A bicycle flickered into his hazy, blurred vision. Shiroko pedaled toward him, accompanied by Arona—Subaru's AI assistant—who sat in the phone mount fixed to the handlebars.
A familiar mechanical hum grew louder as the bike tore through the distance at breakneck speed. Arona's capabilities had clearly allowed her to pinpoint Subaru's exact location within the vast expanse of Abydos. It was a remarkable feat; since only Subaru could hear Arona's voice, Shiroko had navigated the trek relying solely on the AI's text messages.
It was no grand, cinematic reunion—merely the rescue of a man who had nearly perished through his own recklessness and poor sense of direction. Yet, hearing that cry filled with grief and worry made Subaru feel a surge of joy, despite the humiliation of his predicament. He mocked himself for such fickle emotions; how could he find happiness in such a wretched state?
Looking back, they had parted ways at dusk. Now, total darkness had swallowed the world. While he had imagined the twilight sun calling out to him, his spiraling thoughts had led to a collapse; he had been unconscious for hours. It was already midnight. Subaru didn't need to imagine the whirlwind of emotions Shiroko must have felt while searching for him. Despite that, a genuine smile spread across his face.
「Subaru! Here, drink this.」 (Shiroko)
She pressed the bottle to his lips, and a cold, sweet liquid flowed in.
With his strength entirely spent, Shiroko held him close to pour the drink down his throat. The sweetness of the energy drink, mingled with the gentleness of her touch, made it taste far better than it should have. Dehydration and heatstroke do not vanish instantly, but Subaru felt a frail confidence—a belief that he could stand at once, simply because a beautiful girl was there, tending to him.
「── Where were you?」 (Shiroko)
「You promised to come back... If I hadn't found you, you would be dead.」 (Shiroko)
「... I'm... I'm sorry, Shiroko. How is Abydos? Nothing bad happened, right...?」 (Subaru)
「──」
His blurred vision wasn't just the result of dehydration. The moon had risen over a world steeped in shadows; every streetlight was dead, suggesting the total collapse of the power grid. Yet, even in the dark, Subaru could see Shiroko's expression clearly. She looked terrifying. The light from Arona's tablet illuminated her features, catching the way her beauty contorted with a mix of fury and intense anxiety.
「... Shiro──」 (Subaru)
「Is Abydos more important to you than your own life?」 (Shiroko)
「... ──」 (Subaru)
「I cherish Abydos too. But if the price of its survival is everyone's death, I would abandon it.」 (Shiroko)
「I'm sorry, I misspoke... I was worried about you and Hoshino. You were fighting a desperate battle against Kaiser!」 (Subaru)
「It's the same thing. Even if you put your life on the line for me in secret, no one can replace you if you die.」 (Shiroko)
「I think you understand that. I'm glad you cared about me, but this wasn't the time for such a stunt, was it?」 (Shiroko)
「... Right.」 (Subaru)
「Right.」 (Shiroko)
He received a well-deserved scolding, followed by a natural wave of frustration and genuine regret. The fleeting joy from earlier vanished, replaced by a bitter self-reproach: what on earth was he thinking when he threw himself into such danger?
Moreover, Arona was the loudest objector. The old phone in his hand hadn't stopped vibrating for quite some time. Even if his actions were part of a larger plan, he had to admit—at least to himself—that he had overstepped and acted recklessly.
「Arona──」 (Subaru)
「...」
He removed the device from its holder and held it between his palms.
「...Thanks for coming for me. I was thinking of you the whole time.」 (Subaru)
" ... " (Arona)
「...That... Arona...」 (Subaru)
" ... " (Arona)
It was no use. She clearly wasn't going to speak to him for a while. Still, if Arona had come to save him, it meant they had successfully protected Abydos.
Ako was probably fuming by now, and he likely walked past that girl who always seemed to be flying somewhere before he could even catch her name. He realized that once Hoshino joined the front lines, defeat became almost impossible. Last time, ignoring the General Manager led to the use of the "Thunder Emperor's Legacy." This time, they had taken precautions. His panic had been unnecessary.
「──」 (Subaru)
" Mr. Subaru. " (Arona)
" You've played fast and loose with your life again. Now, tell me: exactly what were you thinking just a moment ago? " (Arona)
「... W-was... was it that obvious? 」 (Subaru)
「Yes.」 (Shiroko)
「Ah...」 (Subaru)
" As Mr. Subaru's dedicated support AI, I am now activating the 'Health Management' clause I recently added. " (Arona)
「What? ── Obibibibibi!!? !? !? 」 (Subaru)
Impossible! Was she always this ruthless and impulsive? He truly wondered who raised her and what kind of upbringing she had.
「O-bugh...」 (Subaru)
Before the "aristocratic lady" lurking within Subaru could protest, he lost consciousness. He didn't know when the device had gained a taser function.
── Wait... was that... from behind?
Due to exhaustion and dehydration, his body overreacted to even the slightest shock. Shiroko caught his collapsing frame. In truth, Shiroko had intended to knock him out all along. It made sense; no matter how much that old phone was modified, Arona would never physically harm Subaru herself.
" Goodnight, Mr. Subaru. " (Arona)
── It was true.
Time had felt like an endless loop; he couldn't remember how many hundreds of days had passed since he last slept like this. Health management? He wondered how many cycles she had been recording his data. Could she only remember the number of "Returns by Death"? She cared for him far too much.
But wasn't this a bit excessive? With that mocking thought, Subaru closed his eyes in Shiroko's arms.
「...Fu-hh. 」 (Shiroko)
「Was that the right move?」 (Shiroko)
" Yes. Mr. Natsuki Subaru will inevitably escape regardless of how many ropes bind him, how many words we use to persuade him, or how much security we place on him. If we didn't do this, he would immediately start moving toward the 'next step.' " (Arona)
「I see. You know him better than I do, so I'll follow your lead.」 (Shiroko)
" Thank you, Shiroko Sunaookami. " (Arona)
「...」 (Shiroko)
She hoisted Subaru onto her back, took the phone from his limp hand, and placed it in the bicycle mount. She pedaled onward, struggling to balance his weight as the seat groaned under them. She wrapped his dangling arms around her neck and glanced at his unconscious face. She poked his cheek playfully with her index finger, then spoke to the phone.
「...I heard you are Subaru's partner. 」 (Shiroko)
「...There is something... I want to ask you. 」 (Shiroko)
" What is it? " (Arona)
「Why does Subaru go to such lengths to help Abydos? 」 (Shiroko)
「Hoshino-senpai saved me; I wouldn't be here without her. That's why I want to protect everyone and stop her from being reckless. 」 (Shiroko)
「But Subaru isn't like that. He has no reason to keep risking his life... If his recklessness continues to break him further... 」 (Shiroko)
「Then I want you to stop him──」 (Shiroko)
" ───── " (Arona)
" ...──...──.... " (Arona)
" ... " (Arona)
" ... " (Arona)
No response came for a long while. Minutes passed, then tens of minutes. Even as Shiroko pedaled her bike, no new words appeared on the screen. It was common knowledge that this "partner" was a computer left by the General Student Council President. If she were just a machine, the answer should have been instantaneous. With her massive processing power, a response should take only a heartbeat. Why the delay?
Just as they reached the end of the road, the words slowly appeared.
" ── Takanashi Hoshino asked the very same question. " (Arona)
「...! Really?」 (Shiroko)
" Yes. " (Arona)
" And so, I will give you the same answer. " (Arona)
It made sense; Hoshino had fought her battle with Arona at her side. There would have been time to talk afterward. Hoshino was stubborn; she certainly would have interrogated Subaru's partner. She wanted to know what kind of man Subaru was and whether he could be trusted. This response summarized Arona's view of him.
" Don't you dare ask Mr. Subaru for an answer to 'that' question. " (Arona)
" Don't you dare obstruct Mr. Subaru's path or try to stop him from moving forward. " (Arona)
" If either of you tries to put that question to Mr. Subaru directly... " (Arona)
" ── I will never allow it. " (Arona)
" End of transmission. " (Arona)
「──」 (Shiroko)
Shiroko could only stare at the screen in stunned silence. Before she knew it, she was at the school gates. There, she saw Hoshino—who had received the same answer—lost in thought by the water tank on the roof at sunset.
●○●○●
「I will bill every single debt to the General Student Council!! And I will absolutely force Natsuki Subaru to pay them back!!!」 (Ako)
「Huff... huff... yes, we are withdrawing. Thanks to you, my unit suffered no losses. Mission accomplished.」 (???)
「Take a look at him? ── Are you kidding me?! Absolutely NOT!!!!!!」 (Ako)
「That scoundrel who bewitched Lady Hina... I don't want to see a single inch of his face—not a hair, not a shadow! I don't want to meet him, I don't want to see him; I can't even stand to hear his name!」 (Ako)
「Ah, haha... Then—I should also contact the 'Tea Party'... Eh? I'm no longer hiding my identity... Well, yes... there's no point in hiding it now... haha...」 (???)
「...」
── And so, the day drew to its close.
The situation had shifted in the blink of an eye. Serika and Ayane returned safely, though exhausted, while the Kaiser PMC forces suffered a crushing defeat in the total war. In truth, it was less of a defeat and more of a total collapse following the arrest of the former General Manager. The latter half of the battle was a mere formality; no one had the will left to fight.
Since the Abydos sandstorm was due to arrive tonight, transport operations were postponed... but as a final result, the reality of Abydos—once steeped in absolute, desperate misery—had transformed in little more than half a day.
Though the way to recover Nonomi remained unclear, Hoshino trusted that Natsuki Subaru would find a way. Perhaps he truly was a "monster"—a force of nature beyond comprehension. He had presented her with a reality that overturned the certain defeat she once believed in; to Hoshino, the events of this day felt like an indescribable miracle.
The man in the Black Suit simply letting them go; the pre-emptive knowledge of every PMC deployment; the sheer power of Arona, the General Student Council President's legacy—it all defied logic. Even the Valkyrie police, whom Hoshino thought had failed them, suddenly turned on Kaiser and arrested the General Manager.
And then, the ultimate miracle: Gehenna and Trinity—historic rivals—fighting side-by-side for the sake of Abydos.
「...」
She couldn't believe Natsuki Subaru orchestrated this alone. Yet, if she didn't credit him, no logical explanation remained for such a radical shift in fate.
「Natsuki Subaru.」
「You really are something.」
「...」
── One thing still weighed on her mind.
The response she received from Arona—the "Legacy"—when she tried to probe into Subaru's identity; those words still echoed deep within her. She didn't know if an AI could feel; perhaps such technology existed at Millennium, but Arona's response transcended the logic a machine is supposed to follow.
The meaning of that answer, the weight of that tone...
「She really gave me a piece of her mind...」 (Hoshino)
She had been scolded. In a way, she felt that Arona had been "angry" with her.
「...Heh.」 (Hoshino)
She let out a faint sigh, her words drifting on her breath. Hoshino knew well that to feel anger on behalf of another required a core emotion to drive it. She had never imagined an AI could possess such a thing.
Hoshino understood that emotion perfectly. It was a single word that all the languages in the world couldn't fully capture, yet it was also a feeling that required no words at all. It was the same feeling Hoshino once held for Yume-senpai—for her little flaws, her unwavering faith in people, her love for cute things, their shared laughter... an emotion forged from every detail of their bond.
Because of that person's voice, because of their face, their hands, their words, every movement and every silence. Their feelings, their belongings, their bonds, their dreams, their entire existence.
Because everything about them is equally "precious," you feel anger on their behalf.
「...」
「As a human, you are surrounded by 'love,' then.」 (Hoshino)
「Just like my feelings for Yume Kuchinashi.」 (Hoshino)
It was... ── It was love, under the name of Artificial Intelligence.
「───」
「...It is.」 (Hoshino)
── You will reclaim everything.
「It's the same, definitely.」 (Hoshino)
「Just like me.」 (Hoshino)
── You will reclaim all that was lost.
「It's a curse, my dear 'Legacy.'」 (Hoshino)
── You will uncover the truth. The truth of Yume Kuchinashi's death.
●○●○●
Shiroko sprinted up the school stairs through the night, heading toward Hoshino. Hoshino stood on the roof, lost in thought under the pale moonlight.
Meanwhile, after rehydrating Subaru to counter his collapse, the others laid him down to rest in the nurse's office. He joined Ayane and Serika, who had already fallen into a deep sleep from sheer exhaustion. Since beds were scarce, they had pushed the large ones together, lining up the three of them like matchsticks in a row.
「...」
「Nn.」 (Shiroko)
「── I'll say this now before I forget.」 (Shiroko)
" ... " (Arona)
The old mobile phone—Arona—accompanied her on this late-night walk through the school corridors.
「Thank you. I won't ask Subaru about his reasons. Your warning helped me; it was a great service.」 (Shiroko)
" It is fine. I overstepped my boundaries as an AI, and I apologize deeply for that. " (Arona)
「No, it's all right. I understand who you are now, and what you feel.」 (Shiroko)
" ...? " (Arona)
A literal question mark appeared on the screen. It seemed the AI did not yet recognize the truth of her own heart.
「── You love Subaru, don't you?」 (Shiroko)
" ... ── " (Arona)
" Yes. " (Arona)
「Good. I'm glad.」 (Shiroko)
Shiroko felt a wave of relief. She understood that feeling perfectly; it required no flowery or complex words. It was the same "precious thing" the girls of Abydos had given her, and she knew its essence. She felt grateful that Subaru had someone by his side who loved him. Before he could consume himself saving others until nothing remained, someone would be there to take his hand and stop him.
" ...Technically, I deny that. To display so-called 'human' emotions, I... ── " (Arona)
「I don't think you need to worry about the technicalities. Besides, 'this thing' boils down to just one word.」 (Shiroko)
" ... " (Arona)
This was the same feeling that had surrounded Shiroko since Hoshino first found her. Hoshino, Nonomi, Ayane, and Serika had showered her with it throughout their time together.
── It was the feeling called "Love."
「Why don't you just tell him 'I love you' directly?」 (Shiroko)
" ──── !? !? !? !? !? !? " (Arona)
「But if Subaru continues to be reckless and risk his life like that, I will also place all my trust in him. I will do it before he burns out and vanishes from our reach.」 (Shiroko)
「Just like everyone in Abydos did for me, this time I will be the one──」 (Shiroko)
「──the person who stops him and keeps him from going too far.」 (Shiroko)
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