Chapter 32: Past Arc 1

—It happened the day after I heard about the accident.

I woke up unusually early that morning. Still groggy, I somehow managed to get to my feet and quickly changed into something barely presentable enough to go outside.

…When we parted ways yesterday, Yousuke said, “There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

And he added, “Tomorrow. I’ll tell you tomorrow.”

Then I had to hear what he wanted to say.
Whatever came after… I’d think about it then.

I told myself not to think about anything else. And as if trying to escape from a house that suddenly felt too empty, I opened the front door.

“…I’m off—eh?”

A greeting, meant for no one to hear and no one to answer.

But before I could finish, my voice trailed off in confusion.

…Because what I felt beneath my sneakers wasn’t the solid concrete of the hallway floor.

It was something unstable—something that couldn’t support my weight.
Water.

It was like being shoved into a pool for a prank.
No time to scream—my whole body plunged straight in with a splash.

I couldn’t keep my eyes open.
All that came out of my mouth were meaningless sounds, bubbling and choking. The lack of air sent me into a panic.

And yet, the current didn’t let up for a second. It dragged me with terrifying force into a giant whirlpool.

…Luckily, even though I was thrashed about by the raging water, there was no pain.
In fact, it was strangely gentle.

But the dizzying, washing machine-like turbulence was more than enough to tear my consciousness away.

Dad—
Mom—

Yousuke—

Calling out for help in my heart, I blacked out—shockingly easily.

“Cough! Cough…!”

I came to when I was slammed down onto a hard floor.

Ugh.
The impact made me choke and left my throat burning.

Tears welled up from the reflex, blurring my vision.

But—I could breathe.

Somehow, I hadn’t drowned. That alone brought a huge wave of relief.

“Are… are you okay!?”

Someone came rushing over to me, clearly panicked.

“Y-Yeah. I think so.”

A cool, gentle voice.
She was a girl—just a little taller than me. So, basically average height.

She reached out her hand to me. I wiped my tears with the hem of my shirt and took it.

Naturally, our eyes met.

“Wow…”

A breath of wonder slipped from my lips before I even realized it.

—Her eyes were deep, yet perfectly clear, a vivid shade of blue that reminded me of the summer sea on a cloudless day.

Her hair, on the other hand, reached down to her back and was a soft, bluish green. She wore a pure white robe embroidered with touches of gold, and with the calm, composed air she carried, she seemed far more mature than someone my age—even though she probably was.

“U-Um… It’s a bit troubling, being stared at so intently by a gentleman like that…”

…Apparently, I’d been completely lost in admiration.

Her pale cheeks turned a rosy red, and she averted her gaze.

“S-Sorry. It’s just, I’ve never seen hair or eyes like yours before. Were you the one who saved me?”

“…Yes. If by that you mean ‘I brought you here,’ then I suppose I did.”

I was feeling pretty embarrassed too, honestly.
Trying to shake that off, I asked the question—but her answer was oddly roundabout.

“…Here?”

Now that she mentioned it—where even was this place?

All I’d done was open the front door.
The next thing I knew, I was drowning… and then I woke up here.

It didn’t make any sense. I knew it was probably rude, but I couldn’t help glancing around, hoping for some clue.

…I was in a massive room, maybe as big as a school gymnasium.

The floor beneath me was made of immaculate white stone, not a single blemish in sight, and all around stood countless stone pillars in neat rows.

At the center of the room was a small pool, like a spring. Judging by where I’d landed, I must have collapsed right beside it.

Hmm…

The place had a kind of solemn, sacred feel to it—but aside from that, I had no idea what it was.

“Kind of feels like one of those temples you see in games. I bet if we go further in, there’s a legendary sword sealed away or something.”

So really, I’d only meant it as a light joke.

“You… you saw right through it. As expected of you, Mikoto-sama. Or perhaps… this is the otherworldly knowledge said to belong to the Hero himself…”

The girl pressed a hand to her lips, her blue eyes widening in awe.

“…Huh?”

Wait a second.

Did I ever tell her my name?

And—did she just say “otherworld”?
“Hero”?

No, no, come on. That’s like something straight out of the manga I like.

Usually, I’m the one making dumb jokes like this and getting scolded by my best friend for it.

But the girl wasn’t laughing, nor did she look like she was joking. Her expression was deadly serious.

Before I could say anything, she dropped to her knees—solemnly, reverently, as if offering a prayer to a god—and declared:

“Our world stands on the brink of ruin. Hero-sama… please, save us—”

Just like that.