Beyond the door to the rooftop—there lay a night sky I had never seen before.
"What... is this..."
It was an unnatural sky, one that made even me—who had braced myself for an abnormal sight—mutter those words involuntarily.
On a pitch-black canvas floated countless soap bubbles, each one a condensed cluster of shining stars and swirling galaxies.
The rooftop we stood on was also floating in this pitch-black space, just like those soap bubbles.
And right in front of us was a colossal—so truly massive that looking up didn't even reveal its top—white mass.
It took me a moment to realize that it was the fang of the Kaigyo.
"Erika, is that...!"
Rea, who had been gazing in awe, suddenly raised her voice and pointed forward.
Floating there was a semi-transparent girl.
"It's Yumemi chan... Yumemi chan!"
Shouting her name, I broke into a run toward the fence, trying to get even a little closer to her.
She had her eyes closed as if she were asleep and didn't react to my voice.
In that case, I just needed to get closer and call out to her—thinking that, I stepped forward, but something flew right at my feet.
Clang! With a sharp metallic sound, a metal card pierced the floor.
"Don't get in my way!"
"Setaguchi sensei...!"
I glared back at Setaguchi, who was glaring at us.
He had climbed over the fence and was floating in mid-air, trying to approach Yumemi chan before we could.
"Setaguchi, what are you planning? Getting close to that thing will only rot you as well."
Marin told him.
Her hostility no longer held any hesitation.
"Marin... It saddens me that you'd look at your father with those eyes. I don't recall raising you to be such a child!"
"I do not recognize you as my father. I've already decided that."
"So you deny our blood tie?"
"I am saying you are gravely mistaken if you think you can act like a father based on blood alone."
"Tch... What cheeky talk. Fine, now that we're here, it doesn't matter what happens to you all. What I have to do remains the same!"
"What are you planning, Setaguchi?!"
When Rea demanded an answer, Setaguchi bared his teeth in a grin and began running toward Yumemi chan again.
"You were the ones who told me! I am going to become a part of God, and without relying on anyone, I will create the True World with my own power!"
"Giraiguu is already dead. There is no need for you to be bound by God anymore."
"You're wrong, Hiyami. I realized what God truly is after witnessing Giraiguu's pathetic end."
"Was the answer something someone of your caliber could deduce?"
Hiyami san was absolutely right.
From what we'd heard, Giraiguu wasn't originally an entity called a God anyway.
It was likely just a being living quietly in some alternate dimension.
Because humans sought it out and taught it the taste of prey—it was reduced to an evil god that devoured souls, and was ultimately rotted away by the Kaigyo.
"Wrong. My answer is one only I can reach. People believe in the God they want to believe in. A selfish, convenient delusion—that is what God is."
"A denial of faith, huh. So the Kaisei kyou is just an amalgamation of delusions?"
"Even if it's a delusion, when gathered together, it holds power. And if there is an entity 'close' to that shared fantasy, people will project their delusion onto it. They distort their cognition and try to equate the two."
"You sound like you're saying Giraiguu was never a God in the first place."
"To be precise, it didn't matter what it was. As long as it was a suitable medium to project our delusions onto."
"...That's enough, Setaguchi sensei."
"Kuragane Erika. The woman who was supposed to be a sacrifice... I never imagined you would survive this long."
"Thanks for the compliment. But despite all your complicated reasoning, the bottom line is that you just want to ride the coattails of the strongest power, right? Giraiguu was weaker than you thought, so you're trying to switch sides to the Kaigyo."
"What an uneducated way of putting it."
The twisted look on his face really resembled Ooki's; it made me suspect he was actually blood-related to her rather than Marin.
"I pride myself on being better than an unrefined teacher."
"It seems I can't reach a mutual understanding with an idiot through conversation."
"You never had any intention of reaching a mutual understanding in the first place."
"If you beg for your lives and swear loyalty to me, I might just let you live."
"Do you think you've become a God or something? Just by floating in mid-air?"
"I am going to obtain the power of God. The future known as victory is already set in stone!"
Saying that, he sprinted across the invisible path in the air and approached the fang.
His eyes were clouded with greed.
He had the gall to call me uneducated, and considering how cunningly he'd lived until today, he was probably quite quick-witted in his own way.
Therefore, under normal circumstances, he should have realized it long ago.
But this abnormal world, his exhausted mind, and his clouded vision concealed everything—leaving him unable to realize his own foolishness.
"Now, Kaigyo, make me your core! By absorbing a perfect human, not just a soul, demonstrate your true power! And together with me, the True World—!"
When Setaguchi called out, Yumemi chan's soul finally detached from the fang.
The semi-transparent soul floated toward us, as if being drawn in.
Its destination wasn't me—it was Nemusia.
She watched with an anxious expression as Yumemi chan's soul approached her.
Meanwhile, Setaguchi's body was entangled in tentacle-like objects extending from the fang.
The tentacles were definitely reflected in my vision.
But whether they were black or white, or if they even truly existed there—even that felt doubtful.
The Kaigyo is an entity living in a different dimension.
Librio san had told me that, but even if I understood it logically, I hadn't grasped exactly what kind of phenomenon that meant.
Now, that very phenomenon was unfolding right before my eyes.
"Yes... Accept me. I will be the perfect core, Kaigyo...!"
A smile formed on Setaguchi's face.
Well—we could just leave him be.
Yumemi chan and Nemusia were the bigger issue.
Yumemi chan's soul stopped just as it arrived in front of her physical body.
I walked up to Nemusia and squeezed her hand.
"Now that the time has come, it's quite frightening."
Nemusia's voice was trembling.
Naturally.
The moment two souls enter a single human body—we were about to personally conduct an "experiment" that no one in this world had probably ever experienced.
"I understand it all. I am a person who was originally supposed to be dead. I am only surviving as an exception. Even if my soul is expelled from this body, it aligns much better with the laws of nature than Ikuna Yumemi dying."
"There's no right or wrong in something like this."
"But you wish for Ikuna Yumemi to live more than you wish for me to remain, do you not?"
Eyes belonging not to a queen, but to a girl trembling with anxiety, looked straight at me.
My chest inevitably ached.
But that was only for a moment.
Because the answer was obvious.
Perhaps regretting her words, Nemusia immediately opened her mouth to apologize.
But before she could, I answered:
"Yes, I do."
Nemusia's eyes went wide.
I felt the air freeze.
Rea and Marin were probably surprised as well.
But I wouldn't deny it.
I couldn't possibly deny it.
My beloved best friend Yumemi chan, versus Nemusia, who, despite us entrusting our lives to each other, I had only known for a few days.
If I had to compare them, that was the only possible answer.
"If you ask me, I can't lie. If I have to prioritize, that's how it is."
"I... see. No, you are right. I asked knowing full well what the answer would be."
"But that doesn't mean it's okay for you to die, Nemusia. I still want to be with you for a long time. I'd be sad if you disappeared, and I wouldn't be able to be truly happy even with Yumemi chan back. Librio san entrusted you to me, so I'd be breaking my promise to him too."
"I-I apologize... Um, I didn't mean to sound bitter or anything..."
"I know, you're scared. I'm not blaming you. It's just—if I'm forced to compare, I do like Yumemi chan more, but absolutely no one here thinks it's okay for you to disappear."
Saying that, I pulled Nemusia into a hug.
"Do you understand?"
"Yes... Your kindness, Erika, has come across painfully clear."
"Kindness and Kuragane Erika were supposed to mix about as well as oil and water, though."
"You must have changed through your revenge. And I... wish to continue watching the path you take."
By the way, while we were having this exchange, Setaguchi's fusion with the fang was progressing, and Yumemi chan's soul had patiently waited for us the entire time.
Though I couldn't hear her voice, she was smiling, watching us with a warm gaze.
"I kept you... waiting."
Nemusia stepped back from me and faced Yumemi chan once again.
"Or rather, it's impressive that you were able to wait."
I thought the same thing.
It seemed she was surprisingly flexible.
"I am ready to accept you—no, that is incorrect. I am ready to return your body to you. Regardless of the outcome, I will harbor no grudges or regrets toward anyone. Come, enter."
Nemusia spread her arms wide and closed her eyes.
Yumemi chan's soul drew closer and reached out toward her chest.
It sank directly into the body.
It settled in, as if to declare that the heart itself is the vessel that houses the soul.
Aside from Setaguchi's groans, the area was silent.
In that silence, a tense Rea gulped audibly.
Gii, Inoue san, and the others also focused their serious gazes on Nemusia.
Slowly, she opened her eyes.
"...Mm, um, this is difficult to say, but..."
I knew instantly from the tone.
"It is still me."
Yep, it was Nemusia.
She had properly remained.
Hearing her way of speaking, my tension eased a notch.
"How should I put this, it feels so normal it's almost anticlimactic. It seems I am allowed to remain in this physical body."
"I'm glad."
When I smiled at her, Nemusia's expression relaxed as well.
Then, Rea spoke up in a loud voice.
"Yeah, thank goodness! And from the way you phrased it, Yumemi san's soul has properly returned too, right?"
"Indeed. I merely came to the forefront first to convey that I had remained. I will now switch with Ikuna Yumemi—mm, her full name is long. I will switch with Yumemi."
Saying that, Nemusia closed her eyes.
In the next instant, her hair color turned black.
Her eyelids fluttered open.
The color of the eyes that appeared was not Nemusia's either—it was the color of a Japanese girl, Yumemi chan's color.
Her gaze was directed straight at me.
The moment our eyes met, my heart did a massive flip, and all the words I'd intended to say completely vanished from my mind.
"U-Um... err..."
But I had to say it.
Before Yumemi chan could, I had to say it first.
"Yumemi chan!"
"Hmm?"
"Um... I'm sorry!"
I bowed my head forcefully.
Ideally, I suppose there were more appropriate words for an emotional reunion to start with.
But this was absolutely a necessary process for me.
In response, Yumemi chan similarly bowed her head toward me.
"I should be the one apologizing."
"...Eh?"
"Even if you realized it, Erika chan, I still used you as a tool for revenge. Forcing you to risk your life in such a painful, agonizing world... I've done something absolutely unforgivable."
"That's not true! The moment you were absorbed by the Kaigyo—you just took the best possible measure available to you, Yumemi chan!"
"No matter how much I know it 'couldn't be helped', the guilt won't disappear."
Yumemi chan's voice was trembling.
My eyes were tearing up as well.
We were the same.
I knew it from the start.
My mistaken belief that 'Yumemi chan is a traitor' and the hatred I harbored—I knew that if I told her, she would surely forgive me.
Even so, I couldn't forgive myself.
That's why I apologized like this.
What Yumemi chan was saying was the exact same thing.
Therefore, what we sought was also the same.
Only by giving it to each other could we finally return to how we "used to be."
"I understand. Then, I will dare to say this: I... forgive you, Yumemi chan."
Forgiveness. Atonement.
By clearly voicing it like this, even if not entirely, we would be freed from our guilt.
"Thank you, Erika chan. And... I forgive you too, Erika chan."
In doing so, we erased the bad blood between us.
There were no longer any walls between us.
That's why—as if drawn together, we joined our hands.
Intertwining our fingers, bringing our faces close, and gently pressing our foreheads together.
"Yumemi chan."
"Erika-chan... I've wanted to see you for so long. Dreaming only of meeting you again, and finally, it finally came true."
"We'll be together forever from now on. I'm not going anywhere ever again."
"Yeah, yeah! Erika chan... I'm home."
"Welcome back, Yumemi chan."
Both of us shedding streams of tears, we hugged each other tightly.
Not caring about the eyes of those around us, letting our emotions take over, raising our voices and sobbing like children.
From the bottom of our hearts, we savored the joy of finally returning to our original forms as humans, and the happiness of being able to touch each other and feel each other's body heat.
"I'm so glad for you, Erika..."
Rea was also tearing up, rejoicing for us.
Gii, standing beside her, was clapping while laughing reservedly, "Gishishi."
Marin, Hiyami san, Inoue san, and the others were all congratulating us too—I had never even imagined a future where someone like me would be celebrated by others like this.
This is what lay at the end of revenge.
In truth, an apology wasn't even necessary.
That wasn't just Yumemi chan's revenge alone.
For me as well, it was a necessary slaughter to move forward.
"—Hey, are you done yet?"
Setaguchi's voice echoed out, completely shattering the touching atmosphere.
"Of course we're not. It would have been great if you had just stayed quiet."
I shot him a glare, making my face look blatantly disgusted.
Yumemi chan did the same.
Or rather, the vast majority of people present were glaring at Setaguchi.
"I don't find this very amusing. Look, I have become the Kaigyo's core. Now that I am connected to the Kaigyo, I understand. I can manipulate this power of rot to a certain extent."
"Wow, amazing."
"And I have realized something else. When Giraiguu was summoned, Hikarinomiya Academy transformed into a sort of alternate dimension. Giraiguu's territory. Because of that, the Kaigyo's rot was unable to exert its influence outside the academy."
"I figured as much. Thanks, Setaguchi sensei, for telling us the outside world is safe. Now I have hope."
We hadn't had any concrete proof until now, after all.
This meant we could safely aim for the outside world.
"What hope! I'm telling you I'm going to crush it right now. I am not a half-baked existence consisting only of a soul; I am a perfect 'core'. With this power, I can rot and destroy the world however I desire!"
"Your goal was to destroy it? I thought your desire was to change it, or reach the True World?"
"With the power to destroy, one can also create a new world. Am I wrong?"
"I guess I really don't care, since you aren't going to succeed anyway."
When I said that, Setaguchi glared at me with an "Hah?"
Was he so drunk on a sense of omnipotence now that he still couldn't realize his own standing?
"You still don't get it? Earlier, after we defeated Giraiguu, the reason we were casually chatting about the methods to become the Kaigyo's core was to let you hear it while you were hiding, Setaguchi sensei."
"...What?"
Setaguchi's expression, which had been brimming with confidence, clouded over slightly.
Then, perhaps wanting to join in on the bullying, Hiyami san added:
"Did you not think that if we were making such careless conversation while high on defeating Giraiguu, someone would have stopped us? Since you know me, Setaguchi kun, normally you should have thought of that."
"That's... true, if it were someone as calm as Hiyami..."
"I discussed it with Hiyami san and the others and we decided to do it that way, but it felt a bit too unnatural, so I was actually sweating bullets thinking you'd figure it out."
"But I still became the core! Your enemy obtained power, you know?!"
"First of all, with the Kaigyo's main fang right here, we didn't know if this rooftop was a safe space for humans or not. We have a lot of normal people here who don't possess any powers."
"You used me as a poison taster...!"
"Next, in the event that the Kaigyo's fang discarded Yumemi chan, who was only a soul, and sought a human with a physical body as a core, we absolutely wanted to avoid one of our allies being chosen. If Nemusia's body had been taken, there was a risk that the core would reach a perfected state."
"Then, the reason I became the core like this... was just because it was convenient for you...?"
"Yeah, and we didn't know where the stairs to the roof were either, so you doubled as our guide."
Setaguchi's face grew rapidly red as he learned the truth.
Whether out of anger or embarrassment.
Either way, the destination of those emotions was him lashing out at us.
"Making a fool out of meeeeee!"
"Of course we'd make a fool out of you. You convinced yourself the Adrasia Kingdom was the True World, treated your beloved Giraiguu sama as a mere tool, and worshipped Yumemi chan as God. Right?"
"Yeah, that was actually pretty fun. The adults frolicking around without knowing the ritual was ruined... Hehe, it truly was ugly and foolish. So foolish, though them starting to eat humans was genuinely repulsive."
"And even now, you still think you've become a perfect core."
"Think it or not, I have a physical body and a soul! Was this not the condition for becoming a perfect core?!"
"You really don't know why the Kaigyo chose me as its core, do you?"
"Tell me... why did the Kaigyo choose you, Ikuna Yumemi!"
"Hatred. The Kaigyo chooses a human harboring intense hatred as its core. Otherwise, it cannot spread its poison to the world."
For the Kaigyo to interfere with a world in a different dimension, it needs a human to act as a buffer.
And similarly, for the Kaigyo's rot to exert its effects on a different dimension, it needed to pass through a filter of hatred.
"Setaguchi sensei, you've got a good face, you're popular with women, and you've lived your life satisfying your desires by thoroughly destroying other people's families. You've led a life as far removed from hatred as possible, haven't you?"
"Ha, haha... Hatred? I have that too. That's right, I sought the True World because I hated this world! And above all, right now, in this very place, I hate all of you! You who played me for a fool!"
"If so, let's see it then. Your 'rot', Setaguchi sensei."
And if you show us something as strong as Yumemi chan's, I'll praise you at least a little bit.
Not that I expect much, anyway.
"Don't mock me—Slaughter every last one of them, my hatred!"
Countless "black faces" floated up around Setaguchi.
Looking like stereotypical grudges or vengeful spirits, they all uniformly let out repulsive groans.
"How filthy."
Marin cut them down with a single phrase.
"Gishi, but I don't feel any fear."
"Compared to the Gangrene we have faced, They don't seem like much."
Whoa, she suddenly switched to Nemusia.
They can switch places that quickly... That surprised me.
"Erika senpai, should we intercept them with everyone?"
Setaguchi's rot was already unleashed.
They rapidly closed in on us.
If even a single one slipped past, the lives of the powerless people behind us would be taken.
Even while saying he hated us, he'd casually—or rather, prioritizingly—involve unrelated people as well.
That was just the kind of person he was.
"No—I'll be enough on my own."
Configuration.
Minimum power.
Specialize in quantity.
"Don't just stand there fiddling with your smartphone, Kuragane Erika!"
Specify targets upon activation, sever almost simultaneously after activation.
Ah, they don't need to be perfectly simultaneous.
The interval is infinitely close to zero, but not zero—in short, an evolved form of Sword Dancer.
It's a Rank 6 skill, so it should be able to do at least this much, right?
I'm not asking for a total combined power equal to Meteor Dive, anyway.
Yeah, I can do this.
"...Erika senpai, it was really okay to leave this to you, right?!"
The enemies were right before our eyes, close enough to make Hiyami san panic.
But it's fine. Since I said I'd do it, I'll do it.
"Strike them down, Sword Barrage!"
It happened in an instant.
I'm probably the only one who could perceive it.
In compressed time, I slashed at the rot, moved to the next piece of rot, and slashed again.
One slash per target.
Therefore, the power wasn't anything special.
However, as long as they were in my field of vision, the number of targetable entities was practically unlimited.
Therefore, it was a simple task to completely negate something as shallow as Setaguchi's hatred.
Having finished the deed, I landed back in my original spot.
The normal flow of time caught up a moment later.
The pieces of rot finally realized that they had been slashed, and violently exploded in mid-air.
Without a single one remaining.
Without a single trace.
Setaguchi's prized Kaigyo Gangrene had vanished entirely.
"What... was that..."
Thank you for that textbook reaction.
"Starting with Shudou kun, then Shiromachi kun, Suguro kun, Nakami san, Ooki, and finally Setaguchi sensei."
"What are you talking about? Why is my name lined up with theirs!"
"The people who were given power directly by the Kaigyo. Setaguchi sensei, unlike the other teachers on the third floor, you obtained high physical abilities without needing to equip fragments of Giraiguu. Am I wrong?"
"That's right... But that is because I was chosen!"
"Yes, you were chosen. Do you know why?"
Setaguchi couldn't answer.
I chuckled and looked over at Yumemi chan.
She also tilted her head slightly and giggled.
Turning back to face him, I gave him the answer.
"Because you were people who deserved to die. Having a just cause is important, you know. Plus, defeating monsters makes me stronger. Isn't that right, Yumemi chan?"
"It was primarily a means to effectively utilize the Kaigyo's excess power, but I also thought it could act as a guidepost. Because if you give power to those kinds of people, they will inevitably try to oppress and dominate others."
"They just become the villains on their own. They were easy to manipulate, huh."
"...You're saying the one who chose me was Ikuna Yumemi."
"Yes, I chose you."
"You chose me, in order to be killed."
"Yes. You must be aware of it yourself, right? That you have plenty of reasons to be killed."
If he was an executive of the Kaisei kyou, he must have been deeply involved in Yumemi chan's ritual.
An entity that fully deserved to be resented.
Perhaps Yumemi chan learned of the connection between Setaguchi and the Kuragane family while she was suffering as a sacrifice.
That's why he was prioritized as a target for revenge.
He was granted power purely to be killed by me.
"What... What is this?! I was... being made to dance in the palm of a sacrifice who isn't even an executive!"
"It's exactly because you evaluate humans based on their status that you misjudge them."
"Marin! Your name is an expression of her love for me, isn't it?! At the very least, you should love me!"
"Don't force your expectations on me, it makes me want to vomit."
Marin raised her katana to the heavens.
A semi-transparent aura was released from it, forming a colossal blade.
"Moon Shadow Greatsword—Erika, I can be the one to deal with that man, right?"
"Of course you can."
"Ah, wait Marin chan! Even if you attack him like that—!"
"Die, Setaguchi!"
Marin attempted to cleave Setaguchi entirely, fang and all.
But Yumemi chan tried to stop her.
Could it be that it won't work?
Setaguchi himself didn't seem to know what the result would be either, looking panicked as he watched the approaching blade—but Marin's slash passed right through him, as if he possessed no physical body.
"No resistance?!"
"Ha... haha... I see, that's right. The moment I became the core, I became an entity of a different dimension. Just as the Kaigyo cannot directly touch you, you cannot touch me either!"
So cores cross over to "the other side."
"I knew it..."
"You knew this would happen, Yumemi senpai?"
"I wasn't ever attacked by anyone, so I never actually experienced it. But I did feel intuitively that I had become 'something like that'."
"Hahahaha! You're out of options! True, my hatred might not match Ikuna Yumemi's. But the moment I became the core, my victory was guaranteed! You all have failed!"
Setaguchi triumphing over us is annoying.
"Tch, you're getting way too full of yourself just from surviving one attack, Setaguchi!"
It seemed Marin was thinking the same thing.
For now our attacks just aren't connecting; it's not like he has a way to defeat us either.
"The third floor has already collapsed. You have no path of retreat. From here on out, it's a battle of attrition—me, with a near-infinite supply of power, versus you, who are ultimately just humans. Now then, let's see how long you can hold out!"
"He's coming at us again, Erika chan. We can be the ones to shoot down those evil spirits this time, right?"
"Please do, Inoue san. I'll figure something out in the meantime."
"You have a way to deal with this next part too, then?"
I nodded at Hiyami san's question.
"What I just did was a test for it. If that worked, then probably—"
"Then we'll leave it to you. Marin, we'll support Erika senpai until then."
"...Right."
"Are you frustrated that you couldn't kill Setaguchi?"
"I wanted to end him with my own hands, after all."
"Then I'll do my best so you can do just that."
"Can you?"
"That's what I'm going to test. I leave the rest to you until then, Marin."
"Yeah, got it, Sister."
She called me "Sister" again.
It still gave me the shivers, but... well, I'm slightly more used to it than the first time.
"I'll swap with Nemusia and fight too."
"Ah, wait. I'll add you to the party just in case, Yumemi chan. If you're connected through the soul, you're probably in a separate slot."
"But even if I join now—no, I see, it's necessary."
"Yeah, it's necessary."
"Then I'll gladly accept."
I added Yumemi chan to the party.
Immediately after, she swapped with Nemusia and faced Setaguchi.
"So it is my turn. Since it has been entrusted to me, let us run wild!"
The large-scale magic unleashed by Nemusia swept away the rot Setaguchi fired.
"Gishishi, opponents like this are my specialty!"
Gii split her tentacles into many strands, shooting down the incoming attacks.
Having cloned herself and manipulating such a massive amount of writhing tentacles, she was definitely effective against "numerous" enemies like this.
"Gii is really reliable, huh."
"Being relied upon by Erika is my reason for existing now. I'll support Erika for the rest of my life!"
She just casually dropped "for the rest of my life."
It's not like she's making an appeal because Yumemi chan is back... right?
No, with Gii, that's entirely possible.
Because despite looking like she stands one step back, she's actually quite aggressive, and seems surprisingly prone to jealousy.
"Ugh... There's so many. With this many coming at us, some are bound to slip through."
Meanwhile, Rea was standing near me with her shield raised.
She was protecting everyone, including the non-combatants, with her barrier.
And while protecting us, she peeked over at my hands.
"What have you been doing for a while now?"
"Having a discussion."
"...With who?"
"The people inside."
"There were people inside...?"
"Software that steals power from the Kaigyo and evolves on its own—that was the power given to us."
"Gii did say something like that."
"In other words, someone created it. And evolving means it has enough brains to think to a certain extent. Because it needs to decide how to grow."
Originally, even basic skills like Water or Illusion Dagger probably didn't exist.
Which means there might have been a time when, even given power, they couldn't even defeat zombies.
But passing through hundreds of millions, trillions, quadrillions of such worlds, they eventually obtained enough power to reach the Kaigyo's fang.
"I'm talking with that person."
"Currently, we've only unlocked up to Rank 6 skills. No, there were times when even Rank 6 didn't exist."
"Is that so. What do you do in that case?"
"We discuss it and create them. That Sword Barrage I used earlier was exactly that. Since it's a combo-type skill, its general direction was decided from the start, but we discussed and decided what exactly the technique would be."
"You can do something like that..."
"Well, I only noticed it for the first time when I tried to learn the skill myself."
When we wiped out the teachers on the third floor, a massive amount of experience points flooded into us.
If we were going to face the Kaigyo on the roof, I wanted to at least acquire some skills beforehand.
Thinking that, I was fiddling with my smartphone while we moved to the roof, and that's when an announcement I had never seen before echoed in my head.
"And so I ended up learning all the Rank 6 skills, but..."
"Then, Rank 7...?"
"Right. I thought it might unlock, so I tried maxing out all my Rank 6 skills to Lv. 10. And when I did, I was able to 'discuss' again."
Rather than learning it, I was creating it.
A skill specifically for this situation, to kill Setaguchi, whose attacks we normally couldn't reach at all.
However, just because it's a new skill doesn't mean it can do everything.
The capacity for customizable effects is strictly limited.
"First is to cross dimensions."
Problematically, this alone ate up a massive amount of capacity.
But it wasn't impossible.
"Me crossing dimensions myself... the burden is too heavy. The blade crossing dimensions? No, I can narrow it down more. The slash—no, rather, just the result of 'cutting' is enough. Shiromachi kun used a similar skill, a bullet that never misses, I think he called it Event Horizon. Something like that is fine."
The part that crosses dimensions is only a tiny fraction.
By trimming down the effects like this, I reduced the capacity needed.
And poured the remaining capacity into generating enough power to sever the fang.
"Ignoring the target's hardness to absolutely cleave them in two. If Full Metal Edge is possible, I can set this too. Yes, crossing dimensions to launch an unblockable attack... With this, it doesn't matter how sturdy the Kaigyo's fang is."
Configuration complete.
A new skill was etched into the library.
I wonder if this skill will also be of use to someone else, someday, in another world.
I'd be happy if a future comes where normal people—not irregulars like us—can simply repel the Kaigyo's fangs.
Acquisition complete.
I gripped my Dreamers tightly.
The dream that Yumemi chan and I had.
The stage that existed solely for revenge.
Let's bring down the curtain.
Let's end the dream, and wake up.
"Erika... it's ready, isn't it?"
Dreamer was clad in a white aura.
The skill was already activated.
Now, all that was left was to swing it.
"Kuragane... What is that power? Why am I terrified just looking at it?!"
It was an instinctual emotion.
Even in a different dimension, he must have looked at it and realized.
That it was a power capable of reaching him.
"Stop it, don't point that thing at me! I obtained the power of God! Enough power to remake the world! Are you going to—!"
Good begging.
As BGM to color the finale, it's a masterpiece.
Now then, it's about time to end this dream.
"Awaken."
I swept Dreamer horizontally, cleaving the sky.
There was no resistance.
Naturally, because it was a blade that severed the hardest of objects just as easily as air.
Whether it be a Kaigyo.
Or a God.
It kills everything, equally.
"The evil spirits Setaguchi unleashed have vanished..."
"Did he lose his power?"
A single line appeared across the Kaigyo's fang, and the bottom section detached and plummeted.
Trailing purple threads, the source of the Gangrene that had burrowed into our world vanished into the abyss.
"My power is draining... give it back, my, my God's power! Don't turn me back into a human, Kaigyoooooooooo!"
Setaguchi's desperate screams were in vain; he was severed from the fang and returned to being a normal human.
Pulled back to this side from the different dimension, he was tossed onto the same school rooftop as us.
"Setaguchi."
Standing in front of him was Marin.
In her right hand was her katana—yes, her nameless katana.
Everyone's weapons, including Erika's, had names.
Dreamer, Aegis, Gyges, Gleipnir—but Marin's katana did not have one.
Because she hated her own name.
The loving words from her mother directed at this man, Setaguchi.
That was the very curse that had bound Kuragane Marin.
"Marin... I am your father. Yes, that's right, once we get outside, why don't we become a proper family? You can leave the Kuragane household and become a Setaguchi. I have money, I have status. You'll be much happier than living in that hopeless house—"
"You saved me."
"Eh?"
"By being someone so easy to kill."
The nameless blade severed his head.
Quietly, emptily, Setaguchi's head, still frozen in stunned disbelief, rolled across the rooftop.
Turning her back on the blood spraying from his neck, Marin parted ways with him forever.
Welcoming that Marin was Hiyami.
When she spread her arms wide, Marin dived straight into her chest without a hint of embarrassment.
"It seems the day you become Hiyami Marin isn't far off either."
Hiyami san, getting carried away.
But Marin didn't reprimand her.
"Once I put an end to Kuragane Marin."
Saying that, she wrapped her arms around her back.
Immediately after, the space that had lost the Kaigyo's fang and its core began to shake violently.
Furthermore, a beastly roar of 『WOOOOOOOOOOONG!』 echoed from the ceiling.
"Guu... what is that voice? It feels so far away... yet so incredibly loud."
"Somehow, it feels like terror is welling up from the very bottom of my stomach..."
Even Gii and Inoue san were frightened.
Unable to endure it, Ushizawa san and Hiashi san reflexively clung to Inoue san.
As for me, my right hand was trembling just from hearing it.
Then, Yumemi chan grasped that hand tightly with both of hers.
"I can't blame you for being scared, but this isn't directed at us."
"The Kaigyo's voice...?"
"Yeah, it got its tooth chopped off, so I think it's crying, 'Oww, that hurts.'"
Hearing it put like that, it suddenly didn't feel scary anymore.
While I was talking with Yumemi chan like that, before I knew it, Rea had grasped my left hand.
...Is she trying to compete?
"So this is the signal that it's over."
"Yeah, it might be just as Oogi san says."
"You can just call me Rea."
"Then Rea san. Call me Yumemi san too."
"Okay! I look forward to our lasting friendship."
The two of them exchanging greetings with me sandwiched in the middle.
It wasn't like sparks were flying... the atmosphere was perfectly nice, but for some reason, my heart was the only one pounding frantically.
The earthquake continued to grow stronger, and finally, the "sky" shattered.
A falling shard plummeted down, embedding itself heavily right next to us.
"The space is collapsing, but I don't see anything resembling an exit anywhere!"
"If we survive this collapse, we might reach the outside—but at this rate, it looks like we'll be crushed before we can."
"I'll protect us with my barrier, so everyone, huddle together as close as you can!"
Dozens of people gathered in one spot, huddling together inside Rea's barrier.
Every time the barrier deflected a falling shard, screams leaked from the people.
"Kuragane san, I'm absolutely terrified, are you sure we're getting out soon?!"
Mitsurugi san cried out.
Even if she asked me that, there was no way I knew for absolute certain.
Though I firmly believed we would.
"Probably!"
"What do you mean 'probably'—"
"It's not like there's any other way, so we just have to endure it!"
"I know that, but—wait, the ground under us is starting to collapse too!"
"Are we falling, Ai?"
"Hold on tight! As long as you're inside the barrier, you won't be crushed!"
Rea encouraged everyone in a loud voice.
But naturally, once the floor collapsed and we began to fall, that didn't hold up.
Almost everyone screamed, and the area was engulfed in chaos.
"Big sister! Big sister!"
"Yoshino oneesan!"
"It's alright, look. You can see light down below."
Inoue san smiled while pulling Hiiro san and Ushizawa san close.
I could see it too.
A light far below.
And what I saw there was—
"The outside world...!"
It wasn't a place I had many fond memories of, but when I saw it, I couldn't help but raise my voice.
Rubble scattered all around, heavy machinery clearing it away, and the figures of human beings.
Finally, the "end" was in sight.
No—perhaps I should call it the "beginning."
"Hey, Erika."
Rea whispered in my ear while clinging to my arm.
"Is there anything you want to do once we get outside?"
"Rather than things I want to do—it's things I have to do. Dealing with my parents, the Kaisei kyou, and various other things, I guess."
"Ah, right. It isn't completely over yet, is it."
"But... I might want to meet your father, Rea."
"M-M-My father?! You want to introduce yourself to my father?!"
"Why are you panicking... Wait no, I didn't mean it like that."
"Ah, really? But how should I introduce you? We aren't... exactly friends... right?"
Rea blushed, looking bashful.
True—calling ourselves friends was just running away from it.
But if we talked about everything completely openly, it really would become a formal "introduction" to the parents—
"Then maybe I should tag along too."
"Wait, why?!"
I reflexively raised my voice in protest.
Yumemi chan smiled mischievously.
"To let him know that Erika chan's lover isn't just one person."
"I-If you say something like that, my dad's head will explode!"
"Gishishi, no problem. I'll be going too."
"Even you, Gii?!"
"I'll introduce myself by saying I'm Erika's servant and slave."
"If you do that, it'll just be... it'll just be complete chaos! Erika, do something!"
A whining Rea is pretty cute too.
"You are escaping from reality, aren't you."
"Don't hit me where it hurts, Nemusia."
Well, I don't think Yumemi chan or Gii would actually do something that outrageous.
...
...
...No, Gii might actually skirt the line and do it.
But the fact that I could fret over things like this was all because we had finally returned to the normal world.
I dropped my gaze to the palm of my hand and lightly clenched my fist.
My power was still there.
Actually, the fact that it hadn't disappeared even after completely separating from the Kaigyo meant it was highly likely to remain permanently.
Inoue san was perfectly alive, after all.
The light drew closer.
The scenery became clearer.
Perhaps because a massive amount of new rubble had fallen from the open hole, the people working there were frantically running away.
Among them, I spotted a strangely calm group of people.
Their eyes looked wrong.
And their outfits were unnatural for construction workers.
"We have to settle the score, don't we."
And just like that—the stage of our battle shifted to the outside world.
From the next chapter, the final arc begins.
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