Chapter Text
A dream.
He can’t tell whether it’s cold or warm, merely that the thin air is encircling him.
Someone is there, but the other presence is far too distant for him to recognize who it is.
A hand reaching out to him.
A name used to call to him.
He wakes up with tears in his eyes and doesn’t remember a thing.
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This story could begin at the very moment existence was a thing for the first time. When suddenly nothing created everything out of nowhere, which caused a certain famous bang. The ending for that tale could be the end of existence, maybe even before that, though that is a decision completely up to the one making the narrative, of course. A start of a story is at the exact moment the narrator wants it to begin.
Our story could begin thousands of years ago. The time in which a world bearing the cruelest destiny of destinies collided with the most ideal and outstanding world. Two parallels never meant to see the light of each other – yet they did.
They collided we say, but there were no explosions, no shocking sounds, no instant reactions. Being both invisible for each other, there were not a single thing realizing what had happened until some kind of beings discovered a hidden, invisible portal. A portal, which only a few could go through, and those people were able to see another of the universe’s darkest creations behind it.
You may call such a happening magical, or rather – a catastrophe.
For you see, this was a big mistake done by the universe itself and was never really meant to occur. Still, it happened, without any reasons or explanations. Though silent and private, the collision was so great that it surely had a huge negative impact on the two worlds. Granted, the ones bearing the consequences were the inhabitants of these worlds themselves. Some may say this is very unfortunate for them, but let us not forget that with downsides, there is always an intriguing one.
And in the end, does not the thrilling part in a story make it all worth the chaos?
The collision between the worlds might have been a mistake, but maybe this mistake was the fate of the two worlds all along. Maybe this was another unnecessary, yet destined bang for the universe.
As mentioned, our story can begin during the start of this period. A truly desperate time, filled with sorrow and fear, a time when worlds were struggling to survive.
However, let us not, for the narrator wishes to focus on one of the smaller outcomes of this universe’s troublesome mistake.
Oh, so many outcomes, so many fates altered, they all make some memorable stories. Some of the stories being quite happy, others tragic, but most of them are somewhere in between.
Perhaps focusing on one of these ‘insignificant’ stories is what the narrator wants.
A story that begins in a small town in one of these problematic worlds. A tale beginning with a young man minding his own life, unaware of his destiny.
We find him inside an old house – or a dojo, as the beings call it – and see him doing swift movements with a white wooden sword.
Only time will show if this boy’s story is worth following from the beginning to the end.
_______________________________________________________
Move the bokken sideways. Keep your balance.
It is easy practice that with skill doesn’t have the necessity of a concentrated mindset, so after having repeated the same moves and being deep in his own thoughts for a while, it is only now that Haruka Nanase notices he’s been training for a somewhat longer time than usual. He lowers the bokken and stands still. The clock on the wall reads exactly four pm.
He should probably call it a day and get some rest.
Changing clothes and cleaning up the place takes no time, and even though he is the only one training and never really makes any clutter, he’s careful to not leave anything that might be at the wrong place behind.
The owner of the local dojo, being an old family friend of Haruka, sees no problem in letting the boy spend time by himself here, ‘as long as the boy keeps the place tidy afterwards, that is’. Spending time with the others at the dojo has never been something of Haruka’s interest, so he would occasionally go there alone. There are times when the owner would join him, sometimes to teach the boy new techniques and other times just to hang out.
It has always been like that.
School, part-time job, dojo, it’s all a part of his weekly routine.
Haruka closes and locks the front door behind him as he steps outside the building.
The first thing he notices when going outside is the faint smell of the not too far away ocean, and the seventeen-year-old boy immediately feels like it’s just a tiny bit easier to breathe.
It’s Sunday, not long after the winter took its farewell and now spring has come to fill the air of his small hometown, Iwatobi.
For some reason it makes Haruka feel more at ease as he’s walking towards his house, observing the nature he is walking past. New buds have found their place on the trees and lumps of snow are slowly melting in the ditches. The air is no longer biting cold, the sky is brighter and the nature has more sounds to it.
It is calming, not quite normal considering it was a heavy winter just a few weeks ago, but calming.
The boy eventually reaches his old house. The first thing he does after finally coming home into the familiar warmth is taking a worthy long-lasting, relaxing bath. All thoughts vanishes as the hot water embraces his body.
Silence.
Haruka sighs deeply.
This is what a perfect, calming and comfortable Sunday truly is and should be like.
After a while in the bathtub, the hot liquid turns lukewarm, then lukewarm to cold. Despite his love for the soothing activity, Haruka decides to leave the bath and dries himself with a towel.
Next on his to-do-list is dinner. He quietly strolls to the kitchen with slightly wet hair.
The feeling of disappointment and utter betrayal for his past self’s lack of measurements comes to show when he sees the amount of food in his fridge. Only a single canned mackerel and some milk remains. He does a tired moan and closes the fridge door.
He likes mackerel. A lot. Nevertheless, that canned mackerel will be nowhere good enough for dinner. Besides, he should have done grocery shopping a long time ago, so there is only one thing to do…
Haruka walks away from the kitchen, down to the entrance hall, and puts on clothes. This time wearing a woolen hat to shelter his still wet hair, as he guesses the air has gotten colder by now. It is darker now, and Haruka heads out for the grocery shop in a fairly slow pace. There is no need to hurry, it’s still not even that late and besides, his hunger is – at this current time – very tolerable.
He is walking down the stairway leading down from his residence when he notices his older neighbor walking past.
It’s Tamura-san, an elderly woman who has lived right next to Haruka, ever since he was a newborn child. She seems a bit flustered as she’s making her way to her front door, but stops and draws a big smile when noticing Haruka coming down.
“Ah well, if it isn’t Nanase-kun!”
Haruka slightly bows his head.
“Tamura-san, I haven’t seen you in a while,” he replies with the monotone voice of his.
“That’s right! You see, I was visiting my niece again, been seeing the beautiful snowy mountains!”
“Oh, how nice, did you have a safe trip?“
“Yes, yes, and even though I hold Iwatobi dear to me, it is nice to spend some time traveling in the foreign world. Being around the earth is important, that’s something for everyone to remember, don’t you think?”
“Yeah,” Haruka looks down at a little green sprout making its way through the ground. He hasn’t left the town once since he was a little kid and Tamura-san knows that. Maybe that’s the exact reason she’s mentioning this. He looks up at her and draws a faint smile. “I’ll remember that.”
Tamura-san suddenly holds her hands up as to apologize.
“Please forgive me for changing the subject so suddenly Nanase-kun, but are you updated on the news?”
“The news?” Haruka asks. All day he had been training and past that he’d done nothing but being in his own head, not even thinking about the outer world, let alone checking the news.
Any sort of news programs has never been of his interests anyway, as they will usually contain dull opinions and every-day problems that has nothing to do with his life, which frankly is not much more than just annoyance and trifling waste of time for the boy. Now however, he gets wary. Whatever has happened is making the laid-back and reserved, old lady Tamura-san rushing, which is everything but normal.
“No, not really, has anything happened?”
Despite him worrying, the woman’s eyes lights up.
“They are saying the holy ritual is happening right now as we’re speaking, they are right by Iwatobi, apparently.”
Haruka blinks in surprise.
“The elves are back?”
“Yes, yes, yes, and about time! I’ve never experienced them being a whole year later than usual, strange isn’t it?”
“Yeah,” is all Haruka is able to say. He honestly hadn’t anticipated the holy ritual to happen today, let alone that it would happen so close to him.
“It could be another false alarm like usual, but I really hope they are not lying this time. I think I’ll go in and check the TV, they’re probably all over the news by now!” She almost sings in excitement and her feet are already moving up towards her house. “So I’ll see you soon, Nanase-kun!”
“Yeah. See you soon.”
They bid their goodbyes and Haruka continues down the quarters ahead to the local shop, now feeling very different from before.
The holy ritual. A happening that only finds occurrence in Japan every sixth spring.
The elves, a phenomenal species, hold the task to find and bring a worthy human with the capability to cross the boundary between worlds. A human who bears the blood of the ancient gods, whom shall help the elves overcome a certain dark power. They say it’s a dark power, yet stupidly enough this danger has stayed hidden for the human world.
The chosen human – given the vain name ‘the Holy Guardian’ – could be a child that’s about to grow up with their dear family, an adult that is just getting used to the complicated world or an elder with loving kids and grandkids.
Some curses the elves for abducting these people. They feel discontent with the lack of information about the elves only to then command around during the holy ritual. Hundreds of years ago, the human’s despair for the tradition led to a twelve-year-old war between the elves’ land and the earth, which the magical creatures eventually won. It has since been peace between the two worlds, as it was important to cooperate to defeat their real enemy.
It doesn’t help that the Japanese occasionally uses the word mazoku for the elves either, literally referring to evil creatures. Simply saying the word out loud is frightening in itself for some people.
At the same time however, the holy ritual fascinates most people, as many finds being the owner of the title the chosen one very appealing.
It’s said that the Holy Guardians has an inner desire to help the elves defeat this so-called threat, that it is their motivation making them more decisive and brave. The saying appear to be true, as none of the chosen ones has ever rejected the elves’ proposal, but instead accepted right away. Most of them have also visited the humans from time to time afterwards, and they never seem to feel at doubt of their decision, making them look like a true hero.
There is also a myth saying the chosen ones has a rather high chance of finding ‘undying love’ in the other world – something apparently the elves’ hold uppermost in their mind.
In other words, yes, of course the majority of humanity is obsessed over this legend.
Kids are playing elves and monsters at day and dreams about being the Holy Guardian at night. Many songs, movies and books are based on the unnatural world, and the social media never gets tired of the topic.
As a child, Haruka really did enjoy hearing stories and playing games related to the elves, but he never seemed as obsessed over it like his other classmates.
When he was ten years old, a kid on his age who didn’t live far away from Haruka, was chosen to join the other species. This became a scandal for a while. It’s most common for people between nineteen to thirty to get chosen. What had been the purpose of separating such a young child from their family just to send them to another world? The humanity were furious, but had no chose but to let it pass. A new war was not the solution – the world had learned that a long time ago.
As Tamura-san had mentioned, the elves has delayed their visit for a year now, something that hasn’t happened in eighty years or so, the humans never got to know the reason for that either.
Then there are those who doesn’t believe in the holy ritual, they suppose it’s nothing but a blatant lie. There were times when Haruka found it difficult to have faith in the legend as well. It isn’t easy to accept something as irrational and unexplored - for the humanity at least – as the concept of the elves is.
He figures that’s probably one of the reasons to why everyone obsesses over this legend though. There are so many mysteries and unanswered questions, so why wouldn’t you want to know more about it? The ‘real world’, where there are no such thing as magical powers and creatures, carries less and less secrets the more the inhabitants explores it. The human’s world is soon an old, reread book that’s about to stay forgotten on the book shelf. However, this ‘fantasy world’ covers fresh secrets and laws unknown to humanity. Of course the humans will throw themselves over this tantalizing story.
‘Are we prepared to unfold the secrets of the elves land?’ ‘What will we do with the information?’ ‘Is it perhaps for the best that the elves shows their back at us, for peace between both beings?’
With more thoughts about the unnatural world rather than about what was on his shopping list, Haruka eventually arrives at the grocery shop. He hears a faint sound of a cheering crowd right before taking a step inside.
“Good evenin’ Nanase,” the cashier, a middle-aged man named Hayashi, says and Haruka returns his greeting. The shop has always been rather small and the cashier and his now one customer are the only people here.
The young man’s mission is simple: to find all the supplies that is missing in his fridge, which is a lot. Hayashi helps him, he is another person Haruka has known for a long, long time. They small talk a little, about work, school and possible future life, until Haruka has found everything he needs.
They go to the desk to pay, Hayashi humming a song while putting the groceries in plastic bags, something he insists on doing himself, as he has nothing else to spend with his energy. Haruka is grateful and while waiting he picks up a newspaper lying before him. As usual, the news are indeed boring.
There’s an article about a mother claiming that her son is ‘the chosen one’ and that he has been taken by the elves in secret. Apparently, the nineteen-year-old boy used to live in the U.S., but then transferred to Japan and has not been in contact with his mother for over six months.
‘As a young boy he always seemed determined on something. Even though I feel heartbroken for his disappearance, it makes sense that the elves would choose him as our guardian!’ said a quotation. Under the mother’s commentary is a photo of the son; a young blonde-haired boy, owner of lips that kind of looks like a duck’s beak.
False alarms - another thing Tamura-san had mentioned earlier. Haruka knows he cannot be the only one who started to think that these fakes got boring and repetitive. They are everywhere, people wants attention and creates rumors to get famous, as always. They want to be the chosen one, even people with no Japanese background loves to claim the holy ritual as a part of their culture.
Because being the chosen one means you are powerful, right? Powerful, which means famous – or infamous – powerful, which means power.
And as always, the humans wants power.
It’s usual.
Like his old neighbor Tamura-san, like the cashier whom has been working at the same place for as long as Haruka can remember, like this small town, like this whole world, nothing ever changes.
Changes might happen before other’s eyes, but for Haruka, it doesn’t.
“What d‘you think is happening out there?” Hayashi suddenly asks and glances at the front door.
Haruka stills, looking up from the newspaper and notices all the sudden, loud noise coming from outside. It sounds like people are shouting, cheering, as if a huge gathering is being held right outside the shop. He also hears the sound of propels, like the sound of a helicopter. The boy frowns.
He carefully lays the dreary newspaper down.
“I have no idea.”
Hayashi walks away from the now full packed grocery bags to the front door with slow steps and then proceeds to open it. The sound of people cheering and blistering wind increases. He gasps as he looks outside.
Suddenly curious, Haruka grabs his heavy bags of groceries, follows Hayashi and steps outside to share the same view.
It is like a giant parade.
At first, the hundreds of people that are crowded on the street prevents the cashier and his customer to notice what this commotion is about right away. Then they eye upon the middle of the street, where great horses pulling astonishing carriages moves through the chaos.
The three carriages are hazel brown and carries a beautifully molded flower pattern on its sides, while the horses are so majestic and gorgeous that it is nearly impossible to glance away. Behind the carriages walks young human-like men and women wearing traditional Japanese clothes. They are carrying unique flowers and lanterns, and their hair and eyes are in all kinds of different colors.
Leading the parade are ten-or-so human-like beings in enormous sizes, looking like soldiers. They are wearing big helmets and armor walking in a slow, perfect rhythm. Most of the people witnessing this are filming the scene, using their phones. Only a few dares to take a step closer towards the soldiers to get a better shot.
The earlier sound of propels didn’t fool the boy, for there is indeed a helicopter, sailing in the sky over this particular huge mess that takes place in this particular tiny city.
“T-the elves,” Hayashi utters. “It must be ‘em, that’s right, I’ve seen ‘em once before!”
Haruka doesn’t say a word, but when witnessing this entrancing sight, he has no choice but to believe in Hayashi’s statement.
Before neither of the two confused men at the grocery shop are able to fully grasp the unbelievable scenery, a shiny, black Toyota Sienna parks right in front of them. The tires makes a screeching sound as the minivan was probably just driving above this area’s speed limit.
A small camera crew, consisting by a woman with a microphone and a young man carrying a professional camera gets out of the car in a hurry.
“Shit, they’ve even sent a helicopter,” the cameraman says right after getting out of the van, squinting at the sky. “Other than that, it looks like we’re the first ones.”
The woman seems more fascinated by the parade than the helicopter, despite the sight however, she does not move a fascial muscle until she speaks.
“Good, I need you ready as soon as possible, Mr. Sato.”
“Yes, ma’m.”
While the two are preparing themselves and moving cables leading into the car, the mystical parade is slowly moving closer and the crowd with it. Even more people are arriving on bikes, in cars, or on foot to be a part of this event, completely filling the small street and leaving less and less personal space to the entire audience.
As the cameraman – Mr. Sato – points the camera at his coworker, a teenage group that Haruka recognizes are from his school quickly finds the way into the camera shot behind the reporter, showing peace-signs and fooling around. One glare from the woman and the teenagers backs away. She then assures herself that her hair is on point when Sato starts recording.
“’Kay, we’re live in three, two …!”
“Good evening everyone, I’m Nakano Miyako from Ginzan press reporting live from Iwatobi, where the holy ritual is about to happen. We all have been anticipating their one-year belated visit and today, on March 26, the show is finally on. As you can see, people are filling the street as everyone wants to get a glance of the legendary mazoku-beings. Who will be the Holy Guardian this time, and why the extra-long wait, are probably the questions everyone are asking themselves at this very moment-“
Haruka directs his attention from the reporter – whom weirdly had just called the elves for mazuko out in the public with no problem at all – to the moving parade.
The elves are much closer now, the tramping horses and soldiers looking more intimidating and the crowd around them keeps surrounding the entire street. As they get closer, a strange smell of exotic plants gets stronger and stronger.
The beings carrying flowers and orange lanterns behind the carriages are less frightening than pretty much anyone else in this entire mess, if it wasn’t for the spiritual atmosphere then Haruka would probably think of them as nothing else than humans wearing fake, big ears and kimono.
One of them seems quite energetic, a jumping boy who’s smiling and posing before the fascinated crowd. The boy does a swift movement with his hand and a small flower appears on the palm of his hand out of nowhere. He gives it to two children he’s passing by, and they stare at it in complete awe. Another male, being slightly taller than the excited boy yet appearing to be around the same age, tries to appease him by carefully grabbing his shoulder.
Haruka had seen popular videos and pictures of the elves before, everyone kind of knew how they looked, however they seem more human-like up close than he’d ever imagined.
Then, in only a matter of a few seconds, the tramping of the giant horses and soldiers had stopped and the carriages wasn’t moving anymore. Everyone had quieted down.
The parade – and the crowd with it – had stopped right in front of Haruka.
He looks at Hayashi, who is now for some reason standing many steps away from him, eyeing at him warily. As Haruka continues to look around, he realizes that he has in all of a sudden become the center of attention.
The teenage group from earlier are pointing at him in surprise, the cameraman is filming him, along with all the others recording using their phones. All the giant soldiers and horses, as well as the helicopter far up in the sky seems more menacing than ever.
Everyone has fallen into a distinguishable silence, only the propels in the sky making noise.
Haruka tightens his grip around the handles of his weighty grocery bags. He sure has never felt this confounded in a very, very long time.
One of the younglings from behind the carriages walks up to him with wary steps. He looks like he is around Haruka’s age, if not younger, and looks quite nervous as he slowly places himself in front of the human, while carrying something that looks like a parchment.
His hair is blue and he wears a pair of red spectacles.
He clears his throat as he – obviously – is about to make an approach to Haruka.
Approach to him… about… something… in front of the entire crowd…
No, wait, what?
No. No, it can’t be-
“Your grace, Nanase Haruka,”
Oh boy.
“We are the elves, traveled from the elves’ land to welcome you. It is an honor for us to announce that yours truly ancient ancestor has given you the ability of crossing the portal between each of our worlds. Meaning, your ancestors has made you destined to meet a certain group of elves to take a part of our never-ending defenses against the darker Shadows and to prevent the possibility of a certain era of darkness. As our hundred-and-sixty-fourth human guardian, you are a part of a thousands of years old tradition: the holy ritual. In which our each worlds are collaborating to protect our existence, our peace, and our light.”
For a split second, Haruka can’t hear a single word of what the elf is saying. His fast pulse and heavy heartbeat is so loud, it wouldn’t surprise him if the whole town could hear it. Red-glasses continues speaking nonetheless.
“We swear that we always have and always will have good intentions for your soul and your people. Our prayers are for you to save us. If the chosen human accepts our request, they shall travel to our land to then live with us, until the day you have been beneficial for protection of our world’s life and wellness. It is then optional whether they wish to stay or not.”
“You will hereby be expected to take your time preparing yourself for this journey upon you, to then learn everything about the elves’ land and to assist us with your own unique power. We greatly hope for your cooperation as it has an important factor for both our beings’ safety.”
The still slightly nervous elf looks up directly at Haruka’s eyes for the first time.
It must have been something about Haruka’s almost-consternated expression, for the boy draws an apologetic smile.
“This may be heavy information to sink in for you, which is only natural, but there is no need to worry, as we shall help you in every way we can,” he says. “Please feel so inclined in joining us, your grace.”
The boy takes a bow, and then (as if to play further with his already bewildered mind) the flower carrying people and the entire squad of soldiers, bows as well.
“Please, your grace,” the rest of the elves repeats in unison.
Silence.
A part of Haruka wonders what kind of word can possibly describe exactly what he is feeling. Maybe stupefied, or maybe stunned is the right word. Befuddled works as well…
As red-glasses was holding his speech, it felt like Haruka’s head was exploding of thoughts and revelations. Now however, he is just completely empty of words and can’t think of anything.
This whole scenario is absolutely absurd. Of all people, how could Haruka be a guardian of two entire worlds and populations? How could he be one to hold responsibility over such an enormous duty? Moreover, what on earth can this ‘unique power’ he was mentioning be? Maybe they got the wrong guy? Yeah, that must be it!
He realizes he has been quiet for too long when he witnesses the people around him laughing and whispering.
They are all waiting for him.
Quick, say something!
“Oh,” Haruka says in a murmur, looking down at the heavy bags of groceries he is still holding. “So I just wasted money on all that grocery shopping...”
The crowd becomes deadly silent.
“There is no need to feel let down by that. Money will be the least of your worries as we are entitled to give you all the resources you’ll need, even demands for only-human goods in the human world shall be received to you.”
Haruka frankly doesn’t want to do anything but stay silent, he has never been one to be relatively good with words and expressions. It’s probably not a good idea adding anymore into his complain about money of all things.
Thankfully, blue-head (or red-glasses – Haruka is not very creative with nicknames) takes the initiative and walks up closer to him, now with more confident steps than before. He stops, bows his head and hands over the parchment he’s been holding. Haruka carefully drops his grocery bags on the pavement, and as he receives it, he notices how his own hands are shaking.
“This is the contract you must sign if you feel inclined to accept your destiny as our guardian. Please read it through before making your decision.”
Despite the boy’s puzzled mind, he takes a look at the very long parchment. It contains gracefully painted words worth admiring. He begins reading the entire contract thorough. Most of the text is pretty much already said in blue-head’s earlier speech, so there’s not much more info to take in.
He notices one perceptible line though: ‘At times, your life may seem to be at stake. However, we shall do anything it takes to take care of your soul and your comfort, until the very day our contract of agreement has expired.’
The contract will be expired when he has ‘insured peace of this current era’. The text doesn’t elaborate on that.
As he is reading, Haruka slowly begins to realize what kind of situation he has instantaneously become a huge part of.
This is reality.
He looks up from the parchment to over the crowd, at the many faces looking at him, waiting for an answer. He looks at Hayashi – whom still looks astonished by the whole happening – at the camera and the hundreds of phones filming him, and at the people whispering his name. The distant helicopter doesn’t seem to bother him anymore, the surreal parade right in front of him isn’t as surreal, and the big, threatening crowd observing him is no longer big and threatening.
He then looks at the multi-colored elves, soldiers and horses. It is a clear contrast between them and the city, like two different worlds has just collided altogether. Now for some reason, the other world’s presence has become far more welcoming.
Haruka has always been a person who’s honest and well aware about what he wants. Nevertheless, he has been living his past years heedless of his slow, normal – or what one would consider normal – life, while he just might have felt dreaded by it.
He has never felt attached to anything, not his weekly routines, not even his hometown.
There has never been a sign of future drastic changes for his lifestyle–
–Until now.
He doesn’t have to live in the norm anymore.
Haruka takes a deep breath in and out and directs his gaze at the being before him.
Just how much courage must it have taken Haruka to utter his next words?
“I’ll sign the contract.”
It is as if he dropped a bomb, for as soon as the words leaves his mouth, the entire crowd explodes in cheers. The flower-carrying elves are all smiling as well. None of the chosen humans has ever rejected this offer in the entire history of the holy ritual, yet everyone are celebrating in amazement.
As he finished speaking, sweat ran down his back like a waterfall, it felt like his vision was growing smaller bit-by-bit. Still, he looked forward at the audience before him, thinking – feeling that what he has done was the right thing to do.
“Magnificent!” red-glasses says in delight. “You are more than welcome to take your time before your travel, your grace, we are inclined to wait for you as long as you prepare yourself.”
Haruka folds the parchment and puts it safely down in one of his grocery bags. Everything is still very much puzzling for him, yet one thing makes him less indecisive, one thing being some sort of an unfamiliar feeling. A feeling that is impossible to describe.
A feeling of something waiting only for him.
He faces blue-head again.
“Give me seven days,” he requires.
“P-pardon?”
“I need a week, then I’ll be ready to go.”
The elf takes a step back and has a hard time finding his words right away.
“Your grace, I… I can assure you that there is no need to rush. It’s most usual for the chosen ones to spend a month or two in their homeland before beginning their journey. Let’s not make any decisions in too much of a haste!“
“It’s fine, I already know I don’t need any more than seven days.”
“Ah, well...”
Blue-head slowly turns his head and looks at the other elves as if asking for help. A middle-aged woman looking out to be the oldest out of all the others nods in approval.
He then slightly adjusts his glasses and turns to face Haruka again.
“Alright, seven days it is. I ask of you to deliver the signed contract by then.”
“Yes.”
Realizing that the shock from earlier had turned him a bit too informal, Haruka almost tumbles into a bow.
“It is in an honor, to be chosen, I mean…”
To his surprise, the elves are already bowing before him, it may be the second time they do this, but it is just as startling and wondrous as before. He straightens his back and is once more at a loss of words.
These beings are a part of Haruka’s life now, just as much as he is a part in theirs.
He has no idea what the hell he has just signed up to.
“Then, your grace, let me introduce myself.” The elf before him raises his body from his gesture. “Ryugazaki Rei, at your service.”
Haruka bows yet again out of courtesy and wished for a future in which they’ll work well together. Red-glasses – or Ryugazaki – gives Haruka a last smile of gratitude and then returns to his comrades.
The ceremony is over.
The now more eager crowd filling the street surrounds itself closer and closer around the newborn hero.
“Nanase Haruka, was it? How does it feel like to be the Holy Guardian ? Do you have any special reasons you’d like to share with the world to why you’ll only need seven days before your lifelong duty?”
“Hey, Nanase! I’m Mochizuki from middle-school! Remember me?”
“You’re so hot! Do you exercise a lot?”
Even though all these people are already praising him like he’s a saint, his body reminds him that nothing about his human-self has changed thus far, for Haruka hears his own stomach rumbling.
Oh right, he was going to make dinner, wasn’t he? What time is it? Maybe he should go back to his house…
“Alright, alright, give the boy some space now,” Hayashi bellows and places himself in front of Haruka to back away the audience. Haruka is quick to pick up his heavy grocery bags and presumes to leave the crowd in haste, in hopes of having a meal before midnight.
Alas, Hayashi’s helping hand isn’t good enough as a stream of people keep following the young boy, continuing asking him questions.
“Can we take a selfie together?”
“Nanase Haruka, could you please tell us a little about yourself? How old are you?”
“Just one selfie, please? And maybe a hug?”
He could try to see from the audience perspective. This boy will most certainly be known over the whole world in just a matter of time, so this is their chance to get a piece of fame right before it’s too late. Yes, yes, Haruka could try to be patient with the crowd and fulfill their wishes – but food is calling.
This Sunday has certainly been everything else but normal.
Has this house always been this small before?
Haruka holds his grip around a pack-filled suitcase in his one hand and his life-changing contract in the other. His backpack feels heavy on his back as he stands, contemplating his bedroom. The bedroom where he has been spending so much time of his life, and always stayed the same. A room that he has never given as much thought about as he is now.
It is indeed small, but Haruka never did mind. The house wasn’t anything spectacular, but it worked as a house, and that has always been good enough.
Still, the room is different now.
Maybe he has been right the whole time. Maybe the world doesn’t change, but the mind of the viewer does.
It really is a weird feeling, to see the life before one take a complete one-eighty like that.
Seven days of being a hero. A hero that hasn’t done anything yet, but has instead sent resignations to school, job and activities, bid goodbyes to old classmates and acquaintances and the people at the dojo, been interrupted by the police guarding his house and talked to countless of reporters.
It didn’t take much of a long time until Haruka finally had to accept that interviews and news about him were inevitable, regardless of his biased opinions.
The police had been surrounding his house, to prevent any unwelcomed people and reporters from bugging Haruka. A group of police officers had been guarding the elves as well – as if the pack of giant elf soldiers wasn’t good enough.
While everyone else were begging for Haruka’s attention, the elves hadn’t spoken one word to him since the holy ritual. They had rested in tents and carriages for the last days and were very accepting for interviews, though they weren’t really good at answering the questions.
‘What is the reason for the one-year delay?’
‘Unfortunately, our royalty has chosen not to elaborate on the subject, though we hope we will meet our schedule next time.’
‘Then what can you tell us about our previous chosen hero? The whole world is dying to know how our boy’s doing!’
Luckily, Haruka wasn’t the only one all over the media. For there was indeed another human, someone who had just experienced the life that lies before Haruka. Someone presumably under just as much – if not even more – surveillance and pressure.
The headline, ‘Yamazaki Sousuke - reunited with family after six years in the elves’ land’, is everywhere.
This Yamazaki-guy seems like the only one out of his comrades that weren’t exactly eager about answering questions. Apparently, his time in the other world has been great. He had been happy with growing up along with the elves, and he wishes to live there for the rest of his life. Haruka finds it odd how he chose not to stay with his family. There must be something in the other world that makes him want to go back…
Like his comrades, Yamazaki wouldn’t give all the information that the reporters wanted either. ‘Classified information’ must be his favorite words judging by the interviews. During the holy ritual, he had been waiting inside one of the carriages, to prevent drawing any attention away from the scene. At the same time, people had been arguing about if anyone would recognize him after all these years in the first place.
Haruka had just barely met him. On the fifth day after the ceremony, he had participated as a guest at a famous talk show, called The Unfamiliar. A talk show that is solely based on the unnatural life of the elves and has become a part of the historical tradition, as they have interviewed all of the recent Holy Guardians after the shows debut.
One doesn’t reject the offer of being a part of this talk show, that has become a norm, though Haruka knew he’d never accept if he really didn’t want to. He thought it was for the best to say yes, so people would fuss less about him.
Besides, it was just supposed to be an interview.
Yamazaki had appeared on the stage before him, right after they’d presented a video montage featuring the previous chosen humans. His interview had gone well, though he is tall, has a threatening appearance and is short with words he even managed to draw out a nice and comfortable atmosphere for everyone watching.
Then it was Haruka’s turn.
Before he entered the stage, he already knew how the attention would be tiring for him. He knew he was just there for entertainment purposes.
What he didn’t know however, was that they would create pity out of him.
“I have to ask Nanase, how is your family doing? I’m sure they must be miserable for your departure.”
“…I don’t have a family.”
Of course the host knew that. The host, being an outgoing old man who weren’t afraid of telling blunt and offensive jokes, surely had gone through all the information about Haruka, as a host preparing themselves for an interview would generally do, and yet he had made Haruka spit those words out in front of the entirety of the earth’s population.
It was to create a cheap surprise, to make the audience gasp out of shock. Now everyone will root for the young tragic boy, and Haruka fucking hates it.
He was obliged to talk about how he was raised by his late grandma after the loss of his parents, until she passed away as well. Then he had to answer questions about how the child welfare had been treating him the past years, how they were feeling about this whole thing about him being ‘the chosen one’.
Annoying news and interviews, that is something Haruka surely won’t be missing in the other world.
The boy sighs. He turns off the lights in his bedroom and closes the door after him.
There’s only one memento from his house he will bring with him, being the one bokken he has trained with all his life after he received it from his parents.
Every step he takes, while heading to his front door, feels like his last. He open the door and feels the fresh, biting air crawl its way up his nostrils.
It’s Sunday morning and spring is still kicking in.
They are all awaiting him outside. Flashing lights appear as a paparazzi crew are taking pictures. The great horses are patiently standing in position. Red-glasses – no, Ryugazaki – and two other men stands in front of all the others, making him seem way smaller than he actually is compared to the giant soldiers. The elves all bows, astonishing Haruka yet again by the unfamiliar greeting. One of the carriages has a wide open door, ready only for him.
“Your grace, how has your week been?” Ryugazaki asks.
Beside him stands a taller figure. That must be Yamazaki. He is wearing a yukata like all the others, and his look is yet again rather stern and nearly aggressive for no apparent reason.
“Good,” Haruka replies while looking away from the other human. “I’ve finished all my errands in time.”
“Splendid!” Ryugazaki says. His timid side from seven days ago is no more. “The only thing left to do before our departure is for you to deliver the signed contract of agreement.”
This is it, Haruka thinks for himself. He could turn back to his abandoned bedroom with the contract right at this very moment and ditch this life-changing opportunity.
But he doesn’t.
Instead, he walks towards the elf pack, away from his house, and hands over the parchment. Ryugazaki bows.
“We look forward to work with you, your grace.”
Haruka averts his eyes away.
“I won’t get used being addressed as that… Just using my name is fine.”
“Oh! Sou-chan said the exact same thing when we met him!”
This time it isn’t Ryugazaki talking, but a shorter boy standing at his left side. Yellow hair, pink, huge eyes and a big smile. Haruka thinks he recognizes him from the ritual.
Ryugazaki looks down at the other and smiles. He places a hand on his comrade’s shoulder. The boy meets Ryugazaki’s stare and calms down a bit, though the smile refuses to leave his face. For some reason, the deep look their giving each other – that only lasts for a second – makes Haruka feel like he should look away.
“Then I’ll call you Haruka-senpai, if that’s preferred,” Ryugazaki continues. “After all, you are one year my senior…”
“And I’ll call you Haru-chan!”
Haruka shivers at that uncalled-for casual nickname.
“Please drop the chan.”
“He won’t.” Yamazaki opens his mouth for the first time in front of Haruka. His voice is deep, and for some reason, he’s no longer glaring like earlier, but is instead scratching his left arm. “Speaking from experience.”
“I’m Hazuki Nagisa,” the joyful boy announces. “You can call me whatever you want!”
“Very well, that’s settled!” Ryugazaki says before Haruka can give any more complains. “Our travel is long and will last throughout three sunrises, so we better get going.”
As if on cue, the squad of soldiers and elves marches to their positions back and in front of the vehicles – Yamazaki and Hazuki joining them – while Ryugazaki escorts Haruka to one of the carriages. A pair of elves receives his baggage and carries it to a carriage. Haruka notices how beautiful the vehicles are up close and then takes a last glance at his house before stepping inside.
After looking at the old building, Haruka realizes he didn’t get the chance to say goodbye to his neighbor, Tamura-san. He told her he would see her soon, but for some reason, she weren’t to be found in her house. He wonders if they will ever meet again.
One of the soldiers closes the door behind him, and he sits down on the surprisingly comfortable wooden seat in the surprisingly big-spaced room.
“Are you ready, Haruka-senpai?”
It’s like he is about to take off in a plane. A plane that is heading to an unknown destination carrying an unknown future. A plane that’s about to make him leave everything he has behind, with no promise of returning back.
Maybe it isn’t too late for him to change his mind. Maybe he still has a chance of discarding this deal and run back to the life he has grown so used to. He can totally say ‘no, take me back’ and break the promise he has made.
But he doesn’t.
Haruka directs his look forward and takes a deep breath.
“Let’s go.”