Where am I? Why is everything so blank... So dark?

"Nii-san... Look at me. Lift your head, Nii-san." her voice echoes through the blank s.p.a.ce encircling us.

There was no light. Not even a speck of it. Everything is dark. Everything is lonely the moment she had left. I felt a hand touching my cheek. It feels warm and soft. I remember this feeling. The warmth that I've longed for. The warmth of my sister's hand.

"Na..." trying to endure the bewildered feeling that's flooding my head. I finally snapped out and was able to see it. "Namimi!"

With such joy, I held her in my hands. My sister embraced me stronger. I can feel my chest being drizzled by her tears and mine.

"H-how? How are you here? Where are we?" perplexed and still a bit dazed.

"Nii-san.." She wipes her tears away. "I'm always watching you."

"Watching me? What do you mean?"

"You've grown stronger, Nii-san." She vividly smiles at me. I felt a light radiating within my chest. So you're here. You're always in my heart. Namimi...

"I missed you, Namimi... I'm sorry I couldn't save you.." I cried before her. I prostrated myself asking for her forgiveness.

"I've always forgiven you, Yuichi Nii-san. But please wake up now. They're worried about you." She kissed my forehead. This feeling, this overflowing joy, I've missed this.

Then suddenly she disappeared. I stood up and searched for her. But she was no longer here. I'm alone again. In this dark world. I'm alone and naked. Where am I? What is this darkness that devours me? I'm alone... I'm alone... I've always been alone...

"Yakiro! Yakiro! Please wake up!" the whole place quivered. An unclear voice calls me out from nowhere.

"Yakiro! Yakiro! Wake up! Please!" it continues to call me out. But it only echoed through the blank s.p.a.ce. This void.. this is where I belong.

"Nyaaan!~" a cat's voice started resonating through the room.

Ko... Koneko!

"Blaaargh!" I shouted as I awake myself, hitting my forehead with Ayumi's forehead.

"Ahhh! That hurts!" She said with teary eyes.

"A.. Ayumi.."

"I-idiot! What took you so long!" she started crying before me and lunges with open arms. She hugged me tightly with her tear flowing out of her eyes. She was worried about me.

It was already dusk and the night slowly fills up the blue sky.

Koneko joined in and embraced me. Koneko.. were you worried about me too? What happened anyway? I can't remember.

"Umm, Ayumi. Are you done hugging me yet? My head still hurts like d.a.m.n h.e.l.l a lot." I laughed at her.

She immediately realized what she was doing. Her face is flushed and fl.u.s.tered. Her eyes were full of embarra.s.sment and she pushed me away. She crossed her arms, looked the other way then pouted like a little kid.

"I-idiot! It's not like I'm worried about you or something! It's just you headb.u.t.ted me so hard I came to tears!" She made a silly excuse for her teary eyes. But I did headb.u.t.t her though. I didn't know I was out cold.

Still.. the painful feeling and regret remained and filled my chest. It hurts so bad I just want to die. I'm alone... I'm all alone in this world.

"Nyaaan~" Koneko started resting on my shoulder. My chest became at ease. Maybe she feels what I feel inside. She mends my soul slowly.

"Thank you, Koneko. Ayumi-chan, I'm sorry for making you worry. I'm sorry too, Koneko." I patted their heads. Ayumi became more irritated however Koneko smiled at me.

"D-don't get the wrong idea, stupid Yakiro! I just didn't want Arnel and Elena to be angry at me! I didn't want anything to happen to you because they'll get angry at me." Ayumi cleared out things. I guess she was telling the truth. She was dead-serious while she was at it.

The dark valley was lit up by the crescent moon. Howls were heard from the forest and birds started flocking in trees. It was already nighttime and the dark had finally covered the whole nation. Stars helped to light up the dark gra.s.s valley.

PUFF!! Suddenly a dense cloud of mist covered us.

"What's this? A smoke bomb? Ayumi! Get ready!"

"Y-yes!" Ayumi took out a dagger and made a stance. I lowered my body and raised my fists. Suddenly Koneko became heavier. No, it felt like she's getting bigger.

"Koneko. Hold onto me tight!" I instructed her as I took a step back.

"Yes, Master!"

What's this? Why do I have a blonde hair rippling on my shoulder? No, How was Koneko able to reply to my words?

"U.. Umm... Ya... Yakiro... Lo... Look.." Ayumi pointed at my shoulder while shuddering in fear and confusion.

I slowly took a peek on my shoulder.

"Yes, Master?" a child-like figure smiled at me.

"Ahhh!" I shouted with mixed feelings of surprise, confusion and many more.

Minutes pa.s.sed and we were able to calm down. We spent the past minutes panicking and running around the tree. We halted when we became exhausted.

It was the same blonde loli girl I had summoned before. As expected she was naked. Ayumi got angry at me for staring at her and gave me a hard smack to the face. I said I was sorry but she didn't listen to me.

I took my cape and gave it to the girl. We sat under the tree trying to clear out things.

"Master, I'm hungry.."

"Master?" Ayumi lifted her fist towards her face. "What's the meaning of this, Idiot Yakiro?" she faked a smile. It was clear she was confused and her face was filled with asperity.

"H-hey! Calm down, Ayumi-chan! I don't know either!" I raised both my hands wide open trying to surrender at her.

"Then start explaining things!" She shouted at me.

"I'm sorry! I really don't know!" I slammed my head on the ground, prostrating myself before Ayumi.

"Anooo... I'm Yakiro-sama's pet nyan!" The blonde loli girl smiled and stuck her tongue out as she made a peace sign with her fingers.

"Peeeeet?!" Ayumi became more furious. She came at me stomping at every step.

"You're mistaken! I don't know a thing! Please, forgive me! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" I started slamming my head to the ground. Trying to make Ayumi believe what I said.

"Wait... Nyan? K-konekoooooo?" I said feeling I was right.

"Yes, Master Yakiro-sama!" Then she quickly pounced at me. Her cape fell off and she held me with my face at her chest.

"Ko... Konekooo! Get off me! Ayumi will~"

Then I felt a hard smack behind my head. Before I was able to stop Ayumi, she had already lost it. She smacked and smacked and smacked the h.e.l.l out of me.

She stopped when Koneko stood between us with her arms raised on each side.

"Gorilla Ayumi!" Koneko shouted angrily at her.

"Don't hurt master! I'll bite you!"

Pooof! Another cloud of mist exploded covering the place. It faded out, only to find that Koneko has turned into the Fox Queen again.

Then Ayumi came into the realization that she acted recklessly and didn't bother listening to me. She felt embarra.s.sed and sorry at me. She prostrated herself and asked for my forgiveness.

"Geez. You have one gorilla strength Ayumi. That hurt like a h.e.l.luva lot!"

"G-gorilla?!" Her once sorry face turned into a fake smile with her teeth gritting.

"N-no! I didn't mean to!"

Ayumi sighed and relaxed her clenching fists.

"There's no point at getting angry at you anymore. I deserve to be called that since I smacked you without even listening to your excuse."

"So, how are you going to keep her?" Ayumi asked me.

"I don't know. I didn't even know she can turn human." Koneko reverted to her human form. It seems like she puffs a lot of mist every time she transforms into a human.

I gave Koneko again my cape. Without her hanging on me, my negative feelings came rus.h.i.+ng back. I couldn't breathe but I couldn't tell Ayumi about it either. We sat on the tree talking while Koneko's busy playing with the insects. She's a cat after all. If you look closely at Koneko, she's pretty adorable. Her dainty cat ears, her silky golden hair, and her pet.i.te small body.

"So how are you going to keep her? It looks like she can't revert back to her cat form every night."

"I don't know. Maybe she'll stay with me in my room."

Ayumi looked at me like I'm some kind of criminal.

"Look, geez, I didn't even do anything the last time I summoned her. I even gave her my cape and made her sleep in my bed. I had to sleep on the floor, you know?"

"How could she even sleep in your room? Your room's too cramped and the bed's pretty shoddy too."

"I-i thought we had the same room?"

"The same? No. 2nd floor rooms and 3rd-floor rooms are different. She should stay in my room. Before anything happens to her." Ayumi claimed.

"But I need her!" To diminish these painful feelings inside of me.

"What do you need her for?"

Koneko overheard us and came to us.

"I won't leave master! I'm her pet and it's my job to watch over him!" She spoke with her arms crossed out. She pouted at Ayumi.

"Look, Yakiro's bed is pretty uncomfortable to sleep on. And having two people in that room will cost a lot. You could stay with me, Koneko-chan." Ayumi patted Koneko but Koneko bit her.

"Ay!" Ayumi pulled her hand out. Her eyes started to tear but she held them back.

Her face grimaced with pain. She looked at me teary-eyed.

"Look, you can't separate me and Koneko."

"Yes. Especially master needs me to suck his negative feelings out!"

"S-suck?! D-don't tell me... P-pervert!"

My cheek reddens and made a huge b.u.mp after Ayumi slapped me. Koneko got angry and started explaining things to her. She explained my past experience.

"H-hey! Don't tell her that, Koneko!"

An hour pa.s.sed by and basically, Koneko ended up telling her everything. Ayumi pretty much listened to it. The proof is her tears flowing. She let out a loud cry and started sniveling at me.

"S-sorry, Idiot Yakiro! I-i didn't know a thing!" she started crying on my shoulder. I patted her head.

"H-hey, you don't have to cry over it." I smiled at her, hiding the pain in my heart. It's getting bigger. I don't know if I could endure it any longer.

"Ayumi.. you don't look surprised at all. Knowing I came from a different world."

Ayumi stared at me and bit her lip.

"Well... I'm the same as you."

Come to think about it. Ayumi is cla.s.s blank too. I bet she had some kind of a curse on her too. Those pesky G.o.ds playing a trick on us.

"How come you're still level 2 after all the time you spent here? You didn't even level up after we slew a bunch of Orchista."

"I'm sorry... I can't say it to you. Even if I could, I couldn't possibly have enough strength to tell you."

"Koneko. Use your skill at Ayumi too." I ordered Koneko and she gladly agrees. She sprung towards Ayumi and started hugging her.

"H-hey! That's dirty Yakiro! Idiot! Idiot!" Ayumi started crying.

But Koneko's effort was all wasted. She couldn't find anything. Seems like she never had any regrets and seems like her curse isn't repent at all.

"I'm sorry master.. I couldn't see it.." Seems like Koneko's power only applies to me.

"Sigh... Koneko, it's alright."

"You cheat! You forcefully tried to sneak into my memories! That's so cheap of you! You idiot!" Ayumi started crying.

Come to think of it, it was really rude of me. It was like I was trying to read someone's diary without even asking. It made me regretted my actions. My negative emotions became even deeper. I couldn't endure it anymore. I fell to the ground face first as I curl up with gripping my chest. It's too painful. It's been so long after Koneko hasn't attached to me.

"Ya... Yakiro! What's wrong?!" Ayumi worriedly cried out as she tried to pick me up. She fell instead and made me rest on her lap instead. Her thighs were smooth but I couldn't bother even feeling them in my head as my chest started to shrink. Like my insides were twisting.

Ayumi didn't know what to do. She panicked as she tried thinking a way to calm me down.

My vision started to static. My ears ringing with pain. I couldn't feel my body. It feels like I was dying.

My breath racing on my lungs. My heart pumping out like a beast. My muscles cramping. It looks like I'll die because of this hypertension.

Koneko jumped right in. She started hugging me while I was resting on Ayumi's lap. I slowly felt at ease and my breathing went back to normal. Ayumi knew what was wrong and decided to make me and Koneko sleep in her room. She felt pity. Along the night, Arnel and the others never returned. Ayumi ended up carrying me all the way to the village on her back. Koneko helped her lessen my weight. She could still fly even on her human form but only on a 10-meter limit. I was too heavy even for Koneko, so they ended up helping each other helping me. While holding me, Koneko lifts me a bit so that Ayumi wouldn't bear with my weight, as for Ayumi, she carried me on her back.

The two-hour long journey went to a stop on the inn we're staying at. I'd already fallen asleep as soon as Ayumi laid me on her bed.

Before I lose myself on a dream, I saw Namimi in the same blank room looking worried at me.

Don't worry Namimi... I'll be fine.