Zero no Tsukaima

Chapter 4 - Luctiana’s Oasis[]

Saito woke up in a somewhat strange place. The bed he was laying on was normal.

What is it...

It was definitely strange. First of all, it obviously wasn’t Des Ornieres.

A farm in the neighborhood?

How did he get here?

Anyway, something generally felt odd...

Assorted items decorated white walls. Paintings, dolls, tapestry. And a mirror with lots of jewelry.

Nothing strange by itself. He came to a conclusion. The decoration was strange; impossible even.

A hat rack was covered with a bucket for some reason. The bucket itself was decorated with a plume.

Umbrellas were hanging from the ceiling. Dresses covered window like curtains.

Clearly, someone is crazy.

The room was extremely hot. The owner must have lost his marbles due to the heat.

Well, another problem; he was fighting the Elemental Siblings, so why did he fall asleep?

Did they catch him?

Why would they do something like that?

While he was pondering on it, something moved on the bed next to him. The blanket strangely bulged on the right side.

Hmm, what is it?

Saito cautiously put his hand on top of the bulge.

It was an unusual sensation. Extremely soft, irresistible and magnificent. Saito pushed.

Surprisingly, the hand sunk. However, the bulge was elastic and pushed back. Happiness flooded Saito’s brain.

Saito decided that it was the best thing ever.

Just a touch. How could it possibly be so satisfying? Something like that had happened when, as a kid, he was playing with a compound used to fit glass into a window frame. It also was difficult to abandon, but this feeling was far better.

Still, it definitely felt familiar.

It had happened before..., but when...

Right. It was that time...

Definitely, it was when Beatrice, princess of Guldenhorf, was bullying Tiffania.

Huh? How is it possible? Tiffania? That half-elf?

But this was the same exact feeling.

No, it’s impossible. Why would Tiffania sleep next to him?

Such fantasy. This is just wrong...

This must be just an incredibly realistic dream.

At this moment, a voice came from under the futon cover, "Ah!"

"Huh?"

He quickly turned over the cover and, indeed, found a trembling Tiffania.

"Tiffa!" said Saito. Tiffania opened her eyes.

"Saito?"

Apparently, the happiness inducing bulge was Tiffa’s breast.

Well, it was the wrong best-thing-ever. He was not supposed to touch this one. He did though, a lot, and it was so great he almost cried.

But it wasn’t on purpose, so it wasn’t really his fault... Saito thought.

Then he was ashamed of himself.

Subterfuge. I must have noticed. I had a suspicion but pretended that I didn’t! Because... because!

I wanted to touch it! I’m a guy! And it’s huge! So, my mind was telling myself ’What is it? Hey, Saito, what’s that? What?’ said a defensive internal voice.

Because Louise doesn’t have such a best-thing-ever.

To be honest, she is kinda flat. However, there is nothing wrong with that. It’s ok. It’s kinda cute. Just like herself. It’s just that the shape is not that great... but I still like it a lot...

This is bad.

Saito quickly looked around.

If Louise had seen him now, she would have read his mind like a book... and then his life certainly would be in grave danger.

However, there was no Louise.

Saito relaxed. Then he remembered.

There was nothing relaxing about the current situation!

"Are you all right? Really, are you all right?" asked Tiffania with a worried voice while looking at Saito. What she saw was indeed strange and disturbing. Actually, Saito wasn’t looking just strange, but more like insane.

He was bowing. Very fast. If there was a national bowing championship, he would probably win.

"I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to be rude! It just felt so great...!"

"Ah..."

"Please wait! Please don’t cry! Let me explain first! I couldn’t resist! This thing tricked me! Right, that’s it! It tricked me to feel false euphoria! It was like the essence of happiness!" yelled Saito while pointing at Tiffania’s breast.

He was spouting nonsense. Poor Tiffania, though, caught the part about her breast tricking him. She was about to start crying.

"Um, um, I’m sorry... This thing is weird, right? Still weird. It does such things. I also think so. I mean, no one else has it swollen like that so... I,... I’m strange."

As Saito says, "I’m strange"...

"Waah..."

"No! No! Really! It isn’t strange! Really!"

Saito again demonstrated his bowing proficiency.

"But it is magnificent, and seeing it excites me. And I am trying to fight it..." said Saito with genuine remorse in his voice. It was dangerous for him to be in such a small room with Tiffania’s breast. Louise wouldn’t like it at all.

"I’m such an insect. Someone should kill, or rather, crush me."

Tiffania shook the grumbling Saito’s shoulder.

"Calm down. By the way, where are we?"

"Right! No time for it! I also want to know it! Where the hell are we?"

"Hmm... I was going to your mansion. Did you know that I was going to summon a familiar?"

Saito had forgotten about it, but it certainly was correct.

"I was nervous and couldn’t sleep, so I left early. I arrived and came to your mansion. In front of the gate I suddenly became sleepy and... woke up here. Saito?"

Saito told Tiffania about the attack of the Elemental Siblings, the strange transmutation of earth into water, and the sudden sleepiness...

"Just like me. Maybe the people who attacked you kidnapped both of us!"

"Hmm, unlikely. They wanted to kill me, and there is no reason for them to kidnap you."

Then Saito noticed Tiffania’s dress.

"Tiffa, the dress..."

She wasn’t wearing her usual grass green dress. It was replaced with a spacious fluttering robe.

"Oh? This... What is it?"

Tiffania gently pinched the robe.

"I’ve never seen a robe like that."

"This is... elvish."

"What do you mean?" asked Saito with a surprised voice.

"It looks like a robe that my mother had."

Why would Tiffania wear elvish dress? The room door opened and the answer to his question became obvious.

"Oh," was all that Saito could say.

The newcomer was definitely an elf.

A completely naked elf.

More importantly, it was a young woman. Narrow vertical pupils. Long blond hair casually cut. She looked like a mix of Tiffania and Louise. Well, her breast peeking from a towel gap was definitely on Louise’s side of this mix.

She looked like a fairy drying herself up with a towel. Tiffania also looked ’fairyish’, but her chest somewhat undermined the illusion.

This one was a real ’fairy’.

"Oh! Are you awake?" the elf asked in Gallish language, the official language of Halkeginia.

Lack of clothes didn’t seem to concern her at all. Without waiting for Saito’s reply she went to the center of the room, took a dried fruit from a rapier there and started to slowly eat it.

This attitude was somewhat familiar to Saito.

That’s how Louise had acted when he had just arrived into this world!

Right. This elf doesn’t consider him a guy. He suppressed rising irritation. Tiffania seemed to be frightened; her ears were down. Apparently she was afraid of this elf.

Saito nodded to Tiffania.

"I am here. I will not let them harm you."

Tiffania nodded back a few times and hid behind Saito.

Saito stared at the elf woman.

Cos-play?.. No, it can’t be, but why an elf is here?

It doesn’t make any sense. Saito, trying to remain calm, asked the elf.

"I have a few questions. Do you mind?"

"Please, feel free to ask anything. By the way, my name is Luctiana. Nice to meet you."

"Where are we?"

"In the desert. This is our country, Neftes."

Saito was confused for a moment.

"What are you talking about?"

Then it dawned on him. The reason the elf was here. A very obvious reason.

They were kidnapped by the elves!

And they brought them to their country!

"No way!" blurted a dumbfounded Saito.

"Why would I lie about it?" replied an amazed Luctiana.

"Prove it."

"Prove? You say the darnedest things." laughed Luctiana.

"Well, I was fighting with the Elemental Siblings in Des Ornieres! How could I end up in the country of the elves?"

"During the fight, you were put to sleep by magic."

"Who did this? Was it you?"

"No, not me. It was Ali."

"Who is this Ali?"

"He happens to be my fiance."

When he suddenly became drowsy... it was elvish magic. Saito paled. Tiffania clenched his hand.

"The elemental Siblings were just a decoy..."

"Decoy? This is just silly. Why would we need a decoy? Weren’t you fighting for your own reasons? Well, it did help us. Ali mentioned it."

There seemed to be no connection between this elf and the Elemental Siblings (well, not that it made any difference.)

"The country of the elves, huh?"

"Is this really the country of the elves?"

"She already told you so! Now, silly, look out the window. See?" said Tiffania, and led him to the window. Behind the trees there was a vast sea of sand.

"It’s a... desert."

Saito trembled.

He was somehow brought far far away from Halkeginia.

To the country of elves, no less. Populated exclusively by elves.

Their mortal enemies.

What the hell was he supposed to do?

Saito was confused. He wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words. His body’s instinctive reaction was to run away from this room, but he couldn’t leave Tiffania behind.

He turned around. Tiffania had fainted. It seemed it was too hot for her so Saito picked her up.

"I changed her clothes because she was unconscious." said Luctiana, but Saito didn’t listen. He lost it for a second, but Tiffania’s presence helped him to recover his presence of mind.

Keep it together. Tiffania needs you.

He was fighting his fear and anxiety.

It took him quite some time to accept the new reality.

Saito took few deep breaths, raised his chin, and turned to Luctiana.

It seemed that the elf woman had no immediate intention to harm them.

Tiffania was still unconscious. He gently put her on the bed and covered her with a blanket.

"Well... I don’t know what questions you would agree to answer so I will just go ahead and ask you. Ok?"

"Please do. You can ask me anything." replied Luctiana, looking at him with interest.

"What day is today?"

"Eight days have passed since you were taken."

So, they put him to sleep for entire week. It wasn’t really surprising, elves were strong mages.

Then he asked the main question. It wasn’t easy to ask it, but he had to know.

"Was anyone killed in the process of our kidnapping?"

Luctiana shook her head.

"I don’t think so, but there were some injuries."

"Who was injured?"

"I didn’t see it myself, but I heard it was a girl."

Saito’s heart skipped a beat.

"Was it a serious injury?"

"Perhaps, I don’t really know."

Saito clenched his fists. Probably it was Louise or Tabitha. It was someone who tried to help him against the odds. Most likely it was one of those two.

Luctiana didn’t know who was hurt and how badly.

"I apologize for hurting your friends. But it had to be done."

Saito decided that eventually he will repay his friends’ injuries.

But not now.

Luctiana was looking at Saito with interest, legs crossed.

Well-proportioned Luctiana looked now like a girl from a pinup. But, probably because of the elf’s attitude, Saito wasn’t attracted to her. Her interest was an interest of a researcher looking at an unusual animal.

Indeed, the elf was even more arrogant then Louise had been in the past. Typical for this long-eared bunch , Saito cursed under his breath.

Luctiana, still naked, was looking at him with curiosity.

Saito, with suppressed anger in his voice, continued.

"Why did you kidnap us?"

"Isn’t it obvious? You are the protector of ’demon’."

Saito silently stared at her. Luctiana nodded.

"You are trying to bring back the demon’s power. This is unacceptable."

"So, why did you kidnap me?"

"They need everyone involved to restore demon’s power, right? We took you to prevent it."

Luctiana smiled.

Saito gulped.

Four of four have to gather to restore "true" Void power .

Why do the elves fear it so much? What is so scary about it?

"Well, er, ..."

"My name is Luctiana. And you are, hmm, Sat, Saet... "

"Saito."

"Barbarians’ names are hard to remember."

Saito asked the most essential, (at the moment), question.

"So, what are you going to do with us?"

Luctiana’s answer was rather disappointing:

"Nothing."

"What do you mean?"

"As long as demon’s power is dormant, all is good. We just need you alive."

"I see."

Elves knew that if the Void mage or familiar die, the power would just be passed to someone else.

"Well, that’s why you are here. As long as you behave, nothing else is to be done."

"How long we will be here?"

"Hmm. I don’t know."

"Forever?"

"Well, I don’t think so, but I don’t know for sure."

Behind Saito Tiffania gasped in dismay.

Apparently, she had recovered from her faint and was listening.

Saito took Tiffania’s hand to reassure her. She grasped his hand.

"Why did you choose me and Tiffania?"

"You are famous. Didn’t you defeat my uncle once? You are the strongest of them, right?"

Indeed, when Saito had been helping Tabitha, he had fought with an elf serving king Joseph. After the king’s death the elf had returned home...

"So, you are relatives."

"Yes. Uncle praised you. He doesn’t praise barbarians much."

"Thank you. But why did you kidnap Tiffania?"

He expected her to reply that Tiffania being a Void mage was the reason. But it wasn’t.

"This child is a half-elf, isn’t she?"

Luctiana’s eyes suddenly shone brilliantly. Tiffania nodded.

"This is soooooooo interesting! For you too, right? Looking at this room it should be obvious that I am a scholar studying the barbarians."

Luctiana raised and proudly threw out her chest. What is wrong with this elf, thought Saito. Meanwhile his eyes were glued to her beautiful slender body.

He thought of another girl he had seen recently, and blushed. Anyway, this "barbarian" crap was getting old.

"Listen, could you stop calling me a barbarian?"

"Why? Shouldn’t I call a barbarian a barbarian?" said a surprised Luctiana.

"It’s offensive."

"It wasn’t intentional. So, how should I call you?"

"Use my name, OK?"

"Got it. ’Saala’? What was it?"

"Only the ’Sa’ part is right. It’s ’Saito’."

After that Luctiana started asking her questions. Very different questions. Starting with lifestyle, like "what do you eat", "draw a floor plan of your home", "what kind of furniture do you use". And ending with social structure, agriculture, monarchy of Halkeginia, industry, commerce and so on.

Since Saito came from another world he couldn’t answer most of these questions. Tiffania, who spent most of her life as a hermit, wasn’t much better.

Luctiana seemed to be very disappointed.

"Well, let’s do it again sometime soon?" She said.

"Why are you so curious?"

"I told you I am a scholar, right? So, it’s unnatural for me to say it, but you are not all that interesting after all."

"Couldn’t care less."

"What? You should be grateful. If I didn’t bring you here you would be in a Kasbah dungeon now."

"You kidnapped us against our will!"

Saito was clearly very irritated but Luctiana completely ignored him. As if she suddenly remembered something, she asked the next question.

"You! Tiffania, right? Were you bullied for being a half-elf?

Saito and Tiffania looked at each other. Luctiana seemed to be the type that can just stop noticing a person she was talking with a moment ago, just like Louise when Saito first met her. But for Louise it was a way to fight her inferiority complex, and here it seemed to be just a natural ability.

Maybe all elves are like that...

In this case negotiating with them will be very difficult.

Tiffania looked at Saito; he nodded.

Tiffania said in a troubled voice "Yes, at first. But not now..."

"Hmm. I see."

Then Luctiana turned to Saito.

"How strong is prejudice against the elves?"

"It’s not prejudice, people just fear you."

"Why?"

"Well, you used strong Ancient Magic. Halkeginia’s nobles suffered a lot from it, right? Naturally they are afraid."

"Hmm. Too bad. When under attack one has to defend themselves, right? We were really desperate. And with your numerical superiority..."

"What about our kidnapping? For no reason!"

"It had to be done to prevent your attack on us."

"Return the Holy Land peacefully and there will be no attack!"

"What? What are you talking about? It always was our land. You just arbitrarily declared it Holy Land."

Really? Saito looked at Tiffania.

"I’m sorry... I don’t know either."

Hmm, the place of Founder Brimir’s advent. It likely was a land... It very well could be elvish land. History is full of convenient interpretations. Saito thought to himself.

But he couldn’t admit it aloud.

"Well, anyway, ownership aside. Miss elf, your point is that elves are not a bunch of demons, right? Let me say something."

"Go ahead."

"Well, our land... Halkeginia I mean, there is a big problem with it. It is not going to last long, you know?"

Saito took a dish from the table and lifted it mouthing a "gogogogogo" sound effect.

"Wind stones will reach critical mass and lift the land. Seriously. So we need a magic device that Founder Brimir left in the Holy Land."

Luctiana seemed to be puzzled.

"I never heard of any magic device at Shaitan’s Gate."

"Really?"

"I don’t know if something like that exists. An ordinary elf can’t just go there."

"Where is it?"

"Hmm, I can’t tell you that. Think it through. You don’t want to know it. If you knew it, you definitely would be sent to a dungeon." said Luctiana in an amazed voice. Well, it made sense.

"But you do understand our problem, right? Well, humans and elves were enemies before, but aren’t we all just people living on the same land?"

"It is not the end of the world. If land is to be lifted by wind stones, it is a part of The Great Purpose. If we are all ’just people’, humans should accept it too."

It was rather cold reply. Tiffania, who was quiet all this time, said.

"Wow! My mother was an elf too, but she wasn’t heartless like you!"

"I am not particularly heartless. Any elf would give you the same reply."

Luctiana stood up.

"Well then, I will take a nap. Full stomach makes me sleepy. Feel free to eat anything here. Also, you can use this bed. There is just one here, so bear with it."

Luctiana looked at them.

"Don’t try to run away. We are surrounded by desert; you would last about half a day. Also, don’t try to attack me. The house is enchanted; you would be burned to ashes instantly. I am just mentioning it because I don’t want to lose valuable research subjects."

After nonchalantly giving this horrible warning, Luctiana went to her room. Tiffania shook her head.

"I am sorry, Saito."

"Why?"

"I am a half elf. I imagined my mother’s people to be just like her: kind and compassionate..."

"You have nothing to apologize for. Elves are elves, you are you."

"...right. Thank you."

Saito was laying on the bed with hands folded under his head and stared at the ceiling. Although it was made of white clay, the surface was just as smooth as Earth’s plastic. Just from the look of the walls of this room it was clear that elves are more technologically advanced then Halkeginia’s kingdoms.

"Everyone is probably worried about us." he muttered. Someone was injured and their friends must know that they were kidnapped by the elves.

Saito got up and went outside. Tiffania followed him.

There was a round pond about hundred mails across. The deep blue water shone in the sun. A line of trees and bushes surrounded the pond, so bright that they seemed unreal.

A pier led from the door of the small white house to the center of the pond. Outside the tree line was desert.

Apparently it was an oasis in the desert.

"It’s not that hot, is it?" Saito said. The extreme heat of the desert seemed to be balanced by the presence of the pond.

I will check the warning about lasting half a day a little.

Saito ran through the tree line. A vast desert lay in front of him. Mind blowing. If he crossed it, would he reach Halkeginia?

I should look for a map later.

Anyway, I will walk a little and see what I can see..., thought Saito, making the first step into the desert. He felt fine sand under his feet.

Worried, Tiffania asked, "Is it safe, Saito? Can you get lost out there?"

"It’s ok. I will just walk to the top of this dune" Saito pointed in the direction.

He started to walk and immediately felt the changes. After just ten steps, heat surged in from above. Direct sunlight in the desert was unbearable.

"Wow! What the hell! It suddenly became so hot!"

His bare head was almost burned. Walking even a few kilomails dressed like that was out of the question.

Saito ran back.

"What’s wrong?" asked a surprised Tiffania.

"It suddenly became very hot! What the hell!"

Coming back he felt crossing a thin boundary he didn’t notice before. Behind it the temperature was comfortable. He looked back and saw a faint wall of air staying in place, just like a real wall.

This wall surrounded the entire oasis.

"Magic barrier."

Saito was amazed. That must be it... magic protects the oasis from sunshine... it surrounds the oasis like a dome.

"What kind of magic is it?"

Saito sighed in admiration. Magic was used in Halkeginia everywhere, but he had never seen anything on this scale.

Elves could casually use a spell like that to solve a routine problem. Their capabilities were amazing. He remembered Luctiana’s warning. He’d better be careful around her. She wasn’t bluffing. It’s all real.

Tiffania also noticed the barrier and her eyes rounded.

"Elvish magic is amazing..."

Night of same day...

Saito sat on the pier looking at the night sky. He had gotten back his katana... Luctiana had casually put it into her large collection of swords.

She didn’t do it to hide it because she didn’t consider it dangerous.

Saito was at a loss. Far from returning to Halkeginia, just running away seemed to be impossible and there was no point to argue with the elves. There was no way to let anyone know where he was.

It was a dead end.

He was anxious.

The Holy War had been stopped, right? It seemed to be silly to worry about it. Now that the elves had kidnapped them, there was no way to proceed with it.

Will they just abandon the idea?

And Louise; will he never see her again..? He bit his lip to hold back his tears.

He heard a voice from behind.

"Saito?"

He turned around and saw a worried Tiffania.

"Are you ok?"

Saito quickly produced a smile.

"I’m fine."

Tiffania sat next to him. She closed her eyes and put her feet into the water.

"It’s cold. Feels good. Wanna try it?"

Saito laid back. Without any obstruction, the stars shone like beads in the night desert sky.

This view dissipated his sadness.

"This is the country where your mother was born. I hoped to visit it one day... not like this of course. Still, it’s a dream come true. Good, isn’t it?"

Tiffania nodded.

"Hey Saito. I have a request."

"Sure, what is it?"

"I want you to kill me."

"Haaaaa?" Saito got up and stared at Tiffania. "Whaaaat!"

He saw tears in her eyes.

"I mean, without me the power will pass to someone else. I couldn’t do much before and now I am kidnapped."

"We are both kidnapped!"

"You will escape. You can do it. I mean... you did a lot of amazing things before. But I am different. I am strange and I’m holding you back..."

"Don’t ever say that..."

A shocked Saito grasped Tiffania’s shoulders.

"It was such a mystery. Why me..., such me, got this legendary power? Everyone else is amazing, I am nothing but a burden for them..."

"That’s not true... you’re wrong!"

"If I stay here, everyone will be in trouble. The land will rise and there will be no place to live. They will not be able to restore Void magic and use it to negotiate with the elves."

Tiffania looked at Saito. She was serious.

"If you die everyone will grieve! What are you talking about?"

"Who is ’everyone’?"

"Me! Louise! Everyone in the Academy! The children you were looking after!"

"Maybe, but if I stay here everyone will be in trouble. So... escape..., please..."

"Then we both will escape!"

"You can’t escape with me..."

Tiffania started to cry. Even though somewhat self-conscious, she usually was unfazed by anything and seemed to have a laid-back personality. It appeared that meeting a real specimen of her mother’s race really shook her...

It was a shock for me, and no doubt for Tiffania it was much worse. After all, half of her blood is elvish...

Saito gathered all the willpower he could master.

I wasn’t strong enough... When Tiffa contemplates such a resolution, giving up can’t be an option for him.

First Saito gave himself a good slap on the cheek. Then he grabbed Tiffania’s shoulder.

"Leave it to me."

There was no self-confidence. He didn’t have a good plan. Maybe Tiffania’s idea to throw her life away was the best of their options.

But he would never accept it.

"Yes. Then, the request..."

Tiffania closed her eyes and stuck out her chest to Saito.

"No! No! That’s not what I meant!"

Saito yelled and shook his head.

"...Huh?"

"I will persuade the elves somehow."

"But..."

"I will do it, Tiffa. I..., no, we will do it together. Well, if we die the force will go to someone else. It could work. But the hell with it. I don’t want anyone to sacrifice themselves for me and I don’t want to become anyone’s sacrifice. There is no guarantee it would work anyway, even if someone else got this power."

"But the elves are so powerful. You saw it. They used magic to protect this oasis even though just one person lives here! They don’t listen to us. And I am a half-elf..."

"It might help us, Tiffa, don’t you think?" Saito said looking directly into her eyes.

"Huh?"

"You being half-elf may create some opportunities. Now, we don’t use it for our advantage. Maybe being kidnapped by elves gives us a chance. You could slip into the Holy Land and use the magic equipment. Then everything would be fine even without the crusade and true Void power."

Tiffania looked at him for a while. Then she looked down, bit her lip and nodded.

"I see. Sorry Saito. I was scared. I thought I was holding you here. It would be horrible. I would rather..."

"Don’t worry. Don’t do anything. If nothing else works I will use this."

Saito pointed to his katana. Then he remembered. Enchanted house...

"That reminds me, elves don’t know you are a Void mage, right?"

"Huh?"

"She kidnapped you to study a half-elf. She didn’t ask you about Void power at all, right?"

"Now that you mention it, she didn’t."

"What happened with your wand?"

Tiffania nonchalantly took the wand from the gap between her breasts. Apparently elves didn’t take it. Saito was amazed.

They had no plan yet but situation started to improve.

"Excellent, Tiffa. This is our trump card. Lets keep it hidden."

Tiffania nodded.

"Good. We may not be able to do much, but we will not know it until we try, so don’t give up. And forget about dying. Ok?"

She nodded again.

"First of all, know your enemy. Luctiana says she wants to study us. We should study her too."

"Right."

Then Saito stood up.

"What happened?"

"First of all, I will swim."

"Really? In the middle of the night?"

"Sure. I like it. Of course, it has to be done right."

He said it very seriously, Tiffania involuntarily giggled. Saito jumped into the water as he was.

"It’s like a resort back home! Hey, Tiffa, get in! It feels good!"

"All right."

Tiffania stood up, took off her robe and jumped in the pond. With a splash she disappeared under the surface.

"Tiffa?"

After about a minute Saito started to worry. Then, right in front of him, she suddenly emerged.

"Wow!" yelled the surprised Saito. Tiffania laughed.

"Turns out I can make long dives."

She said it so innocently that Saito tried to clear his thoughts. Moonlight and wet underwear made the shape of Tiffania’s breasts very clear.

Saito realized that his mouth was wide open. Tiffania blushed.

"Sorry..."

Tiffania shook her head.

"It’s fine. We are friends, so it’s fine."

For a while they both looked down in silence. Then Tiffania began to swim slowly. In the moonlight she looked like a fairy pulled out of a painting. Saito couldn’t take his eyes off her.

This view gave him courage.

’We can win. No, we will win. Me and Tiffania.’

’For everyone...’