Aftereffects EP.30

"I didn't die again..."

 

 

 

Honestly, at this point, I just accept it.

 

 

 

I've been scared to the point of death, and even had my chest blown open at the end, but failing has become so routine that I can just laugh it off now.

 

 

 

"...Damn it."

 

 

 

Seriously.

 

 

 

"Haah... That Sensei really had to do something unnecessary..."

 

 

 

Before I lost consciousness with a hole in my chest, I clearly saw it.

 

 

 

Sensei ran towards me, holding a golden card.

 

 

 

And since I survived, it's obvious that Sensei used an adult card.

 

 

 

No matter if this is Kivotos, it would be impossible to save someone with a hole in their chest.

 

 

 

"Seriously, this is why I can't bring myself to like Sensei..."

 

 

 

"D-don't say that... Sensei paid a great price to save you..."

 

 

 

"...Well, yeah, but... Huh?"

 

 

 

"god, you scared me!!!"

 

 

 

As I was expressing my dissatisfaction with Sensei, Yume, who I thought had disappeared, suddenly appeared before me.

 

 

 

"W-what?! I thought you disappeared??"

 

 

 

 

Didn't she say a tearful goodbye to Hoshino and ascend to the afterlife?

 

 

 

"Well... I wanted to explain, as I promised..."

 

 

 

"...Ah."

 

 

 

-----

 

 

 

"I will... I will explain everything."

 

 

 

 

 

-----

 

 

 

'Now that I think about it, she did say that...'

 

 

 

So much has happened since then that I completely forgot.

 

 

 

'...But is there anything to explain?'

 

 

 

Besides the fact that Yume and the black suit are the ones who reincarnated me here, there's nothing else I particularly want to know.

 

 

 

"...Then, will you explain?"

 

 

 

I couldn't just tell someone who couldn't ascend to go away, so I decided to listen quietly to Yume's explanation.

 

 

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

"Ahem! Before I explain, you know that we are avatars of gods who possess some of the divinity of past religious beings, right?"

 

 

 

"I don't know the details, but I know roughly?"

 

 

 

Wasn't that why the students had true names, like Hoshino's Horus or Shiroko's Anubis?

 

 

 

"Yes, and depending on the means, we can manifest our abilities as divine beings."

 

 

 

"For me, that method was death..."

 

 

 

"Hmm...? So? How exactly does that lead to my reincarnation?"

 

 

 

What she just said was that she manifested as a divine being... Which means,

 

 

 

"Didn't you just revive? With that divine manifestation."

 

 

 

I don't really understand this divine manifestation, but ultimately, being manifested is the same as being revived.

 

 

 

If she died, there wouldn't be any manifestation or anything.

 

 

"Then, couldn't you have just gone to see Hoshino?"

 

 

 

But for some reason, she didn't go to Hoshino.

 

 

 

'...Wait a minute, does that mean...?'

 

 

 

"...Yes, I became the divine manifestation... Isis, but my revival was limited and didn't last long."

 

 

 

"So, I decided to create someone."

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Someone who could save Hoshino-chan."

 

 

 

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Haah... What kind of ridiculous development is this..."

 

 

 

After Yume finished explaining and disappeared, I was left alone in the hospital room again.

 

 

 

I could only clutch my head at the story I had just heard.

 

 

 

"So... To summarize the story?"

 

 

 

Yume revived as Isis herself through divine manifestation.

 

 

 

But her revival didn't last long, and realizing this, she created a person to replace her out of concern for Hoshino.

 

 

 

The body was hers, and the soul was from another world.

 

 

 

Honestly, it was an unbelievable story, but Isis's power and the man in black's abilities made it possible.

 

 

 

As a result, I was created.

 

 

 

This is the story of how I was reincarnated...

 

 

 

-----

 

 

 

"But why me? I said it before, but wouldn't it have been better if you reincarnated someone who liked this kind of thing?"

 

 

 

"...That's because you are !#%$#%."

 

 

 

"...What?"

 

 

 

-----

 

 

 

"In the end, you couldn't explain the most important part..."

 

 

 

What I really wanted to know was the reason I was reincarnated, not the method or anything else.

 

 

 

"Besides..."

 

 

 

-----

 

 

 

"...Remember."

 

 

 

"In this situation without a halo, if you die now."

 

 

 

"You will never return home."

 

 

 

-----

 

 

 

"Don't die suddenly? What kind of bullshit is that..."

 

 

 

I can't die just because I don't have a halo? What kind of nonsense is that...

 

 

 

"Haah... I guess I have to stop suicide and self-harm for a while..."

 

 

 

Since I only attempted suicide on the premise that I could return home, I had to restrain myself for a while.

 

 

 

"Haah... It's frustrating that I can't die at a time like this..."

 

 

 

Without a halo, suicide should be easy, but it's a shame I can't die.

 

 

 

"...Speaking of which... Something feels a bit strange..."

 

 

 

Is it because I lost my halo? Or is it another side effect? Something feels oddly off.

 

 

 

It's like the world has gotten a bit bigger...?

 

 

 

"...N-no way~"

 

 

 

For a person to shrink like Mario just because of something like that...

 

 

 

"...Now that I think about it, isn't there a place to measure height in the hospital?"

 

 

 

I didn't think it was likely, but I decided to stand up and go to the place where they measure height, just in case.

 

 

 

But

 

 

 

Thud!

 

 

 

 

"W-what?"

 

 

 

For some reason, as soon as I lifted my butt from the bed, I fell over.

 

 

 

Moreover

 

 

 

"Ugh!!!"

 

 

 

Bang!

 

 

 

"Haa... No... I can't get up..."

 

 

 

Even if I tried to use my strength to get up, I couldn't move an inch and just ended up on the floor again.

 

 

 

My legs, especially, wouldn't budge.

 

 

 

"Haah... What do I do now..."

 

 

 

I can accept my body not moving, but if this continues, I'll end up sleeping on the cold floor tonight.

 

 

 

"...Should I try shouting for help?"

 

 

 

I don't know if there's anyone nearby, but if I shout loudly, maybe a nurse will hear and come.

 

 

 

"Whew... Then...!"

 

 

 

Just as I was about to shout for help

 

 

 

Screech!

 

 

 

"He...!"

 

 

 

The hospital room door opened

 

 

 

"...Sora...chan?"

 

 

 

A haggard Hoshino appeared.

 

 

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

 

"Sob... H-hic... Sora-chan! Sora-chan!"

 

 

 

"...."

 

 

 

'Haah...'

 

 

 

Shortly after Hoshino appeared, she quickly scooped me up and held me tightly, bursting into tears.

 

 

 

'She must have been really worried...'

 

 

 

Besides the crying, Hoshino's appearance showed just how much she had suffered.

 

 

 

Her hair was messy and unkempt, she had dark circles under her eyes, and most importantly, her eyes looked half-dead, making it clear how difficult things had been for her.

 

 

 

'The guilt is overwhelming...'

 

 

 

From now on, I really shouldn't let Hoshino find out.

 

 

 

With that resolution in my heart, I spoke to Hoshino, who was still crying.

 

 

 

"I'm sorry for making you worry, Hoshino-san."

 

 

 

"Sniff... N-no... I'm just grateful that you woke up... Sora-chan..."

 

 

 

"....."

 

 

 

The guilt is seriously overwhelming.

 

 

 

I'm the worst. Seriously.

 

 

 

"Oh, right. Hoshino-san."

 

 

 

"...Yeah?"

 

 

 

I decided to ask Hoshino for help since she was here.

 

 

 

"I'm sorry, but could you take me outside?"

 

 

 

"For some reason, my legs won't move..."

 

 

 

".....What?"

 

 

 

"W-what?"

 

 

 

'The atmosphere suddenly changed...'

 

 

 

"Your legs won't move? What do you mean?"

 

 

 

"...Ah."

 

 

 

I'm screwed...