Episode 2: noapusa

That night, I had a dream.

(Where is this? This horribly dark and sad place.)

It was damp, and with every step my feet squelched in the wet. But that wasn't all. There was a smell—like a summer day before the rain, a lonely scent that lingered without end.

"Sniff. Hic."

A great sphere of pure white wings was crying.

(What is that?)

I tried to speak, but no sound came out.

"You—"

The wings trembled greatly and spread open, left and right.

Inside the white wings was a small albino girl.

"You... can you see me?"

(I can see you. Why? Who are you?)

"I see. You poor thing. So you're a challenger too. Toward the end. Toward the beginning."

The pure white girl reached out with her great wings and touched my cheek.

"Believe it. That your being born was never a tragedy."

The girl turned her deep blue eyes toward me. When I heard those prayer-like words, I felt sad.

(I'll come back here someday.)

"You mustn't."

(I promise! I'll come see you ag—)

The moment I reached out to her, my eyes were open.

"Hah, hah, hah—"

When I came to, I was in my own bed in the familiar dormitory. I was drenched in sweat, and I'd been crying a little.

(What was that? Just now. A dream?)

Even for a dream, it was too sad.

"...Huh?"

I was gripping something. It was a small gun.

"Is this... my Gunscar?"

For some reason, I knew its name. This thing's name was—"noapusa."

"noapusa... So this is the shape of my heart."

It was a laughably small pistol with a cruelly short barrel.

It happened while I—Léa Cœur de Lumière, of the Purge Squad—was riding along the nighttime aerial highway of District 6. The guest transport hovercar had that fresh new-vehicle smell.

"Hehe, understood? Call me when you get here. Mm-hm. Byeee, talk later!"

I tapped the AR display and ended the call.

"What? Who was that?"

Magina Avram-senpai, seated beside me, had been gazing at the garish neon lights of District 6. Lights of every color sliced through the night sky, so bright they put even the twinkling stars to shame.

"It was Kotton. The Azure Academy people are apparently arriving in District 6 next week."

"...Léa. You're seriously getting chummy with that guy, ain't ya? I mean, whatever, but you two talk on the phone a lot, don't ya?"

Kotton—my friendship with Kotoyorozu Kotoha-kun was blossoming quite healthily.

"I'm so excited! The Sky Tournament! It's been so long since I've seen Kotton!"

The Sky Tournament—the grand festival of the Three Great Academies. This year's host was Corporations, here in District 6.

District 6 was an urban area with towering skyscrapers stretching high enough to pierce the heavens. This particular section was full of luxury hotels, casinos, and arenas—it served primarily as an entertainment district.

"We can't exactly just have fun the whole time. The Purge Squad's already short on people as it is."

"We did get scolded for the Viscera Apartments incident, so we're walking on eggshells."

Our solo raid on the Viscera Apartments while pursuing Los Devotos del Silencio Eterno had become quite the issue within the Chaos Institute.

"Tch. Those idiots in the executive division! They're so damn inflexible."

Magina-senpai was fuming, but honestly, we'd gotten off rather lightly—one month's suspension, a slight pay cut, and being dispatched to Corporations to help with Sky Tournament security.

"But I'm actually quite thrilled! Getting to visit District 6 is like a vacation. Did you know, Senpai? The hotel we're staying at starting today is apparently close to a famous casino!"

"Ugh... Why the hell do we gotta take orders from the Coin Washers?!"

The rationalist Corporations—"Coin Washers."

The bureaucratic Chaos Institute—"Kafkaesque."

The meritocratic Azure Academy—"Barbarians in Lab Coats."

...Those were the nicknames they used to mock each other. That sort of thing really isn't nice, you know.

"Still, what a beautiful city this is!"

The tall buildings visible from the window were vivid and gorgeous. Corporations was an academy-corporate alliance formed by numerous academy enterprises. The competition for capital was fierce, making it the most prosperous of the Three Great Academies.

"Oh. Looks like we're here."

The building we arrived at was as intricate as an enormous piece of sugar sculpture, and the largest in the entire city block. It was impossible to believe this was actually an academy. I felt a little intimidated.

"We've been expecting you!"

Standing before the grand entrance was a girl with long light-blue hair that fluttered airily, her eyes gleaming like jewels. She was translucent like a hologram, and I couldn't help but gasp.

"I'm the student council president of Corporations, Amelia McBeal! Welcome, Purge Squad ladies, all the way from so far away! Thank you so, so much!"

The student council president, Amelia McBeal?! The most important person in all of Corporations. I was a bit surprised, but as a proper lady, I greeted her with elegance.

"Good day, President Amelia. A pleasure to meet you."

"Ahaha! There's no need to be all formal like that! I'm the student council president, sure, but I'm omnipresent throughout this city, so it's really nothing special! Treat me like your doorman, totally fine!"

(Come to think of it...)

I recalled what had been explained at the orientation held at the Chaos Institute before we came here—about President Amelia's One Wing.

["I'm-Watching-You"] — One Wing

An "omnipresent" One Wing. It quantum-materializes the will of its owner, Amelia McBeal, and replicates it infinitely. Range: 30 km radius from Amelia McBeal's remains.

Just as Azure Academy's students had Gunscars and Chaos Institute's students had Slashes, Corporations' students wielded One Wings—wings.

"I exist infinitely throughout this city!"

President Amelia—the spiritual pillar of Corporations, who continued to protect the city she loved even after death. Her remains were said to be buried 100 meters underground. Truly an extraordinary person.

"The others are already here. Right this way, ladies!"

We followed the floating ghost student council president as she drifted along.

We had been gathered in a large party hall on the 64th floor of the academy building.

"Some drinks for the young ladies!"

The one offering us glasses was yet another President Amelia—though not the same one who had greeted us at the entrance. This was a different instance of her, dressed in a tailcoat and making the rounds as a server.

"Brought some new dishes!"

"Has anyone lost anything?"

The venue was bustling with numerous President Amelias (in different outfits!) who were busy serving food, drinks, and handling miscellaneous tasks. I felt a touch dizzy as I sipped from my glass.

"Hmm. It would seem all parties are now assembled."

A girl with beautiful crimson hair, dressed in an imposing uniform, took the microphone. Her chest was adorned with numerous medals. A large military cap. Impressive cufflinks, and sharp, piercing eyes.

"Allow me to formally welcome you all—it is the utmost honor to meet you. I am the captain of Corporations' Corporate Security Force—Caitlin Ann Austin. I will be serving as chief of the security committee for this Sky Tournament."

The reason we had been summoned was a meet-and-greet of the "academy police forces" from all three academies.

While Corporations would handle the bulk of the security during the Sky Tournament, a few members from the Chaos Institute and Azure Academy had arrived early for auditing purposes.

"For this Sky Tournament, several dozen acts of terrorism have already been scheduled."

Captain Caitlin stated this as if it were nothing at all.

(Did she just say "scheduled"? Acts of terrorism?)

That sounded, well, extremely not good.

"By our hands, and by yours, we shall sweep away every last one of these idle troublemakers. Draw your guns. Drive in your blades. Spread your wings wide. This is an opportunity. And this is war!"

A crimson One Wing unfurled from her back like a blaze of fire.

"We are the Apocalypse Stagnation Committee! No matter what we face, we will never stop moving forward!"

It seemed things were going to be far more intense than I had expected.

"Righty-o, today's lesson is Deep Hole training!"

We'd been gathered on the wide grounds in front of the academy, lined up in our gym clothes.

I'm so bad at Deep Hole training...

Today's the day I set a new time! ...Depends on my partner, though.

The other students were warming up however they pleased. I had no clue what kind of training this was.

(Deep Hole... it's obviously that thing over there, right?)

At the edge of the grounds, a massive cave gaped open in the face of a sheer cliff. Were they really saying we were going inside that?

"Announcing today's pairs. PM and Arav!"

PM slapped me on the back, said "You do your best too!" and headed into the cave with Arav. Tanaka-sensei called the students two at a time, until finally, just the two of us were left.

"Tanaka-sensei. You're not seriously saying my partner is... him, are you?"

Standing with impeccable posture was—Pham Thi Lan, if I remembered right. The other students called her Lan. Class representative. And the girl who'd been glaring at me nonstop.

"Not a thing I'd joke about, Class Rep. Look after Kotoyorozu."

"But that's—"

"Sensei thinks excluding people is no good, okay? It's already decided. Use this as a chance to get along."

Lan glared at Tanaka-sensei, not even trying to hide her displeasure.

"Sensei! I don't get it—what even is Deep Hole training?"

"Ohh. Kotoyorozu. Impressive that you can stay eager about class in this hostile atmosphere."

"I'm used to being hated."

Lan flinched for just a second. She clearly disliked me, but honestly, I felt nothing about it. My imprisonment in Mexico had apparently done a hell of a job toughening up my heart. Goddammit.

"Kotoyorozu. I heard your Gunscar manifested?"

"Yes. This morning. Here it is."

I showed sensei my small pistol—"noapusa."

"Have you tried firing it yet?"

"Yes."

I aimed at a nearby pebble and pulled the trigger. The pull was laughably light. It let out a pathetic little pff of a pop and nudged the pebble into a lazy roll.

"Bwahahaha! That's amazing—I've never seen a Gunscar with this little firepower!"

"Wha—he's laughing at the shape of my heart."

Tanaka-sensei touched the pebble.

"Not even a scratch or a dent. Huh. Now that's unusual. This is... ah, I see."

"Do you know something about it?"

"Well, yeah. This old man's been teaching for a while now. I can tell more or less. This is... haha."

Tanaka-sensei grinned his usual lazy grin.

"Well, good luck."

"That's IT?!"

"This is something you've gotta figure out on your own. It's the shape of your heart we're talking about. I don't want a teacher's opinions giving you weird preconceptions or telling you how things should be. Not at first."

"B-but some kind of hint at least—"

"Deepen your understanding of yourself. That's all there is to it."

I had absolutely no idea what this Gunscar's ability was. How was I supposed to fight with a powerless toy like this? Seeing my troubled face, Tanaka-sensei continued.

"Deep Hole training is basically Gunscar practice. Perfect for you."

A pitch-black cave yawning wide open. Apparently, it was called a Deep Hole.

"Quick rundown. That thing's a training dungeon. Inside, there's all kinds of dangerous monster-like things crawling around. The goal is to beat 'em all and make it to the bottom floor. That's the gist."

"If it's for training, it's not actually dangerous, right?"

"No, it's totally dangerous. You can properly get killed in there."

"WHAT?!"

The one letting out a blatant sigh at my shock was Lan.

"Obviously that's not all. It has a property that 'rewinds you to the state you were in when you entered upon exiting.'"

"Rewinds you to... what?"

"Even if you die in the Deep Hole, if your body is brought out, you revert to the state you were in before entering—alive."

"WHAT?!"

"...Sensei. Do I really have to pair up with someone who doesn't even know this?"

[No. 192: "Deep Hole (Roguelight)"] — Stage 2: Seminatio

Properties: Identity

Details: A cave where the sokushinbutsu of a certain ascetic monk rests in its deepest reaches. An anti-reality phenomenon born from the contradiction of a deeply virtuous monk who entered the cave for death and enlightenment, 'choosing death to wish for the happiness of all people' while simultaneously 'continuing to yearn for his own life.' Subjects who exit the Deep Hole revert to the state they were in when they entered. On each floor, anti-reality lifeforms are generated for training purposes. The reality resolution is approximately 82%, making it unsuitable for research, and due to the low R-value, extended stays are not possible. Though it appears useful, it has few applications beyond training.

"Honestly, the simulator's closer to reality, but there aren't that many units, so the upperclassmen and higher-ranked students get priority. You kids—the greenest of the green—get to make do with this."

I see. So I could test my Gunscar against various monsters in the Deep Hole and figure out what kind of ability it had. A little scary, but it sounded worthwhile.

"Well then, let's go, Lan. I'm a beginner so I'll probably be a pain, but I'm counting on you."

"...Hmph."

Lan ignored my offered handshake and started walking toward the Deep Hole.

"Hahaha. Kids and their youth, huh? This old man's getting a little teary-eyed over here."

Seen off by Tanaka-sensei and his lazy grin, I chased after her.

The sound of quiet footsteps was the only thing echoing through the horribly damp ground.

The only things illuminating our path were LED lights mounted at regular intervals on the cave walls.

"You've done the Deep Hole training a few times, right, Lan? Have you ever made it to the bottom?"

"......"

Lan walked in silence, not giving me so much as a grunt in response.

Having to work with an Apocalypse of all things...

This is why I hate this academy. I should've just gone to Chaos Institute.

She apparently had zero intention of ever speaking to me. She seemed to hate everything about the Apocalypse phenomenon from the bottom of her heart. Well, fair enough. The Apocalypse was, after all, just that—an enemy of humanity, plain and simple.

"Stop."

Suddenly, Lan fixed her gaze on the darkness ahead.

"The R-value went up slightly. Something is observing us."

"—Huh?"

"Open your hexagonal divination board."

I opened the equipment I'd received at the staff room when I enrolled—the Penfield Hexagonal Divination Board. It was a device that measured R-value (the density of reality) and Naxa Index (the mutability of reality).

"You're right. Current R-value, 0.967. It's gone up a little from before. How'd you know?"

"...It's just how my body works. It's not that unusual."

An R-value of 1 was the baseline normal. Anything above 1.02 or below 0.98 was considered an anomaly.

"On the Deep Hole's first floor, chimeras with low-danger anti-reality properties are generated by randomly combining one of a hundred traits with one of a hundred body types. Don't let your guard down."

I replied with a simple "Roger." She was an Azure Academy student, no doubt about it. Even though she hated me, she handled the mission without any issues.

"Mind if I ask while I can? What's your Gunscar's ability, Lan?"

"Why? There's no reason to share that with someone who has zero combat capability."

...So much for handling things without any issues. I'd been completely wrong—to her, I was nothing more than a total amateur and dead weight.

"Whatever's watching us is a creature about two meters long. Earthworm... no, flatter than that. Probably looks something like a tapeworm."

"!"

I could feel a killing intent stabbing into my skin—coming from beneath the mud floor, about ten meters away. It was holding its breath, waiting for the moment to strike, trying not to be noticed.

"Its eyesight is poor. It probably perceives the outside world through vibrations. It's... getting ready for something."

"...Is that your Apocalypse? Future sight, was it?"

It wasn't future sight—it was mind reading. But I was keeping that a secret.

(Not that I've ever once been glad I have this ability.)

If God existed and granted wishes, I'd have this shitty power erased first thing. But for combat and recon, it was undeniably useful. Which pissed me off.

"Sorry, but could you shut up already?"

"...Huh?"

"I'd rather die than be helped by an Apocalypse."

"Wha—"

"I don't plan to back you up, and I don't plan to accept your backup."

So much for that, too. This girl intended to completely ignore me, mission or not!

"Hold on, hold on! I get that you hate the Apocalypse, sort of. But by that logic, this Deep Hole is an Apocalypse too, isn't it! This is fine but I'm not?!"

"I'm merely using this Deep Hole. Exploiting it, stripping it of free will to serve my purposes. But you're different, aren't you? You're human. You're an equal. I can't treat you like a tool. That's why you disgust me. Honestly, I don't even want you in my sight."

"Wh-why you..."

Lan was so honest it was almost funny—she said exactly what she was thinking, word for word.

"So just stay behind me and out of the way."

Lan flicked her arm lightly. In that instant, what appeared was a long, slender flintlock musket—an old-fashioned barrel with an ornate grip carved with vivid decorations.

(The shape of an inflexible girl's heart, rendered as-is—)

The moment she stepped forward, the ground shook. In that same instant, a long, pale creature laced with white veins burst from the earth, swallowing dirt as it launched into the air.

"Bite it to death. —'Hound.'"

Lan put her finger on the trigger. That was when it happened.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

"—!"

A fist-sized rock grazed Lan's cheek. The stone I'd hurled cut through the air with a whoosh and struck the creature dead center in the face the instant it emerged.

(Minimal nerve damage. Right—its base is an insect, so its central nervous system isn't in its head.)

But the combined force of its own momentum and the stone's impact was far from insignificant. I hoisted a rock about the size of a bowling ball and closed in on the reeling creature.

"Take THIS!"

I swung the rock down with everything I had, smashing the giant insect into the ground. There was a sickening crunch, and foul-smelling green blood splattered everywhere. The thrill and rush of battle made me laugh.

"Heh. Hahaha. Hahahaha."

"...No way. A chimera, with a rock..."

"Ha! Who needs a Gunscar! Like I need that crap!"

I stood there drenched in the creature's blood and looked at Lan.

"If you don't need me, then fine—right back at you! I'll clear this Deep Hole training without borrowing your strength at all!"

"...Hmmm, sure. There's obviously no way you can, though. Easy to talk big. You only managed because that was a weak first-floor chimera. Once you go deeper—"

"Wanna bet? Who can make it to a deeper floor."

I was half running on spite at this point.

"Loser has to walk around the academy grounds doing a handstand while wearing a sign that says 'I am a loser.' Deal?"

"Hmph. Training is an important mission. That kind of petty grudge—"

"Petty grudge. That's rich, coming from you. What, are you scared? Of losing to an Apocalypse?"

"......"

Lan smiled. With a vein bulging on her forehead.

"Bring it on. I'll kill you."

And the two of us broke into a dead sprint through the Deep Hole.

When I—Luna—got back from the lab, it was past eleven o'clock.

"Ugh, the sky's so blue... It's blinding..."

I wasn't a creature of this dimension. My organs and the materials composing my body were fundamentally different—Parallel Law, as they called it. My checkup had wrapped up, and I was on my way back to class.

(Honestly, I don't really care about classes. And having to wake up early for school is a drag.)

But this kind of ordinary, everyday life like a normal person—I couldn't say it wasn't fun. It reminded me just a little of the training academy back in that dimension, when they used to call me the Knight of Frills.

"Man, I'm starving. Maybe I'll sneak in an early lunch."

I'd actually made a boxed lunch today using leftovers from the dorm fridge. I'd even prepared one for Master-chan, though I just hadn't worked up the nerve to tell him yet. Making lunch for your master was such a cliché maid thing to do—it felt kind of stupid, you know?

(Well, his palate is simple enough. He'll be happy with it.)

I'd seasoned it on the slightly heavy side, with extra protein. He'd tell me it was delicious no matter what. Even if it wasn't, he was the kind of boy who'd say it was. Yeah.

(But I hope he likes it.)

...Was that too pure of me? Kind of funny, actually. Well, whatever. I'd hold off on the early lunch.

"Hey there. Sorry, Luna's baaack."

When I reached the edge of the grounds where my classmates were gathered, I heard cheering. Something seemed pretty lively. I turned my head toward where everyone was looking.

"Oh, Luna-chan, welcome back."

The one who greeted me was a classmate with a kind smile and squinty eyes—A-chan. She'd been the first to talk to me on my first day of school, and she still looked after me.

"What's up? Somethin' exciting going on?"

The classmates were shouting things like "Go, go!" "You got this!" "Don't give up!"—like a bunch of old men at the horse races, all crowded around a small monitor.

"Ahaha. Kotoyorozu-kun is amazing! And the class rep too!"

"Huh?"

I was startled to suddenly hear the name of someone from my household. A-chan, laughing with her soft, squishy smile, pulled me by the hand toward the monitor, and I caught sight of that boy in action.

"HRAAAAAAAAGH!!"

That boy—Kotoyorozu Kotoha, a.k.a. my master—had gotten his hands on a Western-style greatsword from somewhere, leaped off a high cliff, and was in the middle of plunging the blade straight into a massive dragon.

"...Excuse me?"

"Isn't he incredible?! He stole a sword from a skeletal knight and he's going on a rampage!"

What was that kid doing? Such a reckless—

"Holy crap! He actually jumped! What kind of guts does that take?!"

"D-dude, hasn't he already broken several bones getting this far?! That's insane!"

Amid the gasps and cheers of my classmates, I stood there in stunned silence. While everyone else burned with excitement, my heart alone had gone cold. My throat went bone-dry.

"Got iiiit!"

Master-chan's greatsword must have been a special anti-reality weapon of some kind—it cleaved the massive dragon clean through, like a knife through tofu.

"GYAH!"

He'd committed his full weight to that blade that could cut through anything, so when the dragon crumbled, he slammed into its tough hide and crashed into the ground like a paper doll.

"Oh, that's gotta be—!"

"EEEEK! His brain's coming out! His braaain!"

Screams erupted from my classmates. I couldn't even blink as I watched.

"That's Kotoyorozu out of the running, then."

Tanaka-sensei, who had been watching quietly, murmured and waved his hand lazily. A single coin appeared.

["Interrupting This Program" (Max Jackroom)] — Gunscar

A Gunscar that "enters monitors." When a Japanese coin (effects vary by denomination) is thrown at a monitor currently playing video, the effect activates. For live footage, it teleports the user to the filming location. For recorded footage, a different effect activates.

Tanaka-sensei flicked a ten-yen coin with his thumb and bounced it off the monitor displaying the surveillance camera feed. In that instant, he appeared on the other side of the screen—right next to Master-chan's body.

"Ooh, nice!"

Tanaka-sensei quickly gathered up Master-chan's remains and lifted him in his arms.

(Wait... That's not all. He's talking to someone?)

The person he was talking to was the girl they called the class rep—Lan, I think her name was. She had a frantic expression as she exchanged a few words with Tanaka-sensei, then turned and pressed on deeper.

"And we're back. Just like that."

Tanaka-sensei had returned before I knew it, cradling Master-chan in a princess carry. Not a scratch on him. I felt so relieved I could have cried.

"D-damn it! I lost!"

Master-chan, on the other hand, was shouting in total frustration. Annoying.

"No, that was amazing, Kotoyorozu-kun! Nice fight!"

"The way you kept getting back up no matter how many times you got knocked down—that was kind of inspiring!"

Master-chan was surrounded by classmates showering him with praise. He wasn't used to that kind of attention at all, so he was smiling sheepishly. Good for you, yeah?

(But what the heck was that just now?!)

As a maid who hadn't been briefed on the situation, I was kind of freaking out?! Was that okay with Sensei?!

"Kotoyorozu. You and I are going to have a talk later. You and the class rep both."

"Huh?!"

"...You idiot. Reckless stunts like that don't fly in real operations."

I kind of understood now. What had been on the monitor was some kind of simulation, and Master-chan had pulled off results impressive enough to shock his classmates.

(Well, of course he did.)

His Apocalypse was "reading minds." And that didn't just mean knowing what someone was thinking—nothing so mundane. He understood a target's emotions, the subtleties of their heart, their mental reactions, more deeply than the target themselves did.

(His precision is practically at the level of future sight—)

But more than that.

(Master-chan doesn't know how to hold back.)

Not holding back against others. Holding back on himself.

That kid assumed dying was just a given for someone like him.

And he fought on that assumption.

(Of course he'd be strong. A student-level trial would be a cakewalk for him. But...)

Someday—probably sooner rather than later—he was going to die.

"Master-chan, nice work."

"Oh, Luna-san! You're back!"

Looking at him—still riding the high from the fight, unable to hide his grin from all the praise, like some overgrown golden retriever—I didn't know what to say.

"...Phew. I made lunch for us today, so let's eat together later, okay?"

That was about all I managed to get out. Master-chan's face softened with happiness, and I felt a small warmth in my chest.

(I have to watch over this kid. I have to protect my master.)

That resolve burned stronger than ever as I gave my puppy-like master a gentle pat on the head.

"Grraaagh...!"

Having lost to Lan, I was doing a handstand around the grounds with a placard reading "I am a loser" hanging from my neck. My arms were already trembling, close to giving out.

"Master-chan, you're really going for it, huh."

The onlookers—classmates who'd been watching for the entertainment—had drifted off a while ago. Now the only one still watching was a certain languid, jersey-wearing maid—Luna-san.

"I didn't know this academy's grounds were this huge!"

"Yeah. Apparently it's a full 1,000 meters."

Doing a handstand for a full kilometer was seriously brutal. But Luna-san seemed to be enjoying herself.

"Almost there, though. Come on, you can do it! You can do it!"

"...That cheering is a little..."

"Wait, are you getting turned on? Gross, puberty is creepy. I'm literally pulling away right now."

"That was totally my fault!"

"If you tough it out, I'll give you lots and lots of rewards later, okay? You can do it! You can do it!"

"...Is this really my fault, though?"

She was just messing with me. Plain and simple.

"And... finish line!"

The moment I crossed the finish, I collapsed. My sweat-soaked body hit the dirt.

"Good work. Here's your reward—honey-pickled lemons and a sports drink, plus a cooling towel."

"...Aren't you a little too perfect as a maid?"

Ever since we'd formed our master-servant contract in the deep sea last time, Luna-san had started taking care of me in all sorts of ways. I was genuinely happy about it, but it also felt a little ticklish somehow.

"So then—no complaints, right? Class Rep!"

In the twilight tinged with indigo, the dark-haired class rep stood in the shade of a tree, watching us silently.

"...Whatever. You're the one who said you'd do it. I never said anything."

"For not saying anything, you sure watched the whole thing."

"Whatever. I had no choice. I'm the one who made the promise."

What a stickler for the rules. She was probably genuinely earnest and inflexible to the core.

He's not a bad person. I think. He tries hard. And he actually honored a silly promise like this.

...I don't like this. He's an Apocalypse, and yet...

Being hated by someone still hurt. I'd put on a tough face and acted like I could handle it, but deep down, I knew the wound was there.

(But hey—people disliking other people is just how things are, right?)

There are people you just can't get along with, no matter what. Ignoring that and playing nice was probably the smart, adult way of handling things. I just couldn't do that because of this garbage ability of mine.

"Kotoyorozu."

"Yeah?"

"I don't trust you. People who carry an Apocalypse are enemies, as far as I'm concerned. I truly believe, from the bottom of my heart, rationally, that all of you would be better off dead. I believe it's the right thing."

"..."

"I feel like the world is broken. I want to fix it. That's why I'm at this academy. That's why I have no intention of becoming your friend, and I'll keep treating you coldly. That won't change."

But, Lan continued.

"You died in the cave because you jumped in to save me, didn't you?"

"Well, that was..."

Lan looked at me with quiet eyes, held back as long as she could, and then murmured, very small:

"...Thank you for that."

Lan hurried off. Left behind in the evening darkness were just me and Luna-san. I bit into one of the lemons she'd given me.

"...Social life sure is tough."

"Yep."

"Makes me want to give up on everything and just run away."

But, Luna-san said with a smile—that terribly gentle, narrow-eyed smile she only ever showed me.

"—But you're not going to run, are you?"

That was right. I didn't have that option. And Luna-san was surely the exact same way. We'd only ever be ourselves — nothing more, nothing less — and there was nowhere left to run.

"Let's do this. Yeah."

"Yeah."

Master and servant raised their fists to the sinking sun and swore it to the sky.