As I attempted to expand the Dimension, the door to the room burst open, and Maria appeared.
“—Eh?! You were awake, Kanami-san! That’s a relief!”
The fact that she brought a wet towel and a wooden bucket indicated she had been taking care of me. I decided to gather information from Maria without relying on magic. Perhaps because my whole body felt sluggish, I wanted to avoid using magic if possible.
“Maria, where is this…?”
“We haven’t moved since then. I just carried you all, who had lost consciousness, into the mansion.”
It seemed to be the place I had expected. I slowly asked Maria for more details.
“Then, what about everyone else?”
“They’re all okay, for now. I borrowed three rooms and had them sleep in separate beds.”
It appeared Dia and Rustiara were in different rooms, which explained their absence. Knowing that everyone was safe, I felt a sense of relief.
“That’s a relief… By the way, after that, what happened with Rainer and the others?”
“The Guardian lost interest in us and left… More importantly, Kanami-san. What about the effects of that Guardian’s magic?”
Maria worriedly placed her hand on my forehead, checking for a fever.
“The magic’s effects are gone. Just as they said, it seems to have been temporary.”
Although I was physically and mentally exhausted, the headache was gone. The inexplicable emotions I felt towards my companions had also vanished. My mind was at peace, as if it had all been a lie.
“That’s a relief… I’m so glad…”
Maria’s eyes welled up with tears as she rejoiced in my safety. Then, she turned her gaze towards the room door, wishing for the safety of the two who were likely sleeping in another room.
“All that’s left is for Rustiara-san and Dia to wake up…”
“Yeah, if those two are safe—”
Anything can be undone. I took Maria’s hand and opened the door. Carrying the wooden bucket of water in Maria’s stead, I left the room and proceeded down the dusty corridor.
No matter what memories awaited, I knew I could overcome them as long as I had my companions. That’s why I wanted to see their faces soon. And I wanted to prove that I held no grudges against them. To prove that I was Uzunami, not Shiso. That she was Dia, not Shis, and Rustiara, not Tiara—
However, a blinding light obstructed everything. My thoughts, my legs.
“Eh, this light… Dia?”
The light, so strong it spilled into the corridor, emanated from a single room. Blinded by the light, Maria uttered a companion’s name. My body moved before I could think. As if leaping into the light, I opened the room door.
Magic particles, shaped like feathers, danced in the air, and white wings spread throughout the room. And then, faintly glowing golden hair and blue eyes. There, sitting on the bed, was an angel-like girl.
“Dia, what’s wrong…?”
Even though I knew, I asked. Dia turned her glowing eyes towards me and shook her head with a distorted expression.
“Kanami… you shouldn’t… come here…!”
“Are you okay, Dia?! Is it because of that Guardian’s magic?!”
“No, Kanami… This… this was before that… So, it’s already—”
“Before…?”
The uncontrolled Parallel Thinking had not yet stopped. I understood the meaning of her words and was aghast.
“Kanami-san, don’t get close!”
Maria pulled my hand back and stepped forward instead. However, I couldn’t tell if she was trying to protect me from Dia or Dia from me.
“Maria, thank you… for helping with everything…”
“I-It’s not for Dia, you know… More importantly, is it impossible now?”
“Yeah, thanks to Maria’s advice, I’ve managed until today, but it seems it’s no longer possible… That Guardian’s magic was fatal. I thought I could last until Palinkron was defeated…”
“We don’t know that yet… Can’t we do something, just a little longer…?”
—Advice? Last until…? When did she give me advice? I knew I hadn’t been constantly monitoring the Dimension, but had I not noticed anything at all…? Right, I knew. I knew we had become close without realizing it. I had heard that we were close enough to bathe together. It must have been around then. However, I didn’t understand why Dia was suffering, saying she thought she could last. Leaving me, who couldn’t keep up, they exchanged words.
“When ‘Dia’ completely disappears… Maria will… me…”
“…I understand. I will do it then. It’s a promise.”
I couldn’t hold back any longer and shouted.
“Wait, both of you… What does this mean…! What is this all about!”
Dia looked at me with gentle eyes. Eyes that were kind, but also filled with regret and deep sorrow.
“Christ…”
Even while having such an important conversation, Dia mistook my name.
“No, Dia. I’m Kanami now…!”
“Sorry… As expected, Christ is still Christ to me. Christ is the only one who was my companion, my friend—my idol.”
Dia muttered, shaking her head slightly. Her words held power, so I knew they came from the bottom of her heart. I was certain that until this very moment, Dia hadn’t accepted me as Kanami. She had always seen me as Christ. Sadly, I understood that now more than ever.
“It’s impossible, Christ. I can’t face the person named Kanami… Because ‘we’ did terrible things to ‘Kanami and the others’… I have no face to show…”
Unable to bear watching Dia turn away, I approached her to within arm’s reach and shouted.
“What are you talking about! I have no memory of you doing anything terrible to me!”
“I remembered what ‘we’ did…! Surely, Kanami won’t forgive me… No, it’s fine if you don’t forgive me. But I have to atone! This time, I should do it alone as an Apostle, without involving anyone else!!”
As if fleeing from me, Dia stepped down to the other side of the bed. Her movement sent an indescribable, heavy anxiety through me. After all, this was the first time she had avoided me.
“W-Wait… Don’t go anywhere, Dia. Rushing ahead is your bad habit. Just stay there… You don’t have to go anywhere…!” I had a premonition that if things continued like this, it would be irreversible. It was a strong premonition, as if I had seen this scene before.
Stumbling, Dia laughed. I knew that smile. It was the smile Tida, Arti, and Rowen had shown. A smile tinged with the aura of death.
“But I’ll never forget… Christ recognized Dia, a boy, not an Apostle or Shis… I’ll never forget that. No matter what happens, I’ll fulfill Christ’s dream for him! I will fulfill it!! I won’t let anyone take Christ away again!!”
Then, Dia moved her left arm and tried to cover her face with her hand.
—Dia is disappearing. Overcome by a chill, I instinctively reached out. Believing I couldn’t let ‘that arm’ have its way, I tried to grab it. However, I couldn’t reach. If Dia had also reached out, it would have been within reach. But she was missing an arm that could reach out. My outstretched hand grasped at empty air.
Simultaneously, the space before my eyes trembled violently, once. It was the sound of a heartbeat. Like the birth of a new life, a cry of birth. Dia’s magic began to pulsate. It was like blood circulation, and I could see the magic being replaced. No matter how much it was replaced, the quality of Dia’s magic wouldn’t change—but it was definitely being replaced. She was changing from Dia to something else.
And when all the magic had become something different, Dia slowly moved her hand from her face. It was still her androgynously beautiful face, unchanged. But something was clearly different. Dia grinned and moved her lips.
“—It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I’m glad you’re(‘re) ‘on schedule’, ally.”
She said “it’s been a while” to the person who had been speaking in front of me moments ago. Intuitively, I understood. This was not Dia. The “Sensation” warning intensified. It was a sudden change that could only be described as being possessed by an evil spirit. Her expression was different. Her way of speaking was different. Her demeanor was different—most importantly, her eyes were different. Dia’s blue eyes were faintly black and glowing. I could tell they were glowing, but the light was too dark. Looking into those eyes made me uneasy, as if I were peering into the deep sea.
Her eyes darted back and forth. First, she looked at my face, then at her own body. As if seeing her own body for the first time, she seemed impressed, and then the ‘someone’ in front of me wove magic. A non-corporeal, luminous arm grew from where her right elbow had been lost. The glowing arm pulsed like a living creature, full of vitality. However, upon closer inspection, geometric patterns could be seen on the arm. Observing with ‘Dimension’, I could discern that a high-density magic circle had taken the shape of an arm. The unknown ‘someone’ moved her white arm with satisfaction, opening and closing her palm repeatedly. Then, she smiled and spoke to me.
“—Heh, you raised Diablo-chan well to this point. Thank you, ally. Thanks to you, I finally have enough ‘Magic Power’ to manifest in this era.”
She spoke as if addressing an old acquaintance. Indeed, Dia and I could be considered acquaintances. However, her way of speaking was far too unfitting for our relationship.
“You have such a terrible face. As expected, you didn’t want to see me?” She pointed at my contorted face with her glowing fingertips and laughed. While laughing, she continued to chatter incessantly, leaving me stunned.
“But you know, this was unavoidable. From the moment the ally called herself ‘Kanami’ to ‘Diablo Sis’, everything was predetermined. After all, ‘Sis’ and ‘Kanami’ had such a contract. Therefore, even if our bodies decay, our souls will be drawn to each other again and again. No matter what happens, we are destined to meet again—that is the ‘law’ of the world.”
It was now clear that the being before me was not Dia. This was different from the drastic change during the Dance Battle Tournament. It wasn’t a change, but a ‘swap’.
“…Who… are you…?”
“‘Who’, you say? As expected, that’s your true nature… Haha, hahahaha, ahahahahaha! As expected, Kanami was a failure! No wonder your every action was so chaotic. You were getting in Tiara’s way and cooperating with me because you didn’t understand anything!”
The ‘someone’ laughed gleefully without revealing her name.
“…No, it doesn’t matter who you are! Get out of Dia immediately!”
“I can’t do that. Since everything has been reset, I intend to be the one who wins this time. I will never lose to anyone again.”
With fighting spirit, I moved my body slightly forward. In response, the ‘someone’ also showed fighting spirit. That fighting spirit was sharp like a honed blade. I flinched reflexively. I couldn’t move forward. I had experienced terrifying pressure countless times before. Tida, Arti, Rowen—they all possessed fearsome power. However, the fighting spirit of this ‘someone’ was different from all of theirs. Of course. The Guardians didn’t care about winning the battle if they could fulfill their lingering desires. But this ‘someone’s’ fighting spirit didn’t care about lingering desires; she only sought victory in battle. I felt a solid will to win, no matter the means. With caution, I observed her Status, changing my Dimension to ‘Dimension Winter’ and taking out my sword from my Inventory.
Her blue eyes followed my movements. She observed not only my body’s movements but also the flow of magic. I could tell she was observing me with interest.
“Hmm, is that your all-out effort? …This is getting interesting, ally. Haha, ‘if it stays this way’, I might even get to see my dear friend ‘Hidaki’ again soon, I’m looking forward to it!”
“For the first time in a while…? There’s no one in this world who knows Hidaki!” I just knowing the name is ok, but this person in front of me called Hidaki her best friend. Irritated by her nonsensical talk, I yelled, swinging my sword sideways. Her blue eyes continued to observe even that anger. Then, after nodding lightly a couple of times, her expression brightened.
“—! Ah, I see, I see! I mostly understand now!”
That was my line too. ‘Sensation’ and ‘Parallel Thinking’ were zeroing in on the identity of the ‘someone’. It was now more difficult to deny it.
“As expected of you, the supposed Shiso, to be this weak! Haha, serves you right for betraying me! After that, only Tiara, Legacy, and Arti were left, right? Well, I don’t know how Kanami was defeated, but great job! That’s a great reversal, congratulations on receiving 100 Savior Medals! You can live leisurely forever! Hahahahaha!!”
The name of this ‘someone’ is ‘Shis’. The person in front of me is undoubtedly the Apostle from a thousand years ago that I heard about in legends. Just as the ‘Saint Tiara’ of a thousand years ago attempted to ‘Rebirth’ using Rustiara’s body, the ‘Apostle Shis’ of a thousand years ago has resurrected using Dia’s body. It was the only explanation. Faced with the answer I had arrived at, my face contorted even further.
“—Well, I understand that my ally is in a lot of trouble. You’re confused, suffering, and still not understanding, and you seem very, very pained… But! That’s precisely why I’m inviting you again! Let’s team up again, let’s start over, Aikawa Kanami! I dare to call you Kanami once more! We can still make a fresh start! Because humans are creatures that can understand each other!!”
She extended her white hand. Shis invited me with a radiant smile, like flowers blooming. Combined with Dia’s beautiful face, the invitation was captivating. It was as dazzling as a halo and as solemn as a scene from a myth. It was a scene I had seen in a dream. At that time, I had taken this hand. As Shis said now, this was ‘again’. I could see that I was repeating the same thing. Unable to keep up with the revelations, I had no words to reply. However, Shis advanced toward me without any hesitation, despite my confusion. Her magic, which seemed like a halo, made her body appear magnified several times. It felt like being reduced to a tiny insect, with a ruthless human reaching out. The distance between me and Shis gradually closed. I tightened my grip on the sword. I had to fight before that white hand reached me. I thought I should. And then, as the distance closed and the sword seemed within reach—
“—!” Shis’s glowing arm distorted. Like a candle flame flickering in the wind, it became unstable and could no longer maintain its shape. Realizing something was wrong with herself, Shis stopped walking. She frowned and stared at her dissolving arm.
“…It’s Dia-chan, isn’t it? A nostalgic ‘Skill’.” Then, she muttered the cause of the anomaly, as if comforting someone, talking to the empty space.
“—Oh, don’t worry. I am on Dia-chan’s side. I swear, I will do my best to fulfill your wishes. Yes, I wanted to invite my ally, but if my precious Dia-chan dislikes it, I will stop.”
Shis lowered her outstretched hand and took a step back. However, the distortion of her white arm had not stopped. Seeing this, Shis sighed deeply, held her distorted arm to her chest, and declared.
“That’s right, he is Christ Eurasia. If he is not Aikawa Kanami, he is not worth inviting. …Is this okay, Dia-chan?” Shis spoke steadily, not with words spurred by excitement, nor with words mixed with laughter. At the same time, the distortion of her arm calmed down. Like a candle flame whose wind had stopped, the arm stabilized. However, compared to the beginning, the arm was still thin.
“Oh dear, even this doesn’t appease you, huh? You seem to dislike me quite a bit. It’s sad, it’s truly sad that we can’t understand each other.” While stroking her white arm, Shis laughed. It was clear she was talking to someone invisible to me. And that someone—if Shis’s monologue was to be believed—was Dia. It was enough of a monologue to deduce that Dia and Shis were sharing the same body at this moment.
“Well then…” After finishing her monologue, Shis lost all the burning heat that had emanated from her and began to move away from me. “See you later, ally. I couldn’t participate before because I was a complete ‘Apostle’, but now I have Diablo-chan. I, who am an ‘Apostle’ but can challenge as a ‘Human’. I no longer need a substitute.” She rotated her body about ninety degrees and bid farewell, looking at me with one eye. From her demeanor, I could tell she had lost interest in me. Before Shis completely turned her back, I called out to her.
“Wait, where are you going…!”
“For now, to Palinkron Legacy. ‘We’ will go ahead and take him down. Dia-chan also agrees with this.” Shis readily revealed her goal. The moment she mentioned the name, Shis’s expression twisted. She continued to ramble, her suppressed hatred undisguised.
“For some reason, Apostle Legacy doesn’t seem motivated, but I don’t know what he’s thinking deep down. Without a doubt, that Apostle is the greatest enemy of world peace…! An enemy that must be defeated…!”
“Wait, I understand that he’s disrupting peace. But, an Apostle? Are you saying Palinkron Legacy is an Apostle like you?”
“In a way. However, I am the only legitimate Apostle. No, it’s more accurate to say I am the only righteous Apostle.” She answered seriously to my question. Her attitude made me realize that our relationship wasn’t one of hostility. However, it was also clear it wasn’t a cooperative relationship. Shis kept her body turned away and did not try to face me. And again, she muttered to herself, leaving me behind.
“That’s right, like Diplakla, who I turned into a houseplant, I’ll seal Legacy too. Haha, hahahaha, now it’s perfect, only I am the Apostle. This time, the world will finally be at peace…!” Shis laughed with a wicked expression that Dia would never make. Slowly, I began to understand her personality. My abilities and skills were peeling away the veil of Shis’s existence. She had an extremely self-righteous personality and was the type who wouldn’t listen to others. Her emotions fluctuated wildly, and she was talkative. Once she got fixated on something, she’d retreat into her own world, making negotiations difficult. Reluctantly, I pleaded with Shis without any trickery.
“I understand what you want to do. If you want world peace, you can do it on your own. I have no intention of interfering with sealing Palinkron either… Just, leave Dia’s body behind. Return Dia alone. —Apostle Shis.” I lowered my voice and spoke loudly, conveying my will with gravity and strength. I was determined to get this one demand through. However, Shis smiled thinly and shook her head.
“That’s impossible. —Ally Kanami. Because I cannot move without this body. Therefore, Dia-chan will come with me.” It was the answer I had expected. I lowered my gaze for a moment, then immediately aimed my sword at the enemy. I also gave instructions to the companions watching from behind.
“Just like that… Am I going to let you go?! —Maria, please!”
“Understood.” Maria was already in a combat stance, affirming crisply as if ready to unleash magic at any moment.
“Dia! I might have to cut off a leg or two! Sorry!” Whether she could hear me or not, I didn’t know. I just wanted to apologize in advance for the difficulty in holding back during the upcoming battle. Even facing the fighting spirit of Maria and me, Shis still wore a smile.
“Hmm, for Dia-chan’s sake, I have to put you on hold. Would you mind gracefully withdrawing?”
“If I were going to withdraw here, I wouldn’t have invited Dia to be my companion!!” Shouting this, I kicked off the floor and charged.
