That same night, while Waver was catching up with Sakura, Gray went out to look for Toru. Assassin hadn't shown his face all day. It would seem that the punch Sakura gave him scared him.
'Everything is awkward... How am I going to make him explain to Toru everything I said to Sakura?'
Her mind was in perpetual chaos due to the heavy thoughts. She clutched her head over her hood and wiggled like a slug that had salt dripped on it trying to forget everything she had said earlier. She thought that now it had really all gone to hell and this time it was all her fault.
The only good thing that came out of all this was that she had finally faced Sakura's impending awakening. Far from it, everything was chaotic. Even she didn't understand how the professor was able to deal with the Dark Sakura that appeared as a route Pokémon.
'I need to find you, Toru. Only you can deal with these awkward things by keeping your cool.'
Sure, Toru can do that. There's just one small problem. Where the hell is Toru! Was he saddened by his Master slapping him in the face? Or was he so offended that he simply abandoned his Master?
No. Toru is not that kind of person. Yes, he is someone who very often runs away from trouble, but this time was different.
Gray climbed to the top of the tallest buildings. She moved in the darkness with the agility of a ninja. Her cloak looked like a ghostly shadow creeping through the wind, jumping between rooftops and looking around.
It didn't take long for her to find the spot where she and Toru always meet for some honeyed snuggles.
When she jumped up to get on the roof, she looked at Toru there, sitting on the edge of the roof. He was looking at the neon scenery as usual.
"There you are," she said calmly.
Toru, who was on his back looking at the scenery, didn't look at her, but waved his hand on the roof for Gray to sit next to him. That calmed Gray's nerves, who gladly sat down next to the boy.
Together they were silent for a few minutes. There were topics of conversation to break the ice, but Toru just stared at the lights in silence. Gray humored him, as it was something they both always do.
There was nothing more beautiful than these moments of silence before the artificial lights of the city. Even though she is far away from what she considered home, next to Toru that always changed. Wherever he is, she will feel at home, for Toru has that warmth that makes her feel at peace.
She rested her head on Toru's shoulder and closed her eyes. It was just as she was starting to fall asleep that Toru took the initiative to talk about what happened earlier.
"Master has woken up. With that, the war has already begun for us. Her awakening was just in time, for we are only a few days away from the war's start."
Yes... Gray feared it would. Her days of love and peace are over, but she promised him she would wait. Even if it's a lie, she was going to believe in Toru. Even if he doesn't come back, she was going to wait for him.
"I'd hate to say goodbye so soon," Gray whispered. She hugged Toru's left arm and felt the boy's warmth. "But we don't have any other choice, do we?"
"No. There are no other options. I am a weapon for war, and the war has finally come. As for Master. She is angry, very angry. I can feel it."
"Did you run away because she's angry?"
"I didn't run away. I walked away from her so she could think things through better. Her irrational anger is ruining this. She needs to think and calm down, but that doesn't seem to be working"
"... This is my fault."
If only she hadn't fallen in love with Toru, her friendship with Sakura wouldn't have been broken. She gained a love, but lost a friend.
"It's no one's fault, really," but Toru was more logical. "Things happened because that's how we forged the path. We met, we got to know each other a lot... We got close and eventually what had to happen happened. Master wasn't in the equation, and maybe that's why she's angry."
Everything was going well until he said that last bit. It seemed that Toru doesn't understand that Sakura is in love with him. Gray understood Sakura's anger. She showed up and stole her childhood love. In that aspect, Gray is a bad friend. She only saw for herself and not for others, but that wasn't necessarily bad. Gray wants to be happy and she also wants to make Toru happy. The only impediment was this war and Sakura.
"Things happened the way they should have happened. No one can change the past, only look to the future."
Hypocrisy...
"You're right about that, but how are we going to fix things with Sakura?"
Toru sighed. "I'll take care of that during the war. There's very little left now. I don't think Master wants to waste any more time. We will leave for Fuyuki in two days at the latest due to the fact that Master still has to fully recover and make preparations before the war. I must also make my preparations."
Preparing before an important event is always vital, more so if it is a war. Toru had to prepare all his tools, spells and jutsus; he also had to simulate many situations in which he could use his various skills. Sakura had to do the same.
Seeing that Toru was already preparing for war, Gray looked at the lights gloomily.
"It almost seems like a dream that our time together is over. I feel... sad."
"I know. I'm sorry..."
Perhaps this would be the last moment they shared together.
Even if he didn't show it, Toru felt the same way. These past few weeks had been quite the odyssey. Everything has been very peaceful and that was pretty good. Toru felt much more relaxed than at other times in his life. He even felt like he had a real life... But he will now go back to the war. Although he made friends and has a nice girlfriend, the time has come to leave all that behind to face his fate.
He is Assassin, the servant who stabs you in the back. There was no better class than that for him. Even though the World has banned him from many of his powers, he is still extremely powerful. His odds of winning the war are quite high.
"Let's go back. You should rest because tomorrow you have to go to school and I... I have to get ready."
"I know, but let's stay like this for a while longer."
"Okay."
Toru put his arm around Gray's shoulders and stroked her hair. He stayed like that for a few seconds until he noticed something strange.
A couple of tears fell onto Gray's cloak. She was crying, but she was trying to calm her crying by closing her eyes and hiding in Toru's arm.
"Don't cry, Gray..."
Even if he said that, Gray couldn't bear to have to say goodbye. She said she was going to wait for him, but what if he doesn't come back?
The future is uncertain; a completely changeable thing. Maybe in the distant future Toru will die, he might also come back alive or much worse. Maybe Toru will become a monster, but no one will ever know that, for Asahi Toru has no future; no destiny. That was the blessing that people of his kind have....
***
With Gray asleep in her room, Toru made his way to Waver's office. There were many things to think about, but now it was time to prepare. Besides...
'Looks like the professor is waiting for me'
Waver was in the office, drinking like when something is going wrong. He is like that, for when he drinks it is to drown all his despair and transform it into relaxation.
"You seem to have a lot to think about too," Toru said, stepping through the wall.
"Hm... When you have a daughter who wants to dive headlong into a war, of course you'll have a lot to think about. I've been waiting for you, sit down."
Toru took a seat and grabbed a glass tumbler. He poured the liquor into the glass and brought it to his mouth to take a taste.
"What did you talk to my Master about, did she tell you something important?"
Waver shook his head. "She's still the same, or so I'd like to say. Did something happen between you two?"
"You could say yes. I think the same thing happened to her that happened to you one day in the morning..."
The words were rather ambiguous. Thinking about it for a few seconds, Waver opened his eyes in disbelief and pounded his fist on the table.
"Don't tell me that...!"
"Don't yell. The girls are sleeping."
The man adjusted his hair and leaned his back against the back of the chair.
"I don't know if you're too naive or too stupid."
"Maybe both..."
Waver couldn't understand how Toru is so irresponsible. It's as if he was a child. After showing "it" to Sakura, she is surely heartbroken.
"I feel an incredible urge to hit you, but if I do I'd break my fist. Anyway. I was waiting for you not to talk about your love affairs, but what you should prepare for the war. I taught you some vital spells that may be of use to you, but in my travels together with Aozaki I remembered that people had also seen your daggers. As you have a great affinity with the wind element, it seemed right to recommend something to you."
"And that is?" asked Toru, drinking all the liquor in the glass.
"You know how to create Bounded Fields, so try creating one on the surface of your daggers using only wind to deflect the refraction of light. Bottom line-"
"You want my daggers to become invisible."
"That's right. You should start now. You already have everything you need. Now you must employ all your knowledge to protect your identity. Otherwise, the other magus will know what your weaknesses are and exploit them to the fullest at the slightest carelessness."
Toru nodded. This man had thought of everything.
"I understand. I will practice tonight. By dawn I will have mastered the wind prana."
"Good. That's it as far as preparations go. Also be sure to fix that problem you have with Sakura and Gray. Only an idiot who doesn't know the fury of a woman would play with the feelings of two girls."
"... Yeah... Easier said than done."
The professor stood up and set the bottle down near Toru. Before going to sleep, he raised his hand in farewell and said, "Well that's your problem, not mine. Make sure those girls aren't so hostile."
When a woman feels that what belongs to her has been taken away, she will surely try to fight for it tooth and claw. Waver has met many people throughout his life and knows how dangerous a woman mastering magecraft can be. Sakura is a prodigy and Gray is extremely powerful thanks to Add. If things get out of control, god knows how that will all end.
Toru was between two hungry animals and he's just an expressionless little mouse in the middle of Chaos.
All alone in the office, Toru contemplated the bottle and sighed. It had been a long time since he'd had a problem with women. First there was Hinata and Ino, whose relationship became very strange after their childhood drama before the events of Akatsuki. Then there was Konan, who was the closest to him. That woman was his emotional pillar during his existential crisis and the driving force behind his strength in the war.
Now, in this world, he has two beautiful girls fighting for him. The only thing different here is that Toru practically doesn't know Sakura and can't say for sure if his Master is in love.
"How do I fix this? Women are too complicated beings..."
The first question the man asked himself was: why, and the second: why are women so complicated? Toru could do a thesis on the subject and he would surely win prizes.
To drown his sorrows a little, Toru continued drinking until he thought it prudent to stop, for he must prepare for war.
-The next day-
Toru looked at the daggers in his hands, covered by the light-refracting wind. Now these tools were almost invisible to the human eye. Only someone with very good magical perception could perceive the trick.
It didn't take Toru long to learn this as he already had the basics of the Bounded Fields learned. All he needed to do was to apply the wind element and voila, you have invisible daggers. Besides, with Shimikomaseru, the process was much faster.
Noticing that it was already daylight, Toru left the laboratory, if you could call it that. Outside there was some noise and Toru didn't know what it was about, but when he went out to the dining room of the house, he found Waver, Sakura and Gray. The three of them were eating breakfast in silence.
Gray and Sakura were staring at each other, as if they were in an eternal staring contest. Waver was in the middle of the crossfire. The poor man thought he would have a quality morning together with his daughter and his student, but the tension between Sakura and Gray only seemed to increase.
Even with this image, the girls have completely different thoughts. On Gray's side, she just wants all this awkwardness to end, but Sakura had much darker thoughts in mind. They could be considered intrusive thoughts, but Sakura thought of murdering Gray repeatedly. If Waver knew about this, he would surely be disturbed.
"Good morning," completely oblivious to the conflict, Toru walked around the place as if nothing mattered.
He opened the refrigerator and took out a bottle of water. As he opened the bottle, he noticed that gazes were now on him.
"Is something wrong?"
...
...
The most brazen guy in the world, that's Asahi Toru. If Kyoko were here, she would surely be laughing at his son. Only he could live through such ridiculous situations.
"Did I do something wrong?"
From everyone's silence, it was obvious that he did something wrong. Well, Gray was the only one who didn't think so. She was more busy hiding the sadness of having to be separated from her beloved. Sakura was looking at Toru with a dangerously suspicious calmness and Waver was tired, very tired.
You could tell the professor hadn't slept well last night and the alcohol in his blood had taken its toll.
"If you're not going to tell me anything, then why are you looking at me like that? We have better things to worry about. Master, we need to plan our strategies and the spots where we can hide. I'll wait for you in the basement. There are many things we should talk about."
Toru wasn't even paying attention to the real problem anymore. After what he said yesterday, he didn't want to have anything to do with that problem, ignoring the fact that he is the culprit in the first place. That sort of thing was put off for later.
And just as he appeared, he vanished down the stairs on his way to the basement.
"I think I should be going now. Stay out of trouble, girls," Waver said, getting up from the table. He then continued on his way out of the house.
This left Gray and Sakura completely alone again. As expected, the stony silence was overwhelming. They just stared at each other while chewing their food very slowly.
The tension was palpable. It seemed like one of the two would leap to attack, but Sakura sighed and shook her head.
'You don't seem to know.'
Sakura could deduce that Gray doesn't know anything about Toru's past. Apparently she only knows Toru superficially. Because of that, Sakura felt superior. She thought that Gray's love for Toru is as superficial as her knowledge about the boy. It's a pity that it didn't cross Sakura's mind that Gray is sensitive to the emotions of ghosts.
Without even addressing her, Sakura got up from her seat, picked up the dirty dishes and carried them into the kitchen. Gray stared at her and then sighed.
'...'
Living with Sakura is more complicated than before.
***
Days passed as the relationship between Gray and Sakura fragmented even more. Although Sakura acted kind all the time in front of other people, when she was alone with Gray all that kindness disappears, being replaced by the gloomy look of a resentful girl.
Despite that, Toru almost always looked calm. He interacted with Gray as he always does, being as close to her as a couple in love. And with Sakura he acted with the professionalism of a hired killer. It was interesting to watch.
So, after three uncomfortable days, the farewell had finally arrived.
Some people had gathered at Waver's house. Reines took the opportunity to raid the place along with Svin and Flat, who followed her like vultures. She knew that if she brought those two guys with her the place wouldn't be boring.
"The time has finally come. This farewell would be better if the place my beloved little sister is going to wasn't a war," Reines shook her head wryly, but she knew she was going to miss Sakura.
"Sakura!" exclaimed Flat interrupting Reines. "This is a camera. Take some pictures of the enemy servants for her. Oh. Take a picture of Tokyo Tower too."
"Tokyo Tower is in Tokyo, not Fuyuki, you stone-headed fool," rebutted Svin, smacking Flat upside the head.
Waver touched his head in pain. A bunch of kids were making a racket in his house, his sanctuary of relaxation. But that, in part, was good because he forgot for a few moments that his adopted daughter was about to embark on a journey of no return.
"You people...keep your voices down. My house is not a circus."
"This house is not yours; you don't have the money to buy one, little brother. If it weren't for Melvin, you'd be living in a crummy little apartment," Reines told Waver. She smiled in pleasure as she watched her brother squirm at such a powerful argument.
With so many people cheering in front of her, Sakura smiled. She had friends and a family who love her. Though deep down she has a lot of problems to fix, she decided to leave all that for later.
"Where are Gray and Assassin?"
Svin's question was like a stab to Sakura. "He's...", she knew they were both saying goodbye.
***
Gray hugged Toru tightly. She was willing to not let him go, but that would be terribly selfish. She felt the boy's warmth one last time before she let him go, but the more she did, the less she wanted him to leave.
"I have to go now, Gray."
"Just a little longer."
Toru sighed with a soft smile. It's been so long since someone was this cloyingly sweet to him. Gray loves Toru with all her might and she's afraid of what's to come.
"... I can't promise that I will return, but I will strive to return. I will give my all, every last drop of mana. And if nothing works, then I will use my fists. Even if that doesn't work, I will use my teeth and crawl to victory. That's the only thing I can tell you, Gray. So please let me go."
Gray looked up and kissed Toru. She clung to him as her hands trembled. It was time to make good on her promise.
"Come back and let me save you. When you come back, tell me all about yourself. Tell me all your adventures and misfortunes."
Toru closed his eyes and rested his forehead with Gray's. He still couldn't promise, but he was still okay with that.
"Until next time, Gray," Toru said, fading into Gray's arms.
There was nothing he could gift her with this goodbye. However, as he faded back into his ghostly form, he smiled. He flashed her that smile he has never shown anyone.
Gray looked at him and tears began to fall down her face.
When she realized Toru was no longer in the room, she fell to her knees and fell silent.
***
Toru appeared at Sakura's side walking in the direction of the door.
"We can go now, Master."
He soon realized that Sakura was looking at him with those empty eyes and the others were curious about this. As usual, Toru sighed and vanished again to run away from trouble, but someone stopped him by grabbing his shoulder.
"Assassin, wait!" it was Flat, "Take this camera. Capture a few moments of your war adventure. Then show us the pictures later."
"Are you still at it, Flat?" mumbled Svin, exasperated.
Toru just took the camera and nodded. Then he turned to Waver and Sakura did the same.
"Master, are you ready?"
Sakura took a breath and then regained her kind expression, but this time with a hint of determination. "I'm ready."
"Very well. Professor?"
Waver nodded. "The time has come. The flight leaves in two hours. Let's not waste any more time."
Toru disappeared, Sakura held her suitcase tightly and Waver led them to the door. Not without first saying something to his students. "All of you, get out of my house!"
Flat whined like a sea wolf and Svin obeyed leaving the place before everyone, but with Reines something else happened.
"Sakura. There's one thing you must never forget," she said, completely ignoring her older brother. "You must watch out for men. They leave marks that are very hard to hide," she said all this while looking at the empty place next to Sakura.
In his ghost mode, Toru opened his eyes in surprise as he finally remembered what had happened the night 3 days ago.
'Oh, no. We...'
He's quite the assassin of love....
Vol. 4 - Lord El-Melloi II Case Files - The End