Chapter 23: Funeral (Part 2)

The sound of the monk’s chanting echoed through the living room as the attendees sat in neat rows on floor cushions.
Here and there, I heard soft sobs and murmurs of regret—"He was still so young," or "He’d just started high school"—and I couldn’t quite put into words how that made me feel.

『I mean… I’m right here, though.』

I grumbled inwardly.
There wasn’t even a coffin, which would normally be present at a funeral.
My body should still be rotting in the Demon King's castle in another world, with a gaping hole through my gut.
And my soul—now lives on here, as Alicia.

『Ikuto-san… are you okay?』

『Mm… to be honest, I’m struggling a little. Being pitied is hard enough, but I also feel guilty for deceiving everyone…』

『Since you can’t live as Ikuto anymore, I understand why it has to be this way… but attending your own funeral… must be a very complicated feeling.』

『Yeah… and knowing that all of this is the result of my own screw-up just makes it worse.』

『Please don’t be so hard on yourself. Maybe this is selfish of me to say… but it was only because of that accident that I got to meet you. It was because you were submerged in water and unconscious that my teleportation spell of prayer managed to reach you.』

…So that’s how it was.

『Ikuto-san, you saved our world. Please don’t forget that… even if, well, for you and your family, it may have been nothing but trouble.』

『…I see. When you put it like that, maybe my mistake wasn’t so bad after all.』

If it meant I got to meet Alicia.
The girl who stood by my side this past year, supporting me every step of the way. Life in that other world had its share of hardships, but when I look back now, the memories that come to mind are always the ones with her.
Even after returning to Japan, I never really felt lonely or anxious—and that’s because she was with me.

That thought made me feel a little lighter.
The guilt for the trouble I caused won’t disappear, and it shouldn’t.
But… if I were given the chance to go back and change it all, I think I could honestly say I’d make the same choices.

As I mulled this over with the chanting still droning in the background, the incense burner made its way to me.
I accepted it and placed it in front of me.
The distinctive scent of incense already thick in the room grew even heavier.
I’d memorized the proper ritual by watching the others.

I straightened my posture, pressed my hands together, and bowed my head in prayer.

To the me who lived for sixteen years as Ikuto—
Thank you… and goodbye.

I pinched a small amount of powdered incense between the three fingers of my right hand, raised it to the height of my face as I offered another silent prayer, then rubbed my fingers and let it fall gently into the censer.
The incense dropped softly, scattering into the ash below.

Droplets of water hit the floor. My vision blurred like it was hidden behind mist.
I wasn’t sad—at least, I didn’t think I was.
And yet, for some reason… the tears just wouldn’t stop.

Once the ceremony was over and the monk had left, the altar was moved into the living room. A long table was set up, and boxed meals were laid out.
The meal was meant to be a time to share memories of the deceased and send them off. In rural homes like this one, events like weddings and funerals were also valuable opportunities for distant relatives to gather and catch up.

Since I had died so young this time, the overall mood was subdued and somber.
Now part of the family in my new identity, I helped out as a host—serving drinks with Yuna, pouring beers, and chatting with relatives.
But once things had settled down a bit, we took the chance to slip away to the guest room for a quick break.

There was someone already there.

It wasn’t surprising—some neighbors had come to offer incense during the funeral, though not many—so having someone in the room wasn’t unexpected.

But the person sitting there was someone we both knew well.
A mature-looking girl with wavy hair tied into a ponytail, wearing our Hirayama High School uniform.
Kamishiro Hisui—Souta’s twin sister, and my classmate.
She lived at a local shrine, and our families were close. We’d gone to the same schools since elementary and spent our childhood playing together, the four of us siblings as one group.

And now, there she was, sitting in front of the altar where my photo was displayed—silently weeping, tears falling freely.

"...Ikuto… why… hic... ugh…"

Her hands were clenched tightly in her lap as she sat in seiza, and tears streamed down unchecked onto her knuckles.
Faced with her raw emotion, I was left speechless.

"Hisui-nee…"

Yuna's gentle voice broke the silence, and it seemed to bring Hisui back to herself. She lifted her face and looked our way.

"...Yuna-chan."

Her gaze softened slightly when she saw Yuna—but then her eyes fell on me, and her expression froze over.

"...No way."

She must’ve been shocked to see someone unfamiliar appear like that.
Though Hisui often came across as mature, she was surprisingly shy around strangers.

"Nice to meet you, Hisui-san. My name is Kisaragi Alice."

"Hisui-nee, this girl is the daughter of someone Papa knew from overseas. Because of some circumstances, she's been taken in as my little sister."

"...You… who are you…?"

...Huh? Maybe she didn’t catch my name?

"Kisaragi Alice. I'm Yuna-onee-chan’s little sister now. It's nice to meet you, Hisui-san."

"...Why… why are you…"

Hisui pressed her hand to her mouth as she stood up, staring at me like she was seeing a ghost.
Her face turned pale, and she wobbled unsteadily on her feet.

"—Are you okay, Hisui?"

"...Ah—!"

With a choked gasp that sounded almost like a cry, Hisui suddenly bolted, bumping into us on her way out as she ran straight toward the front door.

"Hisui… what just happened?"

"Hisui-nee was really devastated when my brother disappeared…
So now that we’re at his funeral, I think all of those bottled-up feelings just exploded at once…"

"...Yeah. That makes sense."

I hope, once things calm down… I’ll be able to tell her the truth someday.
Remembering the look on her face, I swallowed down the bitter taste that rose in my chest.