Haruta picked up Record and immediately made the call.
"...Mika?"
Less than a second after he dialed, Mika answered.
"Mika...?"
"Haruta!!! Do you have any idea how worried I was!?"
"...Sorry. I was just a little tired..."
"Hmph! You’d better properly apologize to me later!"
"Yeah... got it."
Haruta started getting ready to head out.
"Haa... still, they’re my friends. I should go see them."
He took Record and a few snacks with him, then headed toward Nagisa, Seia, and Mika.
"Akashi? Do you happen to know how to get to another dimension?"
"Yep! I know and can use all knowledge!"
"Hmm... uh... then can you do teleportation too?"
"Yes! As long as it’s within the same dimension, that’s totally possible!"
Teleportation... that’s pretty useful.
"Though I haven’t really paid attention to that knowledge, so... I’d have to look for it..."
"That’s fine. Just knowing it exists is enough."
"Yes! I’ll show you sometime!"
"Thanks!"
With an excited look on his face, Haruta headed out to meet Seia for a little while.
"Haa... I didn’t even wear masks much in my past life, but..."
Haruta had no choice but to keep his sunglasses, mask, and hat on at all times.
"...All right, shall I go?"
He slowly accelerated his body, feeling out the speed.
"Hoo... this feels pretty good too."
The tremendous speed and wind wrapped around his body, and with the strange pleasure of feeling cool from head to toe, he accelerated even faster.
There was certainly a risk of being caught, but that much could be handled by simply running away.
Far ahead, he could see the dorm room where Mika, Nagisa, and Seia were.
"Hmm... the window’s open?"
Haruta thought of the scenes he’d seen in movies in his past life, where people slipped in through windows.
"Nice. Let’s try it!"
Accelerating even more, Haruta leaped.
"Wah!!"
"? What is it?"
"...Haruta?"
"Ah... uh... superhero landing?"
"Mika?"
"Yep☆"
Mika, who had handed Nagisa a roll cake, was smiling.
Seia sighed at the sight, laughing softly now and then.
"...Wait a minute, but today I got a ridiculous number of calls and texts. And they were all from you guys?"
"We’re people too. It’s only natural to worry."
"...You were worried about me?"
"Yes. We were wondering if you’d been locked up in a prison somewhere..."
"Hah... come on, I’m not the type to get caught that easily."
"Then what was that about you nearly dying after fighting the police before?"
"...I have no excuse."
"Ahem. Anyway, Seia?"
"Yes, I can now see a little into Haruta’s future through my prophetic dreams."
"Oh, then tell me who I’m going to marry!"
At that, Seia sighed.
Nagisa pressed a hand to her forehead.
Mika’s face turned red.
"...You really are as consistent as ever."
"Still, I think everyone’s curious about their love fortune."
"Ahem... well, I am curious too."
"Me too. Just a little, maybe?"
"Ah... aha☆ I’m getting curious too, then."
"So? What’s the point?"
"Ah... right, let’s get to the point. In Kivotos, there isn’t a single person who doesn’t know your name. More importantly, you’re an unprecedented male student in Kivotos."
"Yeah, I figured it’d be something like that."
"Then you should come up with countermeasures immediately."
"Yeah. Well, there are basically two simple options. One is for me to die completely."
Seia’s expression hardened for a moment, and then she looked straight at Haruta.
"...Do you really not value your own life at all?"
"I’d give my life for my people."
"...If that’s your conviction, then I won’t ask for more. But you should value yourself a little more."
"I’ve always been alone, but I’ve been through enough that it’s not really a problem."
"That’s not what I mean..."
"Then?"
"There are definitely people who care about you, so please think a little more about yourself."
"Haa... fine. I’ll think a little more highly of myself."
"That’ll do."
"That’s right. The reason we called you today was to tell you to think more about yourself, and to ask about your future plans."
"Yeah... I guess I should start thinking about the future."
"...Then wouldn’t it be fine to just keep living in Trinity?"
"No, I don’t really plan to belong anywhere... well, there is one place, at least."
"And where would that be?"
"Not yet... I’ll tell you someday when the time comes."
"If that’s what Haruta thinks, then I’ll respect it."
"Thanks."
"Then what do you plan to do from here on out?"
"Hmm... I suppose it’s fine until your middle school graduation, at least?"
"Well, there’s still plenty of time left."
"Right. What do you think, Mika?"
"Wait a second... Haruta? Then after middle school graduation?"
"Well, I’ll probably keep drifting around like before."
"..."
Everyone fell silent.
The air turned colder than ice in an instant.
Nagisa failed to catch the meaning behind his words.
Seia, too, was momentarily caught up in the sweetness of the moment and didn’t fully understand what he meant.
"Haa... I’m still wondering what I’m even supposed to do for a living..."
"Why don’t you just work as a servant for our family?"
At that, Haruta’s expression gradually hardened.
"...Nagisa, I’m really sorry to say this, but..."
"Yes?"
"You don’t know what kind of work I’ve done, do you?"
Mika lowered her head without a word, the bright wings that had been shining so vividly drooping down.
"I just... have some bad memories."
"...I see. I’m sorry."
"No, there’s no need to apologize."
Haruta soothed Nagisa and stood up from his seat.
"...Then I guess I should head back now?"
"Yes... please get home safely."
"Please do."
"Bye☆!"
"Right. I’m going!"
Haruta jumped out the window and sprinted back to the dorm at high speed.
"Hoo... I’m even faster now..."
"Haruta-sama? What book would you like to read today?"
"Uh... thanks. I’ll wash up later, then read a few books before sleeping."
"Yes! Then I’ll prepare a few books you’ll like, Haruta-sama!"
"Yeah. It’d be nice if there were a little manga in there too."
"Ugh... Haruta-sama! I’ve told you over and over that manga is bad for you!"
"Come on, it’s not alcohol or cigarettes. Why can’t I read manga too?"
"Because you need to build your knowledge!"
"Haa... fine. I’ll just read a few novels and go to sleep."
"Yes!"
Haruta left his brief conversation with Akashi behind, washed up, and came back out.
"Hoo... for some reason, I feel a little strange today...?"
Holding on to his hazy mind, Haruta stepped into Record.
"This really is as grand as ever, no matter when I come here."
"Aah! Haruta-sama! I told you, manga is confiscated!"
"No, seriously, just once!"
"No!"
-------------------------------------
Three years later
"It’s about time I followed fate."
Haruta called Mika, Nagisa, and Seia to his dorm.
All right. Time to say goodbye.
"Girls? Fun times always come to an end."
"? What are you talking about now?"
"This is unavoidable."
"? What are you talking about?"
"Haruta-san? What are you doing?"
"Haruta?"
Mika, Nagisa, and Seia all seemed to be moving more and more slowly. Their arms were trembling, visibly even to the naked eye.
"...Just sleep a little."
Haruta knew Blue Archive’s story very well.
If the Eden Treaty collapsed, and the story itself were destroyed, the shockwaves from that would lead to the destruction of Kivotos.
Mika’s rampage.
Nagisa’s despair.
Seia would become a vegetable, and Trinity would fall.
Now he had to dance to the tune of fate.
"...Let’s head to D.U. now."
"I’m sorry... Akashi, this is an order... no, please, I’m begging you..."
"...Yes..."
"And tell the girls I’m sorry."
"...Anything else you want me to do...?"
"I’m really sorry... for you too."
"...It’s about time to begin."
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