After reading about the so-called Child of God in this world, Tsutsumi couldn't help but feel disappointed. Miyu had already lost her power, the ability to grant wishes, once she passed the age of ten. That path was closed.
Still, this world had something new to offer: magic. And with his current identity placing him as someone who had been practicing it for years.
At first, he had expected something grand, summoning flames, bending storms, casting overwhelming spells. Instead, reality was painfully mundane.
Reinforcement, to harden an object.
Tracing, to analyze and understand its structure.
Projection, to reproduce a degraded copy of what he had traced.
A handful of basic wards and barriers, too, but he doubted they would work anywhere outside this world.
"This really is a letdown," he muttered, sitting on the porch beneath a sky littered with stars. He raised his camera, snapped a photo, then lowered it again.
For a moment, the scene reminded him of something not entirely his own, perhaps a memory of this world's version of him.
A porch overlooking a still pond.
A black sky, empty and starless.
Two figures sitting side by side.
The older man, frail and fading, spoke quietly:
"I tried to do what I thought was right… but I kept making the same mistakes. Each time I tried to fix things, I only made them worse. I reached a standstill. I longed for a miracle, an easy way out. It was like chasing the moon on a cloudy night, walking blind through a pitch-black night."
"You sound like an old geezer, Akirameta," the younger Tsutsumi said flatly, his tone detached.
"Ryoko?"
"Chasing after what's right could never be a mistake," the boy declared, gaze firm as he looked toward the sky. "I won't let it be a mistake."
"I see. In that case… I'm relieved." The man exhaled, eyes returning to the void above.
The memory dissolved. Tsutsumi found himself staring back at the house—the one this other self had lived in for years. His lips moved in a quiet murmur:
"Just what am I doing…"
The truth was, he didn't know.
He wanted to look for his mother, but he couldn't do it fast without breaking the law. But she is a hero, and he didn't want to look for her only to be separated immediately after.
He tries to become a hero, only to find out that his destiny is to destroy worlds.
So... should he still try to be a hero even knowing that he would one day, the world would be destroy by his own hands?
What's the point of becoming a hero if one day you will end up destroying all that you try to protect?
...
By the time school started, Tsutsumi would slip back into his own world, sit through a few hours of class, and then vanish again, returning here, to check on the girl who called him her brother.
He wasn't sure why he bothered. He wasn't her real brother. And yet… coming home to a place where someone waited for him felt more like home than his actual house ever did.
He even caught himself pausing in a store one day, picking out a few new sets of pajamas for her. At first, he didn't know why he bought them. But when he saw her holding them close, cherishing them like a treasure, the confusion twisted into guilt. And still, beneath the guilt, he felt a quiet, stubborn warmth.
The more time he spent in this world, the more pieces of his other self began to surface. Memories of Tsutsumi Akirameta, the man who had adopted them both. A man willing to sacrifice the few for the sake of the many.
With this world slowly dying, one child's life weighed little against survival.But both versions of Tsutsumi Ryoko, past and present, rejected that cold arithmetic.
The old Ryoko had seen Miyu as his little sister.The current Ryoko felt torn apart at the thought of giving her up.
He could kill monsters, villains, even murderers without hesitation. But he could not bring himself to sacrifice an innocent child.
Now, he sat on the porch beside her, both of them gazing at a sky filled with brilliant stars.
"I heard people make wishes to the stars," he said quietly, his eyes tracing constellations.
"Do stars have some kind of magical effect?" Miyu asked. Her voice was calm, as gentle as always.
"I don't think so. It's more like… an aria. A way to send your wish to the stars." He said, telling her about this innocent, childish game.
Back then, after his mother went missing, he used to stay up late, wishing on shooting stars for her to come back. But the wish never came true.
Miyu tilted her head. "The stars? Not the moon?"
"No. Not the moon." His reply was steady, but faintly wistful.
Her gaze lingered on the stars. Then, in a soft murmur, she spoke:"Then… if I could fulfill just one wish…"
She hesitated before finishing, "I want Ryoko-niisan's real sister."
Tsutsumi's eyes widened. She closed hers, lowering her head slightly before turning toward him again. Her violet eyes gleamed under the starlight as she smiled.
"…Such a thing could never happen, right?"
For a heartbeat, he couldn't speak. But as a shooting star streaked across the sky, he managed a gentle smile.
"No… how could it not happen?"
...
The next day, Aizawa raised an eyebrow as he read over Tsutsumi's excuse for skipping class.
"Spending time taking care of his younger sister?" His tone dripped with irritation. "Who does he think he's fooling? He's an only child."
His hand slammed against the desk, the sound echoing through the room. Momo, seated at the front as vice president, flinched at the sudden outburst.
Aizawa's tired gaze swept over the rest of the class, sharp and unyielding.
"Since your class president seems to think lying is acceptable, you'll all be held responsible," he declared coldly. "Until he returns and apologizes for this little stunt, every single one of you will be taking extra lessons and tests."
A murmur of dismay rippled through the room, but Aizawa's expression left no room for argument. This wasn't about fairness; it was about control. If he couldn't punish the one who skipped, then he would punish the ones left behind.
...
A week slipped by, and Tsutsumi Ryoko found himself spending more and more time in this new world. He even halted his otherworldly travels just to stay by Miyu's side, patiently teaching her the kind of common sense most people took for granted.
She had spent nearly her whole life confined within these walls, knowing the outside world only through books. Now that her wish-granting powers had faded, she could finally step beyond the door without fear of her presence reshaping the lives of strangers.
Miyu spoke often of the ocean. She wanted to see the horizon where sky and sea touched, to feel the salt-kissed breeze against her face, to hear the endless rhythm of waves. She had read about it all a thousand times, but never once had she lived it.
During this time, Ryoko also discovered another thread of connection in this world, a childhood friend, a girl named Tohsaka Aki. Her tomboyish confidence carried shades of Jiro Kyoka, and that familiarity made her easy to be around.
"Tsutsumi-kun, how does it feel living with a younger sister?" Aki asked one afternoon, strolling ahead with her hands folded behind her back.
"It's… nice," he admitted. Coming home to someone waiting for him felt warmer, more alive, than the silence of his old empty house. For the first time in a long while, he almost didn't mind staying in this place.
"Must be nice." Aki gave a playful smile over her shoulder. "If only I had a cute little sister to spoil, or an older sibling like Tsutsumi-kun."
"You have siblings?" he asked, letting the conversation flow.
"An older brother," she said simply. "But he died a long time ago." She kept walking, her voice level, as if stating a fact instead of a loss. "We weren't close, so… I didn't really feel much when it happened."
"I see…" Ryoko murmured, though his chest tightened at the thought.
...
The day passed quickly. After teaching Miyu a bit more common sense, Ryoko helped her dress for their outing to the beach.
She wore a simple white coat over a black shirt, paired with black knee-length stockings and boots. A bright orange scarf wrapped snugly around her neck, a white hat sat atop her head, and a small backpack hung from her shoulders.
Ryoko stood beside her in a casual gray coat over a black long-sleeved shirt, with dark blue pants and sturdy boots.
"It's finally time. Are you scared?" Ryoko asked.
"Scared? Why would I be?" she replied innocently, though this was her first time ever stepping into the outside world.
Her situation reminded Ryoko of Kadoya Tsukasa's younger sister, Kadoya Sayo. She too had been confined to her home, watching the world from behind a barrier, while her brother traveled freely. Eventually, she started her own journey through the different worlds, never to return.
The thought lingered as Ryoko and Miyu strolled through the city streets, chatting as they made their way toward the ocean.
But then, someone blocked their path.
"Damn… that's ludicrous. The most ludicrous development ever, you bastards." The venom in the voice made Ryoko tense.
A boy, about his age, stood before them. He wore a dark-blue high school uniform, his black hair neat, his black-framed glasses gleaming.
Ryoko froze, not understanding.
The boy removed his glasses and crushed them in his hand. Shards fell between his fingers.
"So you're the one, Tsutsumi Ryoko!"
Memories surged, and Ryoko recognized him, Einzbern Julius, a student of this world's version of his school.
"Julius… what are you-"
"That's it without a doubt, right, Oren?" Julius called, and a young girl peeked out from behind him.
Her eyes went to Miyu. "Most of her traits are gone… but the container is still intact."
"What are you two talking about?" Ryoko demanded, stepping protectively in front of Miyu.
"Six years ago… the attack that swallowed the town. The pillar of light that erased it. I've searched ever since, for the miracle's source, and the thief who stole it!" Julius's blue eyes burned with hatred.
Ryoko grabbed Miyu and leapt back. "Stay behind me, Miyu. I'll handle this." He pulled out a card.
"Fall," Julius commanded. The ground twisted, swallowing Ryoko. He dropped from the sky, plummeting from a height meant to kill.
Attack Ride: Explosion!
Explosions burst from Ryoko's palms, spinning his body midair until he landed hard but safe.
"I've been looking for you a long time, for the last true miracle in this world." Julius's hand clamped onto Miyu's head. His magic flared. "From now on, Sakatsuki Miyu… you belong to me."
Miyu collapsed, unconscious, and Julius lifted her effortlessly. His voice dropped to a murmur. "No more accidents. The container alone is enough."
"Let her go!" Ryoko shouted.
"Most of this city lies in ruins. It's the perfect chance to redo the ritual. This time, it will succeed." Julius ignored him, walking away with Miyu in his arms.
"Julius!"
Ryoko launched himself forward on a blast of explosions, but swords rained from above, stabbing into him mid-leap. His body jolted as steel pierced his flesh, stopping him cold.
Blood filled his mouth, spilling past his lips as his gaze locked on Julius, and the girl he'd sworn to protect.
Another figure stepped forward: a woman in golden leggings, her upper body clad only in a white bra, her bare skin etched with crimson markings. Golden hair tied in a ponytail shimmered under the orange sunset, bound with a golden metal ornament.
"Are you injured, Julius-sama?" she asked coolly.
"There's no way I would be." Julius's eyes stayed fixed on Miyu. "Take her. Restart everything."
The woman's crimson eyes slid back to Ryoko. "And this one?"
"Finish him." Julius's command was cold, final.
She drew a sword from the ground, pressing its edge against Ryoko's throat. The blade rose high, but just as it swung down, an Aurora Curtain swept across the scene, snatching Ryoko away.
...
Tsutsumi Ryoko collapsed onto the cold stone ground, his breaths ragged and shallow. Blood kept spilling from his wounds, spreading across the floor in dark, uneven streaks of red. He struggled to cling to the fragments of consciousness slipping away from him.
Then, footsteps echoed against the stone. A figure hurried toward him, and through the haze of pain, Ryoko caught sight of the familiar U.A. student uniform. Relief flickered across his fading vision.
At last, his eyes slid shut, and everything dissolved into black.