"The next person is… your Oppa, Mari."
"..."
Mari's shoulders trembled at my words.
Her leisurely smiling face froze, as if her thoughts had stopped.
"Then what if the next person says they'll kill your Oppa? …Will you still just watch then?"
"..."
Mari said nothing.
Without denying or affirming my words, she simply stood frozen in place.
"Think carefully, Mari…. I won't be able to stop it anyway. The decision is yours."
"..."
I turned away from Mari and approached Chris and Lia.
I have no intention of stopping my revenge.
Emil's resentment from dying in the remaining 2nd and 5th playthroughs still lingers.
…Can I truly start anew with this resentment still remaining?
Can I truly feel affection for Sierra and look towards the future?
Honestly, I'm not confident.
That's why I can't stop.
Mari must be the same.
Chris and Lia, even if they say they're doing it for me, it's essentially for their own self-satisfaction.
I can't stop them.
The judgment was theirs to make.
"Let's go, Lia. Chris."
"Uh, yeah."
"Ugh, huh…"
At my words, Chris supported Lia and exited the warehouse.
Mari didn't move until the three of us passed her and left the warehouse.
***
The next day.
"Did you hear? There was a forest fire last night."
"Really? Why didn't I know?"
"It seems it was a forest a bit far from the Academy, so it didn't affect us here. I heard the professors were busy putting out the fire all night."
"..."
On my way to the Academy, I overheard some female students chattering.
Now that I thought about it, a faint burnt smell, more so than usual, drifted on the wind.
At that, a bad thought instantly flashed through my mind, and I immediately scanned my surroundings.
"Chris!"
"…Ah, yeah! What's wrong?!"
Then Chris, who had been hiding somewhere, immediately ran over.
"Do you know about the forest fire?"
"...Uh, yeah."
"Perhaps…"
"That's right, it was there…"
"..."
As expected, the fire had broken out in the warehouse where the three bodies were.
As my suspicion was confirmed, I hesitated and opened my mouth with difficulty.
"Th-Then…, Mari…?"
"Ah, well…"
Just as Chris was about to answer about Mari, who had been in the warehouse until the very end yesterday.
"Emil…, good morning."
"Mari…"
Mari passed by me, waving her hand.
Still with empty eyes, smiling shyly.
At that sight, I could finally feel relieved.
…Fortunately, Mari hadn't died in yesterday's forest fire.
"S-Sorry, Emil. …I should have told you earlier."
"No, it's fine… You said it happened early in the morning."
"It seems the fire started from the warehouse. The one who started the fire was…"
"Mari, right?"
"Yeah…"
Chris glanced at me and nodded.
Then she looked around and spoke in a quiet whisper.
"I-It's okay, though, Emil…. The bodies seem to have been completely burned away…"
"..."
"Perhaps Mari started the fire by burning the bodies…"
"No, it's fine. …You don't have to tell me that."
"Uh, yeah."
She burned the bodies.
'Why would she do that…?'
Was she trying to destroy evidence?
Was it because she thought I might report her?
Or perhaps…
'Did she get rid of them as a sign that she wouldn't do such things anymore…?'
If possible, I hoped it was the second reason.
Because I don't want to get revenge by killing.
"Ah, but what about the warehouse? Does it have an owner? Don't we have to compensate them?"
"It's fine…! I bought that warehouse."
"..."
"It's really fine…! I bought it because I wanted to help Emil anyway…! If Emil doesn't want that, then I'll…!"
"Ah, no. I understand, Chris."
How much would a warehouse cost?
And Chris's nonchalant demeanor, despite the warehouse she bought with money having burned down and disappeared.
It was a situation that raised nothing but questions in many ways.
And then.
"Em~il."
*Tap.*
"Si-Sierra…"
"Ah, w-well then, I'll be going, Emil! After all, eating is important for muscles!"
"What…?"
"Exercise is good, but make sure to get balanced nutrition too!"
As Sierra appeared, Chris suddenly ran off, spouting nonsense.
Then Sierra, who had approached me, tilted her head and asked.
"Emil, are you trying to build muscles?"
"Huh…?"
"Weren't you asking Chris about that?"
"Ah…, uh, yeah. That's right."
It seemed Chris was trying to muddle her words in her own way.
'But why muscles, of all things?'
Well, since I've been training with Chris, it might even seem natural.
Anyway, thanks to that… I was able to avoid being needlessly misunderstood by Sierra.
"Hmm~, but why muscles?"
"Well, that's…"
"Why? Why? Trying to look good for someone~?"
"It's not like that…"
"Hmm…, I'm not really into too many muscles."
"..."
Instead, I started to be misunderstood in a slightly different way.
Afterward, I headed to the Academy with Sierra, and along the way, our peaceful teasing continued, with Sierra kneading my forearm and such.
'Lia also came properly.'
Upon arriving at the Academy, I immediately checked on Lia's condition first.
Fortunately, she was talking with her friends as usual.
'In that state, I probably don't need to worry anymore.'
She probably won't attempt suicide again.
As time passes, she'll also be able to calmly accept the fact that she can't be with me.
I truly believe that.
'Then, what's left is the next capture target…'
A few days had passed since the second semester began.
It was about time for that event to occur.
Namely, the 'Academy Student Council President Election' event.
And sure enough, a few days after Mari burned down the warehouse.
A large promotional poster was hung on the bulletin board in the Academy's main entrance.
"Wow, it's election time already."
"Who's running?"
"No first-years? …It's all second-years."
"That's because first-years have less recognition. It's usually second-years."
Students gathered in a huddle in front of the bulletin board, busy checking who the election candidates were.
And within that crowd, I also checked the names on the poster.
'As expected, she's running every time.'
The name of this capture target was listed there.
[Aira Silvaren, Second Year]
She was the target I needed to capture this time.
She was probably recruiting election assistants by now.
'Before it's too late…'
Just as I was about to go up to the third floor, where the second-years were, to find Aira.
"What are you doing?"
"Aah!"
"Why, why are you startled?! I didn't try to scare you this time!"
Sierra, who had approached without me noticing, spoke to me from beside me.
Certainly, she hadn't playfully startled me with a "Boo!" like before.
But given the situation, I felt like my heart had dropped.
"No, that's…"
"Student council election? …Emil, are you interested in the student council?"
"…No, not particularly."
I pondered for a moment at Sierra's words before answering.
Honestly, it wasn't that I wasn't interested.
More precisely, Aira, who was running in the student council election, was my objective.
In a way, it would be correct to say I was interested.
'If Sierra gets involved again this time… that would be problematic…'
I had intended to accept a bad ending docilely after completing all the captures.
But now, I had a new goal: to get a job at the Magic Tower after graduating from the Academy.
…And that too, with Sierra.
"Hmm~, then why were you looking at this?"
"…Well, I was just looking to see who to vote for. …The Academy's atmosphere for the year will change depending on who becomes Student Council President."
"Ahaha, what a studious answer. It's been a while."
"..."
Fortunately, Sierra seemed to believe my words and didn't suspect anything at all.
'Thank goodness…'
What if Sierra knew I was interested in the student council, meaning I was going to become an assistant for the presidential election?
Then Sierra would definitely follow along, saying she'd join too.
I wanted to avoid that at all costs.
…After all, trying to attract another girl in front of someone I have feelings for.
There would be no greater predicament than that.
"Well, I've seen enough, so I'll go first."
"Ah, I just got here. Let's go together~."
"You just got here, go look around more. I have something to do, so I'll go first."
"…You're cold-hearted."
"..."
If I didn't ditch Sierra here, I might be late.
So, I reluctantly shook off Sierra, who was trying to come along.
But seeing Sierra pout her lips as if she was upset, my resolve weakened.
"…After all classes are over today."
"Huh?"
"Don't leave, wait for me."
"Oh…?"
"We'll go together, so wait."
"..."
At my words, Sierra stared at me blankly, looking surprised.
And then, she approached me like a cat, with a very happy smile.
"What? What, what? Why are we going together?"
"W-We go together every time, why are you asking something new about it…!"
"But it's the first time you've brought it up first like this. Why? Do you want to go together? Or, are you worried I'd want to go together? Huh? Why?"
"Ugh…!"
I braved the embarrassment for her upset look, and this was the result.
At that, I ran away from Sierra's side as if fleeing, shouting.
"Because I want to go together—!"
Then Sierra was startled and slightly parted her lips.
The surrounding students also looked at me in surprise.
"What? A couple?"
"Heh~, how nice, so cute~."
Somehow, students were looking at me and laughing.
With my shame growing further at that sight, I rushed away.
The last I saw of Sierra as I ran, she was also smiling brightly, looking pleased.
***
"Hmm…, you want to be an assistant?"
"Yes, Senior-nim."
"…Your face is very red, are you sick?"
"…It's because I'm nervous, meeting the esteemed Senior-nim Aira."
"Hoo-hoo, you're quite eloquent."
Long, flowing purple straight hair.
Aira, who had elegantly swept aside a strand of her side hair, looked at me with haughty eyes while sitting in a chair.
"Emil, I know your name. You're the top student of the first year, aren't you?"
"You know me?"
"Of course, who do you think I am?"
"You were the former Student Council Vice President."
"So your respect wasn't just flattery."
Indeed, if you're the top student of the year, your name would probably be mentioned a few times in the student council.
"Alright, then I'll choose you as an election assistant."
"Huh? Already…?"
"Hmm, why the surprise?"
"Isn't it standard procedure to consider all other students' applications before making a choice…?"
There's a limit to the number of assistants for the Student Council President election.
Therefore, it would usually be best to gather all applicants and choose from them.
"Hoo-hoo, you have the title of top student for your year, don't you? It's unlikely that an applicant with more influence than you will appear."
"..."
It was a convincing reason.
'To be chosen so easily… I feel wronged about the 2nd playthrough…'
My past self in the 2nd playthrough, on hard mode, was just a regular student.
At that time, I put in a lot of effort to become her assistant, and barely made the cut.
That's why being selected as an assistant so easily now felt hollow.
Perhaps it really does pay to be good at studying.
"Then come to classroom 2B in the annex building after school three days from now. We'll have an election strategy meeting with the other assistants then."
"Understood."
Anyway, thanks to the title of top student, I very easily became her assistant.
And three days later.
I went to the classroom Aira had designated, at the specified time.
"Ah! You're here!"
"...Why are *you* here?"
"Hehe, surprised?"
Sierra greeted me in the classroom.
This, it seems.
I'm involved with her again.