My spirit was about to break.
Before that could happen, my childhood friend appeared.
A girl named Kanagi was, above all else, a positive, bright, and radiant person.
More than anything, she had a strong will. Even if others looked at her strangely, she possessed the strength of a primary schooler who knew how to be true to herself.
Her inner strength and straightforwardness, unbefitting of her age, were dazzling and warm to her warped brother and sister.
Her brother, Uzunami, and her childhood friend were in the same year at the same school and quickly became friends. And influenced by her childhood friend, light began to shine on Uzunami’s dark life. Finally, another scene, another way of thinking, began to be reflected in the black eyes that had only looked at the Aikawa family.
Due to family circumstances, the two pretended to be strangers at school, but it didn’t take long before they were calling each other to their rooms.
Having gained her first friend, smiles began to appear on Uzunami’s face.
For example, when they were playing games together after school.
Unlike with her sister, Uzunami didn’t play games alone. Kanagi told her, “Games where you can play with someone are better,” and she made him play competitive games or app games. He always made a reluctant face at these game choices, but in the end, he would nod with a not-unpleasant expression, saying, “I guess I have no choice.” Indeed, his lips would curl into a smile.
Undoubtedly, a glimmer of hope was beginning to appear in Uzunami’s life.
However, what’s important here is one more person.
For his sister, Hidaki, Kanagi was also a childhood friend.
Hope began to dawn for her as well.
Kanagi and Hidaki. They were often evaluated together as child actors of the same generation. With their similar backgrounds, including family status, they met several times outside of school at work. And each time, the older Kanagi would initiate contact.
“—Hidaki-san, are you challenging me again today!”
“…Thank you, Senpai.”
At first, it was annoying. For Hidaki, Kanagi was below even the lowest of the low—she wasn’t even counted among the riff-raff.
After all, it wasn’t a “match” with Kanagi. Compared to other talented children, her ability as an actress was overwhelmingly lacking.
More than anything, she lacked desperation. No matter how many times she lost, she only repeated “I regret it!” with her mouth, but Hidaki knew she didn’t truly regret it. No matter what happened, Kanagi would not regret or reflect. Therefore, she would repeat the same mistakes every time. Hidaki judged that Kanagi wasn’t even fighting seriously, let alone trying to win against her, so she stopped counting Kanagi as a challenger.
She didn’t see Kanagi as an equal. But before she knew it, Kanagi was always near Hidaki.
Unwilling to give up, she would challenge her again and again and again, “Let’s have a match today!” Regardless of the other person’s circumstances, no matter how much Hidaki’s head ached, felt heavy, and was filled with despair, Kanagi’s carefree, loud voice would reach the depths of her brain.
—It was a truly bothersome voice, but.
His sister was the same as her brother. “I guess I have no choice,” she would say, reluctantly but with a pleased expression, nodding. Indeed, her lips would curl into a smile.
“I don’t mind a match… but you’ll never win, will you?”
“We won’t know until we try. Today, I’ll outshine you.”
Hidaki already understood the meaning of her own smile. This was not an Answer she had obtained through a Skill, but one she had gained through her own strength. Even with her head barely functioning, she understood that this girl, Kanagi, would be her first friend. And so—
For Hidaki’s life, too, she was a hope. And as that premonition foretold, they became friends before middle school began.
Sometimes, Kanagi’s light would penetrate places that even family could not reach. This was after their usual mock matches were over. Kanagi, instead of her usual perfunctory “I regret it,” spoke with a solemn expression.
“—I apologize for always being no match for you. …If it’s like this, you’re not having much fun, are you, Hidaki-san?”
They were alone that day. They happened to be working at the same place, and the Aikawa family’s car wasn’t available. So, the older Kanagi suggested, “My house is close, so I’ll walk Hidaki-san home,” and the two started walking home together.
In the bustling metropolis of the Original World, which had not yet frozen over. Two girls spoke, blending into the crowd.
“…No. Thanks to you being here, I don’t feel out of place at work, and even now, I feel very safe. It’s not that I’m not having fun because you’re not a match—”
Kanagi shook her head before Hidaki could finish saying “that’s absolutely not true.”
“Because Hidaki-san, you’re always sighing. You seem very bored… and also, somewhat pained.”
“……..”
Hidaki was surprised by the observation and couldn’t continue with her words. She was all the more surprised because she knew her acting was perfect.
Without exaggeration, Hidaki was hiding her troubles with the highest level of acting in humanity due to the Demonic Poison. No one should have been able to tell, and in fact, no one ever had. Yet, this first friend—
“I know Hidaki-san has worries I can’t understand. And that you can’t consult with anyone about them. …You’ve been acting, not just with me, but even with your parents.”
She had seen through it. Hidaki had no choice but to honestly admit her friend’s observation.
“…Perhaps so.”
Ever since the proliferation of her Qualialess nerves began to spiral out of control, she had been continuing her act of ‘healthy and energetic Aikawa Hidaki’ so as not to show the skin-peeling pain on her face.
“Hidaki-san, please don’t make that face.”
Kanagi squeezed Hidaki’s hand tightly. She then pulled her hand and led her forward, forward. Hidaki looked up at her broad back and followed.
“Someday, I’m sure you’ll meet someone. An equal friend you can consult with… No, a friend who surpasses you will surely exist somewhere someday.”
“Surpass me…? There’s no way—”
She knew the Answer: there’s no way. Ever since the day her anticipated older brother produced such a pathetic result, Hidaki had been seeking a solution alone. She had seized every free moment, used every conceivable means, studied countless fields, and foreseen countless possibilities in this World. Even in the future, she had never seen a being that surpassed her.
“Hidaki-san’s personality, who immediately says there’s no way—I don’t dislike it! But that’s arrogance! We’re still children. When we become adults, we’ll realize there are always those above us!”
Kanagi turned around, scolded her junior, and flicked her forehead. Hidaki could have dodged the flick if she wanted to, but she received it without avoiding it and listened to her senpai’s advice.
“Hidaki-san, the World is vast. Therefore, there are all sorts of people. I was truly surprised when I found you two. So, you mustn’t give up yet. Giving up is the only thing you must not do! Of course, I haven’t given up yet either! The possibility that I will someday become an actress who surpasses you is not zero!”
“It doesn’t matter if we’re in the middle of town,” Kunagi declared boldly.
Yotaki, hit with those earnest words, moved her head, which had been ‘frozen’ for a long time, and took a moment to think.
The fact that Senior Kunagi hadn’t given up seemed utterly futile.
She couldn’t agree at all with the idea that the ‘World’ was vast.
Her thought that there was ‘someone’ out there surpassing her was also impossible.
“Senior…”
“Yes, I am your senior. Believe in this senior!”
However, Kunagi thumped her chest, telling her to believe.
Yotaki thought that her stance was irresponsible.
But, certainly, the possibility wasn’t zero.
The possibilities she had seen with ‘Future Sight’ were only in the tens of digits.
She hadn’t seen beyond Nayuta.
Therefore, certainly, it wasn’t zero yet.
“Besides, don’t you have your Older Brother? A reliable Older Brother.”
“Older Brother, well…”
“Uzunami-kun still has a strong sense of being uncomfortable with his younger sister… but he is changing little by little. Someday I will absolutely grab him by the scruff of his neck and bring him before you. At that time, let’s play together, the three of us. Maybe play some games.”
Kunagi was trying to guide her special friend through her worries in her own way.
Yotaki’s heart was moved by that friendship.
The thoughts she had suppressed since that day began to waver.
Her senior’s attitude, who never gave up no matter the situation and continued to do what she could, was the first person Yotaki could “believe in.”
“Yes. Thank you, Senior…”
“Yes! If you’re going to thank me, you can call me Older Sister from now on!”
“Hehe, I’ll pass on that. It’s creepy.”
“C-creepy…!? W-well, that’s fine. There are still plenty of chances.”
Like sisters, the two held hands and headed home.
At this time, Kunagi became Yotaki’s support, leading her, and showing her the right Path.
If Kunagi hadn’t appeared, the Older Brother would have been completely broken in middle school, and the Younger Sister in elementary school. To that extent, she was hope and Light for both siblings—to the point of feeling ‘fate,’ their ‘Childhood friend,’ was their ‘Ideal.’
—In other words, she was an overly convenient person for the siblings.
With the appearance of the convenient ‘Childhood friend,’ the Aikawa Siblings’ Life gradually became brighter.
That was, for example, the end of their childhood.
In an empty classroom at dusk, Uzunami talked with Kunagi and obtained what he truly wanted.
“—Yes. From now on, always together. …I want you to be with me.”
“Yes. I won’t disappear from Uzunami-kun’s sight… From now on, ‘everyone together.’ So, please don’t cry anymore…”
Kunagi’s persuasion completely healed Uzunami’s distorted heart.
Sequentially, good influences began to emerge in the Aikawa Family, their ‘Family.’ With Uzunami’s distortion gone, the father and son, who had long been estranged, finally—
“—Father, let’s live together! I want everyone together! From now on, always, always together!”
“Ah, that’s right… I want that too. I wanted that, all along… I have a Family. Even a fool like me, as long as Uzunami—as long as you are here, that’s enough…”
They understood each other.
The estrangement between parent and child disappeared, starting with the words ‘everyone together.’
That wasn’t just about the Older Brother and Father.
The relationship between the Younger Sister and Mother also changed.
Yotaki, who had always doubted her Mother’s Love, was able to talk with her after a certain turning point—
“—Yotaki, listen carefully. We’ve always been wrong in how we treated you. Because neither your Father nor I knew what a normal Family was… that’s why we kept repeating the same mistakes.”
“M-Mother…?”
Yotaki was confused by her Mother’s Confession, which she had always avoided.
“We have nothing but our ‘Family.’ We couldn’t realize just that… I’m truly sorry. My dear Yotaki…”
Saying so, Yotaki was embraced by her Mother—
Everything was too perfect.
She knew it, but this convenient development was all the result of ‘fate’ being distorted by ‘Magic.’
And that ‘Magic’ had an end.
Everything began to crumble when the siblings finally began to grasp the human ‘Love’ emotion.
“—Thank you, Senior… I can talk more properly with Older Brother than before. And with my Family too, little by little…”
On the way home again.
The two, who had grown a little taller, were walking side by side as they had in the past.
“That’s good then. Hehe, so for today’s thanks, how about you call me Older Sister?”
“I’ll pass. Frankly, because you’re… you know.”
“Hmph…! Why do you dislike being called Older Sister so much?”
“Because Senior is, you know…”
“You know!? What do you mean by ‘you know’ all the time!?”
At this time, Yotaki was beginning to feel like Kunagi was her real Older Sister.
Even though she said otherwise, Yotaki understood.
In a little while, they would be able to casually call her ‘Sister Kunagi’; a relationship where she could call her “Sister Kunagi” would be formed. She was finally reaching the hope she had seen far in the future. Just as she thought there was an exit to this long, dark tunnel—the ‘Magic’ would be undone.
The Aikawa Siblings obtained ‘precious people.’
The effect of the ‘Magic’ was until they obtained them.
So, until this point.
On that day, Kunagi died in an accident.
Very suddenly, as if it were a lie, nonchalantly.
The news of their ‘Childhood friend’s’ death reached the Aikawa household.
The next day, the funeral had already begun.
Unable to accept reality, the siblings could only participate in the funeral.
Close to the coffin, Uzunami was stunned. It was a scene where one could tell at a glance that his heart hadn’t caught up with reality due to the sudden loss.
However, the Younger Sister was slightly different.
In the back, among the attendees, she wore a grim expression.
This was because she knew with her ‘Skill’ the ‘Answer’ that this was not an accidental death.
Sensing a gaze from behind, she turned around.
—’The slit eyes’ were staring intently.
Furthermore, starting from this day, unnatural deaths due to accidents began to occur around the siblings.
Only Yotaki understood the meaning of this.
This was a ‘Price.’
She was being charged for the ‘Magic’ that had drawn the ‘Ideal’ future for her Older Brother until today.
In other words, she had unconsciously made a ‘Contract’ when she trained to use ‘Magic’ in the past. Uzunami had gained enough power at that stage for his wish to “change his own fate,” and bore the ‘Price’ of “the one he loves most will die.”
It was all equivalent exchange.
If one wanted to gain ‘precious people’ from nothing, the ‘Price’ could only be the death of those ‘precious people.’
And so, this is how things turned out.
Now, this is where the “magic” this time, the failed magic, comes into play… Even after losing Konagi, Uzunami hadn’t fully paid the “Price” of “Death of the Beloved.”
Due to its incompleteness, Uzunami’s “magic” hadn’t claimed a “Precious Person” worthy of being the “Price.”
Therefore, the debt remained.
That debt, in turn, seeks to collect the next installment.
It was clear that misfortune had begun to plague the Aikawa family.
Their father’s and mother’s work failures piled up, leading to scandals that drove them to suicide one after another.
Hidaki immediately intervened behind the scenes, ensuring that “Death of the Beloved” wouldn’t be fulfilled and that her brother’s and parents’ hearts would grow apart. She also made arrangements in their school lives to prevent any more “Precious People” from appearing.
As a result, the parents managed to avoid “Death,” only being arrested. While they succeeded in averting the worst possible outcome, the debt was still not erased.
Even after losing everything they had gained, the debt still remained.
At that moment, Hidaki understood the World’s unreasonably unfair “deal.”
“This… this is nothing but a ‘curse’…”
Hidaki was the first to utter the name.
There was no such thing as balanced “magic,” like in games.
All that existed was “curses”—it was when Hidaki realized this that Uzunami also recognized the abnormality around him.
They quickly gathered in Uzunami’s room for a “family meeting,” now just the two of them.
In the dark room, devoid even of the game’s light, Hidaki questioned Uzunami.
“—H-Hidaki. Why? Why did this happen…? Konagi-san, Father, Mother, this whole situation…! It’s not normal!!”
Hidaki couldn’t answer.
She believed that if she told him the truth directly, her brother’s spirit wouldn’t be able to bear it.
“That day… was it that day? Because I wished for ‘magic’ halfway through and stopped it… did it turn out like this…? Huh!!”
However, her brother was on the verge of reaching the “Answer” on his own, concluding that the cause lay in his past “magic” training.
With his sister’s silent affirmation, Uzunami continued his questioning.
“Hey, Hidaki… Answer me this, at least. Am I… am I, me, the biggest cause?”
Even without an answer, her brother would eventually arrive at the “Answer” if he had enough time. Deciding there was no point in remaining silent, Hidaki spoke.
“…Since you learned about the concept of ‘magic,’ it seems Brother has been unconsciously using incomplete ‘magic.’ That’s why, even now, the ‘rift’ is watching only you, Brother. As if to demand payment for the miracle portion of the ‘magic’…”
“M-Magic’s debt…?”
“I’ll explain now—”
She began to reveal the World’s principles, one by one, to her brother—”magic,” “price,” “curse.”
She recounted the truth of their eventful lives over the past few years, her dry throat trembling as they “matched the answers.”
Uzunami, accepting this, smiled through tears and let out a hoarse voice.
“—This… you can’t do anything about it either, can you?”
“I couldn’t… I’m sorry.”
“H-ha… hahaha! So, everything since that day was ‘magic’… a lie?! Father and Mother becoming kind, Konagi-san’s words, everything! It was all a hallucination I wished for, a lie, wasn’t it?! Hidaki!!”
Uzunami screamed out what Hidaki had been trying not to think about.
The “family” they had finally found a substitute for was “fake.”
As this truth sank in, Uzunami’s tears overflowed from his eyes.
“That’s… a difficult question. However, it’s unlikely that everything was a lie. It’s highly probable that their actions were the result of interference and guidance by the ‘Demonic Poison’—”
As she spoke, Hidaki felt it was improbable.
Certainly, there would have been a child named “Minase Konagi” originally. Her household registration from birth to death had been confirmed, and her existence itself was real.
However, her unusual mental strength was likely “magic.”
It made more sense to assume that she had become such an accomplished child under the influence of Uzunami’s “magic,” and that her fate had been manipulated to forcibly bring her into contact with the Aikawa family.
“That means it was a lie!! You manipulated her mind and her life!! You can’t allow that—!!”
Hidaki had been trying not to think about this truth, but Uzunami voiced it for her.
Unable to deny it, Hidaki fell completely silent.
Yet, her brother continued his monologue.
“No way… Because of us, Konagi-chan… No, to begin with, was that really her…? Wasn’t the real Konagi-chan of a different personality…?”
The power of the “Demonic Poison” was immense, incredibly unfair, and warped even the “World’s” principles.
No ordinary girl could resist such a thing.
In other words, that flippant tone—that unusual inner strength—her consideration and kindness towards us siblings—she was always attentive, warm, and reassuring—the senpai I could finally trust with all my heart—
“So, it was me who wished for ‘everyone together’… wasn’t it? That Konagi-chan was being controlled by magic… and was made to say that because I wanted her to? Manipulated to suit my convenience… her heart toyed with…”
Meaning, it was all a lie.
“Perhaps…”
This meant that the hope she taught them, the “Possibility is not zero,” was also a lie.
She was made to say it only because the siblings wished for “Possibility is not zero.”
That was the “Answer.”
The idea that there was hope for the future if one could “see” beyond infinity was just a “dream.”
If the future beyond infinity were quantifiable, it would be far beyond 0.000000000000000000— An impossibly distant “1” was practically zero in reality.
“And in the end… she died because of our ‘magic’? N-No way—”
She died just to show them a nonexistent “dream.”
As this conclusion was reached, Uzunami slumped over, covering his face with both hands.
And then, words not directed at anyone in particular, spilled out.
“Why… why… I don’t want this anymore… I just wanted a little… just a little was enough… And yet…”
The glimpse of hope that had appeared had only deepened the darkness of despair.
His spirit contorted more than when he had been treated as “nonexistent” in the past. The vessel named soul creaked, cracked, began to crumble, and finally—
“Hey, Hidaki… What should I do…? I don’t even understand myself anymore… I don’t know what to do, anything…”
—He reached his limit.
Uzunami’s spirit broken, he asked, tears flowing uncontrollably.
However, that question of “What should I do?” was also the sister’s.
No, it had been echoing in her mind for a long time, even before her brother’s.
The issue of “a constitution that inhales Demonic Poison” remains unresolved.
The conversion is incessant, and the qualialess nerves continue to multiply. Even now, a voice that is my own yet not my own continuously speaks within my head, producing unnecessary answers. I haven’t experienced silence in years, nor have I slept properly. No matter how many virtual “qualialess brains” I create, they quickly overload. I’m growing weary of myself, a machine that continues to operate until it breaks. I’ve had enough. Why did this happen? All I wanted was ordinary happiness—these long-suppressed doubts can no longer be ignored without the support of the lake’s flow.
—And so, Hidaki, too, reaches her limit.
I no longer make sense, and darkness surrounds me. No matter what I think, it’s not me, so I don’t know where I am or what I’m doing. Yet, it hurts.
I tried not to think about it, but it truly hurts.
Pure “pain and suffering” have continued for a very, very long time.
Screams of “It hurts, it hurts, it hurts” echo with the increasing number of nerves, a nuisance. These, too, are a form of “answer,” and I am continuously forced to know them. I am forced to hear voices saying, “I hate pain,” “Why am I going through this?” “Help me, please.” The feeling of “It’s unbearable, it’s unbearable, it’s unbearable” is the same. Like multiplying bacteria, they spread endlessly in every possible location, continuously corroding my soul. It feels like my entire body is being eaten away—
“Older brother… do you remember the ‘promise’?”
Hidaki asked, her voice strained. She clung to a sliver of hope, making one final confirmation.
“Th-the ‘promise’…?”
“You said you wouldn’t lose to me… You definitely said it…”
“…Did I say something like that? To you, Hidaki?”
“Yes.”
The reply was not what she had anticipated.
“I don’t remember… Forget it. There’s no way I could win against you…”
Her brother shook his head, denying it.
Hidaki had anticipated this “answer.” She understood. It was only natural. Yet, as a sister, she had believed that perhaps her brother could overcome it.
“That’s right, forget… Just forget. Everything, all of it…”
Hidaki knew that if left alone, he would truly forget. The lake’s flow has a knack for contracts. For instance, by obtaining some power and properly accepting the “price” of “Oblivion,” he could escape this painful truth.
He would push all responsibility for this situation onto Hidaki alone—and then never have to deal with Demonic Poison or ‘cracks’ again. Even if countless hardships and misfortunes awaited as a “Curse,” he could live a human life and die as a human.
This was the best ending left for the lake’s flow, and what he himself desired now. However, in that enviable final fate, there would be no sister named Hidaki. She wouldn’t even exist. Unlike her brother, who could die easily, his sister’s future—
—As “the last person,” Aikawa Hidaki will continue to go around the “World.” Continuously. For eternity, alone—
The “answer” had already been reached within Hidaki. She had been continuously listening to her own screams and doubts. The truth—
She hates being alone. She fears being alone. She doesn’t want to live alone forever. But what she fears most is—
With that, Hidaki completely stopped thinking.
Her spirit broken, defeated by fear, she instinctively stopped her thoughts. Then, Hidaki stopped wishing, stopped hoping. Finally, she stopped believing in anything.
Having stopped everything, Hidaki whispered like a cold machine.
“Brother… With my current abilities… I can not only forget, but I can freeze past time and make it as if it ‘never happened.’ I have that power…”
Hidaki felt nothing anymore. Therefore, this “answer” was not her own. While it was about the siblings’ future, an “answer” unrelated to them was being presented in this “family meeting.”
“N-no… You don’t have to go that far. I just want to forget. I want to end the me that exists here now. That’s all I want…”
“Understood. Then, I will erase only your memories.”
Hidaki surrendered herself to her own Skill and lied. Uzuha could not see through her act. And so, their future—
—No, not alone. The two of them would embark on that “eternal” journey. Beside Aikawa Hidaki was a “family” who loved her in the truest sense, always. No matter what. For they were together, continuously, for eternity. There was nothing left to fear—
This was how the ending was decided.
Now, within Hidaki, voices like “You are my brother,” “I will absolutely not let you escape,” and “When it ends, it will be with me” were arising, but they would never show on her face.
“However, erasing memories is akin to death for some people… Brother, are you really sure?”
“I don’t mind. …In fact, being akin to death is rather a relief.”
Uzuha, his spirit broken, had given up on living. He was willing to become a wreck as a side effect of losing his memories, but Hidaki would not allow that ending.
“Understood. I will erase the current you and make you a different brother. As for what happens after that—”
“You can leave it be. This home is already over. So, you don’t need to concern yourself with us… with this home.”
“No, I will definitely erase the ‘Curse’ of the brother who has lost his memories. …I definitely will.”
She repeated it twice, as if making a “Contract.” Uzuha’s reaction to this proposal seemed surprised, and he sought confirmation.
“You will erase it…?”
“It was undeniably caused by my invitation. Therefore, if I don’t erase it, I’ll have a bad aftertaste.”
“…Thank you, Hidaki.”
At this moment, through Hidaki’s “act of being a healthy and energetic Aikawa Hidaki,” Uzuha believed that “Aikawa Hidaki was healthy, free of ‘Curses,’ and remained powerful.” Therefore, he thanked her for going out of her way to help the brother whom, despite teaching him so much magic, had not only failed to understand anything but had also created a ‘Curse.’
The sister smiled and, feigning embarrassment, made a vow in her heart. She would erase the memories and the “Curse.” Instead, her brother would be “my brother.” Until that “promise” was fulfilled—no, even after the “promise” was fulfilled, he would be with her forever.
Ah. From now on, we will always be together. Continuously together. Because we are siblings, we will be together for eternity—
With these thoughts, Hidaki approached Uzuha, who was on his knees, and spoke.
“—Stop.”
This was her first attempt at this. But Hidaki knew she could do it. The magic, later known as “Freeze,” lowered the room’s temperature and invaded Uzuha’s body. It also contained what would later be known as the “Principle of Water.”
The sudden temperature change caused by the magic made Uzunami’s strength drain from his entire body, nearly causing him to collapse. However, by grabbing Hidaki’s shoulder, he managed to avoid falling.
As Hidaki intertwined her hand with the one reaching out to her, she began to explain the magic.
“It’s a crude method, but… I will freeze your memories so they can never return.”
“Freeze… memories? Is this the true power of magic…?”
“No, Older Brother. This isn’t magic. …There was no convenient thing like magic in this world. What we found was… just a curse.”
Hidaki no longer believed in anything.
That’s why she denied the existence of “magic” as seen in games and called it a “Curse.”
Uzunami agreed.
Having loved games more than anyone, he hated calling this power, which was neither equal nor brought happiness to anyone, “magic.”
“Right… that’s right. Magic that could make everyone happy, such a convenient thing, couldn’t possibly exist…”
As Uzunami resigned himself, his attachment to this world vanished. The cold air drained not only the strength from his entire body but also his consciousness.
If he closed his eyes, the memories up to today would disappear. Uzunami, who believed in Hidaki’s power more than anyone, was certain of this.
And he completely believed his sister’s warning. Losing one’s memories was akin to death. Therefore, thinking this was a final farewell, he left his true feelings behind.
“I am… weak… That’s why I wanted… to change… Just like… you… al…ways, I wa…nted…”
He left those words as his consciousness faded. Hidaki, having heard his dying wish, replied to her brother, who was now sleeping like the dead in her arms.
“You can become that, Older Brother. Because next time, I will be watching over you all the time.”
Her expression remained completely unchanged. She simply touched her brother’s black forelock, stroked his forehead, and conveyed her words with a flat tone.
“From now on, I will continue to watch over you by your side, Older Brother. No matter what happens, I will never abandon you. No matter how much you complain, I will not let it end. —I will no longer choose my methods.”
That was the best “Answer.” Until now, Hidaki had doubted that “Answer.”
She had resisted becoming stronger. She had wavered, wondering if that was truly okay. She had tried to cure her own condition. That’s why she made a mistake. She had sacrificed a “She.”
From now on, she would no longer doubt. She would affirm all of her power and obey without resistance or hesitation.
“If I obey, you and I will become ‘Equals.’ …Ah, I can see it now… that it will definitely happen… Fuh, fufuh, hahaha, ahahahahaha—”
If she followed this path, she would undoubtedly become a “Monster.” And not just any “Monster.” She would become the “Final Enemy” that appeared in the final battles of those games.
She had actually wanted to be a “Destined Person” who would be saved by the “Protagonist.” That’s why she desperately clung to being human.
But she realized it was impossible. She was made to understand that it was impossible.
So, she would think no more. Only one thing came to mind.
“—Because the two of us were together ‘forever,’ continuously. There was nothing left to fear anymore—”
Only this “Ending.” She believed only in the “Ending” where her “Older Brother” was by her side and there was nothing left to fear.
“The process… doesn’t matter anymore. As long as I have the result…”
If she did that, she wouldn’t be afraid. She knew that she could “skip” this painful “Time” and arrive at the “Ending” where “The two of us were ‘forever’,” realizing the “Ending” before she knew it.
Ah, she understood. From the beginning, she knew the “Ending.” She had arrived at the best “Answer.” So, it was fine. Because she understood, this was fine.
“Older Brother, I will remake you now… I will remake you…”
Thus, Hidaki, her heart broken, accepted the “Qualialess nerves” she had always scorned. She manipulated them as her own power, extending them like white “Threads” outside her body. The moment she did, she was assailed by a pain as if sulfuric acid had been poured directly onto her pain receptors, but Hidaki gritted her teeth and endured it.
“Fuh, fufuh—!”
In truth, at a much earlier stage, Hidaki had been capable of manipulating “Qualialess nerves” externally. However, she had held back, thinking that enduring such pain would mean ceasing to be human. But now, her restraints were finally gone, and Hidaki stepped forward.
“So that you can become my ‘Equal’… I will change you with my own hands, right now… My Older Brother…”
She extended her own “Qualialess nerves” from her fingertips, invading her brother’s head and connecting them. Then, she began to read all of his being. First, Hidaki savored the “Demonic Poison” within her brother’s body as if it were a delicacy on her tongue. She stripped bare the information about his constitution and nature, including the shape of his “Vessel.”
At this moment, Hidaki learned that her brother had a constitution that “reflected the ‘Ideals’ of others.” It was a cheat-like talent. But it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t enough for him to become my ‘Equal,’ she thought, and began to manipulate him.
“You are ‘my Older Brother.’ We are ‘Equals’ who can forgive each other anything—’Family.’ …That’s why I won’t hold back.”
First, she erased his memories. Using the power of “Stillness,” she completely removed her “Parents” and “Childhood friend” from Uzunami’s life. Then, into the void left by their removal, she added different memories. To make him the “Ideal Older Brother” of her imagination, she implanted memories of the closest brother-and-sister pair in the world, just like in games.
With more than enough “Demonic Poison” and “Qualialess nerves,” this was possible. However, as she worked, “Qualialess nerves” continued to sprout from every single strand of Hidaki’s hair, extending like white “Threads.” It didn’t take long for them to cover the floor of the room. Countless white “Threads” writhed, danced in the air, and enveloped Uzunami’s body like a cocoon.
And within that cocoon, Hidaki conducted her experiments. Having decided to go all out, she did not hesitate to use her brother as an experimental subject. Knowing it was the shortest and best path, she tested him methodically. How would the soul’s “Vessel” change by overwriting his personality? By reciting which “Contract” would the “Tear lines” move in what way? By acquiring what kind of “Curse” could what sort of power be obtained? Because she was serious, she was able to resolve doubts that could absolutely never be answered without experimental subjects. In parallel, her brother approached the “Ideal” “Vessel.” He was remade countless times until he matched Hidaki’s aptitude. His memories and personality were added and subtracted until he possessed a strong constitution and nature. Believing only in that final page, again and again and again—
This was the beginning of the two “Foreigners” known to “Us.” The beginning of Hitaki, the “Thief of the Principles of Water,” and Kanami, the “Thief of the Principles of Dimensions.”
