Chapter: 66. The Sealed Memories and the Past
A violent impact overturned the floor beneath Kanade’s feet.
The Noah Pavilion is claimed to be one of the safest places in Ark Academy, as well as the oldest building.
The stone corridor, built from rock, collapsed easily under the destructive power of the force.
Although Kanade could feel that Mana was doing her utmost to protect her.
Even she found it difficult to muster any strength in the face of the Sovereignty of the Azure Thunder.
Wind.
Having lost her foothold, Kanade momentarily found herself suspended in midair and felt a gentle breeze brushing against her cheek.
Gravity did not drag her down hard as she had expected.
A soft breeze seemed to wrap around her like a swaddle, gently lowering her down.
The next moment.
The broken stone pillars collapsed downward, wedged between the walls on either side, forming an incredibly strong triangular void.
Kanade, who fell right into it, avoided countless stones falling from above.
The scene appearing before her overlapped with a fragment of memory in her mind.
Thick dust kicked up by the collapsing building filled Kanade’s view.
Amidst the yellowish haze.
Kanade vaguely saw a solitary figure.
It was a small, trembling figure curled up in a corner.
—Konomi…
Kanade desperately wanted to reach out her hand to that petite silhouette.
After the blinding light faded, the remnants of broken tiles and walls reflected in Kanade’s retina overlapped with the dim room from back then.
(“Abandoned by your parents, you could only stay at your uncle and aunt’s house, but you were a very bad child back then, weren’t you?”)
(“So you want to destroy her, right?”)
(“The Case of the Child Star Kamimi Nagi’s Failed Suicide?!”)
(“Didn’t you fail to protect Nagi?”)
Noisy voices echoed in Kanade’s mind.
Finally, when all the sounds quieted.
The youthful yet sincere monologue of the girl clearly flashed through her mind.
“Um, I will live on until the day you no longer need me, Kanade-kun.”
Thump thump.
A pitch-black flame before her expanded and contracted, like a beating heart.
“I see……”
Kanade remembered.
Though she did not know why she had forgotten all this before.
At this moment, she had recalled everything.
That faint wind awakened the lost memories she thought had been buried.
“Retracing.”
Kanade spoke in an unprecedented calm and cool tone.
(“Do you want to sign a contract with me?”)
In an instant.
Kanade’s perspective changed dramatically.
The area that should have been shrouded in yellow dust instantly became clear and transparent.
That was only natural.
Because Kanade’s current view did not come from her own eyes.
But from a third-person perspective that transcended reality.
Kanade saw the black sphere she had handed to Mana at her feet.
“I will never allow that to happen again.” Kanade bent down to pick up the black sphere at her feet, and her words seemed to be directed at herself, yet also to someone else.
With the help of the third-person god perspective, Kanade skillfully navigated through the ruins of the Noah Pavilion and approached Mana with steady steps.
“Mana, it’s me… are you okay?”
……
……
“Kanade-kun, have you really decided to do this?” Mana asked, somewhat apprehensively, as she took the black box.
“Ah, I have another matter to resolve with the student council president.”
“Another matter?”
“Probably… a matter between men. If it’s him, he would definitely want to discuss it privately with me.” Kanade chuckled softly, raising his head. Although his current perspective did not come from his own eyes.
In the god perspective, he saw Seiryuu watching over him.
“And perhaps, I might be able to successfully convince him to join us.”
“……”
“Conversely, I’m leaving Konomi in your hands. Make sure to save her.”
“I understand. Just don’t push too hard. Both Nagi-chan and you, Kanade-kun, are my very, very important childhood friends.”
After Mana said this, she turned her back to Kanade.
The azure dome, although shattered in the recent impact, had gradually begun to recover in this brief moment.
Mana drew upon the magic power within her, condensing a powerful airflow in her lower body, and like an arrow released from a bow, she flew towards the crack in the dome.
“I’m sorry, Mana… as a man, there are things I can’t back down from, even at the risk of forcing myself.” Kanade murmured without looking back.
In the air of the Noah Pavilion.
“Yako-kun, I’m leaving Mana and that thing to you.” Seiryuu had not taken his eyes off Kanade from the beginning; he knew the other party possessed a very special power, and if he was careless, Kanade could vanish from under his eyelids.
In the domain of Azure Thunder, he could hear the conversation between Kanade and Mana the entire time.
The two boys present seemed to have a complete understanding.
Seiryuu respected Kanade’s choice.
“Though Mana is No.2 in the academy and has very powerful abilities, it should be fine as long as you, who have always been by her side, are there, right?”
“It’s fine. During my time with Hinata Mana, I have already grasped her fighting style and the weaknesses in her abilities. Just as you predicted, my past efforts were all for this moment.” Yako replied dully.
Just as she was about to urge the silver-bladed wings on her back to catch up with Mana.
Seiryuu’s voice came from behind her.
“Yako, I can trust you, right?”
“…..Yes, because I was born to be the spear and shield of the young master.” Yako stated her previous vow to Seiryuu while turning her back to him, then transformed into a burst of silver light, chasing after the direction Mana had gone.
“Finally, the irrelevant parties have left, Tsukimi Kanade.”
“Indeed, Student Council President… or perhaps it’s better to call you Toujou Seiryuu?” Kanade raised his right hand.
The silver bracelet on his wrist shone with magical energy.
The light pierced through the yellow dust, forming a silver blade in Kanade’s hand.
【Retracing.】
A strong wind centered on Kanade spread out.
The surrounding dust was instantly dispersed, revealing Kanade’s figure standing on the ground.
At this moment, Kanade had gradually understood the essence of the extraordinary item he held.
That is, he could always retrace the powers he once possessed.
Even without the corresponding medium or contracted beasts, he could still leverage his abilities from back then.
Just like Mana said, it was a power comparable to cheating.
As long as he once had it, he could retrace and use it over and over again.
Now what Kanade was using was the storm power triggered when he offered Nagi’s star bracelet to the guardian of the island while the black tide surged toward him on Nanase Island.
Even this power could be effortlessly “replicated.”
Kanade increasingly believed that the white space he possessed was no ordinary existence.
Its emergence must have a deeper and more important significance.
However, that was to be set aside for now.
“Now—”
Kanade raised the blade in his hand, pointing it at Seiryuu floating in midair.
Lightning.
In ancient times, it was seen as a symbol of the gods.
Standing firmly on the ground, Kanade was like that tiny human being.
This was a showdown between man and god.
“—it’s time for a one-on-one.”
