“Alright. Did I leave everything I wanted to say?”
“…”
Aris gazed down at my hands. Just moments ago, she had finished recording a video message to leave for everyone she loved.
So, did she leave everything she wanted to say?
“…No, I couldn’t leave everything. It’s probably… impossible to leave it all behind.”
“Why is that…?”
“There’s so much I wanted to say to my comrades, who I will come to know tenfold, hundredfold more than I do now… It just doesn’t feel like there’s enough time.”
Upon hearing Aris’s words, Rion raised her hands to splash her face with cold water, then let out a small sigh.
“I’m sorry, Aris. It’s entirely my fault. If I had told you about all of this beforehand instead of dragging you into it…”
The point of no return had long passed since the moment Rion had kidnapped Mika. There would be no second chances, and therefore, Rion had to achieve the goals she set for herself.
Even if Aris decided to sacrifice herself, it was clear that the Teacher and Game Development Club members wouldn’t allow such a situation if they came to realize it. Hence, time was something that could never be afforded to Aris.
If Rion’s calculations were correct, it was evident that the factions trying to rescue Aris and Mika were digging into the truth of the incident by now.
“Aris is fine, Rion-senpai. Yes… clinging to such petty regrets pales in comparison to the future of everyone, which is a hundred or a thousand times more important.”
Both of them understood that Aris’s words omitted the part, “even if I might not exist in that future.”
Moreover, Aris was well aware of one more fact. If she hadn’t chosen to sacrifice herself, Rion would have forced her into death.
Tsukatsuki Rion doesn’t hesitate before the tasks she must fulfill. Her greatest strengths were rational decision-making and decisive action. Though, that’s a bit of a painful reality considering those strengths can’t always be seen as positives.
Such decisiveness and action excluded cooperation with others.
A self-righteous way of handling things.
Rion merely believed she was doing the right thing, but there was clearly a lack of consideration for others in her actions.
Thus, even if Aris refused Rion’s proposal, nothing would change. Ultimately, it was a certainty that Aris would meet her end in this very place.
In the process, Rion would have to bear even greater torment.
“…Alright. Then, shall I go up now?”
The Aris who had accepted death and the Aris who had refused it. Whichever path would cause Rion more anguish, it was impossible to know…
Seeing Rion’s heart crumble before her, Aris didn’t want to push her any further emotionally.
After all, Rion was someone precious to Aris.
Aris’s acceptance of her death was for all those she loved. Without a doubt, Tsukatsuki Rion was included among them.
Maybe that’s why, at the highest level of the central tower of Eridu, the determined hero glanced back at Rion.
Before her impending death, her calm demeanor drove a painful sensation through Rion’s heart.
And then…
“…Thinking about it, Aris’s message is still unfinished. It’s missing a message for one person.”
“…If you want to, you could go back down again. It may not be a very rational action, but I can grant you that much time.”
“No, that’s not necessary. That person… is right here!”
“…”
Sitting atop the device that could be thought of as her tomb, Aris looked up at Rion.
With a bright smile, Aris opened her mouth.
“Rion-senpai, I think the adventures I had with you were enjoyable!”
“But, in this place called Eridu, it doesn’t have the sights you wished for…”
“That’s not what I’m talking about. Every moment spent with Rion-senpai was a journey and an adventure for me! So, about that…”
Aris’s smile faltered, replaced by an expression that showed her anxiety.
“Was… was the adventure with Aris enjoyable enough for Rion-senpai?”
“…”
The moment Rion heard those words from Aris, she broke down crying. It was the first time in her life, displaying a childish bawl.
Only someone as gentle as Aris could speak such words in the face of death.
Even if this was merely an act of a machine, and even if all the swirling emotions within her were mere products of the Eliza Effect…
“Yes… I had fun. I was happy to meet you and spend time together. Aris, I…”
“You don’t need to say more, Rion-senpai. I felt the same way. Rion-senpai is… a precious friend and ally to Aris. So…”
No matter if her essence was a robot, she was a girl with a heart of gold.
And though outwardly she resembled a mature woman, inside, she was a girl with an endlessly fragile heart.
Tears began to flow from the transparent eyes of the two girls as they locked gazes.
“I hope Rion-senpai doesn’t suffer too much. This is a choice that Aris made willingly. It’s a wish to burn away her own body for everyone’s hope and happiness…”
The path of the Hero.
The hero who tamed the Demon Lord began to prepare for her imminent end.
And upon witnessing her, the Demon Lord chose to fulfill the role bestowed upon her.
To Aris, she was already recognized as a precious comrade, but to others, she was not. To them, Rion was merely the Demon Lord who took Aris away, sentencing her to eternal farewell.
“This machine will first reset your… no, your software.”
As Rion unwittingly attempted to associate personality with the device, she hastily changed her words. Given how resolute Aris had become, it was necessary to avoid derailing things at this point.
Facing reality would come only after everything was over.
Until then, Aris needed to remain a robot and not a human within Rion’s consciousness. Absolutely.
“After that, it will emit a form of electromagnetic pulse, completely wreaking havoc inside the unit.”
“Rion-senpai is really kind…”
“Not at all.”
Rion finally regained her usual emotionless gaze. Yet the redness of her swollen eyes made that gaze seem insignificant.
“You’re going to meet a lonely end here. Everything stems from my unilateral decision.”
“Because Rion-senpai is here… it’s not so lonely after all.”
“…You really have no intention of losing an argument, do you?”
“Rion-senpai.”
“Yeah.”
“If there’s a next life… will you be my comrade again then?”
“…Yeah.”
“We’ll go on adventures together. Seek out hidden treasures. Meet new people. Complete connected quests for valuable rewards… And then…”
Aris’s eyes began to gently close.
“At that time… with Aris…”
“Yeah. I promise.”
Finally, a small smile appeared at the corner of her lips.
[Preparing for software reset now.]
With just the final stage left, Rion began to move with unsteady steps.
It wasn’t as if everything had been resolved, but she was already feeling her strength ebb away.
*
“…So this is how it ends.”
When Rion visited me, her eyes swollen from crying, I wondered what was going on.
But after hearing the story, it seemed the inevitable had come.
Was there no miracle?
If Aris died, and Rion became a murderer in that moment…
All the efforts I had put in till now would be for nothing. Saving Abydos, saving Arius, saving the SRT…
What did that even mean? What significance was there?
In the end, it was I who pushed a girl who should have lived into death.
Rion would blame herself for killing Aris for the greater good, but the truth is, it was I who drove Aris to her death. If I hadn’t meddled, Millennium and the Teacher would have solved the issue by themselves.
“I’m sorry, Rion-chan.”
“…What?”
“It’s all my fault.”
“What are you talking about—”
Seeing Rion’s bewildered expression, I wriggled my body.
But my tightly bound form showed no signs of movement.
“Say, can you untie me?”
“…You know very well that you can’t.”
“I promise I won’t interfere. I mean it. I just want to be there for Aris’s last moments.”
“…”
“You know I don’t lie, right? Yeah?”
That was definitely true. But on the other hand, it was also a lie.
This was a calculated risk on my part. Now wasn’t the time to hold back.
To save Aris. Rion. And even myself.
The last chance to save everyone was right now.
So I asked Rion to free me.
“Do you know, Mika?”
“…?”
“You have some peculiar speech patterns. One of them is that you frequently mix in ‘uh-huh’ between your sentences.”
“…Yeah. I know. But why?”
“However, your frequency of using that word drops significantly when we’re having a serious conversation.”
…Was I really like that?
Thinking back, it seemed right. That part of my speech had originally come from the real Mika, and now I barely remembered the original lines, making it hard to be certain.
Yet looking back upon myself, I concluded that Rion’s words held true.
“Wow, I didn’t know you knew me this well. Rion-chan, aren’t you a bit too fond of me?”
“Maybe I could be.”
“…Huh?”
Rion’s candid acknowledgment surprised me. But even that wasn’t a bad thing.
In this situation, I needed to appeal entirely to her emotions.
The only way to make Rion make an irrational decision was through that route, as no other ideas surfaced.
“Well. The thing is, that’s not what’s important at the moment. So let’s move on… But that doesn’t mean it’s not important, just that there’s something more urgent we need to discuss…”
“…Mika, can you really promise me? If you swear not to interfere, then I’ll let you go.”
Well, I couldn’t help but feel that Rion was letting me go too easily. Was it possible that things were already going as planned?
Whatever the case, getting out of this bed was my top priority.
“I promise. I won’t interfere, so please just untie me.”
“…”
Rion, who looked as if she had been crying incessantly, eventually nodded her head.
Finally, I was able to regain my freedom. Just in time.
“Come along, Mika.”
As soon as I was free, I rubbed my still-stiff body and glanced at Rion’s back as she stepped away from me.
I had indeed said I wouldn’t interfere…
But trying to persuade her, isn’t that counted as interference?
The fact that she had made such an irrational decision wasn’t like her at all…
“…What are you doing?”
“You also secretly hope that I’ll try to talk you out of this, don’t you? You want to stop me from going any further. Right, Rion-chan?”
As I stepped forward, I grabbed Rion from behind, putting my arms around her waist and burying my head in her back.
“There’s no way. Did you forget that you promised not to interfere? Mika, let go of me.”
“Rion. I’ll take responsibility. So please…”
Please, grant me this last opportunity to undo my mistake…
