Chapter 362 - The Last Time
They walked silently through the waking-up city. No words were exchanged between the witch and the one-armed man. The rain stopped, replaced by sunshine and singing birds. However, it only made departure more difficult.
"Good morning, Seika." A passing farmer bowed to him. Arthur nodded in response.
"Good morning, Master." A young apprentice greeted Gala, carrying her countless notes and herbs. Gala said hi with a wave of her hand.
"How is the workshop?" Arthur asked as they left the camp and walked through the green plains. There was a lake to their side, where the sun glittered in the water.
"I taught them what they need to do, and I'll be giving you my recipe book once we get there," Gala said with a grin. "Don't worry, Seika. I'm not going to leave you clueless about what to do~."
"Is this why you wanted Ruri as a disciple? To make sure that we'll have someone capable once you are gone?" Arthur asked with amusement, and Gala only smiled bashfully.
They didn't talk anymore, only walking further away from the camp. They passed the Ogres Mountain and jumped over the river. They walked silently, opting to take it slow. Hours went by, but they didn't say anything.
Talking now would only hurt them later.
They reached a group of swamps surrounded by marshlands. Gala's spirit hid them away from the monsters there, and they continued on their journey unhindered.
All of a sudden, the two could see an icy plateau. Arthur sprinted forward, and so did Gala. As they reached the place, he turned toward the witch, who looked at the summit with determination.
"Is this a good spot?" Arthur asked as if they were choosing a place for a picnic. Gala nodded with a blank expression before turning toward him.
"Thank you, Seika."
"For killing you? You're welcome." Arthur gave a smile and turned away. "Let's go up." He offered her his hand. She slid her palm into his with a grin. "Don't think about anything weird."
"I'm not!" Gala said with a laugh. Arthur sighed and used his teleport rune. They disappeared and reappeared on top of the plateau, the frosty wind gnawing on their bodies.
The plateau was empty except for a few snow hills. A flame appeared above Arthur's hand, which worked to warm them. He turned toward the witch, waiting for her explanation.
"I guess it's time I tell you about spirits?" Gala gave a grin as she looked around. "First, let me tell you how to open a portal to the spirit's dimension."
"I'm listening." Arthur nodded. "And I want to know how to remove a haunting spirit." He reminded her.
"Ah, yes. Your little friend. I forgot about her." Gala said with a nod. "Opening a portal is simple as long as you have good control over your spiritual energy."
"You didn't say that until now?" Arthur was flabbergasted. "I could have trained all this time, yet you..."
"That's for normal people." Gala smiled. "Can I know what's your rank, Seika?" She asked, but Arthur hesitated in answering. "I'm dying today, and you're still worried about your secrets."
"... high-rei-rank," Arthur muttered. Gala looked at him silently, blinking twice before sighing.
"Even if you want to lie, make it less obvious?" The witch said with a pout. "Anyway, your chances of contracting a spirit depends on how powerful your soul is."
'She thinks I'm lying?' Arthur was confused but nodded nonetheless. It didn't matter what his rank was because his strength wasn't determined by it.
"That's the case for regular people, but you are different. Your spiritual energy is even stronger than mine, and not to mention your affinity to spirits."
"Affinity?"
"Do you think it's normal for a spirit to listen, or even get close, to a person other than its companion?" Gala asked with exasperation. "You treat them as if they were your spirits, and they listen!"
"I thought all of them were like Rega."
"Rega... I can't even comprehend that. You are not a spirits' contractor, I can tell. However, you have a spirit. This doesn't make sense unless..."
"Unless what?" Arthur furrowed his brows.
"Unless there is more than one soul within you, or your soul is portioned. If that's the case, then it would make sense. However, it's an anomaly, an impossibility."
"We both know that it's not as improbable," Arthur said after a brief pause. "You've seen it too."
"I did," Gala said, grabbing her shoulder. Arthur could tell that she had goosebumps. "That entity in the sky and the golden pair of eyes. It would explain things if you were a vessel for a higher entity."
"I'm not," Arthur frowned, feeling uncomfortable. "Not as far as I know."
"Why do you refuse such a concept this much?" Gala wondered. "The power you wield feels the same as the entity's presence. You are using the same power, and denying it would only limit you."
"It's not about powers." Arthur shook his head. "It's about losing myself to someone else." He can still remember the fear Sier lived in of losing himself.
"I see," Gala nodded and looked at her hands. "We're running out of time," she said with a sad smile. "You make up for control with sheer abundance. Use your spiritual energy to tear a create a circle on the ground, and simply concentrate it."
Arthur nodded and closed his eyes. His spiritual arm diffused through space and created a circle on the ground. Then, he began infusing the energy into the ring, condensing it, and repeating the process.
"Repeat after me," Gala whispered from beside him. "Creatures of the other world, hear my call and open your gates. I do not seek harm but companionship." Gala paused, and Arthur repeated the words. "Let me connect to the stars, to the earth, to everything, and you."
When the words left his mouth, Arthur felt a jolt in his soul. Something distant seemed to answer his calls, and the circle on the ground began to morph into something else.
"Seeker of the mortal world," A feminine voice that seemed to encompass everything answered him from within the circle. "Your entry is allowed, but remember: never allow arrogance to shoot you down from grace."
The voice disappeared as powerful energy exploded from within the circle. Arthur's energy detached from him and turned into a white door on the ground.
"You succeeded from the first try," Gala said with shock. "Are you the reincarnated Spirit King or something?"
"No, just the Seika of Living Beings." Arthur felt awkward.
"Living? Sure." Gala smiled at him. "Since we opened the portal, we need to be quick about it. The ritual is simple: find me in the Spirits Dimension and use your spiritual energy to kill me."
"And then what?"
"Then nothing," Gala said with a smile. "I'll reincarnate as a spirit, and time will be nothing but a fleeting moment for me. I'll wait there."
"Wait for him?"
"Yes," Gala smiled sweetly. "I'm sorry for leaving you, but this is the only way that I can survive."
"Survive until when? Where did he go? Who is he?" Arthur asked in one breath, making him realize how agitated he was. Gala grinned in response.
"I'll tell you when the time is right."
"You mean... we'll meet again?" Arthur asked as he watched her walk toward the portal on the ground.
"If we are fated to meet as I think we are," Gala said with a grin. "At that time, no more secrets between us. Alright?"
She said before standing on top of the gate which glowed beneath her. Arthur realized she still hasn't told him about the haunting spirits or the recipe book.
"Wait, what about..."
"Find me and kill me, and you will know." Gala turned with a grin as her body began to fade. "This will be the last time that we can talk, so let me confess something to you."
"What?" He asked as he took a step forward.
"I love you a lot, Arthur," Gala said with tears in her eyes, but her grin was still there. "I wish we had more adventures together, that we built the city together, and that I teased you a lot more."
"I–," Arthur reached out as the witch in front of him disappeared into nothingness, not allowing him to answer. His hand grabbed the emptiness in front of him as the void reopened itself in his chest. "I love you too, Gala."
He closed his reaching-out hand as the void refused to close itself. His lips turned into a thin line before he pressed them together hard—a lump formed in his throat.
Arthur didn't know how Gala knew of his name, but he could guess that she heard him and Dia talk. That was the least of his worries, as a single realization sat in his stomach like a hard rock.
It could be the last time that he sees Gala in his life. From this day forward, or after he returns from the Spirits Dimension, she won't be there to tease him, laugh, or get mad. He will be alone.