Saving the savior

The once lively village of Aomura was now a desolate wasteland. The sounds of families preparing for the next day were now gone, even the critters of the night had gone silent. The only sound that interrupted the reign of silence was the heavy rain falling upon the ruins.

On the collapsed ruins of a family household near the southern end of the village, there was still a survivor. Buried within the ruins, the village’s symbol of hope has fallen prey to despair.

“Mom! ... Hanako! ... Anyone... please…”

Raiko had screamed until her voice was gone, but nobody listened to her. She was completely alone, buried on the debris of what was once her home. She had cried so much that tears no longer came out of her eyes.

She was also completely soaked, as the rain had been filtering through the wood cracks. Breathing was becoming progressively difficult with the rubble over her body and the increase in humidity.

It was cold, but she couldn't move from that place. She wasn't sure if she had become deaf or if the devastation stopped. It was most likely the latter, as the only thing she could hear was the rain falling over her.

Darkness and rain were the only things that seemed to exist right now, her entire body hurt, her head was probably bleeding, but she couldn't move her arms to reach it. Her pain wasn't only physical, either. Loneliness, the thought of the possibility of losing everyone she loved tortured her even more than her body's pain.

“So… this is how I die…”

“A purifier that can’t protect her people is a purifier who has no use. Dying alone, forgotten by everything and everyone… that’s a fitting death for a useless purifier like me."

Raiko had completely lost track of time, she could have been there for minutes or days, but she had no way to tell. She hoped that if everyone else perished then that at least they didn't suffer as much as her. Either way, she would join them soon, so that they can punish her incompetence.

Yet, fate had a different set of plans. On the outside a new, nostalgic sound reached her ears. It was the sound of footsteps in the rain, and they were rushing in her direction.

“Raiko!”

A girl’s voice, one she was very familiar with, called for her name. A feeling of pain ascended through Raiko’s stomach, if she had any tears left, she would have started crying again. Fearful, the defeated purifier called for her name.

“Shi… Shizune?”

As she spoke those words, she heard a metallic sound embedding on the wood and lifting it with a crack. Plank after plank, the improvised lever cleared the debris. Even with the intense rain Raiko could hear Shizune panting from exhaustion. Who knows what she has gone through?

“Hang in there, I'll get you out in a moment!”

It was the first time in years she heard Shizune speaking in such a lively voice. This time, she was the energetic one, while Raiko was the one devoid of motivation. Showing up when she had lost all hope, too, it made her wonder something.

“But... why?”

But Shizune didn't answer, she just pushed the planks out of the way without saying anything. Most of them were heavy and in some cases they were jammed, so moving them was like demounting a puzzle.

“Are you injured?”

“Yes, my entire body hurts and I can't open an eye well, I think I'm bleeding but I can't move my hands.”

“Just a bit, don't die!”

As a plank was lifted Raiko could see the night clouds, and the rain began to fall directly over her face. Another crack, another plank was lifted with a lot of effort. The savior was now being saved, just like she wanted. If she wasn’t alone, she could fight her own self-loathing.

At least, she hoped to.

The last sheet covering Raiko was raised, leaving her directly exposed to the rain. And despite that, the cold rain came along with an indescribable relief. If Shizune was alive, there had to be someone else, she still had people to help once she got out of there.

“It wasn't my imagination, you're alive...”

“I was in the workshop when the apparition attacked and destroyed my house, sorry for not coming earlier, but I had to remove the debris to get out, it took forever, though.”

“How did you know I was still alive?”

“Your floating plushie told me about it.”

The contractor was floating alongside Shizune, apparently indifferent at the heavy rain and the destruction that surrounded him. The contractor's inability to make expressions added up to that perception of indifference. Whatever the case, the bird guided Shizune there.

“Iblis... why are you here?”

“Because you are still alive, which means I still have a job to do.”

“How does that matter? Look around you! I failed to protect them!“ Frustration pumped some energy back into Raiko.

“Why are you blaming yourself? You are still an ordinary human, there's no way you could have done anything about the attack. If anything, it's good that you're alive, you are too valuable to let you die.”

“What value does a purifier who can't protect others have? I failed before even starting!”

Shizune climbed the debris and slapped Raiko in the face with a visible expression of anger.

“Don’t act like you’re the only one who lost everything! I found mama’s corpse on my way here!”

Shizune has always been the sour type, but this was the first time in years that Raiko has seen her truly angry. Still panting from exhaustion, her teeth seemed to glow in the dark, making her look like a predator. Without giving her a break, she pulled her by her shirt.

“You failed, but you still can obtain the power to fight back, think rationally for once in your life, you stupid bird brain!”

“Disrespect aside.” Iblis tried to calm them down. “Being a purifier is not a matter of merit, it is a matter of spirit, if you have the energy to argue with me, you still have the spirit to become one.”

Shizune took a deep breath and let her friend go, seemingly returning her attention to her rescue duties. There was a last beam blocking Raiko's leg, and Shizune didn't seem to be able to move it. It wasn’t heavy, but it was stuck into other breams, and she couldn’t move them all.

“I don't think I'll be able to get you out of here without breaking your leg.”

Raiko’s eyes contracted in terror upon those words.

“That won't be necessary.“ The contractor intervened. “It is true that the conditions are far from optimal, but we can still make our contract, it is possible that as a purifier you will be able to break free from the debris.”

Raiko, who has been silent since Shizune’s burst of anger, decided to do what she told her to do. The power she always dreamed of is right there, a few words away. But after what just happened, she didn’t feel worthy of it.

“I suppose I still have to protect Shizune.” She mumbled.

“Consider where you are, Raiko.” Shizune’s anger management didn’t seem to be on tune that night.

“Then what do I want this power for?”

“Even though your village is gone, there are still other villages and towns you can protect!” The contractor insisted.

“But I wanted to protect this village, not some random place I have never been at.”

“See? That’s the spirit I am talking about.”

She didn’t see it as spirit, though. She was simply being stubborn, like a child refusing a new toy because she wanted to play with the one someone else had. Her whole life purpose was stolen away, what is she supposed to do?

“I don’t need a babysitter, Raiko.” Shizune spoke again, this time in her usual calm tone. “But I have lost enough today to just watch you die on top of it.”

“I know, but I don’t know what I, we, should do after this.”

“Honestly I have no clue either, but I’m pretty damn sure we won’t find that out sitting in the rain.” She answered, pointing at the sky.

Judging by her eyebrows, she was trying to say something else, but she couldn’t find the words for it. The gunmaker massaged her forehead for a moment and gave it a try anyway.

“Look, Aomura isn’t completely gone, we’re still here.” She said, spreading her arms. “I don’t know what awaits us out there, but don’t you think we could use some power to fight back?”

“So… to protect what’s left of our life?”

“I wish I could give you the answers you need, but I can’t even answer my own questions right now. The only thing I know is that I don’t want you to stay here and catch a cold.”

Raiko’s eyes delved into Shizune’s. Under that thick grumpy layer of hers, that was her way to say she cared about her. She always hated to be looked down upon, and the best way to get her to do something was always to tell her she can’t.

“So… you want me to become a purifier so you’re not lonely?”

Shizune frowned at those words. But something on her didn’t quite give her an angry look. She sat next to Raiko, looking away from her and clenching her fists.

“I want you to become a purifier so you can get out of here.” She said with a trembling voice. “This is going to hurt you a lot, you can’t see how awful the attack was from there, but you will not be alone on this, okay?”

“How bad is it?”

“Make your stupid contract and see it for yourself, no words can prepare you for that but if you just give up, that’s it.” Shizune took a deep breath. “In our current situation, you are going to need every bit of strength you can muster.”

Raiko extended her hand to pet her in the back. Even though she can’t forgive herself for what happened, maybe someday she will if she fights hard enough. At least, she always wanted to become an example for everyone else.

After all, her mother raised no quitters.

“Now, do me a favor and be done with this.” Shizune refused to look at her.

Shizune stood on her feet and walked out of the debris without looking back at her. Raiko took a deep breath, she was thinking only about herself as if only her dreams were shattered. In front of her remained the last of her dreams, alongside the worst nightmare she ever had, now a reality, and she had to face both.

Raiko knew that once she raised her gaze everything she knew would completely vanish. Becoming a purifier meant a transformation, but this wasn't the change she wished for. Either way, Shizune was right, it would be preferable to have the strength to fight against it.

“Alright Iblis, let's do it.”

The crystal on the contractor’s forehead began to glow as colorful lights danced between him and the girl stuck under debris. The energy field felt warm, but it also felt as if it was draining Raiko’s strength.

“Raiko Midorikawa.” The glowing phoenix addressed his purifier. “I hereby bestow you with the power of a purifier, now say the words, the oath that will trace your purifier path.”

After everything that happened, a single thought passed through Raiko’s mind. This unfair fate couldn’t be left unpunished. If she couldn’t protect her people, then she had to bring justice to their memory.

“Aomura will be avenged!”

And with that, a flash of light enveloped Raiko's body. Moments later she managed to move the remaining debris away and stand back on her feet. Her clothes changed for a sleeveless shirt of a blueish color, an white skirt and knee high boots. Blue and silver bracelets materialized over her wrists, with a plain looking belt appearing on her waist, over her new outfit, a long orange hood covered her silhouette, kept in place by a metal pin with a glowing red gem on its center.

“So... this is what a purifier looks like.” Raiko didn’t sound particularly excited.

The moment Raiko looked at her surroundings, she discovered that she wasn’t lied to. Wherever she looked, there was nothing but devastation. The house she grew up at was now a pile of ruins, with her family nowhere to be seen.

She lifted her face, the house in front of her, formerly the home of the Aki family, was now in ruins, she noticed a pair of legs separated from the rest of their body, but she couldn’t tell whose legs they were, a twisted, scarred arm was visible through the ruins themselves, reminding the now purifier of her promise to protect them from harm, a promise she was unable to fulfill.

Another house at the north was burned to the ground, as were the other houses beyond it. The burned body of a child laid on the ground, it appears that he managed to crawl out of the fire before collapsing. Raiko’s stomach contracted so hard she felt it would implode, and the further she looked, the worse it got.

Not a single house was left standing, at the distance, the temple had collapsed on itself. Did Miss Aya suffer her same fate? Did she die before she could suffer? Why did the gods punish them like this?

Which kind of horrible sin did they commit to deserve being exterminated with such brutality?

But… she survived, and so did Shizune, there had to be someone else, if Iblis could sense her under the ruins, then he probably sensed someone else, there was no way they were only the two survivors. Shizune's face seemed to have the answer to the question she was about to ask, but she wanted to be sure... the pain of knowing the answer wouldn’t be as bad as the dread of uncertainty.

“Iblis, Shizune… did you find anyone else?”

“I asked him about it when he found me.” Shizune shook her head. “We're the only ones left.”

Raiko's expression didn't change, it stayed as dark as before asking. Her father's knife, now turned on a straight saber with a silver spiral guard around the grip reflected her face for a moment. There wasn't a single tear, she wasted them all when she was buried.

“My family... my friends... the village I wanted to protect... everyone and everything...”

Shizune just stared at her in silence.

For years, Raiko daydreamed about becoming a purifier. To be the protector of her people, a granter of hope and a happy, quiet life. Today she has finally become one, but there is almost nobody left to protect. Her face twisted in disgust, trying desperately to cling into Shizune’s words.

The gods have abandoned them, that’s how it was. Shizune did not lie to her, no matter what she could have said, nothing would have prepared her for what she saw.

Raiko had exchanged power for everything she ever cared for and she wasn’t asked about it. Her bright future, her many plans, they were robbed from her by an external force she couldn’t see coming.

What is power useful for with nothing to protect?

What’s even the point of being a purifier now?

But even then, she still had a duty towards her people. Most importantly, they weren’t all gone. Shizune was looking at her with an annoyed expression, probably because she didn’t want to stand in the rain any longer than she had to, noticing she got her attention, the gunmaker spoke.

“For the time being... Let's get back to the workshop until the rain stops, we can think on what to do afterwards.”

“We should, shouldn’t we?”

“We’re the entirety of Aomura now.” She placed her hand on Raiko’s shoulder. “I’m counting on you, partner.”

“Yes!”

Raiko did something she thought she couldn’t do in a moment like this. She smiled at Shizune, and it wasn’t a small grin either, but a big, radiant smile.

Even though her dreams were shattered and she was robbed of her family, friends, and home, she wasn’t alone. Sure, she wasn’t the kindest or most cheerful, but she knew Shizune was always someone she could rely on.

A tiny bit of hope took hold in her heart, shining at the middle of an immense ocean of pain and despair. As long as she wasn’t alone, she had something to cling onto, something she could draw strength from in order to push forward.

She now understood what she had to do, walking under the rain and looking at the ruins of her village. As painful as it was, she was still the guardian of Aomura.

Nonetheless, waiting for the rain to end was probably the best thing to do at the moment. She can’t do what she has to do if she is sick, after all.