"海祇 わたつみ 島 じま"

Stood frozen as she stared at the dozen soldiers on beds, Kokomi was paler then ever. Young men and women who had fought for the good of their people, were turning old at a rapid pace, as their once colorful hair turn white and grey, as wrinkled formed upon their skin, as their bones gave away until they fell to the ground.

The delusions she had confiscated had done only so much, but the damage had been done. People with futures rapidly enter such and had little time left. They were now old, and she wanted to vomit her guts out. This was because she was foolish and naïve.

She was the Divine Priestess, yet she couldn't do anything with old age. Even if it was a forced acceleration, she did not have that much power. She felt faint as people began to yell, scream, and cry for the soldiers who had lost so much time.

"Your Excellency!" Gorou shouted as he frantically depended on his nose to find the priestess. Once his eyed landed to the drained and exhausted young lady, his brows furrowed as he rushed to her side.

"Gorou... What is it?" Kokomi sounded weak, but she kept a smile up her face. Strained, forced, not natural or genuine. It caused the general to flinch, as he looked around the area with caution.

Gorou looked hesitant, but he needed to relay the information. The traveler had already gone of after seeing his friend, Teppei, on one of the beds, barely conscious. The absolute rage upon his expression had many soldiers cowering in fear, even he, dared not to get in his way.

Aether had looked close to striking down anyone who wanted to stop him. Even his floating companion was extremly hesitant in talking her companion out of it.

"Uh... Lady Nyx... She wishes to see you. Right now your excellency, it seems to be urgent."

Two out of the three Reisenders had left around the same time Aether had, and the only one left on the island was Nyx. The Lady of night had acted like a medical guide during the situation, and had been stabilizing their soldiers from dying.

It was a miracle as their accelerated aging had stopped entirely. To the people og the island, Nyx was like a priestess, but she was not like Kokomi.

While Sangonomiya Kokomi was a sweet, soft-spoken, and mermaid-like priestess, Nyx was nothing like that. Nyx Von Kaiserin was elegant, had a sharpness to her grace, and brutally honest. She did not care if people began to weep to the truth, she would not lie of death.

At first, the people of Watatsumi haf disliked her, but seeing how she had stopped their soldiers, their family grom dying an early death, many people saw her as a dark angel.

"I see... Thank you Gorou, where is she now?"

"She said she would be found by the old shrine."

Kokomi thanked him, and bid the general farewell. Dread pooled in her, as she hurried to old and ruined temple of Watatsumi, even going as far as to running on water to get there.

She panted as she arrived, her gaze falling to the back of the tall woman, as her hair blowed against the wind. Hesitant, she slowly approached her, and flinched as Nyx turned around to face her. Her sharp gaze pierced through her soul, as if looking for anymore faults Kokomi had.

"Good, you've arrived." Nyx hummed, gesturing got the priestess to step closer.

"Is something the matter Lady Nyx?... H-Havs they―"

"They can be saved. Their time can be reversed."

Kokomi gasped, her eyes wide as she stared at the serpentine woman with hope. She wished, prayed, and hoped that her people could be saved from her own foolishness. She almost fell to her knees, but Kokomi held her shoulder and kept her standing.

"But only you can do it."

Nyx stared at her paling countenance, narrowing her eyes slightly. She understood the doubt and shame Kokomi felt, but it was no excuse. She was their leader, the person the people of Watatsumi looked up to.

If there was anyone to save the people of Watatsumi, it was their Divine Priestess. Kokomi was young, but she was powerful and exceptionally skillful. A strategist and someone who can endure the burden of her people's leader.

"No." Kokomi firmly denied, whimpering quietly as her fear swallowed her. She took a step back, her eyes growing wet as she dared to cry.

"Excuse me?"

"I said no! I-I failed them! What if I only make things worse? What if, instead of saving them, they die even quicker? Lady Nyx, I am not fit to save them! Send Gorou, send the traveler, but never send someone such as I―I who failed my people with such foolishness and naivety."

Kokomi felt her tears cascade down her cheeks, clenching her fists as she fell to her knees. She had failed, and now her people were in grave danger. They were at war, yet her soldiers fell by her mistake. She was not fit to save the she had failed.

Nyx scowled at the doubt Kokomi displayed. It was a pitiful sight, and she frowned as the flash of a memory haunted her mind. She hated to see such a stronf young lady on her knees, loosing hope for herself. It was not right. It was wasted potential, and she was not going to let her kill herself from the inside.

She summoned her spear and plunged it to the ground. Kokomi flinched in fear as she felt the scorching glare Nyx gave her. She dared not to look up, she dared not to stand as she deserved to be on her knees and admit to her sins.

But...

"Sangonomiya Kokomi!"

Nyx yelled, her voice booming across the area as she raised her spear and pointed it towards the young lady's neck. Kokomi no longer flinched, summoning some courage as she looked Nyx in the eye, as a blade was pressed against her.

"Open your eyes! You are the divine priestess for a reason. You are the sleeping dragon for a reason. You have not worked for your people for nothing! Have you climb to the top just to give up so easily?! Get up! Get up, and hold your head high!"

Nyx screamed, disgusted that Kokomi dared to looked down on herself. She hated it. She had seen a strong young woman ready to fight for her people, ready to sacrifice it all for her people's happiness, safety and lives. Yet the same young woman was on her knees, crying as if she had done everything wrong.

"How dare you! How dare you belittle yourself when you are a powerful, skillful, and intelligent young woman! Do not get on your knees and kill yourself from failure. You are no mere human! You are Watatsumi's Divine Priestess."

Kokomi began to bleed as Nyx pressed her spear further, eyes filled with fury for Kokomi speaking ill of herself. To her, Kokomi was a young, kind and intelligent girl, but she had potential to be greater. She despised the mere vision of seeing her fall by despair and doubt alone.

Nyx plunged her spear on the ground once more, offering her hand to the young lady. Her glare transformed into eyes filled with expectations and hope, daring the girl to contradict your words.

Kokomi began to think continuous thoughts of being undeserving. She told herself she didn't deserve to be divine priestess. She told her she didn't deserve to lead this war. She told herself she didn't deserve to be a leader.

But Nyx firmly disagreed to her words.

"You are Sangonomiya Kokomi! The one to win this war."

Nyx declared, not a hint of hesitance in her voice. She sounded certain upon her claim, and did not avoid Kokomi's stunned gaze. She believed that this little girl would be the one to win― even if she herself, was acquinted with the god they were fighting.

Kokomi was silent as she listened to her words. Her heart swelled, but she could not dispell the doubt she created in herself. She doubted, and that was what angered Nyx so much. Kokomi didn't believe she could fix her mistakes―she didn't believe she could be greater.

Sniffling as she denied such words, Nyx let out a growl and took her hand, forcing the young lady to get back up her feet. The serpentine woman forced Kokomi to look her straight in the eye, and a blazing flame of determination was what the priestess saw.

"Say it." Nyx demanded, her grip upon Kokomi's wrist getting tighter.

"H-Huh?" Kokomi was clueless, but she winced at the tight grip. Her tears continued to trail down her face, but Nyx gave her a seething glare.

"Say you will win this war. Say it!" It was an order, and Kokomi frantically followed the demand.  "I-I will w-win this war...." She meakly whispered, which displeased Nyx.

"I did not say to stutter. Say it! Speak with pride!"

"I-I will win this war!"

Kokomi spoke, her voice rising as she stared into those pale grey eyes filled with conviction.

"Again!"

Nyx demanded, refusing to listen to the weakness in her voice.

"I will win this war!"

Kokomi yelled as she felt herself loose fear. She couldn't understand why she became confident, but something about that gaze... Eyes filled with sympathy, yet carried a bright flame.

"Louder! Again!"

"I WILL WIN THIS WAR!"

And she yelled, promised that she would win. Again and again did she say she would win, as her voice echoed through the island, and the sun began to set, shining it's light upon her.

Kokomi yelled and yelled, as she released her frustrations, tears continuing to stream down her face but it made her feel better. She cried as she screamed, conviction upon her eyes― the same emotion that Nyx had for her.

She turned to the horizon before turning back to Nyx. This was the woman who began to scream at her, who had nearly slice her neck open, the woman who brought her confidence.

She took a deep breath, determination clear upon her expression as she looked Nyx in the eyes. The Reisender gave her a smirk as she huffed and yelled on more.

"I am Sangonomiya Kokomi! The divine priestess of Watatsumi Island! The strategist of the resistance!" She claimed, a fire in her eyes as she turned to the sky.

"AND I WILL WIN THIS WAR!"

She would win. She promised that to herself, as she closed her eyes and smile in relief. Her chest felt lighter, as of a burden was relieved from her shoulders. She felt bliss as she finally declared such things, and felt confidence burst forth.

Doubt was still there, but without doubt, confidence meant nothing. Quietly, she began to trust herself once more, and turned to the smiling woman.

Pale grey eyes were filled with such pride, as a melodious laugh echoed through the area. Kokomi was entranced, but she smiled with a blush on her face. She believed she could win, and enter a brighter future for her people.

Caressing a pale and slender hand against Kokomi's cheek, suddenly softened to her determination. One second she was cold as an iceberg, but she became warm as she stared into Kokomi's eyes. She believed that this little girl would enter a bright future.

She smiled sadly, silently praying that this little girl who was so alike to someone would not go through the same pain as the other.

"Then make it reality."

She hoped that Kokomi would not suffer as she did.