“...Haruta.”
“Mika, this is not the time for that.”
“That’s right. This is the time to mobilize everything we have and find Haruta.”
“...”
“For now, let’s at least try tracking him by phone.”
“No. We already tried every possible method—phone location tracking, IP tracing, everything—and still...”
“Was he really the type to care that much about security?”
“No... someone must have been helping him from behind the scenes.”
“...Seia-chan... what do we do now?”
“I...”
“And there’s only one message we all received in common. That he’ll definitely come back...”
“You believe that? Haruta always mixed lies and truth together!”
“I know that. But that’s not the kind of lie he’d tell in a situation like this!”
“...There is one way for us to force a meeting with Haruta.”
“...I know.”
“...And what is it?”
“We take power.”
“...Power...?”
“Yes...”
“I understand. Right now, Haruta has completely blocked even my prophetic dreams... I have no idea what he’s doing.”
“...Seia-chan?... What does that mean?”
“...It means we don’t even know whether Haruta is dead or alive!!”
“...I’m sorry. I’m sad too. But this is the time to step over that sadness and keep moving!”
“I agree. This time, we absolutely have to seize power.”
“...All right. He’ll definitely... show up in front of us again, just like always...”
“Yes. If we fall into despair now, we won’t be able to do anything.”
“That’s right. Mika, this time we need to work together.”
---------------------------------------------------------------
“...What? Is someone talking about me?”
Haruta was lying on the sofa in the Abydos Student Council room, picking at his ear.
After a quick dig at his ear, Haruta got up and went to find Yume.
“Yume? Are you here?”
“Hm? Haruta?”
“Ah, I don’t really have anything to do today. Could you keep me company for a bit?”
“Mm...? If it’s Haruta asking, of course I will!”
“Haha... yes, thank you.”
“So? What do you want to talk about?”
“Just... I felt like talking about anything, really...”
Haruta had a clear reason. He wanted to hear about Yume’s past, about the hidden pieces of Abydos, all the things Blue Archive’s story had never revealed.
For example, how huge Abydos had once been, or what the previous Student Council Presidents had been like.
“Mm... I’m actually dumber than Haruta thinks I am...”
“Ah... no, I just had a few things I was curious about.”
Haruta looked toward the inner window.
A pink halo was clearly floating above the window.
“Huh...”
“Really? Yume is more amazing than you’d expect.”
“Hehe... It’s been a really long time since I heard a compliment like that...”
“...Then I’ll tell you my story.”
“Hm? Haruta’s story?”
“Yes... the things I’ve gone through while living up to now.”
“Mm... okay!”
---------------------------------------------------
“...I-is that true?”
Yume looked deeply shocked. She was on the verge of tears, and for a moment seemed too stunned to react.
“...Should I call it just an ordinary story from my past?”
“Hwa... Haruta!!”
Yume looked at Haruta’s face and burst into tears as she hugged him.
“C-cough... Yume... Yume, I can’t brea— I can’t breathe!!”
“...So, are you a little calmer now?”
“Mm...”
“Yes... I’m a little tired too...”
“Mm... Haruta, you should go in and rest too!”
“...Yes, thank you.”
Haruta stepped outside and walked down the hallway. A pink halo glowed above the stack of boxes.
“Hey. Hoshino, I know you’re there!”
“...”
Hoshino came out silently and stared at Haruta. The traces of tears were still clear at the corners of her eyes.
“...? What, did you cry?”
“...Who cried?”
“...What is this, seriously?”
“Haa... fine. It’s just a story with no lies in it at all. When people are pushed that far, they do get stronger.”
“Still, you have Yume... I don’t have anything to say to someone cursed when you’re blessed...”
“Then... what are you trying to say?”
“...Don’t let go.”
“What?”
“I lost everything. Even with the power to hold on to it all, in the end I was forced to bow to fate.”
“...”
“But you... don’t bow to fate. Struggle.”
“...”
“It’s just advice. You can ignore it.”
--------------------------
“Haa... I really have no idea what he’s thinking...”
From behind, Haruta watched Hoshino standing alone on the rooftop, staring up at the night sky, and slowly walked forward.
“...What are you thinking about?”
Hoshino wordlessly moved her hand to her shotgun.
“Whoa, hands up.”
Hoshino immediately cocked the gun and aimed it at his head.
“...Why are you here!”
“Haa... I just wanted to talk for a bit... If I ask something, will you answer?”
“First, give me the gun!”
“Ah... sorry. I can’t do that.”
“What?”
Without a word, Haruta cut through the air and pulled out a gun.
“Here, try taking it.”
Hoshino reached for the gun.
But the moment her hand closed around it, the gun turned to dust and returned to Haruta’s hand.
“See? No one else can take this.”
“You... don’t cheat.”
“Haa... then what, should I just sit here quietly? I can just hold the muzzle over my own head if you want.”
Hoshino kept the gun trained on his head and stared straight at him.
“Now. Tell me your story.”
“...”
“Haa... so you really don’t plan to say anything...”
“Then I’d just be talking to myself...”
“Fine. I’ll just talk to myself then.”
“Takanashi Hoshino... first-year at Abydos.”
“Oh, so you’re in the mood to talk?”
“...”
“Hmm... then where should I start?”
“What... is your real purpose?”
“...Right. Let’s start with that.”
“Yume... will die.”
Hoshino bristled at those words, whipped out her gun, aimed it at his head, and kicked Haruta flat onto the floor.
“Hey... say that again. What did you just say?”
“Yume... will die.”
Hoshino pulled out a pistol and a grenade, one in each hand.
“Do you know what you just said?”
“Yeah. I said Yume will die.”
“...You just said something you should never have said.”
It would definitely wreck the story if he explained it, but there was no helping that.
“...Just trust me. That’s why I came here.”
Hoshino steadied the trembling gun in her hand.
“...Say it.”
“Yeah. I already explained it to you before, didn’t I...?”
“Remember [Binah]?”
“That mechanical serpent you mentioned before?”
“Yeah. That thing—or a natural disaster, whatever you want to call it—will strike Yume soon.”
“...Then you know how to stop it?”
“Of course. That’s why I came.”
Hoshino lowered the gun without a word and looked at Haruta.
“...”
It was the same expression as before: the face of a child on the verge of tears, begging for help.
“...Yeah. That’s why I came.”
Haruta whispered quietly to Hoshino.
“...Let’s make a contract.”
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