Chapter Seventy-Eight: The Report Called “The Day After Tomorrow”
The long night has finally passed.
The battle of Bai Ling has come to an end.
The disappearance of the “false god Bai Ling” has caused the realm of dusk to begin to collapse.
However, before that, Kanade and others had already left the world of dusk through the “exit”.
And the unconscious Alice and the “restored” DD-chan were sent out of the realm by Garuda.
“A-Alice Captain?!”
Alice, lying outside the special organization SEMA building, was discovered by the late-arriving Manaki.
“…Manaki?” Alice opened her heavy eyelids, and what came into view was the starry night sky after the rain had passed.
“Did I really win?”
Alice murmured to herself. She had lost her memories after transforming into a dragon and only vaguely remembered using countless swords to end the life of the false god Bai Ling.
Although she felt uneasy about whether she had defeated the false god Bai Ling, the object tightly held in her hand made her understand her victory.
It was a pendant.
A preserved flower pendant of “Dusk Flower” wrapped in crystal-clear amber.
The power of dusk.
The power that once belonged to her had returned to her hands.
However, this time, she did not plan to hand over this power until she clarified the traitors within “special organization SEMA” and “the academy.”
The achievements against the false god Bai Ling were accepted by Alice.
“Alice Captain, what exactly happened? Why has the SEMA building turned into this, and the Minister is not responding to my messages…” Manaki anxiously paced around.
“Manaki… we might have a lot to do next.”
Alice cast him a sympathetic glance.
After the incident with the false god Bai Ling, the SEMA branch in Kawano City would undoubtedly face a thorough investigation from the headquarters.
Is Yoshikatsu Kawanokushi, the Minister of the SEMA branch, missing because of the death of the false god Bai Ling?
“Alice-san—!”
The figures of Kanade and others, who had helped each other out of the SEMA building, appeared.
“Hikage, welcome back.” Alice looked at the approaching Mana and revealed an apologetic smile.
“Alice-san, your eyes are very beautiful.” Mana said with a smile.
“……Thank you.”
Under the wishes of Mana and others, Kizuki Tsubaki was transformed back from “the priestess of Bai Ling” to a human.
Her existence was restored in the perceptions of people and the world.
However, the blank half a year during which she was the priestess of Bai Ling needed to be addressed with the intervention of SEMA.
As for another wish object, “Evil Spirit Dokidoki-chan.”
“How about it? Am I not extremely cute?”
DD-chan boastfully leaned her face toward Kanade.
“You’re too close—!”
Her twisted features reverted back to normal under the influence of the wish.
At the same time, she had now become an independent fantasy creature and no longer existed as an attachment to the false god Bai Ling.
“DD-chan, are you too excited—!” Kanade suddenly thought of something amid DD-chan’s antics.
“Could it be that you are now… hiding your shyness?”
“…..N-no~” DD-chan shyly averted her gaze.
“Senpai discovered that after making a self-sacrificing speech, she ended up returning unscathed, so she is shy, right~” The playful Kizuki joined in humiliating DD-chan.
“Huh, huh?! How could that be possible!?”
“DD-chan, are you stuttering when you talk?”
“I remember the last line was—’Protect the children…'” Kizuki said with a mocking smile.
“Ah! Ahhhhhhh!!!”
“Why did you suddenly make such a loud noise…” DD-chan’s shout startled Chika, who covered her ears with her hands.
Under the dazzling starry sky, the joyful laughter of the survivors echoed.
Garuda circled above the SEMA branch.
Its crimson eyes observed the people on the ground.
The false god Bai Ling, no, Yui.
Her soul seemed to reside within DD-chan’s body.
Mana’s wish seemed to have deviated due to “the intervention of some power.”
Yui’s soul fused with the fragmented memories hidden within DD-chan.
Now, she resembled a sleeping baby, waiting for the day of awakening.
Meanwhile, Nagi was kneeling at home, receiving a lecture from her family.
Her sneaky act of slipping out was naturally discovered by her family after experiencing a minor earthquake and storm in Kawano City.
Nagi could only explain that she couldn’t resist wanting to join Kanade and the others’ celebration feast.
But worried that her parents wouldn’t approve, she had to sneak out alone.
“Nagi, do you know that as a girl, it’s very dangerous to go out alone at night?” Renji, midway through his reprimand, couldn’t help but sigh, “No, how could you possibly know.”
Well, after all, her character is the “naive beautiful girl with no guard up.”
“This child has finally entered the rebellious phase, hasn’t she?”
“Yes, it’s about time for that~”
Nagi’s parents looked down at her sitting on the floor, her obedient and adorable appearance making it hard to feel angry.
“Well, Nagi already knows she’s wrong, so how about we forgive her here?”
“Mother, are you serious? At a time like this, you should continue to lecture her so she understands her mistakes deeply!” Renji seemed unable to accept his mother’s suggestion.
“Renji is such a strict brother~”
“Evil sister!”
“Huh?! Nagi, what did you just say?”
“There’s a cat meowing, right?” Nagi replied immediately.
“Are you treating me like a fool?”
“Poof poof—! I’m mad, I’m going to call big sister to complain! You evil sister~!” Nagi pouted and hurried back to her room.
“Wait a minute! Why are you the one getting angry here!?”
“What a pair of close siblings~” Nagi’s mother sighed.
“Ren, although I know Nagi is very cute, being too much of a sister complex is not good, okay?”
“Huh? What nonsense is father talking about? That Nagi person isn’t cute at all!”
“Ugh~ Ren is also in a rebellious phase, huh~”
……
……
Due to the disappearance of the false god Bai Ling, Kawano City returned to its peaceful daily life.
On the second day of the cultural festival at Hoshikage High School, the news of Ryouko Yano’s arrest spread throughout the city overnight.
It put Hoshikage High School, which had relied on her fame to promote the cultural festival, in a very awkward position.
The number of media reporters coming to cover Hoshikage High School the next day was overwhelming.
As a result, the cultural festival on the second day had to be suspended.
Hoshikage High School’s cultural festival ended up lasting only one day.
Kanade felt a bit regretful.
He had originally planned to confess to Nagi at the bonfire party on the last day of the cultural festival.
This rumor was quite famous among students.
It was said that confessing on the last day of the cultural festival would lead to success, and both parties could stay happy together forever.
“It’s okay, after all, there’s next year’s cultural festival, right?” Rin patted Kanade’s shoulder and comforted him. “Confess to Nagi next year~”
“Huh, huh?! I never thought that—” Kanade’s face instantly turned bright red.
“What? Do you have someone else you want to confess to, Kanade? Should I tell Nagi right now—”
Rin said with a mischievous smile and called out toward Nagi, “Nagi~ Kanade seems to have something he wants to tell you today~!”
“Mm?” Nagi turned her head upon hearing the voice. Her flowing dark hair stood out against her white dress, reflecting a charming shimmer under the lights.
Coupled with her graceful figure and the contours obscured by the white dress, Kanade couldn’t help but steal glances at her.
—Is my childhood friend becoming more and more enchanting recently?
Mana and Alice, who were standing beside Nagi, looked at Kanade with puzzled expressions.
Then the two seemed to understand what was about to happen and, in perfect synergy, moved to the dessert area on the other side.
Meanwhile, Chika and Kizuki were already golden-eyed and whispering excitedly.
This was the celebration feast.
It had been almost a week since the last celebration feast.
To compensate for the last unsuccessful celebration, this gathering took place in a high-end hotel buffet restaurant.
Alice personally footed the bill.
She booked the entire restaurant and invited Nagi, who had not been able to attend previously, along with Kizuki, who had just returned to normal life.
“Kanade-kun, what’s wrong?” Nagi eagerly put down the plate she was using to pick desserts and quickly ran toward Kanade.
The star bracelet on her wrist reflected twinkling stars under the lights.
Rin discerned the situation and tactfully moved away from Kanade.
“Ah, no, I—uh, wow, be careful!?”
Just as Kanade was blushing and stammering, not knowing what to do, Nagi suddenly had an idea, and a star-like glint flashed in her eyes.
Wearing the pure white dress, Nagi accidentally tripped her left leg over her right leg, performing a very fitting fall for her “naive beauty” persona.
Seeing this, Kanade swiftly stepped forward to catch Nagi.
And during the fall, Nagi subtly adjusted her balance—
puni~puni~
“Eh!?”
“Eh—”
Kanade’s hands, which were supporting Nagi, strangely happened to grab two very soft, full, and elastic things.
This supreme sensation made Kanade succumb to the most primal instincts of life, reflexively curling his fingers a few times, as if trying to repeatedly feel this irresistible touch.
“Uh—”
It was only when Kanade saw the charming red tint spreading across Nagi’s lovely face that he snapped back to reality.
What on earth did he just grab?
“W-wait!? I-I—!”
With a bang.
Kanade felt his face burning as if it was going to catch fire.
In his panic to get up, his hands inadvertently tightened their grip a little.
“Mmha~~~”
This made an unfamiliar sweet breath escape from Nagi’s full, glistening lips.
Kanade’s mind instantly went blank—
“Wah wah wah wah~~~~” Everyone behind them, feeling shy, covered their faces and made strange noises.
Until Alice, unable to watch any longer, intervened to help Kanade out of the situation.
But for Kanade, who was experiencing the difference between genders for the first time, the lingering touch and warmth in his hands ensured that this night would be one without sleep.
