... ... ...

"... nnh..." I... I stood up--?... "Eh?" I was wearing a simple dress colored blue and light-grey. 

Wait, thinking back... Wasn't I...? Completely injured? I wasn't suppose to be able to stand or move for a few days, yet...? Here I stood, almost--actually, completely uninjured. 

The door opened, "Hello Lady Shinjii... It's wonderful to see you back up... thank goodness..." Kiko--... She really did look and give off the aura of a mother...

I... "Um, Kiko... Could you please... just use my name, like--... just Tenshi." It... I really never spoke to older women, thinking about it... I also felt uneasy--this isn't a dream, right...? I mean--... I did feel like I came from a long dream, but...

"Ah, of course, I suppose it is much more comfortable if I referred to you as my daughter." Kiko said.

... Thinking about it, the Asashi family look remarkably similar to... No, the Asashi and the Kito family both look very similar, and I am sure I also look similiar to them too. Kou has some similarities, but she was nothing like me to the Asashi and Kito family. 

"Tenshi... I don't know how, but after you fell asleep, your body seemingly healed itself; it scared me so much seeing something like this happen." Kiko--?

... my body healed itself when I fell asleep? 

"Thinking to it, I realized that this was happening from the beginning and you sleeping just quickened the process. I don't know how, but I am thankful that you are okay my Dear." I couldn't help but cry a little knowing someone expressed so much concern for me... I wiped my eyes...

I went over to hug Kiko... "... thank you, Mother... I'm forever in your debt..." Kiko just laughed as she returned my hug.

"Ehehe, no debts here. We do things for each other because we care." She told me. "I'm sorry about your dress Dear, but this was all I had that fit you. It was my old dress when I was around your age, though I was a little bit bigger than you." Ah, really? 

This dress felt different from the various dresses I wore in the Empire. It was much more comfortable and much less constricting. It wasn't flashy, but I still thought this dress was beautiful. 

Kiko turned back to leave the room... "Ah, one more thing Dear; please be careful when practicing with Yatori, he can be a bit rough due to his Father's training. Be safe." 

"Ah, oh... okay... Thank you Mother!" I replied as she left through the door.

... I patted myself to check... This isn't a dream? All that kindness, affection, and... motherly love... It wasn't a dream, it was real? 

I decided to also leave as there wasn't much to do here. My pretty laced boots I had before were cleaned, though the back corner of my right boot had a large scrape. 

"Tenshi...?" Kou muttered seeing me... 

Asashio, Akitio, and Kou were once again out here with Yatori serving the three. Helmsmen was in the corner of the inn watching and drinking a drink - probably wine. Though I suppose me coming out of the Asashi living area's with a completely different dress than what I usually wore was probably quite shocking; even more so to Kou who probably noticed me missing the night. 

I... I walked to Kou and looked down, not at her, but at the ground... "... Sorry..." I apologized...

I quickly put myself to go out to the back door, where I trained... I wanted to look at this place again. The remains of last day's spar.

My... Foolish mistake and ignorance to my safety led to this... I had nothing to do but to blame myself, yet... I felt happy I did such a stupid thing, as I got so much care. "... should I have been guilty? Should I have been so reckless?" I asked myself... Before, I should have never... Now, I can't with so many people caring for me. 

On the ground was a large trace of my miserable landing, a large dirt track of where I landed. Nothing much besides that, no blood, no nothing. A subtle change in the environment... Well, the blood that I did bleed probably took the dirt on me rather than the ground... Besides that, a very worn out metal sword laid on the ground a few meters away.

... Thinking back as to how terrible my injuries were that day, I still don't know how I recovered. As if magically, like a blessing, I recovered with no scars, in a single day. Was this perhaps another part of my Dark Magic...?

My landings still are terrible... To fight and focus on my footing seems impossible, just how do people land perfectly? I took out--ah... 

All my hidden gear like my dagger and stuff... Well--, eh--... 

"How are you doing Tenshi?" Yatori asked me... I turn back to see him checking up on me through the open door.

"I'm fine--somehow." I replied as I kneeled down to look at my dirt tracks. "Mot--your mother did tell you about me, right?" A nod from Yatori was everything I needed to know. "I also don't know anything about my regeneration; I was scared when I got hurt, but... Thankfully I am fine now." 

Yatori...? "I faguely remember seeing my Mother wear that dress--it suits you." Yatori said as he quickly went back into Jewels de Lapins.

At least I didn't look odd in front of others... I picked up the battered sword and practiced by myself. My main problems in that spar was my sluggishness in swinging, my wasted effort, and speed. I took a stance and simply swung the sword... again, and again... and again...

I never took the time to simply swing a sword, all this time I watched Helmsmen swing a sword, but never tried to replicate it myself. I practiced keeping a form, swinging, and judging distance. 

... ... ... swing, swing, strike... Pivot, small leaps... Swiftness, quickiness, and steadiness... ... ... 

"... wow--, such a elegant dance..." I kept--? Ah--, I was so focused on just practicing, I never noticed Asashio who brought the other two out. "Hard to believe you're a beginner Tenshi. Your movements are too smooth..." Asashio...?

... Really? I... "I--it's probably just me not having to worry about getting hurt." I slowly adverted my gaze away... I'm such a weak fighter, no strength, no skill. Only a beautiful dance with a sword. "I--?"...

Thinking about it... A dance with a sword... It was a far cry from that hazy dream, but I felt like my body instictively tried to replicate that dance. 

In front of Kou, I would never practice with the sword. I would not want to give her--... No, thinking back to Yatori's words, I don't care anymore, I would support her in whatever she choose to do, as long as she has good intent and morals. Sigh, here I was selfishly practicing alone with Yatori. I shouldn't really care who's watching me practice.

"Hey, Ai, Kou, please go inside, okay?" Asashio said as the two went inside... now, it was only us...

... once again... "Is there something?" I asked.

"Oh, I was just wondering if you are still going to the capital. That's all." Asashio said as she leaned back on the wall. "We're leaving here in two days to the capital, and... I would still like to know you better; as thanks for taking care of Ai." She... ah...

"I plan to go with you... and--..." I took a deep breath... I decided to say this now... "And... can Kou go as well?" I asked...

Asashio gave me a weird look...? "Did... Even though you forgave me, I thought of you as an over-protective older sister; what happened in these 4 past days for you to change so much?" She--ah, that...

... Well, thinking through it for one, hearing Kou speak out for me made me feel much more confident in her. Yatori also put a convincing argument, and all the pain I felt made me finally understand that Kou will grow, and that I shouldn't limit her growth. If I limit her growth, the eventual pain of life would hurt her much more than if I let her grow. I shouldn't chip her wings; letting her fly and see would make her happier, maybe myself happier too. 

... Huh...? "You rarely smile Tenshi; seeing you smile now reminds me of the ancient angels in the Holy Castle artworks. Though that might be that fact that all the angels are young girls." Asashio said.

I... look like an angel? Haha, what kind of angel kills and inflict pain on people?

"But yes, Kou is very welcome. Please do be ready the morning following the next day." She told me as she went back into Jewels de Lapins.

... An angel...? Huh, what could she mean? 

I can expect Kou to prepare herself. As for me... well, I should probably prepare myself and practice my combat skills. Dark Magic, swordplay, and mental preparation. I should also just force myself to stop forcing myself to duel and simply just practice swing with Yatori.