Breathing in the Grey

Combat training, practicing magic, researching their purpose, and learning about the basics of this world. For the next week those were Itsuki and Sayaka's entire lives from dawn until mid-noon. Day in and day out was the same schedule, starting from the guest room of the matron's estate and ending with bodies and souls near depleted.

Itsuki had no idea how the characters from those popular isekai series pulled it off.

It was grueling, almost always painful, and only concluded once enough progress was made for a day. But there was something worse for him, a real challenge that was even more tiring than their training:

Keeping his mind in check.

He and Sayaka had been getting closer through their shared suffering and their talks. After training, they'd begun exploring the town, seeing what it offered.

However, despite his best attempts, every glimpse, every chat, and every gesture they shared brought a risk. His treacherous brain would draw parallels, evoking echoes of Kaede in her wake. And while he'd always managed to dash away the thoughts eventually, it did nothing to ease the guilt he felt afterwards.

It wasn't just because of the projection though, nor the unfairness of it to both women, but something else he really didn't want to admit to himself. Something that only got more glaring with each moment he and Sayaka spent together.

Kaede's absence didn't hurt as much when she was around.

A sudden gust brought Itsuki back to the world, snapping him from his inner thoughts as he walked.

He'd have to deal with these feelings later.

Itsuki stretched a bit as he continued through the town, making sure to keep pace with Sayaka. They'd just finished for the day and left the training grounds. Now, they were just searching for something to do before the sun set that wouldn't exhaust them even more than they already were.

Fortunately for them though, while the sky was rather grey and the mood a little dour from tiredness, the weather was a little refreshing. The sun peaked behind thickened clouds, and the lightest of wetness clung to each passing breeze as they neared the market district.

Sayaka sighed next to him, looking around at the various shops.

"Why am I even doing this?" she muttered under her breath as they passed a clothing store. "Because I swear, if I have to duck beneath one more stone pillar or fail to cast one more firebolt…"

"…To save the world?" Itsuki hesitantly chimed in to reassure her, even if he was still conflicted about the idea himself.

They didn't have too much to go off. However, in the week they'd been here, Velena and Kiaki had helped them narrow things down a fair bit.

In this world, worldwalkers were chosen heroes of the triumvirate: divine entities that governed existence's progress. They were always given powers and placed closest to the threat they were to fight, hopefully bringing peace in their wake.

None had been seen for at least two centuries, but with the Diluvian cult's rise in recent years, some began to wonder if their return was inevitable.

Assumingly, they were the chosen sent to end the cult, the most threatening force now within this plane. The organization's activity had only spiked in recent years, slaughtering and kidnapping people for a reason yet unknown.

Some theorized the Diluvian to be harbingers of ruin, others viewed them as revolutionaries of an ancient force, while many more simply saw them as a threat to life itself. Yet regardless of these things, to Itsuki and Sayaka, they would be their responsibility to stop, lest existence and countless lives come to an end.

That's what they'd workshopped at least.

He was about to continue his line of thought—such as whether or not the two of them were even up for such a task—but he noticed Sayaka's shoulders droop first.

"Usami? You okay?"

"Kisaragi, I… never mind." Sayaka clutched her wrist in front of her, looking around at the town again. "I hadn't intended you to answer my question. It was more a quip aimed at myself, sorry."

"Oh…" His words faltered upon hearing that. "Did you want to talk then, or…?"

She waved him off. "I'm fine. It's just the exhaustion speaking. Who knew that learning magic would be so hard?"

She diverted her gaze and up to the sky, repeating a few hand gestures toward it. A stream of fire appeared briefly, illuminating the air with a glow.

Itsuki watched as it faded soon after, already thinking of how to lighten the mood.

"Well, it is magic. But I'm pretty sure you're faring better than me at least; you can do more than two techniques, and Velena says you're a natural in using it."

His right hand twitched slightly as it remembered his own attempts, channeling energy into the mace hanging from his belt loop.

"It'll be pretty handy once we get the hang of it too. Imagine the possibilities that it would open."

Sayaka opened her mouth to make a comeback but bit her lip.

"Sure. I would've preferred water or earth like you though. Mine just seems so destructive."

He shrugged as another breeze passed them. "I disagree. Besides, it's not like you can't use other elements. You just have to put a bit more effort into it."

"Right. Personality makes it easier. I suppose it's fitting I get fire and wind with what I've done, though it's all just wasted on me."

"Wasted?" He raised a brow at her. "Have you seen what you're capable of?"

They passed into the marketplace, ambience picking slightly with the growing crowd.

"So you keep saying, but the only thing I can do is wave around my weird power and blast things with magic. What use is all of that?"

"Usami, the day we got here you saved my life twice, and that's not even mentioning how you helped save at least two dozen others."

"The keyword you said there is 'helped.'" She shook her head with a light frown. "Kisaragi, look. I'm not a hero like you, someone that casually volunteered themselves to save lives even before all of this. You did all the saving out there, all I did was rush in out of guilt."

"For the last time, you don't have to be a hero to do things, and it was a shared effort; I think the thanks we both got is proof enough that it was."

He motioned toward the residential district. "Heck, Refi and Eflam practically jumped us after our first day out of gratitude, unless you've somehow forgotten them."

Her expression soured for a moment. "I might be a disappointment, but I would never forget those two! Who do you think I—"

She cut herself off, indignation turning to frustration. "Sorry, I… I didn't mean to yell. It's just, you can be so annoying sometimes, Kisaragi. I get what you're trying to do, but every single instance you try to cheer me up or protect me from reality, it just feels wrong."

She gestured to herself to make a point. "I still don't even get why we're supposed to save the day, especially me. Like, are we even seeing the same thing? How can someone look at me and see anything aside from the failure that I—"

"Mr. and Mrs. Hero! Are you finally done with training?!"

A cheerful shout rang out from nearby, barely giving them enough time to react.

"E-Eflam, Refi?"

Two pairs of orange eyes suddenly leaped forward, tackling into Sayaka and him.

"I um…" She clammed up as Refi hugged her, any tension lost in the surprise attack.

Itsuki chuckled at the sudden interruption, shoulders loosening.

"It's good to see you two. But, uh, could you be a little careful, Eflam? My muscles are still—Ack!" He flinched as his leg cramped beneath the added weight.

"Mr. Hero, are you okay?!" the young girl asked as she un-grappled him. "Was I that strong?"

He grit his teeth, grasping his left hand over his chest to activate the healing. Thankfully the effect was immediate, and just like that, his cramp was swept away in a wave of warmth.

"Yep, you're definitely strong," he said, ruffling her hair as the warmth faded.

Man, his ability was a lifesaver.

"Not as strong as the vice-captain though," Refi said, releasing herself from around Sayaka's waist. She looked like she was doing better than earlier this week, though her movements still seemed to drag a little long.

Just as quickly as he noticed it though, she'd perked up and flashed a thumbs-up his way.

"By the way, Mr. Hero, sis and I heard your scream again today. It was nearly seven full seconds this time. Good job."

Itsuki awkwardly grinned at the sudden reminder of being cratered, feeling a few passersby's mirthful looks.

"Ah ha, um, thank you?"

"You're welcome." The girl smirked. "In all seriousness though, I think it's pretty impressive that you can train with them. You and Mrs. Hero must be pretty strong."

The now red-faced Sayaka shook her head at the comment. "I-I appreciate it, but I'm not. Also, I thought I told you not to call me that. The 'Hero' part aside, me and Kisaragi aren't—"

Eflam abruptly jumped over to Sayaka's leg, nearly tripping her before she could complete her protest.

"Hey, hey, Mrs. Hero? Do you mind if we give you two something? Big sis and I spent a long time fixing them."

"Huh? Wait, us?" She gestured at herself and Itsuki once she'd regained her balance. "Um, sure. What is it?"

Eflam was quick to react, excitedly fishing for something in her pocket. However, before she could, her sister patted her on the shoulder.

"Just a moment." Refi looked up at both of them with a sigh. "Do you mind if we go off to the side first? Somewhere a little bit… quieter?"

The girl's smirk was still there, but its fire had dimmed a little now, as if there was something tempering its flame.

Itsuki noted the observation before nodding.

"I don't see why not. Lead the way then if you don't mind."

"Ehe, yay!" Eflam exclaimed as she obliged, guiding them over to another part of the marketplace with Refi. It was off to the side and not too in the way, most of the crowd's noise having faded to a more manageable level here.

"Alright, sis, you can do it now," Refi said once they stopped, finally allowing her to present what she'd intended earlier.

The little girl nodded as she took it out. "Okay~! Here you go, Mr. Hero!"

Itsuki's expression widened in awe upon seeing it.

It was a bracelet of sorts with beautiful gem-like beads, each one's luster clearly visible despite the overcast sky. Eflam gingerly put it forward, placing it within his palm, then patted his hand once it was secure.

"These bracelets belonged to ma and pa, but since they're in heaven now and can't use them, we thought you might like them. They're pretty, aren't they?"

Itsuki brain blanked upon hearing that.

"O-oh. Uh, wow. That's um…"

Refi nodded at his hesitation, swallowing a little as she handed a near identical one to Sayaka.

"We, uh, managed to salvage them from our house a couple days ago. Originally, we thought about keeping them, but well, since we wouldn’t be here without you two, and you're both pretty cool people…"

She slipped it on Sayaka's wrist as she trailed off, trying to emulate the same grin her sister had despite a notable wetness building in her eyes.

She sniffled as a wet breeze blew through.

"A-are you certain you want to give this to us?" Sayaka asked once the initial shock passed. "I mean, these must mean a lot to you two, so why…?"

Her refusal pattered off once she saw the looks on the girls' faces.

Her eyes softened.

"I mean… thank you. They're very pretty."

"Mrs. Hero likes it too~" Eflam smiled as she immediately spun around, nearly falling over herself in giddiness before Refi caught her.

"Careful sis." She steadied her before nodding to the both of them. "A-Anyways, we know that it's not much, but…"

Itsuki slipped his bracelet on before she could finish, giving both girls a pat on their head.

"We'll treasure them. Thank you, both of you."

Refi's face blushed at the contact, fidgeting her hands behind her back. "O-oh. Um, y-you're very welcome."

It took a few more moments until she looked composed enough to continue, brushing his hand from her head. "A-anyways, as much as we'd like to stick around. The orphanage still needs to be repaired, and it's our turn to help out today. Don’t want to be known as the slackers amongst the new kids, right?"

Refi flashed a smile then motioned for Eflam to follow her, grabbing her hand as they started heading off.

"See you tomorrow, Mr. and Mrs. Hero!"

Itsuki and Sayaka waved them off as they disappeared into the town once again, taking a breath once they were out of sight.

"…They're good kids, aren't they?" Sayaka whispered, looking down at the bracelet. Her eyes were almost glued to it, tracing every little detail of the accessory.

"To think that they'd do something like this…"

She got lost in it for a while, only brought out of her trance when Itsuki gently tapped her shoulder.

"You alright?"

Her cheeks lifted slightly as she ran her fingers over the beads. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just reminded of something."

"As long as you're sure."

A rogue gust rushed past the both of them, prompting Itsuki to look around. The wind was beginning to pick up now, and a few phantom droplets dotted his arms, sending a lot of the crowd's activity toward the indoors.

"Hey, Usami? I just realized we still haven't decided what to do." He pointed over toward a building further down the street. "Did you want to try grabbing something at the bakery then, before the weather picks up more?"

Her hair flustered with the weather as she looked over to it. For a long while she just stared, but eventually she shrugged.

There was still melancholy in her eyes, but it was lighter than he'd ever seen before.

"Maybe. I don't see a reason why not."