Just the Two of Us in this Vast World Volume 1 Chapter 2 part4

Chapter 2 — Coming of age, a ceremony needed for emancipation. Part 4

That sentence exceeded the limits of my understanding. I couldn't make heads or tails out of it. She didn't seem to be bothered by it, however, as she continued talking nonchalantly.

"You used to be human," she continued after a pause.

"But then you became the bride of a wolf, and ate a wolf's flesh. You threw away your humanity and decided to step into this realm."

I nodded, and she nodded in return.

"Welcome, to the ancient world built upon pride and reason. Where fairies sing, spirits dance, knights dominate, and wizards run rampant towards the eternity that will destroy all."

The image of the wolves flashed through my mind. Images of the explosive and violent power of the wind and shadow were etched into my eyes.

"I don't have any power." That was the undeniable truth.

"If you throw your humanity away, you must receive power equal to the one you lost as compensation."

She loosened her hand on my back and let it fall down.

"In exchange for limitless absence and eternal wandering, I present to you the past of Moon's Postilion. So now, rise higher, change the past and remake your current self."

She stretched her left hand out to the endless, vacant sky and grabbed something, pulling an object out of thin air.

"Eat this."

As she said that, she pushed the object up to my nose—it was a crimson heart, covered in blood.

I grabbed it with both of my hands and held it tightly, wrapping my fingers around it.

"Eat this god's heart just like you ate the wolf's. And with that, you will be reborn."

I did as I was told, and after opening my lips that I had been pressing shut till now, I stuffed the heart inside.

"Power to the eternal orphan, " she chanted. "Let karma be with you, karma befitting the child who was shunned by the world where people amass piles of corpses, wandering down various paths of blood."

With my tongue and teeth, I pushed the chunk of flesh down to my stomach.

I could feel my body burning up and my heart beating more violently as my vision slowly started to turn red.

Then, a shrill sound of awakening resounded, destroying everything that it encountered as her silhouette started to fade as well.

The white world was also collapsing on itself.

"Good day, Tsukagi Saki. Good day, Tsukagi Saki. Good day, Tsukagi Saki."

Inside the black that had crept out from all directions, hungrily devouring this world, only her beautiful voice could be distinguished.

"Let us meet again when you have liberated yourself of all the shackles that bind you now and, in the literal sense, ceased being human."

The dream disintegrated completely, and I was plunged into darkness.

~~~

When I opened my eyes, I was lying on the bed that I was all too familiar with, and I could also see Shiro resting beside me.

It appeared that he was already awake.

"Good morning," he said with a light tone.

"Good morning," I responded.

I lightly tapped my low volume alarm clock to silence it.

"Shiro, are you acquaintances with a beautiful white girl?"

He pulled a bewildered expression, as if wondering why I was asking such a weird question, and then shook his head.

"I don't know if it's something I can brag about, but I haven't seen a single white person in my entire life."

That was quite the obvious answer, after all, he was a wolf that had been living in the forest until recently.

Still, that was a really bizarre dream. Ultimately though, I guess a dream is just a dream in the end.

"Why do you ask? Did something happen between you and a white girl?"

"It's nothing."

As I said so, I got up from the bed, walked over to the mirror on the dresser, and picked up my summer uniform.

Then, I undid the sash of my sleeping robe and placed it on a hanger.

"Please," I heard him start grumbling behind me. "At least make sure that I'm looking elsewhere when you undress."

"I don't mind it. After all, it's not a big deal."

He let out an audible sigh.

"It's not my fault that it bothers me."

"You say some really innocent things, from time to time. What is going to become of you if you get so flustered with only this level of eye candy?"

"I'm fine with whatever I end up becoming."

I was trying to joke around a bit, but he seemed to really be tired of it when he replied and turned away.

I combed my hair backwards and let the robe slide off my body to the floor, pondering whether I had teased him too much…and after that, I took off my underwear.

"Shiro," I called in a serious voice.

"Could you look here for a moment?"

Chapter end