Elisa and Victoria crash into a rock. Shaphira walks slowly, saliva dripping from her mouth.
Elisa leans on her sword, her gaze fixed on the Renkai Creature.
"Ignore me! I won't let this energy take control of you!"
Victoria smiles faintly, thinking about how impressive the courage of such a young girl is.
She also stands up, wiping the blood from her lips. She positions herself beside Elisa and, without hesitation, lunges toward Shaphira, creating a water shield that shatters upon contact, pushing her back a few meters.
From above Victoria, Elisa leaps up, raises her sword, and strikes a blow to the collarbone area. Shaphira lets out a roar that makes both of them cover their ears, then she chases after Elisa, who starts running away from the library. In the sky, Victoria shoots small jets of water; with every wound, besides blood, a reddish smoke rises. At that, Shaphira lets out another cry, even louder, causing them both to fall to the ground.
Elisa crawls, watching Shaphira approach her, her eyes unfocused, her teeth even sharper. She stretches out her hands, her voice loud and clear.
"Shaphira! It's me, Elisa!"
But Shaphira's mouth opens even wider. Elisa closes her eyes and curls up, feeling hot breath hitting her skin...
"Control yourself."
A touch to the back of her neck, and countless chains shoot out from Shaphira's neck, wrapping around the mechanical wrist of the figure lying atop her. Shaphira lets out a distorted whimper, curls up, and thrashes wildly. Victoria kneels on the ground, watching her collapse onto the man.
"Slady!"
A thin cloud of dust rises, making them cough. When the dust clears, Shaphira is in her human form, eyes rolled back, her head resting against the man's chest. He remains expressionless, placing his hands on her head and stroking her hair, a soft whisper escaping his lips.
"It's alright, it's alright... hello, Victoria, and Elisa."
"Uncle... how did you know?"
"Instinct. At the very least, I know I can't let you two train alone."
"Slady, that was extremely dangerous. If I hadn't been there..."
"I know. And I thank you, deeply. I know I could have killed her if I'd wanted to. You got hurt for her sake."
"It wasn't such a big deal..."
"Please, let me repay you. Tonight, in my library, you and your husband may come here... Elisa, take your sister to her bed, will you?"
"Of course..."
Elisa lifts her up in her arms and lays her down, her muscles tensing with the effort. She looks at the two of them, then turns toward the library.
"... Slady."
"Go on."
"You know, watching her from here, I could see just how strong she's become. I can't imagine how shaken she must still be, even after a whole year."
"I can imagine. Losing a father, someone who raised you from when you were small, who saw you at your best and your worst, and loved you through both..."
"It seems you've had someone important to you too."
"No, never. Not family, not blood of my blood. If I were to think of someone's importance, similar to a father figure... never mind, I can't bring myself to think in those terms."
"I understand you, Slady. Can I tell you a secret? Don't tell anyone, not even Faller that I told you this. I'd prefer that if he wants to talk about it, he does it himself."
"Of course, go ahead."
"... Our family never got to see what we became. They died a long time ago."
"May I ask how long ago?"
"During the Second Renkai Awakening."
***
Inside the library, in a private room, Slady runs his mechanical fingers through Shaphira's ears, which twitch in response. Suddenly, the air beside him warps, and a familiar voice speaks up:
"You seem tense, Slady. Is it because Shaphira lost control again?"
"It was the second time it's happened."
"Yes, I remember the first. I thought you were going to kill her then."
"It didn't come to that."
"And you promised it would never happen again. You need to teach her how to control herself. What will happen when she grows up, when she has to live among others... or are you going to keep her isolated forever?"
"..."
"Forgive me, I'm being too demanding. But this is what needs to be done. Someday, Shaphira won't want to stay under your protection anymore; she'll mature. In a way... you've condemned her to this fate."
"I thought you said you wouldn't be demanding."
"I know... I hope you'll think about it. It matters to you, and most of all, it matters to her."
The figure points toward Shaphira, then its form blends into the room's furniture and vanishes into the air. Slady, still gently running his fingers through the young woman's hair, sighs deeply, lifts her up, and lays her down in bed. For a moment, the conversation stays fixed in his mind. Truth was right; he needed to think about the future of the one he had... condemned.
Condemned? How? He had given her education, strength, ways to master her own power. Perhaps the idea of living in society was the punishment? The risk that someone might discover the truth and even... kill her? It was better not to dwell on it.
Besides, Slady was already walking down the stairs, where he saw Victoria sitting on the sofa, with Elisa lying with her head resting in Victoria's lap.
Their eyes meet. He sits down beside them, then gently lifts Elisa's leg and rests it on his knee.
"She took a bath and went straight to sleep, I take it."
"Yeah. She was deep in thought. We talked, she told me how she feels, and I opened up a little too, about myself and my husband, about all the things we discussed, you know?"
"I see. From the way you treat that girl, I imagine you're just as good, if not better, to your husband. Am I right?"
"I do a lot more than just that, Slady..."
"..."
"I'm just teasing! Come on, I've been your friend for a year now, you should know by now I'm nowhere near as proper as my Faller is, right?"
"It's still hard to tell. Anyway... thank you for being here."
"It's nothing. Call me whenever you need me. By the way, I already invited Faller to come over. He's probably on a mission, but he'll be here soon..."
A knock sounds at the door.