Chapter 5: Our Hero
In what should have been the still-dim Galarc Kingdom capital, the sky suddenly brightened as though morning had arrived.
“What’s that...?”
In the castle’s rooftop garden, Latifa and the others gazed up in wonder at the glittering barrier and sorcery circle floating in the air.
There’s no mistaking it. This is the signal.
Celia was the only one who understood the situation and gasped. The others were unable to understand the sight before them and froze as though time had stopped. The sorcery circle in the sky above the capital and the boundary surface of the barrier was undoubtedly reflected in their eyes, but their gaze was unfocused.
It was as though they were staring into pitch black darkness. Latifa and the others stood dazed as they gazed blankly upwards.
Eventually, they found a light.
Everyone’s eyes caught sight of Rio fighting high in the sky.
Tears welled in their eyes, as though they had forgotten something very important all this time.
There were indeed some hazy moments in the midst of their peaceful lives with one another. Like someone whose name and face they didn’t know should have been living by their side.
Yet they hadn’t paid it any mind. They dismissed it as their imagination, returning to their days without that someone whose name and face they didn’t know.
But that hadn’t been a mistake.
It hadn’t been their imagination.
They recalled everything.
The missing pieces of the puzzle fit into place all at once.
Time unfroze for them and began moving forward again.
“Onii-chan...” Latifa cried, voice trembling.
That’s right, that’s Onii-chan! My big brother...!
How could she have forgotten someone so dear to her until now? Someone she never should have forgotten...
She was so happy, yet so sad, and so sorry. Latifa’s emotions were a jumbled mess.
“Ugh... Wah...”
She couldn’t hold back the tears welling in her eyes, but she rubbed them hard enough to chafe the skin, wiping her tears away. She wanted to have Rio in her sights as soon as possible, for as long as possible...because she had forgotten Rio all this time.
She didn’t want her tears to obscure Rio; there was no time to cry.
What if she forgot him again? Such fears crossed her mind.
I’ll never forget him again! Ever!
She wouldn’t stand for it. Relishing the joy of remembering her most beloved person, her adopted brother that she adored, Latifa forced her tears back through sheer will and stared straight up at Rio fighting in the sky.
Meanwhile, everyone else was reacting in their own way. Some were bewildered by how they could have forgotten someone they never would have forgotten, and others were confused.
“Everyone...you’ve remembered!” Celia was overcome with emotion as she watched over everyone.
“Did you remember all along, Professor?” Christina asked, blinking at Celia.
“Yes. I forgot at first too, but one day, the memories suddenly...” Celia revealed.
“W-Wait a moment! How could we have forgotten Haruto and Lady Aishia up until now?” Sara interjected in confusion, unable to understand the situation.
“Right, it was almost like everyone’s memories and awareness had been rewritten so that Haruto never existed in the first place...”
“And that’s impossible...”
It was almost like every trace of an existing person had been thoroughly erased from the world. If that had happened on a global scale, it couldn’t possibly be a human feat. Orphia and Alma both gulped nervously.
“Saint Erica... That battle with her was the trigger, wasn’t it? After that battle, we forgot about Haruto and Lady Aishia,” Liselotte said, organizing the events that had happened back then. “But why?”
The discussion naturally arrived there. Many of those present had the same question on their minds.
“I know!” Latifa stated firmly.
“Huh?”
Everyone’s attention gathered on her.
“Onii-chan and Aishia protected us. I don’t know why that led to us forgetting them... But I’m sure it was to protect us. That’s why things have turned out like this!” Latifa declared with absolute certainty.
“So you don’t know why we forgot after all...”
Everyone was confused because of that reason, yet Latifa completely skipped over that to come to her own understanding. Sara looked dumbfounded.
“Heheh.”
Christina and Liselotte found themselves chuckling in spite of themselves.
“Wh-What’s the matter, sister?” Flora asked in confusion.
Christina shook her head slowly. “Nothing. I just agree with Suzune’s point.”
That’s right. When we escaped from Rodania, he saved us...
She recalled how Duke Arbor’s forces invaded Rodania just the other day. Without Rio’s help protecting them on the way to the airships bound for Galarc or after the airships took off from Rodania, they wouldn’t have escaped. She originally believed their escape was due to a series of miracles, but that hadn’t been the case.
Sara also had an exasperated smile. “Goodness, when it comes to you and Haruto...”
“Either way, this I’m sure of: even after we forgot him, Onii-chan remembered us and protected us. And he’s still protecting us even now.”
Latifa made an accurate conjecture of the situation while they had lost their memories. She placed a hand against her chest and gazed up at the sky where Rio was.
“Yes, that’s right. In the battle with Saint Erica, Haruto and Aishia used an extremely dangerous power in order to protect us. The price for that power was for their existence to be forgotten—but they paid it in an attempt to protect us. And they succeeded. That’s why we’re standing here today,” Celia revealed, confirming Latifa’s theory.
“That’s... That’s so...”
Flora covered her mouth in sorrow. And she wasn’t the only one—the others also had pained expressions on their faces. After all, wasn’t the price of erasing yourself to protect everyone just too much? How lonely must Rio and Aishia have felt?
“But this isn’t the time to be grieving! We’ve remembered Onii-chan now. We have to tell him ‘welcome back’ with a smile!”
They would make Rio and the others happy. They wouldn’t let them feel lonely anymore. Latifa’s tone was resolute.
“You’re right. I’m sure he’ll be delighted to hear you’ve all remembered him. Let’s surprise him together once the battle’s over.”
Celia patted Latifa’s head gently in agreement. Thus, the group continued watching over the battle between Rio and the golem.
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