Alab Meets the Cold Hiraya

"Minokawa! Bring me to Hiraya, I need to talk to her!", waving his hand, Alab stood up as he shouted to Minokawa that was looking at the players below. Minokawa didn't respond as he snorted and glided downwards, bringing a gust of wind that sent the players rolling by another meter. 

Lowering his talons, Alab grabbed at them as Minokawa flapped his wings upwards, escaping the area as he levitated in the air, flying towards the Northern direction of the 1st floor of the Tower where a humungous door could be seen as they flew closer to it. 

Meanwhile, in Sword Saint Guild's base, Kevin glanced at the window and the sight of Minokawa flying filled his sight. The small figure of Alab holding onto the talon of snorting Minokawa didn't escape his sight despite the distance. 

—-

As they reached a mountain where the humungous door stood, Minokawa drifted downwards as he settled in a rocky area in the mountain, large boulders met Alab's feet as Minokawa dropped him. 

"Where is Hiraya?", Alab asked as he couldn't find Hiraya in the area, his excited eyes skimmed some more until he saw a figure of Hiraya emerging from behind a boulder.

Alab shortly rushed towards her as he opened his arms, aiming for an embrace.

But, when he was about to reach Hiraya, Minokawa sent a small fire hurling towards the ground between Hiraya and Alab, halting Alab on his track. 

His eyes flashed with confusion as he stared at Minokawa who shifted his gaze, snorting. Tilting his head, Alab looked at Hiraya as he demanded a reason why Minokawa threw a flame. 

But… 

It was at this moment that Alab recognized the changes in Hiraya. Her face no longer plastered the naive, warm, and cheerful demeanor, instead, Alab was welcomed by a cold and brutal Hiraya. Her eyes scanned coldly at Alab as she scanned him from head to toe, sending shivers down Alab's spine. 

"Th---this, what happened to you, Hiraya?", Alab muttered as his eyes quivered, his foot stepped forward only to be halted by another flame. 

"Stop sending flame towards me, Minokawa! I need to talk to Hiraya! So pl--please!", Alab shouted as he felt Minokawa's action to be aggravating, but Minokawa just snorted as he shifted his gaze from Alab.

Hiraya then spoke. 

"Don't be mad at him, I'm commanding him to send flames the moment you move an inch", Hiraya uttered as Alab turned his head toward her, her eyes surged with coldness as they gazed at Alab. 

"Hiraya—"

Whoosh 

With another step forward, a flame obstructed Alab as Minokawa released another snort. Alab then stood in place as he gazed intently at Hiraya, finding even a hint of Hiraya that he knew in the Tutorial. 

"What did they tell you?", Alab uttered as he clenched his hand. He pondered that Hiraya must be brainwashed or gaslighted by their guild members into believing that Alab was an enemy.  

"They told me everything", Hiraya uttered with a cold voice. 

Hearing this, Alab clutched his hands tightly as his jaw clenched. 

"Did they tell you I'm an enemy?"

"Yes"

"STOP WITH THAT COLD REPLY, HIRAYA!"

Alab couldn't contain more of Hiraya's coldness as he snapped and shouted at Hiraya. The latter remained unfazed as Minokawa snorted once more. 

Alab couldn't believe that the Hiraya he was talking about now was the same Hiraya he met in the Tutorial. He wanted the same warm and friendly Hiraya. 

"What about our friendship? The days we spent in the Tutorial? Will you discard all those and believe their lies?!"

"Friendship? Lies? We know that it's you who are lying to yourself, Alab"

"W--what do you mean?"

"You always show that kind and naive self of yours to the world but we both know that it's not the real you", Hiraya paused as she walked closer towards Alab, her cold steps bringing somber in Alab's heart. 

"Alab, I hope you will learn to embrace even the darkest part of yourself. Just like what I did.", she added as a hint of the warm Hiraya flashed in her face for a split second. Alab, saw through this as he held the hand of Hiraya who was about to walk past him. 

Hiraya felt a flesh hold her hand, pulling her with great force as he halted on her steps. Her body turned towards Alab who was looking at her with teary yet determined eyes. 

"Hiraya, at least answer my question, will you discard our friendship and believe their lies?", he muttered as his swollen eyes begged for an answer. 

However, Hiraya just stood and stared coldly at Alab as her strength stat the same as Alab, she forced her way out of his hand, and her cold eyes stared at Alab as she uttered. 

"Don't make me choose, Alab", she uttered before turning her body and stepping forward as Minokawa stood behind her, blocking Alab from chasing Hiraya. 

In trance, Alab glanced at Hiraya as she continued to walk forward, making her way towards the humungous door on the corner. His eyes running with tears and snot dripping down his nose, Alab saw Hiraya halted on her steps as after a second, she uttered. 

"Don't worry, I will tell my guild members to stop hunting yours, regardless, your father killed my Mom and so did my guild your members. From now on, we… are enemies", Hiraya uttered as she turned her head towards Alab who sprinted his way forward as he was on wit's end, his desperation made him fight back against Minokawa who kept on sending gusts of winds towards him. 

He fell on his knee the moment he survived a gust of wind and made it past Minokawa, a massive monster that was even taller than Minokawa appeared out of nowhere, obstructing his path as every ounce of hope escaped his body. On his knees, Alab sneaked a last look at Hiraya as she released a melancholic look for a split second she looked at the defeated Alab before she turned and continued walking forward.  

"HIRAYA!", Alab shouted as he drained every bit of his remaining strength.

"Don't try to persuade me with your nonsensical words, Alab, else, I might kill you right here.", Hiraya uttered without even looking back. 

But, she was halted on her steps once more as Alab shouted.

"THEN JUST KILL ME! there is no sense in this life anyways, JUST KILL ME!", Alab wailed as his head dropped on the ground, constantly hitting his head to the rocky surface as bleeding occupied his forehead, his flesh began to be unfolded as he hit the rock a few more times. 

Clenching her hand, Hiraya commanded Minokawa to send a gust of wind to Alab, halting him as he flew several meters, his bloodied head reflected somberly as he tried to stand and hit the ground again. 

"Just kill me—"

"STOP!!!"

As she could no longer control herself, Hiraya shouted as she turned her head, glancing madly at Alab who was yet to stop smacking his head into the ground. Seeing this, she shouted. 

"You are an idiot! How about Althea? Are you not gonna find her? Sh---she might be waiting for you out there, ARE YOU NOT GONNA SAVE HER?! HUH?! YOU IDIOT?!!!!", Hiraya exclaimed as she closed her eyes, her loud voice enveloping the entire area as it pulled Alab out of his trance, his bloodied face froze as it was about to bang on the bloodied rock. 

Then at this moment, another voice pierced their ears. 

"What about Althea? What happened to her?", Kevin, appearing on the scene, uttered.