Ch.180Chapter 27. Sword (2)

I don’t know.

In this situation, Yuka couldn’t understand what Kotone was saying.

She thought it was strange.

Kotone… hadn’t she been dead for the past few days?

She had just returned here.

“Yuka.”

Kotone was speaking as if pleading.

“We don’t have much time.”

Kotone’s hands were trembling.

It didn’t seem like she was trembling from fear. As Kotone said, they “didn’t have much time.” The foreign god that had become one with Kotone was trying to escape from this situation.

That god was laughing.

As if this situation was simply amusing, as if it had seen what it wanted to see, laughter filled the air. There was also a sound like something hitting the ground.

While Yuka couldn’t understand what Kotone was saying, she could understand the situation itself.

This current situation was what that god desired.

Stabbing and killing Kotone would hasten the world’s destruction—

“…No.”

As if reading Yuka’s thoughts, Kotone spoke.

“That’s not it, Yuka. You know that too.”

It was noisy around them. There was a buzzing sound in her ears.

Rather than actual noise, it was probably a sound only Yuka could hear.

“Yuka, please, think about it one more time.”

“…”

Yuka, who had been moving her lips at Kotone’s words, whispered.

“…Didn’t you say you wanted to live?”

Yes. She had said she wanted to live. She had definitely said that.

Hadn’t she talked with Yuka about it?

Yuka didn’t want to lose Kotone.

She wanted to wear the same uniform and go to school together, study together, take exams together.

Compare scores, go out and have fun after exams.

And when they got juniors later, they could act like seniors in the club. She had plans to make the next doujinshi better than the one they had made this time.

“Yes, that’s right. I want to live.”

“Then why…!”

At Kotone’s calm words, Yuka ended up shouting.

She knew she shouldn’t do that.

Kotone was trying to sacrifice herself for everyone. She must have prepared herself for this outcome when discussing it.

She was willing to give up even the small handful of happiness she had barely managed to obtain, having been born with nothing.

“Why are you trying to sacrifice everything like that?”

It had always been that way.

Kotone would cut her wrists without hesitation if she thought it was necessary. When someone asked for help, she would simply help.

After helping others so many times while suffering, she would thank people for even the smallest things.

“I’ve never sacrificed anything.”

Yuka raised her head in irritation at Kotone’s words, but she couldn’t find anything to say.

There was Kotone with a smiling face.

“I did those things because I thought they were all things I could spare.”

That’s a lie.

No, she knew it wasn’t a lie.

Kotone probably really thought that way.

That might have been Kotone’s way.

Because she didn’t want to lose the happiness she had barely obtained, because she wanted to maintain it somehow.

“…How can that make sense, you idiot.”

Yuka knelt down.

Her body had no strength. Partly because she had been running around until just now, and partly because she had many wounds on her body.

But more than that, this situation felt unbearably heavy.

Kotone also knelt down in front of Yuka.

“You said you wanted to live…”

“Yes. I want to live.”

Kotone looked into Yuka’s eyes and spoke gently.

“I want to go to school with you. I want to graduate, and I want to take graduation photos together.”

“Then why…”

“Because if we can’t change the future, those things won’t happen.”

Kotone said.

There was a gentle smile on her lips.

“If we leave things as they are, you won’t graduate. Neither will Koko.”

“…”

“Many people will die, Yuka. Our friends will be among them, and so will Grandfather and Father. They’ve all been so good to me.”

“So you’re going to sacrifice everything?”

“It’s not a sacrifice, Yuka. I’m just saying what I want.”

Her vision was blurry.

Yuka roughly moved her arm and wiped away her tears with her sleeve.

“I want you, Yuka, to be able to graduate from school properly. Make lots of friends, go out and have fun.”

Despite gritting her teeth, she couldn’t stop the sound of crying from escaping.

“Study hard and go to a good university, and if you have a job you want, I hope you can get it.”

“But you won’t be there.”

“No. I will be.”

Kotone said.

There was no wavering in her voice.

“Yuka.”

“Yes, Yuka.”

On top of Kotone’s voice, another voice overlapped.

Someone’s hand rested on Kotone’s shoulder. And as if playing a prank, they peeked over her shoulder, looking at Yuka with just their eyes showing.

The mouth wasn’t visible.

But those eyes were clearly smiling.

“How about stabbing your friend with your own hands? You’ve already done it once, so you’ll do better this time.”

“…”

With her mouth slightly open, Yuka stared at it.

“Come on, do it. It’s your job.”

That voice was full of mockery.

“…Yuka.”

Kotone said.

“Please think carefully.”

Kotone said.

“…I want to protect this world. I want to end this.”

“…”

“As much as I want to live, I want you to live. I want everyone’s lives to continue.”

Kotone smiled.

She cried while smiling.

“Please.”

After hearing Kotone’s words, Yuka lowered her head.

After shaking her shoulders for a while, she exhaled deeply.

“When you put it like that… I can’t refuse.”

Yuka, who spoke in a whining voice like a child, slowly reached out and picked up the knife lying beside her.

She placed the tip of that knife against Kotone’s chest.

“—Ah, really!”

And she shouted.

Rather than a scream, it was an emotional voice like a teenager of that age shouting with a lot of frustration.

“If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have taken this stupid job!”

She knew it was forced.

After a long time, the knife had finally chosen Yuka.

Perhaps this knife knew too.

It might have been passed down from person to person over this long time, tempering itself by cutting down numerous yokai, to be completed by cutting down even a god in the final moment.

It didn’t matter to Yuka anyway.

“Yes, Yuka.”

Kotone smiled.

“Then, after all this is over, let’s just quit.”

“…Really?”

Looking at Kotone’s smile, Yuka forced herself to smile too. In fact, her vision was so obscured that she couldn’t see that smile well. She wanted to wipe away her tears, but couldn’t because of the sword she was gripping with both hands.

“Is that a promise?”

Yuka knew that it was a promise that couldn’t be kept.

The tip of the sword dug slightly into the frantically beating center.

Red and black blood flowed onto the blade of the sword.

“After it’s all over, you’ll quit this too?”

“Yes.”

Kotone answered Yuka’s question.

“I’ll quit everything. Honestly, I’m sick of cutting my wrists too. After it’s all over, I’m just going to live as I please.”

Gritting her teeth, she somehow managed to pull up both lips into a smile.

She put weight on her hand.

It felt like the knife was digging into flesh.

Whatever the knife touched was frantically beating as if struggling. Blood was flowing steadily. Yuka actually just wanted to stop.

But she changed her mind.

How could she stop when Kotone was smiling like that?

When it was… what Kotone wanted.

“We’ll go to school together, and go out and have fun during vacations.”

“We missed Comiket. Let’s go together during summer vacation.”

“After it’s all over, you have to study hard too. I don’t plan on going to a boring university.”

“You want me to go with you?”

“Koko too. All of us together.”

“…Yes, all together.”

Blood flowed from Kotone’s mouth.

Her face came closer, and now Kotone’s face was visible even through the blurry tears.

She was bleeding. There were wounds all over her face, and her body was melting in various places.

It was a miserable sight.

I see.

Kotone… Yes, the meaning of Kotone saying she wanted to live was…

From behind, she heard someone calling Kotone’s name.

Despite the long time, Koko and Kagami hadn’t made it here yet.

Both of them must have been too injured.

…She was sorry.

To both of them.

To Kotone too.

She was sorry to everyone.

“Yuka.”

Kotone was smiling, even with such a face.

Kotone let go of her hand.

There was no longer any reason to spread the wound sideways.

“Poor thing.”

A voice with a hint of laughter said.

“Thanks to you, it was fun. Really.”

A voice muttering as if satisfied.

“But you lose everything you wanted.”

After hearing such a voice, the chill Yuka felt on her back slowly disappeared.

Kotone embraced Yuka with both hands.

Yuka was embraced in Kotone’s arms.

Kotone’s body, which had been melting, was slowly returning to the form Yuka knew.

The flesh that had been attached randomly all over was slowly turning into sand and disappearing. The hair that had grown long was slowly becoming as short as the Kotone that Yuka knew.

The disappearing body dissolved into the world as light.

Yuka couldn’t understand what that meant.

Whether it was Kotone’s final greeting, or whether Kotone was doing something to the world even in this moment.

Hadn’t she said, a god?

Perhaps…

“Kotone, make sure…”

Sensing the final moment, Yuka spoke.

“Yes, definitely.”

Kotone answered too.

There was no strength in that voice.

But there was a faint smile on her lips.

Yuka slowly grabbed Kotone’s shoulders and laid her down on the floor.

There was a sound of a metallic object falling to the ground.

The sword, which had fallen out at some point, was carelessly thrown on the floor. The color of the blade had changed slightly. Perhaps because it had absorbed the god’s blood.

But it didn’t matter anymore.

Holding Kotone’s hand, she quietly looked down at Kotone.

“…”

Kotone had her eyes closed.

She wasn’t struggling to convey something with a voice that wouldn’t come out.

She wasn’t keeping her eyes open as if she had some regret left.

At least this time, she looked comfortable.

Yuka gritted her teeth.

She heard the sound of someone running from behind.

She gripped Kotone’s hand tightly. It still hadn’t lost its warmth.

Yuka continued to cry in that state.

*

Something did happen.

But no one knew exactly what had happened.

After everything was over, all people could know was that roads that had been fine until just before were suddenly cracked, properly parked cars were crushed, and houses were damaged by collisions with unknown objects.

There were rumors of casualties, but those were inevitable rumors. The world was that damaged.

Some people thought there had been an earthquake, and others thought a meteorite had fallen.

But in the end, no one knew exactly what incident had occurred.

“…”

Except for a very few.

That day, those who had been influenced by Kotone knew about the incident. At least until the moment the incident started, even the government remembered that something had happened.

But they knew nothing about what happened afterward.

It was strange.

“Do you really know nothing?”

The person interrogating Yuka was the old man she had seen before.

Yuka nodded.

“…How would I know when the experts don’t?”

“There are people who remember you.”

“Yes, because Kotone helped them.”

Yuka raised her gaze and looked directly at the old man as she spoke.

Sensing something in that gaze, the old man paused for a moment.

“What were you trying to do with Kotone’s body?”

“We—”

“Did you really take her body to protect the world?”

“You don’t have the authority to hear that story…”

“…I suppose so.”

Yuka muttered quietly.

And she thought.

If that’s the case, you don’t have the authority to hear our story either.

“Who died?”

“…At least, as far as we can tell, there were no fatalities.”

The old man shared at least that information.

“Even those in the car that was attacked, although they were in a state where it wouldn’t have been strange if they had died immediately if they had been a little later, they were all still breathing. Those who rushed to stop Kosuzu Kurosawa… Yes. They’re currently receiving intensive care in the hospital, but they’re somehow alive.”

They’re alive.

It was strange. When Yuka had checked, they were all dead.

She raised her gaze slightly and thought absently.

In that final moment, when Kotone’s body scattered into light, it might have something to do with this.

The dead writhing within the tentacles. The yokai pouring out from beyond the gate.

…Because there was no trace that such things had happened in the place where it all ended. Yuka felt a little empty.

“Very well.”

“Is that all?”

“…If I have more questions, I’ll call you.”

Yuka stood up and left the interrogation room without needing to answer.

“Yuka.”

Outside, her grandfather and father were waiting.

“Grandfather.”

Her grandfather, who was trying to say something while mumbling at the sight of Yuka, eventually exhaled softly and said.

“Let’s go.”

Yuka nodded.

*

For now, they returned home by car.

She had to go out again after preparing a little.

She didn’t know what she would hear when she got there.

Had they told Kotone’s other friends about what happened that day?

Even if they hadn’t, Koko and Kagami, who were there…

Neither of them could say anything.

They couldn’t even cry.

In that moment, Yuka had shattered their hopes right there.

Even if Kotone had wanted it.

While opening the closet in her room, Yuka finally collapsed.

She lay on the floor and shouted. It might have been heard by the neighbors, but she didn’t care.

“…Kotone, how…”

Yuka said tearfully.

“What should I do?”

There was no answer.

For a very long time to come, she wouldn’t hear that answer.

“What should I do?”

But she couldn’t help but ask.

Yes, someone might think it’s strange.

They might say that Yuka is still young, so she’ll forget everything as she lives.

They might say it’s just a childhood memory, just a passing reminiscence.

But Yuka, who was in that passing time, didn’t know what to do.

In the end, they were able to save the world.

Numerous children will spend their childhood laughing, graduate from school, and become adults.

Yuka and her friends will too.

But Kotone can’t do that anymore.

“Aah!”

She shouted with all her might, but it didn’t make her heart feel any better.

Screech, her nails scratched the floor, making a sound.

Yes. That’s how it will be.

Surely that’s how it will be. As time passes, this wound will heal, and even the memory of the pain will fade and be forgotten.

How long will it take? A few years?

No, it might be a year, or a few months. Although her heart will ache whenever she remembers Kotone, Yuka will eventually adapt.

“I don’t want that!”

But she didn’t want that.

Yuka wanted to keep remembering Kotone.

Only now did she remember that Kotone had been diligently taking photos since the vacation. Yuka’s camera had many different photos of Kotone.

She knew all along.

After hearing that prophecy, Kotone had probably just accepted it from then on.

“No, I don’t want that—!”

She shouted in anger.

Bang bang, she hit the floor several times. She hit it so hard that her hand hurt.

She cried her heart out.

She just… didn’t want to let go. She wanted to cling to this memory.

Kotone already felt too distant. Only two days had passed, but Kotone was becoming just a child in her memories.

She hated that and found it heartbreaking.

She couldn’t show this side of herself to others.

Especially in front of her friends.

If it were in front of Koko—

“How… how could I act like nothing happened…”

Yuka said, sobbing.

Not to anyone in particular.

No, perhaps these words were directed at Kotone.

Is she listening?

If she is listening, these are words that shouldn’t be said. Because Kotone would be hurt hearing this story.

But…

“You said we would go to school together.”

Yuka muttered in a somewhat dejected voice.

“You promised, so why aren’t you coming back?”

She knew that in that moment, those words were meant to comfort Yuka somehow.

The reason Kotone told that story to Yuka, who was hesitating to do what needed to be done, was probably because she hoped Yuka wouldn’t blame herself like this even after everything was over.

That’s the kind of person Kotone was.

While pretending not to care much about her surroundings, pretending to be bothered, she was the one who worked harder than anyone for others.

Until that final moment, Yuka was shown consideration.

The one who must have been in the most pain was that girl.

“…Kotone.”

Yuka slowly raised her head.

Her face was a mess.

“I’m sorry, I…”

She apologized quietly to Kotone.

“I don’t want to do what you said. I don’t want to pretend nothing happened.”

I don’t want to be okay.

She barely managed to swallow the last words.

“Kotone, what should I do?”

Yuka asked the girl who had always lived without giving up, even in the worst situations.

There was no answer.

After sitting silently for a while, Yuka slowly got up from her seat.

And wiped her tears with her sleeve.

She looked in the mirror and composed her face.

…Yes. At least, she shouldn’t show this side of herself in front of Koko.

Because she would have to accept whatever that child said.

“…Okay. I’ll do well.”

She wasn’t sure who she was saying this to, but she muttered it anyway.