As Gematria departed, time, which had momentarily stopped, began to flow once more. It was hard to tell if time had truly halted or if I was simply lost in a fleeting dream.
However, the most solid evidence that I had indeed encountered Gematria just moments ago was the fact that Beatrice, who had been under Tsurugi’s foot, had vanished.
I could see Tsurugi glancing around in a flustered manner after witnessing Beatrice disappear right before his eyes. Honestly, he looked so intimidating that it made me hesitant, but I still felt grateful.
“Thank you, Tsurugi-chan! I was really surprised when you showed up just now. That was truly perfect timing☆!”
“Cough…! I… I missed her…”
“Huh? No, no! It’s hard to explain, but you didn’t really miss her. Fortunately, I was able to resolve everything before she could escape. Yep, all thanks to you, Tsurugi-chan!”
“…I’m glad I could be of help, Mika.”
“Aha! As expected of the leader of the Justice Realization Department, bad guys really get caught without a hitch!”
“…Ugh, cough. Hehe…”
Ah, the engine’s revving up. When he’s normal, there’s no one with more common sense than him, but when he loses it, just being by his side isn’t easy. Especially when that fierce expression shows up; it can be a bit scary. Thankfully, I knew that Tsurugi was kind beneath that exterior; otherwise, I would’ve been terrified.
“Ah, I have something to take care of over there… let’s talk again later, Tsurugi-chan!”
“Hehehehe——!! Kyaaaaa—!!”
As I made my exit, an outrageous scream erupted from behind. Even the distance away, the Arius Students were startled and turned their gazes toward Tsurugi.
They should be grateful that things turned out this way. If it had been Tsurugi confronting them, they’d probably be trembling with PTSD right now.
“Hey, how’s Saori-chan?!”
It seemed that other kids had been taking care of her a moment ago, but now Saori was nestled in Atsuko’s arms. Saori’s halo showed no signs of rising, and blood continued to flow from the wounds she had sustained on the altar.
Moreover, the Squad kids didn’t have any proper medical supplies, so they were unable to tend to Saori’s wounds. All they could do was simply try to stop the bleeding. And even that wasn’t done properly.
“Waaaaah!! Mika-chan… the leader isn’t waking up! Is she going to die like this…? Ugh, without the leader, how are we going to live from now on… it’s painful now, but without her, the pain would be unimaginable…?”
Saori’s condition was critical. As I got closer, it was clear that the wounds from being placed on the altar weren’t the only ones she had. Perhaps injuries sustained while resisting Beatrice worsened her condition.
“Mika-onee… what should we do? She’s still breathing, but it’s so weak that I’m scared something might go wrong… If things continue like this, Sa-chan… sniff.”
“…Calm down, Atsuko-chan. Saori-chan is strong; she will definitely pull through. Plus, you guys came here to support Saori-chan, right? So she will surely muster up her strength for you.”
That made sense; the Squad truly was everything to Saori.
I felt worried about what might happen if Saori didn’t wake up, but I still believed in her vitality. Miracles for students often happen in this world of school life and youth, so this was nothing to scoff at.
“Is there any Rescue Knights member nearby who can help this critical patient?! Please, just help this girl!”
Of course, faith only comes after one has done their utmost. I was just as stressed about Saori as the rest of the Squad.
“Please, just wait a moment…! I’ll be right there!”
A familiar-looking Rescue Knights member came rushing towards us, her pink bobbed hair and a feather sticking out made quite an impression—Serina, the light and salt of the Rescue Knights.
Considering Mina wasn’t around, she must have gone off on some side quest of her own.
“What’s the patient’s condition…?! W-What happened to inflict such severe injuries?! This level of blood loss is something I’ve never seen before…! First, I’ll disinfect the wound!”
At first, the Squad kids were wary of Serina, but they seemed to relax a bit as they saw her examining Saori’s wounds seriously. Of course, it was only a little bit of relief, as Hiyori, who had been crying, still dampened my uniform shoulder with her tears.
While I gently patted Hiyori’s back, I noticed Atsuko, holding Saori, tightly gripping her hand while tears streamed down her face. I felt such sympathy that I couldn’t just watch; I stretched out my arm and gently patted the back of her hand.
Azusa kept glancing at Saori while also monitoring her surroundings. Being a strong-minded girl, she managed to maintain a degree of calmness in this situation, but her worries for Saori were all too visible.
“Ah… Could you grab a bandage from my bag?!”
Serina, who was disinfecting Saori’s wounds and adding gauze, called out, seemingly flustered. Given Saori’s critical condition, maybe she had forgotten the bandages. Misaki, who had been right next to her, snapped out of her reverie upon hearing that and hurriedly fetched and handed over a bandage.
Honestly, I was most worried about Misaki. From the moment Serina began examining Saori, Misaki had been absentmindedly fiddling with her wrist. After handing the bandages to Serina, she seemed to notice that I’d been watching her closely, and she hastily turned her gaze away, hiding her wrist.
I thought it would be best to make Misaki spend some time with the Rescue Knights. Whether forceful or otherwise.
“Could you hold the patient’s arm up, please? Higher than the heart… yes, just like that.”
The bandage wrapped around the bleeding area was quickly unwinding. This was the light of the Trinity Rescue Knights, a sky-blue angel…? I sincerely apologize for calling you a stalker, oh GOAT…
“Urgh…”
As the bleeding stopped, I soon heard a small groan escape from Saori’s tightly closed lips.
“Sa… Sa-chan!”
“Leader…?!”
A cross-shaped halo appeared over Saori’s head. Yes, this wasn’t a miraculous stroke of luck. It was an expected result derived from everyone’s efforts.
“Bwaaaaah!!! Saori-onee!!”
“Ugh… wait a moment…!”
“Ahh… after all that effort to stop the bleeding, what’s happening now?!”
“Ugh, Sa-chan…”
“…Princess.”
It was only natural for these kids to experience happiness from the bliss that comes from expected results. And I felt grateful that we could maintain that normality.
Hiyori, whom I had called a sister during our childhood, instinctively reverted to that calling, and to see Atsuko smiling so radiantly was incredibly appreciated.
It was a joy and a gratitude that the dark clouds called ‘misery’ looming over these kids’ futures had finally dissipated, bringing forth the sunlight of happiness.
Having been able to keep the promise I made to these kids for a better future and happiness, and not turn into a lying adult, deeply filled my heart with appreciation.
By the time Atsuko and Hiyori, who had been clinging to Saori, calmed down, Saori seemed to regain her senses slowly and began hugging both of them.
“Good morning, Sa-chan.”
“…Yeah. Good morning, Princess.”
“Well, it’s not actually morning right now, though…”
“Hiyori-chan, shush. That’s trivial…”
“Ah… yes, Princess…”
“Yap☆”
I squeezed myself between Hiyori and Atsuko, who had become a single lump while embracing Saori. I didn’t want to squeeze too hard, or I might accidentally send Saori off to the next world right after waking up, so I merely wrapped an arm around them.
“Mika?”
“Aha, I was really worried, Saori-chan. I’m just so relieved you’re safe! I guess you could say… hmm, it feels rewarding for the efforts I’ve put in?”
“Madam…”
“I took Beatrice away from the organization she belonged to. She broke a taboo that shouldn’t have been touched, so we probably won’t meet her again. Now, nothing binds you anymore. So, you’re completely free☆! You can do what you want and live however you wish!”
“…Free, huh. I’m still not sure about it. I can’t believe that we can hope for happiness from now on. It’s hard to realize that there are no adults oppressing us anymore.”
“Well, you can slowly feel that out for yourselves from now on, right? You still have far more time ahead of you compared to those painful moments! Plus, the entire Arius Squad will always be with you in the future. If you help each other, I truly believe everyone can be happy!”
“No, it won’t just be us.”
“…Huh?”
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t know. As you said, Mika, we have plenty of time. Right, Princess… no, Atsuko?”
“Yeah. Sa-chan’s right. giggles.”
What’s this? Why are you two speaking in a code only you understand? Guys, I feel a bit left out and disappointed…
No, more importantly, there are supposed to be five in the Squad—why do I only have three in my embrace?
“Azusa-chan, Misaki-chan! What are you two doing over there? Hurry and come here!”
“…I’m not sure, but excuse me, Leader.”
After a brief moment of hesitation, Azusa joined us. I locked eyes with Misaki, who had remained still, and silently pleaded with her to join us just this once.
“…Haa. I don’t even know what this means, but fine. I’ll go.”
Ultimately, Misaki approached us grumbling as if she had given up. When I noticed her hesitating at the last moment, I quickly grabbed her hand and forcibly included her.
“Wait, what the heck are you doing…?”
“Aha! It’s okay if you don’t understand now, Misaki-chan. Someday you’ll look back on today and understand the significance of this moment, and smiles will bloom from those memories. It’s bound to happen, and I’ll do my best to make it happen☆.”
As Misaki seemed to want to counter my words, she eventually fell silent and turned her gaze away. Even if she doesn’t realize it now, a day will come when she’ll look back on this day and smile.
When that day comes, I’m going to tease her relentlessly.
“Mika. I’ll remember everything you’ve done for us, and everything you promised to do for us in the future. No matter what happens, I promise here and now to remain on your side.”
“Hehe… So will I. I may just be a worthless body with no usability, but I’ll do anything for you, Mika-chan…”
“Yeah. Mika-onee is the best.”
Wow, what’s happening? Suddenly I feel like I’ve gained a bunch of cute little siblings.
If I’m the eldest, then Saori is the stoic yet warm-hearted twin sister, Misaki is the overly twisted third child in need of love and care, Hiyori is the crybaby with low self-esteem who’s bound to grow on me, Azusa is the total enigma, making her the unpredictable fifth, and Atsuko is the obvious beloved youngest, taking all the attention.
It feels like I’ve finally gained family-like bonds for the first time in my life. As the eldest, I mentally vowed to make these kids happy.
“…What do you think you’re doing, just sitting around while the wounds are getting worse? Get away! I need to get something to transport the patient, so don’t you dare move from this spot.”
Just so you know, Serina’s words were completely ignored. I’m sorry, Serina. But I’m really grateful for your help, so I promise to show my gratitude next time.
