The Laughing Swordsman

Maya looked up to Apollo.

"I don't know..."

Apollo giggled.

"You know that means I will make the decision for you, right?"

Maya softly chuckled.

"Yeah..."

A laugh bubbled up Apollo's throat, but he suppressed it.

"And you know what my decision is going to be, don't you?"

Maya smiled bitterly and slowly nodded.

Maya's father had broken down.

"No! This can't be happening! It's all a lie!"

The curtains fell.

In the end, the last thing Maya's father saw was Apollo's harrowing smile.

"One..."

...

Apollo was sleeping in the thatch bed he originally woke up in. He had fainted not too long after dealing with Maya's father.

Maya brought him back to the bed and continued feeding him. However, her innocence had long left her.

When she first took him in, she found every little thing interesting. When she first held a wooden spoon with rice in front of Apollo, he would subconsciously get up and eat it.

She giggled at that time, curious if he would keep doing so. Her curiosity made her continue feeding Apollo, fascinated each time.

She ended up feeding Apollo countless bowls of rice.

She was doing the same thing now, but couldn't care less about Apollo's peculiar reactions.

When she was done, she simply sat on the floor. Her eyes glazed over. It was as if there was nothing in this world worth looking at.

Apollo murmured before his eyes slowly opened.

"Mommy?..."

A weak smile came from Maya.

"No, I'm not your mom."

Apollo blinked a few times and slowly got up.

"Hmm?"

He turned his head to see Maya, sitting against the wall. She didn't bother to look at Apollo.

Apollo tilted his head.

"Oh, you are Maya! Sorry for misunderstanding who you were!"

Maya shrugged her shoulders.

"What does it matter anyway?"

Apollo used a finger to scratch the side of his head.

"Oh... But I made a mistake and should apologize for it."

Maya raised an eyebrow.

"How does apologizing help?"

Apollo was stumped. He rubbed his hand against his chin.

"Hmm... maybe to show that you care?"

Maya furrowed her brows.

"Care for what? Do you not remember what you just did?"

Apollo nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes! I thought you were my mommy, but you were Maya. Then I apologized."

Maya's head lethargically raised to look at Apollo.

She was confused. Why was he acting like a child?

"...Whatever."

Maya looked down at the floor again.

A silence hung in the room.

Apollo curiously walked up to Maya.

"Hey, are you feeling ok?"

Maya gritted her teeth.

"Ok? How could I feel ok?"

Apollo pouted.

"Aww... It's better to feel happy!"

Maya's eyelid twitched.

"Well, I don't feel happy."

Apollo whimpered.

"Eh? Why not?"

Maya did not respond for a moment.

Tears formed in Maya's eyes. Her breaths became unsteady and her hands clenched into fists.

Slowly, her eyes closed, letting the tears fall down her face.

"I suppose... It's because of how cruel this world is."

Apollo gasped.

"Ah, don't cry!"

Apollo scratched his hair, racking his brain for an answer.

"Oh, I know! What if you change the world? Then it won't be cruel and you won't be sad!"

Maya released her clenched fists.

"I am too weak. Especially compared to you."

Apollo rubbed his hand against his chin.

"What! You are weak?... Can you shoot out beams of water? That could make you strong!"

Maya smiled bitterly.

"You mean magic? How could that be the case? You need the talent to cast magic and hardly anyone has that talent."

Apollo smacked his forehead.

"Ah! I forgot about that. Hmm... I don't think I have talent in magic either!"

Maya's lifeless look was replaced by shock.

"What? You relied purely on your body to kill those monsters?"

Apollo shrugged his shoulders.

"Hm? Well, I have nothing other than my body to count on!"

Maya blinked a few times. Her mouth dried up, but she forced the words out.

"But... how?"

Apollo tilted his head to the side.

"Ah, well first, I swung my sword. After that, I was swinging my sword, then I continued swinging my sword. I think after that I..."

Maya let Apollo continue.

She listened to Apollo repeat the same thing over and over again.

It made her wonder. How hard did he have to work?

It seemed like Apollo used to be just a normal kid, talentless, just like her. Yet, he reached such heights.

Apollo's words replayed in her head.

'What if you change the world? Then it won't be cruel and you won't be sad!'

She felt numb. However, those words made her clench her fists.

She remembered the times she had with her mother and father.

They always played with her without a care in the world.

She would spend her days helping her mother and father farm, then play with everyone else in the village.

But... one by one, the things that made her happy were stolen.

Her mother tried to save a villager that was drowning in a river but ended up being swallowed up by it as well.

Following that, her father changed as well. At some point, she realized on the day her mother died, she lost not only her mother...

But her father as well.

She desperately wished to go back to those days where things were so simple, yet so vibrant.

But they were gone now.

Somewhere deep inside her, a hatred she didn't know she had bubbled up.

It made her want to stand up against the world.

She didn't care how she had to do it, but she wanted to get back to those happy days.

A frown appeared on her face as tears uncontrollably burst out.

"...then I swung the sword. But after I swung the sword, I made sure to swing the sword-"

"Hey."

Maya interrupted Apollo.

Apollo stopped talking. He looked at Maya curiously.

"Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to make you cry! What did I say? I promise I won't say it in the future."

Maya laughed through her tears.

"No... I like crying anyway. I've decided."

Maya looked at Apollo with red eyes.

"I want to become stronger."