—wait.

“Haruna, you can only put up barriers, right?”

Hold on… maybe there was still a chance for me.

“Hm? Well, once my mana’s fully recharged, I’ll—”

“What was it you said when we first met?”

Yeah. I remembered it now.

“My Magigear! Give it back! Now! Hurry! Quick! Immediately! Instantly! In a flash! In a blink! Right away! Pronto! Just hand it over!”

“Wait, hold on. What’s a Magigear?”

“That thing you’re holding! I can’t cast attack magic without it!”

Couldn’t I take that literally?

“If I have the Magigear… does that mean I can use attack magic too?”

It didn’t have to be anything flashy like Big Teach used. Zombies were weak to light and fire. If I could use fire attacks, I might actually stand a chance against the King of the Night.

“Of course you can. Give Mystletainn some credit, ‘kay?”

“For real?”

“Well, yeah. You’re a Magiclad Girl.”

Right… I was. It felt like a ray of hope had broken through the clouds. Wait, scratch that. A ray of light wouldn’t be good for a zombie. Let’s call it a glimmer of hope instead.

“All right, Haruna. Teach me, please.”

“Wuh? Okay! Leave it all to me. I’ll turn you into a perfect Demon Baron!”

Yeah, no, I’d better not leave everything to her.

Still, my motivation flared back to life. I’d master it as soon as I could!

But first I needed to cheer up Sera.

“Haruna, did you talk to Sera?”

“Wuh? Well… just a little.”

“How was she?”

“Very deflated.”

“I see. I’ll go check on her. Please get things ready for me.”

“Got it! Leave it to me!”

Haruna’s energy really helped. If she hadn’t been around, I probably would’ve just kept moping.

I stepped out of my room, took a deep breath, and knocked on Sera’s door. No answer.

I let myself in and saw her sitting in the center of the room with her eyes closed. Her long black hair flowed down like a waterfall, giving her this graceful impression. Sera looked pretty good too with her hair down. I swallowed hard.

“Sera, can we talk for a minute?”

“What is it?”

She opened her eyes, sharp like blades. But unlike the usual look of contempt she gave me, her gaze held a hint of sadness.

“Well, I guess… I get how you feel.”

I started there, but no more words came out. We just stayed silent. Still, I knew I had to say something—anything—so I spoke without really thinking.

“Back in elementary school, I left Japan for about two years when I went with my parents on an overseas trip. When I got back, all the friends I’d had had found other friends. I didn’t know any of the trends, couldn’t keep up with anything. Even when someone tried talking to me, I couldn’t hold a decent conversation. By the time I hit fifth grade, I pretty much stopped talking to anyone at all.”

Sera gave no sign that she was listening. No reaction whatsoever.

“And then my parents decided to go on another trip. They’re still gone, even now. But I didn’t go with them. Do you know why?”

Honestly, I didn’t even know why I’d started telling her this story. Sometimes words just slip out before you’ve even thought them through.

“No. Why didn’t you go? It’s not like anyone needed you here.”

Twisting her knife into a wound. Classic Sera. I was used to it by now, though.

“I was alone for so long, I’d convinced myself I was fine with it. Told myself being alone wasn’t all that bad.”

“So you came to tell me I should do the same? That getting abandoned by your comrades and looked at with scorn is just fine?”

“Not at all. Talking with you now, I realized something. I had a friend. I mean, I don’t really wanna call him that, but no matter how many times I told him to back off, that I wanted to be alone, he’d still show up, every single day. Even now. Maybe that’s why I chose to stay in Japan. Because he was here.”

“I don’t… have anyone like that anymore.”

“You’ve got us. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is… even if you can’t move forward on your own, as long as someone’s there to pull you along, you’ll eventually find your way back.”

“Heh. You’re terrible at explaining things. I can barely follow what you’re trying to say.”

“Sue me.”

“But I think what you’re saying is basically the same as Haruna.”

“Haruna? What did she say?”

“’Failure isn’t about falling down. It’s about not getting back up afterward. You’re still alive, aren’t you? I don’t know what you did, but stop moping and fix it already! If you can’t, I’ll do it for you, so quit worrying!'”

“Complete with the usual condescending tone, huh?”

“But you agree with her, don’t you?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

“Heh. It’s okay. I’m…”

Tears began falling from Sera’s eyes.

“But I’ve probably lost my status as a Vampire Ninja. I made my choice. I chose my friend over honor. I thought I was ready for that, and yet, I still want to live as a Vampire Ninja. My resolve was shallow. That’s what frustrates me the most!”

I rested my hand gently on Sera’s head. I tried to stroke her hair.

“Ayumu, that’s sexual harassment.”

She glared at me, eyes brimming with tears, so I pulled my hand away.

Then, all of a sudden, she threw herself into my chest.

“Whoa. That’s harassment too, you know.”

“This is what they call fanservice,” she said.

She clung tightly to my shirt and cried in silence.

In the end, I stroked her hair anyway.