Part 4
 Mikuo and Yume were now walking in the middle of a park. Maybe it wa's around 5pm already coz the sun was on its way to set already.
The park was filled by different variation of flowers and plants. Different colours from beautiful flowers complemented each other harmonically, thus making the ambience of the place peaceful and refreshing. The number of people who were walking nearby was also small, adding to the peacefulness of the place.
It looks like Yume's mood was in its best condition because it was evident in her cheerful steps and humming songs.
"Mikuo, this place is very beautiful, very very beautiful, thank you for taking me here."
"It's nothing."
 She was hoping in between her steps, like a child taken to an amusement by her parents.
"Honestly Yume, your such a childish person, plus a cry-baby one also.[haha]"
"No I'm not![fuun]" there goes her usual expression when she's angry, how cute.
"Oh really? Then who's that girl who cried several times already just this day?[hfft.haha.]"
"No, that's, ahm…., it's not like I'm a cry-baby or something. It's just that, it's just, it's, it's an exemption when it's...….., you." she looked very shy about it.
"Huh?" he was shocked by that unexpected response.
"Back in the old world...…., the number of my friends...., is very minimal...., to the point that the fingers in one hand are enough to count them." There was a faint sadness on her face after that statement.
"...….." he can't find the right words to say.
"The reason is, back there, I have a serious illness. If I engage myself to any strenuous activities, even if it's just minimal, I might die on the spot. That's why, my parents..., they confined me inside our house since birth. But most of the time, I'm in the hospital because of my illness. I felt very sad because I'm almost alone that time."
".Al.....most?" he tilted his head in wonder.
"Yeah, that's right, almost, because I have anime and a special friend."
"Who's that?"
"My twin sister, or should I say my older sister?[hehe] since they said she came out first before me."
"Ah….." still, he doesn't know what to say.
"She's the only friend I ever had since birth; she's the most important person in my life. She never leaves by my side; she's always there no matter what. She was the one who introduced anime to me."
"...."
"Also, she doesn't have the illness I have. It's like a miracle right?[hehe] She's also my ideal, my model, I want to become like her, strong, brave, courageous, so matured, so cool and strong, unlike me. I'm hesitant and weak, a coward, cry-baby, childish. Everything I ever wanted to be, everything, is in her. She's my hero."
"You really love your sister don't you?"
"Yes! I really love her!"
"But you know what?"
"What is it?" she tilted her head in wonder.
"She's everything you ever wanted to be? Hmmm.... But I like you the way you are now, though. " he said it without a single lie inside his head; those characteristics of her was what making her unique and adorable.
"Huh?" her eyes widen for a moment and she suddenly looked down. Her cheeks were also a bit flushed in red.
"Huh? Why? What is it?"
"Ahm…. It's nothing. It's just that, you're the first boy who ever told me that." she said that without even paying a glance at him.
"Haha. Is that so? Well, I just told ya the truth. Your own characteristics, even though you don't like them, those characteristics are the foundation of your personality, your own identity. It's what makes your unique to others. So you must like them no matter what."
"Ahmm...eihhhhh...." she was rubbing her hands together; it looked like she wants to say something but she was too shy for it.
"What is it Yume?" he said that while tilting his head in wonder.
"A-a-a-are you sure that.....,ahmm....., you l-l-l-like me the way I am right now?" she was stammering, she was really shy about it and her face was a little red.
"Ahhh…., yes." he answered with a slight smile on his face.
"You're not lying?"
"Yes, I'm not lying, everything I said is 100% genuine."
"Really?" she came closer to him while asking that.
"Really." he took a step-back in reflex.
"Really really really real?" she came closer and closer for every "real" she said.
"Really really really real." he unintentionally released a wry smile.
"Thank you very much Mikuo!" she hugged him tightly. The feeling of her chest pressing against him was giving something uncomfortable to his senses.
"Okay, okay. That's enough already." he pushed her slightly to stop the uncomfortable chills running through his spine.
"Ohhh..uhh.. wahhh?!!" maybe she realized what she has done and she suddenly separated herself from Mikuo and turned her back against him.
"P-p-p-p-p-pervert!" she said that while covering her chest and launched a fist towards Mikuo's face. Her face was also flushed in red.
"Gahuu!!" he let out such a comical voice after receiving her assault and fell on the ground.
 His eyes were swaying and he wasn't able to stand up for some moments.
"Neh Mikuo…., hello, Mikuo? Neh neh? Are you okay? Neh? Hello?" she was poking him using a stick she picked up somewhere.
 Mikuo regained his strength from the sudden assault and immediately stood up.
"What are you trying to do?!!! What?!!" his voiced was a bit louder than usual.
"Sorry." Yume looked down to show her sincerity. But she was laughing a bit that made the sincerity disappear.
"Seriously.That's very convincing for an apology. That one really—" he wasn't able to finish his sentence because he suddenly felt a chill all over his body.
"Yume!"
"What? Huh—"
 She wasn't able to finish her response because Mikuo suddenly lifted her and jumped away from that spot. And after they did that—
"*crack**crack*" cracking sounds similar to that of freezing ice came from that spot and a giant cube of ice suddenly appeared there.
"What? Huh? What's happening Mikuo?" panic can be felt from her.
 He didn't answer her query. He was just looking at their surroundings, looking for the unknown assailant. Then, his attention was caught by a silhouette by the trees, no, there were three of them.
"H-h-he dodged my freezing prison…. What should we do?" the smallest of them talked. Based on its voice, it was a girl. She was carrying a blue staff that easily out-extended her height.
"Then we should just pound him and take her. Come on, I wanna do some fightin!!!" its voice is full of energy, it was also a girl. She was waving both her hands while shouting, maybe she was irritated or something.
"Maybe a fight is inevitable after all." the tallest one said that, based on its voice, it was also a girl. Her voice was cold and calm as the wind.
"Hey! Who are you?!!" he shouted.
"Hmmmm….. Our names are not important. Just give us that girl." the tallest girl said that in a calm manner while pointing her index finger towards Yume who was hiding behind him
"Huh?! Why?! Wait, you're with those goons who are after her, right?!"
"Hey heyhey! Who are you calling goons huh?! Do you want some pain?! Come on! I won't back down against some weakling like you!" the energetic girl said that while raising her fists.
"P-please… We don't…., want to hurt you. Just…., give us the girl." the smallest girl was stammering, maybe she doesn't like talking that much.
"We don't want unnecessary casualties, so, if you hand the girl quietly to us and forget about everything that happened here, we'll let you go without a single scratch."
 Her words did not felt like she was joking or intimidating him. It looked like a battle was indeed inevitable just like what she said.
"Heh…, don't you think you're being too confident of yourselves too much huh? I can fight too you know?" sweat was starting to ooze out of his forehead.
"Well then, if that's your wish."
"Hey, hey, hey, hey! Enough talking, let's start the brawlin'!" her tone was a lot more excited than moments ago.
"O-o-o-okay. I'll fight…, too." the girl with the smallest height said that and her staff started giving off a pale bluish glow.
"Yume, hide behind that tree, let me deal with them." he spread his right arm to cover her and held the grip of the sword that was hanging on his back.
"But-but-but. They are…. They—" It seemed she was still a little bit confused because of the sudden turn of events.
"Don't worry, I'm not that weak you know, I can take care of a goon or 3. And besides, I'm your guide for the day, so I will never, ever let them lay a hand on you, I'll protect you. And our tour is not done yet." he said that without even looking at her, his attention was focused on the enemies in front of them.
"Ughh…., muoohh.., o-o-okay." He was not sure but he thought he saw her face blushed before she turned her back against him to hide behind a nearby tree.
"Ohhhh, it seems our guest is playing a hero." the tallest girl said before raising her right hand to the sky. "Manifest, Stinger!" when she shouted that, a pale white light gathered on her palm and started to form the shape of a rapier. But he can't see any magical element on it, so it was easy to guess that she was a Hunter.
"Let's get it on!" the noisy girl raised her right hand too. "Manifest, Anchor Tide!" and when she shouted that, a pale blue light gathered on her palm and started to form an anchor, yes, that was right, a ship anchor. When the light faded, the anchor was still giving off a pale bluish glow. It seems she was a Magic Knight and her element was water. The anchor was indeed big, and its size doesn't complement her size, there's no balance at all. But she carried it easily like she was just holding a tennis racket.
"O-o-ohh, ahm, I'll back you two." the one with the smallest height raised her staff. "Ice Magic: Freezing Grounds" and when she said that, a small bluish magic circle appeared on the ground she was standing unto. It looked like she was a Wizard and her element was water, ice to be more specific because of her previous attack.
"Damn, a Magic Knight, a Wizard and a Hunter. I didn't expect it to be this bad." he was thinking of ways to avoid this obviously losing fight while he let sweat dripped down his cheeks. Suddenly, the thought of giving up and surrendering Yume floated on his mind.
 That will be the obvious choice to avoid this conflict but when he looked back to the place where she was hiding, her face, her beautiful face, it was full of innocence, and the thought of her being surrendered to them and making such a sad and disappointed face towards him gave a serious pain in his heart and it made his breathing hard.
"Yume!" he returned his sight to his opponents before calling her name.
"Huh? Wh-wh-what is it?" it seems like she didn't expected that he'll call her.
"Don't worry. I won't surrender you to them."
"....." she didn't answer so he looked back, but she was just there hiding behind the tree.
"Okay, just wait for me." he pulled out the sword on his back before starting to march towards them but—
"Mikuo!" she suddenly called out her name.
"Huh?" he looked back but she was still hiding. "Why?"
"Be careful. I'll wait for you."
 He didn't expect that so his heart nearly jumped out of his chest. It gave him the determination to win this match.
 And when he was finally near the three, he lowered his waist, brought the sword forward and prepared for combat.
"Ohh, are you done with your cheesiness? Is that your weapon, wait, is that even a weapon? It's more like trash for me. You're just a Warrior." the girl with the rapier prepared her stance too.
"Don't underestimate your opponents." he said that trying to look confident.
"Whatever." she just rolled her eyes, kicked the ground and rushed towards him with her rapier trusting towards him."Yahh….!"
"Horahorahora! Enough talk!!" the girl with the anchor suddenly kicked the ground and jumped towards him with the anchor waving towards him too.
 In response to them, he too, raised his sword, kicked the ground and rushed towards them with all his might.
"Hiyaaahhh!!!!"
 And the moment there weapons collided against each other, it caused a slight impact that blew away everything around them.