Yukito

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“Have you ever heard of someone named Yukito?”

That was a word I never assumed I would ever hear from someone other than myself. That girl is… Yukito?

Is this short silver-haired vampire the Yukito I knew in my past life? Her fighting style when we fought that time makes more sense now. Her arrogant, rude, and disrespectful tone also resembled the Yukito I knew very well back then.

While I had already begun to believe we would never meet again… Yukito now stands in front of me in the appearance of a 14-year-old vampire girl.

“M-My apologies Haru! Just forget I ever mentioned it!” As Eira turned to walk down the steps the display reminded me of how Yukito and I met in our past life.

When I met Yukito for the first time I was six years old. I always struggled to make friends with anyone at school because my mother forced us to travel for work so often.

After school had been released, I was relieved to walk home by myself again. I had grown used to it after being forced to the matter so often. As I walked past our playground, I caught sight of a silver-haired boy swinging on the swing set, his figure glimmering in the sunlight.

. “Silver Hair?” My thoughts wandered to anyone at my school who matched that description. No matter what I tried I couldn’t think of a single person. This person was special.

Before I noticed it, I started walking towards the fence, my gaze fixed on him in awe. After a few minutes had passed he seemed to notice me.

“Hey, stalker!”

His rude words instantly transformed my curiosity and interest into annoyance.

“I’m not a stalker!”

“Oh, what are you looking at then” The slight tilt of his head seemed to invoke a puzzled reaction in myself.

“Your hair.”

“I thought you weren’t looking at me.”

“I wasn’t”

My reply seemed to force a rupture of laughter out of the boy, and I quickly turned away from him embarrassingly.

“My name is Setsuko, Yukito. What’s yours?”

‘Yukito? Is he named after snow? That might explain that silver hair of his.’  While I was lost in thought, the boy swiftly hopped off the swing set with remarkable velocity. What felt like hours passed as he hung in the air several meters above me.

Before I knew it, he managed to land right next to me on the other side of the fence. I couldn't shake off the feeling of shock that enveloped me.

“How did you just do that?” It required a tremendous amount of energy just to muster the words to question the incredible feat, and I found myself gazing at him in disbelief.

His pale skin and white iris didn’t look to be a product of malnourishment. He looked extremely fit, and I couldn’t help but wonder where his amazing athletic ability came from.

“You still haven’t told me your name.” He repeated his earlier question, and it dawned on me that he had posed the same inquiry just moments ago.

“Izumi… Izumi Haruka.”

His frowned expression swiftly brightened into a smile.

“Nice to meet you, Izumi-chan.”

---

Tears began to form around my eyes as I watched Eira turn to walk to the staircase.

‘After all of this time, Yukito still hasn’t left my side.’

Even if she was a vampire girl now that didn’t mean anything.

“Yukito!”

As soon as I saw her place her foot on the first step, I enveloped her in an embrace from behind. At first, there seemed to be some form of shock from her, but she quickly reciprocated my embrace and hugged me back tightly.

“Haruka, I’m so sorry…”

Eira began to cry into my shoulder, but I couldn’t find any words to respond with. What happened to me wasn’t her fault at all. She did her best to protect me that day, it was I who put her and myself in danger by staying so close to her.

“Yukito, it wasn’t your fault. I put myself in danger and I paid the price for it.” I created distance between us by gripping her shoulders and extending my arms forward.

“When I first got to this world, I was happy for the first time in a while. I didn’t have to deal with my parents anymore and I got to live in a world with magic.” As I spoke, I conjured a butterfly made of light Mana, which fluttered to my shoulder and settled there.

“I also wouldn’t have met the girl I want to devote my life to.” Throughout the entire interaction, I kept my gaze locked on Eira, who eventually broke into a smile.  

“That’s what makes you so strong Haruka.”

“What?”

I couldn’t help but question Yukito’s logic. Me, strong? Impossible. Even in this world of magic, I had found myself just catering to what the people in authority told me to. If it wasn’t for Claire, then I would have never stopped fighting on the disgusting humans' behalf.

“I’m not strong.”

“Yes, you are.”

“Yukito if you saw what I was doing before I left the human military you would be disgusted with me. I killed multiple demons and Inhumans, I even wanted to kill you…” My voice trailed off as I struggled to hold back the tears welling in my eyes.

“Yeah, you did. So, what? I killed humans too and I even killed your teacher.” Eira leaned in, her gaze fixed on my face as she spoke.

“You had every right to resent me and reject my offer to join Phantom Gloom before you ever realized who I was.” After taking a short breath, Eira continued speaking without pause.

“Being able to forgive an enemy who caused you pain is a strength.” Eira’s words seemed to pierce my heart full of uncertainty. Just as she did the first time we met.

“Also, Haruka.” Eira’s demeanor shifted a bit as she began to fidget with her fingers.

“Yes.” I slightly tilted my head in curiosity.

“Refer to me as Eira in this world. I’m not Yukito anymore…”

I couldn’t help but smile at how cute she was in this world.

“No problem, Eira.”

As Eira began to open her mouth to speak the door to the balcony swung open revealing Vasati, Claire, and Rina.

Vasati then began an intense stare at Eira and me for a moment before she broke into a shout.

“Haru, didn’t I tell you not to touch her…” Her words were laced with strong bloodlust containing her dark mana.

“I mean you never did tell me that.”

My response seemed to make her even more enraged as her magic power began to shake the building.

“Vasati calm down!” Eira’s frantic words didn’t stop Vasati’s magic power from running rampant.

“Did she touch you, Eira…” Vasati’s words were full of what felt like jealousy more than malice.

“She did.” Eira maintained a neutral expression as she spoke, a demeanor that only seemed to further enrage Vasati.

“So, she did…” As Vasati started walking toward me, I placed my hand on the handle of my sword.

“Vasati, I’ll let you touch me all you want later so just stop!” Eira's frantic shout carried a tone of embarrassment, prompting her to quickly avert her gaze from both Vasati and me.

The bloodlust Vasati had displayed immediately disappeared as she went and hugged Eira.

"Seriously?!" Her excitement elicited a sigh from Eira.

“Not all you want… pervert.”

“That’s not what you just said.”

“Well, it is now.”

“That’s pretty unfair.”

“It’s unfortunate you feel that way.”

As Vasati and Eira persisted in their lovers' quarrel, I caught Claire's eye, and we both shared a moment of laughter. As I looked up in the direction of the newly forming clouds above us, I whispered to myself.

“Goodbye Yukito,”