Understanding that Bora means well, it touched her heart however to move away from him will lose all meaning to her stay. She couldn't help but act upon her urges, to stay by his side is what she wants most.
"...I sort of knew it'd be like this... I guess it couldn't hurt to have asked."
Despite knowing what the outcome would be, he felt inclined to make the offer. Even if she declared she can endure the cold, it doesn't necessarily mean she enjoys it.
"Then do as you wish... But, not the storage room, all right? It's rather dark in there, cramped also. It wouldn't feel very comfortable."
"Y-Yes, I understand... Thank you, Bora."
"Don't mention it."
Rising from the floor, he takes one look outside at the crescent moon. For the very first time in many years, the day went by in an instant as he wondered what tomorrow would bring. At that moment he truly felt alive as the thought make him excited for the coming days.
"Where are you going?"
Moving promptly to his room, Tsurugi also rises.
"It's getting late, so I'll be calling it a day. Feel free to help yourself to anything my home has to offer."
"O-Oh, okay."
Feeling a bit let down that she couldn't spend more time with him, Bora simply smiles.
"Goodnight, Tsurugi. Thanks for all your hard work today."
"A-Ah, yes. Goodnight, Bora."
Trying to muster a smile herself, she couldn't as she awkwardly looks away. Bora couldn't help but laugh just a little as he slides the door shut.
"...Bora, Thank you."
Wishing to say more she couldn't bring herself to express the words she so deeply wanted to speak. Pressing her hand firmly against the door, she puts out the hearth and steps out in to the night. Towards the sea she desires to relive those vivid memories to help put her thoughts into words.
She never experienced the feeling of care as there was nothing that she could attach herself to. Nothing of importance, and so she throws words into the vast sea as it gently sways back and forth.
Feeling another presence in the area, Tsurugi soon realises the familiar steps as Bora soon appears before her.
"What are you doing out here, Tsurugi?"
"Y-You weren't resting?"
Surprised, Tsurugi believed he'd be asleep the moment she arrived by the sea. But it seems Bora knew the moment she left the house.
"Not quite. ...Is there something bothering you, Tsurugi?"
Only wanting to help, she felt relieved that he noticed, however she didn't want to act on her urges and turns to the sea.
"...It's nothing. I just... wanted to see the sea once more."
Despite that they've been gone for only a short while ago, Bora knew there's much more to it than that.
"Is that so?"
Stepping to her side, Tsurugi stares at him intently as Bora simply looks at the moon.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?"
"Hm? ...Oh, that glowing light? ...Yes, it is. It looks very beautiful here."
As her eyes flicker, her remark piques Bora's interest as he asks about the moon from her world.
"The moon? So that's what it's called... Yes, the one from my world it's usually hidden behind something. And if not it's peeking out just a little, it's as though it's buying time; waiting for something to happen. It's not a beautiful white like here but a dark red."
"Hmm... a dark red..."
Looking at the moon once again, Bora couldn't imagine it to be any other colour, nor could he think of it as a frightening entity.
"Not only that but I think everything is a lot more beautiful here; this world. The things you've shown me have been very beautiful."
Asides from the sea and now the moon also, Bora can't recall any instance in which he's introduced her to anything else that's of beauty.
"I'm all better now because of you, Bora."
Attempting to imitate the same smile that Bora has shown, she couldn't quite get it perfect as her muscles tense up. However, in the least, Bora could tell she's giving it her very best.
"...At that point in time, I did not wish to be saved. It felt as like everything lost its meaning. My sole purpose was to serve as a killing instrument to my Master. Assassinations, sabotage, I've performed many deeds where I had to spill people's blood and at times my own."
Clutching against her arm, she grits her teeth as she recalls the many battles she has fought. All the battles in which she's won and those she barely managed to escape with her life.
"You were always fighting, weren't you? I could tell something was eating away at you. Even the times where we sat by the hearth side."
"...I've done terrible things to people... Even those who weren't involved in our war. Kidnapping, torturing... All sorts of horrible things..."
"But that was against your will, wasn't it? If you were a terrible person by heart, Tsurugi; doing horrible deeds, then why do I still live?"
Putting the blame against herself, Bora could not stand the act. After the amount of gratitude she's trying to express, he doesn't take her for someone evil.
"But even so, I could've done something about it! Anything! Other than to blindly follow orders... I did that because-!"
Interrupting her sentence, Bora reaches into his back pocket and pulls a familiar tool; a tool in which Tsurugi wielded on a daily basis.
"T-That's-!
Tsurugi checks her clothing for all her concealed weapons and just as she thought, they're all gone.
"I had to check for other wounds which weren't visible at the time, I apologise for taking your tools without your permission. If you are truly evil, Tsurugi, so much as to be killing innocent people."
Handing the tool over to Tsurugi, he places it in her hand and makes her firmly grip it before pulling it towards his chest; directly at his heart.
"B-Bora, w-what are you..?"
Questioning his motives, even with the thought that he could possibly die at that moment, he offered to be at the mercy of Tsurugi.
"Then you can kill me too."
"W-What are you saying!? I-I can't kill you!"
As the tool edged closer towards his heart, Tsurugi cried out as she used every bit of her strength to pull back, however due to the sudden shock, her arms were powerless.
"Why? What is the reason that you can't kill me?"
Despite his general composure, she could feel a hint of ferocity in him. As though to force Tsurugi's words out of her mouth.
"B-Because you're the one who saved me! ...The one who made my time start moving again. I didn't wish to do all those things; all those people I killed. I wanted to be saved, day in and day out I wanted to be saved but most of all, I wanted to save them!"
Losing strength from her arms and legs, she falls to her knees as all the built up agony within her is finally released. Bora puts away the tool and simply watches over her.
...
As the night progressed on, the two sit by the shore side by side and gaze at the sea.
"You really are a strange person, Bora."
With no intention of it being a compliment, Bora simply smiles.
"Yeah, I get that."
"...What do you think I should do now?"
"Just do what you'd like, Tsurugi. You're not bound to anyone any longer. You're free now."
"Free... In some ways, it scares me."
Unable to come up with a satisfying answer, she looks to the heavens.
"If you don't have any answers now, then that's okay."
Rising from the ground, he offers his hand to her.
"You have time to think about the future, so for now, why not continue to remain here?"
"Despite knowing all that I've done... You still continue to act in the same manner. I can't tell if you're strange or just simply crazy."
"Hah, well I'm okay with a bit of both. Now let's go home. I'll try to figure something out that'll keep our room warm."
Taking his hand, Tsurugi felt an extreme sense of both comfort and joy, so much that she began accepting herself, even if it's just a little.
"Yes, my lord..."
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