Kingdom of battles ✓

Chapter 66

The cherry tree festival looked amazing. There were stands with food, games and other things like that set up everywhere, while cherry tree flowers floated through the air. The streets were full of people that were walking around, chatting, dancing and eating food, everyone in Shinto, the town of level 2, seemed to be having fun. 

I was in one of the many parks of the city, admiring the way the moonlight shined on the cherry trees. I was surprised when I noticed how amazingly they managed to reconstruct the town, it looked even more beautiful than before, specially tonight that every part of it was decorated for the festival. Then I heard a voice call my name, making me to the small meadow that was next to me.  

Riku and some other guy that I managed to drag away from his friends just finished setting up other two long lines of paper lanterns. They were doing that because after I heard that this festival was also for lighting lanterns for all the people that died in the game, I instantly decided to make sure that as many of them as it will be possible will be let out in the sky. 

'' Natsu, there's another twenty of them ready, '' Riku seriously told me and saluted in my direction. I had to admit, he actually looked pretty great in his green yukata.  

'' Why am I here... '' the guy that I forced to help whined, sitting in his emo corner. 

'' Don't you worry, this is the last one of them, '' I said and smiled, leaning on the pink and white oil paper umbrella that I bought to replace the wooden crutch that I accidentally broke when I hit Riku before. It was expensive, but I decided not to worry about money for tonight too and just have as much fun as I'll be able to. 

'' Yay! '' Riku cheered, spun and threw his hands in the air. '' Now I can finally go listen to Mami! '' he yelled with hearts in his eyes and snickered. 

My eye twitched with annoyance. This was how I broke my crutch. Between all the stands and different activities that were in town, was also a stage. It was set up on one of the main town squares and a girl was performing on it tonight. I saw her earlier, she was dressed as a geisha, with white makeup on her face, a beautiful hairstyle with flowers in it and an amazing kimono. As she danced around the stage she looked like a cute little angel that guys like Riku liked to perv on. 

'' Pervert, '' I muttered and rolled my eyes. 

'' Says the one that everyone calls 'peeping pervert, '' Riku said, appearing next to me and elbowing me, while laughing. 

My eye twitched again, then I just raised my umbrella and smacked his head with it. '' Just get ready, '' I muttered, while he cried, holding the bruise on his head that was becoming larger and larger. 

'' Still as mean as always, '' he whined before stepping to one of the lines of lanterns. The other guy did the same, while I raised my umbrella a little, I couldn't do much more than that because of the current state of my body. 

'' Alright, I'm really proud of you guys. Thank you so much for doing this, '' I started, causing both of them to look at me. They seemed a little surprised as they continued listening to my words. I smiled a little and said: '' It's important that we did this. Everyone that died in the game deserves a proper goodbye, no matter who they were, because after all, in death we're all the same. Each becomes just another soul that wants to rest in peace. ''  

Riku blew his nose in a tissue, while crying anime tears and dramatically clapping. '' Well said, Natsu! Well said! ''  

I snickered and nodded, while the other guy stared at Riku and I with a strange expression on his face, muttering to himself: '' So you two aren't just ordinary wackos... '' 

After they both got my attention again I looked at my umbrella and yelled: '' Alright, now let's do it! Do your best guys! '' I opened my white and pink umbrella as a sign and Riku and the other guy quickly started moving from one paper lantern to the other, lighting up the small candles inside them. I stood there and watched how one after another they slowly began floating up and rising to the sky. My eyes were wide with amazement, observing how the lanterns soon looked like new stars that shined on the sky. Then I quickly closed my umbrella again and said: '' Now it's time for the prayer! ''