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Yuu just wanted the man he loves to live happily, even though that means it costs her life and sanity.
Yuu's surroundings already fell into crumbs. Everything has been destroyed. Including the life of the man who is in her arms now, Silver.
"I see that everything has messed up, again," a man walked to Yuu who kneeled on the ground while holding Silver.
"Headmaster," Yuu noticed his presence.
Crowley spoke to Yuu, "How many times is it already? Ten? No, fifteen? I think it’s even more than that, in which both of us lost the count. Usually, normal humans can't even bear and lose their sanity at the fifth time. You impressed me, Yuu-kun."
"I don't care anymore about what you call normal. I just want the man I love to live happily. Is that too much to ask?" Yuu said as she tightened her grip on Silver.
"Normally, the answer is no. But you should take a look at yourself in the mirror now."
The current Yuu was wearing a ceremonial robe, just like Silver. Her braided hair had come to loose, there were blood splashed on her face, trails of tears, and eyes that lost their light.
"I still can do it, right? Then I'd like to borrow your power again," Yuu didn't even bother with Crowley's words.
Crowley didn't give any more comments, he knew it was already useless to smash any sense to her head, "I will grant your wish."
Yuu looked at Silver again. The aurora-colored eyes she always admired have been closed. Scars and blood have covered his beautiful face. She brushed his silver-colored hair.
Slowly, a light surrounded Yuu's body. She closed her eyes as the light grew bigger.
The moment Yuu opened her eyes, she found herself in the woods behind campus. Beside her was Silver who was sleeping. Yuu was holding back her tears as she looked at him.
It was always like this. Whenever Yuu rewinds the time, she would arrive at the time when Silver and she were still together just like any couple should be.
As if Yuu's body moved by itself, she stroked Silver's hair. He opened his eyes as he felt her touch, "Sorry, I fell asleep again."
"It's okay, senpai. Let's go back to the class," Yuu said as she stood up and her back facing Silver.
"Hey, Yuu," Silver called Yuu, "It's strange. I feel like I met you before."
When Yuu heard those words, she bit her lower lips and tighten her knuckle.
Yuu turned around to face Silver again with a smile, "What are you talking about, senpai? We did meet yesterday and the day before."
"You're right. But that's not what I mea—"
"Come on, senpai. We will be late to the class," Yuu grabbed Silver's hand as she spoke.
I will definitely save and protect you, no matter what it takes.
...
Ace noticed Yuu was a bit different lately. "Yuu, are you alright?"
"What do you mean?"
"It's just, you seemed tired or something like that."
"You're worried too much, Ace. It's not like you at all."
Yuu laughed off Ace's worriness. Ace didn't reply to Yuu's words since he really felt something off from her.
In fact, Yuu was worried because she was getting close to that fateful day. She was worried if her plan failed, again.
…
The result of Yuu's plan came as she wished for, she managed to save Silver. Though, there was another result out of her expectations.
This time, it was Ace. Ace just died as the result of Yuu's plan. As if the cost of Silver's life was Ace's.
Indeed Yuu was trying to save Silver all this time, but she didn't mean to sacrifice Ace.
Yuu was holding Ace in her arms when Crowley walked to her again. Without Yuu saying any words, Crowley knew what she would say. Again, a light surrounded Yuu's body as a sign she rewinds the time.
"It's strange. I feel like I met you before."
Those words again. Yuu no longer remembers how many times she listened to those words.
"Yes, we did meet before. Many times," Yuu whispered.
"Did you say something, Yuu?" Silver felt he just heard Yuu saying something but her voice was too soft.
Yuu's back was still facing Silver. Without turning her body around, she spoke to him, "You better hurry back to your class, senpai. Look, Asim-senpai is calling you."
Yuu pointed out to Kalim who was waving to them. Seeing his classmate calling him, Silver stood up, "Then I will go ahead. See you later, Yuu."
Silver left Yuu alone after stroking her hair.
After Silver left, Yuu sat down again. She ditched a lesson this time, which she almost never did before unless Grim ran away somewhere.
Yuu was thinking about the times she rewinds. Silver kept dying on every loop. Once Silver was saved, Ace died. Yuu tried to rewind time again to save Ace, then Silver died again. And it kept going on the same cycle.
There is no happy ending, Yuu thought.
Yuu took out a dagger from beneath her skirt. No one knew that she had several weapons beneath her skirt. Even Silver, who was her lover and also her swordsmanship tutor, didn't know this.
If there should be someone who dies, instead of them, I should be one, Yuu thought as she closed her eyes and pointed the dagger towards her throat.
Just a moment before the tip of that dagger went to Yuu's throat, her movement was stopped by someone.
"Stop it."
Yuu opened her eyes and found a man was holding the dagger’s blade with his hand, which resulted in blood flowing out from his palm.
"Tsunotaro?!"
That man was Malleus. He stopped Yuu at the right moment.
“Tsunotarou, let go.”
“No. Remember when I’ve told you that I will not let anyone hurt you, right? That includes yourself.”
“You don’t understand, Tsunotarou. I have to put an end to this.”
“You don’t need to kill yourself to save them.”
“Then how?!” Yuu shouted at Malleus, which made Malleus jolted because she never vent out her emotions like that. With an even louder voice, she continued her talk, “No matter how many times I rewind time, there will be someone who dies! Moreover, those people are Silver-senpai and Ace!”
Yuu lowered her head and her dagger. Malleus let go of the dagger’s blade and slowly pulled it from Yuu’s hand as well. Without being noticed by Yuu, Malleus healed his wound with his magic.
With trembling shoulders and a cracked voice, Yuu talked again, “Silver-senpai is my lover, someone I love dearly. I want him to keep on living. If possible, I want to be with him for as long as we can. But…”
Tears flowed from Yuu’s blue eyes uncontrollably that Malleus could see her small hands were drenched by those tears, “Ace is my best friend. He is always beside me even before I met Silver-senpai. I cherish him so much. I don’t want to lose him.”
Yuu kept crying in front of Malleus. He pulled her into her arms and stroked her head. He didn’t say anything, all he did was just let her pour out her emotion through her tears.
If a normal human could break after they lose someone they love, then Yuu went even further from that. She lost two persons she held dear in her heart. Not only once or several times, but countless times. She had to see her lover and best friend taking turns on dying in front of her eyes countless times. No wonder she ended up losing her sanity at this point.
I should’ve made a move much earlier rather than just watching her do everything by herself, Malleus thought.
After Yuu calmed down, she looked up to Malleus. He could see her eyes were swollen clearly.
“Tsunotarou, you said I don’t need to kill myself to save them. That means, you…” Yuu started to talk again even though her voice sounded hoarse.
"It's just like you think. I know that you used Crowley's power to rewind the time. And you didn't do it only once," Malleus stared into Yuu's eyes, "I've always been watching you, Yuu."
Yuu lost her words. She thought the only ones who knew about the time loops were her and Crowley. She was surprised to hear Malleus also knew about it, moreover he remembers everything.
She thought she was always alone in that loop all this time.
So when he said he will never leave me alone, it wasn't just baffling, Yuu thought.
"After I've watched you and read all the patterns, I come to a conclusion on how to save both of them," Malleus started to explain his observation to Yuu, including how to save both Silver and Ace.
As the closure of everything he just explained, Malleus said, "The only way to save them is you have to go back all the way to the very beginning. Which means before you even become friends with Trappola."
If Yuu has to go back before she even becomes friends with Ace, that means that was way long before she encountered Silver for the first time.
Listening to Malleus’ explanation made Yuu gulp her saliva. She has always wanted to keep being together with Silver. To think she had to reset her relationship with him made her uneasy.
But of course, Yuu knew that would be much better than not seeing him again at all.
"How is it? Do you want to try it?" Malleus asked Yuu as he held out his hand.
Yuu took Malleus' hand and looked to his face with an affirmed expression on her face, "Yes."
Slowly, a light surrounded both Yuu and Malleus.
"Finally the class is over," Ace said as he stretched out his arms.
"Aren't you sleeping during the lesson, Ace? I can hear your snore clearly," Yuu asked with a chuckle.
"That wasn't me! It was Deuce!" Ace denied Yuu's accusation towards him.
Ace, Deuce, Yuu, and Grim were walking together towards the Cafeteria. They were laughing as they walked.
Yuu could see Silver and Lilia were walking in the opposite direction from them. Before, usually Silver would greet Yuu. But this time, Silver didn't even know Yuu, so that was impossible to happen.
It was painful for Yuu, but this was the best way for Silver to obtain his happiness, or so she thought.
The moment after they passed each other, Yuu's arms were grabbed out of blue. When Yuu turned around, her eyes met Silver's.
"It's strange. I feel like I met you before."