A wild, black-haired beauty in an all-black outfit appeared out of nowhere.
Fukuda-kun struggled to stand up and asked, "Who the hell are you?"
That's so rude! Is that how you make a first impression?
"Now, now. No need to be that cautious. I'm not an enemy," she responded.
"That's what suspicious individuals say to their prey."
"I won't disagree with that. But I promise I won't harm you in any way."
Fukuda-kun took a deep sigh.
"Well, it's not like you could harm us anyway." Fukuda-kun said as he stood in front while covering me.
Wait, what the hell do you think are you saying!? Why are you provoking her!? And what was that sigh for? A countdown or something?
The girl suddenly panicked.
"Err, e-ehh? "Do I look suspicious? H-Have I said something wrong?" I'm not here to cause trouble, I promise!"
Eh? She's cute—no, Aina! I mean, she is cute, but don't let your guard down. This must be what Fukuda-kun means by 'deceitful demeanor'. Look at him, he's cautious as ever.
I looked at Fukuda-kun to see his reaction and...
Huh!? His expression is calm!? No way! How could this be!?
He's always grumpy with me, so why!? Is my feminine charm that inferior compared to her?
"Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude," Fukuda-kun apologized.
"No, It's my fault for appearing uninvited and ruining your quality time. I'm sorry," the girl responded.
What the fuck? He apologized to her, but not to me!? This isn't funny anymore!
"May I ask what brings you to us?" Fukuda-kun politely asked.
So this is the real you, Fukuda-kun? A guy who's only nice to girls who meet your standards? Hmph!
I wonder if I should dye my hair black.
"Well, it's complicated to explain, and I'm not good at it," the girl said.
Fukuda-kun and I tilted our heads in confusion.
"But one thing for sure, you guys are not familiar with this place, am I right?" she continued.
"Y-Yes, may I ask where exactly are we?" Fukuda-kun asked.
"This city is called Neil, it's the capital city of the world," she answered.
Neil? Sounds like a name.
"Neil? That sounds like a name," Fukuda stated.
See? Anyone would think that right away. Still, I don't remember any notable place on Earth named 'Neil'.
Perhaps there are some towns called 'Neil', but she also mentioned something about the capital city of the world. It's either we were transported to some unknown place on Earth, or we're currently in another world.
I can't say the latter with certainty. The atmosphere seems denser but it's stable. We can breathe, grass and air exists. No idea about the water. There is sunlight but the temperature is hotter than usual. Is it due to climate change?
Anyhow, what I mean is, the possibility of us still in Earth is high. The only question is what's the reason behind this phenomenon?
Wait- She can understand us? Are we still in Japan?
"I agree with that," the girl chuckingly replied.
"By the way, speaking of names, may I ask what's yours?" Fukuda-kun asked another question.
"Sure, my name is Emily Smith. What about you guys?" she answered.
What!? That sounds like an American name!
"My name is Fukuda Haruki."
"Umm, err— which one is the first name?" she asked.
"Ahh, it's Haruki. You can call me either way, I don't mind."
"I see. Then it's nice to meet you Haruki!"
"Me too."
They're calling each other by their first name already!
"What about your girlfriend?" the Smith girl asked.
"Haha, she's not my girlfriend and never will be. Her name is Sasaki Aina. You can also call her either way."
Something about that now just pissed me off. And don't just decide for me on your own!
"Really? You seemed so close earlier though."
"Well, I guess you can say that... right, Sasaki?"
"Hmph!"
"Ehh.. Sasaki-chan?"
"Hmph!"
"Oh my~ It seems like she's in a bad mood."
"Enough of this already, you bitch! Can't you play along even for just a second!?"
"Oh shut up, you goofball! You're being unfair right now! I need fair treatment!"
"What the hell are you even talking about!?"
"See? You don't get it! You ignorant, stubborn, unfair nincompoop!"
"You're not making any sense, chopping board!"
"U-Umm!"
"What!?" Fukuda and I asked in anger.
"Eek! I'm sorry!"
"Sorry, that was rude of us. What were you about to say, Ms. Emily?"
"Please drop the honorifics. I was just about to say, how about we go to the city?"
The city? Ah, the 'Neil' one? But this is just a grassland.
"I don't see any buildings around-"
"What are you talking about? Look behind you."
We looked behind just to find ourselves in awe of the view presented upon us. A super wide and beautiful city around 1 kilometer away from our position.
"Shall we go then?" Emily asked.
"Sure!" Fukuda excitedly agreed.
*
After a few minutes of walking
We were following behind Emily Smith with a 1 meter distance.
I kicked Fukuda-kun's legs.
"What the fuck was that for?" he upsettingly whispered.
"Just because she's cute, don't you think you're trusting her too much?"
"You fool, do I look like I trust her?"
"Huh? What do you mean? You looked like an abandoned dog who suddenly got adopted."
"I'm only playing along. I doubt there is anything this girl can do to harm us. But if things go south, I'll signal you to run and look for a safe place."
"What about you? Gonna stay and play the hero? That's a suicide."
"Ignorance is bliss, huh?"
"Huh!?"
"Who do you think I am?"
(To be continued.)
YOU ARE READING
Destiny's Edge: Blades & Bullets
Action"How long has it been since then?" A woman in her late 20s at the school rooftop wondered and reminisced some memories from her past. She kept looking at the blue sky, distracting herself from reality until a coworker called out for her name. ...
