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==============
"All things flutter, ascend to heavenââ 'Heavenly Flash'!"
Kouki's holy sword enveloped itself in an intense light, and that light, transformed into a slash, assailed the horde of monsters, cutting countless of them in half before they could even resist.
"Shizuku! Ryutaro!"
"Yes!"
"Alright!"
Slipping past him, Shizuku and Ryutaro closed in on the monsters. Shizuku's single flash bisected monsters in passing, and Ryutaro's powerful blows crushed them like crumpled paper.
"!!ââShizuku, Ryutaro! Behind you!"
A large shadow appeared behind Shizuku, who had finished her slash and held her pose, and Ryutaro, who was in the midst of his follow-through punch. A monster about five meters tall brought its fist down on the two of them.
"Holy Severance"
However, that single blow was blocked by Kaori's and Suzu's magic, which had already finished their incantations.
"Both of you, duck!"
The moment Kouki's voice was heard, Shizuku and Ryutaro immediately dropped to the ground, lowering their stances. At that instant, a flash of light swept through the monster.
Kouki's group, the Otherworlders, stood together as classmates, fighting in a corner of the battlefield. The Nagayama party was also visible nearby, and behind them, members of the Aiko Fan Club were providing support. Although their personal feelings varied, the Otherworlders, purely in terms of skill, were strong enough to stand head and shoulders above others in this world. After a period of complete disarray, led by a revitalized Kouki, each of them had now set their resolve and stood on the battlefield by their own will. Armored with artifacts from Hajime, they possessed enough combat power to easily rout an entire company of a nation.
It was to them that she came.
"Ahaha! I finally found you, Kouki-kun!"
At the sudden sound of a girl's voice echoing across the battlefield, everyone simultaneously flinched. The first to react, needless to say, was Suzu.
"!! Eri!!"
Following Suzu, they all looked up at the sky, where one of their classmatesââNakamura Eriââdescended onto the battlefield, leading angels. Eri's eyes found Kouki, and she smiled ecstatically, but upon seeing her classmates behind him, she tilted her head in surprise.
"I believed Kouki-kun would come, but I never thought the others would come too."
Eri had briefly heard from Spassabout her classmates' movements after her disappearance. The thought of those idiots bothering her Kouki-kun made her blood boil, but at the same time, she thought it was convenient. If they left Kouki, that would be ideal. Then she could just comfort him in his heartbreak. She had expected Shizuku and Ryutaro to remain by his side, but she had planned to thoroughly eliminate all obstacles anyway. She just had less work to do now. However, contrary to Eri's expectations, Kouki didn't show much despair, and his classmates behind him showed no signs of resentment towards him.
"What, what? After blaming Kouki-kun so much, how dare you pretend to be his allies? You didn't even have the intelligence to judge the situation yourselves, and then you arrogantly demanded he take responsibility only when it was convenient for you."
Eri spewed her words without attempting to hide her disgust, and none of her classmates could retort. Though they had directly apologized to Kouki and now stood united again, they couldn't take back the words they had once spoken. Their past mistakes still smoldered deep within their hearts. To Eri, it was none other than Kouki who spoke.
"Eri. I was the one who was wrong. Everyone else isn't bad."
"Kouki-kun, you're still so kind. To forgive even them."
Eri's expression, which had shifted from displeasure to a crazy smile, twisted in annoyance as Suzu interrupted their conversation.
"Please, Eri! Come back! Let's talk!"
"Huh? What are you saying now, Suzu? This is war, you know? I'm an enemy of humanity. Enemies are to be killed. That's war. Did you come here without even that much resolve?"
"I came here to talk properly with Eri again! Not to kill her!"
"I have nothing to talk about with you, Suzu. I have only one goal: kill all obstacles and get Kouki-kun. That's how I can be myself... I have no other choice."
"...Eri."
As if echoing Eri's words, the surrounding angels shifted into combat stance. Seeing Eri's mouth tighten in the center, Suzu confirmed her suspicion: "Just as I thought."
"Eri... you're lost, aren't you?"
"...Huh?"
"I've been by your side for a long time, you know? Even I can understand a little. Eri, you seem to be suffering."
"What are you talking about, that makes no sense..."
"If you're troubled, tell me! If it's hard, let me bear it! Let Suzu... let me be Eri's friend!!"
A snapping sound seemed to echo. Was it from irritation at Suzu forcing her opinions on her... or from the discomfort of having her heart seen through... or perhaps, from a flicker of anxiety and hope...
"Oh, shut up, you're so noisy! Don't act all high and mighty, you who always just cheerfully smile. If you want to know, I'll tell you! I'll make sure it's etched into your bones until your body is a mangled, unrecognizable mess! Go! Dolls!!"
At Eri's command, an angel lunged at Suzu. However, its blade did not reach Suzu.
"Uwoooooh!!"
With a roar, Nagayama, who had cut in, blew off the angel's head with a single blow. But the enemy wasn't alone. An angel that had approached silently from behind, replacing the fallen one, swung its sword down at Nagayama.
"Not on my watch!!"
Endo, who had approached silently from behind, severed its neck with his short sword, and the remaining torso lost its power and fell to the ground. Two allies were defeated at once, but the mindless angels showed no disturbance. Still, perhaps sensing the danger of attacking alone, they launched a three-pronged assault this time... but they were stopped by magic-infused knives flying from above. Behind Nagayama's group, Sonobe, presumably the one who threw the knives, glared sharply at the angels.
"Amanogawa. Leave the surrounding enemies to us."
"Nagayama..."
Nagayama stood beside Kouki and declared this. His expression showed no sign of disturbance from killing beings in human form, even if they were dolls.
"We might be inferior to everyone else, but we can handle this much. So, everyone, go for Nakamura-san!"
"Yuuka-chan..."
Sonobe's powerfully declared expression was utterly unlike that of someone who had retreated from the front lines in fear of death. Kaori found herself inexplicably relying on that expression.
"So that's how it is. Leave the small fry to us, and you all go for the main target!"
"......Endo!"
To Endo, who finally encouraged them from behind, Ryutaro grinned. The slight pause in his own reply must have been his imagination. There was no way he could lose track of him now, after having just performed so well. That's what Endo told himself.
"With everything set up for us like this, I can't possibly say we couldn't win."
"!!ââYeah... yeah!!"
Suzu nodded vigorously multiple times at Shizuku's encouraging words. Eri glared at their exchange with intense resentment. Suzu returned her gaze with a confident smile, which only further irritated Eri.
"Kaorin! Shizushizu! Ryutaro-kun! Kouki-kun! Please, lend me your strength!!"
"Okay!"
"Of course!"
"Alright!"
"Yeah! We'll definitely bring her back!"
"...Ah, what is this? It's so annoying. So irritating. Yeah, let's crush them once. Let's kill everyone except Kouki-kun, quickly."
Seeing her classmates lined up before her, a vein throbbed in Eri's temple. Why are you standing next to Kouki-kun? That's my place. It's not a place for the likes of you. Don't stand next to Kouki-kun, you who deny him. I can accept all of Kouki-kun. Kouki-kun must want that too.
ââSo I'll kill them. Everything that stands in the way of Kouki-kun and me.
The Dance of Death
Eri's initial attack was a barrage. A torrent of white light, as if painting the world pure white, bore down on Kouki's group.
"Holy Severance"
That strike was blocked just in time by Suzu's activated "Holy Severance." Eri's brow furrowed for a moment, but she quickly shifted her thoughts. Shizuku, appearing as if hidden in the shadow of the barrage, swung her black katana horizontally at Eri. Eri's right arm, brought up to guard, collided with the bladeââand a metallic clang, impossible for a human body, resounded.
"Holy Stigmata"
"!"
"What are you so surprised about? Surely you didn't think you could win just by getting close, did you?"
Eri's arm, which had blocked the sword, was now pure white, utterly devoid of any blemishes. Sparks flew from the point of contact due to friction.
(Hard! The blade won't cut!)
"Cursed Ring"
Eri muttered softly, and this time, Eri's left arm was dyed jet black, and a purely black blade, reminiscent of a grim reaper's scythe, appeared from her forearm.
(Dodgeâ!!)
"You won't escape."
Shizuku, sensing an ominous feeling from the murky magical power overflowing from the blade, immediately chose to evade, but Eri grabbed Shizuku's arm, black katana and all, with her right arm, preventing her escape. She couldn't break free, held as if by a vise. Just as she was about to be effortlessly cut down, a man slid in front of Shizuku.
"May the raging power of the flowing earth be here! 'Gouryuu-Ryuu'!" (Mighty Strength - Flow)
Ryutaro, who had cut in, activated his skill and blocked Eri's black scythe. A piercing metallic clang resounded as before, but then, a cracking sound followed.
"Guh-ooh!?"
"Ryutaro!?"
Cracks ran across Ryutaro's arm, which should have completely defended, and black particles leaked from the fissures. Eri was about to move in for a further attack but stopped, raising her black scythe above her head. Kouki's strike, having leaped into the air and swung down from above, was parried.
"Guh!?"
"Hey, Kouki-kun. Can you please step away? I have no intention of killing you."
"Sorry, I can't do that! My friends are fighting; I can't just run away!"
"Why? Because you're the hero? But that's just something Ehit decided, isn't it? Kouki-kun, you don't need to try any harder."
"Whether I'm a hero or not doesn't matter! I want to do this!"
"I see. You really are kind, Kouki-kun... It can't be helped. Maybe if I cut off one of your legs, you'll calm down?"
"!"
The black scythe, which had been sparking against Kouki's holy sword, slipped past the holy sword and closed in on Kouki. Its target, needless to say, was Kouki's left leg.
'Binding Light Chain - Heaven'
At that moment, chains of light appeared from thin air and bound Eri's limbs. Eri glared sharply at Kaori, the caster of the magic. Kaori continued to tightly constrict Eri's body, but suddenly, her eyes widened as the chains lost their form and crumbled. However, this still bought Kouki's group time to regain their footing.
"Kaori! Take care of Ryutaro!"
"Okay!"
Kouki and Shizuku stood in front, protecting the two, and Kaori cast healing magic on Ryutaro's arm. However, wounds of this severity should have healed quickly, but they showed no sign of doing so.
"What is this, it's not a normal wound? In that case..."
Kaori, judging that healing magic was impossible, activated regeneration magic, and Ryutaro's wounds reversed, regaining their original color as if played backward.
"Wow, normally if you took that hit, it would be impossible to heal with ordinary healing magic. Is that what you call ancient magic?"
"You can say the same about Eri. What's with that arm? It doesn't suit you."
Eri glared, throwing her words back, but Suzu, reacting to it, stared intently at Eri's hands.
"Isn't this great? The white right arm is a gift, but the black left arm is my own creation, you know?"
"Holy Stigmata" and "Cursed Ring." These were the names of the powers residing in Eri's arms.
"Holy Stigmata"ââIt was a power Spasshad given Eri, a modified version of Noint's disintegration ability embedded in her body. It nullified the impact of objects that touched her skin by disintegrating their kinetic energy. One might think it would be better to simply gain the disintegration ability itself, but wielding it required considerable talent in handling magical power and a body capable of utilizing it. Eri had ample talent, but her body couldn't be controlled by talent alone. Spasscould have forcibly leveled up her body, but based on past experiences, doing so went against his principles, so he didn't. Spass's reluctance to strengthen his allies in war might seem unorthodox to others, but Spass's objective wasn't to win the war. He would not grant more than was necessary.
"Cursed Ring"ââThis was Eri's own ability as a "Spirit Medium," awakened by Spass's enhancement of her inherent powers. She could harden her arm to a steel-like density, then reshape it into a blade for slashing. However, the truly troublesome aspect was the intense negative status effect inflicted on those she wounded. It interfered with the target's soul, causing the body to misinterpret the inflicted injury as its normal state. Since the injured state became the body's normal state, healing magic could not cure it. This magic was already categorized as a form of ancient soul magic, but Eri herself had not yet fully mastered this power. If she had, even Kaori's regeneration magic wouldn't have been able to heal it.
"Kaori is troublesome... Alright, let's kill her first."
At those words, Kouki tightly gripped the hilt of his holy sword. Sensing something from Kouki's expression, Eri once again addressed him.
"I don't understand. You've already realized, haven't you, Kouki-kun? That woman likes Nagumo, not you. She abandoned you. Is there any value in protecting someone like that? Come to me. I'll love you forever, Kouki-kun. I'll never leave you."
"...I heard that Kaori likes Nagumo... I actually knew it. But I kept thinking that wasn't true. I convinced myself, conveniently, that Kaori would never leave my side. Thinking back, it's foolish. Just because Kaori is my childhood friend doesn't mean she'll always be by my side. In fact, I, who could only think of 'childhood friend' as a reason, probably wasn't really looking at Kaori and the others properly."
"If you understand that much, then why?"
"Because she's my friend."
"ââ!!"
Kouki answered Eri's question immediately, without a trace of hesitation in his words.
"Because she's my friend. Because she's my childhood friend. Because she's my classmate. Those are the reasons I protect them. Because I like them, because they're precious to me. Because I don't want to see them suffer, I protect them. Eri, you're the same."
"..."
"Honestly, I'm not good enough for you to feel such affection. I'm a chicken who doesn't even know how to respond to your feelings. But I can clearly say that you're a precious friend. I want to return to our original world with everyone... with Eri. So Eri... I'm sorry."
"...Huh?"
Kouki lowered his holy sword and bowed his head deeply in apology. At this, Eri's mind went blank.
ââSorry? For what?
"I didn't realize you were truly suffering, and I thought I had saved you."
At Kouki's words, Eri understood. It was about that day, the first time she met Kouki. The fateful day when the monster named Nakamura Eri was born. Eri's heart pounded furiously. However, it wasn't a sweet emotion like excitement. Eri's face was ashen, almost sickly.
"Everything I did until now wasn't right."
ââNo...
"Because of that, I pushed you to this point, Eri."
ââNot that... that's the one thing that can't be...
"I'm truly sorry. You might think it's too late, but I don't want to regret anymore. This time, with everyone..."
ââIf you say any more than that, I'll...
"Eri. I want you to be with us too. So, shall we start over together?"
"Ah..."
Saying this, he extended his hand, not holding the holy sword, towards Eri. There might be difficult times. There might be painful times. Yet, humans are creatures who can learn from their mistakes. No matter how many times they fall, as long as their will to stand up remains unbroken, they can start over any number of times. If he were alone, he might have faltered somewhere. But everyone was there. There were friends who still believed in him, even in this state. That's why he could stand up again. So Eri, you'll be fine too. I'm here. Suzu's here. Kaori and Shizuku and Ryutaro, and the classmates who are fighting for us, entrusting their lives to us, they are all on your side. So... come back.
In sync with Kouki's words, Suzu and the others also turned serious expressions towards Eri. There was no rejection towards Eri; they sincerely wished for her to take Kouki's hand.
"..."
Eri simply hung her head in silence. Her shoulders trembled slightly.
ââAnd a single tear streamed down Eri's cheek.
"!! Eri!"
Eri was crying. Kouki was flustered by this, but a faint glimmer of hope flickered in his eyes. Perhaps their words had reached Eri. Perhaps they wouldn't have to fight amongst themselves anymore. Now, everyone togetherââ
"...Why?"
"...Huh?"
"But he quickly realized his huge mistake..."
"Why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why?!"
"Eh, Eri?"
Everyone was thrown into confusion, speechless, as Eri suddenly shook her head violently, repeating the same word like a broken machine.
At that moment, Kouki's feelings were undoubtedly genuine and true. Kouki truly intended to reconcile with Eri, and Suzu and the others all shared the same desire. While their association with Spassmight bring about various complications, they were prepared to protect Eri themselves. That's why they offered their hand. The past couldn't be undone, so they would carry the past and walk into the future together.
However, those words only resonate with those who are able to face the future.
"It wasn't right?! You don't want to regret it anymore?! What do you mean 'sorry'?! Starting over now?! That's... that's...! It means that day, my being saved by Kouki-kun was a mistake, doesn't it?!"
"Tch!? No, that's notâ"
Overcoming the past and moving towards the future is not wrong. On the contrary, it's something people unconsciously do as they live.
â"I wish I had done things differently then."
Everyone must have thought that at least once. The longer one lives, the more regrets pile up that they wish they could redo. Yet, they must keep moving forward. Some carry everything... some discard everything... some choose selectively... that's how people live into the future.
However, there are also those who are trapped in the past and cannot move forward. For Eri, being saved by Kouki that day was an irreplaceable, unique memory and support. And now, Kouki himself had denied it, saying it wasn't right, that he regretted it. Of course, Kouki had no such intention. But Kouki and Eri were clearly facing different directions.
âKouki, carrying the past and walking towards the future.
âEri, trapped in the past, her past even encroaching upon her future.
The two could never meet.
"That's enough..."
Eri, who had been shaking her head wildly, now let her head and arms droop like a ghost. Her expression was hidden by her disheveled hair, so Kouki and the others couldn't see it.
"I don't need anything anymore."
Eri's head slowly lifted, and her gaze pierced Kouki.
"E-Eri...?"
Contained within that gaze was a clear intent to kill.
"Amanogawa Kouki, I don't need you anymore!!"
At the same time, an immense surge of killing intent was unleashed upon Kouki and the others. It contained no magical power, yet it bound Kouki and the others to the spot, making them unable to move. Their bodies... their souls... convulsed unconsciously from the unprecedented killing intent.
Then, from Eri's mouth, a song tainted with desire and resentment began to spin.
[Awaken, rise, heroes buried in history, you nameless losers.]
[You must be so frustrated, how lame.]
[To scatter without accomplishing anything, dying so easily.]
[I will give you another chance, I will give you another chance.]
[Your power will change the world, even trash can be useful if you gather enough.]
[Please, be grateful. Lend me your strength, I will use your power.]
It was a high-speed chant of a long incantation. It was a requiem dedicated to heroes who fell midway through their aspirations. At the same time, it was a canon urging their resurgence. However, to Kouki and the others, it sounded like a patched-up rhapsody, a mad song that seemed to materialize Eri's twisted heart.
Gratitude. Resentment. Expectation. Disappointment. Envy. Jealousy. Tolerance. Rage. Future. Past. Adult. Child. Hope. Despair.
The emotions Eri had kept hidden, a raging torrent, now overwhelmed them, as she had lost Kouki, her anchor.
"Symphony of the Reanimated Corpses"
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"
Called forth by Eri's chaotic symphony of emotions, the souls of the departed materialized in the present world. With moans that seemed to drag everything that heard them into the underworld, skeletons made of shadow emerged from the ground. Ten... a hundred... a thousand... they were beyond counting. Darkness leaked from every inch of the visible land.
"Everyone...! Everyone, everyone, everyone, everyone, everyone!! I'll destroy everyone!!"
A legion of over ten thousand appeared before Kouki and the others.
============
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