"Ryoma, we were just—"
Seirou stepped forward, voice steady, trying to explain. But Ryoma raised a single hand Calmly, he walked forward and extended his hand.
Seirou nodded, handing over the scroll and stepping back.
He unrolled it, scanned its contents with a calm, unreadable expression, then rolled it back with the same precise motion and handed it to Seiya.
"Tell them," Ryoma said coldly, "we will only perform what was agreed upon. If they insist, cancel it."
Seiya gave a quiet nod, taking the scroll.
Astra, who had been silent till now, crossed her arms and spoke up, her tone sharp, "There's no need to cancel anything. We know the Silver Moon script. We're capable. And they're offering double."
Ryoma's eyes narrowed. "Even if they offered four times more, the answer would still be no. We are not accepting it."
"You mean you wouldn't accept it," Astra snapped. "Don't say we when it's clearly just you."
Their voices grew firmer as their eyes locked, each word sharpening the air between them. The tone wasn't loud, but the weight behind it made the tension undeniable.
"Whether it's 'I' or 'we' doesn't matter, Because as the leader I'm the one who decides what's best for the group."
"Being the leader doesn't mean you get to make every decision alone," she shot back. "A team. That means every voice count for the best."
"But as the leader of this team, I know which decisions are prefect for everyone whether they agree with it or not." The twins exchanged a quiet glance, sensing the shift in atmosphere.
"I don't think so," Astra said sharply. "You made that decision simply because you don't like the play. And honestly, I'm not even surprised it's always been your habit to force your likes and dislikes onto everyone else. You never stop to ask what we want."
She stepped forward, her gaze locked on his while pointing a finger at him, her voice tight with frustration. "That's not leadership, Ryoma. That's control. So tell me, what is that thing that made you the leader of our group?"
Ryoma now frustrated stepped forward, closing the distance between them. His voice dropped low, barely a whisper, but the edge in it was undeniable.
"Our group?" he repeated. "When exactly did you become a part of it? I distinctly remember saying you're not a member. Or did you forget that….like you always do?"
The words hit like ice making Astra froze, then she forced a breath, her shoulders trembling as she swallowed down something heavier than anger.
"You never considered me part of—" she stopped, Her fingers curled into fists at her sides, exhaling shakily as her eyes glistened,
"Your group… I wonder if you even see me as part of this family!"
Ryoma's expression didn't change. He simply turned away, leaning against the railing as the sky bled into shades of crimson. His hand gripped the wood tighter, knuckles whitening with pressure.
Astra didn't stop. Her voice cracked, rising with every word, anger and frustration spilling over.
"You never let me do what I want! You never like what I do! You don't even want me in the team—why?!" She stepped forward, her breath ragged.
"Is it because you think I'll mess everything up? That I'm not good enough to stand beside the rest of you?" She laughed, her voice shaking.
"Then why not let me try? Why not let me practice and get better? Why do you always ban me from touching a sword when you know how much it means to me?!" She paused for a breath, eyes burning, "Why won't you ever tell me the truth? That it's just because… you never wanted me to in the first place."
"Astra—" Seiya called out, stepping forward. His voice held a note of warning, and he gave a slight shake of his head, trying to calm her before she said more. But that only made it worse.
Her eyes snapped to him. "….want me to be quiet too? Fine!" She turned, voice echoing louder now.
"If any of you think I'm a burden….just say it!" Her last words were aimed directly at Ryoma.
At that, he flinched his face went pale instantly, and the wood beneath his hand let out a faint, ominous crack.
Astra didn't wait for a response. She turned on her heel and stormed off, her footsteps quick and heavy, fading into the distance. Seirou rubbed his temples with a tired sigh and quietly followed after her, Seiya glanced at Ryoma for last time then followed them leaving him alone with the sinking sun and silence that said more than any words could.
Later,
"You're still taking his side, don't follow me!" Astra snapped, pacing in frustrated circles. Seirou trailed behind her, hands raised in quiet surrender, while Seiya sat cross-legged on the nearby bench, eyes closed in forced meditation. Despite his serene posture, his brow twitched now and then.
"Astra….," Seirou finally caught up, gently placing his hands on her shoulders. His voice remained calm. "I'm not taking his side." She shrugged off his grip but didn't walk away this time. He took that as a good sign.
"Just… hear me out, alright? Just listen." Astra hesitated, then gave a silent nod.
"Remember what Kaen always says?" Never let anger take over when you're talking to Ryoma. So why didn't you listen this time?"
"I wasn't angry!" she insisted quickly.
Seirou raised an eyebrow, arms crossing. "Then why are you still pacing like you're about to set something on fire?"
Astra sighed and looked away, her shoulders sinking a little. "Stop treating me like a kid. I'm turning twenty soon…" Before Seirou could respond, Seiya's voice chimed in dryly still in his meditation pose, eyes shut.
"Then maybe you should consider acting like one."
"And you too—don't go around acting like someone older. You're only twenty-one."
Astra shot at him, "Still senior to you," he replied smugly, eyes still shut.
Astra rolled her eyes before turning back to Seirou, more serious now. "If you really don't want me to get angry, then convince Ryoma to let the performance happen tonight and Let me see it."
Seirou hesitated. His mouth opened… but no words came. Astra waited a beat, then shook her head knowingly.
"See? You can't. So no swordplay tonight." She turned to leave accepting it but stopped in her mid tracks at the sudden voice behind them.
"Who said there won't be?"
Seiya snapped his eyes open and turned and saw Kaen approaching them with calm strides, hands clasped behind his back.
"The villagers agreed to stick to the original plan," Kaen said. "Seiya, Seirou….I came to let you know. Now get going before Shion comes looking."
Seirou opened his mouth to say something, but Kaen gave him a subtle calm and firm nod. The message was clear. Seirou hesitated, then nodded back. Without another word, he and Seiya turned to leave, their footsteps fading down the corridor. Seirou cast one last glance over his shoulder at Astra, who stood still, arms crossed and still fuming.
Kaen approached with quiet steps, his hands clasped behind his back. He didn't speak right away. He simply stood beside her, both of them staring at the horizon where the sky bled into deep reds and oranges.
After a moment, he tilted his head and said softly, "…Don't you think the sky looks more crimson than usual today?"
He pointed upward, but his gaze stayed on her.
Astra didn't respond at first. Her jaw clenched as she tried to hold in everything she still wanted to say. But then she exhaled, her voice quiet and uneven. "I'm sorry," she muttered, still avoiding his eyes. "I couldn't control my words… again."
Kaen let out a long, measured breath, eyes on the setting sun. "You're not the only one who lets emotions speak sometimes," he said. "But I know where yours come from."
He paused, choosing his words carefully. " I know You don't hate Ryoma," he said, more gently this time. "You're just tired of being shut out. He always does the opposite of what you want. He never explains why. And yes he's strict, to a fault."
Astra stayed silent, her arms slowly dropping to her sides.
"But…" Kaen continued, "no matter how cold he seems… he's never once seen you as a burden. Never. Not even for a moment. You're part of our family, You always have been."
Astra looked away, her throat tightening. Her earlier words echoed back to her sharp, impulsive, and far too loud. Her voice trembled, but this time, it wasn't with anger it was something quieter.
"He can be strict, I don't have a problem with that," she said, staring at the crimson sky. "But what I can't understand is why. Why is he strict with me in particular? Why won't he just tell me the reason?"
Her eyes flicked to Kaen, almost searching for permission to keep going. He gave none just silence but still she continued,
"I just want to know what's so wrong with me being part of the group, I grew up with you all. I watched you train every day. At first, I only wanted to watch… but the older I got, the more that changed. I don't want to just sit and watch anymore instead I wanted to be part of it."
"Wasn't he the one who first wanted to teach me how to use a sword?"
"So what changed, Kaen? Why won't he even let me hold a sword now?"
Her voice cracked slightly at the edges, the weight of years behind those words."Back then, as a kid… when I followed you around with that wooden stick, trying to copy your stances he was the one who said I had potential. He promised he'd teach me properly."
She looked down, her fists tightening. "What happened to him? Did I do something wrong… or did he just start hating me out of nowhere? Tell me, Kaen…"
She asked it like she always did quietly, hopefully waiting for some answer to stitch the hole she never knew how to fix. But Kaen stayed silent. Her words hung in the air like smoke, fading unanswered. Disappointed, she turned to leave, her footsteps slow. Then, just as she took another step, Kaen finally spoke.
"Are you not coming with us tonight?"
Astra froze. She turned quickly, unsure if she heard him right. Kaen gave her a small nod with a hint of a smile. She didn't wait. In a blink, she rushed forward and threw her arms around him so tightly it almost knocked him off balance.
"You're the best!" she beamed, hugging him tightly.