Chapter 25: Chapter 25: Dragon's Tears
The day of second round came and the pairs were shuffled, with the winner of the first and last battle are the ones facing off, and so on.
About Kirt and Reina's fight…
"Eh? Didn't I surrender? So that makes Reina the winner, right? I don't have any intention to fight about it" and so Kirt excused.
To be precise, he had left everything to me. What a selfish guy…
I sighed.
Well, there's the fact that I was the reason why he purposely provoked Reina that way. I guess, I am more selfish…
I sighed, once again.
"Everyone!!! Are you ready to start the day with intense?" shouted Shiro, and the audience cheered, as if nothing happened yesterday.
I felt a gaze being spared at me, so I looked at Reina and saw her avert my eyes, followed with my sigh.
"Then, we should start, already. Battle, Ready…Start!!" shouted the red hair MC, as the audience repeated "Start" together with him.
Now, what should I do?
Provoke her like how Kirt did? Fight her like yesterday? Which is better for her and for me, myself?
Taking the silence between us, I thought of things.
I looked at the audience's seat and quickly found Kirt, which made my lips form a creepy smirk.
"What's with him?" he mumbled, and I looked back at the crimson girl.
Looks like I have no choice but to rely on that lazy troublesome idiot's own way of thinking, for now.
"What is it?" Reina asked and I answered, "Nothing"
She then stomped the ground, whilst saying, "If you won't be moving, then I will take you down first!" and rushed towards me with a punch.
I blocked her attack with my hands.
She then kept on attacking me with punches and kicks, as I kept on blocking them and eagerly dodging some.
"If you continue to block my attacks like that, you will surely feel nauseous soon. And you will lose, Ed!"
Such words from her made me chuckle and say, "Are you worried about your enemy?" which made her click her tongue.
She then went on straight to me and had continued to attack me.
Her attacks are stronger than earlier and a few scales are appearing, looks like I can do this, without a trouble.
*
"Why isn't he doing anything?" Anna asked and I stated, "It's not like he's not doing anything, at all"
Crossing my fingers together, I continued, "If you look at Reina's face that is proved"
She then looked at Reina and saw her angry face, which made her look back to me and ask, "Is he provoking her?"
I nodded.
"However, these ways of doing things are more of mine. I can't believe that he's seriously trying to do it"
Whilst leaning my back on the chair, I mumbled so.
"I guess… this is the only way for now" with my words, Anna slowly looked at Ed and mumbled, "The only way… Ed-kun"
Will you succeed or fail? I can't wait to know the outcome, Ed.
*
An hour past as we kept on doing the same exchange, it seemed to be working on Reina's behalf.
"Stop blocking and fight me seriously!"
The crimson girl complained, as I kept on dodging and blocking her attacks, whilst taking check over her scales.
With a smirk from me, she gasped and those scales disappeared.
"If you want me to fight seriously, then accept your fate seriously" shoving her hand away, I told her and she stuttered, "I-I..!"
Backing off, she then looked at Anna, who mumbled her name, and she looked down, mumbling, "I can't… She's watching after all.
"What if she's watching? Isn't that the whole point of me working hard to piss you off?" I pointed over the audience seat.
Reina bit her lips and clenched her fists.
"If you are scared, thinking that she might come to hate you. I'll tell you, she had accepted you, already" along those words, I approached her.
Grabbing her hands, I shouted, "You're the only one left alone not being able to accept yourself!"
She shoved my hands away.
"I! I will never accept this me! After all, it is disgusting, annoying and…I am scared of it" every word, she walked away from me.
And I remained silent, whilst looking at her eyes, straightly.
Whilst looking at me, "N-no…" she shook her head, as she trembled and fell down the ground, covering her ears.
"Reina?"
With a reached out hand, I slowly walked towards her, which made the crimson girl shout, "N- No..!"
Scales then filled her body, crimson flowers surrounded the stage, more quickly than yesterday, and she turned into a dragon.
Oi, oi.
Isn't that the part where you're supposed to cry your heart out in my front, and slowly move on forward?
Why the hell are you turning into a dragon?!
"Reina!!!" I shouted, as loud as I can, but she didn't gave me any attention and went on blowing fire throughout the stage.
She can't hear me…
"What the hell is it?" I run towards her feet. "What is the thing that is bothering you? What is it that is keeping you?"
Reina blew another one.
Why did she suddenly tremble like that when she saw me look at her? I gasped. Look… Is it that?
"Reina, were you reminded of those guys who took your happiness away?" I asked and she looked at me, before blowing fire to me.
I jumped, and she blew another one.
"All of it are coming right to me. No choice…Devour!" turning around, with my palm facing hear, I mumbled quietly.
Her attack then dispersed.
"Reina, I won't get anything at all. If you won't tell me anything, I can't do anything to help you!
What is the thing that is bothering you?
Is it because of your fear that she might come to hate you? Is it because you despise this form of yours? Or is it because you just despise yourself?"
Whilst shaking my head, I clenched my fists.
"I don't get it… I can't give any answers to myself. Come on, tell me. Why?" jumping on her face, I shouted so.
A whisper like cry was then heard from the dragon, "I….li…t..at…."
"I can't understand you" a shout from me made her repeat her words loudly, "It's not like that!!!"
What was heard was the dragon's hoarse voice, but somehow, it also sounded like her wavering voice.
"Then, what is wrong?" letting out a smile, I asked her.
Whilst crying, the crimson dragon shouted, "Everything! Everything is wrong! It's all their fault! It's all thei-…" with voice slightly breaking.
I patted the hard and red head of hers.
"It's not their fault… it's all my fault. If I didn't become like this everything might had changed, and nothing would have disappear from my sight"
With such words from her, the lavender girl quickly shouted, "That's wrong!"
"Everything will change, no matter what. Nothing will remain unchanged and we can't do anything about it.
After all, that's what kept us alive until this day!
Change is the thing that made us strong and weak, at the same time" whilst running towards the other side of the barrier, she shouted so.
She continued, whilst ignoring the attention she got.
"Reina-chan… it's not your fault. It's not their fault, no one is at fault here" with those words, I spared a glimpse over Reina, which made me decide to go down her.
The crimson girl struggled to call her best friend's name, "A---a…" as she tried to reach out to her from our side of the barrier.
"If acceptance is the thing you need, you already have one from me, you know" with her usual soft tone, the lavender girl said, along with a gentle smile.
She touched the barrier.
'This world might be scary for you, but I am here to protect you" the lavender girl giggled. "I might be a bit weak, but I will do my best"
With the words, "After all, it is for my beloved friend" Anna uttered, the crimson girl started to break the barrier not with her claws, but with her own small hands.
And slowly, her dragon form faded away, like…
Whilst looking behind, a chuckle left my mouth and I mumbled, "Like a crimson flower, I guess…"
…
After a few seconds, Reina had fully reverted back and the barrier broke.
Seeing the crimson girl's naked body, I quickly took my blazer off and covered here, whilst saying, "Here"
"Thanks…" she mumbled, as she clutched onto my blazer.
Shiro then called, "Uhm, now…Prince Edward, with this who wins the battle..?" and asked, which made me look at Reina, who was looking at me, as well.
"I surrender"
With those words from her, the audience, who were silent throughout the battle, cheered eagerly.
"All ends well with this…" the plain boy mumbled and the four-eyed stated, "It scared me a bit, when Reina started blowing fire off"
Russell nodded in agreement, with him.
…
Reina was sent to the infirmary.
And for some reason, the dandelion boy was still there, which mad me ask, "Why are you still here? Weren't you fully healed already?"
"Yeah! Well… I kinda can't make myself go see you guys, like a bit shyness of mine"
With those words from him, we, except for Anna and Russell, looked at him with a blank stare and mumbled, "Creepy…"
"Why the heck?" Gino complained, as we all laughed.
Seeing the crimson girl and the lavender girl laugh happily, a giggle can't help but go out of my mouth.
…
A yawn left my mouth, as I walked the hallway with the lazy boy, who then called me, "Hey, Ed?"
"Hmm, what is it?"
I stopped and looked at him, who was standing behind me.
"Why did you use my way? Weren't you complaining that it was a bit vexing?" his words made me rub my cheek and look away.
I sighed.
"Well, it was the only way I could think of that time. You know, something told me that I should shout my complaints about her worries"
Kirt smiled and mumbled, "Shouting your feelings, huh?"
"Wait, I can see you misunderstanding things" I stated and he looked at me. "But, aren't I right? That you are in--!!"
Quickly, I stopped his words, by covering his mouth.
"Sheesh, stop stating baseless things" I took my hands off him, and he mumbled, "It's not baseless at all, though"
With a blank stare, "Shut up"
I looked up the red sky, with sun setting down. Somehow, it reminded me of the formation her Ether's crystallization.
Those crimson flowers were beautiful and fleeting, at the same time.
It was the same as her, a strong and beautiful girl who was secretly weak like glass, and was lonelier than anyone else.
The reason why it was crimson flower, were probably her way of asking for help. Or maybe her own way of wishing that someday…
Someday, someone who will accept her will come. Someone, who will accept her form that she is disgusted and scared of… someone who wouldn't hesitate to stay with her.
Anna hugged Reina tightly, as they slept at the infirmary's bed.
Whilst looking down, I smiled and mumbled, "I'm glad that you found that person, Reina. Although, it is a bit frustrating that it isn't me"
Kirt looked at me.
"So you were really…" I hurriedly covered his mouth again and said, "Can you stop listening in to my monologue?"
With muffled voice, he complained, "You were speaking it out loud!" and took my hands off him.
"Why the hell are you wide awaked these days?"
His lips formed a smirk and said, "Something interesting is happening out there, how can I sleep?"
"Oi!"
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Yuuki_Toshima
Yuuki_Toshima 1st and last part is Ed's POV
2nd part is Kirt's POV
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone