Encounter
“Hey……adorable missy”
The time when the sun is about to set.
With a cheeriness, as though one is greeting a friend, the man called out to the young girl.
“……uu”
The young girl――Mira＝Estheim, unconsciously held onto her mouth and groaned.
She had been loitering inside the deep forest, but where she came out to had an unfamiliar scenery. As many gravestones as there are to fill the lawn, and at the centre of all that is a building built with cold black metal so enormous that one can even say that it’s like a fortress.
That place that was far too bizarre was, one of the very few surprises of the young girl’s short life, but the girl was given such a shock that even that vanishes instantly.
It was because the man who has collapsed over there and is smiling brightly was, abnormally different.
A silk hat along with a black tailcoat. What left an impression more than anything was his jet-black eyes and hair that’s dyed pure white. It’s because, including that appearance of his that if he walks on the streets, firstly, probably everybody would turn around,
his hands
his legs
were all over the place.
……no, not everything is separated. His right arm is severed all the way to the base, his right leg is severed entirely, and his left leg barely reaches above his knee. The only one unscathed was, his blood-soaked left hand apart from his pinky and ring finger.
“……”
Mira, despite trembling, immediately rushes to his side and wipes the blood that’s on his face with her handkerchief.
However, in an instant, the cloth dyes dark red.
The young girl, she removes her own outerwear, places it on the severed sections, and tries to stop the bleeding.
“Are you……not scared”
“……”
“There’s no way that’s true huh……thanks. You’re kind huh”
When the white-haired man touches the young girl’s forehead with his trembling fingertip, a mildly warm light enveloped the young girl, and within seconds, dispersed.
When Mira stiffens all of a sudden, the man makes a soft smile.
“You don’t have to be scared……it’s a good luck charm”
“……we have to stop the bleeding”
When the young girl, who somehow managed to say something, was about to carry the man’s armpits,
“Asch＝Dahl!”
a voice was audible, from afar.
When she turns around, a black-haired and sharp-eyed old man was standing there.
“……you can leave already. I’m fine already”
In a gentle voice, with his only remaining left hand, the white-haired man thrusts Mira away.
The black-haired old man comes beside her, grabs the man’s collar, and speaks to him threateningly.
“You bastard……what did you do to this child!?”
“I did nothing, Hazen-sensei”
The man called Asch, stares at the man called Hazen, gleefully from the bottom of his heart.
“Kuu……you! Weren’t you taught『not get close to suspicious people』!?”
With an irritated expression, the black-haired old man glances at Mira.
“Hazen-sensei……you’re scaring her, aren’t you. Even though she did something good. Please don’t blame her that much”
His reproaching way of speaking, intensifies the old man’s irritation even further.
“You bastard……”
The moment he got enraged and raised his fist, Mira clung onto the old man’s arm.
“……kuu”
In response to the young girl who glares at him haphazardly, but desperately tries to stop the violence, he reluctantly lowered his fist.
“As I thought, you’re kind huh. Thanks”
Asch stares at the young girl with his jet-black eyes.
“…..fuu. Listen up. You mustn’t come here again. If you come here, you’ll definitely become miserable”
Hazen, who calmed down, gently pats the young girl.
“Are you going to……kill this person?”
She asks with a trembling voice.
“……he won’t die. At the end of the day”
The black-haired old man answers disgruntedly.
“It’s exactly as Hazen-sensei said. I’m fine. Otherwise, you’ll end up killed by Sensei”
“You shut up!”
Interrupting Asch’s words with an angry voice, the old man grabs the young girl’s hands tightly.
“Bear this in mind. Genuine evil is, like, a saviour who guides you. Like, the only one who understands you, snuggles up to you, gently speaks to you”
“Fufufu……it is useless, Hazen-sensei. She looks like, she hates you”
“……”
One can perceive distrust in her eyes. Disgruntledly, the old man glares at Asch.
“Adorable missy. If you need help, you can come here. I’ll give you a hand”
“……you, don’t talk anymore”
Hazen, like Asch did, touched the young girl’s forehead with his finger.
“Ah……”
Mira was, struck with a sudden onset of drowsiness and collapsed.
“Listen up, alright? I’ll say it once more. Forget what you saw today; you mustn’t come here. And then, you mustn’t tell anybody of this place”
The old man stands up, grabs Asch’s collars, and starts walking.
The young girl’s consciousness felt like it’s about to cut off at any moment, but the last thing that burned into her eyes was, the gentle expression the white-haired man showed.
What happened on that day was, sealed within the depths of her memories, and her next reunion with Asch was, after 8 years has passed since then; the winter when she was 14.
