Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 29 - Chapter 2

Understanding and Bonds

Thursday, March 31st

After returning to room 106, Koutarou told Kiriha everything. What Theia and Ruth had said, that there was a pattern to the incidents, that their meeting hadn’t been a coincidence. That there had to be a reason for it. Hearing all this, Kiriha crossed her arms and started thinking. It was actually something that had been on her mind all along, but Theia’s last words helped Kiriha decipher what was really going on.

If Theia-dono said that, then I haven’t been wrong to think that too much is happening around Koutarou, including all of us... but I still don’t have any leads as to why that is... We might be pressed by this pattern, but I need more time...

Thanks to Theia and Ruth, Kiriha had a slightly better understanding of the situation. But still, she didn’t know everything. There were critical pieces to the puzzle missing.

“Kiriha-san, did you figure something out?!”

Koutarou put his hands on the tea table and leaned forward eagerly as he asked her for details. Theia and Ruth had disappeared before his eyes, the very same way Clan and Maki had before them. He was intent on finding them all, no matter what.

“I’m nursing a theory, but it’s too soon to say for sure. The situation is just too delicate and complicated.”

“Damn it, just what’s going on?!”

Bang!

Koutarou slammed his fist into the table with terrific force. It was a small wonder the table didn’t break, but the loud sound of the blow echoed through the tiny apartment. It was enough to startle Yurika, who then cowered in fear. But Koutarou was so caught up in his own emotions that he wasn’t paying attention to things like that.

“I’m sorry, Koutarou. We finally got some more information, too...”

However, Kiriha’s apologetic words made him regain some of his calm. He still had five girls around him, and letting his emotions get the better of him would only make them uneasy. It wasn’t like the four girls who disappeared were the only ones precious to him. Reminding himself of that, he repressed the intense feelings welling up inside him.

“I’m the one who should apologize... I’m sorry for getting upset.”

“You saw them disappear with your own eyes. Of course you’d be upset.”

Kiriha didn’t blame Koutarou. Rather, she was quite sympathetic. She also knew that part of the reason he was so upset over this was because it was an unpleasant reminder of watching his mother die right in front of him.

“Thank you...”

“Don’t worry about it, Koutarou. Besides, it’s not like we know absolutely nothing.”

“So you did figure something out?!”

Koutarou had had his eyes downcast for quite some time, but he now looked up at Kiriha anxiously. As if waiting for that, she nodded her head.

“The next to disappear will probably be me or Yurika.”

“Are you sure?! How can you tell?!”

“Theia mentioning a regularity or pattern to the incidents was a hint. Maki, Clan-dono, Ruth, Theia-dono... Does that order bring anything to mind?”

“You mean it’s going in the reverse order of when they came to room 106?!”

“Or perhaps more specifically the order in which we met... But either way, if that’s the pattern, it’s very likely that either I or Yurika will be next.”

“Wait a minute... Why isn’t it one of you for sure?”

Whether it was in the opposite order they met or the order they came to room 106, Kiriha, who had appeared before Theia and Ruth, should be next. However, Kiriha was saying that it might be Yurika. Koutarou didn’t understand why.

“Things get complicated when you take into consideration the timeslip, because there’s a discrepancy between when you think we first met and when I think we first met.”

Kiriha met Koutarou when she was just a little girl, so of course she considered that their first meeting. But from Koutarou’s point of view, the first time he encountered Kiriha was when she showed up in room 106 years later. So potentially—technically—Yurika might be next in line.

“I see... to Kii-chan...”

“With four people already gone, it’s fairly safe to assume that something is going to happen to the rest of us too. And how exactly that happens should help us clarify the mystery a little more.”

“So you want us to wait around until someone else disappears?!”

“Presently, that’s all we can do.”

Kiriha was correct. Without any leads, what they really needed to do was learn more information—as much as possible. And with things as they were, that meant gleaning as much as they could from the disappearances themselves. Especially since they knew another one would likely happen before long. Koutarou knew Kiriha was right, but it still didn’t sit well with him.

Really, since she might be next, Kiriha was more or less suggesting that she sacrifice herself for the sake of the greater good. It was logical, but emotionally difficult to accept for her friends who’d be left behind.

“You can’t be serious! We should be thinking about how to keep anyone else from—”

Just as Koutarou raised his voice again, he realized that Yurika, who was listening in and sitting slightly behind Kiriha, had gone pale. Tears were welling in her eyes, which was enough to quell Koutarou’s frustrations for the moment.

“Yurika, what’s wrong?”

Shelving the discussion with Kiriha for now, Koutarou ran immediately over to Yurika. She looked up at him, her tears already streaming down her cheeks.

“Th-The next one to disappear... is Kiriha-san or m-me... right?”

Yurika was shaking with anxiety. Her whole body was trembling. She was terrified to hear that she might be the next one to disappear. And even if she wasn’t, she would be the next in line after that. She felt like she’d just been given a death sentence.

“Satomi-san, I’m scared... I don’t want to disappear.”

Yurika wrapped her arms around herself, trying to stop the shaking. She had plenty of courage when it came to anything involving magic, but this was completely different. Anyone would be afraid to face such a great unknown. Yurika was terrified knowing that she would disappear soon, but the other girls were scared too.

“I’m... supposed to be... the magical girl of love and courage... And yet...”

She knew that a magical girl should be brave at times like this. She should be inspiring everyone else, but she was shaking too much to even try. And her own weakness only upset her more.

“It’s okay to be scared, Yurika. No one could stay calm in a situation like this where we don’t know what’s going on. Even I’m scared.”

As far as Koutarou knew, he might disappear too. Kiriha had roughly estimated the order of their disappearance, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t be at the end of the line. And if Kiriha was wrong, he could even be next. So he knew what Yurika was going through. That’s why he put his hands on her shoulders and smiled at her as gently as he could.

“But even so... I’m definitely going to do something. It’s okay.”

Yurika felt the warmth from his hands and from the awkward smile on his face. She also felt encouraged knowing that Koutarou, despite how confused and scared he was himself, was trying to cheer her up.

“Satomi-san!”

Yurika threw herself at Koutarou and wrapped her arms around him. She held on to him as tightly as she could, as if she never intended to let him go.

“I’ll definitely do something, Yurika, so you don’t have to be scared anymore. Believe in me.”

He had no basis for his claims. He had no idea how to resolve the situation. But it was all he knew how to say. He had to say it. For Yurika’s sake, and for his own. With four of the girls gone now, a large hole had opened up in his heart. He couldn’t stand for it to get any bigger.

“I believe. I believe in you, but... can I stay like this a little longer?”

“Yeah.”

Yurika believed in Koutarou. But her heart and her quivering body weren’t on the same page. She needed a little more time for Koutarou’s warmth to spread through her body and stop her trembling.

Based on the order of the disappearances so far, Kiriha assumed that she or Yurika would be next, and began preparations for when that time came. She had observation equipment to gather detailed data on what was happening, but it hadn’t rendered anything useful so far. She needed to prepare something more advanced and accurate, but since that would take some time, Koutarou and the others would continue their search in the meantime.

“All right, I’m off.”

“See you guys later.”

Koutarou and Yurika left room 106 together. Knowing that she’d disappear soon, she didn’t want to leave his side. Even when she needed to go to the bathroom, she was scared to leave him. And out of consideration for how she felt, the other girls had opted not to go with her and to give her some alone time with Koutarou. They knew how she must feel. Kiriha included, though it was particularly remarkable she was still able to act like everything was normal since she was in the same position.

“Yurika, could you not cling onto my arm so much? It’s hard to walk...”

Yurika was embracing Koutarou’s arm as they walked along. That in and of itself wasn’t a problem, but fear made her hold on to him much tighter than usual, which made it harder for Koutarou to walk.

“I-I’m sorry...”

Yurika hurriedly tried to ease her grip on him, but her stiff fingers and arms wouldn’t listen to her. Her heart’s desire to cling to him was stronger than her mind’s intention to release him.

“I guess... I really don’t want to let go of you...”

“That’s okay. Then don’t worry about it.”

“I’m sorry...”

While it was hard for him to move while basically dragging Yurika along, he slowed down to accommodate her. He thought it was better to go slow and have Yurika feel safe than the alternative.

“Don’t apologize, silly. This isn’t your fault.”

Yurika wasn’t the one who’d caused the incident, and she certainly wasn’t to blame for being scared considering the position she was in. That’s why Koutarou wasn’t mad, and he wasn’t hard on her. But that didn’t apply to himself. He was frustrated at his inability to resolve the problem, and his inability to comfort Yurika, who was still clearly terrified. Of course, all the other girls were scared too. And he couldn’t even imagine how the missing girls must feel. But as much as he wanted to do something about it, he couldn’t. All he could do was continue the search for now. He felt helpless. Powerless. And that feeling began squeezing at his chest. It hurt so badly that he wanted to scream. But it was still nothing compared to how Yurika felt.

“Oh? If it isn’t Kou.”

Suddenly, a familiar voice called out to Koutarou from behind. When he turned around to look, he saw his old friend Kenji standing there.

“And you’re with Nijino-san, huh?”

Kenji was eyeing Yurika clinging to Koutarou’s arm and grinned.

“That’s rare. Are you two on a date?”

Kenji of course knew that Koutarou and the girls had a very close relationship. That’s why he’d try to tell him every now and then that he needed to make up his mind. So from his point of view, Koutarou going on a date with Yurika was a welcome sight. So while he was happy to poke a little fun, he was mostly truly happy for his best friend.

“If only... There’s actually some trouble.”

“Huh... Sounds serious.”

Though Kenji was joking around at first, Koutarou didn’t get angry. His expression stayed as steely as it had been. And with Yurika just staring down at the ground, Kenji got the hint. Something was clearly going on, and the joking smile faded from his face.

“Yeah. We’re looking for Aika-san, Theia, and Ruth-san. Have you seen them anywhere?”

Since Kenji didn’t know Clan, Koutarou left her out.

“Did something happen with those people?”

Kenji figured something had happened between them and Yurika, and Koutarou was more or less acting as a mediator. But something struck Koutarou as strange about what Kenji said.

“‘Those people’? Don’t make it sound like they’re strangers. You’re classmates, remember?”

“Huh? We are?”

Kenji cocked his head to the side at Koutarou’s remark. He was acting like he’d never even heard their names before. Koutarou assumed he was messing around with him.

“Stop joking around. This is serious.”

“Yeah, I hear you. But were those girls really in our class?”

Weirdly enough, Kenji seemed serious. He folded his arms pensively and thought about it. It was like he really didn’t know who they were.

“How could a womanizer like you forget girls in our class? Aika-san is Yurika’s cosplay friend, Theia wrote the script for the school plays last year, and Ruth-san is Theia’s childhood friend. Don’t pretend like you’ve got amnesia or something.”

“The plays, huh? Wait... Who was that again? Um, hang on. Now that you mention it... Kou, was she blonde?”

“Mackenzie, did you...”

It was then that Koutarou realized something was utterly and truly wrong. He had his spirit sight active since he was looking for the girls, so he could see Kenji’s aura too. And it was perfectly clear. That meant whatever Kenji was saying, he wasn’t lying. But it was also somewhat distorted, which indicated that Kenji was confused. It was all quite alarming given the situation.

Did Mackenzie really forget about Theia and the others?!

Even if Koutarou thought he was just messing around, his aura indicated otherwise. It seemed he really had forgotten about them. He could vaguely remember Theia, who naturally left quite a strong impression, but it was otherwise like he’d never even met the girls in question.

Vrrr, vrrr...

That was when Koutarou’s phone began ringing. He hurriedly pulled it from his pocket, less curious about who was calling and more anxious to get in touch with Kiriha and the others to let them know what was happening.

Wait, it’s Crimson... Surely she hasn’t...

They’d talked just yesterday, but Crimson was calling him back already. If it had been anyone unrelated to what was going on, Koutarou would have just ignored the call and handled whatever it was later. But he got a bad feeling when he saw Maki’s friend’s name on the caller ID.

“What is it, Crimson?”

“This is bad, Koutarou! It seems like Maki is disappearing from Purple and Green’s memories!”

“What?!”

Surprisingly enough, it seemed it wasn’t just Kenji forgetting about Maki and the others.

After getting off the phone with Crimson, Koutarou parted ways with Kenji. Kenji was out and about on his own business, so Koutarou felt like he’d lucked out. He knew he couldn’t continue the search with him around. After that, Koutarou started calling his other classmates in a fluster. It seemed like they too had forgotten about Maki, Theia, and Ruth. The drama club members still seemed to recall Theia since she’d been quite involved with them for some time, but it was just like what had happened with Kenji.

“Is there really some kind of timeslip behind this...?”

Koutarou was sitting down on a bench in the park, racking his brain over the strange situation that was only growing more and more complicated. They’d previously discounted the possibility of a timeslip, but this new development made Koutarou reconsider it. He’d seen something similar in a movie once. When history was changed, the person affected disappeared, making it like they’d never existed at all. People who knew them then lost their memories of that person—not because they were forgetting, but because their minds were aligning with the timeline where said person never existed in the first place. It took something special or a strong connection for anyone to retain their memories.

“Even if that’s not the case, if people are forgetting, then...”

Koutarou gritted his teeth. Whether or not it was a timeslip, the girls and people’s memories of them were disappearing. He had to wonder if they were the only ones affected. Maybe other people were disappearing too, and they just didn’t know because it was happening somewhere else. Or maybe they’d already forgotten too.

The terrifying thought that they might never be able to get to the bottom of this or stop it crossed Koutarou’s mind. If this didn’t center around Koutarou and the girls—if it was something happening on a much larger scale than that—it might not be within their power to do anything about it. But he couldn’t admit that. Koutarou shook his head repeatedly as if to shake off such thoughts. If he didn’t believe that he could do something, he really would become powerless. And he couldn’t let that happen. Not only did he need to find the missing girls, he still needed to protect the ones who remained.

“Don’t lose heart. I’ll definitely find them... I’ll definitely protect you...”

Koutarou unconsciously put more strength into his grip. Yurika, who had been holding his hand out of fear, felt it. And with that, she finally looked up from the ground.

“Satomi-san...?”

When she raised her head, Yurika saw Koutarou’s serious face like he was lost deep in thought. From time to time, he would mumble something or scratch his head. And seeing all that, she realized he’d squeezed her hand unwittingly.

“I should have listened to Clan more seriously... but it’s too late for that now...”

Koutarou was oblivious to the fact that Yurika was looking at him and that she’d softly called out to him. He was so deep inside his own head that none of it even registered. All he could do was desperately rack his brain as he tried to come up with a solution for the troubles plaguing him.

“I see...”

Looking at Koutarou, Yurika realized he was scared too. Not because he too might disappear, but because he might shortly be separated from the people he loved. In other words, he feared his everyday life shattering to pieces. And that made Yurika realize what the truly frightening thing about all this was.

“I feel the same way...”

She was scared of what was happening. People disappearing without warning. Memories vanishing. That was bad enough. But Yurika was most frightened of what happened next. Not disappearing per se, but being separated from Koutarou and the others. In other words, losing the people she loved.

“I don’t want to be alone again...”

Yurika had always been easy to misunderstand. She was unlucky and awkward. Very few people had ever gotten to know the real Yurika. Nana had nearly cracked the code, but after tragedy struck, Yurika was left on her own again. Alone. And becoming a magical girl only furthered her sense of isolation. With a secret identity, she had more of a reason than ever to hide her true self from other people.

“But... even if that’s the truth, I won’t accept it. You’re my classmate and a cosplay-loving, stupid freeloader of a roommate.”

“Satomi-san... I’d prefer things stay that way too...”

But between their struggles and their everyday lives, things had changed between Yurika and the others. She was the magical girl of love and courage, a righteous warrior who wouldn’t forgive those who would abuse magic. But she was also a normal girl. She wanted to be able to go through her day-to-day life like anyone else. And she’d finally met someone who understood that. But that wasn’t all. She too understood how he felt. He was special just like she was, but still wanted to live an ordinary life. And because they both understood how the other felt, their bond was incredible.

“You’re too kind, so of course you’d help clean up. Right, Satomi-san?”

“Why would I help?!”

“Whaaat?! Are you saying you hate me?!”

“I despise all forms of trouble.”

The ordinary days they’d spent together were like a dream. They each helped each other out where the other was lacking. Living like that, both of them were able to smile. Scary and difficult things happened from time to time, but they always worked together to resolve them. Then they would go back to their precious everyday lives in peace. Those days were what Yurika really treasured. A chill ran down her spine when she thought about what her life would be like if she’d never met Koutarou, the one person who really understood her. The fear of losing him far surpassed the fear of disappearing.

“If I had never met you and never come to room 106... I might not have been caught up in this incident, but... I would never want that...”

She was scared of both, but the thought of losing Koutarou was far more dreadful than the idea of disappearing. That was just how much she’d come to love her life since meeting him.

“No matter how scared I get... I will never ever let go of your hand, Satomi-san...”

That was the conclusion Yurika had reached. She’d finally found someone she understood and who understood her in return. She wouldn’t let go of that. She couldn’t, even if it meant losing her life.

“Satomi-san...”

And so Yurika squeezed Koutarou’s hand back. She couldn’t just stay scared. Even though she wasn’t good at much, she could at least encourage the irritated and flustered Koutarou. She’d already stopped shaking. Now she just had to comfort him like he’d comforted her.

“Yurika?”

“Please take a deep breath. You look scary with that face, Satomi-san.”

Still firmly holding on to his hand, Yurika smiled at Koutarou. She’d stopped quivering, but she still wasn’t sure she could manage a smile. Nevertheless, she was desperate to try.

“Heh... Yeah, you’re right.”

That might have ended up actually working in her favor. Seeing her nervous face, Koutarou had no choice but to listen to what she was asking of him. So he stopped, took a deep breath, and flashed a small smile.

“Thank you, Yurika— Wait, you’re glowing?!”

“Huh?”

A blue light had appeared around Yurika’s chest. It rapidly grew brighter and bigger, and before long, it had engulfed her entire body.

“Is this what happened to Maki-chan and the others?!”

Yurika’s face distorted in surprise. But only for an instant. The blue light soon told her what it was and why this was all happening.

“I see! This is the same light that saved Sakuraba-senpai and Purple-san in the past!”

Blue was one of the colors of the rainbow, and all the light of the rainbow ultimately came from the sun’s light. That was why this incident was happening. There was a solution. At the place that started it all. The real question was if a small but truly extraordinary miracle would happen upon arriving there.

“You too?! Please wait, Yurika! Don’t you disappear on me!”

Her hand still in his, Koutarou tried to hold on to her. But the tighter he held her, the more it became apparent her warmth was fading. Yurika would disappear. In a matter of seconds, at that. But those few seconds would be pure agony for Koutarou.

“Satomi-san, I will definitely go to Kisshou University with you!”

Yurika’s body was fading into the blue light. Using the precious time she had left, she did her best to tell Koutarou how to return to their beloved everyday life.

“I believe in that! So you need to believe in that too—”

“Yurika! Yurikaaa!”

But it was over all too soon. Yurika did her best, but it seemed she hadn’t properly gotten through to Koutarou.

“Why is this happening?! Why?! GOD DAMN IT!”

Koutarou was too focused on Yurika disappearing to really listen to the message she was trying to leave him. Contrary to her wish, a deep despair and sense of loss ruled his heart.

When Koutarou returned to room 106 alone, a heavy gloom fell over the apartment. That didn’t change even as the sun rose. The atmosphere was so weighty that the fresh morning light felt cold and the vivid blue sky looked empty.

“You’re all so gloomy! If you don’t cheer up, you won’t be able to find anyone!”

Currently there were only five people in room 106: Sanae, Kiriha, Harumi, Shizuka, and Koutarou. The effect of losing Yurika was great, as Sanae’s energy alone wasn’t enough to brighten the mood in the room. Not having any leads despite having lost half of their group of friends weighed heavily on everyone who remained.

“And Koutarou, you haven’t been properly sleeping, have you? We can’t have that, you know.”

“I couldn’t sleep even if I tried...”

It had now been three days since Maki first disappeared. Koutarou had barely gotten any sleep since then. Even when he closed his eyes, all he could think about was what was happening. His mind wouldn’t let him rest. He’d barely even taken any breaks over the past three days for the same reason. And since he’d been going nearly at full steam for so long, he was worn completely ragged. He hardly even came back to the apartment to eat, and was looking rather gaunt.

“I feel like I’ll go crazy if I don’t do something,” he muttered with a haggard face.

“Koutarou...” sighed a worried Sanae.

Shizuka and Kiriha were currently making breakfast, but even the time spent waiting for that was agony to Koutarou. The normally full table now only had three people sitting around it. The empty-feeling apartment was just a painful, irritating reminder. And he didn’t have any way to blow off those negative emotions building up inside of him. He certainly couldn’t take them out on the remaining four girls. This was all because the other girls had disappeared. They were all so precious to him that each loss was like being stabbed in the heart, but he still couldn’t scream. Not at the girls in front of him. No, they were just as precious. So he kept those feelings bottled up inside. And without anyone else to blame, he blamed himself. The crushing frustration and helplessness just kept mounting and mounting.

“Here we go, everyone.”

“It’s time to eat.”

Shizuka and Kiriha came from the kitchen carrying trays. They were smiling, but everyone could tell that they were forcing it. As they got to the table, they set down food for everyone, but Koutarou didn’t even seem to notice. He was staring at the table, but his mind was elsewhere. He was thinking of the missing girls.

What did they do to deserve this...? Why did they have to disappear...?

Recently, Koutarou had given up on hiding how precious the nine girls were to him. Of course, being totally open about it was still hard. But he just couldn’t bring himself to keep pretending like they weren’t precious to him after they’d all staked their lives to save him. That would be unforgivable.

I still haven’t been able to do anything for them in return. And they did so much for me... I just finally started to realize that we couldn’t stay like this!

That’s why he had decided to put some effort into it. He wanted to properly answer the goodwill and devotion that each of the girls showed him. He wanted them to be happy, and he wanted to facilitate that. He wanted to believe that their everyday life together would continue forever.

This was supposed to be the beginning, not the end! So why?! Why this?! Why now?! What did they do to deserve this?! All they did was save me and the world!

Koutarou suddenly stood up. He didn’t even know if he’d managed to eat anything or not. But the emotions inside of him were urging him forward regardless. He couldn’t sit still a second longer. And once he was on his feet, he only had one goal.

“What’s the matter all of a sudden, Satomi-kun?” asked Harumi.

“I’m going out to look for everyone.”

“But you still haven’t—”

“I’ve rested enough.”

Turning his back on a worried-looking Harumi, Koutarou headed for the front door. He was adamant about finding the missing girls as quickly as possible. Finding them would also mean finding a way to protect Harumi and the other remaining girls. He couldn’t waste any more time.

“Sanae, could you go with Koutarou? I’m worried about his wellbeing.”

“I’m off!”

Sanae was already standing by the time Kiriha finished her sentence. She would have gone after him even if she hadn’t said anything. Sanae gobbled down another bite of fried egg, and ran out of the inner room with a piece of toast in hand.

“Sanae-chan sure is strong... Even in this situation, she doesn’t hesitate.”

Shizuka smiled bittersweetly as she saw Sanae off. She was truly distraught, but she didn’t sense the slightest bit of hesitation from straightforward Sanae. And she was jealous of that.

“Sanae is well aware of what the most precious thing to her is,” said Kiriha with a smile, “We’re all probably just too weighed down thinking about things that don’t matter as much.”

Kiriha didn’t chase after Koutarou because she had a role to fulfill. Preparations had to be made in order to get more detailed data on the disappearances. But that wasn’t the only thing that kept her behind.

“Kiriha-san, the next one should be...”

Harumi had realized the reason why Kiriha asked Sanae to go with Koutarou, and stared forlornly at the front door she’d just left through.

“Sadly, yes,” said Kiriha, “And it doesn’t look like my preparations will be complete in time.”

“Are you saying Sanae-chan is going to disappear?! Today?!”

Shizuka’s eyes shot wide open as she processed the meaning behind Kiriha’s words. She too now realized why Kiriha had sent Sanae after Koutarou.

“The disappearances have been occurring on a daily basis, and it is likely to be Sanae today.”

Kiriha reluctantly nodded as she confirmed Shizuka’s suspicions. Considering the pattern and what they knew so far, today would be the day Sanae disappeared. Kiriha was working diligently to make preparations to get the data they needed, but it took time to get the extremely sensitive and advanced equipment ready. She’d need more than just a day. That’s why she sent Sanae with Koutarou, so that he would be by her side when it happened. She too knew what Sanae treasured the most.

Since Koutarou insisted on continuing his search without getting any real rest, he was obviously worn down. And with her spirit sight, Sanae could tell that better than anyone. So the first thing she did after catching up to him was put her small hands on his back.

“Sanae?”

“Just stay still a little. I’ll make it so you have more energy.”

Sanae barely explained herself, but Koutarou could tell that she was pouring spiritual energy into him, so he decided to let her do as she pleased. He felt her energy start to spread through his body.

“Jeez, to end up in this state... How reckless...”

Sanae’s spiritual energy coursing through Koutarou returned his own disordered spiritual energy to its normal state. Someone’s general wellbeing was directly related to the flow of spiritual energy in their body. Getting that in order would help Koutarou at least feel a little better. It wouldn’t make up for lost sleep, but it was better than nothing on an empty tank.

“I know. But I can’t help myself.”

“Put yourself in the position of the one clinging on to you, will you?”

“I’m sorry.”

Sanae loved clinging to Koutarou’s back, but that made her especially sensitive to his spiritual energy. If it was disordered or troubled, it made Sanae feel sick. In other words, Koutarou needed to take care of himself in order to help take care of Sanae.

“We’re important to you, right?” she asked.

Pouring spiritual energy into someone was a rather advanced technique, but Sanae hardly looked fazed. She could carry on a conversation with Koutarou with no trouble whatsoever.

“Yeah. With everyone disappearing, I feel that especially strongly.”

Koutarou and Sanae’s spiritual energies were connected, so trying to lie would be meaningless. The truth was obvious in his heart. Not that he had any intention to lie to Sanae in the first place. That wasn’t the kind of relationship they’d built.

“Then I forgive you.”

“Keep it a secret from everyone, okay?”

“Okay. But I think they already know.”

“Even then, it’s important to keep up appearances.”

“Gosh, boys sure are difficult.”

With Sanae’s energy now freely flowing through Koutarou, his condition improved considerably. It even seemed to lift his spirits a little. It was all thanks to Sanae—both her spiritual energy and the conversation they’d had just now. This was exactly what Kiriha had hoped for.

“That’ll do it.”

“Thanks, Sanae.”

“Heehee! Now do you understand how valuable Sanae-chan is?”

“Yeah.”

As thanks, Koutarou patted Sanae’s head. She happily smiled. The spiritual energy she felt through his hand was indeed much better than before. She was satisfied with her own work.

“By the way, there’s something that’s been on my mind, Koutarou.”

“What?”

“My papa once told me a story about people being spirited away. He said it was an old legend from our shrine.”

Sanae’s family had served as the caretakers of a local shrine for generations. It was so old that it had a long, storied history complete with all kinds of legends that had been passed down. Sanae recalled her father telling her about one that involved people being spirited away.

“Spirited away, huh...?”

“Let’s ask him about it. Maybe it’s related in some way.”

At first, Sanae hadn’t thought the old story had anything to do with what was going on. But the situation was only growing more confusing, and they didn’t have any other clues to go off of. She thought it would be better to at least give it a chance than to continue searching aimlessly. Even if it was unrelated, it might give them a push in the right direction.

“...All right, let’s go.”

After thinking for a moment, Koutarou nodded. Just a while ago, he probably wouldn’t have listened to her. He was in bad shape and felt like he was hitting the end of his rope. But thanks to the little boost from Sanae, he was thinking a bit more clearly.

“Right now, I’m ready to grasp at straws.”

“What’s that mean?”

“It means I’ll try anything I can get my hands on, no matter how small or silly.”

“That’s the attitude!”

The two of them then headed for Sanae’s home, the Higashihongan shrine. Sanae jumped onto his back and hugged him like always. She always wanted to stick to Koutarou, but right now she also felt like she had to protect his heart.

This wasn’t Koutarou’s first visit to the Higashihongan shrine. He would walk Sanae home from school from time to time, and he’d attended festivals on the shrine grounds before. It was a familiar place to him, but he’d never been inside the house behind the shrine on the property. It was a beautiful, old, and big Japanese-style building that was well maintained and in extraordinary condition. Of course, the garden and pond around it were just as splendid, and the whole scene had a breathtaking harmony to it. It was quite clear that this wasn’t just any home. While she practically never showed it, Sanae was actually the daughter of a high-class family.

“So, Sanae, where do we go from here?”

“This way. Haru-chan at the office said papa wasn’t there for lunch, so he’s probably in the dining room.”

While it wasn’t anything flashy, the Higashihongan estate was luxurious. Two years ago, Koutarou would have been nervous to be there. But he didn’t feel a tinge of it now as he followed Sanae inside. He had gotten quite used to luxurious accommodations during his stay in the palace on Forthorthe, and he was so worried about Theia and the others that he didn’t have the energy to be nervous anyway.

“Oh, what’s the hurry, Sanae?”

On their way to the dining room, they ran into Sanae’s mother, Kanae. She seemed to be on her way out, as she was wearing an elegant suit and carrying a custom handbag. She looked much younger than she really was; it was hard to believe she had a seventeen year old daughter. The truth was that she had been born with a lot of spiritual energy, which was constantly rejuvenating her body.

“Mama! Do you know where Papa is?”

“Hello, Kanae-san.”

“Oh, hello, Satomi-kun. Thank you for always taking care of Sanae.”

Fitting for the matriarch of a prominent family, Kanae gave Koutarou a proper and polite greeting. She was an energetic and athletic girl in her youth, but her role in the Higashihongan family had taught her to be more demure. Her training in archery had also taught her a great deal of composure.

“I should be the one thanking you. Your daughter is always helping me out.”

Since Koutarou had escorted Sanae home several times, this wasn’t his first time meeting Kanae either. But he was a bit of a stickler for manners, and still greeted her politely even after all this time. After everything he’d been through, his manners tended to stray towards a Forthorthian style. But cultural barriers aside, all manners came down to the same polite and respectable principles. And seeing Koutarou present himself so wonderfully, Kanae felt like he was well on his way into manhood.

“How is Nana-chan doing?” she asked.

“She just returned to her own country, so I’m sure she’ll come see you before long.”

“That’s good to hear. I’ll have to make preparations.”

“Jeez, Mama, save that for later! Where’s Papa?!”

Meanwhile, however, Kanae was a bit concerned about her daughter. Chalking her mannerisms up to the time she’d spent recuperating from her illness, she decided to leave it be. Kanae concluded that if Sanae’s boyfriend was dependable, she had nothing to worry about.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Soutarou-san just finished eating, and I believe he’s in the study right now. Apparently he has a meeting with the people from the shopping street about the spring festivities this evening.”

“Thank you! Let’s go, Koutarou!”

“Yeah. Please excuse us.”

“No worries. My, those two sure seem to be in a hurry...”

Sanae ran down the hallway, and Koutarou followed right after her after pausing to neatly line up Sanae’s scattered shoes next to his. It almost looked like this was an everyday occurrence between the two of them. Kanae was surprised.

Sanae, you’re treating that Satomi-kun like he’s an extension of yourself. You’ll never be able to settle for anyone else at this rate... You’d better treasure him, Sanae.

Kanae saw them off, quietly rooting for her daughter in her mind. It wasn’t at all related to the problem they were having now, but in the grand scheme of things, her heart was in the right place.

Higashihongan Soutarou, like his daughter Sanae, had been born with powerful spiritual energy. The tradition of passing down techniques to use it, however, was long forgotten. Sanae had only mastered the art because of the long time she’d spent as a ghost. Her father was essentially just a normal person with immense spiritual energy. But even then, he felt something when he first met Koutarou.

There’s something to this boy... Just what is it? It doesn’t seem to be something bad, but... A strong mind? Extraordinary luck? I think I’ve met someone like this before...

Since Soutarou couldn’t focus or control his spiritual energy, all he got was a passing feeling. At best, it was a strange sort of premonition. But something very special had caught his attention, and that was Koutarou.

“Papa, are you listening to me?!”

“Eh? Ah, sorry about that, honey. What were you saying?”

However, seeing his beloved daughter’s angry face in front of him, he realized now wasn’t the time to be worried about any of that. His recovered daughter bringing home what seemed to be a nice boy was a welcome occurrence. He had no reason to focus on anything else to the point of upsetting her.

“Jeez! I asked you to tell us that legend about being spirited away!”

In the past, Sanae’s spiritual energy had split her soul in two, leaving part of her in ghost form haunting room 106 and the other in her body in the hospital. The latter was the version of Sanae—Sanae-san—who’d heard the story from her father about the legend.

“That old legend, huh? Why are you so interested in that all of a sudden?”

Soutarou remembered it well. It was a story he’d told his daughter who could barely even get out of bed. But it struck him as odd that she’d bring a friend over to ask about it now, and as such, he looked at his daughter with a puzzled expression.

“Just tell us! It’s important!”

“Important, you say?”

When Soutarou saw Koutarou, he’d vaguely recalled that he once met someone else with a strange destiny. It was a youthful girl in a pink costume who carried a staff taller than she was, and they’d met eleven years ago now. That girl had used strange techniques to save him, Kanae, and Sanae.

Maybe he’s like that girl from back then somehow... No, that couldn’t be. But still, okay!

Remembering that girl, Soutarou decided not to ask anything and simply fulfill his daughter’s request. What he was feeling from Koutarou might just be his imagination, and it wasn’t like he had any reason to keep the legend a secret. If his daughter said she wanted to hear it, he was happy to tell her. And even if Koutarou was like that girl, it would be a good thing.

“All right, I’ll tell you.”

“Thank you, Papa!”

“It’s been a long time since I heard it myself, however. I learned it from my grandfather, so let’s see what I can remember...”

Soutarou smiled at his daughter as he readjusted his posture on the cushion he was sitting on. And after taking a sip of his freshly poured tea, he began recounting the legend as best as he could for Sanae and Koutarou.

It was said that over a thousand years had passed since the first building of the Higashihongan shrine was constructed. It seemed like the religious organization had been around even longer than that, but sadly there were no remaining records of it. Over the course of the shrine’s storied history, it had been through two fires. A great deal of records were lost that way. The ones lost in the second fire were from the latter half of the Warring States period and onward, and some of those records were pertaining to cases of people being spirited away.

Considering the era, it was only natural to assume that most of the real causes were bandits. During the Warring States and early Edo periods, only the cities were particularly safe. Bandits were a constant threat along the roads and in small villages. If a murder-robbery happened out of sight, it wasn’t all that uncommon for people to say the victim had been spirited away if evidence or a body could never be found. But there were several stories among the records where that clearly hadn’t been the case—stories of people returning after being spirited away. And those who returned all said the same thing. In an old shrine on Kisshou Mountain, the small mountain where Kisshouharukaze High School was now, they met a goddess and had their wish granted.

When Soutarou mentioned said goddess, he indicated a picture behind him. It was of a woman painted in shades of black. But what stood out the most about the painting was the rainbow behind her. It was so clear and vivid that it looked like there was color even in the black ink painting. This painting had been with the Higashihongan family for a very long time.

“In this area, people have worshiped the goddess that rules the sun since ages long past. And what’s more, the Higashihongan family has enshrined that goddess, Oohime-sama.”

The ink painting of the woman was of a goddess known as Oohime. Hearing that name, Koutarou remembered something.

I think Oohime was the name of the haniwas’ spaceship... which means that Sanae’s family has had an encounter with the People of the Earth at some point?

The name of the spaceship-like weapons system that the haniwas used during the battle in Forthorthe, Oohime, was taken from the name of the goddess of creation that appeared in the People of the Earth’s legends. Now it turned out that a goddess with the same name, who was also a deity of the sun, was enshrined at the Higashihongan shrine. It didn’t sound like a coincidence. But that meant that there had been some sort of exchange between them in the past, if they weren’t related outright. This was a shocking development.

But that’s not important right now. What’s important is the people being spirited away...

A surprising connection had arisen between Sanae’s family and the People of the Earth, but that wasn’t what Koutarou had come to find out. He put his surprise and questions aside for the moment and focused on Soutarou’s story.

“Then does that mean that those people who came back from being spirited away met with this goddess, Papa?”

“Yes. According to my grandfather, those who were spirited away and wished for selfish things disappeared, while those who wished for nothing or for the happiness of others were able to return safely.”

The goddess granted the wishes of those who visited her shrine. But those who made selfish wishes to her disappeared, while those with righteous hearts were granted happiness and sent back. Only those with wicked hearts were truly spirited away. In short, the goddess known as Oohime only granted the wishes of the righteous.

“So being greedy is bad, right?” asked Sanae.

“My grandfather said that it might just be a fabricated tale to teach those listening a lesson,” answered Soutarou.

“So it’s a lie?”

“Lies come in many forms. It was a long time ago, after all. It might not have started as a lie, but it’s possible that the story was altered as it was passed down, like a telephone game. So it may have started as a true story, but ended up a fabricated tale with the passing of time.”

Soutarou and his grandfather didn’t think that the legend was true. But they didn’t interpret it as a malicious lie. Rather, they believed it was a story told to convey a moral. It could have also just been some rumors that ended up taking the form of a story. Either way, neither Soutarou nor his grandfather believed it.

“It’s hard to hear the heir to the shrine saying stuff like that, Papa.”

“You sure are harsh, Sanae. But it’s not like I don’t believe that the gods exist. I believe they’re out there somewhere. I just think that this story was made up to serve as a lesson.”

“So it’s kind of a case by case thing?”

“That’s right. If I were to give an example... Sanae, you being born to us was without a doubt the doing of the gods.”

“Heehee, thanks, Papa. That’s a nice thought.”

“I think so too.”

After their exchange, Sanae and Soutarou lightly bumped fists. Koutarou couldn’t help thinking they looked an awful lot alike as they smiled at each other. It seemed Sanae-chan got her energy and cheerful disposition from her father, whereas the more reliable Sanae-san had inherited her dependability from Kanae. They really were a wonderful family with strong ties. Koutarou was a little envious.

After hearing the story of the legend, Koutarou and Sanae quickly left the house. Both because they didn’t want to keep Soutarou from his work, and because they had something they needed to talk about privately.

“Koutarou, what do you think about what Papa said?”

“I think he’s right. Whether or not people being spirited away really happened, there was a lesson in the story. To live righteously.”

Koutarou had been listening in a desperate attempt to discern any clues about what was happening, though it seemed it was all in vain. But he didn’t let it get him too down. He hadn’t had his hopes up very high in the first place, so it didn’t feel like much of a loss for this to be a dead end.

“I don’t think so...” Sanae said in a much lower voice.

Sensing the change in her tone, Koutarou turned to look at her. He was met with the rare sight of Sanae thinking seriously about something.

“Is there something on your mind?” he asked.

“Yeah... I want you to listen without laughing...”

Sanae was dead serious. She peered up at Koutarou with an incredibly discerning expression. And seeing her like this, he couldn’t bring himself to tease her any. He simply nodded.

“You have my word.”

“All right, then here goes... Lately, I’ve been hearing a voice that no one else can.”

“If only you can hear it, does that mean it’s a ghost?”

“Hmm... I can’t really tell. I can hear the voice, so if it’s a ghost, I should be able to see them too. But I haven’t seen anything.”

“Then it’s like someone speaking telepathically through auras?”

If it was a voice only Sanae could hear, Koutarou assumed it was someone speaking to her via spiritual energy. If it was a normal voice, Theia’s sharp ears would have no doubt picked up on it too. Koutarou had some spiritual power as well thanks to Sanae, but it was nowhere near as potent as hers. If it was a weak or distant spirit, or even another psychic like her, it made sense that only Sanae could hear it. And since she couldn’t see the person talking to her, that was all they really knew.

“Also, it’s a woman’s voice.”

“A woman’s? Is it someone you know?”

“I don’t know. I feel like I should know it though...”

Sanae felt like the voice was familiar, but even after racking her brain, she couldn’t match it to anyone she knew. It felt like the answer was on the tip of her tongue, but hidden behind a thin veil.

“She spoke to me, but I don’t really understand what she meant.”

“What’d she say?”

“I think... she said something like that the promised time has come and that this would be the greatest trial.”

“The promised time? The greatest trial?”

Taken at face value, it sounded like something big was happening. But without knowing what this “trial” entailed, that was all he could parse. It left Koutarou scratching his head.

“That’s strange...”

“But it didn’t feel scary. That’s why I was thinking that maybe it was the goddess that my papa mentioned that was talking to me.”

“I see, so you think that the trial is the disappearances... Yeah, that’s not a bad theory.”

“Right?”

Sanae had been just as puzzled as Koutarou at first, but after hearing her father’s story, she began thinking that what was happening to them might be the great trial that the voice spoke of. Of course, trying to link an old legend to what was happening to them right now was a bit farfetched, but they really were grasping at straws. As Koutarou had suggested, it was the best theory they had right now.

“But then... why us?”

“Huh, you’re right...”

But even with that as their running theory, there were still a lot of unanswered questions. First and foremost, why were they chosen to be spirited away by the goddess?

“And if it’s that goddess from the story, there’s no way they wouldn’t come back.”

“Yeah, they’d be back right away.”

According to the legend told by Soutarou, those who wished for the happiness of others came back. By that rubric, the girls should be guaranteed to return. None of them were the type to wish for anything greedy.

“Maybe I was trying too hard to make a connection,” said Sanae, a little defeated.

“Maybe, but it still wasn’t a bad idea. Right now, we want any and every small clue we can get.”

“Yeah... Where did they all go...?”

There were several holes in Sanae’s theory, but if they gave up at that, they would never find the girls. They had to keep trying, keep thinking, and consider everything. Sanae was certainly on the right track in that regard.

But still... A goddess, huh? I wonder why that word attracts my attention...

Koutarou had another reason for being so positive about Sanae’s theory. A specific part of it really stuck out to him.

“Hey, Koutarou, stop for a minute.”

But it still didn’t give them any ground to stand on. It was just that one word that got his gears turning. Nevertheless, he paused his train of thought when Sanae called out to him.

“What is it?”

“Hup! Okay, you can go now.”

“...Sure.”

Sanae had stopped Koutarou to climb up on his back. When she thought about the missing girls, she got worried and felt lonely. Moreover, when she thought about herself disappearing, she got anxious and scared. Koutarou knew what was going through her head. That’s why he didn’t say anything and simply let her do as she pleased. Though he couldn’t admit it, he honestly felt more at ease like this too.

“Where should we go next?” she asked.

“Places we haven’t been to yet that kidnappers might use as bases, I guess.”

“In movies, aren’t those always warehouses and stuff?”

“So the warehouse district at the harbor, huh? All right, let’s give that a try.”

Koutarou had checked there when Maki went missing, but he hadn’t searched the entire area. So with Sanae on his back, Koutarou made his way towards the coast. He didn’t use public transportation because he wanted to search the streets along the way too. That made it quite a hike, but Sanae was feeding him spiritual energy and negating the effects of her own weight, so there was practically no strain on Koutarou. He walked down the sidewalk with firm steps.

“Say, Koutarou...”

After they’d gone a ways, they finally hit a road by the coast. When they did, Sanae put more strength into her arms and held on to Koutarou tightly. They could feel each other’s hearts beating.

“What?”

“Actually, it’s nothing.”

“It’s gotta be something.”

“...”

“You can say it, you know.”

“Yeah...”

Koutarou had a rough idea of what Sanae wanted to say. It was easy to guess based on how she was acting. But sometimes it was better to put things into words. Now was one of those times.

“Well, um... aren’t you scared? Of suddenly disappearing,” Sanae asked.

“I am.”

“Even you are?”

“Yeah, of course. People are disappearing, and we don’t know why. People’s memories of them are disappearing too. And I might be next. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared.”

Kiriha suspected that people were disappearing in the opposite order they’d met Koutarou, but that might all be a coincidence. Koutarou still very well might be the next in line. So in that regard, trying to guess who would be up next was pointless. It could be any of them.

“Then... you won’t get angry if I say I’m scared?”

Sanae leaned forward a little to look at Koutarou’s face. As she did, he shook his head.

“Of course not.”

With that, Sanae let out a sigh of relief. And then, shyly, she quietly whispered into his ear.

“I’m really scared...”

“That’s okay. Like I said, I’m scared too.”

Koutarou reached up to pat Sanae on the head. There was nothing to be angry over. It was perfectly natural for her to be frightened. Sanae then smiled bitterly.

“That might be true... but what I’m scared of the most is being the last one left.”

“Sanae...”

“If everyone disappears and I’m the only one left in room 106... I would hate being all alone waiting forever for everyone to come back...”

Sanae was scared of something one step further than what Koutarou had thought. She was scared of going back to how she’d been two years ago. To be all alone and waiting for the people precious to her to come back...

“That’s why, Koutarou, when you disappear, make sure you take me with you.”

That’s what she really wished for. She was scared of disappearing, sure. But it was still better than going back to how things had once been. She feared solitude more than anything.

“That won’t do.”

“It’s not like I can do anything, so I’d rather disappear with you. I don’t want to disappear, but I don’t want to be sad all alone either.”

“Sanae...”

When Koutarou lost his mother, he’d felt like a part of himself had died with her. Like he wasn’t whole anymore. That would probably be something similar to how the last person left would feel. So he could completely understand why Sanae was saying she’d rather disappear than go through that.

“I don’t know how to do it, but I’ll try to make it happen.”

“It’s a promise, then?”

“Yeah.”

Koutarou was horribly afraid of being left alone too. That’s why he couldn’t say no to Sanae. If he was the last one left, he wouldn’t have the courage to live on his own either.

“Heehee, then I’ll always be with Koutarou! Teeheehee!”

Hearing his answer, Sanae let all of her tension go and leaned on Koutarou, completely entrusting herself to him. She had a truly happy smile on her face as well.

“You idiot. We’re going to do our best to find the others without disappearing ourselves.”

“Yeah, I know. But if the worst happens, at least I’ll be with you.”

“Don’t take it easy just because of that.”

“Don’t worry. Put your unconditional trust in your beloved Sanae-chan.”

“You telling me not to worry only makes me worry more, you know? Like when it comes to your studying.”

“Ugh, b-but... believing is love!”

“What a convenient love that is...”

“It’s fine! Love is all!”

Sanae was scared of disappearing and being forgotten, but she could face that fear as long as she was with Koutarou. That’s why what she feared most was being alone. If her beloved could protect her from that, then she had nothing to be afraid of. And with that comfort, she could focus on finding her friends and getting back to their everyday lives.

“All right, Sanae-chan Super Ultra Great Hyper Spiritual Energy Detector Max—”

And just as Sanae was gathering an unprecedented amount of spiritual energy to search for the missing girls, she was wreathed in a purple light.

“Huh, isn’t this...?”

“Sanae?!”

“Hnnngh! I won’t looooose!”

Having promptly realized that she was disappearing, Sanae used her gathered spiritual energy to try to reject the purple light.

I can’t! I can’t leave Koutarou behind!

Her promise with Koutarou wasn’t one-sided. She had no intention of leaving him behind either. That’s why she used her power to fight the light taking her over. She was going to buy enough time to make another move.

“H-Huh?! How?!”

But something surprising happened. The spiritual energy she’d gathered all disappeared, and instead the purple light rapidly grew brighter. It was as if the purple light was her spiritual energy.

“This light is coming from inside of me?! I-I see, so that’s what this is!”

As Sanae realized the origin of the purple light, it engulfed her entire body. And it let her know that her line of thinking wasn’t wrong. The light told her what was really going on.

“Koutarou, we totally had the wrong idea!”

Sanae hurriedly tried to explain to Koutarou. Her body was already growing faint, but unlike the other girls, she had control over spiritual energy. She could use her powers to talk to Koutarou even after she could no longer physically speak. That would afford her a little extra time.

“Glasses, Maki, and the others aren’t the ones who were spirited away!”

“What?!”

“You were the one who was spirited away!”

Sanae gestured wildly to try to help Koutarou understand what she’d figured out, but it wasn’t enough.

“That’s... This isn’t some... ‘s attack! We’re... your—”

Even Sanae’s spiritual energy was now quickly fading into the purple light. Her voice was weakening, and she could no longer get out a full sentence. The end was near, so she decided to try to tell him something else instead. She wanted to tell him the answer. The solution to everything.

“Kou... rou... lo... ve...”

“AAAHHHHH, SANAAAEEEEE!”

What Sanae tried to convey to him in her final moments were her honest feelings that had built up over the years.