Awkward Meeting (for Raiye-san)

Haruka and Masato noticed how differently Sindel acted now, especially with Zera. It was like her relationship with Cerbera in reverse and given a positive spin.

" We should go elsewhere, too crowded here. "

They, too, looked around, and like Sindel, they saw nothing. "I guess we do stand out," Masato admitted.

" I believe we should.. I'd like to know you two better and perhaps, become friends? "

"Of course," Haruka agreed. Sindel's conscience-stricken hesitation made Haruka feel protective of the white-haired girl. "Now that we know it wasn't you, I'm sure we can be friends."

" I know alot about the jewel, three people have fallen to it's power and only Sindel has returned to it's normal self. Cerbera and the one you call Asteria, both are possessed. "

"Is that so?" Masato found that interest. "Let's walk while we talk." He began walking.

Haruka made to follow him, then though of something nice. She gently took Sindel by the wrist. "Let's go, Sindel-san?" she invited. She looked at Zera. "Zera-san, you, too!"

Sindel's cheek started to become faintly red when Haruka took her by the wrist and followed her immidiatly with a stutter.

" O-Okay! "

Zera nodded at them as she took the backpack and walked after them, holding the backpack over her shoulder once more as she took bigger steps forward so she would catch up with them, looking over at Masato, who seemed to be taken the jewel more serious.

" The person who even touches it with his or her skin, or stares into it's core, will become possessed. "

Haruka blushed as well. "I know a good ice cream parlor," she said as quickly as she can, to try and stay focused. "Masato-kun is going to treat me there. We can talk there. The ice cream there is very good!"

Masato moved so that he was walking beside Zera, the better to hear the girl's words. "I see... so how can it be neutralized?" He glanced at Sindel. "How did you free Sindel-san in the first place? I mean, it was like no time at all passed before Sindel-san is all right and Cerbera-san and Asteria-san are evil..."

" Although the jewel's power is immense, it still needs frequent contact with it to keep the possession stabalized, since Cerbera stole it from Sindel and thus with no contact... Sindel slowly regained herself after numerous meditations and a calm mind.. That same could be done with Asteria, also with Cerbera if we can remove the jewel away from her. "

Zera was quite quick to speak, as if she knew the answer right away, glaring out infront of her while she'd talk to Masato, also making sre they were safe.

Sindel would smile brightly as the sound of ice cream, nodding quickly as she quickly walked besides Haruka, immidiatly a little more happier.

" Alright! That sounds quite good! I could certainly go for ice cream! "

Masato soaked up Zera's information like a sponge. "I see. So if we separate the jewel from Cerbera-san, and cover it with, say, a towel, it can't do any harm and its effects are slowly reversed..." He looked at Zera. "Zera-san, can I ask you how you know so much. Cerbera-san didn't seem to know the jewel was dangerous. But you do. Where did you get your information? I tried looking for clues on my own, but I didn't find any."

"Then I'll treat you to ice cream," Haruka happily told Sindel. "What flavor do you like?"

" I wasn't born with these eyes, more I cannot say about me knowing that much. Even with a towl you will be possessed, because you are the one touching the towl. Allow me to take the jewel instead. "

Sindel though about it for a moment, she did like alot of flavors..

" Uhm.. Chocolate and vanilla together. "

Masato frowned. The idea of such a heavy burden resting upon the shoulders of Zera alone appalled him. "It sounds like you have a very harsh duty, Zera-san. And that sounds like a very dangerous jewel... what will you do if you get it?" he brought up. "Will you destroy it? Or seal it?"

"Ah," Haruka giggled. "Is that mocha? Yatori-senpai likes mocha ice cream." She blushed, remembering a certain wrestling match involving such stuff. "Chocolate and vanilla, it is, then?" she asked Sindel to be sure.

" I'm.. " Zera looked back at the other two before she'd take a single step sideways so she was closer to Masato, glaring out infront of her once more.

" going to place it back in my body and soul, where it belongs. It's entity, that is."

Sindel would nod once more at Haruka.

" Yep. How about you? And who is Yatori? "

Masato nearly stumbled. Somehow he managed to keep his voice down, sensing Zera's unspoken request for confidentiality, something a manager understood all too well.

"Are you telling me it's supposed to be in your body? Then what happens if you get it?"

Haruka didn't notice the serious expression on her manager's face, she was too busy entertaining Sindel. "I like peach ice cream," she said. "And Yatori-senpai is my senior. She's a very good wrestler, but a bit perverted." Haruka blushed. "Okay, she's very perverted, but she's also a very nice person."

" Then I will no doubt seal myself once more like before, much what Cerbera purpose was aswell, to be sealed. Shrine Priestess's duty.. However, with Sindel breaking our duty we had to fake our entire Identity just so nobody would find out what we are. She is trying to mend this and return me and Cerbera back to where we belong. So I do hope you keep this to yourself, much like Sindel have said that you could be trusted, I do not wish Haruka to find this out. "

Zera was calm, almost too calm. Not an expression of worry or sadness found in her.

Sindel would blush a bit darker blinking at Haruka.

" I-I see... Sounds like.. Quite a girl? "