Tidal Florette - A Painted Soul I

Kaiya - 58

Yumi... Is this what you were all along?... No... You've become something more... Kaiya resigned herself to being returned to the ship and watched the duel closely through the scope.

Thyra tugs at her sleeve. "Is Akko okay? What the fuck is with your ex?"

"It seems fine. And I don't know, I've never seen her do anything like this before! I didn't know that anyone could do things like this."

Michi mutters to herself. "Maybe she really is a witch..."

Maybe? But why would that give her the power to fight a god? If she were secretly part of a night cult this whole time that doesn't mean she could just... The Ignited Temple wouldn't have had such an easy time going to war with the northern cults a few hundred years ago if they could do things like this...

Hiyoko huffs impatiently, "We need to get the ship out of here. What if they both turn on us? Is your sword working yet?"

Kaiya pulls from the scope to check the blade at her side. "I'm not sure, maybe I have to start making commands again to charge the power."

Thyra pulls away. "Not on me."

They've all suffered what this thing can do enough... "Of course not, but at least if they come after us it might still work. Let's get out of here and hopefully Akko will forgive me."

Thyra and Michi run off to get the Reigning Dawn back out to sea. Hiyoko stays behind. "Where do we even go? Your little girlfriend out th–"

"She's not my girlfriend, Hiyoko. I nearly killed her, again, and I'm with Michi now, okay?" Kaiya's words come out sharper than she meant them to, but doesn't want to keep fighting with Hiyoko everytime they talk.

Hiyoko purses her lips. "Alright... I'm just saying, unless Akko kills them both then they'll know we're involved with what happened today. And we'd be far better off running from the temple than all of the reapers."

"We don't have much choice now. If we sail for Ukiyo then my father may be able to help us."

"That's the first place they're going to look."

"I know, so we can't waste any time."

Hiyoko nods. "Does your father have a ship? The sooner we ditch the Reigning Dawn the better."

"No, but he's our best option for finding one." Kaiya looks through the scope again and they still seem to be talking. If they were going to turn on us they probably would have already... still... it's not worth the risk.

"It's okay that you can't just stop loving somebody..." Hiyoko's voice is much softer and kind than it has been. "I'm sorry, for being protective of Michi. I've never seen her happy before..."

"I intend to keep her that way..." Even if it hurts... Yumi isn't mine anymore...

You might not be mine... but I have to root for you a little... show it what you can really do...

Kaiya hands Hiyoko the scope and heads for the ship's wheel.

Goodbye 'zumi...