Chapter 16: Farewells

Chapter 16:
Farewells

 

WE STAYED IN THE VILLAGE for a few days, but the time had finally come for us to return to Jeepupp. Also, Loli Loli had decided to go back home to the Demon Kingdom.

“I’m sure my father will get super worried if I don’t come back soon! It’s really tough being the child of a doting parent!” she sang.

“I’m sure your father has it a whole lot tougher, being the father of such a rambunctious kid,” I teased.

Since we were all heading out, we decided that we’d travel at least part of the way together. Almost all the villagers came to see us off as we departed.

“Ashley, come on back soon!” said Moichi.

“Yep! I’ll definitely be back!” Ashley promised.

After Moichi playfully ruffled Ashley’s hair, he turned toward us. “And y’all are always welcome to come and visit too. This is a pretty boring little village, so I’m sure everyone will flock to see you when you’re back.”

“Yeah, we’ll definitely come,” I said.

“We’ll be sure to bring some kind of gift next time,” added Filia.

“And Loli Loli, you’re welcome anytime too, ya hear?” said Moichi.

“Okay! I’ll come and play again!”

After saying our goodbyes, we left the village. We rode the Earth Dragon Bus for a while together, until it was time to part ways with Loli Loli.

“This is where I say goodbye! I’m headed in a different direction!” When we got off the Earth Dragon Bus, she turned to me. “But there’s one last thing! I want you to do that thing again! The thing where you make your clothes go boom!”

Hm, well, if she was asking me to do it, I couldn’t just turn her down. I flexed my pectorals and exploded my jacket. The fabric fluttered through the air. “Satisfied?”

“Dang it, I can’t do it! I haven’t trained enough!” muttered Loli Loli in frustration as she looked at her own body, which was practically a stick.

The fact that she was trying to imitate me was admirable, though. She had a promising future ahead of her.

“I think it’s probably impossible for you right now. But fortunately, you’re still young. Train!”

“But don’t train too hard,” said Filia. “Otherwise, you’ll end up with muscles like that.”

“I don’t want that…” said Loli Loli.

She didn’t like them? But didn’t they look cool?

“I really don’t understand you at all…” muttered Ashley, giving me a repulsed look.

Yeah, well, she was just jealous that Loli Loli thought I was so awesome! Aw, what a cutie.

Meanwhile, Ashley boarded the Earth Dragon Bus once again. Then she came back out with her hands placed behind her back like she was hiding something.

“Hey, Loli Loli?” Ashley called with a slightly nervous tone.

“Hm? What is it?”

“Well, Big Sis and I have a present for you. I hope you’ll accept it. Here…”

“We worked really hard on it yesterday,” said Filia.

Ashley held out some kind of hair accessory—a red ribbon. It was so well-made that I could barely believe it was handcrafted. I’d wondered what the two of them were sneaking around doing yesterday. They’d been making this ribbon, huh? Filia aside, Ashley had a kind of awkward, inconsiderate air. But I supposed that people aren’t always what they seem.

“If you’d told me about this, I could have improved it—made it into a muscle-shaped ribbon or something,” I said.

Filia smiled. “So not telling you was the right choice after all, hmm?”

Huh? What was that supposed to mean?!

Beside us, Loli Loli accepted the ribbon from Ashley. “Wooow! This is really well-made!” she cooed like she was some kinda ribbon expert. She tied the ribbon into her hair and giggled, adjusting her flower crown as well. “Does it look good on me?”

“Yes, it suits you perfectly,” said Filia.

“I knew it, red is definitely your color, Loli Loli,” said Ashley.

“It does look good, doesn’t it?” I acknowledged.

The red ribbon really complemented her blonde hair. On top of that, it seemed to sort of go with her Gothic Lolita style.

Not that I was really interested in fashion or anything. I mean, I didn’t really get it.

Speaking of fashion, I was half-naked at that point, just wearing three-quarter length pants. I’d been wearing a jacket just a bit before, but now it was tattered rags.

“Oh ho ho—eh he he!” Loli Loli had a happy look on her face. Then she pulled the twisted screw figure out of her pocket, the one I’d won for her at the festival. “Yuri gave me this screwy toy! Ashley and Filia gave me this ribbon! The villagers gave me this flower crown! I’ve never had so many people treat me so nicely before! I’m so happy!”

Then, after tucking the figure in her pocket once again, Loli Loli flew off on her icy wings, holding the flower crown close to her head so that it wouldn’t fall off. “I’m going now! These past three days have been the most fun ever! Ashley, Filia, Yuri…and everyone in the village too! I love you all! I hope we meet again! Bye!”

She looked back at us now and again, waving as she flew away. Even up until the end, she was like a whirlwind.

 

“She’s gone…” said Filia, gazing off into the distance.

“She really was a bundle of energy,” I said.

I stepped up onto the Earth Dragon Bus. Up until then, our journey had been so lively and fun, but now I could already feel it getting lonelier. Before I knew it, I’d grown really close with Loli Loli. But it wasn’t like I could just keep on feeling lonely forever. Time was limited. And besides, it wasn’t like we wouldn’t ever see each other again.

The four of us had enjoyed a great time at the festival, and it had been a really nice change of pace. Thanks to that, I felt like I could get even more fired up in my training from here on out!

“Filia, Ashley. I know you miss her already, but it’s time to go.”

“Oh, yeah.” Filia boarded the bus behind me.

But Ashley didn’t show any sign that she was getting back on.

“Ashley? What’s the matter?” I asked.

“Big Sis…Yuri? There’s something I want to say.”

“What is it?” asked Filia.

“I’m not going back to Jeepupp. I’m going to train.”

As soon as those words left Ashley’s mouth, time seemed to stop.

Then Filia suddenly appeared by Ashley’s side, like she’d leaped forward. “Ashley?! What are you talking about—this is so sudden!”

This really is sudden, I thought as I stepped back onto the ground. I’d thought for sure that Ashley had wanted to be with Filia, but…

As we approached, Ashley straightened. She told us what she was really feeling. “I’m not very proud of this, but…for the longest time, people told me that I was a prodigy. I was really confident in my strengths. But then I lost against Yuri, and against Loli Loli…and I realized that I still have a long way to go. If I don’t get stronger, the next time something happens, I might not be able to save my village or the people precious to me. I can’t allow that. That’s why I’ve decided to go train in the mountains over there.”

Then, with a faint smile on her lips, she added, “It really took me a long time to come to this decision.”

She must have been thinking about her future even while she was enjoying the festival and showing us around her village. Ashley was a lot more mature than I’d realized.

I looked into her eyes. “Ashley, your life belongs to you. If that’s what you’ve decided, then go for it.”

“That’s…a surprisingly nice thing to say, Yuri. My opinion of you continues to improve,” said Ashley.

“I only say nice things!”

She giggled. “Yeah, I don’t think so.”

Ashley turned her red eyes to Filia. The look in those eyes was so concerned, vulnerable to Filia’s reaction. If Filia tried to stop her, Ashley wouldn’t go. Filia meant too much to Ashley—she wouldn’t be able to resist.

Filia looked up. Even though Filia’s silver eyes were somewhat teary, they were crinkled in a smile full of loving compassion. She met Ashley’s look straight on. “I’m sure that you’ve come to this decision after giving it a lot of thought. I won’t stop you. Ashley, you’re a girl with a strong heart. And, well, I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t going to miss you, but…” She swallowed. “But I want you to stick to your decision, Ashley. Because that’s the Ashley I love.” She placed an adoring hand on Ashley’s head.

“Y-yeah! Okay! Thank you! I love you too, Big Sis!” Ashley hugged Filia tightly, her eyes welling with tears. Filia embraced her in turn.

 

Finally, it was just the two of us again. Filia and I went on our way, two empty seats beside us. Since our group had dwindled from four to two, there was this sudden stillness. Filia had a lonely look on her face. As I was trying to figure out what to say, Filia opened her mouth to speak first.

“It does seem pretty spacious in here, doesn’t it?” she said quietly, like she was muttering to herself. “It’s lonely.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” I said. “Are…you okay?”

“You needn’t worry. I won’t leave you, Yuri.” Filia came a bit closer to me. Close enough that our hands were almost touching.

“I mean, I wasn’t really worried about that or nothin’.”

Filia pouted. “What? Come on, that’s not your line. You’re supposed to say something like, oh, I don’t know… ‘Oh, dear Filia, thank you! You’re my emotional support, my anchor,’ or something—and hug me?”

“Do you want me to hug you?”

“I’d sue you for sexual harassment.”

“Then what do you want from me?”

Filia leaned against me. Her head rested against my shoulder. “Well, you seem like you’re feeling pretty lonely too, you know? So, as a special treat, I’ll spend allll day by your side.”

“Filia…thanks. Please do.”

It was obvious that she was hurting even more than I was, but I wasn’t gonna be uncouth and say it.

Filia’s head was a warmth on my shoulder all the way back to Jeepupp.

 

***

 

Time just flew. A month later, Filia and I were sitting across from one another at a table in our room at the inn, sharing a drink. Filia was still reeling from saying goodbye to Ashley and Loli Loli, so I was trying to console her, even if just a little bit. It was heartbreaking to see her sniffle and cry each night. I thought it would be better if I just let her get it all out, but…

“Hey, I grilled up some chicken breast to have as a snack. Eat up.”

“Breast?! Why did you bring up breasts?! Men are always talking about breasts!”

“You’re already drunk.”

She always got drunk way too fast, every time. It wasn’t just that she couldn’t handle her liquor—this was two sips in! Despite my caution Filia was already chugging her next beer, taking big gulps.

“Whew! I’m shtill not drunk yet, y’know?! Theresh no way I’d get drunk that quick. Whose do you think I am, anyway, huh? I’m the transhcendentally beautiful elf, Filia!” She hiccupped.

Okay, come on…she was clearly drunk.

Another ten minutes later, and Filia was sprawled on the table, groaning, still sipping her beer little by little. She was totally smashed.

“Hey, you okay? This, uh, doesn’t look too good…”

“Ashley…Loli Loli…” Filia sniffed.

And now she was a sad drunk, too…

Filia looked at me and her eyes got wide. Then she slammed her hand on the table.

“Yuri, you didn’t drink at all! You’re only making me drink…” She hiccupped. “You’re getting me allllll drunk, and then what, you’re going to do something totally indecent, eh? Ehh? Aren’t you a human being, Yuri?! You’re so awful…”

There was no getting through to her now. She was the personification of a victimhood complex. There wasn’t even the faintest hint of Filia’s usual dignity in the teary-eyed glare she was shooting me. For the time being, I’d just deal with it.

“I wasn’t thinkin’ about that at all.”

“That’s a big lie! Because I happen! To have! Clairvoyaaaance! I can read your mind!”

Come on, did she really have to point her finger at me? If she bothered to read my thoughts with her Clairvoyance, she’d see I wasn’t thinking about that stuff at all! Then again, if I went out of my way to deny it, she’d just get more ticked off.

Being the mature adult I am, I decided I’d just agree with her. “Okay, sure, I was thinking that. There, you happy?”

“Seeeeee?! I knew it! I’m just too cute and adorable, so it makes me a target. Oh, what a sinful girl I am…” For some reason, Filia was giving me a cold look. I just couldn’t keep up with her.

“Don’t just go off the rails.”

“Shut up, shut up! I’m lonely! Listen to me, Yuri!”

“Okay, okay!”

She was way too drunk, so she started running her mouth all over the place. And since she was laying on the table with her legs flapping around like that, I could see her chest. Jeez, she really needed to be more careful about these things. And what was with all those cold looks she was giving me?

“Yuuuuuuri? Is something the matter?”

“Nothing, really.”

“Then let’s keep talking. Oh, those girls were so near and dear to my heart. Not that you aren’t, of course, Yuri! It’s like, well, it’s just different. Yeah, it’s sort of like…they’re little sisters?” Filia nodded, apparently to herself. “Yeah, little sisters. So, it feels like my two sweet little sisters left me. In other words…simply put…I miss then, I miss theeeeeem!”

“That’s rough.” I was on the same wavelength, so I nodded with a serious look on my face.

But even after all that, Filia couldn’t stop talking about them. I listened to her lament until daybreak. When the yellow morning sunlight poured in through the curtains and lit up the room, I decided to move the completely drunk Filia, who was lying prostrate on the table, over to the bed. Her soft body melted on my back. It was completely different from a guy’s. She wriggled a bit as I carried her.

“Ugh, Yuri, you peeeeerv.”

“Don’t make a fuss, or I’ll drop ya,” I said, ignoring her grumbling.

Soon after, I heard gentle breathing against my neck. She was asleep. When I looked at her face, she seemed less troubled. Her mouth was moving slightly as she sleepily mumbled.

“Jeez…” I hope this is the last time I ever drink with Filia.

 

The next day came all too soon.

“Oooof! Yuri, good…morning?” Filia sat up in her bed, rubbed her drowsy eyes, and fixed her disheveled silver hair. “Huh? What? Hm?”

Her eyes scanned the room, then suddenly stopped moving. She winced suddenly, and hard. The muscles in her face were twitching.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“Well, it’s just, I feel like I have some rather mortifying memories floating around in my head. I want very much to cover my eyes. Um…that…was a dream, wasn’t it?”

She’d been pretty darn drunk, but I guess she still remembered. Flustered as she was, I still told her the truth.

“Unfortunately, that was real.”

“N-no way…”

“Well, I understand how you feel, Filia, so I’ll let it slide.” Everybody wants to forget their sorrows now and then.

“Ugh…and just when I solidified my reputation as a flawless beauty!” she huffed.

“Relax, you’ve never had that.”

Filia’s face flushed red as she slipped back into bed and kicked her legs. I’d say she was more of a flaw-ful beauty than a flawless one.

“I’m so embarrassed. Do not look at me!”

“Okay, okay!”

I turned toward the wall. The sound of Filia’s legs kicking echoed throughout the room. While Filia was still throwing her embarrassment tantrum, an unexpected knock came at the door. The thumping of Filia’s kicking legs prevented her from noticing, but my well-trained ears clearly detected the sound. I left Filia there, still blissfully ignorant, and headed toward the door. When I opened it, I balked.

“Hey. Filia?”

“What is it, Yuri? I’m so embarrassed right now that I feel like I’m going to faint, so please just leave it for later unless it’s a matter of utmost importance.”

“Well, yeah, it is pretty important.”

I headed over to Filia with our two guests in tow. Said guests approached Filia to properly greet her.

“Long time no see, Big Sis! Ah, I just don’t know what to do with myself after seeing you be so cute, hee hee!”

“It’s been a long time! I came to see you too! You’re welcome!”

Yep. Ashley and Loli Loli had come by.

 

“While I was training in the mountains, I saw Loli Loli flying through the sky.”

“I was feeling lonely,” said Loli Loli, “so I went to find everyone!”

We sat across from one another in the living room, catching up and sorting out how we’d all come to be together in the same room again.

“I disguised myself by wrapping a scarf around me so strangers wouldn’t find out I’m a majin and make a big fuss!” said Loli Loli energetically. The ribbon the other two girls had gifted her a month ago still sat proudly on her head. “I will make no objections if you tell me that I’m amazing, of course!”

“And, well, I just finished another stage of my training, so I decided I’d come on back together with Loli Loli. I’ve gotten stronger, you know? I won’t lose to Loli Loli anymore!”

“What was that?! I’m not going to lose!” said Loli Loli.

“Ha ha, what about if I come at you with a coochy-coo tickling attack?!”

“Stop! That attack is super-effective! Ah ha ha! Ah ha ha ha ha ha!”

Loli Loli rolled around under Ashley’s tickling assault, giggling.

Staring at the both of them, Filia broke down in tears. “Yuri, what I’m seeing right now isn’t a hallucination created by my own desperate wishes, is it?”

“You can relax. Here.” I gently pinched Filia’s cheek.

“Ow! It’s…not a dream! Ooh, I’m so happy you two are back!”

“I’m happy too!”

“Jeez, Filia, you’re a crybaby! You’re like a kid!”

“Well, it’s been a whole month since I last saw you! Oh, I’ve been waiting for this day…!”

“I know, right?” I grinned. I’d been with Filia this whole month, so I knew exactly how she felt. With how terribly lonely she’d felt, it was no wonder she was overjoyed now.

“Oh, I’ll get you something to drink, so please just wait a minute!” Filia shot up and bounced off toward the kitchen, humming to herself as she went.

“Don’t bounce too much and take a tumble, okay?”

“Eh he he, I won’t do something like that! I am the transcendentally beautiful elf, Fili—bah!!”

Welp, I’d tried to tell her.

“Tee hee hee! But that didn’t even hurt. Because my girls are back!”

I gave Filia a wry look, but she smiled back at me warmly. She really didn’t seem to feel any pain, even though her nose had turned red from the fall. Maybe she was so delighted that her pain receptors had short-circuited. I did understand how she felt, though.

“I’m really happy you two came back,” I told the girls. “You must have missed my muscles so much.”

“Uh, we didn’t, though?” said Ashley.

“What are you saying, Yuri?” asked Loli Loli. “Let’s think before we speak, okay?”

Wow, harsh. It’d been a month now, so couldn’t they be a little nicer? That being said, I was genuinely happy. In fact, I was so overwhelmed with joy that I couldn’t help but start doing push-ups.

“Y-Yuri? What are you doing now?” Filia, having just finished pouring the drinks, gave me a puzzled look.

“I’m just so happy that my body started moving on its own and working out!”

Her look changed from one of confusion to exasperation. “What kind of mechanism is that, exactly?”

More importantly, just doing regular push-ups on their own was too easy, so it wasn’t really worth it—wait a minute!

“Everyone, to celebrate our reunion, get on top of me!” I exclaimed, pointing to my back.

“Yay!” Loli Loli instantly jumped onto my back.

An immediate response, just as I’d expect from Loli Loli! She was the same as ever.

Ashley, by contrast, seemed less than enthusiastic about the idea.

“What in the…?”

“Ashley. Don’t think. Feel. You’ve trained in the mountains. You should know what I mean.”

“I don’t understand you at all, though?”

Hm. That method wasn’t gonna fly. She was pretty tough. Well, then, maybe I could get her riled up?

“Oh, well, I suppose there really is a big difference between someone who can jump in without hesitation and someone who can’t, right, Ashley?”

“What? What kinda cheap provocation is that? Do you think that I’ll take it seriously? …Well, then, maybe I will get on your back!”

But…she just had taken me seriously, right? Like, completely?

In any case, Ashley sat on my back. The only one left was Filia.

“Come on—you too, Filia. Hop on up.”

“I know, I know. No matter what I say now, you’re not going to listen to me when you’re in one of these moods, hmm?”

Filia, the person who knew me best of all, sat on my back with a thud. With all three of them weighing down on me, I could at least get a somewhat proper workout in!

“HOOAH!”

I started doing push-ups. In terms of physical weight, it wasn’t all that much, really. For someone like me, who sometimes did push-ups while carrying boulders many times my height, the three of them were terribly light, even all together.

But I felt a different kind of weight on me. It was a weight I didn’t feel when I was carrying boulders. Yes, this was surely…“the weight of friendship”! I didn’t really know why, but it made me feel something. For some reason, it brought back memories of those long, long days I’d spent living alone in the forest.

When I lived in the forest, I’d never imagined I would have so many friends. I’d left the forest to become stronger, and I was pretty sure I had. I didn’t really know if I’d managed to grow as a person, but…

“Don’t worry, Yuri,” said Filia from atop my back. “You are growing.”

Clairvoyance again, huh? Or…no, wait. I bet she didn’t even need to use it. She’d said she could read me perfectly well without it. Which was fine by me, because the important thing was what she’d just said.

“Filia…thanks.”

“No need to thank me!” she replied in her usual carefree manner. That was exactly how I knew she wasn’t lying.

I’m glad Filia is my partner. I smiled, though no one could see it on account of how they were all on my back.

“Thanks to that, Filia, I’m just bursting with confidence! So, as my way of saying thanks, I’m gonna show you just how much I’ve grown. I’m gonna do push-ups ten times faster!”

“I—I might have said a bit too much. Yuri, I would like you to reconsider—”

“Here I go!”

“Ah, he’s not listening!”

I amped up my speed by a power of ten. Seen from the side, I was definitely leaving afterimages. The three girls on my back were no doubt having the time of their lives, like they were on a ride at an amusement park! Working out is fun, after all!

“Wait, you’re going too fast!” wailed Filia. “Yuri, you’re going too fasht—ah, I jush bid my tongue!”

“Eeeek! I’m not good at handling scary rides!” shouted Ashley. “Save me, Big Sis!”

“Ah ha ha ha! Up and down, up and down! This is fun!”

Screams and cheers of delight echoed throughout the room, melding together. Things always got pretty lively when we were together.

And so, I continued doing push-ups with a satisfied smile on my face.