Date A Live Encore - Volume 10 - Chapter 6

Tohka After

 April. Tengu City, where the Itsuka household was located. Itsuka Shido was in the kitchen rhythmically chopping some vegetables with a knife. 

 He placed the finely shredded cabbage on a plate and then topped it with tomatoes and fried crab cream croquettes. “Okay… that should be everything.” 

 Shido exhaled. He took off his apron before carrying the plate with the croquettes to the dining table. 

 Hamburgers, clubhouse sandwiches packed with ingredients, and various appetizers already lined the table. It was like he was cooking for a massive birthday celebration. 

 Naturally, such proportions would be too much for a single person to eat on their own. There was a simple explanation as to why Shido prepared so much food for lunch. 

 Yes. It was because— 

 “—I’m back, Shido!” 

 In a flash, as Shido heard the sound of footsteps from the hallway, the door to the living room suddenly flew open and a young girl poked her head inside. 

 Her long, fluttering hair was like the night sky. Her crystalline eyes were filled with joy. Her amazingly beautiful face wore a heartwarming smile. 

 Faced with that figure, with that expression, and with that voice, Shido couldn’t help but smile himself. 

 But such a reaction was understandable. After all, she was the girl that Shido yearned for over the past year. 

 “—Ah, welcome back, Tohka.” 

 He responded, his thoughts all over the place. 

 Tohka. Yatogami Tohka. 

 She was one of the <Spirits> that Shido met and whose powers he had sealed. 

 She was an irreplaceable partner who had supported Shido through so much. She was also the same girl who, a year ago, disappeared right in front of him. He wondered if they would ever meet again but now here she stood here, right in front of him. Faced with such a miracle, Shido felt tears come to his eyes. 

 “Muu… what’s wrong, Shido?” 

 “…No, it’s nothing. I thought that the examinations would take longer than that. Look, lunch is ready, a feast with all of Tohka’s requests.” 

 “Oh wow!” 

 As Shido pointed to the table, Tohka’s eyes widened at the feast and her expression made it clear that she wanted to lunge at the table. 

 “Really…! All of the things that I wanted to eat? I thought you would only make one thing for me—” 

 “Hmm? Did I make too much?” 

 Shido smiled mischievously and Tohka quickly shook her head vigorously. Shido chuckled at the comical gesture. 

 “It’s rare for me to prepare meals like this. Let’s eat while it’s still warm, and don’t forget to wash your hands.” 

 “Umu!” 

 Tohka nodded cheerfully as she quickly washed her hands and took a seat at the table. Shido took the seat opposite of hers as he put his hands together. 

 “Then, thanks for the meal!” 

 “Thanks for the meal!” 

 Shido and Tohka said at the same time as they started eating the freshly prepared meal. 

 Today was a workday so everyone else was either at school or at work, leaving the Itsuka household empty, save for Shido and Tohka. 

 Technically speaking, Shido actually had a university lecture to attend today but he asked for permission to have the day off ahead of time. After all, today was the day Tohka returned to the Itsuka household after such a long time. 

 A few days ago, on April 10th, Tohka appeared in front of Shido. According to Nia, this was thanks to the ‘will of the world’ who reconstructed Tohka as she’d returned to the world as mana—but that was still a terrible irregularity for <Ratatoskr>. No matter what Nia said, <Ratatoskr> still had a responsibility to confirm both Tohka’s and the world’s safety. She had spent the last few days undergoing a detailed examination aboard the <Fraxinus> after she was reunited with everyone. 

 “…” However, now, Shido was simply relaxing, as he watched Tohka enjoy her lunch. 

 He certainly understood <Ratatoskr>’s concerns, but after watching her happily eat her rice in a way that could only be described as “Tohka,” it made the past year feel like it had gone by in a flash. 

 “Umu, it’s delicious…! It’s been so long since I’ve seen you, and somehow your cooking has gotten even better, Shido!” 

 “Haha, is that so?” 

 Shido laughed awkwardly as he put the stew into his mouth. He hadn’t noticed it before, but it really was delicious, just like Tohka said. Maybe it was because she was sitting right across from him. 

 It didn’t take long for the table previously laden with food to be cleared. Incidentally, the proportion of food was 93% eaten by Tohka and 7% by Shido. She rubbed her stomach with a satisfied expression and sighed happily. 

 “Thank you for the meal! Muu… I enjoyed that so much… I could die right now and have no regrets.” 

 “I don’t think that’s something to joke about…” 

 Shido smiled bitterly. Tohka tilted her head in confusion before realizing what she’d meant and said, “Sorry, you know that’s not what I meant.” 

 “Yeah, I know. I understand,” Shido shrugged as he looked at Tohka before continuing, “Is there anything else you want to do? I have the day off so we can do whatever you want.” 

 Hearing what Shido said, Tohka’s expression turned contemplative as she thought about it for a moment and then said: 

 “Something that I want to do…? Muu, there is one wish I have. Would you listen to it, Shido?” 

 “Of course. What is it that you want to do?” 

 “Muu. That—” 

 Once he asked, Tohka explained what she wanted, her eyes shining brightly all the while. 

◇◇◇

 “Hmm.” A chime sounded through class 2-1 of Raizen High School, signaling the end of the lesson. 

 As the bell rang, Itsuka Kotori stretched. Her red hair was tied with white and black ribbons resting on the back of her seat, and her black blazer only slightly longer than her shirt, with wrinkled fabric. 

 “Oh, is it that time already?” 

 The teacher, who stood in front of the blackboard, set down the chalk in her hand and made an exaggerated turn to face the students. Her pale blonde hair fluttered as she turned. 

 “Well, that’s all for today. Make sure you study the material thoroughly.” 

 After she finished speaking, she tried to leave the classroom with her attendance sheet and textbooks in hand. But in the next second, the teacher tripped over herself in spectacular fashion. 

 “Whoa!” 

 She fell to the ground and all her textbooks and attendance sheet fell directly on her head. The students’ eyes all widened in shock as they quickly rushed to her side. 

 “E-Ellen-sensei!” 

 “Are you okay?” 

 “…I’m fine. No problem.” 

 Ellen Mathers, the English and homeroom teacher for class 2-1 for the past year, tried to stand up with her crisp expression still on her face. There were, however, the beginnings of tears in the corners of her eyes. 

 She was trembling as she struggled to stand up like a newborn fawn, perhaps she’d hurt herself more severely than she thought. With help from the students lending their shoulders, she was able to get back to her feet. “Hmm, as usual.” 

 Kotori shrugged her shoulders as she smiled bitterly. Ellen was once known as the World’s Strongest Wizard and fought against Kotori and her friends several times, but now she was powerless without a Realizer. It had only been a few days since high school started, but this was already the third time she fell. 

 “That looked like it really hurt… do you need some help?” A worried voice asked from the seat next to hers. She looked in the direction of the voice and spotted a girl with a gentle face. Much like Kotori, she was a former Spirit who started high school this year: Himekawa Yoshino. Her trademark rabbit puppet was noticeably absent on her left hand—her best friend, Yoshinon. At one point, she couldn’t stand to be separated from Yoshinon. But now, she was asleep in Yoshino’s bag. 

 About a year ago, Yoshino gradually learned to be able to live without Yoshinon, and once she started going to school, she grew to the point where she could work well enough on her own. 

 “Are you alright? We should be able to help.” 

 Kotori said as she twirled an imaginary lollipop in her fingers. 

 In fact, several students had gathered around Ellen. When she first started working at the school, Ellen had a more distant air about her, almost like “I don’t feel like working with students,” but she immediately exposed her true self due to her poor motor function. Nowadays, she was regarded as one of the most friendly teachers and was beloved by her students. 

 …Although she seems more worried about being a big sister who causes trouble for everyone than being respected as a good teacher, there was no denying that she was very popular amongst her students. 

 Seeing that, the two students sitting in the front row turned to Kotori and her friends, “Mun… it’s still surprising. Muku could never imagine that Ellen would fall so elegantly.” 

 One of the other students, another former Spirit who boasted an innocent face and incredible proportions that contradicted each other—Hoshimiya Mukuro. 

 “Is that so? When she was with DEM, she was usually like that.” 

 Takamiya Mana, a former wizard with a fearless expression, with her characteristic mole under her left eye. 

 Of course, it was no coincidence that all of them were gathered like this. Although everyone had gotten used to their current lives and there was no worry of Spirit power to backflow, it was still more convenient to have all the former Spirits living in one place, so <Ratatoskr> made things such that all of them were in the same class. 

 However, it was a complete coincidence that they were seated together the way they were. Actually— 

 “…” 

 Kotori glanced over her shoulder, at the seat by the window. The only former Spirit who was not seated with the rest of them—Kyouno Natsumi, who hadn’t left her seat and was staring up at the sky with a distant expression. 

 While they were able to make it so that they were all in the same class together, it was more difficult to control the seating order since it was based on a lottery. As a result, only Natsumi ended up getting separated from the rest of the group. The expression Natsumi made when she drew from the lottery was still etched into Kotori’s mind. 

 Well, that being said, Kotori wasn’t too worried about Natsumi’s current mental state. After all, she was still in the same class as Kotori and the others, so it should be fine, right? 

 “See, class is over Natsumi. What are you upset about?” 

 “…! Ah, yeah. I’m sorry, Kanon.” 

 The student seated next to her said calmly. Natsumi’s shoulder shook briefly as she packed away her notebooks and textbooks. 

 Yet another complete coincidence was that Ayanokoji Kanon, a friend of Natsumi’s from junior high school, also attended Raizen High School like the rest of them and was even in the same class. 

 Kotori smiled as she turned around, putting her textbooks in her bag and slipping it onto her shoulder. 

 English was their sixth and final class of the day. Now that it’s over, they should be free to go home once their homeroom teacher returns. Everyone else had followed her example and started packing their things. 

 Eventually, Ellen, who’d stopped by the staff room, returned to the classroom (and tripped along the way, tearing a small hole in the knee of her stocking) and conveyed a brief message. Once she’d finished speaking, she concluded the end of the lesson. Kotori stood up with her bag in hand while waiting for Natsumi and Kanon before leading the way to the classroom door. “Now, let’s go home.” 

 “…Hmm. That’s right.” 

 She said as she left the classroom and walked down the hallway. After school, the building was filled with lively hustle and bustle with some students leaving school and others heading to their club activities. They went out in groups so they didn’t get in the other students’ way. 

 “—Ah, Itsuka-san. Are you going home?” Suddenly, a voice calling out from behind made Kotori stop. 

 When she turned around, she spotted a short teacher wearing glasses. It was a face Kotori recognized well. She turned and thanked her, “Yes, take care Okamine—Or rather, Kannazuki-sensei.” 

 When Kotori corrected herself, Okamine Tamae, now known as Kannazuki Tamae, smiled happily. 

 “Fufufufu… I’m not used to it yet. Is it okay to call me that?” 

 She said as she fingered the ring on her ring finger on her left hand. 

 Kotori smiled and called her “Kannazuki-sensei” again. Tamae’s body trembled, her cheeks were flushed a bright red. That’s right, Okamine Tamae and Kannazuki Kyouhei, the deputy commander of <Ratatoskr> who had been dating for awhile, finally got married the other day. 

 By the way, it seems that his proposal was “Please step on me every morning while dressed in a junior high school girl’s uniform!” Tamae was too excited by the proposal to think that anything was off about it and agreed wholeheartedly without a second thought. 

 When Kotori graduated from junior high school, Kannazuki said with a straight face, “Can you give me your uniform? I want to give it to my wife to wear.” She promptly hit him in his vitals. 

 Well, as long as she was happy, then Kotori didn’t see a reason to mention anything else. Kotori smiled slightly as she thanked her once more. “Alright then,” she started walking away. As if to follow her lead, Yoshino and her friends also made their way down the corridor. 

 “If we head home now, we should be able to get home before 5:00.” 

 “Yeah. By the way, it’s been a while since we all went home together like this.” 

 Mana responded to what Kotori said. 

 Indeed, they often did go to school together with Kotori but that wasn’t always true when they headed back home. 

 Yoshino, Natsumi, and Mukuro had been going on tours to figure out which clubs they wanted to join. Mana had already decided to join the Kendo club and had already participated in a club practice. Kotori, who had work to do with <Ratatoskr> decided to go home after school, so for the past few days, they’d all gone to different places after homeroom. However, for today, they all promised to go home together. 

 Yoshino and her friends decided not to continue their club activities tour and Mana had already requested a day off from practice ahead of time. Kotori still had some work leftover, but she intended to head straight home today. 

 That’s right. After all, today is— 

 “…Huh?” 

 Kotori, who was walking down the corridor, looked around briefly. 

 For some reason, there was already a crowd in front of them. “Hmm? What’s going on over here?” 

 “Hey, what happened?” 

 Kotori called out to one of the students who seemed to be a senior student. The boy turned around, wiping a cold sweat from his forehead. 

 “O-Oh… it seems that a legendary senpai is at the entrance right now.” 

 “Legendary senpai…?” 

 Tilting her head in confusion, Kotori tried to imagine such a person in her mind. Perhaps it was an OB or OG who played a legendary role in club activities? It was April now, it wouldn’t be uncommon for graduated senpais to show up for club activities just to see what their juniors were doing. However, the boy continued standing there with a rugged expression. 

 “You may not know about it since it happened over a year ago… I don’t want to say anything bad, but you should wait until he leaves. It’ll be dangerous if you’re seen by him.” 

 “Huh, is that so…?” 

 Kotori felt sweat trickle down her cheek as she spoke. Was it really such a well-known fact that she got scared that easily? Was it a former student who dropped out because of bad behavior, returning to his alma mater with an equally bad companion? …It was like something often seen in bad manga and anime. 

 However, Raizen High school was a school with relatively well-behaved students. Before enrolling the Spirits into the school, she ran a background check through <Ratatoskr>, although doing that was relatively trivial. She didn’t think there were any students here that were nearly that bad. 

 Contrary to Kotori’s expectations, the other students around her were saying similar things—all telling her to listen to what the older student said. 

 “I heard that this senpai was a legendary playboy, he even had several girls serving him!” 

 “And all the girls who transferred in were immediately captured by his poisonous fangs…!” 

 “His home is also known as ‘his personal zoo’ where he confines the girls he captures.” 

 “…Huh?” 

 As Kotori twisted her neck, the crowd around her suddenly buzzed.” 

 “Come on, he’s here…! Senpai!” 

 “Hide the girls! Don’t let him see them!” 

 And so on, cries echoed around as though a bandit had assaulted a village. 

 “Uh…” 

 “What should we do, Kotori-san?” 

 While Kotori and her friends were confused about what had happened, the crowd seemed to split to either side revealing the presence of the so-called “legendary senpai.” 

 “Eh…” 

 “Mun?” 

 “Oh…” 

 When she saw him, her eyes widened in surprise. 

 That’s right. After all, it was Kotori’s older brother, Itsuka Shido, who was standing there. 

 “Onii-chan?” 

 When Kotori called out to him, Shido waved his hand once he finally noticed them. 

 “Oh, there you are. I finally found you.” 

 Then, while wearing the slippers intended for guests, he walked toward Kotori and her friends. With every step, there was a faint buzz from the surrounding crowd. 

 “Onii-chan, they seem to be scared of something…” 

 Kotori said, her eyes slightly narrowed but she didn’t worry about anyone other than Shido and smiled cheerfully. 

 “Eh, how do you think I attended this school?—This just sounds like birds chirping to me at this point.” 

 “…That’s true.” 

 Kotori’s smile strained. She hadn’t thought that living with the Spirits would change him like this… As the commander who’d had a hand in this situation, Kotori couldn’t help but feel at least partially responsible. 

 “Compared to this, what’s going on, Nii-sama? Why did you come here?” 

 Mana, who had been standing next to Kotori, asked while tilting her head to the side. That’s right, Shido wasn’t just Kotori’s brother. He was Mana’s brother too. 

 “Onii-chan…? Nii-sama…?” 

 “The three of them were siblings? But two of them are Itsuka-san and Takamiya-san, right? Their surnames are different…” 

 “No way, is he the kind of person who likes to be called ‘Onii-chan’?” 

 The chirping only grew louder over the names that Kotori and Mana gave. However, Shido didn’t care about that as he continued on without a care in the world. 

 “Oh, I just wanted to check and see how everything was going for everyone.” 

 “Eh?” What Shido said made their eyes go wide. Then, he shifted his gaze down and stepped aside. 

 It was as though he was revealing something standing behind him. 

 “—” 

 They saw a figure walk forward from behind Shido. Kotori gasped involuntarily when she saw. No, it wasn’t just Kotori. Mana, Yoshino, Natsumi, and Mukuro reacted similarly. Everyone’s facial expressions only showed shock. 

 But such a reaction was understandable. After all, the one who was standing there was, “—Umu. Everyone, it’s been a long time. Fufu, all of you look good in the Raizen uniform.” 

 Because the girl before them had hair the same color as the night and smiled gently after she finished speaking. 

 “Tohka…” Half unconsciously, the name fell from their lips. 

 Of course, Kotori and the others already knew that she’d been revived after having disappeared a year ago. Everyone had met her once before over the monitor. Kotori even talked to her several times during her examination. 

 She even knew that testing would be finished today. That’s why everyone was trying to go straight home today, cancelling all of their other commitments. 

 So she should have been more than prepared to see her. She should have had something to say when. But when she reappeared in front of her, her emotions overwhelmed her and she couldn’t bring herself to say anything. 

 Then, Tohka smiled at Kotori and her friends. 

 She then said, “Mmm… did I surprise you? I thought I should wear this outfit if I came to visit this school…” 

 She said as she looked down to show her outfit. Right now, she was wearing the same uniform as Kotori and her friends. Her appearance was identical to the Tohka that Kotori and her friends remembered. 

 Perhaps because of her outfit, the other students around them started asking, “Who is that beautiful girl? No way, it’s not another victim of that poisonous snake?” 

 “No, wait. Isn’t that Yatogami-senpai who had been on leave for the past year…?” 

 Whispers such as “Is that so? Wasn’t there a rumor that Itsuka-senpai locked her away in his personal zoo?” Well, much like Shido, she didn’t give the mumblings a second thought. 

 “Tohka-san—” 

 Among the girls who’d been frozen in place at the sight of Tohka, the first to move was Yoshino. She was so surprised that she broke into a sprint and lunged into Tohka’s chest as though she were falling. 

“Tohka-san! Tohka-san! Tohka-san…!” 

 “…U-Umu, Yoshino.” 

 “A-A-Ah—” 

 Tohka hugged Yoshino gently, rubbing her back while Yoshino’s shoulders trembled as she sobbed loudly with her face buried into Tohka’s chest. 

 —At that moment. 

 “Tohka…!” 

 “…Tohka—” 

 “Tohka!” 

 “Tohka-san…!” 

 Kotori and her friends suddenly moved as though they’d been freed from a curse. They quickly closed the distance between themselves and Tohka in an instant. They each hugged Tohka at the same time to convey their feelings. 

 “Umu, I’ve been wanting to see everyone again. I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.” 

 Tohka shared her heartfelt thoughts through her words as she hugged each one of them as tightly as she could. 

◇◇◇

 “Thank you for your hard work! Cheers!” 

 “Cheers!” 

 “Correspondence. Cheers!” 

 “Cheers!” 

 In a private room in an izakaya in Tengu City, a number of glasses lightly clinked against each other. 

 “…” 

 Tobiichi Origami tilted the glass in her hand to empty the contents poured inside. It had a strong carbonated stimulus with a refreshing citrus scent passed through her mouth. 

 “Wow, that’s bold Oririn!” 

 Nia whistled while applauding. 

 As she watched, Yamai Kaguya, who was seated across from them, smiled bitterly. 

 “Uh, what was the point of that…? It’s non-alcoholic, right?” 

 “Smile. There’s no need to be so harsh. Atmosphere is important for this kind of thing.” 

 Seated next to Kaguya, her twin sister, Yuzuru, smiled as she tipped the glass into her mouth. 

 While the twins shared identical faces, it wasn’t very difficult to tell them apart. Of course, there were the obvious features like their hairstyles and body shapes but the most important point was that they were no longer wearing school uniforms after starting university. 

 Though Kaguya was more mature now as a college student than when she was in high school, she still liked dark-colored clothes and often wore silver rings. So it was fairly easy to distinguish them at a distance. 

 After hearing what Yuzuru said, Nia laughed as she tilted her glass. Naturally, Nia’s glass was filled with genuine sake. 

 “Y-Yeah! Follow the atmosphere. Everyone is too serious! There are some college students who drink alcohol like crazy and plenty of 18-20 year olds making those kinds of mistakes.” 

 Nia, whose face was now flushed, laughed happily as she waved her hands around. 

 Then, upon hearing her, a girl seated behind them began typing on her smartphone. 

 “Breaking news. Famous manga artist, Honjou Nia, forces underaged girls to drink at a celebration banquet—” 

 “What are you muttering back there, machine?” 

 Nia’s eyes went wide. But the girl—Maria—continued typing without so much as a change in her expression. 

 “I’m teaching the horrors of SNS to bad manga artists who don’t follow the law.” 

 “It was just a joke! Don’t drink until you are 20 years old! …So please, put away your smartphone.” 

 Nia prostrated, her face drenched in a cold sweat. 

 Maria stared at her, her eyes narrowed before letting out a sigh and setting her smartphone back to its home screen then stowing it in her bag. 

 “I don’t like having a part-time job and you are a well-known figure. Please refrain from saying such things or acting irresponsibly.” 

 “Okay…” 

 Nia replied with a drunken look. 

 Maria then began counting on her fingers to do some mental math. Of course, her computing performance as the AI of the <Fraxinus> was beyond that of a human. She didn’t need to do such a thing for a simple calculation, but it was her personal preference to do so. Maria liked to mimic human gestures. 

 “I should remind you of the bill before I forget. Three terminals for ten hours totals to 600,000. Please remit to the designated account by the end of the month. It’s best to request a loan as soon as possible.” 

 Maria advised as she locked eyes with Origami. Origami and the others weren’t just there for a drinking party. They were also there because today was the deadline for Nia’s manuscript which she didn’t have enough manpower originally. This dinner was also a celebration for finishing the manuscript on time. 

 “I don’t like it.” 

 Origami slammed the base of the glass against the table and let out a faint sigh if only to express a faint dissatisfaction that lingered in her heart. 

 Nia clasped her hands apologetically. 

 “I’m sorry… I know I shouldn’t have called you all of a sudden—” 

 “That’s not it.” 

 Origami shook her head quietly. The Yamai sisters also nodded. 

 “That’s right. We helped you out, but you didn’t take us to some fancy place.” 

 “Nod. Why are we only getting cheap convenience store drinks? Then again, it does fit Nia’s image.” 

 Hearing what the Yamai sisters said, Nia’s lips sharpened. 

 “Ah~ you’re just college students. Public bars are as good as fancy places. Thin ham is as good as thick ham. Anyway, if you want me to take you to a fancier place, wait until you can drink alcohol—” 

 “That’s not the case either.” 

 Origami spoke up again to dispute what Nia said. She didn’t have any problems helping with work nor was she complaining about the drinks. Origami was dissatisfied with something else. 

 “—I didn’t have any plans to interfere with Shido and Tohka’s reunion even if you didn’t invite me here.” 

 Origami explained. The Yamai sisters shrugged their shoulders helplessly in agreement. 

 “Hmm. That’s right. Don’t underestimate us.” 

 “Agreement. You’re overthinking things, Nia. We have enough common sense to figure it out.” 

 Seeing that reaction from the three of them, Nia smiled bitterly. That’s right. Today was the day that Tohka returned to the Itsuka household after finishing her examinations aboard the <Fraxinus>. 

 Compared to the high school group, Origami’s group were all college students whose schedules were much more flexible. It would have been easy to skip her lectures and wait for Tohka with Shido at the Itsuka household. 

 Therefore, it seemed that Nia had a countermeasure in place by asking for Origami’s help so Shido and Tohka could have as much time as possible. It was clear that she was very worried about it. 

 However, as she watched the three of them, Maria’s gaze narrowed. 

 “Don’t be fooled. While there was certainly a reason behind this, it’s also true that the manuscript wasn’t going very well.” 

 “I’m trying to take my time and finish the story well so I don’t have to water it down!” 

 Maria’s words made Nia protest in response. As usual, the Yamai sisters chuckled. 

 At that moment— 

 “…Oh?” 

 A ringtone could be heard from Nia’s smartphone. Nia tapped the call button while readjusting her glasses. 

 “Yes, hello? Nattsun? Ah, did you finish school? Right on time. Everyone is here. Yeah, the usual spot. All right. Okay.” 

 After she finished speaking, Nia put her smartphone on the table. Seeing her do that, Kaguya spoke up. 

 “Natsumi?” 

 “Hmm. It seems that she called because there was no one at my studio. She wanted to know what happened, and if we were just killing time until dinner.” 

 While Nia took a sip of her beer as she spoke, Maria looked at her suspiciously. 

 “Don’t tell me you forgot to send an email to Natsumi because of your usual habit?” 

 “Eh? Don’t be rude. Even I wouldn’t make such a rookie mistake…” 

 As she spoke, she flipped over her smartphone’s screen. After she turned it over, she continued confidently. 

 “—I wouldn’t make that kind of rookie mistake!” 

 “You definitely were worried you did halfway through that sentence!” 

 “Conviction. You were just checking to see if you hadn’t sent the email by mistake.” 

 The Yamai sisters were quick to complain. Nia simply stuck out her tongue and feigned ignorance much like characters did in manga, saying “Teehee☆!” Whether she managed to fool any of them was up for debate. 

 Then, a few minutes later, while they were discussing other topics, the door opened and a new face came into the room. 

 “Please pardon the intrusion!” 

 “—” 

 In response to her voice, their eyes went wide in surprise. But such a reaction was understandable. 

 After all, the person who stood before them was different from the ones that Origami and the others were expecting. 

 “It’s been a long time! Origami! Kaguya! Yuzuru! Nia! And I haven’t seen Maria in a long time either!” 

 That’s right. It wasn’t Natsumi who had just called Nia that entered the room— 

 The person who’d just stepped into the room was Yatogami Tohka who’d been reborn by the will of the world. 

 “Huh? Tohka-chan?” 

 “What! No way!” 

 “Amazement. Why are you here?” 

 Nia, Kaguya, and Yuzuru’s expressions turned to ones of surprise as they leaned forward. Only Maria reacted to the situation calmly. 

 “Hey, don’t do that.” 

 “…Is it really okay to come to such a place in a high school uniform?” 

 “Ahaha…” 

 “It’s fine! It’s fine! As long as there’s at least one adult here, there’s nothing to worry about.” 

 Next to Tohka, Shido and the rest of the high school group came in, including Natsumi, Yoshino, and the rabbit puppet Yoshinon worn on Yoshino’s left hand along with the others. The room that was previously quite spacious suddenly felt incredibly cramped and she loved it. 

 “Muu, what are you guys doing? What’s this? Robot-san’s money?” 

 “Excuse me, I had nothing to do with this. Well, I did know that Tohka and her friends were coming here.” 

 As she spoke, Maria suddenly looked down. It was clear that she already knew but she didn’t want to spoil the mood. Tohka nodded before continuing loudly. 

 “I asked her. I said that I wanted to know what everyone else was doing while I was gone.” 

 After explaining, she grabbed Kaguya, Yuzuru, Nia, and Maria in turn and shook hands with each of them in turn. Maria and Yuzuru smiled gently, Nia smiled awkwardly while Kaguya was teased by Yuzuru for having tears in her eyes when her turn came. 

 Finally… 

 “Origami. It’s been a long time.” 

 At last, Tohka extended her hand to her. One year ago, she disappeared in front of Origami. Her voice still rang clearly in Origami’s memory. 

 “Yeah.” 

 Origami replied simply as she grasped the outstretched hand and squeezed it just as tightly. 

 As Tohka responded, she smiled. 

 Through her hand, she could feel Tohka, her body temperature, and a faint pulse. It really was her. She wasn’t a dream or an illusion. Her presence made the year-long gap of her absence feel nonexistent. 

 —In that case, forgiveness was no longer necessary and there was no need to be polite. 

 Origami narrowed her gaze as she spoke. 

 “You’re very lucky. I’m glad that you’re back now.” 

 “Huh? What do you mean?” Tohka tilted her head in confusion. Origami continued without so much as a change in her tone. 

 “If you had come back a year later, Shido would have been mine alone.” 

 “Muu…” 

 “—Bufu?!” 

 After hearing what Origami said, Tohka shifted her gaze to Shido, who’d been standing behind her, as he started coughing violently. 

 “What are you talking about, Origami?! That kind of thing—” 

 “Is completely innocent. Shido and I are 18 years old now. From now on, we’re legally adults. We won’t act as high school students anymore. Now it’s more than that—” 

 Origami pulled out her smartphone with her left and pulled up a photo which she then showed to Tohka. 

 “—Shido and I are married.” 

 The picture was of Origami in a wedding dress and Shido in a white tuxedo. 

 “T-This is…?” 

 As she stared at the picture on the screen, Tohka’s eyes widened. The other girls crowded around Tohka to get a better look at the picture for themselves, their expressions equally stunned. 

 “S-Shido-san…?” 

 “What is the meaning behind this photo, Nushi-sama?” 

 “Question. Is what Master Origami said true, Shido?” 

 “No! How could it be true?! We just took pictures at a wedding hall! Speaking of which, Origami, didn’t I tell you not to show everyone that photo?!” 

 Everyone now crowded around Shido as he shouted back in response. Origami shook her head faintly, her gaze directed downward. 

 “I intended to do that but now things have changed—Besides, this photo was taken secretly with my personal camera. It’s entirely different from the one Shido told me not to show.” 

 “Aren’t you completely missing the point?!” 

 Now that Shido explained everything, Tohka turned back to Origami, her cheeks puffed out. 

 “He’s not married! Don’t make those kinds of things up!” 

 “It’s only a matter of time before it actually happens. For the year that you’ve been gone, Shido and I have deepened our love by doing things that can’t be said here.” 

 “N-No…!” 

 Tohka glanced toward Shido, her face flushed a bright red. Shido shook his head once more. 

 Seeing that, Tohka’s eyes widened again. 

 “Y-You were trying to trick me again, Origami!” 

 “I just said ‘this kind of thing’ or ‘that kind of thing.’ It’s up to you to imagine what we might have been doing.” 

 “Don’t try to mess with me! Anyway, I’m not going to hand Shido over to you!” 

 “I was going to say the same thing.” 

 Tohka and Origami glared at each other as they squeezed each other’s hands more tightly in the hopes of forcing the other to submit. 

 “…” 

 “…” 

 However, before long, Tohka let out a small sigh as though she couldn’t keep it up anymore. 

 “…Mm. You’re just the same as ever, Origami.” 

 Tohka said as she shrugged and let out a faint laugh helplessly. 

 Looking back at Tohka, Origami couldn’t help but laugh at herself. 

 “You too—I’m glad to see you again.” 

 When Origami responded, the other girls stared in surprise at the unusual scene before them. 

 “Hey, isn’t this rare! Origin is smiling and laughing.” 

 “Hehe, don’t you look good? You should do that more often.” 

 “…It was obviously something worth smiling about but there was more to it than just that. It’s because things are back to normal.” 

 Everyone said what they wanted to say. When Origami turned away, her expression was just as stoic as ever. Natsumi pretended not to notice. 

 At that moment, Tohka seemed to have remembered something as she began to look around. 

 “By the way, where are Kurumi and Miku? I thought that they would be here with you.” 

 “Ah, Kurumin is probably by herself at home. I sent her an email but she turned down the invite because she said she was busy right now. As for Mikki—” 

 As she spoke, Nia fiddled with her smartphone for a moment before turning it to Tohka. 

 There was a video of Miku, dressed in a beautiful costume, singing and dancing on a gorgeous stage. 

 “Muu—what is this?” 

 Tohka’s eyes were wide as she watched the video. Shido was quick to explain. 

 “Miku moved to the United States some time ago to expand her idol activities. She seems to be a much more popular idol now.” 

 “What…! Is America that big of a country?!” 

 Tohka nodded to show her understanding, and then let out a disappointed sigh. 

 “Oh well, I wanted to see Miku if possible. It looks like I’ll have to wait until the next time she comes back.” 

 Maria nodded in agreement before responding. 

 “That’s right. But you’ll only need to wait 30 seconds.” 

“Muu?” 

 After nodding her understanding, Tohka couldn’t help but turn her neck around in every direction. Then, exactly 30 seconds later, the door to the private room flew open again. 

 “Tohka-saaaaaaan! The idol of the world, Izayoi MIku has crossed the seven seas and come back for you, Tohka-saaaan!” 

 At that moment, a girl dressed in a flashy stage outfit burst into the room with tears in her eyes as she cried as she grabbed Tohka into the tightest hug she could. At that moment, Tohka’s eyes widened. 

 “Huh, Miku? Aren’t you supposed to be in America?” 

 “How could I be absent on the day that Tohka-san returned? It’s okay! I already finished work for today and <Ratatoskr> took care of the immigration paperwork for me so I can come and go as I please!” 

 Miku explained proudly as she stretched her arms out confidently. Maria, who was watching, shrugged her shoulders as though to say, ‘I don’t know what she’s talking about.’ 

 “Oh, that reminds me! I bought a souvenir for Tohka-san!” 

 “Nu? A souvenir…?” 

 “Yes! I picked it up on my way to the boat <Ratatoskr> provided so that I could come back. Please accept it!” 

 Miku gestured to the door, a broad smile on her face. Then, a girl dressed in a black dress walked in with a helpless look on her face. 

 “Seriously, please don’t treat people like stray cats that you just picked up off the street.” 

 The girl had glossy black hair and white porcelain skin and both of her eyes were the same color. Tohka’s eyes widened in surprise when she spotted her. 

 “—Kurumi.” 

 “Yes, it’s been a long time, Tohka-san.” 

 When Tohka called her name, the girl who had been called the Worst Spirit—Tokisaki Kurumi—wore a gentle smile that didn’t match such a title. 

 Seeing that, Nia frowned in dissatisfaction. 

 “Kurumin, if you weren’t busy, you could have come and helped out with the manuscript.” 

 “Nia-san, I’d ask you to forgive me for not choosing to help you, but if Tohka-san is here, then that is an entirely different story,” said Kurumi, not meeting Nia’s eyes. 

 Nia’s shoulders shook as she said, “Geez, Kurumin is terrible.” She shrugged. “Ah, I’m sorry… I’ll try to keep the deadline properly from now on…” She said as her voice faded off. It was clear that no one including Nia herself seemed to believe her. 

 “Haha… well, anyway.” 

 With a bitter smile, Shido clapped his hands to redirect everyone else’s attention. “Now that we’re all here together. Let’s all fill Tohka in—with what happened to all of us over the past year.” The girls all nodded in unison. 

 Then, Tohka looked around at everyone and cleared her throat, “Then I’ll say it once more,” Tohka continued with a beaming smile. 

 “Everyone, I’m back!” 

 Then, Tohka’s welcome back party began in earnest. The private room in the Izakaya was a little small but it was good enough for an occasion like this. This situation, which was so clustered that everyone’s shoulders were touching each other, was unavoidable, but still, immensely enjoyable. Everyone continued to order drinks and make toasts again and again. 

 After that, things started to settle down. Shido and the others surrounded Tohka and told her about all the things that had happened in the past year. “What! Is it true that Ellen is teaching Kotori and the others? And that Tama-chan is married to Kannazuki…?” 

 Tohka was astonished by the information as she leaned forward, her eyes wide with interest. However, Shido couldn’t help but understand how she felt. He suspected that if he’d heard the same thing, he would have reacted just like Tohka had. “Yeah. I was surprised—Oh, Yamabuki confessed her feelings to Kishiwada from the class next to ours on the day of the graduation ceremony, and he returned her feelings.” 

 “Oh…! Really! Ai did it!” 

 Tohka clenched her fists in excitement after hearing what Shido said. Ai Yamabuki was a former classmate of Shido and was good friends with Tohka. Remembering that Tohka sometimes asked Ai for advice when it came to romance, he decided that he should tell her about the outcome. 

 It was worth mentioning that as far as Ai, Mai, and Mii were concerned, they only knew that Tokha took a leave of absence due to family circumstances. The next time Shido had the chance, he would bring Tohka along to see them. 

 “Oh yeah! Speaking of confessions, Mana has been quite popular at high school. She’s gotten ten confessions in the past year.” 

 Kotori clapped her hands. Tohka’s eyes shone with interest, saying, “How?” 

 “Eh? Is that so? This is the first I’m hearing about this.” 

 In response to what Kotori said, Mana scratched his cheek awkwardly. “K-Kotori-san. Isn’t this a bad time for that?” 

 “Why? Isn’t that amazing?” 

 When Tohka asked that innocently, Mana crossed her arms as though conflicted. Then Natsumi decided to add. “…Weren’t nine out of ten of those confessions from girls?” 

 “Hmm, I see…” 

 Shido smiled vaguely with a sense of conviction… Although it was a little strange for Shido as an older brother, Mana had an air of confidence about her, a slender figure, a friendly personality and many other elements that girls longed for. “But one of them was from a boy, right?” 

 “It seems that it was a boy in elementary school.” 

 ‘Ah…” 

 “Mana is just so cool. It can’t be helped if people admire her so much.” 

 “Haha… I think he was just trying to compliment me.” 

 Mana shrugged her shoulders as she smiled bitterly at what Tohka said. 

 Perhaps because they happened to be on the topic, Kaguya remembered another piece of information as she tapped her chin with a finger. 

 “Oh yeah, that reminds me. There was another amazing thing: it seems that Mii and Tonomachi have recently started dating.” 

 “Muu…? Is that so? Then Mai—” Tohka’s eyes widened in astonishment again. Then Yuzuru nodded in response to her unasked question. 

 “Explanation. Mai still spends plenty of time with them but when Ai and Mii are on dates, Mai goes out with May who is a friend of hers at college.” 

 “May? Who is that?” Tohka stared at them in confusion as she heard the unfamiliar name. 

 Perhaps it was because they found Tohka’s reaction to be so amusing, Kaguya and Yuzuru couldn’t help but burst out laughing at the same time. 

 At the same time, this was the first time Shido had heard this name so he was a little surprised as well. Who was this May? Soon after, they switched topics as the welcome back party continued endlessly. 

 Mukuro had cut her hair. Yoshino and Natsumi discovered their surnames. Kaguya and Yuzuru remembered their past. Nia had resumed working as a manga artist, even working with other fellow artists. Plus they told her about the Tohka from the parallel world. No matter how much time has passed, there was still so much left to share. 

 But that was not a surprise. After all, everyone had a lot to talk about and Tohka had a lot of questions to ask. They had to carefully fill in the blanks of the year gone by to make up for the time they couldn’t spend together with Tohka. To Shido, everyone was sharing their experiences with Tohka—Then they quickly lost track of time. 

 When Mukuro, Yoshino started to rub their eyes, their expressions a little sleepy, Nia clapped her hands to draw everyone’s attention. 

 “Alright, now that I’ve got everyone’s attention. It’s about time we get going. Don’t worry, I’ll pay for it.” 

 Everyone stopped talking and stole glances at the clock on the wall as everyone wondered just how much time they’d spent. Nia was right, it was about time for the high school group to go home. 

 “Muu, that’s right. There’s still so much that we haven’t talked about but, everyone will have time tomorrow—” Tohka nodded as she replied. However, Nia’s lips curved into a grin. 

 “Hmm? What are you talking about? Who said that the party was over?” 

 “Muu…? What do you mean?” 

 “Hasn’t the night just begun? I say we head back to Boy’s house and continue with a second welcoming party! There should be no problem if everyone decides to sleep there! The death march until only one’s left standing will begin! The all-night drinking party that is the privilege of college students!” 

 “O-Oh…?” 

 In response to Nia’s declaration, Tohka’s eyes went wide with excitement. Shido chuckled in amusement. 

 “I think going all night would be overdoing it, but this is a special occasion. I’m fine with it. What about you, Kotori?” 

 “Yeah, but don’t forget to brush your teeth before you go to bed.” 

 Kotori responded, closing her eyes. At the same time, Maria sighed in resignation. 

 “It’s weird that you think you’re being like a college student. If all-nighers are a privilege of college students, doesn’t that make manga artists who stay up all night, college students as well?” 

 Nia replied to Maria as she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose as she spoke. Maria’s eyes narrowed as she let out another sigh. 

 “Well, if everyone’s ready, let’s get going! I’m ready to pay!” 

 Nia called out cheerfully to a passing server. Everyone waited for the bill to be settled before they all left the restaurant. 

 By the way, while Nia was benevolently saying, “I’m feeling generous today,” it seemed she had forgotten her wallet at home and ended up borrowing money from Kotori and Maria with tears in her eyes. 

 “Huh? It’s already pitch-black out.” 

 Tohka murmured as she looked up at the night sky. The stars were sparsely shining up in the sky illuminated by the city lights. 

 “Um, should we keep moving?” 

 “Mun. That’s right.” 

 “Oh, can we stop by the convenience store on the way? I want to buy some beer.” 

 “Can you even handle any more beer, Nia-san?” 

 As they walked along the road to the Itsuka household, they talked amongst themselves. As they approached the residential area from the main street lined with restaurants, the city’s lights began to diminish and they could hear the sounds of crickets more clearly. 

 As they walked, “—By the way.” 

 Origami said suddenly as she remembered something important. “Tohka, what are you going to do next?” 

 “Muu? Aren’t we going to Shido’s house?” 

 Tohka tilted her head in confusion. Origami shook her head “No” and continued. 

 “About your future. Up until now, Tohka’s disappearance has been treated as a leave of absence from high school.” 

 “Ah…” 

 At that moment, Shido scratched his cheek awkwardly. The other girls responded similarly at the realization. 

 “That’s true. If things picked up where they left off, you would be in your third year of high school.” 

 “Concern. Wouldn’t you be lonely if you don’t know anyone in the same age group as you?” 

 “Mun. Tohka would be a year ahead of Muku and the rest of us.” 

 “High school with Tohka-san… it sounds like fun, but Tohka-san would have to start over again…” 

 The girls’ expressions turned to ones of deep thought. Then, Nia raised her hand, saying, “I know a way! I know a way!” 

 “If you’re not sure what to do, why don’t you get a job at my studio as an assistant and as a model? I’ll pay you a high salary!” 

 Everyone else fell silent at the sudden suggestion. However, as though inspired by it, Miku and Kurumi also spoke up. 

 “Eh~! That’s crazy! You should come with me to America! I think that Tohka-san will take the world by storm if we work together as a duo! You can use a Realizer to be able to sing in English with no problem!” 

 “Ara, ara. Instead, why don’t you join me? An existence resurrected by the will of the world… Ufufu, that could be very interesting.” 

 Tohka suddenly found herself with warm invitations from three directions as she stepped back in confusion. Then Kotori poked Nia, Miku, and Kurumi’s heads in quick succession. “Settle down, you’re causing trouble for Tohka.” 

 She then cleared her throat lightly and turned to Tohka. “Sure, that was something that I was thinking about too, but the most important thing is what Tohka wants to do. So what is that you want to do, Tohka? Even though the Spirit of Origin has disappeared, the purpose behind <Ratatoskr> has not changed. As best we can, we’ll do our best to help you achieve your dreams.” 

 “Muu, I…” Tohka folded her arms in worry. Kotori continued, shrugging her shoulders. 

 “Well, it’s not something you have to decide right now. Give it some thought.” 

 “Muu, …yeah. That’s right.” 

 At that moment, Tohka, who was walking at a slow pace, fell silent as she spotted a tree-lined avenue by the street. 

 “…? What’s wrong, Tohka-san?” 

 “It’s nothing,” Tohka squinted at Yoshino’s question. Seeing her expression, everyone else watched her curiously. 

 “Ah—” 

 However, only one other person, Shido, understood the meaning behind Tohka’s expression. This row of cherry blossom trees was where Shido, Tohka, and Tenka went on a date together. And a few days ago, it was the fateful place where Shido and Tohka reunited. However, she was not the same as she was at that time when she met Shido again. 

 Not to mention the different timing, there were only a few flowers left on the cherry trees that lined the sides of the road. There was only a small window in which the cherry blossoms could be seen. There was more than enough time for the cherry blossoms to fall even if normally there was only just a few days left. Tohka let out a deep sigh, filled with emotion. 

 “There are cherry blossom trees on both sides. In the spring, it will create another wonderful sight. Muu… that’s one of the two best things I’ve ever seen. It was so beautiful.” 

 “Oh, that’s right.” 

 “But it looks like it’s already gone. It’s a shame.” 

 “Muu… I’m sorry. If I had come back a few days sooner. We could have all seen it together…” 

 “Tohka…” 

 Seeing Tohka speak so regretfully, Shido shook his head gently. 

 “What are you talking about? There are still plenty of chances to see it again from now on. Next year, the year after that, if everyone comes together to see it—” 

 At that moment, just as Shido spoke, there was a sudden loud whoosh and a powerful gust of wind billowed around them. 

 “Whoa…?!” 

 “Kya~~!” 

 “My eyes! My eyes!” 

 Everyone reflexively shut their eyes while Nia let out a slight overreaction. 

 A few seconds later, after waiting a second for the wind to stop, Shido carefully opened his eyes. 

 “What a strong gust of wind. Everyone, it’s okay now…” but he quickly fell silently. But that was not a surprise. After all, just a few seconds ago when Shido closed his eyes, the scene before and after were entirely different. 

 “Wha—” 

 Cherry trees lined the road. Now that the flowers had fallen, only the branches and leaves remained except— 

 —now they were in full bloom. 

 “E-Eh…?” 

 “Ara, ara…” 

 “What happened to the cherry blossoms?” The girls looked up at the night sky lit up with cherry blossoms illuminated by the streetlights and moonlight with faces of surprise… 

 The surprise was understandable. Up until just a moment ago, the flowers that had been scattered were now revived. Yoshino and Mukuro were pinching their cheeks, thinking that this must all be a dream. Nia thought that she was being affected by the alcohol. After rubbing their eyes, they confirmed what they saw. 

 “A-Ah…!” 

 Meanwhile, only Tohka ran toward the rows of cherry blossom trees, her eyes wide with excitement. 

 At that moment, as though to match her, the wind blew again and a storm of cherry blossom petals followed. 

 It was like a curtain of cherry blossoms that swayed through the darkness. The scene was dazzlingly beautiful. 

 “Everyone look at this! It’s so beautiful!” Tohka smiled widely as the petals fluttered around her. 

 Then, the girls, who were initially confused, eventually all ran along the tree-lined road, one by one, and threw themselves into the turbulent cherry blossom snowstorm. 

 “Uuuooh!” 

 “Competition. I won’t lose.” 

 “Haha! You think you’re so cunning! I can do that too!” 

 “…Haha…” 

 Looking at this fantastic sight, Shido didn’t bother stopping the laugh that erupted from his throat. 

 It was a completely mysterious phenomenon. Now that the Spirit of Origin had disappeared from this world, it would be impossible to create a miracle of this landscape without using a very powerful Realizer. It was such an usual sight that it could be considered a mysterious phenomenon. 

 However, as far as Shido was concerned, it seemed like a miracle designed to bless Tohka 

 It was as if the world was welcoming Tohka’s return. “—Shido! Kotori! I’ve decided!” 

 Tohka, covered in a veil of cherry blossom petals, called out to Shido and Kotori who stood in front of the tree-lined road. Shido and Kotori glanced at each other for a moment and then turned back to Tohka. 

 “What did you decide?” 

 “My path! What I want to do in the future! I finally figured it out! I know what I’ll do in this world! From the moment I met Shido here, it was decided!” With a smile on her face, she shared her decision. 

 A few days later. 

 As if that night of the cherry blossom trees in full bloom was a dream, the tree-lined road by the river was lined with cherry blossom trees with green leaves. 

 On that cherry blossom road with such a great change in scenery. 

 “—See, you’ll be late if we don’t hurry. Today is your first day of college.” 

 “Mu, I’m sorry. But isn’t it also your fault for making breakfast too delicious…? Kujo green onions and sesame oil go so well with mentaiko… It’s impossible not to ask for seconds if you make such a delicious meal…” 

 “Hmm… so I guess we won’t be doing that starting tomorrow?” 

 “Muu, that’s…!” 

 “…I’m just kidding. There’s no need to look like it’s going to be the end of the world.” 

 As they talked with each other, two college students walked down the road.