Chapter: 56. The Return of the False God, White Spirit
Sō did not know why he stood up.
Clearly, he could not die here.
Otherwise, that girl would forever lose her chance for resurrection, never to gaze upon the world she loved again.
Logically, the wisest choice would have been to distance himself from dd-chan and Maria, who were members of the Starry Society the moment the situation arose.
But by the time he regained his senses—
His body was already blocking the way.
Surprisingly, he felt no regret.
However, Sō’s act of bravery couldn’t break the deadlock.
Ultimately, he was merely posturing.
The orders given to the X-level psychic beings were to kill all entities on the island.
Even if Sō retained the strength of the Black Flame King, this was an inevitable battle for them.
Dd-chan, who was behind Sō, also noticed that he was just buying time.
It seemed that the Black Flame King was truly just an ordinary person at this moment.
(I have something to ask Mr. “Cutest Girl in the World”… is your ability to come back from the dead usable an unlimited number of times?)
Dd-chan’s voice directly echoed in Nagisa’s mind.
It appeared that it had synchronized its powers to a certain extent with Nagisa’s senses, allowing mental communication even without speech.
(By the way, can it be applied to other people… or fantasy monsters…?)
(Unfortunately, it’s not as you imagine.) Nagisa replied to dd-chan’s inquiry with a low voice in his mind.
(Then let me ask another question—will Lord Garuda arrive in time to save us?)
Dd-chan’s words seemed to cut deeply into Nagisa’s heart.
(…No, Garuda… he won’t be coming anymore…)
After a brief pause, Nagisa managed to squeeze out an answer from the depths of his sorrow.
That being who had been by his side ever since he came to the “Star Drawing” world, almost like family—Garuda—was no longer there.
He had lost him forever…
Thinking of this made Nagisa lower his eyes.
……
Dd-chan, who was observing all these details, seemed to grasp certain truths.
However, Nagisa’s series of despondent replies did not dampen dd-chan’s fighting spirit; instead, it made its gaze resolute.
—It seems… from now on, it can only depend on me… us?
—Yes, dd-chan.
The image of Sō standing alone between himself and the enemy was clearly reflected in dd-chan’s crimson eyes.
In a daze.
It seemed everything returned to the altar from years past.
The Elemental Sovereign standing on the altar.
And the contracted beasts—family—who had shielded him.
—How nostalgic.
Except this time.
He stood on the other side.
On the side where he was meant to be.
—It’s a pity I can’t empathize with you in this regard…
—Is that so?
A youthful, adorable voice responded to dd-chan’s words with a sense of confusion.
—However, my feelings for wanting to protect her are the same as yours.
—Mmm, thank you, dd-chan. Thanks to you, I can see Light-kun again… no, it should be Nagisa-nee now… right?
—By the way, I never asked you… how does it feel to learn that your admired older brother has become a beautiful girl?
Dd-chan asked curiously.
—Well, it’s quite complicated… If I get the chance in the future, I must playfully tease Light-kun…
—Good idea; you must bring me along then.
Dd-chan responded to the voice in its heart and silently took a step forward.
Maria, who was mentally alert, immediately noticed its movement.
“…dd-chan?”
“Maria-nee, take everyone and leave.” dd-chan replied in a low voice, but its tone revealed girlish innocence.
“What!?” Nagisa froze for a moment.
Sō, standing in front, couldn’t help but turn his face slightly upon hearing the voice.
His pale-yellow eyes met dd-chan’s crimson gaze.
Just like years ago.
Without needing words, he understood what dd-chan intended to do.
“Leave this to me, Miss Akagane. You all take care of protecting everyone—”
“—No, leave this to the one who arrives later.” Maria interrupted dd-chan’s words, excitedly saying.
“No, the future of this world still needs you humans to create it—” dd-chan replied in an unarguable tone, its handsome face revealing an unprecedented seriousness: “I am different; I am just a fantasy monster.”
“…What do you mean?!”
Maria did not understand the meaning behind dd-chan’s words.
“Actually, I finally figured it out recently.” dd-chan stepped forward, passed Sō, and stood at the front of everyone in his place.
“Fantasy monsters are beings that traverse from the future; for us, the future is the past.”
“We do not have a future; we cannot create a new future—”
“!?” dd-chan’s words touched Nagisa’s heart.
At that moment, she vaguely felt that she had grasped a certain truth.
“We are merely a group of futureless old folks; the beautiful future of this world can only be created by you humans.” After finishing, dd-chan suddenly changed its tone and added: “This time, please fulfill the wish you were unable to complete before—Maria-nee.”
This time.
Maria finally came to her senses.
This tone, and the one who would use such a name for her was—
“…Yui-chan?”
Nagisa also responded.
Dd-chan was an artificial fantasy monster, a product of the artificial deity plan, in other words, a vessel for the soul.
During the False God, White Spirit incident in Kawanokuni City, the purified soul of Yui was housed in dd-chan’s body.
Standing here at this moment was not just dd-chan but also—Yui.
In an instant.
Nagisa felt as if she had once again met the gaze of the girl who had always followed her.
That was not a gaze from a long-awaited reunion.
But a farewell gaze filled with resoluteness.
In a daze.
Nagisa felt the image of dd-chan in front of her overlapping with Garuda’s figure.
No, don’t…
Stop…
I don’t want to lose everyone anymore…
I…
“I’m sorry…” dd-chan, or Yui, or perhaps both, spoke in unison.
The next moment.
A thick white mist instantly enveloped Nagisa, Sō, Erika, and Maria.
The authority of the mist was satisfying the “wish” of the soul named “Yui”—to send everyone away from here.
Perhaps under the influence of the X-level psychic beings’ powers, even the mist authority could not teleport everyone off the island, but at least it could take them a bit farther away, even just a little bit—that was the last wish of this girl.
She had already lost her admired “brother” once.
And it seemed that heaven had given her a chance to make up for that regret.
Therefore, this time—
She would absolutely not let history repeat itself.
“Yui-chan— you idiot—” Maria desperately reached out her hand in her last struggle.
The mist’s teleportation had already begun to take effect.
Before all the present X-level psychics could react.
“Farewell… Maria-nee, and… Light-kun.” Yui whispered back to the crowd disappearing with the mist.
However, in the brief moment before Maria disappeared.
An object reflecting light traced a golden parabolic arc and was thrown toward dd-chan.
The latter caught it with a swift motion.
Lying in its palm was an “Eternal Flower”—the authority of dusk.
Returning to its owner.
“Maria-nee is still as gentle as ever…”
“Is that so? From my perspective, she’s just a muscle-bound fool.”
Dd-chan, holding the dusk authority tightly in its palm, turned around.
Facing the X-level psychics before it.
“I’m sorry for making you wait—”
Having said that.
Dd-chan suddenly transformed back into a palm-sized doll.
The X-level psychics were not in a hurry, as they believed that even if Sō and the others were teleported away, they couldn’t escape the field they had established.
“Since the opportunity is rare, let me introduce myself to everyone.” dd-chan said lightly with a relaxed tone.
“My name is the Evil Spirit Dokidoki, a fantasy monster born from urban legends.”
“My true form, as you can see, is a doll.”
“Let’s tentatively call it—original state?”
“Next, this is…”
As dd-chan spoke, it activated the mist authority it was holding—
A plume of white mist instantly enveloped it, and around it, translucent specters were birthed within the mist.
“Let’s provisionally call this the ‘first form’.”
“Next—”
Dd-chan grasped the Thunder authority in its left hand.
Lightning shattered the sky, striking down upon dd-chan enveloped by the mist.
Amid the thunderous roar and thick fog, dd-chan’s shape changed from that of a palm-sized doll to a tall silhouette.
“Sorry to keep you waiting; this is probably my ‘second form’—you can call me the Lord of Ghosts.”
“…Lastly.”
“This is me… our third form—”
The final authority of dusk was forcefully grasped by another hand—
Mist.
Dusk.
The Lord of Dusk, the master of yin and yang, the god of mist.
A remnant image traversing between light and dark.
The messenger of desire and cost, the sovereign of illusions woven from reality and fantasy.
False God: White Spirit.
“Gaaaaaaaaaaa—！！！！”
The roar of the False God White Spirit tore apart the field wrapping the island and echoed throughout the night sky.
