When Ariel opened his eyes in the hospital room, a completely different, new world unfolded before him.
Whoooosh!
Starlight overflowed from within his body, and everything—people and objects alike—appeared to move in slow motion.
Time slows down!
It felt as if he were the only one detached from this flowing world. Everything seemed like it had fallen into a black-and-white realm.
Ding ding!
‘Is this the influence of the stars?’
He thought it might take a fair bit of time to adapt. Everything felt strange and looked different.
Hooonngg!
When he looked at a human, he could vaguely see how strong they were and what path they had walked. That’s because starlight enveloped his vision.
Sparkle sparkle!
And then, the moment Iria walked into the hospital room, his line of sight shifted once more.
Bam!
She carried an alien energy inside her that Ariel had never encountered before. Was she really even the same kind of human?
Hmm?
He didn’t know.
Dramatic music!
He had never seen such a ominous aura before.
Dum dum!
Ariel reached out with his starlight, trying to gauge what kind of person Iria was, but—
Thud!
It was rejected.
Ariel couldn’t read anything about Iria. Instead, his head throbbed painfully as he tried.
Bang!
Iria simply existed there, extinguishing the stars’ vision. She had a colossal presence that contrasted starkly with her harmless appearance.
Whoooa!
Do others not notice such a gigantic being?
Scratching head!
Thinking back, Ariel had felt the same way before awakening to the stars’ vision. Perhaps this feeling was something he alone had.
Maybe?
That’s why he called her to a place where no one would be around. As much as Iria seemed interested in him, Ariel found himself equally intrigued by her.
Curiosity piqued!
When Ariel summoned her, Iria followed without a word. She was still an eye-catching girl, gleaming like a jewel.
Shiny!
With her long, flowing silver-white hair and a cold aura that exuded a mystical vibe.
Chilly!
But that couldn’t be all of it.
Ding ding!
Iria’s crimson eyes resembled something that wasn’t human. What did they remind him of? Ariel pondered for a moment while staring into her eyes.
Hmm…
And then he realized.
Eureka!
Iria’s gaze, directed at Ariel, resembled that of a wolf he had seen that day.
Grrr!
Is Iria a human at all?
Doubts arise!
The stars answered no, but Ariel didn’t believe them. He wanted to meet her and find out for himself.
Adventure time!
*
On the hillside behind the academy, where the common folk could not tread, a heavy silence hovered between the two.
Shhh…
The stars were wary of Iria. Therefore, Ariel was cautious too. However, he hadn’t summoned her to oppose her.
No fighting!
Rather, he wanted to clear up any misunderstandings.
Clearing the air!
The colossal presence he had sensed was likely due to his feelings, and he wanted to conclude that Iria was still a harmless being.
Peaceful thoughts!
For that, he felt a conversation with her was necessary.
Chit-chat time!
“Iria.”
“Yes.”
“I have something to ask.”
“Go ahead.”
Talky time!
Since both of them had typically been poor at conversation, their exchange consisted of short sentences.
Short and sweet!
However, the emotions tangled within their dialogue weren’t faint. Ariel hesitated to speak, while Iria seemed slightly tense.
Anxious vibes!
Though she maintained her usual expressionless face, she was subtly observing Ariel’s demeanor.
Eyes on you!
If necessary, she could simply erase his memory, but Ariel’s case was different, making it quite problematic. He hadn’t succumbed to mental attacks like hypnosis or brainwashing.
Not today!
Every mental assault was ineffective against him. Even when he put Sera or Albert to sleep, it hadn’t been like this.
Yawn!
Thus, he had to respond carefully to the questions he received. If he couldn’t erase memories, he would have no choice but to kill Ariel.
Yikes!
As a bit of time passed, Ariel finally spoke.
Dramatic pause!
“…Is Iria human?”
Gasp!
That was indeed a hard question to answer.
Sweating bullets!
Iria fell silent. Naturally, she couldn’t speak the truth. The moment she was discovered as a monster, disaster would ensue.
Doomsday alert!
Should she lie?
Thinking cap on!
“…”
But how?
Scratching head!
Iria was not practiced at lying. She had never needed to learn. From the beginning, she was strong and had the ability to alter someone’s memories at will. It wasn’t as if there had been a situation requiring her to lie.
Truth games!
Trying to spit out a clumsy lie would be like confessing the truth. Thus, Iria remained silent, swallowing her words.
Chomp!
Ariel continued speaking slowly, denying the whispers of the stars. At the very least, Ariel wanted to believe that she was a human, just like him.
Positive thoughts!
“…I hope you can at least answer this.”
“I don’t understand the intention behind your question.”
Confused!
But since that was an extremely sensitive topic for Iria, her tone turned sharp.
Pointy feelings!
Her expression and voice didn’t change, but somehow Ariel felt she seemed angrier than usual.
Wait, what?
No, upon closer observation, it wasn’t that there wasn’t any change at all.
Eureka!
Her eyebrows and forehead twitched slightly. Had Ariel been an ordinary human seeing Iria for the first time, he might not have noticed that subtle transformation.
Noticing little things!
But after watching her for the past few days, he could tell. Today’s Iria was sharper than before.
Caution advised!
Had his hasty question provoked her? Ariel swallowed dryly.
Gulp!
Iria stepped forward, continuing to speak.
Step closer!
“Is that all you’ve summoned me here to say? I’m not some lifeless doll that stands by quietly when I hear rude remarks.”
Not a doll!
“That’s not it…”
Defensive!
“Do you think I look like a monster? You have no idea how much of a curse it is to be born with red eyes in this world.”
A painful truth!
She continued speaking in a calm voice, while pressuring Ariel.
Intense atmosphere!
She wasn’t genuinely angry, after all. Iria had been more emotionally clumsy than humans.
Ding ding!
Rather, she believed this was her only way to dodge the question. Since lying was not her skill, she merely mixed truths with falsehoods that once were true.
Truth salad!
The truth mixed with lies blurred to the point that even Iria couldn’t recognize them as lies. Therefore, Ariel could not get a single word in while she continued her monologue.
Silenced!
Iria’s crimson eyes flickered intensely.
Sparkle sparkle!
“Do you think I’m not human? If you’re suspicious of my identity, you can kill me right here. There wouldn’t be any witnesses.”
Threat level: High!
“Iria!”
“…What?”
Surprise!
Even while uttering such cruel words, Iria’s expression did not waver.
Steady gaze!
That wasn’t just bravado either. If she had the ability, she could die for anyone. In fact, she felt like saying she would rather it be done.
It’s all on you!
But whether such a being existed in this world remained a question.
Inquisitive thoughts!
Iria drew Ariel’s sword handle for him, guiding it into his grip. Then she placed the blade against her own neck.
Pointed weapon!
Even with a sword at her throat, her red eyes showed no signs of movement. They merely sparkled as they focused on Ariel.
Eyes on the prize!
“You can find out if I’m human by cutting me. I’m giving you the chance to uncover the truth.”
Truth or dare!
Just for reference, if Ariel swung his sword as Iria suggested, red magical energy would burst forth reflexively, and Ariel’s neck would be cut.
Doom incoming!
At first glance, it seemed as if she were risking her life, but in reality, it was the opposite. Iria held the fate of Ariel in her hands.
Time to think!
Eventually, one of them had to die. Even if that process was hastened slightly, it wouldn’t bother Iria at all.
Absolutely fine!
And most importantly—
Deep breaths!
“…”
“…”
Each knew Ariel wouldn’t actually swing that sword.
Not happening!
Ariel’s thoughts couldn’t be read, but Iria had noted the human nature he possessed up until now.
Spot on!
Ariel wouldn’t swing that sword. Even now, his hand gripping the sword trembled.
Tremble!
Iria waited.
Anticipating!
The monster, clumsy with emotions, passed the power of choice to another.
Dilemma!
Waiting was something Iria excelled at. Nothing else felt more familiar than this.
Staying still!
And waiting brought silence. It took a bit of time before Ariel would show some kind of reaction to Iria’s behavior.
Silence!
Ariel finally said,
Deep breath!
“…I’m sorry.”
Apology mode activated!
He stepped back a few paces and sheathed his sword.
Sheath!
Having known nothing of Iria, he presumed that his thoughtless remark had touched upon her trauma.
Oops!
That had not been his intention, but once again, he had hurt her.
Triggers!
The conversation between the two came to an unexpectedly abrupt end. Having heard the apology, Iria immediately turned away, as if there were no value left in continuing.
Goodbye!
“Ariel.”
“…I’m listening.”
Ears open!
“Don’t try to know too much about me.”
Keep distance!
Ariel had yet to fully understand Iria.
Still learning!
Though he had grown stronger than before, he hadn’t earned the right yet.
Patience needed!
If the day ever came when he could stand on equal footing to engage in conversations with Iria, he would naturally learn.
Trust the process!
“Forget about today.”
Wipe the slate clean!
At the very least, it wasn’t now. If he tried to dig any deeper, one of them would undoubtedly die. And that one would most likely be Ariel.
Possible outcome!
Today, Ariel was enchanted by the Back Alley Monster.
Dooo dooo!
Ariel had attempted to converse with Iria, but it had been a failure.
Boo!
He hadn’t expected Iria to receive his question so sensitively.
Surprise!
-Do you think I look like a monster?
Gulp!
-Do you even understand how much of a curse it is to be born with red eyes in this world?
Heavy thoughts!
Perhaps he hadn’t been considerate enough.
Oopsie!
It’s possible Iria had been treated as something non-human since childhood.
Poor girl!
Finding a human with red eyes was rare to the point of difficulty.
Rare find!
Looking at it from that perspective, one might speculate about the kind of past Iria had experienced. Surely, she must have grown up in a dark environment.
Shadows cast!
She seemed all too used to being treated like a monster.
Worn down!
As if she had been subjected to such remarks repeatedly.
Ding dong!
Yet despite her sensitive nerve being poked, she didn’t show any signs of disturbance. She came off sharp but retained an underlying calmness.
Composure!
That appearance resembled someone dulled by repeated wounds.
Hardened heart!
“…”
Ariel chastised himself. He should have been more cautious before asking the question.
Facepalm!
In an instant, Iria’s pupils seemed reminiscent of a monster’s, and he realized he had been lost in thoughts on that alone.
Minding the details!
From that day onward, sympathy and compassion began to mark Ariel’s gaze when he looked at Iria.
Feeling for her!
