novelNatsuno / Reality and Miracles
| ← Ch.253 | Ch.255 → |
Translator: Reflet
Editor: ryunakama
It was a space with nothing inside.
A space with vague pink, nothing clearly in focus.
Taiyou was standing there, but he didn't think about why he was.
Because "they" had appeared before he could.
A bunch of game systems had appeared before him.
Home consoles, mobile consoles, computer, smartphone......
Every game system you could think of was just floating midair.
Taiyou remembered all of them.
Things that he had used once......No, he used them regularly.
「What's wrong, chaps? You don't have to be down yet. Breakfast isn't finished」
「We are aware」
A frigid female voice answered him.
She spoke like a guy, and it was clear that she was a strong-minded woman.
The voice came from one of the smartphones.
The smartphone turned into a fine powder, the apple smashed.
The phone melted, becoming light particles, until it took on a human shape.
The shape of an armor-wearing female warrior.
At the same time, the other game systems took on human forms one after the other.
They were all "characters" that he had seen on the other side of the screen.
「If you guys just come out at once, it'll overload the system」
Taiyou said it like it was common sense.
Something that fit for this ridiculous scene.
The female warriors answered him.
「We have come today to declare our parting」
「Parting? Are you taking a trip to hell or something?」
「No. This is where we truly part. You've taken good care of us, so we were always watching over you」
「Then why don't you keep watching over me?」
「Those who have fulfilled their obligations cannot stay in the same place for too long. We are on the miracle side of things. Now that a flawless destiny has been born, we cannot continue to be here or else it will violate the divine providence of nature」
「Wait! Are you seriously going?」
Taiyou began feeling anxious.
He extended a hand out to stop them, but that hand wouldn't move.
Not even his body.
「Goodbye」
The bookworm returned to the game systems, becoming light.
「Goodbye」
The attractive, lively girl returned to the portable game system, becoming light.
「Fare thee well」
The fox girl returned to the computer, becoming light.
「Thank you for having us」
And lastly, the strong female warrior.
She also returned to the cracked apple, becoming light.
He tried to yell out, but not even his voice worked.
In front of Taiyou, the light became one.
Light that once marked the beginning of life.
But birth and destruction are opposites of the same coin.
The lights bonded together, becoming one, and then――
「Wait――」
His voice came out, and his body moved.
What he saw next was an unfamiliar ceiling, and his own arms reaching up to it.
Unlike earlier, this was the overwhelming feeling of reality.
As if this were actually reality itself.
He let down his lightly shaking arms, and clenched his quickly-beating heart from the outside of his clothing.
One minute.
This was reality, and the thing from earlier was a bad dream.
It took him a minute to realize this.
「Why......did I see that kind of dream」
It was a dream bad enough to drench his shoulders with sweat.
His throat was parched, so he got up in order to do something about that.
――But he couldn't actually get up.
As he tried to get up, he finally realized that "everyone" was clinging to him.
Kotone, Suzune, Kazane. They formed the kanji 川, clinging to Taiyou from the left.
Kohaku. She was taking advantage of her small frame, sleeping headfirst in Taiyou's chest.
Aoba, Youran. They both had their hair down and entwined, holding hands to the right of Taiyou.
Having the girls cling to him like this, Taiyou couldn't move.
This was no miracle. This was ultimate destiny.
As his heart began to feel warm, Taiyou remembered the contents of his dream.
Looking through his fingers, he desperately stopped the memory, pinning it down.
The disappearing game consoles, the particles of light.
「――Hera!」
It was extremely natural for him to then remember the level fairy.
Because it was nearly the same as when she had appeared.
A voice had sounded in his head, light had come out from the game systems, and it had accumulated to form Hera.
That linked with his dream.
Unpleasant thoughts ran across Taiyou's mind.
Unrealistic miracle.
Hera was a miraculous creation to Taiyou.
This can't be――he thought.
At that moment.
「Taiyou-chan Taiyou-chan――Oho, you are awake!」
The miracle showed up like usual.
It was so normal that it felt like his strong emotions from earlier had gone to waste.
If this were a comedy, then this would be where Taiyou made a fool of himself and the audience below the stage roared with laughter.
「You little......」
「Hm? What is wrong?」
「Nah, nothing」
Taiyou said nothing.
Hera did nothing wrong. He was the one who had seen the dream.
The level fairy before him had done nothing wrong.
That was why he had swallowed everything he meant to say.
「So what's up? You came in quite boisterously」
Taiyou lowered his voice.
This was out of consideration for the girls who were still asleep.
「Well you see, you see, Yami-chan is super interesting」
「Well yeah, that's always the case for her」
In many ways, added Taiyou.
「She is even more interesting right now. You should see for yourself」
「Yeah, but look」
「And guess what guess what, I indeed think she is full of openings」
「Huh-」
Taiyou reacted as soon as he heard "full of openings".
Defeat Shirokiyami and get her. This was like life and death to him, so he couldn't just ignore what she had said.
「Seriously?」
「That's how it looks to me」
「I see......however」
「Why don't you go?」
Someone said to Taiyou as he hesitated.
Clear-headed words coming from within his arms.
It was Youran's voice from her usual twintail mode, though she didn't currently look that way.
Once he looked at her, their eyes met.
Then he realized.
That not just Youran, but everyone was awake.
Kotone, Suzune, Kazane, Kohaku, Aoba.
Just like Youran, their eyes were open and they were gazing at him.
「You guys were awake?」
「Well yeah. But hurry up. I doubt that Shirokiyami would have that many openings, but this might also be the chance of a lifetime」
「Indeed」
「Right now, Taiyou-san」
「I think you might have a chance in this instant」
The girls spoke, urging Taiyou.
Brides one through four were all telling him to go get the seventh.
What a bizarre relationship.
「But, is it guaranteed?」
「Haah? The heck are you saying」
「No, it's nothing」
Taiyou shook his head, getting up.
Not feeling dejected in the slightest, they also moved away from him.
「Then, I'll be back」
Taiyou said, leaving the room alongside Hera.
With the guidance of the fairy, they moved along the hallway.
Looking at her ahead, Taiyou "made sure" of something.
「Hey, you won't disappear, right?」
「What indeed?」
「I asked if you won't disappear」
「I cannot be killed by anyone other than Taiyou-chan. Not a young master, not an exorcist, not Yami-chan. Nobody else can kill me, indeedー」
「Guaranteed?」
「Yes indeed」
Hera answered promptly.
Without any hesitation.
「Yeah? Good」
Good.
Taiyou truly felt that.
She was not absolute. She was a miracle.
But even in the miracle exists the absolute.
That was already enough for Taiyou.
Taiyou concluded this by pushing this slight anxiety "to the bottom of his heart".
| ← Ch. 253 | Ch. 255 → |