Side Sixty-Six – Oshiro Sapphire Aiko

Side Sixty-Six – Oshiro Sapphire Aiko

“Watch out! They are coming from the other side too!” Eri called out, hefting the black and deep blue crescent-moon axe she was so fond of, a bright, excited smile on her face that would have been unthinkable before the summer festival. “I’ll handle them, can you take the big one?”

“Who do you think you are talking to?” I called out, feigning indignation, yet my palms were sweaty as I pulled back on the bowstring of the crimson bow big bro had gifted me. Well, big bro and Shaeula, I guess. Ugh, why do I still sweat when I don’t have a physical body? I don’t get it. Big bro was moaning about that too. Well, breathing anyway... Even as parts of my thoughts were running wild, I had instinctively withdrawn an arrow from the beautiful crimson quiver I had also been gifted, fitting it to my bow. I took a long, deep breath, stabilising myself as I would during kyudo, before loosing the shaft, feeling the glow of heat on my face as it blazed into flame, streaking forwards like a yellow shooting star.

Not bad. But just to be safe... as the arrow struck the charging cicada, which was the size of a small pony, flames exploding, blowing a hole in the faded yellow chitin that covered it, a second arrow was following, this one striking the same spot, burrowing deep into foul flesh before bursting with a dull roar and wash of heat, the now-headless beast collapsing before starting to disintegrate slowly into a small sea of silver and rainbow lights, the pretty stuff my bro called ether.

Exhaling a long breath, I sighed, grounding myself after the successful shots. From behind I could hear the sounds of battle, something heavy striking bone, and on turning I could see Eri in her gothic-lolita battle dress, the hem fluttering to match her long black hair as it streamed behind her. She was dancing, it was the only way I could describe it, swinging that stupidly large and heavy axe as if it was merely a plastic replica for a festival or school play. If Eri was a guy I’d say she was compensating for something.

Still, seeing Eri move at clearly superhuman speeds was still a shock. Her axe flashed, and two smaller cicadas just flew apart, bodies sliced. A last one turned to flee, but a deep blue light flickered around Eri and the cicada stumbled, mind going blank. She was on it a moment later, and after a single strike, the battle was done, Eri turning around cheerily and grounding her axe, resting on the metal shaft. On seeing me her eyes lit up, and she grinned broadly, another expression I wasn’t used to seeing on her, other than lately, of course.

“You took it down then? Well, I expect no less from you, Aiko.” Eri said. “We might as well scoop up the ether, we don’t have the endless capacity Akio and Shaeula seem to have.”

True. If Eri was a superhero, then they were both Superman, the king of superheroes. I hadn’t seen much of their actual prowess, but from what Eri had told me about their battles, they made her look weak, and right now, if Eri was to be attacked by a gang of delinquents like in some of the bad stories those two creeps from class talked about, it’d be the delinquents ending up in hospital. It’s... well, not irritating, not exactly, but I feel like I’ve lost my place a little. It always used to be me who looked after Eri, who fended off boys and girls alike, but now... I feel... complicated.

As I began to suck in the shining motes around us, my body feeling warm prickles spreading through to relight the dimming heat of my chakra network, I shook my head. “You think I’ve got that Aether Manipulation skill yet? It does feel a lot easier now.”

“Without Akio, we can’t check. It’s annoying.” Eri pouted, looking gorgeous even doing that, the rich variation of her facial expressions recently only adding to her charm. Seriously my bro is such a lucky dog. Eri. Shaeula. Both of them are stunning and so in love with him it’s disgusting. Even so, he’s not satisfied. I don’t know what to think. The strange thing was I could feel a tiny sensation constantly, a small link to my bro. It wasn’t as if we shared thoughts or feelings, or anything like that, but it was a comforting presence nonetheless. I’d spoken to Eri about it of course, and she had the same sensation. It was a mark of Kin Bonding, apparently. Eri said she even felt another, more intimate one, where occasionally she cound feel his emotions towards her. She always treasured that when it happened, apparently. Typical Eri.

“Still, you’ve been working really hard. I bet you have managed it. Now we need to rank it up, as well as our other skills. It’s the best way to grow stronger right now.” Eri had taken out the mirror and was pouring inky-blue energy into it, practising her darkness element, another thing Eri had that I didn’t. Really, it’s not fair. I want to help big bro and Shaeula too, but I’m just too weak. I feel... left out. Like I’m reaching out with my fingertips, only barely able to brush the back of Eri’s skirt as she pulls away from me faster and faster. No, this is unproductive, instead we should talk about something else...

“Hey, Eri. Are you sure you are okay with the way things are playing out?” I asked again, rehashing a conversation we had several times recently. “If... if you had put your foot down and said no, my idiot moonstone of a big brother would have listened. I know I wanted him to help those noble girls, but... more marriages. Now it’s really a harem and I feel bad for joking about it. I’m not sure whether to be impressed with him or angry and disappointed. He promised he’d never make you unhappy, and...”

“... I’m not unhappy.” Eri said, sighing, closing up the mirror, pulling free her axe and resting it on her shoulder. “Well, not really. I’ve told you this, Aiko. When I found room for Shaeula in my heart, I changed. Akio too. He was so stubborn, even though it was just hurting him and Shaeula, and me too. I knew then that he would keep his promises to me, even if it ended up breaking him. But... Shaeula.” Her expression turned impish. “I see her as a sister now, just like I do you, Aiko. Sure, we’ve not spent anywhere near the length of time together, but what we have shared, the density of it... it’s filled my heart. I’m not going to make tasteless jokes like Shaeula does, but say that you were Akio’s cousin, rather than his sister. If nothing else was different, you’d totally be aiming for his heart too, right?”

Wow, where did that come from? “No way, creepy! Me and big bro are siblings, not cousins. Blood-related, no question. This isn’t some anime...”

“Way to miss the point.” Eri giggled softly, her obsidian gaze meeting my sapphire one. “It’s overreactions like that which causes everyone to tease you. Look, this is a what if, right?”

“Yeah, okay, sure. I get it.” I changed my mindset, imagining if I was a cousin, or say just another childhood friend like Eri, hanging around my bro as kids growing up. The weight of the small bond we shared at the back of my mind felt hot, heavy, and as I considered it, I nodded. “Feels icky thinking about it that way, but if I was a cousin... yeah. I’m pretty sure I’d be into my bro like you are. Which I’m not! I feel the need to say that again.”

“So if you were... just think how awful it’d be to compete with each other, knowing one of us would be heartbroken? I... sure, there’s a voice inside me that wants him all to myself. It gets worse when I use darkness sometimes.” Eri admitted, solemn and earnest. “But when I think of Shaeula, all alone, bitter with envy as Akio and I left her behind, I just imagined what it would be like if Shaeula and Akio left me that way. I wouldn’t be able to do it to you, Aiko, and I can’t to Shaeula either. Besides, Shaeula is right. We’ll live long and happy lives full of excitement and wonder, so I can spare some of his time for others. After all, we need to hang out, right Aiko?” She smiled at me, and my heart skipped a beat, even though we were both girls. Yeah, damn my bro really is a lucky guy. “I’m not going to be one of those shitty friends that disappears when she gets a boyfriend. After all, we’ve been together forever, and you’ve always had my back. Now it’s time for me to have yours!”Finnd new chapters at novelhall.com

“Wow, yeah, if I was a guy, I’d totally have fell for you then.” I said absently. “Shaeula I get okay, before you even compared her to me. I love her too, she’s just so... well, disgustingly friendly and cute and magical, and totally into my bro. I’d be an idiot to dislike her. But, what about Hinata-san and Motoko-san? That I don’t get.”

“Look at where we are, what we’re doing?” Eri gestured to the strange world of the Boundary and the mysterious skies overhead. “It’s like the world is some manga now, right? And who stands at the heart of that, like the protagonist? Akio does. He’s marrying a princess of the Faeries, he talks to kami and fights mighty foes, yakuza and foreign powers.” She flushed then, ears and neck pink. “He’s also kind, loving, handsome...”

“Wow, don’t tell my bro that, he’ll get a big head.” I warned, but she laughed it off.

“I know. Maybe I don’t see his flaws as much as I should. He’s too easy to push around, though I’d call that kind, too forgiving and too ready to accept apologies, and he has a serious wandering eye. But even so, Akio will be the most sought-after man in the world when all this comes out. Like some sort of idol, politician and billionaire all in one. That worries me a bit. After all...” she shrugged, nervous. “... all I have going for me is how much I love him, and the fact I’m his childhood friend. Girls like Shaeula, Hinata... they can give him what I can’t.”

“I think you are forgetting how beautiful and kind you are.” I muttered, but Eri having a lack of confidence was nothing new, even if she was improving a lot lately.

“I know. I’m finally proud of myself. But you have to see I’m on the back foot. Even so, I refuse to lose. I was his first kiss, his first love, his first... well, you know.” Her blush increased in intensity, her face scarlet. “And I will learn to be as strong as Shaeula, and if he needs a business-minded woman like Hinata, I can do that too. But... that won’t be enough. Akio is going to shine brighter than anyone else, and I want to be there with him. I can allow a few other stars in his constellation.”

Cute metaphor. At least she’s given it serious thought for her own sake, not just accepting it because my bro asked. That wouldn’t be healthy. “So, you can tolerate them, then?”

“I think so. Like you, I saw how pitiful these noble girls are when we had the sleepover. They are raised to be perfect wives and daughters, knowing even less about adult matters between men and women than we did. They are basically just prizes to be won, offered for the sake of their family. And that’s shit. I don’t know about Motoko-san yet, but Hinata... she genuinely likes Akio. I’m not an idiot, I can tell. I’m always watching him and those around him. She’s a girl who would always respect me, and Akio could use her, so I’ll swallow up my tears of jealousy and let her in. But in doing so, I’ll make her owe me. I’m not losing out!”

“So bold!” I declared, impressed with her thoughts. “If you’ve thought it through, I’m not going to blame you. Besides, I liked Hinata-san too. She was cute and funny, and she’s stinking rich.” I grinned. “With her as another sister-in-law, I’m set for life.”

“Cheeky!” Eri snickered. “Shaeula never lies, except when pulling pranks, so if she says we’ll live a long, long life, barring mischance, I believe her. So I have faith in Akio, that he’ll still show me love and joy for years, decades, more to come. The things we’ve done and seen since he returned to Nishimorioka, in only a few weeks, we will be doing that for centuries. Imagine it. So I can allow a few others to share that love, if they are good girls that Akio likes and needs. I’ll always be number one though! Always!”

“Fine, I can’t argue with that. I wont complain anymore. But do you think it’ll stop with just Hinata-san and Motoko-san?”

Eri sighed. “I doubt it. Even if you discount Natsumi-san, like I said, there may be others that will shine in this new world, but I still believe Akio will burn the brightest. There’ll be lots more. That’s why I need to get Hinata and Shaeula onside, so we make sure no trash or parasites that just want to leech off him get in.” A blue haze rose around her and her eyes darkened, causing me to swallow nervously.

“Well, enough of that.” Eri changed the subject. “We might as well keep working. Even if we can’t level anymore, we can train our skills.”

“Yeah, gotcha.” I agreed, grabbing my bow. “By the way, mom and dad have been really mad since you told them. Uncle and auntie too. Do you think Akio will be all right when he comes back?”

“That’s his own problem!” Eri laughed, her good humour restored. “I accept it, understand it, but I still think he needs to feel the wrath of our parents for being unfaithful!”

With laughter ringing out in this strange world, we continued deeper into the mountains behind Chairoakitara shrine...

“She sure is, faster, stronger, fitter, smarter. I’m feeling really left out. I don’t have an element, I can’t level. This is discrimination, bro!” I was joking, but as before, it did sting a little. Still, it took him a while to answer, and when he did he was serious.

“Yeah, I worry about it too. Not just you, sis, but all our family, my friends... I know everyone can’t be as strong as me, but I want everyone I care about to have options if they need them and the ability to defend themselves. I get the feeling the world is only going to get more dangerous, even if you aren’t involved with the Boundary. Besides, if I know you, sis, you’re champing at the bit to get stuck in beside Eri and me.”

“You know me too well, bro.” Eri was giving me a thumbs-up as well. “Say, brooooooooo.” I put on my most wheedling voice, asking for a favour. “I can’t get on with darkness element unlike Eri, but she says she knows where there’s some fire element we can plunder. Don’t you think your sis would be hot, pardon the pun, if I was able to boost the firepower of my bow?”

“That’s right.” Eri spoke into the phone as well. “I know you don’t want us exploring that area as it’s a bit far from safety, but I want to help Aiko. She’s frustrated and wants to do more.”

“I see.” My bro went silent again. “Aiko, I think I have a way to get you Lovers’ Link, and...”

Wowowowowowowowow what? My mind went blank for a moment and I missed most of what my bro said, the keywords Lovers’ Link all I could process. I immediately started burning up, my face, no, my entire body flushing. My mouth fell open, and words gushed out of me, so rapid they were blurring into each other. “No way bro, seriously? I’m frustrated and pissed off sure, and I hate the fact that I’m watching everyone race away from me, but that’s too far! That isn’t like having a harem, that’s normal! No, wait, it isn’t, but you know what I mean, normal in comparison! Incest is wrong, immoral, what would mom and dad say, or auntie and uncle! We’d be disowned! We’d have to move far away! Eri would stick by us, but even so, I...”

“Give Eri the phone.” My bro sighed, and I moved automatically, my brain still a fog, handing her the phone. She shot me a flat look, stepping away, and listened to what my bro said. I... no. just no. Not even to be as strong as Eri. I love my bro, but there’s lines I won’t cross. I’m not a pervert. I know I’m super cute, but I can’t believe big bro would seriously consider that. Though he’d only do it to benefit me, not because he...

“All right. I will.” Eri said, moving so rapidly I couldn’t react, before flicking me hard on the forehead, enough to leave a bruise. I reacted, hands clutching my head, tears in my eyes, and she held the phone to my ear.

“Dumbass little sis sapphire.” He mimicked me. “You seriously think I’d defile my precious little sister, even for that? I’m not sure whether to be hurt than you think I’m such an irredeemable sexual deviant, or flattered that you think I’d go so far to help you, throwing away my conscience and morals. Like I said, my skill has evolved thanks to the trouble with that cat, so apparently I can grant a Rank 1 Lovers’ Link to anyone I truly love. I don’t believe it needs to be in a sexual way to work, but I guess it might not be a success, so don’t get your hopes up too much. I doubt you can rank it up, either. Even so...” he took a deep breath, and I could hear him muttering, though I couldn’t make it out. “... fancy thinking I would do my own sister. I’d kill for her, but that... only if it was life or death, literally...”

“I couldn’t quite catch that bro.” I said, still mortified and so hot I imagined steam was rising from my skin.

“Never mind. I’m just amazed at the way your brain works sometimes, sis. You let Shaeula’s jokes poison your mind. Anyway, if it does work you’ll get a percent of my stats, which should be five or so, and a chunk more for Aether, and should be able to gain six levels. All told, that should strengthen you nicely, especially as the jump from zero to one sometimes unlocks intangible stats. Just don’t... ever... mention you have that skill to anyone, as I can’t bear to face the same misunderstandings you just had again.”

Gods no, I certainly don’t want that mess. I’m already embarrassed enough I could die. Still, that sounded like quite the buff, and if it was only the skill, without having to actually be a lover, well, it wasn’t the answer to my prayers I was seeking, but it’d take me a step closer to the backs of Eri, my bro and Shaeula. “Fine. Do it jerk. Do I have to come to Tokyo to see you? That’d be embarrassing.”

“No, I don’t think so. In fact... here.”

My eyes widened as the weight of his presence within me suddenly split off, another bond forming. I instantly felt my senses sharpen, my mind clearing. “Wow, I can feel it, I’m definitely stronger... wait, I do feel it. Bro, seriously?” I know what Eri means now. This bond... I’m not sure if I should have accepted it after all. Well fuck, this is embarrassing. I didn’t swear too much usually, even in my head, but now I felt the need. I could sense a little of his emotions, and while I knew my bro loved me a lot and would risk his life or fight anyone for me, being able to feel it was enough to make me squirm. I can see why Eri would like this though. She’s always had a yearning for affection, to know tangibly just how great his love for her is must be sweet. No wonder she’s confident enough to accept Hinata. She knows how deep their connection goes...

“I guess it works then. In that case, spend a day or two making sure you have all your levels.” He said, ignoring my complaint. Oh fuck, I hope it doesn’t go both ways. If so he’ll know too... embarrassing! As he continued talking, ignoring my inner turmoil and shame, he advised me to study certain details about fire first, and then dropped another bombshell.

“If you can’t do darkness, then how about light element? It’s a long shot, as when the energy is gone it’s all gone, but Shaeula was loading the mirror up with it before. If you just twist the frames...”

Once he had finished explaining, I was quite excited, and fortunately the extra emotions that had flowed into me had died down, leaving only a second point of connection behind in the back of my mind. That’s a relief, if I had to put up with that all the time I’d not be able to sleep. “So, light huh? I think that’s fitting for me. But it seems hard to understand.”

“No way.” My bro laughed, a touch annoyingly. “Light is pretty easy from our science standpoint. You’ll only get one shot at this for the foreseeable future, so I’ll get you the data sent over. Some of it is pretty high-level stuff, but just comprehend what you can, raise your chances. Unfortunately I think light and darkness are much more spiritual elements, from what I’ve observed, but I’ll send you what I have anyway. Don’t get your hopes up, but... well, you can try it. Can I speak to Eri again now?”

“Sure thing bro. and... thanks.” I meant it. I’d made a fool of myself again, it seemed like I was doing that too much lately, but big bro was the big bro we’d always had, looking out for us, making sure we could fulfil our dreams. Light, huh? Spiritual? Like... good against vampires and evil spirits?

As Eri chatted away to Akio, looking extremely happy, I shook my head, elated at the chance to grow stronger. One thing is right though. No way I’m ever telling anyone about having this skill though. Not even Shaeula, as she’ll never let me hear the end of it!

********

“So he says he’ll be out of touch for a while again, after he’s helped out a friend of Shaeula’s who is in trouble.” Eri said, taking her seat. “It’s frustrating I can’t be there in Tokyo, but as soon as we finish our exams next year I’m going.”

“Eager as ever I see.” Not that I blame her. “So, this friend is a girl, right?”

“Yes.” Eri shook her head, denying my implication. “But there’s nothing between them. He’s just a friend of Shaeula to her.”

“Uh-huh. Right.” I said, unconvinced. My bro is a charming little Casanova at the moment. I hope you are right, Eri. There’s too many rivals as it is. “Well, we can’t do anything about it from here. I want to concentrate on getting stronger now.” I pulled out my seat, but as I was about to sit down, an idea came to me. Ignoring the surprised look from Eri I strode to the back of the class, stopping in front of the pervert due, who looked at me, surprised I was approaching them, especially after Eri and I had socially murdered them several times recently.

Well, I’m a magnanimous girl. Besides, I’m determined to seize my chance and master the light element. Nobody else has that one, so I could be proud of it!

“So, uh, Aiko-chan, what can I do for you?” The first said, and my eyebrow twitched at his familiarity, but since I was asking a small favour it let it go.

“A quick question.” I said, catching their interest. “Make yourselves useful for once and tell me about light magic.”

“Light magic?” the other said, puzzled. “You mean like... in games? Manga? That sort of thing.”

“Yep. “ I grinned broadly. “What’s it usually like, what does it do, how is it used? I want to know it all.”

“Uh, why?” the first one said, but at my gaze he faltered. “I mean, sure, we can tell you, it just... seems... odd.”

“Well, you let me worry about that. I’m giving you a chance to score some points with the girls in class, which you sorely need, so come on, spill!” I pulled a notebook out of my bag, ready to take notes, while behind me Eri looked on warmly...