Danmachi: Westward Cloud [Complete]

[Vol.3] Quest 274.5- Home Before 9 PM

After spending the day having fun with Fels skating around Orario night came and Cirrus returned to the Moonlight tower.

“You seem to have fun today.” Said Artemis seeing the smile on Cirrus.

Artemis having followed Cirrus and Fels from a distance quickly ran back home to speak with him.

“I did. Sorry, you couldn’t come. Maybe tomorrow or something?”

“You promise?” she said, leaning in.

“Y-yeah! I’m sure the future me found something lovable, right?” Cirrus said a bit fluster by how close Artemis was.

She didn’t like how he worded it but nevertheless she got to spend time with him.

“That’s something you need to find out on your own!” she said with a sly grin.

‘Fuck, I am really curious how my future self married one of Heaven's Big 3 Virgin Goddesses. I always thought Artemis was asexual or just preferred women over men. I know they paired her up with Orion since people found it was more dramatic that way.’

"O-okay!"

Artemis gives a small smile as she walks away and up the tower.

“Yo! How was your day!” said Ai, coming in with several of the Familia behind her, they were all sweaty from training.

“It was fine. I’m guessing you all went to the dungeon, right?”

“Of course not! They battled me!” Ai said with a proud expression.

“… When did you become a battle junkie?”

“Pff!!”

Everyone covered their mouth to not laugh as Ai’s face turned red.

“I-I’m not a battle junkie! If anything, it’s you!” She pointed to Cirrus.

“I mean, probably I reached level 8, so my future self isn’t exactly the sanest of people.”

His acceptance of his future questionable sanity stubbed Ai’s attempt at snapping back. Cirrus’s words from yesterday rang in her head with some truth behind it. She didn't like that.

“… Alrighty! I always wanted to see how I would match up against you when you were a kid!” she placed her hand on the handle of her sword.

“Maybe in 2 days from now, Lady Artemis wanted to hang out or something tomorrow, so should we postpone it?”

They could see Ai calm her anger and move her hand away from her sword.

“You certainly are like how I remember, always so calm and sharp with your words… Fine.” Ai then walks away.

“… Fuuu~ Holy fuck, that was close!” Cirrus said, taking a deep breath.

“Hahaha!! Always the good bluffer!” said Phi.

“Seems Artemis’s training transcends time.” Said Rethusa. "You remained cool under pressure."

“I’m not sure about that, but um, I’ll see you guys later!” Cirrus said, waving them goodbye with his skateboard in hand.

“… He was pretty cute as a kid.” Said, Cale.

“Yeah, you weren’t grabbed by the throat and used as a human shield, Cale.” Said Rethusa having been on the receiving end of their first meeting. “Even now…” She looks at Cirrus as he goes up the tower. “He feels more… Heavier.”

“What do you mean?” asked Phi.

“Like… something is weighing him down? Cirrus’s footsteps had a sort of lightness to them like a cat, but he looks like his boots are full of lead.”

Back in Nox’s room.

“So how was your day?” Nox said, fine-tuning her guitar.

“It was fun. I spent the day riding with Fels around Orario!” he said with a big smile.

“That’s wonderful! It was a shame you couldn’t do that before.”

“Yeah… At least my future self worked to clean up Orario, right?”

“Of course! I helped you as well, you know! As well as Ai and Artemis.”

“I see…” Cirrus said, taking off his boots. “… How did the older me manage to be with Ai and Artemis? The last time I saw Ai was when I came back to Orario after dealing with Solingen?”

“Well… It’s a long story, but let’s say she really loved you. I mean, really loved you. She reached level 5 to find you.”

“Find me? I was missing?”

“Yeah… Me, Ai, Artemis, and several others never stopped looking for you… I kept searching the sea and Artemis searched the neighboring coastlines, which wasn’t easy as Evilus at the time was surging with power and influence. Because of that Ai was forced to stay in the city to handle it reaching level 5, one-to-one.”

“… Hmm…” Cirrus got in bed. “I can see why my older self would take to her… Loyalty is something I deeply admire.”

“Fufu, is that why you listened to some of my demands?”

“Like what?”

“Like say…” Nox got up and sat next to Cirrus. “Sharing a bed?” she turned back into a bird and landed next to Cirrus.

“Of course,” Cirrus said, hugging her. “Who doesn’t want some caring physical contact after eons sealed away?” He leaned back in Nox's bed and got under the covers.

‘… Heh And I guess it works for a kid forced to grow up in a harsh world.’

“… Goodnight Nox.”

‘Goodnight Cirrus.’

They both close their eyes and go to sleep in each others embrace.

Listening in from the room next door, Ai opens her eyes.

“And that is what they said. I couldn’t hear what Nox said when she turned back to her owl form,” Ai said, putting down some Sound Eaters.

“… I felt bad having eavesdropped on them.” Said Artemis.

“Curiosity got the better of us, but I would regret it if I didn’t want to see what could have been for Cirrus,” Ai said, getting up.

“… He looked so happy playing with Fels. It really looked like a parent and child playing with one another.”

“I wish I could have seen it. I never realized Cirrus did so much. The way he carries himself feels so… foreign. He always looked so light and agile, but now he looks like he is being weighed down.”

“I know what you mean. This is the Cirrus who recently came back from Bukhara.”

They both grimaced. They remember how Cirrus told his experience. Even Nox had to fill in some parts as Cirrus blanked out thinking about it.

“I want to shower him in love, but…” Ai said.

“Well, hold on for now. Miach said the cure will be ready in 2 to 3 days.”

“I will… I heard from Cirrus you got a little date with him. Do gods not care if they are children?”

“Quiet, it’s nothing like that. I just wanted to get to know Cirrus even more and maybe see more of his smile… You know how rare it was for him to smile as a kid? In our travels, I rarely saw him genuinely smile from fun.”

“… Huh? All I can remember was his smiles as an adult… and as a teen… Boy, he really brightens up, huh?”

“He did, but that was mostly to do with him finding bright people like you along the way… No, wait, you were the brightest person in his life?”

“Hehe! So his smiles came from me, huh!” she said with a big bright smile.

“I can admit that.” Artemis turned to the door. “Will you be coming to bed? Or will you take this room again?”

“You know my answer.” She said, going and sitting by the wall nearest to Cirrus. “And you?”

“The same as you, but I’m going to take a bath first. I’ve been in the sun for too long.”

“… I’ll come with you. I’m also very sweaty.”

“Fufu. Battle Junkie.”

“Not you too!”