Chapter 5
With the moonless sky, the town where the lights went out was covered in darkness. The usually bustling and bright school was the same, if there were no people, the lights also completely went out and a heavy atmosphere was floating around. In such a dark school, jumping over the wall, dashing across the ground, and flying over the school building outer wall, Tooya and Kuroe arrived at the rooftop.
The lightless roof was filled with dark shadows…………However Tooya could see through the human who was standing in the middle of it.
Inaba Aoi. The culprit who called Tooya to this rooftop at night. On the locked place where no one could enter, without breaking her promise, Aoi was standing there.
「A princess carry, I see」
「Even though I said not to do it because I’m embarrassed」
In spite of the honestly unspeakable method of ascending, Aoi didn’t mind it at all. Looking beyond this darkness as if it was normal, she turned her eyes sight over here.
「Carrying on my back is probably not romantic right?」
Kuroe sneered.
「I know, I know, now quickly let me down」
「Acknowledged 」
Finally being released, Tooya stepped onto the concrete floor of the rooftop with his own feet.
「For now, would it be fine to hear me out」
He looked at Aoi straightforwardly.
「How much do you know？」
「Although I told you so at the time of the vacation, I know everything」
Aoi answered.
「The contract with the Order of the Black Magic, I also investigated the affair with Mashiro.」
「I see」
It truly seemed like she knew everything. From the time she got to know Mashiro, she gave her the charm because she knew about the conclusion of the demon sword incident.
「Then, what about the school transfer？」
「Because I decided so」
「About becoming Mashiro’s friend too？」
「…………I can’t say I didn’t plan it」
Her expression became a little clouded.
「But, this has nothing to do with being friends with Mashiro」
It didn’t feel like those words were a lie……..because of it Tooya bite his lip.
「Getting close to us…………What’s your intention？」
Tooya asked the most doubtful question.
「My target is Kuroe-senpai」
Aoi answered.
「Kuroe？」
「Un. I told you about my old Shinto shrine right? My home shrine had always carried its mission since ancient times, to monitor the sealed calamity inside of Japan」
「…………That calamity is Kuroe？」
「Un, and among those there is one big one. When that seal was broken, my house sensed it about 2 months earlier, so I transferred here.」
「That means, Aoi came to terminate Kuroe？」
「No no」
Easily Aoi shook her neck.
「To me, the mission of my house is trivial………..to fight the stupidly powerful mysterious opponent, wouldn’t that make me look like an idiot.」
「Then, why……」
「Because I want that power, you know?」
Answering Aoi smiled.
「Hey, Tooya-senpai」
She smiled naturally.
「Kuroe-senpai’s contract………will you hand it over to me please」
◇
「There’s contact from the monitoring team. It seems Kamisami-san and Kuroe-san had gone out of the house……….. but it seems like their movements were too fast, so the observation was cut off.」
「…………What about Aoi？」
「It seems there was no movement but…………there’s a possibility that she wasn’t there anymore」
「Tch」
Looked irritated at this, Akane clicked her tongue.
「I’ll go and confirm directly 」
「Wait a minute please」
Tanaka restrained her from it.
「Didn’t we already judge that direct contact would be too dangerous?」
「…………I’ll be fine」
「Do you really believe that?」
「Tch」
She clicked her tongue.
「Even if the worst has happened you’re still right」
「Thank you for your estimation but you overestimate me」
Tanaka shrugged his shoulders.
「I am the older sister」
「That’s right」
「If I don’t go, what should I do?」
「What could you do if you went？」
Tanaka questioned. Akane couldn’t kill Aoi………..On the contrary, there was a high possibility of the tables being turned on her. The hope of being able to persuade her was also thin.
「I’ll think up something somehow」
Not listening further, Akane went out of the room.
「…………Fuu」
Tanaka exhaled.
「Because she isn’t in her own house, the chances of an encounter would be low right? I hope your mysterious intuition wouldn’t work.」
◇
「Kuroe’s contract…………transfer to you？」
「Un」
Aoi nodded.
「Do you understand the meaning of what you’re saying?」
「Of course. There will be nothing I can’t do」
Aoi said glitteringly. As if by having that she would have everything.
「And, you must kill people you know?」
「The contract’s compensation right……It’s not like I think it’s fine, but…」
Tilted her head she looked at Tooya.
「Killing the death sentence convicts right? It’s not like I think that it wouldn’t matter if it was people who were planned to die but…」
It was as if there was no sense of guilt or anything at all.
「Ah, but I also don’t think about wanting to commit a big massacre or anything. Kuroe-senpai’s power is exceptional ……Knowing that, it would not be strange to think of wanting to grasp it right？」
To point out that was as if the same as before with Kuroe.
「But do you think it would be so simple that I’ll hand over this power？」
「I think so」
Naturally she said.
「Because the contract between Tooya-senpai and Kuroe-senpai was nothing but a heavy burden right? You don’t plan on using this power as you please, and killing humans is difficult right？」
And then Aoi said it.
「And foremost, if Kuroe-senpai was here you and Rikka-senpai couldn’t be together.」
「…………」
Tooya bit his lips.
「You were the one who returned Rikka’s memories？」
「Un, that’s right」
On this too, she nodded.
「You had fun spending time with Rikka-senpai right? She seemed important to you. The one who was necessary to senpai is Rikka-senpai………not Kuroe-senpai right?」
For the sake of making Tooya remember such a thing, she undid Rikka’s sealed memories.
「If I were handed the contract, I would not drag Rikka-senpai into this thing…………Don’t worry and just be together with Rikka-senpai」
She said that as if it was the right thing.
「Therefore senpai, please hand over the contract to me」
Without answering, he had understood. In the end, Aoi didn’t understand a thing even though she had investigated about Tooya………. because she didn’t understand the most important thing. She only looked at the surface, not looking beyond that.
And so, she said irrelevant things.
「I… killed Rikka’s father」
「I know…………But I think it was natural as revenge. That guy tormented his own family so I think it’s normal if he died. Certainly, if he was no longer there, Rikka-senpai would be happy」
Aoi said that as evidence.
「Right now, Rikka-senpai is smiling happily」
「…………Aa」
Tooya had forgotten that he once lost the idea of what to do with that.
「If… I said that I hated it, what would you do？」
「Hated it…………the contract transfer？」
Blankly. As if she didn’t expect that such a thing could happen.
「Please wait a bit…………」
As if to think Aoi turned her sight away.
「Threat？ But, that is…………Ah, un. Then let’s do it」
She mumbled.
「I decided.」
Aoi looked at Tooya.
「If you don’t transfer the contract to me I’ll tell everything to Rikka-senpai. Kuroe-senpai’s true identity, the contract, and everything Tooya-senpai had done too」
Thinking about it, Aoi gave the worst answer.
「But, if you transfer the contract right now everything will stay as it is…………Though Kuroe senpai would no longer stay around, and Tooya-senpai with Rikka-senpai could be together」
But she misunderstood, thinking that this was the best answer.
「If you do it, everyone will be happy」
Aoi would have the power, Tooya and Rikka could be together………surely in Aoi’s eyes, that was displayed as happiness.
「Aoi」
With the coldest tone, Tooya called that name.
「I don’t plan on transferring the contract with Kuroe to you」
「Eh, but」
「To me Kuroe power is necessary」
He announced clearly.
「I made Rikka most wanted wish of happiness which never again to appear lose………therefore I must make her happy」
「Then……」
「What you said was not my wish of happiness for Rikka」
Tooya’s wish was for Rikka to obtain happiness in a world without him.
「For the sake of eliminating every obstacle, I can’t let go of Kuroe power」
With cold eyes, he looked at Aoi.
「But if so, I’ll tell Rikka-senpai everything? The fact that senpai killed her father too」
「…………That would be the worst」
Truly.
「Therefore,」
「Therefore, in one way or another, I have to deal with you.」
「Eh」
With surprised eyes Aoi looked at Tooya. But as if she was convinced immediately, she opened her mouth.
「Perhaps you think you could erase my memories like how you did with Rikka-senpai, but if I could unlock Rikka-senpai’s sealed memories, I could just cast the same spell on myself, you know?」
On that, Tooya looked at Kuroe. Kuroe shrugged her shoulders and answered.
「I’ve said it before, but other than harming human magic, I am not a skilled person. I can’t do stronger magic than that.」
Exactly the same as Aoi’s words……Tooya returned his turned his eyes back at Aoi.
「Then, I have no other way but to kill you」
As if giving up, he announced.
「Eh?」
As if not understand the meaning of it, Aoi looked at Tooya.
「I’m saying I have no other way but to kill you」
He repeated.
「That can’t be……」
She mumbled in a dazed, as if she hadn’t thought of such a possibility………..Tooya thought that was funny. Did she really think everything would go smoothly according to her plans? She also thought that she wouldn’t be in danger.
「Then, d-does senpai hate me？」
「I don’t hate you」
Honestly Tooya answered.
「Rather than that, I think I have a good feeling about you as my kouhai………… therefore on whether to kill you or not, I decided not to kill you」
「If, if so……」
「But, if I refuse you’ll tell everything to Rikka right？」
When she didn’t respond, Tooya continued.
「My goodness…………to me that is the worst. Only Rikka alone, she must not know that I killed her father」
Because that would be the worst.
「If she hates me for it that would be fine. If Rikka wants to judge me, then I’ll accept any judgment」
Because Tooya knew.
To Rikka, what Tooya had done was the worst.
Tooya would never forget that face which laughed as if crying
「But, surely she would not do it.」
As saying that it was the worst, Tooya continued.
He continued, saying the things that Aoi surely didn’t know.
「Because… because if you told her everything, Rikka would surely forgive me」
「Eh？」
Aoi looked at Tooya as if she didn’t understand the meaning of those words.
「She would forgive all of it, then surely she would blame herself…………that would be the worst right?」
If Rikka blamed Tooya, that would be fine, but Tooya knew- he understood Rikka more than anyone else. It was exactly because of that that he would understand Rikka reaction.
Even though he was the one in the wrong, even though he was the one who did as he pleased. Even though he was a bad father, she didn’t hate him. But even in killing him, Rikka would forgive Tooya. And then after that she would blame herself. That would be the result on her of Tooya commiting a sin..
However, this would not be the end of it- in reality, it would be even worse.
「And yet…………If I were forgiven I would be delighted. Forgiven by Rikka, I would be pleased that I was released from the crime I committed…………I would think of wanting to be delighted, to be happy. Pushing all the sins on Rikka while I myself would wish for happiness」
If it was so, surely Tooya would no longer care about how he acted. He would not hesitate to use Kuroe’s power. Killing Tanaka, killing Akane, destroying the order of the black magic……..he would wipe out all who knew about the circumstances. And then, once again, he would snatch away Rikka memories. With an innocent face he would remain close to her.
It would not be for Rikka’s happiness……..It would be for his own happiness.
That would be the worst.
It was the worst, hopeless, sweetest dream.
Therefore Tooya could not forgive.
He could not forgive the opponent trying to create that possibility.
「If it was something else, I could have forgiven you. For instance, if you said something like you’d come to kill me, too」
Tooya thought that in that case, Aoi would be right. Then, he would fight back in a way he couldn’t be killed and finish it with making her give up………… however, this was different. This was the only thing Tooya would absolutely never compromise on.
「You shouldn’t have made such bad threat. If you had given that up, then I wouldn’t have reached such a conclusion」
It could’ve been settled in a way without killing, but Aoi herself had made that disappear.
「Rather than that, I want you to think. Why did I think that I didn’t want to kill you?」
If only she thought about that, then she wouldnt have behaved in such a reckless way.
「Because, that was……」
Flustered, Aoi eyes wandered around, as if by doing that, the answer she wanted would just come to her. It seemed that the answer didn’t come, however, and her gaze went back to Tooya.
「You said you knew everything, right? Then you would also understand that I would sacrifice anyone for my wish, right? In the end you, only saw what you wanted to see.」
For Aoi, it would have seemed like she was creating the ideal future, where Tooya, Rikka, and everyone else became happy. In a way, it could be said that Aoi wanting to snatch Kuroe’s contract from Tooya was a done with good intentions.
Even so this was different from Tooya wish for happiness, just like his wish was also different from Rikka’s wish for happiness. For Tooya, this was just a nuisance. It was troubling with her pushing her goodwill on him which was different from what he wanted.
If it was just that, though, Tooya wouldn’t have had any intention of killing Aoi.
However, Aoi touched on something forbidden. She had created a possibility that might interfere with what Tooya wanted most. That was what Tooya could not forgive.
「I will kill you.」
For the second time it came out from his mouth.
「I, I’m sorr……」
Aoi had no way of understanding.
Because this apology had no meaning to Tooya.
「Kuroe」
Calling that name, he gave the order.
「This is the price of our contract, eat her」
「Acknowledged」
Looking at Aoi, Kuroe smiled and nodded. While doing so, her form was changing. Her body quickly grew bigger, bulging, disregarding the law of conservation of mass as her form changed……….In no more than a few seconds, a mysterious gigantic wolf was suddenly where she was.
「Hi!?」
Frightened, Aoi took a step back and her figure disappeared.
「Concealment huh……….Well even if she used it, that was nothing strange.」
She curved her lips up, smiling.
「I won’t let you escape」
Together with those words the darkness inside the rooftop started squirming. And then there was one place that to Tooya, with his unobstructed eyes, was painted in pitch black.
「Quite a wonderful concealment. Unfortunately, as long as it’s related to harming humans, I won’t lose to anyone」
Kuroe spoke to the black lump shaped like a human.
「Now then, let me enjoy the price of the contract.」
She opened the mouth with a row of sharp fangs.
◇
Within the unseeing darkness, Aoi was shivering in fear. Even though everything was supposed to work out and everything was going well so far… She didn’t understand how things ended this way . In reality, in front of her eyes was imminent death.
「I don’t want to die」
Inside the darkness she groaned………… However this voice didn’t reach the outside.
「Save me」
But it could reach this heart.
There’s one way.
A voice resounded. Aoi immediately clung to it.
「Save me！」
Frantically, she begged.
But unless you give me everything, it wouldn’t work.
The voice asked calmly.
The trusting voice that she had used to hearing.
Do you want to leave everything to me?
But that answer was not even supposed to be negative.
◇
In one mouthful, the figure disappeared. That body constrained in darkness had been eaten together by Kuroe in one mouthful, crunched, and, after chewing it to her heart’s content, swallowed.
「Thanks for the food」
She said as if she was satisfied and her form swiftly changed back. In a blink of an eye, the giant wolf’s figure had disappeared and was back to that of a doll …………. Suddenly, she looked at Tooya way.
「I have received the prize for the contract. I will ask you the same way next month」
「…………Aa」
Tooya nodded to the smiling Kuroe.
「But master had made a generous decision」
「…………What is it」
「I thought that you would say eat it but, I never thought you would say the price. Surely this month I hadn’t received the price, it was a good judgment that life was not wasted」
She said as if it was very fun.
「…………Shut up, idiot」
As if groaning, Tooya only said so.
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