Meow – Part 03
I held onto Eu’s hand in silence, eyes fixed on the elevator’s floor display. She kept staring at my face, but I just kept looking up. I wanted somewhere quieter to talk.
The elevator reached the rooftop. It was a bare rest area with nothing but vending machines and a couple of benches. Honestly, the perfect spot for a zombie like me. The sun had gone down. The dark sky stretching overhead felt like a reflection of the current state of my mind.
I sat on the bench and looked up at the stained, starless sky.
Eu looked up too. No fancy words about the view or any of that poetic stuff. I leaned back, resting my elbows on the backrest like I was soaking in a bath, completely letting go. Two, maybe three seconds passed while I searched for something clever to say, but nothing came.
I turned toward her. “Eu, tell me. Why do you suppress your emotions?”
I kept my face serious. Eu’s stayed blank as ever. We held each other’s gaze for a moment, then she slowly closed her eyes and pulled a notepad from her skirt pocket.
“Do you really want to know?”
“Yeah. I really do.”
She let out a sigh for the first time. I had no way of knowing what she felt just then. Was it annoyance? Reluctance? Whatever it was, I didn’t care. I was going to hear it from her, one way or another. I had the right to know. And if I didn’t, then I wanted it now.
She opened the notepad again and handed it to me. There was a long message written across the page.
“The threads of fate sway gently side to side as they move forward. When threads cross and overlap, they create encounters. But when powerful magic is involved, that swaying becomes stronger, more violent. That is why those with strong magical power must suppress it. My power is impossible to suppress. Even the slightest stir of emotion—unease, fear—disrupts it immediately. So I’m not allowed to express my feelings.”
It made less sense than I expected. So basically… what was she trying to say?
“So, like… if you laugh or cry, it messes with people’s fates?”
Eu nodded, her head dipping. Suddenly, I recalled what she had told me when we first met.
“That was funny.”
“So don’t ever do it again.”
She said that because it might stir up her emotions.
“I can’t speak either, because my words have power. Anyone who hears my voice is forced to become what I say. So I’m not allowed to speak.”
“Anyone who hears your voice is forced to become what you say?” I frowned. “What?”
She held up her notepad and kept writing. “If I say it’s cold, the person who hears me will feel cold, even if they’re standing in fire.”
“That’s insane!”
“Exactly. My words carry too much weight. I never know which word will trigger that power. So I’m not allowed to voice even one word.”
“Hold on, that’s a bit extreme, isn’t it? I mean, saying ah or ugh or even meow shouldn’t hurt anyone, right?”
“I can’t. When a word turns into power, it sends stabbing pain through my head.
I don’t want to feel that again.”
Great power comes with a great price, I guess. And if pain was the price she paid for such incredible power, it had to be unbearable.
“Is that why your life’s in danger?”
“There’s more.”
There was more?
“My hands can heal. My blood grants immortality. And my heart constantly releases massive magical energy.”
My head spun. I thought understanding her would bring clarity, but this only made things worse.
“Uh… so you keep the gauntlets and plate armor on to seal your power or something?”
“Correct.” She clapped her gauntlets together.
“Don’t tell me you can also blow up mountains, stop time, or turn invincible?”
“That’s all there is to it. These powers act regardless of my will. Even if I die, they will continue to work. That’s why people want to kill me. To get my body.”
“So you’re saying someone could kill you, drain your blood, and make a bottle of immortality wine?” I joked.
“They could.”
Really?
Clang, clang. Her gauntlets sounded again.
Don’t tell me she was the one who created Vampire Ninjas.
“Who’s after you? Is it just the Vampire Ninjas? Megalos?”
“I don’t know for certain. I’ve almost been killed by Vampire Ninjas, Megalos, and Magiclad Girls.”
I let out a long sigh and walked over to the nearby vending machine. I bought two cans of soda and handed one to Eu. She didn’t drink it, just set it on the bench beside her.
“So, got any more secrets?”
“I’ve told you everything. You probably h—”
The sentence cut off there. Droplets fell onto the page.
“You probably hate me now, don’t you?” The handwriting was a mess.
I didn’t understand how she even reached that conclusion.
“When did I ever say that?”
She shook her head. Her big eyes shimmered with tears.
“When my emotions stir, your fate—the one closest to me—is the one that changes the most.”
So that was it. Now that I thought about it, Eu, who always kept her emotions hidden, had started crying and showing feelings recently. And right along with that, Megalos, a Vampire Ninja, and a Magiclad Girl all started showing up in droves.
So what? Did she really think I’d hate her for something like that?
“You’d hate me if you knew someone like me—a monster—was by your side, wouldn’t you?”
Eu’s doll-like face twisted. Her brow furrowed in fear and despair.
“A monster? Where? All I see here is a kind-hearted girl. Nothing more.”
“Can I… stay with you?”
“Yeah, knock yourself out.”
The bitterness in my tone pissed me off. I let out a sigh, releasing the air that had been sitting in my lungs.
Knock yourself out? What the hell was that? Those words didn’t even come close to expressing what I was feeling right now. I had to say it properly.
“Eu, if you want to laugh, laugh. Screw fate. I’ll handle it. So just stay with me.”
Eu’s tears didn’t stop. And all I could think to do was place a hand on her silver hair and gently pat her head. That was all I could offer her.
So I just sat there, waiting for her to stop crying, running my fingers through her silky hair.
If what she was saying was true, then I’d probably be knee-deep in trouble again soon.
Bring it on. I didn’t care if it was the Great King of Terror[1] or a goddamn nuclear warhead.
That was a small price to pay to be by Eu’s side.
I bought loads of shoes and other stuff, and of course, I was the one who carried all of it home. Orito looked pretty pleased being surrounded by pretty girls. Before we parted ways, he made sure to remind me to invite them to the next bowling trip.
“I’m bushed. But hey, this world’s pretty nice. Guess it’s got its perks!”
As soon as we got back, Haruna snatched the bags from me and zipped up the stairs. She was probably going to put on her own private fashion show in her room.
“Wait up, Haruna! Wear this for me. Preferably with nothing on, or in a maid outfit!”
I chased after her, pulling out the prized item: a cat-ear headband. Naturally, it came with paw gloves too.
“You perv! Grossbone Vanguard scum!” [2]
“I’m not from Cosmo Babylonia—”
Before I could finish, she got behind me and slammed my head into the front hallway floor with a top-rope reverse Frankensteiner. She’d look so damn cute with those ears on, though.
“Please stop making a scene! You’re in the way.”
Annoyed by Sera’s comment, Haruna stomped up the stairs with extra force. I headed to the living room with Eu to wipe my nosebleed. Gotta find some tissues.
Sera stayed behind, staring at the small mirror in the entryway. Curious, I secretly watched her. To my surprise, she picked up the cat-ear headband and actually put it on.
“Meow.”
She struck a pose toward the mirror. Then, blushing hard, she ripped the headband off and slammed it onto the floor.
What a wholesome little scene. I bought that thing for Haruna, but seeing Sera try it on was more than worth it. I thought about calling out to her, but better to pretend I didn’t see anything.
Welp, after seeing something that cute, it was time to order some pizza for the day.
1. The “Great King of Terror” is a phrase from Nostradamus’s Prophecies (Century 10, Quatrain 72). It was later interpreted by believers as predicting a catastrophic event or even the end of the world in the year 1999.
2. The Crossbone Vanguard is a private military force founded and backed by the Ronah family and the main antagonists of Mobile Suit Gundam F91.
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