Toaru Hikuushi e no Seiyaku:Part7

Part 3 (Part 7 of Volume 1)

With trepidation, Mio stripped off her clothes, relying only on the moonlight as she dipped her toes into the stream that flowed past the sandy banks.

The water was warm and pleasant. Covering her chest with one hand, she timidly submerged herself up to her waist. The current was gentle, cradling her like a soft lullaby.

Summoning her courage, she let her body float on the water.

The warm stream gently caressed her ears. It tickled. Above her, the constellations of the southern seas shone, crossing time spans of ten, a hundred, and a thousand years to deliver their silver, gold, and emerald brilliance to this secluded island.

A treasure chest of summer night jewels, more precious than any earthly riches.

"Aah..."

A sigh escaped her without realizing it. The sound of insects chirping from the woods along the riverbank filled the air. The brutal memories of the aerial battle earlier in the day faded like scenes from an old movie, and the freshness of the clear stream that soaked her bare skin washed away the scent of gunpowder and heavy oil from her mind.

"I feel like I should be grateful just to be alive right now," Kagura said, resting her elbows on a rock that jutted out in the middle of the river, looking up at the same starry sky.

"Yes, really. Everything that happened during the day feels like it was a dream."

In the dim moonlight, Kagura’s silhouette was softly outlined in blue. Her bare, wet upper body shimmered faintly in the silvery glow, and even though Mio was the same gender, she found herself struck by Kagura’s alluring presence. In her military uniform, Kagura had the look of a dashing figure, but here, under the faint light of the stars, her body was an enviable cascade of alluring curves.

Unaware of Mio’s envy, Kagura glanced around and asked, "Hmm? Where’s Cecil?" "She was swimming around here just a while ago... but now she’s gone." "She won’t have drowned, but..." "Cecil? Are you there? Answer me!" Mio stood up and scanned the dark surroundings. The shadows of trees on either side of the stream loomed, cutting the starry sky into darker shapes. But Cecil was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh no, she’s really not here."

Just as Mio started to get a bad feeling, a playful shout came from behind. "Boo!" With a mischievous cry, Cecil suddenly hugged Mio from behind. "Kya!" Mio let out a scream as Cecil’s arms wrapped around her body. The water was only waist-deep, leaving Mio’s upper body completely exposed and vulnerable.

"Mio, time for a body check!" "Hey, stop it, Cecil! Cut it out!" "Check, check!" "Quit it! Cecil, stop...!"

Squirming, Mio fell into the water, trying to shake off Cecil. Cecil, fully satisfied with her prank, grinned broadly and declared, "Mio, your measurements are just as expected!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I’m relieved! You know, people always say I have a child’s body, but it turns out we’re in the same boat!"

"Are you picking a fight with me!?"

"Okay, enough. Cecil, you’re not a child. Mio, calm down," Kagura interjected, stepping in to defuse the situation.

Mio took a deep breath, trying to settle her nerves. Cecil, still smiling brightly and without a hint of remorse, moved closer to Mio and said, "Your skin is so smooth, Mio. It’s like a baby’s!"

"...That last part was unnecessary."

"I was complimenting you! After all we’ve been through today, this is a nice way to relax. I’m glad we found this beautiful stream!"

"Yeah, I feel refreshed. So, where’s Illia? Is she not going to join us?"

"Oh, Illia’s never been good with group activities. She definitely wouldn’t join us for something like a bath. If I pulled the same prank on her that I did on you, I don’t think I’d survive."

"Really? I’d like to talk to her more, but I wonder if she doesn’t like me. Earlier, when we were checking the aircraft, I tried to strike up a conversation, but she seemed really cold."

"That’s just how Illia is. She’s always been distant. She was raised really strictly by her father, so she never really played with other kids growing up."

"That makes sense..."

"Yeah, Illia’s an only child. Captain Karsten wanted a son to pass on his skills to, but since Illia was all he had, he raised her as if she were a boy. That’s why she speaks the way she does."

"I see... Illia’s father fought against Kiyoaki’s father, didn’t he? And he ended up injured, unable to fly anymore. With that kind of history, it’s no wonder they don’t get along."

"Yeah, during the repairs, they didn’t say a word to each other. It’s strange having two pilots with such a history, but I bet the headmaster at Air Hunt Academy knew and set it up on purpose."

Cecil dipped her face into the water, blowing bubbles as she thought.

"I never imagined we’d get separated from the friendly fleet and end up crash- landing on a random island. St Vault and the Akitsu Federation must be in chaos right now."

Listening intently, Kagura finally spoke up.

"St Vault is preparing a southern fleet with great enthusiasm. They were already set for war, just waiting for Urano to make a move. The timing couldn’t have been better for both sides."

"Urano attacked just as the friendly fleet was set to dock at Tsurugi Island. Do you think the information leaked?"

"Either it leaked, or it was intentionally leaked. From our position, it’s impossible to tell. However, we can’t rule out the possibility that Urano agents have infiltrated St Vault’s military. Urano, being a multi-ethnic state, excels at sending agents of the same race into rival powers like the Mitterland continent."

It was easiest to infiltrate another country by sending agents of the same race. Urano could send white agents into white-majority countries, yellow agents into

yellow-majority countries, and so on.

"Agents infiltrating the military... that’s scary."

"Yes. They even place teenage spies into officer schools, let them graduate with high marks, and then send them into the military’s inner circle. You can’t even trust your classmates completely."

"That’s... terrifying."

Mio pondered the gravity of it. The thought of a friend or fellow student secretly being an Urano agent, pretending to be close while secretly betraying them... it was horrifying.

"Just thinking about it makes me shiver. Anyone who could do that isn’t human."

Mio’s sense of justice flared up as she spoke. Cecil, however, hesitated before adding,

"But maybe spies have their reasons, too. They might be doing it because their family or loved ones are being held hostage... something like that."

Mio shook her head. "Even if they have a reason... Imagine if one of the seven of us was a spy, pretending to be a friend but secretly laughing at us inside. I couldn’t forgive someone like that. It would be the lowest thing a person could do."

Mio’s anger rose at the thought. If a spy were truly hiding among them at Air Hunt Academy, she would want to expose them with her own hands.

"True. But the world isn’t filled with just honorable people. It’s a mix of saints and sinners, of those who remain pure and those who wallow in filth. We live in that world, looking up at the sky, singing songs of hope," Kagura said playfully, her tone light.

Cecil clapped her hands. "Kagura, that was so cool! Just like a lead actor from the Servan Theater Troupe!"

She was referring to the famous all-female theater troupe in St Vault, known for its male roles.

"That’s true, but still..." Mio wasn’t fully convinced, but she didn’t continue the conversation. However, if it turned out there really was an agent hiding close by...

──I could never forgive them.

She thought this as she gazed up at the starry sky. Later that evening. After setting up camp along the boundary where the evergreen forest met the gently sloping grassland, they inspected the damage to the aircraft and ate a meal from their rations. Then, they held a meeting to discuss their next steps.

It was confirmed that engines two and four had been hit, and they would need the whole next day for repairs. In the worst-case scenario, they would have to fly with only the two remaining engines in what’s called "reduced-axis flight." There were also some damaged pipes and control systems that needed emergency repairs.

After Mio and Reiner conducted astronomical observations and compared them with the map, they determined that the island they had landed on was called "Cameron Island," a former St Vault settlement. However, constant conflicts with the

native inhabitants had forced the settlers to flee or perish. It was likely that some natives still lived on the island, but there had been no contact so far. If contact couldn’t be avoided, the plan was to approach them without prejudice and negotiate for a peaceful stay.

For now, the only thing the seven of them could do was conserve their strength and get some sleep.

Exhausted from the day’s extraordinary events, they each wrapped themselves in blankets and soon, the sound of gentle breathing filled the camp.

Mio lay next to Kagura, also wrapped in a blanket, staring up at the stars.

She tried not to think about the conversation by the river earlier. While such spies might exist somewhere, there was no way one could be among the people she knew. She reassured herself of that and turned her thoughts to other matters.

──So many things have happened...

As she gazed up at the starry sky, filled with a myriad of colors, she allowed herself to drift into reflection.

She didn’t fully understand how she had ended up in this situation.

Her adoptive parents had always told her that she could have lived a normal life, gone to a regular university, and been happy as an ordinary girl. But she had insisted on attending the military academy, defying her foster parents’ wishes, and now, here she was, stranded on a remote island after crash-landing.

──Why?

In search of an answer, she looked inward.

What surfaced was the memory of that summer day five years ago, when she first met Kiyoaki on Messus Island.

It was then, during that summer, that Mio’s fate had been decided. On that day... Due to her adoptive father’s work, Mio and her siblings had moved to Messus Island, disembarking with her large family at the Odessa military port. Twelve- year-old Mio had been in a bad mood.

She had finally made friends in the Harmonia Empire, only to be uprooted and taken to some remote southern island she’d never heard of, where she would have to spend several years. It was too much for a spoiled twelve-year-old girl to accept.

When they arrived at their new home, she watched as the servants carried their luggage inside. Her adoptive parents, always eager to help, had taken in eight children in total, including Mio, creating a lively household filled with the chatter of her siblings.

To escape the noise, Mio released her pet bird, Fio, into the sky above Messus Island.

Fio happily spread its white wings, circling above the mansion a few times before landing on Mio's shoulder. The bird likely preferred the clean air of the island over the city.

"Fio, you're lucky. I'm feeling really down," Mio said, bringing her finger close to the bird's beak as she spoke. The clever bird tilted its head, peering curiously at her face.

"I don’t even know if I’ll make any friends here. The boys are probably all wild country bumpkins. A sophisticated city girl like me will definitely stand out, and they'll go crazy like a bunch of monkeys. If any of them are dumb enough, they might even try to bully me. Ugh, I’m going to feel so out of place on this island."

With Fio as her sole listener, Mio vented her frustrations freely. Back in Harmonia, she had attended a prestigious gymnasium where the children of nobility gathered. But on Messus Island, there was no such school; she would have to attend a public school with children from all sorts of backgrounds. She had no confidence that she would fit in there.

"Hey, Fio. Can I ask you for a favor?"

When she whispered this, Fio, as if understanding her, tilted its head and gave a questioning chirp.

"Find me someone who’ll take care of me. Someone who’ll protect me, do whatever I say like a loyal servant, and would do anything for me. Bring me someone like that."

It was a childish, selfish wish, made to a bird.

Fio tilted its head again as if it didn't quite understand, so Mio simplified her words.

"Show me my destined person."

At that moment, Fio gave a single, firm nod.

So resolute was the bird’s nod that it surprised Mio. "Fio?" "Fii."

With a flutter of its white wings, Fio took off into the blue sky, flying out of the mansion grounds and toward the distant horizon.

"Wait, wait!"

Hurriedly, Mio grabbed her straw hat and ran after the bird.

She dashed down the hill, past rural roads where ox-drawn carts and tractors moved along, chasing the white wings that were heading somewhere far away.

Fio flew into the lush green farmlands and began circling a certain spot.

Breathless, Mio finally caught up, just as Fio descended, landing atop the straw hat of a boy working in the fields.

"Whoa!!"

Startled by the bird suddenly landing on his head, the boy lost his balance and fell backward. Fio circled over him several times, calling for Mio to catch up.

Mio slowly approached the fallen boy.

──My destined person.

The thought flickered through her mind.

The boy, still in shock, looked up at the white bird flying above him, and then

at the girl walking toward him.

As the boy sat there in the dirt, Mio stood over him, hands on her hips, and with an air of authority, she declared,

"I’ll make you my friend."

That was the first thing she said to him. Even now, looking back, it was a rather arrogant way to speak. But that's how Mio had been raised, and that was the only way she knew to speak back then.

"Huh?"

The boy, still confused, stared up at her. It would have been impossible for him to understand, but at that moment, Mio was completely serious.

"From today on, you're my friend. If you'd rather be my servant, that's fine too, but I thought making you my servant right away would be a bit harsh."

The boy silently stared at her, half his mouth hanging open, before finally dusting off his pants and standing up.

"Uh... who are you? Are you from this island?"

"When you ask someone their name, you should introduce yourself first." "...I’m Sakagami Kiyoaki. Twelve years old. And you are?" "Mio Syira. I just moved to this island today. You’re my first friend. Got it? You don’t get to say no."

"Uh, okay... I guess it’s more fun to have more friends, so sure..." "See? You understand things well. You pass." Mio made an "OK" sign with her fingers, and Fio landed again on Kiyoaki’s head. As he watched the bird and the girl in amazement, he asked,

"Does this bird like me or something?"

"Seems like it. This is Fio. He's pretty smart. Now, you can show me around the island. I’ll let you guide me, even though it’s a bit of a bother."

"Huh? You want me to show you the island? I have chores to help my dad with, though."

"You can ditch those. I give you permission."

"Why do you get to give permission? Well, whatever, let me go ask my dad first..."

"Hurry up. You’ve got two minutes. Actually, I'll come with you." "Uh... this is all so weird..." Grumbling to himself, Kiyoaki began to run, with Mio following closely behind. She was filled with the sense that something fun was about to happen.

──From now on, I’m going to have lots of fun with this boy.

She could almost hear the voice of a fairy whispering in her heart. There was no reason for it, no proof. But Mio felt sure of it, and the feeling filled her with excitement. That day, Kiyoaki ended up showing her around many places, and they promised to meet again the next day. Looking back, Mio realized how

forceful she had been in making friends with him.

Looking up at the starry sky on Cameron Island, as sleep slowly crept in, Mio replayed those memories. Among all the things that happened during that first summer, the one memory she couldn’t forget was the "promise" they made in the canola fields.

"I’ll be your bride, Kiyoaki!"

Wearing the canola flower crown Kiyoaki had given her, she’d stood with her hands on her hips and proudly declared her intentions. That was the summer when they were both twelve.

She was young, reckless, and brimming with confidence. Only at that age could she have made such a declaration.

For a while after that, Mio lived in a bubble, acting as if she were Kiyoaki’s fiancée. As they grew, entered middle school, and made more friends, Mio began to mature.

Then, during the summer when she was fourteen, Urano invaded Messus Island. Kiyoaki lost his entire family and swore revenge on Urano. Mio was by his side then, telling him she would aim for the same goal.

From that moment on, Kiyoaki could no longer be the carefree, mischievous boy he once was.

His heart simmered with anger, and he dedicated himself to military school, sharpening himself until he ranked at the top of his class.

Mio simply followed him. She no longer saw herself as his master, but found joy in helping him instead.

Now, at seventeen, they never spoke of that day in the canola fields. Mio had never asked Kiyoaki how he felt about it. She was afraid to hear his answer. After all, neither of them were the innocent children they once were.

──We’ve grown up.

Mio thought this as she stared up at the starry sky.

──What will happen to us from here?

She had a premonition that something completely different from the past was waiting for them, something that would change their relationship forever. Even she couldn’t fully understand her own thoughts.

──Is this what it means to be an adult?

With that lingering thought, Mio closed her eyes. Is this a dream? Illia Kreischmidt gripped the controls of her fighter aircraft, feeling as though she were in a dream.

There had been times before when she realized she was dreaming. Each time, her rational mind would break through the illusion, and she would awaken, as if the spell had been broken. Somewhere, even in her sleep, a part of her always

remained alert, and when that sense of danger arose, it would rip apart the dream.

──So, this is probably a dream.

──But if that’s true, why am I not waking up?

──And... why does it feel so real?

In this strange dream, Illia looked out past the windshield. What she saw was a night as bright as day. Below her, the city being bombarded was ablaze with red flames.

The darkness that should have shrouded the entire sky was swept away by the inferno on the ground and the explosive flashes in the air.

High-explosive shells, timed to detonate at 4,000 meters, sent streaks of light scattering through the sky. The barrage of explosions, the streams of tracer rounds, the red glow of parachute flares, the bicolor signal flares marking targets for friendly units, and a thousand searchlights beaming up from the ground — every kind of light imaginable created a chaotic spectacle in the sky, turning the night into a dazzling, dreamlike ballroom of light.

The roar of propellers tore through the storm of colors.

One flash, then another. Lightning-like bursts of light erupted. From beyond the chaotic searchlights, a fighter with both wings blown off tumbled into view, scattering debris stripped away by machine-gun fire, and in the blink of an eye, it was engulfed in flames and exploded.

The one who shot it down was Illia herself.

Though she was still in the cockpit, she could somehow see her own aircraft.

On the nose was the "White Wolf" nose art. A twin contra-rotating propeller at the front. Four 20mm cannons on the wings.

──What is this plane?

Illia felt a sense of discomfort even though she was piloting the aircraft herself. The sound and output of the engine were clearly different from a traditional internal combustion reciprocating engine.

—Turbo prop.

Her thoughts in the dream whispered the name of a future engine. Astonishingly, the aircraft Illia was now flying was cruising at a speed close to 750 kilometers per hour.

Such an aircraft had not yet been realized. She was clearly flying a futuristic aircraft, one that had achieved dramatic technological advancements, and she was piloting it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

—It’s just a dream.

She told herself that and looked back.

—How do I know this?

It was as if she knew her situation all along.

—I’m being chased.

Earlier, she had encountered an enemy ace. The situation had been unfavorable, so she had fled. Surely, the enemy must be pursuing her.

Illia's opened eyes scanned the combat airspace.

There was the glow of fire and smoke, with moonlight and searchlights slicing through the gaps, and below, a city engulfed in flames. The night was so bright that she could distinguish between enemy and ally aircraft.

"Where did they go?"

The enemy ace who had been closing in on her was nowhere to be seen. She couldn’t sense their presence. This was rare for Illia, who usually could feel the murderous intent of an enemy pilot in the airspace.

—No killing intent.

—Because...

—That person has no intention of killing me.

Illia bit her lip. Even without exchanging words, that intention was conveyed through the air.

(It’s you... I can’t fight you.)

It was as if she could hear the voice. (Please, just take your comrades and go home.) Illia dismissed it as an illusion. That voice was simply a product of her own weakness, lingering sentimental emotions that conjured an imagined voice.

Just as she tried to shake off the thought, she felt something rising beneath her right wing.

“Ugh.”

She quickly rolled the aircraft to evade. The enemy aircraft passed by her, climbing upward without firing a single shot.

In the night sky, Illia's eyes darted to the nose of the enemy aircraft. A black rabbit... was smiling. Illia's heart tore apart with a sharp sound.

The black rabbit climbed higher into the night, as if it had approached just to show Illia its nose art.

(It’s me. I can’t fight you.)

Illia heard the voice again. Rejecting the thought, she pushed the throttle forward. The turbo prop roared as she chased the black rabbit's tail.

She peered through the gunsight. The silhouette of the black rabbit grew larger. It seemed to offer no resistance, as if to indicate it had no intention of dodging the shot.

“What’s wrong? Fight.”

Illia’s frustration turned into words. But the black rabbit only kept ascending, as if it were trying to leave the combat zone.

—You’re always like this.

—But you should know, too.

Her finger hovered over the trigger.

—You and I have a reason to fight. Her hand trembled. Illia summoned every bit of her willpower, forcing herself to hold back the surge of emotions.

—We are enemies.

She kept telling herself to endure. Emotions had no place on the battlefield; they held no more value than an empty shell casing. Letting emotions control you was the mark of an immature soldier, unworthy of fighting for a nation.

—We were destined to be adversaries. She peered through the sight. —You... I must bring you down with my own hands.

The silhouette of the dear person grew larger in her view. Her vision blurred. Her chest felt like it was tearing apart. Her heart filled with a beastly scream. —What’s wrong? Fight me! Tears welled up. —Please, fight me!

Don’t cry.

—Didn’t we make a promise?

Tears were clouding her aim, disrupting her sight.

Bringing humanity to the battlefield was out of the question. Here, she was no more than a machine built to bring down the enemy.

The distorted figure of the black rabbit filled the center of her crosshairs. Her trembling finger rested on the 20mm cannon trigger. A bit more force, and the rounds would fire, the black rabbit’s plane would explode, and it would bloom into a fiery flower before her eyes.

Illia forced away all her thoughts.

Because she was proud of the days they had spent honing their skills together. Because she wanted to be acknowledged as a rival by him. Because she cherished the promise they had made.

—I will fulfill the vow we made.

With her trembling finger on the trigger, she fired.

She sent a bouquet of 20mm rounds, scorching the sky, toward the one she had once loved.

As the rounds cut through the night, his figure was etched into the sky. The name of her beloved was... "Sakagami... Kiyoaki."

Illia awoke from the dream with her own voice.

Her eyes opened to the starry sky. She seemed to have been tossing and turning, as her body was covered in a thin layer of cold sweat.

For a while, she just lay there, staring up at the vast, star-filled sky. Her wide eyes remained fixed, not even blinking. “What... was that?”

She asked herself in a whisper. She couldn’t understand the meaning of the dream.

No, more than that...

—Was it a dream?

Even now, fully awake, the vivid images from the dream still lingered, feeling far too real. The heat of the flames, the scent of gunpowder, the sensation of g-forces during high-speed flight—it all pressed down on her with an almost overwhelming reality. It was nothing like the dreams she had experienced before.

—It was as if I had experienced my own future.

That thought crossed her mind as she closed her eyes, trying to shake off the ridiculous notion.

—Am I supposed to fall in love with Sakagami, and then face him in a duel someday?

—How absurd.

Perhaps, she thought, some naive, girlish sentiment still lingered within her. Maybe she hadn’t trained enough to rid herself of such softness.

She scanned her surroundings and sensed that her companions were all asleep.

Thanks to the strange dream, she had woken up and now felt wide awake. She had also broken into a sweat.

Illia grabbed her flashlight and quietly got up, careful not to wake anyone. She headed towards the river where everyone had bathed during the day. She disliked bathing with others, but it would be fine now that she was alone.

After sneaking through the trees, she reached the river. It wasn’t even a minute's walk from the camp.

There were clouds in the sky, but fortunately, the full moon was shining brightly. The smooth surface of the water glowed with a pale blue, and the sandy banks and rocks jutting from the stream were clearly visible. The river was small, only about four meters wide, easy enough to cross.

After a moment of hesitation, Illia confirmed once more that no one was around. She removed all of her clothes and dipped her bare feet into the stream.

“Ah...”

The cold water felt soothing. She scooped some water with her hand and splashed it over her body as she waded into the middle of the river.

The water reached up to her waist. She leaned her back against a rock protruding from the water and gazed up at the starry sky.

"It's... beautiful."

A quiet murmur escaped her lips. Her tired body, weary from the day's battle, began to relax.

And so, after spending some time alone, either gazing at the stars or swimming, Illia found a perfect spot on the opposite bank—a stone that could serve as a pillow. Someone, likely one of her companions, had gathered pebbles into the shape of a pillow and spread grass on top of it as a cushion. Lying in the riverbed with her body submerged in the water and only her head resting on the stone pillow, Illia looked up at the night sky and felt utterly at ease.

Illia remained there, her head cradled on the stone pillow, lying by the riverside, gazing at the stars.

Basking in the light of the moon and stars, entirely in her natural state, Illia felt as if she were being reborn. The tension that had been gripping her since the beginning of their journey began to unwind.

Illia hadn’t realized just how exhausted she was, both physically and mentally. As soon as she closed her eyes for a moment, a faint, soft breath escaped her delicate lips, signaling the onset of sleep.

Completely vulnerable, lying by the stream, Illia drifted off into slumber. Feeling like he had a strange dream, Kiyoaki opened his eyes. It was the middle of the night in the camp. The other members of the team were sound asleep, and only the sound of their breathing could be heard in the pitch- black darkness.

The memory of the dream was faint. It felt like he had been piloting a fighter plane with an unfamiliar engine, being chased by someone. However, he couldn’t recall the details. All that lingered was an uncomfortable sensation clinging to the edge of his memory, as if he had experienced a glimpse of his own future, leaving him with an inexplicable, uneasy feeling.

He listened to the sound of insects chirping while gazing up at the stars.

He couldn’t fall back asleep. The warm, sticky air clung to his skin, making him sweat.

"Maybe I should go for a bath."

Earlier, he had washed up in the river with Reiner, but Reiner had made crude and stupid jokes the entire time, making it impossible to relax. Now, alone, Kiyoaki could enjoy the refreshing stream by himself.

He stood up, grabbed his flashlight, and headed for the river beyond the trees.

The surrounding darkness was thick, and without the flashlight, it would have been impossible to walk. He wove through the densely grown trees, following the faint sound of the flowing water.

Just as he was about to reach the river— "Huh...?" Unfortunately, the flashlight’s light began to dim and finally went out completely. It seemed the batteries had almost run out.

Kiyoaki was left alone in total darkness. He couldn’t see anything. But if he could just make it through the trees, the starlight should make the river visible.

He stretched his arms out in front of him, walking cautiously through the darkness where even his arms were invisible.

The pleasant sound of flowing water grew closer. His eyes began adjusting to the darkness, and he could faintly make out the tree trunks ahead of him.

Soon, he reached the river.

The moon was hidden by clouds, and only the reflection of the stars was visible on the water’s surface. Having visited the place during the day, he remembered the general layout and, alone, stripped off his clothes.

The surroundings were pitch black, and he could hardly see anything.

Relying on his memory from earlier and the faint starlight, Kiyoaki, completely naked, slowly made his way toward the river, successfully dipping his toes into the water.

As expected, it felt good.

Hoping the moon would come out soon, he relaxed, letting the gentle current wash over him.

He waded into the river until the water reached his waist, but with the visibility so low in the darkness, he couldn’t feel at ease. After staring at the stars for a while, he decided to cross to the other side of the river to look for the stone pillow they had made earlier. However, in the darkness, he couldn’t remember exactly where they had placed it.

Just as he was searching— "Huh?" He tripped over something lying on the riverbank and fell forward. "Whoa!" Panicking, he thrust his hands out to catch himself in the water. "Huh?" A puzzled voice reached his ears, very close to his face. He was lying on something soft. "Huh? Huh?"

He couldn’t understand what was happening. It felt like he had fallen on top of something, but he couldn’t see.

Then, as if the mischievous moon had been waiting for the worst possible moment, it emerged from behind the clouds.

The bright full moon revealed, in startling clarity, Illia lying on the ground with Kiyoaki on top of her.

The moonlight fully illuminated their bodies, leaving no detail hidden. Kiyoaki’s brain short-circuited, producing a loud crackling sound in his head. " " He couldn’t comprehend the sight of the beautiful, naked girl beneath him.

Illia’s mind also went blank, unable to process the fact that a naked boy had fallen on top of her.

The two simply stared at each other, seeing each other’s exposed bodies in full detail.

Kiyoaki’s eyes, from the closest possible distance, took in everything that had been hidden beneath Illia’s clothes.

Especially, the elegant collarbone and the two magnificent, proud peaks beneath it.

In the next instant—

"Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo o!"

A scream unlike anything he had ever heard in his life hit Kiyoaki at point- blank range, snapping him back to reality.

"Huh? Ah! Huh?!"

"Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooo!"

Crying, Illia hugged her body, curling up tightly.

Her scream pierced the night, causing lights to flicker on in the camp beyond the trees. Flashlights quickly approached.

"Wait, Illia! You’re mistaken, calm down!"

"Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooo!"

Illia, like a frightened little girl, screamed as she sat in the riverbed, backing away, her usual calm expression replaced by tears as she covered her chest and hips with her arms.

"What’s wrong, Illia?! Illia, where are you? We’re coming!"

Their comrades’ voices drew closer. Kiyoaki, in a panic, rushed across the river to retrieve his clothes. Just as he was about to put on his underwear, Mio’s flashlight illuminated him from head to toe.

"………………………………………………………………………………………………………"

Kiyoaki looked up, staring into the bright light.

Mio’s face froze as she saw Kiyoaki, stark naked, about to put on his pants, and Illia on the other side of the river, crying while barely covering her exposed body with her hands.

"Illia, are you okay?! ...What the hell is going on?"

Reiner, who had just arrived behind Mio, surveyed the scene as well. To any third party, what this situation appeared to be was clear. "Ohhh... So you really did it, huh..." Reiner scratched his head with a smirk.

"Kiyoaki, I didn’t think you had it in you. I mean, going after Illia? That takes guts... or maybe you’re just crazy..."

Before he could finish, a loud slap echoed through the air as Mio’s hand struck Reiner’s cheek.

"What the hell?!"

"What’s so funny?! We need to help Illia!" "Alright, alright, I get it... that hurt though..." Mio grabbed Illia’s clothes from the riverbank, dove into the river fully clothed, and gently reached out to Illia.

Illia clutched the clothes tightly, looking up at Mio with teary eyes, her lips trembling as she gasped for breath.

"I... I was... poked by something strange..."

She was still clearly confused. Mio shot a glare at Kiyoaki, then wrapped her arm around Illia’s bare back, shielding her from the boys as she guided her away into the trees to get dressed.

"You’re bold, man. I underestimated you," Reiner said, crossing his arms.

"You’d better write a will. I’d say tomorrow’s sunrise will be your last. Short as our time together’s been, I’ll make sure your family gets it."

Reiner slapped Kiyoaki on the back, flashing him a grin. Moments later, Balthazar and Kagura arrived with their flashlights.

"What... happened here?"

Kagura asked suspiciously, while Kiyoaki’s face remained frozen like a statue as he struggled to hide his embarrassment from his comrades.