As soon as Yuka heard the screams coming from outside the window, her body flinched.
Something felt like it was reacting inside me.
I personally felt nothing, unlike the chills I used to feel whenever I encountered a Yōkai.
“Kagami.”
I spoke calmly while looking at Kagami.
The talismans in the room were all glowing green. My body will probably catch fire the moment I cross over.
And—probably, this time I won’t be able to hold on.
Even though I was said to be affected by Nirlas in the same way, Koko’s body was different from the one I used to have.
I had seen Koko come ‘to me’ multiple times, so there must be a way for her to sense me, but right now I didn’t even know how to use it.
Koko didn’t like fire.
Considering how she couldn’t even get close to regular flames, let alone the blue flames created using powder that blocks gods, it meant that my body would die the moment I step out.
“Kagami, this isn’t happening.”
“……”
“People are going to die. A lot of them.”
Maybe it was already too late.
I still didn’t feel any signs of ‘world destruction.’ So… that means I hadn’t seen the kind of scene where a massive explosion suddenly blows away all of Tokyo like in manga.
But regardless of anything, clear signs were happening.
“And we’re going to die too.”
“That’s likely.”
Kagami said calmly.
“But why?”
“……”
Kagami looked at me quietly.
“I told you the story already.”
And slowly continued speaking.
“I don’t want to lose the meaning I found in the last moments of life now.”
“……Does that mean you want to be with your ‘daughters’ in your last moments?”
“Yes.”
At those words from Kagami, I fell silent.
I had no idea what to say.
I thought I understood what she meant, yet at the same time, I didn’t.
I can imagine feeling maternal instincts. If it’s about your own child, and that child was dying right in front of you, you might want to think about bringing them back.
But if you are the one facing the world, doesn’t the situation change?
“Kagami, I…”
“No.”
Kagami interrupted me.
“If you die, the reason for bringing you back will disappear.”
“……”
“I’ve thought about that too. Maybe death is something unavoidable. In the distant future, when I die, I might meet you again. Or, there might even be a way to end my life first.”
The emotion reflected in Kagami’s eyes deepened a bit more.
“But… so what? Will I be able to meet you? I don’t even know what kind of existence you are.”
I opened my mouth but then shut it again.
I had nothing to say to Kagami.
“The fact that you didn’t need to learn about the world from the beginning means that you already knew about it. If that’s the case, then that consciousness must have originated not from here but from somewhere far away. If that’s true, will I still be able to meet you in the afterlife? Will I be able to maintain the relationship of mother and daughter?”
I… couldn’t bring myself to answer.
It hasn’t even been a year since I stayed here.
Of course, I gained a lot during that time. I forged bonds I absolutely don’t want to lose, and I wanted to live as long as I can here.
But that doesn’t mean I’ve completely shaken off my previous life.
When I close my eyes, I can still remember my family. I can remember the faces from the photos I saw every day, and I still have dreams about the moments I lost my family.
Can I really even call Kagami ‘mother’?
Maybe with the passage of time—yes, a long time—there might come a moment when I can.
But…
What if everything ends right now, and we meet again in a different place?
There’s a high possibility that our relationship would also end there. The reasons for forming bonds as friends and as family are completely different.
“……”
“So, I can’t let you go.”
Kagami said while looking at me.
As if begging.
“Please don’t go.”
The talismans on the floor were still glowing green.
Yamashita, Yuka, and everyone else in the room stayed silent.
“If I don’t go… in the end, we’re all going to die.”
“That’s likely. But at least we can be together until the moment of death. As a family.”
“……”
Kagami was sincere.
That’s how I felt.
A heavy silence fell.
For some reason, the screams that had been heard from outside grew quiet.
What could be happening? Is the world really coming to an end?
“……I have to go.”
“Why?”
Kagami asked, puzzled by my words.
Her voice carried a hint of urgency.
Unlike before, Kagami glared at me with wide-open eyes.
“Why do you have to?”
“Because it’s something only I can do.”
“Is it that you have to be the one to protect this world?”
No, that’s not it.
I’m not a hero.
I’ve never been a hero.
If there are criminals, it’s the police’s job to catch them.
If enemies invade the country, it’s the soldiers’ job to stop them.
And if there’s a fire somewhere, it’s the firefighters’ job to put it out.
Not all those people are heroes or simply good people doing those jobs.
Some might be working just to make a living, while others may long for that job. Some might possess a sense of mission.
And the reason I was a firefighter before—why I couldn’t let go of that job, even after losing everything—
“It’s because if I don’t do it, no one else will.”
That’s right, who else would take action if I didn’t?
It’s the same now.
I turned my body.
“Wait!”
Kagami shouted.
I moved ahead.
The room wasn’t that spacious. A few steps and I would hit the barrier set by Kagami.
My body would catch fire, and I might die in pain.
“Wait! Wait just a moment!”
I heard someone calling from behind, and someone grabbed my waist tightly.
And embraced me tightly.
It was the first hug I received from Kagami.
“Don’t! No, don’t go. Please.”
Kagami’s voice was laced with tears.
“Please… please…”
Kagami’s voice gradually started to fade, as if swallowed by her sobs.
“Kotone…”
My name.
The name someone had given me.
“……”
And there was one more person blocking my path.
Yuka stood on the talisman, blocking the door I was trying to go through.
“Yuka.”
“Kotone.”
When I called Yuka’s name, she called out mine.
Her face was already drenched in tears. It was a face that could not be described as okay.
Her moist eyes were glaring at me.
Yuka asked in a small voice, “Do you want to die?”
“……”
An entirely opposite question from what I had heard.
I opened my lips to speak but slowly began to articulate.
“I don’t want to die.”
Yuka remained silent, waiting for my next words.
I continued more firmly, “I want to live. Here, with you guys. Forever.”
Things I want to try doing? Of course, there are plenty.
If I wait just a bit, the biggest video streaming site in the world will emerge. I want to film videos there and upload them. Once things settle down, I want to buy and read plenty of anime and comic books that came out during this era. There’s so much I want to eat. Since the school trip for second graders is going to Hawaii, I definitely want to go there.
…So, I want to live. I want to keep living.
But.
“Still… if it’s not me…”
I trailed off.
Yuka smiled at me.
“That’s right.”
Yuka said.
“Yeah. I’m the same. I don’t want to die. I want to live.”
“……”
“My mom… passed away while doing the same thing as me.”
Ah.
I see.
“I don’t like moving around from place to place. I want to know my friends longer. Honestly, wielding a knife is not my style. I would prefer to just stay at home after school.”
Yuka opened her heart to me, her true feelings.
Maybe for the first time.
“I don’t really want to wear uncomfortable clothes all the time. I want to wear a flowing dress and run around. But if I ran in those, you know?”
It would probably be really uncomfortable. She would have to worry about it everywhere.
“I don’t want to die. I don’t want to get hurt. I don’t want to feel pain.”
Yuka said.
“But in the end, I thought the same. If it’s not me, who will do this?”
Yuka smiled.
“We’re the same. Right?”
“……”
Yuka extended her hand toward me.
I hesitated, then placed my hand over hers.
It was a bit cold. It seemed that the warmth of the emotions Yuka had felt all day was being blatantly conveyed by that temperature.
Yuka’s hand, holding mine tightly, began to pull me gently.
“Ah, ahhh…”
I heard Kagami’s sorrowful sobs.
The strength in the arm around my waist relaxed.
Yuka’s feet left the talisman.
My hand followed Yuka’s, passing over the talisman.
Nothing happened to my body.
Slowly, slowly, I stepped alongside Yuka.
Kagami’s arm loosened from my waist.
The grip fell down.
When my arm passed over the talisman and my body crossed it, nothing happened.
The talismans simply continued to glow green.
“……”
I turned to look at Kagami in the room.
Kagami was curled up on the floor, clutching her fists and sobbing.
…Ah, I see.
Kagami recognized me as her daughter.
What parent would light themselves on fire just because their daughter was going out?
Yuka gently released my hand.
I wondered if she knew.
At first, she had a slightly startled expression, but as she slowly calmed down, I thought that might be possible.
I watched Kagami in silence for a moment, without saying anything.
“……When I return…”
Not knowing what to say, I decided just to say what comes to mind to Kagami.
Right. When I return—though it might be possible that I won’t—
If I come back and meet Kagami again…
“From then on, I’ll stop calling you by your name.”
I couldn’t bring myself to say that I would call her ‘Mom’ outright.
Even in this situation, that felt way too embarrassing.
Kagami slowly raised her head.
The expression of her mouth agape was the first time I’d seen that from Kagami.
Looking at me blankly, Kagami nodded.
“Um…”
I cautiously spoke, and Yamashita peeked in.
Sota and Shii also looked at me.
“Wait for me.”
When I said that, the three watched me intently.
I feel so sorry for them.
Maybe, if I hadn’t acted, this whole situation wouldn’t have happened.
Since I had been jumping around trying to solve everything on my own without reading the whole novel.
Sota would surely have been enjoying a happy school life surrounded by girls if it wasn’t for me.
And Yamashita… probably the same. Just because they ran away doesn’t mean terrible things would always happen. They might just have been lucky enough to get back home. Or they could have gone to look for another friend like Fukuda.
Mako…
Right. I think I did well enough with Mako, but…
I’m being selfish.
In the end, I forced my way through doing what I wanted and ended up here.
“……”
Sota nodded.
Shii next to him did as well.
Yamashita was still staring at me and suddenly said, “Yuu.”
“Eh?”
“From now on, call me Yuu. You’ve only called me a boy’s name until now.”
“Oh, well that’s—”
“Cousin or something.”
Yamashita—no, Yuu said it a bit bluntly.
“If I hadn’t figured it out, were you planning to keep it hidden forever?”
“……”
I couldn’t say anything.
“If I hadn’t figured it out, were you planning to keep it hidden forever?”
“…”
Yuu’s voice seemed hurried.
As if suddenly shaken off by his head.
Then, without another word, he retreated back into the room.
“Wow!”
Koko had somehow come to my side.
“……Koko.”
“Kotone!”
As always, Koko called my name.
What should I say to Koko?
But before I could speak, I felt my heart pounding.
I placed my hand over my chest.
It felt like just a heartbeat, but at the same time, it felt like there was something different.
As if confirming that Koko was alive, feeling the heartbeat of another person.
Did Koko know my location till now?
I bit my lip.
It felt embarrassing.
I didn’t feel the need to put it into words.
“……”
I lifted my gaze and looked at Kagami again.
“……I will return.”
I spoke while gazing straight at Kagami.
“I promise.”
“……”
Kagami kept her mouth shut and lowered her head deeply.
*
When I came out of the apartment, the situation was still unclear.
“……Are you leaving?”
Yamashita spoke up.
“Yes.”
When I glanced up at my room, Hagiwara and Nakahara were outside.
Nakahara waved at me. Hagiwara had a look as if unsure what to say.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to say either, so I didn’t think to talk separately.
“Hey, daughter.”
Fukuda spoke.
“It seems something’s been stirred up.”
Fukuda chuckled as he looked around. Did he think that the police didn’t rush in immediately because I came out?
“Harumi cried hard. They said you died.”
“……”
Fukuda shrugged, as if it surprised him little.
“I knew what this kid was up to from the start. I knew it when he married that strange woman.”
Fukuda pointed to Yamashita while saying that.
“……”
I paused for a moment and then spoke.
“……Please take care of Kagami.”
“Huh?”
Fukuda’s eyes widened a bit.
“Why, are you planning to go die?”
“Not exactly.”
After I replied, Fukuda looked at me silently and then shrugged again.
“Well, fine. It’s not a bad request.”
Fukuda answered like that.
To think that after resurrecting a daughter, I would immediately be heading for the grave… I didn’t think I would ever feel pity for Kagami.
“……”
I gazed at the apartment once more.
Was it right to say I had gotten attached?
It was an old apartment, but it seemed it held more happy memories than painful ones. I was only in pain for a short while at first.
I met friends and encountered those I could have called family.
“……Let’s go.”
Therefore, all I could do is give my best to make sure it doesn’t break.
I know how happy it is to have a place to return to. In my previous life, I was all alone in the house I owned. Even if I returned, it would only be a dark place without any lights.
Barely anyone I could contact, a life where sleeping would bring back the moments my family died.
I was able to overcome all that after coming here.
Therefore, I thought I would do what I was capable of.
I held Koko’s and Yuka’s hands.
And then I ran.
*
Kagami came out a few minutes later.
Having steadied her heart, her face was a mess from crying, but seeing her keep her mouth tightly shut made me feel a bit better.
“……”
Kagami, who had quietly been staring at the place where her daughter had disappeared, suddenly turned her body toward Fukuda.
“Fukuda.”
“Yes.”
Because of the request I had asked of Kagami’s daughter moments ago and my personal feelings, there was strength in his voice.
Kagami spoke without any interest in such things.
“Could you take me somewhere?”
“Pardon?”
But as soon as Kagami made that request, Fukuda blinked in surprise.
So… was this why she had asked me to take care of her?
While Fukuda was waking up to the situation, Kagami was turning her body toward Yamashita’s daughter.
Both of them were in shrine maiden attire.
I think I heard something about having consciousness or something, but this seemed to be the reason.
“Do you still have the bell?”
“Yes.”
Yuu opened his palm to show it.
There was an old bell sitting there.
“……Keep it here. Don’t go to any other places. If necessary, feel free to use the bell as much as you want.”
“……”
Yuu looked quietly at Kagami.
“Are you going?”
“……We have to. Otherwise, it would be meaningless.”
Kagami said, still with her gaze fixed straight ahead.
Yuu couldn’t quite grasp the exact feelings in her heart.
The relationship was so distorted that it couldn’t even be called family, something that was hard to put into words.
Kagami, in a way, was ready to set the world ablaze for the sake of her daughter. When that resurrected daughter was on her way back to death, what kind of reaction should she have shown?
I really don’t know.
Perhaps it was because Yuu needed much more time to really have a daughter.
While understanding, at the same time…
Well, the idea of the world ending didn’t feel real either. Yuu had only just learned of the situation now.
“When you return, I hope we can come back together.”
That’s all Yuu could say.
Kagami nodded.
“……”
As she turned her body, Kagami’s gaze met with Yamashita Yohei’s.
The two exchanged looks briefly before turning away without saying a word.
“Shall we… go then?”
Fukuda said awkwardly.
Kagami nodded.
In her hand, she held a large object wrapped in cloth.
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