"You've lived as a human for over a decade. You're no longer curious about human life. But your experience as a vampire? This is the first time," Sū ěr said slowly. "People are always curious and afraid of the rare and unknown. Especially vampires, who used to exist only in stories."
"I understand that feeling. Like how an ordinary person instinctively tenses up when they see a hulking, knife-wielding thug. And a vampire is much scarier than a human thug."
"Don't be afraid. As long as you hold onto your human values, your human way of doing things, and your love for your family... what does it matter if you turn into a goblin?" Sū ěr spoke like a veteran passing on experience to a junior.
"At least make it an Orc. Being a goblin is a bit too pathetic," Araragi couldn't help but quip.
"Hahaha! If you want to be an Orc, you can ask them for help. I'm sure she'd be happy to oblige," Sū ěr laughed heartily.
"Indeed. You'd make a fine practice subject," Think smirked at Araragi. The high schooler guessed that was a smile.
"Anyway, it's good you can still joke. At least your mental state seems fine," Sū ěr said, watching Araragi. "Experience your current body a bit more. When you've finally made up your mind, come find us."
"...Are you leaving?" Araragi caught the implication.
"Yeah. Think will give you an address. Now, go."
"...Deepest gratitude."
Seeing Sū ěr lie back down with a look of exhaustion, Araragi bowed solemnly to him, Think, and Jibril. He shared one last silent look with the blonde vampire... then turned and headed downstairs.
Sū ěr returned home—or rather, to the room he'd paid rent for but hadn't lived in for a long time.
Moving wasn't a hassle; Jibril simply opened a corridor and sent them through. They even brought the vampire, Kiss-shot, along.
Jibril existence was now tied to the "Galactic Ribbon" that held the power to traverse time. Although she'd tried to gather the scattered energy after defeating Amaterasu, most of it had been exhausted just locating and bringing Sū ěr and Think back to this era—the era they had a connection to. The divine power Tet had provided to achieve this miracle had vanished along with it.
The "Galaxy" did indeed continue to exist in this larger, real world—proven by the fact that Jibril was still here—but it had shrunk from the size of a blood vessel to that of a capillary.
This was why Jibril currently maintained the appearance and mental age of a young girl.
If Sū ěr wasn't mistaken, Jibril had been carrying a bag of assorted sweets while walking upstairs with Araragi. She had even non-chalantly hidden the bag behind her back, looking every bit like a stingy child unwilling to share.
Even Think was silent... a Flügel like this was beyond even her interest to mock.
Using a spell to flash-clean the dust and grime from the room, Jibril sat at the dining table, chin in hand, staring at Sū ěr. Her expression was so eerie it made his skin crawl.
"You can just say what's on your mind," Sū ěr finally said.
"Hmm?" Jibril blinked, then realized what he meant. "I was just wondering... why didn't you just let him keep suffering?"
The question drew everyone's attention, including the vampire huddling in the corner with her knees pulled to her chest.
"Is that a weird question?" Jibril shrugged, her short legs swinging back and forth from the edge of the table. "You were thrown into a 'Hell for the Weak' as a mere mortal, and you crawled your way out. Why can't he? Besides, he didn't hit rock bottom; he actually gained the power to control his own fate. Being mopey about it is just... disgusting."
Jibril was clearly annoyed by the boy's attitude.
"...I thought you liked him since you went out for snacks together," Sū ěr said, stretching out on his long-lost bed.
"Is that supposed to be hard? I love my swords, but swords are meant to be used, right?" Jibril looked puzzled. "But you—don't dodge my question."
"I never dodge your questions," Sū ěr muttered, closing his eyes with a sigh. "It's not as deep or resentful as you think. I don't hate him because our experiences were different."
"When I was a kid, I always wanted to eat at McDonald's or KFC like the other kids. But my family was poor. I could only press my face against the glass and watch the other kids eat."
"When I grew up and got a job, my favorite thing to do was take my younger relatives there and let them eat their fill. Seeing them happy made me happy."
"That's how I feel when I look at Araragi Koyomi," Sū ěr concluded.
"Just such a simple reason?" Jibril was skeptical.
"Of course. What else could it be?" Sū ěr felt a pang of mock-sorrow that his kindness was being misinterpreted. "By the way, what's the situation over there?"
Sū ěr was referring to the changes in Disboard—though he didn't even know that name; it was the name Tet had given that chessboard-like world.
Ever since Tet sent Jibril over, they had been in combat mode. Only now could they finally chat about other things. Think had probably already swapped info with Jibril, but he was still in the dark.
"A boring world. Everything is a game," Jibril shrugged. "Oh, speaking of which—you reminded me. Tet told me to give you this."