Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 29 - Chapter 3

What We Seek, and What We Seek to Protect

Sunday, April 3rd

Koutarou didn’t remember what happened after Sanae disappeared. He couldn’t recall what he’d done or where he’d gone. That was how serious the shock of losing her was.

The next thing he knew, he was looking up at a familiar ceiling—brown wood, aged and a little faded, with a fluorescent light hanging down from it. He was in Corona House room 106. When he turned his head to look, he saw that the clock on the wall read 12:30. Ten or so hours had passed since Sanae had disappeared.

“Good morning, Satomi-kun. You’re finally awake.”

The next thing he saw was a smiling Shizuka. She was wearing an apron over top of her usual clothes and holding a rag in her hand. She had been doing chores in the kitchen, but when she realized that Koutarou had woken up, she’d come over to see how he was doing. The moment he saw her face, Koutarou sighed.

“Hmm, I can’t say I’m happy that your first response to seeing me is sighing.”

Shizuka puffed out her cheeks as she sat down beside him. Her eyes were half filled with loving kindness, and half unhappy disappointment.

“...I’m glad you’re still here, Landlord-san.”

Shizuka had interpreted Koutarou’s sigh negatively, but the truth was that it had been a sigh of relief.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

The air left Shizuka’s cheeks. Seeing that, Koutarou smiled in a self-ridiculing fashion.

“To be honest... I was scared that if I went to sleep, nobody would still be here when I woke up.”

Maki, Clan, Theia, Ruth, Yurika, and now Sanae... Koutarou was terrified that the remaining three girls might disappear in his sleep. After losing his mother at an early age and clashing with his father, Koutarou was just as afraid of being alone as Sanae was.

“So that’s why you didn’t want to sleep...” Shizuka said softly.

That’s why Koutarou had been looking around the clock for the girls who’d disappeared. Since he was scared to sleep, he just kept searching in hopes of resolving the incident as soon as possible. And he’d kept it up right until he hit his limit. When Sanae disappeared, he reached peak exhaustion. That’s what had finally put him to sleep.

“Pathetic, right?”

Koutarou continued smiling bitterly. He already knew how important these girls were. Them disappearing served as a painful lesson. One so grim that it kept him from getting a moment’s rest. Now, rather than just knowing, he felt just how much they meant to him.

“You’re only human, Satomi-kun. You may be a legendary hero, but you’re still only human.”

Shizuka didn’t think that Koutarou was pathetic at all. Both of her parents had died when she was young, so she knew all too well the pain of losing people who were precious. Just the same as Koutarou. And she was feeling it now too. She hadn’t been able to sleep much herself.

“Besides... if you weren’t, we’d all be sad. Just the thought that you might not need us is terrible...”

If the current situation hadn’t been hard on Koutarou, it would have told the girls that they weren’t really all that important to him. That’s why Shizuka couldn’t criticize him taking things so hard. That would be the same as telling him he should value them less.

Thank you, Landlord-san... I need to keep it together!

But because Shizuka was so forgiving of his weakness, Koutarou didn’t think continuing to expose it would help anyone. He knew he wasn’t the only one in need of support. Surely Shizuka was scared too, and Koutarou wanted to pump himself up for the sake of the girl who continued to smile in front of him. Fortunately, having gotten some sleep, he could manage that much now.

“Speaking of, where are Kiriha-san and Sakuraba-senpai?”

Since Shizuka had said “we,” Koutarou was reminded of the other girls. He needed to know if they were still there too.

“Don’t worry. They haven’t disappeared yet. Kiriha-san’s device arrived, so she should be putting it together with the haniwas.”

Shizuka flashed a small smile and pulled out her phone to call Kiriha. She put it on speaker mode so both she and Koutarou could talk to her.

“What’s the matter, Shizuka?” she answered.

While it was a bit staticky since the volume was so loud on speaker phone, Koutarou still felt a huge relief to hear Kiriha’s calm voice on the other end of the line.

“Satomi-kun woke up, so I thought I should let him hear your voice. Go on, Satomi-kun.”

“Hi, Kiriha-san.”

“You don’t sound very energetic, Koutarou. Are you okay?”

“I just woke up.”

“Then I guess that’s normal.”

Koutarou thought Kiriha sounded just like she always did, but knowing her, he couldn’t relax just because of that. She was too good at hiding things.

“How are things going with you?”

“We’ve started assembling the observation equipment.”

“That’s not what I was asking about.”

“...I’m okay. I don’t have the leisure to break down crying.”

Out of all the girls, Kiriha was the most mature. She had no problem holding her feelings back. So even if she sounded calm, there might be something she was keeping bottled up inside.

“Don’t hold in too much, okay?”

“Then let me borrow your shoulder later.”

“If that’s all you need, I don’t mind.”

“That’s not the reaction I was expecting.”

“There’s no point cracking jokes in a situation like this.”

“Heh... Then I guess I really will borrow your shoulder.”

In the end, Kiriha admitted how bothered she really was in a roundabout way. Koutarou suspected that she was the one that he really had to worry about the most. She was the type to endure everything without ever uttering a complaint to anyone. She was normally tough enough to handle things herself and pull through, but because she hid so much, Koutarou was never sure when that wasn’t the case. Chances were this was probably one of those occasions, so he knew he needed to pay special attention to her.

“I’m handing the phone to Harumi now.”

“Hello, Satomi-kun. How are you feeling?”

When the conversation reached a natural break, Kiriha passed the phone to Harumi so she could talk to Koutarou too. Harumi had been standing behind her, patiently waiting for her turn, so she sounded a little less shy than usual.

“Like I said before, I just woke up, so I’m not very energetic.”

“But would you be if you hadn’t just woken up?”

Harumi was worried about Koutarou just the same way he was about Kiriha. He too kept things to himself.

“Landlord-san has been looking after me, so I’m okay.”

“Sakuraba-senpai, please don’t worry about Satomi-kun. I’ll do something about him.”

“Please do, Kasagi-san.”

“You got it.”

It was clear that Harumi wanted to take care of Koutarou herself. But she had to help Kiriha. Since she could use magic, she would be assisting with the observation. Alunaya specialized in combat magic, so he wasn’t much use when it came to utilitarian applications of his mana. As such, Shizuka didn’t have a lot to offer this time around, so it only made sense that she was the one to stay behind and watch over Koutarou. And all Harumi could do was trust her with the job. Knowing that, Shizuka decided that she’d do the best job she could for both Harumi and Kiriha’s sakes, as well as Koutarou’s.

“How are you holding up, Sakuraba-senpai?”

“I’m okay. I’ve just gotten better, after all.”

“Don’t let your guard down. It’s at times like this when you’re at risk.”

“Yes, I’ll be careful.”

With Signaltin’s contract rewritten, Harumi’s health had greatly improved. But it was in her nature—and Alaia’s—to work with reckless abandon when she had a goal in mind. Koutarou was worried about her too, just for a different reason than Kiriha.

“I’ll be right over after I’ve eaten something,” said Koutarou.

“We’ll be waiting for you.”

“Feel free to take your time,” piped up Kiriha, “We’ll need serious manpower to install the equipment, so make sure you eat your fill and replenish your strength.”

“Got it. I’ll see you guys later.”

He’d now heard that they were safe, but Koutarou wouldn’t relax until he could see it with his own two eyes. Hearing their voices only made him want to see them even more.

Shizuka had made Koutarou dinner the night before. The menu consisted of beef stew, salad, and rolls. It wasn’t a very breakfast-y meal, but since it was after noon now, it was technically lunch anyway.

“It would have been much better if you’d gotten to eat it last night.”

Shizuka had originally made it all for dinner the previous night, but Koutarou hadn’t been in any state to eat, and Sanae—one of the group’s biggest eaters—wasn’t around anymore. As such, there were plenty of leftovers and the meal was getting a second act.

“The flavor has permeated through it now, though. It’s good.”

“I just can’t accept the potatoes crumbling.”

Like with curry, beef stew was still delicious the next day. But since Shizuka was part of the cooking society, she was particular about presentation, and would have much preferred it if Koutarou had gotten to eat it while it was fresh. The potatoes were falling apart after being reheated, and nothing looked quite as nice as it had the night before.

“I took the time and trouble of preparing the potatoes separately, and it was all for nothing.”

“Not that many people would notice...”

“That’s true...”

Both of them fell quiet as the mood grew somber. It was only Koutarou, Shizuka, Harumi, and Kiriha left now. All four of them were definitely the type to notice. Those who wouldn’t notice—or wouldn’t care—were already gone.

“I wish Sanae could’ve had some too... She’d love this...”

Koutarou gazed at the empty cushion next to him. Beef stew was one of Sanae’s favorites. She hated carrots, so she’d always start by picking them all out and giving them to Koutarou or Yurika. But not even carrots hampered her enjoyment of beef stew. And in order to pawn her carrots off on him, she’d always sit next to Koutarou when they had it. Right on the vacant cushion next to him now.

“Eat your carrots yourself. You’ll die early if you don’t eat your vegetables.”

“If I die, I’ll just become a ghost, so that’s fine. You’re the one who needs to eat your veggies so you can live a long, healthy life, Koutarou.”

“It’s a terrible idea to live so irresponsibly relying on psychic powers.”

“Papa said that whether it’s food or something else, people who are obsessed with material things are never happy.”

“This isn’t what he was talking about!”

Just staring at her cushion, Koutarou could vividly imagine Sanae. And it impressed on him even more strongly how wrong it felt for her not to be there. Of course, that wasn’t just limited to Sanae. There were five other missing faces at the table, too.

“Before I knew it, it all became ordinary...”

At first the girls had just been invaders that he wanted to throw out of his room as quickly as possible. Yet now, it felt weird that they were gone. Before he realized it, Koutarou had started taking their presence for granted.

“I never imagined that this would have happened when I met you two years ago, Satomi-kun.”

Shizuka felt the same way. When she first met Koutarou, she’d just hoped that he wouldn’t mind the rumors about the ghost and stay a tenant for as long as possible. She’d only thought of the ghost—Sanae—as a nuisance. But now she felt the opposite. Sanae was missing, and she wanted her to come back. The other missing girls had made terrible impressions on her too. They were loud, broke windows, set fires... But if that was all it took for them to come back, she’d gladly let them do those things.

“I thought my high school life would be more ordinary...”

“Me too. But now with everyone gone, I realize just how happy I’ve been the last two years.”

If the girls hadn’t invaded room 106, none of them would have ever developed such strong bonds. That included Koutarou and Shizuka, who would just be regular classmates and a normal landlord and tenant. And if things were like that, Shizuka would still be alone. She wouldn’t have anyone she felt like she could be at ease around. Going through high school like that would have been hard, and sad. That’s why she was especially grateful she’d met so many wonderful people.

“I can’t say it in front of everyone, but I feel the same way.”

“Why can’t you say it? Jeez...”

“I guess you could call it a matter of manly pride.”

“Boys will be boys, I guess... Heehee, if it weren’t for us, there wouldn’t be any girls who would put up with you.”

“I’m well aware of that.”

Koutarou felt the same way Shizuka did. While he was a teenage boy and couldn’t say it as openly as she could, there was no doubt that the girls’ existence had brightened up his high school life. Things were bleak without them, which is why he had to find them no matter what.

After they ate lunch, Shizuka took Koutarou with her and headed underground. Flipping up one of the tatami mats in room 106 revealed a tunnel. It was a secret passageway the haniwas had dug out for Kiriha. It led between the apartment and her base, which was where Koutarou and Shizuka were headed now. Kiriha and Harumi were preparing the observation equipment there.

“This underground tunnel and base made me so mad at first...”

“That’s perfectly understandable. Someone was digging around below your inheritance from your late parents, after all.”

“Yeah, but lately, it hasn’t bothered me as much. The most I worry about now is the housing authority finding out.”

“I guess it probably does violate some codes.”

“This technically increases the floor space of the building, too.”

“But Kiriha-san and the others are so important that you look the other way.”

“Yeah. If it means Kiriha-san and the others come to play, I can overlook something like this. It seems she was mindful of Corona House while she was building, after all.”

Koutarou and Shizuka’s voices echoed down the tunnel ahead of them. The passageway to Kiriha’s base was actually quite long. The ceiling was held up by concrete pillars, and the walls had been finished with concrete too. Having a basement directly under Corona House would certainly have an influence on the strength of the foundation. That’s why Kiriha had made sure to include support by adding the pillars, and building her actual base far away enough and deep enough that it wouldn’t compromise the building.

“I’m so grateful to my mom and dad. I only got to meet you and everyone because of room 106... Really, because of Corona House.”

In the past, Shizuka had been angry that Kiriha had messed with the building her parents had left her. But now she appreciated the bigger picture. It was the building that had allowed them to all come together. A little damage to it or an underground tunnel being built beneath it was a small price to pay for friendship.

“In that case, I have to thank you too, Landlord-san.”

“Oh yeah?”

“It’s because you took such great care of Corona House that I was able to meet you and everyone else.”

“Satomi-kun...”

Several years had passed since Shizuka’s parents passed away and she inherited Corona House. Koutarou had only been able to move in because she’d managed it and taken care of it all this time. He’d even been able to overlook the ghost situation because the apartment was too good to pass up. Otherwise, he would have just gone somewhere else. So really, she was the one who’d enabled Koutarou’s current, wonderful life. That’s why he felt like he needed to thank her.

Ah... Satomi-kun really is special to me...

Hearing Koutarou’s words, Shizuka could feel something warm stirring inside of her. Up until now, she had always considered herself to be a relatively realistic girl. But lately, she found her thoughts drifting towards the dreamy.

As things were, she’d started to think that they’d all met because it was fate. That this was the way things were supposed to be. A lot of scary and sad things had happened along the way, but the good far outweighed the bad. Shizuka had felt like it all led up to this—the wonderful life they had together now.

And she wanted to continue living that wonderful life, in the same wonderful place in the same wonderful world with the same wonderful friends. To anyone else, it might seem like a completely ordinary wish. And it was, but that was precisely what made it so special to her.

“Say, Satomi-kun...”

“Yes?”

“I will protect the place you call home forever. Like I always have up until now.”

That was the answer Shizuka had reached. It was simple and had been right in front of her since the very beginning. But funnily enough, sometimes it was the obvious things that were hardest to see. That’s why it had taken her all this time to realize it for herself.

“You’re a normal boy. That’s why, even if everyone in the universe treats you like a legendary hero, I’ll just watch over the place you call home...”

Shizuka would no longer hesitate. She sought something wonderful. Something ordinary. A small, comfortable place that even a legendary hero would want to come back to and live out his ordinary life as an ordinary boy. That’s why Shizuka had decided to protect room 106, Corona House, Kisshouharukaze City... everywhere Koutarou called home.

“You’re...”

Koutarou wanted to say something. But it didn’t turn into words. It was probably because there was a lot he wanted to say, and there simply weren’t words to convey it all at once. This was the time for action. If he pulled her close and embraced her, surely she’d understand what he was really thinking and feeling without him having to say anything at all.

“All right, we’re here!”

But while Koutarou was still thinking, the two of them made it to the end of the passageway. At the end was a solid metal door—the entrance to Kiriha’s base.

Knock, knock! Creeeak...

Shizuka opened the door and entered with light steps. Since she had visited the place several times before, she knew her way around and didn’t show any reservation.

“Sakuraba-senpai, Kiriha-san, I’ve brought Satomi-kun!” called Shizuka.

“Satomi-kun, it would have been fine for you to sleep a little longer,” said Harumi.

“But you came at a good time. We were just in need of some muscle,” said Kiriha.

“What are you spacing out for? Let’s go, Satomi-kun,” Shizuka said, turning to Koutarou.

“Y-Yeah, sure...”

With Koutarou staring straight at her, Shizuka grabbed hold of his hands and dragged him into the room where Kiriha and Harumi were waiting. Most of the girls had already disappeared. But Koutarou still belonged where he—where they all—called home. Shizuka knew how important that was, and swore to protect it accordingly.

“Kasagi-san, look!” Harumi gasped.

“Karama, Korama, forcibly activate the observation equipment! Pray that it works!” Kiriha ordered.

“Huh...?” Shizuka asked, puzzled.

And that’s when it happened. All of a sudden, Shizuka was surrounded by a black light. While black light sounded like a contradiction, it was very different from darkness. Even when cloaked in it, Shizuka could still be seen. She was illuminated, just by a glow that cast great shadows. It was indeed a black light.

“Why?! It’s too soon! I have to protect Satomi-kun’s home!”

Of course, Shizuka was greatly confused. All of this was happening just after she’d clearly realized her own wish and decided on a way to achieve it.

No way... That’s what it was?! My goal is to protect our home! Our world! That’s right; that’s what it was from the very beginning! And that’s the answer!

The black light told Shizuka the truth, which alleviated her panic and confusion and helped her see the situation for what it was. Shizuka was convinced that the light had appeared exactly because she had realized her wish.

“Electromagnetic radiation and gravitational waves are both increasing! It’s an incredible amount of energy, ho!”

“Spiritual energy and mana are both beyond measurement, ho!”

“This is strange! With this much energy gathered, there should be adverse effects afflicting us!”

Kiriha was even more confused than Shizuka now. The data from the observation equipment set up in the room indicated a dangerously powerful energy surrounding Shizuka. But despite that, no harmful effects were manifesting. This power was so great that it wouldn’t have been strange for it to generate serious heat or even warp space itself. But the black light surrounding Shizuka was the only physical sign anything was happening.

This explains why there were no traces! It never had any effect on the surroundings!

In order for them to find any evidence of the disappearances, there would have had to have been something left behind of them. Some kind of trace. But apart from the light itself, nothing had happened. There was nothing to leave a trace.

“Satomi-kun, use Signaltin!”

“Of course! That might do the trick!”

One of the abilities of the legendary sword passed down the Forthorthian royal line for generations was to nullify mana. If mana was increasing alongside the light, Koutarou might be able to cut that off with the sword and keep Shizuka from disappearing. Koutarou understood exactly what Harumi was suggesting he do.

“Come, Signaltin!”

Koutarou held his arm out and his hand forward. As he did, Signaltin, its tip pointed upward, appeared along with a white light. This sword, normally stored on Blue Knight, had the power to transcend space and time to come to Koutarou.

“Satomi-kun, something’s strange! Signaltin isn’t working!”

Immediately after Koutarou called Signaltin, Harumi was nearly screaming. Something very odd was happening.

“What?!”

“I can’t control the mana! What’s going on?!”

Harumi bit her lip as her expression contorted in anguished panic. Signaltin was only as good as a normal, mundane sword right now. But it wasn’t like its mana had disappeared. The crest on Harumi’s forehead was still present, and she could still feel her connection with the sword and Koutarou. But unlike normal, when she tried to control the sword, Signaltin wasn’t listening. It was like it was ignoring her.

“Is it even possible for you not to be able to control the sword, Sakuraba-senpai?!”

Koutarou stared at the unresponsive Signaltin. Harumi should have had a stronger connection with the sword than anyone, considering their history together. Harumi had been able to control its powers like it was an extension of her body. That was still true even after the contract was rewritten. Which left both her and Koutarou in stupefied awe at this development.

“There’s nothing you can do, Satomi-kun...”

Shizuka gave her confused friends a sympathetic look. She had already accepted the reality at hand. She was going to disappear. In fact, her body was losing its form as she began fading into the black light.

“Landlord-san! No!”

“I’m disappearing as I should. Nobody can change that fate.”

“That can’t be true!”

Just because Shizuka had accepted it didn’t mean Koutarou had. There was no way he could. He promptly reached out to Shizuka with his right hand, trying to keep her in place.

“Protecting this place was my role. That’s why I existed. And Satomi-kun, we were blessed to be able to meet each other here. That is all. Don’t ever forget that—”

Shizuka put her cheek against Koutarou’s extended hand. She had already lost most of her form, so the warmth of his hand didn’t reach her. But even then, it was more than enough. She understood just how much he treasured her. And just how much pain he was in right now. But it’s because he was this way that Shizuka could trust him so. She was sure that he would be able to bring about a miracle.

The observation equipment in the basement registered powerful spiritual energy and mana up until the moment Shizuka disappeared. But the moment she vanished, all the meters fell to zero. There was no remaining magic nor any signs of distorted space. It was unnaturally normal.

“How can things perfectly stabilize after that, ho? This isn’t possible, ho!”

“It’s like she was really spirited away, ho!”

To say it was strange was an understatement. While the equipment hadn’t been fully installed, not even Kiriha had expected that they wouldn’t be able to get any residual evidence at all. The whole reason she’d set up the equipment was to try to better understand the traces left behind after the phenomenon. But like the haniwas said, all anything indicated was that Shizuka really had been spirited away.

“No... I... I couldn’t do anything again...”

Koutarou slumped down on the spot. The moment Shizuka disappeared, all his strength left him. In its place, a pain several times stronger filled him. Just like the other girls, Shizuka was a big part of Koutarou’s life—a big part of him. Losing her made him feel like a part of his heart had been ripped out. The repeated pain and frustration over not being able to do anything for the girls only amplified the pain and frustration of losing them. At this rate, Kiriha and Harumi would disappear too. There was nothing he could do to help them either. And that was if he didn’t disappear first. No, the order no longer mattered. All possible scenarios now were equally bad.

Wham!

Koutarou slammed his fist into the ground. Since the floor of Kiriha’s basement was made out of concrete, blood began dripping from his knuckles. But not even that sharp pain could distract him from the agony gnashing at his heart. Koutarou raised his fist to try again.

“...If you’re going to hit something, I would rather you hit me. That way I might feel a little better.”

That was when Kiriha sat down in front of Koutarou—right where he was about to bring his fist down. She was smiling bitterly.

There was no doubt that she wanted to stop Koutarou from hurting himself. But since she was experiencing the same unbearable pain he was, she was willing to entertain the sad thought that maybe him hitting her would lessen the pain for both of them.

“I... don’t think I could hit you.”

Koutarou couldn’t hurt Kiriha out of frustration. She was the first girl to learn of his weakness and accept him regardless. He’d rather suffer the pain he was feeling through and through than lay a hand on her. So he slowly lowered his raised fist.

“It seems like we’ll both just have to endure it...”

“Yeah...”

Kiriha continued smiling bitterly as she followed the slowly falling fist with her eyes. She would rather that he hit her. She was hard enough on herself that she felt like she should be punished for not being able to crack the case. She was also eager to do anything she could to alleviate Koutarou’s pain. But in the end, she couldn’t do anything for either of them. They’d both have to suffer through it on their own.

“You’re wrong, you two.”

However, Harumi had a slightly different opinion. She approached Koutarou and Kiriha, wrapped her arms around their necks, and pulled them both closer into a huddle.

“The three of us will support each other.”

“Sakuraba-senpai...”

There was no need for them to suffer alone. They could bring their pain together and support each other. It wouldn’t change how much it all hurt, but the warmth of having friends close by might make that pain a little easier to bear.

This is Harumi’s power. And the power of Princess Alaia’s feelings from 2,000 years ago... We don’t stand a chance against her when she’s like this...

Koutarou was encouraged by Harumi’s words, but they meant even more to Kiriha. She could accept even her own weaknesses and shortcomings when uplifted by the strength of Harumi—and Alaia who had become one with her.

“And... let’s all stay together as much as possible from now on. Nobody wants someone to disappear alone.”

It seemed inefficient for the three of them to stay together while searching, but that might not be the case. Based on the data—or lack thereof—they’d collected during Shizuka’s disappearance, it was clear it was unrealistic to hope they would find anyone just by walking around on foot. If the girls were hidden by something as powerful as what had taken them away, they might never be found. So for now, it was a better idea to properly set up all of the observation equipment and try to get more detailed data. In other words, the three of them should be working together.

But in truth, Harumi was saying and doing this all for the sake of appearances. She too was terrified. Especially of losing people precious to her without even realizing it. Not even Harumi’s strength was any match for a dark terror like that.

When Shizuka disappeared, it wasn’t like all of the necessary equipment had been set up. Kiriha had only been able to activate the machines that were ready in time, and had had to forcibly start them to record data. The results weren’t promising, but there was yet hope. There were additional devices they could get readings with. Shizuka also hadn’t been in the anticipated range, either, so there were doubts as to the accuracy of the data gathered. And above all else, repeated observation was the name of the game in the field of scientific inquiry. They’d simply have to finish the setup and try again.

“Kiriha-san, I connected the thick, red cable.”

“Thank you. Karama, Korama.”

“Physical connection confirmed, ho!”

“Linking the systems, ho!”

The machines that still needed to be put in place were mostly the large, heavy ones that required some muscle to move. As Kiriha and Harumi had been the ones in charge of setting things up, they’d naturally saved the difficult part for last. With the help of his psychic powers, Koutarou could move almost anything. Now that he was around, things were proceeding rapidly.

“Everyone, why don’t we take a break for food?”

Harumi had started off helping with the job, but had eventually moved to Kiriha’s kitchen to prepare food for everyone. She’d finished up just now.

“It’s that time already? Well, Kiriha-san?”

“You go on ahead. I have to make a call.”

“Sure... all right.”

There weren’t many calls Kiriha might have to make at a time like this. Realizing the situation she was in, Koutarou headed for the kitchen without a word of protest. After seeing him off, Kiriha headed to her computer and booted up a communication application to make her call.

“Chief.”

“Ah, Kiriha.”

Kiriha had called her father, the chief of the People of the Earth, Kurano Daiha. Daiha had a serious expression on his face when he answered, but upon him seeing it was his daughter calling, that quickly changed. He went from chief to doting father in a heartbeat. It was such a dynamic change that it would surprise anyone seeing it for the first time.

“You seem to be doing well.”

“Truth be told, I’m not. Everyone’s been in an uproar here ever since you solved the biggest mystery of the People of the Earth. I don’t get a moment’s rest.”

The People of the Earth’s biggest mystery was where they originated from. It was only vaguely detailed in their legends, but Kiriha and her friends had figured it out through an adventure. The alchemists working under Maxfern were sent from Forthorthe because of Koutarou, and ultimately became the ancestors of the People of the Earth.

When that became known, it was a huge source of conflict. The People of the Earth were split amongst three opinions. There were those that thought they should migrate to their true home in Forthorthe, those that thought they should carry on like normal and continue migrating to the surface, and those that thought deciding now was too rash. Since it wasn’t a black and white matter, reaching a consensus wouldn’t be easy. As such, Daiha had a hard time guiding his people as their chief. He spent his days running around and delegating between three factions from morning to night.

“Shouldn’t you be celebrating this as a leader?”

“That’s the only saving grace. It’s a handful, but I’ll forever be able to take pride in resolving this problem.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

Kiriha smiled. Daiha looked like he was drowning in work, but he was still keeping his head above water. Indeed, he was a father Kiriha both loved and admired.

“Speaking of good news... what about you?”

Daiha smiled as well. It was a childish smile she’d often seen him make while he was playing with her when she was young. And seeing it now, she felt like he was teasing her.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t play dumb. I’m talking about your man.”

Daiha treasured his daughter so much that he had a hard time imagining letting her go. Especially to some boy. But after hearing about what kind of man Koutarou was and the details of his relationship with Kiriha—not to mention that he’d saved the People of the Earth—Daiha was actually supportive of Kiriha’s choice.

“I think I’m just a step away.”

“Then I guess it’s time to start thinking of a name.”

“A name? For what?”

“My first grandchild, of course! If it’s a girl, she can take your mother’s name. The real question is if it’s a boy! It needs to be a valiant and noble name fit for a ruler!”

Since Daiha had no problem with the man Kiriha loved, he started thinking it might not be so bad to dote on a granddaughter rather than his daughter. In fact, he was practically pushing for them to get married. An expectant stare was eyeing Kiriha through the screen.

“We need to take into consideration the other party’s opinions too, so it’s still too early to decide.”

“Forgetting that and enjoying the moment is what this is all about!”

“If you understand that much, then by all means, carry on.”

“You know, you’re getting to be more and more like her. Especially your harsh streak.”

“I’m honored.”

“Sheesh... By the way, didn’t you have some business with me?”

Having gotten a little bit too excited over seeing his daughter, Daiha collected himself and realized that she must have called for a reason. They were both busy people, after all.

“No, my business is already concluded. I wanted to know how you were holding up.”

“Hmm... Well, I have enough time to have a little father-daughter chat.”

“That’s reassuring.”

Daiha was quick-witted. As chief, he had to be. He had caught on to Kiriha’s intentions with just a few words. What she’d really wanted to know was the scale of the confusion amongst the People of the Earth after receiving the offer to migrate to Forthorthe. Fortunately, Daiha had enough composure to discuss such a serious matter with a smile. It made for one less thing on Kiriha’s mind, so she returned her father’s smile.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

“I am. I also have enough time for a little... father-daughter chat.”

Indeed, Kiriha was lying to Daiha with a smile on her face. In truth, she was in the middle of a crisis. Her friends were disappearing one after another, and she would eventually disappear too. She’d like to resolve the incident before then, but sadly, it wasn’t looking good. And she couldn’t tell her father that. It would only worry and sadden him. If he would forget her eventually anyway, there was no reason to ruin the time they had left together.

“If you have that kind of free time, where’s my grandchild already?”

“If you want an unhappy marriage, I’ll force the matter.”

“I can’t have that. She would get angry at me.”

After that, Kiriha’s silly conversation with Daiha continued for a while. But that was exactly what she’d wanted—to see her father’s smiling face and for him to see hers one last time. After all, they may never meet again.

The call only lasted about ten minutes. Both Kiriha and Daiha had other business to attend to, but the timing seemed to work out for her. By the time she entered the kitchen, preparations for dinner were finally complete.

“It seems I came at just the right time.”

“Please sit down, Kiriha-san.”

Harumi welcomed Kiriha with a smile and a ladle in hand. Kiriha nodded and took the seat Harumi offered. Koutarou was sitting next to her. Waiting until she sat down, he leaned over to her.

“You could have talked for longer, you know...”

“My father is a busy man. He doesn’t have the time to dote on his daughter all day.”

“Fair enough.”

Koutarou hadn’t been eavesdropping, but he could only imagine that she’d called her father. He could understand wanting to get in touch with your only relative. If he were in her position, he’d probably do the same. Indeed, it was almost certain Kiriha would disappear next.

“I’ll have to give you a reward later, Kiriha-san.”

“That’s rather considerate for you.”

“I’ve matured a little, you know.”

“That’s true... Then I’ll look forward to it.”

Despite knowing that her turn was coming, she knew she had to keep calm and finish setting up the observation equipment, even if it wasn’t easy. She was desperate to leave behind something when she disappeared. There was no guarantee that the missing girls could be saved. They had no way of knowing. But Koutarou wanted to let her know that he understood how she felt. He too was desperate.

“Now, let’s eat.”

Harumi brought the finishing touches to the table and sat down facing her friends. Since it was a round table, they all had an easy time seeing each other.

“Honestly, this is a more proper dinner than I expected,” said Koutarou.

There was rice, miso soup, a meat and potato stew, and a dish made out of cold tofu—a full-on Japanese dinner. Considering she’d whipped all this up in their current situation, it was easy to imagine how particular Harumi was about getting a proper meal.

“Really, it’s because things are like this that I want to keep things normal. I won’t accept less.”

Their friends had disappeared, but they were going to get them back. She wanted to keep things normal because she wasn’t about to accept this as the new normal.

“I agree with you,” said Kiriha, “If you don’t eat right, nothing else will go well. Fueling your body properly is important.”

“That’s true. Then let’s get to eating. Thank you for the food, Sakuraba-senpai.”

“Yes, thank for the food.”

“Bon appetit!”

Harumi’s positive thinking worked in favor of the other two. Moreover, they didn’t want to waste Harumi’s efforts. Especially not when she was working so hard to smile for them. So they both smiled as brightly as they could for her too, and dug in.

“Huh, isn’t this...? Sakuraba-senpai, you really made this meat and potato stew well.”

“Can you tell?”

“Yeah. I thought it looked good, but it tastes really good too.”

“The time needed to boil the potatoes and onions differs. They’re both tender and the flavors have mixed well, yet they’ve managed to keep their shapes. That takes quite some skill,” remarked Kiriha.

“Heehee, I just copied the beef stew from yesterday and did my best.”

The three friends were actually close to their limits. Even smiling was hard. But if any one of them broke down now, they surely all would. So they each kept on earnestly smiling for the sake of the other two. Like Harumi said, they were supporting each other. They would use that to hold out against their breaking hearts.

“How did you do it?” Koutarou asked.

“I divided them for boiling.”

“So then you mixed them back together after making them separately, huh?”

“Yes. I’m glad it worked out so well.”

“It really does taste good. You can tell just by looking at it.”

In order to avoid specific topics, the three of them talked about the dinner itself. If they let their guards down, the conversation would end up shifting towards their absent friends. It was the same reason they were eating in the basement. There were too many memories in room 106. It would be too hard for them to keep smiling there.

“Ah...”

A single tear ran down the smiling Harumi’s cheek. She had avoided thinking about her friends as much as possible so that she wouldn’t cry. But with Koutarou and Kiriha complimenting her on her cooking, she couldn’t help remembering the other girls. Sanae eating with sparkling eyes. Yurika begging for seconds. Shizuka asking about how it was made. Theia cautiously trying something she’d never tasted before. Ruth wanting to know the recipe. Maki worrying if she’d need to be able to cook a dish like that to be considered a normal girl. And Clan grabbing gustatory data with her sensors. All that was normal. But those girls were nowhere to be seen now. That’s why Harumi couldn’t hold back the tears.

“Sakuraba-senpai...”

“I-I’m sorry! I just got some dust in my eyes!”

Harumi hurriedly wiped away at her cheeks and conjured her smile once more. Kiriha and Koutarou both knew she was lying.

“You shouldn’t rub it in that much.”

“Here, let me take a look.”

But they both pretended not to notice. Otherwise, they might break down too. So they just continued smiling. Like Harumi had supported them, now it was their turn to support her.

The three of them ended up spending the night in Kiriha’s base. If they slept in range of the observation equipment, it could take data even while they weren’t awake. Koutarou laid out futons he’d brought down from room 106. As expected, all the physical labor was his job. After that, Koutarou and the girls took turns taking baths. When Koutarou came back from his, the room was different.

“Kiriha-san, why is it like this?”

Koutarou had spread the futons out even distances apart. If they were too close together, they might wake each other up while tossing and turning in their sleep. That was especially an issue for Koutarou, who was particularly restless. But now, the futons were all spread out right next to each other for some reason. It was like they’d become one big futon.

“No particular reason. We just wanted it this way,” answered Kiriha.

“I thought that it would be better if we could all feel close...” supplemented Harumi.

“You know how terrible my sleeping habits are, don’t you, Senpai?”

“I wanted to do this in spite of that.”

“Besides, it’s not like we’d get angry about getting caught up in your sleeping antics now.”

“If you insist...”

Though he felt like he was being talked into it, he knew how Harumi and Kiriha were feeling. He too was afraid of someone disappearing, and didn’t mind keeping them close. So he didn’t object too fiercely.

“So where should I sleep?”

“In the middle.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to be on one of the sides? If I’m in the middle, I might take you both out.”

“Satomi-kun, I want you to take the middle.”

“...Okay.”

Though he didn’t fully understand this part, Koutarou obediently laid down in the middle. Both his mind and body were exhausted, but he wasn’t tired. There was simply too much bothering him, but just lying down and closing his eyes should help. He knew he needed it, too. Tomorrow would be another long day.

“We should turn in as well.”

“Let’s.”

Following Koutarou, the two girls laid down on their own futons. But unlike Koutarou, they didn’t close their eyes immediately.

“Excuse us.”

“Sorry for this.”

“Hmm...? Whoa!”

Sensing the girls were up to something, Koutarou opened his eyes. When he did, he saw an unexpected spectacle.

“That’ll do it.”

“You really do feel the most at ease like this.”

“Don’t you?”

Harumi and Kiriha were both embracing Koutarou from either side, while holding hands overtop his chest. In the end, all three of them only used the middle futon.

“What is...?”

“I’m sorry. We know we’re being demanding, but...”

“If we don’t do this, we can’t even sleep... I’m sorry, Satomi-kun.”

“Um...”

Koutarou was surprised at first, but he soon realized that he couldn’t reject them. Since they couldn’t sense spiritual energy like him, they could only tell the others were near by touch. This was their only option.

“Let’s get some sleep, you two.”

Koutarou couldn’t tell them to find some other way to comfort themselves. So he quickly gave up and closed his eyes again.

“Thank you, Satomi Koutarou.”

“Thank goodness... Sorry again, Satomi-kun...”

Kiriha and Harumi held hands while leaning on Koutarou’s shoulders. It was just about the only way they could relax now. That’s why they were even willing to overlook Koutarou’s sleeping habits. Getting caught up in his rolling around would be far preferable to sleeping alone.

“Karama, Korama, I’ll leave the rest to you.”

“We won’t overlook any abnormalities, Ane-san, ho.”

“But we’d rather not have any, ho.”

The two haniwas were in charge of watching over the three until morning. If anything strange happened, they would activate the observation equipment and record the data. They had slept through most of the day for that reason, so they had enough strength to last the night.

“I trust you. Goodnight, you two.”

“Yes, ho...”

“Goodnight, ho...”

However, the haniwas weren’t as energetic as usual. While it was natural for them to speak in quiet voices since their owners were going to sleep, that wasn’t the only reason. The haniwas knew that the next to disappear would be Kiriha. For Kiriha to make her predictions, she needed detailed calculations, which the haniwas had helped with. They knew firsthand the conclusion she’d arrived at. And they were painfully aware of how Kiriha felt. That night was the first time they ever grieved not being able to shed tears.

Kiriha was the woman she was today because of everything that had happened eleven years ago. At the center of it all was a single boy with a stupid look on his face. Their meeting and parting packed her heart with love and had been her first step towards growing up.

“And now I’m living beside you...”

It was now six in the morning. Having woken up at the same time as she normally did, her first instinct was to make sure the other two were okay. Fortunately, neither of them had disappeared. She let out a sigh of relief.

“There... There’s nothing as fantastic as this... Kii is... truly happy.”

Kiriha lifted herself up a little and looked down at the sleeping Koutarou next to her. She looked as if she were about to give him a kiss. She was so close that Koutarou’s breath was making her bangs flutter. He was defenseless. If she really wanted to kiss him, she could easily do it. But she didn’t. She couldn’t see any value in doing something like that if Koutarou wasn’t up for it. She didn’t want to kiss a doll. She wanted to feel the feelings of her beloved in the lips she kissed. Simply put, it was because she was so serious. Or, as Theia put it, because she was after something more romantic.

“I want to look at you forever... but I probably don’t have much time left...”

A stream of tears streaked down Kiriha’s cheeks. Up until now, the girls had disappeared in the reverse of the order they’d met Koutarou. The only anomaly was Theia and Ruth, who’d disappeared together, but there was an argument that they’d met him at the same time. And if the pattern held true, Kiriha would be the next to go. Even though she’d met Koutarou eleven years ago, Harumi had nearly two thousand years on her. The disappearances were also happening roughly a day apart. It was now the next morning, or seventeen hours after Shizuka had disappeared. Kiriha believed that she didn’t have much time left.

“If only this moment could last for all eternity...”

Kiriha didn’t want to spend what remaining time she had on wiping away her tears. She simply wanted to stare at Koutarou’s face. She was trying to carve the image of him into her heart as best as she could. She was supposed to have accepted that she was going to disappear. And if he got the data from her disappearance, Koutarou might even be able to figure out what was going on. To that end, disappearing was something she had to do to try to help her friends. But now that the hour was upon her, even though she thought she’d resigned herself to her fate, her heart began to stir.

Only now did she realize how great the happiness she had was, and that gave her pause. She would soon lose that happiness, and there was no guarantee she’d ever get it back. That gave way to fear. A terrifying, seeping fear that inspired a sense of hopelessness. It felt like her soul was slowly being ground down. It left her wanting to cling to her happiness, even if it was selfish.

“I’ve gotten so weak... Kii endured an uncertain ten years... And here I am... I don’t even want to leave him for an instant...”

Kiriha’s tears fell down onto Koutarou’s cheek. When she was younger, Kiriha had never once doubted that she would meet the person she loved again. She was convinced that she would grow up into a wonderful woman to support him and live by his side. But right now, Kiriha couldn’t do that. She had faith that Koutarou and Harumi would get to the bottom of things, yet she still couldn’t help fearing their approaching parting. She had too much to let go of... for however long that might be.

“Are you crying, Kii-chan...?”

That was when Koutarou reached up and placed his hand on Kiriha’s head. Kiriha was no longer a child, so her head was too big for his hand to cover entirely. But she felt the same comfort from the gesture that she had eleven years ago.

“Did a bad guy show up again? Don’t worry... I’ll do something...”

“Yeah... I believe in you...”

Still in a daze, Koutarou confused the crying Kiriha with her eleven-year-old self. But she didn’t think he was wrong.

“I believe you, but I’m scared...”

Kiriha threw her arms around Koutarou. Her whole body was trembling. And Koutarou didn’t hesitate for even a moment to embrace her right back. Firmly and with both arms to try to stop her from shaking.

“It’s okay to be scared... It’s my turn now...”

“What?”

“You accepted my weakness... so now it’s my turn to accept yours...”

“Onii-chan... Heehee... Yeah, please do.”

Before Kiriha knew it, she had indeed stopped quivering. She was still scared. But the person she loved had accepted her, scared or not. And that made her happy. Happy enough to ease her fear a little. It only reaffirmed for her that Koutarou was the only one that would do.

When Koutarou awoke, there was something black in front of him. It took quite some time to realize that was Kiriha’s head. And that his arms were firmly around her. Having grasped the situation, Koutarou figured that he must have done something in his sleep.

“Are you awake, Kiriha-san?”

“Hmm? It seems you woke up, Koutarou.”

Kiriha raised her head and smiled at Koutarou. That was when Koutarou realized she was holding something. An old foil trading card that had long since lost all its shine. It was Kiriha’s most prized possession.

“You’re still treasuring that, huh?”

Feeling nostalgic, Koutarou smiled as well. Having only just woken up helped. Their hardships seemed a little further away right now.

“I feel courage welling up when I look at this. I feel like I can do it, no matter how difficult it might be.”

“If you say that with a serious face, I’m not sure how to react.”

“Then I’ll stop being so indirect... I love you.”

“H-Hey...”

“Heehee.”

Kiriha had gotten the card from Koutarou when she was young, and had treasured it ever since. It was a token of all the emotion she’d poured into it over the years. A token of her single-minded love. And if she was looking at it, that meant that she was reaffirming her feelings. But she didn’t need the card when the real thing was right there next to her. Kiriha put it away and gave Koutarou a big hug.

“Koutarou, don’t you look at my necklace sometimes?”

“Guys don’t walk around with things like that.”

“I know. It’s in that drawer filled with mementos.”

Kiriha was being much more direct than usual. But strangely enough, Koutarou didn’t feel troubled. Even though she was hugging him tightly, she wasn’t trying to tease him. Koutarou looked down at his chest where she was resting her head.

“I’m scared I’ll drop it if I walk around with it.”

“Heehee, then I understand. I forgive you.”

“But... I do look at it from time to time.”

“That makes me happy.”

Koutarou began to sense a different emotion in Kiriha’s smile. Behind the happiness in her eyes hid desperation.

I see... the next one is...

When he realized it, Koutarou instinctively put more force in his arms. As he pulled Kiriha closer, they were now face to face. Kiriha on top, looking down. And Koutarou below, looking up. They were as close as lovers would be.

“My, this is unusual.”

“Call it youthful curiosity.”

“You know what to say to make me happy, don’t you?”

Kiriha smiled sweetly and pressed her lips against Koutarou’s forehead. She knew that his actions weren’t motivated by curiosity in the slightest. As a teenage girl, that saddened her a little, but all else aside, she was still happy that Koutarou wanted her closer.

Thinking about it, this is the kind of feeling that Kii wanted back then... and eleven years have passed since...

Kiriha could feel herself just filling with happiness. On the day he saved her, she had decided to accept the hurt Koutarou. She had sworn they would support each other and live happily. There were no romantic feelings involved; she simply wanted to be with Koutarou. The romantic feelings got mixed in when she met him again two years ago, but what she’d truly desired all along was this kind of connection.

But that won’t be all from now on, Satomi Koutarou. Kii’s not the only one here anymore. Kii was always curious, and I’m a healthy teenage girl, after all. Heehee...

Her innocent desires and her womanly desires matching up was fortunate. It told her she’d made the right choice. Time was up for Kiriha, but even now, she could proudly say that she had existed for his sake.

“You two seem to be having fun...”

“Good morning, Harumi.”

“You awake too, Sakuraba-senpai?”

“Anyone would wake up with people having so much fun next to them.”

“Are you jealous, Harumi?”

“I’m not— Kiriha-san!”

Harumi’s adorable pouting turned into a scream partway through. The end had come, and all too suddenly. As Kiriha was smiling at the sulking Harumi, a green light appeared around her bountiful chest. It grew brighter and spread from her chest to cover her entire body.

“Karama, Korama!”

“The system is operating normally, ho!”

“Data from the past thirty seconds has been saved! Beginning analysis now, ho!”

Unlike with Shizuka, the proper preparations were all perfectly in place this time. The observation equipment had been running since yesterday and was constantly processing data. The haniwas had ordered the machines to go back thirty seconds before the light appeared and thoroughly analyze everything.

It’s just as I thought! My prediction isn’t complete, but it might be enough with the observation data!

As she was wrapped in the green light, Kiriha realized that she’d been on the right track. Something on the other side of the light told her how the person responsible for this incident truly felt. Kiriha didn’t have time to convey everything she had just learned to the others, but her clever mind was a powerful weapon.

“Koutarou, I want you to open the ninth envelope I’ve left in the drawer with your mementos!”

Surmising that the other girls had all been trying to convey a message before they disappeared but hadn’t had the time to get it across, Kiriha made a few predictions about what was going on and what was going to happen. She came up with nine possible theories. Her idea was that when she disappeared, if she were able to convey which of those theories was closest, she’d be able to give Koutarou a better idea.

She’d written out her nine theories and put them in numbered envelopes in Koutarou’s wardrobe drawer. The ninth and final prediction was the one Kiriha felt was the closest match. While it wasn’t perfect, she hoped that it—along with the data gathered from her disappearance—could crack the case.

“Kiriha-san! Damn it, can I still do nothing?!”

“Don’t be sad, Koutarou. This is a necessary step in resolving things. I’ll leave the rest to you.”

Kiriha was disappearing. That was an unavoidable fact. Everything would be left to Koutarou and Harumi. Kiriha’s job was done.

“Kiriha-san, what should the two of us do?!”

“Don’t worry, Harumi. Fate is on your side. But even then—”

Koutarou and Harumi had prepared themselves for this to happen. They knew they wouldn’t get anywhere without it. But that didn’t make it any easier. They were watching a precious friend disappear.

“I’m sorry, Koutarou. I’m going to have to break that promise.”

Kiriha had only one regret. She was breaking a promise she’d made with Koutarou long ago, and that broke her heart. She’d made that promise with all her heart, after all.

“I’m sorry for leaving you behind.”

“It’s fine! What’s not being able to see each other for a little while?!”

Koutarou remembered that promise well too. From his perspective, it hadn’t been that long since he had made it. Kiriha had promised Koutarou, her Onii-chan, that she would always be by his side and that she’d never leave him. She felt like disappearing was a direct violation of that promise. Koutarou, however, saw it differently. Just because she was physically going somewhere didn’t necessarily mean she was leaving.

“That’s true... My heart is always with you.”

“I’ll definitely bring you back! And everyone else too!”

“I know... Kii and I will believe in you forever...”

And so Kiriha disappeared into the green light. She believed in Koutarou, so she was sure that they would meet again. But saying goodbye was still hard. She felt a stinging pain in her chest from leaving him behind as she disappeared. She cried and cried, much like she had as a little girl when she was forced to part ways with Koutarou in the past.