Chapter 34 Epilogue Side Story - Rito's Journal

speech:"like this"

though:'like this'

telepathy:<like this>

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My very first Omake XD.

Just a little snippet of what is going on with Rito.

Hope you all enjoy it.

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////RITO POV////

===BETWEEN FIVE AND EIGHT YEARS OLD===

Cadmus niisan has been taking care of me as far as I can remember.

I don't remember much from when I was little, but I do know that I was always scared, of everything, even now I don't know why I was so scared.

Sometimes I would jump and run from my own shadow.

It looked like anything and everything hated me for some reason and wanted to attack me.

My parents were always worried about it.

That way of thinking greatly lessen when Mikan, my little sister, was born.

I instinctively felt that I had to protect her and be there for her, but how could I do it if I was a coward?

I spend some time fighting with myself and my fears, wanting to get rid of them but not having the necessary strength to do so.

Until the turning point came

I started to improve when my parents took me to their old orphanage, where they grew up and I met Cadmus-niisan.

I have no words to describe him.

Not only took care of everybody, but he also helped me to cure my growing fear, he was the big brother that I wanted to be for Mikan.

What started as envy became respect until finally he became my role mode.

He said that the only way that I conquer my anxieties and fear is to slowly get exposed to it.

I would get nothing from avoiding or making a safe space, the world is full of things, dangerous and unpleasant things, so if I keep avoiding I wouldn't be able to act when I really needed to.

So, he took me, and the other kids from the orphanage, on excursions.

Like school excursions that the older kids in school went on but more serious.

Like the time we went to the center of poison treatment where they extracted venom from snakes and made sure that all the children could touch the animals, in a safe environment as well as teach them the dangers if we were to find them in nature.

Not only me, but a lot of kids were also scared, but we had Cad-niisan on our side, so we all did it.

And from there on I tried, to learn about all kinds of dangerous things and try to get more courage.

The day my parents adopted him and he became officially my real niisan was one of the happiest days of my life.

===AT EIGHT YEARS OLD===

I have been getting stronger and Cad-niisan has been helping me control and train my strength.

With this newfound strength came a little bit of confidence, and most of my fears are now gone, but Cad-niisan taught me to not get overconfident.

And something happened that reminded me, that even with my new confidence, the scared little boy still lived inside of me.

One day I was chased and bitten by a really big dog, it hurt so much.

The dog was about to attack an old lady that was taking a walk, so I threw a rock at him to get his attention.

I didn't notice what I was doing until the dog changed targets and chased me.

After it bit me I cried, I tried to hold it in, even more in front of Cad-niisan, but I couldn't, I was really ashamed.

Cad:"I'm proud of you Rito."

That just made me cry more, I was so glad.

What happened next, it is something I will never forget in my entire life.

The old woman came to visit me at the hospital and the rest of her family came along, before anything a little girl, about eight years, my age, hugged me.

???:"Thank you for helping my grandma, you are our hero."

???:Haruna, let him go, he is hurt."

Haruna:"Oh sorry."

Another girl that looked like the big sister of the girl stopped her, but it was too late, I was all red in shame and couldn't look at her.

It would have been an awkward moment if Cad-niisan wasn't there to save me.

I didn't know what the others were talking about, but the girl, Haruna, was really eager to help me, calling me her hero for saving her grandma

I think it was too much, but I didn't notice then the growing feeling I was starting to have for the girl.

We became friends and it looks like her big sister, Akiho-san, became friends with Cad-niisan.

I finally notice my feeling for Haruna when we made eleven.

I always had a fascination with plants, and our growing garden was proof of it.

Cad-niisan, taught me a lot, about just like any other animal, plants, also have conditions they can grow best, as well as conditions that would quickly kill them.

And accompanying me in every step of the way, giving me support, and learning alongside me, Cad-niisan and I have built a beautiful garden at our house.

That was also when I discovered what I wanted to do in life, Cad-niisan said that I was a great landscaper.

===AT ELEVEN YEAR OLD===

When I made eleven, someone destroyed the school's garden, and as I like to tend to it from time to time, I was the first on the scene but the people thought I was the one to destroy it.

I tried to defend myself but nobody wanted to listen.

In the middle of shouting Haruna's voice reached everyone, even if she didn't raise it very much.

Taking everyone's attention she came in my defense and spoke not only about the big garden that I have built in my house and how I have been keeping the school garden for a long time, but also spoke about my gentle nature.

That embarrassed me a lot, and although I am thankful for her to come to my defense, I would have liked if she stopped at that.

But seeing the way the spoke of me, and what she thinks of me, I realized that I like that girl.

So I came to my niisan.

Rito:"I want you to train me Cad-niisan."

Cad:"....Why?"

It had been already a few years since I have been know about Cad-niisan real identity, but that doesn't matter to me, as Cad-niisan is Cad-niisan.

He has been training us, Mikan, Judie, Lauren, Irine, and me together so we can better manage our new strength.

But now I want to train, I want to become the proper hero that I am in the eyes of Haruna.

Nowadays I am not as scared as I was when younger, sometimes Cad-niisan takes me to the Land of The Shadows, the domain of Scatach-nee-san, to train and hunt a few strange creatures.

I'm still scared of things, but now I feel like I can move forward despite my fear.

I explain to Cad-niisan, although it is embarrassing, I don't have problems to shared those kind of things with Cad-niisan.

He puts on a thinking pose and asks me.

Cad:"Are you sure that you want to drag Haruno-chan into this, you do know what it entitles to have her join our family right?"

My mind went blank, and I get pale.

I didn't though of that, I can't do that to Haruna-chan, I don't want her to fight with a monster just because of my selfishness, I have no other choice but to give up on my love.

I don't want that, it hurts, it hurts more than the time that dog bit me, but it's better than putting Haruna-chan in danger.

I hold back my tears.

Rito:"F-forget anything I said Cad—-."

Cad:"Good Rito, sorry for testing you like this, I will train you and help you with Haruna."

Rito:"Eh?"

What? What does he mean?

Cad:"Rito, how many times have I told you to think things through?"

Ugh.

Rito:"But I trust Cad-niisan and–."

Cad:"I know, and I'm glad, and you can be sure that I will never betray you, but that's not the point, even with everything, I still haven't trained you to be part of the fight."

That's…..that is true

Cad:"As a matter of fact, I am helping you with your dream to become a landscaper, so why would I make Haruna-chan be part of our fight if I'm not even making you do it?"

Ahh, there I go again, Cad-niisan is right I tend to put things on his shoulder and just do what he is telling me because I'm used to him taking care of me.

Cad:"If you want to be part of a healthy relationship you can't do that, what if Haruna-chan comes to ask your help with a problem she can't fix? Are you going to tell her to just go look for me?"

NO, I want to be the one to help Haruna-chan.

I start to get depressed and think about the scenario that Cad-niisan told me, maybe I don't deserve to get with Haruna-chan.

*Bonk*

Rito:"Ouch*

Cad:"I didn't say these things to make you give up, you moron, I said it to make you think and to show you, where you should improve."

He is right, I can't just stay in this state, I have to….I have to…..What do I have to do?

Cad:"*sigh* Haaaa, don't worry, I will properly train you, not only to become a proper warrior but teach you responsibility and some problem-solving skills."

Sasuga Cad-nissan.

Cad:"I will make a man out of you."

As I watch him look at me with narrowed eyes, I can't help but gulp dryly at what is to come, but I won't give up.

It scares me what Cad-niisan has in store for me, but I know it's for my own sake so I'm not going to complain.

===PRESENT FIFETEEN===

Rito:"It is really all black in here."

Pai Chan:"Rito-kun, it is time."

Rito:"Oh thank you Pai-san."

Getting out of my old memories by Pai Chan, one of Cad-niisan Shades I look at the distortion in from of me.

This means that some Void abomination is about to enter the Land of Shadows, and by the size of the distortion is going to be a big one.

I fix my armor and take my spear in my hand and get prepared for the fight.

Rito:"~Let's get down to business~."

I start to sing the song that Cad-niisan used to sing to me when he trained me as I way to psych myself up.

I am scared, but that doesn't stop me.

Unfortunately, I still don't have enough courage to confess to Haruna-chan, TT.

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