122 – Side Story. Future Tale (1)
What is friendship?
It’s a subtle question that even adults dare not answer confidently.
You could say it’s the affection between friends, but delving deeper, it becomes ambiguous.
If you were to ask if the bond with Sawamura Sento is truly friendship, even he might hesitate.
Comparing the friendship between Ichimaru Shiki, missing for two years, and childhood friend Ichinose Hotaru, it felt distinctly different.
It could be the difference between genders, but there was something more.
According to Kitagawa Kenichi, along with friendship, there seemed to be a mix of admiration.
To a level that could be called reverence, he looked up to his friend.
It was the same in the past when Ichimaru Shiki was around, and it remained the same even now that she was gone.
Sketching invisible arcs, Kitagawa Kenichi wielded his sword today as well.
As he recalled her trajectory, handling the sword, he almost heard a familiar voice.
─hehehe, is there really a final boss in this world?
Quite a game-like statement indeed.
Ichimaru Shiki was one to occasionally utter strange remarks even more than an otaku himself.
Perhaps that’s why they became closer faster.
From their first encounter, he was the one who made him feel oddly familiar.
So, shedding tears over the death of a stranger might have been due to that…
Lost in thought, with the sword in the water paused, Kenichi suddenly looked up.
“No, she hasn’t died yet.”
Not even news of Ichimaru Shiki’s death had come through.
But to think she had died…
It could be reasonable to assume that when contact was lost in a war zone, but since the missing person was Ichimaru Shiki, there was still hope.
Yes, swinging the sword while waiting for that damned mentor.
“…Sigh.”
Perhaps he had to gradually improve his skills while keeping in mind his vengeance.
Could he defeat the opponent Ichimaru Shiki couldn’t?
Many question marks arose, but now he couldn’t just step back.
It was too late to return to the daily routine, and Ichimaru Shiki had become an extraordinary person in his life, not easily forgotten.
Even if unable to completely catch up, one must somehow embrace determination.
Yes, outside, while it was Christmas and couples were happily walking around!
Kitagawa Kenichi had to wield his sword!
“Alright! Let’s swing the sword a thousand times today…!”
As Kenichi gathered his strength once again, a creaking sound could be heard in the distance from the mansion’s gate.
Before he knew it, his hearing, transcending human capabilities, could pick up all the noises within the mansion unless hidden spells were in place.
Thud, thud, listening to the footsteps, he could even recognize who it was.
The footsteps belonged to two people.
One was Sawamura Sento, who had returned after months of exorcising nationwide to honor Ichimaru Shiki, and the other was…
“…Huh?”
Kenichi, opening his eyes wide, threw his sword into the water and hurriedly ran towards the main gate.
In a frantic rush, his balance was on the verge of collapsing.
And then, he saw it.
“Kenichi! Long time no see.”
Right beside him, Shiki Ichimaru was greeting, with Sento blushing for some reason.
His expression was as usual, but if one had to point out a difference, it was the lipstick marks on his neck and face… traces of lips scattered around.
Kitagawa Kenichi furrowed his brows, pondering the situation, then scratched his head quietly.
“Damn.”
Emotions surged in various ways.
***
Thanks to a night demon, all the major demons and sources of calamity across the country disappeared, leading to a peaceful world.
On Christmas, with the first snow falling, a man with white hair visited the mansion.
After a whopping two years, Ichimaru Shiki had returned.