Ridan rubbed his chin, floating in idle thought.
"Hmm... where did I hear that na before?"
"Yeah, Ridan," Ellyn said, holding up her necklace.
"Syaria said she knows you."
"Hmm? Really?" Ridan blinked, tilting his head.
"Yes. Right, Syaria?" Ellyn asked, gently touching the glowing charm.
But there was silence.
No response from the necklace.
Ridan’s body tensed slightly, he suddenly shivered.
Hazuki raised an eyebrow.
"Hey... you okay?"
"Y-Yeah... just felt a chill..." Ridan muttered, glancing at the necklace with unease.
Poof!!!
A small glowing puff of silver-blue mist appeared in front of them, sparkling faintly like stardust.
"Ridaaaan!!!" a feminine voice echoed with childlike excitent and fury.
"Huh!?" Ridan froze mid-air.
Hazuki blinked.
"Whoa. What the—?"
The small spirit zipped toward Ridan like a bullet.
SLAP!
A puff of impact sent Ridan spiraling backward in the air, spinning like a tumbleweed.
"Gehhh!?!?"
"HOW DARE YOU DISAPPEAR ON FOR A THOUSAND YEARS!!" the spirit girl fud, puffing up like an angry cloud.
Her form was small, light, and almost fairy-like, with glowing hair of mist and eyes that shimred with emotion.
"Wait—Syaria!?" Ridan coughed while floating upside down, trying to stabilize himself.
"Yes! It’s , you idiot!!" Syaria huffed, hands on hips.
"You vanished! You left behind! I thought you were DEAD!!"
"Technically, I was!" Ridan flailed.
"I got sealed, alright?! SEEEEAALED! You think I chose that!?"
Hazuki, watching both spirits argue in the air like angry married clouds, just blinked and looked at Ellyn.
"So uh... this is your spirit friend?"
Ellyn nodded with a soft smile.
"Yup. She’s very emotional when it cos to Ridan."
Ridan groaned, now floating flat in the air like a fainted ghost.
Syaria crossed her arms and sniffed.
"You better explain everything later, Ridan-sama ~."
Hazuki raised a brow.
"Wait... so what was your relationship, exactly?"
Ridan looked away, muttering.
"...It’s complicated."
Hazuki grinned.
"Ohhh... now this is getting interesting."
Syaria had Ridan in a vice-like spirit hug, rubbing her cheek against his cloudy face like a long-lost plush toy.
"Finally! I found you! I missed you so much!"
She squeezed tighter.
"Muah muah~ I love you, Ridan~"
"Eeeekk!! Get off !!"
Ridan flailed, trying to wriggle out of her grip like a trapped cat.
"I’m not a plushie!!"
Hazuki rolled his eyes and turned toward Ellyn instead.
"This place isn’t safe for you. I’ve still got stuff to find, so just wait sowhere, alright?"
Ellyn put her finger to her lip, tilting her head with innocent wide eyes.
"So you’re saying... you’re the weird one for being able to co here?"
"Guh—No! That’s not what I ant!"
Before he could protest further, Ellyn leapt up with practiced ease, landing neatly on Hazuki’s shoulders.
"Alright then! Shoulder ride mode, let’s go, Uncle!"
"Ugh—not now, Ellyn!"
Hazuki tried to reach up and grab her legs to pull her down, but she locked them around his head like a bratty koala.
"What? You’re already here. Might as well let tag along~"
"Ridan... Help out here, dammit!"
"HUH!?" Ridan shouted mid-spin, still wrapped in Syaria’s cloud-soft embrace.
"I’m busy getting molested by clingy spiritual ex-girlfriend here! Settle your own problem!"
"Nooo~ I’m not letting go again," Syaria sang, nuzzling his cheek.
"I searched a thousand years for you. You belong to now, Ridan~ Forever and ever~ Muah~"
Hazuki facepald.
"This entire journey has gone off the rails..."
"Just channel your damn mana already!" Ridan barked, floating in circles around Hazuki, dodging Syaria who was chasing him like a love-struck ghost.
"And let that brat girl use her barrier skill or sothing!" he added, zipping past Hazuki’s ear. "Or better yet—link your mana together! That brat prin—"
He suddenly froze mid-word, eyes locking with Ellyn’s.
Her gaze was sharp. Narrowed.
Ridan floated backward slowly, hands raised.
"—Ah, that brat girl... yeah, she knows that skill," he corrected himself quickly, trying to play it cool while still dodging Syaria’s attempts to glomp him.
"Honey bun~ Don’t run~" Syaria chid sweetly, floating after him in slow, dramatic spirals.
Hazuki blinked. "Huh? I don’t know how to do that."
Ridan groaned, still floating in retreat.
"Then ask her! She knows how! That’s why she got that big sparkly eye thingy, rember!?"
Hazuki glanced up at Ellyn, who was still sitting on his shoulders like it was a throne.
She puffed her cheeks, clearly enjoying his confusion.
"Oi, Ellyn. What’s this mana linking thingy Ridan’s yelling about?"
Ellyn smiled sweetly.
"Oh? You want to link with you~?"
"Ugh, don’t make it weird."
"It’s not weird, Uncle~"
Hazuki groaned.
"Everything with you is either a scam, a tease, or so hidden noble magic nonsense."
She leaned down from his shoulder and whispered into his ear, grinning.
"It’s easy. Just give your hand and think about sharing your mana with ."
Hazuki side-eyed her, suspicious.
"You sure you’re not trying to drain my soul or sothing?"
"I already have your heart~" Ellyn giggled.
Ridan gagged from mid-air. "Gross. Just do it already! I can feel a heat wave coming and it ain’t romantic!"
Ridan floated smugly in front of Hazuki, arms crossed and a wide grin on his cloudy face.
"Lolizuki~" he sang mockingly, spinning in the air.
"Oi! Shut it, pervert fog ball," Hazuki growled, about to snap back.
But before he could finish, a blur of light blue mist swooped in and tackled Ridan mid-air.
"My Ridan-sama~!!" Syaria cooed sweetly, her cloudy cheek rubbing against Ridan’s face like a clingy kitten.
"Gyaaahhh! Not again!!" Ridan flailed wildly, spinning helplessly in her grip. "Hazuki! Help!"
Hazuki folded his arms.
"Sorry, partner. This one’s all yours."
"You traitor!" Ridan screeched, still being cuddled aggressively. "You’re supposed to be the sane one!"
"You called Lolizuki like five seconds ago," Hazuki deadpanned.
Ellyn, still perched on Hazuki’s shoulders, smiled like an innocent angel.
"Good thing Syaria found her lover after waiting for that long," she said softly, watching the two spirits float around each other in the air.
Hazuki raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? What do you an, ’waiting for so long’?"
( End Of Chapter )
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