"Do you want to help me heal Avrora-san's Soul?"
Mira asked directly, her eyes shifting toward Nagisa.
"And… Aunt Nagisa's Soul as well, right?"
"Umm… can you really do that?"
Kojou nodded firmly, excitement flickering in his eyes—he couldn't wait to begin.
"…"
Mira didn't answer immediately, making Kojou's heart freeze for a moment.
She paused, as if searching for the right words. The seriousness in her voice was unmistakable, and her blue eyes—undeniably inherited from Kojou—met his with a faint, quiet plea.
"…I need your help."
She took a deep breath before continuing, her voice dropping slightly, carrying the weight of exhaustion she had been hiding for so long.
"Healing damaged Souls drains me a lot. Every time I treat one, it feels like a piece of my strength slips away. That's why… I want you to stay beside me every time I perform the treatment. And give me the magical power I need to help Avrora-san and Aunt Nagisa. On my own… I won't be able to continue."
A short silence fell between them—one that didn't last long.
"Of course, that's not a problem at all."
Kojou replied without hesitation, as if her request was the most natural thing in the world. And when he realized that all she needed was for him to provide magic, a faint relief washed over his shoulders.
After all, he possessed an almost infinite reservoir of magic—a terrifying supply that regenerated constantly and at a speed beyond measurement. The thought that he could support her without burdening himself… made him smile with calm confidence.
"I'm here anyway."
He moved closer with slow steps and reached out his hand toward her, reassuring.
"As long as supplying you with magic is all you need… consider it already done. I'll stay by your side every moment during the treatment, and I won't let you exhaust yourself more than necessary."
"In that case… use my digital space."
Moegi's voice came from the side—calm, confident, as if she had been following the conversation from the start, waiting for the right moment to step in. Both turned toward her as she lifted her hand slightly, as though opening an unseen door.
"I can control time inside that space. One minute here could mean hours—or even days—there… which means the treatment won't take long in the outside world."
She stepped closer, her gaze shifting between Mira and Kojou with sharp focus.
"And if Mira is going to burn through a lot of energy during the process, being inside my digital space will give her the time she needs to recover without any pressure. As for you, Kojou… your magical reserves will be more than enough to maintain energy flow throughout the treatment."
Mira seemed relieved by Moegi's idea, and she asked softly:
"Will the place be stable enough to handle Souls damaged at this level?"
Moegi nodded with confidence, a small smile appearing on her lips.
"Don't worry. Inside my digital space, I can stabilize their Souls and prevent any disruptions to their flow. All you two need to do is focus on the healing… and leave the rest to me."
It was logical—perfect even—prompting Kojou to answer with reassurance:
"Then… we'll rely on your digital space. If it'll make the treatment easier and lighten Mira's burden, I have no objections."
Moegi raised her hand again, and with a subtle motion, the colors around them began to fade, as if another world were sliding over the real one.
"Alright… we'll begin whenever you're ready."
"Can someone explain what's going on?"
Nagisa raised her hand nervously, her voice mixed between curiosity and irritation. She stared at the faces around her, feeling that the entire conversation somehow revolved around her… without her understanding any of it. Her fingers tightened around the hem of her dress, a small sign of the anxiety she tried to hide.
Kojou muttered under his breath, barely audible:
"Right… your memories of the Blazing Banquet are still devoured."
He knew that very well—he himself had lived through the same experience. If not for the Guild's help back then, he would have remained lost, unable to understand the changes within him and within his body. But now… as a nearly complete Fourth Primogenitor, he had the power to restore what was taken from her.
He approached her slowly, as if afraid of overwhelming her further.
"I'll return them to you… but I want you to accept whatever you see, alright?"
She nodded slowly, confusion still visible in her eyes, but she didn't refuse.
Kojou lifted his hand and tapped her forehead lightly with his finger.
At that moment, her eyes widened slightly… then her expression shifted into empty stillness, as if her soul had drifted somewhere else. The sealed memories burst open inside her mind—images, voices, screams, red flames rising into the night sky.
The scenes of the Blazing Banquet flooded back:
Their desperate battle against Root after he took over her body…
the helplessness she felt when she couldn't control herself…
and the moment she extended her hand, despite everything, to protect Avrora's Soul and give her the chance to survive inside her.
The memories returned faster than she could process—like a waterfall of light rushing into her mind without pause.
And suddenly… silent tears slid down her empty eyes.
She wasn't crying because she remembered.
She was crying because she remembered everything—all the pain, all the fear, everything her mind tried to bury just to survive.
The emotions hitting her were far too heavy to endure without trembling.
Kojou stood in front of her, watching the shift inside her with a solemn expression, ready to catch her if her knees gave out.
The moment he pulled his finger away, Nagisa's shoulders began to tremble. She remained standing, but her legs shook as if the ground under her feet was losing its balance. He lifted his hand slightly, prepared to hold her if she collapsed.
After a few seconds, Nagisa blinked for the first time—as if her soul returned to her body slowly. Her eyes filled with tears again, but this time they weren't empty… they were sharp with awareness, shock, and something like old pain brought back to life.
"K… Kojou-kun…"
His name came out of her lips shakily, broken, as though she were speaking it for the first time after a long absence.
She placed a hand on her chest—over the place where Root's soul had once torn her from the inside—and took an unsteady breath.
She didn't wait for words to follow.
Before she could crumble further, Kojou pulled her into his arms without hesitation—an embrace strong and steady, a silent promise of protection. Her breaths were hot and uneven against his shoulder, her hands trembling as they gripped his shirt, afraid of slipping back into the darkness that had swallowed her before.
He lowered his voice, gently patting her back, the warmth in his tone something he only ever showed with her:
"It's alright… everything's over now."
He drew back just enough for her to look at him, then continued, calm and sincere:
"Everyone is safe because of you. You're the one who allowed Avrora-san's Soul to stay inside you, and that alone… saved us from a disaster we couldn't have escaped."
His words were genuine—not empty reassurance.
He hadn't forgotten how the Blazing Banquet had turned into a living hell… nor how Nagisa fought inside while her body was being controlled by Root.
And he, more than anyone else, understood the weight she carried now—not only because he was part of it…
But because she was his little sister…
and his woman at the same time.
And he would never let her fall again.
Her fingers tightened slightly on his back, as if the embrace was the one thing confirming she was no longer trapped.
A short distance away, Mira stood silently.
Her blue eyes followed the moment with a focus hard to decipher—not jealousy, not simple relief…
Something else. Something between deep understanding of their feelings… and a quiet contemplation of what their bond truly meant.
She didn't say a word.
She simply smiled—small, faint, tinged with mystery—before lowering her gaze slightly, as though keeping her thoughts to herself.
She understood… perhaps more than she appeared to.
...
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