Chapter 28: I Want to Save Shinozaki Nagisa

Silver hair, with blue eyes faintly visible through it.

Just like Akegami-san from that dream.

I steady her swaying body. The strangely soft sensation feels exactly like it did back then.

Looking closer, her chest is smeared with blood. But unlike in that dream, it isn’t pouring out in heavy streams.

"Akegami-san."

Even when I call out, there’s no response. At some point, her eyes have closed. It looks like she’s lost consciousness.

There’s a bit of guilt in doing this while she’s out, but she’s clearly injured—bleeding, at the very least.

""Connect Link.""

I connect to Akegami-san—more deeply than usual.

The depth of Connect Link doesn’t affect healing that much, but maybe it’ll help a little.

…Though it might also cause her memories to flow in.

‘I wish I’d spent a little more time getting along with Yua.’

A voice suddenly echoes.

Is this one of Akegami-san’s memories?

—Thud.

A heavy shock runs through my head, like I’ve been struck with a blunt weapon.

A flood of memories pours into me.

My vision sways violently.

A memory of someone drinking alcohol.

A memory of someone playing a game on their smartphone.

On the screen is someone who looks just like Akegami-san—or rather, someone who looks just like us.

Are these… Akegami-san’s memories?

‘Nagisa-kun.’

Akegami-san’s voice comes from the smartphone.

‘Wake up, Nagisa-kun. You’re our hero, after all.’

I see… so what I saw in that dream back then was this memory.

‘Hehe… haha. Now, will you remember me?’

What I felt back then was just a recreation of the text displayed on that screen.

‘—From today on, you’re the hero.’

That smartphone game… that was the dream I saw.

Then does that mean this is… Akegami-san?

Even if it is, what exactly—just as I’m about to finish that thought, a voice echoes.

‘I’m counting on you, Shinozaki Nagisa.’

"Yeah, got it."

I don’t know whose voice that was. But I felt like I had to answer.

The pounding pain in my head fades.

Akegami-san slowly opens her eyes.

"Uh… morning."

She lowers her gaze, as if hiding something.

"Akegami-san, sorry I was late."

"If anything, you’re early. I thought I’d be a lot more beaten up by the time you got here."

She smiles faintly, her eyes distant.

"Honestly, I was planning to entrust my power to you here and disappear. Ah… guess I can’t even do that now."

"Entrust…?"

"When a Curse Seeker in an Abaddon state collapses, they can pass on their power through Connect Link."

"That’s what you wanted? To follow the game’s story?"

"Huh? Wait… you figured it out?"

Ah… so it’s out. She lets out a weak laugh.

…So this really is that game’s world, and she wanted things to follow its script?

It sounds absurd, but somehow it makes perfect sense.

"Nagisa-kun, what do you think I should do?"

She pulls slightly away from me and sinks to the ground.

"My family and friends are dead. I thought I’d just die like in the original story, but I couldn’t even manage that. I just wanted it to end… but a friend pushed me forward and dragged me back."

"…Would it be selfish if I said I want you to live, Akegami-san?"

"Hm?"

She looks up at me, her eyes hollow.

"You’ve stirred us up this much—don’t just disappear on your own."

"…Stirred you up? You’re the ones who got curious about me."

"After all those things you kept hinting at?"

"…Well, yeah. But you’re the ones who kept digging into my life."

She’s right. We were the ones who chose to get involved.

Even so, you’ve reached your limit. Even if you try to push us away, I’ve decided to drag you forward anyway.

I take a step toward her. She flinches.

"Yeah, we pushed in on our own. But you couldn’t even hide how much you were hurting anymore. There’s no way we could just leave someone like that alone."

"Ever heard of being a nuisance? I’m not hurting. Just leave me alone."

"You’re stubborn. And you’re a liar, Akegami-san."

"…You don’t need ‘Akegami Yuri’ anymore, do you? The team’s coming together. Let Honoka take my place."

"The team’s coming together, yeah. But we’re still not confident we can manage on our own. So… will you stay with us?"

I step closer again. I hear her catch her breath.

A selfish teammate trying to disappear on her own.

If you’re gone, we’ll be lonely. We’ll grieve.

Is it arrogant to want you to think about that, even just a little?

"Or… do you not want to be with us?"

"Th-that’s… not it."

"Then is being with us so boring that you’d rather leave?"

"…No. It was… actually kind of fun."

"Then—"

I extend my hand.

"Help us, Akegami Sora."

She lets out a small laugh.

"…Idiot. Normally this is where you say you’ll save me. What you’re saying makes no sense."

Even so, she takes my hand and stands.

"Guess I’ll help you. Honestly, I was already starting to think maybe living wouldn’t be so bad… but if you’re relying on me, I don’t really have a choice."

The heavy gloom from before fades, and her expression brightens.

…Good. It looks like she’ll keep fighting with us.

Through our joined hands, power flows into me.

Using the connection from Connect Link, she’s sending her power into me?

Wait—that’s possible?

"If I use my power normally, I’ll break. So I’m having you help me."

"Got it, but what should I do?"

"My faucet’s broken—I can’t control it, it just keeps pouring out. So you’re going to help manage it."

A surge of power rushes into me.

"And then we fire it all at the enemy."

"Got it."

I shape it with the image of directing it toward the enemy.

The power threatening to rampage inside my body begins to flow out smoothly, little by little.

A massive number of spears of light form in the sky, then rain down all at once.

The Deep Calamities that Kisa-san had been moving to intercept are wiped out in an instant.

"Hey—hey! If you’re going to do that, at least give me a heads-up!"

"Sorry, Kisa. Thanks for holding them off until now."

"Geez… well, fine!"

Kisa-san is drenched in sweat, breathing heavily as her shoulders rise and fall. I must’ve pushed her too hard.

"Yuri, you’re not going to disappear on your own anymore, right?"

"Reluctantly, no."

"I see… that’s good. …But I’m at my limit."

With a small laugh, Kisa-san drops to the ground and sits there, taking deep breaths.

—A chill runs down my spine.

"Huh? What is this?"

"Ah… looks like something big is coming."

…Right. This is supposed to be a game world. It still doesn’t quite feel real.

With a sickening plop, something black falls from the sky.

It has an ant’s head on its shoulder, mantis-like forelegs, a spider’s lower body, wings, and a bee’s stinger on its abdomen—an utterly grotesque creature.

A hybrid-type Deep Calamity…

Normally they’re a mix of maybe two types, but isn’t this overkill?

It’s so mixed it’s just disgusting.

…Even so, it looks insanely strong.

"Alright, let’s take it down quick."

"Wait—you can handle it?"

"We can. I’m basically in a near-death berserk state right now."

"…That’s really hard to respond to."

"You know, we’ve got something like a finishing move. What do you think happens if we use it in this state?"

Akegami-san grins like a kid who just found a fun trick.

Then she squeezes my hand tightly.

"Make sure I don’t die, okay?"

"What do you mean—ugh!"

The power flowing into me suddenly surges, rampaging wildly between me and Akegami-san.

It feels like my blood is boiling—like my veins are filled with scalding water.

So that’s what you meant by holding on!?

…Well, I’m the one who dragged her back. Guess I’ll take responsibility for this much.

"《Saint Arts》—‘Wrath of God.’"

The sky flashes.

A pillar of light descends onto the Deep Calamity.

That’s all.

As the light fades, the creature vanishes completely.

…It went down so easily. Like it was never there.

"…Phew, I’m tired."

"So that’s it?"

"Yep, all done. Congrats on the happy ending."

The moment she finishes speaking, Akegami-san staggers and leans against me.

…Man, I’m starting to feel exhausted too.

"Whatever I do from here on out, it’s your fault for saving me."

"That sounds ominous."

"But now that I think about it, it was Yuuri who fixed my body. You didn’t actually do anything, did you?"

"If I hadn’t been there, you’d probably still be crouching alone back there."

"I would’ve handled it myself. Don’t get cocky, idiot."

Her tone gradually becomes more casual as I watch Kototsuka-san and Shishiba-san approaching from the distance.

Looks like the battle is over for now.

Akegami-san and I lean against each other and sink down where we stand.