Episode 9: Prayer Song
* * *
Everyone in the arena held their breath, watching the outcome.
"The winner is Alex Cave! Alex Cave!"
The announcer's voice rang out across the silent dome. The crowd erupted in thunderous cheering, and Mef and Alex — having unplugged from their simulators — collapsed to their knees.
"Mef-senpai!"
It was Koshiba, having recovered a little, who caught Mef as she fell.
"...Ugh... Koshiba... What happened... at the end...?"
"...You lost, Mef-senpai. Alex was barely hanging on too, but you drowned just a tiny bit before he did. It was so, so close!"
It really had been a razor-thin battle. Either of them could have won.
(Just a little more! If she'd held on just a little longer, Mef would've won!)
But there was no way I could say that to Mef after she'd given everything she had. She and Alex had been completely evenly matched, and the sheer intensity of the fight had the crowd going wild.
(Next up is my turn, though.)
Mef returned to the player seats. I made sure she was okay, then turned to Koito-senpai.
"Koito-senpai. What are we gonna do?"
"...Hmm, what shall we dooo?"
"You're the one who said 'Kotoha's gonna lose anyway, so let's put a strong vice-captain in and win with the first three!' That's why I'm in the vice-captain slot! Now it's 1–2, and if I lose, we're finished!?"
I'd watched Koshiba and Mef fight, and I couldn't picture any scenario where I came out on top. If I'd been the one facing those two, I was sure I'd have gone down in seconds.
"Tehe."
The captain who'd botched the strategy tried to play it off with a cute wink.
"Graaaaahhh... This... this woman...!"
"Now, now! Think about it the other way! The other way! If you win here... you'll be a hero!"
"...A hero? I mean, I don't really..."
"You'll be popular with girls."
My ears perked up before I could stop them.
"It'll be just like a baseball player who stars at Koshien. Super popular. Check your shoe locker and it's stuffed with love letters. Valentine's Day brings a mountain of chocolate. The team manager confesses her love."
...Well, she had a point. If I could look cool in this Representative Battle, I'd probably be popular.
"Go get 'em, Kotoha! Tomorrow you'll be the most popular guy in school!"
"...I'm starting to feel motivated."
Stupid, sure, but guys are simple creatures. No, that's too broad. I'm a simple creature.
"Alright, I'm heading out! And I'm winning this!"
"Yaaay, go for it! If you win, I'll give you a peck on the cheek."
"...For real?"
"Don't go all serious-voice on me."
Koito-senpai recoiled. But honestly — that was a serious motivator.
"Hell yeah!!"
I started walking toward the Square.
"So what do you think, President Amelia? The vice-captain, Kotoyorozu Kotoha, is a complete unknown — a total rookie!"
"Well, in ability combat sports like these, having an unknown ability is a huge advantage in itself. ♡ ...Every now and then an unknown kid pops up, but... they're usually a letdown, honestly. ♡"
I stepped onto the competition platform. The instant I did, the crowd's roar hit me like a wall.
"Let's go, Kotoyorozu! You've got no room to lose here—!!"
"Get him, Fiddler! Show those savages what you've got!"
The arena was still blazing with energy. Azure Academy had its back against the wall, and Corporations was down to its last chance. Their anchor was Koito-senpai — seven years undefeated — and if they lost here, they'd be just as cornered.
"So, President, what are your thoughts on Fiddler?"
"Fiddler Reynolds. RANK 14. Second-year. He's the top candidate to be Corporations' next president, so this is a crucial match. Depending on the result, it could affect future student council elections. ♡"
"So you'd say Fiddler has the advantage?"
"...Honestly, I can't see a scenario where Fiddler loses. His Half-Wing is special. I was sure he'd be the one to face Koito-chan this year! ♡"
The night before, I'd looked up Fiddler on Linphone.
(A well-known figure at Corporations — fair and impartial. He'd built a hugely successful inter-corporate consulting business. Everyone who knew him described him as 'a good guy.' A genuine stand-up young man.)
In Fructus, famous people tended to have their abilities publicly known. Fiddler's Half-Wing was "Easy Shooter" — the ability to freely control thousands of feathers. Simple in concept, broad in application, and powerful.
"...Alright."
Watching Mef and the others give their all had lit a fire in me. At first I'd been too preoccupied with the whole assassination thing, but I didn't want their efforts to go to waste.
(I've got a trick up my sleeve!)
I stood on the competition platform and surveyed the area. The blazing intensity of a staggering number of spectators was now focused squarely on me and the young man standing far across from me.
"Both competitors — connected to the simulator!"
The instant I connected, sensation flooded directly into my nerves. All five senses were taken over, and the non-world became my entire reality.
"It's been a few days, Kotoyorozu-san."
Inside the simulator — still set to its default white walls — Fiddler and I stood facing each other.
"Let's have a good match."
Fiddler smiled brightly.
(Whoa, blinding!)
He had that sheltered-rich-kid aura about him. Totally different world from a guy like me.
"Y-yeah... nice to meet you..."
I bowed my head stiffly.
"Now let's have the countdown! Here we gooo!"
Outside the Square, the announcer called out, and the entire arena counted down together.
So this is Kotoyorozu Kotoha. ...He's nervous. But he's been through real situations. He's not shaken.
His ability is unknown. I'll play defense first and feel him out. Hopefully a stage with lots of obstacles...
Fiddler was analyzing me behind that gentle smile.
(What's this?)
Beneath the smile, he was deeply troubled. His mind was racing. Suspicion and guilt, a faint sense of shame — and fear of something. It was the scent of betrayal.
...But what was the captain talking about earlier? Why would he use a Seal...?
Something to do with Koito Hikari? His expression was dark for that, though...
That was when it finally clicked.
"You're involved in the assassination plot against Koito-senpai too, aren't you?"
"...Huh?"
Fiddler stared at me in surprise, eyes wide.
Assassination? Of Koito Hikari? How? ...No, there is a way.
But a plan? ...I see. So that's why the captain earlier was... !
In that instant, I felt his eyes sink into something terribly dark. By the time he blinked and opened them again, he'd locked his heart shut tight — taking countermeasures to keep me from reading his thoughts.
"You can read minds, can't you."
"...!"
His deduction was frighteningly fast. He must have possessed the same kind of high sensitivity as Wu-senpai.
Don't think don't think don't think — don't think about anything. This type of mind-reader has limited telepathy.
...I need to deal with this one quickly. I have to prepare for what comes after—
What comes after? I tried to ask — if I could just get the question out, he'd have no choice but to think about the answer. But before I could —
The countdown hit zero.
"Match... START!!"
The world dissolved into golden particles.
* * *
When I regained consciousness, I was inside a vast colosseum.
"This round's stage is a coliseum! A head-on battle with no cover!"
I listened to the commentary from inside the Square as if it were someone else's business.
"They pulled the simplest stage! Will this be a blessing or a curse?"
Fiddler stood directly ahead of me, about fifty meters away. The gentle expression from before was gone. He stared at me in silence, his eyes filled with a quiet, feline killing intent.
(...Here he comes!)
A raptor-like Half-Wing extended from the man's back. In that instant, a handgun appeared in his palm.
"Shamshir."
I stared in disbelief. It was a familiar, cute, vividly colored revolver —
"...!"
I read his mind. I understood his intentions better than he did. I already knew where he was aiming that Shamshir — at my feet. He was planning to close in for melee.
(But how!? Why does Fiddler have Shamshir!? That's Koshiba's Gunscar!)
A gunshot rang out, piercing the ground at my feet with perfect accuracy.
"Right here!"
I'd known the exact moment Fiddler would fire Shamshir before he did. The instant his figure appeared in front of me, I punched him square in the face.
"...Impressive. Remarkable accuracy, Kotoyorozu-san."
The gauntlet around my fist had been stopped by the "Night" protecting Fiddler's surface.
(That's — the Half-Wing Alex was just using! The Nights!)
So this was —
* * *
[Cover Story] — Half-Wing
A Half-Wing that "copies." It can reproduce any Gunscar, Slash, or Half-Wing that Fiddler Reynolds has observed within the last twenty-four hours, though only one ability can be used at a time. Furthermore, anyone who observes this ability has the false information implanted in them that "Fiddler Reynolds's ability is the power to control multiple feathers."
* * *
"Gah!"
The Nights!, swelling in Fiddler's left hand, slammed into me like a massive hammer. I barely managed to block with my gauntlet, but the impact sent me flying.
(Fiddler's real ability is a copy ability!? Was the prior intel a bluff? No — even that deception is part of his Half-Wing's power?)
The other night on the streets, I'd deliberately avoided reading his mind. But here on the battlefield, I was paying close attention to Fiddler's thoughts — which was why I could understand his ability now.
"...Hm? What's that gauntlet? ...Your ability isn't just mind reading?"
What covered my fingers to my forearms was a warm, gentle — golden gauntlet.
It was part of Luna. Her threads, wound around my arms and fashioned into armor.
(I was shocked when I found out I could bring it inside the simulator —)
Luna and I were literally one body. The simulator had recognized the threads of Luna wound around my arms as part of me.
A close-range Gunscar? ...I'll keep my distance and fight.
Fiddler stowed the Nights! on his shoulder and drew a sniper rifle from his hip.
(That's... Chalquiruq!)
This guy's Half-Wing was way too broken. I desperately predicted impact points and raised my fists.
"Go. My wind!"
His shots were so precise that they were actually easier to deflect — probably because he'd inherited Chalquiruq's characteristics. Every time I deflected one of his rifle rounds with my gauntlet, I felt the threads snap apart one by one.
(At this rate I'm dead in the water! I need to get in close —)
At my mental command, the threads wound around my left hand unraveled and slithered down to wrap around my left foot. They formed a golden boot, and I felt power surge through it.
"Hraaah!"
"...—!"
I kicked off the ground hard with the golden boot and closed to striking distance of Fiddler in an instant.
He's fast! And it's not just his speed — his mind reading is the real problem!
What blocked my fist was Chalquiruq's armor plating. The enlarged Chalquiruq, now a massive shield, deflected my punch. But I slipped inside his guard in that opening and threw a boxing-style straight.
"—Huh?"
But where my fist extended, there was a red ring.
"Fool's Footsteps — Go Far Kid."
The red ring was a portal. It connected to a blue ring.
(The blue ring is—)
Glowing right around my abdomen.
"Guh!"
Through the portal, my own fist punched me in the stomach. The golden gauntlet hit with devastating force. Pain like my organs were about to burst shot through me as I was blown back several meters.
"Gahh... hff... hff...!"
The hit had landed on my solar plexus. Not clean — but it didn't need to be. I could barely stand. Breathing was rough.
"...Solid close-quarters combat. Looks like you've done a lot of martial arts."
"Hah... hah..."
"But I won't lose. I'm carrying everyone's hopes on my back."
Fiddler fixed me with a gaze of quiet killing intent.
(This guy, seriously?)
He was unbelievably strong.
(Way too strong! There has to be a weakness —)
Chalquiruq at range. Fool's Footsteps (Go Far Kid) up close. The Nights! for raw power.
He was flawless. No openings.
...No, wait. That was it — his Half-Wing was too strong.
(San-senpai said it. "Gunscars are poison. The stronger they are, the worse it gets." Fiddler's ability must have some kind of cost too. There's no way he can use that ability without paying a price!)
What made me think that was noticing how unsettled Fiddler's mind had become. This wasn't ordinary agitation. His thoughts were churning like boiling water.
I'll go as far as it takes. This time, for sure. Together with Mom—
I won't become him. I refuse to turn into someone like my old man—
His heart wasn't singular. Countless wishes bubbled up inside him, forming and vanishing like foam. Why? It was clearly abnormal. That had to be where his weakness lay.
(A Gunscar is the very embodiment of its owner's Yearning. If he copies that, then...)
--Could it be that he had also copied that person's Yearning?
"...Are you... okay?"
The words slipped out before he could stop them. Fiddler's shoulders gave a small flinch.
"Th-that's insane. Fiddler. Your ability is..."
"...Ahaha. You really do have incredible mind-reading. So you figured it out."
The heart was a terribly fragile and fluid thing. But because a person had solid "roots" deep within themselves, they could change, get hurt, grow -- and still remain who they were.
"What you're doing is cutting off your own roots and stuffing the hole with sawdust."
"Roots?"
Could you really remain yourself after doing something like that? Could human continuity be guaranteed? Being able to trust that tomorrow you'd still be you -- when that very foundation wavered, the heart would surely break.
"...Kotoyorozu-san, do you know what the collapse of self-identity means?"
"...No."
"Ectoplasmic Fluid is inherently an unstable substance. It can't stay in one place. The reason our Ectoplasmic Fluid still functions as a single soul is thanks to 'self-identity.'"
Fiddler murmured with a gentle smile on his face.
"The collapse of self-identity is, in other words -- becoming unable to believe that you are yourself."
Why he was explaining this, Kotoha didn't know. Maybe Fiddler had wanted to tell someone. But he had kept this secret hidden from everyone until now, hadn't he?
"My ability drastically accelerates the collapse of self-identity. Every time I use it, I can feel my own soul crumbling away. I probably... don't have much time left."
"...An ability like that... why would you?"
The power of his copy ability was too strong. It was shaving years off his life. He smiled.
"--The world is on the verge of ending. Of course I'm going to fight with everything I've got. Isn't that obvious?"
Yeah, this guy had real resolve to be standing here. He wasn't just here for the competition. Some ironclad will was driving him onto this battlefield.
(So this is... the Apocalypse Stagnation Committee.)
Everyone lived their days brightly and cheerfully, all while knowing that this miracle had an expiration date. And to stretch that miracle out even a little longer, they kept fighting with smiles on their faces.
Kotoha thought it was pretty cool, honestly.
(I wish I could be like him.)
Because didn't he seem just like a light novel protagonist? Kind, cool, and giving it everything he had.
(...I see. No, that's exactly it... the essence of my heart--)
He'd fallen for it. He'd yearned for it. For the way this man lived. For his life.
And that was his true nature. Sadly enough.
He understood now. The meaning of his Yearning. The power of his Gunscar.
(No, I'd known from the very start.)
He'd been refusing to acknowledge it, pretending he didn't understand. But watching this man fight so desperately, he realized he couldn't keep running anymore.
(I'm one of the Apocalypse Stagnation Committee too.)
He couldn't afford to worry about appearances. Just like Fiddler.
"--'noapusa.'"
Noapusa. That was the name of his Gunscar. He didn't understand why that was its name, but he understood it not with his brain but with his heart. He manifested a small pistol and gripped it tight.
"...! A second ability!"
Fiddler carefully observed his Gunscar.
"Fiddler. I don't know you well, but I'm sure you're a good person. So there's one thing I want you to tell me."
"Can't you just read my mind instead of asking?"
...That wasn't the point. Fiddler understood that too, and cracked a small smile.
"--What's your wish?"
He looked a little surprised. It wasn't the kind of question you asked in the middle of a fight. But he didn't think about it long, and answered with that gentle smile.
"I thought it'd be nice if I could take everyone's place."
"..."
"If I could do everything in everyone's place, then nobody else would have to fight. That's what I thought."
Man, that was incredible.
So different from him. Despite having such similar abilities.
"So then, what's your wish?"
Fiddler looked straight at him. Kotoha had to answer.
"I wanted to be like a light novel protagonist. But I know that's impossible for me. I'm just me, and that's all I'll ever be. And that... makes me so damn sad I can't stand it."
He pressed the Gunscar against his own temple.
(So this is the shape of my heart.)
What a laughable wish. What a masochistic, self-punishing Gunscar.
...Yeah, really. He hadn't been able to acknowledge the shape of who he was until things had come to this. But that was probably just how it went. Because Yearning was a pain that sprouted at the very end of despair.
"Let's do this, Fiddler Reynolds. Fair and square."
"...Heh. You're a weird one. Yeah, come at me! Kotoyorozu Kotoha!"
He pulled noapusa's trigger.
His brains blew out, and his heart shattered.
* * *
"--Mef-senpai. Koshiba, you know. Koshiba actually kind of knew."
Beside her, Koshiba murmured quietly.
Mef couldn't look away from Kotoha-kun pressing the Gunscar to his own temple.
"Kotoha-senpai, like, hurting other people to get what he wants? That's just not something he can do, right? He's totally different from Koshiba or Mef-senpai that way."
"...Yeah."
"So that Gunscar. Koshiba figured it wasn't something you'd point at someone else. It's something you point at yourself. Koshiba knew. ...But Koshiba didn't really wanna say it."
Mef couldn't believe it. Because Kotoha-kun was always so bright. She knew he had a painful past, so many painful things, but he was such a kind person.
(And yet, his Yearning is--)
--So painfully sad.
"It's fine."
The one who said that was Wu-senpai, wrapped up in her futon.
"...Huh?"
"That boy's nature is definitely 'black.' Different from people on the 'white' side. ...But even the saddest wish doesn't have to end sadly. So it'll be fine."
That didn't sound like empty comfort. It felt more like a warning to them.
"Just stay friends with him, okay?"
Wu-senpai smiled brightly. Mef nodded sincerely and watched him fighting in the Square.
"You can do it! Kotoha-kun!"
She decided to watch properly. His fight. His Yearning. She believed that was what a friend should do.
"That's right, watch closely. --When he becomes a real monster, killing him is a friend's job."
There was no contradiction in those words. Mef believed that strongly.
* * *
--Kotoyorozu Kotoha shot himself through the temple with his own bullet.
(... What? ...A cost-type Gunscar?)
I -- Fiddler Reynolds -- thought. That kind of ability wasn't particularly rare. A Gunscar was the embodiment of one's Yearning, the shape of one's heart. It required fairness. And a cost meant power.
"Oh--"
The blood that sprayed from Kotoyorozu-san's forehead began to writhe as though it had a will of its own, starting to envelop his body. It pulsated like a slime, gradually taking on a definite shape with clear intent.
"--Chalquiruq!"
I deployed the most defense-oriented ability available to me.
(Something bad is about to happen!)
Goosebumps crawled across my skin. Something was coming. Something horrifying was coming!
"...Ah... Ah... Ah..."
The blood changed shape. Changed color, too. Two arms. Two legs. One head. It was a human form. But that wasn't all. If it had been just that, my back wouldn't have been covered entirely in goosebumps.
"--Huh?"
It had taken the shape of the person I knew best in the entire world.
"...Huh?"
I was looking at me.
Kotoyorozu-san had transformed into an exact copy of me. Standing before my eyes was myself.
(A transformation ability? --Could he be copying my abilities too?)
If so, our abilities were similar. But most transformation abilities only mimicked appearance. A Gunscar was the very embodiment of an individual's Yearning. Full assimilation carried far too much risk.
I watched my copy warily. He murmured softly.
"...No... way?"
"What?"
"What just happened? Why is there... another me? I-I... multiplied?"
My copy was clearly panicking. ...Was this Kotoyorozu-san acting? The thought crossed my mind, but I immediately realized it wasn't.
"...I see."
Because my copy had murmured:
"Kotoyorozu Kotoha's ability -- is to become the person in front of him."
[noapusa] -- Gunscar
A Gunscar that "becomes human." Kotoyorozu Kotoha transforms into a person with the exact same personality, memories, physical capabilities, and Anti-Reality properties as the target. While noapusa is active, Kotoyorozu Kotoha's will is not reflected, and the Anti-Reality property "nobody can tell which is the real one" is acquired.
Kotoyorozu Kotoha had become Fiddler Reynolds. Had become me. That was his Gunscar.
(... That's insane.)
How much did you have to hate yourself to develop a Gunscar like that? How deeply did you have to admire others for your Gunscar to become this? ...What a terribly sad person.
"I want to ask the other me something. ...Are you aware that you're the fake?"
"...No, I'm not. I observed you -- Kotoyorozu Kotoha -- transforming into me."
"I see. It's the same for me. I'm certain that you're the one who is Kotoyorozu Kotoha."
I had a conversation with myself. It felt like I was going insane. And in truth, madness was beginning to seize my nerves. There were two of me. That violently disrupted one's self-identity.
(This Gunscar! Neither of us can tell which one is real!?)
I understood that I was the real one. But the me standing right in front of me understood that exact same thing. ...Or was even that part of the ability? Was I really me? Was I not anymore? Who the hell was I?
(A-am I... the fake? Am I Kotoyorozu Kotoha?)
He didn't know, and there wasn't a single way to prove it.
"Ohhh! Wh-what is this!? What a development! There are two Fiddlers!? ...We've been watching the match this whole time, but... we can't tell which one is the real Fiddler!"
The announcer screamed. President Amelia murmured, her face slightly pale.
"...This isn't healthy. What a truly horrible ability."
"Meaning?"
"It's too dangerous. I'm banning Kotoyorozu Kotoha from the Representative Battle starting next year. By presidential authority."
That danger -- I, standing in the Square, felt it most keenly of all.
"Hah, hah, hah--"
Looking at myself standing right before me made my heart pound violently. An overwhelming anxiety that I might not be myself. A sensation like the ground crumbling beneath my feet.
(C-calm down! I'm me! I am Fiddler Reynolds!)
I desperately told myself that, but my heart wouldn't stop racing. Yes, this was -- the collapse of self-identity. My Ectoplasmic Fluid couldn't withstand the fact that I was not myself.
"The Nights!"
Both of me donned the armor of "night" at the exact same moment.
*(This guy--)
*(This guy alone--)
(I have to kill him right now!!)
Driven by powerful instinct, I kicked off the ground.
"OOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHH!!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!"
Two massive pairs of "night" converted into enormous blades and clashed violently, and we were knocked back by exactly the same distance.
"You're 'me,' right!? You're me in every way, right!? Then...! Just die already!"
"You make me sick! You! With my face! Don't you dare talk with my face!!"
We activated Fool's Footsteps (Go Far Kid) at the exact same moment, both diving into red portals to take the fight to the air.
(I have to kill him I have to kill him I have to kill him!)
The backs of my eyes glowed red, flickering. It was the first time in my entire life that I had felt pure, unadulterated, genuine killing intent.
"OOOOOOHHHHH!"
"AAAAAHHHHH!"
Standing before me was myself -- someone with abilities and thoughts completely identical to mine. How the hell was I supposed to beat someone like that?
(No holding back!)
Feeling a pain like my brain was being scorched, I kept swinging other people's Yearnings around.
* * *
It was a sight that held a certain beauty to it.
"...Incredible."
The commentator, the audience, everyone -- they were speechless.
"Like looking in a mirror."
Fiddler moved in complex, ultra-high-speed patterns and fought on, while the other Fiddler deflected every last attack with the exact same movements. The contrasting cascade of light and shockwaves was like the pinnacle of a choreographed dance.
"Dead even! Completely dead even! I-it looks like this won't be decided anytime soon!"
"...Nah, I don't think that's gonna happen." ♡
"What makes you say that, President?"
Amelia thought for a moment, then murmured.
"The stamina drain is too severe. Fiddler-kun's Half-Wing was never fuel-efficient to begin with. ...The same copied ability. And yet the concepts behind them are so different."
"Copy? Isn't Fiddler's ability one that controls wings?"
The Corporations representatives watched from their seats, holding their breath, as the battle unfolded like some cruelly intricate and beautiful geometric pattern.
"...Fiddler. Win. Please..."
Gray had always found Fiddler's perpetually gentle smile suspicious and hard to deal with. But at the same time, she'd wished she could be someone that kind to others.
--Seeing him now, drenched in blood and fighting for his life, she could barely hold back her tears.
"I-it's fine! There's no way Fiddler-kun would lose to some fake!"
mALEEa knew the fragility of Fiddler's strength. He possessed one of the top abilities in Corporations. But she knew that its double-edged nature stemmed from his self-sacrificing spirit.
--That was precisely why she wanted him to be rewarded more than anyone.
"Hey... Captain... that's just not fair... Those Gunscars... you can't just have those..."
Alex had trained with Fiddler every single day without fail. They'd practiced late into the night, pushing themselves until they were covered in bruises, always seeking to get stronger.
"Fiddler's Half-Wing... it's useful, sure, but it's not something you can just pick up and use. It takes serious training... A-and yet... and yet... that bastard..."
--But that ability made a mockery of all that effort. A grotesque power that laughed in the face of dedication.
"...The end is near."
Caitlin murmured. The end was near. The battle was near. The final chapter was.
"Alex. Orders. Take this and run to Operation Point U. Full speed."
"...Huh? Why would--"
"Because that's where I'm going to kill Koito Hikari."
The instant Caitlin murmured those words, tension shot through the Corporations representatives.
(Kill Koito Hikari? There's no way she can do that! ...But if the Captain's serious about it--)
Gray was shaken. But her resolve hardened in an instant.
(Right. So you're really doing this, Kate. Then I'll...)
mALEEa was rattled, but she nodded faster than anyone else.
(...I see. So that's what this was about.)
Alex just smiled faintly. He'd always known this day would come.
"Leave it to me."
Alex took two bullets from Caitlin. Then he cloaked himself in the Night and took off at the speed of wind. Operation Point U lay beyond several concealed portals -- their secret battlefield. At Alex's speed, he'd reach it in under a minute.
"You two can run if you want. It's going to be a brutal fight."
Caitlin murmured. She'd never told even her closest confidants about this plan. That was to guard against brainwashing, betrayal, and mind-reading. And because she'd known, without a doubt, that her comrades would follow her.
"What are you saying at this point, Captain? We're here for you."
"Yeah, yeah! Besides, you couldn't do anything without us!" ♪
Gray and mALEEa put on their bravest smiles. Caitlin knew, from the bottom of her heart, that the path she'd walked had been the right one.
"Then let's cheer. For our comrade."
Caitlin looked at Fiddler, fighting inside the Square.
(He's the one who'll carry Corporations' future.)
She couldn't bring Fiddler to the final battle against Koito Hikari. He'd surely resent her for it. And in the first place, after using his Half-Wing to copy Koito's Gunscars, she couldn't imagine his soul had come through unscathed.
"Come on. Fiddler! Come on!"
--Caitlin screamed from the bottom of her heart. She prayed, from the bottom of her heart, for her comrade's victory.
* * *
"OOOOOOOOOOOOHHH!!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!"
--The two boys' war cries overlapped, and a violent shockwave shook the world.
(I'm out of stamina!)
(We've both got one last use of our abilities!)
(Then--)
(I'll burn my life away and use every last drop!)
For Fiddler, losing this Representative Battle was not an option.
(Captain Caitlin has always gotten the short end of the stick.)
She was serious, fair, and never tolerated injustice. She'd been blessed with talent for combat, but in every other regard, she was hopeless. Caitlin had -- absolutely no backing whatsoever.
(If we show results in this Representative Battle, the investors will fund Captain Caitlin.)
With money, her standing within the academy would grow. If she led the fight against the Apocalypses and the Anti-Reality organizations, she could save far more people.
Corporations was, at the end of the day, all about money. Students with money had the loudest voice, and students without money got nothing. Fiddler hated that.
"She's not... someone who should end up as just a security captain."
The words slipped out, and the copy who'd surely been thinking the exact same thing smiled.
"Yeah, I get it."
Fiddler felt just a little bit saved. And that was exactly why the fire in his heart blazed even brighter.
(Picture it. A strong person! The strongest person I know!)
For him, that was the young man who'd fought beside him closer than anyone -- the one who hid behind a mask of villainy.
"" --The Nights! ""
Both Fiddlers unleashed massive expansions of Night.
"" The Nights! --Pierce through everything! ""
It was a special form of The Nights! that only the dexterous yet instinctive Fiddler could wield -- one that the clumsy but rational Alex could never master.
--It was a pair of absurdly enormous drills made of solid black mass.
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHH!!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!"
The twin tornado-like Night drills collided head-on. They scattered sparks like flame and let out an earth-shaking roar, but neither side gave an inch.
"Come on! Come on! COME OOOOOOOOON!"
Someone's scream hammered against Fiddler's heart.
"BREAK THROOOOOOOUGH--!!"
In that instant, pure white light engulfed the world.
"..."
"..."
All sound vanished from the venue, and the crowd watched to see how it ended.
"Standing... they're standing... Two battered boys...!"
Two blood-soaked boys. Kotoyorozu Kotoha, and Fiddler Reynolds.
"...ah..."
Fiddler was in tatters, the light gone from his eyes. His spirit burned out, his knees buckled, and he collapsed on the spot.
"...You're amazing... You really were... an incredible person..."
Kotoha was swaying on his feet, but a faint, satisfied smile played on his lips.
"...I... I, y'know--"
To the boy who could no longer speak another word, Kotoha said:
"...I wanted to be like you... Like you -- a cool person..."
He murmured -- and the boy swayed -- but didn't fall.
"IT'S OVER!! The winner is Kotoyorozu Kotoha! Kotoyorozu Kotoha!!"
With an explosion of cheers, the crowd praised both fighters for their valiant battle.
* * *
The instant the simulators were removed, both boys collapsed on the spot and were caught by their teammates.
"Mef... I... what happened... to me...?"
It had been an even fight. Without any exaggeration, a dead-even, fifty-fifty battle. If there was any reason Kotoha had won, it was nothing but luck. Not the whims of a goddess of fate, not divine caprice -- just plain luck.
"You were incredible. ...You fought so hard... You gave it everything... You were really... so cool."
Mef was on the verge of tears as she held Kotoha. Seeing that, Koito grinned.
"Nice fight! The kiss on the cheek will have to wait for another day!" ♪
"Leader, you actually promised him that!?"
Amid the lively chatter, Kotoha lay down on the futon where Wu had been sleeping. His sleeping face was so peaceful, so content. Koshiba found his expression so serene that she couldn't help but crack a small smile.
* * *
"Now then, it's finally my turn!"
Koito Hikari stood up.
She looked at the girl across from her. Caitlin Ann Austin. Koito had already noticed that the intensity of her resolve was far from ordinary.
"The score between the two schools is now 2-2! It's come down to the final match between the captains!"
"What a close series! I've got a feeling the last match is gonna be something incredible too!"
Koito had noticed. The presence of countless, hideous things. They were directed at her. At these Three Great Academies. Koito believed in her comrades.
"--Koito Hikari!"
Caitlin descended beside the Square and fixed her gaze on Koito Hikari.
"Oh my, what is it?"
With an elegant step, Koito stood directly in front of her.
A spotlight illuminated the two girls as they faced each other before the match.
"Let's fight. Fair and square."
Caitlin extended her hand for a shake, the cuff buttons on her military uniform glinting.
"Yes, gladly!"
Without a moment's hesitation, Koito clasped her palm.
"...Same as always."
"Hm? What is?"
"Your total lack of caution. So careless. Is it the confidence of the strong?"
Koito smiled thinly.
"It's all right, I was watching the whole time. The Shamshir Seal you got from Fiddler-kun -- you stuck it on your palm, didn't you?"
"......"
"You didn't have to go through all this. If you'd just asked, I would've gone anywhere."
For the first time, Caitlin realized her assassination plan had been exposed. But it was within her expectations. She'd known about the existence of an Apocalypse with future sight.
(But the future can be changed as many times as you want.)
Not through human effort or ingenuity -- but through chaotic, random chance.
"I see. I thought something was off."
"What's that?"
"The fact that you stacked the Representative Battle with your inner circle."
"..."
"It was to protect your comrades, wasn't it?"
For Koito Hikari, her greatest weakness was her comrades.
If someone took them hostage and told her to comply, she would undoubtedly obey.
Caitlin didn't dislike that soft side of her.
"Now then -- let's fight, Koito Hikari. --Fair and square... is not what I'd ask for."
* * *
Blue light flooded the dome's ceiling.
"What is that!?"
A violent rumbling. A sickening distortion of reality. The harbinger of something overwhelmingly massive and monstrous.
"Wow. There sure are a lot of people with nothing to do!"
A girl clad entirely in black stood there. Perched atop the palm of a massive, glowing blue giant. Higher than the monitors, she looked down upon the tiny humans below. And somehow, the pose suited her perfectly.
"I am the Demon Lord! One who stands against the world! One who shall never be defeated! One who bows to no light -- a warrior supreme!"
--The Black Demon Lord. One of the most dangerous Apocalypses that the Apocalypse Stagnation Committee pursued.
She had appeared right in the middle of the venue where the Committee members were gathered.
Even for the Black Demon Lord, the odds were unfavorable in a venue packed with several thousand monster-slayers.
And so, the strategy Caitlin had prepared didn't end there.
"Close your lips. Cease your words. To speak is rebellion against the holy."
Emerging from every gap and crevice in the venue was a mad angel with ten thousand arms.
It gently pressed its fingers to people's lips -- and began sewing them shut with red thread.
* * *
[No. 2421: "Second-Class Angel: Hundred Wings (Sienarus)"] -- Stage 5: Turbatio
- Nature: Old God
- Origin: One of the angels worshipped by Los Devotos del Silencio Eterno.
- Details: Appears behind any subject that observes its form, then begins sewing the subject's mouth shut. The subject can either destroy the Sienarus that appeared behind them, or wait until it finishes sewing -- at which point it vanishes. A subject whose mouth is fully sewn shut by Sienarus loses all language function.
* * *
The venue descended into pandemonium. Hardened veterans of the Apocalypse Stagnation Committee or not, they weren't all combat specialists. Amid the chaos and screaming, Mef raised Chalquiruq and shouted.
"Leader!"
Koito smiled. With sparkling eyes like cherry blossom petals.
"Mef, Nyao, Kotoha! I'm leaving this to you!"
"--Shamshir!"
Fiddler, barely clinging to consciousness, activated Shamshir. The bullet and the Seal swapped positions, and in an instant, Koito and Caitlin vanished from the spot.
"Now then -- let's get this party started!"
Mef watched the Black Demon Lord's roaring laughter through Chalquiruq's scope.
