Maharlika Mahika // undergoing editing

Act IV

Jiyuu's POV

The noir of the night, sewn upon which are the diamonds of the sky, which continue to marvel me. For years, I looked at dull gray concrete that was falsely called a sky and fluorescent lights misunderstood as stars.

Now, I am seeing the real thing. Not fluorescent lights. Not faux skies. But the genuine celestial wonder that I only read in Mother's dusty books.

The luminescence of the moon was the jewel in the crown of the twilight. It made everything majestic, and the lunar beauty seemed to say, "Bask in my majesty, forsaken child."

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Amidst my small and silent reverie, voice emerged, breaking the glorious serenity of the moment. My mood instantly turned sour the moment I heard it. The baritone words weren't a mistake. It was him.

"At least knock before you enter." I said bitterly, shooting a glare at his direction. He seemed to flinch at my cold demeanor, but his expression wasn't fazed.

I sighed and continued looking at the twinkling lights that adorned the vast ebony ceiling of the twilight.

"Yes, they are beautiful." I agreed to his first statement, cooling down a bit.

It felt like it was a dream, the noir of the twilight, as it beckoned me to look at its majesty for a little while longer.

Then, I snapped out of my dream-like state, and turned to meet the king. It bothered me, the way he stared at me intently, like there was something he wanted to say.

But what?

"What do you want? Why are you here?" I said in an icy tone.

He clicked his tongue, and pulled me by the hand harshly out of the balcony and into the confines of my room. I almost yelled at him and his harsh treatment, but he silenced me with his words.

"I want to talk about something. But.. it's better if Takeda, my adviser, would explain everything." he said.

As if on cue, the man I saw talking to the king earlier, strode into the room. He looked nervous, as the same expression he wore when I met him earlier.

"Good evening, Lady-" he trailed away, not knowing my name. He looked at me, as if asking what it was.
"Just... Jiyuu is fine." I said, uncomfortable by the title he gave me.

He cleared his throat, and wrung his hands nervously before speaking again.

"Good evening, Jiyuu... Recently, the King of Aoba Johsai, King Oikawa Tooru, declared war against Karasuno." he began.

My eyes widened in disbelief in hearing these words. Sure, we were confined in the Ilalim, but this didn't mean that we weren't affected. The War Periods required every Mahika of age (21 years old and above) to go up to the Itaas and cast our spells to protect the Kingdom.

Aoba Johsai was strong. Too strong.

Strong to the point that the Mahika couldn't stop them, strong to the point where they fell to their doom easily.

The last war left Karasuno into ruins.
The last war left bloodshed across the Kingdom.
The last war left the Ninth King and the Eighteenth Queen to rest in their golden coffins.
The last war left the Crown Prince, Kageyama Tobio to rule over the devastated Kingdom.

I clenched my hands into fists. Another war? Weren't they content of our loss?

"Our King, His Majesty, Kageyama Tobio has been gravely worried, because, exactly three hours and twenty minutes after the declaration of war, Base-Militar 1 has been destroyed by none other than the Aoba Johsai Military Regiment." he explained further.