Chapter 9: The Story of Rekka Namidare
Chapter 9: The Story of Rekka Namidare
In order to meet Maine, we set off once again. Moving here meant walking through the clouds with no discernable path, which I have to say was a little unnerving.
“Hey, so, uh... Can’t we move like the gods do?”
“What does ‘like the gods do’ mean?”
“I dunno. Like warping or teleporting or something.”
“Those are human technologies, aren’t they?”
“So that’s a no?”
“It’s a no,” Sith said plainly as though that had been utterly obvious. “You lot think too highly of us deities.”
“I mean... You are gods, right?”
“Call us what you will, but all we did was create our worlds, you know? We might be almighty when it comes to them, certainly...”
But in the world the gods occupied—the highest level of the spiritual realm, as Yuuhi had called it—they were just like any other living creatures.
“Let’s say someone gave you a blank piece of paper. You could draw whatever you wanted on it, no? You could even erase and redraw things as you please. But that doesn’t mean anything you draw actually becomes reality. It’s just like that.”
“Yeah, okay... I mean, that kinda makes sense but it kinda doesn’t.”
In essence, the gods could do whatever they wanted with their worlds, but not anything outside of that.
“So, anyway, how far do we have to walk?”
“Not far.”
“Yet there’s no sense of distance in this world. It’s just clouds everywhere...”
“Yes, but...” Sith’s eyebrows furrowed. “We’re only walking like this in the first place to placate your human conception of movement, you know?”
“What?”
“The fundamental concepts and laws of the upper and lower worlds are quite different. If we didn’t give you the sensation of movement by walking or make this world look like it was above the clouds, you—”
I couldn’t understand what she said beyond that. She may have been using some divine language. I didn’t really get it, but I think that she was essentially trying to say the gods were being considerate by trying to match our perceptions of things.
“Well, either way, we just have to walk, right?”
“Hm? Well, yes. It’ll be about ten minutes in your conception of time, I believe.”
“Hmm...”
Ten minutes, huh? That was a little long to just walk along in silence.
“So, uh, there’s something I wanted to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“What exactly are your worlds to you goddesses?”
One way or another, both my world and Yuuhi’s only existed because Maine and Sith had created them. But the goddesses weren’t as, well, high and mighty as I’d expected. They didn’t seem to have any grand plans for their worlds, nor any real systems for managing them.
I guess she did do all this out of boredom...
So why had the goddess sisters even made their worlds? I was a little curious about that.
“Even if you ask me why, I don’t know how to answer. Hmm...” Sith pensively hummed in thought. “I guess you could say they’re an extended way of killing time.”
“Seriously?”
“Er, was that a bad way to put it?”
“On a spectrum of good and bad, yeah. That was bad.”
“Whaaat?!” Sith looked even more puzzled now. “Then how about this? It’s a lot like what you humans would consider childrearing.”
“Childrearing?”
“Very much so. You create something and raise it yourself. It’s a lot like childrearing, no?”
“So you bet your child.”
“Just ignore that part...”
Sith shrunk back a little at my retort. That’s where Yuuhi stepped in.
“There’s no need to think too deeply about it, Rekka. Creating worlds is simply part of a deity’s biology.”
“What? But she just said it was like childrearing.”
“Having children is part of the biology all living creatures have in common, no?”
“...”
“That’s why I said not to think about it too deeply. It’s simply a fact of existence, divorced from feelings of love and the like.”
In other words, creating worlds was simply what deities did. And that was simply how it had been since the beginning of time. That part wasn’t really for me to question. That was just how it was.
“That’s right. It’s exactly as Yuuhi says. We’re creatures that were designed to create worlds, so that’s what we do. When they fail, we just make new ones from scratch. Whether or not we love what we created is irrelevant. We don’t need to have sex like you humans do either.”
“S—?!”
“Hm? What’s wrong?”
“...”
Maybe it was because it wasn’t something deities did, but that word came out of her mouth way too easily. Hearing a beautiful woman talk about, y’know... It was bad for my heart. I had to take a deep breath and compose myself to get back to the matters at hand.
“So, does the lack of love make it easier to bet your world in a game?”
My pointed question made Sith avert her eyes.
“Well, this is my fiftieth world or so, after all... To be honest, Big Sis and I had gotten a little bored with creating worlds, so we wanted a little excitement.”
“Excitement, huh?”
I can’t say I wasn’t angry to hear that, but I knew it would be pointless to raise a fuss here and now. Like Yuuhi had said, this was the nature of the gods. No matter how human Sith looked (which may have just been her trying to match our perceptions as well), our minds worked completely differently.
“Wow, so Yuuhi’s world is the fiftieth world, huh? The lifespan of one sun is ten billion years, so if you consider the lifespan of the entirety of space—much less the whole world—it’s hard to imagine just how long it would take for it to come to a natural end,” R muttered to herself as she floated beside me.
Was she talking to me just now?
I glanced at R, but she wasn’t looking my way.
“...”
Fifty worlds’ worth of years, huh? Yeah, that was a mind-boggling amount of time. It was probably in the billions, trillions, or even quadrillions. Doing the same thing for that long... If you asked me if I’d get bored, I don’t think I could honestly say no. Not that that meant it was a bad thing, I guess.
“Well, there you have it. That’s what worlds are to us,” Sith said, laughing off my real question.
I still hadn’t completely accepted her answer, but I gave up pressing her any further for now. And just as I made up my mind on that front, Sith came to a stop in front of us. Suddenly, a door appeared before her.
“...”
This was the umpteenth time something weird like this had happened on our divine journey, so I can’t say I was really surprised anymore. I could only assume this door would lead us to Maine.
“A-All right... I’m going to open it, okay?”
Sith slowly reached for the door, speaking as though she was talking to herself.
Maine was the goddess of our world... I couldn’t help wondering what she was like. Her little sister seemed kinda scared to meet her. I was really hoping she wouldn’t be a scary goddess... But that didn’t change what had to be done.
“And... voila!”
Sith opened the door and a large space spread out before us.
“...”
I said space, but it wasn’t empty space or anything. There was a marble floor, but no walls or ceiling. It was just a continuous floor. And seeing it, my first thought was...
“An arena?” I muttered unconsciously.
I didn’t know why exactly that was the first thing that came to mind, but it gave me that impression. It was a wide, flat, even playing field free of any obstacles, making it the ideal place to have a fight.
Why an arena, though?
I had no idea, but as I was wondering...
“You also think it looks like an arena, Rekka?”
“You mean you do too, Yuuhi?”
“Yeah. Since that’s the impression we both got, I think we can assume this is an arena Maine prepared.”
“You don’t say...”
Based on how we’d gotten here and everything that had happened up until now, it was clear that the goddesses were changing the world around us to match our human conceptions of things. That meant that, if this space looked like an arena to us, it was probably meant to be one. However, that took me back to my first question.
“Why an arena, though?”
“Well...” Yuuhi mumbled, looking reluctant to say any more.
But as she fell silent, someone called out to me.
“So you really came, Rekka Namidare.”
I looked up, and just like Sith had appeared out of nowhere earlier, there was a woman seated in an ornate throne before me. I didn’t know where she—or the throne, for that matter—had come from, but it was probably similar logic.
“...”
Since it was me she’d called out to, I stepped forward.
“Are you Maine?”
“That’s right.”
The goddess of our world, Maine, gave me a rather casual reply. She looked and dressed a lot like Sith, but she had blue hair and wore the same color head to toe. The biggest contrast between the sisters, however, was their eyes: Maine’s were red while Sith’s were blue. They weren’t twins or anything, but they had strikingly similar countenances otherwise.
“If you know who I am, then you know why I’ve come here, right?”
Once I got a good look at her, I addressed her again and got down to business. In reply to my question, Maine gave a small nod.
“Yep,” she said casually.
Sith came off as quite immature, but it seemed Maine was childish in her own way too. Thinking about what R said earlier, both of the goddesses had been alive for a tremendously long time... Did that mean they were stunted in some way, comparative to humans? No, now wasn’t the time to be thinking about any of that. I looked Maine straight in the eyes.
“Please call off the bet between the two worlds.”
“Don’t wanna.”
She rejected my request so bluntly that it was clear there wasn’t any room for negotiation.
“Why not?”
“What’s the point?”
“Um, if you’re asking that, I think you’ve kinda missed the point.”
At a loss for what else to say, I fell silent for a bit. It was true that, as the winning party, there was no reason for Maine to call off the game. Yuuhi had warned me of that much.
“Then at least return the Namidare power you took from Sith’s world.”
Maine had taken it in a little side bet she’d had with her sister. It was transferred to me, heavily swaying the outcome of their game. Losing it had caused a serious decline in the happiness of Sith’s world, so I thought that I might be able to restore the balance by returning it.
“Yeah, not happening.”
But Maine was difficult.
Tch...
While I should have expected it, she was really hard to deal with. I’d asked about the nature of deities and worlds on the way over here, but I’d only gotten answers about boredom and biology. If I had a solid reason, perhaps some belief or meaning to go off of, then I could use that to parley with Maine...
Creating worlds is just what they do. There’s no limit to the number of worlds they can create. If one fails, they just make another... I really don’t have a leg to stand on!
What was I supposed to do? How could I convince Maine like this? I couldn’t ask her to do it without anything in it for her. I just had to find some way to get her to agree to return the Namidare power she took... Some condition...
“Actually, why is Rekka the only one talking?” Maine asked, her gaze falling on her sister. “This is our game, after all. Shouldn’t you be the one doing the negotiating, Sith?”
“M-Me...?”
Suddenly thrust in the spotlight, Sith fidgeted nervously.
“Yeah. Why is a human from my world negotiating on behalf of yours? That’s a little strange, isn’t it?”
“I... I...”
“You what?” Maine prodded, resting her chin in her hand.
I couldn’t help thinking it—she looked just like an older sister bullying a younger sibling.
If they’re siblings, then maybe Sith can sway Maine’s heart a little...?
I calculatingly took a back seat, observing the exchange between the two of them.
“I... Um... I...”
“Hahh...” Maine sighed at Sith’s reluctance to answer. “It’s just another world, you know? They all have to come to an end someday, and you can just make another one when we’re done. We’ve been through it countless times, haven’t we?”
“B-But...”
“But?”
“I-It’s true we’ve been through this a bunch...”
“Right? So what’s the big deal if you lose a world or two?”
“E-Even so!” There, Sith raised her voice for the first time, trembling like a puppy as she shouted. “It... It might not be a big deal, but...”
“But?”
“Starting this game with you made me passionate about the world I made for the first time in ages. I was serious about taking care of it, and I felt its rises and falls in happiness... It was all so fun.”
“Yeah, I feel the same way too,” Maine said with a nod.
“So that’s why, Big Sis! I’ve grown a little attached to my world this time... And losing it early like this... I don’t want that.”
“If you’ve only grown ‘a little attached,’ then what difference does it make?”
“I-It’s not a little! It’s a lot!”
Sith bared her emotions falteringly. Her tone was much more serious than when she’d answered me earlier...
I guess she couldn’t really open up to someone she just met, huh?
That made her seem even more like just a shy child. But at any rate...
“That’s why... I know it’s not fair, but could we just say you won this one and not... not destroy my world? Please?”
“...”
Maine fell silent for a moment upon hearing her little sister’s plea. Then, her chin still resting in her hand, she narrowed her eyes...
“No.”
And gave the same reply as before.
“Wh-Why not?!”
Her merciless answer made Sith question her with teary eyes.
“You said it yourself just now. It’s not fair,” Maine explained, turning her little sister down rather bluntly. “I agree with you, though. This little game of ours has brought out my passion for creating worlds again too. It’s been a lot of fun. That’s why I don’t want to cut it short and ruin things right at the very end.”
“Oh...”
Hearing her sister’s explanation, Sith slumped her shoulders dejectedly.
“...”
I’d been willing to let the sisters try and talk things out themselves, but it seemed this was an emotional conversation rather than a logical one. If I didn’t know any better and you told me these two ladies were goddesses, I wouldn’t believe you. Leaving things in their hands any longer just plain made me nervous.
That said, I could kind of understand how Sith felt. She’d still been unbelievably careless with her world, but she at least seemed sorry for that now that she’d fallen in love with it. Yuuhi would give a due lecture about that later, I’m sure. But my task at hand hadn’t changed. I needed to forge a path that allowed both worlds to coexist.
“Maine,” I called out, stepping forward.
“Hm? What is it?”
“I have a suggestion.”
The sisters’ conversation had given me an idea.
“I heard that you two had a side bet where you wagered the Namidare power of your respective worlds. Is that right?”
“Yup. We waited forever and there was just no appreciable difference in the happiness levels of our worlds, so we had a little fun to move things along.”
“And you were the one that suggested the side bet?”
“I was.”
“Then let’s have another side bet with more Namidare power on the line.”
“Huh? I don’t wanna.”
My somewhat selfish suggestion made Maine cock her head to the side. She seemed confused as to why I still didn’t understand her. But I didn’t give up.
“Just hear me out. The two of you agreed to rules to make the game fair before you started, right?”
“Of course. It wouldn’t have been any fun otherwise.”
“So how is it fair to claim a win after you’ve taken almost all of Sith’s Namidare power in a bet of your own design?”
“...”
“At the very least, to make things fair, shouldn’t you accept a bet from Sith just the same? That will mean you’ve each had a chance to turn things around.”
“...”
For the first time so far, Maine looked like she was actually considering it.
“Wow, you actually made a good point,” R said in awe from where she was floating beside me.
This was just a game to Maine. And the most important part of any game was that it had to be fair. That meant both sides had equal opportunity to achieve victory. It’s why baseball games alternated teams for batting. So if Maine had been at bat all this time, Sith deserved a turn. It was only fair.
I thought negotiating on that point might work with Maine, and it was something I’d only thought of because the sisters kept going on and on about their wager like it was just a game.
Granted, if Maine’s the type that’s more concerned with winning than fairness, she might still shoot me down...
I didn’t think that was the case based on their conversation so far. And to my delighted surprise, Maine eventually said...
“All right. Fine. Let’s have one more bet.”
Holy crap, it worked! But just as I was celebrating internally...
“However,” Maine said, raising a finger. “I won the last bet, but there was something in it for Sith if she’d won too. So what’s in it for me this time?”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s simple. I’ll bet the Namidare power I won from Sith last time, but she has to put something on the line too,” Maine said with a grin.
I racked my brain for a way to decline, but... sadly, it seemed she was on point.
“What do you want her to bet, then?”
“The suspension of every interference caused by Yuuhi Namidare in my world.”
“...!”
Yuuhi’s expression went stiff when she heard that. Every interference she’d caused in Maine’s world? That meant...
“In other words, I want to undo everything having to do with the War of All.”
“Undo everything having to do with the War of All...?” Hearing it worded so specifically made my eyes go wide. “Is that even possible?”
“Certainly. And if Sith does it for me, then the repercussions of interfering will fall on her world instead of mine.”
“Th-Then...”
This time, it was Sith that went pale.
“Without the War of All, my world will be much happier. And with the additional calamity that will fall on yours after that much divine intervention on my behalf, I’m sure we’ll settle the game once and for all.”
“W-Wait a minute! Then there’d be no point!” I objected in a fluster.
“What’s the big deal? It’s not a problem if you win, right?” Maine retorted with a casual tilt of her head. “This is what makes it fair for me, you realize? Honestly, I thought my victory was assured after I took most of Sith’s Namidare power. I never dreamed things would drag on this long. So I think the War of All that Sith inflicted on my world is equal to the Namidare power I took from hers.”
“But...!”
If we lost, Sith’s world would be destroyed immediately. No, it probably wouldn’t be instant, but it would certainly decide the victor of the game. The fate of Sith’s world would be sealed.
“Well? Do you accept?”
“...”
We had no choice but to take her up on this.
I...
Even if it made me hesitate.
“What are you wavering for?” Maine asked.
“That’s...”
“There’s no down side in this for you, is there? Even if you lose, the War of All will be over, you know?”
“...”
I could feel Yuuhi and Sith boring holes into my back with their eyes. Actually, there was something I had been thinking for a while now...
“You have a surprisingly terrible personality.”
“This goddess sure has an awful personality.”
R and I, possibly for the first time ever, said the same thing. I was only giving my honest opinion, but Maine’s chin slipped off her hand in surprise.
“You know I’m still the goddess of your world, despite everything?”
“Sure,” I said, turning around.
I could then see Sith’s guileless uncertainty and Yuuhi’s skeptical wariness as plain as day. And I understood it. They’d both just been told flat out that I personally had no stake in what was about to happen. I got why they’d doubt me now. I couldn’t ask them just to trust me blindly.
That being said, Yuuhi must have realized that was the case when I first suggested all of this. There’s no reason to backpedal now.
We had no choice but to go along with it.
“Yuuhi, will you accept this match?” I asked.
I had negotiated everything thus far and presented the conditions to her. The fates of both our worlds were on the line. Moreover, this would be the conclusion—for better or worse—not just of R’s story, but Yuuhi’s too. I couldn’t do this without her consent. So if she said no...
“...”
“Yuuuhiiiii...” Sith whined, tugging at her sleeve.
She was practically begging her to back down. Her eyes said it all. That was still a possibility, but Yuuhi...
“Sith,” Yuuhi said, opening her eyes and addressing her goddess directly. “I want to accept this match.”
“B-But...”
“I’m sorry... I know it’s dangerous.” As she spoke, Yuuhi’s eyes moved to me. “But I’ve already seen a glimmer of hope... I don’t think I can go back to that world and continue playing the villain at this point.”
“Yuuhi...”
Sith tried to say more, but couldn’t. Her hand released Yuuhi’s sleeve. She must have felt guilt over making Yuuhi do what she’d done, and objected no further.
“...”
Yuuhi then walked up to me, staring me straight in the eye.
“I’ll trust you.”
I nodded.
“Once everything’s over, you’ll be helping me stop the War of All anyway, Yuuhi. Right?”
“Right.”
There, Yuuhi and I stood side by side to face the goddess Maine.
▽
“Ugh, fine,” Maine groaned as she shook her head.
She seemed to understand that I had no intention of fixing the match in her favor.
“Let’s get this show on the road,” she said as she stood up, her throne disappearing from under her as soon as she did.
Now that I think about it... Does this place look like an arena because Maine wanted it to?
If so, had Maine expected this to happen from the get-go?
“So... how does this work? Wait, you’re not going to be the one fighting us, right?” I asked, the trepidation in my voice obvious.
In response, Maine laughed.
“No way. You can’t have a fair match between a god and a human.”
“Then do you have a representative for your world?” Yuuhi stepped in and asked, her sharp gaze fixed on Maine.
“Of course. I know just the person to fight you.”
“Well, so who is it?”
“Someone you two are both very familiar with, actually.”
“?”
Someone Yuuhi and I were both familiar with?
Is it a heroine? The doctor? Wait, would the doctor even agree to fighting us?
I mean, she could possibly be forced into fighting... But that didn’t seem right for some reason. Just who was it, then?
“Allow me to summon him.”
The moment Maine said that, a lone man appeared next to her. While his sudden arrival was shocking enough, that wasn’t what made both me and Yuuhi go wide-eyed. It was his face.
Indeed, he was someone we were both quite familiar with. Yuuhi had met him previously, and although I couldn’t say the same, I knew exactly who he was on sight. After all, I saw him in the mirror every day.
“So we’ll be fighting... me?” I asked.
“Don’t look so disgruntled about it... Granted, I understand how you feel,” the other me replied with an extremely sour face.
I suppressed the initial surge of emotions that swelled up within me and asked...
“Are you really my future self?”
“Just as you’re my past self,” he said with a nod.
His face, his voice, his tone... Everything about him was virtually identical to me.
“If you’re my future self, why don’t you look any older than me?”
“Ah, that’s because I became part vampire when I was about your age. I haven’t aged a day since then.”
“Oh.”
I’d opened my mouth and asked that without really thinking about it, but the answer he gave me was simple enough to understand.
“It sure is confusing having two Rekkas around... As a denizen of the future, the Rekka over there is really the Rekka Namidare from my timeline,” R noted as she glanced over at me. “But since I’m your heroine, I’ll continue to call you just ‘Rekka’ and the one over there ‘future Rekka.’”
R was right. It was confusing to have two Rekkas, so I’ll stick with her way of differentiating us too.
“And so, future Rekka, why are you on that side?” I asked, throwing the obvious question out.
If he was really me, then we should have similar ways of thinking. Shouldn’t he want to save not just Maine’s world, but Sith’s as well?
“Listen, we’re the same person. I know what you’re getting at,” future Rekka said bitterly, his expression the same as before. “But I’m sorry. I can’t afford to part with my Namidare power.”
“Why not? It’s not like you’re losing all of it, right? We just need to return the excess that wasn’t ours to begin with.”
“I need that excess power.”
“Huh?”
From where I stood, future Rekka was incredibly powerful on his own already. I couldn’t even imagine why he’d need excess power, and cocked my head to the side accordingly.
“Since I... Since we received Sith’s Namidare power, we’ve become involved in far more stories than any other Namidare in history. You know that much, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then think about it. If we go back to just being normal Namidares, what do you think is going to happen to the number of stories that come our way?”
“Huh? Well, that should go back to normal too—ait!”
When he put it like that, the light bulb came on. I finally understood. That’s what future Rekka was fighting for right now, but it wasn’t just about him. It applied equally to me. If he—if we return to being normal Namidares, then...
“That’s right. Just like Dad and our ancestors before us, the number of stories we get caught up in will decrease dramatically. And so will the number of heroines we can save.”
“!”
The Namidare power that Maine took from Sith was transferred to Rekka Namidare... In other words, me. Future Rekka’s past self. So if I lost that power now, future Rekka’s past would change accordingly. What exactly would that mean?
“The stories you’ve solved would most likely remain that way, so the heroines you already know will still be saved. But there’s no guarantee regarding what will happen to the heroines I saved after that.”
As it stood, I’d had a hand in resolving less than fifty stories. But Future Rekka had saved several hundred of them. So if I lost a significant amount of my Namidare power now, I’d only end up caught up in a fraction of the stories my future self had. That would change his past, effectively removing him from the stories I never got to. That would mean he’d never meet the heroines involved those stories, and that would mean he’d be unable to save them. While that was all hypothetical and in the future for me... For future Rekka, it was like sending hundreds of heroines to their graves. And that number would only grow. Unlike me, future Rekka was immortal. If he lost a significant portion of his power now, there would be an untold number of tragedies in the future, too.
I see. So what my future self really fears is becoming unable to save people...
Ah, damn it. That was indeed a very Rekka-like way of thinking.
“I understand now.”
“Do you really?”
“All too well, unfortunately...”
I couldn’t help averting my gaze. Even though I was supposed to be the one doing the interrogating here, the tables had been turned on me. I had genuinely believed that winning this match would save both worlds. No, I still did. But at the same time, it would mean sacrificing several hundred heroines I didn’t yet know. Was that really okay? I had to wonder. This story just outright refused to have any easy answers...
When my conversation with future Rekka came to a reluctant pause, Maine took the opportunity to cut in.
“Now, without further ado, let’s get things started,” she announced.
“Wait!”
“I’m tired of waiting,” Maine continued, ignoring me. “Now, isn’t it just lovely that the match is so simple and straightforward? You’ll decide things through fisticuffs. But I can’t have my Namidares killing each other, so that’s the only thing that’s out of bounds. Feel free to use your powers as you please otherwise.”
“H-Hey now...” I interjected, interrupting her explanation of the unreasonable rules. “My future self over there has over a hundred different abilities, doesn’t he? I don’t stand a chance against him on my own.”
“Then as a handicap, I’ll let both of you take him two-on-one.”
“But—”
“I won’t concede any more than that, okay? The rules were fair enough to begin with considering we have the same person fighting himself, don’t you think? And now you’ve got a handicap on top of that.”
“...”
When she put it like that, sure, it made it sound like we had the advantage. But that really wasn’t the case! Future Rekka was super OP.
And speak of the devil... There, he raised his hand.
“I’m immortal, so you can omit the no-kill rule against me. There’s a large enough gap between us already. If my past self holds back, it’ll only make things harder on him,” future Rekka offered of his own volition.
At least there was that... I mean, don’t get me wrong. I was grateful, but all he was really saying was that he would hold back so he didn’t outright murder us.
“Hmph, fine. If you say so. But I really won’t concede any more than this. Do you hear me?”
“...”
No matter how much more I grumbled, Maine wouldn’t budge on the rules. I guess I should consider us lucky that we got one more concession out of future Rekka... Or was that just a sign of how confident he was?
“Yuuhi, can you do this?”
“It won’t be easy... But like Maine said, they’ve at least agreed to accommodate us in some way. It’s no small miracle your negotiating got us even this far.” Yuuhi’s expression remained stiff as she readjusted her gloves. “Listen, I’ll cancel out his supernatural abilities. You stay close to me.”
“Gotcha.”
“Now, is everyone ready?” Maine asked.
Yuuhi and I both nodded in response. Maine then looked to her little sister.
“And what about you, Sith?”
“Yuuhi, Rekka... Good luck.”
Even though Sith was a goddess, she had her hands clasped together in prayer.
“...”
Future Rekka silently clenched his fists. He didn’t even brace himself or anything, but boy was he intimidating...
Is that really me...?
Just facing him was enough to make my palms sticky with sweat. I was as nervous now as I’d been during the boss rush earlier. I’d gotten the same feeling all along anytime someone mentioned “future Rekka,” but... we were two totally different people!
“Okay... Let the games begin!”
Maine had distanced herself while I was distracted, but her voice rang out across the arena as clear as day.
“Whoa!”
I readied myself in a hurry, but future Rekka didn’t immediately attack. It was a good chance to catch me off guard and he’d passed it up. The reason was clear on his face.
That pained expression...
Despite what I said earlier, on the inside... I guess we really were the same person. God, why was everyone so determined to walk the harder path?
Even though he knew it was his only option, future Rekka still rued his decision to fight against Yuuhi and Sith’s world here. His guilt had cost him a golden opportunity to sucker punch me right at the start.
As for me, I couldn’t afford to stand here and do nothing. Honestly, after coming this far, I was wavering. There, of course, was the question of how I could win this. But the even bigger question at hand was if I should. Could I really sacrifice the heroines who he’d saved? And all the heroines he’d yet to save? I didn’t have an answer and faltered in my hesitation just like my future self. But neither of us were the first to make a move in the end. That honor belonged to another Namidare—Yuuhi.
“Let’s go!” she rallied.
If I got separated from her, I’d be easy pickings for any number of future Rekka’s supernatural abilities. That’s why she’d called out to me. I had to keep up.
“!”
So despite my hesitation, I ran with Yuuhi. While we were on the move, she pulled what looked like a cattle prod out of her jacket. She clenched it tightly in her fist and it crackled to life as electricity flowed through it, sparks flying this way and that. Wait, were those things supposed to have such a high voltage?! I shuddered as I wondered.
“Hate me if you must...” future Rekka muttered stoically.
He then charged, seemingly unafraid of Yuuhi’s cattle prod. The distance between us closed in an instant.
“Take this!”
Yuuhi swung her cattle prod down on future Rekka right as he rushed us. But rather than being hit, he caught it midair with his left hand. There was a loud crackling sound as a powerful current entered his body.
“...”
But he had no reaction whatsoever. He didn’t collapse, let alone flinch. The electricity, however, burned through his sleeve in a flash. Through the tatters of what fabric remained, I could see the sheen of something metallic that I hadn’t noticed before.
“You’re a robot?!”
“A cyborg, technically,” future Rekka answered flatly.
There, he opened his right hand and released a ball of flame that came flying my way.
“Yikes!”
Yuuhi, thankfully, used her breaker ability to dispel it. In the process, she released her cattle prod and jumped back.
But what was that just now? Magic? Was it a psychic ability? Or perhaps another power?
“I see you really did give up on being human...” I muttered, rather taken aback.
“And I see you’re still clinging to it,” he replied. “We’re the same person, and yet we’re quite different.”
“You’re telling me...”
Cold sweat pouring down my back, I stepped forward. I couldn’t leave everything to Yuuhi.
“Take this!”
“...”
Future Rekka brushed my fist aside with a third arm that suddenly sprouted from his shoulder. It was semi-transparent, glowing like it was made of magic.
“Tch!”
Using my momentum, I raised my right leg overhead. I thought it was a good idea, but this time another arm growing from future Rekka’s back stopped me.
“Is anything possible with you?!”
“...”
Future Rekka offered me no answer apart from another ball of fire launched from his right hand. Crap! At this range, I was going to get burned!
“Rekka!”
Thanks to Yuuhi’s intervention, the fireball vanished before it could roast me on the spot. The arms sprouting from future Rekka’s left shoulder and back disappeared too.
Yuuhi and I got a little separated there... It seems her breaker ability still works with some distance between us.
With future Rekka’s ethereal arms gone, my leg was free. I used this opportunity to get back to Yuuhi.
“Thanks, Yuuhi.”
“I told you to stay close.”
“...”
Future Rekka stared at us during our exchange.
“Hey, you’ll be disqualified if you kill them, remember?!” Maine warned from afar in a loud voice.
“I know,” future Rekka answered bluntly.
But, actually, yeah... Come to think of it, wasn’t a fireball a little, well, overkill for a no-kill match? Surely future Rekka had a more appropriate ability for this kind of fight... I suddenly got the feeling something was odd, but under the circumstances, I didn’t have any time to think about it.
“...”
Future Rekka raised his left arm in my direction. His hand was dangling loosely at the end of his outstretched arm... which I thought was peculiar until the whole thing suddenly changed shape.
“Omega Blaster.”
“Eep!”
What was this terrifyingly evil-sounding weapon?! It now looked like his hand had become the muzzle of some kind of gun and his arm was the barrel. Based on its name, maybe it was an energy cannon? But gun, cannon... It didn’t matter. If this was a technological weapon, Yuuhi’s breaker ability wouldn’t work on it.
We can’t block this one!
Light gathered at the business end of the Omega Blaster.
“!”
Without thinking, I took off. Future Rekka wasn’t that far from where I was standing. My only chance was to try and kick his arm—er, gun?—away to change its trajectory before he fired. I made a mad dash for it, but even faster than me was...
“Yuuhi?!”
She’d been one step ahead of me. She reached future Rekka first, reaching her hand out for his Omega Blaster. As soon as she touched it, the light gathering inside of it vanished and the whole thing began emitting a high-pitched screech like a broken PC. Was it some kind of hardware malfunction?
“!”
Future Rekka dodged Yuuhi’s follow-up attack and leaped backwards.
“Tch...”
Yuuhi didn’t pursue him, but instead held her ground. We both watched as future Rekka’s arm returned to normal. Or, at least, sort of normal. His movements were odd, and his fingers were clearly bent in unnatural directions.
“A hack... or a virus? No, the actual physical components have been damaged.” Future Rekka opened and closed his left hand awkwardly as he assessed it. “I even insulated the outside to prevent this from happening... How did you do it?”
“That’s a trade secret,” Yuuhi spat, shooting him down in a daring tone.
Hey, that’s right! Yuuhi’s a tech wiz too! Nice!
Back at the extremists’ hideout, I remember L mentioning their advanced security system. Yuuhi had taken countermeasures against both mundane and supernatural attacks.
If she can keep all of future Rekka’s powers in check, we might have a real chance!
It felt like I was finally seeing a glimmer of hope. But then...
“Equipment change.”
The moment future Rekka muttered those words, his broken left arm disappeared. A new one then appeared in its place.
“A 4D pocket?!”
“Sorry. I can swap out my left arm whenever I want,” future Rekka said, responding to Yuuhi’s blatant shock in a flat tone.
A 4D pocket, though? He had swappable parts stored somewhere he could grab them at any time just by saying a command? This was ridiculous!
“Then I’ll just destroy every last one you have!” Yuuhi yelled, going in for another attack.
“Yeah!”
Wanting to lend a hand, I jumped forward after Yuuhi and tried to punch future Rekka too. However, despite both of us coming at him...
“Sorry.”
In the blink of an eye, we both lost sight of him. He simply vanished. Was this another supernatural power? Or was it something like a cloaking device? I couldn’t tell which, but the effect was the same: future Rekka was gone.
“An optical illusion? No...!” Yuuhi yelled as she reached into her jacket.
“It’s not.”
“Mmrgh!”
Future Rekka seemingly reappeared out of nowhere next to Yuuhi, stuffing his fingers in her mouth to keep her from saying any more.
“Hey!”
I swung my fist to try and save Yuuhi, but future Rekka was gone in the blink of an eye again. This time, he took Yuuhi with him, reappearing several meters away with her still held hostage.
“Even if you can nullify abilities and weapons, you can’t do anything about my strength, can you? After all the superhuman blood I’ve taken in, I too have become superhuman.”
“Mmph!”
Yuuhi tried to bite future Rekka’s fingers, but it did her no good.
“I don’t know how you destroyed the Omega Blaster, but the activator is in your mouth, isn’t it? I saw you bite down earlier.”
“!”
The look on Yuuhi’s face told us both that he was right.
“Damn it...!”
I made a mad dash for Yuuhi, burning with regret. It all made sense now. Future Rekka had whipped out his fireballs and his Omega Blaster not to kill us, but to test us! He wanted to know what he was up against. Though it had been an ambush, he’d already lost to Yuuhi once in a humiliating defeat. That’s why he’d chosen to play his cards cautiously this time and assess his opponents carefully. And once he determined we weren’t any real threat, he got serious.
“Now sleep,” future Rekka said, placing a finger against Yuuhi’s forehead.
“Yuuhi!”
“Rek—!”
I reached out for her, but I didn’t make it in time. Some strange power coursed through Yuuhi’s body, causing her to convulse for a moment before collapsing on the arena floor.
“Now... All that’s left is you,” future Rekka said, turning back towards me.
“!”
I braced myself, but it probably wouldn’t do much.
“...”
Beside me, R silently refrained from her typical banter. Even she looked worried.
“Don’t worry,” future Rekka then said.
“About what?” I asked hesitantly, peeking up over my crossed arms.
“I don’t intend to let Sith’s world be destroyed either,” he said casually.
“...What are you going to do?”
“I’ll solve the stories that happen there too.”
“What?!”
In the letter future Rekka had left for me, he said he was going to do everything he could on his own. I couldn’t say for sure that was why... But Yuuhi had noted the black hole looming over her world was a little bit smaller when she returned.
Yeah, I guess there’s no way he’d just let an entire world be destroyed...
He was still me, after all. I knew he wasn’t lying about this. But did that mean I should leave things to him? If he came out victorious, he’d probably be able to save a lot more stories than I could. Neither of us wanted to leave any of the heroines to the horrible fates that awaited them. And future Rekka was just so...
“...”
Different from me? No.
“You can’t fool me.”
“!”
My words made future Rekka stop in his tracks.
“No matter how many incredible abilities you may have acquired, there’s no way you can save every story in both worlds.”
A single world was big enough as it was. Big enough that there was no way any one single person could keep track of everything that happened within it.
“The reason the goddesses’ game has dragged on for thousands of years is because both worlds were overflowing with Namidare power.”
According to Yuuhi, the so-called Namidare power didn’t only belong to us Namidares. There were people all over both worlds with Namidare power, each of them saving stories in their own way. It was because of that—because of them—that the two worlds had existed for so long with comparable levels of happiness.
“So if we’re going to save the world, we need quantity over quality. Even if you alone have amazing power, you still can’t help everyone all at once.”
“Quantity over quality? Just because someone tries to save a story doesn’t mean they can,” future Rekka said with a pained expression. “People try and fail all the time. All over the world. So no matter how many people have Namidare power, that won’t save—”
“What’s important is that you try!” I yelled at my future self. “Whether you’re alone or whether there’s someone there to help you makes all the difference in the world! Don’t you know that?! Who’s going to save you if there are no other heroes?!”
Future Rekka fell silent, his fists trembling. He then shouted, “Even so... I can’t just abandon the heroines who I’ve saved so far!”
“...”
It was now my turn to fall silent. Future Rekka and I were weighed down by different burdens. If he lost, several hundred heroines would be thrown to the wolves of cruel fate. But no matter how big a game I talked, there was no chance of me winning this. And even if I did win, I had no idea how I was going to save everything.
There’s no way I can beat him in this state...
Wasn’t there something? A way to win against future Rekka and all his crazy abilities... A way that every heroine could survive...
“...”
Wasn’t there? There had to be. No, such a convenient power couldn’t possibly—
Wait, convenient power?
That rattled something in the back of my mind. Something I’d forgotten. It just hadn’t seemed relevant... until now.
“Like I said before... Hate me if you must. I came ready for that,” future Rekka said, assuming a fighting stance once more like he was ready to end things.
“Wait, there’s still—”
“...”
I tried to stop him, but future Rekka’s determined expression told me he wouldn’t listen to another word I said.
Damn it! I thought I’d almost figured something out!
I just didn’t have time to put it all together. He was gonna take me out before I could! I clenched my jaw, ready to accept defeat, but then...
“Rekka!” Yuuhi called out to me as she swiftly moved around behind future Rekka and pinned his arms.
“Yuuhi?!”
“Ask... Sith...!” she eked out, trying her best to contain future Rekka.
But what was she talking about? What good would Sith do now?
“Oh!”
Just then, everything snapped into place. Yuuhi had given me the last piece I needed. I immediately turned on my heels and darted over to the corner of the arena where Sith was watching the fight.
“Sith! Is that offer still good?!”
“Wh-What offer?”
“I was supposed to get a power for clearing the trial, right?!”
That’s what Yuuhi had told me—that the divine trial was meant to bestow worthy individuals with power. I’d only taken on the trial to reach Sith, so I’d completely forgotten about that part.
“A power? Y-Yes, I can give you that, but... what would help you win in the fight against your future self?”
“Uh...”
From magic to science, ancient artifacts to superhuman blood... Future Rekka had obtained all kinds of power from hundreds of stories. What on earth could trump all that?
I can only receive one power... A breaker ability like Yuuhi’s? No, he figured a way around that... Maybe a one-hit KO power, then? No, he’d probably figure a way around that too...
A full-body paralysis attack? Mind control? Several cheat-level powers I’d seen in comics before crossed my mind, but I couldn’t imagine being able to use any of them effectively enough to win against future Rekka. I’d never had a power of my own. I was always relying on the powers of others when I got involved in stories...
“...”
Hold on.
No power of my own...?
I couldn’t remember exactly when, but at some point, both Dad and R had used a certain metaphor. They said Namidares were the substitute main characters for stories that had lost theirs, leaving them spiraling towards unhappy endings. And yeah, that was basically how it worked. I got involved in story after story, borrowing the power of the stories’ heroines in order to make a difference. What if I kept that up now that I was the one that needed help?
Is that... even allowed?
If I could still rely on them, I was pretty sure I could solve anything. Even the hardships I was facing now. However, objectively speaking, I knew what I was asking for would be a huge pain for everyone. It would be for future Rekka too, considering he was my future self. But mostly I was concerned about Satsuki, Iris, Harissa, and everyone else I’d saved... plus everyone I’d save in the future.
Would that really be okay?
When I asked myself that, a certain voice from the past resurfaced in my head.
“Now come on. Ask us. Say, ‘I’m putting you all in danger. Will you stay with me anyway?’”
That’s what Satsuki had said to me when I was in big trouble during Hibiki’s story. She’d scolded me when I tried to distance myself from the heroines to avoid putting them in harm’s way because of my bloodline.
Heh, I’m still worried about causing them trouble... If they knew I was hesitating over that, I bet they’d all be pretty angry.
Until now, whenever I’d asked them to help me out, they’d always come running. The goodwill they’d shown me and the number of times they’d saved me... It was endless, but I remembered every single occasion. R had repeatedly asked me to choose between the heroines, but my useless ass was as indecisive as ever. Each of the heroines was wonderful and had given me far more than I deserved. Believing in them was the least I could do to repay that.
If I caused them trouble, then I’d just apologize for it. If anyone grew to hate me for it, they’d just stop being my heroine. And when that happened, surely they’d be released from this power. In fact, some of them might quit right away. But if any of them were still by my side after I gained this extremely annoying power... then I’d be happy to accept their goodwill once more. I’d love for them to save me. In return, I’d become strong enough to protect everyone.
I recalled Satsuki’s words and the vow I made that fateful day once more...
“Sith, I know what power I want.”
And made a wish to a goddess.
▽
“Tch!”
Future Rekka broke free of Yuuhi’s grip, knocking her to the ground. He looked down at her, biting his lip.
I may have held back earlier, but she still managed to get up again... She really is another version of myself, huh?
Parallel worlds were mirrors of one another. It wasn’t as though Yuuhi had needed to tell future Rekka that. He knew it instinctually upon seeing her.
But readying himself again for the battle at hand, he looked his body over for any damage. Nothing seemed of concern. His left arm had been broken, but he’d already swapped it out for a replacement.
It’s been a while since I struggled so much in a fight.
After obtaining so many powers and abilities, future Rekka had become strong enough that he outclassed any and all opponents he faced. No story posed an obstacle for him. As soon as he learned the premise, he could handle the rest on his own with ease. He’d become a deus ex machina that forcefully and decisively solved whatever impossible task was at hand. But he didn’t pride himself on that matter. Being able to resolve stories quickly and efficiently was simply the best option. It didn’t particularly rub him the wrong way that this fight—this story—wasn’t quick and efficient. It had just been some time since he’d had a close fight with an opponent.
“...”
Upon having that thought, future Rekka corrected himself internally. It was Yuuhi who had a close fight with him.
I was the one who wanted things this way.
Maine’s world and Sith’s world. His world and the other. When weighing the two, future Rekka had picked the former. Of course, he hadn’t chosen it simply because he was prioritizing what was his. It was still an anguished decision. Perhaps that was why it felt right to suffer so for this story. It shouldn’t end so easily. He wanted to feel like he’d somehow managed to save everyone at the end of a long, harsh battle that cost him blood, sweat, and tears. Otherwise, it would just be too terrifying... Deciding the fate of a world was a scary thing, after all.
“Ugh...”
Future Rekka shook his head. There was no point in trying to fool himself.
All that’s left is to defeat my past self... and it’s over.
Thinking about it, though they were from different worlds and timelines, there were three Namidares in this room. There were three of them, and yet this was the ending they were about to get. This was the best they could do. It was laughable. Perhaps this was how it was meant to be. Perhaps his past self was right... Even if you had enough power to change the fate of the world, there was only so much you could do on your own.
“Damn it... Did I made a mistake somewhere?” future Rekka spat, directionlessly venting his frustration. “If so, I just need to set you straight.”
“...”
There, future Rekka raised his hand against his past self.
▽
Future Rekka was making a rather pathetic face.
“If you want to be defeated so badly, walk yourself over here. I’ll deck you good,” I called out to him.
“That’s a rather bold challenge,” future Rekka said in a tired voice. “But sorry—I can’t let you do that. Even if I’m mistaken, I still have important things I want to protect.”
“If that’s how you really feel, then stop making that face.”
“...”
“Granted, if I were in your position, I probably would’ve made the same choice.”
“Then...”
“But like you said, we’re different.” That meant we were capable of different things. “I actually wanted to persuade you... but I give up. I can’t leave this story and the heroines to you right now.”
“Then what do you intend on doing?” future Rekka asked.
And so...
“Let me show you!”
There, I activated the power I’d just gotten from Sith. I knew it would be a pain, but...
“Everyone... lend me your power!”
I yelled probably the lamest thing a hero had ever said. They were words that eluded both Yuuhi and future Rekka, who were always trying to solve things on their own. But me? I shouted them loud and proud. And when I did... everyone appeared. Literally.
“Huh?”
“Wha—here am I?!”
“Surprise teleportation?!”
Satsuki, Iris, and Harissa were all quite startled to be suddenly summoned to the arena.
“Wait, Rekka?!”
“No way! Why are you here?!”
“Wait, how is Sir Rekka over there too?!”
They looked back and forth between me and my future self in confusion. He appeared to be quite confused as well.
“This is my new ability,” I explained.
“Just what... did you do?” he asked, still dumbfounded.
“It’s simple. I dragged everyone into my story.”
The inherent power of my Namidare bloodline was getting caught up in the heroines’ stories. I’d requested the inverse of that from Sith as my reward for passing the divine trial.
“I’m the main character this time, and I needed someone to rescue me... So I forcefully dragged everyone into things. It’s an obnoxious power, but that’s how it works.”
As I explained things, more and more heroines continued to appear. Lea, Tsumiki, Tetra, Hibiki, and many, many others. Even the heroines from my daily life like President Momone and Tokiwa had arrived. Actually... Maybe it was a bad idea to summon the fragile Tokiwa here with a fight on our hands. Oh well. I guess she can stay.
Now, in order to really beat the point home for future Rekka, who was still standing there in a daze...
“Everyone! Sorry for calling you here so suddenly!”
“Hey, what’s going on here, problem child? I can’t make heads or tails of this,” President Momone asked, tapping her wooden sword against her shoulder as she glared at me.
“I’m sorry! I’ll explain everything later,” I said, pointing right at future Rekka. “But for now, in order to solve all this mess, we have to beat up my foolish self over there! So...”
I took a deep breath.
“PLEASE LEND ME YOUR POWER!”
Shouting with all my heart and soul, I bowed deeply. The girls had been summoned here out of nowhere, and now I was begging them for help. And yet...
“I don’t really get it, but okay,” said President Momone with a shrug.
“I don’t like the idea of beating up Rekka... but that’s what you need us to do, right? So count me in!” shouted Iris.
“As if I could refuse a request from you, Rekka,” said Rosalind with a sly smile.
“Ugh, fine. Get over here, Lea! I’ll whip up some dark matter for ya!” hollered Tsumiki.
“Harissa, I’m going to support Nammy with my spirit armor! Please chant the spell!” called Lyun.
“Oh no! I have to change into my Galactic Beauty costume!” shouted Kiri.
“Asking an angel like me to butt into the business of gods is absurd! I mean, I’m still going to help, but I expect a lot of love energy for this later, okay?!” demanded Rachelle.
Each of the heroines agreed to help me out in their own way.
Well, what do you think, future me? I bet you’ve forgotten what this looks like, haven’t you?
Future Rekka had gained countless abilities and powers, making him virtually the strongest man in the universe. He was the ultimate main character. So what did he need the power of heroines for? He was solving stories left and right without their help. The fact that he was standing here in this arena alone—in the middle of the most important story he might ever face—was proof of that. It also explained the lonely look on his face. He didn’t have anyone to rely on, and he knew it. He’d hit a dead end. So I was going to take it upon myself to break through to him. To make him remember just how small and weak Rekka Namidare really was in the grand scheme of the universe.
“Mudara Waffe!”
“Nammy! The spirit armor is ready!”
With Harissa’s spell, Lyun took an ethereal form and became a zephyrous set of armor to protect me. Her transformation signaled the start of the battle.
“Let’s go! Brace yourself, Rekka Namidare!” I yelled, borrowing Lyun’s power to fly.
When I did, everyone else started making their moves too.
“Heavenly wind, ancient wind, return what rightfully belongs back to dust.”
“Go, Robo-spider!”
Satsuki unleashed a roaring gust of wind as Shirley let loose a mechanical spider. The roaring wind assailed future Rekka from straight on, while the mechanical spider attacked his feet with tiny zaps of electricity.
“Alchemize: Stone Wall!”
In response, future Rekka summoned a wall from the arena floor to shield him from both the wind and the spider. The spider, however, was stronger than expected. It walked right up the wall and exploded, blowing both itself and the wall to smithereens.
“Shirley! Haven’t we talked about your dangerous toys before?!”
“Yes, and I told you that they’re made with all the proper safety measures in place! They’re fine!”
I’d heard that all before, but I didn’t trust Shirley or her inventions one bit... But I’d have to deal with that later.
“Kuh!”
The explosion had sent smoke and dust flying everywhere, momentarily blinding future Rekka. Suzuran had taken the opportunity to attack, slipping closer in the smoke before throwing one of her silver knives. Future Rekka raised his cyborg arm to deflect it, which left him open to Rosalind’s follow-up attack.
“Take this!”
She was going right for his undefended abdomen.
“!”
While vampires were super strong and one of Rosalind’s punches would ordinarily be enough to completely blow someone away, future Rekka was also part vampire. He had no trouble stopping her blow, catching her fist with his right palm before throwing her with it.
“Oof!”
Rosalind regained her balance midair and landed safely, but during her flight, President Momone, Chirika, Yulia, and Yorun came at future Rekka from four directions.
“Phantom Blade!”
“Silkworm Slash!”
“Take this!”
“Hyah!”
The swordswomen unleashed their special attacks while Yulia and Yorun both swung their oversized weapons with all their might. Future Rekka caught the first two attacks with his left and right arms, and the other two with a third and fourth arm that sprouted from his chest and back respectively.
“Whoa!”
“Since when did Rekka have such fancy skills—yaaah!”
President Momone immediately let go of her wooden sword and backed away, but Yorun was too caught off guard and didn’t react in time. Future Rekka tossed her just like he had Rosalind earlier.
“Yorun!”
I used Lyun’s wind powers to cushion Yorun’s fall so she’d land safely.
Even a four-person attack like that didn’t work?!
I’d offered to deck my future self earlier, but that was going to be harder to follow through on than I’d imagined. But as I was contemplating that, a lone shadow crept up behind future Rekka.
“!”
He seemed to notice it and swung his fist behind him, but caught only air... because the opponent that had approached him from behind was very, very short.
Chelsea’s shrinking magic!
Chelsea must’ve used her magic on whoever it was. Actually, who was it?
“Let’s make you a little shorter too!”
It turned out to be Ellicia the psychic, who proceeded to use her wall-walking ability to sink future Rekka through the stone floor.
“!”
She sank him all the way to his neck, leaving only his head sticking out of the ground.
“Rekka! Now’s our chance!”
“Kiri?!”
Kiri—now wearing her Galactic Beauty costume—leaped into the air and grabbed my arm.
“Let’s do this together!”
“W-Wait!”
She pulled me down with her as we both fell towards future Rekka. No, wait... We weren’t just falling!
“Galactic KIIIIICK!”
“Erk! Oh yeah, uh... KIIIIICK!”
I just barely managed to yell the special attack name and form a kick with Kiri, but even with my weak performance, the combined jump kick with both our weight and momentum behind it was a serious threat. A direct hit to the head would surely knock anyone out. But future Rekka looked strangely calm. What was he up to?
“Leg blaster! Ignition on!”
When he shouted those words, a sudden, thunderous rumble cracked the arena floor. Then, before our kick could land, smoke sputtered from future Rekka’s feet as he rocketed up and out of the floor. Having lost our target, Kiri and I landed helplessly.
“Uwah... That was close, Rekka!”
“But don’t you think we could’ve gotten off a better surprise attack if we hadn’t yelled the name of the move?”
“What? But Zeta said to yell it loudly.”
“Hey, Zeta! Stop feeding Kiri bad advice!”
I turned my complaint to Zeta, who had set up a director’s chair in the corner of the arena at some point like this was all a show to her. She even had a small camera with her.
“Shut up! I’m getting some real good footage right now, so stop complaining and get back to work!” Zeta yelled back at me through her megaphone.
“......”
Tokiwa had apparently taken refuge in the corner of the arena with Zeta, and leaned over to say something to her that I couldn’t hear.
“Girlie here wants some material for her novels too, so she’d like to see some racy stuff while you’re at it!”
“I don’t have time for that!” I shouted in abject honesty.
But Tokiwa simply gave me an enthusiastic thumbs-up like she couldn’t hear any of my angry yelling. She then took out the notepad she always carried in her breast pocket and began writing furiously. These damn creative types... Was art really the first thing on their minds at a time like this?!
“Argh, I give up! There’s no helping them!”
I mean, I was the one who’d called them here. As long as they stayed out of harm’s way, it should be fine. Now, back to the task at hand...
“Wait, you!”
I chased after future Rekka, who had fled upward. The heroines who could fly were already fighting him in the air.
“Gyaaaaaoh!”
Lea in Leviathan form was attacking future Rekka directly, and she had Tsumiki and Harissa riding on her head to offer support.
“Wow, Lea sure is as huge as ever,” future Rekka muttered, enlarging his right arm.
Lea was currently a great serpent over fifty meters long. Her mouth was big enough to swallow a house whole... But future Rekka clamped her jaw shut with one—albeit very large—hand.
“Mguh?!”
“Hey! What gives?!”
Tsumiki stamped her foot in protest from atop Lea’s head. I could see the tupperware container of dark matter in her hands. It seemed her plan was to feed Lea when she needed a power boost, but with her jaw clamped shut like this, she wasn’t eating anything. However...
“?!”
Suddenly, future Rekka’s left arm started sparking in malfunction.
“Fam?!”
Future Rekka’s mind jumped straight to the green-haired gremlin, but there was no sign of her anywhere nearby. The both of us, however, quickly realized the trick.
She’s on Lea’s head with the others! Harissa must’ve made her invisible!
Yuuhi had busted future Rekka’s cyborg arm earlier with a secret technique, but Fam could destroy machinery without tools or any other kind of assistance. Harissa and Fam must have coordinated this strategy when they saw future Rekka fly off and realized he was part machine.
“Tch!”
Speaking of, it was right about then that sparks started flying from his legs. He saw them and quickly backed off, releasing Lea. It was the right call. If his leg blasters were put out of commission, he wouldn’t be able to fly anymore. Or, at least... that’s what I thought until he suddenly sprouted wings from his back. They were bony and leathery, more like a bat’s than a bird’s.
“Yikes,” Lyun shuddered. “Kinda creepy, huh?”
“Did he take in demon blood too?” I wondered aloud.
But then I clenched my fist. No matter what form he took, this was still a fight between me and my future self. And I still needed to deck him good!
“Raaagh!”
I flew in, but he evaded my fist at the last second.
“That wind... A spirit?”
“Yeah.”
“You shouldn’t answer me so honestly... Though I suppose that’s typical for me,” future Rekka muttered in exasperation, shaking his head. Then he said, “They can be used like this, you know?”
“What?!”
Future Rekka gave a flap of his wings, shrouding the area in a black mist. It sapped my wind power, and I sunk lower and lower as it grew weaker and weaker.
“What is this?!”
“M-My energy’s being drained! It’s almost like the ghostdemon sickness.”
“Oh no!”
Back in Lyun’s story, there was a disease that ran rampant across the land, corrupting spirits and magic. But if I recalled correctly, it wasn’t a genuine sickness so much as it was a trap laid by a demon king... Wait, don’t tell me the black mist just now was some kind of curse?
“S-Sorry... I don’t think... I can fly anymore...”
Eventually, Lyun was no longer able to support me in the air, sending us both into a freefall. We were just about to hit the ground when someone grabbed me by the back.
“Rachelle!”
“H-Hello... L-L-Let’s get out of here!”
With me in her arms, Rachelle looked over her shoulder in a panic. Future Rekka was speeding our way at a frightening pace.
“Eeek! I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry!”
Rachelle wasn’t a particularly fast flyer, so I thought we’d be caught for sure, but...
“Gah!”
A lone fairy flew up and threw herself over future Rekka’s eyes, using her body like a blindfold.
“Poppy?!”
“Rekka! Rachelle! Now’s your chance!”
“R-R-Right!”
“Wait, Rachelle! Poppy is—”
I tried to get Rachelle to turn back, but...
“Mark!”
Sherlyn got on it before I could. I looked down and saw her standing tall in the middle of the arena. She’d just used her signature magic to put her mark on future Rekka’s shoulder. Next came...
“Steal!”
When Sherlyn activated the second part of her spell, future Rekka was rapidly pulled towards her. It would get him out of the air, sure, but it would also mean she had to contend with him.
“You’ll pay for what you did to me earlier!”
“Leave the close combat to me!”
Fortunately, Sherlyn had Rosalind and Iris to protect her. They took the front line.
“Don’t forget meow! I’m good in a catfight too!” Ai shouted as she jumped in too.
“Tch...”
With the weaker Ai now joining the fray, future Rekka had to hold back a little more. It was against the rules for him to kill us, after all. Both Rosalind and Iris were tough opponents he could handle with a fair bit of power, but not so much Ai. Her presence helped a great bit to handicap him... Not that Ai had probably considered any of that. The kitten Satsuki and I raised when we were kids had simply grown up to be a big, brave nekomata.
“N-Now’s our chance to get down!”
Despite her panic, Rachelle was able to get us to the ground safely.
“How are you doing, Lyun?” I asked.
“Urgh, it’s no good... I still can’t use my powers...” she answered in a pained voice.
What should I do? Would it be better to discard the spirit armor and try another method? But there were risks to taking Shirley’s medicine or using the Mask of Greed. The spirit armor was the safest way to raise my physical abilities.
“Rekka! Lyun!”
While I was debating my options, Mio came running over.
“I saw you fall earlier... Did something happen to Lyun?”
“Yeah. I think it might be some kind of curse.”
“A curse?! In that case...” Mio gave a resolute nod and took a deep breath before she started singing. “Not far away, not behind me, what’s in front of me is...”
Ah, I know this song! It’s “The Day Before the Future,” MIO’s debut song that healed the spirits of the ghostdemon sickness back in the spirit world. And the lyrics filled with hope for the future worked their magic on Lyun here too.
“Thank you, Mio!”
“Yeah, thanks, Mio. You’re a lifesaver.”
“I’m happy to help. Now get out there and do your best, you two!”
With Mio’s cheering and support acting like a tailwind, we flew up into the air once more.
“But what are we gonna do? He’s dodging everything everyone is throwing at him...”
“He’s unfairly powerful! We’ll never beat him unless we can really surprise him!”
“Really surprise him, huh?”
I admit the same thought had crossed my mind, but surprising future Rekka wouldn’t be easy either. In addition to all of his ridiculous powers, he had the advantage of all the skill and experience he’d acquired over hundreds of stories. That’s why he was so quick on his feet and had no trouble coming up with ways to get around or defeat the heroine’s powers. I’d expect that much with Satsuki and Iris, but he was still taking down heroines he’d never met before.
If only we could catch him off guard with magic he didn’t know...
Just then, things took a turn on the battlefield below.
“Take this!”
Rosalind transformed into a red mist to obscure future Rekka’s vision.
“Oh singing wind, blowing storm...”
But future Rekka immediately chanted a spell, conjuring a whirlwind to clear the air. Rosalind’s red mist, however, was only a decoy.
“We’re going all in!”
“Right!”
“Now’s no time to hesitate!”
Iris, Lea, and Corona were all standing in a line, armed with a laser gun, water magic, and dark magic respectively. The three of them were probably the heaviest hitters in our entire group, and they all attacked future Rekka at once. The destructive power of their collective attack was overwhelming. It instantly swallowed up future Rekka and sent three massive shockwaves throughout the arena.
“How long are we firing for?!” Corona asked.
“Until we run out of energy!” Iris answered.
And she made the right call. If they really wanted to overpower future Rekka, they couldn’t relent in the slightest. However...
“Huh?”
Iris suddenly raised a surprised voice. And the reason was before her eyes—cutting up through the middle of the beam fired from her laser gun was future Rekka. Unlike Corona and Lea’s attacks, Iris’s wasn’t magical. Future Rekka must’ve had some kind of energy shield to protect himself from it.
“Iris!”
I ran towards her as fast as I could, but it was too late. Future Rekka knocked Iris and then Lea and Corona out in the blink of an eye.
“Satsuki, Tsumiki, Suzuran! Get the three of them to safety!”
I entrusted Satsuki and the others with the three unconscious girls. Satsuki could use healing magic, so I figured they would be fine in her care. That said, her withdrawal from the battlefield put us at something of a disadvantage.
“Looks like your numbers have dropped quite a bit,” future Rekka announced, clearly seeing through me.
He then lifted his left arm, which he’d apparently swapped out for another new one at some point.
“Don’t worry. It’s just a shockwave. It won’t kill you, but it will hurt a bit.”
“!”
No sooner had he said that, the holes in future Rekka’s robotic hand started to suck in air before firing a pressurized ball of air from the center of his palm.
I can just change its trajectory with Lyun’s wind powers! Wait... No! Why isn’t it working?!
It was like it was too heavy! I couldn’t move it at all! The only thing I could do was clench my jaw and brace for impact. And so I did, but then a lone girl wandered out in front of me.
“Oh, that looks dangerous.”
The moment she muttered that, the shockwave shot off in another direction.
“Touko!”
“Hey,” she replied with a casual wave of her hand. “This is my first time experiencing what it’s like to be involved in one of these stories of yours, but it really is an amazing sight. No wonder my power of words led me here.”
Touko had long been troubled by her ability to manipulate reality with the power of words. She’d searched high and low for someone who could challenge her, and that search had led her to me. She’d also told me something back then that she repeated now...
“I only use my power of words on myself as a self-imposed restriction. I don’t think I’ll be much help to you now, or in the future.”
“Yeah, that’s fine. Even if you’re a heroine, it’s not like you have to listen to everything I say.”
“Hahaha! It’s exactly that, Rekka—your refusal to rely on my power even now—that makes you so incredible and unique.” Touko had a good laugh to herself before turning to future Rekka. “That said, if any attacks come my way, I’ll simply have no choice but to protect myself.”
“Huh? No, that’s dangerous. You should just stay back.”
“What?” Touko’s shoulders slumped. “Listen here, you! When someone makes concessions for you... Argh, just forget it! I’m willing to defend you right now, so just get that through your thick skull and accept it!”
Unsure why Touko was suddenly so mad, I couldn’t help cocking my head to the side.
“I see you’re as insensitive as ever, even at a time like this, Rekka,” R said in her usual exasperated tone.
“Gosh, I’m so mad,” Touko continued. “I’m so mad at you, Rekka... That the Rekka over there should kneel!”
“!”
Surprised, future Rekka instantly dropped to his knees. Touko’s power of words surpassed any other supernatural, scientific, and physical powers. Not even future Rekka could lift a finger if she forbade it.
“The power of words, huh? None of my heroines could use that. There must have been some deviations in our fates after all,” future Rekka said, struggling to lift his head as he remained kneeling. “But did you know such alteration abilities are limited to the range of one’s perceivable world?”
“Huh? What are you—”
“Enclosed World: White Cube!”
The moment future Rekka uttered those words, a white box appeared out of nowhere and surrounded Touko. She had to have been inside it, but it didn’t so much as rattle.
“Phew...”
Letting out a heavy sigh, future Rekka stood up.
The effect wore off?!
“What... What did you do?”
“I shut her inside a pocket dimension, essentially. As long as she’s there, her power of words can’t affect us here.”
“Wha?!”
“Like I said, alteration powers are limited by one’s perception. She’s effectively isolated from this world right now and therefore has no power over it,” future Rekka said flatly as though he were stating simple facts.
Come to think of it, though... When I solved Touko’s story, I took her to an isolated game world to bypass her power too.
And, yeah... It wasn’t like Touko could affect the world outside while we were in the game.
That meant future Rekka was right. As long as Touko was trapped somewhere else, her power wouldn’t work here.
“Tch...”
While she herself wasn’t as strong as Lea or Iris, Touko’s power was unmistakably one of the strongest. But future Rekka had come up with a way to get past it, just like that...
“Too bad. But I figured it wouldn’t be that easy.”
“Hibiki?”
Before I knew it, all the girls who could still fight had rallied around me.
“No one’s given up yet, and no one’s running away. Hang in there, Rekka.”
“Yeah... I know!”
Encouraged by Hibiki, I clenched my spirit armor-clad fist. This time, we’d all take him on together.
“We’re finally reaching the finale!”
I could see the tension in future Rekka’s face as well. He too knew we’d entered the final stage of this fight, though it was a little too pathetic to call it that.
Even without Iris, Corona, Lea, Touko, Satsuki, Tsumiki, and Suzuran, we had well over twenty on our side. But no one had managed to land a single hit on future Rekka. Our strongest fighter left was Rosalind, but he didn’t have any trouble dodging her attacks. He’d been doing it all along as he oh-so carefully knocked out heroine after heroine. He’d been as gentle as he could so as not to hurt them.
After a while, Satsuki and Suzuran returned to the fray, but nothing changed... Future Rekka simply kept dodging and attacking. Just how OP was he to be able to pull this off?
But it’s no use... Even if I tell him what I’m thinking right now, he won’t understand. He’s forgotten... He’s forgotten the most important thing.
That’s why I had to deck him. I had to beat it into him.
“Uaaargh!”
I borrowed more of Lyun’s power to charge forward.
“Force Cancel: Purge.”
“?!”
But suddenly, Lyun and I were separated. Did he dispel our spirit armor?! I got up in a hurry, but Lyun was already unconscious.
“It’s not the same as Yuuhi’s ability, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve too.”
“If you could do that all along, why didn’t you earlier?”
“If I had, the fall might’ve killed you.”
“That’s why you just cursed Lyun... so Rachelle or someone else would have the time to come save me.”
What a bastard.
“It’s over now.”
Future Rekka swung his fist, but just before it came down on me...
“Oh no!”
“Rekka!”
“Run for it!”
Tetra, Nyanyan, and Rain grabbed future Rekka’s arms and legs.
“...!”
I could see the hesitation in his eyes. The three girls were as fragile as Zeta and Tokiwa. If he didn’t want to hurt anyone, he’d have to be extra careful with them.
This is my chance!
I ran like the girls asked me to, but forward instead of backward. With him held in place, this might be my one and only chance!
“Haaaaah!”
Future Rekka didn’t bother to shake off the other girls. He was prioritizing keeping them unharmed. So in order to intercept me, rather than using his own limbs, a semi-transparent fist came flying out of his chest.
I forgot about that!
If he could use that power to defend himself, of course he could use it to attack too! My eyes followed the fist in slow motion, as though I was moments from death. It was the perfectly timed counter. There was no way I could avoid it. I didn’t know how much power was behind his ethereal fist, but if it made clean contact with my chin, I would most certainly be knocked out. Once that happened, it would all be over.
“!”
I grit my teeth, stubbornly bracing myself. If I psyched myself up enough, maybe I could withstand the punch. I’d seen someone do something like that in a manga before... And I was gonna make it happen here and now! With that in mind, I focused intently on the approaching fist... Which was suddenly blocked by a semi-transparent red wall. Someone then grabbed me by the collar and my vision went black. It came back after a few seconds, and...
“You’re too reckless! You dumbass!”
“Oh, L.”
It was L who’d saved me. She’d probably used her barrier and the particle relocator.
“Uh...”
I looked around to see where we were, and we hadn’t moved that far. We were only about fifty meters from future Rekka. The teleportation had only taken a few seconds, but in that time, he’d managed to put Tetra and the other girls to sleep. That meant we were the only ones left.
“Argh, jeez... I’d read the materials, but your future self is ridiculously strong,” she complained.
“Damn right he is. He’s the strongest main character in the universe, you know?” I returned L’s deliberate banter.
She then grabbed me by the shirt. “Hey... you don’t intend on leaving everything to him, do you?”
“Nah.”
“Good. We much prefer you as the main character, anyway.”
“Huh?”
L placed an awful lot of emphasis on the “we” part of that sentence, but she didn’t explain. She simply stood up.
“Got it?! We’re going to send him flying!”
And with that, she took off running.
“Wait!”
What is she doing? And who is “we”?
No matter how clumsy she was, this was... No, was she really just being clumsy and careless right now? Here, of all places? Or was she trying to tell me something else? Something she couldn’t say directly?
Was she wary of being overheard...?
With the diverse range of superhuman abilities future Rekka had, it wasn’t impossible that he had super-hearing too. L might have even done a scan of him and figured out exactly which parts of his body had been altered or enhanced. So what was the point, then? What was the actual message she was trying to convey to me?
I followed after her, closing in on future Rekka.
“...”
He was just standing there, quietly waiting for us to arrive—which would happen in just a few seconds. And during those long, long few seconds, I replayed L’s words in my head over and over again.
We’re going to send him flying? We...? Oh, duh!
That was it! Once I realized who she meant, I almost turned to look... But I stopped myself. I couldn’t ruin everything by revealing the secret too soon. If this went well, we might really just catch my future self by surprise. This would be our only chance, though. If I messed it up, it would all be over. It was a miracle I’d managed to figure out what L meant in the first place... But here we were. And I was going to believe—believe that it would all work out!
“Hah!”
L reached future Rekka first and unleashed a quick roundhouse kick at his shins. He dodged it without even looking, then placed a finger against L’s forehead while she was still crouched low.
“Ah...!”
And just like that, L fell unconscious. It was the same technique that had knocked Yuuhi and the others out harmlessly.
“...”
“...”
Future Rekka and I locked eyes. There was a scant seventy centimeters between us. We were both in punching range of each other. This one blow would decide everything.
“Aaaah!”
I left everything to my momentum as I ran and let my fist fly.
“...”
Future Rekka saw through it all. The trajectory of my fist. The position of my chin. How to knock me out in a single move. He saw through it all and prepared his counterattack. But I’d thrown everything I had into my punch, meaning I had nothing to defend myself with. L was out now too, so not even her barrier could save me. All the other heroines around me were defeated. There was no one in sight left to help me... But just then, someone gave me a little push from behind and my whole body pitched forward, making my fist accelerate faster than future Rekka had expected.
“?!”
I saw future Rekka’s expression change in shock, but my mind was elsewhere.
So you understood L’s secret message too, huh?
Who was I kidding? She’d probably realized it before I did. After all...
You really are sisters, huh, R?
The other person L meant when she’d said “we” was none other than R—my sharp-tongued partner who’d become invisible to everyone except me in order to enter Sith’s world. And I knew future Rekka couldn’t see her because of what he’d said after knocking Yuuhi out the first time.
“Now... All that’s left is you.”
If he could see R, he would’ve known it was more than just me he had to deal with. So, in the end, R was the real linchpin in our surprise. After stripping her down of all her Kiklim functions, all she could really do now was interact with me... But that was enough. That gave her the power to give me a big pat on the back right when I needed it.
Of course, fighting against someone as laughably scrawny as I was, future Rekka probably had his guard down. He was overwhelmingly strong and believed he could see everything that might pose a threat to him. He probably had the range of my arms pegged down to the millimeter. He was probably sure that his counterattack would be the end of things. Too bad he didn’t know about R.
“Hyah!”
My full-bodied, spirited punch sank into future Rekka’s nose, sending him flying. No matter how tough he was... With his guard down like that, not even he could stand up to a full-power punch.
“Oww... You shoulda been ready for that. I told you I was going to deck you.”
I rubbed my sore fist as I addressed future Rekka, who was lying prone on the floor.
“...”
He then looked at me and stood up, seemingly unfazed. He wasn’t even bleeding... Good grief, did he have a cyborg nose too?
“Is that all you’ve got?”
“Yeah, I think I’m done here. And this is your loss.”
“How so?”
“Take a look around you.”
Future Rekka cocked his head to the side with an expression that made it clear he didn’t understand what I meant. I’d only landed a single punch, and it hadn’t even put a scratch on him. Moreover, he’d probably caught on to the trick already. I wouldn’t get to punch him a second time.
“...?”
My bold declaration of victory despite all that made future Rekka cock his head even more. I, however, paid him no mind and looked around the arena. They were all either knocked out or asleep, but my prided heroines were all around us.
“Well? Aren’t they amazing? With their help, even a normal human like me can punch the strongest guy in the universe at least once.”
“But what does that have to do with—”
“I know what you’re really afraid of.”
Hearing those words, future Rekka froze on the spot. The thing future Rekka feared the most... He was afraid of losing his excess Namidare power and losing the heroines he’d already saved. But in addition to that...
“Once the past changes and the number heroines you’ve saves decreases, so too will the number of powers you have. And you’re worried that once you get weaker, you won’t be able to save anyone else. Right?”
“...”
“You don’t have to admit it. I know the answer already. We’re the same, after all.”
I knew his weaknesses better than anyone. All I had to do was think forward a little and put myself in my future self’s shoes... It wasn’t that hard. And I totally got it—I’d be afraid of the same thing too.
“It’s not being weak that scares you. It’s the thought of not being able to save anyone that terrifies you.”
“...I just couldn’t say it out loud because of how lame it sounds,” future Rekka finally said in a purposefully self-deprecating tone. Then he raised his head and asked me with a serious expression, “Well? Did you think that knowing that would make me hesitate to defeat you?”
Once more, I nodded without hesitation.
“That’s why I showed you everyone’s power.”
“...!”
Future Rekka had grown too strong. He used his power to do everything on his own. He was always alone, which was how he’d forgotten what made him strong in the first place.
“Even if you might not be the strongest anymore, with their help... you’ll be invincible! Remember that. And think about it. Back in the beginning, you couldn’t save a single story on your own, could you?”
“Yeah... Yeah, you’re right about that.” Future Rekka gave a reluctant nod, seemingly still unconvinced. “But what will happen to the heroines I lose when I lose my power?”
“I explained my new power, didn’t I?” I said, answering his question with one of my own. “It’s the ability to drag heroines into Rekka Namidare’s story. And if I have it, naturally, you will too. With this, we can pull in any of the heroines we need to help save a story.”
“?!”
Future Rekka finally realized what was going on and gasped. Until now, Namidare power had been a purely passive thing. Only by meeting a heroine and getting involved with her could I become the de facto main character of her story. But I was done with that. All of it. Instead of just waiting for things to happen, I wanted the power to do something... And now I had it. I could call my friends to my side anytime I needed their help. And together, we could save anyone. That was my real power.
“Besides, in the future, you’ll have access to the doctor’s time translocator. With that, you can save any heroine you want to, regardless of time or place.”
Once Sith’s Namidare power was returned to her world, the past of Maine’s world would be altered accordingly. Future Rekka would essentially lose all the heroines he’d saved with Namidare power that wasn’t his to begin with. But if he used the time translocator, he could seek them out and save them all over again with his—our—new power to drag heroines into our story.
“With this, both worlds, all the heroines, and even you, me, and Yuuhi can all be saved. So, what do you say? Do you accept defeat yet?”
The moment I asked him that, future Rekka fell backwards with a flop.
“U-Uh, hello?”
“You win... I admit complete defeat,” future Rekka whispered, looking up at the sky from where he lay on the ground like a deflated balloon. “But I wonder... Why are you and I so different?”
“I don’t think we’re really all that different at heart, you know? You just forgot a few things here and there.”
“Forgot a few things, huh...?” Future Rekka sighed a deep, heavy sigh before giving me a bitter smile. “But you’re leaving all the heavy lifting to me, aren’t you? Asking someone to save several hundred heroines all over again is a lot to drop in their lap, you know.”
At his expense, we both had a good laugh.
“Then shall I give you a hand? Or, wait... Don’t tell me you can’t remember each and every one of your hundreds of heroines?”
“As if that could ever forget them,” future Rekka answered immediately. “Besides, who needs your help? They’re my heroines.”
“That so?”
I nodded and said nothing more. And thus concluded our battle.
▽
After the battle, the observing goddesses came over.
“Yuuhi... You okay?”
“Yeah...”
Sith was taking care of the now-conscious Yuuhi, leaving me to deal with the other goddess—Maine.
“Wow, what a twist that was. I never expected you would actually win. I suppose I underestimated you as a Namidare.”
“Th-Thanks...”
I didn’t really like dealing with Maine. There was something about the way she acted and talked... Really, she was the cause of all this trouble in the first place. I guess I just resented her for it.
“But you know what this means, don’t you? By returning Sith’s Namidare power, the happiness levels of the two worlds will balance out again and we’ll be back to square one.”
“Then you should just call off your stupid game,” I blurted out. “Why did you even start such a game anyway? If you’re that bored, there are plenty of other games you could play.”
“Well...” There, Maine turned to Sith and broke eye contact with me. “Sith told you how we deities can’t help but create worlds, right?”
“Huh? Well, yeah. Something about biology and all that.”
Funny... Maine wasn’t around when we had that conversation. Were deities all-hearing too?
“So what do you think happens to a god that quits creating worlds?” she asked.
“?”
“If a god stops creating worlds, they disappear.”
“Huh?!”
The shocking reveal left me reeling in bewilderment.
“Wh-What? But Sith said there was no particular reason for doing it.”
“Humans and animals also create offspring instinctually, no? If they fight that instinct and stop reproducing, that species would go extinct.”
“...”
So that’s what all that stuff about biology meant...?
Maine continued without meeting my gaze, “We’ve been creating and ending worlds for a long time now... Before we created our current worlds, Sith was in real trouble. She was on the brink of disappearing.”
“...That’s why you started the game?”
“Yup, that’s right. I wanted her to regain her passion for making worlds.”
“Then why would you want to destroy her world now?”
Based on everything she’d said before the fight, Sith had already rediscovered her love for her world-making. So if that was Maine’s goal, then she’d already gotten what she wanted. But Maine shook her head.
“I didn’t think destroying her world would be such a bad ending. If I did that, she would detest me and challenge me to another game... to avenge her world and destroy mine in turn.”
Hearing Maine’s real objective made me shudder. Man... What a goddess, am I right?
“So your little sister means more to you than all of the lives you would destroy in the process?”
“Of course. She’s the only sister I have,” Maine replied without hesitation.
There, she finally turned to look at me again. On her lips was a faint hint of a smile.
“Neither you nor I are real heroes, you know? We’re just doing what we can to protect the people precious to us.”
“Jeez, I get what you’re saying... But please pick a less destructive plan next time.”
“Hmph, I’ll consider it.”
Maine seemed to have said her piece and left my side to go hug her sister. It was an endearing display of sisterly love, though I worried about what exactly Maine’s love might mean for Sith in the future.
“Gosh, what a terrifying goddess. A textbook yandere, don’t you think?” R said from where she was floating beside me.
I felt like the life had been sucked out of me.
“Please save me from the yandere goddess that drags entire worlds into her games...”
And so I prayed that I would never end up in a story like this again.
Wait, if I pray for that, then the one who hears it is going to be...
The despair that weighed on me made my shoulders droop even more than they already had.
“Rekka...”
“Hm?”
“I was actually thinking about something.”
“What is it?”
“Why you and future Rekka are so different.”
R’s words piqued my interest. It was also something I’d wondered many a time before now. It didn’t really matter that much anymore, but I was still curious.
“Did you come to any conclusions, R?”
“Well, it’s all mostly conjecture.”
“Come on! Just tell me!”
“All right, all right... You have an excessive amount of Namidare power—the power to change fate—right?”
“Yeah. Though it’s gradually lessening now.”
Like we promised before the battle, Main was now returning the excess Namidare power to Sith’s world. It was apparently a highly condensed power, and it would take some time to disperse throughout the world as it was, meaning I had to stay up here in the spiritual realm for a few days while that happened. That gave me plenty of time to discuss things with R.
“Based on the way that only you were able to alter the past, my conjecture is that your fate-changing Namidare power can also affect time and space.”
“I see, I see.”
“That’s how, as you witnessed for yourself, the Rekka of the future gained too much power and hit a dead end.”
“Huh? But that’s—”
“Yes, it was recently corrected. I know,” R said, raising a hand to stop my interruption. “However, like I said, I believe that Namidare power can affect space-time itself. So perhaps somewhere in a different timeline, or even in a different world we can’t perceive... Perhaps there’s a Rekka Namidare somewhere that realized things couldn’t keep on this way.”
R was comparing me with my future self and Yuuhi.
“Perhaps that thought produced a change... A change that manifested at the very beginning of the story of Rekka Namidare. A change that would forever alter his life. And perhaps—just maybe—that’s how we got to where we are now.”
“Umm, so... In other words...” I racked my head trying to break down R’s so-called conjecture and get to the bottom of it. “What you’re trying to say is that... Maybe somewhere else in the universe, some other me changed my fate?”
“Like I said, it’s all just conjecture.”
R paused there to adjust her hat.
“Well, who cares about that anyway?” she said, the corners of her mouth turning upwards slightly. “Because as you can see, everything’s been settled peacefully thanks to you now.”
“Well... You’re right about that.”
Thinking the gist of what she’d said was right, I shrugged and smiled back at her in a similar fashion.