Maintaining the magic, “The Story of My World,” means believing.
At the same time, it also means dreaming.
—And so, “Aikawa Uzunami” dreamed continuously until the two people reached the last page between the lines.
It was a very nostalgic dream.
Longer ago than a thousand years.
The original landscape of the Original World.
In his childhood room in a high-rise apartment. I was playing with Rustiara in my room at the Aikawa house.
The room was very bright thanks to the new electric light on the ceiling. In front of the screen playing noisy game music, a man and a woman dressed inappropriately for modern Japan were side by side.
It was a surreal combination that ignored the chronology, unique to dreams.
Even though I knew it was absolutely impossible, I couldn’t realize it while dreaming.
That’s why, when my sister Hidaki and Tiara suddenly appeared and joined the dream, I easily believed it.
The two of them started making a fuss about wanting to play the game we were playing. I had no choice but to hand over the controller and take over. Then, Rustiara and I sat on the sofa in the corner of the room, smiling wryly, and took a breath.
I watched Hidaki and Tiara playing happily from behind.
It was truly an impossible sight.
But while dreaming, I could wholeheartedly believe in that gentle time.
Not only to maintain the magic, “The Story of My World,” but for myself and for Rustiara, I continued to believe in that sight and watched quietly—gradually, the sound of a river’s babbling began to be heard from afar.
A very quiet sound.
A gentle melody that cleanly washed away the darkness of anxiety and fear deep within my ears.
It was a sign that what had been held back had begun to flow.
At the same time, it was also a notification that I couldn’t stay here forever.
“……Ah.”
Understanding the meaning, I bit my lip.
The corners of my eyes stiffened, my throat tightened, and I gripped the edge of the sofa cover so hard it felt like it would tear.
In contrast to me, Rustiara next to me was smiling gently.
Even before she told me, I already knew.
Rustiara would undoubtedly cheerfully send me off, saying, “Kanami, come on, let’s go!”
It’s because she’s such a bright and cheerful person that she became my “The One and Only Destined Person.”
So, I closed my eyes while still sitting on the sofa.
I closed my eyes tightly, tightly, and opened them.
—I woke up.
The world beyond the dream was not the empty space.
I would no longer return to the “between the lines.”
As my consciousness awakens, I return to “reality.”
Of course, that reality is neither “Winter Otherworld” nor the “Original World” with its high-rise apartments.
It is the year 1015 of the New Calendar in “Another World.”
In the Cathedral of the country of Fuziaze, located north of the Allied Nations in the “Frontier.”
I was lying on the cracked stone pavement in the center of its courtyard.
I felt cold on my cheek—but realizing it wasn’t cold enough to freeze, I slowly sat up.
The first thing that caught my eye was the Fuziaze courtyard, devastated by fierce battles.
It was nighttime. However, the stars and moon were very bright tonight. Thanks to that, I could see my surroundings. The blizzard that had obstructed my vision was gone, and the snow covering the ground had also melted.
All symbols of winter had melted away, and instead, a shallow river flowed.
From the flooded garden, I could feel the season of spring.
Sensing the “end” from that appearance, I checked my body.
My magic power and stamina were empty, and my whole body felt lethargic as if my blood had been drained. My robe, constructed with magic power, was still maintained, but my mask seemed to have returned to my body after being dismantled during the battle. The tips of my hair, which had grown over the year, were wet, so I tried to wipe them with my robe’s sleeve—and saw that my “The One and Only Destined Person” was not letting go of my hand.
I was holding a book in my left hand.
My right hand, clenched even tighter, held nothing. But I confirmed that the “Shimmering Magic Stone of Rainbow White” was not in my hand but deeper—within my soul, and felt relieved.
Wiping my wet bangs, I slowly stood up.
My balance was unsteady due to legs like a newborn fawn.
I almost fell, swayed by the weight of the book in my left hand.
However, I managed to keep my feet on the ground and move forward.
I stepped through shallow water, dragging the hem of my robe, and approached her.
She let out a deep sigh, her dark eyes, the same as mine, turned towards the bright starry sky.
Magic particles swirled up from her limbs, and she began to melt away together with “Winter Otherworld,” which had enveloped this “Another World.”
Tiara, who had been fighting alongside me until just a moment ago, was nowhere to be seen.
But she was undeniably there. I understood that Tiara was now fulfilling her “promise” and sharing her destiny with Hidaki.
“……Hidaki. ……Tiara won, didn’t she?”
Since I believed in Tiara’s victory, the words came out smoothly.
And as if to prove it, my sister turned towards me and replied softly.
“……Yes. It’s thanks to all of you working together.”
She revealed the reason for her defeat.
The meaning of which I, now, could understand.
In this final battle, the breath of all the performers on the stage was truly in sync. Not only Rustiara and the “Thieves of Principles,” but even the enemy, Hidaki.
Therefore, they far surpassed the intentions of the scriptwriters and brought about the best story.
Thanks to that, even though the “end” has arrived, I wonder if there is still time to talk with Hidaki. If this were a book, I felt there was time left to add a brief concluding remark.
“Big Brother—”
Using that time, Hidaki called out to me and faltered.
Perhaps because the dark canopy between my sister and I was gone, I could easily sense her feelings.
She tried to atone for everything she had done to me up until now—but realizing she didn’t have the right, she repeatedly swallowed her words.
It was the same for me.
There were so many things I wanted to apologize to my sister for—but realizing it was too late to say them, I couldn’t say anything.
“…………”
“…………”
Troubled, we let our gazes wander.
And then, we looked at the cover of the book in my left hand.
It brought to mind Rustiara, who always offered optimistic remarks with her usual smile. If she were here, she would surely say this, blowing away all this frustration: “It’s great we could make up in the end!” and “This is a victory for all of us!” while striking a peace sign.
Because I could easily picture that scene… Because I had always been saved by her brightness… Borrowing a little of that way of hers, I offered a faint smile.
“Hidaki, thank you… Because of you, I was able to meet Rustiara.”
At those words, Hidaki’s mouth fell open. But she quickly sensed Rustiara’s presence within me and smiled as if embracing the presence within herself.
“Thank you too, Big Brother… Because of you, I was able to meet Tiara.”
I gazed at the book in my hand.
Hidaki gazed at the blood on her hand.
We exchanged words of gratitude.
Thinking we were similar siblings, I began to speak Rustiara’s words for her.
“Ah… I’m truly glad we’ve come this far. The reason Rustiara and I found The One and Only Destined Person was thanks to you and Tiara. Finally, Rustiara and I have obtained something ‘real’ that we can believe in with all our hearts… and finally, we ourselves have become ‘real’… So—”
The words of the girl who wished to be saved would only be a hindrance to Hidaki now. That’s why I continued, mercilessly erasing her Lingering Desire.
“So, I’m grateful. You don’t need to worry about anything else. …I’ll take care of the mistakes made by our ‘family’, as much as is left. If we borrow everyone’s strength, I believe this Another World and the Original World will return to normal soon… so go, with peace of mind.”
Hidaki’s wrong turns were largely due to the misfortune of her Innate Differences. However, if asked if I had absolutely no part in it, I couldn’t shake my head. I also bore responsibility for making a ‘promise’ I had no intention of keeping. I wanted to cherish that responsibility as a ‘connection’ with my sister, without discarding it.
…And also, for the sake of those two idiots, Tiara and Ragune. For the sake of the best ‘family’ within me, I would inherit them, even though I truly disliked both of them, as ‘family’.
—Still, I will not discard the ‘connections’ with my ‘family’.
That is my Answer after everything is over. It includes traits that become other people’s convenient Ideal, as well as an empty and deceitful side, and my inherently selfish personality is also prevalent. However, I considered this to be the culmination of everything I had built up until now.
“From now on, I think I’ll help people within reach… Of course, I won’t push myself. I won’t shoulder everything alone either. I will go forward with everyone…”
These words were a parting gift from a brother to his sister, who was going with Tiara. I rejoiced in my talent for Writing, having written a surprisingly satisfying epilogue. However, Hidaki’s reaction, having heard it up close—
“B-Big Brother… Your hands are already…”
Hidaki, who had been looking down, raised her face. She looked at me, came to a realization, and was about to move—when she was intercepted.
“—Hidaki Sister, believe in ‘Magic’.”
The blood staining her palm left her final words through vibration magic.
“—Within Master are those girls. And everyone is around her. Now, we want Hidaki Sister to believe in ‘us’ who defeated Hidaki Sister.”
Hidaki couldn’t win against that Magic, Tiara, alone. Her body, which had been moving towards me, slowly returned, accepting the process of disappearing into particles of light.
“…Yes. I believe. I believe too, Tiara.”
I felt a little envious of how close they were, hearing that childish reply. In the end, Hidaki never dropped her polite language with me, her Big Brother.
—Aikawa Uzunami could neither un-use it nor melt it away.
But that was the truth of the ‘Story’ of the Aikawa Siblings, and its final page.
“We believe too, and will go… Big Brother, please listen one last time. This is our final Incantation…”
“…Ah. I will absolutely not forget.”
After accepting that final page and vowing to engrave the Incantation into my soul, I took a step forward. In response, Hidaki, holding the Tiara in her hand, approached me. I burned the image of my sister disappearing into my eyes, just like the former Thief of Principles, and listened to the final poem.
“—’The last person does not dream’, ‘Fearing eternity, one continues to freeze’… But finally, the sun has dawned. ‘People do not live alone; they live by intertwining their hearts with yours’… As long as ‘someone who shares their soul’ does not vanish, we can continue to sleep…”
The distance closed with the poem.
The gap between the siblings, which had been there forever, was completely bridged.
I reached out my right hand, and Hidaki reached out her left.
Finally, in the truest sense, we could reach, touch, and overlap.
At that moment—
““—We can come to like the same person, continue to believe in the same dream, and hold the same feelings. Therefore—””
“Goodbye, Master.”
“Goodbye, older brother.”
A farewell arrived.
“Goodbye…”
That was my last word.
The two vanished from the World—no, from the story. Like any other Thief of Principles, they returned to the night sky as glittering particles of magic power.
Having witnessed it, I gaze at my palm. A magic stone had been entrusted to me. The beautiful sapphire-blue magic stone glowed with a faint, iridescent light.
[Guardian’s Magic Stone]
The crystallization of the magic power of Guardian Hitaki and Guardian Tiara.
Two souls resided within. The ending that the departing two must have believed in was etched in the display of the magic stone. Immediately, I let it sink into my body, just like everyone else’s magic stones. Then, I read the text that clung to my retinas.
[You have acquired the title “Drifter of the Deepest Part.”]
A +0.50 bonus has been applied to Water Magic.
Now, one otherworldly adventure has ended. The invader who came from another world was defeated by an ordinary girl born in this world. And not just defeated, but a happy ending achieved by taking her hand. With a sigh of admiration at the flawless conclusion, I began to walk again. I found a relatively intact bench nearby, sat down, and surveyed my surroundings.
There were no more threads rising into the sky. Although the ground was warped from the battle, all magic had been dispelled. By now, people would be waking up from the “Winter of Another World” that had frozen the continent. While confused by the dream they had been having, they would gradually return to their normal lives.
Yes.
Gradually, the world would return to normal. After all, Hidaki’s Ice Magic was merely “stasis”; once the magic wore off, things would simply return to how they were before the stasis. It was truly kind magic.
Of course, it would probably take hundreds of years to completely erase the effects of Hidaki and Tiara. But I didn’t think it was all bad. I heard that to counter Hidaki, who was an enemy of the world, the South and North ended their conflict and formed something called the “North-South Allied Nations.” Even if only temporarily, the history of all nations uniting would surely be an important turning point for this world. Perhaps, starting today, peace could be maintained for hundreds of years. Considering the unique nature and power balance of the current “North-South Allied Nations” leadership, it wasn’t impossible—
“Heh. …I’m thinking about things that don’t suit me.”
I let out a wry smile at myself for thinking about what would happen after the world returned to normal. I knew the reason why. My life’s ultimate goal had disappeared, leaving me with too much free time.
I no longer had to rush to protect my “most precious thing,” my sister. I didn’t need to return to the Original World, nor did I have to worry about an incurable illness. This also meant I didn’t need to aim for the Deepest Part of the Labyrinth, and I didn’t have to fight anyone.
With absolutely nothing left, I found myself searching for something to fill the emptiness in my chest. I was in the same state as Ragune. Having finally reached the destination of the Summit, my heart felt hollow, bleak, and desolate.
“Ah, everything is over for me… But thanks to her, I’m a little different…”
The difference from Ragune rested in the hand I held in my right. I casually flipped through the book, gazing at the inscribed pages. There were memories written by Rustiara about her time with me. The content was mostly about our dungeon exploration. Now that I knew she was the creator, there was no tension, but back then, the labyrinth was truly frightening, and I was anxious… but it also felt like a time of exciting and fun daily life.
Nostalgic.
Each of these pages was proof that we were “real.” As I read through those memories, it ended with—
“—I love you.
Holding that single sentence, I will die.
Here, forever, Rustiara Fuziaze will continue to dream—”
I read it using the inherited skill “Reading,” and thoughtfully considered it, including what was written between the lines. Then, to the next page. Tracing the blank page with my finger, we too could read it now. I skillfully used my inherited skill “Writing,” carving letters with my magic power. If I were to give it a magic name, it would probably be “Magic Writer.”
“—And, with Rustiara Fuziaze’s death as the price, Kanami Aikawa has ended all battles. What washes over him is emptiness. An endless blankness stretched out before him. However, he will never stop in that sea of emptiness. The boy loved by the girl will continue to move forward. Without wasting what he has accumulated, without forgetting or faltering, forward, forward, forward—”
I wrote a little. The continuation of a story that didn’t even fill one page.
“There are still so many blank pages…”
They remained. The continuation of Rustiara’s story. And the continuation of my story as well.
The blank pages were incredibly clear. They were a collection of pages where I could freely write my future, no longer guided or controlled by anyone.
It was also proof that I could live however I pleased.
“From now on, I can write anything I want… Hahaha.”
I will write my own path, my own self.
Just by doing that, I felt the greatest sense of liberation I had ever experienced.
It was the first time I realized how joyful, fun, and wonderful freedom truly was.
“Haa…”
After laughing to my heart’s content, I let out a sigh and stood up.
My legs were finally regaining their strength.
Even if I couldn’t fight, I could at least walk around.
First, I wanted to reunite with my companions.
Would Liner or Reaper be the closest from here?
Diia, Maria, and Snow should also not be too far away.
I’ll wake everyone up, and then—
It was at that moment, as I was pondering, that my skin sensed a surge of magic power.
It was sudden.
But I felt neither surprise nor panic.
It’s true, I’m not in a condition to fight right now. But fundamentally, since Tiara and Hidaki are no longer in the story—there’s no one left in this “Another World” for me to fight.
I swallowed that complacency, having grown accustomed to defeat. But precisely because I’m accustomed to defeat, my mind remained calm, and I watched the sudden arrival.
Along with the surge of magic power, a “tear” began to form in the empty space before me.
And when it expanded to a size that could be called a gate, an old man walked out from beyond it.
It was a familiar face from a thousand years ago.
The old man I recognized appeared not in his former appearance, but with the characteristics of a “treant” protruding from the hem of his leisurely robes.
Though his racial traits had mutated, there was no mistaking him.
No matter how much his appearance changed, I could now discern the color of his soul.
It was Diplakla, the last Apostle.
Seeing the appearance of someone so trusted among the Apostles, I felt a sense of relief and offered a greeting.
“Diplakla, it’s been a while.”
“……!”
Diplakla, whose conversation I had preempted, seemed a little surprised. However, he quickly cleared his throat and returned a friendly greeting.
“Indeed. It has been a long time, hasn’t it…”
“Yes, it feels so nostalgic… but also a little strange.”
A thousand years had passed, with two instances of amnesia in between.
However, having just gone through “Past Sight” repeatedly, it didn’t feel like a true reunion from the bottom of my heart.
I spoke with Diplakla, feeling as if I were talking to a distant uncle.
“And with that, your feelings have only changed a little… Truly, you are a genuine Thief of Principles.”
I had intended to maintain my demeanor from a thousand years ago.
However, Diplakla seemed unable to maintain the “same relationship as before.”
—The way he looked at me was completely different from a thousand years ago.
The corners of his mouth began to relax.
His gaze was filled with the heat of expectation.
He was restraining himself from falling to one knee.
From this difference in his attitude, I could guess the reason for his appearance.
“Kanami… May I speak with you?”
To bring this up after everything had ended—he must have been waiting for an opportunity. I recalled that the master of the Apostles had a difficult relationship with Hidaki and Tiara. There was only one topic he would want to discuss without them present.
“Of course, you may. …I do enjoy talking.”
There was no reason to refuse.
In fact, I welcomed it.
I love to talk.
Especially about the “sword and magic world” where Rustiara and I had our “Adventure”—I truly love this “Another World’s” story—and from now on, I want to live as I please.
Following that original desire, I opened the book in my hands and, expecting the continuation of my “Adventure,” turned the pages. While flipping through them, I savored the sensation on my fingertips, prepared my Skill “Writing,” and proposed to Diplakla.
“So, let’s continue the story of ‘us’.”
That “us” refers to “me and Rustiara.”
As long as I, the “Protagonist of Rustiara,” continue my “Adventure,” her story, the “Heroine of Uzunami Aikawa,” will not end.
The story of Rustiara’s world will not end. I will absolutely not let it end.
—Rustiara and I will always be together.
Even if our bodies are apart, our souls are shared.
The continuation is destined to be a happy one.
Never again will I let go of “The One and Only Destined Person.”
That, I believe, is the only path befitting the continuation that everyone entrusted to me. Diplakla must have felt my resolve. His face stiffened, and he spoke solemnly, his voice trembling slightly.
“Ah, ah… it continues. Even if it is just the two of us now, the plan we started that day still—”
Diplakla nodded deeply, then averted his gaze from me.
He gazed at the desolate Fuziaze garden surrounding us, narrowing his eyes.
What lay beyond his gaze was not the “Now,” but the “Past.” He was recalling the Fuziaze garden of one thousand years ago, something I, who had spent the same time, could perceive.
This is the Cathedral of the Allied Nations’ Fuziaze, but also the same location as the Fuziaze castle that perished a thousand years ago.
“—the story still continues.”
Hearing his declaration, I, like Diplakla, narrowed my eyes.
The place that was once the beginning has become the place of the end.
Here, the story of the Aikawa Siblings was redone, and reached its final page.
Here, the story of the starry sky began, and reached its final page.
That is precisely why I want to start a “new story” from zero here.
“Yes. I will not let it end—”
Next will be a story woven by myself, not someone else’s script.
A new, yet continuing, “heroic tale of ours.”
This is where the true story of Uzunami Aikawa finally begins.
I am now writing on a blank page the “continuation that Rustiara desired.”
