To Hold That Magnificent Sacrament Once More
One evening, several days after Reiji and the others had retrieved the Sacrament from the self-governed state, Reiji was gazing at it in the courtyard of the inn where they were staying.
“Hrmmm...”
As he let out a troubled groan, Titania appeared behind him.
“What is the matter, Reiji-sama?”
“Oh, er, it’s nothing. I was just wondering how to turn this into a weapon again.”
“As I suspected... Does this mean you are unable to turn it into a weapon freely?”
Reiji solemnly nodded in response to Titania’s refined voice. Ever since the Sacrament had returned to accessory form, he’d been contemplating how he might coax it into transforming into a sword again. But whether he focused his mana, concentrated, or prayed, it showed no signs of listening whatsoever. And that was the predicament he was still left in now.
Titania said nothing. They stood there in silence for a moment before another voice came calling from behind them.
“Then why don’t we just recreate the situation?”
“Princess Graziella?”
“You wore that same long face all through dinner, so I figured you must be dwelling on it.”
“Ummm... Are you maybe worried about me?”
“Yes, w-well, something like that,” Graziella said, turning away awkwardly.
Ignoring her reaction, Titania brought the conversation back on track.
“Just now, Your Imperial Highness, you spoke of ‘recreating the situation.’ What did you mean by that?”
“O-Oh, that? That’s... I meant when Reiji p-protected me... If we create another situation where I’m in danger and he...”
“No. Denied.”
Graziella was blushing for some reason, but Titania rejected her proposal without batting an eye.
“Why not?”
“Must you ask?! That is absolutely out of the question!”
“If you’re jealous Reiji came to my rescue, then just honestly...”
“I-I am not particularly jealous! M-M-Make no mistake!”
And while Titania and Graziella were squawking at each other...
“I have a brilliant plan.”
“Io Kuzami-san?”
The next to appear in the courtyard was indeed Io Kuzami. And, of course, the first thing that came out of her mouth was something about a supposedly brilliant plan, but...
“What specifically would you have us do?” Titania inquired.
“Is that not already obvious? We must simply practice. Practice, I say.”
“I hear you emphasizing practice, but I do not understand what specifically you intend for us to do.”
“Then you would do nothing? Nothing begets nothing, you know. Nothing will come of spending an eternity brooding over it.”
“That is certainly true, but...”
Without the slightest hint to go on, they didn’t even know what they should be working towards. Nevertheless, Io Kuzami continued.
“In any event, this is my fiancé’s wish. Shall I offer my advice?”
“What should I do?”
“Hold that and scream. Yes, scream to the heavens.”
“S-Scream...?”
“Unleash the cry of your heart. Here, allow me to offer you an example.” Io Kuzami then turned to the night sky in high spirits and screamed, “Oh Last Excalibur! The sacred sword that swoops down to my hand to save this world! Answer my call and display thy pure radiance right here and now! Manifest as my blade...! Well, something like that.”
“That was just a flurry of flowery language and weird names... Are you saying that’s what I should do?”
“Of course. As I said, unleash the cry of your heart. Stretch properly, take a deep breath, and go!”
“What, this is practical now? Why is this sounding like sports club training all of a sudden?”
Reiji was sorely mistaken. This wasn’t anything other than full-on chuunibyou.
“Then, if you would prefer, shall we say... Fill your words with your overflowing pathos?”
“No, I’m fine, thanks...”
As Reiji let out a groan, Graziella offered her opinion.
“Everything else aside, I do believe it’s true that words are required to activate it. Think back on what that elf told us in the temple.”
“Now that you mention it, she did talk about reciting something, huh...”
That much was true, but it wasn’t like they could figure out the magic combination just by shouting arbitrary words. That being said, trying was really the only option they had right now.
“Gaaah, to hell with it! Oh Sacrament! Answer my wish and become a weapon!”
Silence.
“Ugh...”
All that answered Reiji as he screamed into the night was a piercing pain in his chest. It would have been fine if it had defied their expectations and transformed after all that, but the emotional damage from it doing nothing at all was a heavy toll.
“That’s no good. The darkness of your wording is insufficient. Try adding in some foreign words too.”
“Foreign words?!”
“But of course. Does not the stylishness of foreign words stir the very depths of your soul?”
“That only applies to the souls of a very small fraction of people...”
“Oh, my fiancé... When you first heard the name of the Lachesis Meter, did you not think it was incredibly cool?”
“Huh? Well, now that you mention it... Yeah, I did.”
“This is no different.”
“You think?”
Reiji muttered to himself in resignation as he looked up to the night sky once more. And then...
“Oh Sacrament! Devour my soul and awaken! Sing your requiem éternel! Crystallize in my hands and manifeeeeest!”
Silence.
“Ugggh...”
As expected, the Sacrament still didn’t transform. The pain in Reiji’s chest only increased proportionally to the embarrassment of what he’d just dared to shout. When it was all said and done, he dropped to his knees on the spot and turned bright red.
“Um, Reiji-sama...? Shall we leave it at that for tonight?”
“Tia, please, I’m begging you. Don’t look at me like that. It hurts my heart.”
“Well... How do I put it, Reiji? There’s no need to hurry.”
“Ugh... Graziella-san, I’m sorry to say it, but your sympathy is like being stabbed with a cold knife...”
Reiji was reduced to bitter moaning in a tearful voice. As for Io Kuzami, who brought this all on...
“Good grief. That level of passion is simply inadequate. If you truly wish to attain power, you must cast aside all your shame and self-respect.”
“But... my pride...”
Titania and Graziella helped the distraught Reiji back to the inn. Once they were gone...
“Oh hero, I’m afraid there is no way to obtain what you seek other than to be in a fight for your life. That object surpasses the realm that I am able to assist you in, after all,” Io Kuzami muttered in an unusually meek tone as she looked up to the moon.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login