Chapter 8 Liuying
A07 stood quietly beside the flower bed. Time had never left any trace on her.
Just like when we first met seven years ago, nothing has changed.
"You've...grown taller."
A07 hesitated for a long time before speaking, her eyes as beautiful as the sunset were now filled with complex emotions.
"We meet again," An Ming didn't know how to describe his feelings at the moment, "I didn't introduce myself last time. My name is An Ming."
"An Ming...An Ming," A07 murmured softly, and after a few seconds, he raised his serious face and said, "Melcant Knight pilot, A07, has been ordered to lead you to the mountains."
She was a little afraid to look directly into An Ming's clear eyes. If she knew that An Ming was the boy she had met before, she would never accept this task.
"A07?"
An Ming didn't expect to hear such an answer. It didn't sound like a person's name, but rather the number of an item.
A07 looked a little nervous, and was slightly relieved when she saw that An Ming's eyes did not change because of this. She was afraid of that kind of look - the kind of look that was like looking at a consumable.
It's so strange. As the fuel of Molten Knight, why would she have such thoughts? As a cyborg, she is just a consumable.
"I will conduct a pilot test on you," A07 put his right hand on his chest, and his eyes, which looked like a weak little rabbit, suddenly became firm. "I will not let you go to the mountains before you complete the test."
"Yes, examiner."
An Ming bowed slightly, and the inexplicable emotion in his heart made his whole body boil. Being able to meet A07 again was the best gift God gave him.
Therefore, he did not notice the worry that flashed across A07's eyes.
[12 years old. During this year, A07 became your swordsmanship teacher. Her superb skills benefited you a lot, and the long time you spent together also made you understand her better.]
[At the same time, the cavalry led by the Empire began to sound the horn of conquest towards the surroundings, and the gray sky of Grammer seemed to have color.]
[You can always see A07 leaning against the window in a daze, quietly watching the cavalry passing by in the sky]
[A07's swordsmanship is extremely advanced, you will never be able to defeat her]
"when!"
A crisp rebound sound was heard, and the sword in An Ming's hand slipped out of his hand and fell to the ground uncontrollably. The sharpness in the eyes of A07, who was standing quietly in front of him, slowly faded.
On weekdays, A07 is more like an ordinary girl next door with a warm and healing smile, but once she enters a battle, she will show her fiery edge.
A07 had a few strands of sweat-soaked hair on his forehead. He panted slightly and said, "You've made great progress."
And An Ming's actual performance is not just the so-called "great progress", it would be more accurate to describe it as a leap forward. A07 has never seen anything like this before.
From being able to last less than a minute in her hands in the beginning, to being able to last more than ten minutes now, and even being able to counter her moves.
The more brilliant the talent An Ming displayed, the deeper her worries became. It was very likely that the incident could no longer be stopped.
There is no way the ruling parliament would let go of a genius like An Ming. The empire also needs a sword that is sharp enough to be known to the world, and An Ming is the best choice.
What's more, the empire has never been afraid of betrayal.
Because...that is absolutely impossible.
"It's all because of your good teaching, sister."
"Sister...?" A07 blinked her beautiful eyes, staring at An Ming, whose height was almost as tall as hers, and she couldn't help feeling a little dazed, but soon her eyes reunited with the boy's figure in her memory.
An Ming wiped the sweat off his palms with a towel and suggested casually, "I want to take my sister somewhere. Today's practice is over, so it should be okay, right?"
"Hmm," A07 pursed her thin lips, the light pink color looked like blooming cherry blossoms.
After closing the door of the sword practice room, the two walked side by side on the campus street in midsummer. The girls all changed into cool clothes, showing their best side. A07 was still wearing a black shawl and a white and blue skirt, and the blue and black gradient stockings outlined the delicate curve of her calves.
An Ming had accidentally seen her closet, which was filled with neatly stacked skirts and stockings of the same style.
"one Year."
"One year...yeah, it's been a year."
An Ming saw a look of nostalgia in A07's eyes, as well as a kind of reluctance that came from nowhere.
"Go this way," at the corner under the shade of the tree, An Ming reached out and held A07's slender wrist. The sudden touch made A07's whole body become a little stiff, but she did not struggle, and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks.
Only a few rays of sunlight occasionally fell through the gaps under the dense shade of the trees, but An Ming led A07 forward in it with ease.
The disturbances in the outside world gradually disappeared, and the only sound that could be heard was the calls of unknown insects, until the clear sound of spring water came from the front, giving an atmosphere of Peach Blossom Spring.
"When I first came to the college, I always liked to come here alone," An Ming recalled that dark memory. Perhaps it was the love of his parents and the obsession to see A07 again that kept him going until now.
Clear spring water flows down from the cracks in the mountain, forming small pools, and crystal blue light occasionally appears under the shade of the trees.
A07 had never seen such a scene before. Little by little, green balls of light were reflected in his eyes. "What is this?"
"Fireflies usually only live for 3-7 days."
"......" A07 suddenly didn't know what to say, her beautiful eyes were full of confusion, "Why do you want to shine?"
It only has a lifespan of seven days, so why does it bring such a warm glow?
If we are born to die, then what is the meaning of living?
"Fireflies may glow not for others, but to prove to themselves that they have been in this world," An Ming looked at the slightly dim blue pupils in A07's eyes and said what he had always wanted to say:
"When we first met, I thought you had beautiful eyes. With such beautiful pupils, you must have a nice name."
"name?"
A07 was stunned, and for some reason a trace of bitterness flowed through her heart. She had never had a name, and was only called by a cold code name.
She also didn't understand the eyes that An Ming saw. There was probably only confusion in those eyes, as if she didn't know where to go.
The blue light of the fireflies fell into the girl's almond-shaped eyes, and her pupils seemed to be inlaid with stars more gorgeous than the Milky Way.
"Liu Ying."
"Eh?"
"Let's call her Liuying," An Ming smiled at the girl, "as warm and shining as a firefly."
"Liu...Ying," A07 recited the short characters awkwardly as if she was learning to speak for the first time. Although they were just simple words, they were so precious to her.
Her world was originally filled with darkness, but now light appeared.
Like a firefly, just a tiny glimmer of light.
But just a little bit is enough.