Arc 1 Chapter 7: defying fate

"Is this the student council room?"

　

　When I regained consciousness, I was in the student council room at school, wearing my usual uniform for some reason. If I remember correctly, I was lost in the desert, and I thought I heard Hoshino-chan's voice before I lost consciousness.

　

　Next time, if I were to wake up, I thought it would be in a hospital bed. It was also strange that my physical condition was the same as usual. I don't know how long I was unconscious, but after being stranded in the desert for a while, I woke up full of energy and just like normal! No matter how you look at it, it's strange. So maybe...

　

"The afterlife...?"

　

　Perhaps Hoshino-chan's voice was just an auditory hallucination after all. Unlike the senior in the original, I may have been disappointed and abandoned. I thought it was a fitting ending for a fake like me.

　

　

　It's a bit... well, quite painful, but it can't be helped.

　

　While I was thinking about such depressing things, I heard a knock on the door. I don't know who it was, but I'm already dead. Whatever came, I wouldn't be scared. Besides, thinking about it alone didn't really help me understand the current situation.

　

　Thinking about this, I replied "Come in!" without checking anything in particular. What came in was...

　

"Oh, you're awake! Thank goodness..."

　

"Eh? Yume-senpai...?"

　

　

　She was a girl who looked just like me, in fact, exactly the same as me.

---

　I was confused. I thought I was in the afterlife, but then somehow I found myself and kuchinashi yume, so it's understandable.

　

"Um... there are a few things I want to explain... is that okay...?"

　

"Ah, yes. It's okay, Yume-senpai."

　

　In an effort to stay sane, I ended up using honorifics. I sound like Hoshino-chan.

　

"Well, you know... you don't need to be so intimidated, right...? Actually, you sound a bit like Hoshino-chan, don't you?"

　

　It seems the other me was thinking the same thing.

　

"Umm, please stop talking like this for now. So... where exactly am I? And by the way, are you Yume-senpai... correct?"

　

"Well, that's pretty much right. To put it simply, I am the very essence of the Kuchinashi yume... I guess. Um, what should I call you? It'll be confusing if we have the same name, right?"

　

　The mystery of Yume-senpai...? I liked Blue Archive, but honestly I don't really understand the mystery and stuff. Well, I guess it's fine to just call it Yume-senpai.

　

　Or rather, the name... I think there's a perfect name.

　

"I'd like to use Modoki-chan, please."

　

"M-Modoki-chan... you don't need to be so self-deprecating... you're stronger than the rest of us... you tried your best."

　

　The rest of us? What are you talking about?

　

"Well, I'll call you Modoki-chan for now."

　

"Also, this place is what they call the spiritual world. Ah, it's not the afterlife, you know? Modoki-chan isn't dead."

　

　The spiritual world...? Or rather, isn't it the afterlife?　

　

　

"So, am I still alive?"

　

"You may not have regained consciousness, but your still alive! Hoshino-chan came to save you."

　

　What? Hoshino-chan came. I'm so happy.

　

"So, I want you to calm down and listen. Modoki-chan hasn't regained consciousness for over six months."

　

　Wow, half a year...

　

"What?! Six months?! I've been sleeping that long?!"

　

"About eight months to be exact, I think."

　

　I think the day they got lost was early August. So it's already April? Is Hoshino-chan already in her second year?!　　

　

　Besides, the fact that she came to help me means that she cared about me and hadn't abandoned me, so I guess I've hurt Hoshino-chan's heart...? Ah. I'm starting to feel really bad.

　

"Ugh..."

　

"W-Wa-! D-Don't cry, it's okay..."

　

　Yume-senpai pats my back. So kind... But to be honest, it must seem like a strange sight to an outsider, because someone who looks exactly like me is comforting a crying child.

　

"Oh, thank you, I've calmed down a bit."

　

"good..."

　

"Sorry, I suddenly started crying... and you said you had something to explain, right?"

　

"Yes, that's right. There's really a lot to talk about, so this might be a long story, but it's important, so I want you to listen carefully."

　

"First, let's talk about why Modoki-chan got lost."

　

"I guess it's because they got caught in a sandstorm and the compass flew away?"

　

"That may be the result, but the fundamental reason is different. You know that, right, Modoki? The forecast said that there would be no sandstorm that day. And that forecast was correct."

　

"The reason for that sandstorm...or rather, the one who created the sandstorm and attacked Modoki-chan was Set."

　

　Set? The only Set I know is Set's Fury from Blue Archive. I wonder if it's a myth or something? I've seen some speculation that Abydos is based on Egyptian mythology. But I don't know anything about mythology.

　

"Set's goal was to murder Osiris and seize the throne. In that situation, he wanted to murder Osiris and seize the position of student council president."

"And the rest of us... Kuchinashi Yume's death was also caused by Set."

　

　So Set is the one who killed Yume-senpai?　

　

　What's with Set's fury? I'm even more pissed off than he is. I'll never forgive him.

　

　That being said, my explanation just now raises a new question.

　

"Um, what about the rest of us? And why am I still alive when this guy called Set was my target?"

　

"The other us, to put it simply, are the Kuchinashi Yume from the parallel world. I am the very embodiment of mystery, so to me, everyone is the same me."

　

"So, the question is why Modoki-chan is still alive."

　

　Yume-senpai from a parallel world, huh? I wonder if it includes the Yume-senpai from the original work that I know. And the reason why I'm alive.

　

"I know this isn't the best way to put it, but I guess it's because Modoki-chan is an anomaly."

　

　An anomaly...? No, I understand what you mean. Probably...

　

"Does that have something to do with the fact that I have memories of my past life?"

　

"Yes, that's right. You are a Kuchinashi Yume... but technically you're not a Kuchinashi Yume. I think the main reason you were saved was because of the memories of your past life, as you say, especially your memories as a Sensei."

　

"That text, the text of 'Sensei' in this kivotos, was too powerful. It overwrites other texts...especially the students' texts."

　

"Because of that property, the text of the imitated character is Osiris, but not Osiris, and so it's incomplete."

　

"That's why I was able to overcome my fate of being killed by Set and survive. Though it was still quite dangerous."

　

　Sensei!! You're amazing, saving a student before you've even arrived in Kivotos yet! Thank you!　

　

"Well, I shouldn't have been attacked by Set in the first place... but there was another reason why I was attacked by Set, and that was because of the Student Council President's Notebook."

　

　The student council president's notebook? Why would that be the reason she was attacked?

　

"At that stage, when Hoshino got angry and they broke up, Se still didn't fully understand Modoki. That was because of the text I mentioned earlier."

　

"But the next day you left your notebook in the student council room, right? That was a reenactment of the myth..."

　

"A notebook? Why does a notebook appear in mythology?"

"I think it's more the design of the cover of the planner than the planner itself. I don't really want to say it, but the banana on the cover has sometimes been likened to a girl's thing, right?"

　

　Huh, suddenly we're talking dirty?! What are we talking about?! Where's the serious talk?　

　

"In the myths, there's a story about how he lost it. So you felt that letting go of the notebook was the final cause, and when you were left alone, Set attacked you. That sandstorm wasn't a natural occurrence, so you took your compass and other things."

　

　Huh? Well then, maybe...

　

"Well, this is a really difficult question to ask, but if I had bought a different design than that notebook, would I still be lost at sea right now?"

　

"...Well...that's what happens..."

　

　Is that why Set found out and attacked me? Am I just too stupid? I want to punch the old me who bought the Banana Picking Notebook and said, "It's a reproduction of the original!"

　

"I guess this is why Modoki-chan survived."

　

　There's just one thing I don't understand.

　

"Um, Set is such an amazing being that he can create a sandstorm, right? Wouldn't he be killed physically regardless of the text?"

　

　Also, the Set I knew had a lot more rage and lightning.

　

"I see. It's not surprising to think that. But that was just a reenactment of a myth. It had to be a deliberate murder. That's why they couldn't launch an attack that would directly take someone's life. And Set hasn't fully manifested yet."

　

　I see, that makes sense. And the Fury of Set that I know is like a final form, so it's probably not that easy.

　

"It seems you understand. The next topic is about the fake girl we just talked about."

　

　Me now...

　

"Modoki-chan did survive, but she was pretty beaten up. She suffered from heat stroke and dehydration. That's why she still hasn't regained consciousness."

　

　That's true. I don't have any medical knowledge, but I can at least tell you that spending a lot of time in the desert is not good for your health.

　

"I was the one who cured it. And then, once the treatment was almost finished, Modoki woke up here."

　

"You cured me? Thank you."

　

"My mystic symbolizes death and resurrection. I cured you perfectly so that there would be no after-effects! As I said before, it was only half-healed, so it took a while to heal you though..."

　

　

"Well, that's all for now. And now, my final wish. This is more of a request than a wish."

　

"Request····?"

　

"Yes. As I said before, Modoki-chan's body is almost completely healed, so I think she'll regain consciousness in reality soon."

　

"So, here's my request. I feel like I'm the very existence of Kuchinashi yume, so I can understand Kuchinashi yume's memories from the parallel worlds. And so, everyone was regretting the same thing."

　

"I'm leaving Hoshino-chan all alone. I'll never be able to repay her for all the help she's given me."

　

"That's why I want you to thank Hoshino-chan. Because there's something I, or we, couldn't do. To Modoki-chan, who can resist fate."

"I know it's a bit presumptuous of you to ask this, considering I caused you so much trouble and you may have grown tired of Abydos, but I still want to ask you a favor."

　

　There's absolutely no need to apologize. It may be Yume-senpai's fault that we got lost, but it's also my fault. If I had trusted Hoshino-chan more, this wouldn't have happened.

　

　Besides, it was thanks to this person, Yume-senpai, that my body had fully recovered. So there was no way I could complain.

　

　And I'm sorry, but this request is a failure.

　

　Because of course she would have done it even if she hadn't been asked. Hoshino-chan, that very kind and clumsy girl, must be blaming herself deeply and regretting it deeply.

　

　There are some things I need to tell Hoshino-chan.

　

"There's absolutely no need to apologize. Thanks to Yume-senpai, I can see Hoshino-chan again."

　

"...Fufu, I see....Looking at your face, I guess there was no need to ask...?"

　

"Yes! Of course! Leave it to me!"

　

　Of course. Hoshino-chan showed me the future, too. And it saved my life. I'll definitely live up to her expectations.

　

"Fufu. Thank you. Please take care of Hoshino-chan..."

　

　

　As I listened to Yume-senpai's voice, my mind went dark...