Amagi Brilliant Park - Volume 6 - Chapter 3

3: Out of the Tunnel 

Latifah had lost her memory of everything up until yesterday. 
Seiya was so stunned that he’d been forced to leave most of the questioning to Isuzu, who explained that Latifah had reverted back to the state she always did on the first of April—in other words, the same “early 14” she’d been repeating for over ten years. She didn’t remember Isuzu, or what she was doing in the park. 
Latifah was a fundamentally intelligent and forthright girl, so despite her shock, she was able to take in everything that Isuzu explained to her. And yet, she didn’t remember Seiya at all. 
“What’s going on here?” Seiya asked, not bothering to hide his frustration. They had just moved Latifah into the shade of a tree in the rooftop garden. “I thought her memory only reset once a year. It’s July now! This doesn’t make sense!” 
“I don’t... particularly understand it,” Isuzu explained. “As far as I know, this has never happened before. Well, I suppose it’s possible it has happened before and simply not been recorded, but...” 
“It hasn’t, fumo.” Moffle appeared from a corner of the garden. “I came to this park when Latifah did, and I’ve never seen it, fumo.” 
“But...” 
“Trust me, fumo. I’m not hiding anything. I really don’t get it, fumo. It was only yesterday we were promising to eat miso nikomi udon together...” 
As Moffle slumped over, Isuzu inquired, “Lord Moffle. Doesn’t Task Force ABC have a practice today? Shouldn’t you be there?” 
“I asked Sylphie to stand in, fumo. I’m in no position to be teaching anyone right now...” He tried to say it wryly, but he failed. Seiya had rarely heard the mascot sounding so grim; he seemed even more depressed and confused than Seiya himself. 
Latifah reset once per year. That was exceptionally draining for the people around her, and likely took a massive toll on Latifah herself. 
Resetting your memories and physical development every year might not sound so bad on the face of it, but for her, it was a cruelty; a curse equivalent to death. It meant losing everything she had gained over the previous year, and it happened annually, without fail. 
Remembering his position, Seiya endeavored to keep his voice even as he probed further. “Who all knows about this?” 
“Only the three of us,” Isuzu answered. “I told Nick and the Mogutes that the princess was laid up with a summer cold.” 
Nick was in charge of the food division; he often helped Latifah make her wonderful croquettes, but of course, that wasn’t going to happen today. And while the Mogute Clan frequently helped Latifah in her day-to-day life, they’d probably realize the issue the moment they saw her. In other words, they couldn’t let them see her; they couldn’t have rumors of Latifah’s condition circulating among the cast right now. 
There were only a few people in the park who knew about Latifah’s “reset problem” to begin with— The more veteran members of the cast had inevitably figured it out, even if Moffle hadn’t told them. After all, she never aged, and they’d have repeated interactions with her where she’d act like it was their first. Someone like Macaron would have easily figured out the situation on his own, and yet, he hadn’t said anything. Anyone who had been in the park long enough to catch on to the secret, would also realize that Latifah and Moffle wouldn’t want it getting out. (And then there were those, like Mirai-kun and Wanipii, who were probably too dense to catch on to start with.) They didn’t talk about Latifah’s problem because she wouldn’t want them to. 
“Honestly. When it rains, it pours...” He’d meant it to sound joking, but neither Isuzu nor Moffle responded in kind. It had been such a shock to Seiya, after all; he could imagine how much harder it must be for the two who had known her so much longer. They were in no condition, now, to advise him on the issue with Amagi Development and Hojo, or on his talk with Kurisu (now Kurayama of Cosmic Studios) via phone. 
Seiya took a deep breath; he had to get it together. “But isn’t it strange?” The thought rose up in the back of his mind unbidden, and he whispered it out loud, as if to give it form. 
That’s right, he realized. It is strange. Latifah lost her memory every year in spring. For it to happen in summer, there had to be a reason. But what could that reason be? 
Did anything strange happen to her yesterday? he wondered. Of course, she went on the “date” with me... But that in itself isn’t strange. We’ve done it before, and she was enjoying herself. I guess there was the merry-go-round... She got hurt there— hurt? 
“Hang on,” he said abruptly. “Latifah still has her bandage on today, right?” 
“Yes, I changed it myself,” Isuzu responded. 
“How was her injury?” 
“It’s nothing serious. Merely a scrape...” she responded, then gasped. “You’re right... the wound was still there this morning.” 
“Moffu. Which means...” Moffle’s button eyes shone as he joined them in realization. 
“Right,” Seiya answered. “Even though her memory was erased, her physical form wasn’t reset.” 
“Isn’t that a bit of a leap?” Isuzu questioned. “We can’t be so sure that the changes in the princess’s body—” 
“No, he’s right! That’s never happened before, fumo!” Moffle shouted excitedly, cutting Isuzu off. “Latifah always reverts to being 14 years old, fumo. She’s never had an injury linger through the change before, fumo!” 
“Which means whatever is behind this is irregular?” Seiya questioned. “It’s not the ‘usual curse’?” 
“I don’t know, but it’s possible, fumo! Either way, we need to have a specialist come and investigate.” 
“A specialist, eh?” Seiya was thoughtful. “Who are you thinking of?” 
“Maple Land’s royal doctor comes periodically,” Isuzu said. “But they usually only see her once per year, and it’s become more of a formality than anything.” 
“Can you call them right away?” Seiya asked. 
“I can,” she answered, “but... I wouldn’t expect them to know anything.” 
“Moffu,” Moffle agreed. “They haven’t done much for her in the past, fumo. And if we call for them now, it might cause ugly rumors to spread throughout the court, fumo.” 
Seiya furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?” 
“Well... moffu.” 
“It could spread speculation that the princess’s condition is worsening, which would in turn cause trouble,” Isuzu explained, substituting for the stymied Moffle. “Rumors of her failing health could influence Maple Land’s political situation. It could spur a crisis of succession, and even cast blame upon Lord Moffle and myself. Not that I care for my own sake... of greater concern is that it might embolden the forces opposed to AmaBri’s very existence.” 
“I see,” Seiya replied. Tricen and others had been providing him articles from Maple Land to read. The myriad political dramas he was learning about really took the wonder out of these so-called “magical realms,” and there were apparently groups that were passionate about shutting AmaBri down. 
“If it’s not keeping Latifah in good health, there’s no need to go to such lengths to keep AmaBri in business,” they would likely assert if this got out. 
“Understood,” Seiya concluded. “So we’ll have to call in him, right?” 
“...?” Isuzu looked suspicious. 
Moffle clapped his paws together in realization. “Ah... him, fumo. Well, we don’t have much of a choice, do we, fumo?” 
“I don’t understand,” Isuzu said. “Who are you talking about?” 
“Not telling. You’d just be against it anyway.” Seiya pulled out his smartphone. 

That evening, the person(?) in question arrived at AmaBri. 
“Ohhhh! I’ve missed you, Setsuko-saaan! Lemme at them tiddies!” The coarse, fanged, man-eating oni charged, tears streaming down his face, towards Isuzu. More precisely, towards Isuzu’s breasts. 
Isuzu fired her gun. “Guh...” The elderly oni toppled over. 
“I knew it would start like this, fumo...” Moffle nodded. 
“I’m already regretting it,” Seiya whispered. 
“Why must it be him, of all people?” Isuzu asked, voice trembling, hands gripping her smoking musket. 
“Don’t write him off too quickly...” Seiya advised her. “He did exorcise Bando Biino, after all.” They’d invited the old oni, Obiza, once before to inspect a part-timer possessed by an evil spirit, and he had indeed managed to exorcise her. He had a flaw (a terrible flaw) that he lost his mind when he saw large breasts, but his talents remained formidable. 
“We’re the ones who did the heavy lifting there, fumo...” Moffle grumbled. 
“I just hope we don’t have to suffer through another quiz...” Isuzu sighed. 
Obiza sat himself up sulkily. “What’s the matter with you people?” he complained. “You call an old man all this way, and this is the welcome you give him?” 
“Shut up! We did feel bad about it until you started acting that way,” Seiya told him. “Why don’t you think about your own actions for once?” 
“Well, I’m busy!” Obiza said, trying to defend himself. “I was doing a replay of the SRW? series!” 
“Why now?” 
“I’m playing Z too, of course,” the oni went on, “Since it’s got FMP! in it.” 
“Then you can’t be very busy, can you?” 
“Oh... shut up! Point is, you can’t call a man out here and then then treat ’im like this! Show a little appreciation, then give me that girl’s panties!” 
“Ugh, just follow us!” Ignoring his gripes, Seiya guided Obiza to Maple Castle. Obiza looked grumpy about it, but was apparently willing to do as he was told. 
“You’ll recall that I explained the situation in my email,” Seiya began. “We want you to give Latifah a physical.” 
“Ah, so it’s more of that, eh?” Obiza’s expression suddenly turned serious. It was an odd thing to say about a literal ogre, but he did indeed seem pensive and thoughtful. “I’ve been thinking about that princess of yours for a while, now. The animus starvation curse... I’ve been poring through old texts day and night, but I couldn’t find much in the way of precedent.” 
I thought you were playing Super Robot Wars, Seiya thought, but opted not to say it out loud. “You couldn’t find much, you said. Does that mean you found something?” 
“Well, of a sort...” Obiza admitted. “I found a record of a princess with a similar curse from several centuries ago, in a magical kingdom that’s now dead and gone. But it didn’t have much in the way of detail... Nothing about how to remove the curse, or even if the princess was ever cured.” 
“Hmm...” 
“With nothing in the old texts to go on, I’ll just have to go with some educated guesses. It seems likely to me that the animus starvation and the reset of growth and memories are closely intertwined,” Obiza went on. “As you’re a mortal, I’ll explain what I mean: for magical realm residents like us, animus is like the fuel we run on. But there’s more to it than that.” 
“What do you mean?” Seiya questioned. 
“It’s also the power through which we gain experience, mature, and rise to higher planes of existence. Animus empowers us to grow up, and in time, to grow old.” 
“I suppose that makes sense... But what do you mean, rise to higher planes of existence?” Seiya cast a dubious glance at Obiza, and then at Moffle. It was hard to believe they were on a higher plane of existence than young girls (“children,” supposedly) like Latifah and Isuzu. 
“Seiya!” Moffle objected furiously. “Were you just doubting that I’m on a higher plane of existence, fumo?!” 
“You bet I am.” 
“Moffu! How dare you trivialize my experiences! You’re just a child, fumo! Puff you, fumo!” 
“The gutter language isn’t helping your case!” Seiya retorted. 
“M-Moffu...” 
That old man, Obiza, is quite an idiot, too, Seiya reflected. If he were a spirit or fairy or whatever on a higher plane of existence, why would he say things like “let me squeeze your boobs” and “give me your panties”? 
“Young man, that’s a superficial way of looking at things,” Obiza defended himself. “There’s a deeper meaning to everything I say.” 
“I find that very hard to believe,” Seiya said in return. 
“Oh, really?” Obiza raised an eyebrow. “What if I said that in the old language of the Schubert Empire, ‘let me squeeze your boobs’ means ‘peace be on your soul’?” 
“I’d say you were lying!” 
“And you’d be right,” Obiza chortled. “Anyway, I’d compare it more to... the way that, as your people grow older, they grow tired of being self-conscious about every little thing, and start telling dirty jokes just to rile up the young’uns.” 
“I don’t understand,” Seiya complained, 
“Ahh, yes, fumo. I understand what you mean precisely,” Moffle said with exaggerated wisdom. 
“That’s right,” the oni said. “You get tired of projecting self-important seriousness all the time.” 
“Moffu,” Moffle agreed. “And you stop pretending to be smarter than you are.” 
Moffle and Obiza seemed to have reached some kind of mutual understanding. Seiya was still only sixteen and had no frame of reference for any of it, so it all sounded like nonsense to him. He looked at Isuzu quizzically, but she was just standing there, slumped over. 
“Ah, fine, whatever,” he finally said. “Let’s assume you and Moffle are fairies on a higher plane of existence, or whatever. You’re saying that growth is being blocked in Latifah’s case, right?” 
“Right,” Obiza confirmed. “The animus starvation is hindering her growth.” 
“Even the Maple Land physicians were able to infer that much,” Isuzu interrupted. “That doesn’t explain why her mind and body reset every year at the end of March, does it? Nor why it’s happening now, in July...” 
“Indeed. So it’s time to ask the question: why the end of March?” 
“Moffu. Well... because the curse was applied at the end of March, fumo.” 
“Hmm. And it resets after a year. But who decided that?” 
“The magician who put the curse on her, fumo.” 
“How do you know?” Obiza asked. “Can you be sure it’s the magician who decided that the curse would reset her every year on the anniversary?” 
“M-Moffu... Well, now that you mention it...” Moffle sank deep into thought. 
All the talk of magic and curses went a little beyond Seiya’s understanding. Perhaps noticing his confusion, Isuzu explained: “Seiya-kun. You could liken a spell to a computer program; a curse is like a virus. Its activation is reliant on certain conditions or deadlines.” 
“Ahh...” That made sense. Latifah’s “reset curse” had been activating at the end of March every year for over ten years; it was behaving, in a way, like a time-sensitive virus, so that’s what the Maple Land doctors (in the analogy, the programmers) had decided it must be. But Obiza was raising doubts: Was the virus really time reliant? 
“It’s been the same conditions resetting her for the past ten years, right?” Obiza asked. “Then maybe this year it was some other condition that triggered it. Any idea what that could be?” 
“Hmm...” Seiya’s murmuring wasn’t because he was thinking it over; it was because the old man’s question had hit a bullseye. He did indeed have an idea. “Me?” 
Isuzu then nodded hesitantly. “Normally I’d say you think too highly of yourself... But I agree. The park has changed significantly since your arrival; it wouldn’t be a surprise to learn that your presence had affected things. ...What do you think, Lord Moffle?” 
“Moffu. Sounds right to me,” Moffle agreed, reluctantly. “It’s a slow road AmaBri’s been walking these past ten years, fumo. Almost no changes, just gradual decline... Then Seiya arrives and gives it this big jolt of life, fumo.” 
“I see.” Obiza nodded, frowning. “That’s a start, to be sure.” 
“Really?” Seiya asked. 
“Now, don’t go getting your hopes up,” the old oni warned them. “I’ve never dealt with a condition like this before, either...” 
“Doctor...” 
“Don’t get too down, though. I’ll do everything I can. My pride’s riding on it, and the princess is a fine girl. God cannot have abandoned her! Right?” Obiza’s uncharacteristically kind words seemed to lift a weight off of Isuzu, Moffle, and even Seiya. 
Silently, they led him to the rooftop garden. They brought Latifah to be introduced to him. 
“Ah... Doctor... I must apologize for taking this time out of your busy day... but I thank you for coming to see me.” Latifah appeared to be very nervous. That was understandable; Obiza was a stranger to her too, now. 
“Yes,” Obiza said, pulling out his stethoscope. “Then first, let’s get those panties off.” 
Seiya kicked him in the side, Moffle slammed a paw into him, and Isuzu shot him multiple times. 
“You old bastard!” Seiya bellowed. 
“I knew he’d say it, fumo. I knew he’d say it, fumo!” 
“I don’t know why I thought, for a minute, that he might really be a decent person...” Isuzu said self-loathingly as she backed away from Obiza, who lay there twitching on the flagstones. 
“For the love of...” Seiya groaned. “Latifah, don’t take him seriously! Keep your panties on!” 

“Wh-What?! Ah, forgive me...” Latifah, who had been reaching for the hem of her skirt, straightened up abruptly in shock. She looked panicked, and her manner was terribly formal. 
In his mind, Seiya had just been warning her the way he usually did; but to Latifah, Seiya was effectively a stranger right now. “Um... I’m sorry,” he told her, struggling to explain himself. “It’s just... this is how we always used to talk...” 
“Y-Yes, I see... Er... by all means, then,” Latifah said apologetically, even though Seiya knew he was the one in the wrong. 
“Anyway... well, the old man— I mean, the doctor—knows what he’s doing, I think. We’ll leave Sento here to watch him, so let him give you a full checkup.” 
“...Of course.” Still, he remembered, Latifah didn’t know Sento well right now, either. He was struck by the urge to put his arms tightly around the anxious, trembling girl. Fighting back the urge, Seiya helped Obiza up. “All right, Doctor. We’re counting on you.” 
“Ah... right.” 
“And don’t take off her panties,” Seiya ordered. 
“Well, I’ll try,” Obiza grumbled. 
Too annoyed to argue further, Seiya silently turned away, and told Moffle, “let’s go.” 
“Moffu.” 
They arrived at a corner of the garden that looked out over the park, before Seiya turned back to see Latifah, Obiza, and Isuzu entering her room together. 
“You think it’ll work?” he asked. 
“I honestly don’t know, fumo,” Moffle whispered gloomily. “But I think the old man was on the right track with what he pointed out. Even if he can’t solve our current predicament, we might learn something new.” 
“You’re very calm about this,” Seiya observed. 
“Of course I am,” Moffle agreed. “I see Latifah go through this every year, fumo. It hurts, but I’m used to it. I can’t get depressed about it every time, fumo.” 
“......” Seiya had no reply to that statement. 
“Anyway, what’s going on with Mackey, fumo?” Moffle asked, looking to change the subject. “Isuzu told me he sent his list of unreasonable demands.” 
“Ah, that...” Seiya hesitated. “It’s about what you guessed it would be. But we might need to consider it if we want to get to three million people.” 
“I see.” Moffle’s calm surprised him. 
“You’re not mad?” 
“Moffu. I’ve been thinking since the last time, and... well, it’s such an absurd goal, there’s likely no way to accomplish it without some degree of sacrifice.” 
“I thought you’d chew me out,” Seiya admitted. 
“Offering a dissenting opinion isn’t chewing you out, fumo. I wish more people understood that, fumo.” 
“Hmm.” 
“I wager Latifah’d go along with it if she knew, too. She’s more worried about... ah, never mind, fumo.” 
“What?” Seiya demanded. “What is she worried about?” 
“I’m just overthinking it, fumo. ...At any rate, I’ll respect whatever decision you come to, Seiya. Just know that, fumo.” Moffle seemed to have steeled himself for any outcome. After all, this park was supposed to have closed last spring. Not only had they gotten a new lease on life, they were pulling in more guests than ever before. No matter what happened from now on, it would feel like ingratitude to ask for more. 
“Things are going to be tough,” Seiya sighed. 
“I know that, fumo. I’m prepared to be fired, too.” 
“That’s why, before I make my decision...” Seiya took out his smartphone and checked the time. “...there’s one last thing I have to take care of tonight. I’ll leave Latifah to you and Sento.” 
“Moffu?” 
“There’s a man I need to see,” he answered evasively, although Seiya wasn’t actually sure if he could be called a man or not. Still, it was time to have this out. 
The Tama River, on the north side of Amagi City, was spanned by a bridge. It was called, appropriately enough, Amagi Bridge. Perhaps due to being off of a toll road, it didn’t get much traffic outside of rush hours— It had a walkway for pedestrians, but that, too, was rarely used. Even at 7:00 at night, it was practically deserted, an unusual thing in late July. 
Seiya himself rarely came here. The light from the nearby street lights was so bright that it was almost blinding. He downshifted his bike as he neared the middle of the bridge and started looking around for the person he’d come to meet. 
He didn’t have to look for long. There was a man leaning against the guard rail, playing with his smartphone, dressed in a full business suit despite the heat. He turned to face Seiya as he heard the bike braking. As expected, it was Kurisu Takaya, formerly of Amagi Development. 
He looked exactly the same, right down to his hairstyle; he was identical in every way to the man he’d met before. Why, then, did Hojo refer to this man as Kurayama? Seiya felt sure there was some kind of magic involved. He might not even have to change his face; perhaps he could force others to perceive him differently, using a principle similar to that of the Lalapatch Charm. Seiya couldn’t say. But he was sure that this was the man he knew at Kurisu. 
“Hey,” the man said leisurely. 
Seiya got off his bike, not returning the greeting. 
“I’m so sorry about yesterday,” the man went on. “The call was just so sudden, I had to resort to... emergency measures? Well, measures that were less than beautiful, you could say.” 
“Are you the one who put the impossible attendance figure into Hojo’s head?” Seiya asked. “Why did you do it?” Then, he used his magic. He’d never used it on Kurisu before; if Latifah and the others were telling the truth, this man was a powerful magician—the magician behind a curse that had left even the royals of Maple Land scratching their heads. 
He had been aware of Seiya’s magic the last time they had met. Seiya wasn’t even sure if it would work on him. And yet it did— He was able to hear exactly what was on the man’s mind. 
To see you all suffer more, obviously... oh? You used your magic already? What a surprise! And a close call...? The voice trailed off there. It was Seiya’s first time using the magic on this particular subject, so he didn’t lose any memories as a result. 
“This is very unexpected,” the man remarked. “I thought you were more cautious than that...” 
Seiya snorted. 
“But now you’ve gone and used your magic on me... Was that really the best idea?” 
“Spare me your concern,” Seiya told him dryly. “Now, tell me this: why are you tormenting Latifah? She hasn’t done anything to you, has she?” He used his magic a second time. He had no interest at all in posturing and wordplay with this man; the bell for the round had rung, and he was going to come out swinging. 
What would I get out of tormenting that king? He’s simply reaping what he sowed. The far more outrageous torment is... wait, are you using it again?! You used your magic multiple times?!? Kurisu’s eyes opened wide in shock. 
Seiya couldn’t remember the name of the company the man was currently working with. Whatever, he decided, I can just look it up later. After yesterday’s events, he’d written down everything he knew about Kurisu Takaya— every single detail. 
“The questions will keep coming,” Seiya told him coldly. “We’ll see how long you can maintain that confidence of yours... Shouldn’t you run away like you did before?” 
“...Listen to the mouth on you,” the man taunted, “But, it seems I made a mistake; I was just intending to toy with you a bit, but...” 
Seiya used his magic a third time. ?That’s royal magic for you. I always wondered why it would be limited to a single use. Actually, this is... magnificent! I really do want that girl for my own. Wait... did you use it again? And I can’t... even resist it...? Seiya realized that something was different in the thoughts he was hearing this time. No... He’d been vaguely aware of it before, and now he was certain of it. His magic gave him the ability to force a response. 
In past applications of his magic, Seiya would ask a leading question, then see what answer he could draw out that way. He’d had to choose and time the questions carefully; one miscalculation, and he’d lose his chance. 
But now, Seiya had succeeded multiple times in gaining information that, based solely on the questions he’d asked, he shouldn’t have been able to. Yesterday, in particular, against that old man named Hojo... He’d gotten far more than he ever did out of his day-to-day surveys of his guests. Perhaps the difference was the malice and antagonism he felt towards them? He saw Hojo as his enemy; Kurisu, of course, was the same. He couldn’t think of anyone else to whom he’d felt such a deep antipathy. 
Kurisu took a staggering step. “This is... hah. Incredible. To drive me to this...” 
“I’m not about to let up, Kurisu,” Seiya said. “...Or, it’s Idina, isn’t it?” The third use of his magic caused Seiya to forget the day he met Kurisu, and what they’d talked about at the bus stop. No great loss; it was probably all unpleasant, anyway. “How much do you know about my magic?” he pushed again. 
“I—” 
“Talk!” Seiya used his magic a fourth time. 
I don’t know... much. You can read a mind multiple times and force answers. That’s all I know. Now I see... The magic of the royal line is powerful. It all adds up now...? The voice trailed off. Kurisu fell to his knees, struggling for breath. 
This time, Seiya forgot the nature of the agreement Kurisu had made with the king of Maple Land. That seemed important, but it was gone now. Fortunately, the knowledge that he had cursed Latifah remained. 
A severe exhaustion was beginning to come over Seiya now. His head was pounding. “This is about when you’d run away, isn’t it?” Seiya remarked idly. “But I’m going to make you tell me this!” 
“Wai—” 
“The way to remove Latifah’s curse! Tell me, this instant!” He used his magic a fifth time. He could feel Kurisu’s terror, his desire to run away. He had illusions and teleportation that he used to escape—but Seiya was able to forbid even his use of those. 
You must answer, his power demanded, and its force was uncompromising. This realization of the extent of his power sent a chill down even Seiya’s spine. The power to read minds, once per person, and only for a short time... That’s what he’d thought it was. But it was much more. 
Kurisu’s thoughts came through again. ?I don’t know how to remove the curse.? 
What? Seiya was shocked. 
I erased my own memory, in case Kanie Seiya’s power proved greater than I thought. I eliminated any way to restore it, too... which was no great loss to me, as I never intended to remove Latifah Fleuranza’s curse, anyway...? The voice trailed off. 
Another wave of exhaustion hit Seiya, yet he grabbed Kurisu by the lapels and screamed. “Damn you!” 

“Ah-ha... Looks like my insurance paid off,” Kurisu said, a smile appearing on his pale lips. His forehead was soaked in sweat; he must be reaching the end of his rope. Then again, so was Seiya... 
The price for the fifth use of his magic: At last, Seiya forgot who it was that the man had cursed. Even though he had just been asking how the curse could be removed... 
Who was he doing this for? Seiya couldn’t remember. He could feel his anger towards the man receding. He had lost the drive that was powering this use of his magic. 
“Damn...” He released Kurisu to look at his smartphone. According to notes he’d taken before, it was Latifah whom this man had cursed. Latifah? Seiya knew her, of course... He could still remember the first day they met, what had happened since then, their date yesterday—everything. He also remembered how she’d lost her memory yesterday, how they’d called up Obiza, and the conversation they had had before he left. And yet, the fact that this man had been the one to curse her had completely fallen out of his mind. 
His ideas about reality felt jumbled. It was a disorienting feeling; he wanted to vomit. 
“...You seem to be... suffering,” Kurisu panted. “Maybe you should take a break...” 
“Shut the hell up!” Seiya shouted with his last faint streak of rebellion that remained. He was running on fumes now, on the memories of malice he still felt towards him. One more time. That would likely be his limit. 
The magic he’d been given truly was powerful, but it wasn’t infinite. It occurred to him now, yes: power came with a price. Everybody knew that. 
No, that’s all right, he told himself. Give up on lifting the curse for now. What’s the next thing I need to learn? He looked at his smartphone screen again, skimming through his enemy’s profile. There was a lot of information, there; too much. What was the most important? What would give him a new foothold for investigation? 
“...Three million people,” Seiya whispered. “That’s right... why did you set the requirement at three million people?” 
“What...?” Kurisu was confused by this change in direction. 
It occurred to Seiya that Kurisu hadn’t asked for something absurd like ten million, nor an achievable figure like 1.5 million. Three million was at the threshold of “just barely impossible.” That’s why Seiya had never given it deeper thought. But what if that number served a purpose? If it turned out to be arbitrary, he’d be wasting his shot— He could only use his magic one more time. And if he let Kurisu get away now, then even if they met again, he’d probably come back even better prepared. It was now or never. Something about that number nagged at Seiya’s mind. 
“Don’t—” 
“Answer me!” Seiya demanded. He used his magic a sixth time. He felt like his head was splitting in two. 
I don’t know, because it’s related to the curse. Still, I don’t want you reaching 3 million. I really don’t know why I don’t. Which means that it is a significant number...? That ended his answer. Kurisu fell prone to the ground, shoulders heaving in agony. Seiya had also gone weak in the knees; he collapsed onto his backside, coughing violently. 
The price for the sixth use of his magic was forgetting part of their earlier conversation. Tracing back what he could and couldn’t remember from recent events, it was probably the information he’d extracted from the second use of his magic. What did I ask him? It might have been important, and I forgot it! A powerful sense of unease began to pick at Seiya’s chest. “Damn...” he muttered. 
But at least he had achieved something. He wanted to ask more, of course— like about what had happened to Latifah today— but since the man had erased his own memory about the curse, it seemed unlikely that he’d get anything useful. Besides, he really was at his limit. Any further uses of his magic and he might forget the information he’d just learned. 
“Hahh... hahh...” Kurisu panted. A flatbed truck passed by them over Amagi Bridge. To the driver, they probably just looked like two drunks splayed out on the roadside. 
“All right. The questions are... over.” Seiya mustered up what strength he had left and stood up. 
Kurisu didn’t try to stand. “I’m... glad to... hear it... haha...” 
“You can’t fool me by acting human. I know the depths of your depravity far too well.” Seiya wasn’t deceived for a minute. He might look and talk like a man, but he was a devil. He couldn’t allow him any sympathy. “But right now, I need your help.” 
“What?” Kurisu hadn’t expected this. 
Seiya produced a multi-page document from the bag hanging from his bicycle and threw it down in front of Kurisu. 
“What is this?” the man asked, feeling bewildered. 
“A proposed alliance between AmaBri and Digimaland,” Seiya explained shortly. It was the document describing the deal. Of course, he’d omitted the details of the contract, but one look at the offer, and Kurisu should realize that it would put the three million requirement within their grasp. 
“You’re “Kurayama” right now, aren’t you?” Seiya asked. “You seem to have gotten pretty deep in Cosmic Studios... So I think you know what you need to do.” 
“......!” Kurisu glared up at Seiya. His face registered shock, humiliation, anger— but most of all, shock. “You dare pit me against that buffoonish rat?!” He must be forgetting to maintain his human-like way of speaking; this was no longer Kurisu, but the evil magician Idina. 
“If that’s how you want to put it,” Seiya told him with a shrug. “I think I can get a pretty good deal out of it.” He limped his way to his bike, got on, and pedaled off. 

On the way home, he continued to ask himself: did I do the right thing? To make a proposal to Kurisu Takaya, of all people... The very man who started all of this. The man behind all of Latifah’s suffering. 
But given their current situation, it felt like their only choice. It was the only way to keep the park in business—the only way to keep Latifah alive. No... He couldn’t say that for certain. He’d always assumed AmaBri’s future was tied to Latifah’s, but was it possible that they weren’t? 
If it wasn’t, then which should he choose? Her smile. The smiles of the cast. The smiles of the guests. Seiya couldn’t see a clean solution. He felt like he was still groping around in the dark, with no easy answer in sight. 
But if he could get a slightly better deal for AmaBri by making Digimaland and Cosmic Studios compete... No. That was just an excuse, to defer responsibility. 
“Dammit...” Suddenly seized by a sense of self-loathing, Seiya stopped in the middle of the residential district, leaned up against a telephone pole and coughed a few times. If only he could think of something better... He racked his brain over and over, but nothing new came to mind. Just then, his smartphone gave a short vibration; it was an email from Isuzu. 
“......” Seiya sluggishly opened it and checked her message. ?We have the results of Obiza’s examination. Please reply soon.? He’d intended to go right home and rest, but it seemed they wouldn’t let him off that easily. 

It was close to 11:00 at night when he finally made it to the park. Isuzu met him at the bike rack. The first thing she said was: “Are you all right? You look pale.” 
“Don’t worry about it,” Seiya said as he chained up his bike. “What did he find?” 
Isuzu still looked worried, but he was in no condition to reassure her; he’d just been through a knock-down drag-out magical battle. “...It’s complicated.” 
“Complicated?” Seiya asked wearily. 
“You should allow Dr. Obiza to tell you the rest.” 
“...? Fine...” 
They walked together to Maple Castle. Obiza and Moffle were waiting in the rooftop garden; they said Latifah was already resting in her room. 
“So?” Seiya asked. 
Moffle’s response was an echo of Isuzu’s: “It’s complicated, fumo.” 
“So explain it already,” he said with open annoyance. 
Obiza stepped forward, then. “It’s not all clear to me yet,” the old oni began. “but I don’t believe it’s the curse that’s caused the princess’s memory loss.” 
“What?” Seiya was caught off-guard. 
“I’ll be more precise: the curse is part of it. But the direct cause of the memory loss is a major animus deficiency.” 
“An animus deficiency?” Seiya questioned, feeling bewildered. “But...” That couldn’t be true. AmaBri had gone through a rebirth. Guest attendance had skyrocketed, and everyone was enjoying themselves. He’d been told that the guests’ joy produced animus, which provided nourishment to residents of magical realms... Then, shouldn’t Latifah have more animus than ever before? 
“That’s right, she should have enough animus. Here’s something to look at.” Obiza pulled an object from his doctor’s bag. It looked like an old-fashioned thermometer, except that the liquid in the tube was blue. “This here’s an animometer,” he explained. “It measures the animus in a given location.” 
The name was a little on the nose, but this wasn’t Seiya’s first time seeing one; they’d been installed here and there around Maple Castle. 
“The animometer reads approximately 3800 mieverts where we stand. According to the MHO, this means ‘animus is abundant, and you can enjoy a healthy day.’” 
“MHO?” Seiya questioned. 
“Magical Health Organization. It’s an international body of the magical realm,” Isuzu explained. 
“What are mieverts?” Seiya asked again. 
“A unit of measurement,” she told him. “Don’t worry about it.” 
“I can’t help it,” Seiya muttered. “They sound like units of radiation...” 
“The point is, your castle is well stocked with animus. But according to this nitmus paper...” Obiza took out a band-aid-sized strip of red paper. It must have been used already, because two-thirds of the paper had turned blue. “You see this blue part here? That indicates a lack of animus in the patient.” 
“I see...” Seiya said thoughtfully. “Say, what’s the deal with that paper? How do you use it?” 
“She puts it in her mouth. Then we wait three minutes and see if the red part changes color, fumo.” This time, it was Moffle who explained. 
“You’re saying Latifah had that in her mouth?” Seiya clarified. 
“Yes, fumo. ...Wait a minute, fumo. You weren’t thinking about taking it, were you?!” 
“Don’t be stupid!” Seiya retorted. “It’s this old man I’m worried about.” 
“Moffu. Now that you mention it...” 
Obiza flushed suddenly. “H-How dare you! It’s true that the testing paper is soaked with the princess’s precious saliva... But I was going to dispose of it as medical waste. I sure wasn’t going to seal it away, take it home, display it on my home altar, and shave away a millimeter a day to add to my tea while occasionally licking it myself!” 
“Give that to me. I’ll dispose of it myself.” Isuzu snatched the paper from Obiza’s hand. 
“Ah. ...You damned whippersnapper,” Obiza complained. “Why’d you have to ruin it?!” 
“Shut up!” Seiya exploded. “Why are you always a creep about everything?” 
“You were going to abuse it, fumo!” 
“It’s not abuse!” Obiza protested. “It’s recycling!” 
“Just get on with the explanation!” 
“Ugh... Ah, right. ...Anyway, the area is full of animus, yet the princess herself remains deficient. All the tests I’ve run come to that same conclusion.” 
“But why?” Seiya wondered. Wasn’t recouping her lost animus why they put Latifah in AmaBri in the first place? If it wasn’t really helping, then nothing Seiya could do really mattered. 
“Can’t say as I know,” Obiza shrugged. “What I do know is that the animus deficiency is what triggers the memory reset. The curse is involved, but my impression is that... it’s an automatic reaction.” 
“I don’t understand.” 
“The memory reset is a side effect of the curse. That much is clear. But it follows, to me, that the reset could have been programmed into the curse as a sort of safety mechanism. Blocking her growth with a reset prevents over-weakening due to the animus deficiency. I believe the lack of a physical reset in this case is evidence of that. But if she keeps losing animus at this rate, her physical body may reset as well.” 
“So she’s in purgatory, fumo...” Moffle’s paws began trembling with anger. 
“I can’t say what that magician was after when he did this,” Obiza went on, “but it seems the princess weakening and dying wasn’t it.” 
“......” 
“Now, here’s what that means,” Obiza said, clearing his throat. “It means our problem right now isn’t the curse. What we need to learn is, why is the princess is suddenly so lacking in animus?” 
“Do you have a way to find that out?” Seiya asked. 
“I believe so.” Obiza pulled a new tool out of his bag. It looked like a pair of old goggles, the leather type with thick glass lenses frequently seen in old biker movies. “These are Umbra Glasses. Like it says on the tin, they let you see umbra.” 
“Umbra?” Seiya asked again. 
“It means the shadow world,” Isuzu helped. 
Another new term. This was all getting more and more confusing. “The shadow world is, um... is that different from your magical realms?” 
“Yes,” Obiza explained. “Our magical realms exist elsewhere entirely. Umbra is sort of the underside of the mortal realm; it’s all around us right now, you just can’t usually see it.” 
“I don’t understand,” Seiya insisted. 
“You stubborn little... You know, if you’re already like this as a young’un, you’ll wind up in trouble later in life. You’ll be the old man who doesn’t know how to use a smartphone, and has to bug his grandkids for help instead.” 
“Nobody asked you!” 
“Hmm. I know, fumo. To put umbra into terms a mortal can understand... it’s like the world you see through infrared goggles, fumo.” 
“Is it that simple?” Seiya asked, feeling suspicious. 
“Moffu. You know how certain birds and insects can perceive ultraviolet light? It’s like that.” 
“Hmm...” Seiya felt like he was getting the idea. “So, what good will those glasses do?” 
“Seeing umbra will let us search for traces left by the princess’s soul.” 
“Huh?” Seiya was confused again. 
The others spent the next thirty minutes offering various circuitous explanations, through which Seiya more or less finally worked it out. Their world (in other words, the mortal realm) was full of invisible magical energy (animus?). Umbra Glasses would let him see that energy as part of the visual spectrum. The “shadow world” was a place where the distribution of that energy could be perceived. In that sense, Moffle’s infrared goggles metaphor was probably the most useful one. 
In the shadow world, one could see the movements and flows of animus; locations where they were strong, and ones where they were weak. In other words, it could reveal objects in an area to which humans were especially attached, and the actions they took around them. Obiza’s assumption was that by looking around Latifah’s usual living area with Umbra Glasses, they might be able to find the source of her animus deficiency. 
Apparently, with sufficient training, certain magicians could see umbra on their own. Sadly, Obiza wasn’t one of them; neither were Izusu or Moffle. The Umbra Glasses could compensate for that, but they had their own drawbacks. 
“Using the glasses requires a great deal of magical power,” Obiza said. “I can only use them for about five seconds, and that leaves me exhausted. I can’t use them again without a whole day’s rest.” 
Seiya asked what would happen if Moffle or Isuzu used them, but unfortunately, their usage time would be similar. Their relative youth might let them use them a little longer, but not significantly so. 
“Moffu. I trained in my army days to use some powerful magical weapons... You still think it’s beyond me, fumo?” 
“It is,” Obiza confirmed. “The mana they employ is different from those of weapons... I’ve never served in a military, but I’m told that a warrior’s mana and a seeker’s mana are different kinds of things.” 
“Ahh. Yes... I see, fumo.” It seemed something a bit like RPG classes applied; Moffle and Isuzu were both soldiers, so they weren’t specialized for this particular tool. That meant they had a solution (of a sort) but no one to use it. They were completely at a loss. 
Seiya asked a question. “Could I use them, then?” 
Obiza immediately shook his head. “No, no. You’re a mortal. You don’t have any mana, and no power to perceive it.” 
“Wait.” Isuzu gasped. “Seiya-kun is no ordinary mortal. He was given magic by the princess.” 
“Moffu! Isuzu?!” Moffle scolded her. Seiya’s magic was generally a guarded secret. Apparently, it was politically controversial for the Maple Land royal family (it was bestowed with a kiss, after all), and Moffle was probably worried about the danger it could cause if an outsider like Obiza heard about it. 
“There’s no point in hiding it from Dr. Obiza now,” she replied. “His sexual harassment is disgusting and I want to kill him for it, but he does have talent as a doctor.” 
“Moffu... well, you’re right about that...” 
“I’m not fond of the way you just referred to me... But is that true? Do you have... er... the royal magic?!” Obiza’s voice cracked with excitement. 
Seiya’s mortal understanding of the situation was lacking, but apparently the magic he’d been given was powerful enough to shock the old oni. “Yeah,” he answered. “Is it... really that impressive?” 
“Of course it is!” Obiza gasped. “You actually k-k-k-k-kissed that beautiful princess?!” 
“That’s the big deal?!” Seiya asked. 
“Die!” Obiza wailed. “You need to die!” 
“Moffu,” Moffle agreed. “I’ve been waiting a chance to kill him myself, fumo...” 
“Hey,” Seiya objected. 
“Kidding, fumo.” 
“You don’t look like you’re kidding to me...” Seiya muttered. 
That’s when Isuzu brought out the musket. “Enough. We’re talking about Seiya-kun’s magic. Well?” 
“Hmm. Well, I’ve got to say, it’s my first time meeting someone with royal magic... I don’t know much about it.” Obiza folded his arms and fell into thought. 
“Is it really that impressive?” Seiya asked again. 
“Moffu,” Moffle affirmed. “I never asked what kind of magic you got, but it’s likely powerful, whatever it is.” 
That was right. Moffle still knew nothing about Seiya’s magic. He’d never tried to ask him, either. He’d probably judged, based on Isuzu’s behavior, that it was none of his business... in which case, it wasn’t right to pry. People (well, fairies) like Moffle were capable of making sensible calls like that. Of course, he was right to do so; Seiya wasn’t planning on using his magic to find out what was on Moffle’s mind. He could usually tell what the old bastard was thinking even without it, and if he did use his magic on Moffle... it would only be after the trust between them was completely destroyed. That probably wasn’t happening any time soon. Any time soon, anyway... 
“It’s been said that those with royal magic have incredible mana,” Obiza mused. “But like I said before, there are different types of mana, and without any training at all... hmm...” 
“Why don’t we just test it, then?” Seiya said. “Hand them over.” 
“Ah?” Obiza was reluctant. 
The conversation was going nowhere, so Seiya just snatched up the Umbra Glasses and tried them on. “Oh...” Moffle’s comparison to infrared goggles was accurate indeed; the minute he put on the glasses, the colors in the world around him changed. It wasn’t monochrome; it was all in cool colors. The places rich with magic were the closest to warm, but those without it were dark or black. Other than that, though, it looked just like their world. White outlines highlighted the plants and flagstones of the rooftop garden. Isuzu, Moffle, and Obiza were distinguished by yellow outlines. 
“Can you see?” Isuzu’s silhouette said, emitting a vaguely yellow light. 
“Yeah. You, Moffle, and the doctor are... yellow. And the doctor’s bag is glowing really brightly. It must be from the magic items in there, huh?” 
The yellow light from the three grew brighter, merging together in Seiya’s vision. “The light just got stronger... Were you surprised?” 
“Yes,” Isuzu told him, “very surprised.” 
“Hmm. It’s interesting... some of the trees here are brighter or dimmer... That’s the tree Latifah prunes a lot, right? And it’s... yeah, it’s brighter than the other trees...” Objects that people had attachments to shone brighter, just as Obiza had said. 
Since Seiya could still make out the shape of objects around him, he could walk without tripping. He passed through the rooftop garden to look down from the railing over Sorcerer’s Hill. “Wow... I can really see the difference in popularity between the attractions. The House of Sweets is... yeah, go figure, it’s the brightest... It’s all pretty much in line with the data, so it’s not exactly educational... but it’s definitely interesting.” 
“Seiya-kun.” 
“Aquario’s bright, too, but the color is a little different,” he continued. “I wonder why that is... Actually, all the attractions are different colors... I wonder if it represents the different kinds of fun the guests have there...” 
“Seiya-kun,” Isuzu repeated. Her voice was serious. 
Seiya snapped out of his fascination. “What’s wrong?” 
“Well, you’ve been wearing the glasses for over thirty seconds. Are you still all right?” 
Seiya finally realized it, now that she’d mentioned it. “Yeah, I am.” 
“You’re not tired?” she pressed. 
“Not especially,” he told her. “...Is that strange?” 
Isuzu didn’t respond, but turned to Dr. Obiza. Well, at least, it appeared to him that she had— in actuality, what he saw was her yellow light growing a little stronger and turning toward Obiza’s light. 
“Well, that proves it,” Obiza observed. “The young man really does have royal magic.” 
“Moffu. He’s likely a seeker type, fumo. Now, I won’t pry any further than that...” 
“Yes,” Isuzu agreed. “It seems we’ll just have to leave this to him.” 
Seiya took off the magic goggles, and the world went back to normal. 

Latifah was sleeping in her bedroom. She seemed to be in such a deep slumber that there was no need to worry about waking her up. Given what Obiza had said, she was probably more exhausted than she looked. 
“Latifah...” The bandage was still on her forehead. It felt to Seiya like the last remaining bond between them. 
Seiya was alone in the room with her. The presence of Obiza, Isuzu, and Moffle would add static to the umbra, so they’d been told to keep their distance and remain silent. Thus, they had left the castle to wait in the general affairs building. 
Seiya looked at the clock: 11:30 PM. The park was quiet. The residential and business districts were far away, which helped preserve the silence. 
Let’s go... he thought, and then put on the Umbra Glasses. 
In an instant, Latifah’s form changed to a yellow silhouette. He could see traces of yellow here and there around her, too. Things she used often glowed the same color: The bedroom dresser, the wardrobe, the record player and records... 
But those weren’t the only bright lights he saw. The parlor and the kitchen, the rooftop garden... They all glowed with the light of things dear to her. 
He’d thought that if he could see what occupied Latifah’s mind, he could find the source of her memory reset—or at least, a hint to its whereabouts. He’d been naive. There was nothing here that would fit the bill; Latifah’s life in Maple Castle was peaceful and mundane. She had a specific routine, and there was nothing he could see that was out of the ordinary. 
Wait... Suddenly, he saw something shining brighter than anything else. Points of light leading out of her bedroom, like footprints... Yes, they were definitely footprints... small, adorable footprints dotting the floor. Seiya decided to follow them. As he did, gradually, they became something more: a vague silhouette of her form walking just in front of him. The silhouette picked up the phone in the living room. It seemed to talk about something, and moments later, its entire form seemed to glow brighter. When had this happened? 
After hanging up the phone, she returned to the bedroom and started getting changed. (It was just a hazy silhouette, so he didn’t feel like watching her was inappropriate.) She changed her outfit several times. It was like she couldn’t figure out what to wear, but at the same time, she was clearly enjoying the process. At last, she finished changing and left the room. 
In the parlor, a Mogute-shaped shadow arrived and handed her something. It looked like a ball of green light, but Seiya knew at once that it was the Gulley Suit LT. 
He was starting to understand what he was seeing. These were Latifah’s actions yesterday; the events leading up to the date were playing out as animus shadows before his eyes. 
Led along by the Mogute, Latifah headed for the castle elevator, and traveled south down the underground passageway. Seiya followed. He felt a bit nervous about spending too long in this “shadow world” the glasses revealed to him. He thought several times about taking them off, but the thought that he might lose sight of her stopped him. 
Her shadow continued down the passage. Occasionally, she passed another member of the cast, but nobody recognized her. Each time this happened, her silhouette glowed with joy. 
She really does like her pranks, I guess... he thought. He’d only recently become aware of this aspect of her. Latifah loved harmless pranks, outsmarting people, and spooking them. 
Predictably, the two silhouettes finally came to to the Entrance Square cast door. Latifah’s entered the shop and spoke to Seiya. ...The shadow of Seiya from yesterday, that is. She handed him his transformation item; Seiya changed his appearance, and the two began to walk around together. 
Her shadow sparkled with joy and anticipation; it was the strongest light of any he’d seen so far. He wondered why she was so happy about going around the park with him— it made him a little self-conscious, really. 
The date continued to proceed as expected. But at this rate... Following her shadow was intriguing, to be sure, but Seiya was starting to feel impatient. This wasn’t going to lead him to the cause of her reset, and on top of that, he was starting to get tired. Apparently even with “royal magic,” he couldn’t wear the glasses forever. 
Should he call it off and return to Maple Castle? But just as the thought occurred to him, he saw a change in her shadow. The light of her enjoyment dimmed, and a gray light (if you could call it that) enveloped her. Anxiety, fear, regret, guilt... A plethora of negative emotions latched on to her shadow and merged with it. 
What the... Even though it was only yesterday, Seiya couldn’t remember what could have caused that. Had he said something to hurt her? Nothing came to mind. 
He knew he tended to act arrogantly to keep people at arm’s length, but around her, he always tried to be considerate and kind. He couldn’t imagine saying anything that would upset her so deeply, even by accident—if he had, he surely would have remembered. 
They had just bought some drinks and were taking a short rest next to a stall in Wild Valley. They must have been talking about something, but it was probably trivialities... “It sure is hot” and “where should we go next?” and the like. 
After a rest, the two shadows resumed walking again. As they walked, the gray light receded and the happy light from before took prominence again. She must have forced herself to forget whatever was bothering her, to enjoy herself in the moment. 
This certainly is... concerning... Seiya decided to stick with it, and continued following her shadow. The phenomenon repeated itself a few more times after that. Once right after they left an attraction, once when they were just walking down the street, once when he was picking up a fast pass... There didn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to it. But there was one thing he was sure of: She wasn’t wholeheartedly enjoying their “date.” 
Why not? he wondered. Of course, he could imagine plenty of reasons... She had her own inner life, after all. Maybe it was her sadness about being blind, or her guilt about having fun while everyone was working. But that alone, he felt, wasn’t enough to explain the darkness there. Why? Why did that “dark light” envelop her from time to time? He was starting to feel annoyed. 
I’ve been working my ass off, tearing my hair out to give this park a future, to make you smile... he thought angrily. So why aren’t you happy? Is that smile of yours all a put-on? What more do you want from me? Of course, Seiya knew that he was being unreasonable. Latifah wasn’t a puppet to perform on his command; her feelings were her own. But why... 
Dammit... Seiya shook his head. He couldn’t afford to fall into self-absorption. The key to the mystery was right here in front of him; he just had to stay calm enough to see it. He continued to follow her. 
They entered Moffle’s House of Sweets, battled the naughty mice, and in the end, took their photo with Moffle. (Though it was the middle of the night, Seiya’s manager ID let him enter any attraction he wanted.) Time and again, that gray light enveloped her. It was starting to happen with such frequency now that it was weakening the light of joy she had started with. 
At last they reached the endpoint of their date: the merry-go-round. The previous attractions had all glowed brightly through the Umbra Glasses: the House of Sweets burned the fiery colors of battle; the Music Theater was a passionate orange; the Flower Adventure was pink, for some reason. This merry-go-round shone with a color just like Latifah’s own when she was enjoying herself—a white light, comprised of all the colors of joy. Its radiance might be the most beautiful thing in the park. 
It was the exact same color as Latifah. In paint, mixing many colors together results in a muddy mess, but in light, it’s the opposite: more colors just produces a purer and purer white. This was the nature of the merry-go-round’s color: a white light, made from all types of joy. But... that ratty, ill-maintained, unpopular merry-go-round? 
The two shadows got into their carriage and the ride began to spin. Her shadow seemed to be enjoying itself at first, but eventually, its light began to dim, and the dull gray consumed it once more. Then came the accident. Her shadow toppled, Seiya’s helped her up, the revolution of the wooden horses stopped... And then, so did everything. 
This should be the part where Seiya carried her off to the infirmary, but that didn’t happen here. Her shadow stood up. Still a hazy silhouette, it moved leisurely towards Seiya, step after step. 
Is that you... Kanie-sama?? her shadow asked. 
“Yeah...” Seiya answered hesitantly. “Well... not the me you were on a date with... um... Look, I don’t really understand this myself...” 
I see... Have I caused trouble for you again?? 
“Um... I don’t really know,” he replied once more. She had said ‘again;’ he thought. The Latifah from this morning wouldn’t have put it that way. “Let me check something... Do you remember meeting Mackey?” 
Yes. I welcomed him and served him tea.? 
“What about before then? The night parade... hiring Rubrum and the Mogutes...” 
I remember. ...In fact, I remember everything from the first time we met.? 
“I see,” Seiya said thoughtfully. “In April?” 
No, further back. Our reunion in March, my giving you magic...? 
“What?” Seiya was dumbstruck. Her memory reset at the start of April every year. She shouldn’t be able to remember what happened in March. 
I remember when you were a child as well. The person I am in this moment... appears to remember everything.? 
What’s going on? How can she remember everything? 
I cannot say why. I do not know why I am here, talking to you. It does not appear to be “me” truly speaking...? 
Seiya wracked his meager knowledge in an attempt to draw a conclusion. “Ah... I think the real you is asleep in bed. Does that mean you’re something else?” 
Yes. The one to whom you are speaking is not I, but a composite of my memories. “I” have no will of my own... I believe I am borrowing some of yours in order to speak with you.? 
“So... hmm. So it’s like my mind is running a simulation of what you’d say?” 
I believe that to be the case.? 
He was shocked to learn that all of Latifah’s memories were accumulated (preserved? stored?) here, but the fact that he could actually talk to her based on those memories was even more shocking. “Ahh,” he manged to say. “So basically, I’m imagining a conversation with you?” 
More or less, it seems. But you must not consider it a baseless fantasy... I believe it to be a very accurate simulation indeed.? 
“Hm...” 
But as it is not my true self having this conversation, she will not remember anything that is said here.? 
Natural enough. This was all in his own head, after all. “There’s something I’d like to ask you, then. It’s about how you got the way you are now.” 
Do you refer to the curse? I fear there is little I can tell you about it... Forgive me.? 
“No,” Seiya clarified. “I mean about why your memory reset today. I’m sure the curse plays a part, but Dr. Obiza thought you might be having some kind of personal problem.” 
A... personal problem?? 
“Why is your animus so low? The park is doing amazing business compared to before. It doesn’t make sense.” 
You are correct...? 
“Do you have any idea what it could be?” he begged. “Anything can help, no matter how small... Please tell me.” 
Yes. Let me see...? Her shadow looked out over the park. The real Latifah was blind, but that didn’t seem to be the case in the shadow world; perhaps because it wasn’t a world of visible light. ?This park... It has many colors, does it not?? 
“Yeah.” 
Where I come from, we assume that all animus is the same color... But perhaps that is not so. There are many different kinds... many different forms of joy, are there not? It seems absurd to think otherwise, when one considers it carefully...? 
“Yeah, I think you’re right.” 
In which case... perhaps I am lacking something more important, separate and apart from guest animus...? 
“Something more important? What is it?” 
I believe that you already know.? 
Her shadow smiled sadly. At least, it seemed to him that it had—he couldn’t really see her expression. Something more important? he wondered. All of their customers were happy. What could they be lacking? “Sorry, I don’t know what it could be,” he admitted. Seiya wasn’t just being stubborn; he genuinely didn’t know. 
Then allow me to tell you. You are... suffering, are you not? Since the moment of our reunion in March, you have been torturing yourself. About me, about the park...? 
“Well... of course I have!” 
I understand. It is a tremendous responsibility that you bear upon your shoulders. But I always see you so depleted, so exhausted... You are not enjoying yourself in the slightest, and... you are constantly haunted by regret.? 
“I don’t regret anything.” 
The fire in the stadium... did you think I would not realize that you were involved?? 
“......” Seiya didn’t have a good reply to that question. 
I hope that you will forgive my candor... but even during our date yesterday, you spent every minute worrying, wondering what to do about the park, how best to solve things... And every time I realized that, I began wishing myself to disappear.? 
Those must have been the moments when the gray overtook her. He now knew the reason: It was him. He’d been trying to conceal his true feelings, but she had seen through him. And every time it happened, she sank into depression. “I... It isn’t your fault,” he insisted. “It really isn’t. Maybe I do torture myself, but I don’t blame you... I don’t.” 
Yes... I believe you when you say that that is the case. Kanie-sama, you are a truly strong person. And yet...? She hesitated. 
“And yet?” he asked. 
And yet... I still cannot bear it. How could I? You aren’t happy! The one in the world most precious and dear to me...? 
His heart thumped. His face flushed. He couldn’t see her expression, but he could hear voice trembling in sadness. “What...” 
Yes, it is true. I adore you... Kanie-sama.? 
Silver drops of light fell from her hazy silhouette. They were almost like tears. But even without that, he knew that she was crying. 

I... I love you. You are in my thoughts at all times. What else can I do? Every time I meet you, my chest tightens, my heart beats faster, and I feel so happy that I burst with joy. So...? 
“So... is that why?” Seiya asked, bewildered. “Because... I’ve lost my joy in your presence? That’s why you...” 
Yes...? Her form receded. Perhaps she had slumped over, or she had gone down on her knees. She looked terribly pitiable. ?How can I feel any joy when I see you suffering so?? 
She was right. It made sense. But if that was the case... “But if that’s the case... what do you want me to do?” 
I... I do not have an answer. I can ask you for nothing...? 
“......” 
I am a terribly cruel woman, always asking the impossible of you. I... I am a selfish coward, yet I feign the behavior of royalty... I am a devil. ...If you would only hate me, then perhaps hope might remain. But you continue to show kindness, even to one as wicked as I. Yes... I am an object of pity for you. And that is... it is so painful, so sad...? 
It was an impossible dilemma. All this time, Seiya had been focused on strategies, tactics, routes to victory. His policy was to evaluate a situation, form a plan, and do whatever it took to execute it. He’d assumed that was the only way to resolve things. He’d even told himself that if he couldn’t do that, he’d be better off dead. But right now—being in this situation with her, he realized that was no longer enough. 
To smile while grappling with an unsolvable problem, while suffering all that he could stand? I can perform the act of a smile... Would that be enough? 
Please, that is not what I want. There is no need for you to continue to sacrifice yourself for us... You must stop.? 
I can’t do that. Seiya didn’t know why, but that was one thing he considered off the table. An formless urge began to well up from within him. 
Why not? Why are you so determined to...? 
I wish I knew. I don’t. But all the cells in my body are telling me one thing: Fight. Which means that fighting is all I can do. I’m not trapped. I’m not motivated by pity. It’s not about you, it’s about me. I’m doing this because I want to... In spite of what you, or anybody else, wants. 
Then, does that make me... your trophy?? 
Maybe it does. 
This park, too?? 
Yeah, maybe so. 
I... I see. It frightens me a bit... but perhaps such is the character of one worthy to be king.? 
King? 
You are a king. ...The only kind of person, perhaps, who could face that magician...? 
I don’t know... I don’t know much about it. 
Yes. Neither do I...? 
The umbra began to break apart. At first it was like pops of static, but before long, larger cracks formed, the discordance increased, and her image began to fade. Was he running out of mana, or was there some other reason? Their connection in the umbra was coming to an end. 
Seeming to realize what was happening, her shadow said, ?It seems time for us to say goodbye.? 
No, wait. There’s so much more I want to talk to you about... 
I am sure. But I fear I am incapable of stopping this...? 
You’ve told me how you feel. But I haven’t given my response. 
I do wish to hear it. But my true self will never learn of what happens in this place...? In the end, she smiled, just like always. ?If you would, though... tell me one day.? 
Yeah, I will, he told her. But then, he reconsidered. Still, this conversation is still all in my own head... if I say something to her based on this, will the real her just respond, “Oh, I don’t feel the same way... this is complicated...”? And could I ever recover if she did? He directed his thoughts back to her. Actually, for my own piece of mind, I’d like to ask more advice on— 
You may not. Good luck!? 
No, wait— 
Goodbye! Take care!? 
His vision cracked. No... it was the lenses of the Umbra Glasses that had cracked. Suddenly, Seiya couldn’t see anything. He took the glasses off and found himself in the pitch-black park, after hours. The cornucopia of light that had surrounded him was no more. He stood alone in front of the dingy merry-go-round. At last, his exhaustion overtook him. Just before he passed out, he heard Sento Isuzu somewhere nearby, calling his name. 

When he opened his eyes, it was morning the next day. He was on the leather sofa in his air conditioned office. Isuzu was sleeping behind the reception desk, but she awoke the moment Seiya stirred. He asked her what had happened. 
She explained that she had found him passed out in front of the merry-go-round, and brought him back to the office. She had stayed up all night, it seemed, to look after him. Apparently it was just exhaustion, but— 
“How’s Latifah doing now?” he asked. 
“Her condition is unchanged,” Isuzu told him. “As expected, her memory hasn’t returned...” 
“I see...” Isuzu was despondent, but Seiya wasn’t rattled by the news. He hadn’t really expected anything else. He was starting to get a vague idea about what he should do; it wasn’t fully clear yet, but he felt like there was an answer somewhere. 
Perhaps owing to Seiya’s tight-lipped nature about the incident, Isuzu didn’t pry regarding what had happened at the merry-go-round. She explained that Obiza and Moffle were taking shifts watching Latifah. 
Seiya washed up, had a cup of coffee, and returned to the office. Isuzu was just checking her email; she squinted at the monitor, then gasped. 
“What’s wrong?” Seiya asked. 
“I don’t believe it,” she said. “Cosmic Studios is requesting a business partnership...” 
“Oh.” He was expecting that, too. Now it would come down to negotiations— depressing negotiations about how best to keep the park on life support. Digimaland or Cosmic Studios: Neither partnership could lead to anything good. 

That night, they decided on a place to meet and discuss unofficially. The idea was that Digima and Cosmic would both make their proposals, and AmaBri would offer their own opinion. No individual negotiations; the parties involved would put it all on the table, as if they were at an auction. Those involved would be kept to a bare minimum, and to keep things simple, mortals who didn’t know about the broader situation would be forbidden to attend. 
The meeting was Seiya’s idea. Isuzu had worried about whether they would accept, but Seiya knew that they would— and in fact, he was right. 
Just before the meeting, Seiya went to the rooftop garden and found Moffle waiting there. He was staying with Latifah today, leaving most of his park work to a person in a costume. “Latifah’s resting, fumo. Her memory hasn’t changed.” 
“I see...” Seiya wanted to talk to her before the meeting, but... Nothing to be done about that. Besides, in her current condition, explaining the situation would likely just frighten and confuse her. 
“Moffu... Pitting Digima and Cosmic against each other, eh? I’m not sure that’s one I’d have come up with, fumo.” Isuzu must have explained the situation to Moffle, who seemed surprisingly accepting of it. 
“I wonder,” Seiya replied. “Well... it seemed like a way to get us slightly better conditions, at least.” 
“Only slightly better, fumo?” 
“Yeah. It’s a lesser-of-two-evils kind of situation.” 
“Moffu...” 
They were both feeling drained. It was hard to be cheerful when they were about to hold a bidding war for AmaBri, itself. 
“There are rumors going around the cast already, fumo.” 
“About the offer?” Seiya clarified. 
“Moffu. The only ones who know about it are you, me, and Isuzu, so I don’t think it leaked out from our side. If I had to guess...” 
“Mackey?” 
“Yeah. I suspect he was talking to someone in the cast on social media and let it slip. It’s his way of rattling us, fumo.” 
“Hmm. Very gentlemanly, that old friend of yours,” Seiya remarked. 
“Stop it, fumo.” Moffle waved his paw in disgust. 
“Are you coming to the meeting?” 
“No, I’ll be staying here with Latifah,” Moffle decided. “But don’t worry. No matter what you decide, I’ll support you.” 
“I see. I’m off, then.” 
“Seiya. Don’t push yourself too hard, fumo.” 
“.........Right.” Seiya left the rooftop garden. Don’t push myself too hard, huh? he thought to himself as he rode the Maple Castle elevator down. That was roughly what Latifah had told him, too... Isuzu would surely say the same thing; so would the others. 
A vague image was starting to form in the back of his mind. A completely different road to be taken... one that he could enjoy, too. It might just work, he thought. Unfortunately, his reason was flatly rejecting the idea. 

Just as Seiya returned to the general affairs building, he received word that Mackey had arrived. 
“He’s coming by car today, he said,” Isuzu told him. 
“There’s a surprise,” Seiya responded. “I thought he’d want to spook our cast with another flashy helicopter entrance...” 
He went to the employee parking lot. A limo, long-bodied like a dachshund, parked there, and Mackey got out and spoke: “Haha! I wanted to bring my helicopter, but it was out for maintenance! Haha!” 
“Well, that limousine is certainly flashy enough...” Seiya observed. 
“Neat, huh? It’s bulletproof too, haha! It could survive a direct hit from an RPG!” 
Seiya had noticed the thickness of the door when Mackey had gotten out; 30 centimeters at the least. 
“Anyway, Kanie-kun!” 
“Yes?” 
“I can’t believe you’re making me bid against Cosmic! That’s what I call hardball! Haha!” Mackey’s demeanor was bright and cheerful, but it didn’t sound like a compliment. 
“We are desperate, after all,” Seiya pointed out. 
“Yeah! But I was just tryin’ to help you out, yanno! This is how you repay me? It’s almost enough to make a guy stop playing nice! Haha!” 
Yeah, he’s mad. But Seiya had expected that. Mackey was likable enough, but he was also a shrewd businessman, and he certainly wasn’t on AmaBri’s side. Seiya was ready to use his magic on him at any moment. 
Mackey was accompanied by two beautiful blondes; his secretary and his lawyer, apparently. One had cat ears, and the other dog ears, so they were probably residents of magical realms. 
Cosmic Studios’ delegation arrived a few minutes later. It was made up of “Kurayama” and two of his subordinates. The subordinates were middle-aged men, their appearances so unremarkable as to be almost beneath notice. It occurred to Seiya that they might not really be human, but puppets controlled with magic. 
“Kurayama, Cosmic Studios.” “Kurayama” held out a business card. Isuzu accepted it politely and handed him her own. She didn’t seem to have the slightest idea that he was Idina, or the former Kurisu Takaya, even though his appearance was exactly the same. Seiya was the only one who recognized him, then; he wondered what kind of spell was behind it. 
Seiya hadn’t told Isuzu about “Kurayama’s” true identity, either. To say that she would disapprove of negotiations with that magician would be an understatement. She might even try to kill him on the spot, and as cathartic as that would be, they couldn’t afford to be rid of him; he might yet offer a hint as to how to cure Latifah’s curse. 
And even if Seiya could convince her to hold off, knowing the evil magician was there would probably just stress her out. He could just tell her later. 
“...What’s wrong, Seiya-kun?” Isuzu asked, sounding concerned. 
“Well...” he hedged. 
As he watched the interaction, “Kurayama’s” eyebrow quirked upwards. He must have reasoned out that Seiya hadn’t told Isuzu his true identity. “...Thank you for considering my company’s request. I hope we can build a mutually beneficial relationship,” “Kurayama” said. It might have seemed like his usual mockery, but Seiya knew that wasn’t really what it was; he was working hard to hide his displeasure at being dragged out here by Seiya. 
“It’s... a pleasure, truly,” Isuzu said politely, though she still seemed a bit dissatisfied. Perhaps she could sense that something was off. 
They moved to the conference room in the general affairs building. Mackey and “Kurayama” greeted each other courteously enough; Mackey made small talk (in a way that suggested a little malice), and “Kurayama” grinned and bore it. Mackey didn’t seem to realize who he was dealing with, either, at least as far as Seiya could see. 
“Okay, let’s move on already! Haha! I’ve got a shoot tomorrow in California!” And with that, the meeting commenced. Digimaland’s new conditions were just a little bit more relaxed than before. The only major improvement was a guarantee that AmaBri’s most popular attractions—the top five—would remain intact. That would mean, Moffle’s House of Sweets, Macaron’s Music Theater, Tiramii’s Flower Adventure, Aquario, and Rubrum’s Training Grounds. Conversely, that meant that all the other attractions would end up closed, including the stage show that was currently gaining popularity, and the summer-only pool. A few other conditions had improved on their end, too, but most of the cast was still destined to lose their jobs. “Haha! I’ve been thinking awful hard about this! I hope you’ll make a wise decision! Haha!” 
Seiya couldn’t deny the merit of it. As Mackey had said during their last meeting, Digimaland was making them an extremely powerful offer. They were capable of opening tons of attractions, swiftly, based on globally known, extremely famous IP. Any other manager of an insignificant park would jump at the offer. 
“Now, our own offer.” Cosmic Studios took their turn. The conditions that “Kurayama” offered were extremely appealing. The sweetest was in regards to the three million attendance issue— Cosmic Studios had a good relationship with Amagi Development, and they claimed that if their offer was accepted, they could get the attendance requirement lowered to two million. Then, even if Amagi Development didn’t accept, Cosmic would shoulder the burden for lost profits. 
In other words, for all intents and purposes, the three million attendance requirement would be relaxed to two million. Two million. Those were numbers that AmaBri, in its current state, might just be able to reach under their own efforts. 
The conditions of the offer itself were much better for them than Digima’s, too— They’d get to keep almost twice the attractions, and they could guarantee jobs for at least 50% of their employees, including backstage cast. The IP being offered couldn’t reach the popularity of Digima’s, to be sure, but they did have two or three recent hits. The main issue was that the park’s name would be changed to Tokyo Cosmic Studios; not even “Kurayama” could block the company’s opinion on that. Even so... 
“Haha... guess Cosmic’s pretty serious, eh?” The conditions were enough to cast some rain clouds over Mackey’s sunny disposition. 
“Okay, now that both offers are on the table...” Seiya said, glancing at Isuzu. She looked despondent; understandably so. 
Either deal would mean the end of AmaBri as they knew it. Even at best, they’d lose half of their coworkers, and even if they all managed to find new jobs right away, the loss would cast a pall over the mood of the park. Drinking parties at Suzuran Shopping Street? They’d never happen again. 
“...I’ve prepared separate rooms for each party. If you wish to revise your conditions, feel free to go there and discuss,” Seiya said, finally. In other words, he was saying, “if you have another card to play, now’s the time.” He wouldn’t make final agreements just yet, but what conditions they brought next would determine the winner in this battle. 
Mackey and “Kurayama” both looked at Seiya, their manners somewhat strained. Seiya ignored them, feigning innocence. Both outside parties left the conference room, and after stewing for a few minutes, Isuzu spoke up: “Are you... certain about this?” 
Seiya said nothing. 
“There’s no way... to save everyone in the park,” Isuzu admitted. “And I don’t know what will happen to Her Highness.” 
“Yeah, true,” he agreed. 
“If the park does change... Lord Moffle may leave,” she went on. “As will I.” 
“Same here. They’ll find an excuse to axe me off the bat.” 
“But then...!” Isuzu began, then stifled herself. “Ah... forgive me. It’s not as though I have a better idea...” 
“Right.” 
“I’m so tired of this conference,” she sighed. “I just want to run away.” 
“Same here. ......?” In that instant, somewhere in the back of Seiya’s mind, an idea arose. “What did you just say?” 
“I’m tired of it.” 
“Not that... wait, wait...” 
“Seiya-kun?” 
“Wait a minute. Let me think... hmm...” The vague idea that had been hanging in his mind began to take genuine shape. A better way of doing things. A more clever approach... Was this what people called inspiration? “Hey, Sento,” he said. 
“Yes?” 
“I’m hungry. Why don’t we forget those jerks and grab a bite somewhere?” 
Isuzu stared in disbelief. “What are you saying?” 
“Just what it sounds like,” he explained. “This isn’t fun, so let’s ditch.” 
“But... we can’t, can we?” 
“Hmm... I guess not. We’ll wait a little longer, then.” He fiddled with the conference room’s monitor and to put on some TV. Some pointless variety show was on; entertainers on a tiered stand were saying funny things. Seiya cleared his mind and enjoyed it. 
About thirty minutes later, Mackey and “Kurayama” returned to the conference room. 
“Apologies for the wait.” 
“Haha! Yeah, sorry ’bout that!” 
They must have really racked their brains in taking a scalpel to their conditions. neither wanted the other one to have the park. 
But Seiya’s response was: “Sorry, but I’ve decided to turn you both down.” 
The whole room went silent for a moment. Even Isuzu was unable to speak. 
“Haha...?” 
“And what... do you mean by that, exactly?” each said. 
Seiya just waved a hand in annoyance, eyes locked on the variety show. “I’m turning down your proposals. I realized it was stupid, so we’re done. We’ll handle things ourselves from here on out. Go home.” 
Mackey and “Kurayama” both flew into a rage, too angry at first to even speak. 
“Haha...? What are you saying? You’re dead at the rate you’re going. Don’t you realize that? How can you—” 
“Shut up and get out, you plague rat,” Seiya told him flatly. 
“Huh?!” 
“You have a shoot in California, right? So forget our lousy park.” 
“...Haha! How dare you...” 
“I told you to get lost.” Seiya took his eyes off the TV at last and glared straight at him. He activated his magic (we’ll spare you the details). “You don’t want your wife to know the games you’re playing with your little secretary, do you? And I don’t want to tell her. So go home.” 
“Haha...” Laughing, Mackey took his leave. 
Seiya then turned to “Kurayama.” “Are you still here? Leave.” 
“...What exactly is your game here?” His tone was understandably guarded; his suspicion outstripped his anger. 
“I’ve changed my mind,” Seiya said shortly. “And I’m sick of looking at your stupid face.” 
“But you’re in such dire straits—” 
“Shut up,” Seiya said, conveying his utter disgust with the process. “I’m sick to death of you. No matter what dirty tricks you try to pull, my allies and I will stop you. We’ll make it through this.” 
“What are you saying?” “Kurayama” asked. “How will you possibly call in three million people—” 
“—With no help? I actually have a great idea; I’m just not telling you what it is. You’re completely insignificant to me. We’re going to blast through whatever twisted game you’re playing. My team knows we can do it. Because...” Seiya took a deep breath, and then declared: “Ours is the best park in Japan.” 
“......” “Kurayama” was caught off-guard by this response. 
“You hear that?” Seiya demanded aggressively. “Now, tuck tail and run.” 
Idina did just that. 
When Seiya revealed the truth about the man who had just left, Isuzu was furious. He was their hated enemy, after all. Nevertheless, tears filled her eyes as she said, “I don’t know why, but I feel relieved...” 
“Do you? I’m knee-deep in regret, myself,” he whispered with a sigh. He’d thrown away his one sure chance at keeping the park alive. He couldn’t even imagine how hard the road ahead of them would be now. “But... and I don’t know why...” Seiya said, feeling suddenly refreshed. “For some reason, I’m really enjoying myself right now.” 
Soon after, Seiya got a call from Moffle. Latifah had woken up and spoken with him, he said. She had regained her memory. She was the Latifah from their date the other day. 
Seiya wasn’t especially surprised to hear it. Yeah, sounds about right, was the extent of his thoughts on the matter. 
× × × 
Seiya’s first act the next day was to order a broken-down Sorcerer’s Hill attraction— needless to say, it was the merry-go-round—fixed. He didn’t know all the details yet, but apparently that merry-go-round had a history; it had been imported from France in the early days of the Showa period, and it was highly coveted by obsessives. Of course, the repairs would take such a huge chunk out of their budget, that just a few days ago, he would never have considered it. 
The budget manager Ashe had grumbled about it, asking him, “are you serious?” 
But of course he was serious. The money was no object. That merry-go-round was important; it was the park’s soul, in a way. Luckily, Mogute chief Taramo assured them they could restore it to its original beauty in only a week. 

Dr. Obiza’s inspection revealed that Latifah had made a complete recovery. In fact, there was room for debate regarding the word “complete”— at the very least, she was herself again, but her health remained poor, suggesting exhaustion. 
She was still asleep in her bedroom when Seiya came to visit her. The princess, sleeping peacefully in her canopy bed, was the true picture of innocence. Seiya sat down beside her and started speaking, in a half-joking tone. “You’re so greedy.” 
Latifah didn’t respond. She just breathed quietly in the rhythms of sleep, her chest moving slightly up and down. 
“Making me do all this, and insisting that I enjoy myself the whole time... Still, I think maybe I can do it. And... I don’t really know, but... I’m starting to see, vaguely... no, it’s not even to that point yet...” 
She didn’t respond. 
“...It’s just, yesterday, I think I managed to avoid the worst choice I could have made. ...The most boring choice, I guess. If I’d made a deal with those guys... you probably know this, but you’d never have made it back.” 
Again, she didn’t respond. 
“I’m kind of at all ends, here,” Seiya admitted. “Things aren’t going to turn out perfectly. But... that’s why I really do need you. You’re not powerless. Don’t devalue yourself anymore. ...Hey, Latifah. You hear me?” 
Of course she can’t was the assumption he’d been making—so when when she finally opened her eyes, he was so shocked he almost fell out of his seat. 
“Yes, I do,” she told him. 
“......?!” Seiya was shocked. 
“Forgive me,” Latifah apologized. “It was not my intention to feign sleep, of course...” 
“H-How much did you hear?” 
“F-Forgive me, but... everything... Beginning with the part about my greed...” 
“Forget I said that,” Seiya insisted. 
“I fear that I cannot. However...” She giggled. “I do not know exactly what you meant, but... have I managed to be of use to you? It seemed as if... that was what you were saying.” 
“Don’t tell anyone.” 
“I would not dream of it.” Latifah smiled at him. It was a perfectly gorgeous smile. “And, as for my response...” 
“Yes?” He immediately regretted bringing it up. Latifah didn’t know about the conversation they’d had in the shadow world. “It’s... well...” 
“Yes?” she said hesitantly. 
Seiya froze up. He was terrified. Petrified. In the end, he didn’t have an answer. Despite all that had happened, when he was here in front of her like this... “Ah, never mind. Forget it.” 
“...Very well.” This response of hers had a slightly different tone than the others, but Seiya couldn’t hear it.