Zero Rush Pt. 5

After a few clumsy jumps across the rooftops, we returned to the front of the bathroom, where we were supposed to be waiting for Rush. We’d gone a bit over the time we’d set aside for handling the ninja.

"Huh? Where’s Rush? Is she still in the bathroom?"

Looking around, we spotted Rush’s silhouette and blue hair in the middle of the plaza. Tadashi approached her, scratching his head, embarrassed:

"Sorry for the wait. I had to go to the bathroom too."

"It’s fine, I figured you’d need to… especially after drinking so much wine…" Rush said, her voice weak, her eyes focused on something.

The girl was examining a sword embedded in the ground. Etched into the stone floor was a large runic circle, filled with symbols — the sword placed right at its center.

“You asked me a few days ago what I was working on. Here it is, I've been researching this sword... Not only that, but it was also because of it that I had to get married,” said Rush.

It looked like a generic Excalibur, but unlike metal, the sword was made of a material somewhere between clay and stone. With our Third Eye, it was possible to see latent magic sealed inside, so complex that it was impossible to measure.

Using my linguistic ability as an entity, I read the inscriptions on the circle and sword—they translated to: Grain by grain, the chicken fills its crop.

…What the hell? Chicken?? That totally ruined the mystique…What are they referring to?

“I don't understand... What does this sword have to do with us?”

"Commoners aren’t allowed to research noble magical artifacts… You know the city’s history, honey?"

"Uh-huh… yes…"

No, don’t cut off the history dump, dammit! We’re clueless about the city!"

"Ah… but not in detail…" Tadashi said, trying to fix the mess.

"The city was once inhabited by nobles, as LuminoCity used to be the empire’s capital. Over time, as merchants grew wealthy, they began buying houses here. The nobles, unwilling to mingle, simply left — leaving behind this legendary magical artifact, the ExE Sword, with a prophecy that the new defender of the city would one day lift it.”

Zero listened intently to the explanation.

“Since I was taken in by my master, the Oracle, I have been trained in the arts of magic and have proven myself useful in academic research... but I can no longer bear to live here. Luminocity is always halfway: there’s beauty, money, pride, and magic, but all in halves. Amidst political maneuvering and betrayal, everyone here betrays each other just for the slightest chance of being accepted by the empire and its nobles.”

Rush looked at us, her eyes glistening with tears.

"I just want to say, I didn’t marry you to climb the hierarchy. To study the sword up close and access the noble library’s records, I needed your name…I need to finish this work as soon as possible, for my master’s sake… but also to free myself from this task."

Unlike in our world, nobility was conferred by titles; nobility was carried by the surname.

"How long have you been doing this research?"

Rush averted her eyes.

"A little over three years. I do various others in my free time, but this one is becoming a real anchor…"

Three years didn’t seem long, but for a seventeen-year-old, they were her golden years spent in a lab with no schedule to leave.

"Staring at this sword, every single day, stuck in this stone without moving… it’s like watching the inertia of my life. I can’t leave the city, not even go to a magical academy, until I finish this research and repay what I owe my master." She wiped her tears on the sleeve of her jacket. "I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be saying this to you."

"No, it’s fine…I don’t want you to have to pretend around me…"

A silence spread through the conversation.

…

I can’t just stand here being a coward…

"If I may ask… Rush, why were you crying on the day of the marriage announcement? I understand if the pain of being forced into marriage is that great… but I want you to at least express it. You don’t have to pretend in front of me."

"I-I… wasn’t crying from sadness. I was crying from emotion."

"Huh…?"

"Even though my master took me in when I was little, I was basically an orphan. Love isn’t one of his traits. Even if it’s arranged… just the idea of having a family made me sensitive."

Zero sighed, realizing the girl needed a shoulder to lean on — and so far, he had only caused her trouble.

"Rush, listen. I want you to understand one thing." The words from before the bathroom incident returned to the tip of his tongue. "You don’t have to try to make me happy by buying things or pampering me. Since we met, just being by your side has made me happy.”

Stepping forward, Zero continued:

"All the relationships I’ve had and have are weird—my mom, dad, sister…" Tadashi realized he was talking about his family from the original world. "My aunt, master, and cousins. All of these relationships are confusing and somewhat dry."

The sunset cast its glow over the two of them.

"I’ve always been lonely. And even though I like being alone, sometimes you need a shoulder to lean on. We got caught up in a confusing situation, but I don’t want our relationship to be strange — we don’t need another one like that."

Pointing at the girl, Zero smiled.

"So, from one lonely person to another, I want you to know that whenever you need something, you can count on me — as long as it’s the same for you. We may not really be husband and wife, but we can be at least friends."

Smiling, the girl stepped closer.

"Can I ask you something as a friend then?"

"...Sure…"

Damn, that order came much faster than I thought.

"Hug me… I’ve never been hugged… you know, really hugged."

In a slow, somewhat awkward embrace at first, Rush poured all her physical and emotional weight onto Tadashi. For a minute or two, she cried and cried, her tears falling onto his leather uniform.

It’s not good to rely entirely on others, but the complete opposite — walking through the darkness of life without someone’s light — is just as bad

Tadashi, being a bit of an idiot, stroked her hair like you would a dog. Realizing that was weird, he started patting her back… until finally he just hugged her.

I’m trying my best…

Sniff... Sniff... The girl sniffed Zero's clothes.

“Hey, honey, a question. When you went to the bathroom, it wasn't just a lie to go smoke, was it? You smell like smoke...”

“Smoke? I don't smoke... It must be some perfume I put on in those weird stores...”

DAMN IT, DAMN SMOKE BOMB, THAT SON OF A... THAT DAMN NINJA!

Rush began to gradually tighten her embrace:

“Ah... That's good, because to be my husband, you can't smoke...” she said, squeezing Zero tighter and tighter, testing if his lungs were 100 percent.

“Yeah... Yeah, I understand...”

The hug lasted a few more minutes, until she pulled away.

The girl, now calmer, smiled again.

"We haven’t talked about spells yet, right? It’s getting late for you to go home. You can stay at mine tonight, okay?"

Tadashi smiled… a mischievous grin.

TADASHI, YOU LITTLE SHIT, YOU’RE GOING TO RUIN ALL THE EMOTIONAL BUILD-UP OF THIS CHAPTER. SWALLOW THAT SMILE, YOU PERVERT!

His mind filled with naughtiness.

A little embarrassed, Zero accepted the offer.