Chapter 51: Sora Akegami Wants to Clear Things Up

Seriously, Mahiro was completely reckless. What made her think copying the enemy and turning this into a giant monster battle was a good idea?

Honestly, I was definitely making her explain herself later.

Thump. My heartbeat quickened. My breathing grew ragged. Maybe I’d pushed myself a little too hard. I suppressed the overflowing power inside me before it could run wild.

Hohana had already gone after the hybrid-type and was attacking it.

She cut off its legs, leaving it staggering in place. This was our chance.

Below us, I could make out the blurred outline of a gigantic body.

Nagisa-kun and I landed together. My head was spinning from using that huge attack earlier, but this wasn’t the time to worry about that. Even if I had to force myself forward, I had to keep going.

The ground swayed violently. Maybe Mahiro was struggling from the inside.

"Sora-san."

Nagisa-kun glanced at me, and I gave a small nod.

"Connect Link."

Nagisa-kun placed his hand against the blurred mass. Something flowed from his hand, connecting itself to Mahiro.

At the same time, my vision began to distort as well. As my consciousness blurred, I tightened my grip slightly on the hand still linked to Nagisa-kun.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a world filled with endlessly writhing darkness.

This was the same place where I met Yuri.

...Why are we here?

Maybe it was because I was still connected to Nagisa-kun through Connect Link.

"S-Sora-chan..."

A trembling voice reached me. My eyes met a pair of yellow ones.

Mahiro was there.

"Mahiro, long time no see."

"...Um. Why did you come here?"

Her words were timid, yet they still carried determination. Mahiro had probably prepared herself for this.

But even so, there were things only I could say to her.

"Because you went charging ahead on your own."

"...Because I ruined everything. I have to fix it myself."

"Hmm... well, I get how you feel. I mean, I went through a lot too."

"Then—"

"But."

The moment I cut her off, Mahiro flinched hard.

"That doesn’t mean you should throw your own life away like this."

Whether it was the Beast of Ruin Megatherion or the King of the Abyss Abaddon, it was all the same in the end.

They sacrificed themselves right up to their limits just to gain absurd power.

"I can tell without you even saying it. This state is just like Abaddon’s — if you keep this up, you’ll die. I mean, that’s probably why we ended up in a place like this."

This place felt like the very root of the Deep Curses.

I understood it. Nobody wanted the original story completely destroyed because of them.

I was devastated too when my family and Yuri disappeared because of me.

...No, maybe that was a little different.

"...Because of me, Iijima-san got hurt. And if someone else gets hurt because of that, I couldn’t stand it."

"Yeah. But I don’t want you sacrificing yourself over that either."

Still, I wasn’t going to let her throw herself away because of this. Just like Nagisa-kun saved me for his own ridiculous reasons—

I’d interfere with Mahiro for my own selfish reasons too.

"B-But... I’ve always been useless. Nothing ever goes right for me. So at least at times like this..."

"I messed up plenty back in middle school too... so you don’t need to worry about things like that."

I hadn’t known Mahiro for very long, but I still didn’t want to watch her disappear right in front of me.

...Man, my past self really was something else.

"B-But if I don’t, then someone—"

"Enough with that already! You’re trying too hard!"

"Owow—b-but—"

"No more 'buts' allowed!"

"Mghh..."

I flicked her forehead and pinched her cheeks, forcibly cutting her off.

"You know, I’m your favorite, right?"

"Ugh... y-yes."

"And your favorite is telling you to live. So? What now?"

"Ugh... th-that’s..."

Mahiro’s eyes darted around helplessly.

...Sorry I’m not your real favorite, though.

Well, I guess I’ll let him have the final scene.

"Nagisa-kun."

When I called out behind me, Nagisa-kun finally appeared.

"...Sorry. Was I the only one late?"

"Yep. So you get to decide the ending."

"...Got it. Though now it kinda feels like I’m just the extra bonus."

As Nagisa-kun started walking forward, Mahiro shrank back in fear. But without paying attention to that, he steadily closed the distance between them.

"I became a Connector because I couldn’t ignore girls who were hurting."

"I-I know."

"So... would you let me reach out my hand to you too, Mahiro Nishizono-san?"

"...But it doesn’t have to be me."

"Right now, you’re part of my team too, aren’t you?"

Nagisa-kun slowly held out his hand.

"Will you fight alongside us?"

"...I..."

Mahiro still couldn’t decide. She started to reach out, but her eyes continued to wander uncertainly.

"Mahiro-san—"

Just as Nagisa-kun tried to call out to her again, a song echoed throughout the space.

It flowed together with a lively rhythm.

Could that be—

"I-Iijima-san!?"

Yeah... wasn’t that Iijima Kanon’s singing voice?

Wait, wait, wait. She was horribly injured the last time I saw her, so how was she—

"Heyyy, Mahiro-chaaan!"

Her voice rang clearly through the space.

"You got way too huge on your own! And no more rampaging without permission!"

The moment Mahiro heard that voice, she panicked spectacularly.

"Mahiro, this really isn’t the time to lock yourself away in here, is it?"

"Y-Yeah... p-please take care of me."

With trembling hands, she finally took Nagisa-kun’s hand.

"Likewise. Let’s work together."

"Ugh... uuu, sorry..."

Still clutching his hand, Mahiro crouched down as though she were about to burst into tears.

...Okay, maybe this was getting a little unhealthy.

"This isn’t the time for that," I hinted, casually making them let go of each other’s hands.

"Mahiro, can’t you undo this for now?"

"I-I’ll try. 《Uninstall》."

The moment she spoke, the space around us began to distort and collapse.

"...Do you think Iijima-san is mad?"

"I don’t think she is, so I’ll be angry in her place instead. Mahiro, you pushed yourself way too hard."

"Owow!"

I lightly bonked her on the head and laughed. While clutching her head and groaning, Mahiro relaxed into a small smile too.

Still... I wonder if I managed to do for someone else what Yuri once did for me back then.

"What’s wrong, Sora-san?"

"Nothing. I was just remembering my best friend."

Maybe someday, I’d tell someone about Yuri too.

Thinking that, I watched the flustered Mahiro as the world around us continued crumbling apart.