Episode 3: District 6

* * *

Koito Hikari sat cross-legged on the sofa in the student council room, a cup of tea in her hands. She took a sip.

"Ow, hot."

It was still too hot for her sensitive tongue. She puckered her lips and blew on it to cool it down. Even as the Apocalypse Stagnation Committee's strongest, Rank 1, her tongue burned just like anyone else's. Koito had a low tolerance for both heat and spice.

"So, Eli-chan. What did you want to talk about? You went out of your way to summon me and everything."

The master of this room, Elif Anatolia, smiled with doll-like beauty.

"—There's apparently an assassination plot against you at the next Sky Tournament."

Koito's eyes went wide.

"Pfft, ahaha. What's that about? That's nothing new."

For many anti-reality organizations—or even for the academy itself—Koito Hikari was an existence that needed to be eliminated as soon as possible. Her freezing had been publicly debated more than once or twice.

"That's not all. Kotoyorozu Kotoha-kun seems to be a target too."

"...Hmmm. Where'd you hear that?"

"Oh, here and there."

Elif Anatolia was extremely well-informed. No—too well-informed.

(This intelligence-gathering ability—is it Gunscar-related? Or perhaps she secretly possesses some kind of Apocalypse.)

Koito had known for quite some time that Elif was hiding things from her. Elif was a secretive person. But Koito honestly didn't care. So she hadn't particularly paid it any mind.

"You care about Kotoyorozu-kun, don't you?"

"Oh, I heard something about that. His ectoplasmic fluid conversion rate is insanely high or something... He's an important sample, right?"

"That's part of it."

Elif Anatolia smiled with the same doll-like beauty as always.

"—The truth is, I became student council president for his sake."

Koito spit out her tea. The confession was too sudden and too unexpected, and she couldn't keep her composure.

"What are you saying? Wait, is that some kind of joke?"

"No, not at all. I haven't told anyone this, so it's a secret, alright? I'm pretty sure he has no idea."

"...Can I hear the details?"

"Nope. ♡"

What an unfathomable person, Koito thought. They'd known each other for a long time, and she'd thought she knew at least a few things about her—but apparently that had been a complete misunderstanding.

"There's a whole chain of cause and effect. I'll skip the details, but—I love him."

Elif said it like it was nothing.

Koito sensed an enormous conspiracy, secrets, resolve, and will behind her smile.

"Hey, you're skipping way too much! I can't even process that!"

But that piece of information did make one thing click for Koito.

"When Kotoha nearly drowned in the sea and was captured by the goddess... You were the one who told us to stand by at that location in advance. —Honestly, I always thought that was strange."

"Ahaha, yeah, I bet."

"...And haven't you been coming up with excuses to see Kotoha pretty often?"

Elif blushed like a maiden.

"...Well, that's... yeah... I want to get closer to him, so..."

"What?! Why are you blushing? That's so cute!"

In short, Elif Anatolia loved Kotoyorozu Kotoha. She was in love with him. Why that was remained a complete mystery, and she didn't seem inclined to explain.

"So what? You and Kotoha weren't meeting for the first time back then?"

"No, it was our first time meeting."

"...That makes no sense. Then why?"

Elif Anatolia thought about it for just a moment.

"Because thanks to him, I've been able to stay sane until now."

That was all she murmured. It seemed she had no intention of saying anything more.

(Honestly, what a secretive person!)

But Koito thought there must be a reason important enough to warrant all of this. Elif Anatolia was clearly an extraordinary, special girl. Not a single person in this academy knew her true identity.

"So? What's your reason for telling me all this?"

Normally, Elif would have tried to hide this from everyone. There was a clear reason she was confessing this secret to Koito at this timing. That was the kind of girl she was.

"I want you to protect Kotoyorozu-kun."

"Obviously. He's a precious junior."

"If he dies, you can assume I'll die too."

Koito stared into Elif's eyes with a start. They were terribly quiet—calm as a windless sea. What lay there wasn't strong resolve—it was certainty. Something that couldn't be helped.

"...Then why not just keep him at the academy instead of letting him go to the Sky Tournament? Actually, enrolling him in Azure Academy in the first place was a mistake. Why don't you just protect him yourself?"

"You know I believe in human free will. Besides... Kotoyorozu-kun needs to grow stronger."

"Stronger?"

"Yes. Many trials await him from here on."

Elif Anatolia gazed out the window at the blue sky. An enormous window. An enormous blue sky. Only the girl who wore the smile of its master seemed terribly tiny, and small.

"...Even if I die, his life will go on. He needs to become strong. While I can still watch over him, I need him to gain as much experience as possible."

Koito's confusion continued. Why Kotoyorozu? Why was Elif going this far for him?

(But somehow, it finally makes sense.)

Koito laughed and took a sip of her now-lukewarm tea.

"I always wondered about this. You're honestly not the student council president type, are you, Eli-chan? It's not like you're the 'fight to protect the weak!' type either. And yet—you're always so desperate."

"..."

I've never been called "desperate" before, Elif thought. Despite appearances, Koito Hikari had a remarkably sharp eye for reading people. Koito was smiling, looking somehow pleased.

"It's because you love him. It's for love. ...I see. That makes sense now."

Koito was certain. The strongest person in Azure Academy wasn't herself—it was this girl named Elif Anatolia. She didn't know why, but Elif clearly overwhelmed everyone else in some way.

"Let me tell you this too. Kotoyorozu-kun's Apocalypse isn't future sight."

"Nya-what?!"

"—It's mind-reading. I'm sorry. I asked him to give a false testimony at the trial."

"...When did you even find the time to do that? You're really good at lying."

The secret itself didn't shake Koito much. There had always been several puzzling points about Kotoyorozu's ability if it was supposed to be future sight. This actually made more sense. She was just disappointed that the lottery plan had fallen through.

"Well, I get what you're saying. You want me to protect Kotoha while training him. Right?"

"Please."

Elif liked this about Koito. Even knowing she'd been deceived, she didn't feel the slightest bit offended. Was it the magnanimity that came from being overwhelmingly strong?

"Then this works out perfectly. Can you leave this year's Representative Battle to our team?"

"Sure, but... why?"

"I want to show whoever picked this fight exactly who they messed with, and it'll be good level-grinding for the team. ♪"

"But you don't have enough members, do you?"

"...It's about time we dragged that slacker out of bed."

It would likely cause problems. The attention on the Sky Tournament's Representative Battle was on a completely different level from popular sports. It was a massive event watched by all of Fructus.

"I can't have you losing. The outcome of the Representative Battle affects relations between the Three Great Academies going forward."

"Of course! We'll absolutely win! Leave it to me!"

I'll leave it to her, Elif agreed. She trusted Koito's abnormally sharp instincts. And Koito, like herself, was not the talkative type.

"Alright, then. Win and your bonus doubles. Lose and it's gone."

"Gah! Now I absolutely can't lose!"

Even so, there was no hesitation in Koito's expression. She was smiling with eyes as vivid as cherry blossom petals.

"Thank you. I'm counting on you, my Wing."

Protect her subordinates. Show their strength at the Sky Tournament. Teach whoever plotted the assassination a lesson.

Those three weren't simple tasks. But Koito had something more important to discuss.

"Hey, forget about all that! I wanna hear more! Let's talk about love!"

"...No, I'm the one who wants to hear. What kind of girls is he into...?"

"A beautiful girl like me, obviously! I always feel his eyes on me!"

And so, the two leaders of Azure Academy spent a while chatting about love, like girls their age.

* * *

"Whoooaaa! This is incredible!!"

"Pfft. Kotoha-senpai, you're way too excited. So weak. lol"

What I was looking at while Koshiba teased me was a pitch-black, gleaming train—the Galaxy Railway.

"No seriously, this is amazing! This thing! It's huge!! How many meters long is it?"

"Ugh. Boys just love vehicles no matter how old they get. So childish. Right, Mef-senpa—"

Mef was staring at the Apollo with sparkling eyes.

"The Apollo is thirteen kilometers long! The world's first anti-gravity rail system, and a symbol of District 12's reconstruction two hundred years ago! The fact that it's still running today is a miracle! A blessing! Incredible!"

"Gah! Oh right, Mef-senpai's into vehicles too! Your Gunscar Chalquiruq is totally your hobby showing through!"

Today was the day we—the students of Azure Academy—were heading out to Corporations as a group. At the massive station in the southwest part of District 12, boys and girls in uniform were cheerfully lining up.

"Look, look, Master-chan! I bought a whole pickled cucumber at the station shop. I'll give you half."

"Already snacking!"

It was a size bigger than any cucumber I'd seen before, closer to a melon. The flavor was light and simply seasoned. Refreshing, and seriously delicious.

"You gotta have frozen mandarin oranges on a train ride! It's not a trip without 'em!"

Koito-senpai was happily swinging around a red mesh bag of frozen mandarins.

"Riding a train as a whole school—this is just like a field trip! I'm so moved!"

"Kotoyorozu-kun. We do have a proper school trip scheduled separately, you know."

"You do?! I can't wait!"

I was getting carried away, but when Mef smiled gently at me, I felt embarrassed and shut up.

"Also, is it okay for me to be here? The meeting spot for Class 1-F is over there."

"This year, Koito's squad is operating separately. Well, stuff happened."

I see. Being with Koito's team was fun, but I also wanted to bond with my classmates. Hanging out with Arav and PM was a good time too.

"Come on, senpais! Looks like they finished cleaning the train. Let's get on!"

Prompted by Koshiba—the youngest of us and somehow always the most put-together middle school girl—Koito's squad, slightly overexcited, piled onto the Galaxy Railway.

"This is insane! The sky! We're flying through the sky!"

Through the Galaxy Railway's windows, all I could see was an expanse of blue and the occasional flash of white clouds.

"Kotoha. You know District 12 is already flying too, right?"

Koito-senpai snorted, warming a frozen mandarin in her palm.

"No, this is totally different!"

"It's the romance of it. I understand."

Mef murmured with sparkling eyes.

"The distinctive rhythm of this old combustion engine! The faint bell-like chime when the anti-gravity rails form, flex, and vanish! The billowing black smoke of ectoplasmic fluid! It's pure romance!"

"S-sorry, I can't follow you that far."

Mef looked crushed. Seeing her—usually so composed—getting all excited was honestly adorable.

"Hmm..."

"Koito-senpai? What's wrong?"

Koshiba called out to Koito-senpai, who was furrowing her brow.

"...Nah, I was just thinking—my kid's got some serious competition. Tough stuff."

"Who does? About what?"

"Hehe, grown-ups have their own things going on."

Koshiba huffed at being treated like a child.

"Hey, if nobody else is gonna ask, then I will."

What Luna was eating was a snack wrapped in newspaper—puffed rice, raw vegetables, and treats dusted with chili powder and spices. She pointed with her eyes at the seat beside her.

"Who's this squirming futon?"

It was a futon, rolled up tight like a burrito. It wriggled from time to time.

"The only place I've ever seen something like this is a body disposal van, and that's genuinely freaking me out. Well, I've never actually seen a body disposal van either. Wait—this train isn't heading deep into some remote mountain where nobody goes, right?"

I'd noticed it too, along with Mef and Koshiba, but it was too unsettling to ask about. Koito-senpai had carried it in with a smile like it was the most natural thing in the world, so it was hard to say anything.

"That's our secret weapon for this round! Our hidden ace! ♪"

Koito-senpai was grinning cheerfully, but Mef and Koshiba's expressions stayed grim.

"Secret weapon... for what?"

Luna asked, and Koito-senpai answered casually.

"The Representative Battle! This year, our Koito squad's been selected as the academy's reps for the Three Great Academies showdown!"

While I just went along with an oh, cool, Mef and Koshiba still had dark looks on their faces.

"Th-this doesn't make any sense, Leader."

"Why not?"

"Neither Koshiba nor I have high combat capability against people. We're both below Rank 50. Over Platinum-senpai, the captain of the Arboreal Knights at Rank 12, and Guon-senpai, the combat specialist at Rank 19—what's the point of us competing?"

She had a point now that I thought about it. Both Mef and Koshiba were exploration-oriented, with Gunscars designed to support Koito-senpai.

They were absolutely not built for one-on-one fights against people.

"Well, I said I wanted to do it, and Eli-chan said sure."

"Please don't casually agree to things like that!"

Koshiba was shouting too, half in tears. I got curious and chimed in.

"Wait, is it really that bad?"

"Kotoha-senpai has no idea! The Representative Battle is the highlight of the Sky Tournament! The main event! There'll be TV cameras everywhere, and all of Fructus will be watching!"

"Huh...?"

"You still don't get it, do you!"

Koshiba thought for a moment about how to put it in terms a surface-dweller would understand.

"It's like a recreational baseball team entering the Olympic baseball finals."

"That is horrifyingly clear."

"Glad you understand. That makes it Koshiba's 12 wins to 6 losses."

"When did my losses keep piling up?"

And yeah—that was terrifying. I could see why Koshiba and Mef were scared.

"It'll be fine, you're both strong! It'll work out!"

"Huh? Why are you acting like this has nothing to do with you?"

Koito-senpai smiled brightly.

"You're competing too, you know?"

"...........Huh?"

"Already registered you. It even made the news."

I looked it up on my Linphone—the ring-shaped mobile used in Fructus—and sure enough, the info site "Fructus Letter!" had posted a player introduction for this year's Representative Battle.

"This year's spotlight is, without a doubt, Azure Academy!"

"Incredibly, all four members besides Koito Hikari are newcomers!"

"All eyes on this bold and fearless strategy!"

I broke out in a cold sweat—not metaphorically, in literal torrents.

"Koito-senpai. The comment section is on fire."

"Well, the other academies have been training like crazy for this. Like Koshien-level dedication."

"And we're going in with whatever we've got? No wonder people are pissed."

"Yep."

No, not "yep." Stop stuffing your face with frozen mandarins, you look way too carefree.

"This is terrible!"

"Ahahaha."

This woman was hopeless. Truly and completely hopeless.

"I don't even know how to use my own Gunscar yet!"

"Well, that's why I brought this one along."

Koito-senpai glanced casually at whoever was rolled up in the futon.

(So she does have some kind of plan...?)

Koito-senpai was always a mystery at times like these. Sometimes she seemed like she totally had it together, and then she totally didn't. But somehow, she inspired a strange sense of trust.

"Leader. I must insist you explain your intentions."

To Mef's serious demand, Koito-senpai replied with a bored smile.

"It's one of those duties of the champion, you know? A pain, but still."

More importantly, she continued.

"I heard that District 6 has this treat that's super trendy right now! So get this—it's a waffle, but they put deep-fried ice cream on top! Deep-fried ice cream—what even is that?! Apparently you can't buy it without lining up, so we're definitely waking up early tomorrow!"

We all exchanged glances, and then—giving up—we just laughed.

* * *

"Hey! Get back here!"

I—Léa Cœur de Lumière—was chasing a member of a radical anti-reality artist collective through the streets of District 6's entertainment quarter.

"The greatest show! Hope you enjoyed it!"

The man—whose head had been remade into a lotus flower prosthetic body—sprinted upward from the back alleys into the sky, as if running on invisible footholds in midair.

* * *

[No. TBD: "Lotus-Head Man"] — Stage 0

Properties: Parallel Law, Ritual Disaster

Details: An artist belonging to the anti-reality art collective "Merrymaker." In District 12's entertainment quarter, he connected the nerves of several hundred people using anti-reality threads, forming a pseudo-neural network. The several hundred people came to believe themselves to be a single girl called "Meryl," and by combining their bodies like puzzle pieces, reconstructed limbs and a head. Meryl behaved as a single human being, continuously dancing to Mark Ronson's "Uptown Funk." She shows no signs of harming others.

* * *

"What makes us who we are? Is it our nerves? Our ego? Our flesh? We must define it! Why can I call myself 'me'?"

The lotus-head man continued running through the blue sky with exaggerated, dance-like steps.

"Silence, you freak!"

"This is exactly why I can't stand laypeople who don't understand art. That was my god."

"It's a ripoff of Utagawa Kuniyoshi! You're a talentless hack with zero originality!"

"It's not a ripoff. It's an homage."

What a self-satisfied smile! This was exactly why freaks were the worst! I was going to beat the living daylights out of him!

"Maiden of Gévaudan!"

My Slash—the Maiden of Gévaudan—carved through the brick wall lining the alley.

"I! Said! Wait!"

I cut through the wall, dashed through the building's interior, and burst out onto the rooftop.

"Raaaahh!"

I leaped from the rooftop and swung my chainsaw, but he dodged by a hair.

"Bye-bye! ♪"

"Nggaaaahhh!"

Naturally, gravity pulled me back down. The lotus-head man waved cheerfully from above as he escaped into the sky.

"Haha! That was fun. Now then, my ride should be—"

The lotus-head man surveyed his surroundings from about a hundred meters up. He was certain he'd gotten away clean, probably basking in satisfaction at the completion of his art (!). But he was dead wrong.

"...Huh?"

A single pigeon grazed his cheek.

"—Maiden of Gévaudan!"

I'd sliced the pigeon open and slipped inside. I burst out from within.

"Wha—?!"

I swung the chainsaw down and sliced the man clean across.

"GYAAH—...wait, it doesn't hurt?"

Once inside the lotus-head man, I grabbed the controls and took him for a little stroll back down to ground level.

"Wait! It was just a spur-of-the-moment thing!"

"Tell it to the judge. ♡"

Waiting on the ground were the members of Corporations' campus police—the Corporate Security Force. As I descended from the sky, their cheers greeted me, which was a little embarrassing.

"Amazing! Beautifully done!"

"Oh stop. Flattery will only get you candy. Will honey flavor do?"

I handed the candy and the lotus-head man to a small girl from the middle school division, then put my Linphone to my ear.

"Magina-senpaaai? This is Lea. Suspect secured."

"Ooh! Lea, get over here quick! Blegh—this is so gross! Stay away from me, you creep! Ugh, this is the worst, the worst, the WORST! Lea!! I'm waiting for you! Hey—don't touch me, you piece of—!"

Things were an absolute mess on Magina-senpai's end too. Security detail for the Sky Tournament was honestly a total circus. Problems were erupting all over the city, and there was zero downtime.

"Lea-san, we've prepared a vehicle for you right here!"

Prompted by the adorable middle school girl, I climbed into a pure white sky-car. Corporations led all academies in car production. Most vehicles on the streets were domestically made.

"Pardon me. Would you mind if I rode along?"

The one who spoke to me was a tall woman with scarlet hair. The captain of Corporations' campus police, the Corporate Security Force—Caitlin Ann Austin.

(Oh wow! Captain Caitlin, right up close!)

The scent of a well-worn military uniform, and eyes red as rubies—a beauty almost enough to make you flinch. She was a student with an exceptionally high mission completion rate, Rank 6 in the Apocalypse Stagnation Committee!

"O-of course, after you."

Once Captain Caitlin and I got in the car, it pulled away silently and smoothly.

"Passengers! Make sure your seatbelts are nice and snug! ♡"

The driver was, of course, one of President Amelia's individual units. Seriously, that woman was everywhere.

"I watched you in action earlier. Impressive, even for the Purge Squad's ace. Splendid work."

"Tee-hee, flattery will only get you candy."

Captain Caitlin smiled slightly and took the candy, then tucked it into her pocket.

"I had no idea guarding the Sky Tournament would be this exhausting... I'm honestly dead on my feet."

"Television only shows the glamorous side of the Sky Tournament."

Back at my family's estate, watching the Sky Tournament broadcast together every year was a family tradition. When it came to the main event—the Representative Battle—viewership exceeded a staggering 70%.

"The Sky Tournament is the day the Three Great Academies demonstrate their prestige to the world—and the day countless anti-reality organizations make their name."

Anti-reality organizations—meaning people who rewrote reality through sorcery, laws from other dimensions, contracts with elder gods, and the like. Naturally, the Three Great Academies were included in that category. But in this context, it referred to "the incorrigible dangerous ones."

"Most anti-reality organizations despise order. They are people who have abandoned humanity and natural law. We, the Apocalypse Stagnation Committee—who police anti-reality and guard silence from chaos—are a thorn in their side."

Order and chaos. They could never coexist. That was why nearly every anti-reality organization was hostile to the Apocalypse Stagnation Committee.

"So committing acts of terrorism at the Sky Tournament raises an anti-reality organization's profile?"

"Yes. The information network those people commonly use—the Scarlet Spider Web—publishes rankings of who caused the biggest spectacle at the Sky Tournament. Every year, the top-ranked organizations see a surge in new recruits and funding from new patrons."

What anti-reality organizations needed was people and money. I knew that all too well as a member of the Purge Squad. They were always short on personnel and funding. This was a golden opportunity for them.

"We at Chaos Institute have had students drop out and join other anti-reality organizations in an unending stream."

"Even those who study Miracle Theory find that the Apocalypse Stagnation Committee prohibits no small number of fields. Some will join criminal organizations in pursuit of their goals."

That said, Captain Caitlin smiled.

"But you already know all of this, don't you? Being Purge Squad and all."

The Purge Squad—a division within Chaos Institute's campus police. Our job was to capture those who had misused their knowledge, committed forbidden acts at the academy, or deserted illegally.

"By the way, Lea-san, which events are you competing in at the Sky Tournament?"

"Oh, we're just on security duty. We're technically on probation."

I told her everything. What had happened so far. Why we were here.

"...Los Devotos del Silencio Eterno, hm."

Magina-senpai and I were tracking Maestro. We had broken Chaos Institute's rules by pushing ahead on our own—and that was where we'd met Kotton and the others. That was why we were on probation.

"Yes. They incapacitated half our Purge Squad members. Killed several. I... Magina-senpai and I couldn't stop it."

The person calling themselves "Maestro" had been posing as a friend and recruiting students from Chaos Institute. Seventeen students had actually joined Los Devotos del Silencio Eterno.

"Hmm, Maestro. I've heard the name. Among the many cult organizations, that's a quite well-known grand sorcerer. They've contributed numerous papers to the Scarlet Spider Web as well. Capture will be difficult."

"Yes. But neither Magina-senpai nor I will ever give up. We will kill that person ourselves."

The grand sorcerer, Maestro. A being who had lived for centuries, a human who had abandoned humanity. The pinnacle of sorcery.

"...Hmm, perhaps I should mention this."

"What is it?"

"The Sky Tournament is a chance for anti-reality organizations to raise their profile... There are several organizations that show up every year without fail."

I felt my shoulder twitch.

"That... means..."

My voice grew cold. My stomach froze like ice. Killing intent settled into my fists.

"—They'll be here, won't they? Los Devotos del Silencio Eterno. In this city."

Captain Caitlin looked at me and smiled.

"Good thing you're not competing in the Sky Tournament. I'd hate to have our students taken out."

My heart roared. It sounded like the scream of a chainsaw.

* * *

"Eeeeeek! Kotoha-senpai! Slow down! Slow down!"

Koshiba was on the verge of tears, screaming from my back.

"It's fine! This thing's awesome!"

What I was riding was a flying kickboard recently released by Corporations. It tore through the night sky of District 6, a city packed with skyscrapers, like something out of a fantasy.

"Kotoha-senpai, you idiot! Koshiba thought a gentle stroll through the sky would be nice!"

"But this thing goes crazy fast! It's supposedly AI-controlled, so it should be safe!"

I flew up to the rooftop of an especially tall building and touched down, gazing out at the nightscape of District 6.

"Whoooa! The view's insane!"

"Uuu... idiot, idiot, idiot, idiot..."

"Want me to unhook the harness?"

"Koshiba is fine like this! It's scary!"

Koshiba was originally supposed to test-ride the anti-gravity board herself, but she'd been caught by the age restriction. With no other choice, she was strapped into a harness and piggybacking on me.

"Is that the arena we're using tomorrow? Check out that huge bridge! Amazing... so many cars flying around. It's like a sci-fi movie I watched as a kid..."

District 6 was an aerial city built along the shore of a massive lake. Vivid neon lights, colossal hologram advertisements. Despite being nighttime, the city was so lively it didn't feel dark at all.

"The hotel where we're meeting up with Koito-senpai and the others is... over there! Think they're already there?"

"K-Koshiba would appreciate being let down now, please. Koshiba can walk. Koshiba loves stairs. Koshiba is in love with stairs."

She was that terrified, so I did feel bad. I started looking for a route where we could walk back—

"NOOOOO!"

A scream rang out, and I looked up at the night sky.

What was there—was a giant hand.

* * *

[No. 6765: "Star Hand"] — Stage 2: Seminatio

Properties: Parallel Law, Anti-Reality Mechanical Engineering

Details: A product deployed by the Boundary Region Trading Company for the purpose of capturing humans. It sorts humans by gender, race, anti-reality properties, personality, and size, then randomly captures matching bodies from the surrounding area. The warm, soft exterior of "Star Hand" is designed to relax captured humans and transport them stress-free—or so the product description claims, though this is exaggerated marketing and there is no definitive data to support it.

* * *

"Look out!"

A small girl who had barely escaped that giant hand was plummeting toward the ground at terrifying speed. "Star Hand" shot straight after her like a bullet, trying to snatch her up.

"Let's go, Koshiba!"

"Huh? W-wait—KYAAAAAAAH!"

With Koshiba still strapped to my back, I cranked the kickboard's throttle to maximum.

"Please cease dangerous operation!"

The kickboard's AI blared a mechanical warning.

"Over here! Reach out your hand!"

The one falling from the sky was a girl of about nine. She was in full panic, unable to even look my way. I stretched out my hand with everything I had, but—

"Dangerous operation detected! Switching to auto-pilot!"

"What?!"

The kickboard swerved sharply, and I couldn't even graze the girl.

"Kotoha-senpai! We're gonna crash! We're gonna crash!"

"Urooahhh!!"

I swerved hard, barely scraping along the side of a building.

"This is bad!"

Before we could reach her, "Star Hand" was already closing in to grab the girl.

"—Shamshir!"

Koshiba casually tossed a Target and fired a bullet into "Star Hand." In that instant, the Target and the bullet swapped positions, and "Star Hand" couldn't grab the girl.

"Now, Kotoha-senpai!"

"Yeah!"

I twisted the kickboard's throttle—but the ground was already right there.

(We're not gonna make it—)

Ah, I hated this.

I hated the idea of watching a little girl die.

So I closed my eyes.

"—UOOOOOH!"

I heard the roar of a man I didn't know.

"Huh?"

The one who'd been sprinting desperately was a single man. Dark skin, stylish dreadlocks. His usually kind-looking face was twisted with effort, and from his back spread massive wings like an eagle's.

"—Go, my feathers!"

The moment the man spoke, countless feathers shed from those enormous wings and gently enveloped the little girl. They moved with clear purpose, shielding her body from the fall.

"...Phew—"

Wrapped in a cloud of feathers, the girl drifted softly to the ground, and the man caught her in his arms.

"Are you okay?"

"Ah... ahh..."

To the crying girl, the man offered a gentle smile.

"That man is—"

Koshiba murmured from behind me. Did she know him?

"Wait, look out!"

"Star Hand" had opened its fingers wide, bearing down right above the man. That pathetic hand, capable only of following its simple, given commands, was still trying to grab the girl.

"How dutiful. But—"

The man snapped his fingers.

"—you're cheap goods, aren't you?"

Feathers shed from his spread wings effortlessly caught the fist. And that wasn't all. Like a school of sardines, countless feathers soaring through the sky pierced through "Star Hand."

"Break!"

The feathers that had burrowed inside "Star Hand" scattered in every direction at once, blasting the ugly hand apart.

"Amaz..."

As I murmured in awe, Koshiba spoke up.

"That person's famous! He's a candidate for Corporations' next student council president! RANK 14. His name is, um..."

The man gently set the girl down and held her hand, smiling. His expression was incredibly kind.

"—Fiddler Reynolds."

"...I've heard that name before."

"Of course you have!"

Fiddler noticed us and approached with a gentle smile.

"You're—Kotoyorozu Kotoha-san, aren't you?"

"Huh? How do you know me...?"

He looked taken aback for a second, then quickly laughed.

"You're a big deal."

"Huh?"

"I mean, I'm supposed to be your opponent in the Representative Battle."

Oh, right. It finally clicked. Fiddler Reynolds. We'd talked about him on the Galaxy Railway. He was one of Corporations' representatives in the battle, and my opponent!

"I'm quite interested in you, personally... but I imagine you've got plenty of secrets?"

"...Who knows. I don't really mean to."

"Is that so? Haha. Since this is a special occasion, I'd love to grab tea or something... but I'd like to, only—"

Fiddler smiled awkwardly and glanced down at the girl still holding his hand.

"I need to find this girl's parents first."

"I'll help."

"Heh. It's fine. You're guests here. This kind of thing is my job."

He deployed a single wing from his back and floated gently into the air.

"I'm looking forward to the Representative Battle. Let's chat after it's over."

"Y-yeah."

Fiddler smiled and vanished into the depths of the night sky, the girl in his arms.

"Wow... he was so cool!"

"Really? Kotoha-senpai, you trust people way too easily! Koshiba thought he seemed kinda fake and gross."

Koshiba was surprisingly guarded, it turned out. Between his gentle smile, his desperation to save the girl, and his slick ability—I'd actually kind of admired him, honestly.

(That feather ability. It looked seriously strong...?)

Could the current me beat him? ...Hmm, probably just straight-up impossible.

"Oh crap, we're running out of time! Let's hurry, Koshiba!"

"...Then from here, let's just run—"

"There's literally no time for that. We're going as-is."

"Waaah! Koshiba's fine with a 12-wins-7-losses record, pleeease!"

I piloted the flying kickboard and raced through the streets of District 6.

* * *

The building we finally reached was a massive hotel that pierced the sky. The lobby stretching out before us was like a palace adorned in golden light. Formally dressed staff stood in elegant rows.

"Welcome, dear guests~♡"

The one who greeted us as we fidgeted, unused to such luxury, was one of the staff—and I froze. Because every single member of the staff had the exact same face.

(That's right, it was Amelia, the student council president, wasn't it? If I hadn't known beforehand, I definitely would've freaked out.)

On the train ride here, Mef had briefed me a little. Amelia, president of Corporations. An individual of staggering mental fortitude who existed infinitely throughout this city, omnipresent.

"Ah, you're Kotoyorozu Kotoha-kun, and~ you're Koshiba Nyao-chan, right?"

"Huh?! H-how do you know our names?"

"Hehe. I'm the student council president, after all♪ Remembering people's names is kind of my specialty~"

This person was surely an extraordinary figure in her own right. On a completely different axis from Koito-senpai or Von-senpai. She had an intensity that made you sense it at a single glance. —The moment I felt that.

In a meadow lit by silver frost, cats made of wire danced quietly. The moon only watched.

I had read her mind. It hadn't been intentional at all.

Spilling light illuminated someone's heart far away. The old woman smiled and went on knitting gloves for eternity.

(—Huh?)

Her powerful will. Her powerful emotions.

The book smelled of seaweed, and every time a page was turned, bubbles burst.

It flooded into me like a torrent, just from our eyes meeting.

"Kotoha-senpai?!"

I nearly collapsed, and Koshiba caught me.

"Oops, sorry~ Looks like you and I aren't very compatible."

Those words were directed at me, but I was in no state to respond. Koshiba asked instead.

"Compatible?"

"I'm infinite will. Infinite choice, you see~ For people with anti-reality properties like psychic sensitivity or precognition, I'm an impossibly massive random variable. So sometimes being near me causes them to, well, glitch out~"

This was bad. My thoughts wouldn't come together. Amelia, the student council president. This person was thinking coherently, holding conversations, inside that enormous computation? Like a normal human being?!

(A monster like that can't exist! Shouldn't exist!)

She was running near-infinite human thought processes in parallel. That was a volume of information that would drive any ordinary person insane within seconds. I was... genuinely terrified.

(I've seen all kinds of people lately. Even some monsters among them.)

To me... this person, President Amelia McBeal, was the most terrifying of them all.

"Hehe. We probably shouldn't stay near each other."

In contrast to me, white-faced and trembling, she smiled like a little girl.

"The meet-and-greet room for Representative Battle participants is the party room on the fifth floor♡"

With that, President Amelia walked away. I took several desperate deep breaths before getting to my feet.

"Are you okay? Kotoha-senpai."

"...Yeah, I'm fine now. ...Ahh... that was terrifying..."

"That bad? What happened?"

I debated how to explain it to Koshiba, then—

"Sorry about making you ride from the rooftop earlier when you didn't want to."

"Huh? Oh, it's okay. ...Why are you bringing that up now?"

When we entered the room President Amelia had directed us to—a roar greeted us.

"The hell do you think you're doing?"

A furious voice, loaded with an incredible amount of pressure. For an instant, every eye in the room turned to me and Koshiba. We broke into cold sweats and crept over to sit next to Mef and the others.

"Sorry we're late. ...What exactly is going on?"

"Well..."

When I whispered to Mef, she turned toward the center of the room with a look of bewilderment.

"—I have never done anything frivolous. Not once in my life."

About ten boys and girls stood in the lavish venue. They were probably students from other academies participating in the Representative Battle. All of them were directing murderous intent at a single girl.

"Then convince us. —Koito Hikari."

At the center of that killing intent stood our leader. I flinched, and Koshiba—anxious—grabbed the hem of my sleeve tight. Oblivious to our fear, Koito-senpai just smiled.

"Like I said~ Let's change the rules for this year's Representative Battle, yeah?"

Koito-senpai seemed to regard the surrounding killing intent as nothing more than a gentle breeze.

"All of you versus just me. Without at least that much of a handicap, it won't be exciting, will it?"

The blond, slicked-back bruiser sitting directly across from Koito-senpai snapped and shot to his feet.

"Don't you dare run your mouth like that, huh? How much do you plan on disrespecting us?"

The girl beside him—long gray hair, glasses—tried to rein him in.

"Sit down, Alex. Causing a scene here won't accomplish anything."

"Shut it, Gray. Koito... you trying to get killed right here? Huh?"

The big man called Alex stomped over to Koito-senpai, who sat there elegantly, and got in her face.

—Then it happened.

"Guh... oooh..."

The man crumbled to his knees, unable to stand. Koito-senpai watched him with glittering eyes.

"...Oh my? What's wrong, Blondie? Did you twist your ankle or something?"

For a moment, nobody in the room understood what had happened. But they figured out the trick almost immediately. It was an absurdly simple gimmick—yet one only Koito-senpai could pull off.

"Hehe. I didn't do a thing, you know? I just... glared at him. For real."

Stared down by Koito-senpai, Alex was drenched in sweat, frozen in place. The sheer pressure was staggering. And everyone else in the room was trembling from just the residual aura.

"Weren't you going to kill me? Oh my, and I was so looking forward to it."

"Guh... kh... hff... hff..."

Alex glared back at Koito-senpai with everything he had, but that was it. He couldn't even manage another word.

"—That's enough. Stop bullying ours."

The one who stepped between Koito-senpai and Alex was a tall woman in military uniform with blazing scarlet hair. I'd seen her on the morning news. Her name was... Caitlin, the security captain, right?

"I didn't actually mean to bully him, seriously! It's just, he got in my face, and the delinquent manga blood in my veins started tingling! Sorry about that, Alex-kun. And you too, Cait-chan."

Alex retreated meekly, still unable to speak.

"Fine, Koito. Ours overstepped. But—"

"What?"

"—I'd be lying if I said your earlier words didn't bother me."

Her narrow eyes held quiet anger, and that was a certainty. The blade-like sharpness of her gaze sent a shiver through me. But Koito-senpai paid it no mind, smiling cheerfully.

"Sorry about that. But for the past seven years or so, nobody's stayed standing for ten seconds against me, right? I'm sure our esteemed guests are getting pretty sick of it by now. I'm going to win anyway."

"The Representative Battle is a five-on-five team competition. Even if you win, your team might not."

"True. But the rest of my team would lose to me in about five seconds too, right? Cute little things, all of them. No matter how great their matches are, no matter how brilliant their victories, I could flick them away with one finger, couldn't I? Don't you think that's kind of boring? Who's going to enjoy watching kiddie sumo like that?"

What was this? What was going on?

(Is Koito-senpai... deliberately provoking them?)

Mef and Koshiba were unsettled by this uncharacteristic behavior too. Koito-senpai was free-spirited and unpredictable, sure, but she was actually pretty considerate. For her to mock people like this...

"—So this year, it's a special service! Me versus the ultimate alliance! It'll be a total blast!"

"...You—"

Caitlin forced the words out.

"Do you truly believe you can beat all of us with such an absurd approach?"

"Yep☆"

The people gathered here were the strongest-class fighters from each academy. Every one of them possessed considerable talent, had put in tremendous effort, and had fought their way to the top.

(No wonder they're furious!)

It was a total heel move. And Koito-senpai was doing it on purpose. ...But why?

Kotoha. You can hear me, can't you?

—What suddenly reached me was Koito-senpai's inner voice. It was clearly directed at my mind. As if she knew the true nature of my Apocalypse ability.

There's a traitor among them. Someone who's trying to assassinate us.

So that was it. Koito-senpai knew the truth about my Apocalypse. She knew, and she was using it right now. I understood that clearly.

Find the culprit. I'll stir the waters.

Koito-senpai glanced at me for just a second. I gave a small nod.

"It's okay if you're scared, you know? If you all ganged up on me and lost, the mood would be totally funereal. Sorry, sorry. Let's just forget this whole proposal. Because~"

Her cherry-blossom eyes sparkled.

"—small fry like you couldn't lay a finger on me anyway."

The room's fury reached its peak. Caitlin's back sprouted a single massive wing, and the Chaos Institute competitors drew their swords. Koshiba and Mef also went on guard and drew their Gunscars.

"Now now, everyone, let's calm dooown~"

The one who cut through the tension was a breezy, gentle voice—President Amelia's.

(When did she—!)

Multiple copies of President Amelia stood right beside each agitated student, their hands gently resting on each person's dominant hand. As if to calm them.

"Koito-chan being a disaster isn't exactly news, is it~ Don't let the performance fool you. As a general rule, you shouldn't take more than half of what this girl says seriously."

"Ame-chan. 'A disaster' is harsh."

"Then explain yourself? Koito-chan, you don't even care about the Sky Tournament. Honestly, your motivation is basically 'light exercise,' right? So why are you suddenly saying something so outrageous?"

"..."

"Ah, you just averted your gaze from Kotoha-kun's direction, didn't you~♡ He's the one with a precognition-type Apocalypse, if I recall. Hmm. I wonder if something triggered his ability during all of that just now?"

Captain Caitlin's eyes went wide. President Amelia just kept smiling.

"Hehe~ Koito-chan is actually quite the schemer, you know~ Though, well, she's never exactly good at it. But even when her plans fail, she can brute-force her way through with raw power, so there's always this lack of desperation~♡"

"Ugh. I really can't stand you. In a different way than our president."

"Well, I'm not nearly as secretive as President Elif, and I'd say I'm more straightforward than her~♡"

Koito-senpai's expression softened completely. Gone was the fake smile from moments ago, replaced by her usual, somehow comforting grin.

"Sorry about that, everyone. Everything I said just now was completely insincere. I had something I needed to confirm. As you probably know, I've been getting about ten death threats, so."

"In other words~♡ You thought the culprit might be in this room?"

President Amelia smiled. Koito-senpai smiled too. The other students were frozen stiff with tension.

"What? Nooo, that's not it at all lol."

The room froze over even more, thanks to Koito-senpai's obvious lie.

* * *

Late into the night, I walked down the corridor of the luxurious hotel.

"Uh, this should be it."

Koito-senpai had given me her room number, but it was faster to find her by listening for her inner voice. Her mind was always so lively—it was easy to pick out.

"Come on in~"

I knocked and heard her voice. I hesitated for a second before turning the doorknob... but it wouldn't open.

"Oh, sorry, auto-lock. Hang on a sec."

The patter of footsteps. The click of the lock.

"!"

"Sorry for calling you out so suddenly. Come on, in you go, in you go."

Standing there was Koito-senpai, her hair still damp from a shower. She wore nothing but a bathrobe, looking a little... precarious. I panicked at the generous amount of exposed skin and averted my eyes.

"S-so, senpai. We have stuff to talk about, right?"

I stepped into her room. Belongings were already scattered carelessly across the bed. All sorts of girly trinkets that only made me more flustered.

"About that matter—I heard from Eli-chan. The true nature of your Apocalypse ability."

"...I figured. Wish you'd told me beforehand, though."

"Then you would've had it written all over your face. There was a chance Ame-chan would've caught on. That woman's ability to read people's subtleties is... not normal."

My ability wasn't precognition—it was mind-reading. Koito-senpai hadn't known until now. That had been President Elif's order, but apparently the information had been cleared for Koito-senpai now.

"...Sorry. For keeping it from you all this time."

"It was Eli-chan's instruction, right? I don't mind."

"I've been peeking into your mind without permission, senpai. ...Doesn't that creep you out?"

"Huh? Not at all. I am the magnificent, supreme, most beautiful girl, after all! There isn't a single shred of my heart I need to hide!"

What an overwhelming person. My surprise gave way to genuine admiration. If I could have that kind of confidence, life would be incredible.

"So? What's it like, being able to read people's minds?"

"...It's probably not what you'd expect."

My Apocalypse read people's minds. But it wasn't like I could do whatever I wanted with it.

"Basically, it feels like I'm always sitting in a family restaurant."

"A family restaurant?"

"There's tons of people chatting away, and it's hard to pick out any one conversation, right?"

"Yeah."

"But if you really focus, you can start to hear what they're saying."

So pinpointing someone's thoughts was actually pretty difficult.

"And since it's a family restaurant, when someone suddenly yells, or cries, or starts screaming, they really stand out, right?"

"Uh-huh."

"Those kinds of hearts just force their way into mine. And then I want to yell, or cry, or scream too."

This Apocalypse was less about reading minds and more about resonating with them. That was why I normally kept my ears shut as tight as I could, desperately trying not to hear anyone's inner voice.

"That sounds... really tough!"

"Huh..."

"Because there's never a clear boundary between yourself and other people, right? You can never just be alone, in peace and quiet?"

My heart always resonated with someone's emotions. Inescapably, unstoppably.

"You've really been doing your best all this time. I'm proud of you."

She smiled gently and patted my head. That alone was almost enough to make me cry. How was it that this person could be so kind exactly when it mattered?

"I-I do try... not to look into my friends' minds, at least. As much as I can."

Koito-senpai thought for a moment, then—

"What do you think about Eli-chan and Mef?"

"Huh? What about them?"

"...Never mind. If that's your reaction, then I'm not worried."

Apparently she'd been checking something. For some reason, Koito-senpai seemed faintly relieved. What Elif and Mef had in common... what was it?

"Well, that's curious, but let's get to the important matter first."

The important matter—namely, the person planning to assassinate Koito-senpai.

"When you provoked them, senpai, almost everyone in that room was furious. But there was one person who stayed calm, only pretending to be angry."

"Pretending... to be angry?"

"Yes. She was confused, hesitating, turning thoughts over in her head. Calculating how to act, what choices would be most advantageous for the plan going forward. All while skillfully hiding it behind her expression—"

What I could grasp was only the general shape of it. The specifics would require an actual interrogation. But I was certain. That guilty conscience. That fear. And that willpower.

"—Security Captain Caitlin Ann Austin."

The girl with blazing scarlet hair. She was the central figure plotting Koito-senpai's assassination.

"She was directing killing intent at me too. The assassination targets are the two of us, aren't they?"

Koito-senpai's expression turned slightly troubled.

"...Sigh. Having an Apocalypse that useful is its own problem, you know."

She smiled and gave my head a gentle pat-pat.

* * *

Caitlin Ann Austin. Born in District 4. Abandoned by a mother who could barely make ends meet, she spent her childhood in a foster care facility. Tall for her age from early on, and painfully shy, she was a frequent target of bullying.

"Alert! Alert! Time paradox anomaly detected! All residents, please evacuate the surrounding area!"

The massive time-space anomaly that struck District 4. Even now, it was the subject of occasional special reports — an anti-reality incident of unprecedented scale. The death toll reached 2,458. An estimated 30,000 or more simply vanished.

"Sniff. Hic... I'm scared... I'm so scared..."

Young Caitlin had been locked in the bedroom closet by the other children — bullied, as usual. But that turned out to be her salvation. Outside, nothing filled the air but horrible screaming and alarm sirens howling like monster roars.

(Somebody, please help me...)

Caitlin already knew that no one was coming to save her. Because no one had ever loved her. No one had ever protected her.

(...Ah.)

Even so. When the door creaked open with an impossibly loud groan, she couldn't help but feel a spark of hope.

"Caitlin! Caitlin Ann Austin! Where are you?! Where are you?!"

An urgent voice. Calling her name. Help had come at last!

"Here! I'm here — Cait is right here!"

"Ah, there you are. Don't move!"

Sounds came from beyond the door — someone was moving whatever had been propped against it. Someone had noticed she was missing and come to rescue her. Light spilled into her pitch-black world.

"...Huh?"

"Ah, so it really is you. It really is Caitlin. The person I hate most in this entire world."

Standing in the light was Caitlin Ann Austin.

"Who... are you...?"

She was dumbstruck. The person before her was a larger version of herself — same face, same features, but older.

"I'm you. The future you. I doubt your stupid little head can understand this, but this city has connected the past and the future. Right now, in every corner of this city, the past and future are killing each other."

A massive time paradox anomaly — a distortion in space-time. It had linked the present to thirty years in the future. The universe possessed a powerful homeostasis — a will to restore itself to its proper state — so it would fix itself if left alone, but —

"I need to kill you. Right now."

"...What?"

"As long as you're alive, your timeline becomes fixed. If you live, my world dies. So I have to kill you. Before this anomaly resolves itself."

The current state of the world was terribly unstable. The universe's homeostasis would take drastic measures to normalize things — locking in either the past or the future, and erasing the other as if it had never existed.

"So — take up your weapon."

Thirty-nine-year-old Caitlin tossed a silver kitchen knife to nine-year-old Caitlin.

"...Wh-why...?"

Little Caitlin couldn't comprehend any of it. Not the ridiculous sci-fi scenario. Not the fact that her adult self had just handed her child self a silver kitchen knife.

"If you want to kill me, then kill me! Do whatever you want! I — I..."

"— Have no reason to live? Is that it?"

Thirty-nine-year-old Caitlin knew nine-year-old Caitlin better than anyone. Because she was her. She remembered this foster home. She remembered this closet.

"Yes, I remember. Thirty years ago, I was pathetically timid — a miserable coward, crying every single day. Abandoned by my parents, unable to make a single friend, bullied constantly, thinking about killing myself over and over."

"..."

"Caitlin. Let me tell you what's going to happen to you. You will spend your entire life unloved. When you finally think someone loves you, it will be a lie, and you'll be hurt deeply, again and again. You'll try to kill yourself several times, but you'll be too much of a coward to go through with it. Instead, you'll just pile up medical bills and lasting damage."

Thirty-nine-year-old Caitlin continued in a voice that was terrifyingly calm.

"While working as a janitor, you'll meet a little girl one day. The kindest child you've ever known. A six-year-old from the neighborhood who brings you wild raspberries every morning. You'll become close."

"What... what are you talking about...?"

Nine-year-old Caitlin couldn't fully grasp the story. But even as a child, she felt a deep, aching envy. If she had someone like that, she wouldn't need anything else in the world.

"Her body will always be covered in bruises. She never seemed to eat proper meals. One day, you'll think to yourself: at the very least, with my worthless life, I should be able to make this one little girl happy."

Thirty-nine-year-old Caitlin Ann Austin was crying as she gripped the silver knife.

"You'll take her — kidnap her — and start a new life in a faraway city. The first peaceful, happy life you've ever known. But one month later, you'll be arrested. Because she'll go to the police for help. And she'll be sent back to her parents. Three days later, she'll be dead."

For the girl, it was simply the way things were. She'd done something bad. She'd worried her precious parents. She had to be punished —

"So take up your weapon. Caitlin."

Weakness was a sin. Stupidity was a sin. Yes — you yourself were the sin.

"— You have to fight."

Nine-year-old Caitlin understood with perfect clarity that the middle-aged woman before her was, without any doubt, herself. It was painful how certain she was. Maddeningly so. She was her.

"..."

Because she could understand the woman's pain and feelings with agonizing vividness.

"I won't hold back. I don't want to die either. But. But. If you're stronger than me — if you can become stronger — then that's fine. That's all I need. Fight, Caitlin! Fight!"

The little girl realized, through her tears.

(If I don't fight here, I'll become her.)

And someday, she would kill her. The six-year-old girl she had loved so dearly. The tiny, innocent child who had brought her all those wild raspberries. If she didn't grip this knife now, she would become the sin.

"...Sniff. Hic. Sob."

She was terrified. She was trembling. — But the girl gripped the knife.

"That's right."

Grow strong. That was everything that happened in that place. The one who won would become the stronger one.

That was the true nature of battle.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!"

Middle-aged Caitlin screamed and swung her knife. Young Caitlin hurled a nearby vase, blocking her vision for a split second. Neither of them hesitated in the slightest.

"Ngh—"

Young Caitlin drove her knife into middle-aged Caitlin's thigh.

(Ah — I see.)

She was too afraid to kill herself, yet she felt nothing at all about killing herself.

She didn't hate that contradiction.

"AAAAAAHH!"

Middle-aged Caitlin nearly collapsed from the pain but brought her knife down anyway. Young Caitlin reflexively shielded her head, and the blade plunged deep into her palm.

"...—"

At the exact same moment, both pulled the blades from their own bodies and took their stances.

"HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!"

Gripping the knife, she kicked off the ground.

"— Ah."

Middle-aged Caitlin slipped in the pool of blood.

"AAAAAAAAAHH!"

Young Caitlin drove the blade straight through her heart.

"Ah... ah... ahh... ahh..."

The unmistakable sensation of human flesh beneath her palm.

The girl cried, froze, and hyperventilated.

"...Ah."

Thirty-nine-year-old Caitlin smiled. She looked satisfied.

"Good."

She embraced her past self. Her small body. The girl she had once resented and hated more than anyone. Yet that thin, bony frame reminded her of the girl she had once wanted to protect.

"You — I — am not some worthless nobody, meant only to be crushed and trampled."

The loser smiled. The winner cried.

Because for the loser, this was the end. For the winner, this was the beginning.

"Ah... I-I'm... s-sor... sorry... I'm... s-so... sorry..."

"I should have realized it sooner... I'm glad... Ah. I'm so glad you realized it... Y-you can... surely... surely make someone happy."

Through her tears, the girl felt something immense take root in her chest.

"— Grow strong, Caitlin Ann Austin. Until the day your body burns to nothing."

Drenched in each other's blood, they held each other.

"...I just... I just didn't want to make her cry... I wanted to make that little girl happy... That was all I needed... I didn't need anything else..."

The heart of her future self — that woman from another time — stopped, entrusting her hope to her younger self.

"Hic... sniff, sniff... Aahh... aahh... AAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!"

Pinned beneath the body of her future self, Caitlin kept crying. Kept screaming. Kept raging. She didn't even know what she was angry about. But she had to keep being angry.

"I will... I'll definitely... get stronger..."

The little girl admired, from the very bottom of her heart, the agonizingly noble and wretched choice her future self had made.

* * *

"Almost there, Cait-chan~"

Inside the aerial car — so smooth she couldn't even feel the motion — I woke to a familiar voice.

"...I'm sorry. I fell asleep."

"It's totally fine! You look super exhausted though, right? The Sky Tournament's a whole thing, huh~"

The one piloting the aerial car was the student council president of Corporations, my own academy — President Amelia. She was technically dead, and had tried to resign from her position, but received so many nominations that she remained president largely against her own will.

"What's the almighty captain doing out in the middle of nowhere at this hour?"

"You already know. Preparations to kill Koito Hikari."

President Amelia awkwardly averted her gaze.

"...Hm. That doesn't sound fun."

"President. Please, lend me your strength."

"No can do. I'm an ally of this city. I don't take sides with individuals. When I use this power, that's what I decided. That's the shape of my Yearning."

The president's One Wing, "I'm-Watching-You," was an unparalleled, uniquely powerful ability.

(Which means her desire is just that twisted.)

There was no way its vector would bend to suit another person's wishes. Not through mere persuasion.

"You're a smart person, Cait. You wouldn't pick a fight you can't win. I'm sure you've got a way to beat that invincible, all-powerful, rules-don't-apply Koito-chan, right? You've thought it through?"

"Yes."

"— But what about after?"

Her eyes wavered, on the verge of tears. I couldn't help but smile just a little.

"I intend to take full responsibility. I've ensured minimal damage to the academy and given maximum consideration to inter-academy relations. I plan to end this as my own solo act of violence."

"That's not what I'm asking. What about you? What happens to you?"

That didn't even need thinking about.

"President, have you ever thought about it? The meaning of being alive?"

"You think I have? In a messed-up body like this?"

I laughed in spite of myself. She was right. There was no way this woman had any semblance of normal thinking.

"I wanted to become strong. Stronger than anyone. I wanted to be the strongest person there is."

"Like Koito-chan?"

"No. In a more proper, more legitimate way."

Koito Hikari. The strongest human alive. A being that should not exist in this universe. On her slightest whim, the world could perish, people would suffer, the sky cities would be reduced to ash. And yet she didn't have a shred of purpose behind any of it.

"Someone has to stop her, don't they?"

"And that someone is you? And that's how you become the strongest?"

"No. I'm not built for that. Even if I managed to defeat Koito, I could never become some supremely powerful monster. I could never replace her. Being the strongest is beyond me."

But still, just —

"If I could defeat the strongest, and the world became just a little bit better for it."

That would be enough. If someone, somewhere, could smile just a little more.

"— Then I could say it was worth being alive."

In that moment, I could truly bless the girl I had been that day. I could overcome my thirty-nine-year-old self.

"Sentimental heroism. And you call yourself a Corporations student?"

"...Heh. This is the only thing I'm good at."

"You were always dead last in business classes, after all."

I didn't think of myself as a hero. It was simply that what I wanted to do and what needed to be done happened to align.

Or perhaps this was a reason for existing that no one else could understand — mine alone.

My nemesis. My destiny. My final destination. — That was the girl named Koito Hikari.

(As long as I am who I am, I have to kill Koito Hikari.)

Even now, I could still feel that silver knife lodged in my hand. The pain commanded me to stay strong. It screamed at me to keep fighting, for the sake of some little girl somewhere.

"— We're here, Cait-chan. Your destination."

President Amelia murmured. It was a quiet patch of black sky in the middle of the otherwise gleaming District 6 — a rare sight.

"Thank you, President."

President Amelia hung her head, looking like she might cry. Strong, yet fragile — same as always. She'd been that way ever since the day they met. The person who agonized, suffered, and grieved more than anyone, yet still kept walking straight ahead.

"Thank you for everything. Truly."

I vowed to remember that expression — the face of a girl on the verge of tears — for as long as I lived. My precious, respected friend. I hoped she would find happiness someday. And I felt a pang of sadness that I wouldn't be there to see it.

"I'm sure..."

A trembling, fading, tiny voice.

"Until the very end... until the very end..."

But even so, she was smiling.

"Don't give up."

I smiled. I didn't reply. Instead, I leaped from the car, two hundred meters above the ground.

"Come. — 'Heroes Never Die: Finish Line.'"

Crimson wings sprouted from my back. They stretched rapidly, like slime, reaching the ground before I could fall, killing my momentum.

"Oh, you're finally here. Cait-chan."

I had landed in the desert on the outskirts of District 6. There was laughably nothing around. The Naxa Index was dangerously high here, so no one ever set foot in this place.

"Sorry to keep you waiting — Black Demon Lord."

The jet-black girl shook her head lightly and smiled. An ordinary smile, as if she were just a regular person.

"We were classmates once, after all. Besides, I was pretty curious."

* * *

[No. 5000: "Black Demon Lord"] — Stage 5: Turbatio

Properties: Parallel Law

Background: A former human. Originally from District 6. Was enrolled at Corporations but dropped out upon manifesting her Apocalypse. Reportedly viewed as hostile by various anti-reality organizations, though details remain unknown.

Details: Commands anti-reality entities known as "Giants." Further details are unknown.

* * *

"I'd love to sit down and have an open conversation, but —"

"I don't think that'd work. I have a really strong Information Jamming property. Even if I told you about my abilities or goals, you'd forget within ten minutes or so."

Figures. The Black Demon Lord had been my classmate. Once, we'd been peers who called each other by name. But now, I couldn't even remember her real name.

"Just think of me not as a person, not as a friend, but as a Demon Lord."

A Demon Lord. In other words, humanity's enemy. The world's enemy. The universe's enemy. Someone who could not defy her own reason for being.

(She, too, must be fighting something.)

For the first time, I felt like I truly saw her as a friend.

"Demon Lord. I'll be blunt. — I want to kill Koito Hikari. Lend me your strength."

"..."

"With your power, it would be all but guaranteed."

At my words, the Black Demon Lord froze. She considered it, just for a moment.

"Why would you think I'd agree to that?"

"Koito Hikari is your enemy, isn't she?"

"Well, it's less about her specifically and more that everyone in the Apocalypse Stagnation Committee is."

Hidden beneath the Black Demon Lord's words was an unspoken addition: including you.

"I've also heard there's personal history between you."

The Black Demon Lord's expression clouded, just slightly.

"That's... well, a little, yeah. But obstacles like that don't matter."

"What do you mean?"

"— Because dreams always come true. No matter how long the road, if you walk it forever!"

Looking into those sparkling eyes, I knew with certainty that my former classmate had truly become a monster.

"The payment is 30 billion credits. I have it ready here."

"Wow. That's a very Corporations way to negotiate. Where'd you get that kind of money?"

"I liquidated every stock I owned. It's been split across clean, secure accounts."

This was everything I had. There was no point holding anything back.

"Hmm, tempting offer. Even a Demon Lord's kinda swayed by that."

"Glad to hear it."

"I mean, seriously, I'm completely broke! Homeless! On a wanted list!"

Of course. Demon Lord or not, her body was fundamentally human. She needed a place to live, and food cost money. Treated as an enemy by nearly every organization in existence, she had few ways to earn.

"Specifically, what would I need to do?"

"When I make my move on Koito Hikari, prevent reinforcements from reaching her. Hold them off."

"Whaaaat?! My part's that big?!"

I couldn't help but smile. That reaction was so utterly ordinary — so much like a regular girl.

"I just need you to buy me time. Koito's team support is the real problem."

"Is that so? But why me?"

"Recently, a new member joined Koito's team. They wield a future-sight anti-reality."

"Ah, I see."

The Black Demon Lord's Information Jamming was powerful, making her the natural counter to most forms of precognition and prophecy. Some theories even claimed that the Akashic Records — the fundamental chronicler of all things — held no information on her whatsoever.

"I'll give you the briefing materials."

"Thanks. Though I haven't said yes yet."

The Black Demon Lord skimmed the documents I handed her with apparent disinterest.

"Huh?"

Her eyes went wide as full moons.

"This kid... this... Kotoyorozu... Kotoha-kun..."

"Yeah, that's the new recruit."

"A-ah... ahaha... ahah...!"

Madness flooded her eyes. She laughed — joyful, girlish.

"Ahaha! Ahahaha! That kid! I knew it — it really is him. Ahaha. ...So he really did make it that time. ...And he ended up all the way out here? Hehehe... heeheehee."

"...You knew him?"

"Mm, not really. But... heh. This is hilarious. Is this fate?"

She bounced up and down, giddy with delight. I tilted my head. Even if I asked, she probably wouldn't answer, and even if she did, I'd forget within minutes.

"Okay! I'll take the job."

"! Good — that's a big help."

Was this boy really that special? If so, I should mention it beforehand.

"...Aside from Koito Hikari, we've also marked this Kotoyorozu Kotoha as an assassination targ—"

In that instant, a blue light flared. It was her shadow.

(What incredible reality-boundary density!)

A spike in R-value. So intense that even someone as insensitive as me could feel it.

"— Lay a hand on him, and I'll kill you. Cait-chan."

Eyes of a blue deeper and more beautiful than any jewel — a chilling, abyssal azure. The eyes of the Demon Lord.

"...Understood. We won't touch Kotoyorozu Kotoha."

"Great. Then we're good."

My ability wasn't particularly well-suited against the Black Demon Lord. I couldn't kill her. Someone else could handle that. I just needed to use her.

"You'll give me fake IDs and everything else I need to infiltrate, right?"

"Of course."

"Hehe... hehehe... hehehe."

She laughed playfully, like a child hugging a secret.

"Ah, I feel like dancing!"

The black of night deepened further. A golden moon rose. Blue stars glittered.

— When dawn broke, the Sky Tournament would begin.