Chapter 133: An Icy Rose and a Sister's Blessing
A rare and lively bustle filled the air of Yae Village. Its residents, faces etched with a mixture of hope and desperation, were busy preparing for the wedding of Rovel and the shrine maiden, Yae Sakura.
Of course, their enthusiasm was not born of goodwill. Their sole purpose was to see the marriage through, believing it was the only ritual that could bring the long-awaited rains back to their parched lands.
"That… R-Rovel…" Yae Sakura's fingers twisted nervously in the fabric of her miko robes, a deep blush coloring her cheeks as she struggled to meet his gaze. The idea of marrying someone she had only just met was a whirlwind she wasn't at all prepared for.
And yet, as she examined her own heart, she found no true resistance.
At the very least, when faced with the choice between killing Rovel and marrying him, she found the latter to be a far more agreeable option.
"What is it?" Rovel watched her, a gentle half-smile playing on his lips.
"What you said before… is it true? About the dream you had…" Yae Sakura lowered her head, her voice a soft, hopeful whisper.
"Oh, that? It was a lie," Rovel replied without a flicker of hesitation.
Yae Sakura's head snapped up, her violet eyes wide with disbelief. "Then how did you…?"
"Because I can control water." As he spoke, a single, perfect droplet of water materialized at his fingertip. It hovered in the air, gradually expanding and swirling until it took the delicate shape of a blooming rose. Then, with a silent command, the liquid form flash-froze, condensing into a crystalline sculpture of ice.
Rovel offered the glistening ice rose to her.
Yae Sakura accepted it, her gaze filled with pure astonishment as the cold seeped into her palm.
"The ambient water content in this place is far too low," Rovel explained, spreading his hands in a gesture of helplessness. "Even with my ability, the most I could manage on my own is a light drizzle."
He suspected this was a deliberate limitation set by Higokumaru, the architect of this strange world. She had likely never anticipated that a 'Descender' like him would possess such a specific and inconvenient power.
"Then what are we going to do?" Yae Sakura's expression immediately grew urgent. If he could only produce a meager shower when the time came, the villagers' hope would curdle into rage. They would not be satisfied.
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. But before that…" Rovel gently took her hand in his, his touch warm against her skin. "Shouldn't you be thinking about our marriage first?"
"I…" Feeling his burning gaze upon her, Yae Sakura shyly lowered her head once more, a silent consent hanging in the air.
Night fell, and Rovel was given lodging at the Yae Shrine. To his mild disappointment, Yae Sakura was far too bashful to agree to sleep in the same room.
As he drifted off, a wisp of a soul, shimmering and translucent, appeared beside him and slipped into his dream.
"Thank you, Big Brother. You've changed everything," Yae Rin's voice, filled with sincere gratitude, echoed in the dreamscape.
"However," she warned, her small form tense with worry, "the darkness in my sister's heart hasn't faded completely. And that monster… it definitely won't let you off so easily. You have to be careful!"
"You should be calling me 'Brother-in-law' now," Rovel teased, lightly tapping her on the forehead.
Yae Rin's cheeks puffed out. While she had her reservations about Rovel marrying her sister under these circumstances, she was powerless to stop it. Besides, watching Sakura, she could see that her sister didn't seem to truly resist the idea. If that was the case, Rovel really might become her brother-in-law.
'But what about Kallen?' she worried silently. 'Right now, Sister has only temporarily forgotten her memories of Kallen. If the problems of this world are truly resolved, she'll remember everything. When she rejects Big Brother then, he'll be so sad, won't he?'
Yae Rin wrestled with the thought, wondering if she should tell Rovel.
"Don't worry, I have a pretty good idea of what she's planning," Rovel said, correctly guessing the 'monster' Rin referred to was Higokumaru. "She'll likely urge me to pray for rain the moment I marry Sakura. If I fail, she'll incite the villagers to force Sakura to kill me."
To be thrown from the peak of joy into the depths of sorrow in an instant… the emotional whiplash would be devastating. It might be enough to make Yae Sakura's heart turn completely dark.
"Then do you have a plan, Big Brother?" Yae Rin asked, her voice laced with anxiety.
"Call me 'Brother-in-law' and I'll tell you," he teased again, enjoying her flustered expression.
"Ugh…" Yae Rin looked deeply troubled. After a long moment of deliberation, she finally spoke, her voice small. "Actually… actually, Sister already has someone she likes. Her name is Kallen. She's a big sister with white hair!"
She braced herself, expecting to see him crestfallen.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I just… I don't want you to be sad later…"
To her surprise, there wasn't a hint of disappointment on his face. He simply looked amused.
"Ah, so that's what you were worried about," Rovel said, gently rubbing her small head. "Don't worry. I've already promised Kallen that I would take good care of Sakura for her."
"Really?" Yae Rin looked up, her azure eyes wide with surprise.
"Of course," Rovel confirmed. "So… can you call me Brother-in-law now?"
A blush crept up the little spirit's cheeks. "…B-Brother-in-law…" she stammered.
Rovel smiled, though he wasn't entirely sure why she was blushing so fiercely. It wasn't as if he'd asked her to call him 'husband'.
"Mhm, I heard you. That settles it, then," he said with a warm smile. "I'll take good care of Yae Sakura. With her little sister's blessing, I'm sure Sakura will be very happy too."
The dream dissolved.
Yae Rin, back in her spiritual form, froze for a moment. 'Wait, why did I call him Brother-in-law again?'
In the waking world, Rovel's eyes snapped open. With a swift, reflexive motion, he kicked out, sending a figure tumbling away from his bedside.
"How is this possible?! You were clearly just an ordinary person before!" The intruder, clad in black and wearing a porcelain fox mask, stared at Rovel, his voice filled with shock and disbelief at the power he had just felt.
"Do you think an ordinary person could make it rain in a place like this?" Rovel countered, sitting up.
"That's sorcery you're using! The Divine Master was right, you are a blasphemer! You will surely be struck down by divine punishment!" the masked man spat, scrambling to his feet. He shot one last hateful glare at Rovel before turning and fleeing into the night.
"Fanatic," Rovel muttered, rubbing his forehead with a sigh.
Soon, daylight broke. The villagers crowded the streets and alleys, their expectant gazes fixed on the path leading from the shrine. They were waiting for the arrival of the bride and groom.
Rovel changed into the formal wedding attire Yae Sakura had prepared for him. Sakura had originally intended to wear a traditional white hood called a 'Tsunokakushi' on her head, but Rovel felt it looked terribly unlucky and insisted she remove it. To him, the stark white fabric looked too much like mourning clothes; he couldn't fathom how such a custom had been passed down.
Yae Sakura, naturally, chose to be obedient. She was about to become his wife, after all. It felt right to listen to him.
Rovel took her hand. Together, they passed through the grand Torii gate and crossed the sacred wooden bridge. As they walked down the street, where cherry blossom petals fluttered down like pink snow, they could feel the weight of every villager's stare.
The couple's wedding ceremony was to be held at the very top of Yae Village's Tenshukaku.
It was there they were to receive the 'God's' blessing.
"Sakura, are you ready?" Rovel asked softly, squeezing her hand.
"Mhm…" A slight, genuine smile curled the corners of Yae Sakura's lips, and her exquisite face bloomed like a flower in the morning sun.
They reached the top floor of the Tenshukaku. There, resting on a ceremonial stand in the center of the room, was a single black longsword, its presence dominating the chamber with a cold, silent power.
It was none other than the Jizo Mitama.
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