Chapter 31: Night at the Guild

The Mother Priestess appeared. She was a dwarf woman of advanced age, with white hair and a small nose. She radiated wisdom in every movement. Then she spoke:

— “Now, my dear sisters, we gather once more to pray to the great Goddess Aqua: goddess of wisdom, knowledge, greatness, kindness, and the well-being of humanity; goddess of vitality, almighty, all-knowing, and ever-present. Please guide us, help us, save us, and protect us from those wicked beings who dare insult your name and scorn us, loyal only to their Queen who betrayed you and now seeks vengeance, blinded by her refusal to understand your greatness. Every day we pray for your blessing—for today, tomorrow, and all the days of our lives. Please, Goddess, hear us on this beautiful night, under the full moon’s light. Drive the demons away from our homes and bless our lives with your wisdom and greatness. My sisters, we have one mission in this world—just one: to destroy every Demon that spits on the name of the Goddess Aqua. Let us pray and worship her.”

After that, she pulled out a blue book covered in sacred symbols, like crosses and stars. Raising her hands, she said:
— “Now, let us recite the words of the wise goddess. Repeat after me.”

I realized I had to join in to avoid suspicion, though it was also an opportunity to commune again with the goddess who had already reached out to me before.

Together, we recited in a clear, united voice:

— “Oh great goddess, your wisdom and knowledge are infinite. Please forgive our comrades and families of their sins. Through your great kindness, grant us humans a life that is good and healthy. Deliver us from demons who seek only to make us suffer—creatures who care for nothing but pain and cruelty, who dare insult your name in the service of their cruel and sadistic Demon Queen. Please, guide us humans on the right path in this life. Amen, Goddess Aqua.”

Then the Priestess declared that the ceremony was complete for the night. We made the holy gestures and began to leave. It was nearly dinner time, so Mizu, Akane, Mizuki, and I went to the dining hall.

Mizu smiled and said:
— “That was amazing. I feel so much better now. Don’t you agree, girls?”

Akane nodded.
— “I know, Mizu. I feel lighter, like some darkness inside me has been lifted.”

Mizuki added cheerfully:
— “Yes! It feels like some pain I carried has disappeared.”

I spoke calmly but seriously:
— “I feel it too. No pain in my soul, no heaviness in my heart. It feels like I can finally leave part of my past behind.”

When we reached the dining hall, we grabbed trays and lined up. A cook served us pasta with tomato sauce and grated cheese. We found an empty table and sat down to eat.

Mizuki asked nervously:
— “So… what kind of training do you think we’ll have to do for the Fusion?”

Mizu replied, trying to keep the mood light:
— “I don’t know. Taiyaki just suggested the idea. I think it’s only a matter of time before we find out if it’s real. And if it is… let’s hope it helps us finally defeat the Demon Queen.”

Akane said with energy:
— “Don’t worry, girls! I’m sure we can use it to end the demons once and for all.”

I crossed my arms and spoke firmly:
— “Even if we manage to create the Fusion, that doesn’t mean we’re ready to face the Demon Queen. We still have much to learn, and very little time. We need to complete this training as quickly as possible. We can’t waste the time we’ve been given in this life. We must give it everything we have, because if the Fusion fails to destroy the demons, then nothing else will. This could be our only chance. Please, let’s believe in it and never turn back, no matter how hard things get.”

They all fell silent but understood I was right. Perhaps this really was humanity’s one opportunity to win the war against the demons. We could not afford weakness or fear—we had to be strong.

After that, we continued our meal, trying to stop thinking about tomorrow’s training. I ate as if nothing else in the world mattered, savoring every bite as though it were a divine gift from the Goddess Aqua herself. Each bite felt like her blessing, nourishing us with the strength to face the coming day. I couldn’t help but think this was one of the best meals I’d ever had in both my lives, as if I hadn’t eaten in days and was starving. I couldn’t stop eating.

When we finished, I said:
— “Alright girls, let’s put our plates and utensils on the counter so the cook can clean them.”

We did so, then headed to our room. Inside, we prepared to sleep. I would take the top bunk above Mizu, while she slept below me. Akane would take the bottom bunk of the other bed, and Mizuki would sleep above her. They were two sturdy bunk beds, the kind that felt almost magical when you first saw them.

I was exhausted from everything that had happened that day and longed to rest. I said goodnight to the girls, and they wished me the same.

Climbing into my bed, I wrapped myself tightly in the sheets and blankets. My eyes grew heavy. The last thing I heard before sleep claimed me was a soft voice:

— “Sweet dreams, Taiyaki.”

It was Mizu.