Chapter 222 : [Birth] and Riko's Past
Amanai Riko's smile appeared only for an instant, then she returned to the original topic, asking: "How did you come here?"
Gojo Satoru didn't rush to answer. He had done the leading and guiding up front, but after making the connection, he planned to let Jiang Lai handle the rest himself. After all, this was a place related to Jiang Lai's conceptual family members, so Jiang Lai should be the one to take charge.
Therefore, it was Jiang Lai who answered this question.
He raised his brown eyes, explaining gently: "The reason is me. I can... have a certain connection with family members, linking through dreams."
This statement wasn't actually very clear, and Amanai Riko didn't immediately understand. Her brows furrowed slightly, looking like she was thinking about the meaning of Jiang Lai's words.
However, the turquoise kingfisher on her shoulder had already moved early.
The bird with beautiful, smooth feathers flapped its wings, chirped clearly once, and flew in circles to the black-haired young man's side, looking affectionate and unafraid.
Jiang Lai instinctively raised his hand, and the turquoise kingfisher lightly landed on his finger. The bird folded its wings and gently nuzzled him with its fluffy body.
This soft gesture melted Jiang Lai's heart completely. His brown eyes rippled with luster, his expression incredibly gentle.
Across from him, Amanai Riko's expression froze, and after a long while she also reacted. Her straight back relaxed somewhat, her features showing surprise and understanding, finally nodding: "You are... their younger brother?"
The [they] in her words wasn't directly stated, but both knew who was being discussed.
Jiang Lai nodded, responding: "I am. So I wanted to come find them." He gently stroked the small kingfisher with his other hand, continuing: "Is this their derivative? I sense a familiar aura."
Amanai Riko seemed to trust the turquoise kingfisher greatly. Because of the kingfisher's affectionate gesture, her last trace of wariness and distance toward Jiang Lai also vanished. So she went along: "I'm not sure what you mean by derivative. But this kingfisher was indeed born from them."
At this point, Amanai Riko's expression visibly darkened somewhat.
Seeing this, Jiang Lai's heart suddenly lifted, and he couldn't help but stop stroking the kingfisher.
"Did you come to find them?" Amanai Riko lowered her head, her voice softening, "I can take you there. But they have been sleeping all along, perhaps unable to recognize you."
"...What happened?"
Amanai Riko sighed softly, recalling the past and slowly narrating. From her mouth, Jiang Lai gradually clarified the story of what had happened in those years.
After the Star Plasma Vessel incident, Amanai Riko was secretly taken away by core members of the Supervisory Committee.
She was unconscious from anesthetic injections at the time, and when she woke up, the world before her had completely changed.
Initially, the Supervisory Committee people treated her very kindly, especially a long-haired woman with suture marks on her head. The middle school girl didn't have so many schemes in mind, and Amanai Riko really thought they had come to rescue and care for her.
However, although she lacked nothing in food, clothing, and safety, Amanai Riko still missed her friends in her heart, missed her family member Kuroi Misato. She wanted to return to school, wanted to see Kuroi again, who had tearfully bid her farewell.
Amanai Riko wanted to hug Kuroi Misato again and tell her that she was fine, and that she shouldn't cry either.
It was also during this period that Amanai Riko gradually discovered the fact that she was under house arrest. She couldn't leave this area and wasn't allowed to contact other people.
Amanai Riko no longer completely trusted the Supervisory Committee people, and suspicion in her heart grew daily.
When she discovered the truth, it was also when the Supervisory Committee had everything ready to make Amanai Riko become [Birth]'s container.
The girl who was originally just an ordinary person suddenly had power in her body that hadn't been there before. She didn't know what was dwelling inside her body.
The people around her used her power with ill intentions. Her eyes witnessed innocent people being sucked dry into dried skin and turned into "feed," and she witnessed the "rebirth after death" that emerged from giant cocoons.
The girl's heart was terrified. She had thought about escaping or resisting, but her power was ultimately too weak. She simply couldn't leave this underground area, plus the Supervisory Committee brought up "Kuroi Misato's" name.
Kuroi Misato's safety forced Amanai Riko to bow her head.
That woman with suture marks on her forehead smiled warmly, communicating gently with Amanai Riko, indicating that as long as Riko followed orders, she would guarantee Kuroi Misato's survival.
Unable to leave this place, Amanai Riko could only agree for now, her heart anxious like an ant on a hot pot, but could only turn in circles futilely.
During these lonely, helpless days, a figure with a princess cut hairstyle appeared in her dreams.
That person had long flowing hair, wore magnificent twelve-layered court dress, and their beautiful peach blossom eyes seemed to ripple with light. They just stood in the dream, stood among countless blooming iris flowers.
When Amanai Riko first saw such a scene in her dream, the girl was shocked and also felt afraid. She even wondered if she was going to die, and whether the person before her was a messenger guiding her to the Sanzu River.
However, the person before her didn't make things difficult for her, nor did they make gestures of underworld guidance. The beautiful person with the princess cut hairstyle just stood there, with gentle eyes and brows.
"I am awake for very little time. Nice to meet you for the first time."
So Amanai Riko also involuntarily relaxed, even mustering the courage to ask: "...Are you, are you a cursed spirit placed in my body?"
"I am not a cursed spirit." The beautiful person in twelve-layered dress had a clear voice with an androgynous quality, "You need not be afraid."
After a few seconds of pause, they looked at Amanai Riko and sighed softly: "Still just a child."
Amanai Riko, who had been alone and on edge in the Supervisory Committee for so long, hadn't heard such gentle words in ages. Her nose tingled, and all the fear and grievance of these days wanted to pour out, but in the end she held back, not saying anything to this stranger she was meeting for the first time.
But tears ultimately couldn't be controlled and surged out, sliding down the contours of her cheeks.
Amanai Riko stared at her toes, letting tears blur everything before her eyes.
Until a faint shadow fell before her, Amanai Riko noticed that the person from before had already walked in front of her.
She looked up, her eyes still holding tears could only see large blurry patches of color.
Pale, slender fingers brushed past the corner of her eyes, wiping away the tears. The beautiful person with the princess cut hairstyle gently embraced the thin girl into their arms.
In the warm embrace that carried a faint floral fragrance, Amanai Riko could no longer hold back. Disregarding image and status, she raised her arms to embrace the person before her and cried loudly, as if wanting to pour out all her suffering from these days.
The beautiful person before her quietly held her the entire time, only loosening their arms after Amanai Riko had cried her fill and her emotions stabilized.
At this point Amanai Riko's reason returned, her cheeks flushing light red with some embarrassment. She emerged from the twelve-layered dressed beauty's embrace, calmed down, and curiously asked: "If you're not a cursed spirit, then what are you? Have you always been in my body? Is that power actually your power?"
The beautiful person with peach blossom eyes patiently answered, though the terms they spoke were incomprehensible to Amanai Riko.
But Amanai Riko at least learned the name of the person before her.
"[Birth]...?" This name was somewhat strange, and Amanai Riko rolled it around in her mouth.
The beautiful person in twelve-layered dress smiled again, their smile like spring breeze on the face: "Or, you can also call me [Iris]." They said, "This is a name I chose for walking in the human world, imitating my younger brother."
"Younger brother?" Amanai Riko blinked, "You have a younger brother?"
"Yes." When mentioning their younger brother, [Birth]'s expression became somewhat complex, their eyes carrying melancholy and longing. Their thin lips moved for a moment, but thousands of words ultimately became just one sentence, "He is very good."
To this, Amanai Riko said sincerely: "You are also very good. Since you're so good, your younger brother must also be very good."
The person with the princess cut hairstyle curved their lips, saying: "Not all younger brothers are very good, but he is very good."
"I had not previously contacted humans. Later, influenced by him... he likes humans, so I also tried to contact humans and truly discovered another realm of the human world."
"I see." Amanai Riko nodded. The girl's liveliness made her continue, "Then where is your younger brother?"
"..." [Birth]'s expression darkened, their voice also softening, "Long ago something happened, and he fell into a very long slumber. I know where he is, but I cannot see him."
"Now, I probably can see him even less. I wonder if he has awakened? I hope he's not alone, he's afraid of loneliness."
Behind these simple words lay heavy emotions.
"...I'm sorry." Amanai Riko replied somewhat stiffly, feeling very guilty for bringing up such a topic.
However, mentioning family members, she couldn't help but think of Kuroi Misato again, thinking of Kuroi's every glance and smile, thinking of Kuroi's gentle hands running through her hair, braiding beautiful braids for her.
Amanai Riko's expression also became dejected, her throat somewhat dry, her voice carrying a tremor: "I've also been separated from my family member. I really... I really miss her."
Amanai Riko had lost her parents in early childhood, and Kuroi was her guardian, always caring for her as she grew up. Amanai Riko had always regarded Kuroi as an older sister, as a mother.
She had never been separated from Kuroi Misato for such a long time. Looking back now, if she had really fulfilled the Star Plasma Vessel mission and merged with Tengen-sama, what would have become of Kuroi?
She was also afraid of loneliness.
The two beings, unable to see their important people, stood silently in this dream's iris flower field, like two lost souls trapped in layers upon layers of barriers.
"We will meet again." Finally, it was [Birth] who broke the silence. Their delicate, beautiful eyes held indescribable emotions, their words light as a bird's feather, yet carrying a certain conviction.
"The sun and moon cycle from east to west, the long river flows endlessly into the sea. Since all things in the world have their own destinations, then we too will surely reunite as expected."