Neighbors in forbidden land

"You...you know..."

"Princess Yimi calls you Xiao Hei. I think there should be only one person around Princess Yimi who can be called Xiao Hei?" In the darkness, her voice was cold. For a moment, I thought I had returned to the original on that pier.

"..."

"And, it's too similar, isn't it? When I first saw you, I thought there was something wrong with you."

"Did you guess it from the beginning..." If this is the case, it doesn't seem so strange.

After all... If you can see with your eyes, many things are difficult to hide.

Just like Yimi, because many things cannot be seen, there will be deviations in understanding.

Yimi has never seen the appearance of "disaster" with her own eyes. From the time she landed on this land with her eyes closed, I have been with her until she opened her eyes and saw me.

Therefore, Yimi just knows that I am a monster.

"These are not important anymore. I don't care how you became like this. I only care about whether Princess Yimi knows what you are." Finally, I saw Zi's hand move slightly, as if it could move at any time. The appearance of pulling out the sword, "Those two guys are not human, are they?"

"We are not human beings. Yimi is very clear about this." After thinking about it for a while, I tried to imitate Yimi's firmer tone to speak.

"..." Azusa fell silent, her head drooped slightly, so that I couldn't see her face even more.

"Yimi's eyes are useless to me, so Yimi knows what I look like."

It's just that she doesn't know what I really look like.

"Is that so..." After Azusa finished speaking, she moved her hand to the sword hilt at her waist.

Eh?wait--

Made a move I didn't expect.

She bowed to me, bent her waist deeply, but her upper body was still straight.

"Eh?"

Wait, wait, wait, I remember Yimi said that this is an etiquette move?What does it mean?Seems like a thank you?Or apologize?What is the return gift?

I was in a moment of confusion, because I thought she was going to draw a sword and cut me, and I was still thinking about what to do with my clothes...

"On behalf of Queen Lily of the Valley and Professor Huot, thank you for saving Princess Yimi for us."

"This...it's nothing. If I really want to say it...it's the work of raising my claws?" It seems that I really just raised my claws and picked Yimi out of the sea.

"You did what none of us could do."

"..." I always feel that her tone is very similar to Yimi's when she first arrived, with a thousand kinds of unwillingness.

"We...have been blaming ourselves for all this, no one wants to see today's result...but there is nothing we can do..."

"you……"

"If I tried my best to protect Princess Yimi against all opinions at the beginning...the result would not be like today..."

"... Are you crying?"

Azusa's body was trembling. When she saw Yimi just now, she had a similar reaction. "..." In the end, she just slowly straightened her waist and regained her indifference.

However, I always feel that the crystal tears on her cheeks are fleeting, very similar to the stars I saw that night.

"This is a thank you authorized by the palace. Personally, I don't like you, especially when you call Princess Yimi by name." At this moment, she returned to her previous appearance.

After I thought about it, something stirred deep inside me.

"I don't like you either, you always call Yimi 'Princess Princess', remember what I said?"

I don't quite know what kind of voice I have now.

It's just a feeling that some words can't be controlled blurted out, just like every time I am stupid in front of Yimi.

"Yimi is my princess."

"Everyone, each other." After she threw out these words, I finally looked straight into her dark eyes, even if one of them was covered, it still had a sharp light, "What purpose did you save her back then? Princess Yimi?"

"You still call Yimi 'princess'."

"Aren't you still calling Princess Yimi by her name?"

The two of us stared at each other, neither letting the other go.

"You're really going to die with my claws." I squeezed my hands that were no longer claws, but the four fingers were still as sharp as claws, and said while staring at Azusa.

"Speak as if you can hit me." Azusa held the hilt of the sword at his waist, staring at me without showing any weakness, "You don't want the other wing anymore?"

"It's the first time I feel so unhappy about any human being, although I don't know what it feels like to be unhappy."

"It's the same for me. For the first time, I think it might be better to cut some monsters, although I have cut monsters so much that I forget the feeling."

"..."

After a strange silence fell between us, Azusa spoke slowly.

"...You haven't answered my previous question."

"What's the problem?" I didn't respond for a while.

"Why did you save Princess Yimi?"

"Didn't you throw her into the sea? Humans will die if they are submerged in water?"

"That's why you rushed towards us at that time?" Azusa's face was filled with disbelief.

"Is there any other reason?"

"Why do you want to save a human being who has nothing to do with you?"

"Yimi has nothing to do with me? What are you talking about?"

In the end, I found that Zi raised his hand and pressed his face hard, with a painful expression... This expression is very similar to Yimi's expression every time he sees me being stupid.

"It's tiring talking to you...I mean, at that time, you didn't know Princess Yimi, did you?"

that……

"So what if you don't know each other?"

"Why would a monster want to save humans?"

"Why wouldn't a group of humans want to save another human?"

"Sure enough, I should have given you a sword..."

"Because you didn't save Yimi, so I did. After all, life is really fragile." Because of one of my mistakes, thousands of lives just passed away.

And after so many years, there is only one life that can be saved.

"I made too many mistakes, at least this time, I don't think I did anything wrong."

There must be nothing wrong with rescuing Yimi.

Now I understand that she didn't just bring me colors I hadn't seen in ages, she brought life to the land.

Although Wu Shao has to ask Wu Shao for a lot of knowledge, none of this would have started without Yimi.

I will sink down in this land forever, living a similar day to day.

But now, everything is different.

What I have experienced in the period since I met Yimi is far more than what I have experienced in the past so many days.

I started to learn about human beings, and began to understand human beings. Although I didn't learn well, I was often called a fool by Yimi.

But we are still working hard, I study hard, and Yimi works hard to live.

"...Is this why the princess trusts you so much?" Zi just sighed softly, with a hint of helplessness on his face, and his voice became very soft, "Obviously the time we stayed together... It will take a little longer...but in the end you made a mistake on a major decision..."

Azusa raised her head, took a long breath, then slowly lowered her head, staring into my eyes.

"But I don't trust you, although I have to admit that you have done better than me and us."

Then, Azusa's line of sight crossed me and looked behind me. I turned around and followed Azusa's line of sight, but I couldn't see anything. I was only lit by the light from the specially set "window" Dark and dilapidated corridors.

"There is something that I hope you will pass on to the princess." Azusa said suddenly, and when I turned around, Azusa handed something in front of me.

I spread my hands in front of me, ready to catch something with my arms.

"Why don't you use your hands..."

"If I use my hands, this thing will break." Although I haven't seen what it is...

"..." Azusa just looked at me helplessly, and then directly stuffed that thing into my creaking nest.

"Clamp it firmly." Zi Bai gave me a look, "You can show it to the princess and she will understand. Everything we want to say is here."

"Oh, oh!" I hurriedly put my arms close to my body to ensure that the thing would not fall off.

Just the initial feeling... like a rock?

"Why don't you just give it to Yimi?" Obviously when we met just now, there was a chance.

"...Some things cannot be delivered in person."

"Why not?"

"I can't explain it clearly to you... You can't understand it even if I tell you..."

"I'm leaving, I hope..." Azusa turned around slowly, and walked along the aisle to the exit of the cabin, "...take care of the princess."

I kept tucking one arm and hurriedly chased after him.

"Why are you still following me..."

"Yimi asked me to come out and see you off."

"...I don't need you to send it, you go back."

"But I have to obey what Yimi said?" "..."

"I know what it means to give away! It's to accompany someone to a place some distance away from here and then go back by myself. Yimi told me that I have given Wu Shao several times."

"..."

The sun is set against the sea breeze swirling on the golden sand, and the calm blue sea is shining with dazzling white light. This is the most common color in this barren land. For me, these are commonplace, but Zi I still couldn't help but take a second look, and adjusted the bandages on my body.

"Why didn't you tell Yimi that you were injured?" I tried to ask Zi, Yimi couldn't see Zi's current appearance at all, if Yimi knew that Zi had suffered these injuries, she wouldn't say such serious words again.

"The knight's injury is always behind him, in a corner where no one needs to see it."

"Uh... what do you mean?" Isn't it full of injuries, I can see it clearly...Why do you say it is behind?

Rarely, I saw Azusa lower her head slightly, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly. It was a different smile from Yue Yimi's. Feel her mood.

"This is the code of knights. We accept praise in the light, but we must be bruised and bruised in the dark."

It's all... what and what?

"There is no need for the princess to worry about such things, and this is not a glorious injury." Azusa tightened the loose bandage on her hand, and glanced at me, "I tried my best at that time, Only then will they burn themselves together."

I remembered, when she sliced ​​off my wingspan, the flames on the sword seemed too strong, and burned herself.

"Okay, you go back quickly, remember not to drop things." Zi bowed slightly to me, but gave me a hard look, turned and left towards the east.

Looking at the back that was a little flimsy in the sun, I hurriedly ran and bounced back to the cabin, while Yimi and Xiao Gu had already cleaned up the dining room and were now in the lounge.

"Why did it take so long..." Yimi asked me softly with a calm expression.

"That... we talked about something..."

"Talk?" A puzzled look appeared on Yimi's face, "Although I'm curious about what you two can say, I'm even more curious about whether Azusa didn't kill you as a monster... No, it seems Are you a monster?"

"Can such a human being be able to cut this guy?" Before I could answer, Lan Xue snatched the words with a chuckle.

"Didn't I always tell you, Yimi? I'm better than her."

There is no doubt about this. After all, when I was at the pier that day, I let them in, right?

"Yes... I admit that Xiao Hei is stronger than Azusa, right?" Although Yimi said so, her expression was very strange.

"Hei, what are you holding?" Little Gu said, pointing to the stone in my arm.

"Oh, this, Yimi, this is what Azusa asked me to hand over to you." "I don't want it." As a result, Yimi just puffed up her cheeks and replied.

"Hey... Azusa entrusted me to bring it to you, it seems to be something that I can't give you in person..."

"Then I don't even want it anymore. I don't even have the courage to give it to me in person. It must be something to apologize for, right? What's the use of giving me this now?" As a result, Yimi seemed a little excited, and Xiaogu hurried I hugged Yimi.

"Throw it away."

"but……"

"I said throw it away!"

"Oh……"

So, just when I was about to throw the thing away, my arm suddenly loosened, and the thing fell out of my creaking nest.

Then rolled to Yimi's side.

It is a square stone with red symbols on its almost transparent surface.

"What's missing?" Yimi seemed to have heard the voice and lowered her head.

"It's the one Azusa brought—" Before I finished speaking, the stone glowed slightly red, and then.

Similar to Yimi's voice, but a younger female voice appeared with the red light:

"Sister, I'm sorry."

"..." I could feel that Yimi seemed to take a slight breath, and lowered her head in disbelief, facing the stone that continued to emit red light.

"Also, 16 years old, happy birthday, sister."

"Happy birthday, princess." It was Azusa's voice.

"Full of happiness and longevity, call on Jin'an from a distance, my student." An unfamiliar male voice.

The red glow disappeared.

Only the strings of dripping tears.

It is more crystal clear than the stone lying quietly in front of Yimi.