Episode 1: This is the Apocalypse Stagnation Committee

(This thing is surprisingly tough. What a pain.)

I—Koito Hikari—glared at the "Goddess" while compensating for the G-forces from my jet engine.

* * *

[No. 3922: "Soul Accumulator"]

Properties: Necromancy, Anti-Reality Mechanical Engineering

Details: A product manufactured and sold by the "Boundary Region Trading Company." The Goddess uses honeyed words to steal souls and preserves them inside the gate. Since souls (Ectoplasmic Fluid) deteriorate within approximately five minutes of separation from the body, freshness is maintained by "allowing them to continue activity in their desired world" inside the gate.

First confirmed in Britain, 1950. 284 units have been identified to date.

* * *

The Soul Accumulator—or rather, the Goddess—looked at me and smiled with terrible gentleness.

"I know, you see. You want to be happy too, don't you?"

It was a smile filled with maternal love from the bottom of her heart.

"Come here! Let's go to a wonderful world together with everyone!"

"So sorry to disappoint!"

I shouted and aimed my guitar's headstock toward the sky.

"I am me! The perfect, strongest beautiful girl! A wonderful world, you say? Ha! There's nowhere more beautiful than this reality! Because it's the world where I exist!"

Masses of flesh extended like spears dozens of meters long, chasing after me as I soared through the air. What a drowsy speed! I dodged easily and—leaped directly above the Goddess.

"Leader! That thing has physical resistance—"

My cute dark-skinned vice-captain, Mehleeza Janebekova, shouted. Of course I knew!

"Nyao! Mef! Protect everyone!"

"Huh? Capta—"

Koshiba Nyao, the girl with wisteria-purple hair in side ponytails. The small girl was dumbfounded, but when she noticed my blazing gaze, she hastily drew her pistol.

"Leader! You idiot!"

Mef screamed. I stuck my tongue out mentally in apology as I began my dive toward the Goddess.

"—Come. To me."

The Goddess smiled. I smiled too.

"SHUT UUUUUP!! DIIIIIIIE!!"

I gripped my guitar and slammed it down with all my strength. The ground shook with a thunderous roar. A horrific shockwave shattered the temple's interior. Even so, the Goddess's body was only slightly chipped.

"Human power cannot harm a god."

I gripped the guitar as hard as I could and kept swinging down.

"I am Koito Hikari, the strongest beautiful girl who transcends humanity! A mere god should know her place!"

Break.

"...Kh, what is—"

Break. Break break break break break break.

"Guh... ah, s-stop...! What? This is. This is. What!?"

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!"

Break break break break break break break break break break break break!

"—Shatter. Like stardust."

GYANG! The guitar let out an especially high scream. The sheer amount of energy warped gravity for an instant.

An explosion like a supernova dyed everything pure white for a moment.

"...Gyang."

Ow ow. I botched the landing. And I'd meant to finish it perfectly, too.

"—Be that as it may, case closed!"

I gazed at the Goddess statue behind me, its upper body pulverized to dust. Even I was impressed at how thoroughly I'd wrecked it.

"Um. Everyone okay?"

The temple had long since completely collapsed. I hoped everyone was safe.

"........................"

Huh, no response at all.

"Gyah. Did I maybe mess up!?"

"You idiot!"

My head was suddenly smacked from behind. A light thwap.

"Mef! Thank goodness, you're alive!"

"You idiot captain. Bonehead captain. Thoughtless captain. Musclehead captain. Stupid stupid stupid stupid."

Behind Mef stood Nyao, half in tears, trembling as she gripped her pistol—"Shamshir." She must have protected everyone.

"Captain. This operation was strictly a capture mission, and unnecessary damage to the Anti-Reality Entity—"

"It couldn't be helped. There were civilians involved this time."

"May I ask why you charged in with enough force to involve those very civilians?"

"In the world of battle, you always give it your all!"

Mef opened and closed her mouth as if wanting to say something, then immediately let out a huge (truly huge!) sigh, deciding further argument was pointless, and dropped her shoulders.

(Mef is an excellent vice-captain, but she's a bit too cautious. This operation was low difficulty, and the team had plenty of margin, so she should think of it as practical training for coordination. Besides, capture operations only make the lab guys happy anyway.)

When we fight the really dangerous ones, the impact won't end at this level. We had a lot of newbies this time, and I think it was good stimulation for them. Well, okay, I went a little overboard.

"Ahh, that felt amazing!"

Mef chopped me again as I laughed carelessly. Nyao, still half in tears, smiled a little when she saw it, which was a small relief.

"Well then, Mef. Handle the cleanup! I think I'll go have some tea over there."

".....................Understood."

I really shouldn't interfere with this kind of work. I handle combat. Mef handles everything else. That division of roles is the only way our team barely functions.

(That said, that boy...)

I gazed at "him." The boy who had caught the Black Demon Lord's eye and risked his life to save his friend.

"Wh-who the hell are you people!?"

The boy shouted. He seemed utterly confused. From our perspective, he was the one we wanted to ask "what even are you?" But our organization basically had one method for handling civilians.

"Nyao."

When Mef called her name, Nyao readied a syringe as if she'd been waiting for this moment.

"Aye aye!"

Nyao plunged the fast-acting anaesthetic into the boy's neck.

■

I woke up. That fact alone surprised me.

(... Huh?)

I should have been dying in that Goddess's temple. I remembered being injected with something...

(Where... is this?)

It was a clean space. Pure white interior. This had to be a hospital room.

"...Head... hurts..."

I staggered to my feet and opened the window of the hospital room.

"What the hell... —Blue!?"

What lay before me—was nothing but blue. The sky, that is. Blue from top to bottom, everything was blue. Like looking at the sky from an airplane window.

"No way. Th-this is impossible!"

I leaned out the window and looked down for the ground. But there was no ground. All that existed were a few pure white clouds drifting here and there. The clouds were far below the window?

"Yikes. He's already up!"

From the door behind me appeared the small-animal-like girl with wisteria-purple hair—Nyao, I think she was called.

"You shouldn't be moving around yet!"

She pattered over to me and gently rubbed my back while guiding me to the bed. She smelled kind of nice. No, that's not the point.

"...Sorry. I seriously don't understand. Where is this? What is this? Am I sane?"

"That depends on your definition of sane. Koshiba values diversity!"

Admirable, but I don't have that kind of mental bandwidth right now. Also, who's Koshiba? Is that her family name?

"This is the nurse's office at 'Azure Academy' in District 12 of Sky City Fructus."

"Sk-sky...?"

"Yep. Floating in the sky. Ahaha, people from the surface are always so surprised."

Surprised didn't begin to cover it. I couldn't believe it. No, did I have any choice but to believe? At the very least, I couldn't process it easily.

"I'm sorry. Our regulations require that disaster victims and prisoners be sedated when brought back. You must be so confused."

So apparently I'd been knocked out with sedatives at the Goddess's temple and transported to this flying "Azure Academy." ...Ha. What a day. Talk about action-packed.

"How are you feeling? I was told to bring you once you recovered, Kotoyorozu-san."

"...Where?"

"Um, what was it called? A meeting room? Something like that? You know, that round place with lots of chairs where everyone talks. Um, I forgot the name."

This girl might be a bit of an airhead.

"What's with that look?"

"No... I was just thinking Koshiba-san might be a bit of an airhead."

"What's that supposed to mean? Want to fight?"

Koshiba-san formed her hands into the starting position for that finger-counting game. Why? Was she trying to compete on IQ?

"N-no. Not now. We have somewhere to go, right? Let's head there."

"Heheh... Then it's Koshiba's win by default."

She looked triumphant. I felt vaguely frustrated.

The inside of the building called "Azure Academy" looked at first glance like an ordinary stylish school building. But it wasn't the Japanese-style architecture I knew—instead, it had a Mediterranean feel, with white and blue as the base colors.

"Here we are. Please go in. Koshiba was told she can't come."

Nyao-san stopped with a cheerful smile.

At the end of the pure white corridor stood a strangely solemn door. On a brass plate beside it depicting scales and a four-legged beast were the words "Inquisition Chamber."

"—Wait... this isn't what you said?"

"What do you mean?"

"You said 'meeting room'! You said it's where everyone talks!"

"Inquisition Chamber" had a totally different nuance, didn't it? I mean, it literally said "Inquisition." A room for inquisiting heretics, right? So I was already being treated as a heretic? If this were a witch hunt, I'd definitely be killed no matter what. Huh? Inquisition Chamber? That sounds way too scary, seriously.

(N-no. Maybe it's just an old name, and it's actually a cozy place like Koshiba said. It's too early to be afraid, right?)

I took a small deep breath, thanked Koshiba for guiding me, and opened the door to the Inquisition Chamber.

It was strangely heavy, and the hinges creaked with a grinding sound. What was this? I'd only seen this in Resident Evil.

"—Now then, I shall deliver the verdict."

Beyond the door was a circular room. Chairs were arranged in tiers along the walls like stairs.

Seated there were dozens of people wearing wooden masks with horns, fangs, and huge eyes I'd never seen before. They all turned to look at me the moment I entered.

(—This is terrifying.)

It was a kind of fear I'd never known. Too scary. What were those masks? I could tell they had some kind of Asian aesthetic, but being subjected to the gazes of dozens of wooden carvings and their silence made me freeze.

"Oh? That boy."

What broke the silence was a ridiculously carefree voice.

"Yoo-hoo~"

Waving at me from the center-back of the circular chamber, seated in a notably high and prominent position, was a girl with cherry-blossom-pink hair. The one with the guitar.

Honestly, I'd never even spoken to her, so I couldn't exactly act like we were acquainted, but I felt slightly relieved to see at least one somewhat familiar face. —No, that wasn't all.

"Ahem. Then allow me to deliver the verdict once more—I, Student Council President Elif Anatolia, shall pronounce it."

Seated on either side of the pink-haired girl were two people.

One was a tall, lanky man who looked timid. His long hair was tied back.

One was the small girl who'd called herself "Student Council President." She wore a colorful hat and had beautiful jewels jangling on her wrists and neck. Sandwiched between the pink-haired girl and the tall man, she sat as if she held all decision-making power in this place.

"Heretic—Luna."

Only then did I finally realize. Who was being tried in this circular room? Whose sins were these masked people questioning? I should have noticed that first.

"...Yes."

The maid in the light-blue jersey—Luna-san—hung her head. She was at the center of this Inquisition Chamber, clearly the focal point of this proceeding.

"Luna-san..."

—She was alive.

Just as I was about to cry, someone tugged my sleeve.

"Quiet. This is a sacred Inquisition Chamber."

It was an unfamiliar girl's voice. She wore a mask with a demon-like visage, eyes wide open. I immediately shut my mouth. But I could only stay silent for so long.

"—I sentence you to immediate disposal."

Student Council President Elif Anatolia murmured. In that instant, the people in wooden masks rose to their feet and erupted in cheers. Like a scene from a courtroom drama.

(...Disposal...?)

Wait. What? Dispose of what? What were they saying they'd dispose of?

Only natural. There's no research value left in such an outdated toy from the 'Trading Company.'

With that level of anti-reality, the lab's shredder should be enough. Should pulverize her without issue.

I read the minds of those around me. I couldn't understand half of what they were saying. But the vague shape of their emotions made it crystal clear what they intended to do to Luna-san.

(These people... are planning to kill Luna-san!)

I didn't even have time to think "what should I do?" My body moved before that.

"...Huh?"

I leaped over the stairs and stood blocking Luna-san.

"Oh ho."

The student council president murmured with interest.

"My?"

The pink-haired girl tilted her head, looking slightly surprised.

"..."

The tall man didn't even glance my way, busily flipping through documents in his hands.

"You're Kotoyorozu Kotoha-kun, if I recall. I heard about you in Luna-kun's testimony. You were a victim of the Soul Accumulator, weren't you? Must have been rough. But I'm busy right now, so could you step aside?"

The small girl—Elif—murmured. Her voice had a certain grandeur, yet somehow suited her perfectly, without a hint of arrogance. Despite her size, she had presence rivaling Rafa's uncle.

"What did you just say... you're going to do to Luna-san...?"

"Destroy her. Pulverize her in a shredder. Until not a shadow remains."

A flat tone, like discussing what to have for lunch.

I felt my vision go red.

"Who do you people think you are...? Our lives... us... what do you think we..."

"Hm?"

"...Why? Why are you trying to destroy Luna-san?"

Elif looked annoyed and was about to answer. Before she could, a clear girl's voice rang out from behind me.

"—Because we are those who stagnate the Apocalypse."

It was the girl in the demon-like mask who'd tugged my sleeve earlier. In a remarkably crisp, knight-like voice, she continued.

"She—Luna—is an Anti-Reality Entity created by one of the blacklisted organizations, the 'Boundary Region Trading Company.' Her potential to cause dimensional apocalypse—her 'Apocalypse Potential'—is Stage 3: 'Crescita.' We must destroy her promptly to stabilize the dimension."

Having delivered her report crisply, she sat back down as if her duty was done.

"Well, in other words..."

Elif murmured.

"That maid is a monster. So we'll kill her. Simple as that."

Monster. That word resonated strangely deep in my chest.

(Monster? —That's me.)

That was the word thrown at me over and over like a broken record when I was a kid. Kill her because she's a monster? Screw that. I thought it strongly. I clenched my fists tight.

"Besides, that maid apparently cooperated with the Soul Accumulator... that Goddess, and collected several hundred souls. That alone is a serious crime."

"Luna-san was being threatened by the Goddess! She was actually trying to help me!"

The chamber buzzed with sudden noise. Elif opened her eyes with slight interest.

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yeah. So—"

"Then why didn't she say so?"

"Huh?"

"I'm asking you, Luna-san."

Elif directed a sharp gaze at Luna-san. Luna-san looked away disinterestedly, sighed, then began speaking in a flat tone.

"...Didn't matter to me."

Luna-san met my eyes and smiled just slightly, gently.

"Thanks. Kotoyorozu-kun. But it's fine. I'm just, y'know, done. Like, with everything. You get it, right? You of all people understand, don't you?"

"...!"

I understood. Because Luna-san had been crying when she told me to run.

This person didn't want to live anymore. She was exhausted. She wanted it to end.

I understood. I really understood that kind of thing. But still.

"But... you can't..."

"Huh?"

"You're the one who said it, Luna-san... 'Don't spend too much time thinking sad thoughts.' You said that to me..."

Luna-san looked dumbfounded for a moment, then smiled again.

"Sorry. I really am stupid, huh."

In a flat voice. But unable to hide the hint of tears caught in her throat.

The tall man let out a long sigh.

"Okay, quiet down, quiet down. The verdict's already been decided. It's too late to change anything now. Come on, knights. Hurry up and take this one away—"

"I won't let you."

The masked figures rose and moved to surround Luna-san. I spread my arms wide and blocked them.

"Stop! No! I won't let you do this! I'll never let you!"

"'Won't let us,' he says... Whatever. Everyone, escort this one out—"

A masked knight reached for my shoulder.

I had already seen that movement.

"Hah—"

I dodged the arm and drove a hard punch into his solar plexus. The masked knight must have been caught off guard—he dropped to his knees in one hit.

"Try it."

I clenched my fists and lightly tucked my elbows in. The upright stance the old man had taught me.

"Seriously?"

Elif laughed.

"You think you can handle this many people bare-handed?"

That didn't matter. People like you probably wouldn't understand.

"I've already—given up on giving up."

I refused to follow the orders of someone stronger and lose something precious because of it.

That was all. That alone was something I could never, ever compromise on. Even if I lost everything else.

"Stop."

Luna-san grabbed my sleeve with a trembling voice.

"Move in."

The masked knights calmly surrounded me with long wooden staffs.

(I know. I know your movements. I understand you better than you understand yourselves—)

See hearts. Know hearts. I made myself fluid. Synchronized my soul.

"RAAAAH!"

A knight swung his staff down. I had already seen it. I dodged, closed in, and uppercut him under the mask. Staying low, I swept the nearest knight's legs and toppled him. Struck his neck hard with my elbow.

At the same moment, a staff slammed hard into my shoulder. My collarbone was probably broken. Didn't matter. In exchange, I'd swiped a pistol from the knight's belt.

"—......"

I could see the path. The flow of people. I kicked off the stairs on the wall and leaped high. My target was singular. The basics of a fight: aim for the head. That's what the old man taught me too.

"Oh ho."

Student Council President Elif Anatolia, with a gun pointed at her, smiled with admiration.

"So that's your Apocalypse."

"...What?"

"Future sight, I'd wager."

Those words startled not me, but the two seated on either side of Elif.

"Eli-chan, are you serious?"

The pink-haired girl's eyes went round.

"...President. Why do you hide things like this... Ah, more paperwork."

The tall man murmured with a face about to cry.

"Wh-what do you mean!?"

And the one who shouted was the knight girl in the wooden mask with the crisp voice.

Elif Anatolia laughed with amusement, then:

"This boy's name is Kotoyorozu Kotoha. Apocalypse Potential: Stage 4: 'Excitatio.'"

"Stage 4!?"

The knights stirred and began murmuring in agitation.

(Wh-what...?)

I didn't understand the situation. I was an Apocalypse? What did that mean?

"Kotoyorozu-kun. Apparently you'll destroy the world someday if left alone."

The pink-haired girl smiled apologetically.

"So it seems we have to destroy you too."

"...What—"

Luna-san was Stage 3, they'd said. I was Stage 4. Did that mean I was actually more dangerous? Even though all I could do was peek into people's minds—something so dirty?

"—All units. Permission to open fire."

A clear voice rang out. The prohibition on firearms must have been because important people were present. But now that my danger level was known, they were ready to fight for real.

(Damn. I don't know how to use a gun, but—!)

I had no choice. I put strength into my fists.

"This wasn't the deal."

Something whistled through the air. It was silver wire.

"What—"

The silver wire shot through the air at bullet speed, then curved in an elegant arc like a hummingbird. In an instant, it bound the entire group of masked knights together.

"...Luna... san?"

The frilly maid in the light-blue jersey held the wire ready, positioning herself to guard my back.

"That wasn't the deal."

The wire extended from Luna-san's right wrist. No—that wasn't quite right. She herself was the wire. Her body was made of steel threads.

"—If it's just me, fine. Yeah, sure. I've done enough to deserve it, and my future's pitch black with not a single ray of hope in sight. So destroying me is fine."

Wire extended from her left wrist too. It twisted and coiled, transforming in the blink of an eye into a silver rapier. I felt terrifying fury radiating from behind me.

"But not this boy. He's just a child. He's been through nothing but terrible things. He has to become happy from now on. If you try to stop that, I won't forgive you."

My eyes grew hot, and I clenched my teeth. ...When was the last time someone cared about me like this? When was the last time someone treated me like a child?

I had truly, from the bottom of my heart, come to love this person.

"Ah ha ha ha ha ha!"

Suddenly, a carefree laugh. It struck at my taut nerves.

"You're both wonderful. What great spirit."

It was the girl with cherry-blossom-pink hair and sparkling eyes. She laughed like a child.

"So that means—"

In that instant, pressure.

"—You intend to fight me? You've got some serious nerve."

The air grew heavy. Like being crushed by a massive iron ball. The pink-haired girl had merely whispered. Yet I felt terror so intense I could barely stand.

(What is she?)

The tiny remnant of wild instinct left in humans was screaming alarms. This girl was on a different level. Incomparable to the motley parade of monsters—she was the genuine article.

"W-wait a moment! If you go wild here, the damage will be incalculable!"

The tall man shouted, sweating profusely.

"Don't be such a killjoy~♡"

"This is a serious violation of regulations!"

"Oh my♪"

The pink-haired girl smiled elegantly, like a sheltered noblewoman.

"—So what? Who's going to punish me?"

The tall man fell silent immediately. They probably had no way to stop her. That girl was too strong—a double-edged sword even for this organization.

Play this smart.

Someone was directing a strong mental vector at me.

It was from Student Council President Elif Anatolia.

Use it fully. Your Apocalypse. Your despair. Your Directionality.

What did that mean? Why would she, my apparent enemy, try to advise me? But one thing was certain—just the two of us, Luna-san and I, stood no chance against that pink-haired girl.

(Right. Think. A way to survive. A way to protect Luna-san—)

Was there anything important in what I'd seen and heard? There had to be something. I wouldn't give up until the end. I'd use everything and absolutely—

(Ah.)

—There was. One inconsistency. I see—could it be that Elif Anatolia was...

"...Let me ask one thing."

"Hm? What is it?"

The pink-haired girl smiled. I threw their contradiction at her. At all of them.

"You people are an organization that fights 'Apocalypses' to protect the world, right?"

"Yes, that's right."

"...Isn't that strange?"

She tilted her head like a small animal.

"Because... that guitar you were using. What was that?"

"!"

The one who reacted with surprise wasn't her—it was the tall man. He was clearly shaken.

"My guitar? That's fine. It's not anything bad."

"Isn't that an 'Apocalypse' too? It's definitely not normal."

Right. If my "Whisperer" was called an abnormality—an Apocalypse—then her "flying guitar" was a perfectly legitimate abnormality too. Something science couldn't explain. Wasn't that what an Apocalypse was?

"Huh? I don't really know about that stuff. Not interested. Is that true? Von?"

"Hey. Don't suddenly throw that to me."

The tall man sighed.

"Yes. That's an Apocalypse—a Gift bestowed by the 'Angel of Gunscar.' It hasn't been ordered destroyed because its destruction method is unknown and because it provides significant benefit to us."

"Ohh. Is that so."

"...Why is someone who doesn't know basic common knowledge number two in this organization?"

Right. Then it was simple.

"Then—I'll become that too."

"Hm?"

These people were an organization that protected people from Apocalypses. Even if they had to use Apocalypses to do it.

"I'll cooperate with you. In exchange, guarantee our lives."

The tall man—the one called Von—looked dumbfounded. The pink-haired girl giggled. The student council president watched us quietly with a steady gaze.

"K-Kotoyorozu-kun! What are you—"

"...Luna-san. This is our only option."

I had to commit. While I steeled my resolve, the pink-haired girl spoke up.

"What can you even do? You're just some random civilian—"

"The mafia that used me rapidly expanded their drug routes within a few years and made two hundred billion dollars a year."

"You're absolutely essential personnel!"

The pink-haired girl's eyes had turned into dollar signs. She was surprisingly money-minded.

"So? What specifically can you do?"

I opened my mouth.

Keep your mind-reading a secret.

A strong thought. It came from the student council president again.

One should save their trump card for last.

Why? I couldn't read the specifics. But it seemed wise to follow her lead here.

"I can... predict the future."

"Ehh. There's such a convenient Apocalypse? If you really have such a powerful ability, you'd certainly be worth your weight in gold to us. ...Really? For an Apocalypse?"

The skeptical girl looked on as the student council president spoke calmly.

"Predicting the future. Making all unknowns known. In other words, peace of mind. As far as Directionality goes, it's actually quite sound."

As I thought, she was covering for me. But why? Was she on my side...?

"Is that sooo~...?"

But the pink-haired girl still seemed suspicious.

"I know! Let's play rock-paper-scissors! If you can read the future, you should win every time!"

At her proposal, the tall man frowned.

"Wait. We don't know what his Apocalypse specifically does. It might not be future sight but mental contamination or physical manipulation. This method won't—"

The pink-haired girl laughed.

"—Oh my. Do you think something like that would work on me?"

So it wouldn't work. Maybe she was immune to both physical attacks and tricks? Way too overpowered...

"Can you beat me, Koito Hikari, the strongest beautiful girl blessed beyond measure by the gods? Rock-paper-scissors, go!"

That said, I won six times in a row immediately.

"Mnyaaa! I can't win at all! My odds are as bad as pulling an SSR in a gacha game!"

"...Do you believe me now?"

"Wait! I'll win the next one! I'll carve my own future! A hundred more rounds! Just a hundred more!"

She seriously made me win a hundred more rounds.

"Sniff... hic... N-not bad. I'm not frustrated or anything. Sniff."

The strongest beautiful girl wasn't used to losing, so she was half in tears from frustration.

"Well then," the small student council president exhaled.

"My two Wings—what do you think I should do?"

The pink-haired girl answered first.

"Recruit them, obviously! This is amazing!"

Von answered with a pained expression.

"I'm opposed, of course. Humanoid Apocalypses are unstable and unpredictable. There's no reason to trust them."

"Boring guy," the pink-haired girl muttered. Von ignored her.

"Hmm. I understand your positions. Then I shall make the final decision."

The student council president jangled the jewels on her wrist and pointed at us.

"—I shall accept you into Azure Academy as trial enrollees."

The pink-haired girl cheered at her decision. Von held his head in his hands. And the group of masked knights bristled with anger.

Welcoming more Apocalypses as allies...

I understand tensions with the Three Great Academies are rising, but...

The name of the Apocalypse Stagnation Committee is disgraced.

The student council president continued.

"Von. You will supervise them."

Von opened and closed his mouth as if to object, then sighed and nodded.

"The Inquisition is concluded. Any further objections may be whispered to the demons in hell."

The student council president snapped her fingers. In that instant, light lost its meaning, and darkness swallowed the world.

Another snap, and my vision returned to light.

"Huh, where... is this...!?"

The Inquisition Chamber I'd been in moments ago was gone without a trace. I was now in a corner of a cramped office, occupied by neatly organized masses of books and binders.

"...Sigh."

The tall man—Von Simon—sitting at the large desk before me let out a heavy sigh.

"That was a property of the Apocalypse 'Inquisition Chamber.' When an inquisition begins, it summons all Inquisition members within the academy, and when ended, it returns everyone to where they belong."

"...That was... an Apocalypse too...?"

Were Apocalypses really that convenient? Despite having such ominous-sounding names?

"That's right. We call ourselves the Apocalypse Stagnation Committee, but in practice, we utilize Apocalypses in many ways—you could call it a bad habit, or you could call it pragmatic."

"Now then," the man before me said, "let me introduce myself properly."

"Nice to meet you. My name is Von Simon. I serve as administrator of the 'Illuminati' here at Azure Academy. I look forward to working with you."

■

By the time we left Azure Academy, the sky had grown completely dark.

"Mmnn~"

Beside me, Luna-san stretched with a long groan. Her baggy jersey pulled taut, emphasizing her surprisingly ample chest. I couldn't help but look away.

"Well, that was something. We survived, I guess? Congrats, or whatever?"

All Von Simon had done was extremely routine paperwork. Luna-san and I were guaranteed a basic living here, on the condition that we cooperated with Azure Academy.

"...My heart was in my throat the whole time."

At my words, Luna-san laughed carelessly.

"But y'know, you shouldn't have. —Saved someone like me."

She watched me steadily while smiling thinly.

"Think about yourself first. I'm just a machine. Not a real human. I'm a bad person though. Look, see this? Thread—I'm made of this thread."

She extended wire from her wrist as she spoke.

"I'm a mechanical doll made by the Boundary Region Trading Company. So you don't need to save me. Got it?"

Luna-san squished my cheeks between both hands and smiled softly.

"...I can't do that."

"Why?"

"Because abandoning your savior just because she's a machine or a bad person... that's not what a 'good guy' does, right? I can't be that kind of person."

Luna-san's eyes went round for just a moment, then:

"Yeah. You're that kind of kid."

She smiled sadly. I didn't understand why.

"Anyway, looks like we're stuck together for now, so let's get along? I mean, if we die, we die, so let's keep it chill. Phew. Here we go."

She took a drag of her cigarette and smiled again. Just seeing that made me feel like everything I'd done was worth it.

"Well then, I'm off."

"Huh?"

Von-san had designated temporary housing for us. I'd assumed we'd go together.

"Hmm. I don't really trust those guys. Figured I'd just crash somewhere around here."

"Will you be okay?"

"This is nothing. I've saved the world before, you know."

Was that from some video game? Figuring it was a weird joke, I found myself laughing.

...Besides.

If I stay with him any longer, I'll start getting attached.

For an instant, a powerful sadness washed over Luna-san's heart. It hit me so hard my face twisted involuntarily. Noticing my reaction, she pouted.

"You peeked again. Perv."

"Gah. N-no, sorry. I didn't mean to..."

She laughed and put her foot on a nearby railing.

"See you tomorrow. Good for you—looks like this might actually turn into a school story after all."

Luna-san extended thread from her wrist, hooked it onto a tall nearby building, and swung away like a pendulum. Just like that spider hero from Hollywood.

"..."

I looked at the night city. This place called District 12 was beautiful, unified with white buildings and blue roofs. It was soaked in the black of night now, but it would be even more stunning under blue skies.

"Haha..."

I was alone. Alone in the night city.

"...I'm free."

No, that wasn't quite right. My identity was in Azure Academy's hands. If they decided I was a liability, they might kill me immediately.

"The sky... I'm alone... I'm... I'm finally... free..."

No guards watching. No low ceiling. No shackles on my hands and feet.

"Kh... sniff... sniff..."

I cried so much it made no sense. I must have cried a whole bucket's worth, sobbing and sobbing, and only when I finally calmed down did I look up ahead.

"I'll do my best."

—I was going to have my youth. Like a light novel protagonist. Until then—

"I'll do my best!"

I clenched my fist tight and started walking alone.

I passed through the now-deserted bazaar on the east side of District 12, then through a road lit only by faint streetlights, lined with dilapidated shacks with corrugated iron roofs. I walked about twenty minutes up a wide mountain path.

(...This is far.)

The student dorm Von had told me about should be somewhere back here. But it was so far. Far and dark. And scary. I could clearly hear wild dogs howling in the distance.

"This is... the student dorm?"

It was a small, single-story house. A faint light leaked from the windows. It was too dark to see clearly, but there was a large chicken coop and a tractor lined up outside. Oh, and a goat.

"E-excuse me..."

I entered the student dorm. Shoes scattered carelessly at the entrance gave it that authentic dorm feeling.

I have to make sure I'm not dead weight on the next operation.

I wonder when the Leader will be back.

I heard inner voices. So there were people here after all. As a newcomer, I wanted to do things properly. A polite greeting was the standard first move. I opened the door where I'd heard the voices.

"Excuse me. I'm Kotoyorozu Koto—starting today, I'll be in your care—"

—There stood a tall, dark-skinned girl. Completely naked.

Her flawless skin, the color of clear café au lait, beaded with hot shower water and sent droplets rolling off. Her large breasts, ripened like fresh fruit, bore cherry-pink buds standing shyly at attention. Her sharp, upturned eyes had gone perfectly round, staring at my face.

"...Huh?"

"...Wha—"

The dumbfounded girl quickly regained her composure and began doing what needed to be done, matter-of-factly.

"—Intruder encountered. Shifting to combat mode."

"W-wait, I'm—"

The dark-skinned girl spread both hands open.

"Come forth. Chalquiruq!"

In an instant, a rifle the size of a small dinosaur appeared in her previously empty hands.

"—Let's go, Mef! Justice—executed!"

The rifle bellowed in a gruff, samurai-like voice.

"I'm supposed to be staying here—"

The rifle gathered massive light.

"Eliminating obstacle."

The trigger was pulled. The barrel roared. A tremendous shockwave engulfed the area.

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

(This is kind of like a light novel, isn't it?)

I was blasted into the distant sky, throwing up an "I love you" sign with my index finger, pinky, and thumb raised.