“...What? A contract?”
“Yeah. There’s only one way now. Make a deal with me, here and now.”
“And the price?”
“Your soul.”
In truth, that was a lie. It was no different from turning Hoshino into a slave—her soul, her body, everything—if that was what it took to protect the one being she had followed and relied on for the longest time.
“...Sorry. This is the only way.”
Hoshino thought about it. Even if he had no malicious intent, what if only she was sacrificed and Yume still died?
Or what if this man killed Yume? What if the one holding the leash simply shattered everything she held dear?
“...I know exactly what you’re thinking.”
“...”
“Yeah. You don’t have to answer.”
“...Promise me Yume-senpai won’t die.”
“I promise. And your memories will remain intact. All I’m doing is taking hold of your leash. You’ll simply be someone who obeys whatever I say.”
“...That’s enough.”
“Good. Then excuse me for a moment.”
Haruta placed a hand on Hoshino’s head. Black light spilled out, and Hoshino’s eyes slowly closed.
Haruta showed Hoshino the future. Yume dying. Hoshino falling into despair.
“...Is this real?”
“Yeah. I’ve taken the price.”
“...? Already?”
“What, did you want me to test it for you?”
Hoshino stared at Haruta with a look of utter disbelief.
“Hm... sit.”
Hoshino sat down on the floor.
“?...So this is how it feels...”
“I know what you’re thinking, but I’m not doing that.”
“...Thanks.”
“Right. And you promised Yume wouldn’t die, remember?”
“...Yeah. Just keep that promise.”
“To do that, I’ll need a little time. And when I leave, I’ll pay back the debt then.”
Hoshino remained silent and nodded.
“Then... I’ll be going.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thirty days later
“Mmm... Hoshino-chan... are you really not going to do the sand festival?”
“No, I’m not. Do you really think that’s possible?”
“Mmm... but...”
“Please face reality!”
With that, Hoshino ripped the poster apart.
The scene Haruta had seen many times before. The trigger for her despair. The beginning of all suffering.
“...So it begins...?”
“...Hoshino-chan...”
“I don’t know anymore!”
Bang
“...”
Yume silently put the poster back together. It was sloppy, but with tape she slowly, carefully found each piece and restored it to its original form.
She had definitely seen this in Hoshino’s room. A place visible the moment she opened her eyes. She remembered Hoshino’s expression, her eyes, everything she had seen while playing Blue Archive.
“...Two hours until she goes missing...”
Haruta left behind the electronic watch he was wearing and asked Akashi to set an alarm.
--------------------------------
One hour until Yume Kuchinashi goes missing
“Huh...? You want me to submit documents at the bank?”
A phone call drifted in from far away. Haruta knew the reason for Yume’s disappearance: she had gone to submit paperwork, gotten lost in the desert, and died after going fourteen days without food.
“...I don’t know what happened during those fourteen days... but it’s still something I can prepare for.”
“...Yes... I’m on my way now.”
Yume grabbed her shield and a few sheets of paperwork, then headed outside.
“...Now it starts.”
He guessed it. There was a fourteen-day gap in the story of Yume’s disappearance. What happened to her during that gap was never shown.
Then what? What was the most likely thing Yume had gone through during those fourteen days?
“Binah...’s attack...”
Haruta packed water, food, and a tent into a large bag.
“This much should be... enough...”
Haruta watched Yume leave the school and head into the desert.
“Right... a compass...”
And then he grabbed a compass and followed after Yume.
---------------------------------------
“This is...”
Yume had clearly set out for the bank, but for some reason she had gotten lost while crossing the desert.
“...A shortcut... she said?”
She was just a stupid person who had gotten lost trying to find a shortcut without even having a compass.
“All right, time to help her—”
At that moment, the ground split open, and a sandstorm erupted in its place.
Haruta knew this phenomenon well. He had experienced it himself, and he even knew who would appear—and who was controlling it.
“...Black Suit... this was your doing...”
Haruta ground his teeth and glared at Binah.
“Yes. The purpose of the experiment was to awaken Hoshino, the greatest mystery...”
“Kieeek!!”
A familiar cry rang out. A bright, sharp sound cut through Binah’s eye.
“...What is that?”
Yume stared blankly at Binah.
Red energy was gathering in Binah’s mouth.
Yume didn’t know what it was, but she could feel it clearly.
“...Sorry... Hoshino-chan...”
If she got hit by that now, she wouldn’t make it out in one piece.
Yume had no shield, no gun, nothing. She was practically made of glass, and there was no way she could survive a laser with the absurd power of something that would have been an instant-kill even in a game.
“Hm... guess it’s about time.”
Haruta rolled his shoulders and drew a spear. He didn’t know when it had appeared, but it was there when he woke up from his nap.
The spear was sharper and brighter than any weapon he had ever seen. If that thing struck him, even Haruta might not survive.
“...The feel of it is better than any weapon, though...”
Haruta tightened his grip, poured all his strength into his arm, and lowered his stance.
Then his body snapped forward, launching him at a speed close to the speed of sound—no, even faster.
Whoosh
Bang!
Scrap metal flew everywhere as the charging energy exploded.
“...Haruta-chan...?”
“...? What is this?”
Haruta himself seemed confused and pinched his cheek.
“Ow...”
This wasn’t a dream. He had destroyed Binah outright at a speed faster than sound.
Binah’s head had collapsed beyond recognition.
“...Yu... Yume-san? Did you come to save me?”
“...Waaah! Haruta-chan!!”
Yume rushed into his arms and toppled backward.
“...Yume-san... you’re not hurt, right?”
“Mm! I’m fine!”
“Then let’s go back and get an apology from Hoshino.”
“...Yeah... this time I should apologize too...”
Haruta smiled silently and looked at Binah.
“Yume-san? Could you go back first for a moment?”
“Huh? If Haruta asks, I will... but why?”
“Ah... nothing major. I just need to talk to someone for a bit.”
“...Okay! But Haruta, you have to come back quickly!”
“Yes, yes... go on ahead.”
“Okay!”
Watching Yume run off with her back turned, Haruta spoke to Binah.
“Black Suit, you’ve crossed the line for real this time... From here on, you’re the enemy. Let’s call the debt settled.”
Haruta turned and followed after Yume.
-----------------------------------------
“...This is... bad...”
“What is it, Black Suit?”
“You’ll remember that we obtained Binah’s prototype and, for testing purposes, deployed it in Abydos.”
“Of course. Back then, it was a new discovery, so I watched it with interest.”
“And what happened to that prototype?”
“...It was destroyed beyond all trace.”
“Exactly...”
“There is only one person in Kivotos capable of doing something like that...”
“Yes... though you may not believe it...”
“That man...”
“This time, that man struck Binah with one blow... a single blow... Binah was destroyed in one hit...”
“...This is serious...”
“...With that man’s mystery, there’s nothing he can’t do.”
“The Creator...”
“Yes... it seems he may have borrowed his power...”
“...Did he realize this time that it was our doing?”
“...I suspect he already knew.”
“...This is very bad.”
----------------------------------------------
“...Is someone talking trash about me?”
“Hm? Haruta-chan?”
“Ah... no.”
By now, Yume and Haruta had nearly made it out of the desert, and Abydos High School was finally in sight.
“...We’re here!!!”
“Waaah!! Abydos!!”
It was midnight. They had arrived at Abydos.
---------------------------------------------------
“Haa... this is really bad, isn’t it?”
Hoshino worried about Haruta and Yume alone, then slowly got up and prepared to go look for them.
She gathered her gun, checked the chamber, and counted the bullets. Twenty-four rounds in total.
She looked at Yume’s shield, then picked it up in her hands.
It was heavy. Hoshino, who could normally endure any weight, found this one heavy.
“...How does Yume-senpai carry this around?”
She muttered to herself, worried. If Yume found out that Hoshino had sold her soul in order to protect her and the school, what would she think? Hoshino imagined it and decided to keep it a secret forever.
She would make sure no one other than herself and Haruta ever learned this uncomfortable truth. Their contract never said anything about telling anyone else.
He had clearly done this to hold her leash, so there was no point in arguing. Besides, this was a superior-subordinate relationship now, so she had to obey his orders.
“...”
Silently, she checked the barrel, loaded a round, then another, and another. She checked the chamber once more and loaded the final round.
Gun in hand, she headed for the door.
Click
A crisp sound, and then stillness. It was definitely the sound of silence breaking.
“I’m here, Hoshino.”
“Waaah! Hoshino-chan!!!”
Yume ran to Hoshino and hugged her tightly.
Like a baby in someone’s arms.
Haruta thought for a moment.
No one would ever be able to tear those two apart again. If anyone tried, he would personally tear off their limbs and feed the rest of them to stray dogs.
When he finished thinking, Haruta stood up.
He gestured to Hoshino and told her to follow him.
“Yume-senpai? I’m going to step out for a moment and talk.”
“Mm! Looks like Haruta has something to say? Who knows? Maybe he’ll really end up with a boyfriend.”
Hoshino’s face turned red.
“W-what are you talking about!!!”
---------------------------------
Abydos High School rooftop
“...Why did you call me here...?”
“...Yeah. It’s about time I left.”
“What...?”
“I need to take responsibility for what I’ve done, and I need to intervene directly now. I can’t put it off any longer. I’ve used up every card I had, and there are no more left in my hand.”
“...What do you mean?”
“Nothing. Someday—no, in two years—we’ll meet again.”
“You don’t have to pay back the debt...”
“Right. And Abydos, obtained that way?”
“...Yeah. It’s not the Abydos we wanted.”
Haruta smiled without a word and walked toward Hoshino.
One step.
“W-what...?”
Two steps.
“...”
They looked at each other in silence.
Now, if he lowered his face just a little, their lips would touch.
“Mwah.”
Haruta kissed Hoshino on the forehead, then turned and walked toward the rooftop railing.
“...”
Hoshino stared at him, her face flushed bright red.
“...A farewell.”
“...Th-thank you...”
“Call me whenever you need me. And... don’t try to carry everything alone.”
“...Okay.”
Slowly, the space around Haruta began to distort.
“...?”
Hoshino looked at him in disbelief.
“I’m just going straight to the police station.”
“Yeah... if our paths cross again someday...”
“We’ll meet again...”
And then the space cracked, and Haruta’s figure slowly disappeared.
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