Artemia: Journey To The Thirtieth Floor

57. The Revival Of The Dead

"Ivory!" Yuki called as she sobbed on my chest. "I'm so sorry for everything I have done!"

I chuckled as I hugged her back, trying to reassure her that everything was fine with me. It seems like the three of them tried to reconcile with each other for my sake, and I'm relieved to see them all together again. Even though it may be against their choice, I believe that this is a perfect chance for them to repair their damaged relationship.

When I turned to face the twins for a moment, they were simply looking away with that melancholic expression on their faces. I realized that they are still upset with Yuki, but I will refrain from interfering until Yuki decides that she will explain her actions. I will not talk or question her about anything until she expresses a willingness to do so. Although I doubt she would give us any excuses, the twins may not share my perspective.

When Yuki was finally able to stop crying, she wiped the tears from her eyes and stared at the twins again. She pursed her lips together before bowing her head to the ground with her forehead on the floor. Yuki's actions astonished Kai and Sai, but they did not stop her from doing so. Instead, they just stood there staring at her, eager to hear anything she had to say. Along with anticipating how she would apologize, I was also trying to alleviate the searing agony in my head.

"I understand that you may not forgive me for all I've done up to this point, and I have no intention of forcing you to give me another chance. But I no longer have any idea of what will take place in the future from this point forward. I was worried about what would have occurred if we hadn't killed Aunt...I mean, the moth out."

Kasai sighed heavily as she pulled her in for a tight embrace. "Yuki, I'm sorry for blaming you."

Yuki sniffled as she pulled away from the embrace. "No, you were completely right. I was the one who was at fault for all of this. My decisions were muddled by my desire to preserve Artemia, and now the situation has deteriorated to this point."

"Yuki, we were all hoping that Artemia would be saved. And it was because of this that we were unable to stop each other from slipping farther into the depths of despair," Enkai said as he stared at her. "We are to blame for heaping all of this responsibility on your shoulders. Sorry..."

While looking at the two, Yuki's eyes began to water. Her lips trembled as she looked down, attempting to regain control of herself. Watching the three of them made me glad because it meant they had finally cooled their heads and were talking properly. While I can't deny that I'm happy for them, I'm also experiencing some strange feelings about myself right now.

I've been fiddling with my fingers in anticipation of how they're going to come together, but I can't seem to get any feeling in my index finger at all. The first time I glanced at them, my mouth fell in surprise. They seemed to be...transparent. I attempted to feel it again by touching them, but I couldn't detect any sensation at all! I'm breaking out in cold sweat because I panicked and was on the verge of collapsing.

"Help..." I mumbled as I glanced at Yuki and the twins. Because of the tears that were starting to collect in my eyes, my eyesight was becoming fuzzier. "Please, someone help me..."

Yuki finally noticed and came over to help me right away. She had a troubled look on her face as she motioned for me to take a deep breath, and I did as she said. I couldn't help but exhale a sigh of satisfaction as my breathing eventually got steady. But I was still trembling, so they offered me some water to help me relax a little bit.

"So...what happened?" Yuki asked, her hands clasped around mine.

I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat as I looked back at her. "Yuki, they're transparent."

"What...?" she asked, her wide-open eyes widening as she examined my hands. "They really are..."

"Yuki, what is going on with me?" I was almost in tears as I asked her that question, holding her hand in mine in an attempt to feel better.

She tried to keep tears from streaming down her face as she shook her head. "I'm not sure..."

After hearing what Yuki had to say, the four of us fell into silence. Whether she's being honest or not, I can tell immediately away, and right now...the answer is yes. I tightened my fists and stared down at my hands, uncertain of what I was supposed to do next. The only way this body could be fading is because my time on this timeline has been significantly reduced.

I glanced to the sky to check whether the kings' army was on its way to attack us. As a result of that tragedy, it would be impossible for us to continue fighting. We have no choice but to seek refuge now that we have exhausted all of our previously available resources. Fighting is the last thing I want to do now that I've learned the truth about my own destiny. I have to make the most of the time that I have left to ensure that Yuki does not end up in the hands of the kings.

When I realized that they weren't going to arrive anytime soon, I took Yuki's hand and began walking toward Fuyumi mountain. The twins were also aware of what I wanted to do and immediately followed our lead. They made a barrier in order to conceal our existence from anybody who could be looking for us right now. We need to keep Yuki hidden for as long as we possibly can before we attack them.

"Where are we going?" Yuki asked in hushed tones as she peered around.

"Fuyumi."

Her body stiffened as Fuyumi's name was spoken, and I noticed it as well. We have no option but to ask for her assistance in light of what transpired at the camp. Although it may be tough, we have no other choice. I'm afraid she'll turn us away, but I'm holding on to the sliver of hope that I still have in me. I think she might accept us amidst all of that...

When we arrived, I was struck by how bitterly cold the mountain had become. Oh, Fuyumi is trying to get us to back off the f**k. I see what she's trying to do. She's probably upset with Yuki for promising to change right now and then acting in such a jerkish manner as soon as she left. I'm certain that she was listening in on all of our chats, so it's still possible that she heard Yuki's explanation. Even though the possibility is very small, I was still hopeful that I would be correct.

We made our way up to the peak, where her memorial was placed, as swiftly as we could. The moment I set foot on the circle that surrounded it, I tripped over and crashed to the ground. It felt like I was being yanked out of Fuyumi's body, and I had no option but to surrender to whatever force was pulling me away. My heart was racing so hard that I thought it was going to burst out of my chest. I kept cursing as I slowly left that body.

What the hell...

It was only when I glanced at my hands that I realized what was going on. I looked like a ghost. My body seemed to be translucent, and it appeared as if objects could pass through me. Yuki, who was standing in front of me, was simply looking at me with a puzzled expression on her face. She was very baffled as to why and how this had all come to happen.

"Yuki..." I called her name, almost crying. "What I should do?"

The corpse that I had just left moved just as she was going to say something. As she climbed to her feet, she chuckled evilly and stared at her hands as if she were in awe of them. Fuyumi was slowly transforming into her Nekomata form, and I wasn't sure how to respond to what was happening. She appeared as if she had just awoken from a deep slumber and was ready to go on a rampage.

Fuyumi showed me an empty as she approached me. "You'll need to regain your old self back, hmm? I'll have to take this body for now. I mean, this was mine to begin with..."

"What do you mean?"

She simply acknowledged my presence with a grin as she pulled me toward the memorial. She then turned to face Yuki, a sarcastic grin pasted on her face. I turned to look at the twins, hoping that they could help me out, but they were both tied to the trees with vines. What the hell is going on right now? And what exactly is going on with Fuyumi? I'm not sure why, but she seemed to be a serious threat right now...

"Fuyumi, I-"

The conversation with Yuki came to an abrupt halt as Fuyumi drew her in for an embrace. We were all taken aback by what she did, and we could not figure out what she was trying to accomplish with her actions. This person in front of us is attempting to do something that would be beneficial to us, no doubt about it. But for now, I have no idea what she is trying to do...

"It must have been difficult, isn't it...Yuki? I must apologize for being enraged with you without first hearing you out. You must have gone insane as a result of the pressure on you. Of course, I'm well aware that I was somewhat to blame for pleading with you to save Artemia in the first place. And it is for this reason that I will battle beside you once again," Fuyumi said as she caressed Yuki's hair.

It sounded somewhat sincere...

I looked at myself, but I'm literally just a soul right now. Perhaps I'm destined to return to the present time already since Fuyumi will be taking up my duty as Yuki's companion. I smiled to myself, relieved that I would soon be able to escape this place. It felt like I had been released from a cage in which I had been imprisoned. The knowledge that I would not be burdened with any form of obligation made me feel safer than I had ever been.

But I wasn't vanishing, so I concluded that couldn't possibly be the end of all this. Of course, I'm disappointed. But it's possible that I still have something important to do here, and I'm not going to leave it neglected. And aside from that, I've been waiting for Fuyumi to explain what we're meant to be doing. I think she might have discovered some type of clue...?

As Fuyumi drew away from their embrace, she sighed. "As a temporary measure, all of you will seek refuge in this mountain. They will not be able to penetrate the barrier surrounding this place, even if they try to. No matter how many spears are thrown at them, we will remain safe."

"Do you happen to know anything?" Yuki asked with a troubled frown on her face.

Fuyumi replied while shaking her head, and then she called a few creatures to assist her. "No, but I'm well aware that you have no clue what the future will hold any more. It seems that you were unable to see through the whole of the future you saw since Leon proceeded with the ceremony sooner than intended. And because of that, we're all at a loss as to what we're supposed to do next."

As soon as we heard Fuyumi's words, we stayed silent since we were well aware that there was nothing left for us to do except sit and wait for what would take place. Yuki's power as a divinity has been sealed by the kings, so she will no longer be able to glimpse into the future. And it seems as if we have no option except to accept the situation. If we rashly storm inside the palace, we'll be met by a trap that's set up for us. Also, it's quite probable that they'll be able to capture Yuki, which bodes disaster for everyone.

I sighed as I pondered what we were going to do next in a serious manner. When Fuyumi finally set the twins free, the two of them rushed to Yuki's aid as quickly as they could. While they were enquiring as to Yuki's well-being, Fuyumi gave them fruits that had been brought by the animals from this forest. I'm nothing but a soul, so I didn't need nourishment. This is a little intriguing, to say the least. It's bizarre in so many ways, yet it's also quite handy. Oh, but I don't want to stay in this state for long.

After a while, my mind started to stray over a wide range of possibilities. But even though Fuyumi told us that the kings wouldn't have been able to touch us even if they wanted to, it seems like nothing will go well for us from here on out. I mean, we're already in a bad situation, so what am I even expecting?

"You need to take a break for a while," Fuyumi said as she sat beside me. "Even though this is simply negative news for everyone, I want you to be aware that I will also die at some point in the future. My life energy has been dwindling rapidly, so we must move as soon as possible."

"But what exactly are we supposed to do?" I asked as I looked directly into her eyes.

She sighed as she chewed on the apple that she was holding in her hands. "As far as I'm aware, the only person who can answer that question right now is Yuki."

I tilted my head to the side. "All of you said that Yuki's ability to predict the future had been impaired. I can't quite understand what you guys are trying to say."

Yuki shifted her gaze away as if she were debating whether or not to tell us what she was thinking. I attempted to get a glimpse inside her thoughts, but she shut me off. I was really concerned since it seemed that the alternative she was considering in her mind was not a nice one. Although it seemed to me that I already knew what was going on, I refused to accept that she could be contemplating anything so ridiculous.

I let out a sigh. "Yuki, what are you planning...?"

She pursed her lips as she looked down. "I need to be killed."