CHAPTER 37: YOUR NOT ALONE (PART 2)

Delicately.

He placed it on hers.

It was at that point.

He felt it.

A warmth.

Like something ancient and broken inside of her was realigning, like a new thread weaving between two lost souls.

"SEAL COMPLETE! JOB’S DONE, KENTARO!"

Tenka’s voice burst through the comms, elated.

Kentaro smiled in relief. He leaned his forehead off hers, gently stepping back.

And then instantly realized a critical mistake.

Yura’s Sublimation Armor, her entire celestial form, began dissolving into soft, lilac-colored light.

It evaporated around her in glimmering waves, leaving behind nothing but flawless, porcelain skin.

His eyes widened.

Her bare body shimmered in the frosted sunlight.

Every curve, every detail.

Divine and dangerous. Like a goddess sculpted in ice and fire.

"AHHH! H-HOW DARE YOU LOOK, YOU VILE HUMAN!!"

Yura shrieked, her arms flying up to cover herself.

Then, in a full panic, she dove straight into Kentaro’s chest, pressing herself flush against him.

"W-WHY! WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO ME!?"

Kentaro’s brain short-circuited.

Her soft, warm skin, her breasts.

They were right there. Against him. Again.

"SH-SHIT!! SHIT, NOT AGAIN!!" he screamed internally, frozen in place like a living statue.

"Kentaro, listen," Tenka’s voice returned, trying hard not to laugh.

"We’re stabilizing her energy. You need to keep her calm until we finish prep for pickup."

"WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?! WHAT DO I DO, TENKA!?"

"I dunno! Take her for a walk or something romantic. Ah, and behind you. We sent over clothes."

He turned, and sure enough.

A small pile of folded clothes had teleported in.

A soft purple dress and black leggings.

Kentaro awkwardly tapped her shoulder.

"H-Hey, Yura, um... w-we should get you changed, o-okay...?"

Yura peeked up at him, still clinging to his bare chest, her face flushed scarlet.

"...No."

He blinked. "W-what?"

"Not until I get something first."

She pouted, an actual, adorable pout, her cheeks burning.

"S-Something... you gave the Ice Woman..."

Her lips quivered.

"And not me."

Kentaro’s mind replayed the memory.

The kiss he’d given Serica.

His heart stopped.

She wants...

A kiss!?

Yura stared up at him, her expression teetering between pride and bashfulness.

"I-If you don’t..."

Her voice shrank to a whisper.

"I’ll leave. And you can forget about me..."

Her face was so red it practically steamed.

She looked like an edgy tsundere who got emotionally hit by a truck.

Kentaro gulped.

His eyes met hers.

She was vulnerable.

Beautiful.

Terrified of being cast aside like she always had been.

He stepped forward.

Lifted her chin.

And leaned in.

Their lips touched.

Tentative at first, then slow and tender.

Yura gasped softly, but didn’t pull away. Her eyes fluttered shut, and her body melted into his arms.

Her heart thundered, but her soul was calm.

For once...

She wasn’t unwanted.

And when their lips parted, she looked up at him through a blurry mist of emotion.

"D-Do you promise?" she asked, voice trembling.

"To never leave me...?"

Kentaro smiled, warm and unwavering.

"As long as I’m alive... you’ll always have me."

Yura’s eyes widened, then she squeaked, finally realizing she was still naked.

"E-ENOUGH FLUFF!"

She leapt backward, clutching herself with both arms and pointing at the dress.

"Your answer w-will s-suffice! Now turn around and let me dress in peace!"

Kentaro spun on his heel instantly.

"Yes, ma’am!"

Behind him, soft rustles and grumbles echoed.

Yura mumbled under her breath, something about "pervert humans" and "why does this keep happening."

But Kentaro didn’t hear.

He was staring at the sky.

And for the first time in days, the clouds were parting.

The frozen forest lightened, golden rays pouring through gaps in the branches, and beyond it, where the world stretched into the horizon.

It was the sunset.

The most beautiful he had ever seen.

"Ken," Tenka chimed in, her voice gentler now.

"I’ve got a better idea than standing there frozen. Take her somewhere nice, there’s a shoreline just ahead. Show her the beach."

Kentaro smiled, glancing back as Yura stepped out, now fully dressed, her arms still crossed awkwardly.

"W-What are you looking at?"

She asked, trying and failing to sound annoyed.

"Nothing," Kentaro chuckled.

"Come on. I want to show you something."

*

The sand was soft.

Not the kind that stuck, but the kind that crumbled between your toes like powdered glass.

Kentaro and Yura walked side by side, their shoes in hand, the air carrying that ocean-washed salt and warmth.

The sky was bleeding orange, lilac, and bruised blue. Clouds smudged like brushstrokes across the fading light.

Yura looked out to the endless horizon, her mouth slightly open. Her hair danced in the sea breeze, her purple dress catching the glow of the sun like silk. For a girl forged in coldness, the warmth felt... unfamiliar.

She stepped closer to the shore. A wave rolled in, touching her toes. She jumped.

"Ah-!"

Kentaro laughed gently from behind her.

"It’s just water."

She narrowed her eyes. "It attacked me."

He smirked. "It’s the ocean, not an enemy."

"...Looks suspicious."

Kentaro sat in the sand, arms behind him.

She stayed standing for a moment, then finally sat down beside him, her knees drawn up to her chest.

"This is... peaceful," she murmured.

"Yeah," Kentaro nodded, eyes on the sun. "After everything, it almost feels unreal."

Yura was quiet.

Her voice softened.

"I don’t remember the last time I felt something like this... Not since... before everything."

He didn’t push her. Just waited.

"...I always thought the world had no place for me," she said finally, eyes distant. "Not the sky, not the cities. Not even my own reflection. But here... It’s quiet. I can hear my thoughts."

She paused.

"I don’t hate it."

Kentaro turned to her. "You belong in this world just like anyone else."

Yura didn’t respond. Instead, she leaned her head slightly onto his shoulder, hesitant at first.

Then settled there.

The sun touched the sea.

The last light painted them both in fire and gold.

"We’ll pick you up in ten," Tenka’s voice came through the comms, softer than usual. "Just... enjoy this for a little while longer."

Kentaro smiled.

"Understood."

Yura let out a tiny, almost invisible sigh.

"...Hey Kentaro?"

"Yeah?"

"If I asked to stay like this... just a little longer... would that be okay?"

He looked at her, her face half-hidden behind tousled hair, her expression finally soft, finally safe.

"Of course," he said. "As long as you want."

And so they sat, two strange souls pulled together by chaos, finally given a moment to breathe.

*

Far above the sea, where the air turned sharp and the salt couldn’t reach.

A lone figure stood on the jagged cliffside, cloak swaying like a torn shadow in the dusk.

Her silver-haired dancing along with the wind.

Her eyes,half-lidded, tired, knowing, watched the pair on the beach below.

She didn’t move.

She didn’t blink.

In her gloved hand, a small crystalline device flickered once, then fell silent.

The ocean roared behind her.

She exhaled through her nose, an invisible sigh. Then, almost too softly for the wind to carry:

"I see... Kentaro. I was right to have spared you."

A faint smile ghosted her lips.

"Let’s hope you’re worth it."

The device blinked again, one long pulse of blue light, and she turned without another word, disappearing behind the outcrop as if the earth itself swallowed her whole.

Nothing remained. No name. No footsteps. Just the whisper of a tide returning to shore.